The Winepress of the Wrath of God: A Final Harvest on Earth – Revelation 14

THE WINEPRESS OF THE WRATH OF GOD:

A Final Harvest on Earth

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 14

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 14. Our text can be found on page 1036. These are the words of God:

Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a voice from heaven like the roar of many waters and like the sound of loud thunder. The voice I heard was like the sound of harpists playing on their harps, ³ and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. No one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. ⁴ It is these who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These have been redeemed from mankind as firstfruits for God and the Lamb, ⁵ and in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless.

 

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. ⁷ And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

 

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

 

⁹ And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of his anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

¹² Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.

¹³ And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”

¹⁴ Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” ¹⁶ So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹ So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

Many of you know that I grew up in the home of a Baptist pastor. When you grow up in the home of a pastor your life takes on a certain 7-day rhythm. Your weekly calendar really is formed by the church calendar.

For instance, Saturday evenings were always the same. Our family rarely if ever went out on a Saturday night because that was the night that Dad would finish his final preparations for Sunday morning worship. The family would choose and lay out our clothes for the morning; Dad and I would would clean & polish our shoes for church; and Dad would spend a few hours pouring back over his sermon notes for the following morning.

I can still envision walking into the room where my Dad kept either his typewriter early in his ministry, and later a computer and printer. His face was locked into the screen, the wheels of his mind spinning furiously for just the right words to communicate the truth in ways that were both powerful and relatable.

One time I walked in and asked, “What you preaching on tomorrow, Dad?” He looked at me, and said, “Hell, damnation,” and turned back to his computer. From that moment on, a running joke began.

For the rest of my childhood, on a Saturday night, when I asked Dad, “What you preaching on tomorrow,” regardless of the topic, whether he was actually preaching on the life of Abraham, marriage, or baptism, he would always look at me with a grin and say, “Hell, damnation.”

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

As we turn once again to the book of Revelation, today we come to the conclusion of yet another cycle of visions. This cycle began in Revelation 12 with the birth of of child, Christ, to a woman who was fleeing a dragon. Last week, in Revelation 13 we saw the twin beasts of political power and false religion and their persecutions of the people of God. Today, in Revelation 14 we close out this cycle of visions with a warning of the final judgment of Christ.

Hell isn’t mentioned by name in this passage, but the subject matter is clearly the final separating of those who love God from those who oppose him. The former are seen as protected and blessed, while the latter are shown to be tormented with fire.

Once again, the book of Revelation employs vivid and visceral imagery in order to shake us and wake us up to spiritual realities. Our passage is full of terrifying pictures, and my goal this morning is to simply and straightforwardly explain them to you.

I won’t be flailing my arms, or screaming about hell, but I do hope the content of this chapter of Scripture grips you nonetheless.

Just this week I was reading of J.C. Ryle’s Expository Notes on Luke’s Gospel (1858). Here’s what Ryle had to say about the ministry of Jon the Baptist which I think is even more applicable today:

Well would it be for the Church of Christ, if it possessed more plain-speaking ministers, like John the Baptist, in these latter days. A morbid dislike to strong language–an excessive fear of giving offence–a constant flinching from directness and plain speaking, are, unhappily, too much the characteristics of the modern Christian pulpit. Uncharitable language is no doubt always to be deprecated. But there is no charity in flattering unconverted people, by abstaining from any mention of their vices, or in applying smooth epithets to damnable sins.

Revelation 14 will not allow us to, as Ryle put it, “apply smooth epithets to damnable sins.” No, it smacks us on the cheek with the reality of God’s holiness, man’s sinfulness, and the impending doom upon all who refuse to turn from their sin. As we consider the message of this passage let’s study it under three headings:

1. THE LAMB & THE REDEEMED (14:1-4)
2. THE THREE ANGELIC MESSAGES (14:5-13)
3. THE FINAL HARVEST OF THE EARTH (14:14-20)

And as we examine the final judgment yet to come, if you have not yet turned from your sins and turned to Jesus Christ in faith and belief, then I pray you would do so today. Our church desires to make the message of Jesus Christ and his mercy plainly clear so that you might know your need and run to Christ in faith.

Christians, as we walk through the terrors that await those who refuse Christ, I pray that this sermon will rekindle your heart for the lost world—that you will pray more for those who do not know Christ, that you will, as the Apostle Peter said, “always [be] prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Pet. 3:15)

1. THE LAMB & THE REDEEMED (14:1-4)

Revelation 14 breaks down cleanly into three sections, the first of which is verse 1-4; a vision of Jesus Christ (as the Lamb of God) surrounded with his people signified by the multitude of 144,000 on Mt. Zion.

Keep in mind what we have just seen in the previous chapter: the beast, and his followers who all bear his mark: 666. So, John is now drawing a contrast. He’s saying, “In contrast to the followers of the beast, here is how you can identify those who know and love Jesus.”

They are those first, “who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.”

This name of their foreheads signifies ownership. A Christian is someone God has claimed as his own. They have been brought into his family, made his children. They wear the name of God. They call God their Father. They no longer belong to themselves. They are no longer free to do as they please, but now live in order to please their new heavenly Father.

As we continue to identify the redeemed we read in verse 2:

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

Now John hears the church begin to sing. This is a choir, a singing bunch. And their song is like the roar of many waters.

Last year our family traveled to Niagara Falls. I don’t know if you have ever been there but if you can make it it’s worth the trip. We all boarded one of the Maid of the Mist boats which takes you right up to the base of the falls. And as you stand there, blasted by the spray, you are also surrounded by the crashing thunder of millions of gallons of water. It’s so loud that you have to yell at one another just to be heard.

It is to this that John likens the choir of heaven. We do not know the lyrics they sang. John tells us that only they can learn this tune. It’s a reminder that only a Christian knows the saving love of God. Only the Christian has tasted the mercies of heaven. Only a Christian knows what it is like to live as a slave who has been truly liberated, a dead man who has been raised to new life.

Side note: this is one of the reasons we sing every Sunday. And all of you ought to sing. You have had a new song put in your mouth. You once were lost and now you are found. You once were blind to your sin, and now you see the face of your Father in heaven who loves you. Oh that the church of Jesus Christ would sing even more loudly on the earth today; that the foundations of hell would shake at her singing.

In verse 4 we’re told that these 144,000 are those who have not defiled themselves with women. Remember, this is all visionary and symbolic language. The 144,000 are not a literal number of men who are virgins. No, this is a picture of the purity of the church. They follow after him and no one else. They have no competing allegiances. They are faithful to their Lord and Master.

And finally, we’re told they they are redeemed from mankind as a firstfruits. If you’ve read the OT you know the firstfruits were an offering to God. That’s what is pictured here. Christians are people whose lives are giving to Christ in sacrifice. They aren’t given in order that they might gain, but because they have already gained everything in and through Christ.

So, this is one thing you may not understand about Christianity. Christians aren’t trying to work their heads off in order to please God in hopes that he might do something for them. Christians are people who recognize that God’s own Son, Jesus Christ has already done everything to make them pleasing and acceptable to God by living a perfect life in their place and paying the penalty of their sin in his death.

So, we are not saved by our good words. We are not approved by God because we offer ourselves. We offer ourselves to God because God has already offered Jesus Christ for us. Any obedience we have is merely the overflow of the grace of God given to us freely.

Those who follow the Lamb become like him in his purity, truthfulness, and holiness. The first receive his righteousness, then pursue righteousness.

Friend, I wonder if you would number yourself among the redeemed today? Can you say that you have received the name of God by believing in Jesus Christ his Son? Do you know what it means to sing a new song—the song of forgiveness and mercy? If you do not—friend, stick around after the service. Come talk to me, or to one of the people around you. We’d love to tell you more about Jesus.

As we move into verse 6, the focus begins shift from the redeemed to the unredeemed, and here we take note of the…

2. THE THREE ANGELIC MESSAGES (14:5-13)

The second section of our chapter brings the messages of 3 angels that John see’s flying overhead. Look at verse 6:

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Surprisingly, this is the only occurrence of the word “gospel,” in all of John’s writings. The word gospel means “good news,” and it was a word which was common in the first century. Whenever a general would go off to war, when the battle was won they’d send a messenger back home declaring, “Good news.. gospel!” The king has won. Victory is secured.

But just as in any military campaign, the good news of victory for one side also means the declaration of defeat for the enemies. Here, the good news of Christ’s victory, declared by the angel also declares the downfall of the beast and all his followers.

Verse 7:

⁷ And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

The call is to fear God and glorify him… why? Because the hour of his judgment has come. This is the final judgment. He’s the creator, he’s the sustainer, and he is not coming as the judge of all.

In our day, it isn’t popular to think of God as judge. We may want to think of him as creator, or even our friend, but as the judge? But consider for a moment how important it is that God judges.

If there is no judge, if there is no ultimate authority on good and evil, if there is no final reconing of deeds whatsoever, then what hope do we have for justice in the world today? Oh, there’s so much talk of justice, and how badly we need justice. And we do. This world is not well. It is not getting better and better. There is so much evil in the world today. We dare not deny it.

And if there is no judge, if there is not judgment, then we have no hope for evil to be brought to justice. Not in any ultimate sense.

But, if there is a judge, if there is a living, personal, being who knows and sees all things, and who has all the power to bring every creature, every deed, every action, every thought into his penetrating and revealing light… if there is true divine justice, then what hope is there for you an me?

Do you see the predicament? If there is no judge, then we have not hope for justice. But if there is, then we are most certainly in danger because we have made ourselves his enemy.

This is why the gospel is so important. We are all guilty sinners. God is a holy judge. Christ paid the penalty for our sins in his death so that God might be both just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Rom. 3:26)

So, friend, according to the Scriptures, you are either justified because Christ was judged in your place, or you are still in your guilt and awaiting the judgment which this angel announces. Let’s take a closer look at this judgment:

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

Here we are introduced to Babylon. Babylon is the symbol of fallen human society against God. It’s yet another picture of the beast out of the sea. Babylon was the center of idolatry in the OT, and the chief oppressor of the people (from Abraham in Gen 14 to Israel in exile.) Therefore it is a fitting symbol for every evil empire which has opposed God. And we’re told that Babylon, the beast, the world opposed to God is falling in God’s judgment. It will not stand.

Then, in verse 9, the third angel speaks. All those who worship the beast, all those who take its mark, all those who oppose God, in the end will drink the wine of God’s wrath. Verse 9-11 are three of the most sobering verses in the Bible, for several reasons.

First, we are told that on the day of judgment, God’s wrath will be poured out, full strength.

Today, though this world is under God’s judgment, we also still experience God’s mercy. The rain falls on both the just and the unjust. The sun rises on the evil and the good. But, this angel warns of the day when God’s wrath will be unmixed and undiluted, no longer tempered with mercy and patience.

Second, we’re told that this cup of anger will be poured out in the presence of the lamb and his holy angels.

God, himself will look on, oversee, and administrate the perfect execution of his justice.

Third, this punishment on the ungodly will never end.

¹¹ And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

Friend, maybe you grew up in a church which taught that after dead, the souls of unbelievers simply cease to exist, or that their souls are destroyed. This has often been termed annihilationism.

But that’s not what Scripture teaches. Revelation 14, in speaking of the destruction of the ungodly does not speak of a single moment when those who oppose God are destroyed, and their existence comes to an end. No, this is a destruction, a torment, which continues forever.

If this is your first time in church, I can imagine how this portion of the sermon is striking you. You may even feel the urge to stand up and walk away. I must tell you that the doctrine of eternal punishment challenged me greatly in my 20s. It was a doctrine that I struggled to understand and even believe. A few thoughts:

First, the Bible is a challenging book, because God is speaking, and he challenges us.

If your God never challenges you, never disagrees with you, then you don’t have God, you are just believing in yourself.

Friend, the Christianity which never mentions Hell is not the Christianity of Jesus.

Second, our first responsibility is to ask, “What do the Scriptures clearly teach us?”

And the Scriptures clearly teach the eternality of Hell. There’s no way around it.

• Matthews 25:41
• Matthew 25:46
• Mark 9:43
• Mark 9:48
• Luke 16:22-24
• Luke 16:28
• Revelation 14:9-11
• Revelation 19:3
• Revelation 20:10

Third, the Scriptures also teach that God never sends someone to Hell against their own wishes.

Friends, I’m convinced that our modern world despises the doctrine of Hell because we believe ourselves to be better than we are. We do not see ourselves as sinners in need of God’s mercy. And therefore, we do not see ourselves as sinners who have sinned against an eternal God for which the punishment is eternal.

This Bible has no category for a person who says to God, “Please do not send me to Hell, I want to know you,” to whom God says, “No.”

Romans 10:13 says, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved!”

So, as long as you will admit your sinfulness, your neediness, your hopelessness, and call out to God, believing in Christ – friend, you will be saved. Not maybe, not hopefully, not possibly. Will be!

This is the message we preach. Our message cannot dilute the doctrine of hell, because if we do we dilute the urgency of repentance and faith. As uncomfortable as it may be for us to speak of Hell, if we are silent then we are traitors to our fellow man. Never be ashamed to say there is a “wrath to come,” because only then can you also say that it is possible for men and women to be saved.

Call upon the Lord today. Today is the day of salvation.

Finally, we have seen the Lamb and the redeemed, we have heard the three angelic messages…

3. THE FINAL HARVEST OF THE EARTH

In the final section of Revelation 14 we see a picture of what happens when Jesus Christ returns.

¹⁴ Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand.

We’re told of two harvests that take place. First, Christ comes to gather to himself all who belong to him. Once all of the believers are gathered to Christ another harvest takes place in which all the wicked are gathered to be thrown into the winepress of God’s wrath.

Jesus himself spoke parables about this harvest. If you go back and read through Matthew 13 Jesus told two parables, one about a field which was mixed with good and bad seed—and at the final harvest the owner of the field would sort out the wheat from the chaff. Jesus explained the parable with these words (Matt. 13:40-43)

⁴⁰ Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, ⁴² and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

As we conclude on this final harvest, so much could be said, but I will leave you with two simple applications:

If you have not surrendered your life to Jesus, if you have not placed your faith in him, this final harvest ought to make you tremble. You ought to see in this Word, your final doom unless you repent and are converted. You are sowing misery for yourself if you continue in your neglect of the God who made you and the Christ who offered himself up for you. Do not mistake God’s patience with forgetfulness. God’s kindness in patience is meant to lead you to his mercy today.

If you have placed your faith in Christ, then you ought to take immense comfort in this final harvest. This final harvest will gather you to be with Christ eternally. This harvest will summon you to see what you have long desired to see—a perfect church and a perfect communion with the saints.

J.C. Ryle writes:

How beautiful will the whole body of believers appear, when finally separated from the wicked! How fine will the wheat look in the barn of God, when the weeds are at length taken away! How brightly will grace shine, when no longer dimmed by incessant contact with the worldly and unconverted!

On that day, the church will “shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Your sanctification will be perfected and your justification will be published. When Christ our life is revealed, then you will also be revealed with him in glory. (Col. 3:4)

What rush of alleluias
Fills all the earth and sky!
What ringing of a thousand harps
Bespeaks the triumph nigh!
O day, for which creation
And all its tribes were made;
O joy, for all its former woes
A thousandfold repaid!

Bring near Thy great salvation,
Thou Lamb for sinners slain;
Fill up the roll of Thine elect,
Then take Thy power and reign;
Appear, Desire of nations,
Thine exiles long for home;
Show in the heavens Thy promised sign;
Thou Prince and Savior, come.

eve

A Call for the Endurance & Faith of the Saints: The Two Beasts of Political Power & False Religion – Revelation 13

A CALL FOR THE ENDURANCE OF THE SAINTS

The Twin Beasts of Political Power and False Religion

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 13

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 13. Our text can be found on page 1035. These are the words of God:

13 And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. ² And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. ³ One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. ⁴ And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

⁵ And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. ⁶ It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, ⁸ and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. ⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

¹⁰ If anyone is to be taken captive,

to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

¹¹ Then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb and it spoke like a dragon. ¹² It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed. ¹³ It performs great signs, even making fire come down from heaven to earth in front of people, ¹⁴ and by the signs that it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast it deceives those who dwell on earth, telling them to make an image for the beast that was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵ And it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. ¹⁶ Also it causes all, both small and great, both rich and poor, both free and slave, to be marked on the right hand or the forehead, ¹⁷ so that no one can buy or sell unless he has the mark, that is, the name of the beast or the number of its name. ¹⁸ This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

You’ve likely heard the saying, “He couldn’t see the forest for the trees.” It’s an expression that basically means, “Don’t miss the big picture because you are so busy attending to the smaller details.” When we come to the beasts of Revelation 13, and especially the mark or number of the beast, not only do many Christians lose the forest for the trees, they actually become focused on the leaves.

