Jesus Unveiled
The Final Meal
(Revelation 19:17-21)
INTRODUCTION
“I came across a book written by a cardiologist at the University of Tennessee that corroborates an important aspect of the biblical message. In the course of their emergency room work, Dr. Maurice Rawlings and his colleagues interviewed more than 300 people who claimed near-death experiences. What made Rawlings' study distinct is that the interviews were not conducted months or years later but immediately after the experiences had allegedly occurred – while the patients were still too shaken up in the immediacy of the moment to gloss over or to re-imagine what they had experienced.
Nearly 50 percent of them reported encountering images of fire, of tormented and tormenting creatures, and other sights hailing from a place very different from heaven. In follow-up interviews much later many of these same people had changed their stories, apparently unwilling to admit to their families, maybe even to themselves, that they had caught a glimpse of something like what the Bible calls hell.
Dr. Rawlings concludes, ‘Just listening to these patients has changed my life. There is a life after death, and if I don't know where I'm going, it is not safe to die.’”
Dan Meyer, “The Light at the End of the Tunnel,” Preaching Today No. 238
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2003/july/14483.html].
Hell is a real place. There is life after death. We know from Scripture that those who are faithful and true to God and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will be with them in paradise (heaven). Those who reject God and refuse to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ will be separated from them for all eternity.
In Revelation 19, John’s vision is of two great meals that God will provide – one for those who are faithful and true to Him and one for those who are unfaithful and reject Him.
How many of us are familiar with the phrase, “Call me anything you like, but don’t call me late for dinner?”
BODY
ME
Dinner bell at Judy’s parent’s farm
The small farm where Judy grew up in Ohio has a bell in the backyard
I don’t know how often it was used to call her and her brother for dinner
I know when we lived in her parent’s house that we used it as a form of communication to let each other or our children know that they needed to come back to the house
It was always a little scary to ring the bell, because wasps enjoyed making a nest up inside the bell – we were never sure whether or not we’d be greeted by some wasps when we rang it
Calling our children for dinner
More recently we call our children for dinner by calling their name when they’re in the house
I’ll whistle off the back porch if they are in the garage or outside somewhere
Other times we pick up our cell phone and text or call them
WE
Being called for dinner
How many of us have ever been called to dinner by a dinner bell (either a triangle or an actual bell)?
Perhaps it wasn’t a dinner bell, but a whistle from our father or mother
Maybe it was just Mom hollering out the back door
Do you remember what happened when we didn’t come right away?
I’ve heard stories of children that didn’t come right in for dinner when they were called
The result was that when they eventually came in for dinner, their dinner was water and a piece of bread or a cracker
It didn’t take too many times of eating bread or a cracker and drinking water to learn that you’d better come running when called for dinner
How have we called our children to dinner?
Perhaps we’ve whistled
Maybe we’ve hollered out the back door, up the stairs, or down the hallway
Some of us have probably used technology to our advantage and either called or texted our children
A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Marc shared with us about the wedding supper of the Lamb, which God will provide for those who have been faithful and true to Him. We’re going to be looking at another great meal today that God will provide, but the circumstances behind this meal are completely different. This meal will involve those who have been unfaithful to God and have rejected Him. Revelation 19 reveals to us that every person will be included in one of two meals that God will provide. We have to ask ourselves this question . . .
BIG IDEA – Will we eat or be eaten?
Let’s pray
GOD (Revelation 19:17-21)
A call to dinner (vv. 17-18)
The messenger
It is another angel from heaven
This angel is standing in the sun
The position is important, because it would have been the highest point in the sky [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 356]
As we’ll see in a moment this position would be important as the angel calls the meal attendees to gather
The splendor of the angel would be magnified in the fact that it is superimposed in front of the sun
It would have given the angel an incredible glow or radiance that would be appropriate for God’s messenger
This would have given the angel the appearance of “shining” with God’s glory
God’s glory radiating from Jesus and another angel has already been seen in Revelation
Christ’s “face was like the sun” (Rev. 1:16)
Mighty angel whose “face is like the sun” (Rv. 10:1)
The angel is crying in a loud voice
This loud voice will be clear and understandable to the those who are being addressed
They will not question whether or not they heard this angel correctly
They are being invited to the “great supper of God”
It’s God’s supper in the sense that God is the One who is providing it
John doesn’t keep us in suspense, but immediately identifies who the meal attendees will be
The meal attendees
It is the birds flying in midair
The position of the angel who is calling them to dinner makes sense – it is standing in the sun (the highest point in the sky)
We don’t normally think of songbirds eating dead, rotting flesh
There are certain birds that come to mind when we think of dead, rotting animals being eaten
Vultures, Buzzards, and crows
Kites, Caracaras, Eagles, and Marabou Storks
The vultures and buzzards are the ones we see circling high above their meal and eventually descending to eat
The sense here is that the angel is at the highest point in the sky and is crying out to these scavenger birds that are circling
The meal is being prepared for them, but what will the meal consist of?
The meal
It will be the flesh of a great army that is gathering, which includes all sinners
No sinner will be exempt
John begins by identifying those who have a military background (kings, generals, mighty men, and the cavalry – horses and their riders)
The flesh of all people makes it clear that no one is exempt
The next two pairs of terms make it clear that it includes every socio-economic group (free and slave, small and great)
Those who reject Jesus Christ will be eaten by scavenger birds as part of their punishment and destruction
What John sees next is what I’m calling meal preparation
Meal preparation (v. 19-21a)
Preparing a meal
I’m not like Judy when it comes to meal preparation
She is able to move smoothly through the kitchen and add the right amount of spices and seasoning without thinking about it or having to measure it out
She can have multiply things going at the same time, without worrying about whether or not something will be overcooked
I prefer to have everything staged and all the ingredients laid out prior to starting
I measure out all the ingredients exactly, because I don’t trust myself to add a sprinkle of something here and a dash of something there
I prefer to work on one dish at a time so I don’t ruin it, which means that not everything is ready at the same time
You’ve probably guessed that I don’t cook very often
I am a seasoned and skilled eater, though
What John sees next in vv. 19-21a is the preparation of the great supper of God for the scavenger birds
He sees the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together
The ingredients are being laid out in preparation for the meal
The kings, generals, mighty men, horses and their riders and the rest of those who have rejected Jesus Christ are gathering together – being prepared
This reminds us of the sixth bowl that was poured out in Revelation 16:12-16, The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. . . . Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.
Two ingredients will be thrown on the grill, so to say
The reality of what will happen to these two ingredients will be far worse than simply being grilled
The beast and the false prophet will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur
We see again a description of the false prophet and what he did – performed many miraculous signs on behalf of the beast
These signs helped to deceive those who accepted the mark of the beast and worshiped his image
The signs that the false prophet performed allowed these unbelievers to justify what they had already chosen to do – reject Jesus Christ and continue to live their lives in rebellion against God
We can be prone to the same things today
We know what God’s Word says, but we continue to search for an “authority” that will allow us to justify what we want to do, say, or think
But we see that this kind of justification only leads us to destruction
We are deluded and deceived, because we have already made up our minds about what we want to do, think, and say
We can very easily take the “mark” of the world/culture and worship images that are not God
Our standard has to be God’s Word, the Bible, taught in a way that’s not taken out of context or read and interpreted with preconceived ideas and thoughts
We have to ask the Holy Spirit to give us wisdom to know exactly what God is telling us in His Word
My Next Step Today Is To: Ask the Holy Spirit to give me wisdom to understand God’s Word as He meant it to be, so I will not be deluded and deceived by the false prophets of this world or culture.
The false prophet will be held accountable for leading God’s creation away from Him
PRINCIPLE – God will punish those who continue to rebel against Him, and especially those who lead others away from Him.
The beast, who is a “Christ” wannabe, and the false prophet, will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur
It is important to note that they are thrown into the lake, alive
The punishment that the beast and the false prophet will experience is eternal torment
We will see that three other groups will be thrown into the “lake of fire”
The devil (Rev. 20:10)
Death and Hades (Rev. 20:14a)
The unbelievers (Rev. 20:14b)
With these three groups, nothing is mentioned about the fact that they are thrown into the lake of fire, alive
“The connotation is conscious punishment in the lake of fire, and it may well be that John expected the reader to remember that with respect to the other three groups.” [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 690]
Any individual who dies in a state of rebellion against God or accepts the mark of the beast and worships him when Christ returns will experience eternal torment in hell
It breaks my heart to hear people say that they’re fine with going to hell (my guess is that they either don’t know what they’re wishing for or are in denial concerning what it means)
Most of us have experienced what it’s like to be really thirsty – desiring a cool drink of water, but not being able to have it right then
Perhaps we just have to wait until we get home, or until the next rest stop comes on the turnpike, or the next exit on the interstate
It’s a relief to feel the cool, moist liquid slide down our throats and satisfy our thirst
Now image that we would never be able to satisfy that longing to quench our thirst
Jesus taught about the rich man and the beggar, Lazarus, in Luke 16:19-31
Let’s pick up the story in Luke 16:22-31
We see in this story that the rich man is in hell and is continually in torment
There is a chasm that cannot be crossed
Notice, too, that Abraham tells the rich man that his five brothers have Moses and the Prophets (their scriptures, individuals in their day and age who are telling them about God)
If these five brothers will not listen to God’s Word through His chosen messengers, they will not listen to someone who returns from the dead (something supernatural)
We have God’s Holy Word today, the Bible
There are pastors, evangelists, and teachers (all Christians) who are telling us about God and Jesus Christ
We have to listen to them, instead of seeking a supernatural experience from God
If we die or Christ returns and we are still in rebellion against God and reject Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives, then we will be eternally separated from God and experience eternal torment
I’m not sharing this today to try to scare anyone into heaven, I’m sharing this because this is truth and reality
God will punish sinners when Jesus comes the second time and His punishment will be complete and permanent
But every person has the chance to change their eternity
You can change your eternal address today!
Sin (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23)
God’s love (Rom. 5:8)
God’s redemption plan (1 Peter 3:18a, For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God)
John 5:24, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
My Next Step Today Is To: Cross over from death to life and receive God’s eternal life by believing in Jesus Christ.
God’s punishment for rebellion and rejection of Christ will be eternal torment
Final preparations are then made for the great supper of God
The kings, generals, mighty men, horses and their riders, and the rest of the unbelievers are killed
As I mentioned last week, Jesus’ army is present at the battle, but only as spectators
We see that the final meal preparations are done quickly
The rest of the beast’s army are killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse
This reminds us again that God’s words, through Jesus Christ are powerful
His words were powerful enough to speak the world into existence
His words are powerful enough to transform anyone’s life
His words will be powerful enough to defeat Satan’s army
The table is set, the meal is ready, and the guests have arrived
The meal (v. 21b)
The scavenger birds don’t waste time
They feed on the flesh of all unbelievers who refuse to acknowledge that Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords
YOU
Will you eat or be eaten?
Wedding feast of the Lamb
This is reserved for those who have remained faithful and true to God and have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
You can put your reservation in today by believing in the Word of God and Jesus Christ
You can cross over from death to life and not have to experience eternal torment in hell
Great supper of God
Don’t wait because we’re never guaranteed tomorrow
God may require your life today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, or sometime in the future
If you die in a state of rebellion against God and you haven’t believed in Jesus Christ, then you will be eaten (food for the birds) as part of the great supper of God
WE
As followers of Jesus Christ, we are all commissioned to share the Good news of the Gospel with those in our sphere of influence
We all have the responsibility to invite our family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers to the wedding feast of the Lamb
Don’t hesitate to share the Gospel with them today or this week
It’s the difference between enjoying an incredible banquet meal with Jesus or being the meal for birds
CONCLUSION
“In their book Crashmaker: A Federal Affaire, Victor Sperandeo and Alvaro Almeida paint a graphic picture of hell. The villain, Alan Stillwell, has a nightmare in which he meets the philosopher Voltaire in perdition:
Voltaire's countenance appeared white, not because it was dead, bloodless flesh, but because it was a mask of the most intense, living fire. So, too, flames enveloped his whole body—if, indeed, what Stillwell saw beneath the fire could properly be called a body at all. Twisted and deformed, it mocked the shape of a man. As black as charcoal, shimmering in reds and oranges with the incandescence of combustion, the thing seethed with ulcers of molten flesh that suppurated to a white heat, spit out jets of fiery matter, then collapsed upon themselves, only to burst forth in some other spot.
At the margins of these migrant craters emerged orange ribbons—no, Stillwell saw to his horror, worms. Standing on end, the creatures writhed in the flames, then melted into a translucent yellow liquid that poured back over the body and ignited, the bluish tongues of fire from this foul fuel spawning more of the awful parasites that then bored their way back into the body. As Stillwell watched, his mouth agape, chunks of Voltaire's black flesh crumbled in showers of sparks, revealing bones almost transparent in their white heat. The fire all around consumed the flesh before it fell far. But when Stillwell looked again, the body was once more intact—always destroying itself, yet always whole. A fool's cap of the most intense flames crowned the [philosopher's] head, but not because his hair itself was alight. Rather, in the manner of a wick drawing on an inexhaustible reservoir, the follicles sucked from fissures in Voltaire's skull liquefied brain that burned with a fury born of the unhappy combination of the intellectual brilliance of his mind and the perverse purposes to which he had put it.
Somehow, Stillwell could bear to look on all that. What he saw in Voltaire's eyes, though, shook [him] to his core: all the depravity of man the philosopher had unleashed during and after his lifetime. And, underlying that monstrous crime against humanity, its true cause: Voltaire's overweening pride . . . .[Voltaire confesses,] ‘My own reason enchained me, too, in disbelief. I ridiculed the Absolute. I imagined myself capable of giving new laws to the world, even of dethroning God. But what help were my pithy skepticism, my witty unbelief, all the blasphemies of my facile pen when at length I found my name inscribed in the Book of Eternal Death? Oh, then to erase, to amend! Alas, too late. I pulled down the Prophet, Priest, and King from the Cross without knowing that, in so doing, I would nail myself there in His stead, to become defenseless before the supreme tribunal, with no Savior to forgive my transgressions, no Church to reconcile me with my Creator.’
Stillwell shuttered, as if a dagger had been driven into the soul he knew he did not have. ‘Why do you want to save me?’ he probed.’ ‘Save you?!’ the spirit shrieked, shaking with fury. ‘I long for your damnation! To work for the salvation of souls my own sins have corrupted is part of my punishment. How it tortures me to fear that you might be saved, whilst I must remain forever [here].’”
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2002/january/13472.html]
Jesus Unveiled
The Second Coming!
(Revelation 19:11-16)
INTRODUCTION
“I would like to take you, if I could, to a graphic portrayal of the Word of God in a great cathedral in Milan. Come in out of the glare of the Italian sunshine, pass through the cathedral doors, and suddenly see stretching out before you, Europe's third largest cathedral where fifty-two marbled columns hold up the lofty, octagonal dome, with over 4,400 turrets and pinnacles. Statues of angels rise all about us, and the effect is one of an incomparable combination of grace and grandeur, beauty and vastness.
Up front behind the altar, like a window opening out of heaven, is one of the largest stained glass windows in the world. Depicted here is not an Old Testament scene. That stained glass window does not depict the resurrection of Jesus Christ the Lord, not his crucifixion or ascension. With tremendous imagery the window depicts the triumph of Jesus Christ the Lord.
The afternoon sun strains in, turning the window into a sea of glass mingled with fire. You see the vials being outpoured, the trumpets, Michael and his angels in battle against the dragon, the great angel with the rainbow upon his head and one foot upon the earth and the other upon the heaven, declaring in the name of him who lives forever and ever that time shall be no longer. Bound with a chain, Satan is thrown into the bottomless pit at last. The great white throne glows in the sunlight.
Most impressive of all is the great, white horse. Upon the horse sits a still greater rider with the armies of heaven behind him. He comes to set everything straight at last for everyone of us who has hoped in him, and for everyone who has been subjected to the pain and prejudice of living for Jesus Christ in a world seemingly gone mad.”
R. Geoffrey Brown, “Look! A Great White Horse!,” Preaching Today, Tape No. 111.
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/1998/july/3863.html]
BODY
ME
High School
The last two years of high school I had a real problem with cussing
I was cussing pretty much all the time, except around my parents and other church families
My best friend and I started cussing, because we thought it was funny
Unfortunately for me it became a habit and I started using cuss words all the time
As graduation got closer, I realized that I didn’t want to be characterized as a person who cussed all the time
I determined that I was going to be different when I got to college in the fall
By God’s grace and through His power, I was able to stop cussing
But, if you would have talked to my best friend in high school, he probably would have said that I was someone who used a lot of foul language
College
Throughout college I’m sure I cussed from time-to-time, but it was rare
I was striving to be a better person – someone who chose their words wisely – someone who found other words to use instead of cuss words
If you would have talked to any of my college friends, they probably would have said that I was someone who did not cuss at all – they would characterize me differently
WE
Two separate lives
Perhaps we’ve all struggled with living two separate lives
We act one way at school or work and act a different way at home
When we go to church or are around church people, we may act differently than when we are at home, school, or work
Who would people say you are?
What characteristics would your friends at school use to describe you?
What characteristics would your coworkers use to describe you?
How would your family characterize you?
Jesus asked His disciples an important question in Matthew 16:13-17 (read the passage). He wanted to know how the public perceived Him and He wanted to know how His disciples characterized Him.
John shares his vision of Jesus’ second coming in Revelation 19:11-16. There are four names for Jesus that are used in this passage. We also see other descriptive words used to describe Jesus’ character. John tells us exactly who Jesus is as He returns to earth the second time, but not everyone will see Him that way. So we have to ask ourselves this question . . .
BIG IDEA – Who do you say Jesus is?
Let’s pray
Let’s see then how Jesus is characterized as He returns to earth the second time.
GOD (Revelation 19:11-16)
Faithful and True (vv. 11-12a)
As this part of the vision begins, John sees heaven standing open
The first time that John saw heaven opened was in Revelation 4:1, which was the beginning of his second vision (he was able to see the sights and hear the sounds of the glorious worship of God in heaven)
This time the gates of heaven are opened so that the Bridegroom (Jesus), who is now portrayed as a conquering King, can descend to earth and complete the work He began the first time He came to earth (justification, sanctification, glorification)
In front of him was a white horse with a rider on it
The color of the horse represented victory
In the 1st Century, rulers who returned from war, victorious, would be paraded around their home city riding on a white horse
The rider’s name is Faithful and True
Faithful
It is the idea that Jesus is dependable, reliable, and trustworthy [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Revelation, 294]
Jesus modeled faithfulness, for us, as His followers, because He knew that we would be confronted with the hostilities of this world and our culture
Faithfulness, for us, is remaining true to God when we’re persecuted, made fun of, and labeled by those who oppose Christ, the church, and the Gospel
True
True means that Jesus is authentic, genuine, and real [Akin, 294]
He is true to His calling and purpose [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 680]
What this means for us
“What He says you can believe. When He acts you can trust Him.” [Akin, 294]
“Jesus was faithful and true in his first coming to the mission the heavenly Father entrusted to him.” [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 353]
John 17:4, I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.
