Text: Rev 20:1-10
NT Text: Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43 ("The Parable of the Weeds") Featured Verse: Matt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.” Main Idea: We will continue to explore the practical importance of millennial views. After yesterday's marathon post, we will return to the theme of the Millennium, but we will focus on practical implications (and hopefully keep this to a more reasonable length.) Further Application I would like to continue to explore the practical relevance of millennial views by sharing a paraphrased post from Dave Snoke. Dave is overseas, but we have been discussing this over email and I asked his permission to modify our recent exchange and include it in the blog. In summary, the "Parable of the Weeds" gives a good overview of Church history from an Amillennial viewpoint. In this view, both the weeds (Kingdom of Darkness) and the wheat (Kingdom of God) grow together until the harvest. (Matt 13:30) When we see the Millennium as referring to the Church age, it means Satan is (now) restrained and unable to prevent the worldwide spread of the gospel by "deceiving the nations." (20:3) Therefore, the Kingdom of God ("wheat") can grow. At the same time, the agents of Satan are active in the world ("weeds"), but with limited power. Babylon grows in splendor. The beast and the false prophet emerge to attack the church. Both of the Kingdoms are growing - until the final harvest at the end of the age. So how does this impact our view of the Christian life, now? The following is Dave's contribution to this discussion. Guest Post - Dave Snoke Here is a thought on how this relates to us, practically. We can ask the basic question, "How should we see the Church overall-- as a defeated power on the run, or as victorious over its enemies, or with its future in doubt--maybe one or the other?" Premillennialism has often been associated with pessimism-- the church is a defeated scrabble on the run. This leads us to think, "This is the devil's world." By contrast, Postmillennialism is often associated with optimism-- "just a little more work and we will make this world into paradise!" Historically these views are correlated with how much influence and power the church seems to have at that time in a culture. In the late 1800's people felt the church was winning and everything was getting better, and Postmillennialism grew in popularity. In the late 1900's, after two world wars and the sexual revolution and "God is dead" movement, the church turned strongly to pessimistic Premillennialism.* I think the Postmillennialists have a good point in directing us to all of the passages that talk of the church victorious-- the growth of the church like leaven, the stone of Daniel's vision that grows to fill the world, Jesus talking of the Gospel going to all nations, etc. But one can hardly read Revelation and see only upward progress. Satan is real and active! I think the answer is to have both pessimism and optimism - about different aspects. We should be optimistic that the church is on the march, and the gates (defensive positions) of hell will not hold against the victorious march of the church to save souls from all cultures. But at the same time, persecutions and opposition also increase, as well as the temptations to worldliness. The more influential the church, the more its enemies fear it and fight against it. This also affects how we view our work and calling. If we have an entirely pessimistic view, we will see work to build long-term structures in this world as pointless. Instead, we would just do evangelism to save a few people from the fire before everything collapses. (I was told in the 1970s that working to make this world a better place was "polishing the brass on the Titanic.") On the other hand, if we view ourselves as building heaven on earth by conquest and influence, then we want to "lawyer up" to gain power, try to take over institutions, etc. (I was told by Postmillennialists in the 1980s that evangelism would always fail if the secular humanists controlled the schools, so control of the society was the first task.) An Amillennial view allows us to take a "both/and" perspective. It says that savings souls AND cultural influence are both valuable, but neither is ascendant. We should not neglect evangelism, but we can also work with a long-term vision to create positive institutions.** Notes * I'll add my own comments here and point out that Premillennialism was popular among the fundamentalists, while Postmillennialism was more popular among modernists. So, the Pre/Post debate split along the lines of liberals and conservatives in the early 20th Century. Historically, Postmillennialism had advocates from other parts of the church, but I think that Dave's point about the attraction of various systems based on the perceived cultural power of the church in a given society is a really good insight. (Matt) ** As we consider Christian history, we can see ways in which the Church has often had tremendous influence on the culture around it. There is reason to believe that God's Spirit, working in the midst of his people, can bring salt and light into the fallen world. Amillennialism makes sense of this sort of optimism during the Church age, while Satan's power is constrained. At the same time, our hopes are tempered by realism. The ultimate goal of our Christian hope is the return of Jesus and the restored humanity after the final judgment. Amillennialism guards against utopian dreams which seek to bring the fullness of the kingdom into the world, here and now. Unfortunately, utopian dreams (both religious and secular) have been the justification for great atrocities in history. The road to hell is paved with "utopian" intentions. (Matt) ![]() Text: Rev 20:1-10 NT Parallel Text: John 12:31-32 "Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Featured Verse: Rev 20:7-8 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. Main Idea: This vision of the Millenium (1,000 years) in which Satan is bound and prevented from deceiving the nations is a recapitulation of Church history that shows Satan's power limited by the resurrection of Jesus. The passage offers (yet) another look at the last battle in which the nations gather and God brings final victory. Ok, hang on to your seats. These 10 verses are among the most hotly debated in the book of Revelation. We will spread this section out over two posts and two days. We'll start by trying to understand what this 1,000 period of time refers to and then tomorrow we will discuss in greater detail why this matters. Analysis When we step back and look at it, this vision refers to a 1,000 year period of time in which good things are happening. Satan is bound and prevented from deceiving the nations. (20:1-3) The saints are alive and reigning. (20:6) Eventually, Satan is released, and there is a final battle before the cosmos is undone and Satan is finally sent to the lake of fire. (20:11-15) So, it ends brutally, but all-in-all, this is a fairly pleasant appearing section of time. Based on this vision alone, a person might say, "I would like to live during the Millenium." Today I will (1.) share what I think is the best way to interpret these verses (2.) compare that to other Millennial views, and then, (3.) defend that in more detail. Depending on how deep you want to go, you may not keep following past the first section. But, before we dive in, let's briefly consider the significance of this. When viewed alone, the Millennium can be an attractive vision. But it is also very confusing. In fact, it may be tempting for us to say, "This is all too confusing, I don't think it is worth discussing." Therefore, we need to see up front - there are very practical implications. In his commentary on Revelation, Tim Chester shares a summary of why Millennial views matter. While we will dive into this more tomorrow, we can simply say that the search for the Millennium is the search for a "golden age" of human flourishing. As, I will argue today, that is probably the wrong way of thinking about this, but nonetheless, that is how the discussion normally goes. Tim Chester detailed how particular views of the Millennium drove Christian behavior in history. Sometimes people were convinced that they were about to enter the golden age of Christianity and that the normal expectations for the Christian life were about to be upended. For some folks, the golden age of triumphal Christian living could be ushered in by our activism. For others, the Millennium was so far in the future that they gave up any hope in this present world. Finally, Chester noted that secular variations of the Millennium drove Marxist hopes and the Nazi dreams of a "Third Reich" that would last 1,000 years.* Subdued versions of this seem to animate the hopes of modern-day progressives who long to be "on the right side of history" and finally reach a place free from human conflict. Certainly, John Lennon's memorable song, "Imagine" seems to be calling his listeners to imagine a secular millennium. In other words, the question about when we can "find a golden age of human flourishing" is a powerful idea which haunts even the dreams of our secular neighbors. How we think about this will say a lot about our theology. Idealist-Amillennial View I shared in a prior post that this series has been written from the viewpoint of what can be called an "Idealist-Amillennial View." This view relates to much we have seen in the book. We understand Revelation as a prophetic book in which John reveals spiritual truths about the history of the world by using symbolic images. We are not looking for the images to fit together in a linear sequence, rather, we expect that they are often stacked on top of each other. Like an anatomy book that shows multiple layers of different systems in the same body, John is frequently laying his visions on top of each other, as they recapitulate key sequences of events from different perspectives. In short, the view I am espousing understands this vision to be one large recapitulation. The 1,000 Millenium is a symbolic number for the age of the church.** It begins with Satan being bound after the resurrection of Jesus. This is a recapitulation of a prior vision in which Satan is cast out of heaven. (12:10) During this 1,000 period of time (throughout the age of the church), Satan is not absolutely bound, but he is constrained in his ability to "deceive the nations." (20:3) This is why the Church is growing throughout all people groups on earth. Satan is still our enemy, but he is limited in his ability to stop the kingdom of God. Derek Thomas wrote, "Satan is on a chain." Like a leashed dog, he can growl and threaten, but he cannot truly harm those who are in Christ. If we resist him, he will flee. (James 4:7) During this time, those who have died faithfully in Christ experience a spiritual resurrection. They are spiritually present with Christ - a reality that we have already seen in the vision of the fifth seal as they gathered beneath the altar of God in heaven. (6:9) This is the first resurrection, a spiritual resurrection. The second will be at the final judgment when all of the dead are raised. That is the second resurrection, the resurrection of the body. This first resurrection is for all believers, but those that are killed for their faith are especially emphasized and are representative for the way in which all of God's people suffer in this present age. The "rest of the dead" (20:5) refers to those who die outside of Christ and are consigned to Hades as they wait for the final judgment. At the end of the church age, Satan's constraints will be lifted and he will then be free to deceive the nations and gather them for a final battle against the church. This is the same final battle that we have seen so many times before. Essentially, we are arguing that Armageddon (16:16), the Battle of the Rider in White (19:19), and the Battle at Gog and Magog (20:8) are all the same climactic battle. Following this we see the final judgement (20:11-15), which will be discussed in a separate post. This