While there are many details in this passage, the overarching message is quite clear. The very center of the passage (end of v. 12) says, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints. And what must the endure? They must endure the attacks and deception of two monsters. The first, as we will see is the monster of worldly political power which seeks to elevate itself to the place of God. The second monster is that of false religion, which acts as if it speaks for God.

Chapter 12 was all about the war between the dragon (Satan) and the church, and the last verse of 12 ends with the dragon standing on the shore of the sea.

Chapter 13 begins with a beast rising out of the sea, and concludes with a beast rising out of the earth. They are both Satan’s allies in his war against the church. Before we identify the beasts, let’s note a few differences between them:

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE BEASTS

Different in Appearance

First Beast:

• 7 Heads, 10 Horns, 10 Crowns
• Feet like a Bear
• Body like a Leopard
• Mouth like a Lion
• Similar to the 4 beasts Daniel saw in a vision (Dan. 7) All of which represented empires.
• First beast is ferocious

Second Beast:

• Docile
• Looks like a Lamb.
• But this is deceptive because it speaks like a dragon.
• Parades like a savior similar to Christ, but it is a false savior.

Different in their Dominion

            First Beast:

• Political Dominion – “Who is able to make war on him? (Rev. 13:4)
• This first beast would seek to usurp Christ in his office as king.

G.K. Beale notes several similarities between the first beast and Christ:

• Both were slain and rise to new life (5:6 and 13:3).
• Both have followers with their names written on their foreheads (13:16 and 14:1).
• Both have horns (5:6 and 13:1).
• Both have authority over every “tribe, tongue, people, and nation” (5:9; 7:9 and 13:7; 17:12, 15).
• Both receive worldwide worship (5:8–14 and 13:4, 8).
• Both have a final coming or manifestation, though one is to destruction and the other to eternal victory (17:7–18).

Second Beast:

• Religious Dominion – “makes the earth worship the first beast” (Rev. 13:12)
• The second beast would seek to usurp Christ in his role as prophet and priest.

Again, there are several similarities between the second beast and Christ:

• Both described as a lamb with horns (strength).
• Both direct the worship of their followers.
• Both work miracles.

IDENTIFYING THE BEASTS

Go read the commentaries and you will find interpretations all over the map for the identity of these two beasts. But John’s original audience would have had no difficulty in finding parallels to these two beasts.

They would have easily identified the first beast with the Roman Imperial government. No one could stand against the power of Rome in the first century. So, the first beast represents the deification of political and military power. It’s the civil magistrate elevating himself to the place of God.

The second beast would also have been easy to identify for John’s original audience. The Romans did not oppose the worship of many deities, so long as the worshippers were also willing to confess that Caesar was lord. There was an entire system of priests dedicated to directing the worship of the citizens to Caesar.

Now, you may ask, “Why didn’t John simply say, “Caesar,” and the “Imperial Cult”? Why the symbolism? And the answer is two fold:

• First, when you are a persecuted minority you typically don’t put down in writing that the Caesar is a pawn of Satan.

• Second, John understood that the Roman empire was not an eternal power. Eventually, Rome would fall, and in its place would rise a new global power. For that reason, these two beasts can be found in every age.

• This is where many modern commentators miss the mark in identifying the first beast only as the end-time Anti-Christ. The beast out of the sea surely is final Anti-Christ, but he is far more.

In fact, that’s what John is saying in verse 3:

³ One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.

Nero died, but the empire and its persecution didn’t. Domitian came. When he died, then came Tajan, then Hadrian, then Marcus Aurelius, then Diocletian.

And it didn’t stop with Rome. Throughout the centuries, Satan has empowered evil empires to wage war on the church and the spread of the gospel. Just think of the Reformation, when both the state and the church persecuted believers. This is one of the reasons most of the Reformers and the Puritans saw the Pope as the antichrist.

And the same twin beasts are working even today. World governments and economic forums act as if they are supreme. False religions abound.

This is why John could say these words in 1 John 4:

4 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you heard was coming and now is in the world already.

While the Apostle Paul tells us of a final antichrist to come, the New Testament teaches that every age has its own antichrists—those who would usurp the authority which Christ alone has. Antichrist is anyone or anything which claims to have the power to save which only Christ posses. Antichrist is anyone or anything which claims to have the power to condemn which only Christ possesses.

And, just out of curiosity, let’s turn over to Paul’s words in 2 Thessalonians 2:1

2 Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, ² not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. ³ Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, ⁴ who opposes and exalts himself against every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God. ⁵ Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things? ⁶ And you know what is restraining him now so that he may be revealed in his time. ⁷ For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains it will do so until he is out of the way. ⁸ And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming. ⁹ The coming of the lawless one is by the activity of Satan with all power and false signs and wonders, ¹⁰ and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.

So, I do believe there will be a final “A” antichrist before the return of Christ—but John is warning believers in the first century, and Christians in the 16^th century, and you Christians today at Lake Wylie:

Beware that you only give your worship, your true allegiance to Christ and Christ alone.

THE MARK & NUMBER OF THE BEAST

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

Once again, because Revelation is a book of pictures, images, and symbols, we ought not to think of this “mark” in literalistic terms. This isn’t a barcode, or a credit card number, or a microchip.

This mark of the beast is analogous to the seal of God we studied back in chapter 7:3. The angel which held back destructive forces cried out:

 

“Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

So, just as God knows who belong to him, in the same way the mark of the beast is a sign of Satan’s ownership. It means serving Satan, obeying him, worshipping him. The mark is on the forehead and hand symbolizing that the thoughts and actions are given over to the elevation of the power of man which, in the end, is really the elevation of Satan.

The number of the beast is rendered as a trinity of sixes: 666

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom: let the one who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man, and his number is 666.

The symbolism is that of perfect imperfection. The number 6 is the number of fallen man. As William Hendriksen explains:

Six is not seven, and never reaches seven. It always fails to attain to perfection; that is, it never becomes seven. Six means missing the mark, or failure. Seven means perfection or victory. Rejoice, O Church of God! The victory is on your side. The number of the beast is 666, that is, failure upon failure upon failure. It is the number of man, for the beast glories in man; and must fail.

APPLICATIONS

1. Keep the Civil Government in its Proper Place

Many Christians I know er in one of two directions when it comes to the civil government. Some Christians act as if the government doesn’t matter at all, and therefore they retreat from the public square. This is a mistake because the civil magistrate is instituted by God himself. (Romans 13). So governments matter. Elections matter. Midterms matter. God has given the power of the sword to the civil magistrate to punish evil doers and promote peace in the society.

On the other hand, especially during election seasons, too many Christians act as if the civil magistrate alone has the power to save us, or to do us harm. This inordinate fear, or inordinate hope in government makes them worshippers of the beast.

Christians both submit to the civil magistrate because we know their authority comes from God, and yet we are also able to resist the civil magistrate because we know he isn’t God.

Lake Wylie Baptist, pray for the grace to recognize when you are tempted to fear the beast of government more than Christ.

2. Study Divine Revelation

The second beast is false religion, false doctrine parading as if it were true. From the beginning Satan has been a liar and deceiver. Your greatest shield against his deception is the Word of God.

Friend, God has revealed himself to you in nouns and verbs. He has not hidden the truth about himself, his purposes, his salvation, his Christ. He has not left you and I guessing as to the true nature of belief and faith and obedience.

This is why the Scriptures are called the Sword of the Spirit in Ephesians 6:17. They are a sword because they cut through lies; they penetrate falsehoods. And they are of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity is the one who has inspired the Scriptures. He is the one assuring their accuracy, authority, clarity, and sufficiency.

Charles Spurgeon once said that Scripture is like a lion. Who ever heard of defending a lion? Just turn it loose; it will defend itself.

3. Set Your Hope on the Lamb

The dragon of chapter 12, who empowers the beasts of chapter 13 is terrifying. The German Reformer Martin Luther wrote A Mighty Fortress is our God speaking of the dragon like this:

For still our ancient foe
does seek to work us woe;
his craft and power are great,
and armed with cruel hate,
on earth is not his equal.

The dragon and the beasts are terrifying, and no pastor, no single congregation, no Christian can equal their power. One beast rises out of the sea, the other out of the land threatening the saints of God.

Yet we do not fear, for we have already read Revelation 10:1-3

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. ² He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, ³ and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.

Friend, the dragon and the beasts are frightening, until you look to Christ. Christ’s authority towers over every ocean and every continent. He dwarves every empire, crushes every endeavor to oppose him. For 2,000 years, beast have risen and beasts have fallen, and the church continues to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth.

I love how Albert Barnes introduces the book of Acts:

“This book contains incontrovertible evidence of the truth of Christianity. It is a record of its early triumphs. Within the space of 30 years after the death of Christ the gospel had been carried to all parts of the civilized and to no small portion of the uncivilized world. Its progress and its triumphs were not concealed. Its great transactions were not “done in a corner.” It had been preached in the most splendid, powerful, and enlightened cities; churches were already founded in Jerusalem, Antioch, Corinth, Ephesus, Philippi, and at Rome. The gospel had spread in Arabia, Asia Minor, Greece, Macedon, Italy, and Africa. It had assailed the most mighty existing institutions. It had made its way over the most formidable barriers. It had encountered the most deadly and malignant opposition. It had traveled to the capital (Rome), and had secured such a hold even in the imperial city as to make it certain that it would finally overturn the established religion and seat itself upon the ruins of paganism.

Within 30 years, it had settled the point that it would overturn every bloody altar, close every pagan temple, bring under its influence everywhere the men of office, rank, and power, and that “the banners of the faith would soon stream from the palaces of the Caesars.” All this would be accomplished by the instrumentality of Jews – of fishermen – of Nazarenes. They did not have either wealth, armies, or allies. With the exception of Paul, they were people without much education. They were taught only by the Holy Spirit, armed only with the power of God, victorious only because Christ was their Captain, and the world acknowledged the presence of the messengers of the Highest One and the power of the Christian religion. Its success never has been, and never can be accounted for by any other supposition than that God Himself attended it! And if the Christian religion is not true, the change which was brought about by the twelve apostles is the most inexplicable, mysterious, and wonderful event that has ever been witnessed in this world. Their success will stand until the end of time as an argument for the truth of God’s overall plan. It will always confound the infidel. And, it will forever sustain the Christian with the assured belief that this is a religion which has proceeded from the all-powerful and infinitely benevolent God.

Let goods and kindred go

This mortal life also

The body they may kill

God’s truth abided still

His kingdom is forever.

You Must Again Prophesy: The Sweet & Bitter Gospel – Revelation 10

YOU MUST AGAIN PROPHESY:

The Sweet & Bitter Gospel

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 10

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 10. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

¹ Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. ² He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, ³ and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring. When he called out, the seven thunders sounded. ⁴ And when the seven thunders had sounded, I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said, and do not write it down.” ⁵ And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven ⁶ and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, ⁷ but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

⁸ Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” ¹⁰ And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter. ¹¹ And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

 

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

Human taste can be distilled down into 5 basic taste qualities. Sweet, sour, bitter, salty, and savory. Some of you have big sweet tooths. Raise your hand if that’s you. Others love salty foods. Raise your hand if you are a salty person. Now, of course we know that it’s often tasty to mix salty foods with sweet foods. For instance, to cover a pretzel with chocolate. Or, even better, who has dipped your French fries into a frosty?

Well, I’m going to need little audience participation here. I’m going to name a food item and I want you to audibly respond with either the word sweet, or the word bitter.

• Vinegar
• Honey
• Coffee
• Cranberry Juice
• Horseradish
• Sugar
• Garlic
• Grapefruit

Grapefruit is one of those foods that, depending on who you ask, is sweet or bitter. Dark chocolate is another. To one person, its nothing but bitter. To another, there’s a sweetness.

In Revelation 10, John is told to proclaim a message to the world, and it’s a message that some will be attracted to and find sweet while others are repulsed at its bitterness. But before we dive into the passage itself, let’s take a moment and fit this chapter into the larger context of Revelation.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

There are a total of 22 chapters in Revelation, which means that we are essentially half-way through the book. Chapter 10 serves as a pivot point or a transition from the first half of the book to the second half. John has already written letters to 7 churches, and unveiled seven seal judgments and 6 of the 7 trumpet judgments. Chapter 10 is an intermission between the 6th trumpet and the 7th which will begin the cycle of the 7 vials of wrath.

As I’ve said before, Revelation is a book that ratchets up the intensity with each successive page. John has already proclaimed terrible judgments, but in the last verse of chapter 10 he is told that there is more that he must say. Look at verse 11:

¹¹ And I was told, “You must again prophesy…”

In a sense, this is John, halfway through his message being recommissioned to shared the second half.

As we consider the ministry of proclamation that John was called to carry out, we find that it is a model for our own ministry. The message that he preached would be bittersweet, so is ours. It’s a message that he directed at the kings and rulers of his own day, which we must direct at our leaders today. It’s a message of Christ’s authority over all the earth. It’s a warning that Christ will judge the earth. And it’s a message that Christ will redeem sinners.

In this page we are told:

1. WHO THE MESSAGE IS FOR (10:8-11)
2. WHAT THE MESSAGE IS (10:1-3; 5-7)
3. HOW THE HEARERS WILL RESPOND (10:9-10)

Church, this passage tells us that we measure success not by how many people respond favorably to our message, but by how faithfully we are to proclaim the message we’ve been given.

Non-Christian, this passage explains, through symbols, the fundamental belief of Christianity: that the risen and ascended Jesus Christ is Lord over all. And for now, he is drawing those who are far from him to himself. But a time is coming when he will no longer draw unbelievers. Instead he will return again as judge.

So my prayer is that you will turn to Christ today—resting in his saving work at the cross, and following him as Lord of all. Maybe you will even put your faith in him as this sermon is being preached.

Let’s begin our study by first seeing…

1. WHO THE MESSAGE IS FOR (10:8-11)

John is commissioned to preach, and he is told at the very end of the passage to whom he is supposed to preach:

¹¹ And I was told, “You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings.”

On the one hand, John is to preach, or prophesy to all people . That’s what the word prophesy most often means “Art of Prophesying” by Perkins. Verse 11 sounds a lot like the Great Commission Jesus Christ gave in Matthew 28: 19

¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,

John, and us as well, are to preach to the nations—all the ethnic groups; to all people. The word for people is laos, from which we get “laity” meaning people in general, and we are to preach to every tongue, or language.

And the church is doing just that. One of the most fascinating ministries you could begin praying for is Wycliffe Bible Translators. Their focus, as you may have guessed, is to translate the Scriptures into the native tongue of every nation, tribe and subgroup on the planet.

Their ministry is currently in engaged in translating the Bible into 1,633 total languages. However, there are 1,336 languages which still do now have a full Bible translation. This means that 1.5 billion people still don’t have a full Bible in their language. 128 million don’t have any Scripture in their language.

Christian, do you realize how rich we are in Bible translations? Since William Tyndale began his translation in 1526, translators and publishers have created over 900 different English Bibles. I have more than 20 in paper copy and over 100 digital version. Most of you are using software applications which will read the Bible to you in any translation you wish.

Church we ought to regularly pray for the work of ministries like Wycliffe who are putting the gospel into the languages of the nations. John was called to preach to the nations, and so are we.

But I want to pay special attention to the final word of verse 11. John was commissioned to prophesy to all people in general, but specifically to kings. Why is that significant?

It’s significant because the second half of Revelation has much to say to the kings of the earth. In fact, you might say that the entire second half of Revelation is the story of the overthrow of evil kings and the return of the true king, Jesus Christ to rule and reign forever.

In the next few minutes, you will be greatly helped to have your Bible open and ready to survey several passages.

In Revelation 16:12 we see that the kings of the earth are assembled to go to war against God.

¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east. ¹³ And I saw, coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. ¹⁴ For they are demonic spirits, performing signs, who go abroad to the kings of the whole world, to assemble them for battle on the great day of God the Almighty.

In Revelation 17:1-2 we see a picture of the kings of the earth desiring to have the same power and might as ancient Babylon which is portrayed symbolically as a prostitute.

17 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality, and with the wine of whose sexual immorality the dwellers on earth have become drunk.”

