Fair Weather Friends

, ,

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]

14

 

/by

Dancing With The Devil

,

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]

13

 

/by

A Tale of Two Cities

,

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]

13

 

/by

Name That Tune!

, ,

Jesus Unveiled

Name That Tune!

(Revelation 15:1-8)

 

INTRODUCTION

“Some years ago my wife and I went to see Shakespeare's Hamlet. Near the end of the play there is a climactic fight scene—guys swordplay all over the stage. Well, that night, right in the middle of all that action, Hamlet suddenly shouted, ‘Stop! Stop!’ All the actors stopped and looked puzzled. Then Hamlet stepped to the edge of the stage and said, ‘Someone's been hurt. Is there a doctor in the house?’

 

Apparently, during the fight, his knife had flown from his hand into the audience and struck a woman above her eye. The play stopped for a while till they could attend to her and ensure she was all right. Then Hamlet said, ‘Places,’ and the actors all resumed their frozen mid-fight poses till he said ‘Action,’ and they finished the scene and the play.

 

When we read biblical prophecy, we come across passages where God, the great healer, is given time to attend to lost souls. The action described is put on hold for a time while God carries out the work of redemption. But soon, God will say, ‘Action!’ and this scene will resume and the end-time drama will come to a crashing end.”

 

(Lee Eclov, Vernon Hills, Illinois, “Hamlet” Production Resembles Prophetic Events)

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2003/september/14592.html].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Singing in the choir at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference

        • My brother and I worked at Harvey Cedars Bible Conference on Long Beach Island, NJ for three summers when we were teenagers

        • At that time, all staff participated in the choir

        • We would have practices every day, if I remember correctly, and then we would go out to local churches in NJ and Eastern PA on Sunday evenings to perform

        • We also had cassette tapes recorded for each year that we were there and they were sold at the concerts we did

        • Singing in the choir was one of the highlights of the summer for me

        • There was one song I enjoyed most, that I remembered hearing the choir sing, when I was a young boy going to Harvey Cedars for vacation with my family

        • I was excited when we sang that same song while I was on staff

          • It is called “Moses” by Ken Medema [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6JQ3EXNBhw]

          • It talks about Moses going to Egypt to set the Israelites free

        • Singing connected us to each other and to the audience at the churches where we sang

        • We were worshiping the Lord together

    • Singing when I’m happy

        • I don’t know about you, but when I’m down and feeling sorry for myself I don’t normally sing – I normally grumble – I don’t even sing a song of lament like the Psalmist did

        • Now the flip side is true – when I’m feeling good and everything is going great, I love to sing

        • Oklahoma, the musical has a song that sums up how I feel most of the time – “Oh, what a beautiful mornin’, Oh, what a beautiful day, I’ve got a beautiful feelin’, Everything’s going my way.”

 

  • WE

    • Eeyore from Winnie the Pooh

        • How many of us can relate to Eeyore’s statement? – “If it is a good morning, which I doubt.”

        • He is the quintessential pessimist – the cup is half empty and it has a hole in it

    • Struggles

        • We all experience struggles and hardship in our lives

        • It’s easy for us to sing a song of lament during those tough times

        • Too often we forget to sing the songs of deliverance, praise, and thanksgiving, when God delivers us from those struggles and difficulties

        • We should be quick to change our tune when God does the miraculous for us

 

We see in this passage a continuation of the grain harvest scene from Revelation 14:14-16. ​​ The believers who have been victorious through the social, religious, and economic hardships, enacted by the beast, are singing a song of deliverance to God. ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – When God delivers us, we should change our tune.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 15:1-8)

    • Structure

        • Chapter 15 has three parts to it

          • Each is identified in the Greek by the phrase kai eidon, which means “And I saw”

          • This phrase is found at the beginning of vv. 1 (I saw), 2 (And I saw), and 5 (I looked)

        • It also has an ABA chiastic structure

          • We see the introduction of the seven angels in v. 1 before we learn of the song of the saints and then more details are given about the seven angels in vv. 5-8

          • In v. 1 the angels have the seven last plagues with them, which represents the completion of God’s wrath

          • And in v. 8 we will see that no one can enter the temple in heaven until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed (again this is referencing the completion of God’s wrath)

          • The song of the saints is sandwiched between these two matching references

    • Sign (v. 1)

        • John sees another great and marvelous sign

          • Two signs have already appeared in heaven and we see them both in chapter 12

          • The first is found in Rev. 12:1 which was a woman clothed with the sun (this sign was identified as a great and wondrous sign)

          • The second is found in Rev. 12:3 and was an enormous red dragon (this one was just identified as another sign)

        • This great and marvelous sign is seven angels with the seven last plagues

          • “Signs point beyond themselves and disclose the theological meaning of history. ​​ That there are seven angels having seven plagues speaks of the certainty and completeness of divine wrath against all unrighteousness. ​​ They are great and marvelous in their awe-inspiring effect on all of nature, the human race, and the kingdom of Antichrist.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 284]

          • The New International Version (NIV) adds the word “last” a second time for effect, but this is not in the original Greek

            • The New Living Translation (NLT) translates it without the second “last”

            • Revelation 15:1b, Seven angels were holding the seven last plagues, which would bring God’s wrath to completion.

          • The form of the Greek verb for “completed” means that God’s wrath has reached it goal [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 270] or has been brought to a conclusion [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 299]

        • John immediately sees another scene in heaven ​​ 

    • Song (vv. 2-4)

        • Sea of glass mixed with fire

          • We were introduced to something like a sea of glass in Revelation 4:6 that was before the throne of God

          • It is probably safe to say that this is the same “sea of glass” and that those who are victorious are standing before the throne of God

          • The “sea of glass” is now mixed with fire

            • We saw before that the sea of glass was a metaphor for the majesty of God

            • Fire is normally symbolic of God’s judgment, so this sea of glass mixed with fire is simply telling us that something has changed or is about to happen

            • Easley helps us to understand this imagery from a natural point of view, “Whenever an ocean’s appearance shifts, a change in the weather is at hand. ​​ The change from the appearance of clear glass to that shot through with fire signals stormy weather ahead. ​​ In view of the awesome and terrible atmospheric conditions about to come to earth (16:18, 20, 21), no wonder the heavenly sea is fiery.” ​​ [Easley, 271]

            • Have you ever been on the water when a weather front starts to come in? (then you understand the change from calm water to rough water)

          • While change is coming, the focus is less on that and more on those who are standing around this “sea of glass” mixed with fire

        • Victors standing by the sea

          • These are the individuals who have suffered through the tribulation period and probably experienced martyrdom, because they did not give in the pressures of the beast

          • They were victorious over three things

            • The beast (political, reject Christ, follow the Antichrist)

            • His image (religious, reject Christ, worship the image of the beast at the demand of the False Prophet)

            • Number of his name (economic, reject Christ, take the mark of the beast, so they could buy and sell)

          • Two important notes

            • Promised inheritance for those who are victorious

              • The Greek word translate “victorious” here in Rev. 15:2 is the same Greek word translated “overcome” at the end of each of the letters to the seven churches

              • It’s from there that we see what the victorious saints will inherit [Mounce, 285; Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 563]

                • Tree of life (Rev. 2:7)

                • Deliverance/protection from the second death (Rev. 2:11)

                • Hidden manna (Rev. 2:17)

                • Authority over the nations (Rev. 2:26)

                • White garments (Rev. 3:5)

                • The honor of becoming a pillar in the temple of God (Rev. 3:12)

                • The honor/privilege of sitting with Christ on His throne (Rev. 3:21)

            • Similarities between the Exodus from Egypt

              • God had provided deliverance for the Israelites when they were being pursued by the Egyptian army

              • They thought they were doomed when they were stuck between the Egyptians and the Red Sea

              • Then God did the miraculous and parted the Red Sea allowing them to cross over on dry ground

              • When the Egyptians entered the sea bed, God caused the waters to return to their place and completely destroy the Egyptian army

              • As the Israelites stood by the Red Sea, safe and secure, they sang a song of deliverance

              • They were no longer lamenting their misfortune of being trapped

              • They had changed their tune

              • When God delivers us, we should change our tune

            • John not only sees the victorious saints standing by the “sea of glass,” he also notices that they are holding something

          • They were holding harps given to them by God

            • We saw in Rev. 5:8 that the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders had harps

            • Hand-held harps were common, and part of the worship in the temple

            • The victors were accompanying themselves as they worshiped God

          • They were singing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb

            • The song of Moses is recorded in Exodus 15:1-18 (read that passage)

            • There is debate about whether or not there are two songs being referred to here or just one song

              • If it is referring to two separate songs, both are songs of deliverance

              • The song of Moses is a reminder of how God brought the Israelites out of bondage to the Egyptians

              • The song of the Lamb is a reminder of how God brought humanity out of the bondage to sin

              • They’re not in opposition to each other, but focus on the same theme (God’s mighty acts in saving His people, both OT and NT)

              • Osborne only sees one song in view and therefore translates it, “the song of Moses, that is, the song about the Lamb.” ​​ [Osborne, 564]

                • If we remember the final plague that caused Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, then we understand the connection between the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb

                • The Israelites had to sacrifice a perfect lamb and spread the blood of that sacrifice on the doorposts of their homes

                • This identifying factor protected them from the death of their firstborn son

                • Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

                • He was the perfect sacrifice, once-for-all, to take away humanities sin and not just to cover it up

            • What we see then in Revelation 15:3b-4 is the song that they are singing

              • It is important to note that the victors are not singing about their triumph over the beast, rather they are singing “about the sovereignty, glory, justice, and righteousness of their Almighty God and King.” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 253]

              • The first two lines are a great example of Hebrew parallelism (the second line repeats the idea of the first line, but with different words)

                • The first part is celebrating God’s works

                • The second part celebrates God’s ways

                • The Lord God, who is Almighty, is also King of the ages

              • Next we see a rhetorical question

                • Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? (Rev. 15:4)

                • We see the same kind of question in the song of Moses, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? ​​ Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?” ​​ (Exodus 15:11)

                • The obvious answer to the question is “no one!”

              • Finally, we see three reasons for bringing glory to the Lord God Almighty, who is King of the ages

                • The Lord alone is holy

                  • The Greek word used for “holy” means “perfect moral purity”

                  • The Lord is the only One who has perfect moral purity – there are no others

                • All nations will worship before you

                  • This means that no one will be exempt from worshiping the Lord

                  • We will either do it voluntarily as His children or in recognition of who He is at the final judgment

                  • 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.

                • Your righteous acts have been revealed

          • The victors are standing by the “sea of glass” and worshiping the Lord for who He is and what He has done

            • PRINCIPLE – Our worship of God should focus on thanking Him for who He is and what He has done.

            • When was the last time God delivered you?

              • It’s easy to sing a song of lament/sadness/anger to God when we are struggling physically, emotionally, spiritually, or financially

              • It’s also easy to forget to worship Him for what He has done after He has delivered you

              • Did you change your tune after He delivered you?

              • When God delivers us, we should change our tune

              • Did you remember to thank Him for what He did?

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Thank the Lord, through worship, for how He delivered me from a recent situation or circumstance that was difficult.

            • When was the last time you thanked God for extending His grace and mercy to you in salvation?

              • We see who God is through His gift of salvation for every person

                • He is loving (Jn. 3:16a; Jer. 31:3)

                • He is all-powerful, because He raised Jesus from the dead (1 Cor. 15:4)

                • He is full of grace (Eph. 2:8-9)

                • He is merciful (not getting what we do deserve)

                • The list could go on and on

              • We also see what God did to deal with our sin

                • He made a way for us to have our sins completely removed

                • He sent Jesus to die on a cross to take our punishment for sin

                • He allowed Jesus to come alive again, so that one day we can be resurrected with Him

                • He is preparing a place in heaven for those who have believed in Jesus Christ and received eternal life

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Worship the Lord for who He is and what He has done, so that I could have eternal life.

            • When was the last time you just worshiped God for who He is?

              • Perhaps everything’s been going great in your life

              • You haven’t been struggling physically, emotionally, spiritually, or financially

              • In those times, we can and should worship God for who He is

              • Adoration is simply acknowledging God’s many attributes (Triune, Love, Truth, Sovereign, Holy, Just, Omnipresent, Omniscient, Omnipotent, Eternal, Infinite, Immutable, Wisdom, Majestic, Good, Faithful, Merciful, etc.)

              • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Worship the Lord through adoration (acknowledging His many attributes).

        • John sees one final thing in heaven, which brings us back to the seven angels he saw in verse 1

    • Saucers (vv. 5-8)

        • The temple was opened

          • John describes the temple as the tabernacle of the Testimony

            • This description takes us back to the wilderness with the Israelites

            • “The word for temple is naos rather than hieron. ​​ The former references the sacred things particularly, whereas the latter word covers the entire temple complex.” ​​ [Patterson, 302]

            • So what is opened to John’s view is the holy of holies, which housed the ark of covenant that contained both copies of the Ten Commandments

            • The Ten Commandments were also referred to as the Testimony

            • Since God, the author of the Testimony, is in the heavenly temple, it can rightly be called the tabernacle of the Testimony

          • The seven angels with the seven plagues come out of the temple

            • Perhaps John wrote verse 1 after seeing the whole scene played out, or while John’s focus is drawn to the victors singing by the “sea of glass” the seven angels enter the temple

            • Either way, the seven angels are now coming out of the temple after being in the presence of God

            • John’s description of their clothing simply lets us know that they are functioning in a priestly role with purity

            • They are going to pour out the contents of God’s wrath on the inhabitants of the earth in a just way

          • One of the four living creatures gives each of the seven angels a golden bowl

            • Each bowl is filled with the wrath of God, which will be characterized by the plagues that each of the seven angels already have in their hands

            • The bowl was not a deep soup bowl like we would think about today, but rather a swallow bowl used for cooking liquids

            • Osborne states that “these could be the golden saucers found on the table of showbread and used for sacred libations to God (Exod. 25:29; 27:3; 38:3) as were the censers in Rev. 5:8. ​​ By using these bowls, two points would be made: ​​ (1) the outpouring of judgment is a sacred offering to God, vindicating his name and bringing him glory; and (2) they come in response to the prayers of the saints (5:8, cf. 8:3-5).” ​​ [Osborne, 570]

          • The actual plagues and the pouring out of God’s wrath will be covered in Rev. 16, next week

        • The temple was filled with God’s glory

          • Once the seven angels came out of the temple, we see that God’s glory fills the temple in the form of smoke

          • God’s power is also described as smoke here

          • No one was able to enter the temple at this point

            • This is not unusual – it is seen in other parts of Scripture also

            • Exodus 40:34-35, Then the cloud covered the Tent of Meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. ​​ Moses could not enter the Tent of Meeting because the cloud had settled upon it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

            • 1 Kings 8:10-11, When the priests withdrew from the Holy Place, the cloud filled the temple of the Lord. ​​ And the priests could not perform their service because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled his temple.