Because Jesus was faithful and true the first time He came to earth, God can trust Him with the final judgment that must be handed down
We can also trust that Jesus will complete God’s work on earth and that He will do it fairly, because He knows everything
The next three phrases explain, in more detail, Jesus’ character as a result of being faithful and true
Who Jesus is
Just and righteous
Jesus’ judgments of the inhabitants of the earth will be something we can believe in
We can trust that He will act fairly and provide the proper punishment for those who have rejected Him
The war that is about to be fought will be waged in righteousness
“It means that God dispenses justice on the basis of his own righteous standards, that he always does what is right.” [Osborne, 680]
We see this attribute of Jesus and God expressed by the altar in heaven and the great multitude in heaven
Revelation 16:7, And I heard the altar respond: “Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments.”
Revelation 19:1-2a, After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments.”
Jesus is fair and right in judging and making war, because He knows everything
Omniscient
This is not the first time that Jesus’ eyes are described as being fiery
Revelation 1:14, His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire.
There, as here in Rev. 19:12, Jesus’ blazing eyes represent the fact that He sees everything
The fire of His eyes also represents judgment
Because Jesus is faithful and true and He is sees and knows everything about each individual, He will judge everyone fairly
Application
“Jesus peers into the depths of our souls. He sees every act, every thought, every emotion.” [Akin, 294]
Nothing is hidden from Him, which means that He can rule, judge, and act in a way that is fair, right, and true
Children do not naturally hide what they are thinking and feeling – that’s a learned behavior from their parents and other adults around them
The older we get the more we’re able to conceal what we’re really thinking about and feeling
Then in our senior years, we revert back to child-like behaviors and either don’t care or cannot hide how we’re thinking and feeling
I was talking with a doctor the other week and she mentioned that senior citizens struggle with some of the same things that children struggle with, so some of the treatments and medication they give to seniors are the same as what they would do with children
While we may be able to conceal our thoughts, feelings, and emotions from other human beings, we cannot conceal them from God
He knows and sees every action, thought, and emotion
Are there any actions, thoughts, or attitudes you are concealing from certain people, or everyone else, but God?
God’s judgment of those actions, thoughts, and attitudes will be fair and right
God’s desire is that we live in harmony with everyone
Romans 12:14-17, Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Philippians 2:1-4, If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort form his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being on in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
My Next Step Today Is To: Recognize that God sees and knows everything and confess any actions, thoughts, or attitudes that are not pleasing to Him.
Jesus is not only all-knowing, but He is also sovereign
Sovereign
This means that He has the right to rule and He rules rightly in my life
John sees Jesus riding on a white horse, with blazing eyes, and many crowns on His head
Two kinds of crowns in Scripture
Stephanos – victor’s wreath
Rev. 12:1, worn by the woman
Rev. 14:4, worn by Christ
Rev. 2:10; 3:11; 4:4, worn by the victorious saints
Diadéma – ruler’s crown
Rev. 12:3, worn by the dragon
Rev. 13:1, worn by the beast
Rev. 19:12, worn by Christ
The dragon and the beast were simply pretenders
They were trying to claim a crown that was not theirs
Think for a moment about someone you look up to – would you ever imagine for a moment that you could fill their shoes? (most of us would answer, “No”)
The dragon and the beast thought they would be able to fill Jesus’ shoes, but they will never be able to
Jesus was perfect without sin, so He was the only One who could take your place on the cross
Anyone other than Jesus would only want the prestige, power, and influence that a ruler’s crown would bring, but they would never want to go through what Jesus did in order to obtain it
“In 1717, King Louis XIV (14th) of France died. Preferring to be called ‘Louis the Great,’ he was the monarch who declared, ‘I am the State!’ His court was the most magnificent in Europe, and his funeral was the most spectacular. In the church where the ceremony was performed, his body lay in a golden coffin. To dramatize his greatness, orders had been given that the cathedral would be very dimly lit with only one special candle that was to be set above the coffin. Thousands of people in attendance waited in silence. Then Bishop Massillon began to speak. Slowly reaching down, he snuffed out the candle and said, ‘Only God is great.’” (Jeff Arthurs, “Laying the Foundation for Peace,” PreachingToday.com) [https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2006/june/3062606.html]
Jesus willingly and selflessly sacrificed His life on the cross for our sins and because of that He is the sovereign ruler of everything and everyone
He is the rightful wearer of many crowns, because He is the King of kings and the Lord of lords
But I’m getting ahead of myself
Jesus is faithful and true, so He will judge and make war justly, because He has all the information at His disposal and He is sovereign
That brings us to the second name mentioned in this passage, but it is hidden from us
Hidden name (v. 12b)
This name is written on Jesus
He is the only One who knows what it is or understands what it means
We’re given multiple names of Jesus and God throughout scripture, which help us to understand who they are – their attributes/qualities/character, but even what we do know, doesn’t exhaust who God and Jesus are
“Because Christ is infinite, unknowable aspects of his attributes will always remain. Humans, even in their eternal glorified condition, may know only what he chooses to reveal, and his secret name reminds us of this.” [Easley, 353]
“‘That he also has a secret name means that the human mind cannot grasp the depths of his being’ (Ladd, Commentary, 254), which means for all of eternity we will grow in our knowledge and wonder of this great Redeemer King!” [Akin, 295] (Let that sink in for a moment!!!)
There are some important passages in scripture about this unknowable name for Jesus and God
Exodus 3:13-14, Moses said to God, “Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what shall I tell them?” God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” (Hebrew letters for “I AM” are referred to as the tetragrammaton, YHWH)
Judges 13:17-18, Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the Lord, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?” He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.” (this is Samson’s father)
Philippians 2:9-11, Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Those who overcome will also be given a name that only they will know
So, what John sees here builds upon what was written to the believers in Pergamum
Revelation 2:17, He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it.
We will be given a new name that only we will know
“Therefore, the ‘new name no one knows except he himself’ is a title reserved for eternity, the name that will reveal the true nature of the Godhead in a way beyond our finite ability to grasp.” [Osborne, 682]
While this hidden name is fascinating, the next name that John hears for Jesus is not hidden
Word of God (vv. 13-15)
The “He” referred to here is the rider of the white horse – Jesus!
He is wearing a robe that has been dipped in blood
There are three beliefs about what blood is in view here
Jesus’ own blood – referring to His ultimate sacrifice on the cross
The blood of the martyrs
The blood of His enemies
The third belief is the most widely accepted for several reasons
The context of this passage of scripture is a military one
At the end of v. 15 we see that Jesus treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty, which is done to His enemies as part of their judgment
There are two parallels in scripture that help in strengthening this viewpoint
Isaiah 63:1-3, Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, might to save.” Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing.
Revelation 14:20, They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia (180 miles).
John then writes that the riders name is the Word of God
Jesus’ words are powerful
We are reminded in John’s Gospel and his first letter to the church, that Jesus is the Word of God
John 1:1, 14a, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God . . . The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
1 John 1:1, That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.
“As the Word of God, He is God’s perfect communication and revelation. When you look at Jesus, you are looking at God. When you listen to Jesus, you are hearing the voice of God.” [Akin, 296]
Hebrews 1:1-2, In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.
Jesus is not only referred to as the Word of God, but He uses God’s words to strike down His enemies
PRINCIPLE – Jesus’ words are powerful!
We see a sharp sword that comes out of Jesus’ mouth
It is used to strike down the nations
This is not a literal sword, but rather the words of God spoken through Jesus
“. . . just as God’s word was powerful enough to create the cosmos initially, so it is all that is needed to strike down the nations who rise against him.” [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 348-49]
Hebrews 4:12, For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
This takes us back to Jesus’ fiery eyes – He is omniscient, He sees and knows everything including our thoughts and heart attitudes – nothing is hidden from Him
His words of judgment will be perfect and complete
The fact that He will rule with an iron scepter is referring to destruction
The iron scepter is the same as the shepherd’s club (rod)
The club/rod was used to kill the predators that were attacking the sheep
The shepherd's staff is the one we think of with the crook on the end (show picture), which was used to direct the sheep and pull them back into the flock
Isaiah 11:4, but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
In the center of these three verses is v. 14, which talks about Jesus army
Armies of heaven
Most likely this army will consist of both angels and saints
We can be certain that those who have overcome will be included
Revelation 17:14, They will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings – and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.
Revelation 19:8, “Fine linen, bright and clean, was given to her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)
It’s important to note that the linens of the armies of heaven are not blood spattered
they will be there for the battle, but only as observers and not participants
This will be evident next week as we look at Revelation 19:17-21
Jesus as the Word of God is incredibly powerful – nothing will be able to stand against Him
He is the sovereign ruler of everything, which is expressed through the final name that John uses for Him in these verses
King of Kings and Lord of Lords (v. 16)
Most scholars agree that the name is written on His robe where it falls across his thigh (it would have been easily seen when mounted on a horse)
There is no king on earth who is or will be greater than Jesus
There is no lord on earth who is or will be greater than Jesus
The Caesars of ancient Rome may have thought they were the greatest, but Jesus is greater still
Philippians 2:9, Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name . . .
YOU
Who do you say Jesus is?
Do you call Him, Faithful and True?
He is just and righteous
He is omniscient
He is sovereign
Do you recognize that you cannot grasp the depths of His being/essence?
Do you believe He is the Word of God and that His words are powerful?
Do you believe that He is the supreme, sovereign ruler of everything as King of kings and Lord of lords?
Our actions, thoughts, and attitudes may not match up with our beliefs
If asked these questions directly, most of you would answer, “Yes!” to them all
Yet, in your heart and mind you may have doubts, that you would never express out loud
James 1:5-8, If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and this world, and they are unstable in everything they do. (NLT)
You may believe these things, but your actions, thoughts, and attitudes would prove otherwise
Perhaps you’ve experienced something in your life that causes you to doubt that Jesus is faithful and true
Maybe you were abused (physically, emotionally, or mentally)
The person who abused you claimed to be a Christian, so you don’t see Jesus as just and righteous, all-knowing, and sovereign, because He didn’t stop the abuse from happening
Yet, He has faithfully been with you through it all, and has kept His promise to restore you
Maybe you’ve prayed for healing for yourself or a loved one, but they weren’t healed and eventually died
Through that experience you may say you believe God’s Words are powerful, but you doubt that they are powerful in your life
You may doubt that God is the sovereign ruler of everything
Psalm 23:1-3, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
“‘He restoreth’ or literally, brings back – ‘my soul.’ The soul is made up of the mind and emotions. Who is the Restorer of the soul? Only Jesus. My mind and emotions can be so scattered that only the Lord can pull them back together.” [Courson, 29]
My Next Step Today Is To: Believe with my whole heart and mind that Jesus is faithful and true, that the depths of His being is eternal, that He is the Word of God, and that He is the supreme, sovereign ruler of everything.
CONCLUSION
The 1st Century Christian perhaps would have described Jesus differently than we would. They experienced His first coming. There are some important contrasts between His first and second coming: [Akin, 293]
He rode a donkey – He will ride a white horse
He came as the Suffering Servant – He will come as King and Lord
He came in humility and meekness – He will come in majesty and power
He came to suffer the wrath of God for sinners – He will come to establish the kingdom of God for His saints
He was rejected by many as the Messiah – He will be recognized by all as Lord
He came to seek and save the lost – He will come to judge and rule as King
He came as God incognito – He will come as God in all His splendor
“Christ does not return to do some new or different work. His return in glory will be to consummate the finished work of his life, death and resurrection. At his coming he will be revealed in all his glory to all principalities and powers. That which the believer now grasps by faith will be open to every eye . . . . Although the Lamb will ever be the Lamb, for the glorified Christ is exalted on account of his sufferings, nevertheless the majesty of the Lion will shine forth from the Lamb at His second coming. (Lamb and the Lion, 28) [Graeme Goldsworthy cited by Akin, 293]
1 John 3:2, Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.
A MARRIAGE MADE IN HEAVEN
Whose wedding do you think of when you think of a marriage made in heaven? Maybe you think of royal weddings such as Meghan Markle and Prince Harry in 2018 or Kate Middleton and Prince William in 2011 or Lady Diana and Prince Charles in 1981. If you are a little older you may think of the wedding of Priscilla and Elvis Presley in 1967 or Grace Kelly and Prince Ranier in 1956 or Jackie Bouvier and JFK in 1953. Now most of these weddings were probably not made in heaven and some still remain to be seen how they will turn out but on that special day they probably thought it was going to be.
When I think of a marriage made in heaven, I think about a wedding on Saturday, April 16, 1988. It was held in the Mount Olivet UMC in Shiremanstown, PA and it began approximately at 6:30 PM in the evening. If you haven’t figured it out yet – that was my wedding day. The day that Judy and I were married.
Now I don’t remember a lot about that day. I don’t know if that is normal or not but I do remember the first time I saw Judy at the back of the sanctuary as she started down the aisle. And I want to tell you, there was like a glow all around her, it was like the sun was shining inside and it all was focused on her, that I heard a heavenly choir singing something like the Hallelujah Chorus. But I can’t tell you that. All I remember when I first saw her at the back of the sanctuary was I wanted to faint. I don’t know why. I wasn’t nervous about being married. I have always said that being married was like going over to your best friend’s house and never leaving. So maybe it was just the fact that I was standing in front of a couple hundred people and that was just not normal for me. But I do remember looking at my father in the front row right after feeling that fainting spell coming on and he gave a look like he knew what was happening and if I didn’t keep it together he was come up there and slap me on the side of the head. So I did keep it together through the ceremony though I remember that I lost my corsage as we knelt down to take communion. And honestly that is all I remember of my wedding ceremony. I remember at the reception Judy almost caught herself on fire. Then the hotel reservation I made for the wedding night got lost somehow and the hotel was booked for the night. All that said, it was the most wonderful day of my life and the beginning of the happiest time of my life that has now lasted almost 31 years.
For you who are married or have been married I want you to think about your wedding day. What do you remember? What were you feeling? Who was there to celebrate that special moment with you and your future spouse? We all probably remember something special about our wedding ceremonies or others ceremonies that we thought was special.
I think it is pretty cool to see the interesting things people do at their wedding. The things that make their ceremony memorable. I really like Hunter and Amy Russell’s wedding as they got married back in September beside a pond in jeans and cowboy boots. I must say I was kind of jealous. I don’t think I could have paid Judy any amount to have our wedding in jeans. I also think about the different things people do during the wedding ceremony. Hunter and Amy braided three cords together, Judy and I took communion together and Seth and Emily Johns put together a unity cross. All of these were signifying the unity of the man and the woman in putting God first in their marriage. That must be an important part of any marriage.
God has always seen the value and importance in marriage. It’s very clear that from the beginning, God intended the marriage union to be blessed, fulfilling and happy. Genesis 2:24. It says, 24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. Ecclesiastes 4:9, says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone?" And Ephesians 5:25, says, “For husbands, this means love your wives, just as Christ loved the church. He gave up his life for her."
God views marriage as a sacred and highly exalted relationship! Marriage is seen as one of the greatest events in our lives and weddings are times of excitement and great celebration. And that’s the very imagery God wants to place in our minds here in our scripture this morning. In Revelation 19:6-10, we see that when Jesus comes again, there’s going to be a great wedding feast. It’s going to be one of the greatest events of all time and eternity. Thousands upon thousands of people and angels will be gathered in a great celebration. Folks will be all dressed up in the finest of clothing. There’s going to be a lot of shouting and singing and rejoicing and the excitement will never end. Jesus is the groom and those that believe in him are His bride. When Jesus comes again, He’s going to bring His bride into His father’s house and they will live with Him forever. It’s the ultimate Cinderella or Prince Charming story but those stories cannot begin to compare with what believers are going to experience at their Groom’s Second Coming.
There was a story of a wedding between the daughter and son of two families who had been in the same church for many years. At the house of the Bride on the day of the wedding several of the ladies gathered to prepare the bride. The mother of the bride presented her daughter with a string of pearls to adorn her neck. All the ladies reacted with awe as the pearls were a family heirloom, passed from daughter to daughter for more than five generations. Their history was storied, not the least of which was having been hidden in a dirt cellar of a South Carolina farm to save them from the looting Yankee troops during the days following the end of the Civil War. Tears and hugs were distributed in great abundance by all the ladies in the household. It generated a certain level of emotional intensity at the time. Later that morning another event generated an almost equal level of emotional intensity but for a different reason altogether.
The wedding ceremony was to be conducted in the main auditorium of the church building and the bridal party was moving from the parking lot to the smaller auditorium in the back wing where the bride was to await the moment her father would deliver her down the aisle to the expectant groom. To reach the back wing of the building the bridal party had to pass under a covered walkway alongside the main auditorium to a set of double doors giving access to the wing containing the smaller auditorium. This walkway as it happened was home to a fair amount of nesting pigeons which for one reason or another were flushed from their perches as the bridal party passed beneath and one of the feathered flying rats deposited on the radiant bride a string of something quite unlike the antique pearls. The reaction of the mother of the bride and the other attending ladies was worthy of battlefield commanders. As the bride and her court were in various states of hysteria and stunned disbelief, the mothers moved like a well-oiled machine, whisking the bride into the mysterious environs of the ladies lounge where in very short order the offensive stain was eliminated from everything but horrified memory.
It’s likely that the bride of this story is not the last to have experienced the seeming disaster of a soiled dress but there is one other bride I want us to consider who is found in our scripture today, a bride for which each of us may choose to adorn with pearls or with pigeon poop. Christians are the bride we are going to talk about this morning and if you are a Christian this morning, your wedding day is coming and our scripture this morning tells us she has prepared herself and she has been given her wedding dress, which brings us to our big idea this morning that John is asking us: Will you be wearing pearls or pigeon poop on your wedding day?