In 17:12 we see that the kings of the earth unite together in one beastly government to war against Christ:

¹² And the ten horns that you saw are ten kings who have not yet received royal power, but they are to receive authority as kings for one hour, together with the beast. ¹³ These are of one mind, and they hand over their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴ They will make war on the Lamb,

Chapter 18 records the fall of Babylon and we’re told that the kings of the earth lament her downfall:

⁹ And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning.

In chapter 19:17, those kings who oppose Christ are defeated.

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

The final mention of kings is in Revelation 22:23 when we are told that some kings, who bowed the knee to Christ are present in the New Heavenly Jerusalem:

²³ And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. ²⁴ By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, ²⁵ and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. ²⁶ They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.

Do you see what’s happening here in Revelation 10:11 – John is given a message – to all people, yes, but especially to the rulers and kings of the earth. The message of the end of Revelation is not that Christianity takes over the world resulting in the conversion of kings—but that the kings of the earth reject Christ and persecute the saints—and for their disobedience, they will be condemned.

Friends, we are called to relay this message to the leaders, the magistrates, the authorities of our own day, who deny Christ, who disobey his commands, who subvert the truth.

We are officially in primary season for the presidential race. All this year you will hear me say this a lot: the church is political, but we are not partisan. We are political because we declare that Christ is Lord—and that’s a political statement. But we are not partisan. We are not the errand boy for any party or candidate. We don’t stump for Murray. We speak for Jesus Christ.

So, when you go vote, vote for those who will defend the unborn. Vote for those who will affirm a Biblical view of male and female. Vote for those who don’t legalize theft through the confiscation and redistribution of your property. Vote for those who will defend the right of your pastor to stand here and say all that I am saying.

So, who is the message for? It’s for everyone—but especially for kings and rulers. But what is the message?

2. WHAT THE MESSAGE IS

The message that John is commissioned to preach is directly connected with the contents of the book that he eats as well as with the identity of the angel who carries the book. Take a look at verse 8:

⁸ Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me again, saying, “Go, take the scroll that is open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.” ⁹ So I went to the angel and told him to give me the little scroll. And he said to me, “Take and eat it;

This little scroll or book in the hand of the angel is curious. What is it? What does it contain? There is more than one possible explanation. This little scroll could be the same scroll, sealed with seven seals that we saw back in chapter 5. We notice that just as the scroll in chapter 5 had seven seals which Christ has already broken, this scroll is already open as well. So, if this is the same scroll, then the contents of the scroll are the eternal decrees of God.

But this may be a different scroll than the one mention in chapter 5 because this scroll is referred to as little, or smaller. So, some believe that this scroll is the scroll that shows up in Revelation 21:7:

²⁷ But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

So, this scroll could be the Lamb’s book of life, containing the names of all God’s elect.

I believe this little scroll, or little book contains the second half of Revelation itself for several reasons. First, in verse 5-7, the angel carrying the book swears an oath to initiate the 7^th trumpet judgment which in turn will unleash the 7 vials of wrath which are to come. Second, in verse 11, after John receives the little scroll and eats it, he is told, “You must prophesy again… to kings.” In other words, John had to some extent set forth God’s will in the first half of the book, and he is now required to complete the message.

So, what do we find in the second half of this book? The final salvation of all God’s people and the final judgment of those oppose God. The angel raises his hand to heaven and says: “I swear by the God who made the heavens and the earth that the final trumpet will sound. And the mystery of God—that he will gather to himself a people from every nation—will be fulfilled, and final judgment will come.” The great gathering of God’s people will end. The time of God’s patience with evil will end. History itself will end.

That’s the content of the book. But I also said that the message John was commissioned to preach was bound up with the identity of the angel carrying the book. So, who then is this angel? Look back at verse 1:

Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven, wrapped in a cloud, with a rainbow over his head, and his face was like the sun, and his legs like pillars of fire. ² He had a little scroll open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea, and his left foot on the land, ³ and called out with a loud voice, like a lion roaring.

I believe this angel is either Christ himself, or at the very least an angel who stands as a direct representative of Christ. We know that in the Old Testament, the Son of God often appeared as the “Angel of the Lord” (Gen. 16) Angel can refer to the angelic beings that God created, but it can also simply mean a messenger. So, why do I believe this mighty angel in Rev 10 is Christ, or an angel representing Christ?

All of the descriptions of this angel at pulled directly from other parts of Scripture which describe God.

The cloud (Psalm 97:2), rainbow (Rev. 4:3), the face like the sun and feet like fire (Rev. 1:14-16); these are all the insignia of deity. This angel holds the opened scroll in the hand, signifying he is entrusted with the judgments of God.

In verse 2 he sets his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land. This is the language of conquest and possession. In other words, all the earth is under his feet—he has authority over the entire earth.

In Greek mythology, a giant named Atlas is ordered to hold up the earth. And in all the statues and paintings the giant bends and groans under the weight of the earth. But Christ is greater than Atlas. He doesn’t bend beneath the earth. He stands above it.  He holds and upholds the earth with the word of his power.

This means that Christ is the judge of all the earth; every nation, every king, every ruler, every law. He is the ultimate standard of measurement.

So, if we take all of this together, here is the message given to John and to us:

Christ is Lord. Jesus Christ is Lord over all. He is Lord over the galaxies and he is Lord over the dishes in your sink; Lord over every molecule and every black hole and everything in between. And, by his power, he will bring about the redemption of God’s people and the judgment of evil.

How does he redeem God’s people? He offered himself, 2,000 years ago in their place. What is the cross of Christ all about? Friend, it was there that Christ suffered and bore the wrath of God in order to satisfy the justice of God.

You and I have disobeyed God, and therefore we deserve God’s wrath. We deserve to be cut off. But Jesus Christ, the Son of God in flesh, perfectly obeyed God’s law—and deserved God’s pleasure and life. That is what justice is: to receive what you are owed.

But on the cross, Christ received what we were owed. He was cut off, in order that we might receive what he was owed—we are welcomed and favored.

Friend—the perfect life and sinless death of Christ were so pleasing to God that John Owen once said, “God was more pleased with the obedience of Christ than he was ever displeased with the disobedience of Adam.”

And, though Christ died, God raised him from the dead so that we might know God’s approval of all that Christ had done. So that we might be raised with him.

A Christian is someone who can say, “When Christ died, my sins died. When Christ was buried, my sins were buried. And when Christ was raised, my sins were not raised. Their still in the tomb.”

And the only proper response to this gospel message is to respond in repentance and faith. Turn away from all you have trusted before now and turn to Christ in trust today.

So, how will the hearers of this message respond?

3. HOW THE HEARERS WILL RESPOND

¹⁰ And I took the little scroll from the hand of the angel and ate it. It was sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it my stomach was made bitter.

Very simply: as we proclaim that Christ is both the redeemer and Lord we can expect two opposite responses. To some, the message will be sweet. To others it will be bitter.

In 2 Corinthians 2:15 the Apostle Paul put it this way:

¹⁵ For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, ¹⁶ to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.

Here’s what this means: the proclamation of the church will be both attractive and repulsive. That’s one way you know you are preaching the truth. If you are only attractive, if your proclamation never repulses—then you aren’t preaching the true gospel. And, conversely, if you only ever repel and offend, then you aren’t preaching the true gospel.

The message we proclaim is sweet for us when it is heard and received and believed. Nothing thrills us more than to watch people confess their sins and trust in Christ. Nothing excites us more than to baptize new Christians.

Yet, even the sweet gospel of Christ can become bitter when our testimony is rejected and despised by the world. It’s a reminder that it will not be easy to declare this message to those kings who oppose Christ. Our preaching will not, indeed, it cannot please everyone. In fact, often our preaching will enrage the world.

Often, your testimony will drive a wedge between you and your spouse, or you and your children, or you and your friend. But it is impossible to be faithful to Christ and avoid the displeasure of some.

In John 6, Jesus declared to the crowds that he and he alone was the bread of life; that only those who feasted upon him would find real and lasting nourishment for their souls. That no one can come to the Father unless he first granted it.

And in John 6:66 we hear these words:

⁶⁶ After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him.

Friend, even Jesus Christ himself, the perfect man, knows the bitter taste of rejection.

As we continue to unfold the second half of Revelation there will be many opportunities to turn away. There will be many truths which, in our sinfulness, are unpalatable. There are many sermons which, if we preach them faithfully, will draw the ire and scorn of the lost world.

And yet, there will be a sweetness. God has chosen to use our preaching as the means by which many will turn to Christ and receive life. Our calling is not to please the world, but to be faithful to Christ. Our calling is not to be sweet, or to be bitter, but to say what is true no matter what.

Church—if you displease Christ, it does not matter who you please. And, if you please Christ, it does not matter who you displease.

Woe: The Reality of Demonic Judgment – Revelation 9:1-21

Woe: The Reality of Demonic Judgment – Revelation 9:1-21

No Description

WOE:

The Reality of Demonic Judgment

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 9

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 9. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

¹ And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. ² He opened the shaft of the bottomless pit, and from the shaft rose smoke like the smoke of a great furnace, and the sun and the air were darkened with the smoke from the shaft. ³ Then from the smoke came locusts on the earth, and they were given power like the power of scorpions of the earth. ⁴ They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any green plant or any tree, but only those people who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. ⁵ They were allowed to torment them for five months, but not to kill them, and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings someone. ⁶ And in those days people will seek death and will not find it. They will long to die, but death will flee from them.

⁷ In appearance the locusts were like horses prepared for battle: on their heads were what looked like crowns of gold; their faces were like human faces, ⁸ their hair like women’s hair, and their teeth like lions’ teeth; ⁹ they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the noise of their wings was like the noise of many chariots with horses rushing into battle. ¹⁰ They have tails and stings like scorpions, and their power to hurt people for five months is in their tails. ¹¹ They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon.

¹² The first woe has passed; behold, two woes are still to come.

¹³ Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, ¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” ¹⁵ So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour, the day, the month, and the year, were released to kill a third of mankind. ¹⁶ The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number. ¹⁷ And this is how I saw the horses in my vision and those who rode them: they wore breastplates the color of fire and of sapphire and of sulfur, and the heads of the horses were like lions’ heads, and fire and smoke and sulfur came out of their mouths. ¹⁸ By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed, by the fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths. ¹⁹ For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails, for their tails are like serpents with heads, and by means of them they wound.

²⁰ The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, ²¹ nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

 

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

“And though St. John saw many strange monsters in his vision, he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.” – Chesterton

In my study of this passage, pouring through commentaries, I found at least 9 different possible interpretations for these locusts and the army pictured in Revelation 9; and they range from the plausible to the ridiculous. Here are a few.

Some commentators, connecting the symbols of Revelation with historic events see the locusts as invaders from the East, such as the Vandals sacking of Rome in A.D. 455, or the Muslim invaders of A.D. 846. Others see the locusts, not as an invading army, but as internal corruption either in the Roman culture or as the apostasy of a new Pope.

Some connect these visions with epidemic and the spread of disease throughout the centuries, or the spread of occult and pagan practices.

Other mid-century commentators connected these locusts and this army as a future event in which John was describing Cobra Helicopters in Vietnam.

So, as you can see, Chesterton was right. John saw many strange monsters, but he saw no creature so wild as one of his own commentators.

If you are new to Lake Wylie Baptist, you likely have several questions running through your mind:

• What is this guy talking about?
• Why did I decide to come to church?
• What could I possibly learn from a sermon on such a strange passage?

Well, friend, at our church, we preach sequentially through books of the Bible, and we’ve been studying the book of Revelation for several months. The section we are currently studying has to do with a vision of 7 trumpets blowing, each of which is a warning to those who are far from God.

Last week we studied trumpets 1-4, seeing that God uses natural disasters to wake us up to our own frailty and immortality.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

Today, as we study the 5^th and 6^th trumpets, the vision of locusts and a great army, we do well to remember these are called “Woes.” They are a warning, sent to wake up hardened unbelievers to the reality of God, his holiness, and his coming wrath.

Today, we’ll study this text under two headings:

1. THE FIFTH TRUMPET & THE FIRST WOE (9:1-12)
2. THE SIXTH TRUMPET & THE SECOND WOE (9:13-19)

This passage tells us that God uses even demonic commissioned judgment in order to wake unbelievers up and call them to repent and turn to Christ in faith. It tells us that that though the demonic realm is real, and potent, ultimately it has no lasting power over those who belong to Christ.

So, there is a great warning in this passage, but a great hope as well.

1. THE FIFTH TRUMPET & THE FIRST WOE (9:1-12)

Chapter 9 begins:

And the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star fallen from heaven to earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the bottomless pit. (9:1)

From this abyss come smoke and a horde of locusts unlike any in nature. These locusts are symbolic of the work of the Devil and those fallen angels who followed his rebellion against God. There is no need to associate them with a people group such as Muslims or Communists or Nazis. Neither are we to think of them as symbolizing the false teaching of a Pope.

No, this is a warning, that while there is a God who shows mercy to sinners, and angelic beings who protect and minister on behalf of those who know Christ, there is another category of supernatural beings who desire the destruction and corruption of all human life.

This “star” in verse 1 must be Satan, who Jesus said in Luke 10:18, “I saw Satan fall like lightening.” Similarly, in Isaiah 14, we are given a similar description of the fall of Satan:

¹²    “How you are fallen from heaven,

O Day Star, son of Dawn!

       How you are cut down to the ground,

you who laid the nations low!

¹³    You said in your heart,

‘I will ascend to heaven;

       above the stars of God

I will set my throne on high;

       I will sit on the mount of assembly

in the far reaches of the north;

¹⁴    I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;

I will make myself like the Most High.’

¹⁵    But you are brought down to Sheol,

to the far reaches of the pit.

Friend, the Scriptures teach that there is a real Devil, his original name was Lucifer, and he rebelled against God in heaven and was cast out with 1/3 of the angels who had followed him. He doesn’t dress in a red leotard and carry a pitchfork.

No, instead he is a powerful enemy who seduced our first parents, Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. The Apostle Peter says that he prowls like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. (1 Peter 5:8-10) Here, we see that he is given a key, representing authority to rule over the abyss—or Sheol, or the place of the dead. Smoke billows out, blocking the sun’s light, and from this place of destruction come hoards of demons.

This picture is meant to frighten you. It’s meant to stop you in your tracks. John sees that behind the visible history of the world is an invisible spiritual world full of demonic deception, manipulation, temptation, and destruction.

This plague of locusts don’t harm the trees and grass like a normal plague, instead they are given power to harm all those who are not sealed by God. Christian, the great comfort of this verse is that while Satan and his demons may cause torment around you, they have no claim on your soul.

In verse 7, John gives a description of their appearance. This isn’t a literal description, but a symbolic one. They are like horses prepared for battle; ready to go to war. They have crowns of gold symbolizing great power. Their faces are human, reminding us that demons are intelligent ad discerning beings. Their hair is like a woman and their teeth like a lions. In other words, they can be seductive and ferocious.

What is the effect of these demonic afflictions? Verses 4-5 says the sting of their tail is like that of a scorpion, and those who are tormented live a life that is worse than death.

Friend, you may be tempted to tune this sermon out. As disturbing as this passage may be, and as much as you may want to look away, don’t. John is trying to get you and I to look beyond what our eyes can see. There is much evil in this world that cannot be explained. There is much emotional suffering in this world that cannot be explained by mere physical explanations.

Why is there an opioid epidemic in our nation? Why is there so much confusion and delusion on what it means to be male and female? Why are so many living lives of hopelessness?

Is it not possible that there is an unseen realm of beings leading people to lives of destruction? In fact, that’s their very goal.

Thankfully, as powerful and fearful as Satan and his demons are, in comparison to Christ, they are insects. Their power is limited. Their authority is delegated. And, because of Christ, they are under judgment. In Colossians 2:13-15 we’re told that:

¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Friends, the gospel of Christ is the power that delivers sinners from the clutches of demons. The gospel seals us by God and to God. At the cross, God revealed how fallen humans could be delivered from the power of fallen angels.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, bore God’s holy wrath against sin at the cross. He absorbed the sting of death, so that any who turn to Christ in faith could be forgiven, redeemed, and sealed.

So, if you belong to Christ, you have nothing to fear. But if you do not, will you hear the sound of this trumpet warning you today? The only way to stand against the power of hell is to be sealed by Christ. Confess your sins today. Believe in Christ even now.