            • I like how Keener expresses it, “the glory exceeded human ability to withstand.” ​​ [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 387]

            • This reminds us of Moses face after he had been in the presence of the Lord in the Tent of Meeting – his face shown so brightly that the Israelites asked him to cover his face until the shekinah glory would fade

          • My prayer, for us, is that we would experience the glory of God in this place – that His glory would come down and that we would radiate His glory on our faces to those in our community

 

  • YOU

    • Have you changed your tune after God has delivered you?

    • Have you thanked God for His salvation?

    • Have you simply worshiped the Lord through acknowledging His many attributes?

 

  • WE

    • There is power in corporate worship

    • We are connected to each other as we worship the Lord for who He is and what He has done for us

        • He has allowed us to witness His increase through five salvations and four baptisms so far this year

        • We have experienced His supernatural provision for faith promise giving to the GROW capital campaign in the amount of $25,810, which allowed us to pay off the roof debt of $19,000

        • We have helped our community through benevolence and other ways

 

CONCLUSION

“We live in a music-driven era. ​​ My son must have the car radio cranked up full blast to his favorite radio station the instant the ignition is turned on. ​​ Wherever we turn, commercial jingles reach out for our pocketbooks. ​​ All of us have had the experience of not being able to get a silly pop tune out of our head; thus is the power of music. ​​ If advertisers know the power of melody and harmony, how much more important is music and singing when put into the worship of God?

 

What, you may ask, is the possible connection between my life today, the experiences of ancient Israelite multitudes singing beside the Red Sea, and the future singing of those beside the crystal sea in heaven after Christ’s return? ​​ The common thread is the desire to acknowledge the character and deeds of God Almighty through singing.

 

Far from being a pie-in-the-sky, floating-on-clouds, playing-harps=after-we-die chapter, this passage can encourage us to be people of worship and singing today. ​​ When we look back on ancient Israel and ahead to the victorious saints in heaven, we realize that we have the privilege of standing in the unbroken line of people who worship God with their music and singing.

 

God expressed his ineffable holiness through overwhelming smoke at the wilderness tabernacle. ​​ Just as surely we, too, may get a fresh glimpse of his holiness by visualizing the overwhelming smoke in the heavenly tabernacle that John saw in this chapter.”

 

[Easley, 275]

11

 

/by

The Tale of Two Sickles

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Jesus Unveiled

The Tale of Two Sickles

(Revelation 14:14-20)

 

INTRODUCTION

Miroslav Volf, a Christian theologian from Croatia, used to reject the concept of God's wrath. He thought that the idea of an angry God was barbaric, completely unworthy of a God of love. But then his country experienced a brutal war. People committed terrible atrocities against their neighbors and countrymen. The following reflections, from Volf's book Free of Charge, reveal his new understanding of the necessity of God's wrath:

 

My last resistance to the idea of God's wrath was a casualty of the war in the former Yugoslavia, the region from which I come. According to some estimates, 200,000 people were killed and over 3,000,000 were displaced. My villages and cities were destroyed, my people shelled day in and day out, some of them brutalized beyond imagination, and I could not imagine God not being angry.

 

Or think of Rwanda in the last decade of the past century, where 800,000 people were hacked to death in one hundred days! How did God react to the carnage? By doting on the perpetrators in a grandfatherly fashion? By refusing to condemn the bloodbath but instead affirming the perpetrators' basic goodness? Wasn't God fiercely angry with them?

 

Though I used to complain about the indecency of the idea of God's wrath, I came to think that I would have to rebel against a God who wasn't wrathful at the sight of the world's evil. God isn't wrathful in spite of being love. God is wrathful because God is love.

 

Miroslav Volf, Free of Charge (Zondervan, 2006), pp. 138-139

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/march/5032811.html]

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Harvesting growing up

        • When we lived in Greencastle, we had a fairly large garden

        • I remember snapping a lot of green beans, husking a lot of corn, and shelling a lot of peas

        • I only remember doing this one time, but we helped my Grandmother pick corn on her property

          • She had a special tool that I think was a twine knife (show picture)

          • It helped to cut the corn off the stock

          • I remember thinking it was pretty cool to have this special harvesting tool

        • I also remember my mother spending endless hours cutting corn off the cobb so she could freeze it

          • Judy will tell you that she doesn’t have to ask me twice about cutting corn off the cobb

          • I can’t explain why it brings me such joy to cut corn off the cobb, but it does

          • I do it the same way my mother used to do it (cutting towards my body)

        • We not only froze vegetables, we also canned fruit

    • Picking cherries

        • When we lived in Shippensburg my brother, cousin, and I picked cherries one summer for the local orchard

        • We lived in a development outside of Shippensburg that was surrounded by orchards

        • We walked through the orchard or rode our bikes to the place where the cherry trees were

        • We got paid by the bucket, so we worked hard and fast

 

  • WE

    • Adams County

        • Adams County is known for its orchards

        • We have the apple blossom festival and the apple harvest festival

        • Most everyone works or has worked for one of fruit growers or fruit manufacturing plants at some time in their life

        • (If you have worked or are currently working for the fruit growing or packaging industry, please stand)

    • Personal gardens

        • How many of you have a personal garden?

        • You understand what it takes to make a garden grow and then to harvest the produce from it

        • Harvesting isn’t the final step for most of us, because there is freezing and canning that come after that

 

We’ll see today in this passage (Rev. 14:14-20) that two separate harvests are being talked about, a grain harvest and a grape harvest. ​​ These two harvests are very different, but they both have God’s judgment in view. ​​ John wants us to understand that . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God’s judgment will be complete.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 14:14-20)

    • The Grain Harvest (vv. 14-16)

        • Son of man sitting on a cloud with a sickle (v. 14)

          • John continues to look at the eschatological scene unfolding

          • He sees a white cloud in front of him

            • The cloud is significant

              • The background for the significance of the cloud is found in Daniel’s vision

              • Daniel 7:13-14, “In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. ​​ He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. ​​ He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. ​​ His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.

              • The Psalmist also highlights the significance of clouds as it pertains to the presence of God/Jesus

              • Psalm 104:3, He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

              • Throughout Scripture we see God’s presence associated with clouds

                • His presence with the Israelites, as they wandered through the wilderness, was in the form of a cloud during the day

                • At Mount Sinai, God’s presence was indicated by a cloud that covered the top of the mountain

                • When the Tent of Meeting was established and later when the Tabernacle was built, the people knew that God was with them because a cloud covered both of those places of worship

                • When the cloud lifted, they knew it was time to move to the next location

              • We also see Christ’s return associated with clouds

                • Revelation 1:7, Look, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. ​​ So shall it be! ​​ Amen.

                • Mark 13:26, “At that time men will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

                • Mark 14:61b-62, Again the high priest asked him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?” ​​ “I am,” said Jesus, “And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

                • Acts 1:9-11, After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. ​​ They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. ​​ “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? ​​ This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

              • The cloud is definitely representative of God’s presence, but the color of the cloud is also important

            • The color of the cloud is significant also (white)

              • This verse is the only time in Revelation that a cloud has a color associated with it

              • Osborne explains clearly the importance of the color white, “Throughout the Apocalypse, the color ‘white’ signifies purity (as in the ‘white robe’ of 6:11; 7:9, 13), wisdom (the ‘white hair’ of the ‘one like a son of man’ in 1:14), glory (the ‘white throne’ of 4:4), and victory (the ‘white horse’ on which Christ and the heavenly army come in 19:11, 14; the ‘white garments’ they wear in 19:14).” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 550]

              • So, we see that the color white represents purity, wisdom, glory, and victory

            • All of those attributes are true of the person seated on the white cloud

          • There is a person seated on the cloud that looks like a son of man

            • Most scholars agree that the one “like a son of man” is talking about Jesus

              • This was Jesus’ favorite title for Himself throughout the Bible

              • We saw Him use this title with the high priest in Mark 14:62

            • John identifies two items that obviously caught his attention as he saw Jesus sitting on this white cloud

              • Golden crown

                • This is the victor’s crown (stephanos) and not the royal crown (diadema)

                • Jesus will eventually wear multiple royal crowns as we’ll see in Rev. 19:12

                • This is again reflecting the fact that Jesus won the victory when he died on the cross to take our punishment for sin

                • He has the right to judge as the sovereign Lord

              • Sharp sickle

                • Jesus is holding a sharp sickle in His hand

                • This simply means He’s ready to judge

          • As John is watching the scene unfold, he sees another angel come from the temple

        • Angel’s announcement (v. 15)

          • The temple is the heavenly temple where God’s presence is

          • He has a message for Jesus as Jesus sits on the white cloud

            • Some commentators see this angel as giving a command to the one sitting on the white cloud, and say that it could not represent Jesus, because Jesus would never be commanded to do anything by an angel

            • Yet, this angel has come from the presence of God and is acting as the messenger of God – he is simply relaying a command from God to Jesus

            • Jesus taught about remaining watchful, because no one knows the day or hour when God will send Jesus back to earth for the second time

            • Matthew 24:36, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

            • Jesus then goes on to explain what it will be like when He is told come back to earth a second time

            • John is seeing the future when God tells Jesus, through an angel, that it’s time to go

          • The angel gives Jesus the message from God

            • “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.”

            • This is the hope of every follower of Jesus Christ

            • In the same way that the Israelites longed for the Messiah to come, we as followers of Jesus Christ, long for His second coming

            • We are hopeful that it will happen in our generation, just like the Israelites hoped that the Messiah would come in their generation

            • While we still don’t know the day or the hour we wait with patient anticipation

          • PRINCIPLE – God’s timing is perfect!

            • Whether we are still alive, when Jesus returns, or have passed away, we can know with confidence that God’s timing is perfect

            • He is all-knowing, so He knows when the best time for Jesus to return will be

            • His timing was perfect in sending Jesus the first time

              • Galatians 4:4, But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

              • Romans 5:6, 8, You see, at just the right time, when we were powerless, Christ died for the ungodly . . . But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: ​​ While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

          • We see Jesus’ obedience to God’s command in verse 16

        • Harvesting of grain (v. 16)

          • Is this harvest God’s judgment of the ungodly or the righteous?

            • Scholars are split on this matter

            • Of the nine commentators used in preparation for this message it is almost split down the middle

            • Half of them believe it is God’s judgment on the ungodly

              • They reference the fact that we see the judgment of the ungodly right before and right after this section of Scripture

              • Therefore, these two harvest scenes represent the judgement of the ungodly

              • There is also a line of thinking that throughout Scripture the same scene is repeated as a way of drawing attention to the scene as a whole (the first time the scene is presented is more general and the second time it is presented in more detail)

              • They use Joel 3:12-13 as evidence for this belief

              • Joel 3:12-13, “Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. ​​ Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. ​​ Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow – so great is their wickedness!”

            • The other half believe it is God’s judgment on the righteous

              • We will all stand before God in judgment

              • Here we see Jesus coming to gather/harvest His followers

              • In the New Testament we see the imagery of harvesting representing people becoming a part of God’s kingdom (Matt. 9:37-38; Mark 4:29; Luke 10:2; John 4:35-38) ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 278]

              • “Bauckham (1993b: ​​ 291-96) states that the harvest imagery likely goes back to 14:4 and picks up the idea of the 144,000 as ‘firstfruits’ of the great harvest to come.” ​​ [Osborne, 552]

              • It’s interesting to note that this harvesting scene does not have any kind of separating of the ungodly from the righteous by way of threshing, winnowing, or throwing branches into a fire [Osborne, 552]

              • We’ll see in the grape harvest scene that there is a final destruction of those who are harvested

            • I’ve found that when the commentaries don’t agree we have to be cautious

              • It is perhaps something God doesn’t intend for us to fully understand this side of heaven

              • I lean towards the interpretation that this first harvest is the harvest of believers

              • But here’s the principle that I believe we can all embrace and what God really wants for us to understand

            • PRINCIPLE – God will judge the people of the earth.

              • This will include both believers and unbelievers

              • Read Matthew 13:24-30

              • Read Matthew 13:36-43

              • Both are harvested, the grain (believers) are stored up in the Lord’s barn and the weeds (unbelievers) are burned up in the fiery furnace of hell

          • The harvesting of the grain is complete when Jesus swings His sickle over the earth

          • God’s judgment will be complete

        • John continues to watch as some other angels appear

    • The Grape Harvest (vv. 17-20)

        • Side note

          • Easley brings out a fascinating contrast between literal grain and grape harvests that may be helpful with the two harvests of people on the earth

          • “In the world of the first century, the grape harvest, otherwise called the ‘vintage,’ was as distinct from the grain harvest as, say, Easter is from Thanksgiving. ​​ They occurred at two different times of year. ​​ The grain harvest was done by mid-June. ​​ Grapes were gathered in September and October.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 255]

          • John’s vision of these two harvest scenes seems to represent two separate groups being judged as we have identified already

          • The reference to two separate times of year in the literal harvest cycle probably does not play a part in the two harvest scenes here – perhaps the two harvest scenes happen one after the other (we are not given enough information in this passage to make a definitive decision)

        • Angel with a sickle (v. 17)

          • In John’s vision, another angel comes out of the temple in heaven with a sharp sickle in his hands

          • This angel will come directly from the presence of God

          • His role will be to harvest the grapes as God’s representative with God’s authority

        • Another angel’s announcement (v. 18)

          • Still another angel arrives on the scene, but this angel is one that we have probably seen before

          • This angel comes from the altar where he is in charge of the fire

            • Revelation 8:3-5, Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. ​​ He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. ​​ The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel’s hand. ​​ Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

            • It’s interesting to see how all of Revelation is fitting together

            • There is certainly an element of God’s answer to the question of the saints under the altar as found in Revelation 6:10, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?”

            • So the angel, who is offering up the prayers of the saints under the altar together with incense, is now on the scene with a command for the angel who came out of the temple with a sickle

          • His command, in a loud voice, is for the angel with the sickle to harvest the grapes because they are ripe – it’s time!

          • This takes us back to the same principle shared in the first harvest scene – God’s timing is perfect

        • Harvesting of grapes (v. 19)

          • The angel with the sickle is obedient to God’s command as announced by the angel in charge of the fire at the altar

          • He swings his sickle on the earth and gathers its grapes

          • He deposits them in the great winepress of God’s wrath

            • This is all a part of God requiring the inhabitants of the earth to drink the wine of His fury as we saw in Revelation 14:10

            • A winepress in the 1st Century consisted of two vats/troughs, an upper and lower, made of stone or wood

            • The upper vat/trough is where the harvested grapes were placed

            • The lower vat/trough is where the juice was collected by way of a duct that connected the two vats/troughs

            • There were people who trampled the grapes under their feet in the upper vat/trough

            • Crushing the grapes was a vital part of extracting the juice

            • “Treading grapes in a winepress was a familiar figure of divine wrath and judgment.” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 247]

              • God is the One who does this in Isaiah, Lamentations, and Joel (Old Testament)

                • Isaiah 63:3-4, “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 splattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. ​​ For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come.