vision is another layer onto the anatomy of the Church age. We have seen how the period between the resurrection of Jesus and his return is characterized by the dominance of Babylon (chapters 17-18), and that God shakes the heavens and earth through a series of judgments to allow his unshakeable kingdom to be established. (I am explaining the 4 series of judgements in chapters 6-16 with the language of Hebrews 12:26-29.) At the same time, Satan's power is limited, and the church is growing... spreading to every tongue, and tribe and nation, because Satan is constrained from deceiving the nations. Together with the other visions in the book, we see a complete picture of the reality of the Church age. In that time, the church is growing and spreading... but the kingdom of darkness is also growing. Our view is one in which real advance for the Gospel is expected, but the opposition is not about to vanish any time soon. Satan is loud, but he is on a chain. Babylon, the City of Man is radiant but hollow and doomed for destruction. At the same time, the people of God share in the weakness of the Lord, even as he makes his glory known through them to the ends of the earth. Compared to Other Millennial Views Ok, maybe you are satisfied with that explanation. I once heard it said, that anyone can feel like Revelation is easy if you only read one commentary. When there is only one explanation present, the answer may seem plausible. But if you have been exposed to very different ways of reading this book, and in particular different ways of understanding the Millennium, then everything gets a lot more complicated. Let's briefly return to the topic that was introduced in an earlier post - comparative views of the book of Revelation. Tim Chester included a chart in his commentary. It summarizes how various views of the Millennium understand the connection between, (a.) the return of Christ, (b.) the Millennium, and (c.) the final judgment. (Note, there are variations of each view and this is therefore a necessarily oversimplified chart.) Pre-Millennialism - This understands the connection between the vision of the Rider in White (19:11-21) to happen chronologically before the Millenium. Jesus comes back before ("pre") the Millenium. The idea is that all of the stuff in this vision of the Millenium happens after Jesus returns, but before the final judgement. Obviously, the Millenium would be very different from the Church age as we know it now. This view has been very popular in America over the last 150 years. I think it is fair to say that proponents of this view see the golden age as something that happens only after Jesus returns and are therefore pessimistic about the hope for this present age. Post-Millennialism - This understands the vision of the Rider in White to be something other than the literal return of Jesus, but represents some climactic moment during the Church age in which we enter into a new period of growth and flourishing. Tim Chester listed ways in which some form of this view shaped church life after Constantine converted to Christianity and after the Reformation. I think that it is fair to say that proponents of this view see the golden age as attainable and are therefore optimistic (even triumphalist) in regard to life in this present age. Amillennialism - This understands the Millennium to be one of many layers of visions which describe life in the present Church age. It is not a literal 1,000 years (hence the "a" which means "not" in the title "A-millennial.") Of course, when someone presents two extreme options and then offers their own, exactly in the middle, Goldilocks smiles and nods. (It's not too hot, or too cold.) All joking aside, I think it is fair to say that proponents of this view expect to see both a growing Kingdom of God in fellowship with Christ, and increased opposition from the world, culminating in a climactic conflict (of some sort) at the end of the age. A Defense of an Amillennial View Tomorrow, we will consider in greater detail the implication of these views. But I want to write a little more about why I am convinced that this interpretation is the best way of reading the text. In the interest of brevity on an already extremely long post, I will write in bullet point "Q&A" comments. Why is it attractive to see the (a.) return of Christ, (b.) final judgement, (c.) and the resurrection of the dead as grouped together? The rest of the NT directs our hope to the return of Christ as the focus of our future orientation. The idea of a millennial "golden age" that occurs prior to the final judgment is not supported by any other clear teaching of Scripture. Furthermore, the return of Jesus is always associated with the final judgment (See Matt 25) and the resurrection of the dead (I Cor 15, 1 John 3:1-2.) Peter writes that we should "set our hope fully on the grace that will be ours when Christ is revealed" (1 Peter 1:13), and the Apostles Creed says he is "returning to judge the living and the dead." A 1,000 year gap between the return of Jesus and the final judgment seems to confuse both of those statements of faith. Why should we understand the Millennium to be figurative and not a literal period of 1,000 years? Nearly all of the numbers in Revelation are symbolic. We already saw that there are "seven Spirits" before the throne of God and we understand that there is only one Holy Spirit. Also, the 144,000 saints are parallel to a "great multitude that no one could number." (7:9) Obviously, there must be more than 144,000 of them, if they cannot be numbered. If the 1,000 was a literal 1,000-years it would be nearly the only number used in Revelation that is not symbolic. Finally, the number 1,000 is used often in the Bible to refer to a long period of time. (See Psalm 90:4) Why does this all seem to happen after the other visions? It is natural for us to think that a literary sequence would imply a historical sequence. But that is not how prophetic visions work. We have already seen many examples of this in the OT and the book of Revelation as a whole, so I will not repeat it here. But it is a critical point for our interpretation. "The order is not chronological, but theological."*** Why do you think this recapitulates other visions? This is really important to see. There is huge linguistic overlap between this vision and prior visions. In particular, the "Last Battle" is described with the same language in three places, and referred to in many others. (16:4, 19:19, 20:8; 11:7, etc.) Furthermore, the destruction of the cosmos is described in similar terms in both 16:17-21, and 20:11. Both occur after a description of this final battle. Clearly, that is not something that could happen more than once. How can we say that Satan is bound now, if the NT warns about the realities of Spiritual warfare? If we read this as one vision of many, describing the Church age, we get a remarkably familiar perspective about spiritual warfare. First, it seems that the binding of Satan (20:1-3) is the same as Satan being thrown down from heaven, and no longer able to "accuse the brethren." (12:10) The NT as a whole portrays spiritual conflict as one in which Jesus has already won the decisive battle through his death and resurrection. Satan is not yet removed (12:10), but his power is limited. In reference to fighting the Devil, Jesus said, that "no one can plunder the house of a strong man, unless he first binds the strong man" (Matt 12:29) Because Satan is specifically said to be constrained in his ability to "deceive the nations", the binding of Satan during the Millennium makes possible the realization of the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20) as the church grows among all nations in ways never witnessed before the Resurrection of Jesus. Furthermore, Jesus himself connects the "casting out" of the ruler of this world, with his death and resurrection. (John 12:31-32) What does it mean for Satan to be released at the end of the Church age? This seems to be similar to a warning that the Apostle Paul gives to the Thessalonians, that at the end of the age, "a man of lawlessness" will no longer be "restrained" and will create havoc, until "the Lord Jesus will kill him by the breath of his mouth." That seems very much to relate to the final battle which is described in both Rev 19:19-23 and 20:7-10. Beyond those bare details, we don't know much, but this fits into a harmonious picture. How can John describe saints as already experiencing the first resurrection during this present age? John describes a first and second resurrection. If those are two phases of physical resurrection, then it would seem to contradict the NT hope of a singular resurrection of all believers at the return of Christ. (1 Thess 4:13-18) By contrast, the NT does regularly use the term resurrection to describe either a spiritual resurrection or a physical resurrection. (Rom 6:4-13) We know that those in Christ who are absent from the body are present with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), which clearly implies a spiritual vitality for those in Christ, after their physical death. We see exactly that picture in Rev 6:9-11, where those who have died for their faith are in heaven, "under the altar" and crying out for justice. It seems far less problematic to assume John describes this reality as the "first resurrection" than it is to upend the clear teaching of other Scriptures with a doctrine that portrays various stages of physical resurrections. How did you have time to write all of this? Well, I will admit this has been more time consuming than I had expected. But I find this to be enjoyable and I have really appreciated the feedback people have been giving. The bigger question is, "how did you have time to read all of this?" If you are still chugging along through this enormous post, my hat is off to you. I hope you found it to be helpful! Let us set our hope fully on the grace that will be ours when Christ is revealed! Notes *Tim Chester, Revelation for You, 147-152. * In that sense, it is similar to the earlier phrases which are equivalent to 3.5 years, 42 months, or 1260 days, or "time, times and half a time." They are all ways of referring to the period of time between the resurrection of Jesus and his return, which we call the "Church Age." *** Derek Thomas, Revelation for You, p161. Text: Rev 19:11-21