2. THE SIXTH TRUMPET & THE SECOND WOE (9:13-21)

¹³ Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar before God, ¹⁴ saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” (Rev. 9:13)

These four angels in turn, unleash war on the earth. Verse 16-19 describe an army of 200 million spreading over the earth, killing 1/3 of mankind. Again, the 1/3 isn’t a literal third, but rather symbolic that war is a partial judgment. So, while the demons of verses 1-12 only torment, not kill, now with the coming of war comes death as well.

Back in verse 11 we’re told that the king over the demons is named Apollyon; literally “the destroyer.” And here we see the classic example of human destruction: war. I don’t believe these verses are describing any one war or army, but rather every war in every age. War is always with us.

The number 4 in Revelation symbolizes the earth (4 corners, 4 winds) and therefore no part of the earth is spared from the presence of war. According to some estimates, between 1480 and 1941, Britain engaged in seventy-eight wars; France, in seventy-one wars; Spain, in sixty-four wars; Russia, in sixty-one wars; Austria, in fifty-two wars; Germany, in twenty-three wars; the United States, in thirteen wars; China, in eleven wars; and Japan, in nine wars. Even now, two wars are raging in the Middle East and in Ukraine. And the war drums continue to pound.

With this 6^th trumpet, God is saying: this is what men and women are apart from my mercy and intervening grace. This is what happens when I remove my restraints.

Look around at our world today. Rather than humble, our world is proud. Rather than peacemaking, our world seeks division. Rather than generous, our world is envious. The leaders of our nations either have no moral anchor at all, or their moral anchors are evil. Friend, I do not say this as a fear-monger, but the world stands on the edge of a knife. It would not take much for us to see total war again in our time.

Let this be a warning to you. Your hope cannot be in the next election (though you ought to take it seriously and vote as a Christian). Your hope cannot be in human-made world peace. Your hope cannot be in anything but God himself. There is no other true refuge.

Sadly, in the last few verses of our passage, we are told how most people respond to the Woes of demon activity and war:

²⁰ The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands nor give up worshiping demons and idols of gold and silver and bronze and stone and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk, ²¹ nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

This is how hard the human heart is. Apart from God’s saving grace, this is how stubborn they are. Even when they see the work of demons in broad daylight, and hear the drums of war pounding in their ears—they do not repent of their sins.

Listen to how Michael Wilcock describes this entire chapter:

These trumpets… are not only tanks an planes… They are also cancers and road accidents and malnutrition and terrorist bombs and peaceful demises in nursing homes. Yet ‘the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues’, still do not repent of their idolatry, the centering of their lives on anything rather than God, or of the evils which inevitably flow from it.

They hear of pollution, of inflation, of dwindling resources, of blind politicians, and will not admit that the first four Trumpets of God are sounding.

In the end they themselves are affected by these troubles, and for one reason or another life becomes a torment: the locusts are out, Trumpet 5 is sounding, but they will not repent. Not even when the angels of the Euphrates rise to the summons of Trumpet 6, and the cavalry rides out to slay – a friend or a relative, a husband or a wife: not even in bereavement will they repent”.

THREE APPLICATIONS:

1. Recognize the Depravity of Man

When I say the word depravity, I don’t mean that every human is as bad as the could be. I do mean that we are all infected and corrupted by sin. I do mean that when we are born, our nature is sinful at the root.

People are not basically good. Verse 20 tells us that even when truth stares us in the face we reject it. The basic human problem is not that we are ignorant of God, but that we are absolutely aware of his reality—and we don’t want it.

¹⁹ For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. (Romans 1:19-20)

Have you recognized your own sinfulness; that if God did not first seek after you, you would never seek after him?

2. Recognize God’s Sovereignty

The Scriptures are clear that God is completely sovereign, even over evil. He is not guilty of committing evil—but even evil itself is within his sovereign power.

When John see’s this massive army unleashed in Revelation 9, notice that a voice from heaven releases the four angels in v. 14. In other words, even the devastations of war are not outside of God’s control. Verse 15 says that the four angels of this war had been prepared for the year, month, day, and hour.

We take great comfort in knowing that our future doesn’t ultimately hang on the actions of a president, or a warlord with a few nuclear weapons. The future of this world is not found in the White House, or the Kremlin, or the Parliament. The future is in the omnipotent and benevolent hands of God.

3. Turn to Christ Today

Over and over, God says in his word, “Today, if you hear my voice, turn around.” We do not understand all of God’s reasons for allowing sickness, allowing war, allowing even demonic activity.

²⁹ “The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deut. 29:29

So, God does not reveal to us all that he is doing and why he is doing it—but he has at least told us this: one of his purposes in all that he allows is to humble us and bring us to a place of belief and obedience to him.

He wants us to know that we are not safe apart from trust in Christ. Friend, have the “Woes” of this world softened you, or hardened you? Are the anxieties of this life driving you towards Christ or further from him? Are you believing or unbelieving?

Come, ye sinners, poor and needy,
Weak and wounded, sick and sore,
Jesus ready stands to save you,
Full of pity, love, and pow’r.

Come, ye weary, heavy laden,
Lost and ruined by the fall;
If you tarry till you’re better,
You will never come at all.

Hail & Fire: God’s Answer to the Prayers of the Saints

Hail & Fire: God’s Answer to the Prayers of the Saints – Revelation 8

No Description

HAIL & FIRE:

God’s Answer to the Petitions of the Saints

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 8

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 8. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

¹ When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. ² Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³ And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, ⁴ and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth, and there were peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.

⁶ Now the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.

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

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

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

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

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

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

When you think of the sound a trumpet and the music it makes, what comes to mind?

• Haydn’s “Trumpet Concerto in E-Flat Major”
• Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald “Summertime” from Porgy & Bess
• Miles Davis “So What”
• Brecker Brothers “Skunk Funk” (Live in Barcelona w Dennis Chambers)
• Military Bugle Call – Taps

A major difference between us and the original first-century audience of Revelation is that we most-often hear the trumpet in a big band playing a song for dancing, while they understood the trumpet to be a blasting signal of an approaching army.

In the Scriptures, the trumpet could be used for various occasions such as a solemn day of remembrance (Lev. 23:24), a triumph (Josh. 6:4) or a coronation (1 Kings 1:34), but most often, in the ancient world, if you heard the sound of a trumpet outside the city gates it was the sound of doom.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

And that is the case here in Revelation 8. When these trumpets blow, no one begins dancing. But in order to understand these trumpets I have to make something clear from the beginning: these trumpets are all sounding today.

 

The trumpets that John saw are symbolic of God’s activity in the world throughout this age which serve a specific purpose: they warn those who are running from God to turn around before it’s too late.

You are not to read these trumpets in a literalistic way. If a literal third of the earth was burned up, and a mountain of fire was thrown into the sea and a third of the creatures in the sea died, and a literal star fell from heaven and ruined a third of the rivers, and the sun was a third darker than it currently is—if all of that is to be taken as a literal scientific explanation of a future calamity—then the earth would first burn from a star being thrown into it and then it would freeze instantly when the Sun was darkened and there would be zero life left.

So, I say again, these symbols are not to be read in a literalistic way. This passage, like most of Revelation, employs terrible and cataclysmic images in order to sober us as readers to spiritual realities.

Today, as we study Revelation 8, we’ll see that these trumpets are strongly connected to the 7 seals we just finished studying. They are not the same thing as the seals, but they happening during the same time as the seals. We’ll also see that these trumpets are God’s response to the prayers of his persecuted saints.

In fact, that’s basically our outline of the text for today. The chapter breaks down cleanly into two sections:

1. The Prayers of the Saints Ascend to God (8:1-6)
2. The Trumpets of God Warn Unbelievers. (8:6-13)

Church as we consider the prayers of the saints, I hope you will consider you own prayer life, your own motivations for praying, and that you will pray more than you have before today.

Non-Christian, this passage is a warning to you. God wants to get your attention. I pray that you will read these trumpets and understand that God warns you because he desires to extend mercy to you. His mercy is found in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in Christ alone. So I pray that you will turn to Christ today in belief and trust.

1. THE PRAYERS OF THE SAINTS ASCEND TO GOD (8:1-6)

If you’ve been with us for the duration of our study in Revelation, you know this isn’t the first time the prayers of the saints are mentioned. At the beginning of Revelation 5, Jesus Christ, in a vision appears as the Lamb taking a 7 sealed scroll from the hand of God and before the throne were bowls of incense which we are told are the prayers of the saints. (Rev. 5:8)

Those 7 seals represent the unfolding of all history and testing which the church has endured in all centuries. When the 5^th seal was broken, in Revelation 6:10, we heard the prayer of the martyrs in heaven:

“O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

So, the prayers of persecuted saints feature heavily in the 7 seals, and these same prayers are the pivot point, or the hinge from the 7 seals and into the 7 trumpets. There’s much symmetry between the seals and the trumpets.

Remember, in chapter 7, 4 angels were holding back the winds of judgment, and another angel told them to wait until all the saints of God were sealed.

Well, look at chapter 8 verse 2:

² Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. ³ And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints

You say, “What is going on with all these seals, these trumpets? How does it call connect.” Well, remember that Revelation was not written to confuse you. It was written to encourage you. Instead of tripping over the parts you don’t understand, stand back and ask, “What in this passage is clear?” And here is what is crystal clear: the prayers of the saints are instrumental in the activity of God.

 

You and I are called to pray to God, to make our requests known to him. And we do. We do pray. We pray for our church, the spread of the gospel. We pray for family and friends who do not walk with Christ. We pray for our presidents and governors and civil magistrates. We pray for church members who are sick, or struggling. We pray for all those things. And yet, if we’re honest, life can completely beat us up, turn us upside down, make us question everything.

And God, in Revelation 8, is graciously reminding us that our prayers matter. That our prayers have great effect in the world. And he is here, in this passage encouraging us to pray more.

Consider, the purpose of prayer.

 

When you read Revelation, and see Jesus Christ, breaking all these seals, unfolding as it were all of human history, you see that he is totally sovereign. Everything is under his control. Not an atom in the universe vibrates without his permission. And you may wonder: why should I pray? What’s the purpose of prayer?

Well, Revelation 8 tells us why we should pray. This passage tells us that our prayers are part of the eternal decrees of God. That God has decreed from the beginning non only what will happen, but he has also decreed that our prayers are a means by which these things will happen.

God ordains both the end and the means to the end. In Revelation 8, God has decreed that evil will be judged, and along with that he’s decreed that his righteous judgment will be a divine response to our prayers.

⁴ and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel. ⁵ Then the angel took the censer and filled it with fire from the altar and threw it on the earth,

In ways that we cannot understand, God uses our prayers to carry out what he has already decreed from all eternity. In verse 2, 7 angels are given trumpets, but their blowing the trumpets is delayed. First, the saints must pray.

Listen, prayer does not force God to do anything. God does not change. He is immutable. But prayer can certainly change circumstances, and it definitely changes us.

Friend, my study in this passage was so greatly benefited by a sermon preached by Dr. Joel Beeke. And here’s a helpful illustration he gave:

When a man in a boat wants to come back to land, he guides his boat into a harbor and then throws out a line to the shore. When the rope is secured on the shore, the man pulls on the rope as though he were pulling the shore to him. But really he is pulling himself to shore. Likewise, when we pray, we think we are pulling God to us, but really we are pulling ourselves to God. That is what it means to lay hold of God. You cannot bring God in line with your plans. Rather, when you pray, you bring yourself in line with God’s eternal purposes and decrees. To lay hold upon God is to align yourself with His will and purposes.

Consider, as well the people who pray.

You’ve heard me use the word “saints” a lot today. That’s because this is the word used in Revelation 8:3

³ And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne, ⁴ and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints,

What is a saint? Are these super-extra-holy people? Are they people who did so many good and moral deeds in their life that we can now pray to them as some churches do?

No. Friend, read the New Testament, and you will find over and over again that the Bible applies this term “saint,” to every single person who puts their faith in Jesus Christ. The word simply means, “Set apart one.”

No where, in the Bible does God promise to hear the prayers of unbelievers. If he does, it is simply because he is being merciful. But over and over again God promises to hear the prayers of those who belong to his Son Jesus Christ.

Did you pay close attention to which prayers were offered in verse 3?

he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne

Christian, if you belong to Christ, the God may delay his answer to your prayer. He may answer your prayer differently than your requested or expected. But never, not even once have you prayer a prayer that God refused to hear.

Consider, the basis for our prayers.

What gives us the right to pray? None of us has earn the right to an audience with God. Why would God promise to listen to us? Well, notice in the passage, where our prayers are placed.

They are placed on an altar with incense: symbolic of the fragrant life of Christ. In other words, though we are sinners, and our lives a full of imperfections, when mixed with Christ, his beauty covers our ugliness, and our prayers become a sweet smell to God.

This is why we conclude our prayers, “In Jesus name.” It’s an acknowledgement that Christ is our only foundation, our only hope, the only reason we get to say this prayer in the first place.

Friend, no matter how doubting, how uninformed, how weak your prayers are, when you pray them in the name of Jesus, trusting in the life and death of Jesus, wanting to obey and honor Jesus—those prayers arise to your heavenly Father and please him.

If you struggle to pray… maybe you are a new Christian, or a young person in the room, open your Bible to the Psalms, read one a day and personalize it. Read it to the Lord, and at the very end, add your own requests and thank God for his provision in your life. I promise you, that if you will pray through each of the 150 Psalms consecutively, you’ll become a better prayer.

Or, ask another more mature Christian if you could meet together to pray. Brothers and sisters, I regularly grow in my prayer life because several of you stop by the church and ask to pray with me and for me, and me for you. Most of those prayer times are short (5-10 minutes at most) but my own personal prayers have grown because I have listened to you pray.

So, we see the prayers of the saints ascend to God.

2. THE TRUMPETS OF GOD WARN UNBELIEVERS (8:6-13)

As we consider the first 4 of the 7 trumpets in these verses, we could spend hours reading various interpretations. Some have argued that these trumpets are all past history and represent the Visigoths and Vandals sacking Roman. Others believe these trumpets are yet future and are to be read in a very literal way. Still others see them as judgments poured out on Jerusalem leading up to the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70.

But, if we ask the question, “What in this passage is clear,” we find a simple answer: whatever these trumpets are—they serve as a warning to unbelievers. Look down at verse 13:

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

You say, “But what are these trumpets?” Well, I’ll tell you my view. Just as the 7 seals primarily focused on the sufferings of the saints throughout the church age, the 7 trumpets are primarily focused on all of the judgments of God which warn unbelievers.

There are two Old Testament passages which set the backdrop for these trumpets. The first is found in Joshua 6:4

The children of Israel has just crossed the Jordan and were beginning the conquest of Canaan. The first garrison they came to was Jericho. The children of Israel were not to take up weapons against the city, rather God was going to judge the Canaanites himself. The children of Israel were told simply to walk around the city and in 6:4 God gave them the following instructions:

⁴ Seven priests shall bear seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark. On the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. ⁵ And when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, when you hear the sound of the trumpet, then all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people shall go up, everyone straight before him.”

So, just as in Joshua’s day, these 7 trumpets are a signal of God’s judgment.

The second OT background text is the plagues of Egypt found in Exodus 7-10. The first trumpet (hail, fire, and blood) corresponds to the plague of hail and fire (Exod. 9:22–25); the second and third (poisoning of the sea and waters) to the plague on the Nile (Exod. 7:20–25); the fourth (darkness) to the plague of darkness (Exod. 10:21–23); and the fifth (locusts) to the plague of locusts (Exod. 10:12–15)

The trumpets of Revelation borrow the imagery of the Egyptian plagues to speak figuratively about calamities throughout history.

• The first trumpet symbolizes calamities which effect the land—trees, grass, and vegetation burned up. This is also the source of most of our food.
• The second trumpet symbolizes calamities which effect salt water seas and oceans—where most of the world’s shipping and fishing takes place.
• The third trumpet targets freshwater rivers.
• The fourth trumpet brings judgment in the heavens. The solar and lunar bodies are darkened.

And, notice the recurrence of the 3. 1/3 of the trees, seas, rivers, stars. That number isn’t telling us something of mathematical significance. Rather, it’s pointing to the fact that these calamities are only a partial judgment. There is a greater, or total judgment of God yet to come.

Interestingly, when the 7 seals were broken, their damage effected ¼ of the earth. Now with the trumpets, the damage increases to a third. And finally, when the seven bowls are poured out later in Revelation, damage is done to everything. In other words, Revelation is written in such a way to help you think about the coming judgment of God.