                • Lamentations 1:15, “The Lord has rejected all the warriors in my midst; he has summoned an army against me to crush my young men. ​​ In his winepress the Lord has trampled the Virgin Daughter of Judah.

                • Joel 3:13, Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. ​​ Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow – so great is their wickedness!”

              • Jesus is pictured as the One who will administer divine wrath in Revelation 19:15, Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ​​ “He will rule with an iron scepter.” ​​ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.

          • The imagery of crushing unbelievers in God’s winepress helps us to understand the seriousness of His wrath, not tempered with His usual grace and mercy

        • Fate of grapes that are harvested (v. 20)

          • Two important images are related here as it pertains to unbelievers and their fate during the eschaton (end of times)

            • God’s winepress is outside the city

              • This only makes sense, because the vineyards were outside the city, so they built the winepresses close to the vineyards

              • In this judgment scene there is more to it than just geographical convenience

              • “To be executed ‘outside the gate’ is to be cut off from the covenant people. ​​ In Heb. 13:12 Jesus sacrificed himself by bearing our sins ‘outside the gate,’ while here the nations are judged ‘outside’ the holy city. ​​ This emphasis occurs also in Rev. 22:14-15, where the faithful ‘go through the gates in the city’ while sinners must remain ‘outside.’ ​​ Also, in 3:12 the ‘overcomers’ will ‘never go outside’ the ‘temple of God’ again, anticipating the final holy city of 21:9-27. ​​ Thus, the judgment of unbelievers ‘outside the city’ emphasizes their absolute rejection by God and is in contrast with the blessed state of the faithful.” ​​ [Osborne, 555]

              • In our humanness we struggle to comprehend God’s wrath apart from His grace and mercy, and yet we have to understand that this is exactly how the inhabitants of the earth have treated God from generation to generation – they have rejected Him and pushed Him outside of the “city of their lives”

              • So they are only experiencing the results of what they have done all their lives – this is what they have chosen

            • What comes out of the winepress is not grape juice, but rather blood

              • The final judgment of God for unbelievers is both a physical and spiritual death

              • Here we see the gruesome result of millions of people who have chosen to reject God’s loving gift of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ

                • What is pictured here is blood flowing or splattering as high as about four feet (the height of a horse’s bridle)

                • It is flowing for 184 miles (1,600 stadia, the approximate length of Palestine from the Syrian border in the north to the Egyptian border in the south)

                • This is not a literal river of blood that is four feet deep and 184 miles long, but rather hyperbole

                • It is communicating the death of a massive number of people at the same time

                • It is also foreshadowing the battle of Armageddon

            • It is another reminder of the principle that God will judge the people of the earth

          • God’s judgment will be complete

            • The two harvest scenes both mention the earth

            • The harvest of the earth is ripe (Rev. 14:15)

            • Grapes from the earth’s vine (Rev. 14:18)

            • Take a moment and underline the word “earth” in this section of scripture (we see it used 5 times in the NIV)

            • God’s judgment of believers and unbelievers will not miss anyone – everyone will be included in one of these two harvests

 

  • YOU

    • Are you part of the grain harvest?

        • Those who will be a part of the grain harvest are the ones who have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ

        • Most of us would put ourselves in this category, which is great!

        • I want to encourage you to not make this just an individual thing

        • Jesus commanded us in Matthew 28:18-20 to make it an everybody thing (Pursue, Grow, and Multiply Disciples)

        • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Identify individuals who need to hear the Gospel and then pray for an opportunity to share my testimony with them.

        • They may be family members, fellow students, friends, neighbors, or coworkers

    • Are you part of the grape harvest?

        • You will be part of the grape harvest if you die in a state of rebellion against God or Jesus returns while you are in rebellion against God

        • It means that you never desired to have a personal relationship with Jesus, but rather decided to live life by your own standards

        • You never admitted to God that you are sinner, that you believed that Jesus died on the cross to take your punishment for sin, and that you wanted to be a part of God’s family

        • You can change from being part of the grape harvest to the grain harvest

          • Admit that you are a sinner (we all are, some have admitted it to God and others haven’t)

          • Believe that Jesus came to earth the first time to take your punishment for sin (He did this by willingly sacrificing Himself on the cross, being buried, and coming alive again in three days)

          • Choose to be a child of God

            • John 1:12-13, Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God – children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

            • It’s a choice only you can make individually

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Receive Jesus into my life and believe in His name, so I can be a child of God.

 

  • WE

    •  

 

CONCLUSION

“The faithful Baptist preacher of London, Charles Spurgeon, understood the gravity of what it means to stand either with Jesus or against Jesus. ​​ He understood, as many do not, what was at stake. ​​ Bringing his own sermon from this chapter to a conclusion, he pled with conviction and passion in words I simply cannot ignore. ​​ I urge you to heed his warning and his counsel lest you are thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God.

I beseech you, do not risk that doom for yourselves. ​​ Escape for your lives; look not behind you but fly to the only refuge which God has provided. ​​ Whoever will entrust his soul to Jesus Christ shall be eternally saved. ​​ Look unto him who wore the thorn-crown, and repose your soul’s entire confidence in Him, and then, in that last great day, you shall see Him seated on the white cloud, wearing the golden crown, and you shall be gathered. . . . But if you reject Him, do not think it wrong that you should be cast with the grapes into the winepress of the wrath of God, and be trodden with the rest of ‘the clusters of the vine of the earth.’ ​​ I beg you to take Christ as your Saviour, this very hour lest this night you should die unsaved. ​​ Lay hold of Jesus, lest you never hear another gospel invitation or warning. ​​ If I have seemed to speak terribly, God knoweth that I have done it out of love to your souls; and, believe me, that I do not speak as strongly as the truth might well permit me to do, for there is something far more terrible about the doom of the lost than language can ever express or thought conceive. ​​ God save all of you from ever suffering that doom, for Jesus Christ’s sake! ​​ Amen. ​​ (“Harvest”).” ​​ [Akin, 249]

12

 

/by

The Just Judge

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Jesus Unveiled

The Just Judge

(Revelation 14:6-13)

 

INTRODUCTION

Our culture today does not like to talk about the justice of God. ​​ They would rather talk about the love and mercy of God. ​​ They want to make them mutually exclusive, but they both are attributes of God and cannot be separated. ​​ They are both equally part of who God is.

 

Evangelists use the illustration of the person you are closest to (father, mother, spouse, etc.), being brutally attacked and killed. ​​ The person who killed your parent or spouse stands before a judge. ​​ He tells the judge that he has done a lot of good, until he killed the person. ​​ The judge agrees with the defendant and releases him. ​​ Would you consider the judge to be a good or bad judge? ​​ We would all agree that the judge would not be a good judge. ​​ God, however, is a good judge. ​​ He will rule justly with everyone, not based on how good they have been in their life, but based on whether or not they have turned from their rebellion against Him and accepted Jesus as their Savior from sin. ​​ He will judge them based on whether or not they have revered, glorified, and worshiped Him as the Creator of the world.

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Works for salvation

        • I know that I can easily fall into a works mentality about my salvation

        • I can become legalistic about my faith and the disciplines associated with it

        • I work hard to do what’s right and expect others to do the same things I do, to prove that they are saved

        • But, that’s not what Scripture teaches

    • Works because of salvation

        • When my attitude is right and my focus is on Jesus, then I work hard as a result of my salvation

        • I practice the various disciplines out of love for God instead of obligation

        • I don’t judge others if they aren’t doing the same things I’m doing with the same amount of enthusiasm or commitment

        • I work as unto the Lord, because He is the One I’m working for

 

  • WE

    • Writing a paper in school

        • We can write a school paper one of two ways

        • We can either do it how we think is best, or we can follow the rubric given to us by the teacher

        • If we do it the way we think is best and not how the teacher requires it to be done, then we’ll get a bad grade

        • We can argue with the teacher, but there was a standard that was expected from the beginning and was clearly communicated in the rubric

        • The paper may be very good (done the we way we think was best), but it doesn’t meet the standard

        • That is the same with salvation through faith in Jesus Christ

          • We may think that we have the best way to get to heaven and so we live our lives according to what we think is best

          • Yet, God has given us a standard and a way to spend eternity with Him in heaven

          • If we continue down the road of doing it the way we think is best, the result will be eternal separation from God

          • We have to follow His standard and way of salvation

    • Standards at work

        • There are standards that we have to follow at work in order to be successful

        • Just imagine for a moment that everyone did their job according to what they thought was best

          • What if everyone on the assembly line decided to go the speed that was best for them

          • There may be one guy who is really fast and constantly pushes product down the line

          • The next person in line decides that going a slower pace is what is best for him

          • We can already see what the results will be

          • It would be total chaos, because no one would be following a standard

        • The standard pace is set for the entire line and everyone has to comply with that pace

 

John sees three angels flying in midair, each one following the one before it. ​​ They each have a message for those on earth. ​​ All three messages are communicating the same thing . . .

 

BIG IDEA – God will be just in His treatment of all people.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 14:6-13)

    • Final chance (vv. 6-7)

        • Another angel

          • The last time John saw an angel was in Revelation 11:15 (the seventh angel that sounded his trumpet)

          • There is no real significance to this angel being identified as another angel

          • This was perhaps another angel that John had not yet seen before

        • Flying in midair

          • This angel is flying in midair, which simply means that everyone will be able to see him

          • In verse 7 we read that he will speak with a loud voice, meaning that everyone will hear him

          • No one will be able to claim that they did not see or hear the message that this angel is bringing – no one will have an excuse

          • The message he’s bringing is for everyone on earth, which is communicated by the phrase, to every nation, tribe, language, and people

          • So, what is the message?

        • Eternal gospel

          • John writes that it is the eternal gospel

            • The angel is not sharing the Gospel that we are familiar with, as found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4 (Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures . . . He was buried and came alive again, according to the Scripture)

            • Keener expresses correctly that there are two sides to the Gospel [Keener, The NIV Application Commentary, Revelation, 372]

              • God restoring His people (Isa. 40:9; 41:27; 52:7; 61:1)

              • God is announcing judgment on the enemies of His people (Nah. 1:15)

            • Paul expresses these two sides in 2 Corinthians 2:14-16, But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. ​​ For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. ​​ To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. ​​ And who is equal to such a task?

          • What we see in verse 7 is the eternal gospel

            • It is God’s judgment on those who have chosen not to repent and turn to Him

            • The angel gives three imperative commands to all the people of the earth

              • Fear God

                • This is not to be afraid of God

                • Because God is sovereign we should revere Him

                • It is recognizing His sovereign power in our lives

                • That’s what the people of the earth should be doing instead of revering the beast

              • Give God glory

                • His is the good and just Judge

                • As such, we should pay Him respect and honor

                • The people of the earth would have to honor Him instead of the dragon

              • Worship God the Creator

                • The people of the earth will worship the image of the beast, because the false prophet will perform miraculous signs and wonders

                • Yet, God is the only One worthy of our worship, because He created the heavens, the earth, the sea, and the springs of water (in essence what John is saying here is, He created everything)

            • “God has therefore revealed Himself both in Scripture (special revelation) and in nature (general revelation).” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition: ​​ Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 243]

              • We see this general revelation in Romans 1:18-20

              • Romans 1:18-20, The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. ​​ For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

            • The reason for the three commands is that the hour of God’s judgment has come

              • Next week we will see the harvest of the earth

              • Then in chapter 15 we will learn about the seven angels with seven plagues

              • In chapter 16 we see the seven bowls of God’s wrath

              • It’s all coming to an end

            • And yet we see an incredible principle here

          • PRINCIPLE – God provides opportunities for people to repent until the very end.

            • We can rejoice in this fact as followers of Jesus Christ, as we pray for and share the Gospel with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers (it’s not too late for them)

            • This is also incredible news for those who have, and continue, to reject God’s plan of salvation

              • It’s not too late for you!

              • You haven’t done too many bad things

                • Remember what we’ve learned about the inhabitants of the earth throughout the book of Revelation to this point

                • The second seal unleashed the red horse and its rider who was given power to take peace from the earth and make men slay each other

                • There are multiple references to followers of Jesus Christ who are martyred throughout the tribulation period at the hands of the inhabitants of the earth

                • They are given to idolatry and sexual immorality and probably much more

              • Those individuals are in view here, and God is offering them one final chance to repent and show their allegiance to Him through revering Him, giving Him glory as the good Judge, and worshiping Him as Creator

              • The same is true for you today

                • You have not done too many bad things that God will not accept you

                • That’s a lie from Satan to keep you from being set free from the bondage of sin

                • All humanity is born with a desire to go their own way and to reject God as their Lord and Savior (Rom. 3:23)

                • Because God is holy and just, He has to punish our sin (Rom. 6:23)

                • Notice that He doesn’t just tell us what the punishment is, but He also tells us how to deal with our sin problem

                • Romans 3:25-26, God presented him (Jesus) as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. ​​ He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished – he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

                • Justification has been defined as “just as if I’ve never sinned.”

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

                • Today is the day of salvation – don’t wait any longer

                • You don’t have to clean up to come to God, because He is the One who will do the cleaning

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Accept God’s free gift of salvation and eternal life by believing in Jesus by faith.

        • The first angel has shared his message with the people of the earth and now John sees a second angel following behind him

    • Destruction and Judgment (vv. 8-11)

        • The second angel’s message is one of destruction (v. 8)

          • Fallen! ​​ Fallen!

            • The form of the verb in the Greek is pretty fascinating (aorist active indicative)

            • It is not repeated by chance, but rather the repetition brings attention to the importance of the announcement

            • “The aorist indicative in this case may be what is known as a futuristic or proleptic aorist, which views an action, while future, as so certain that one can speak of it as complete.” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 291]

            • There is no doubt that this will take place – Babylon the Great will fall

            • PRINCIPLE – God will defeat, once and for all, the idolatrous and adulterous systems of this world.

            • What does Babylon represent in this text?

          • Babylon the Great

            • First, let’s look back to what Babylon represented in its day

              • Ancient Babylon was located in Mesopotamia, which is modern-day Iraq

              • It was the seat of political, commercial, and religious life for the world at that time

              • At its pinnacle it was “known for its decadence, gross immorality, and idolatry.” ​​ [Akin, 244]

              • King Nebuchadnezzar was the epitome of the attitude and arrogance of the Babylonia Empire

              • Daniel 4:30, he said, “Is not this the great Babylon I have built as the royal residence, by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?