NT Parallel Text: 1 Cor 15:20-28 Featured Verse: Rev 19:11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. Main Idea: The final battle is fought - and won - by Jesus. [We have made the argument throughout that Revelation recapitulates,* that is it retells a story from a different angle. Therefore, we maintain that this is a new perspective on the same final battle which has been previously depicted as the battle of Armageddon. (Rev 16:16) The new perspective on that battle is that Jesus is the one who fights and brings deliverance for God's people.] Analysis This Rider on a White Horse is NOT the same as the First Horseman of the Apocalypse, who also rode a white horse.** By contrast, this rider is depicted with all of the same descriptions used of Jesus in the opening vision.*** (Check out the notes below!) We have now come full circle. We started the book with a vision of Jesus among the churches, now we see him returning to bring deliverance for his people. This is the work of King Jesus - he sustains them in their earthly pilgrimage and defeats their enemies at the end of time. The Westminster Shorter Catechism asks a question about how Jesus does his work as king and answered the question this way: Christ carries out the office of a king in subduing us to himself, in ruling and defending us, and in restraining and conquering all his and our enemies. WSC #26. In Revelation we see how Jesus won a victory on the cross. His death and resurrection bring victory over sin and when God draws us to put our faith in Christ our sins are forgiven through his salvation. But the close of revelation also shows a different type of victory. When Jesus returns, we will come in glorious power and his arrival will bring the defeat of his enemies. This text is a pictorial display of Jesus "restraining and conquering all his and our enemies." In some ways, it is all pretty simple. This same idea is found throughout the Bible in multiple places, but one of the strongest examples is found in 1 Cor 15:20-28 where Paul speaks of Jesus returning and putting all things under his feet. Conclusion and Application: Because Jesus is our king, we can live a life of faithful obedience. He has power (now) to restrain our enemies. As we wait for his return, we follow Jesus in a cruciform life. Our earthly experience is one in which we "share in his suffering" (Phil 3.) But that is not the end of the story. When Jesus returns, "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess." (Phil 2) Even his enemies will be forced to recognize his absolute power. It is hard to know how the symbolic language of Revelation would relate to real world conflict, but as the Rider on a White Horse, Jesus himself, will be personally involved in our deliverance. Notes * There are a lot of really significant overlaps when we look at the final battle, but this vision has one that really screams for us to make the connection. John tells us that the Rider in White has the name written on his robe, "King of kings and Lord of lords." (19:16) This is the exact same description of Jesus when he fought against the beast and false prophet in Revelation 17:14. So, unless we are to assume that Jesus came and fought two different battles against the same enemy in which he is described in the exact same way... we have to recognize the pattern of recapitulation. -- And please don't use Rocky I and Rocky II, or the whole disastrous set of third generation Star Wars movies as examples of repeated plot lines. I don't accept Hollywood sequels as a legitimate basis for Biblical Interpretation! (Please read those last comments with a wink and a nod.) **It should be noted that this Rider is clearly different from the first horseman of the Apocalypse who also rode a white horse. That rider is associated with demonic power, while every other feature (except for the white horse and the crown) is different from the horseman depicted in Rev 19. In particular, this Rider is labeled with a title already given to Jesus: "Faithful and True." (3:7 and 3:14) For modern readers, it is natural to think that the white horses would be similar, since we see very few horses and very few horsemen. But in the ancient world, this would not have seemed as strange. By way of comparison, if someone told us a story about a white car, it would not automatically occur to us that the next white automobile in the story must therefore be exactly the same. *** I said it was "simple", but there is a lot of very interesting stuff going on in the details. This enhances the main idea that Jesus is our long-awaited king who brings deliverance from our enemies. In particular, notice how these references tie together Jesus among the lampstands (Rev 1), with Jesus speaking to the churches (Rev 2-3), and Jesus victorious in the final battle (Rev 19:11-21). Here are some references on the details: (v.12) "Eyes like fire." See the earlier description of Jesus (1:14) and his address to the churches (2:18.) (v.13) "A robed dipped in blood." This is a reference to Isaiah 63:2-3 which explains that the bloody robe comes from treading the winepress, a theme which is found in verse 15, and ties back to the vision of the final harvest (16:19). (v.13b) "He is called the Word of God." See the Gospel of John 1:1-18. (v.14) "The armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him..." This is similar to other descriptions of the followers of Jesus. (3:4, 7:9) (v.15) "From his mouth comes a sharp sword." This is also a throw back to the first vision (1:16) and picks up a theme written to the church in Pergamum. (2:16) (v.15b) "And he will rule them with a rod of iron." This references one of the most famous OT Messianic Psalm. (Psalm 2:7-12.) Text: Rev 19:1-8
NT Parallel Text: Eph 5:22-33 Focus Verse: Rev 19:7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; Main Idea: In addition to celebrating the downfall of Babylon, the multitude from heaven celebrates the return of Jesus to be with his church. [This song from heaven follows the lament from earth. While the earthly kings and merchants lament Babylon, the heavenly perspective celebrates the removal of this enemy of the church.] Analysis The contrast between the City of Man and the City of God is born out in this song from heaven. While the earthly city is pictured as a prostitute who both corrupts the world and is consumed by it, the heavenly city is described as a bride. Of course, the only difference between any particular human being associated with the church vs. the world is merely the saving power of Jesus.* He is the one who makes us ready for his heavenly marriage. The picture of Christ relating to the church like a husband to a wife has deep biblical roots. In the OT, God is pictured as married to Israel, who is largely an unfaithful wife. (See the prophet Hosea.) In the NT Jesus told many parables about how the Kingdom of Heaven is like a wedding feast. The Apostle Paul also compared human marriage to the heavenly model of Christ loving and dying for his church. (Eph 5:22-33) Conclusion and Application Of course, there are limits to this analogy as there are to every analogy. No husband can save his wife from her sin through his own life and death - nor should he try. All of us need Jesus. It is also possible to place too much emphasis on human marriages, in ways that cause singles to feel excluded. The nature of every analogy is to make a comparison and there are always limits to how it can be applied. With that in mind, it is still worthy pondering the marriage analogy as a picture of Christ and the Church. Consider these points that flow from the analogy of the marriage and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb: - Anticipation. Because the Wedding Supper of the Lamb is still future, this highlights that the church is waiting with anticipation for the return of Christ. Like the whole of the book of Revelation, we are future oriented people who are anticipating the return of Jesus. - Joy. The Wedding Supper is a joyous celebration. Let us "rejoice and exult" as we think about this future hope. - Preparation. The bride "making herself ready" (19:8) is part of the picture. Of course, it is the work of Jesus through the Holy Spirit that empowers us to grow in holiness. But, nonetheless, it is still the church working together, with the gifts of its members, that causes the whole body to grow up in grace. (Eph 4:11-16) Notes * Here is a link to a great song from one of our own musicians on Spotify. Runaway Bride, John Stuart Text: Rev 18:9-24
OT Text: Ezekiel 27:1-36 ("A Lament over Tyre") Featured Verse: Rev 18:15-17a The merchants of these wares, who gained wealth from her, will stand far off, in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud,16 “Alas, alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen, in purple and scarlet, adorned with gold, with jewels, and with pearls! 17 For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste.” Main Idea: The fall of Babylon brings grief to those who were complicit in her sinful prosperity. [The text from yesterday's passage depicted the fall of Babylon. Now we see two different responses in the form of two different songs. The first (today) is a lament from those who shared in her wealth and sin. The second (tomorrow) is a victory song from those who suffered at her hand.] Analysis A "lament" is a common Biblical expression of grief for something that is lost. Often it is given in the form of a song. Some of the most famous laments in the Bible take place after the destruction of Jerusalem. In fact, the entire book of Lamentations is one long song of sorrow remembering the Babylonian conquest of the city in 586 BC. In this sense a lament serves to help grieving people process by remembering the significance of their loss. At the risk of trivializing this phenomenon, a modern song like The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, serves a similar purpose in regard to a tragic loss of a ship hauling iron ore on Lake Superior during a storm in 1975.* To risk trivializing this even further, a "break up song" is another modern phenomenon in which a person might listen to a sad song to cope with their feelings of loss after a romantic relationship ends. Because modern people don't have very good processes of dealing with grief, other, more serious forms of lament are harder to come by. However, the Bible also uses lament in a different way. Sometimes a lament song for a fallen enemy helps to highlight the significance of a victory. The best OT example is found in the book of Ezekiel. In terms strikingly parallel to Revelation 18, the downfall of Tyre, an ancient enemy of Israel, is lamented by the merchants who had benefitted from her prosperity. (Ezekiel 27) In this sense, the song of lament becomes something of a "taunt." A modern example would be the simple chorus, "Na na na-na na na, Hey Hey Hey, Good Bye", sung at opposing teams in the waning moments of a sports victory. We know that this is the case in Revelation 18, because the very next chapter presents a contrasting song from heaven. While the earthly kings and merchants, who were complicit in the oppressive luxury of Babylon grieve her downfall - the heavenly chorus sings, "Hallelujah... he has avenged on her the blood of her servants." Conclusion and Application Is it wrong to celebrate the downfall of your enemies? It can be dangerous to celebrate the downfall of your personal enemies. After all, we are not particularly good judges and our hearts are easily biased. But it is a different thing to celebrate the downfall of God's enemies and the enemies of the church, who have been defeated by God's power. After all, God is perfectly just and his verdicts are not tainted by human selfishness or sin. One of the things that Revelation reveals to us, is the reality of opposition. There is spiritual opposition (the dragon) that is driving our spiritual war. But we also face oppression at the hands of our fellow humans and their worldly institutions. Babylon is the face of worldly and oppressive power. Her downfall removes the boot from the neck of God's people throughout the world and throughout history. When the gospel brings conversion and our enemies repent and turn to God, there is a type of victory there. For those who do not repent, the end of history and the final judgment will bring their defeat. One way or another God will remove the enemies of the church. In history, particular manifestations of Babylon, the City of Man, did fall into ruin. The literal city of Babylon fell to the Medes and Persians in 539 BC. The oppressive Roman Emperor Domitian was assassinated in 96 AD, not long after he opened his reign of terror on the churches. By that time, he had made enemies for himself far beyond the church. The first century Roman Pliny the Younger described the response to the death of Domitian and the way people attacked the many statues that had been set up throughout the Empire as signs of his imperial power. "It was our delight to dash those proud faces to the ground, to smite them with the sword and to smash them with the axe, as if blood and agony could follow from every blow... All sought a form of vengeance in beholding those [statues] mutilated, limbs hacked to pieces, and finally that baleful, fearsome visage cast into the fire to be melted down."*** The response to Babylon's fall brings a song of lament from those complicit, and a song of rejoicing from those who resisted her influence. When Babylon falls, which song will you sing? Notes * This is one of my all-time favorite songs. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald ** Here is another musical selection. Kiss Him Goodbye *** Quote from Tim Chester, Revelation for You", p131, and references fellow author Nelson Kraybill. The text that we will cover in the sermon on Sunday is Revelation 17:15-18:8.