Friend, if you do have not turned from your sin to Christ, you may be tempted to look at the calamities of this world and ask, “Why me. Why is all of this happening?” And, at least part of that answer must be: “These tragic calamities are happening as a warning to you, and to all who have not yet trusted in Christ.”

When wildfires cover millions of square miles, or a hurricane blocks out the light of the Sun, or a volcano erupts all of us ought to be reminded: that our lives are fragile. Friend, we are puny and pathetic creatures in comparison with the forces of fire, wind, and rain.

We ought to be reminded that though the resources of the earth are great—the fields, the rivers, the food—they are not infinite. A single spark can destroy a crop. We ought not put our trust in ourselves, or the planet, or our human leaders. To trust any of those things as if they have the power to save us, friend, is an idolatrous trust. And it’s a trust that will ultimately fail.

Christian, where are you placing your trust today? Where do you go to find comfort in times of anxiety or distress? As our society continues to unravel, to whom are you looking for security? Those of you who work for big corporations here in the city; you see companies hire and companies lay-off employees without a second thought. Have you ever considered that the insecurity of your job market may actually be one of the mercies of God—a wave tossing you back onto the solid rock of his care for you?

Christ the sure and steady anchor in the fury of the storm

When the winds of doubt blow through me and my sails have all been torn

In the suffering, in the sorrow when my sinking hopes are few

I will hold fast to the anchor it shall never be removed

Non-Christian, where are you placing your trust? What is the anchor of your soul? When the trumpets of judgment blast, to whom will you go for refuge?

Friend, God has delayed that final day of judgment, but it will come. On that day God will reconcile all accounts. His perfect justice will be applied to every injustice. His holy wrath will visit every sin that has not been atoned for. There will be no where to hide, no excuses, no second chances.

And this means, that the great danger to your soul is not a wildfire, or a hurricane, or job loss: it’s God himself, and you are making yourself more his enemy every day.

Thankfully, this holy God has not delayed his judgment because he’s lazy. He’s not being patient in carrying out his judgment because he is slack. He has been patient because he is merciful. He is offering you an opportunity to turn your trust from whatever you have been trusting in (that’s called repentance) and turn towards Jesus Christ believing in his death for your sins and resurrection (that’s called faith).

Why belief in Jesus? Well, because Jesus Christ was himself sinless, when he died, his death was substitutionary—he took the place of all those who would believe in him. And God poured out his divine justice on Jesus for our sins.

So believe in him now. Believe in him today. He is the only shelter from the storm. If you have more questions about this, talk to me after the end of the service, I’ll be at the back door of the church.

The Lamb Shall Be Their Shepherd: The Saints Victorious – Revelation 7:9-8:1

The Lamb Shall Be Their Shepherd: The Saints Victorious – Revelation 7:9-8:1

No Description

THE LAMB SHALL BE THEIR SHEPHERD:

The Saints Victorious

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 7:9-8:1

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 7:9-8:1. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, ¹⁰ and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” ¹¹ And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

¹⁵ “Therefore they are before the throne of God,

and serve him day and night in his temple;

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

¹⁶ They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore;

the sun shall not strike them,

nor any scorching heat.

            ¹⁷ For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd,

and he will guide them to springs of living water,

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

8 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

You have a little less than 8 hours to get your New Years resolutions in order. I don’t know if you’re a big “Resolutions” person, but many people are. A recent Forbes survey found some surprising and some not-so-surprising statistics on New Years resolutions.

• 62% of the population say they feel pressured to set a resolution with women feeling slightly more pressured than men.

• 48% of people say improving fitness is a top priority (no surprise there), while 36% cite improved mental health as a top resolution.

• Last year the same survey reported that 77% said they would keep themselves accountable to their resolutions. This year, that number plummeted to 20%.

• Young adults are more likely to set resolutions than older adults. My guess is the older adults may have a more realistic outlook?

• Because failing to keep a resolution is so common, many people have dubbed January 17^th as “Ditch Resolutions Day,” while others refer to the second Friday in January as “Quitters Day.”

Well, whether or not you make and keep resolutions, it’s fascinating that we as a species set goals and make future plans. Not just short term goals like: I want to eat this evening. We set goals that last for weeks, months and resolutions that last all year. Some of us have even set 5 or 10 or 30 year goals.

One of the most common goals we set is the goal of retirement. We want to put in our time at work, save enough money, pay off enough expenses, so that one day we can rest from our work and enjoy life.

Now, I have to admit that as a man in my late 30s with 4 children—that seems like an impossibility right now, but I know that some of you out there have done it.

Church, the passage we are studying today reminds us that one day when Christ returns, all those who are found in him will find a true rest—not simply from the toil of work in this age, they will find a rest from sin, from physical sickness, from mental and emotional strain, from broken relationships.

And in place of all of those, they will find wholeness, peace, and joy as they are united with their Maker, Redeemer, and Sustainer—the holy God.

But, before we study the passage, let me catch you up on where we are in Revelation. Maybe you were invited by a member of our congregation and you haven’t been with us for the entire study.

What we do each week when we gather is we hear the Bible preached systematically, or expositionally. We take a book of the Bible, break it into smaller chunks and work out way through it seeking to understand the message the author is trying to communicate. And the book we are currently studying is the last book of the Bible: Revelation. Contrary to what you may have heard or imagined about this book: it is not a scary book. Rather this book was written to first century Christians who were facing state-sponsored persecution. And Revelation encouraged those Christians to be faithful to Christ because in the end Christ will have the victory.

And Christians become victorious in this age—not by gaining influence over the halls of governmental or cultural power (though we ought to seek influence in those places)—but true victory is measured by simply obeying Jesus Christ, no matter the cost.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

In the first three chapters, John addresses 7 first century churches in Asia Minor. They are the book’s original audience. Most of them needed correction and encouragement because increasing persecution was coming. What would anchor them for the coming storm?

Chapters 4 & 5 give us the anchor.  John receives a heavenly vision of God’s throne at the center of all things. In his right hand is a scroll representing all of his plans for the earth. Jesus Christ is the Lamb who is worthy to take the scroll, break the seals, and unfold all of God’s plans.

Chapter six is the breaking of the seven seals on the scroll:

• The first four seals send forth four horsemen representing conquest, war, famine, and death; all of which have been happening since Christ’s ascension.
• The fifth seal breaks and we hear the cry of Christian martyrs in heaven, “How Long, O Lord, until you judge those who have persecuted and killed your saints?”
• The sixth seal breaks, and the final judgment of Christ comes to the entire earth and the chapter ends with a question: “Who can stand on that day?”

Well, our passage today, Revelation 7, is the answer:

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,

The chapter divides neatly into 2 sections:

• Verses 1-8 describe a vision of the church on earth, militant, in the thick of the tribulation, yet sealed by God. We studied that passage way back on 12/3.

• Verses 9-17 describe the church in the eternal state, in heaven, victorious over evil and at rest in God.

So, Revelation 7 is the story of God sealing his people, his people at war in this age against evil, his people victorious in heaven, and his people finally at rest in his eternal presence. Today we’ll consider the second half of the chapter under two headings:

1. The Church Victorious in Heaven (7:9-12)
2. The Church at Rest in God’s Presence. (7:13-8:1)

As we meet to worship Christ one final time in 2023, and as a new year begins tonight, I pray this passage sets your heart at ease. I pray it gives you a confidence to live for Christ in the coming year, knowing that your final victory is certain.

And, if you are not a Christian—I pray you will consider the message of Christianity more sincerely than you ever have; the message that God is holy, we are sinful, that Christ is the savior of sinners, and that you will believe in him today—maybe even as the sermon is being preached.

1. THE CHURCH, VICTORIOUS IN HEAVEN (7:9-12)

If you look down at verse 9, John tells us the next vision he saw. Remember, he had just seen a vision of the church in this age, at war with evil. This is often refered to as the church militant: at war against sin, the world, the devil. The church was depicted like the tribes of Israel preparing for battle in the book of Numbers.

But in verse 9, the church is no longer fighting. They are no longer grabbing the shield of faith, or the sword of truth. They aren’t at battle. No enemies surround them. In fact, in verse 9, the church is no longer on the earth at all.

Verse 9 reads:

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne

Church, this ought to remind us of two passages. First, God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 17:4

⁴ “Behold, my covenant is with you, and you shall be the father of a multitude of nations.

God kept his promise to Abraham. But even more than Genesis 17, this passage ought to remind us of the Great Commission Jesus Christ gave to us after his resurrection. Matthew 28:18-20 record that commission:

¹⁸ And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

Friend, that’s how the gospel of Matthew ends. Christ, having conquered death, telling 11 disciples how had just recently denied Christ, “Now that I have all authority—even over death itself—I want you to preach the gospel and baptize the nations.”

And now in Revelation 7, notice who John sees standing before the throne. A great multitude, that no one could number, from all:

• Tribes – Subgroup within a people.
• People – which signifies the entire human race.
• Language – everyone who was scattered at Babel in Genesis 11.

The Apostle John, who stood before the Risen Christ and was commissioned to preach the gospel to all people—was able to see the fruit of all the church’s labor.

Church, if Matthew 28 contains the Great Commission, then Revelation 7 contains the Great Culmination.

This is why Lake Wylie Baptist prioritizes the sending of missionaries and church planters to the nations. Over 10% of our annual operating budget goes right out the door to fund the spread of the gospel specifically through church planting efforts.

Beginning in 2024, Lake Wylie Baptist will directly supports missionaries on 5 of the continents. We don’t have anyone in Australia yet, and the only thing to evangelize in Antarctica are penguins—but let me tell you—if they could repent and be baptized… we’d send a missionary there too.

I don’t have time to tell you about all those missionaries one by one today. But let met tell you a little about our newest mission partner: Josue Lara in Monterrey Mexico.

For the last few years Josue has served with the Charles Simeon Trust, training preachers in Mexico and Central America. Last year he came to be a resident at Park Baptist in Rock Hill, one of our Pillar Network churches, with the intention of going back to plant Iglesia Bautista Piedra Angular in Monterrey Mexico. The city has over one million people—but very few faithful Baptist churches. In fact, the Baptist seminary in that city has dwindled for the last several decades.

So, Josue planted mid-2023 and has been meeting weekly for worship, gathering a crowd, holding discipleship courses and member seminars. In the midst of all this, Josue and his wife experienced a premature birth at the end of November. We just got word of it a few weeks ago. Thankfully, their daughter, Olivia, is doing well as she gains weight in the hospital.

Here are the prayer requests Josue shared with us:

1. Please continue to pray for the establishment of the church and for families in the membership process.

2. In the early next year, we will evaluate the possibility of staying in our current

rented space or seeking a new location. Pray for guidance from the Lord.

3. Pray for the growth and maturity of Olivia. Ask the Lord to give us strength in this trial and transform us more into His image. Also, pray for our other children, that God would guard their emotions and thoughts in Christ.

4. Lastly, please join us in praying for God’s provision to settle the hospital bill. We trust that the Lord is our provider and will sustain us as He has so far.

Church – that’s just one example of faithful gospel workers around the globe. There are thousands more that we’ll never know—right now—laboring for the sake of Christ. And we’re so thankful not just to pray for Josue—but to begin to financially support that ministry as a church in 2024.

Well, this great multitude, what are they doing? Look back at verse 9:

standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands,

If you think back to the end of Revelation 6, when God’s final day of judgment was being unleashed on the earth—that judgment ended with a question: “Who can stand?”

The answer, of course, is the Saints of God. They are the ones who are able to stand before the throne. They are wearing white robes and waving palms. Now, remember—Revelation is a picture book. This vision isn’t telling you that for all eternity, those who go to heaven will all wear the same white robe and wave branches. No, it’s picturing something. What is the picture: they are victorious.

God has protected them and delivered them through the tribulation and tumult of this age. The white robes signify that they have escaped the corruption of sin. The palms allude to the OT Feast of Tabernacles, when palms were waved and used to build booths in which the Jews lived during the feast. That feast celebrated God’s protection for Israel in their desert wanderings.

Now, these Palms celebrate God’s protection of his people through their sojourn through this world. And, as they wave their palms, they sing:

Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!

I love how John Bunyan describes the Celestial City in his book Pilgrim’s Progress. If you’ve never read it, you should make it a goal in 2024 to read that book. We don’t have them today, but next week we will have several copies just back there in the book stall. Listen to Bunyan:

Now just as the gates were opened to let the men in, I looked in after them—and, behold, the City shone like the sun! The streets also were paved with gold, and on them walked many men, with crowns on their heads, palms in their hands, and golden harps to sing praises with! There were also some angelic beings with wings, and they sang back and forth without intermission, “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord!” After that, they closed up the gates. When I had seen all of this—I wished that I myself was among them.

Friend, do you wish that you were among them? Victorious over this life. Pardoned from all your sin? Free from condemnation?

The only way is through Jesus Christ, the Lamb. Salvation belongs to him. How do the saints receive these robes; these festal garments so that they may enter into the feast of heaven? Skip down to verse 14:

They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev. 7:14)

What does that mean? Well, the Bible teaches that God, who is holy, made us in his image to know him. But we cut ourselves off from him. The Son of God, in his great love, became a man, and lived a perfect life, fulfilling the law and in his death he took upon himself the sins of all those who would put their faith in him. He rose from the dead, proving that God accepted his sacrifice and that God’s wrath against us has been exhausted.

He calls us to repent of our sins and believe in what Jesus has done. And if we believe in Christ we are born again, into a new eternal life from God.

If you have more questions about what it means to believe in Jesus, come talk to me after the service, or talk to one of the people around you.

So, we see the church, victorious in heaven. As we consider verses 13 through the end of the chapter, we see:

2. THE CHURCH, AT REST IN GOD’S PRESENCE (7:13-8:1)

There’s a slight transition in the passage at verse 13. The saints and the angels have been focusing on God and his salvation all the way through verse 12. But now, one of the elders in the great heavenly gathering asks John a question.

¹³ Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” ¹⁴ I said to him, “Sir, you know.”

John’s response sounds polite: “Sir, you know.” What he’s really saying is, “Listen mister, you’ve been here longer than I have.” And so the elder answers:

“These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation.”

What is this great tribulation? Many godly Christians hold differing interpretations, but I believe the great tribulation is all of the time between Christ’s sufferings and his return at the end of the age. Let me give you a few quick reasons why.

1. John tells us that the book he is writing is primarily focused on things that are already happening. (1:1, 13, 19)

The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. (Rev. 1:1)

2. John tells us that the tribulation is already taking place.

⁹ I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (Rev. 1:9)

⁹ “‘I know your tribulation and your poverty (Rev. 2:9)

3. Jesus himself said that the tribulation is a present reality for his followers.

³³ I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

4. Of the 23 times Paul uses “tribulation,” 21 refer to present reality.

What does all this mean? Church, a very simple application is this: our life in this age will not be easy. If you are going to follow Jesus Christ faithfully, you should not expect it to go smoothly. Rather, your expectation should be tribulation. The Greek word is thlipsis, is translated elsewhere as trouble that inflicts distress, oppression, and affliction.

Contrary to what the TV preachers say, when you become a Christian… when you begin living life by faith in Christ, your problems don’t evaporate. We don’t live by the power of positive thinking. We don’t manifest or speak our future into existence. There’s a big theological word we use to describe all of that: hogwash.

No, the book of Revelation shows us that you absolutely cannot be living your best life now. If you are living your best life now, then you’re on your way to hell. Friend, I love the life God has given me. I love the people he has given me. The home he has given me. But I thank God that this isn’t my best life.

Revelation 7:15 tells us that, for the Christian, their best life is yet to come.

• In that age, we will stand before the throne of God. No more distance between us because of our sin.

• In that age, the one on the throne will “shelter [us] with his presence.” God’s nearness will become the walls and the roof of our life.

• In that age, you “shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike [you], nor any scorching heat.” It’s not that the threats of suffering will be there but you’ll have sufficient resources to mitigate against them. Friend, in that age, when Christ renews all things, there won’t even be the threat of hunger.

• Look at verse 17. It’s become one of my favorite verses in Scripture: ¹⁷ For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd.” The lamb will be their shepherd.

• In that age, “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Last Monday we enjoyed another Christmas. And while the holiday will always have a sweetness connected with Christ, there may also be a bitterness that blemishes the day. Even as we rejoiced in the birth of Christ, many of us also wept because some we love were not with us to share in the joy.