              • God’s punishment of Nebuchadnezzar was immediate (he was stripped of his royal authority and sent to live with wild animals)

            • In the first century, the Jews saw Rome as a modern Babylon, because it too had a system that opposed God in all areas of life (politically, economically, and religiously)

            • “It is a symbol of the spirit of godlessness that in every age lures people away from the worship of the Creator.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 271]

              • It is evident in our culture today

              • There is a push to remove prayer and the Bible from every public arena

              • The Biblical account of how God created the world has been under attack for years (society would rather settle for the theory of evolution instead of the facts about creation)

              • Our culture wants to live by moral relativism (what’s right for me is right for me and what’s right for you is right for you) instead of moral absolutes, until something heinous happens that pricks the moral conscience that God has placed in every human being (that’s when they say, “that’s wrong!”)

            • Understanding that Babylon represents a system of godlessness, helps with the final phrase in verse 8

          • Drinking the wine of her adulteries

            • Drinking represents participation in and/or agreement with something

            • In this text it is participation in and agreement with the lifestyle of godlessness

            • That is what the people of the earth will be doing – they will be participating in the political, economic, and religious systems that the antichrist will establish

            • That whole system will be in opposition to God, yet people will be drawn to it and willingly participate in it

          • We’ll spend more time on Babylon the Great in chapter 17, but for now John sees a third angel following behind the second one

        • The third angel’s message is pronouncing judgment on those who have rejected God and have chosen to follow the beast (vv. 9-11)

          • The angel identifies who he is pronouncing judgment on (v. 9)

            • It is the people of the earth who have done two things

            • They have worshiped the beast and his image

            • They have received the beast’s mark on their forehead or hand

          • Another wine to drink (v. 10a)

            • We see here a contrast of two wines

            • The second angel was acknowledging that the people of the earth had enjoyed drinking deeply of the wine of the beast’s adulteries (they will enjoy this cup of wine)

            • But, they will also be required to drink the wine of God’s fury

              • Throughout Scripture we see God’s cup as representing His judgment temporarily on His people and against the wicked nations [Keener, 374]

              • This wine will be poured out in full strength

                • The literal translation of this phrase from the Greek is “mixed unmixed into the cup.”

                • To understand the mixed portion of this text we have to look at Psalm 75:8, In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs.

                  • So, the mixed part is the addition of spices

                  • Perhaps the spices, added to the wine, made the flavor stronger

                • The unmixed portion of the literal translation is much easier to understand and apply

                  • It was a common practice in the ancient world to dilute wine with water

                  • The proportions were at least one-to-one, but could be as much as two to three parts water to wine

                  • The only time that wine was consumed undiluted was if the person wanted to get drunk – they wanted the full strength of the wine coursing through their veins

                • For God to require the people of the earth to drink the wine of His fury at full strength, means that He will not temper His fury with the usual grace and mercy He is known for

                • The final judgment has come

            • What we see next is what God’s fury will look like on those who have worshiped the beast and taken his mark

          • Results of drinking the wine of God’s fury (vv. 10b-11a)

            • Tormented with burning sulfur

              • What the angel communicates here is the reality of hell – a place of constant, ongoing, neverending torment

              • Hell is for real!

              • Easley explains what the torment may be like, “When sulfur burns, it produces sulfur dioxide, a gas that burns eyes and lungs.” ​​ [Easley, Holman New Testament Commentary, Revelation, 251]

              • Imagine having your eyes and lungs burning all the time

              • God used burning sulfur to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24-25)

              • Jesus spoke about hell as a place of fire that never ends and cannot be extinguished

                • Matthew 18:8, If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. ​​ It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.

                • Mark 9:43, If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. ​​ It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

                • Matthew 25:41, “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.

              • Their torment with burning sulphur will be in the presence of God’s angels and Jesus Christ

                • It seems as though they will understand, at this point, who the God, they rejected, is

                • Jesus taught about a rich man who had a beggar named Lazarus that sat at the gate of his house (Luke 16:19-31)

                  • Both men die

                  • Lazarus was taken to heaven, but the rich man was taken to hell, where he was tormented

                  • When he saw Lazarus with Abraham, he asked if Lazarus could dip his finger in some water and put it on his tongue to cool it

                  • A great chasm divided them and prevented Lazarus from helping the rich man

                  • He was aware of heaven and those living there and that he had rejected God

              • This is not a short term tormenting that is taking place, but it will never stop, which is expressed in the idea of the smoke of their torment rising for ever and ever

              • There is one more result of drinking the wine of God’s fury

            • No rest day or night (v. 11b)

              • They will not find rest day or night

              • It doesn’t take many sleepless nights for us to understand this idea

                • Mothers and sometimes fathers understand this when there is a newborn baby in the house (there can be multiple sleepless nights until the baby gets into a routine)

                • Pet owners also understand this, especially when they are training a new puppy (again there can be sleepless nights until the puppy gets into a routine)

              • Imagine for a moment what it would be like to never get rest again – that will be the eternal status of those who worship the beast and his image and receive the mark of his name

        • PRINCIPLE – God will punish those who refuse to repent and turn to Him.

          • Sometimes that’s hard for us to understand when we see ungodly people getting ahead

          • Remember, they are embracing the world system completely

          • We’re not the only ones who are wondering when God is going to judge the ungodly

          • The saints under the altar in Rev. 6:9-11 were asking the Lord when He was going to judge the inhabitants of the earth

          • It is going to happen, but we have to be patient

        • That’s the encouragement the third angel is giving the believers

    • Encouragement for believers (vv. 12-13)

        • It requires the saints to be patient

          • Those who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus will have to be patient as they endure persecution by the godless people on the earth

          • They will have to wait for God’s just judgment

          • The same is true for us today

            • We have to have an eternal perspective, while living in the present culture

            • We may not understand God’s timing, but we can trust that it’s perfect

            • He will judge the ungodly

          • He will also judge the godly

          • God will be just in His treatment of all people.

          • We see the justice of God for His people in the final verse this morning – verse 13

        • Eternal rest

          • John hears a voice from heaven telling him to write down what is being said

            • While it is not stated directly, most scholars believe this is the voice of God, because the Spirit agrees with Him

            • The message is clear – those who die in the Lord will be blessed

              • From now on, would be from the time of John’s writing until the final consummation

              • That includes everyone who has remained faithful to Jesus, but has already passed away

              • It will include those who are martyred during the end times

              • The blessing comes in the fact that they are now with the Lord and no longer suffering persecution and hardship on earth

            • This is the second of seven beatitudes in Revelation

          • Contrast with the ungodly

            • While the unbelievers torment will include no rest, the saints will experience eternal rest

            • Labor is talking about “diligent and difficult work.” ​​ [Patterson, 294]

            • That’s what will be required of the saints as they patiently endure persecution – they will have to work diligently through the difficulties

        • God will recognize that these believers were faithful, obedient, and patiently endured

          • That is there reward – their deeds will follow them

          • “There deeds follow them in the sense that there can be no separation between what a person is and what that person does.” ​​ [Mounce, 277]

        • PRINCIPLE – God promises to recognize and give rest to His people who endure and are obedient and faithful.

          • This is an incredible promise that we can claim today

            • It requires us to patiently endure persecution and hardship

            • It requires us to be obedient to God’s commandments

            • It requires us to remain faithful to Jesus Christ

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ By God’s grace, patiently endure, be obedient to His commandments, and remain faithful to Jesus Christ.

 

  • YOU

    •  

 

  • WE

    •  

 

CONCLUSION

In his most recent book What Good Is God?, Philip Yancey writes:

 

This is a true story from Afghanistan that took place in the early 1970s, before the Russian occupation or the Taliban regime. At the time, the government allowed a small Christian church to service internationals who worked there, though no Afghans could attend.

 

A friend of mine named Len organized a musical team of young people to tour countries in the Middle East. With some trepidation, he also accepted an invitation to extend the trip to Afghanistan for a concert in downtown Kabul. Len made the teenagers write out exactly what they would say, subject to his approval. "This is a strict Muslim government," he warned them. "If you say the wrong thing, you could end up in prison and at the same time jeopardize every Christian who lives in this country. Memorize these words and don't dare stray from them when you perform." The teenagers listened wide-eyed as he described the ominous consequence of a slight misstep ….

 

The night of the official concert in Kabul, almost a thousand Afghans filled the hall and spilled outside the open doors to listen. All went well until one teenager on the team put down his guitar and started improvising: "I'd like to tell you about my best friend, a man named Jesus, and the difference he has made in my life." From the side of the stage, Len motioned wildly for him to stop, drawing his finger across his neck. Ignoring him, the teenager proceeded to give a detailed account of how God had transformed his life.

 

"I was practically beside myself," Len told me. "I knew the consequences, and I sat with my head in my hands waiting for the sword to drop. Instead, the most amazing thing happened. The Minister of Cultural Affairs for Afghanistan stood and walked to the stage to respond.

 

"'We have seen many American young people come through this country,' he said. 'Most of them come for drugs, and most look like hippies. We have not seen nor heard from young people like you. God's love is a message my country needs. How thrilled I am to hear you! You are a prototype for the youth of Afghanistan to follow in the future. I would like to invite you to expand your tour so that you visit every college and faculty and also give this same message on Kabul Radio. I will make it happen.'"

 

Len was dumbfounded. That night he gathered the musical group together. "Did you hear what the man said? We're changing our tickets, of course, to lengthen our visit. And he wants you to give this same message— you'd better not change a word!"

 

Over the next few days, the musical team held other performances. After each event Afghan young people crowded around with questions. Tell me more about this Jesus—we know of him through the Qur'an. You speak of a personal relationship with God. Can you describe it? How does your faith change you? Some asked to pray with the teenagers. Nothing like it had ever happened in Afghanistan.

 

On the last day, after a triumphant tour, the teenagers met J. Christy Wilson, a revered figure in Afghanistan. Born of missionary parents in Iran, he … [had] spent 22 years in Afghanistan, serving as principal of a government high school and teaching English to the Crown Prince and Afghan diplomats. He also led the Community Christian Church and founded the School for the Blind in Kabul.

 

Wilson drove the teenagers to an unusual tourist site, the only cemetery in Afghanistan where "infidels" could be buried. He walked to the first, ancient gravestone, pitted with age. "This man worked here 30 years and translated the Bible into the Afghan language," he said. "Not a single convert. And in this grave next to him lies the man who replaced him, along with his children who died here. He toiled for 25 years, and baptized the first Afghan Christian." As they strolled among the gravestones, he recounted the stories of early missionaries and their fates.

 

At the end of the row he stopped, turned, and looked the teenagers straight in the eye. "For 30 years, one man moved rocks. That's all he did, move rocks. Then came his replacement, who did nothing but dig furrows. There came another who planted seeds, and another who watered. And now you kids—you kids—are bringing in the harvest."

 

"It was one of the great moments of my life," Len recalls. "I watched their faces as it suddenly dawned on these exuberant American teenagers that the amazing spiritual awakening they had witnessed was but the last step in a long line of faithful service stretching back over many decades."

 

From What Good Is God?: In Search of a Faith that Matters. By Philip Yancey, pp. 219-222. Reprinted by permission of FaithWords, a division of Hachette Book Group, New York, NY. All rights reserved.

 

[https://www.preachingtoday.com/illustrations/2011/january/5012411.html]

13

 

/by

Super “Committed” Heroes

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Children ages 3 to second grade are dismissed to children’s church.

SUPER “COMMITTED” HEROES

I want to tell you about two famous people in our country’s history and I want you to think about what made them special. The first is Thomas Edison. At 21, he patented his first major invention: the Electrical Vote Recorder. At 26, he invented the automatic telegraph and paraffin paper. At 30, the phonograph. At 32, the light bulb. Also, at 32, electric generators and motors. At 38, a wireless communications system for ships at sea. At 44, the motion picture camera. At 50, the x-ray tube. At 55, the alkaline battery. At 58, a dictation machine. At 65, the talking motion picture. At 67, the telescribe. At 70, sonar, radar stealth technology, and the list goes on… His life was full of successes, correct? But we also know that for the light bulb alone he “successfully discovered over 6,000 ways that didn’t work!”

Second is Abraham Lincoln. At 23, he lost his job, lost his first election, and was elected captain of an Illinois militia group. At 24, he failed at his first business endeavor. At 25, he was elected to the state legislature. At 26, his sweetheart died. At 27, he had a nervous breakdown. At 29, he lost another election. At 33, he was permitted to practice law in the District Courts. At 34, he was defeated for nomination to Congress. At 37, he was elected to Congress. At 39, he lost the election and his renomination. At 40, he was rejected for land officer. At 41, his 4-year old son dies. At 45, defeated for US Senate. At 47, defeated for nomination for Vice President. At 49, defeated again for US Senate. At 51, elected as President of the United States. ​​ 

What do they have in common? Edison was a success because he constantly asked questions and he never stopped trying and Lincoln was a success because he never gave up. They both were courageous and I think more important they were both super humanly committed to something beyond themselves.

Webster’s Dictionary defines commitment as . . . dedicating yourself to something, like a person or a cause. A commitment also obligates you to do something. Before you make a commitment, you should think carefully about the commitment you are pledging to. Some commitments are large, like marriage, when you promise to love and cherish another person until death, or a job, when you are hired you're making a commitment to show up and do the job well. There are smaller commitments too. If you said you'd meet a friend at six, that's a commitment. You also can speak of commitment as a quality, such as, staying after school for a study group shows your commitment to good grades.

I also like the word “passionate”. I believe that you show what you are passionate about by what you are committed to. I once heard or read something about commitment and passion. It said you can tell what you are passionate about and committed to by the emails you receive based on the things you have searched on the internet. At that time I looked at the emails I was receiving which was easy for me because I pretty much save my emails into folders so I can access them later. What I found was that I received emails about the following things: Youth and Church Ministry, Christian Music, the Bible and genealogy. I realized it was true. Those are things I am passionate about and committed to.

What are you committed to and or passionate about? Maybe it is sports or a sports team. If I were to ask you who is Pastor Stuart’s favorite baseball team, what would you say? The Baltimore Orioles. Why? Because he has talked about them a number of times in stories during his sermons. You could probably look around any given Sunday and know who is committed to what football team. Why? Because they wear their favorite teams jersey. ​​ Maybe you are committed to and passionate about helping people in need. There are many people in our congregation who are passionate about helping others. Hopefully, you are passionate about and committed to your families, your church here at Idaville and our community. I think yesterday shows how much Idaville Church is committed to our community. Every year we have the Hallelujah Party which is a free event for our community. It is a time that we show the love of Jesus to those in our community. We should be passionate about and committed to what Jesus was passionate about and committed to which was loving others and pursuing, growing and multiplying disciples.