So, as we open God’s Word this morning, let’s pause for prayer. Dear Heavenly Father, we pray for the Holy Spirit to come upon us this morning and to open our hearts and minds to what you have to say to us. We thank you for the opportunity to worship you and give you all the praise and glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Last Sunday, Pastor Stuart introduced us to chapter 19 and the word “Hallelujah.” The word Hallelujah means “Praise the Lord” and is used only four times in the NT; all of them from Revelation 19 verses 1-6. A couple of weeks ago, Pastor Stuart showed us the triumphant saints in heaven as they were praising the Lord for his salvation, for his judgments being true and just and for the results of that judgment on Babylon. Then we saw the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fall down and worship God. They say “Amen, Hallelujah” meaning they are confirming and agreeing to the worship of God in the previous hymns. Their “Hallelujah” not only continues the praise established in verses 1-3 but also leads to the call to praise that we will see realized in verse 6 which is where we start this morning. Follow with me as I read from Revelation chapter 19 verse 6 – 8. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting: “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. 8 Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)
This shout of praise is again from the host of the redeemed. John did not see the multitude but he could hear the sound of it and he goes out of his way to heap up similes to describe it. He compares it to the sound of many waters and the sound of mighty thunderclaps.
The multitude sends up this praise for two reasons. One, it anticipates the return of Christ and his reign in heaven and on earth forever. It is an announcement of what will soon take place that focuses on God’s omnipotence and sovereignty. Now is the time for “his will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.” The multitude calls all of God’s people to “rejoice and be glad” in anticipation of the reign of God.
The second reason for this joy is because the wedding of the Lamb has come. The thought of the relationship between God and his people as a marriage goes far back into the OT. The prophets thought of Israel as the chosen bride of Christ. Isaiah 54:5 says this, “For your husband is your Maker, Whose name is the Lord of hosts;
And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel, Who is called the God of all the earth.” The marriage symbolism also runs through the gospels. Jesus talks about the marriage feast in Matthew 22:2, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.” And John the Baptist calls himself a friend of the bridegroom in John 3:29. To Paul the relationship of Christ to his Church is the great model of the relationship of husband and wife. Ephesians 5:31-32 says, 31 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church.
This morning I am going to expound upon this wedding of the Lamb to the Church by paralleling it to ancient Jewish weddings. The first step in an ancient Jewish wedding would have been something called the mutual commitment or what we would call the proposal. In biblical times, people were married in their early youth, and marriages were usually contracted within the narrow circle of the clan and the family. In ancient times, the father of the groom often selected a bride for his son, as did Abraham for his son Isaac in Genesis 24. In ancient times, marriage was looked upon as more of an alliance for reasons of survival or practicality, and the concept of romantic love remained a secondary issue, if considered at all. Romantic love would grow over time. Of course, the consent of the bride-to-be was an important consideration. Rebecca, for example, was asked if she agreed to go back with Abraham’s servant to marry Abraham’s son, Isaac. She went willingly. Likewise, we cannot be forced into a relationship with Jesus Christ.
Have you ever seen one of those bold public marriage proposals? In the middle of a crowded restaurant the guy gets down on one knee, brings out the ring and pops the question “Will you marry me? Or the guy arranges for the question to show up on the jumbotron at a stadium. Or getting a plane to fly by with the long sign trailing behind it. Well, those proposals are nothing compared to the way Jesus proposed to you and me. It was a public spectacle. He fell to his knees several times on the way to the place where he proposed. He nailed his love for you and me to the cross, signed his intentions with his own blood, spread his arms out wide and said, “I want you for my own. I want you all!” The official proposal reads like this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
You can trust me on this: YOU WILL NOT RECEIVE A BETTER OFFER! The world will try to sell you the idea that something better will come along. That you can reject God’s offer and still get in to heaven your own way. That you can submit your own proposal based on good deeds, church attendance, religion, giving to charities…etc. But you can’t buy your way into heaven! Jesus already paid the price. He’s already “popped the question.” The question is, what’s our answer going to be?
In his book 50 Days of Heaven Randy Alcorn tells of a friend, Ruthanna Metzgar. She was a professional singer and she was asked to sing at the wedding of a very wealthy man. After the wedding, the reception was to be held on the top 2 floors of Seattle’s tallest skyscraper, the Columbia Tower. At the start of the reception, the bride and groom approached a beautiful glass and brass staircase that led to the top floor. Someone ceremoniously cut a satin ribbon draped across the bottom of the stairs and the bride and groom ascended, followed by their guests.
At the top of the stairs, outside the door to the great banquet room the maitre d’ stood holding a bound book. “May I have your name please?” he asked. “I’m Ruthanna Metzgar and this is my husband Roy.” He searched the M’s. “I’m not finding it. Would you spell it, please?” She spelled her name slowly. But after searching the book, the maitre d’ looked up and said, “I’m sorry, but your name isn’t here.” “There must be some mistake,” Ruthanna replied. “I’m the singer!” The man answered, “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you did. Without your name in the book you cannot attend the banquet.” He motioned to a waiter and said, “Show these people to the service elevator, please.”
The Metzgars followed the waiter past beautifully decorated tables laden with shrimp, whole smoked salmon, and magnificent carved ice sculptures. Adjacent to the banquet area, an orchestra was preparing to perform, the musicians all dressed in dazzling white tuxedos. The waiter led Ruthanna and Roy to the service elevator ushered them in, and pressed G for the parking garage. After driving several miles in silence, Roy reached over put his hand on his wife’s arm. “Sweetheart, what happened?” “When the invitation arrived, I was busy,” Ruthanna replied. “I never bothered to RSVP. Besides, I was the singer. Surely I could go to the reception without returning the RSVP!”
She started to weep – not only because she had missed the most lavish banquet she’d ever been invited to, but also because she suddenly had a small taste of what it will be like for people as they stand before Christ and find that their names are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
In order to get into the wedding of the Lamb and his banquet, we must RSVP. In order to RSVP, we need to admit that we are a sinner and are in need of a savior. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and Romans 6:23 says the wages of sin is death and the only way to be saved from that death is to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior through his death and resurrection. Finally, we need to confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord.
Maybe you have never sent your RSVP in to be included in the wedding of the Lamb. If so, the first next step on the back of your communication card this morning is for you. My next step is to send my RSVP for the wedding of the Lamb by accepting Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
If you took that next step for the first time this morning, please mark your communication card so Pastor Stuart and I can get in touch with you because after that it is time to put your wedding announcement in the paper. It is time to publicly declare your allegiance to the Lamb through baptism. This lets the whole world know you have been changed on the inside by Jesus and allows the church to rally around you by discipling you and keeping you accountable to the vows you’ve made to Jesus.
Next, after the time of the mutual commitment the families would decide upon the dowry or payment for the marriage contract. The groom would then give a dowry to the bride’s father in order to seal the marriage agreement. Jesus offered His own blood in payment for our sin so that we could be His eternal bride. Hebrews 10:19-20 says, 19 Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.”
Once the dowry was decided upon, there was a period of betrothal that usually lasted a year. This betrothal period is what we would call the engagement today. This betrothal period would be legally binding. The man and woman would agree to be married and during this extended time they would call themselves husband and wife and remained faithful to each but there was no consummation of the relationship. For example, when Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant he "... planned to send her away secretly" (Matthew 1:19) because they were legally married even though the marriage ceremony hadn’t happened yet. Our marriage ceremony to Christ hasn’t happened yet, but we are already legally owned by Christ. For us this period of betrothal corresponds to the present extended era of church history.
During this year the groom would return home and prepare to bring his bride to his home to start their married life together. In John 14:2-3, we see that Jesus did the same thing for us. 2 My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. This would also be the time for the bride to prepare herself for marriage.
So how do we prepare for our wedding day and our marriage to the Lamb? Our readiness is symbolized by our wedding dress. The bride makes herself ready for the Lord’s return by one, being faithful to Christ in a fallen and evil world, two, by maintaining their testimony for Jesus and taking the gospel to all tribes, languages, peoples and nations, three, by enduring hardships in the midst of suffering and trusting God in the face of martyrdom, and four, by obeying God’s commands.
Of course, our wedding dress is not of own making; like the white robes given to the martyrs, it is given to us. Verse 8 says that our wedding dress is fine linen, bright and clean and was given to us to wear. Our dress signifies the sanctity of God’s people which only comes from Jesus’s death and resurrection. Salvation is a free gift given by God to those who believe in Jesus and we prepare ourselves for the wedding day by living the Christ-like life that is described above. The righteous acts of the saints are the deeds that follow salvation as necessary proof that regeneration has occurred.
Jesus is the one who makes us clean enough for heaven. Ephesians 5:25-27, says, “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.
Our righteous acts, or good works, weave a garment that brings glory to God. There are two ideas wrapped up in one here. On the one hand the desire and the ability to do right are gifts from God. We cannot be good on our own. On the other hand, we are responsible to do what is right in the sight of God. Paul explained it this way in 1 Corinthians 15:10, 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Ephesians 2:10 says this, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”
Dr. Lehman Strauss put it this way: "Has it ever occurred to you... that at the marriage of the Bride to the Lamb, each of us will be wearing the wedding garment of our own making?" Which reminds us of our big idea which is - Will you be wearing pearls or pigeon poop on your wedding day?
As we all ponder that question this morning, maybe the second next step on the back of your communication card is for you. My next step is to weave my wedding dress with righteous acts and to adorn it with pearls.
The next step of the wedding was the wedding procession where the groom dressed in his best clothes and accompanied by his best friends, leaves home to go get his bride. He goes to the bride’s house and escorts her back to the home he has prepared for her. Although the bride knew to expect her groom after about a year, she did not know the exact day or hour. He could come earlier. It was the father of the groom who gave final approval for him to return to collect his bride. This will happen for us when Jesus returns for us and takes us to the place he has prepared for us.
Last came the wedding feast which usually lasted seven days and was full of food, music, dancing and celebrations. It was the happiest event in Jewish life. We are told in verse 9 that the wedding supper of the Lamb will be a happy event in the Christian’s life as well. Follow along as I read verse 9. 9 Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”
Another word for blessed is happy. Why are those who are invited to the wedding supper happy? Because it is an honor and a privilege to be invited into the family of God. We are blessed to have been called by God to follow Him.
Now some commentators see a distinction between the bride in verse 7 and the invited guests in verse 9, but Caird sees no problem with the Church being the Bride and also the guests of the wedding feast. He states it is like John calling Jesus the Lamb and the Shepherd. Osborne states that “such mixing of metaphors was common in the ancient world to add richness to the imagery. I tend to agree with this view.
Mention of the wedding feast of the Lamb and his bride, is a signal that the climax of the drama is very close. Satan is about to be overthrown and his dominion is nearing the end. The angel concludes that “these are the true words of God.” This would be equal to the “Amen” in the Gospels. It was to anchor a particularly important truth and Osborne says it is referring to this section dealing with the messianic banquet. Again, I believe John as he has done all throughout Revelation, is giving his readers hope. Hope that as they have been wooed by God and their wedding day is approaching and have been invited to the wedding supper it will be the happiest day of their lives even though they still must persevere and be faithful in the midst of persecution. John wants them to remember God’s words are true and as they await their wedding day they need to continue to be steadfast and dress themselves in pearls and not pigeon poop.
The final verse of this section, according to commentators is not easy to interpret. We see John in verse 10 do something very strange. Follow along as I read verse 10. 10 At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.” When the angel says, “These are the true words of God”, it says John falls at the feet of the angel to worship him. Why? Again, commentators don’t agree but here are a few suggestions:
Maybe, it is in response to the magnificent worship scene we have seen in chapter 19 so far. The “hallelujah” hymns have established such a tone of worship that John has to fall on his knees. Courson says that John is so blown away by seeing the bride that he falls at the feet of the angelic messenger. Osbourne says John’s natural response to the incredible truths he has been told is to fall on his knees.
It may be John was confronting something in the early church which was the tendency of worshipping angels. In certain circles of Judaism the angels had a very high place. Judaism stressed the transcendence of God or the distance between God and man. God was both too distant and too holy to be approached by man so they needed an intermediary, such as the angels. When Jews converted to Christianity they brought this belief with them forgetting that with Jesus there was no need for an intermediary.
Since he was talking to an angelic herald, not to God or Christ, falling down in worship was inappropriate. It would be tantamount to idolatry even though that was not John’s intention. So maybe John was warning his readers about idolatry which has been a huge theme in Revelation. Idolatry can infiltrate our lives in many ways such as deception, seduction and coercion. We can also idolize our religious experiences and revelations. We need to be careful not to mistake the cause we champion for the one true God.
The angel rebukes John and gives him three reasons why he should not worship the angel. One, because I am a fellow servant who holds to the faithful witness given by Christ. Two, God is the only one who is worthy of worship and three, the true spirit of prophecy always points to Jesus. John wants his readers to know that angels are no more than the servants of God and must not be worshipped. God alone is to be worshipped.
The last part of verse 10 is also a difficult phrase according to commentators. It says “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Osbourne says that it means when the saints maintain the testimony about Jesus, the Holy Spirit is inspiring them in the same way as the prophets. Everything in the Bible, the OT and the NT points to Jesus Christ. Much of modern day teaching about prophecy focuses on what they think the future will be like, but any teaching about prophecy that does not keep Jesus in the spotlight is false teaching.
ONCE UPON A TIME there was a woman who lived in the forest. She was not far from a town, where she would occasionally go to buy staples for her kitchen and other items not available to her in the wild. For the most part though, she stayed to herself, choosing to live her own life, meet her own needs and enjoy her uninterrupted solitude.
In her younger years she had been hurt both physically and emotionally by other people, and as a result she had put up walls of stone and doors of solid oak that only opened from the inside, to protect herself.
The woman, like all of us, would occasionally grow lonely, and her solace during these times was found in the movie theater in town. She would go there and sit in the back row, watching the male actors on screen, then go home and for days after, dream of romantic interludes with these stars. Of course, they weren’t real; they were movie idols. But they were all she had. One day the woman was near her woodland cabin, attempting to repair the bucket that brought water from a well she had dug for herself. It was a very deep and dark well. To fall into that well would mean certain death.
The bucket had been attached to the well rope by a chain which had only ten links, but since the rope was worn she could see that she would have to replace it, and that is what she was endeavoring to do when she slipped. As she fell forward, a cry of despair escaping her lips, she clung to the short chain and her fall stopped.
At first she tried to climb to safety by the short chain, but as she struggled she looked up and with horror, noticed that a frayed section of the rope holding the chain was unraveling under her weight. She knew it was only a matter of time, and she would be set free to tumble into the abyss below her.
Suddenly a shadow was cast over the mouth of the well above her. She heard a voice say, “Stop struggling, you will only make it worse. Trust me and I will lift you out.” A strong hand reached toward her, and she noticed that her savior had deliberately wrapped the chain around his wrist several times first. After the hand had firmly gripped her forearm the voice told her to let go of the chain and trust him only. When she did so and her weight dropped, the chain wrapped so tightly around the man’s wrist that it cut deeply into his flesh.
Nevertheless, he brought her up out of the pit with his own blood flowing down her arms and dripping into the well. Once she was standing on the solid rock that surrounded the well she could see that the man was not really tall, and not especially handsome, but he smiled at her with kind eyes and with a love that came from deep within him, and as she smiled back she felt something she had not felt for a long time, and never this strongly. It was gratitude and affection and a desire for fellowship.
The man and woman were married shortly thereafter, in a small chapel in the town. The townspeople were there to witness her newly found happiness. After they returned home however, the woman quickly forgot the fear of the dark well and she forgot the pain this man had suffered to rescue her. She spent her days going about planting her own garden and repairing her own fences and very much living life the way she had before he came along.
The man spent his days not far away, building a beautiful mansion for her, having promised that when he was done he would take her there where they would live happily ever after. In the evenings though, when work was done and there was ample time for sweet fellowship, she would read a book or mend a garment or sit in the twilight hours and stare proudly at her garden, paying little or no attention to the man. Every once in a while she would hear him say something to her, but over time she ignored him so often, that much of what he said would go entirely unnoticed, as though he hadn’t spoken at all.
Occasionally during the day he would come along and offer to help her with something she was doing, but although she did not outwardly reject his offer, she would turn away or continue doing it her own way, seemingly oblivious to his presence. When her precious garden failed to produce vegetables and when her flowers wilted from lack of nourishment in the soil, she was angry and discouraged. Only then did she turn to him, but not for help as much as to ask why these things happened. The man did not answer these questions, for he felt that since she did not listen when he offered help, she would most certainly not listen while he explained why she failed.
The years passed by very much like this. The woman was often frustrated by her failures, and gave herself credit for her triumphs, never realizing that her successes were primarily due to his coming along behind her and fixing things simply out of love for her. One day, now an old woman, she was going about her business in front of her cabin when a stranger approached on a clean, white stallion. At first she did not recognize him, but when the stranger took a firm hold on her hand and said, “It is time to come to your new home now”, she realized it was her husband.
She paused for a moment in wonder. She remembered him being of average height and a bit below average in general appearance, as the world around her counted attractiveness. But the man on the steed was indeed tall, and ruggedly handsome, yet with a peaceful gentleness shining out from his eyes that almost made her melt. Although she did not struggle against his grip, he maintained a firm grasp on her hand and gently pulled her up onto the horse, and rode off toward their new home.
As they approached the front of the mansion she gasped in awe at the beauty of the thing he had built. It was only then that she realized how little, throughout the years, she had given any thought to what he was doing here while she busied herself with selfish pursuits. She remembered that he had promised her a mansion and said that someday he would take her there, but she had thought of it more as a nice dream, than as a reality.
He stepped aside and scooped her into his arms, and carried her over the threshold, stepping onto a floor of solid gold! As he shut the door behind them she noticed that it was made of a substance that appeared to be pearl, and she wondered at his resourcefulness. The mansion was beautiful beyond her comprehension. He set her down and stood back as she turned around and around, taking in the glory of this wonderful abode. When finally she turned to face him, she saw the same love in his eyes that she had seen so long ago near the well.
Suddenly she was overcome with such shame that she fell to her knees, tears running down her cheeks, and clung to his feet, unable to utter a word. She was so filled with mixed emotions it made her head swim. She was so very, very happy, and yet so remorseful that she had allowed so many years to go by without learning to know him better, return his love, enjoy sweet fellowship with him; she felt that she did not deserve to be here at all.