The entire service is Livestreamed and recorded and will be available on our church YouTube channel. Text: Rev 17:6b-18
NT Text: 1 Peter 5:13 She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. Featured Verse: Rev 17:9 This calls for a mind with wisdom: the seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman is seated; Main Idea: In any particular age, the "City of Man" takes the form of various human empires. For the first century Christians, Rome was the embodiment of Babylon. [Verses 15-18 will be part of the Sunday Sermon, so we will not discuss them much today.] Analysis Yesterday we saw that Babylon is a symbolic representation of the "City of Man." But in every age, Babylon shows up in various human empires. All of these particular empires are destined to fall, and at the end of time the entire system of worldly human rebellion will crumble before the power of the Lord Jesus. There are many aspects of the depiction of Babylon - the great prostitute - that show timeless principles. These things are associated with every human empire in every age. In particular, we have seen that she influences with power (17:18), sex (17:2,4), and money (17:4, + repeated references to "luxury" and "wealth" in chap 18.) These things are true in varying degrees in every manifestation of Babylon - in every human empire. BUT... there are also features of Babylon which bear a particular resemblance to the Roman Empire experienced by the first century Christians to whom John wrote this letter. Tim Chester has a detailed analysis of why "Babylon" should be understood to be referring to 1st century Rome.** In particular, Rome was described by its own writers as being the "City of Seven Hills." John tells us that the interpretation of Babylon the Great "calls for a mind of wisdom", and then he says, "the seven heads are the seven hills on which the woman is seated." (17:9) He seems to be giving us a clear hint about the way in which the churches would experience the power of Babylon in their time. It is also noted that the Roman Emperors wore purple, but their priests wore scarlet, the clothing that the Prostitute is said to be wearing. (Rev 17:4,18:12) Finally, there is other evidence that first century Christians began calling Rome by the name "Babylon" because of its oppressive imperial power. Peter seems to do this at the end of his first letter. (See additional reading.) This process may have been accelerated after 70 AD, when Rome followed its namesake and destroyed Jerusalem and the temple. Conclusion and Application When I titled this post " Babylon with a Roman Nose**", I was expressing the idea that the ubiquitous "Babylon, City of Man" has some features which seem to link it closely to first century experiences with the actual Roman Empire. This helps us to remember that "Babylon, the Great" is not just a theoretical abstraction, but it takes the form of real institutions and cultural practices. The seductive power of the City of Man had already been gaining inroads in the churches of Asia Minor. Back in chapter 2, the church in Thyatira was warned that the false teacher named for the OT queen Jezebel was luring the church into compromise on sexual immorality. This is essentially Babylon/worldly influence finding a home in the church!*** Honest recognition of the seductive power of Babylon helps us resist the siren call of worldliness. Unfortunately, it isn't just "out there", but the ideas of the world find influence among those who claim to be Christian teachers. The past ten years have been filled with numerous painful examples of public Christian figures renouncing their position on historic Christian teaching - particularly around sex and gender. John reveals the power of these temptations, the diabolical origins, and the end result of those who align themselves with the powers of Babylon. Notes * Greg Beale (in his typical exhaustive detail) lists the many similarities between the OT character of Jezebel and the Babylonian Harlot of chapters 17-18. Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, p377. ** Wikipedia has a short entry on "Roman noses" for those interested. Apparently, they are found in lots of people groups who have no apparent Italian connection. But, I hope you see that is not the real point of this, anyway. Aquiline nose - Wikipedia *** Tim Chester, Revelation For You, pages 127-129. # The photograph used at the head of this post was taken by Andre Sinou and found on a website dedicated to the photos that he took while on active duty in Iraq. May 2003 photographs of Babylon (stlcc.edu) Text: Rev 17:1-6a
OT Text: Hab 1:6-7 Featured Verse: Rev 17:5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth's abominations.” Main Idea: We are introduced to "Babylon the Great", which represents the collective efforts of fallen humanity. We saw yesterday that we are now in a new section of Revelation. While chapters 6-16 were dominated by four series of seven judgments, these remaining chapters zoom in on the end of the world and the restoration of all things. These final six chapters are also dominated by the contrast of two cities - Babylon and the New Jerusalem. Analysis We have already had two references to Babylon, but now we are "properly introduced."* She appears like a great prostitute**, riding the beast. She is characterized by three things: wealth (17:4), power(17:18), and sexual immorality (17:2). Most importantly, when we pull back from this vision and look at the big picture, Babylon stands in sharp contrast with another city, the "New Jerusalem." (Rev 21:1-4) - Babylon is a prostitute, but the New Jerusalem is a faithful bride. - Babylon is characterized by pride and blasphemy (17:3-5), but the New Jerusalem by the presence of God. - Babylon is responsible for oppressing the saints, for the shedding of their "blood." (17:6) - Babylon will fall (18:2), but the New Jerusalem will come down from heaven, eternally secure. (21:1-4) Also, note that she is pictured "riding the beast" and that she influences the kings of the earth, causing them to become drunk with sin. (17:2) Later we will see that this then extends to "peoples and multitudes and nations and languages. (17:15) This pictures a chain of influences. From the dragon to the beast to the harlot to the kings of the earth to all the people on earth. To live in proximity to Babylon is to wrestle with the influences of money, sex and power, all of which are used by Satan for his destructive purposes. Conclusion and Application In the first century, as today, the literal city of Babylon was not a place of great importance, but it retained great symbolic value. In the OT, the Babylonian conquest of Jerusalem and their 70 years in exile became the quintessential encounter with hostile worldly powers. Daniel and his friends faced enormous pressures in Babylon, and their ultimate return to Jerusalem under the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah was a national and spiritual rebirth for God's people. Author Tim Chester wrote, "in the Bible, Babylon became the archetypal idolatrous empire." In every age, this archetypal empire appears in a particular form. As we shall see tomorrow, first century Christians thought of Rome as the "New Babylon" and many aspects of her appears her have Roman features. But today I want to consider Babylon's symbolic value. After the eventual fall of Rome in 410 AD, St. Augustine wrote a groundbreaking book called The City of God. In this book, he argued that the Bible is always contrasting the earthly city of man (called "Babylon") with the heavenly city of God ("the New Jerusalem.") When he wrote this, he was not thinking of the physical cities, but the underlying systems. What we are calling, "Babylon" or the "City of Man", can also be referred to as "the world." It represents all the efforts of rebellious humanity to craft a city for their own glory, in their own power, apart from God. It is not easy to remain uninfluenced and uncorrupted by Babylon. By contrast, Christians are citizens of a heavenly kingdom. We look forward to the city that God will establish, as we seek to align our trust and our love with God. Here is how Augustine famously described it: "Accordingly, two cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord." - Augustine of Hippo, City of God, section 283. Which city exercises greater influence on your life? Notes * Rev 14:8 Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.” (and) Rev 16:19 The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell, and God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath. ** I recognize that modern readers can be sensitive to this symbolic image and perhaps feel like the Bible is unfairly demonizing prostitutes. We recognize that many women in difficult circumstances are coerced into prostitution, and that there is a legitimate aspect of victimhood that runs throughout. In many cases, the consumers of prostitution really bear the greater guilt. It is also good to remember that Jesus had a very active ministry to prostitutes and that the grace of the gospel brings redemption and renewal to people in all sorts of destructive lifestyles (Matt 21:31-32.) Recognizing these things, it is still possible to appreciate the contrasting images of prostitute and bride for their symbolic value. Text: Rev 16:17-17:2
Featured Verse: Rev 16:17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple, from the throne, saying, “It is done!” Main Idea: Another look at the final stage of judgment, gives us an opportunity to reflect on the structure of the book and some of our main principles of interpretation. The content of the seventh bowl describes a scene that should be familiar by now. I think that it offers a good opportunity for us to widen our scope and look at the big picture of the book of Revelation. Analysis One of the challenges I have found as we walk through the book of Revelation is trying to determine how to keep the overall structure of the book in view as we look at individual sections. On one hand, thinking about the structure is really an important part of how we interpret the book. On the other hand, a detailed discussion of structure can seem very abstract and can be hard for readers to follow. Let's quickly review what we have been saying so far. First, the book is written to first century churches, but grounded in Biblical imagery. Therefore, our interpretation is guided by Biblical context and historical context. Second, we have seen that Revelation is a highly symbolic book. This follows the overall pattern of Biblical prophecy. John, himself, introduces symbolic images (such as seven lampstands), then tells us what they refer to (the church.) Third, we have noticed clear patterns of seven in the structure of the book.* In particular, the seven seals, seven bowls, seven thunders (replaced by visions), and the seven bowls have obvious overlap. In many cases, it seems clear that Revelation is presenting the same event from a different perspective. We call this repetition recapitulation. This is not uncommon in the Bible and in fact, it is found whenever people are discussing a really important event. The seventh bowl is a clear example of recapitulation. Here is the way in which each of the seventh judgments are described: Seventh Seal, Rev 8:5 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. Seventh Trumpet, Rev 11:19 Then God's temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. There were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake, and heavy hail. Seventh Bowl, Rev 16:18,21 And there were flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a great earthquake such as there had never been since man was on the earth, so great was that earthquake....and great hailstones... fell from heaven... Notice the similarities? When we recognize a pattern of recapitulation, what we are saying is that John doesn't intend for us to think of this as three different events with three different earthquakes, but instead we are to see this as three pictures of the same event. When John hears a voice saying, "It is done!" (16:17), we are intended to understand this as the end of history. That is the easiest way to understand the phrases, "every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found." (16:20) But, you may be thinking, this is not the end of Revelation - we still have five more chapters to go?! So what is going to happen for those five remaining chapters. The answer is, more recapitulation. Not simply a retelling of the same event in the same way, but we are going to "zoom in" for a closer look at these important events. This is exactly what John is told by "one of the seven angels." (17:1) In the vision of the seventh bowl, we are told that "God remembered Babylon the great, to make her drain the cup of the wine of the fury of his wrath." (16:19) Then, in the next vision, John is told, "come, I will show you the judgment of the great prostitute who is seated on the many waters... and on her forehead was written, 'Babylon the Great.'" (17:1-5) Picture it this way. It is as if John is taking the map