The Bible is full of stories about committed people. One such story is Abraham. Imagine the commitment it took for Abraham to leave his family and his home to travel to a land that God would show him. Abraham was promised a new home, a son and many descendants and that God would bless him and bless the whole world through him. Think about it though, Abraham was never going to see the fruits of that promise yet he stayed committed to God’s plan. Another is Joseph. I believe that Joseph knew from a young age that God was speaking to him through the dreams he was having but I bet he never expected God’s plan for his life to include being thrown in a pit by his brothers, left to die and then being sold into slavery to Egypt. Joseph was committed to doing the right thing even in difficult situations and God used him to feed his family during a famine, set them up in a fertile land and turn his family into the nation of Israel and God’s Chosen People. We could go on and on. The Bible is full of stories about superheroes, not people with extraordinary abilities, but ordinary humans with ordinary abilities who do extraordinary things. What makes them superhuman is their commitment to and their passion for God.  ​​​​ 

This morning we are going to see people who are committed to the Lamb and because of their commitment they will be able to accomplish feats that are superhuman. ​​ They are extraordinary, not because they have super-powers, but because they have super-commitment. They love the LORD enough to make Him their first and foremost focus. His purposes occupy their primary priorities. They are the 144,000. We first saw them in chapter 7 as the ones that God sealed before the beginning of the tribulation. This was one of many interludes that John includes in his account of the Revelation that was intended to give his readers hope for their future after showing them the devastation that was coming upon the earth during the last days. Today as we look at the first five verses of chapter 14, we see another interlude immediately after John’s account of the beast coming out of the sea and the beast coming out of the earth. At the end of chapter 13 John calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints and now at the beginning of chapter 14 John again gives his readers hope as he shows them the 144,000 standing victoriously with the Lamb on Mount Zion. They have the name of God the Father and the Lamb on their foreheads. These names are placed on the foreheads of those who love the Lord with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. The 144,000 are passionate about and committed to the Lamb. The 144,000 were committed to keeping themselves pure, to following the Lamb wherever he goes, to not lying and to being blameless. This kind of commitment super-power is available to each of us. It’s not an accident of chromosomal mutation, or magical intervention or alien invasion. It’s a human persuasion. Which brings us to this morning’s big idea which is God wants to use ordinary human beings like you and me to accomplish His extraordinary purposes on earth.

Before we dig into our passage this morning, let’s pray: Heavenly Father, Make us like those sealed for Your purposes. Set us apart. Focus our eyes to see the truth. Enrich our ears to hear Your truth. Teach our mouths to speak the truth. Train our hearts to embrace Your truth, and Use our lives to show Your truth, with all the love and grace you place in us. In the name of Jesus, the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Amen.

A man in business for himself enjoyed so much success, he had to move to a bigger place. The move was rather burdensome, but it was nice to have a larger warehouse and a bigger sales office. So on the day of the grand opening a friend sent him some flowers to celebrate. However, the order got mixed up at the florist shop, and the businessman received a bouquet that was intended for a funeral. It came with a card which read, “My deepest sympathy during this time of sorrow.”

When the businessman’s friend found out, he immediately went to the florist to demand an explanation. The florist met him outside the shop and was obviously upset. He said, “I am terribly sorry about the mix-up with the flowers, but I hope you will understand. Your situation is not half as bad as the one down at the funeral home. The folks there received your flowers accompanied by the card which read: BEST WISHES IN YOUR NEW LOCATION.”

What a great card for the funeral of a believer! When we as believers die, we move from a cramped, difficult situation to much larger and nicer quarters. The move itself may be burdensome, but the new location is out of this world.

In John 16:33, Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Even if we go through a lot of pain in this life, even if we go through some tribulation, it will be worth it all when we get to heaven. This is the story that John wants his readers to understand. Yes, the events of chapter 13 are horrific because those who are committed to the Lamb will not be able to buy or sell and will even be killed if they do not worship the image of the beast but they can take heart that the Lamb has overcome the world and they will spend eternity in heaven with God and Jesus Christ. ​​ 

Today we’ll be in chapter 14. ​​ A few things to note: One, this chapter is not chronological in that it does not take up the next events of the Tribulation following chapter 13. Two, most of what John is writing down is big picture stuff but chapter 14 is a smaller picture of what is happening within the bigger picture. Here John is seeing specific visions of peoples and events that are going on in the tribulation period.

From chapter 13 to chapter 14 we also see many contrasts: In place of the wicked beasts of chapter 13 we see the Lamb in chapter 14. In his description of the beasts, John repeatedly reminded us that the authority behind the land beast was the sea beast, which in turn had his authority and power from the dragon. Here in chapter 14 we see that standing behind the Lamb was the power of the omnipotent Creator. In place of a multitude of people worshiping the Antichrist in chapter 13 we now see a vast number of redeemed ones praising and following Christ. We also see the two marks. The mark of the Beast and the seal of God and Jesus. People will have declared who their master is by whose “mark” they have on them. One of the messages of chapters 13 and 14 is simple: the one you follow is crucial. The one you worship is decisive.

If you have your Bibles, I invite you to turn with me to Revelation 14. We will be looking at verses 1-5 where we see a group of believers who will go through more pain and tribulation than any of us will ever experience in this life. In fact, they will go through the Great Tribulation itself; but on the other end, they will stand victorious with Jesus Himself and sing His praises. We will start with verse 1:

Then I looked, and behold, the Lamb was standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His name and the name of His Father written on their foreheads.

With chapter 14 there comes a change and a turning of the tide. We see that God takes over in direct and determined intervention in the affairs of the earth dwellers. From here on, we have a picture of a world rescued by God. We also see God’s response to the attack of the two beasts described in chapter 13. The beast’s goal, from the beginning, has been to stop the Messiah, destroy the Jews and persecute the church. Here God claims His own and begins the final harvest. Chapter 14 also gives a glimpse into eternity to show believers what awaits them if they endure. Their suffering will not be meaningless; it will only be a prelude to eternity with God.

So, we again see the 144,000. Who are these 144,000? Of course, scholars are divided. Half say they are the same 144,000 that we saw in chapter 7 and the other half say it is a different 144,000. I believe that the 144,000 in this chapter are the same group we saw in chapter 7 because there are many similarities between both groups. They were sealed by God before the tribulation starts against the difficulties to come on earth. During the reign of the Antichrist they are God’s witnesses, preaching the gospel of the kingdom and announcing the coming of the King. They are protected spiritually and sealed for heaven. Satan does everything he can to make their lives miserable. As we saw in chapter 13, he starves them to death, he persecutes them, and he kills them. He is able to mutilate their bodies, but he cannot touch their souls. Despite the rage of the dragon and the beast the 144,000 will be in heaven with the Lamb and the Father one day. They are now seen anticipating the great triumph, which lay ahead. They have been faithful and committed to the Lamb from the time they were called.

I think the most awesome thing about the 144,000 is that number 144,000. In chapter 7 God sealed 144,000 and now in this passage Johns sees a vision of the future and all those who have been sealed and promised heaven we’re standing with Christ. God started out with 144,000 committed followers and He came through the Great Tribulation with 144,000. In other words no believers will be lost, forgotten, or misplaced. Everyone who has been sealed with God’s seal will one day be with Christ. All believers throughout history will be with Christ. The promise is certain. The number will be complete.

The first thing we are told about these 144,000 is that “They are an exalted company.” They are exalted because they are standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion. The Lamb is none other than the Jew’s Messiah and Deliverer, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. John has dramatically shown the great powers of satanic evil embodied in the two beasts as they have forced the world into idolatry. Now he abruptly shows us a vision of the Lamb and His army standing on Mount Zion. It is refreshing to have Him appear when almost all of the people on the earth are worshipping Satan. God always has His faithful people, no matter how wicked the world may become.

It is fitting that the Lamb should be standing on Mount Zion because this is the sacred space that had long been associated with divine deliverance and with the location where Christ will begin his millennial reign. In constructing this image, John may have in mind the prophet Joel who had foretold of this divine deliverance. This is what God’s word says in Joel 2:32, “And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls.” In traditional Judaism this is the place where the remnant of Israel would be gathered together in the messianic age. The statements about Mount Zion in the Gospels and the epistles are mostly all quotes from OT prophets but the writer of Hebrews alone stands out as bringing the term to one final stage of development. He sees Mount Zion as God originally saw it, as the place where all the Redeemed, not just the Jewish elect but also the church, would congregate. He saw it as the Heavenly Jerusalem where God Himself would be. Hebrews 12:22a says, “But you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly.”

So what does John mean here when he shows us Mount Zion? Again, scholars are divided. Half say it is the earthly Mount Zion and the other half say it is referring to heavenly Mount Zion. I believe that verse 1 shows the future with the 144,000 on earthly Mount Zion before Christ millennial reign but then in verse 2 John hears a voice from Heaven and I believe the scene changes again to an even more future scene of the 144,000 in Heaven before the throne. No matter which Mount Zion is being portrayed here or if it is both as I believe John wants his readers to know that those who are committed to the Lamb will be with the Lamb at the end of the Great Tribulation. Either one of these pictures would have given John’s readers hope as they continued to patiently endure and be faithful to the Lamb during the Tribulation.

Here we are also told what the sealing is and why they are sealed. The 144,000 have the name of the Lamb and his Father written on their foreheads. The company is clearly identified with Jesus Christ and the Father. The intent of the text seems to be to contrast those sealed of God and those having the mark of the beast. God is able to protect His people, but the Beast is unable to. When God marks his name on these people, he is declaring them to be His exclusive property. Patterson says that the Father’s name written on their foreheads indicates that they are especially chosen by God for their task. We, who are believers in Jesus Christ, also carry the seal of God and have been chosen especially by God for a task which is to Pursue, Grow and Multiply Disciples and after we accomplish our task, like the 144,000, we will stand victorious with Jesus one day.

John begins with this picture of the 144,000 that have been sealed by God standing victoriously with the Lamb on Mount Zion. Now John’s attention is turned to a voice from heaven. This is what verse 2 says: ​​ And I heard a voice from heaven, like the sound of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder, and the voice which I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps.

In verse 2, the apostle John tells us that he hears a voice (some versions say “sound” instead of “voice”) from heaven and then gives us a beautiful description of the voice he heard. The voice he heard was like the sound of many waters. This “voice of many waters” is usually associated with the multitude before the throne of God. There is no power like the crash of the mountainous waves upon the beaches and cliffs. The sound that John hears from heaven will be very powerful. Second, the sound was like the voice of great thunder. No one can fail to hear the thunder-clap in the middle of a storm. The sound that John hears will be unmistakable. This voice will not only be understandable because of the power behind it but it will have the powerful booming quality of thunder. Third, it was like the sound of harpists playing their harps. Most commentators say it will be multitudes upon multitudes of harpists playing their harps. Not only will the sound be startling, but the very music itself will be a masterpiece that would make Beethoven, Chopin and Wagner envious. The sound that John hears from heaven will be the most beautiful sound ever heard by the human ear.

Next, John tells us what the sound from heaven is. Verse 3 says: And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders; and no one could learn the song except the one hundred and forty-four thousand who had been purchased from the earth.

There are two notable things in this verse. The first is that this song is exclusive to this particular group of people, the 144,000. The second is that these people have been redeemed “from the earth” meaning God has “purchased” them by the blood of his son, Jesus. The song is powerful and beautiful, it is sung before the throne of God, and the only people able to sing it are the 144,000 whom God purchased from the earth.

It is the song of redemption, being sung by all the redeemed saints in one gigantic choir. They are rejoicing over the accomplishment of God’s entire redemptive work. The 144,000 were the only created ones able to learn the song because they had been delivered from sin and redeemed from the earth. They had been through testing and tribulation, observed what God the Father had done on their behalf and maintained their integrity. Heaven itself will explode in joy and praise to the King of Kings and all the people of earth will hear it. The Greek word John uses for “new” is one that refers to something fresh and new in quality rather than something that is created new from scratch. It is a new song because it is based on a deeper understanding and experience of the person and work of God which results in a fresh, new response to God. The same is true for us. It is only as we serve God as His agents that we can fully experience Him and hear Him more deeply. It is through serving Him that we obtain a deeper, more personal understanding of who He is. It is only as we experience His provision, His equipping and His deliverance first hand that we are truly able to sing a new song and give Him the praise that He so richly deserves.

I like what Courson says about our song. He says that one thing that can stand in our way to singing a new song out of the times of trials we go through is “sympathy.” We can either go through those times with a song in our hearts because the Lord has promised not only to strengthen us in them but to walk with us through them or we can chose sympathy from people. If we chose sympathy it will always be at God’s expense because the underlying though unspoken implication is that what is happening in our lives is out of God’s control. God is totally absolutely completely faithful to meet us in every trial and difficulty. Don’t let his plan for you get short circuited by those who say, “I feel sorry for you” instead say “God is good” and God will see me through. We need to be careful about saying “woe is me” or having a “pity” party for ourselves every time we struggle with something. Sympathy puts God in a bad light. Don’t settle for sympathy, go for the song. Which brings us to our first next step this morning which may be for you. My next step is to chose to sing a new song about my trials and tribulations instead of looking for sympathy from people about them.

In verses 4 and 5 John tells us why the 144,000 were special and what they were committed to that showed their passion for the Lamb. This is what verse 4 and 5 say: These are the ones who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb. And no lie was found in their mouth; they are blameless.

Verses 4 and 5 identify 5 characteristics of these super “committed” heroes: The first characteristic of these super “committed” heroes is that they are exemplary in their conduct. It describes the unsullied purity of those who are in the company of the Lamb. But what does that purity consist of? Again, this verse is not easy to interpret and commentators are split. Are we to assume that these are all men because they “were not defiled with women”? Or are we to assume that they are all women because they “are virgins”? It is probable that neither assumption is absolutely correct. They are probably made up of both men and women who are super humanly committed to the Lamb when it came to their physical and spiritual purity. ​​ When John says, “These are the ones who have not been defiled with women,” he is providing an illustration of God’s ability to keep believers remarkably pure in the midst of great difficulty and to be able to resist all temptations to immorality that will be rampant during the end times. These people will be marked by lofty standards of separation from the world and by spiritual sanctity. During the Great Tribulation there will be an exaggerated emphasis upon sex, and obviously immorality will prevail. These witnesses have separated themselves absolutely, in a practical, purposeful way from the worldly religious system of the beast. The religion of the beast, in common with so many pagan religions, will have at its base a vile immorality which will openly pander to every lust of the human heart. With the man of sin enthroned, lust will be applauded. It will be considered an act of worship as it was by the ancient Canaanites and in fertility cults ever since. This company sets itself apart from all that.

They will also have resisted the perverse system of Antichrist. In the Old Testament idolatry was classified as spiritual fornication. In Ezekiel 16 we find God’s severe indictment against Israel for fornication and adultery—which was idolatry. The 144,000 will have kept themselves from the worship of the beast and his image during the Great Tribulation. Therefore, the comment, “These are the ones who have not been defiled with women; for they are virgins,” can also be referring to purity in both the literal and the spiritual sense. The 144,000 will have kept themselves clean from all the sins of the Great Tribulation. The abnormal times will demand an abnormally committed state. The 144,000 will be super “committed” heroes who will be ordinary human beings like you and me that God will use to accomplish His extraordinary purposes on earth.