The British poet, Adrian Plass, wrote a poem called Heaven, and it ends like this:

When I’m in heaven
Tell me there’ll be Christmases without the pain,

No memories that will not fade,
No chilled and sullen sense of loss
That cannot face the festive flame
Nor breathe excitement from the ice-cream air.
Tell me how the things that Christmas should have been

Will be there for eternity in one long, shining dawn
For all of us to share.
I love the promises of Christmas.

Revelation 7 says that if you belong to Christ Jesus, every tear will be wiped away. Every wound will be healed. Earth has no sorrow that Christ will not heal. Every loss will be made up for, in one long eternal dawn.

So, until that day comes, continue to faithfully pursue Christ this day.

The Seal of the Living God: The Church, Sealed & Prepared for Battle – Revelation 7:1-8

THE SEAL OF THE LIVING GOD:

The Church, Sealed & Prepared for Battle

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 7:1-8

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 7:1-8. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

7 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, that no wind might blow on earth or sea or against any tree. ² Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, ³ saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” ⁴ And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

         ⁵        12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Gad,

         ⁶        12,000 from the tribe of Asher,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,

         ⁷        12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Levi,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,

         ⁸        12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

GRAB THEIR ATTENTION

There are 7 basic plots to plays, movies, and novels:

1. Overcoming the Monster

Definition: A protagonist sets out to defeat an antagonistic (often evil) force.

Example: Shark eats people. People hunt and kill the shark.

2. Rags to Riches

 

Definition: The poor protagonist acquires power, wealth, and/or a mate, loses it all and gains it back, growing as a person as a result.

Example: Poor girl is mistreated by her stepmother. Fairy godmother helps her get to the royal ball. The shoe fits. Girl becomes the princess.

3. The Quest.

 

Definition: The protagonist and companions set out to acquire an important object or to get to a location. They face temptations and other obstacles along the way.

Example: Archaeologist tries to find the Ark of the Covenant before the Nazis.

4. Voyage & Return:

Definition: The protagonist goes to a strange land and, after overcoming the threats it poses or learning important lessons unique to that location, returns with experience.

A little person joins the company of Dwarves to steal treasure from a dragon and returns more courageous & wealthy.

5. Comedy:

Definition: Light and humorous conflict which becomes more and more confusing, but is at last made plain in a single clarifying event, resulting in a successful or happy conclusion.

Example: A man and a woman meet online, striking up a romance over email, without realizing they actually know one another and hate one another in real life.

6. Tragedy:

Definition: The protagonist is a hero with a major character flaw or great mistake which is ultimately their undoing.

Example: A poor artist boards a ship heading for America, falls in love with a girl from a high social class. The ship sinks. He drowns.

7. Rebirth:

Definition: An event forces the main character to change their ways and often become a better individual.

Example: An elderly miser is haunted by three spirits transforming him into a kinder, gentler man.

Plotlines help us make sense of the movie. They give us a framework for organizing all the characters, problems, and resolution. They tell us who to cheer for, and who we ought to root against. They build intrigue and interest.

It’s crucial to understand the plotline of the Bible, because the plotline of the Bible is actually the plotline of history. The story that the Bible tells is the true story of the universe and everything in it.

• The Bible explains our origin: where did we come from?

• It explains our destiny: where are we all going?

• The Bible tells us who the important characters are: God, Satan, angels, humanity.

• The Bible explains the problem: Being deceived by Satan, humanity has fallen from friendship with God, and through their sin have become his enemies. The punishment for this rebellion is death.

• And the Bible explains the resolution: God has made a covenant both to redeem and regather rebellious people at great cost to himself.

• How will he do it? God’s own Son willingly laid down his life for sinners, bore the penalty for their sin, and was resurrected.

• He is now calling rebels to turn around, lay down their arms, and be welcomed back into God’s family, freely.

If you wanted a more succinct summary of the Bible’s plotline, you might say it’s the story of God gathering a people for himself through the work of his Son. And Revelation 7 contributes heavily to that plotline. But first, let’s set the context, because Revelation 7 isn’t to be read in a vacuum.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

In the first three chapters, John addresses 7 first-century churches in Asia Minor. They are the book’s original audience. Most of them needed correction and encouragement because increasing persecution was coming. What would anchor them for the coming storm?

Chapters 4 & 5 give us the anchor.  Chapter is a heavenly vision of God’s throne at the center of all things. In his right hand is a scroll representing all of his plans for the earth. Jesus Christ is the Lamb who is worthy to take the scroll, break the seals, and unfold all of God’s plans.

Chapter six is the breaking of the seven seals on the scroll:

• The first four seals send forth four horsemen representing conquest, war, famine, and death; all of which have been happening since Christ’s ascension.

• The fifth seal breaks and we hear the cry of Christian martyrs in heaven, “How Long, O Lord, until you judge those who have persecuted and killed your saints?”

• The sixth seal breaks and the final judgment of Christ comes to the entire earth with these words:

¹² When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³ and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. ¹⁴ The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶ calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

Who can stand on that day? That is the closing question of Revelation 6. As John saw this final judgment poured out, he must have thought to himself, “I see how awful this day will be for God’s enemies. What will this day be like for God’s people, the church?”

When all of these judgments are poured out, how will God’s people survive, and even overcome? And Revelation 7 is the answer. It’s almost as if God said, “John, I can see the worry on your face as you see these terrifying judgments. Let me take a moment to set your heart at ease.”

⁹ After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb,

The chapter divides neatly into 2 sections:

• Verses 1-8 describe a vision of the church on earth, militant, in the thick of the tribulation, yet sealed by God.

• Verses 9-17 describe the church in the eternal state, in heaven, victorious over evil and at rest in God.

So, Revelation 7 is the story of God sealing his people, his people at war in this age against evil, his people victorious in heaven, and his people finally at rest in his eternal presence.

And that’s our outline. We’ll look at chapter 7 under four headings. Two this week, and two the next time we are in Revelation.

1. The Church, Sealed by God (7:1-3)
2. The Church, at War with Evil (7:4-8)

3. The Church Victorious in Heaven (7:9-14)
4. The Church at Rest in God’s Presence. (7:15-8:1)

Friends, there are many symbols and pictures to explain in this passage. But more than understanding symbols, my prayer all week has been that you would know you are a true believer, sealed by God, and that you would fight with faith against sin as you wait on our final victory and eternal rest.

 

And, if you have not yet put your faith in Christ as your Lord and redeemer, I pray you would do so even now as this passage is being preached.

1. THE CHURCH, SEALED BY GOD (7:1-3)

God will gather and seal every single one of his people before the final judgment. That’s the headline. There isn’t a single person who is supposed to come to Christ who will fail to come to Christ before the end. That’s the first message of this text.

Before we elaborate that message, I need to explain a few features of this passage. A likely question you may have about this first point is, “Jonathan, you keep saying ‘the church,’ but these first 8 verses talk about 144,000 from Israel. What gives?”

First, if you look in verse 3, you find these words:

³ saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.”

Virtually every time the term the “servants of God” appears in Revelation, it’s always in reference to the church. It occurs in 1:1: 2:20; 6:11; 19:2; 19:5; 22:3; & 22:6. The only times that term does not refer to the church are when it is applied once to the prophets and again to Moses.

Now hang with me for a few more minutes.

There are many Christians who love God and love his Word, who believe this 144,000 refers to ethnic Jews who will come to faith in Christ during a future 7-year tribulation after Christ has secretly taken the church off the earth.

But I don’t believe that view harmonizes with Revelation or with Revelation 7 for several reasons:

First, the list of tribes in Revelation 7 is out of traditional order. Reuben, the firstborn is mentioned second, while Judah, the fourthborn born comes first.

Second, Levi, the priestly tribe of Israel received no land in Canaan and are typically not mentioned as one of the twelve. But here they are. (v. 7) The same is true of Joseph, which is not a tribe of Israel. He appears on the list. (v. 8)

Third, two tribes are missing from the list: Dan and Ephraim. (Likely because they were idolatrous)

Remember, Revelation is a book of pictures. Something is being pictured here in this strange and inaccurate list of Israel’s tribes.

I believe we’re being given a highly stylized description of not just of redeemed Israelites, but all God’s redeemed in all ages using Israel’s tribes.

And we’ve already seen John take language that originally applied to Israel, and reapply it to the church. Take, for instance, Revelation 1:6, when John says that the church has been made, “a kingdom, priests to his God and Father,” That language comes directly out of Exodus and Deuteronomy.

The same thing happens in Revelation 21. There, the bride of Christ is pictured as the a city, the New Jerusalem. On the gates of the city are 12 names of the tribes of Israel. On the foundations are 12 names of the apostles.

So, the bride of Christ is made up of the 12 tribes, signifying saints in the Old Testament, and the 12 apostles signifying the church in the New Testament. You see what is being pictured? The tribes and the apostles—the entire church in all ages fill up the New Jerusalem.

Something similar is happening here in Revelation 7. What does the 144,000 picture? I believe it pictures 12 tribes multiplied by 12 apostles multiplied by a thousand, which in the ancient world was a huge number. 144,000 is symbolic of the total number of all God’s people Old Testament and New.

Now go back to verse 1. Verse 1 says, “After this I saw…” This doesn’t mean, the events in chapter 7 happen chronologically after the events of chapter 6. Rather, he’s saying, “After that vision, the next thing I saw was…”

And what did he see? Four angels, standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds. Another angel comes commanding the 4 holding back the winds to not harm the earth or the trees until we have sealed the servants of God. What’s that?

If you look back at 6:12, you see that the 6^th seal unleashed a final cataclysm on the earth such that even the stars fell from the sky like a fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a wind. So, at the beginning of chapter 7, we see that God’s final judgment is being held back. It hasn’t come yet.

In other words, something is holding back God’s final judgment on the earth. What is it? Verse 2:

² Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, ³ saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

God is first sealing all of his servants. Even today, while God’s final judgment is being withheld, God’s servants are being sealed.

What’s the purpose of a seal?

You have a king who drafts a letter, folds it, gets out his wax and imprints his signet ring into it, sealing it. The seal authenticated the letter; marking it as genuine. Seals also secured. A farmer would seal, or brand, his livestock. It wasn’t simply an identification. It secured against theft.

If you go into my library and thumb through my books you will find that many of them have an embossed seal: “From the Library of Jonathan Homesley” I even had a professor in college who under his seal would inscribe ancient Egyptian curses into the pages of the books for those who did not return them.

This seal is a declaration that we belong to God. We are his own possession. It also secures us. It spiritually safeguards our souls. You say, “So, what is this seal?”

I believe the simplest answer is found in Ephesians 1:13

¹³ In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, ¹⁴ who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Friend, how can you receive the seal of the Holy Spirit? How can you belong to God and be safeguarded for eternity? It’s right there. Hear the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and believe.

What is that gospel? It is that the God who will one day judge every sin, and melt the earth in holy justice, has already sent his only Son to bear his wrath against sin so that you might be forgiven all your sins. It’s what we sing about:

Who has felt the nails upon his hand?

Bearing all the guilt of sinful men.

God eternal humbled to the grave.

Jesus, Savior, risen now to reign.

Friend, turn to him today in trust. Revelation 7 is a picture given to John, and to us, comforting us; letting us know that the last day will not come until all of God’s people are gathered into the church.

Church, this is exactly what Jesus himself said would happen:

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. (Matthew 24:14)

This sealing of God is not a promise that you will avoid the tribulation brought about by the four riders of chapter 6; rather it is a promise that all who Christ effectually calls will come to him before the end and endure until the end.

 

Friends, it’s a picture of what the Apostle Paul told us in Romans 8:

³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?…

³⁷ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Rom. 8:35, 36)

There won’t be a single person who should have been found but wasn’t. God will save all his people before the end. And those whom he saves, he seals, not with a wax seal, but with his own Spirit.

A few applications:

• First, God knows the exact number and the proper names of all his chosen people. We do not. This is why we offer the gospel to all. We do not know who God will save, so we ask all to come and believe.

• Second, this is why we treat church membership, baptism, and the Lord’s Supper with care and caution. By admitting someone into membership and permitting them to come to the table our church is making a public statement that these are the people who God’s Spirit has sealed for the day of redemption. So, when you present yourself to join in membership we ask questions about your conversion, your beliefs in Christ, your walk with Christ.

Church it should being us great comfort to know that while we are called to proclaim Christ to the nations, ultimately, the roster of heaven is in the hand of Christ, and he will lose none of all that the Father has given him.

So, we have seen the Church, sealed by God. Now…

2. THE CHURCH, AT WAR WITH EVIL (7:4-8)

As the text continues, we look at verse 4:

⁴ And I heard the number of the sealed, 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel:

         ⁵        12,000 from the tribe of Judah were sealed,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Reuben,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Gad,

         ⁶        12,000 from the tribe of Asher,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Naphtali,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Manasseh,

         ⁷        12,000 from the tribe of Simeon,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Levi,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Issachar,

         ⁸        12,000 from the tribe of Zebulun,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Joseph,

                  12,000 from the tribe of Benjamin were sealed.

Why picture all of the redeemed in this way? Numbers from each tribe. Some tribes missing. What is the picture that is being communicated?

Richard Bauckham has argued convincingly that the numbering in vv. 4–8 suggests that those numbered are an army. The evidence for this view is manifold, but, above all, the language of from the tribe of recalls the repeated phrases “of the tribe of” in OT census lists (e.g., Num. 1:21, 23, etc.). The purpose of the census in Numbers was to organize a military force to conquer the Promised Land. The redeemed are thus depicted in military terms as a remnant called out of the world to do battle for God.[1]

Church, I wonder if you realize that you are engaged, everyday, in a spiritual battle. Over and over again, the Apostles instructed the church using military terminology:

³ For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. ⁴ For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:3, 4)

¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. (Eph. 6:11)

Fight the good fight of the faith. (1 Tim. 6:12)

What is the battle in which we are engaged? Over the last few years, a number of you have come to Lake Wylie Baptist because you have an uneasiness about the direction our culture is heading. Perhaps you’ve lost faith in institutions you once trusted. Or, maybe you see how the people of our nation have begun to redefine even the most basic and foundational categories such as “What is a woman.”

You may be tempted to believe that the insanity of our culture is just a phase, a kind of fever dream that will pass. Or you may think that all of this is simply just the fault of self-absorbed millennials who were never spanked as children.

If you are a new convert to Christ, or perhaps you are new to church in general, it’s important to know that the spiritual battle raging around us didn’t start in this generation. Millennials didn’t invent it. Neither did Gen Xers or Boomers. No. This spiritual battle has been going on since our first parents, Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan in Eden.

Who are the main antagonists in this battle? If God is on one side of the battle line, who is the enemy? Ephesians 2:2-3 tells us there are 3 enemies of God.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins ² in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— ³ among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

The first enemy of God, according to this passage is the “prince of the power of the air.” That is, Satan, the fallen angel who appeared as a serpent and deceived Eve. The second enemy is what Paul calls, “the course of this world.” In other words, there are entire human systems of culture and government that exalt themselves in opposition to the rule and reign of God. So, you have Satan, the world, and the third enemy is what Paul calls, “the flesh,” by which he refers not to our bodies, but to our corrupted nature—our disordered loves. When we are born—we are not born as those who trust God to be our Savior, Lord, and Judge. Instead, we trust ourselves.

Thankfully, Paul follows up this indictment of our flesh, with these words of comfort:

⁴ But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, ⁵ even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ

To be a Christian means that God has made you who were dead in your sins alive with Christ. It means that God has sealed you with his Spirit. And, it means that you have now switched sides in this battle.

• Instead of following after the course of the world, you walk in opposition to it.

• Instead of being under the power of Satan, you belong to Christ.

• And, instead of giving in to your disordered loves, you are now able to love God supremely, and as a consequence reorder all your other loves.

Church, be on guard in your home. These enemies desire to weaken your home, What are you allowing into your home, onto you computer screens, on your TV, on the radio? You are to take every thought captive for Christ. You are to raise your children in the nature and admonition of the Lord. That is the command you have receive from your true Commander & Chief. Show me what you are looking at, and I’ll show you what you are becoming. Show me what your children are learning and watching, and I will show you what they are becoming.

Fathers, prioritize getting your family to church. Take that as your personal responsibility. That, unless we’re out of town, our family will go and meet with God’s people every week. Prepare the family for the Lord’s Day every week. That begins on Saturday night. Make it your priority to make sure Sunday morning goes smoothly.