on his smart phone and swiping his fingers outward, so as to zoom in. I image that everyone with a touch screen has done this thousands of times. (Sometimes I forget and try to do this on a paper map and feel dismayed at how much tech has influenced me.) We know that John did not have a smart phone or a touch screen computer. But the literary device is similar. In the next two chapters we will zoom in on one aspect that was depicted in the seventh bowl. We will see how God "remembers Babylon" and brings judgment on the human city. In the coming days, we will see a detailed portrayal of the fall of Babylon, which represents the seductive power of the world. It is a very important topic because "worldliness" is a major enemy of the Christian life. In the book of Revelation John's visions have already revealed the realities of spiritual warfare. In this section he is revealing the true realities of worldly power and showing its ultimate downfall. And, as you may have guessed, Babylon will look a lot like Rome. It will also have eerie similarities to our modern western culture. (As it does to all embodiments of worldliness down through the ages.) Notes * Some of the patterns are clearer than others, but here is a tentative outline of the entire book. 1.) (chap 1) Jesus among the Seven Lampstands 2.) (chaps 2-3) Letters to the Seven Churches [Interlude] (chaps 4-5) The throne room of heaven 3.) (chaps 6:1-8:5) The Seven Seals are opened 4.) (chaps 8:6-11:19) The Seven Trumpets sound 5.) (chaps 12-14) The Seven visions replace the Seven Thunders 6.) (chaps 15-16) The Seven Bowls are poured out 7.) (chaps 17-22) Seven Angels narrate the destruction of the enemies of God and the recreation of all things I think that this is correct, but I offer it with a grain of salt. Some of the "sevens" are clearly labeled in the book. Others are not. You will notice that I excluded two chapters with an "interlude" which allowed this final list to have seven sets of seven. I think that is legitimate, but maybe I am "cooking the books" so that I can get seven groups of seven. Finally, the least clear of all these sections are the final six chapters that I label "The Seven Angels." There are references to seven different angels in this section, but for the most part John doesn't seem to draw too much attention to it. Bonus Materials - Further Analysis I'm always asking myself, how much can I write about the interpretative details without losing people? Personally, I find the interpretive details to be very interesting, but I realize not everyone feels that way. If you are still reading, and want to dive a little deeper into the structure of Revelation I will provide "bonus" material in the rest of this post. As many of you have noticed, there are many ways to read the book of Revelation. I discussed this some in the introduction materials, but it is worth considering again. In particular, I want to focus on the question of when things in Revelation happen. Most people would agree that the early chapters of Revelation (1-3) were written to first century churches in Asia Minor. Furthermore, everyone would agree that the last 3 chapters (20:11-21:21) describe the end of the world - the final judgment, the recreation of the world and life everlasting. But what do we do with the sixteen chapters in the middle? In summary, it all occurs somewhere between the first century church and the end of the world. The debate is where in that range we expect this to occur. One way of categorizing interpretative approaches is with the terms, preterist, futurist, idealist. - The futurist believes all events will happen in the future. (Relative to our current position.) That is, they have not yet happened, but will happen at some future moment when the "end times" begin. - The preterist believes that all of the events in this section happened in the past. That may seem a little strange since some of the language is so catastrophic. But it is not uncommon for the Bible to use catastrophic end-time language to describe when God's judgments break into history. The most common preterist position is to see this relating to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD. That was a cataclysmic event in redemptive history, but it seems really hard to see how this would have impacted the churches in Asia Minor. - The idealist believes that all of the events are depicting the entirety of the church age. (This is the approach that I have taken in writing and preaching.) We believe that Revelation is meant to convey spiritual truths for the church throughout history and is not intended to give a prescription for either the fall of Jerusalem or some future "end times." However, there are elements of both the futurist and the preterist positions which should be received. For example, when John describes church history as a battle between Satan (the dragon) and the church, the characters on the battlefield bear a strong resemblance to aspects of the Roman Empire. In this sense, there is a historic context to Revelation which spoke to the situation of these first century churches. On the other hand, the trajectory of the book is clearly moving toward the return of Christ and the final judgment. There seem to be multiple references to a climactic last battle in which the enemies of God seem to totally surround God's people and only the power of God can bring deliverance. I don't know what exactly that will look like, and I don't think John intends to tell us or provide clues to predict the timing. After all, "no one knows the hour or the day" of the return of Christ - even Jesus said he did not know. (Matt 24:36) In summary, because the idealist approach is focused on the entire church age, it goes hand in hand, with viewing the visions as depicting the general course of the church age and not specific events. In that sense, the visions are really concerned with ideals, that is with the cosmic war between Satan and the church, and not the particular details of any one battle. As we look ahead to the end of the book, we can see that more recapitulation is coming. The climactic last battle is described two more times, with increased vividness. The first is in the account of the "Rider on the White Horse." (19:11) The second is at Gog and Magog after Satan had been bound for 1,000 years. (20:1-10.) This reference to 1,000 years is often called "the Millenium." Perhaps you have heard of the Millenium in reference to the end times. This one section of ten verses, near the end of the book, often becomes a convenient test case for various interpretive methods. In fact, descriptions of the Millenium are often used to characterize one's approach to the entire book. The futurist approach generally looks at the Millenium as a literal period of time which will happen in the future after the return of Jesus. There are variations of how this is described, but this is called, "Premillennialism." A particular form of Premillennialism became very popular during the 19th century as part of a school of theology called Dispensationalism. This approach to the book of Revelation became very influential in America and is associated with things like "the rapture." It was made popular by books like The Late Great Planet Earth, and Left Behind. In a nutshell, Pre-millenialism, looks forward to the return of Christ, then expects to see a literal 1,000 year period of time when Jesus will reign on earth after his return, but before the resurrection of the dead, the final judgment, and the New Heavens and New Earth. Another approach (kind of the opposite) is to view the 1,000 year period of time as referring to something that happens before Jesus returns. This view is called "Post-Millennial." I don't know for sure if this logically connects to Preterism, but both views have had strong proponents in Church history. (I'll have to read more about the history of this before we get to Revelation 20.) Generally, Post-Millennial proponents are looking for a "golden age" of the church to finally occur for 1,000 years before Jesus returns. In conclusion, here is the connection that I want to make. The idealist perspective on 1,000 years doesn't see this as a literal period of time that is separate from the age of the church in which we live. Rather, it sees this story as a recapitulation of Church history. (To be clear, this is the view that I hold and write from.) That is, the period of 1,000 years is a symbolic way of describing the entire age of the church. The term for this perspective is called "Amillenial." The prefix "a" simply means that there is not a specific and separate period of time called the millennium. Rather the entire church age is represented in this phrase. We are living in the Millenium now. The point of this entire explanation is to help readers locate this approach in interpretation among alternate viewpoints. On one hand, I want to say clearly that good and faithful Christians have different views on these matters and that it is ok to disagree. Revelation is a difficult book and we should not be surprised when well-meaning folks reach different conclusions. On the other hand, I also want to be clear that there are really different approaches to this book and depending on which approach you take, the interpretation and use of the book will be very different. I tried to do a little explanation up front, but I didn't want to get lost in this sort of abstract discussion. It also seemed easier to deal with some of this in a "bonus section" after people had become more familiar with what the actual issues were. Finally, I wanted to give this explanation to help readers understand that the approach to Revelation that I have been using is part of a much larger school which is growing in influence. The idealist-amillenial approach to reading Revelation (and other similar books) has become very influential in Reformed circles. It is far and away the most common way of interpreting Revelation in the PCA. Many of the commentaries that I have been reading share this approach. For example, Greg Beale is a professor at Westminster Seminary whose Revelation commentaries have left a huge impression on the Reformed theological tradition. I have relied deeply on his books while writing this and tried to reference this enough to make the dependence clear. Another great but shorter commentary by Derek Thomas of Reformed Theological Seminary in the "Let's Study the Bible" series helped to develop these ideas at a less academic level. Finally, Tim Chester is a British pastor whose book Revelation for You reaches similar conclusions. I have supplemented with many other books, but on the whole the remarkable convergence of interpretations by various authors helps to demonstrate that an "idealist-amillenial" approach yields good spiritual fruit. Text: Rev 16:15
Parallel Text: Matthew 24:36-44 ("like a thief in the night") Featured Verse: Rev 16:15 (“Behold, I am coming like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake, keeping his garments on, that he may not go about naked and be seen exposed!”) Main Idea: The uncertainty of the timing for the return of Jesus is meant to instill vigilance in his followers. Our entire reading for today is from one verse in the book of Revelation, which is set apart as a parenthetical statement. It links strongly to a story told by Jesus concerning his return at the end of the world. Analysis The parenthetical note in Rev 16:15 seems clearly to be drawn from a statement that Jesus made to his disciples about the end of the age.* In his comments (Mt 24:36-44) Jesus emphasizes the uncertain timing for his return at the end of the age. The principle is illustrated with a saying about a thief who plunders a home at night. "But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Mt 24:43-44) We see the exact same connection in Revelation 16:15.