Here is what Mounce says about the 144,000. The 144,000 are pictured here as the promised bride of Christ who, as they await the day of marriage, have kept themselves pure from all defiling relationships with the pagan world system. They have resisted the seductions of the great harlot Rome with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication.

Spiritual purity is not popular today, but God requires it of His followers. To remain spiritually pure means resisting the seductions and idolatries of the present world—power, wealth and sexual immorality. To do so requires daily application of God’s Word, for it has a purifying effect on the mind and heart. It requires great resolution not to give in to these temptations. We must stand strong and not give in. Which brings us to our second next step this morning which may be for you. My next step is to remain spiritually pure by reading and applying God’s word to my life daily.

The second characteristic of these super “committed” heroes is that they were devoted to Jesus. Perhaps the best meaning of this first sentence is explained by the sentence which follows: “They follow the Lamb wherever he goes.” This indicates that they had exclusively followed Christ, his instructions and His example. Absolute, super human commitment to Christ is the driving force behind their godly lives on earth. Like Caleb, their testimony is that they wholly follow the Lord. They allow no rivals, no refusals, and no restraint to mar their dedication to Him. Mark 8:34-35 says this, “Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.” That is the commitment we as Christians today need to have. God wants to use ordinary human beings like you and me to accomplish His extraordinary purposes on earth. The 144,000’s reward for such conduct while on earth and for all who believe in and follow Jesus Christ will be to accompany Him and be His constant companion in heaven.

The third characteristic of these super “committed” heroes is that they are exemplary in their calling. John says, they were “purchased from among men as first fruits to God and to the Lamb.” “Purchased from among men” means that Christ had bought them with His blood. The price of our sin was paid on the cross—it is a free gift for believers. It also speaks of the 144,000 being a sacrificial offering to God.

The term “first fruits” means “the very finest.” The idea of first fruits comes from Israel who kept an annual feast of first fruits. Each year the farmer went into his fields of ripening grain and cut out one sheaf. This sheaf was then presented to God as an act of worship, indicating that the worshipper understood that all things belonged to God. The first fruits were to be “the very finest” and a representation of the whole harvest. On the Feast of First fruits, the priest waved the sheaf before the Lord as a sign that the entire harvest belonged to Him (Leviticus 23:9-11). This is the same idea behind tithing. In giving our tithe, as our first fruits of our income etc., it shows that we understand that everything we have comes from God and belongs to God. The 144,000 make up the first fruits of those who throughout the tribulation will make a super human commitment to the Lamb, and who will stand victorious on Mount Zion with the Lamb. Wiersbe says that the 144,000 as first fruits may make up the nucleus of the coming Kingdom.

In verse 5 we see the final two characteristics of these super “committed” heroes. The fourth characteristic is their righteousness. When the text states that no lie is found in their mouths, it means that because their hearts are righteous, their words and actions are righteous as well. To say a person speaks no lie is the same as saying that his or her heart is governed by truth. The tribulation period in which they live is one when deceit and falsehood reigns. The Antichrist will come in the power of Satan with “lying wonders”. The 144,000 will not be deceived by the Beasts lies and will not participate in the big lie of the Beast when he uses lying wonders. Unlike the pagan world that “exchanged the truth of God for a lie”, they make no compromise with the heretical claims of the Antichrist. They refuse to sing the praises of the beast. When preaching the gospel, they will not conceal from their hearers that faith in Christ will be followed by swift retribution from the beast. Others are mouthing the slogans of the beast, chanting the vile creeds of his new world cult, and hailing him as the revealer of secrets, the savior of mankind, but these victorious believers refuse to pay lip service to him. They tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth regardless of the cost.

The final characteristic of these super “committed” heroes is that they are blameless; which shows their character. They were blameless because of their faith in Christ. This means that lived their lives beyond reproach. To be righteous is to have a heart that is pure before God, and to be blameless means that your life is pure before the world. The word implies they are without blemish just as the Old Testament sacrifices were without blemish. Animals offered on Jewish altars were scrutinized to make sure that they were perfect. The idea here is that as others view their lives, there is no blemish that would distract from their purpose of pointing people to Jesus. In other words, their conduct is consistent with their allegiance to Jesus. Here, then, is a company of God’s people who are saved, sealed, separated, sanctified (not sinless), and spotless! They have been cleansed and changed by grace -- just as we also have been, if we know the Lord. If we really want to be used by God, then we must live our lives with purity so that they do not provide any kind of blemish that would distract others from Jesus.

This whole picture of total purity is in contrast with those who dwell on earth during the Tribulation and who glory in the worship of false gods and false ideas, believing the lie, and living for over-indulged sex and fleshly enjoyment.

In 1463, members of the City Council of Florence, Italy decided they needed a monument to enhance their city. They commissioned a sculptor to carve a giant statue to stand in front of city hall. Someone suggested a biblical character wrought in the neoclassical style, an expression of beauty and strength.

They approached Agostino di Duccio, who agreed to their terms. Duccio went to the quarry near Carrara and marked off a 19-foot slab to be cut from the white marble. However, he had the slab cut too thin. When the block was removed, it fell, leaving a deep fracture down one side. The sculptor declared the stone useless and demanded another, but the city council refused. So the gleaming block of marble lay on its side for the next 38 years, a source of embarrassment for the whole city.

Then, in 1501, the council approached another citizen, the son of a local official, asking him if he would complete the ambitious project, using the broken slab. Fortunately for them, the young man was Michelangelo Buonarroti. He was 26 years old, filled with energy, skill, and imagination. Michelangelo locked himself inside the workshop behind the cathedral to chisel and polish away on the stone for three years.

When the work was finished, it took 49 men five days to bring it to rest before the city hall. Archways were torn down. Narrow streets were widened, and people from all across Europe came to see Michelangelo’s 14-foot statue – the now famous statue of David relaxing after defeating Goliath. Michelangelo had taken a massive, fractured waste of rock and turned it into a masterpiece!

That’s what God does for those He redeems! That’s what God does for those who trust Christ as their Savior. He takes ruined lives and turns them into trophies of His grace. When we trust Christ as our Savior, He makes us special in His sight; He gives us a new song to sing; and He causes us to stand with Jesus victorious in glory. If we want it, he will give us commitment that is super human so we can follow him through the tribulations of this life. God can and will use ordinary human beings like you and me to accomplish His extraordinary purposes on earth.

So I urge you, if you haven’t already…TAKE YOUR STAND WITH THE REDEEMED. Let yourself be counted with those whom God has purchased for Himself. Let yourself be counted with those whom God has rescued from Satan’s domain. Trust Christ, who died in your place and rose again. Let Him deliver you from your sin, your immorality, and your deceit. Call upon Him, and ask Him to save you today. If you have never made that decision for yourself that last next step is for you, which is to admit my need for a savior, believe that Jesus died on the cross for my sins and rose again and confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord. ​​ Once you have made that decision the Book of Revelation becomes a very different book for you. It goes from being a book of doom and devastation to a book of deliverance and hope. Your future is secure and like the 144,000 you will be with God the Father and the Lamb in Heaven for eternity.

As Gene and Roxie come to lead us in our final song this morning and the ushers come to collect the Communication cards, let us pray: Lamb of God, Thank you for your Word which is truth. Thank you that you have given us your Word to communicate that truth to us. Help us to make a super human commitment to follow you everywhere you go and to be spiritually pure, righteous and blameless before you and before those in the world around us. Help us to remember that when we go through trials and tribulations in this life that you promise to be right there beside us. Thank you for the hope of an eternity spent with you in Heaven. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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/by

The Great Deceiver

,

Jesus Unveiled

The Great Deceiver

(Revelation 13:11-18)

 

INTRODUCTION

“In an article title ‘U.N. Faithful Eye Global Religion,’ James Harder writes,

 

The secretary-general of the United Nation’s Millennium Peace summit thinks that all religions apples fall from the same tree and are equally delicious. ​​ At a recent international meeting, he told 1,000 delegates that religions need to accept the validity of all religions or else it will be difficult to attain world peace. ​​ Recently, the notion has emerged that the pathway to peace necessitates the unification of religions. ​​ The Universal Religion Initiative (URI) recently convened with 300 people present representing 39 religions and signed a charter, which officially launched the movement. ​​ The goal is that there will come a day in which “religious people will no longer insist on a single truth.” ​​ Episcopal Bishop Swing, a leader in the movement, goes even further: ​​ “There will have to be a godly cease-fire, a temporary truce where the absolute exclusive claims of each [religion] will be honored but an agreed upon neutrality will be exercised in terms of proselytizing, condemning, murdering, or dominating. ​​ These will not be tolerated in the United Religions Zone.” ​​ (22-33).”

 

I am not suggesting that the United Nations is in league with the antichrist, but I am saying that the impulse to unify the world in a single religion is already alive and well in our day. ​​ We must be on guard and realize that the true gospel necessarily makes exclusive claims about God, Christ, salvation, and eternity, and to minimize those claims is neither loving nor wise.” ​​ [Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 233].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Counterfeit money

        • I worked in the banking industry, as a teller, right after I graduated from college

        • When I went through my training, they didn’t teach us how to identify a counterfeit bill

        • Instead they taught us all of the attributes of real bills

        • They told us what to look for in a real $20, $50, and $100 so that when we were presented with one of them, we could very quickly look for those attributes to determine if the bill was genuine or not

    • Technology has changed how we determine whether a bill is genuine or counterfeit

        • I remember using a special marker, while working at Walmart, that you would run over a bill to determine if was genuine or not

        • The mark would turn dark when the bill was genuine and be invisible if the bill was fake

        • Now they have special scanners (I don’t know how those work, but I recently had a Lowe’s cashier put the bill I gave her in the scanner, fortunately it came back as genuine, otherwise I would have had to talk with my bank)

 

  • WE

    • How many of us have been burned by buying something that was an imitation and not the original?

        • Why do we do that?

        • It’s to save money, right?

        • We want the benefit of the item, but we don’t want to pay the high price for the original item

    • Charging cables

        • There have been news articles about charging cables

        • One local television station did a report on cheap versus more expensive charging cables

        • They are not all created equal, although that’s what the manufacturers want us to believe

        • Sometimes it’s better to spend the extra money to get the original so we can protect our electronic devices

 

John sees a second beast coming out of the earth and he describes what it looks like and what its purpose is. ​​ It has come to point people to the Antichrist and it will use deception, fear, and economic pressure to accomplish that task. ​​ John wants us to understand that...

 

BIG IDEA – Knowing the original protects us from being deceived by the fake.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 13:11-18)

    • Beast Described (v. 11)

        • The second beast came up out of the earth

        • Looks can be deceiving

          • I always get a kick out of the images that are used on books or to advertise upcoming conferences or special appearances

            • They use an image from a long time ago

            • Then, when they come out on stage, you wonder if you’re at the wrong conference or event

            • Or perhaps you think you went into the wrong room for the break out session

            • I’m not sure why they use an older picture for a new book or for advertising for conferences or special appearances

            • I hope to grow old gracefully, but I haven’t written any books and no one is asking me to speak at any conferences, so I think I can accomplish this goal

          • Social media

            • Social media allows us to create the image we want people to see

            • We may not be trying to give a false idea of who we are

            • Most people give the impression that everything in their life is wonderful, fun, and great

            • There are those who use social media as a way to prey on the innocent, so they have definitely created a false idea of who they are, online

            • That’s what we see here with the description of the second beast

          • False prophet

            • Most scholars identify this second beast as the false prophet

            • This title for the second beast is not given in this series of verse, but he is identified this way in other parts of Revelation

            • Revelation 16:13, 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.

            • Revelation 19:20a, But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf.

            • Revelation 20:10, And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown.

          • Two horns like a lamb

            • The appearance of the first beast (Antichrist) could be described as grotesque with seven heads and ten horns with one of the heads having a scar from a “fatal” wound

            • But here, the second beast is described as having two horns like a lamb

            • This is Satan’s attempt to imitate Christ as the Lamb of God

            • Satan is using deception and imitation here – he wants the inhabitants of the earth to see this second beast as someone who is gentle and harmless

            • “The image of the horns (Rev. 13:11) suggests that the false prophet has authority, but the absence of a crown indicates that his authority is not political.” ​​ [Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, New Testament, Volume 2, 606]

            • Jesus warned us about this kind of deception

            • Matthew 7:15-16a, "Watch out for false prophets. ​​ They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. ​​ By their fruit you will recognize them.”

            • While Jesus was speaking of other false prophets, His warning applies to this great deceiver, because while he may look like a lamb when he opens his mouth it is a different story

          • Spoke like a dragon

            • “This is not the roar of an intimidating dragon but the beguiling, deceitful, and deceptive speech of the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve in the garden (Mounce, Revelation, 256).” ​​ [Akin, 232]

            • 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come, until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. ​​ He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.

            • The warning for us is clear – don’t be deceived by someone who appears to be gentle and harmless, yet speaks deceitfully and deceptively

          • Knowing the original protects us from being deceived by the fake.

        • We know what this beast looks like, but what is his work, what is his purpose in the end times?

    • Work of the Beast (v. 12)

        • We see that he exercised all of the authority of the first beast on his behalf

          • Basically, he has the same authority as the first beast

          • He also has the power, dominion, and great authority of the dragon – it has been passed down to him from the first beast

          • He is exercising (doing/using) this authority in the presence of the first beast – the first beast has commissioned him to act on his behalf

          • He is a witness for the first beast – singing his praises and pointing others to him

        • He made the inhabitants of the earth worship the first beast

          • The first beast is identified by the fatal wound that had been healed

          • The same Greek word is used here for “make” as was used for “exercised” (poieō)

          • It means “to make” or “to do”

          • Most Bible translations use the English word “makes” or “causes”

          • The NLT translates it as “requires”

          • The CSB translates it as “compels”

          • Those two translations bring more force to what the false prophet is doing in exercising his delegated authority

          • He is making (requiring) everyone to worship the beast

        • While there appears to be some coercion here, we also see that the false prophet uses great and miraculous signs to deceive the inhabitants of the earth

    • Deception of the Beast (vv. 13-15)

        • Performed great and miraculous signs

          • PRINCIPLE – Evil can use the appearance of miracles to deceive people.

          • “Not everything that appears to be a miracle is a miracle. ​​ And not everything that is a miracle is a miracle from God.” ​​ [Akin, 233]

            • When Moses was sent back to Egypt to lead the Israelites out, the magicians in Pharaoh’s court were able to duplicate the first three plagues by their magic arts

            • They were able to turn their staffs into snakes (Ex. 7:11-12); turn the water to blood (Ex. 7:22); and make frogs cover the land (Ex. 8:7)

            • Beginning with the plague of gnats, the magicians were no longer able to duplicate this through their magic arts

            • Exodus 8:18-19, But when the magicians tried to produce gnats by their secret arts, they could not. ​​ And the gnats were on men and animals. ​​ The magicians said to Pharaoh, “This is the finger of God.” ​​ But Pharaoh’s heart was hard and he would not listen, just as the Lord had said.