Families, husbands, wives, parents, children: deal with sin in the home Biblically. That means confessing it, forgiving it, and not letting it pile up. Don’t allow Satan to get a military advantage in your home by holding onto bitterness and unconfessed sin.

We have to be on guard in our church as well. It seems like every month that passes I hear of more churches loosening their grip on clear Biblical truth; opting for ease and seeking piece at the price of their own conscience.

We need more Christians reading their Bible. More Christians learning good doctrine. More Christians stretching themselves, not being spoon fed, but learning to feed themselves. God is calling you to that.

Maybe this coming year is the year you read through the entire New Testament, or the entire Bible. Or maybe you do something really crazy like buy a Systematic Theology and read it cover to cover because you want to know what you believe.

We have to be on guard in our neighborhoods. One of the surprising ways that the church fights this war is through hospitality and charity. You want to push back against some darkness in your community? Bake some cookies, invite some neighbors over for dinner. Share some of what God has given to you, and when your neighbors as why you are doing this, tell them it’s all because of Jesus.

Church, we have to be on guard in our public and civic life. In less than one year we’ll be called to vote on new candidates in a variety of offices, and we should all want to do that as Christians. Those who make the laws will make it easier or more difficult for you to raise your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They will make it easier or more difficult for you to live a peaceful and Godly life. They will make it easier or more difficult for churches like this one to freely preach Christ.

As we close, I want you to know that this call to spiritual battle is not new or unique to us. Just this week I was reading again about one of my heroes, the English Reformer William Tyndale.

Tyndale was a singularly focused man. He had no wife or children. Instead, he mastered languages and committed himself to translating the Bible into English. He wanted nothing more than for his own countrymen to be able to read the Scriptures in their native tongue. But in the 15^th and 16^th century, being found with a Bible in any translation other than Latin could be considered a capital offense.

Tyndale tried to do his work of translation through official channels. He travelled to London and sought the support of Bishop Tunstall. Sadly, Tunstall was a leader who always had his thumb in the wind, discerning favorable outcomes above what was right, declined to support Tyndale.

At 30 years of age, William realized he would never fulfill God’s call on his life in his home country. He crossed the channel into the continent of Europe. He would never see the land of his birth again.

Church historian J. H. d’Aubigne records the event with poignancy:

“And so Tyndale left England and sailed for Germany. A poor man in material things, he was soon to send back to his countrymen, even from the banks of the Elbe, the book which was to lead many of them to become “rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which God has promised to them that love Him.” With what greater boon can a man bless his native land?

When asked how he felt about exile from his country, Tyndale replied, ‘We be not called to a soft living.’”

No, we are not called to a soft living. We are called to walk in the footsteps of Christ. May we do so with joy knowing that we have been sealed for the final day.

[1] The Climax of Prophecy: Studies in the Book of Revelation (Edinburgh: Clark, 1993), 217–29.

How Long?: The Cry of Persecuted Saints – Revelation 6

HOW LONG?:

The Prayers of Persecuted Saints

Revelation: Every Eye Will See Him

Revelation 6:1-17

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 6:1-17. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

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

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

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

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

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. ¹⁰ They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” ¹¹ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

¹² When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³ and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. ¹⁴ The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶ calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

INTRO

 

“Outlined against a blue-gray October sky the Four Horsemen rode again. In dramatic lore they are known as famine, pestilence, destruction and death. These are only aliases. Their real names are: Stuhldreher, Miller, Crowley and Layden. They formed the crest of the South Bend cyclone before which another fighting Army team was swept over the precipice at the Polo Grounds this afternoon as 55,000 spectators peered down upon the bewildering panorama spread out upon the green plain below.”

Grantland Rice, New York Herald Tribune, October 18, 1924. With those words, 4 Notre Dame football players were given football immortality. They would forever be known as the Four Horsemen. But the 1924 Fighting Irish football team are not the only way the term “The Four Horsemen,” has been applied in our lexicon. That name has been applied to a variety of people.

• In the Marvel Comic Universe, Apocalypse is a supervillain, and the Horsemen are other villains who do his bidding.
• There are the Four Horsemen of the Supreme Court, referring to four conservative judges in the 1930s who opposed F.D.R.’s New Deal.
• “Four Horsemen” was also a song on the The Clash’s famous album London Calling.
• And who could forget the Four Horsemen of the WCW: the Nature Boy Ric Flair, Arn & Ole Anderson, & Tully Blanchard?

The specter of these 4 apocalyptic riders permeates our culture. Movies, music, and famous novels have been written about them.

But who are these riders? Are they good? Bad? Are they past? Present? Future? Are they historic figures, or are they more symbolic of movements and events? Will the church experience the troubles they bring, or will the church be removed from the earth before they and their assault are released? All of these questions, and many more, have fascinated, puzzled, and even sadly divided Christians throughout the centuries.

But, at the risk of stealing thunder from the rest of the sermon, let me summarize all of chapter 6 right now:

These four riders symbolize all of human history between the time of Christ’s ascension and return. It’s a history characterized by conquest, war, famine, and death; and in God’s sovereign providence, his saints are not immune to, but rather experience them all. (6:1-8) In heaven, those who have been persecuted and martyred cry out to God, “Lord, since you are holy and good, how long will you let this go on,” and are told to rest and wait. (6:9-11) They wait because God is patiently rescuing others before the final day of his wrath and judgment. (6:12-17) There, that’s the entire chapter.

In 17 verses, John sets our expectations for life in this age, he teaches us how we ought to pray as we wrestle with the reality of these riders, and he shows us the hope we have in God’s final day of wrath. So, let’s learn from this chapter under three headings:

1. The Authority of the Horsemen (6:1-8)

            – Who are they?

            – Why does Jesus send them?

2. The Cry of the Martyrs (6:9-11)
3. The Wrath of the Lamb (6:12-17)

It is difficult to trust God when in his providence, he sends troubles. Yet this passage teaches us that even the troubles he sends work for our good in this world and the next. Let’s begin our study by examining:

1. THE AUTHORITY OF THE HORSEMEN (6:1-8)

If you look down in verse 8 you see these words, “And they [the four horsemen] were given authority [or power].”

Who are these horsemen? Some have argued they are ancient Roman Emperors like Titus and Hadrian. Some see these riders as the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, and therefore this section of Revelation is past. Others take the breaking of the first seal to be the beginning of a future 7-year tribulation after the church has been taken off the earth. Some believe the first rider to be the Antichrist, while others believe the white rider to be Christ himself.

These 7 seals are the complete (7) judgment of God. And who are these riders? They do not depict a specific war, famine, or earthquake, or specific events in Israel, but represent all the upheavals and wars and calamities in this age which lead up to God’s final judgment.

This is not a picture of a rapture of the church followed by 7 years of tribulation. The 4 horsemen are not a picture of specific people or calamities that occur during a 7-year tribulation. Rather, they are a symbolic picture of all that has been happening between Christ’s first advent and his second advent.

There are four riders, symbolizing that these calamites occur in all the earth. The first rider symbolizes conquest. It’s a picture of men and women who trample one another in the quest for power and domination. As the first rider, who leads out the others, it’s a reminder that envy and selfish ambition are the root of many other calamities.

Aside:

Some have argued that this first rider is Christ and the message of the gospel going out into the earth, because Revelation 19 is a picture of Christ riding on a white horse. But there are several problems here.

• First, the white rider in Revelation 6 carries a bow, but in Revelation 19, Christ carries a sword.
• Second, the white rider in Revelation 6 wears a single crown (stephanos), while Christ wears many crowns (diadems)
• Third, v. 8 tells us that authority is given to these 4 riders to kill.

So, I don’t believe this can be Christ. In fact, thoughtout Revelation we will see Satan attempt to parrot and impersonate Christ. That’s what I believe is happening here. Many world leaders first appear as saviors before they cruelly become tyrants.

The second horse is red, like blood. Throughout the centuries, nations have warred against nations. Families have turned on one another. This red horse pictures the human heart, unrestrained in it’s sinful anger.

Some of you are students of military history, and you have read of the barbaric atrocities humans have perpetrated against one another. We look at the headlines of our own day and the surprise attack in Israel just weeks ago. This is the red horse running through the earth, taking peace.

The third horse is black, the color of deprivation and emptiness. The rider holds scales in his hand; a picture of scarcity, famine, and inflation. Throughout history there are seasons of scarcity, and starvation.

We’re told that a quart of wheat sold for a denarius, and three quarts of barely for a denarius. What does that mean? It’s a picture of rampant inflation. A denarius was a day’s wage, and a quart of wheat was a days subsistence. The idea is that people are living day to day.

The four horse is pale; literally green. It’s the color of sickness and death. You see the natural progression: selfish ambition and conquest, war, scarcity, death. The rider is named Death, and following behind him is Hades. Hades is close to the Hebrew word Sheol. It’s the holding tank where you go to await final condemnation or blessing.

Verse 8 says:

And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.

Remember, you don’t read Revelation literalistically. This isn’t saying that the population of the earth is divided into quarters and exactly one quarter are killed. This language of authority over a fourth of the earth symbolizes partial judgment, not full and complete judgement. Throughout history you find war in some nations, but not all. You see scarcity in some continents, not all.

What does all this mean?

Keep the context and original audience in mind: Christians, five decades after the resurrection and ascension of Christ were experiencing increasing persecution, alienation, rejection. And the question must have been in their mind: “If the Father is seated on the throne, and Christ has ascended to the place of authority and power… if he is truly reigning… why are we suffering?”

Remember some of the great promises Christ gave to the church:

“On this rock I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.” (Matthew 16:18)

“No one can snatch them out of my hand.” John (10:28)

What we learn in this passage is that painful persecution and deadly destruction do not occur indiscriminately, or in spite of Christ’s sovereign exaltation, but as a consequence of it. It is Christ, ascended and reigning who unfolds all of history in the breaking of these seals, even the trials and persecutions of his people.

Therefore, Revelation 6 is not a preview of calamities from which Christians will be removed. Rather Revelation is a heavenly explanation for the calamities Christians have endured ever since the ascension of Christ and will continue to endure until his return.

2. THE CRY OF THE MARTYRS (6:9-11)

In many ways, verses 9 & 10 are the very heart of the passage.

⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. ¹⁰ They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?”

The perspective shifts from the devastation of the horsemen on earth back to the throne room of heaven. Here, John sees the souls of martyrs, presumably, Christians throughout the centuries who have been killed for claiming the name Christ.

Notice the question they ask: O sovereign Lord… how long?” How long will the Lord allow these horsemen to plague the earth? If Christ is risen… if he is reigning in heaven, then why is he sending out these riders?

Notice as well, their attention to the Lord’s attributes:

• If you are sovereign (in control of all things), why is this happening?
• If you are holy (morally pure) how can you allow evil?
• If you are true, why do you allow deception?
• And if you are the judge, why have you withheld judgment.

Church, this prayer of the martyrs is not unlike the questions Job asked God in his trial. It’s not unlike the questions the prophet Habakkuk asked the Lord centuries before. In fact, this is the prayer of persecuted saints in every century.

If we’re honest, it’s the question that gives us more trouble than almost any other. Why does God allow and even send all that he sends? You may have asked that question even this week. Friends, I take some comfort in knowing that even saints in heaven ask the same question that we are asking here on earth.

¹¹ Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.

In response to their prayer, these saints are given a white robe, symbolizing their own victory. Though they were martyred, their faithfulness is counted as victory. And, they are told to rest. Why? Because there are more martyrs to come.

What’s going on here? They are told to wait for the judgment of God because first there are more Christians to be martyred. Though it may not sound like it, I believe the Lord is showing his patience and mercy. If he were to initiate the final judgment, there would be none left standing.

But, by delaying the final judgment, God allows more time for sinners to repent, to turn from their sins and to trust in Christ. Friend, even this morning, God is showing you patience. If you have not acknowledged your sin, and admitted your need for God’s mercy—do so today.

There will come a day when God’s righteous anger against all sin will be revealed. Because he is good, he will not let a single sin go unpunished. But, because he is also full of mercy, his own Son became a man, lived a perfectly obedient life, and died bearing God’s wrath against sin. Look to Christ, and you will be forgiven. Friend, if you have more questions about what it means to be a Christian, talk to me after the service, or talk to one of the people around you.

John’s original audience, under the persecution of Domitian needed to know that nothing happens outside of the sovereign providences of the risen Christ. The saints today, in North Korea, or Iran need to know that nothing they experience has happened because Christ was weak, or ignorant, or malevolent. And we need to know the same thing.

We need to know that when Scripture says “all things work together for the good of them that love God,” it means even the troubles of today. Even the evil forces of this world, Christ has used as his agent to bring both the sanctification of his people, and the judgment of evil doers.

All Things for Good

Though your afflictions are naturally evil – the wise overruling hand of God disposing and sanctifying them – turn them toward good ends.

He’s teaching you to hate sin. When I preach on sin, that it defiles and damages, you may

He’s making you more like Jesus. The Apostle Paul say, “That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death.” Was his head crowned with thorns, and do we think to be crowned with roses? It is good to be like Christ, though it be by sufferings.

He uses your sufferings to strengthen others. “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church” (Col. 1:24)

He’s strengthening your will to resist temptation. A tree that is shaken by the wind is more settled and rooted. Just so, the blowing of a temptation does but settle a Christian the more in grace. Peter was tempted to self-confidence. He presumed that his own strength was enough. But when he was put to the test, Christ let him fall. But it was for his good. He went out and wept bitterly (Matt. 26:75). And he became less  self-reliant. When Christ asked him, “Do you love me more than these,” he dared not say so. He simply replied with, “Lord, you know I love you.” The fall into sin broke the neck of his pride.

Even if the circumstances themselves are not good, we need to be able to say that “God is working these things in such a way that the outcome will be for my eternal and everlasting joy.”

3. THE WRATH OF THE LAMB (6:12-17)

 

The 6^th seal is broken in verse 12:

¹² When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, ¹³ and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. ¹⁴ The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.

What is being depicted here? I believe we’re seeing the final judgment. Because Revelation is a cyclical book, this earthquake will appear again in chapter 16. The focus here in chapter 6 is on the judgment of God against those who have persecuted his saints.

¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, ¹⁶ calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, ¹⁷ for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

This is the complete overthrow of all earthly powers, rulers, movements, and systems. (Beeke) No matter how powerful the rulers of this world are, regardless of the craftiness of their schemes or cunning, they will all be confounded.

And it is the very Lamb who sent forth the riders who will confound them in the end, and not even the mountains will be able to hide them from his terror. The same Christ who died for sinners in his first appearing, will preside over them as judge when he returns.

The only thing that matters is that we are on the right side of Jesus. That we are able to look into his eyes and see one who has redeemed us from our sins. Philip Dodderidge put it like this:

Ye sinner seek his grace

Whose wrath ye cannot bear

Fly to the shelter of his cross

And find salvation there.

Worthy is the Lamb: Jesus Christ Unlocks History – Revelation 5:1-14

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 5:1-14. Our text can be found on page 1030. These are the words of God:

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴ and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. ⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

⁶ And between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ And he went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who was seated on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each holding a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.
⁹ And they sang a new song, saying,
“Worthy are you to take the scroll
and to open its seals,
for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation,
¹⁰         and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God,
and they shall reign on the earth.”
¹¹ Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹² saying with a loud voice,
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
¹³ And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying,
“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”
¹⁴ And the four living creatures said, “Amen!” and the elders fell down and worshiped.

INTRODUCTION

What makes you celebrate? This coming Thursday our nation will sit down to tables spread with turkey, dressing, a variety of vegetables that all the children will pass over, and pumpkin pies. As a nation, we’ll celebrate all the many blessings we enjoy, giving thanks and enjoying family and friends.

But there are many other occasions for celebrations that we observe. Our entire year is full of celebrations. We celebrate national holidays such as Independence Day or Memorial Day. We celebrate religious holidays such as Easter and Christmas. We even celebrate holidays that we don’t understand.

Originally St. Patrick’s Day was called the Feast of St. Patrick, in which the church celebrated the conversion of Ireland from paganism to Christianity. But what about today? What are we celebrating? Ireland? The color green? Shamrocks and leprechauns?

Once a year we celebrate birthdays, which mark off another year of God’s sustaining our physical life. We throw showers and receptions for weddings and babies, celebrating the beginning of a new family or a new generation. You might celebrate a personal milestone, like the graduation of high school or college, or a promotion at work.