** Jesus urges the listeners to stay awake, because of the uncertainty of his return. To illustrate this principle another way: - If you knew when you were going to get in a car wreck, you would only have to put your seatbelt on before car wrecks. But you don't know, therefore, you should be prepared and always wear your seatbelt. - If you knew when your house was going to catch on fire, you would not need a smoke detector. Because you don't know, you should update the batteries in your smoke detector and have plenty of fire extinguishers on hand. Conclusion and Application There are two main points we can draw from this. (i.) Revelation is not a book that is intended to give us secret information about how to date the end of the world. Not only do we have clear instruction from Jesus on that point (Mt 24:36-44), but that point is explicitly referenced here in this parenthetical comment. Admittedly, the book of Revelation has some imagery that can be confusing and sometimes we need a healthy does of humble uncertainty as we deal with it. But we can clearly rule out this intention for the book: Revelation is not an instruction manual for how to date the end of the world. (ii.) On the other hand, the uncertainty of the return of Jesus is meant to have a stimulating effect on our thinking. Because the return of Jesus will be like a thief, we should remain spiritually vigilant and "stay awake." This is a call to review our spiritual health and to be on guard against complacency. In what ways do you find yourself sliding into spiritual "sleepiness"? What actions can you take to better stay awake? Notes * Matthew 24-25 is one long discussion in which Jesus answered two questions from the disciples. Because Jesus addressed these questions sitting on the Mount of Olives - which was across a small valley and had a view of Jerusalem - this is often referred to as the Olivet Discourse. The topic of conversation had been the majesty of the temple, when Jesus predicted the coming destruction of the temple. (Mt 24:1-2) After retreating outside the city, the disciples asked Jesus two questions. "Tells us, when will these things be (the destruction of the temple) and when will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age." (Mt 24:3) Jesus then proceeds to give two very different answers to these two events. (The disciples may have assumed that the destruction of the temple was the same as the end of the age.) Jesus told them that there would be clear signs which predicted the destruction of Jerusalem and of the temple, and that when his followers saw those signs - the armies gathering to surround the city - they should flee from Jerusalem. (Mt 24:15-16) They were to "flee to the mountains" and not waste time packing their suitcases. We know from history that after the people of Jerusalem rebelled, Rome besieged the city and eventually destroyed it in 70 AD. By contrast, Jesus warns that there are no signs to predict the end of the age. "But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows." (Mt 24:36) He highlights this point by talking about the uncertainty of the flood of Noah (Mt 24:37-42) and then tells a story about how a thief always arrives unexpectedly. (Mt 24:43-44) Some casual readers of the Bible miss the huge distinction between these two events and the fact that one is predicted (destruction of the temple in 70 AD.) and one arrives at a time that CANNOT be predicted (the end of the age.) ** Incidentally, this is another reason to recognize that the battle of Armageddon and probably the entire series of seven bowls of wrath is pointing to the end of the age. If that is the original context for the saying of Jesus, this reference would surely have a similar context. Text: Rev 16:12-16
OT Text: Zech 12:10-14 and 1 Kings 18:19-46 Featured Verse: Rev 16:16 And they assembled them at the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. Main Idea: John's vision of a final battle sets the stage for God's victory over the unified forces of evil. We will cover verse 15 tomorrow. It is a parenthetical comment about "staying ready" and awaiting the return of Christ, which deserves its own day to consider. Analysis The OT prophets predicted a final climactic battle in which the enemies of God would surround Israel for a final conflict. This last battle idea is described in several places in the book of Revelation. In each place, it is best to understand that the visions use symbolic language to describe the same last battle. There are clear depictions of this in Rev 19:19 and 20:8. There are also references to armies gathering for war in other places, which also seem to be talking about the same thing. (See 9:16 and 11:7.) This last battle is clearly described in symbolic language. The demonic powers of the dragon, beast, and false prophet are pictured as "frogs." Commentator Greg Beale suggested that the croaking of the frogs was a picture of the confusing, but empty noise produced by demonic deception. But the location of the last battle is also symbolic. The name "Armageddon" is a combination of two historic locations.* The plains of Megiddo are the site of important battles for the Israelites as they moved toward the promised land.** Technically, there is no "mountain" of Megiddo, as the name suggests, but close to the plains of Megiddo is the famous Mount Carmel, where Elijah had his showdown with the prophets of Baal. (1 Kings 18:19-46.) Conclusion and Application I will add a personal note and say that when I visited Israel five years ago, our tour took us to Mt. Carmel, where we could look out over the plains of Megiddo. It is certainly possible that God intends to have a final battle on these plains, but the point of Revelation is not to give us that sort of information. Rather, the point is to see that a pattern threads throughout all of Scripture. Time and again, God brings his people to a place in which they are surrounded by enemies who are stronger than they are. Their only deliverance is God himself. Certainly, this pattern will play out again and again in church history, and we expect that it will conclude in a dramatic way as history draws to a close. In the final battle, the theme is always the same. God is our deliverance. When we are out gunned, and out manned, God provides the victory. Notes * Har-Megiddo means Mountain at Megiddo. ** "Megiddo became proverbial in Judaism as the place where righteous Israelites were attacked by evil nations." Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, p 346. Text: Rev 15:5-16:11
OT Text: Luke 16:19-31 (The story of the rich man and Lazarus.) Featured Verse: Rev 16:10-11 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in anguish and cursed the God of heaven for their pain and sores. They did not repent of their deeds. Main Idea: The resistance of the human heart to God is on full display in this passage. Even the full measure of God's wrath is not enough to push people to repentance. We need the Spirit of God to intervene and give new life. A quick reminder of where we are in the book. The middle chapters (6-16) consist of 4 sets of judgments. They have similar patterns, but increase in intensity. The 7 seals affect 1/4 of the earth, the 7 trumpets impact 1/3 of the world, the 7 thunders are replaced by 7 visions which show spiritual warfare. Now we have the final series of judgments, the 7 bowls of wrath. Unlike the prior judgments, they impact the world in totality. As they are introduced in 15:1, "with them the wrath of God is finished." Analysis The Seven Bowls of Wrath follow a similar pattern as the Seven Trumpets*, but the judgement is no longer restrained. It seems that in this section, John has zoomed in on the end. He shows a final display of judgment as God's wrath is poured out on the world. Like the Trumpet judgments before them, they are modeled after the 10 plagues that God used to defeat Pharoah and lead the oppressed Israelites out of the promised land. Conclusion and Application The challenge of this section is not trying to figure out what it means. Rather, the challenge is to wrestle with the larger concept of God's wrath. When John sees this full display of God's wrath, he hears a voice from the altar in heaven** saying, "Lord God the Almighty, true and just are your judgments." This perspective highlights our difficulty. I would suspect that most people don't read about the wrath of God being poured out and immediately respond with praise to God for his true and just judgment. Instead, we may think: How can this bloodthirsty celebration square with the mercy and forgiveness of Christ? First, we should notice that all of the Bible tells us that patience in suffering is grounded in the confidence that God will one day mete out perfect justice. Jesus tells us to love our enemies, but he also spoke clearly about the coming judgment. (For example, Matt 24-25) Paul called Christians to forego self vengeance. But the reason for this was the promise that "vengeance belongs to God."(Rom 12:19) Rather than try to tie this up in a neat package, I think that it is better to sit with this a little longer. On one hand, the Bible clearly calls the followers of Jesus to suffer patiently after the model of Christ. On the other hand, it does not deny the reality of evil, the difficulty of suffering or the honest assessment that the world is a broken and fallen place. Recognition of God's coming judgment on the world necessarily challenges our understanding of what the world is like. It is far more deeply fallen than we are tempted to believe. Human rebellion is more entrenched than we would like to believe. Of course, we need to remember that the mercy of Jesus is sufficient to pardon anyone who would call on the name of Jesus and seek forgiveness in him. We should be quick to bear witness to that saving mercy. But the Bible is also realistic about the hardness of the human heart. Just as Pharoah hardened his heart in the sight of the terrible plagues, so it is that human stubbornness refuses to turn to God even when the full measure of his wrath is poured out. Notes * The pattern is, in part, 1st - earth, 2nd - sea, 3rd - rivers and springs, 4th - sun/moon/stars. * There are two connections back to the fifth seal in chapter 6. First, the the angel ties the pouring out of God's judgment to the suffering of the saints. (16:5-6.) Second, in the prior vision, the saints are shown to be "under the heavenly altar." Here the voice of approbation comes from under the altar. (16:7) Text: Rev 14:14-15:4
Our Sunday Worship Services are Livestreamed and recorded on YouTube. Text: Rev 14:6-13
OT Text :Exodus 20:1-6 (The first 3 commandments) Featured Verse: Rev 14:7 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.” Main Idea: The war being waged between Satan and the church hinges on the question of who we will worship. The consequences of that choice are enormous. This is the fifth vision in a series of seven visions. It has some similarity to the fifth seal judgment and the fifth trumpet judgment. Analysis The first four visions of this series have shown the opposing sides in a cosmic war.* Now three angels from heaven narrate the drama. It makes me think of a boxing announcer calling out the introduction to a heavy weight fight. "In one corner we have the ferocious enemies of God. The reigning champions of human empire, the unholy trinity of dragon, beast and false prophet.** Who----ooooo is like the beast?" "And in the other corner, wearing the blood washed robes of the lamb, we have 144,000 followers of the lamb." "Ladies and gentleman, this has the look of a slaughter." From an earthly vantage point, the battle seems hopeless. But God's Spirit works through his church even when they are small and seemingly insignificant. Those who resist the beast - even at the cost of their own lives - "conquer." They will conquer the same way that Jesus conquered, but "not loving their lives unto death." (12:11) But what really comes to the forefront of this vision is the way in which the whole battle hinges on the question of worship. On one hand, the first angel reminds us that God alone is the creator and he alone is worthy of worship. (14:7) On the other hand, the second angel announces that coming judgment on the enemy city of man, and the third proclaims judgment on those who "worship the beast and his image." (14:9) As the armies close for battle, it becomes apparent how this will be fought. This spiritual battle will not be fought with swords and spears. Instead it is a war of worship. The dragon wins when he convinces people to worship the beast. he will use power, seduction, and any form of manipulation to accomplish this task. On the other hand, when the church resists this call - they are victorious. Even if resisting means that they face physical death in this world. John reassures them, "blessed are the dead who die in the Lord." (14:13) Conclusion and Application Christians reading this in the late first century would have been very familiar with a battle being waged on those lines. The Emperor Domitian had pushed the envelope on Emperor worship even further. In a display of beastly power, he trumpeted his own claims at divinity and presented this idolatrous worship as a test of political allegiance.*** As we saw in prior readings, there is evidence that the regional powers of Asia Minor encouraged this sort of thing in ways that mirrored the actions of the false prophet (the second beast from the land.) For some Christians, the question of whether to worship the emperor would be a question of life and death. These visions help them to see that conflict as being the heart of the cosmic battle. A small act of false worship could satisfy the emperor and avoid persecution, but even a small act of worship was complicity with the dragon. Even a small act of false worship was surrender in the front line of the battle. The consequences were catastrophic. For some Christians today, this remains a very real threat.**** But, for most Christians in the West, the trial of false worship remains less overt and more subtle. We are not called to worship literal idols, but there are battle lines that run throughout our soul. Money, sex and power are presented to us as absolute masters and we are often called to worship them in ways that deny our discipleship and compromise our witness. At first, the compromise may seem small, but small actions are linked to a larger cosmic conflict. Small compromises lead to bigger compromises, which flow down stream into the pool of apostasy. Where do you find the battle lines to be drawn in your own heart and life? Notes * Remember, that the dragon was said to "war" against the church (12:17) and the followers of the Lamb are an assembly in the visionary form of an army mustered for battle. ** Since the second beast has a type of religious role and directs worship back to the first beast (that rose from the sea), it seems that John takes to calling this second beast (that rose from the land) by the name of "false prophet." That term is found in Rev 16:13, 19:20 and 20:10 seemingly as a replacement for "second beast." Understandably, it would not be easy to keep using the titles "first beast" and "second beast." *** J. B. Caird wrote, "It would be within the realm of legal competence of the local authorities to bring a capital charge against anyone who did not join in the worship of the emperor; how systematically they did this would be another matter." (The Revelation of Saint John, p 177) **** As we pray for the church in China, or learn about the church in India during the adult SS time at CRPC, we see many examples in which Christians are being pressed with this choice. Text: Rev 14:1-5