          • We don’t know all of the great and miraculous signs the false prophet will perform, but he obviously will do multiple ones, because the word “signs” is in the plural

          • We are given one example of what he did

            • He will cause fire to come down from heaven to earth

              • Most of the time in Scripture when fire came down from heaven or from the presence of the Lord it was an act of God’s judgment

              • Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 19:24)

              • When Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu offered unauthorized fired before the Lord, fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them (Lev. 10:1-2)

              • The Israelites were complaining about their hardships where the Lord could hear them, He sent from Himself and consumed some of the outskirts of the camp (Num. 11:1)

              • Perhaps the most well-known Biblical example of fired coming down from heaven is when Elijah challenged the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. ​​ They were unable to get Baal to consume their sacrifice, but God consumed all of Elijah’s sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38)

              • We’re not told if this fire from heaven consumed anything or anyone

            • He did this in full view of the people

              • The great and miraculous signs of a true prophet are always pointing to God or Jesus

              • False prophets will use their “power” to elevate themselves in the eyes of the people

              • The false prophet here is pointing people to the Antichrist, so he is performing his miraculous signs in full view of everyone

          • These great and miraculous signs were done for one reason, and one reason only, to deceive the inhabitants of the earth

            • We have to know the original, so we’re not deceived by the fake

            • How can we know the original?

            • God has provided his Holy Word for us to study and mine the nuggets of truth from

            • His Word is true and trustworthy

            • We have to take the time to study it, memorize it, and hide it in our hearts

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Commit to studying the original (God’s Word), so I can tell when something is fake.

              • There are multiple opportunities for you to study the original

              • We have Sunday school classes every Sunday morning at 9:00 am

              • There are multiple small groups that are meeting or will begin meeting soon

                • Dean and Nancy Tate’s home in Idaville begins this evening (Oct. 14)

                • Doris Hoffman’s home in York Springs continuing to meet this evening (Oct. 14)

                • Shape UP small group continuing to meet at the church (Oct. 24)

              • The Men’s Bible Study will be starting on Oct. 16

        • Deception through the signs

          • All of this is happening under the control of God

          • “God ‘gives’ the false prophet his power to ‘delude’ the nations with counterfeit miracles (13:14; 19:20). ​​ In Rom. 1:24, 26 we are told that due to their absolute depravity, ‘God gave [the Gentiles] over to their shameful lusts.’ ​​ This is the same principle . . . Since the earth-dwellers have rejected God’s offer of salvation and refused to repent (9:20-21), God is ‘giving them over’ to the very ‘deception’ they have already preferred.” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 514]

          • This deception is pretty convincing, because the second beast is able to tell the people to set up an image of the first beast and they obey

          • “Blinded by unbelief and sin, the world will easily fall prey to the second Beast’s deceptive message and methods. ​​ Intellectually attracted to him, emotionally drawn by his appealing style and convinced by his amazing signs, they will voluntarily submit and obey [and worship]. ​​ (Insights, 184).” ​​ [Swindoll cited by Akin, 234]

        • Ordered the people to set up an image of the beast

          • The people will do just as he says, because they have been completed deceived

          • They believe that the Antichrist and the false prophet are genuine and real instead of counterfeit and fake

          • The image will be in honor of the first beast

            • The fatal wound is mentioned again

            • We see a little more detail about how the first beast sustained this wound

            • It came by the sword

            • This wound, and the healing of it, is particularly significant in the deception of the people of the earth, which is why it is mentioned as often as it is

          • The false prophet is then given power to give breath to the image so it could speak

            • We are not told exactly how this image would be animated and able to speak

            • In ancient times there were individuals who used pulleys and machines combined with ventriloquism to make it appear as those images could move and speak

            • There is also a spiritual realm, inhabited by demons (and angels), who perhaps possess the image and cause it to come to life

            • The purpose behind animating the image of the Antichrist is so it could speak and give directions concerning those who refused to worship it

          • PRINCIPLE – Evil will use the threat of death to force some people to reject God and worship the Antichrist.

            • The great division of the human race is in view here

            • People will not be able to straddle the fence at this point

            • They will either worship the Antichrist or be killed

              • “Half-hearted Christians do not surrender their lives for a cause in which they do not really believe.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 258-59]

              • Worshiping the fake Christ (Antichrist) will result in eternal separation from God

              • Knowing the original protects us from being deceived by the fake.

              • We will have to be willing to surrender our lives in order to faithfully follow Jesus Christ

            • In our current day and age

              • Most of us are not having our lives threatens because we are Christians

              • We don’t fear death, but we do fear other lesser threats

              • We don’t want to be alienated because of our faith

                • We don’t let our friends at school know we are a Christian, because we may be made fun of

                • We don’t let our family, neighbors, or coworkers know we are follower of Christ, because we might be ridiculed or persecuted

                • Kerry Livgren, former band member of Kansas, tells the story of his conversion, which was private. ​​ One of the other band members asked him what was different about him. ​​ He said that he never told the other band members that he had accepted Christ, but his speech and actions (or what he wasn’t saying and doing) spoke volumes. ​​ The band member that asked him what was different told him that he was a Christian too. ​​ Kerry’s response was, “I didn’t know.” ​​ That band member’s life did not show a transformed life, while Kerry’s did.

              • If we aren’t able to stand up for our faith when death isn’t a threat, then how will we be able to do it when death is a threat?

              • We have to determine now, whether we are all in, or simply just playing church or “trying out” Christianity

                • People should be able to tell from our speech and actions, whether or not we are a Christian

                • They should also hear it from our mouths – we should be sharing our testimony

                • Where are you at today? ​​ (Is your relationship with Christ nominal or on fire? ​​ Are you willing to sacrifice your job, friends, family, reputation, etc. in order to follow Jesus whole-heartedly? ​​ Are you all in or simply following half-heartedly?)

                • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Commit to follow Jesus with my whole heart, even if it costs me everything.

                  • Making that commitment today means that some things will have to change

                  • There will be things you will have to sacrifice in order to be all in

                  • It means spending time studying God’s Word, praying, serving, sacrificing, seeking, sharing your faith, and much more

                  • Your entire life will be directed by focusing on what God is calling you to do instead of what the world thinks you should do

                  • It may mean changing careers to serve in ministry

                  • God may call you to be a missionary overseas

                  • It’s no longer good enough for us to remain in the “holy huddle”

                  • We have to be crashing the gates of hell and spreading light into the darkness

            • While we don’t have the threat of death hovering over our heads right now, when the eschaton unfolds, the people of the earth will have a choice to make concerning worshiping the Antichrist

        • That will not be the only choice they will have to make, which we see in the final three verses of this section

    • Mark of the Beast (vv. 16-18)

        • The same Greek word is used once more (poieō) which can mean to make or do

          • Most translations have it as “caused”

          • The NIV uses “forced”

          • The NLT uses “required”

          • Again both of those are stronger that simply saying “to make”

        • It includes everyone

          • The three couplets (small and great; rich and poor; free and slave) are a literary way of saying everyone

          • No one is exempt from being told that they need to receive the mark of the beast

        • Location of the mark

          • They can get it on their right

          • They can also get it on their forehead

          • This is another imitation of what God and Christ have done

          • Revelation 22:4, They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

        • What is the mark?

          • We don’t know what the mark will be

          • There has been speculation that it could a tattoo that is visible

          • Others believe it will be a chip embedded under the skin perhaps (we see that technology happening right now)

          • What we do know is that the mark is the number of the name of the beast

            • It takes wisdom to understand the number of the name of the beast

            • John tells us that it is man’s number

            • He also tells us that the number is 666

            • Is there a way to take the number 666 and put a name to it?

              • There is an ancient practice called gematria that takes letters of the alphabet and assigns numbers to them

              • The first nine letters were the numbers one to nine

              • The next nine signified the tens to the nineties, and so on

              • Scholars have tried for centuries to make sense of the number 666

              • They have done all kinds of calisthenics with letters and numbers to try to figure it out

              • Nothing definitive has ever been agreed upon

              • I’m sure this is by God’s design

              • My favorite speculative interpretation is that 666 represented Ronald Wilson Reagan, because there are six letters in his first, middle, and last name

              • Others believe it is more symbolic than representing something less than perfection

                • God’s number of perfection is 7

                • The 666 represents the continual failure of Satan to defeat God’s people [Mounce, 262]

              • “The solution most commonly accepted today is that 666 is the numerical equivalent of Nero Caesar.” ​​ [Mounce, 262]

            • I believe that John’s associates would understand and be able to wisely determine who he was talking about

            • I also believe that when the time comes for us to understand the name that is associated with man’s number, that God will give us wisdom to discern it

            • Until that time, it is beyond our understanding

          • We also know for sure that the mark will be a sign of ownership by Satan and loyalty to him

            • God sealed the 144,000 as we saw in Rev. 7:2-4

            • We also see in history that the Jews would put the shema in little boxes that they tied around their left arm and across their forehead

            • These phylacteries had Deuteronomy 6:4-8 written on them

            • Read Deuteronomy 6:4-8

            • What we see here is another attempt by Satan to imitate what God has already done

        • Purpose of the mark

          • We have already seen that the mark shows ownership and loyalty to Satan

          • It will also be used to put economic pressure on people to conform to the “one-world” religion

          • PRINCIPLE – Evil will use economic pressure to force people to choose a side.

            • This gentle and harmless false prophet will not seem so gentle and harmless once he is given the power and authority to institute this one-world religion

            • There will not be any tolerance for those who don’t conform with the worship, ownership, and loyalty to the Antichrist

            • As mentioned earlier, every person on earth will have to choose a side

            • There will no longer be any neutral ground to stand on

            • Some people will think it’s harmless to worship the image of the beast, and they may do it without really being devoted to the beast

            • But, when the rubber meets the road it will be all or nothing

              • The economic pressures will be too much

              • Imagine having to watch your children go hungry

              • Think what it would it will be like to not be able to get medical attention

              • Without the mark you won’t be able to get electricity or fuel oil

              • The necessities of life will not be available to you without the mark

        • All of this will require that we know the original so we can protect ourselves from the fake.

 

  • YOU

    • How can we avoid deceit?

    • Patterson gives us six essentials ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 283]

        • Focus on Christ and his incarnation, atonement, and teaching

        • Always determine the doctrinal positions of “miracle workers.” ​​ If they are in violation of Scripture at any point, reject them

        • Be especially alert to “signs and wonders” that hinge on or involve the exchange of money or goods (2 Kgs 5:1-27; Acts 3:6)

        • Remember that regeneration, conversion to Christ, or the new birth is always the greatest miracle and the sure manifestation of the power of God

        • When uncertain, always seek discernment from the biblical text and from the guidance of the Holy Spirit

        • Remember that the Scriptures teach that deceit and false miracles will increase as the world moves toward the eschaton

 

  • WE

    • As the local body of Christ in the greater Idaville area, we have to make sure that we are following God’s Word

    • Then we have to share with and teach others His Word

CONCLUSION

Kerry Livgren, former band member of Kansas, wrote the song Mask Of The Great Deceiver after becoming a Christian. ​​ Here are the lyrics to that song:

 

Well he’s the prince of the world his work is never complete

And though he promises all you’ll lie a slave at his feet

Don’t you know the world is his dominion?

Can’t you see that you’re bound in his chains?

The time is short so take your strength in what remains

 

He will fill up your ears and he’ll dazzle your eyes

But don’t believe what he’s saying ‘cause he’s the father of lies

In your heart don’t you know that he’ll betray you?

In the end he will drag you away

Till all the world is crying for the judgement day

 

And he’s fallen how he’s fallen

From the height of the morning star

Though his light’s still shining brightly

It’s the mask of the great deceiver

The great deceiver

Though the truth has walked among us

And the words that he spoke will remain

There’s a heartbreaking blindness upon us

All our efforts to be free are in vain

Without the gift of love

We’re lost without the love

 

Well he never will rest until his evil is done

And he don’t want you to know your freedom’s already won

Don’t you know the world is his dominion?

Can’t you see he keeps it in chains?

Time is short so take your strength in what remains

 

He’s fallen oh he’s fallen

From the height of the morning star

Though his light’s still shining brightly

It’s the mask of the great deceiver

The mask of the great deceiver

He’s going to make you a believer

He’ll tell you lies

He’ll betray your eyes

The great deceiver

15

 

/by

The Great Imitator

, , ,

Jesus Unveiled

The Great Imitator

(Revelation 13:1-10)

 

INTRODUCTION

Most of us are familiar with the saying, “Imitation is the highest/best form of flattery,” but that is only part of the quote from Oscar Wilde. ​​ Here is the full quote:

 

“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery that mediocrity can pay to greatness.” ​​ [Oscar Wilde].

 

BODY

  • ME

    • Baseball

        • I played baseball growing up

        • I started in the outfield and made my way to third base and shortstop before settling in at first base

        • I loved playing first base, because I was involved in almost every play

        • My favorite Major League Baseball, first baseman was Eddie Murray of the Baltimore Orioles

          • I wanted to be like him and play like him

          • He was nicknamed “Steady Eddie”

          • I was a pretty consistent player and good hitter

          • I was right handed like him

          • I tried to switch hit like him, but was a much better right handed hitter

        • I wanted to imitate him and Cal Ripken Jr.

    • Sermon development

        • I have always looked up to my Father, both as a Father and as a Pastor

        • Part of my preaching style definitely comes from him

        • The preparation of a sermon is a combination (hybrid) of at least four influences in my life

          • Preaching verse-by-verse through books of the Bible came through reading multiple books by Chuck Smith, founder of the Calvary Chapel movement

          • The basic outline of ME, WE, GOD, YOU, WE came from reading Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley

          • The big idea came as a result of taking a preaching class in seminary and reading Haddon W. Robinson’s book Biblical Preaching, The Development and Delivery of Expository Messages

          • Finally, the identification of principles found in each passage was a result of the teachings of Dr. David A. Dorsey, deceased OT Professor at Evangelical Seminary

        • I am imitating what each of those individuals has taught me about preparing and delivering God’s Word

 

  • WE

    • Who do you look up to?

        • Is it a teacher, parent, mentor, celebrity, athlete, etc.?

        • Do you imitate what they say and do? ​​ Why or why not?

    • Who have you or are you imitating right now?

        • Perhaps it is or was a teacher in high school or a professor in college

        • Maybe it’s a professional athlete

        • It could be a parent, grandparent, or mentor

        • Depending on what field you’re working in, it could be someone that is recognized as a leader or innovator in that field

We’ll see today that Satan and his beast (Antichrist) will imitate God and Jesus in an effort to draw people away from God. ​​ They will say and do some of the same things that God and Jesus did. ​​ This is all a part of Satan making war against the offspring of the woman. ​​ What should our response be as followers of Jesus Christ? ​​ John wants us to understand that...

 

BIG IDEA – When Satan attacks, we are called to faithfully endure.