Then, strong hands slipped under her arms and lifted her to her feet. A gentle finger wiped the tears from her eyes, and through blurred vision she once again looked into his strong, kind, wonderful face, as he said, “Dear, before you knew me, I watched you from afar. I loved you even then. After I saved you I loved you even more. And through all of these years, even though you have ignored me and turned your back on me so often, and squandered so many opportunities for us to know each other intimately, in the way you dreamed of knowing your movie idol lovers in your youth, yet I continued to love you and I love you even now. We will spend the rest of our days together, and beginning right now, you will learn to know me as you should. I only wish our relationship could have been so much farther along now than it is. Our first years could have been wonderful and fulfilling and precious. But the rest of our time together will be that way; I promise. Welcome to my home.” The woman slowly dropped her eyes from his, down his chest, down his arms, to his wrists, and she saw the terrible scars that had been left there by the cruel chain, and she clung to him and wept.
Are you ready for the wedding of the Lamb? There will be a marriage made in Heaven someday, but only the redeemed are invited. Does that include you? If not it can! And for those who are going, consider for a moment how you are preparing for that day! What kind of garments will you be wearing when you stand there at that Royal Wedding? The time to prepare is today! The place to prepare is here! The person to prepare is yourself. Will you let the Lord work in your heart and life? Will you be wearing pearls or pigeon poop on your wedding day?
As Gene and Roxey come forward to lead us in our final hymn and the ushers prepare to collect the communication cards, please bow you heads with me. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you for your gift of salvation and we ask for your strength as we weave together on this earth our dress for the wedding of the Lamb. Help us to adorn ourselves with pearls and righteous acts as we prepare for Jesus to return and take us home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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Jesus Unveiled
Hallelujah!
(Revelation 19:1-5)
INTRODUCTION
“In 1712, the brilliant hot-tempered German composer George Frideric Handel moved to London, where he lived until his death in 1759. He achieved great fame as a composer of Italian opera, but abandoned opera for the oratorio in 1741. The oratorio originated as a musical drama to be played without staging in an ‘oratory’ or meeting room. Principal singers represented biblical characters or saints from Christian history, with a chorus interpreting the events.
Handel began to work on Messiah in 1741, using words from Scripture compiled by his friend Charles Jennens. He composed the music for all fifty-three numbers in an unbelievable twenty-four days. Handle conducted the first public performance for Messiah in Dublin on April 13, 1742. He gave his last presentation the day before he died.
The thrilling ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus is Handel at his best, and the tradition of the audience standing while it is sung began in Handel’s own lifetime. He brilliantly divided the choir into two groups that sing different themes. Messiah has remained the most frequently performed and highly regarded oratorio ever written. While audiences in the United States associate it with Christmas, in Handel’s day Messiah was an Easter presentation, for the ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus is really not about Christmas but about Christ’s final victory. Jennens’ words were taken directly from the only chapter in the New Testament that uses the word hallelujah, Revelation 19. ‘For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth’ will come true in its fullest and most complete sense only at the mighty return of Jesus Christ in triumph.”
[Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 345].
BODY
ME
Creation
December 29, 2018 was the last day of deer hunting at Letterkenny Army Depot
I met my buddy early in the morning and we drove over to Letterkenny
After checking in, getting dropped off, and settling in to the location where I was going to hunt, I had time to sit in the dark and marvel at God’s creation
A beautiful day was unfolding as I stared up into the night sky
The moon was nearly full, the stars were speckled across the sky
I sat there and rejoiced at the beauty of God’s creation
I didn’t even see a deer that day, but it didn’t matter, because I had seen the creative hand of God and that was enough
Birth of our boys
I was able to be in the labor delivery room for all three of our boy’s births
Judy will verify that I cried all three times
Birth has been one of the most profoundly emotional and spiritual experiences for me
To see God’s creative power birthed is unlike any other thing I’ve experienced
My tears were simply tears of joy, as I rejoiced in God’s glory and power
WE
Rejoicing in God’s power and glory
All of us have at least one experience in life where we have rejoiced in God’s power and glory
What was that experience for you?
I want you to think about that as we look at this passage this morning
John continues to hear incredible things taking place at the end of time. He heard in Revelation 18 about the destruction of “Babylon the Great,” and three groups that lamented the loss of this great city. In Revelation 19 he will hear the praises of three groups that have viewed the exact same scene, the destruction of “Babylon the Great.” What John wants us to understand is that . . .
BIG IDEA – Our view of God’s justice determines whether we lament or praise Him.
Let’s pray
GOD (Revelation 19:1-5)
Heavenly multitude (vv. 1-3)
After this
What John is about to hear happens right after he hears the news about Babylon’s destruction
That’s what we saw in chapters 17-18
In fact, the praises we’ll see from the three groups, are in obedience to the command found in Revelation 18:20, “Rejoice over her, O heaven! Rejoice, saints and apostles and prophets! God has judged her for the way she treated you.”
The praises from these three groups are in direct contrast to the weeping and mourning of the kings of the earth, the merchants, and the mariners (Rev. 18:9-20)
Roar of a great multitude in heaven
We see again this little word, “like,” that John uses to try to describe what he’s hearing and/or seeing in these visions about the end times
What he heard sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven
Most English translations of the Bible say that John heard what sounded like the voice or loud/great voice of a great multitude in heaven
We know what was being said, because John records it for us
Hallelujah!
Hallelujah is actually a transliteration of two Hebrew words
It only appears in the New Testament in Revelation 19
It is derived from two Hebrew words that are combined
Hālal – which means “praise”
Jah – which is a shortened version of Yahweh
“The basic meaning of the verb is ‘to be bright,’ and the causative meaning of the piel imperative means, literally, ‘make Yahweh bright,’ that is ‘illuminate the Lord by casting a bright light on Him and His works!’ ‘Praise Yahweh!’ ‘Praise the Lord!’” [Rogers & Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, 645-46]
Hallelujah is found throughout the Old Testament, especially in the Psalms
Psalm 113-118 are called the Hallel psalms
The title “Praise the Lord” is used at the beginning of multiple psalms (106, 111, 112, 113, 117, 135, 146, 147, 148, 149, 150)
What we see next are six attributes of God and works He’s done, that this great multitude in heaven are praising Him for
Reasons for the multitude’s praise
Salvation
This isn’t the first time we see praise in Revelation for God’s salvation (7:10; 12:10)
The multitude in heaven is probably comprised of angels, but also saints who died either by natural causes or martyrdom
The saints are particularly aware of the Lord’s salvation
They are with Him now as a result of a personal relationship with His Son, Jesus
As followers of Jesus Christ, who have a personal relationship with Jesus, we can also praise the Lord for His salvation
We don’t have to wait until we get to heaven
We can praise Him every day for sending Jesus to take our punishment on the cross
Perhaps there are those here today, who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
There are all kinds of belief systems that Satan uses to keep us from experiencing true salvation
He likes to use the misconception that hopefully the good things we do, will outweigh the bad things we do (false)
He tells others that all religions lead to heaven and the One true God – all religions/roads will lead to God, but not all will lead to heaven (false)
God is loving and therefore He will accept me when I die no matter what I’ve done on earth (false)
In our humanness we try to find another way to heaven without following God’s plan
Proverbs 14:12; 16:25, There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death
We have to follow God’s way of salvation for humanity
Paul outlines God’s salvation plan throughout His letter to the Romans
All have sinned – human condition (Rom. 3:23)
We all deserve to die for our own sins (Rom. 6:23)
God’s great love for us motivated Him to provide a solution to our human condition of sin (Rom. 5:8)
Romans 10:8-10, 13, But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 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: Confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord, believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, and be saved from my sins.
While salvation certainly speaks of individual deliverance from our sins, it also speaks of the “safeguarding of God’s entire redemptive program” [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 342]
Salvation is the foundation for God’s glory and power, which are manifestations of His salvation
Glory
This is God’s majesty revealed through His redemptive plan
God is recognized as the King of kings and Lord of lords – worthy of our praise
Power
This is God’s omnipotence at work
He is all-powerful – nothing is too hard for Him
Judgments are true and just
How many of us are aware of an individual who was convicted of a crime that they were later exonerated of? [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 341]
Some investigator finds new evidence that proves that the person in jail is innocent of the crime that are serving time for
Most of the time these individuals are found guilty due to errors in human judgment
Sometimes human judges give in to bribery or allow their own personal motives and convictions to cloud their judgment
PRINCIPLE – God’s judgments are valid and fair.
Fortunately, God is not like human judges or juries
“God’s justice is ‘true’ because it is based on his own covenant faithfulness and ‘just’ because it is based on his holy character. In other words, his judgments are both morally true and legally just.” [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 664]
So, we don’t have to worry that God’s condemnation of the great prostitute and His avenging the blood of his servants is done maliciously
Condemnation of sin and evil
The reason for His condemnation of the great prostitute is based on her corruption of the earth through her adulteries
This has been developed in great detail in chapter 18 (it was the pursuit of wealth, sexual immorality, and religious influence that took the place of God)
God is grieved when we sin, but He is especially grieved when we lead others to sin alongside us
Read Romans 1:28-32
Matthew 18:5-6, “And whoever welcomes a little child in my name welcomes me. But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Avenging the blood of His people
PRINCIPLE – God keeps His promises to His people.
We can praise the Lord, because He always keeps His promises
When the fifth seal was opened, John saw the souls of those who had been martyred under the altar (Rev. 6:9)
They were asking the Lord when He was going to judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge their blood (Rev. 6:10)
The Lord’s answer, was for them to wait a little while longer
We see now that He kept His promise to them
He did avenge their blood
God’s judgment is final
Because God’s judgments are true and just (valid and fair) there is no chance for reversal
His judgments will be complete and final
“Because God lives “for ever and ever” (15:7), his righteous condemnation must also endure forever.” [Easley, 347]
The great multitude in heaven is praising the Lord for His complete and final judgment of the wicked
As the first group completes their praise, we see the second group agreeing with them
Elders and living creatures (v. 4)
The 24 elders and the four living creatures fall down and worship God
We see that God is still on His throne
This is the final time that the 24 elders and the four living creatures are mentioned in John’s vision
Their praise
It is short, only two words
Amen
It means “so be it”
They are agreeing with the praise of the great multitude in heaven about God’s salvation, glory, power, judgments, condemnation, and avenging
Hallelujah – “Praise the Lord!”
They don’t need to add anything else to what has already been said
The final group is called on to praise the Lord
Believers on earth (v. 5)
John hears a voice from the throne
Some scholars believe it is God or Jesus speaking, but what is being said seems to eliminate these two options
It seems as though the command or encouragement is coming from another source other than God or Jesus
Other scholars believe it could be one of the living creatures or one of the 24 elders
We are not told who the voice is, which is alright, because the content of what they are saying is of greater value
Praise our God
The command to praise our God leads us to believe that the voice is someone other than God or Jesus
They are including themselves in the command to praise
Who are these individuals who are supposed to praise our God?
First, they are identified as all you his servants
Revelation 1:1, The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place.
To be a servant (bond slave) of the Lord means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Second, they are identified as you who fear him, both great and small
The same Greek verb translated as “fear him” is used in Rev. 11:18, but is translated as “reverence your name”
That is what is being communicated here, the believers on earth who reverence the name of the Lord are to praise Him
It doesn’t matter what their socio-economic status is or their level of spiritual maturity [Mounce, 343]
Every believer is commanded to praise the Lord
YOU
As a servant of God it is imperative that you praise Him
You can praise Him for you salvation
You can praise Him for His glory displayed in His creation
You can praise Him for His power that is evidenced in your life
You can praise Him for His judgments that are valid and fair
You can praise Him for who He is and what He has done in your life
When was the last time you stopped and reflected on God’s attributes and His mighty works in your life?
Perhaps you can take time this afternoon to make a list and then praise the Lord
My Next Step Today Is To: Make a list of God’s attributes and the great things He has done in my life and then praise Him!
Our praise can take many forms [show the cartoon about Dexter]
WE
We have the opportunity this morning to praise the Lord through song
We’ll be singing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” in just a moment as our closing song
We can reflect on who God is and what He has done for us as we sing that song
CONCLUSION
“Christians have joyful, stirring songs that celebrate the wonder of our relation with God. This is especially true during the Christmas season with songs such as the spine-tingling Handel’s Messiah. In contrast to this, in 2011 comedian Steve Martin performed a song on The Late Show with David Letterman that he called “the entire atheist hymnal” (on one page of paper). He called it: “Atheists Don’t Have No Songs.”
Christians have their hymns and pages,
Hava Nagila’s for the Jews,
Baptists have the rock of ages,
Atheists just sing the blues.
Romantics play Claire de Lune,
Born agains sing “He is risen,”
But no one ever wrote a tune,
For godless existentialism.
For Atheists there’s no good news.
They’ll never sing a song of faith.
In their songs they have one rule:
The “he” is always lowercase.
Of course, his humor is meant to entertain us—and does. But what a contrast to a piece of music that moves hearts and masses across the board. Handel’s Messiah is arguably one of the most mellifluous [pleasant to the ear] expressions of Christian doctrine ever produced.
In fact, I think it makes all the sense in the world that both inexplicable tears and profound joy accompany the words and sounds of Handel’s Messiah. For this Messiah brings with him an invitation unlike any other: Come and see the Father, the Creator, the Good, the True, and the Beautiful. Come and see the Light, and the Overcomer of darkness, the One who wept at the grave of a friend, and the one who collects our tears in his bottle even before he will dry every eye. Christians, let’s sing our songs!”
[Jill Carattini, “Random Hallelujahs,” RZIM: A Slice of Infinity (12-16-16)]
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2018/december/comedian-steve-martin-atheists-dont-have-no-songs.html].
TURN OUT THE LIGHTS, THE PARTY’S OVER
There was a study commissioned by Post-It Brands in 2013 that founded you are not actually crazy when you forget where you're keys are on a regular basis. In fact, the results say the average person forgets four things a day. The study was conducted with 2,000 adults and the most common things forgotten in addition to forgetting where your keys are were misplacing your phone and misplacing your wallet. In total, most of the respondents were found to have forgotten over 1,400 things in a year.
According to this study, ladies, it should be noted that 56% of guys really rely on YOU in a relationship to remember things. The opposite is said for you; most women say they can't rely on their other half to remember things. There is also proof that guys are more forgetful on passing along important messages or remembering birthdays and anniversaries.
Post-It Brands says, “Our days are so jam packed full of tasks whether at work or at home, it’s no surprise people find it hard to keep track of everything. With much longer working hours, financial concerns and just busier lifestyles, even those with the best memory can stumble when it comes to remembering even the most simplest of things during a hectic day.”
So what are the most common things forgotten by people? They came up with what they called the "THE FORGOTTEN FIFTY.” Here are some of them. See if these are true for you.
Forgetting what you went into a room for, forgetting where you put your keys, forgetting where your car is parked, forgetting where you put your wallet, forgetting where you put your glasses or sunglasses when they’re on your head, forgetting your passwords or pin numbers, forgetting special days such as birthdays or anniversaries, forgetting a meeting and then double booking yourself, picking up the phone and forgetting who you were going to call, forgetting your debit/credit card in the ATM machine, forgetting to charge your phone, forgetting to flush the toilet or to put the toilet seat back down, forgetting to renew your car registration or inspection, forgetting to take your medication and finally forgetting to return library books
Those last couple are the ones that I have had trouble with over the years and still do. A couple of years after I moved up to Pennsylvania in 1987, I was going through my stuff and found a library book that had been due in 1979. It was 10 years late. They must not have missed it as I never received a notice in the mail. I have also forgotten to renew my car’s registration and inspection. My wife, Judy was stopped one time in my car with one of our youth from Hanover and was cited for an out of date registration. I think it was 6 months late. And then a year or so after coming to Idaville, Seth Johns and I were coming back from Gettysburg after delivering canned goods to the Gettysburg Soup Kitchen when I was stopped for an out of date inspection. I think it was only three months late. My biggest one even today is forgetting to take my medication. If my routine in the morning is changed in any way I forget to take it. In fact, one of the days I was working on my sermon for this morning I actually did forget to take my medication.
So, how about you? Yell out something that you tend to forget.
What do you think the following places have in common? St. Elmo, Colorado, Monte Ne, Arkansas, Monroe, VA, Tartown, PA, Aitch, PA, Ricketts, PA, Somerfield, PA. They are all towns that for one reason or the other were once alive and teeming with activity but today have been abandoned and forgotten.
St. Elmo, Colorado was founded in 1880. It was once a highfalutin gold mining town and popular whistle-stop on the Pacific Railroad. It boasted almost 2,000 residents and more than 150 mines, and enough hotels, brothels, saloons, and dance halls to keep everybody in town happily cutting a rug. When the Alpine Tunnel closed in 1910, however, the music stopped. With the price of silver already down, the last remaining rail service stopped in 1922.
Monroe, VA is supposedly located beneath Smith Mountain Lake. The history of the town of Monroe is a bit of a mystery. Some don’t believe that the town ever existed, but most think the 19th-century community was submerged by the construction of the Smith Mountain Lake dam.
In 1946, the town of Somerfield, PA was flooded to make way for the Young Dam. Every once in a while, the water level in the dam becomes low enough that glimpses of this underwater ghost town can be seen. The historic 1818 US 40 bridge is one such rarely seen landmark.
Tartown, is an extinct community in Adams County, PA. The remains of Tartown are located on the property of the Waynesboro Borough and in the adjacent Michaux State Forest. The locale has in part been inundated by the reservoir created by the Waynesboro Dam.
Aitch is an extinct town in Huntingdon, County, PA. The town site was inundated by the creation of Raystown Lake.
These cities are called Ghost Towns or Lost Cities. A lost city is a settlement that fell into terminal decline and became extensively or completely uninhabited, with the consequence that the site's former significance was no longer known to the wider world. A ghost town is an abandoned village, town or city, usually one that contains substantial visible remains. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, prolonged droughts and government actions.
Today, we are going to see a picture of the final destruction and obliteration of the ‘harlot’ system of religion, philosophy, political power and commerce of the Antichrist that the Scriptures call ‘Babylon’. For John and his readers, they would have seen this as the destruction of Rome and even though Rome was very much alive, so great is John’s faith in the sovereignty of God and so great is his confidence that the justice of God must eventually punish evil, John writes as though Rome had already fallen. We will see the sudden, violent and complete destruction of this evil city. This is God’s judgment of the many evil incarnations of the cities of Satan down through history. This morning in chapter 18, verses 21-24 Babylon will become more than a Ghost Town; it will become a place that will never be found again and will be totally forgotten forever. This morning John wants us to know that those who align themselves with Babylon and its idolatry and other evil ways will be forgotten just as suddenly, violently and completely as the city itself. That is the big idea I would like for you to take away from here today: Those who align themselves with Babylon will be forgotten forever.