Celebrations set human beings apart from every other living creature. Dogs don’t celebrate wedding anniversaries. Cats don’t celebrate a month of weight loss with a cheat meal. Chimpanzees don’t throw parties when their children graduate from Ape School.

RAISE THE NEED, SIGNPOSTS, STATE THE DESTINATION

But why? Why do we celebrate? If you think about it, from an evolutionary perspective, celebrations are terribly wasteful; they are an unnecessary expenditure of resources that could be saved up for the survival of the species. So, why do we celebrate?

Friend, you might say that celebrations are part of what make humans human. Because we are made in the image of the Creator, we have an internal knowledge that our lives are significant. The events of history have real and lasting meaning, be they the founding of a nation in 1776, or the evangelization of Ireland. In fact, historical events are so imbued and charged with meaning precisely because God works within history.

That’s why we celebrate Christmas. We recognize that the Son of God, as a fact of history, took unto himself a human nature, and had a birthday. That same Son of God, as a fact of history, was crucified outside of Jerusalem bearing the sins of his people, and was raised again three days later.

You see, the Christian view of history is not like the evolutionary view, which requires blind chance to determine what happens next. Nor is the Christian view of history like the Marxist view, that the material world is all there is, and therefore history is determined by economic relationships.

Rather, we believe that God who spoke both time and space into existence; who created all things by the Word of his power, is the same God who in Christ Jesus is redeeming all things in heaven and earth. The end of history isn’t the frozen, dead universe of the evolutionist, nor is it some utopia brought about by the proletariat’s rebellion against the bourgeoisie.

No, the end of history is a cosmic celebration, and as we will see in our passage today, it is brought about through the person of Jesus Christ. As we consider the unlocking of history, and the celebration that awaits those who are in Christ, let’s work through this passage in 4 parts:

1. The Scroll He Saw (5:1)
2. The Tears He Shed (5:2-4)
3. The Comfort He Received (5:5-7)
4. The Song He Heard (5:8-14)

Church, as we examine this passage, I pray you will know that Christ alone unlocks all of history. And if you are not a Christian, I pray that even today you will see that your life fits into God’s plan to redeem all things in Christ, and therefore you will turn to him in faith.

1. THE SCROLL HE SAW (5:1)

In order to set the stage, consider what we studied last week in Revelation 4. The Apostle John, exiled on the Aegean island of Patmos for preaching Christ, received a vision from Jesus Christ in which he was invited up into heaven and there he saw, at the center of all things: a throne. God, seated on his throne is the ultimate center of all reality, and John relayed to us the worship that eternally occurs there.

Now, in Revelation 5:1 we read the following:

5 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals.

Our attention is drawn from the one on the throne to a scroll or book in his right hand, the hand of God’s power.

If you were a first-century Roman citizen, you would instantly recognize the significance of a seven-sealed scroll. That’s because, in ancient Rome, the last will of a person’s estate and inheritance was written front and back on a scroll and sealed by seven witnesses. Only upon the death of a testator could the seals be broken and the legal inheritance be executed. So, this scroll is a deed of inheritance.

On the other hand, Jews reading this knew that centuries earlier, God had worked powerfully in the life of the prophet Daniel. Daniel gave many prophecies of the kingdoms of Babylon, the Medes & Persians, of even Greece and Rome.

Daniel was also told of the last days when God would judge sin and evil. In Daniel 7:13 we read these words:

¹³ “I saw in the night visions,

and behold, with the clouds of heaven

there came one like a son of man,

and he came to the Ancient of Days

and was presented before him.

¹⁴ And to him was given dominion

and glory and a kingdom,

that all peoples, nations, and languages

should serve him;

his dominion is an everlasting dominion,

which shall not pass away,

and his kingdom one

that shall not be destroyed.

In the final chapter of the book, Daniel inquired of the Lord when these last days would take place. But instead of giving Daniel an answer, the Lord told Daniel to “shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end.” (Dan. 12:4, 9)

Amazingly, the Lord Jesus, in Mark 14:62, foretelling his resurrection form the dead and ascension to the Father, quotes this very passage.

⁶² And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

You see, Daniel’s prophecy had been sealed up because the saints of the Old Testament could not have understood the full meaning of the Messianic age without direct knowledge of who Jesus Christ is, and what he came to do. But now that Christ has been revealed in the flesh, history has entered its final phase.

Church, you are living in the last days. The prophets like Daniel, Ezekiel, and Isaiah, foresaw a future age in which God’s Messiah would rule and reign, it would be a time of peace when the nations would come to Christ, they would learn to obey God’s commands, and God’s glory would cover the earth as the waters cover the sea.

But, when you turn to the New Testament, you realize that this reign of Christ, which the prophets saw as taking place at the end of the age, actually overlaps our current age. In other words, the kingdom reign of Christ is inaugurated not at the end of history, but right in the middle.

If we take both of those together we begin to form an understanding of what this scroll represents. This scroll represents the title deed to the earth, the plans, purposes, and judgments of God. It is written on both front and back, therefore nothing can be added to this plan.And, this scroll represents the unfolding of all history between Christ’s first and second advent. And John desperately wants to see what is in this scroll. How will God unfold the end of history and bring it to its consummation?

2. THE TEARS HE SHED (5:2-4)

² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” ³ And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, ⁴ and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it.

The only way to unlock all of God’s redemptive plan and judgment is to break the seals and open the scroll. And the question is, as Joel Beeke says, “Who is equal to the task of executing God’s plan, realizing his decrees, and carrying out his purposes in the universe? If it were left to us, there would be no kingdom of God, no salvation for mankind, no spread of the gospel, and no final righteous judgment.” And therefore, John weeps.

Friend, what do you weep about? What brings tears to your eyes? Do you weep over your own need for forgiveness? Do you weep for those who have not heard the gospel? When you see hostages taken in Israel, cities bombed in Ukraine, and abortion legalized in our own nation, do you weep; longing for the day when God will set things to right? Church, apart from Jesus Christ opening this scroll, there is no hope for us, for the nations, for good.

Friends, notice that the question asked is not whether someone is strong enough to open the book. Rather, the question is, “Who is worthy?” Is there anyone who has the character, the righteousness, the quality of life to receive this title deed to the earth? And John weeps, for no one in heaven was worthy.

Consider who was in heaven when John received this vision. The Apostle Paul had already been beheaded by Nero nearly two decades earlier, as had Peter within a few years of Paul. But neither of these men, hand-selected by Jesus himself were worthy.

What about David, Israel’s greatest king, the man after God’s own heart? Or what about Moses, the great prophet and deliverer of the children of Israel; the man who split the Red Sea and saw the glory of God on Sinai and delivered God’s law to the people. What about Abraham, the father of the faith, who believed God and it was counted unto him as righteousness?

Friend, no one in heaven, not even the holiest saint was found worthy to receive this book.

The search expanded to earth. Surely there were great and powerful leaders of men, kings and emperors who might be able to enact and bring about God’s plans of redemption and judgment. But no. No man or woman on earth could be found. Not the Emperor Domitian, or any of the early church fathers.

Church this is a reminder that even the best of men, are men at best. As important as it is that we elect godly men and women to public office, and it is, none of them are able to enact God’s eternal plans of redemption. No politician, no pastor, no spouse, no child. If we place the hope of our immortal souls in any of these, not only will our hearts be broken, but we’ll become idolaters; looking to men for what only the Son of Man can do.

We have seen:

1. The Scroll He Saw
2. The Tears He Shed

Now…

3. THE COMFORT HE RECEIVED (5:5-7)

As John weeps and no one can be found who is worthy, one of the 24 elders notices his tears and speaks words of tremendous comfort:

⁵ And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”

Who is this Lion of Judah and Root of David? Well, those are two Old Testament references to Jesus Christ. The first comes from Genesis 49:

 

⁹ Judah is a lion’s cub;

from the prey, my son, you have gone up.

He stooped down; he crouched as a lion

and as a lioness; who dares rouse him?

¹⁰ The scepter shall not depart from Judah,

nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet,

until tribute comes to him;

and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.

And the second is from Isaiah 11:9

¹⁰ In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples—of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious.

These were prophecies that would help Israel properly identify the Messiah of God. He would descend from the tribe of Judah, and more specifically, from the lineage of Jesse and King David.

Of course, Jesus perfectly meets these two prophetic requirements. He is the Lion of Judah. As the Root of Jesse, he is the rightful heir to David’s throne. And, as John turns to see this conquering Lion he is utterly shocked because when he turns around, instead of a Lion he sees a Lamb. And not just a Lamb, but who somehow appears to have been offered as a blood sacrifice. Yet this Lamb is standing and alive.

What is happening? Who is this one who is both a Lion and a Lamb? And what makes him worthy of taking the scroll? Church this is Jesus Christ, and what qualifies him is his victory: he conquered. But unlike every other human conqueror, Jesus victory is greater and his means of victory are more surprising. What did he conquer? While other warriors conquered nations, Jesus conquered the power of sin and the plans of the devil. In his perfectly obedient life Jesus conquered sin. He did what the first Adam did not do; where we failed to obey God, Christ the Son perfectly obeyed the Father on our behalf and received our punishment. And, in his resurrection, he conquered the plan of the devil to destroy him. Church, who could possibly execute the contents of this scroll if he could not first be master over sin? Who could bring about God’s redemptive plan and judgments if he was not able to first triumph over Satan? This is what makes Jesus, and Jesus alone, worthy to unlock all of God’s plans for history. And this is what brought John comfort.

Friend, this is what will bring you comfort in your distress, in your disappointments: Christ has conquered. Has your life not worked out the way you had planned: Christ has conquered. Have you received a diagnosis that has shaken you: Christ died in your place and was raised. Are you daily weighed down with concerns for your future? Friend, not one of God’s redemptive purposes will fail because Jesus Christ, the Lion of Judah, the Root of Jesse, the Lamb who was slain has taken the scroll and he will execute every line of God’s eternal plans not just for the cosmos—but for you personally.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take

The clouds ye so much dread

Are big with mercy and shall break

In blessings on your head.

The Scroll he saw, the tears he shed, the comfort he received…

4. THE SONG HE HEARD (5:8-14)

 

When Christ takes the scroll from the one seated on the throne all of heaven and all of earth break out in song. John says “every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth,” acknowledges the kingly rule of Jesus Christ. And as they sing about the worthiness of the Lamb, I want to draw your attention to two details in their song.

First, I want you to notice that the Lamb possesses the same power and authority as the one who is seated on the throne. When heaven worships the Lamb, they are worshipping God. When heaven worships the one on the throne in chapter 4, they are worshiping God. Just as the elders fell before the throne in chapter 4, they now fall down at the feet of the Lamb. This is because the Lamb is the Second Person in the Holy Trinity. Though the Son of God is distinct from the Father in his person, he is equal in essence or nature. One of the greatest statements on the deity of Christ comes from the Nicene Creed, written in A.D. 325. Of the son it says:

[I believe in] one Lord Jesus Christ,
      the only Son of God,
      begotten from the Father before all ages,
           God from God,
           Light from Light,
           true God from true God,
      begotten, not made;
      of the same essence as the Father.

I don’t know if you realize this, but the Christian view of Jesus is different from the Islamic, Jehovah’s Witness, or Mormon view of Jesus. The Islamic view of Christ is that he was a mere human prophet. The view of Jehovah’s Witness is that Jesus Christ was a created by Jehovah as the archangel Michael and is a lesser God. The Mormon view is that Jesus is the offspring of a “heavenly father” and “heavenly mother,” who became exalted to godhood and, even more strangely, that Jesus and Lucifer (who were brothers) both offered to be the Messiah. Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that Jesus a created being. Church, we may have family, friends, or neighbors who are Muslim, Jehovah’s Witnesses, or Mormon, and we have a responsibility to love them by explaining to them, from passages like Revelation 5, that Jesus Christ is clearly the eternally existent Son of God.

The second detail I want you to note in their song is this: Jesus Christ ransomed a people.

⁹ And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are you to take the scroll

and to open its seals,

for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God

from every tribe and language and people and nation,

When Jesus Christ went to the cross, he was not dying for the possibility that some might be saved. No, he ransomed actual people. He didn’t die for the prospect that sinners in general might be saved. Rather, he took a list of names to the cross. He died for the sins of his people. But notice where his people come from: every tribe, every language, every people, every nation. The death of Christ embraces all sorts of men and women: all ethnic groups, and linguistic groups. There is no favoritism or partiality. He did not save us because we were beautiful, but to make us beautiful. He did not ransom us because we were righteous but to give us his perfect righteousness. Friend, though God chooses to save, “that choice is not elitist, or snobbish. There is no preference or bias.” (Beeke) He welcomes the weakest, the vilest the poor.

So, if you hear his voice today, if you believe he has died to redeem you from your sins today, then trust him. Confess your need of him. If you have more questions about what that means, after the service come talk to me, or even talk to one of the people sitting near you. This church is full of people who love Jesus and can help explain the gospel to you.

That soul who on Jesus has leaned for repose,

I will not I will not desert to its foes

That soul though all hell should endeavor to shake

I’ll never no never no never forsake.

Keep My Word: Christ’s Word to a Faithful Church – Revelation 3:7-13

THE TEXT:

The text for the sermon today is Revelation 3:7-13. Our text can be found on page 1029. These are the words of God:

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

8 “ ‘I know your works. Behold, I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut. I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. 10 Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. 11 I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown. 12 The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name. 13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

INTRODUCTION

Standing at 5’ 6” and weighing only 133 lbs., Spud Webb was one of the smallest ever players in the NBA. Playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Spud seemed to defy gravity with a 46’ vertical leap. Not only could Spud Webb dunk a basketball, he famously won the 1986 NBA Slam Dunk Contest as a rookie. It just goes to show you that it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the dog in the fight.

The same can be said of the church in Philadelphia. They weren’t big. They weren’t powerful. They made zero headlines. But they were faithful in everything Christ providentially placed in front of them. And, for that reason, they were the only church of the 7 to last through the centuries.

How did such a small church not simply endure, but overcome the collapse of the world around them? They understood who Christ was. They rested in his power not their own. And, they held fast to their simple faith. They didn’t become masters of great things—they were mastered by the greatest and most glorious thing of all.

THE WARDEN OF HISTORY

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

What is this key of David? It’s a reference to Isaiah 22:22 when a faithful man named Eliakim was given the authority of the house of David. In other words, he alone could open the door into the king’s domain, and Eliakim is a foreshadow of Christ. He is the warden of history. The keys of the ages and epochs are securely in his hand. He alone opens a new century, and he alone can close another. He makes nations rise and fall. We may cast the dice, but he determines the result.

More importantly, he alone can open the door to his Father’s house. If he has opened that door for you, then you will walk through it. If that door remains shut, you can’t push it open through your own efforts.

Do you think the president, or the World Economic Forum holds the keys of history? They are merely pawns on the king’s chessboard.

DISPROPORTIONATE RESULTS

When you realize that Christ is the warden of history, you worry less about how big, strong, or influential your life or church is. This is the God of disproportionate results.

He says to Philadelphia, “You have but little power.” In other words, they were a tiny congregation. He says they are persecuted by the “synagogue of Satan.” Their Jewish friends in the city had betrayed them to the civil authorities. So they’re small and the obstacles are big.

At the same time, he says to them, “I have set before you an open door, which no one is able to shut.” Though they were small, their gospel reach was big. Concerning the “synagogue of Satan,” Christ says, “I will make them come and bow down before you,” in repentance and belief in Christ. Though a trial was “coming on the whole world,” Philadelphia would be preserved through it. Why?

First, they kept the Word of Christ. It was the one thing they would not let go. Can the same be said of you?

Second, they endured patiently. They didn’t get their feathers ruffled. They weren’t like a dandelion, blown by the wind. They were like oaks, deeply rooted in Christ. Enduring the storms that threatened.

THREE NEW NAMES

The passage concludes with promises too glorious for a single sentence, so Christ heaps up heavenly potentialities:

“I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.” (v. 12)

Though you may be labeled a disturber of the current state of affairs, you are the one who upholds and supports the only building that will outlast this state of affairs: the church.

“I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” (v. 12)

The threefold name given to the faithful church is the name of the Father, the new Jerusalem, and the very name of Christ himself. There is no greater title that can be placed upon you. To be a child of the Father, a citizen of the new creation, and a co-heir of Jesus Christ. When every skyscraper falls into dust and the castles of sinful men are proven to be made of sand, you will have a city that only becomes more beautiful in every eternal age.