 

Let’s pray

 

  • GOD (Revelation 13:1-10)

    • Making war against the offspring of the woman

        • Last week we saw that the dragon was unsuccessful at overtaking the woman (Israel), so he turned his attention to her offspring (believers both Jews and Gentiles)

        • He is making war against them

        • What we’ll see today and next week, is specifically how he is making war against the woman’s offspring

          • The water beast (Antichrist) – political evil

          • The earth beast (False Prophet) – religious evil

        • The dragon is making war through the two main structures within the culture

        • Let’s look, then, to how he makes war through the political structure

    • Beast Revealed (vv. 1-4)

        • Anticipation of the dragon (v. 1a)

          • The dragon is standing on the edge of the sea

            • While it is not stated here, the dragon is probably standing there with anticipation

            • As we noted last week, this dragon (Satan) is persistent

            • He is not discouraged or dissuaded by continual defeat by God

            • The failures he has experienced have only made him more and more angry and more and more determined to make war against God’s people

          • John sees the beast coming up out of the sea

            • There was great fear concerning the sea

            • Throughout the ancient world the sea was associated with evil

            • The imagery here only lends credibility to those fears and beliefs

          • John describes for us, then, what he sees as this beast rises from the sea

        • Appearance of the beast (vv. 1b-2a)

          • The beast described by John reminds us of the four beasts that Daniel saw in his vision

            • These four beasts came up out of the sea

            • Read Daniel 7:3-8

            • “In Daniel’s vision, he watched the emergence from the sea of a lion-like beast (Babylonia), a bear (Medo-Persia), and a leopard (Graeco-Macedonian); and this is followed by a fourth beast altogether different from those that went before.” ​​ [Patterson, The New American Commentary, Revelation, 274]

            • These were the political powers of the ancient world with one political empire yet to be revealed in the future

            • We see a lot of similarities between the four beasts described by Daniel and the one beast described by John

            • In Revelation 17 we will see a fuller explanation of what each part of the this beast represents, so we’ll save address the beast’s appearance in more detail when we get there

          • Ten horns

            • Horns always represent power and strength in Scripture

            • So this beast will obviously have some kind of political power during the second half of the tribulation

          • Seven heads

            • As with the enormous red dragon that had seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 12:3)

            • The multiple heads represented wisdom for the dragon, so they also represent wisdom here for the beast

            • “In addition to his ten horns, the beast is described by John as having seven heads. ​​ As will be seen in Revelation 17 . . . , those seven heads represent seven successive world empires: ​​ Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and Antichrist’s final world kingdom.” ​​ [MacArthur cited by Akin, Christ-Centered Exposition, Exalting Jesus in Revelation, 222]

          • Ten crowns

            • These crowns are the diadema, or royal crowns

            • This speaks of kingdoms, authority, and political influence

          • Blasphemous name on head

            • Each of the seven heads had a blasphemous name written on it

            • John’s readers would have connected the blasphemous names with “the titles of divinity attributed to the Roman emperor (‘lord,’ ‘savior,’ ‘son of god,’ ‘our lord and god’).” ​​ [Osborne, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 491]

            • In the Roman world, the giving of titles of divinity was reserved for the emperors after their death (except for Domitian who demanded it, while he was still alive)

            • The Greeks didn’t wait for their rulers to die before they gave them titles of divinity

            • “During his lifetime Augustus had allowed his eastern subjects to pay him divine honors, and at his death the Romans proclaimed him divus (one like the gods). ​​ On his coins Nero was referred to as Savior of the World. ​​ The Roman senate regularly declared its deceased emperors divine. ​​ Domitian was addressed as Dominus et Deus noster; Our Lord and God.” ​​ [Mounce, The New International Commentary on the New Testament, Revelation, 245-46]

            • The beast (Antichrist) is attempting to usurp Jesus’ power, authority, and divinity

              • He is imitating the original in an effort to receive the worship, only due to Jesus

              • Jesus is the King of kings and the Lord of lords, not this beast from the sea

            • John finally describes what the body of this beast looks like with descriptive words that his readers would have understood

          • Body of the beast

            • Resembled a leopard – “represented the Greek empire under Alexander the Great. ​​ It speaks of the swiftness of its destructive power.” ​​ [Akin, 222]

            • Feet like a bear – “represented Medo-Persia and symbolized its great strength and devouring power.” ​​ [Akin, 222]

            • Mouth like a lion – represented Babylon, “with its majesty, power, and fierceness.” ​​ [Akin, 222]

          • We see this beast from the sea that represents incredible political power and influence, but where did he get this power and authority from?

        • Power and authority of the beast (v. 2b)

          • His power, influence, and authority was given to him by the dragon (Satan)

          • These are the three most important attributes that the dragon can give to the beast

          • The power would be important in accomplishing what seems like miracles as we’ll see in v. 3 and in performing mighty deeds that would influence the inhabitants of the earth

          • The idea of the throne is that beast will rule over the earth

            • He will be the sovereign over the earth just as the dragon had been

            • 2 Corinthians 4:4, The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

          • Finally, the dragon gives the beast great authority so he will be able to rule over all the inhabitants of the earth

        • Worship of the dragon and beast (vv. 3-4)

          • One of the heads of the beast looked like it had sustained a wound that it should not have recovered from, but it had been healed

            • This is part of the deception of the dragon and the beast

            • It appeared as though they had the power to miraculously heal a fatal wound

            • The wording is significant here, because it never says that the wound “was” fatal

              • NIV – seemed to have a fatal wound

              • NLT – seemed wounded beyond recovery

              • NASB – as if it had been slain

            • Revelation 13:14 helps to clarify that the wound was not actually fatal

            • Revelation 13:14, Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. ​​ He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived.

            • The dragon and the beast use the deception of a “fatal wound” and the “miraculous” healing, to draw people into following and worshiping them

          • Their deception worked

            • The whole world marveled at the miracle they had seen and gave their allegiance to the beast

            • The “sacrificial” giving of authority to the beast simply drew the inhabitants of the earth into a deeper devotion to the dragon (Satan)

            • Their worship of the beast included two questions

              • Who is like the beast?

              • Who can make war against him?

        • Imitating the original

          • PRINCIPLE – Satan will imitate God in order to draw people to himself.

          • The beast imitating Christ

            • The horns of the beast are a parody of the “seven horns” of the Lamb

              • While the dragon is the king of the evil empire, he has given the beast his power

              • Revelation 5:6, Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. ​​ He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth.

              • Jesus is the One who has ultimate power through God the Father

            • The beast has ten crowns on the ten horns

              • Jesus is identified as the rider of the white horse in Revelation 19

              • Revelation 19:12a, His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.

              • Jesus is the true ruler of the universe, including the earth – He is divine royalty

            • There is a blasphemous name on each of the seven heads of the beast

              • Again, in describing Jesus in Revelation 19, we see that there is a name written on Jesus

              • It is not a blasphemous name that tries to imitate or mimic God, because Jesus is God

              • Revelation 19:12b, 16, He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself . . . On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: ​​ KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. ​​ 

            • The beast had what appeared to be a fatal wound that had healed

              • This is Satan trying to imitate Jesus’ death and God’s miraculous resurrection of Him

              • This so called miracle got the attention of the inhabitants of the earth

              • It’s interesting that the genuine miracle of Christ’s resurrection was scorned by so many, but the fake healing of the Antichrist is embrace by the whole world

              • The deception of Satan is complete and thorough

          • The dragon imitating God

            • The dragon gives his power, throne, and authority to the beast

              • God did this with Jesus

              • 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.

              • Matthew 28:18, Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

            • Worship of the beast

              • The inhabitants of the earth worship the beast (Antichrist) like they should have worshiped God

              • They ask two questions in their worship

                • Who is like the beast?

                • Who can make war against him?

              • Genuine worship should be directed to God – there is no one like our God

                • Exodus 15:11, “Who among the gods is like you, O Lord? ​​ Who is like you – majestic in holiness, awesome in glory, working wonders?”

                • Psalm 89:6-8, For who in the skies above can compare with the Lord? ​​ Who is like the Lord among the heavenly beings? ​​ In the counsel of the holy ones God is greatly feared; he is more awesome than all who surround him. ​​ O Lord God Almighty, who is like you? ​​ You are mighty, O Lord, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

              • We already know the answer to the second question

                • God can and will wage war against the beast and will be victorious

                • We saw that in Revelation 12:7-8, the dragon and his angels fought against Michael and his angels

                • They lost and were hurled down out of heaven

                • We also see in Revelation 18:1 that an angel from heaven was given great authority and announced that Babylon the Great had fallen

          • We need to make sure that we are imitating the original

            • Paul challenged the Corinthian believers to imitate Christ

            • 1 Corinthians 11:1, And you should imitate me, just as I imitate Christ (NLT)

            • 1 Peter 2:21, To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps (NIV)

            • Read Philippians 2:3-8

            • John 13:34, “A new command I give you: Love one another. ​​ As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

            • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Imitate Jesus Christ in my speech, actions, and attitudes.

        • While the beast seems to have great power and authority, it is limited and controlled by God

    • Beast Controlled (vv. 5-8)

        • PRINCIPLE – God has ultimate authority and allows certain things to happen according to His plan and purpose.

        • We see in these four verses the divine passive once again

          • The Greek word is translated as “was given”

          • Every time it is used in Revelation is it representing the fact that divine control in involved over all things

          • Here divine control is over the beast and what he is allowed to do

        • God allows the beast to do three things

          • Blaspheme and slander (v. 5-6)

            • Blaspheme means to revile or defame someone in speech, to harm their reputation

              • This seems counter intuitive for God to give the Antichrist permission to harm his reputation

              • This reminds me of what our modern culture calls a “roasting”

                • It normally happens when someone is being honored, but instead the other guests say things about them to defame them and make them look bad

                • I’m not certain how this is supposed to honor an individual, but it is something that is commonplace in our culture today

              • The Antichrist is given permission by God to “roast” God

            • The Antichrist is given permission to do two things with his words

              • Defame God

                • Paul wrote about this to the Thessalonian believers

                • 2 Thessalonians 2:4, He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming to be God.

                • Daniel 7:8, “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. ​​ This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.”

                • Daniel 7:25, He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. ​​ The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time.

                • Daniel 11:36, The king will do as he pleases. ​​ He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. ​​ He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place.

              • Slander God’s name, His dwelling place, and those who live in heaven

                • The Antichrist will make false statements about God’s name

                • He will do the same concerning God’s dwelling place

                • Finally, he will also make false statements about the saints living in heaven

            • All of this is only for short period of time – 42 months (3.5 years)

            • The second thing he is given permission to do is to make war against the saints and conquer them

          • Conquer the saints (v. 7a)

            • We see here that Satan will use the Antichrist to accomplish what he is going to do with the offspring of the woman (Rev. 12:17)

            • This is all under God’s sovereign control

            • We’ll see in v. 10 that the conquering of the saints will include imprisonment and death

            • Osborne explains a significant paradox in Revelation, “as the dragon and the beast conquer the saints, they are conquered by the saints.” ​​ [Osborne, 501]

            • This is not the end for the saints, in fact, it is just the beginning of eternal life for them

            • When Satan attacks, we are called to faithfully endure.

            • The third and final thing that God allows the beast to do is have authority over the inhabitants of the earth

          • Authority over the earth dwellers (vv. 7b-8)

            • The use of the phrase “every tribe, people, language and nation,” simply means everyone on earth

              • There is one important distinction about who the beast has authority over

              • He has authority over all the people on the earth, whose names are not written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb – all unbelievers

              • Jesus predicted that this would happen when He was teaching on the Mount of Olives

              • Matthew 24:24, For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect – if that were possible.

            • The result of the beast having authority over all the unbelievers on earth is that they will worship him

              • This isn’t hard to believe, because they will be astonished by the “miracle” of the supposed fatal wound inflicted on the beast that is “healed”

              • They are also impressed by the generosity of the dragon in giving the beast his power, throne, and authority

            • PRINCIPLE – God had His redemptive plan set down from the beginning of time.

              • From the creation of the world has been hotly debated in this verse

              • Does that phrase modify the writing of names in the book of life or the slaying of the Lamb?

              • The word order, in Greek, favors the modification of the slaying of the Lamb

                • So Jesus’ death on the cross was planned from the very beginning

                • 1 Peter 1:18-21, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ​​ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ​​ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.

                • We can be thankful to God for fulfilling His plan of redemption that was planned out from the beginning

              • The idea of believers being predestined before the beginning of time is not without Biblical backing

                • That seems to be the clear understanding of Revelation 17:8

                • Paul also taught this in Ephesians 1:4-5

        • So the beast has arrived on the scene and is given power and authority from Satan and is allowed to do several things under God’s control

        • As this section of Revelation comes to a close we see a familiar phrase that was used in the letters to the seven churches

          • He who has an ear, let him hear

          • Now the remainder of the phrase is omitted here, what the Spirit says to the churches

          • This is not addressing the churches at this point, but rather the saints/believers

    • Saints Endure (vv. 9-10)

        • The fate of followers of Jesus (vv. 9-10a)

          • Some believers will be imprisoned during the second half of the tribulation

          • Other believers will be killed with sword (martyred)

          • We see this same exhortation in Jeremiah 15:2, And if they ask you, ‘Where shall we go?’ tell them, ‘This is what the Lord says: ​​ “‘Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.’

          • Jesus also taught his disciples what they would have to go through to be His follower, which applies all the way through the end of time

          • Matthew 24:9, “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”

          • We know persecution, imprisonment, and death are guaranteed for followers of Jesus Christ, so what are we called to do when it comes?

        • What believers are called to (v. 10b)

          • When Satan attacks, we are called to faithfully endure.

          • We must patiently endure and be faithful while we’re imprisoned

          • We must patiently endure and remain faithful even to the point of death

          • For us today, we may not experience imprisonment or death, but we may experience persecution and ridicule by those who don’t believe in God

            • Some people have been hardened towards God, because of life circumstances

            • Perhaps God didn’t answer their prayer the way they wanted Him to, so they have turned their back on God

            • Others simply don’t want to submit to the Lordship of Christ in their life – they want to be their own boss

            • Some individuals make the statement that they have “tried” Christianity and it didn’t work for them

            • Tragically, some have been physically and emotionally abused by those claiming to be Christians

          • My Next Step Today Is To: ​​ Endure patiently and remain faithful when my family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers ridicule and persecute me.

  • YOU

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  • WE

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CONCLUSION

“It is, and it will be, costly to follow Christ in this world, but don’t compromise! ​​ Even it if means you’re being slain, hold fast to your faith. ​​ Even if it means you lose your job and all your money, hold fast to your faith. ​​ Even if it means ridicule and oppression and isolation or imprisonment or death, follow the Lamb! ​​ And one day you will stand with him, you will sing with him, and you will be satisfied completely in him (“Fighting,” 2012) ​​ [David Platt cited by Akin, 226].

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