Before we dive into the passage today let us pray. Heavenly Father, we ask for the Holy Spirit to dwell in us this morning. We ask you to give us ears to hear what you want us to know and learn this morning. We ask you to help us take what we hear and give us opportunities to share it with those you put in our paths this week. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
In Scripture, rebellion against God is often associated with a “city”. Cain, for example, the son of Adam and history’s first murderer, after being cast out of the presence of the Lord, went out and founded the first city ‘Enoch’, named after his son. This was the beginning of man’s boasted civilization. All the arts and sciences had their origin there. There were skilled craftsmen in brass and iron. There was trade and barter and the pursuit of the unrighteous all-mighty dollar began there. Those who played the harp and the organ also dwelt there. Music charmed the weary sons of Cain as they sought to make themselves happy and this world attractive apart from God.
As we know God blotted all this out in the Flood during Noah’s time, but it is evident that Ham, Noah’s son, had learned the same ways. The world as an ordered system of things, apart from God, had a new beginning in his family. Nimrod—who was the grandson of Noah’s son Ham (whose son Canaan fell under Noah’s curse because of Ham’s sin) also founded many cities; and we’re told that “the beginning of his kingdom was Babel …” The tower of Babel was built on a spirit of rebellion against God’s command to spread out through the earth and multiply. It became the mother-city from which others went out and built a selfish and godless civilization.
Of course, not all cities of the Bible were built upon a spirit of rebellion against God. But it does appear that ‘cities’ and ‘rebellion’ against God’s rule have at times been strongly connected together. The history-long spirit of warfare against the rule of God will one day be summarized in a single city in the future; and as Pastor Stuart has already shown us in the two previous sermons in chapter 18, that future city is called Babylon and is already slated for judgment.
Our text, this morning, is separated into three parts. The first part is called the Symbol of Judgment and we see this in Revelation 18:21. This is what God’s word says: 21 Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer.
Here we see a strong or mighty angel take up a large stone and throw it into the sea. This is another angel from heaven and it clearly means that this angel has the authority of heaven in actively bringing about Babylon’s downfall.
The millstone would have been a very heavy stone usually four to five feet in diameter and a foot thick used for pulverizing grain into flour. Here God is telling us that Babylon is going to be pulverized into nothing, just as a heavy millstone pulverizes grain. It will no longer be a great city with great power. A stone of that nature would sink to the bottom of the sea. It could not float back to the surface and it would never be recovered. This stone is used to illustrate the judgment that is coming upon Babylon. It will be sudden, swift and sure. And it is a judgment that is forever settled! Babylon will be destroyed and will never be found again. We see a parallel in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah in that no trace of those two cities has ever been found to this day.
John is taking his picture from the destruction of ancient Babylon. His readers would be reminded of Jeremiah 51:63-64. Jeremiah, the prophet, had written on a scroll about all the disasters that would come upon ancient Babylon. He sent the scroll with Seraiah who was to read the scroll to the Jewish people who had been taken to Babylon from Jerusalem. After reading the scroll he was to tie a stone to it and throw it into the Euphrates River, and as it sank, say, ‘So will Babylon sink to rise no more because of the disaster I will bring on her. And her people will fall.” To the Jewish people in Babylon this would be symbolic of God destroying Babylon. The curse on Babylon in Jeremiah's day is echoed in the words of the mighty angel. In Osborne’s commentary it says, “The same violence that occurred when the huge boulder was “cast” into the water will occur again when God’s wrath “casts down” the empire of the beast.” The parallel is striking because Jeremiah had written of Babylon's judgment on a scroll, and if you remember back in Revelation chapter 4 a scroll was used to introduce all the judgments in the book of Revelation.
There are three things we can see from this verse about the destruction of Babylon. One, the destruction of Babylon would be violent. This action of the angel throwing the millstone it into the sea would speak of a violent ‘crashing’ judgment. The words “with violence” in the Greek carries with it the meaning of a “sudden rush or violent impulse,” which means that the destruction of Babylon is going to be swift and furious. This is not a playful skipping of a rock across a pond. This is a forceful throwing down of a heavy rock like you are trying to kill something.
Two, the destruction of Babylon will be sudden. Imagine how quickly that heavy millstone would disappear under the surface of the water and how quickly it would get to the bottom of the sea. The destruction of Babylon will be sudden and it will be quick just like that millstone being swallowed up by the sea when thrown down.
Lastly, the destruction of Babylon will be complete. Like the stone cast into the sea it cannot be raised, so the destruction of Babylon will be so complete that it will never rise again. The end of verse 21 says it “will not be found any longer”. Babylon will never be found again in any form.
This is stressed seven times in chapter 18 showing the completeness of Babylon’s judgment. We see this once in verse 14, once in verse 21, three times in verse 22 and twice in verse 23. Further, in each case the negative “no” or “not” in the Greek text is a very emphatic double negative that means “by no means.” This is the final incarnation of that evil city that Satan has used over the millennia for his purposes against the people of God. The destruction of Babylon that John is seeing will be violent, sudden and so complete that it will never be found again and will be forgotten forever. The warning for John’s readers and for us today is our big idea this morning. That those who align themselves with Babylon will be forgotten forever.
The second part of our text is called, “The Sound of Silence” and we see this in verses 22-23a that tell us of the things that are no longer found in the city. This is what those verses say, 22 And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; 23 and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer;
When Babylon is judged and ceases to exist, her passing will also signal the passing of life as the world knows it. All normal things of this earth will cease. As with any ‘great city’, there are many things that are connected with it and that either draw their life from it, or add their life to it. These things will end with the destruction of Babylon and are described here by the angel.
One, there will be no more music. Music has always been associated with happiness and joy. There will be no more reason for rejoicing for those opposed to God. Music and entertainment will come to an end. This would, of course, speak particularly of ungodly forms of such music and entertainment. Things that have often been used by the devil to corrupt cultures and lead people into immorality.
Two, there will be no more manufacturing. The tools of the craftsmen who furnished the items of luxury will suddenly be as silent as a tomb and the wheels of industry will grind to a halt. There will be no more making or selling of merchandise. The love of things that has often degenerated into idolatry will be no more. People have always been industrious. Man has always found a way to work with his hands and provide for his family. Man works because he has hope for the future. When Babylon falls, the hope for the future for those opposed to God vanishes with her.
Three, there’s an end to the food industries. The millstones which grind the grain for flour will also stop. The food supply, which at that point is already in short supply, will now disappear altogether.
Four, there’s an end to the constant, twenty-four hour activity of the marketplace as illustrated in the loss of the lamps to illuminate commerce both night and day. The lamp which lights the homes and businesses will be permanently dark. A light in the window of a house suggests happiness, hope and family. All these are taken away when Babylon falls. The homes of the world will be plunged into darkness and despair! Darkness, symbolizing the spiritual state of the world and the system of the beast, will now engulf everything. Imagine how it would be to experience total blackness. This would again echo the plague of darkness in Egypt.
In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Throughout history God has always had a witness in the world. That witness has always been at war with the kingdom of Satan. Here God is telling us that the light of a candle will no longer shine. This could also mean there is no longer a flicker of the gospel to be taught anymore because the day of salvation for those who oppose God is now past.
This ‘city that never sleeps’ will now sleep forever never to wake again. Today, when we think of a city that never sleeps, we would probably say New York City. It was probably one of the first to be called the city that never sleeps. New York's subway system never closes, tons of restaurants and bars are open until the wee hours of the morning and the Staten Island Ferry is still hopping at 2 a.m. You wouldn’t have trouble finding food and or entertainment at any time in New York City. Imagine if we woke up tomorrow and New York City was totally destroyed and had become a ghost town. Imagine, no more Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It would be a shock to our way of life. Babylon will be destroyed and it will be a shock to those who have aligned themselves with that evil, idolatrous, God-hating city.
Lastly, there will be no more marriage celebrations. No longer will love bring a hopeful couple to an altar to exchange their vows. There will be no more beautiful brides in their white dresses. No more nervous grooms in their tuxedos. There will be no flower girls, ring bearers and wedding bells. Weddings are times filled with hope and happiness. A couple meets at the altar with their hearts full of love and hope for the future. They begin their relationship with great expectations. When Babylon falls, there will be no more love, no more marriages and no more hope for the future! John’s readers might well have recalled the words of God through Jeremiah in Jeremiah 7:34: “I will remove from the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem the sound of joy and gladness and the voices of the bridegroom and the bride, for the land will become a desolate waste.”
As Christ prophesied, men and women will be marrying and remarrying without any real concern for marriage as a divine institution of God. When marriage is entered into, it will be a mere convenience if they bother to marry at all. Life during the Tribulation will go on as usual in spite of its judgments, which shows just how callused people will become and how much they will be enslaved to the luxuries and pleasures of the world. All the activities of this ungodly system together will pridefully proclaim, “We can be happy and fulfilled and great without God.” But it will come to a sudden and violent end. Note that we’re told that none of these things will be found anymore in the city, or seen any more in the city or heard any more in the city. The diversity of occupations indicates the impossibility of escape—the destruction will fall on all classes of people alike. The sound of silence in Babylon will be final and deafening and that silence will be a testimony to God's devastating judgment.
The third part of our text this morning is called the “Reason for Judgment” and is found in verses 23b-24. This is what it says, “for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”
There are three reasons we are given for the judgment of Babylon being so final. One, we’re told it is because Babylon’s “merchants” were “the great men of the earth”. The expression “great men” in the Greek means “the chief, noble, the magnates of society.” These are the men who were looked up to, worshipped, honored, adored, and presented to everyone as the ultimate. They had the power in society; they controlled the destinies of men, and lived in the super luxury which everyone is supposed to want and that people think will give them happiness.
They were made ‘great’ in a strictly human sense by Babylon and they held their greatness over others in an oppressive and inhumane manner. Matthew 20:25 says this, “But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great men exercise authority over them.” And James 5:1-6 say this, “Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries which are coming upon you. Your riches have rotted and your garments have become moth-eaten. Your gold and your silver have rusted; and their rust will be a witness against you and will consume your flesh like fire. It is in the last days that you have stored up your treasure! Behold, the pay of the laborers who mowed your fields, and which has been withheld by you, cries out against you; and the outcry of those who did the harvesting has reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. You have lived luxuriously on the earth and led a life of wanton pleasure; you have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. You have condemned and put to death the righteous man; he does not resist you.”
It is because of this viewpoint that judgment comes. It is a perversion and a prostitution of divine values and priorities. These were people who worshipped and longed for wealth and luxury and thereby compromised their principles and priorities to play the harlot with the merchants of Babylon. Money and luxury was their god. To them character, righteousness and integrity meant nothing.
Two, we’re told that this judgment upon Babylon is ‘final’ because it deceived all the nations by its “sorcery”. The Greek word for sorcery is farmakeia where we get our word, pharmacy. This is the use of medicine, drugs or potions as in casting spells,” and metaphorically, “to deceive and disorient.” The word was used of poisoning and witchcraft, or trafficking in the demonic. In effect this Babylonian system will use whatever method it can to poison the minds of the people and deceive them—demonism, drugs, and various forms of propaganda will be the norm.
This evil system was a world conspiracy by the merchants in control of the commercial system of Babylon to completely deceive the people. People were lead to believe that salvation was in achieving riches and success. That is the lie of the devil! It is better to have none of this world’s goods, than for this world’s goods to have you. Proverbs 11:4 says, Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. Proverbs 11:28 says, He who trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will flourish like the green leaf.
Thirdly, we’re told that this judgment upon Babylon is so final because in the city was found “the blood” of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain on the earth”. The word “blood” is plural which stresses the many deaths and the magnitude of Babylon’s crimes against the people of God all through history. Babylon as a system was responsible for all the murders of God’s people from the murder of Abel to the time of John’s Revelation and to the end of time. Therefore, because of Babylon's accumulated guilt it will be destroyed once and for all at the end of the great tribulation.
Jesus similarly lamented over the generation of the city of Jerusalem in His time in Matthew 23:35. This is Jesus talking, “so that upon you may fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.” Jerusalem’s destruction was temporary, Babylon’s will not be.
At the end Babylon will be joyless, dark, and silent, and will stand out as a monument to the utmost vengeance of God. Babylon will fall and will never rise again. Her destruction can’t be cured or changed.
What a horrifying place this future city will be! What a dreadful system of ungodliness it will embody! No wonder God’s judgment will, at last, fall upon it so suddenly, violently and completely!
Pastor Stuart three weeks ago told us in chapter 18, verse 4 that we, God’s faithful people, are commanded to ‘come out’ of Babylon, lest we “share in her sins” and “receive of her plagues. But why do we need to “come out” of Babylon? What’s the harm?
In an issue of Atlantic magazine there was an article by Prof. Bernard Lewis of Princeton, the dean of American orientalists. At that time, before his retirement and disappearance from public life, he was a respected scholar and commentator upon all things having to do with Islam. In the article he notes that the two “expansive and civilization-defining” religions in the world are Christianity and Islam. Both of them, he says, have a problem with tolerance. And that is inevitable. For they both believe that they have the final truth from God and that everyone must believe that truth and accept it and live by it or else. Prof. Lewis, like so many others who think the same way, failed to recognize that everyone is intolerant in this way; the difference is simply what they happen to be intolerant about! Nevertheless in the article Bernard Lewis expressed the hope that more and more Christians would become Christians of the modern, relativistic type who believe that all religions lead to God, that there are many ways to conceive of religious truth, that there is nothing really important at stake in the choice of one religion or another. If so religion would increasingly become no big deal, certainly nothing to fight and die for as did the terrorists of 9/11. In that way we would all get along.
But to say that – and of course there are many others besides Bernard Lewis saying just that to the Christian church today – to wish that is precisely the same thing as saying that Christians should not come out of Babylon. It is to wish for the reverse of what John commands Christians to do. It is to wish that Christians would make their peace with Babylon, which, of course, is precisely what Babylon wants them to do! Then they will have forsaken Christ and gone over to the Devil, left the City of God to become a citizen of the City of Man.
I remind you that the Book of Revelation was written to and for the Church. This book was to be read in the worship services of the churches John was writing to. If you ask why churches go bad, why they lose their way, why Christian churches in great number, especially in Europe, the United States, and in Canada that once stood for the gospel of Christ, now spout smooth, vapid and toothless slogans to largely empty sanctuaries; why such churches no longer interest their own children; why they never witness the revolutionary impact of the gospel of Christ on human life; the answer is this: in every case they refused to come out of the world, they got into a double harness with unbelief, they weakened, blurred, smudged and then finally obliterated the bright line that distinguishes faith and unbelief, wickedness from righteousness, darkness from light, God from idols. They did precisely what Bernard Lewis hoped Christians would do! By refusing to keep the difference between Babylon and the New Jerusalem clear, by refusing to keep the distinction between the two kingdoms front and center, and then by refusing to live out that distinction, they lost the distinction altogether and became part of Babylon and didn’t even realize it in most cases. Many of Babylon’s most beautiful churches were once Christian churches! When Christians merge with Babylon, Babylon does not become Christian; Christians become Babylon! We need to come out of Babylon because if we continue to align ourselves with Babylon, we will be forgotten forever. That brings us to our next step for this morning. My next step is to come out of Babylon so I will not share in her sins and be forgotten forever.
My title this morning is taken from a Willie Nelson song called, “Turn out the lights, the party’s over.” It also comes from Monday Night Football back in the days of Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Don Meredith. Don Meredith was a star quarterback in college at SMU and later for the Dallas Cowboys. His style was a down home, country boy image being from Texas. One of the funniest things he would do took place toward the end of games in which the outcome was obvious – one team was just too far ahead and it was a foregone conclusion that they were going to win the game. In this situation, Meredith would break into the old country western song by Willie Nelson…“Turn out the lights…the party’s over”. There is coming a day when the One who is the Light of the world, will turn out the lights of the world. The code name that is used here for the world is “Babylon.” What we have seen today is this evil city and its people in the end of time who are only worried about the “party” will be destroyed and will be forgotten forever.
In the late 90’s Judy and I were working with the youth at Uriah UMC just over the way from Idaville. For about three or four years in a row we would have a New Year’s Eve lock in. I remember our lock in on December 31, 1999. For weeks or even months everyone was worried about computers and other infrastructure in the area and the entire United States. What was going to happen when the clock struck midnight as we rung in the New Year and a new millennium? Would the world become dark and be plunged into chaos? Of course, I put a flyer together. I always thought I had a flair for the dramatic so would try to come up with a catchy phrase when putting events together. It actually comes in handy even now when I work on titles for sermons etc. So when I put the flyer together for this particular New Year’s Eve Lock In it read, “Where you going to be when the lights go out?” My premise was what better place than church to be at if “the world was coming to an end”. So as I finish this morning, I want to leave you with a question, “Where will you find yourself when the lights go out and the party’s over?” Will you find yourself aligned with Babylon, with this world, and forgotten forever, or will you be aligned with God and the Lamb and spend forever in their presence?
As the ushers prepare to take up the communication cards and the praise team comes to lead us in a final song, bow your heads with me as I pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, we confess that at times we are “of the world” and not just “in” it more than we care to admit. This morning we ask you for the strength to “come out” of Babylon. We do not want to share in her sins and be forgotten and separated from you forever. I pray that we would heed your Holy Spirit in our lives daily and follow your command to “be in the world but not of it.” In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Jesus Unveiled
Fair Weather Friends
(Revelation 18:9-20)
INTRODUCTION
“In January 2013, a team of ‘dental hygiene experts’ and design gurus gathered in Germany and decided the modern toothbrush needed a makeover. The resulting product: a $3,200 Euro (about $4,300 USD), full-titanium toothbrush. The company's website offers a video that likens its creation to a world-class sports car:
Undulating curves of the sleek and slender body encompass elegance and sumptuousness. A unique design … German precision engineering … A decisively lightweight full-titanium body which has unparalleled durable strength. The accomplished silhouette captures elegance and timelessness where beauty, functionality and utility complement each other. A timeless luxury is now an option.
Their entry-level ‘Premium’ package price includes one ‘everlasting’ titanium toothbrush in a color of your choice, one titanium toothbrush holder (with ‘anti-slip pad’), a bumper, and what they call ‘Fresh Service’ for three years—every six months, they'll send you six bristle heads (choice of soft or medium) and a new bumper. You can also personalize it with an engraving for an extra $540. But keep in mind that after the three year ‘Premium’ plan runs out, you'll need to pay a few hundred bucks for another upgrade. Who said luxury was cheap?”