OT Text: Romans 11:1-6 Featured Verse: Rev 14:1 Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. Main Idea: We see a counter-point to the dragon and the beasts. There are followers of Jesus who remain faithful even in the face of great opposition. Take heart, you are not alone! Analysis After multiple visions in which we see the dragon and the two beasts waging war on humanity and on the church, this fourth vision switches to a very different scene. Like a scene from a war movie in which the camera pans from one line of battle across to the opposing line of battle*, John now sees the "Army of the Lamb." Granted, the text does not explicitly use the word army, but our prior reference to the 144,000 depicted OT imagery that showed them "mustering" for war. (See the book of Numbers, especially chapter 1) There are other aspects of the passage which seem to continue the picture of an assembled spiritual army. First, we see their close connection to Jesus. Eventually, Jesus will show up as the "Rider on the White Horse" (Rev 19:11-21) who will defeat the beasts and throw them into the lake of fire. Now, the 144,000 are depicted as those who "follow the Lamb where ever he goes." (14:4). Second, we see that they are directly in contrast with the beast. They do not have the mark of the beast on their heads, instead they have the name of God (14:1.) While the beast is deceiving the nations, the 144,000 have no lie found in their mouths. (14:5.) Finally, the reference to defiling themselves with women has strong connections to OT warfare. When God called the men of Israel to participate in warfare, they were directed to consecrate ("set apart for a purpose") themselves and observe certain regulations while they were participating in war. One of those regulations was that they were directed to abstain from sexuality while they were consecrated for war. (Deut 23:9-10, 1 Sam 21:5, 2 Sam 11:8-11.) This may seem strange to modern people - especially those distanced from the practice of warfare - but there was great practical importance. On one hand, prostitution was a big problem associated with gathered armies in all ages. For instance, during the civil war, so many prostitutes followed the Union Army under General Joseph Hooker, that these women came to be called, "hookers." On the other hand, military victories can cause undisciplined soldiers to unleash their fury and frustration on the enemy civilians. Pillage and rape have often been the tragic corollaries of conquest in many wars. Viewed against this backdrop, the army of the Lamb distinguishes itself from their beastly opponents by their sexual self-control and restraint.** Conclusion and Application 1.) Because we are involved in a spiritual war, we are called to exercise self-control in regard to our sexuality. Sex, is not bad, but it is something which can cause us to harm our neighbors. Learning to control ourselves is part of our call to follow the Lamb. Inside the bounds of marriage, sex is a blessing from God, but living with respect for that boundary requires divine assistance from the Lord. This is no small thing, but a big part of our participation in the spiritual battle. 2.) The size of this army is also an encouragement. While the dragon rages and the beasts manipulate, there still stands an army of God which does not bow the knee to the enemy. We can take comfort from knowing that God is empowering his followers - who are also broken humans - to live with increased faithfulness. (See Romans 11:1-6 for the Biblical idea of the faithful remnant.) Notes * I had in mind one of the opening scenes from the Lord of the Rings in which the "Last Alliance of Men and Elves" faced off against Sauron's army. ** The reference to the men in the army of the Lamb as "virgins" has led some in church history to view celibacy as a higher calling than that of marriage. For example, in the Roman Catholic tradition, priests were not allowed to be married and monks and nuns who took a vow of celibacy were often viewed as the ideal. The Bible does not elsewhere elevate celibacy over marriage, so it is unwise to use this visionary picture as the ground for a new doctrine. Rather, it seems that the army of the lamb appears to be something of a "standing army", in that they are perpetually at war while the lamb reigns. In other words, the word "virgin" seems to be part of the symbolism, rather than a prescription for all faithful followers of Christ. On the other hand, the picture of this army can certainly be a source of validation for those Christians whose call to follow Jesus leads them to a life of singleness. Text: Rev 13:18
Parallel Passage: Matt 24:23-25 And then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform signs and wonders, to lead astray, if possible, the elect. But be on guard; I have told you all things beforehand. Main Idea: The beast is a minion of Satan who leads people astray through deception. Analysis This single verse has generated a great deal of interest over the years, such that people who are not very familiar with the Bible still know that the number "666" is associated with evil powers. The number 666 is found three other places in the Bible, but in each of those places it refers to a fairly innocuous tabulation.* But here, the number 666 casts a shadow far larger than its single reference would indicate. In fact, for many people, it is probably one of the first things that they associate with the book of Revelation. In fairness, John himself draws attention to this number. He underscores the need for wisdom in dealing with this. Then he directs us to "calculate" the number of the beast. We are told it is the "number of a man." So, What does "666 mean", and who does this number refer to? As you might imagine there are numerous suggestions about how to "calculate" this number. The ancient practice of gematria usually lies at the heart of most calculations. To understand gematria, you need to recognize that in the ancient world most numerical systems used letters as numbers. Those familiar with Roman Numerals would understand this. In that system, "X", "I" and "V" (among others) have numerical values, such that XLIII would mean "43." Much later, the western world adopted the Arabic numeral system to the relief of mathematicians everywhere. While Roman Numerals (and other systems) were pretty hard to use, they did have the intriguing possibility of associating numerical values with words or names. You could add up the value of the letters and achieve a numerical value for a name. With this system in mind, it is often suggested that the number 666 is meant to refer to the total value of all of the letters with numerical value in a particular person's name. I will give (what I believe to be) the best guess at which particular name it could be below. But first a word of caution. Gematria is a fairly imprecise science when you try to move from a numerical value back to a particular name. In theory every name only has one value, but when you go the other direction, a huge number of names can have the same value. And, unfortunately, there is not an easy or obvious calculation for this particular number. As a result, history has offered a really large number of suggestions for who this might be referring to. In many cases, the proposals involve a fair amount of fudging. That is counting some letters and not others, or moving back and forth between various languages. (Again, I explain the leading suggestion below.) By contrast, there is something that we can say about the symbolic value of the number. In the book of Revelation most numbers have clear symbolic value. Twelves, fours, and especially sevens appear frequently and have symbolic importance. Though it is not as common, the number six also has symbolic importance. In the Genesis account, mankind was created on the six day. For that reason, and because six falls short of the full "glory" or seven, it can be recognized that the number six has the symbolic significance of representing the incomplete striving of sinful humanity. If we would expect the number of divine perfection to be something like "7-7-7", then it follows that "6-6-6" represents the fullness of sinful humanity. In that symbolic sense, the number of the beast identifies him as the "supreme representative of unregenerate humanity, separated from God and unable to divine likeness - but always trying."** Additional Analysis In the flood of suggestions for who the number of the beast should refer to, there is one number that rises above the rest. "Nero Caesar" can be made to tabulate the total value of "666" - if it is transliterated into Hebrew and some alterations are made to the name.*** There is a compelling reason to tie this to Nero, given the first century context. Nero was the first Emperor to institute an official (though localized) persecution of Christians. During the 60's he persecuted Christians in Rome after a great fire burned down a large section of the city. The early church believed that both the Apostles Peter and Paul were killed during this persecution, perhaps the "fiery trial" that Peter warned of in his letter.**** While the actual Nero became mentally unhinged and died shortly later, he was a particularly beastly guy. There was a persistent rumor that one day Nero would return to resume his reign of terror. With that in mind, there are some other places where the figure of Nero seems to clothe the beastly figure of Revelation.***** While, Nero was dead and buried, the "spirit of Nero" was alive and well in Emperor Domitian, who would institute the first empire-wide persecution during the 90's. If this was the challenge that John's churches were facing, then it would be understandable that John would both think of Domitian as "Nero Part II" - and also that he would not want to put this explicitly in writing. While all of this is intriguing... I offer it with a word of caution, because it is not as clear as we might like, and because it can easily distract us from the central concerns of the prophecy. Conclusion and Application If we get too lost in the rabbit hole of trying to number the beast, then we can miss the point. In the vision of the two beasts, the power of Satan is working behind the political and religious powers. The central concern is about who you will worship. When we read about beasts 1 & 2, we probably imagine ridiculous images in our mind, and wonder how anyone could be deceived. But for those that are experiencing this beastly power first-hand, it is a far more difficult thing. When the power of the beasts looms large, it would seem like no one on earth can challenge them. The reflexive human response is "who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?" John wants us to calculate carefully. Though the combined power of the state and the seduction of compromised religion may seem powerful, the beast is merely human. In every age, every manifestation of beastly power will not be able to escape the judgment of God. As God shakes the heavens and the earth, seemingly overwhelming human powers will crumble and fall. At the end of the day, beastly power is human power and it will sink beneath God's mighty hand. At the appointed time - either in history, or at the end of all things - all human institutions will be exposed as merely human before the awesome power of the creator. Looks can be deceiving. Calculate carefully, and offer your worship to God alone. Notes * Ezra 2:12-14 lists the number of descendants in a genealogy as 666, and the other two references (1 King 10:14 and 2 Chron 9:13) refer to the amount of gold coins paid in tribute to King Solomon. Neither appear to have any diabolical significance in the context. ** Greg Beale, Revelation a Shorter Commentary, p287. *** The fact that the tabulation must be done in Hebrew, while Revelation is written in Greek is a significant objection to this name, however. And even in Hebrew, the most natural spelling doesn't automatically work. On the plus side, a common variation of the spelling for "Nero Caesar" would yield the total "616" which is a number found in some ancient variant scrolls of the Book of Revelation. That is, it appears some scribes made a error when copying this book, and in a couple of cases, that error was to write the number as 616. Maybe it means nothing, and maybe it means they were thinking of this other variant for Nero Caesar. **** I Peter 4:13. ***** This idea is called "Nero Redivivus" by historians. The Wikipedia page is short and helpful. Other places in Revelation that seem to refer to this are pictures of the first beast as having a mortal wound that was healed (13:4,12,14.) Text: Rev 13:11-17