[Adapted from Zachary Crockett, “The $4,000 Toothbrush,” Priceonomics blog (8-7-14)].
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2014/august/6082514.html]
BODY
ME
Fair weather friend
My best friend in California worked for Sony PlayStation
He designed the menus for video games on the PlayStation Portable (PSP) system
He was able to get games, systems, and controllers at a deep employee discount
It was nice to be able to get games and a gaming system at a cheaper price than in the retail stores
If I only based my friendship with him on his employee discount with Sony, that would be really self-centered and shallow
We had already moved back to PA before he was laid off from Sony
Our friendship continues to this day, because our relationship wasn’t based on his employee discount
It was based on something much more significant
Discipleship and study of God’s Word
This friend of mine accepted the Lord while we were living in California
I wasn’t part of his salvation experience
His wife attended church with us and she had invited him to the beach baptism and cookout in Oceanside
While we were there, she and Judy encouraged me to talk with him
So, I started a conversation with him and we found out that we shared some common interests – one of those being video games
The rest is history
They hosted the small group Bible study that I facilitated
We would play video games together
We worked on cars together
We fished together
I enjoyed his incredible cooking abilities
I answered all the questions he had about Christianity as he grew in his faith
We still connect from time-to-time
We got to see he and his wife and two boys while we were on the mission trip in Spokane, WA – they drove up from Oregon, where they live now
WE
School
The desire to be part of the “in” crowd can cause us to develop friendships based on shallow things
Those friendships are cheapened, because they’re based on our own selfish desires, instead of a desire to really get to know someone
We may strive to befriend someone who plays sports, or is really talented with drama, or is a cheerleader, etc.
We may even do things that we would never think of doing in order to be accepted
When you find that true best friend, it’s completely different
Many times the relationship isn’t based on having to do anything specific to be accepted, but rather on shared interests
The relationship actually enriches your life instead of cheapening it
Work/Church/Neighborhood
The same is true for adults in the workplace, neighborhood, and even church
There may be times that we have tried to befriend someone because they have a boat, are successful at hunting and fishing, have a nice car, a nice house/property, or more money or connections than we have
The motive behind trying to befriend that person is to see what kind of benefit we can get from the relationship – it’s all self-centered
Think for a moment then of those we call our best friends
There is no pressure to act, talk, or be a certain way around them
We can be ourselves
We enjoy just being together with them whether or not we do anything special
We aren’t looking for how we can benefit, but rather how we can be a blessing to them
John hears the lament of three groups of people in Revelation 18:9-19. They are all upset that the great city has fallen. They’re not upset that the inhabitants of the great city are dead, but rather that they will no longer be able to benefit from her power and wealth. John wants us to understand that . . .
BIG IDEA – Wealth has a way of cheapening our friendships.
Now the opposite of that is also true – true friendships have a way of enriching our lives.
Let’s pray
GOD (Revelation 18:9-20)
King’s Lament (vv. 9-10)
Who are the kings of the earth?
These are not the same kings that we were introduced to in Rev. 17:16 that joined with the beast to destroy the great city
These are “the governing heads of all nations who have entered into questionable trade with the commercial center of the ancient world.” [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 331]
We’ve already discussed what they did with the great city/prostitute, but it is mentioned here again
Committed adultery – they committed themselves to the false religion of the beast, which included sexual immorality and idolatry
Shared her luxury – they embraced the kind of over-the-top lifestyle that the great city afforded them
The kings of the earth loved what she could provide for them, but they never truly loved her [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 277]
When the kings of the earth see the smoke of her burning, they do three things
Their reaction to the great city’s destruction
Weep – it’s not quietly crying alone, but rather crying out loud (others would hear the weeping of the kings)
Mourn – this is again not something that’s done quietly, but rather a beating of the chest
Stand far off
They are not standing far off out of respect for the dead, but rather out of fear for the great cities torment
They do not want to get caught up in the great judgment and punishment of their lover
Notice that they aren’t rushing in to help the great city that gave them power and wealth
PRINCIPLE – Judgment or difficult times reveal the motives of those who are close to us.
The kings of the earth only wanted to be close to the great city when it was prosperous and met their needs for sensual desires and luxurious living
When judgment came, they didn’t want anything to do with the great city
It’s reminiscent of the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32)
He took his portion of his inheritance and went to a far off land
He lived the high life and squandered his inheritance
While the passage doesn’t mention friends, it’s assumed that his “wild living” involved other people
Once the money was gone, so were his “friends”
He had to hire himself out to a citizen of the country where he was living
Even though he had invested in other people, no one was investing in him
The same is true for us today
We may have friendships that we maintain simply because of the benefits we receive from the friendship
Some of us do this with God
We maintain a surface/nominal relationship with Him, so we can go to Him when difficulties come
During those times we make promises to God and we spend more time at church, in prayer, and in His Word, hoping that He will help us out
What normally happens after He helps us out, is we return to maintaining the surface/nominal relationship with Him until the next difficult thing comes along
God’s desire for us is to have a true relationship with Him
When we have a true relationship with Him, it enriches our lives
My Next Step Today Is To: Confess that my relationship with God is based on how He can benefit me.
My Next Step Today Is To: Maintain a true relationship with God, so that my life will be enriched.
We may realize that some people only want to be our friends because they’re trying to receive some kind of benefit from us
We hear stories all the time of those who win the lottery, realizing that they have long lost relatives that have finally found them
The same can happen when a family member dies and leaves an inheritance for the survivors – everyone scrambles to claim a portion of the inheritance – they’re your best friend
Wealth has a way of cheapening our friendships and relationships – it reveals our true motives
The kings of the earth are weeping and mourning, because of the loss of power and luxury (it is self-serving sorrow they are experiencing)
Their lament
All three groups start their lament the same way, “‘Woe! Woe, O great city . . .’”
After that each group is more specific about what they have lost as a result of the great cities destruction
For the kings of the earth they are lamenting the loss of power – it was political power that caused them to be wealthy and influential
All three groups mention the swiftness with which destruction comes, In one hour . . .
This is probably not a literal hour of time, but rather a literary way of saying that her destruction did not take long
God’s judgment will be swift and complete and the world will recognize it as such
The kings of the earth are shocked at how quickly this city of power and strength was destroyed
John then hears about a second group that is lamenting the destruction of the great city – it’s the merchants
Merchant’s Lament (vv. 11-17a)
Their reaction to the great city’s destruction
Weep and mourn
Again it’s a loud crying mixed with the beating of the chest
They are not weeping and mourning for the dead, but because no one buys their merchandise any more
They grew wealthy because of the luxuries that the great city demanded from around the world
Nothing was beyond their financial ability to obtain
Money was of no concern
Again, we see the sorrow of a self-serving group of people
Their friendship with those in the great city is of less importance than the wealth they accumulated from them
Wealth has a way of cheapening our friendships and relationships
Had they developed true friendships with those in the city, they would have wept and mourned at the loss of a rich relationship
Recognize that riches and splendor are gone forever
The merchants will say what everyone of us realizes, the pleasures and possessions of this world will one day vanish, never to be recovered
PRINCIPLE – The riches of this world are temporary.
Every great kingdom of this world strives to accumulate wealth and possessions
The worldly belief system is that wealth and possessions prove success
King Solomon perhaps pursued every conceivable form of satisfaction in this world
He was wealthier than anyone had ever been
He had everything his heart desired
He had wisdom from God
And yet, the book of Ecclesiastes expresses his findings, that everything is meaningless (wisdom, pleasures, folly, toil, advancement, riches)
He recognizes that there is a time for everything
His conclusion at the end of the book is profound
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
God is all-knowing, just, and sovereign
He desires for us to have true relationship with Him, so that He can enrich our lives
Application
Perhaps you’ve been pursuing the riches of this world at the expense of relationships
It’s a part of our culture today that we have to have what our parents have, although it took them many years to get to that point
We also live in a culture that desires to have everything, right now
We’re living above our means, which creates stress and lowers our life expectancy
We have to hold multiple jobs in order to maintain our lifestyle
Both parents have to work, leaving daycare, before and after school care to train and teach our children
Our non-verbal communication with our children is that they are not important
We take Sunday as our day off and fill it fun activities instead of going to church
We need to heed Solomon’s wisdom – everything is meaningless – the pleasures and possessions of this world are meaningless and temporary
We should be pursuing activities that will last into eternity
Sharing the Gospel with those around us
Praying on a regular basis
Studying God’s Word
Being in fellowship with other believers
Serving the poor, the widow, and the orphan
Worshiping the Lord corporately and individually
Making disciples for Jesus
Giving back to God a portion of what He has allowed us to steward
Pursuing, Growing, and Multiplying Disciples (Matt. 28:18-20)
My Next Step Today Is To: Admit that I have been pursuing the riches of this world, and make the change to pursue activities that will last into eternity.
We see then that the merchants also stand far off
Stand far off
They are also terrified of her torment
They don’t want to be get caught up in her punishment
The motive behind their relationship with her is revealed
They were only interested in selling their wares to the people of the great city and gaining wealth as a result
Wealth has a way of cheapening our friendships and relationships.
The cargo they sold
Easley [Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 332-33] and Osborne [Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 648-50] provide more detailed information about all of the cargo and where it would have been shipped from, to Rome, in the 1st Century
Precious stones and metals (gold, silver, precious stones, pearls)
Gold was so prevalent in the first half of the 1st Century that the wealthy began to import and use silver as an expression of wealth
Pearls were considered the most luxurious of jewels (Julius Caesar gave Servilia one worth $18,000 in today’s currency)
Wealthy women would use multiple pearls to decorate their hair
Luxurious fabrics (fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth)
The dye used to make purple cloth came from the murex (a shellfish) and was extracted one drop at a time (labor intensive)
The dye for scarlet cloth came from certain berries
All of the fabrics were hand made with countless hours of work put into them, therefore they were very expensive
Expensive wood and building materials (citron wood, ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron, and marble)
Citron wood was highly prized for its beautiful grain patterns (show picture of citron wood cabinet)
Tables made from citron wood with ivory legs were very popular, especially with men [Osborne, 648]
Cicero paid what would be equivalent to $2.5 million for a single table and Gallus Asinius paid $5 million for one table [Osborne, 648]
The costly wood probably included cedar, maple, cyprus, and ebony
The bronze from Corinth was well known for its quality and highly valued
I believe if there was a $4,300 full-bronze toothbrush available in the 1st Century, the wealthy would have ordered it from Achaia.com (the region where Corinth was) and had it shipped, literally
Spices and perfumes (cinnamon and spice, incense, myrrh and frankincense)
It is not like the cinnamon we use today, but was for incense, perfume, and medicine
Spice (Amomum) was used primarily as a hair fragrance
Myrrh came from Somalia and was very expensive, because it was one of the most popular perfumes
Frankincense was half the cost of myrrh and also came from Somalia
It is not by coincidence that the Magi from the east gave baby Jesus gold, frankincense, and myrrh
Read Matthew 2:1-12
They recognized that He was a king worthy of such expensive gifts
Frankincense and myrrh were also used during the burial process, which could have been a foreshadowing of Jesus’ purpose in coming from heaven to earth to take our punishment for sin by dying on the cross, being buried, and coming alive again
That is what we celebrate during Christmas – the birth of Jesus
Our celebration shouldn’t stop at just His birth
His birth was just the beginning of the fulfillment of God’s plan to deal with humanity’s sin (Rom. 3:23; Rom. 6:23)
Jesus grew up to be a man and at the age of 33, He willingly gave His life on the cross to take our punishment for sin (1 Cor. 15:3b-4)
John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
My Next Step Today Is To: Believe in Jesus as my Savior and receive God’s gift of eternal life.
Jesus is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords, so the gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh were appropriate for him when the Magi came
Spices and perfumes were not the only thing that the Roman Empire purchased from the merchants, they also purchased food items
Food items (wine and olive oil, fine flour and wheat)
Pliny and Aristides expressed the extravagance that Rome was known for
“At one of Nero’s banquets the Egyptian roses alone cost nearly $100,000. Vitellius had a penchant for delicacies like peacocks’ brains and nightingales’ tongues. In his reign of less than one year he spent $20,000,000, mostly on food.” [Mounce, 332]
Another commentary lists the breasts of doves as another delicacy that Vitellius had a penchant for
I can believe that, because I know there is not much meat on a dove and they are not easy to hit with a shotgun
My brother is an avid dove hunter, but I’ve never gotten into that part of hunting
I say that dove meat is the most expensive wild game there is, because you have to use a lot of shotgun shells to get a little bit of meat
I enjoy shooting clay pigeons, but they don’t taste very good – they’re chalky and muddy tasting
Animals (cattle, sheep, horse, carriages)
The animals that were imported were not for eating
The cattle were beasts of burden used to pull carts and plow fields
The sheep were used as breeding stock to help with the wool production
Horses were used in chariot racing, riding, and for pulling carriages
Slave market (bodies and souls of men)
It has been estimated that there were 60,000,000 slaves in the Roman Empire in the 1st Century
These slaves were more than just bodies, they were created in the image of God
Their lament
As noted in the lament of the kings of the earth there are two elements that are repeated – the Woe! Woe, O great city and the swiftness of God’s punishment (one hour)
The merchants point out the items they had sold to the great city/prostitute (fine linen, purple and scarlet, gold, precious stones and pearls)
They are only concerned that her great wealth has been brought to ruin so quickly
They are lamenting their own loss
The merchants had to import many of the items that they sold to those in the great city, which required a transportation system
That group is the final one that laments the destruction of the great city
Maritime Worker’s Lament (v. 17b-19)
Who are the maritime workers?
Sea captain – not the owner of the ship, but the one who steered it
Passengers, which probably included the merchants (all who travel by ship)
Sailors, dock hands, fishermen, pearl divers, etc. (all who earn their living from the sea)
Their reaction to the great city’s destruction
They are weeping and mourning because they had become wealthy through providing transportation for all of the merchandise the great city wanted
They also threw dust on their heads
This was an outward expression of deep distress and mourning
“Their mourning is even more elaborate than that of the others, for throwing dust on their heads is intense grief.” [Easley, 335]
Perhaps they realized more than the kings of the earth and the merchants that the economic bubble had burst and they would had to return to scraping out a living on the sea
Stand far off
As with the other two groups, the maritime workers are not willing to help the great city in her distress
They only wanted to be associated with her when things were going well and money was flowing
Once the money stopped flowing they were not interested in being part of her destruction
Wealth has a way of cheapening our friendships and relationships.
Their exclamation
“Was there ever a city like this great city?”
They were caught up by the wealth, power, and splendor of the great city
This parallels the statement by the inhabitants of the earth concerning the beast in Revelation 13:4, Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”
The expected answer to both of these questions is “no” and “no one”
Yet we know that there is a greater city coming down from heaven someday – the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:1-27)
We also know that there is someone greater than the beast, who did and will make war against him and be victorious – Jesus Christ!
This brings us to their lament
Their lament
Again we see the repeated elements at the beginning and end of their lament
Woe! Woe, O great city
The swiftness of their ruin
The center section focuses again on what they have lost since the city has been destroyed
They became rich from her desire for wealth and luxuries
Rejoicing (v. 20)
At first blush, we may bristle as the thought of rejoicing over the destruction of a great city, filled with people
We may feel like that is calloused and out of place
But, we have to understand the context here
The verb is in the imperative, meaning that those who are to rejoice are commanded to do it
Those who are to rejoice
This command is directed to heaven
Mounce points out that it is the church glorified that is being commanded to rejoice – the ones who remained faithful to the end and gave their lives for the Gospel [Mounce, 336]
Those in heaven include the saints, apostles, and prophets
The reason why they are to rejoice
The reason they are rejoicing is not because people have been destroyed, but because God has kept His promise to judge the inhabitants of the earth for the way they treated His people
God’s justice has finally been fulfilled
“The rejoicing does not arrive out of a selfish spirit of revenge but out of a fulfilled hope that God has defended the honor of his just name by not leaving sin unpunished and by showing his people to have been in the right and the verdict rendered by the ungodly world against his saints to be wrong.” [Beale cited by Osborne, 655]
PRINCIPLE – As God’s children, we can rejoice in His justice.
CONCLUSION
“It is easy for us to believe that life as we know it will go on forever. We are, of course, aware of the ebb and flow caused by wear and natural calamity. By and large, civilization as a whole seems to make progress. The Renaissance gave way to the Age of Reason. The Enlightenment paved the way for the Industrial Age. The twentieth century – interrupted by two world wars – ultimately reaped great harvest in areas such as medical and communications technology. Despite problems such as crime and terrorism, world civilization appears able to march on forever.
The message of Revelation 18 is that what is seen is temporary and subject to the judgment of Almighty God. On the other hand, Babylon the Great provides power, privilege, and prestige to those willing to be seduced by her spell. Monarchs, merchants, and mariners are among those who taste her pleasures and lament her demise. On the other hand, Babylon moves forward on the misery of human slavery, moving people away from true religion into impurity. She is always hostile to the things of God; in fact, the blood of all Christian martyrs drips from her hands.
If this is true, the Christians of every age need to evaluate the call to “Come out of her, my people.” Only those who refuse to share her sins will not receive any of her plagues. Two exclamations summarize the two opposing responses to Babylon’s death. On one hand are those who cry “woe,” because they, too, have been condemned. On the other hand are those who cry “hallelujah,” (19:1) because the martyrs have been avenged at last. The choices we make now will determine whether one day we cray “woe” or “hallelujah.” [Easley, 337]
Jesus Unveiled
Dancing With The Devil
(Revelation 18:1-8)
INTRODUCTION
“Most people have heard of the "five second rule"—that if food spends just a few seconds on the floor, dirt and germs won't have enough time to contaminate it. Parents sometimes apply the rule to pacifiers (after their first child of course). The history of the five-second rule is difficult to trace. One legend attributes the rule to Genghis Khan, who declared that food could be on the ground for five hours and still be safe to eat.
But a 2016 experiment should permanently debunk the five second rule. Professor Donald W. Schaffner, a food microbiologist at Rutgers University, reported that a two-year study concluded that no matter how fast you pick up food that falls on the floor, you will pick up bacteria with it. You can check it out for yourself in his journal article "Is the Five-Second Rule Real?" found in the always exciting journal for Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Professor Schaffner tested four surfaces—stainless steel, ceramic tile, wood, and carpet—and four different foods: cut watermelon, bread, buttered bread, and strawberry gummy candy. They were dropped from a height of five inches onto surfaces treated with a bacteria. The researchers tested four contact times—less than one second and five, 30 and 300 seconds. A total of 128 possible combinations of surface, food, and seconds were replicated 20 times each, yielding 2,560 measurements. So after those 2,560 drops they found that no fallen food escaped contamination, leading Professor Schaffner to conclude, "Bacteria can contaminate instantaneously." In other words, they debunked the legendary five second rule.” [Adapted from Christopher Mele, "'Five-Second Rule' for Food on Floor Is Untrue, Study Finds," The New York Times (9-19-16)]
[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2016/october/2101716.html].
It doesn’t matter how long the food’s been on the floor, it has been contaminated by bacteria if touches the floor.
BODY
ME
Five-second rule
I have to admit that I have lived by the Five-Second rule in my own life
I have done it with our boys also
This may be surprising, because I am somewhat of a germaphobe
Germaphobe
Just this week I’ve experienced some germaphobic situations
Levi has been dealing with a sinus infection and cold
Wade was off work for two days with a stomach virus
I have washed my hands with soap and water more frequently this week, because or the germs in the house
Levi knows that I’m a germaphobe, so he was messing around with me one day
I had my phone laying around by me and he walked up to me and acted like he was going to touch my phone
I gave him the “Dad look” that Jason mentioned several weeks ago
It was that look that said, “Don’t even think about touching my phone.”
He didn’t touch my phone, but he knew he could get a reaction out of me, just by acting like he was going to
Sometimes we have to separate ourselves from various circumstances in order to remain healthy, safe, or above reproach
WE
Addictions
Individuals who are addicted to anything have to separate themselves from those things
An alcoholic may not be able to even smell alcohol without being tempted to drink
A drug addict may be triggered by going down a certain road or area of town, because that’s where they used to buy their drugs
Someone addicted to pornography may have to have extra protection place on their computers and electronic devices in order to keep them from viewing pornographic images
Whatever addictions we struggle with (shopping, food, gossip, etc.) may require us to separate ourselves from those places, items, or individuals that cause us to give in
Contaminated with one touch
I’ve heard from individuals, time-and-time again, who believe that they are strong enough to handle their temptations or addictions on their own, admit that they need someone to hold them accountable
All it takes sometimes in one touch with their addiction to cause them to fall back into the addiction full-time
We may not realize how one touch with the sin of this world contaminates us
John hears from one angel and another voice from heaven in the first eight verses of Revelation 18. The angel tells him that Babylon the Great has fallen. The voice from heaven explains that the reason for her fall is the sins that have piled up and her pride. She will be judged and punished according to her sins. God is the One who will judge her. In the middle of these two announcements is a command from the voice in heaven for the people of God to come out from Babylon the Great. What John wants us to understand is that . . .
BIG IDEA – God desires for us to seek holiness instead of worldly desires.
Let’s pray
GOD (Revelation 18:1-8)
Chapter 18 as a whole
Funeral dirge and laments
In vv. 1-8 we’ll see two angels who are announcing the destruction and fall of Babylon the Great
In vv. 9-20 we’ll see the laments of three groups of people who had benefited from Babylon the Great (kings of the earth, merchants of the earth, and every sea captain)
Finally in vv. 21-24 we’ll see one final angel expressing the results of the fall of Babylon the Great – another funeral dirge
There is one major poetic feature in vv. 1-8 that is significant – there is the repetition of three lines found in vv. 2, 3, 6, and 8 [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 324]
Home for demons, haunt for every evil spirit, and haunt for every unclean and detestable bird (v. 2)
Nations drink her adulterous wine, kings commit adultery, merchants grow rich (v. 3)
Give back what she has given, pay back double, mix her a double portion (v. 6)
The plagues are death, mourning, and famine (v. 8)
John saw everything that was happening in chapter 17, but now in chapter 18 he is hearing what is being said
Angel from heaven (vv. 1-3)
Transition to a new section
The statement, “After this I saw . . .” is a literary indicator that a transition is taking place in the text
After John saw the beast and the ten kings bring the woman to ruin by leaving her naked, eating her flesh, and burning her with fire, he sees another angel come down from heaven
Another angel
This angel is not one of the seven-bowl angels, like John experienced in chapter 17, rather it is a totally different angel that has been in the presence of God
Great authority
This is the first evidence that the angel had been in the presence of the Lord
He does not have his own authority, but has been given authority by God to announce the fall of Babylon the Great
Reflected glory
The second evidence that the angel had been in the presence of the Lord is that the earth is illuminated by his splendor
The Greek word used for “splendor” is doxa which is normally translated as “glory”
It is God’s glory that this angel is reflecting as he comes down from heaven to earth
PRINCIPLE – God’s glory is seen in those who have been with Him.
This is my prayer for us as a body of believers here in the greater Idaville area
I want those in our neighborhoods to see God’s glory on our faces as a result of us having been with Him
Our being with God is manifested in multiple ways
Believers gathering together, corporate worship
Small groups meeting in homes, like the early church, to study God’s Word
Personal worship, Bible study, and prayer
Corporate prayer meetings
One-on-one discipleship
Evangelism events
Service projects in our community
The list can go on and on
Any time we pursue, grow, and multiply disciples, we can and do reflect the glory of God
Too often we reflect the dirt and filth of this world, instead of the glory of God, by what we choose to say and do outside of church
We put on our church face and speech when we come here
We embrace the speech and actions of the world when we’re not here (gossip, talking badly about someone behind their back, swearing, coarse joking, adultery, sexual immorality, idolatry, etc.)
God desires for us to seek holiness instead of worldly desires.
He wants us to be set apart – to be in the world, but not of it
As we seek holiness we will reflect God’s glory
As we prepare to celebrate Jesus’ birth at Christmas, I’m reminded of God’s glory being displayed, as another angel comes from heaven to earth
Luke 2:8-9, And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.
I’d be terrified too, if I was sitting in the field with only a small fire to light up the darkness and suddenly the glory of God surrounded me and made it like day time
So, this angel has come from the presence of the Lord with God’s authority and glory, to share his message
Angel’s message
Destroyed
The angel from heaven cries out with a mighty voice
He repeats the word “fallen”
The repetition of words, in ancient times, was part of the funeral dirge pattern, but it also emphasizes how complete the fall of Babylon is [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 330]
This is the second time an angel has cried out about Babylon the Great, A second angel followed and said, “Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.” (Rev. 14:8)
“From this judgment of God there is no redemption. The overthrow is decimating.” [Patterson, 330]
We see how decimating God’s judgment is in the first three-line repetition
Desolate
Babylon the Great is completely desolate – no one is left there
With no one around there are three things that have taken up residence there
Demons
Demons have made their home there
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, since this great city was characterized as engaging in all kinds of immoral and godless acts
Now that the human beings have been destroyed it leaves only the demons and evil spirits
Evil spirits
While the demons have made it their home, it is a “prison” for evil spirits
That’s what’s meant by “haunt”
It gives the idea of being imprisoned there, not being able to leave
Unclean birds
It’s also a prison for every kind of unclean bird
Perhaps you consider all birds unclean
What’s in view here is probably scavenger birds (vultures, condors, and carrion)
Patterson includes pelicans, hawks, owls ravens, and ostriches [Patterson, 330]
Easley includes bats, which I would include with the unclean and detestable beasts [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 327]
Unclean and detestable beasts
The fall of ancient Babylon is recorded in Isaiah and Jeremiah, which is perhaps the background for what John is hearing in this part of his vision
Isaiah 13:20-22, She will never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; no Arab will pitch his tent there, no shepherd will rest his flocks there. But desert creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will howl in her strongholds, jackals in her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand and her days will not be prolonged.
The unclean and detestable beasts would include jackals, wild goats, and hyenas
Movie (2007) – “I Am Legend” [Actor Will Smith]
Plot – Robert Neville is a brilliant scientist, but even he could not contain the terrible virus that was unstoppable, incurable, and man-made. Somehow immune, Neville is now the last human survivor in what is left of New York City and maybe the world
Alone after the worldwide apocalypse, Neville does a couple things in the desolate city
He hunts deer that have taken over the city
He hits golf balls into the city off the wing of fighter jet that is on an aircraft carrier
VIDEO – 1960’s Postcards In Real Life Then VS Now (stop playing the video at the 2:02 mark) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nHgwDAVKlg&t=39s]
Reasons why it had to be destroyed
We’ve already been introduced to two of the three reasons
The nations or inhabitants of the earth that have gotten drunk with the wine of her adulteries (Rev. 14:8 and 17:2)
All the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated and then seduced into immorality
It’s the idea of a corrupt religious system
The kings of the earth who committed adultery with her
There was an “unholy union between religion and politics.” [Patterson, 331]
How often have Christian politicians had to compromise their beliefs in order to function in the political arena
It is very difficult to hold onto traditional Judeo-Christian values while being a public servant
We’re now introduced to another group, the merchants of the earth
They share a lament as we’ll see in two weeks in Rev. 18:16-17
They became rich by providing the great city with every luxury she desired
The rare Greek work (strēnos) isn’t speaking of just accumulating wealth, but rather the obsession with wealth [Patterson, 331]
It’s the desire to have more and more, never being content
Having to have the newest cell phone
Spending money to get the newest items as soon as they come out
Waiting in long lines to purchase the newest items
A never ending appetite for the newest and best items available
We see then, the reasons why the great city must be destroyed and will be desolate
When the angel from heaven finishes speaking, John hears another voice from heaven
Voice from heaven (v. 4-8)
Some scholars believe that the voice from heaven is another angel, but most identify the voice as either God or Jesus
Command
The Greek verb is an imperative – a command that needs to be followed
God is calling His people to come out
This means that there are followers of Jesus Christ still on the earth at this point
Perhaps they are the ones who have accepted Jesus during the tribulation period
This speaks again of God’s grace and mercy, because He is warning them to flee prior to His judgment being poured out on Babylon the Great
PRINCIPLE – God desires for us to seek holiness instead of worldly desires.
“The saints/holy ones are to separate themselves (the very meaning of ‘holiness’) from the things of the world.” [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 638]
For John’s readers to separate themselves from the great city (Rome) could include withdrawing from business transactions that would cause them to participate in emperor worship or other forms of idolatry [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 424]
God may require us to sometimes physically separate ourselves from our culture, but He always wants us to separate ourselves from the ideologies of our culture, especially when they are in opposition to Him and His Word [Mounce, 327]
Universalism – every religion is basically the same and leads to heaven
Abortion – it is alright for humans to determine when life begins and whether or not it’s appropriate to kill a baby in utero
Same-sex marriage/Homosexuality – it’s alright to live with and marry someone of the same sex, even though God’s Word says it’s a sin
Greed, Pride, Pornography, Addictions, etc.
We have to separate ourselves from those cultural/worldly desires
Scriptural backing
Isaiah (52:11) and Jeremiah (51:45) shared God’s message to the Israelites about leaving Babylon
God instructed Abram to leave his country (Gen. 12:1)
2 Corinthians 6:14-16, Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God.
Ephesians 5:11, Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
We have all heard and or used the phrase that as followers of Jesus Christ we are to be in the world, but not of it
This concept comes from John 17:14-19 where Jesus is praying to God for His disciples
He states that His disciples are not of this world, just as He is not of this world
Next He says that He is sending them into the world to transform it by the power of the Gospel
David Mathis suggests revising the phrase to, not of this world, but sent into it. [https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/lets-revise-the-popular-phrase-in-but-not-of]
Patterson captures the intent of this idea beautifully, “Compassion rather than condescension for sinners is the only appropriate posture for a believer. But this compassion must be exercised from a position of holiness and separation to God, his purposes, and his ways.” [Patterson, 331]
Application
What this means for us is that we find truth from God’s Word and not our culture
We don’t make our own truth
It requires us as followers of Jesus Christ to love those in our culture who believe and practice things that are in opposition to God and His Word
We are not to look down on or ignore those who are struggling to understand God’s truth
Two challenges for us
Are there areas of your life where you’re connected to this world in an unhealthy way?
Addictions, ideologies, etc.
Are there worldly desires that you are hesitant or unwilling to sacrifice and separate yourself from, so you can be set apart for God?
My Next Step Today Is To: Ask the Lord to help me seek holiness instead of worldly desires.
Are you loving those who believe and/or practice things that are in opposition to God and His Word?
For some of us it’s easy to set yourself apart for God and seek personal holiness, but we can become very condemning and critical of those who are struggling to be set apart
We expect others to be where we’re at in our spirituality or understanding of God’s truths
We live in a culture that has sold us the lie that we make our own truth, that we are in control of our lives, that there are not moral absolutes
We have to loving embrace those who are struggling to find real truth and not alienate them from the body of Christ
That has happened too often in the past and has created animosity towards Christians
My Next Step Today Is To: Love those, in my sphere of influence, who are struggling with the truths of God’s Word.
John hears this command for the believers to come out of the great city, but he also hears the reasons why
Reasons why they are to come out
So they won’t share in her sins
The Greek word for “share” is a compound word joining koinōnia and sun (sygkoinōneō)
Koinōnia is a Greek word many of us are familiar with – it means “fellowship”
The fellowship it’s referring to is more than a friendship or acquaintance, it’s much deeper than that
This Greek word is also used to describe the marriage relationship
Sun is translated as “with”
So it literally means “with fellowship”
Rogers & Rogers translate it as “to be a partner, to be a co-partner with” [Rogers & Rogers, The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, 644]
We already know what her sins are (adultery, both physically and spiritually; idolatry; pride; greed)
The great city has continued to participate in these sins to the point that they have piled up to heaven
The Greek word for piled up literally means “to stick to, to join to” [Rogers & Rogers, 644]
There is the idea that the sins here are related to one another, which is why they stick together [Patterson, 332]
God hasn’t forgotten what the inhabitants of the earth have done to His children – He has remembered their crimes
He is about to repay the inhabitants of the earth for their evil against His people
Believers can become ensnared in the sins of this world – they can compromise their values and beliefs to allow them to continue to do what they know God’s Word says is wrong
When that happens, the law of divine justice is enacted – if you share in the sins, you’ll also share in the punishment for those sins, unless you repent and flee
So they won’t receive any of her plagues
The second reason they are to come out from the great city is so they won’t receive any of her plagues
We’ve already seen what those plagues are in Revelation 16 (ugly and painful sores; sea turned to blood; rivers and springs turned to blood; sun scorched the people; complete darkness; Euphrates dried up; severe earthquake)
Perhaps the most familiar Biblical record of someone who struggled with sharing in the sins of a city and then receiving the punishment of the city is Lot’s wife
Genesis 19:15-17, With the coming of dawn, the angels urged Lot, saying, “Hurry! Take your wife and your two daughters who are here, or you will be swept away when the city is punished.” When he hesitated, the men grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the Lord was merciful to them. As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!"
We see that Lot, his wife, and his daughters are hesitant to leave the city, even though they knew what was happening there was sinful (the men wanted to sleep with the angels who were staying with Lot)
They had probably compromised and should have left the city sooner, but now they were emotionally attached (Lot’s two daughters were engaged/pledged to be married)
We see the draw of worldly desires in what happens with Lot’s wife
Genesis 19:26, But Lot’s wife looked back, and she became a pillar of salt.
Her heart was obviously still in the city, her desire was to be there – she has become a partner in the sins of the city and received the “plagues” (punishment)
We have to come out from the desires of this world, so we won’t receive the punishment destined for this world
God desires for us to seek holiness instead of worldly desires.
What John hears next is the punishment the great city will experience
Punishment
PRINCIPLE – God’s punishment of evil will be just and equitable.
We see the biblical law of justice handed out here – “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” (Exod. 21:24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21)
In Latin it’s called lex talionis
John hears it in one of the repeated three-line poetic features
God is saying that the great city will be given back what it has dished out
The background for this is found in Jeremiah’s prophecy of the original Babylon
Jeremiah 50:29, “Summon archers against Babylon, all those who draw the bow. Encamp all around her; let no one escape. Repay her for her deeds; do to her as she has done. For she has defied the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
The reference to receiving back double and mixing her a double portion is simply meaning that the great city will receive their punishment in full measure
This is in keeping with Rev. 14:10, he, too, will drink of the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath.
Jeremiah 16:18, I will repay them double for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land with the lifeless forms of their vile images and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols.
Divine requital
We continue to see divine equitable justice being handed down
She is to receive torture and grief to the same degree that she gave herself glory and luxury
These are the twin sins she has committed
She has glorified herself instead of God
She has lived in sensual luxury (meaning both immoral and greedy living – not content)
She is also prideful
It’s another three-line repetition
Easley expresses it well [Easley, 329]
She sits as queen (she was mistress of the world, the finest city of all times)
She is not a widow (she had all the kings of the world as her lovers)
She will never mourn (she believes she’s in complete control of her destiny)
While she believes these three things about herself, God is ultimately in control and will judge her justly and quickly
Quick punishment
The reference to her plagues overtaking her in one day, simply means that God’s justice and punishment will not be delayed
Her punishment will be death, mourning, and famine
What the great city has boasted in will come to pass
She is not in control of her destiny and will therefore mourn, she will no longer be queen, she will be a widow
The fact that she will be consumed by fire means that her punishment will be complete and total
CONCLUSION
“God warns his people to ‘come out’ of Babylon (18:4). This is a call to holiness, but we must not misunderstand holiness. Holiness is not simply a matter of avoiding certain kinds of activities, as some traditional churches have emphasized; holiness is separation from the world to God. Thus one can express holiness by immersing oneself in God’s Word rather than in the world’s values emphasized on television; or by turning down a better-paying job because someone felt God wanted him or her to work in a different place, perhaps among the poor. Such holiness may cost us our place in Babylon and much more. One Christian I have called ‘Stephen’ used to pray two hours a day and began to tell God passionately that he loved God so much that nothing else mattered. Then, in 1987, Stephen lost his wife. Now when he says, ‘God, I love you more than anything,’ he understands what he is saying. Ultimately, if we are truly Jesus’ disciples, our very lives are forfeit (Mark 8:34-38).” [Keener, 436]
Jesus Unveiled
A Tale of Two Cities
(Revelation 17:1-18)
INTRODUCTION
“For a thousand years, the Christian thinker with the greatest influence was Augustine of Hippo. His longest book, The City of God, interpreted history as the story of two cities, the struggle between those who depend on God and those who rely on themselves. He traced the earthly city’s origin to the city built by Cain (Gen. 4:17).
Genesis gives much less attention to Cain’s city than to Babel, the first city after the flood of Noah. Settling on a plain in ‘Shinar’ (Babylonia), the builders reasoned, ‘Let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth’ (Gen. 11:4).
The ruins of countless other ancient cities confirm parallels with Babel:
Intense human cooperative labor (‘build ourselves a city’)
Humanly devised religion (‘tower that reaches to the heavens’)
Desire to achieve greatness (‘make a name for ourselves’)
Resolve to do things ‘my way’ instead of by God’s will (‘not be scattered’)
In the case of Babel, God directly intervened, but he has not stopped humans from applying these same principles to their other cities and civilizations. Babel was the model. Consider a roll call of six great ancient cities and their civilizations:
Memphis of the Egyptian Kingdom
Nineveh of the Assyrian Empire
Babylon of the New Babylonian Empire
Persepolis of the Persian Empire
Antioch of the Seleucid Empire (Hellenistic power after Alexander the Great)
Rome of the Roman Republic and Empire
Each was the Babel of its own day. Each rose as an expression of engineering ingenuity, supported by military might and political scheming. Each was a commercial, religious, and cultural center. Each proudly opposed God and the people of God. Roll them all together, and they become the perfect forerunner for one future final great city and civilization opposed to God – ‘Babylon the Great,’ mistress of the world. As with the world’s first great city Babel, so with the last Babel: God will judge her directly and dramatically.”
[Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 303]
BODY
ME
Video games
My best friend in high school, Jake, and I both worked at Chick-fil-A and we both loved playing tennis and video games
Jake had an original Nintendo, if I remember correctly
We didn’t play it much because the only game I remember playing on it was a tennis game
We enjoyed playing real tennis more than playing it on a video game system
We would go to the arcade quite often to play Galaga
I can’t tell you how many quarters we spent playing
The longer we played it the less quarters we spent, because we had learned the patterns of the game & didn’t die as often
I remember one day being at the arcade at the Galleria Mall in Hoover, AL
Jake was on fire that day and eventually got the top score
I was so impressed, but I also wanted to play – his one turn lasted quite awhile
Jake and I were completely drawn in to this game
We were giving our time, talents, and resources to Galaga and the arcade by default
I can say, with certainty, that Galaga was more important to me, at that time in my life, than my relationship with Jesus
I was always thinking about when I could go to the arcade and play Galaga
There was an arcade on the lower level of the mall where I worked at Chick-fil-A, so you can imagine the draw
Continual battle
Through college and in to my adult life, video games have continued to be something that I can get drawn into very easily
I like to finish things, so I will continue to play a game until I’m able to complete it 100%
I have done that with two games on my PS3
First was the video game based on the animated movie UP
I think the second one was Infamous
I spend much less time today, playing video games than I did several years ago
Levi has wanted me to get a PS4, so I can play video games with him, like I did with Wade and Seth
Wade wants me to get a gaming PC, so I can play video games with him
I’m content without those two items
Today, I spend much more of my time, talents, and resources in building the kingdom of God instead of completing video games
WE
Being drawn in by the pleasures of our culture
Probably for the rest of us, video games aren’t even a temptation
There are other pleasures of our culture that perhaps take our time, talents, and resources
Not necessarily bad, except that they can take our time, talents, resources, and focus away from God
Hunting, fishing, camping, and/or boating
Shopping, Watching movies
Traveling, Work, Sports
Eating out (food in general)
Etc. (we can all think of that one thing in our lives that we enjoy doing and may take to an extreme)
Others that are addictive and destructive in nature
Pornography
Alcohol and drug addiction
Sexual addiction
Hoarding, Christmas Season, Etc.
We need to recognize when those items have taken the place of God in our lives
Refocusing our time, talents, and resources
When we see that something has taken the place of God, we have to take the steps necessary to refocus
We may have to take a break from doing those things in order to reconnect with the One who created us, loves us, and desires our time, talents, and resources
John has one of the seven bowl-angels come to him and take him to the desert to see the next part of this end-time vision. The next section of this vision will focus on two cities. We’ll unpack the two cities over the next several chapters. What John wants us to understand from chapter 17 is that . . .
BIG IDEA – Giving ourselves to anything but God could cost us eternal life.
Let’s pray
GOD (Revelation 17:1-18)
The vision (vv. 1-6)
Before we begin the vision I want us to go to verse 18, because it will help us understand the rest of the vision
The angel tells John that the woman in the vision, who is the great prostitute, is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth
For John, and his readers in the 1st Century, they identified the great city as Rome, but that certainly isn’t the case for us today or for the millions of people since the 1st Century
Mounce expresses it well, “Yet Babylon the Great, source of universal harlotry and abomination (v. 5), is more than first-century Rome. Every great center of power that has prostituted its wealth and influence restores to life the spirit of ancient Babylon.” [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 321]
So, the great prostitute that John sees is a world system/kingdom that has turned its back on God and given its time, talents, and resources to pursuing the pleasures of evil
An angel comes to John
We’re told that the angel is one of the ones who had the seven bowls, so there is a connection between this part of the vision and what we saw in chapters 15 & 16
The angel tells John that he will show him the punishment of the great prostitute
He explains that this great prostitute is the one who sits on many waters (this will be explained when the angel interprets the vision)
This great prostitute was very successful at her trade, because the kings of the earth were drawn in by her beauty, wealth, and advances, and the inhabitants of the earth were caught up with what she had to offer them, which is described as the wine of her adulteries
The leaders and the common people were all attracted to her and gave themselves to her
They are in danger!
At this point, the angel takes John to the desert to give him a more detailed description of this vision
The angel carries him into the desert
We see that John is not carried away physically to the desert (he is still on the island of Patmos), but rather in the Spirit, he is in a desert
Two characters are introduced at this point
A woman and a scarlet beast – both are described here
The woman
This is the same woman that the angel identifies as the great prostitute in v. 1
She is now not only sitting on many waters, but also on top of a scarlet beast (we’ll talk about this beast in a moment)
The woman’s outfit
She is dressed in purple and scarlet
The dye for these two pieces of cloth were very expensive to extract, therefore only the wealthy could afford to where purple and scarlet garments
Purple was considered the color of royalty, while scarlet was considered the color of wealth
She is glittering with gold, precious stones, and pearls
If we remember that the woman represents Rome or another city that will rise up in the end times then we can see a contrast between this city bent on opposing God and embracing evil and the new Jerusalem
“Her gold, precious stones, and pearls (17:4) further contribute to this picture of wealth (18:12, 16), but also help underpin the impending contrast with the city of God, which was built of gold, had streets of gold and gates of pearls, and had precious stones on its foundation (21:18-21).” [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 406-407]
PRINCIPLE – The political and religious wealth of this world is enticing.
It is always tempting to embrace the newest religious beliefs or partner with the fasting growing church movements or denominations
It’s also tempting to embrace the trending political, economic, technological, and social movements
We all want to be both physically and spiritually wealthy, but it can come with a cost if we don’t choose wisely
Keener helps us to have an eternal perspective on wealth, “The true and ultimate wealth comes not from trade with Babylon, not from buying and selling with the beast (13:17; cf. Ps. 73:6), but from relinquishing worldly wealth for the promises of Jesus (3:17-18).” [Keener, 407]
Revelation 3:17-18, You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
It brings us back to Augustine’s premise: what city are we going to choose to live in? (God’s or the world’s?)
1 John 2:16-18, For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
Giving ourselves to anything but God could cost us eternal life.
Is there anything in your life that shows you’re living in the city of this world?
My Next Step Today Is To: Ask the Lord to direct me to anything in my life that I’m giving myself to ahead of Him, and then ask Him to give me the strength to sacrifice it.
She has a title written on her forehead
This certainly corresponds to the mark of the beast found in Rev. 13:16
But it could also refer to custom of the Roman prostitutes in the 1st Century to write their names on a headband that they wore
Some believe that the word “Mystery” is part of the name written on her forehead, but others believe it is descriptive of a name with hidden meaning
Babylon the Great (this is the “great system of godlessness that leads people away from the worship of God and to their own destruction [Mounce, 311])
The Mother of Prostitutes (to be the “mother of” something means that they are characterized by that thing, but also that they have reproduced that character in others [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 613]; Babylon, then Rome in John’s time, and perhaps any major city in our time, and definitely some future kingdom, will be the source of idolatry and evil)
The Mother of the Abominations of the Earth (again whatever city will be the “great prostitute,” during the end, will be the source that influences the entire earth to adopt all kinds of evil and abominations)
What the woman is holding in her hand
The woman represents the religious side of the end times, while the beast represents the political side
She is holding a golden cup in her hand
We’re told that it is filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries
The contents of this cup are obviously what has intoxicated the inhabitants of the earth, as we saw in v. 2 and she made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries as we saw in Rev. 14:8
The religious practices that this end times city will encourage everyone to participate in will involve moral corruption and things that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, would consider unclean or sacrilegious
Isaiah 5:20, Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
“The idols of heart and life are filled to the brim as she shares them with a senseless humanity that falls into a drunken stupor, no longer able to see real truth, beauty, and goodness found only in God and His salvation through the Lamb.” [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 263]
The condition of the woman
She is drunk with the blood of the saints
It will not be enough to simply set up a godless form of religion, but the woman (religious system of this future city) will also persecute and kill those who are followers of Jesus Christ
Those who are martyred during this time are sealed in Christ through the willing sacrifice of their own lives
We know who the woman is, what she is wearing, and what she has in her hand, but she is also riding on a scarlet beast
Scarlet beast
We are given a brief description of the scarlet beast
He has blasphemous names covering his entire body
He has seven heads and ten horns
What we see in the remainder of chapter 17 is the angels interpretation of the beast from this vision of the woman and the beast
It is here that we understand the seven heads and ten horns
We don’t see the punishment of the “great prostitute” that the angel promised to show John until chapter 18
As John looks upon the image of the woman and the beast, he is astonished – he perhaps saw something in the character of the woman that was unexpected [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 321]
Interpretation of the vision (vv. 7-18)
The angel asks why John is astonished and then tells him that he will explain the mystery of the woman and the beast she rides on
Wisdom to understand the return of the beast (vv. 8-9a)
Some scholars put the beginning of v. 9 with the previous statement about the return of the beast, while others put it with the interpretation of the seven heads – both require a mind with wisdom
Twice in v. 8 we see the same statement – the beast once was, now is not, and will come again
This is an attempt by evil to mimic and mock God and Jesus Christ
Revelation 1:4, John, To the seven churches in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come . . . (this is referring to God)
Revelation 1:18, I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. (this is referring to Jesus, also found in Rev. 2:8)
This same idea of the beast coming, dying, and being resurrected was mentioned in Rev. 13:3, One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.
We see again that the inhabitants of the earth, who have not repented of their sins, will find the resurrection of the beast to be astonishing
In the middle of these two statements we find the principle – the golden nugget of truth
PRINCIPLE – Evil tries to imitate God, but will be destroyed.
This is an incredible promise that we, as followers of Jesus Christ, can hold on to
We may see evil “winning” in our culture
Evil will twist the truth, just a little bit, so that it appears to be godly and righteous
Evil will use imitation of the real to try to deceive humanity
But the truth remains that evil will be destroyed!
We’ll see expanded in v. 14
The angel moves from explaining the imitation of the beast to his actual features, beginning with the seven heads
Seven heads explained (vv. 9b-11)
The seven heads represent two things
Seven hills that the woman sits on
For John’s readers, the interpretation of the seven heads being seven hills would have immediately brought to mind Rome
Ancient Latin authors all referred to Rome as urbs septicollis meaning “seven-hilled city”
“Rome began as a network of seven hill settlements on the left bank of the Tiber . . .” [Mounce, 315]
Christians in the 1st Century viewed Rome as the godless, immoral, idolatrous city that it was
The angel also interprets the seven heads as seven kings
Seven kings
Here is where the interpretation for us, today, becomes much more difficult
There are two primary beliefs concerning what the angel meant by seven kings as we try to understand it today
Kings/Emperors
Those who hold to this belief try to create a list of six Emperors that would include the Emperor during John’s time
The only problem is that there is not agreement on who the Emperor was during John’s writing (Nero, Vespasian, or Domitian)
There is also debate over whether Julius Caesar or Augustus was the first true Emperor
There is also more than six Emperors between Julius Caesar and Trajan (14 to be exact)
Some scholars lump three of them together because all three reigned in a one year period
This is not a very strong solution to the interpretation of the seven heads being seven kings
In their favor is the fact that the Greek word used for “king” is everywhere in the New Testament translated as “king” and not “kingdom”
With that in mind the second solution is not very strong either, but is definitely fascinating
Kingdoms
If the “great prostitute” represents a city, it would not be inconceivable that the seven kings could represent seven kingdoms
These kingdoms would all share the same characteristics of being the powerhouses of their time that opposed God’s people
Scholars have compiled a list of the five fallen kings/kingdoms found in Scripture that would have those characteristics
Egypt (Memphis) during the days of Israelite slavery (Exod. 1)
Assyria (Nineveh) during the days of the prophets Hosea and Isaiah (2 Kings 15)
Babylon (Babylon) during the days of Jeremiah and Ezekiel (2 Kings 25)
Persia (Persepolis) during the days of Esther the queen (the book of Esther)
The Seleucid Empire (Antioch) was successor to part of Alexander the Great’s realm (Daniel 8:23-25; 11:21-35)
Rome would be the sixth kingdom during John’s time (1st Century)
There’ll be a seventh kingdom that will rise in the future that will share the same characteristics as the first six, but will only be around for a short period of time, because the beast will begin to reign as the eighth king
“MacArthur says, ‘The Antichrist’s kingdom is said to be both the seventh and the eighth kingdoms because of his supposed demise and resurrection. He is the seventh before and the eighth after his ‘resurrection’’ (Study Bible, 2016).” [Akin, 266]
There is a third option that I particularly favor
The number seven is symbolic of completion and the power of the Roman Empire historically
“In Revelation the seven kings represent the entire period of Roman domination regardless of the exact number of emperors. The important point is that the end is drawing near.” [Mounce, 317]
Osborne agrees with Mounce that the numbering was not a reference to specific emperors, but rather pointing to the fact that the Roman tyranny would soon end and the eschaton would be ushered in [Osborne, 620]
The number seven throughout Revelation has been symbolic of completion, so it would make sense that it once again represents completion as it pertains to a world-wide system of godlessness, immorality, and idolatry
The angel moves on from the seven heads to the ten horns
Ten horns explained (vv. 12-14)
The ten horns refer to ten kings and their kingdoms that have not come on the international scene yet
Daniel 7:7-24 is the only other place in Scripture where a ten-horned beast is mentioned (this is perhaps the background for this beast here)
Osborne reminds us that in Rev. 7:1 the four angels at the four corners of the earth have been holding back the four winds of destruction and he also reminds us that in Rev. 16:12 the Euphrates is dried up, perhaps by the four winds, allowing the “kings of the east” to easily join the beast for a final battle against God [Osborne, 621]
They and the beast are given authority by Satan, but it is short-lived (one hour)
Their reign doesn’t need to be long, because they only have one purpose – to give their power and authority to the beast so he can make war against the Lamb
PRINCIPLE – Evil is fighting a losing battle.
The Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings
This is not the first time that Jesus has overcome Satan and his followers
He won the victory over sin and death when He died on the cross, was buried, and came alive again
This is the hope we have as followers of Jesus Christ
God fulfilled His plan to redeem us from our sin by sending Jesus from heaven to earth to take our punishment for sin
We’re all born sinners, separated from God, deserving eternal separation from Him
But because of His infinite love for us, He sent Jesus to take our place – He became for us, even though He had never sinned, so that God would see us as righteous before Him
It is a free gift from God that we have to take for ourselves
Romans 6:23, For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
We can be on the winning side of this final battle by receiving God’s gift of eternal life through believing in Jesus Christ by faith
My Next Step Today Is To: Receive God’s gift of eternal life by believing in Jesus by faith.
Jesus not only overcame sin and death through His perfect sacrifice, but He will also overcome evil in the final battle
The Lamb is Jesus Christ and He is not coming alone
He is bringing with Him those whom He has called, chosen, and are faithful
This is Jesus’ army as mentioned in Rev. 19:14
God is the One who calls and chooses His own, our response to Him is to be faithful
The angel now explains the reference to the woman sitting on the waters
Waters explained (v. 15)
The waters represent all people, which is evident in the four-fold description of peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages
No one is exempt from the influence and control of the woman
Osborne explains, “To ‘sit upon’ a nation is to conquer and control it.” [Osborne, 609]
Finally we see the destruction of the woman after she has served her purpose
The destruction of the woman (vv. 16-17)
Evil is only concerned about itself and no one else
Therefore, evil often turns on itself
When the immoral, idolatrous religious structure, represented by the woman, has served its purpose in convincing the inhabitants of the earth to worship and follow Satan, then the beast and the ten kings will hate her and destroy her
They will bring her to ruin and strip her naked – this final great city, which once was dressed like royalty, will be completely stripped, exposed, and humiliated
To have her flesh eaten reminds us of Jezebel after she fell from the window and was completely devoured by dogs
The destruction of this once great city will be complete when it is burned with fire
“God has built into the universe a law of sowing and reaping that cannot be violated.” [Easley, 314]
Galatians 6:7-8, Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit will reap eternal life.
Giving ourselves to anything but God could cost us eternal life.
PRINCIPLE – God is sovereign!
The ten kings were not offering their power and authority to the beast of their own accord
Evil is jealous and controlling – not naturally inclined to offer up what power and authority they have to someone else
They were willing to do this, because of God’s sovereignty – He put it into their hearts the willingness to do this, so that His purpose could be accomplished
We have in the Bible God’s promises concerning salvation for those who repent and final destruction for those who do not
CONCLUSION
“My friend C. J. Mahaney has well said, ‘Today, the greatest challenge facing [evangelical, Bible-believing] American [Christians] is not persecution from the world, but seduction by the world’ (‘Is This Verse,’ 22). The Christian apologist C. S. Lewis would add, ‘We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who goes on making mud pies in the slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased. (Weight of Glory, 25-26). Babylon offers mud pies in the slum. The new Jerusalem ruled by the King of kings and the Lord of lords offers a glorious holiday at a crystal sea that will last forever. Do not be too easily pleased. Do not be seduced by a world that can never deliver what is truly lasting and ultimately satisfying.” [Akin, 269]