OT Text: Daniel 3 Featured Verse: Rev 13:12 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. Main Idea: The second beast uses a different method to seduce the church into false worship. Analysis OK, at first this may seem a little redundant. You may be thinking, another beast? Is this a zoo? While the two beasts are similar, the significance of this second beast lies in where they are different. The first beast rises from the sea, while the second rises from the earth. For first century Christians living in Asia Minor, they experienced the Imperial power from Rome as something that came to them from "over the sea."* By contrast, there were dangerous forces which were more homegrown. While the first beast exercises dominion and authority**, that is political power, the second beast uses its power to compel false worship. The power of the second beast is not from its military might, but from its seductive attraction. That is found in several forms. First, he performs counterfeit miracles which "deceive" people. (13:14a) Then, he creates an "image" to encourage false worship. (13:14b) Finally, he creates a "mark" which is necessary for economic activity. (16-17) The purpose of this is all to direct worship to the first beast. So serious is this endeavor that those who refuse to do so risk being killed. (13:15) First century Christians, didn't have to stretch their imagination too far to find examples. In many ways, their experiences seem to make the most sense of the text. The imperial power that came from "over the sea" would claim absolute authority and place demands on the church that they could not obey. But some of the problem came from "home grown" sources. Historians have noted that the practice of emperor worship was more restrained in the West, where the original Romans were hesitant to declare an emperor divine during his lifetime. By contrast, the Eastern part of the empire was where the more egregious practices began. G. B. Caird wrote that the provincial council of Asia Minor were the ones who initiated the practice of worshipping a living emperor, going back as far as Augustus.*** History would show us that during the the reign of Domitian in the 90's, the cult of imperial worship would instigate the first wave of empire wide persecution and lead to a dramatic confrontation between the church and the state. John's vision fortified the church for conflict and revealed the true battle which lay behind Domitian's mad grasp for absolute power. Conclusion and Application What do we make of all this? These visions show us that multiple powers are at work in the world. There is the military power of the government. But there is also the power of false religion and man-made philosophy. The first comes at us with power and fear. The second comes with seduction. In John's visions, these powers are entangled together. In our experience, one aspect or another can be more present. Sometimes, the dragon uses the military force of the first beast to try to suppress the church. Other times he comes at the church with the seduction of signs, wonders, and false religion. Other times it is the allure of wealth and prosperity that come through compromise. In some parts of the world today, Christians have to endure oppressive military power. In other parts, the economy dictates the terms. Money talks. Which do you think is more likely to influence the church in America? Notes * G. B. Caird (The Revelation of St. John) described it this way: "The first beast represents the Roman imperial power which, for the province of Asia, annually came up out of the sea, with the arrival of the proconsul at Ephesus. The second beast represents an indigenous authority." He then shows how this pattern is found in other writings and quotes the NT scholar Ramsay who wrote, "Whatever comes from the sea is foreign, and whatever comes from the land is a native product." ** He "makes war on the saints to conquer them." (13:7) *** Ibid. "It was historically true that the [provincial council of Asia] had made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first monster; for it would never have occurred to [Caesar] Augustus to claim divinity, if the Asian provinces, accustomed as they were to the worship of their previous oriental rulers, had not taken the initiative in elevating him to a place among the immortals, city vying with city for the right to erect a temple to Rome and Augustus." Text: Rev 13:1-10
OT Text: Daniel 7:1-8 Featured Verse: Rev 13:2 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. Main Idea: Satan works through totalitarian political powers to deceive the nations and oppress the church. [This is the second vision of the sequence and introduces the second enemy of the church. Together with the beast that rises from the sea - introduced in the next vision - they form an "unholy trinity" in opposition to the gospel.] Analysis The first beast rises from the sea and has a "throne and great authority" given to it by the dragon. The message is that the dragon uses other agents to accomplish his purposes. The role that this first beast plays is political. In fact, the extent of his power extends to "every tribe and people and language and nation." (13:8) So what is this all about? The first frame of reference is to compare this to the biblical context. The OT prophet Daniel wrote of world empires that were represented by beastly figures. (Dan 7:1-8) The language that John uses is clearly drawn from Daniel. We also recognize that the beast is a counterfeit messiah. Jesus had warned of "false Christs" (Matt 24:5) and this seems to be just that sort of thing. The beast (like the true Lamb) has the appearance of being slain with a mortal wound (13:3), he is followed and worshipped like the true Christ. He also has a counterfeit world-wide kingdom and claims universal power that only belongs to Jesus. The reign of the beast from the sea is for 42 months - throughout the age of the church.*** The second frame of reference is to compare this to the historical context. While the beast represents the corruption of political power which is found throughout the church age, the actual form of the beast will look different at different times. When we look at this beast through the eyes of the first century churches, the beast looks a lot like the Roman Empire. Only one character fit the bill of someone who had world-wide dominion (13:7-8) - the Emperor of Rome. As the first century was winding down, the practice of worshipping the Roman Emperors as gods began to increase in practice. This would explain the "blasphemous names on the heads." (13:1) In fact, the temptation to demand total allegiance from its citizens motivated the Empire to demand emperor worship from its citizens. This is a demand that faithful Christians could not submit to. Though it could cost them their lives, Christians in these churches in Asia Minor would need to refuse the idolatry of Emperor Worship and the demands of the totalitarian state. Through this vision, John was revealing the true nature of this conflict. When these Christians refused to participate in emperor worship, they were not just resisting the power of an earthly despot. They were participating in a heavenly battle, and refusing to compromise with the beastly agent of the devil. NT scholar Richard Bauckham* wrote, "The images of chapters 12-13 place the coming confrontation between Christians and the power of Rome in the perspective of the cosmic war of evil against God and his faithful people." Conclusion and Application Because the reign of the beast is throughout the age of the church, we recognize different forms of the beast in different ages. Though the beast seems to wear the "clothing" of first century Roman Emperor Domitian in this image, Domitian would pass away and other beastly figures would emerge. In general, Christians are called to submit to the political authorities (Rom 13), unless it conflicts with their calling as disciples. Sometimes faithful (non-violent) disobedience is required.** Whenever a totalitarian leader uses political power to demand absolute allegiance he is acting beastly. Whether it was the Third Reich or Communist USSR, or modern powers, the totalitarian state recognizes no limits on its power and makes demands that Christians cannot comply with. Though this power may be used to kill those that refuse, noncompliance in the processes of beastly worship is done in the power of the Holy Spirit. Those believers who refuse to submit, who refuse to "love their lives unto death" will "conquer by the blood of the lamb." (12:11) So it is for our brothers and sisters around the world. While we, in the West, may not face those same consequences right now, the pressure is real for us too. Our seemingly small choices, in the face of what can feel like overwhelming political power, are actually part of a "cosmic war." Notes *Richard Bauckham, The Theology of the Book of Revelation ** You may notice this reference to Wang Yi's new book, Faithful Disobedience. Pastor Wang Yi has been imprisoned in China for refusing to submit to government regulations regarding worship. This is a very applicable connection to vision of the beast from the sea. *** As we have discussed previously, assuming that "7 years" represents the entirety of redemptive history, then it is divided in half by the cross of Christ into two periods of time called the former days and the last days. In that way of reckoning, 3.5 years, or 42 months or 1,260 days or "time, times and half a time" are all ways of describing the entirety of the church age - that is, the "second half of redemptive history." Text: Rev 12:13-17
OT Text: I Peter 5:8-11 Featured Verse: Rev 12:17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea. Main Idea: Spiritual warfare means that we battle the devil by resisting his purposes in the midst of our lives here on earth. [This is the conclusion of the first vision, which shows the battle that Satan (the "dragon") wages against the church.] Analysis Earlier in this vision we saw that Satan was unsuccessful in his battle against the women and her child. I take that to refer to his inability to prevent the mission of Jesus. The end result of Christ's gospel victory was that Satan also lost the war in heaven. Cast down to earth, he now rages against the woman's offspring.* The church is forced (again) into the wilderness, but the protection of God continues.** This theme resonates with the message of many parts of the NT that God's people will find themselves as heavenly citizens in earthly exile. (Heb 11, I Peter 1-2) Though they are not in a position of visible strength and security, God continues to care for his church (both "the woman" and her "offspring.)*** Conclusion and Application What we see in this passage is that the spiritual war that began in heaven will continue on earth. The seven churches of Revelation are meant to see themselves in this vision. Though they are small, and though they are facing increasing oppression, God cares for them. If they remain steadfast, they will conquer in Christ. But John's visions show the costliness of faith. For some, conquering will mean that they do not "love their lives unto death." (12:11) The transition in this section is important. When we think of "spiritual warfare", we may be tempted to think of it as something that happens out there. But, the cosmic battle between Satan against the church is playing out down here. The seemingly everyday things that conspire to lead us away from Jesus are part of that battle. In the next vision we will see how Satan works through earthly agents (the two "beasts") to continue this war. One beast will coerce with political power. The other beast will seduce with prosperity and alluring idols. What John reveals here is the way in which Satan stands behind the visible earthly powers that we deal with day in and day out. By taking the lid off of this conflict he reminds us how much is at stake. But, even more importantly, he shows us that the power of Satan is limited now, and that one day it will be fully defeated. Notes * We can again be thankful that John identifies the meaning of his symbols. In verse 17, he tells us that the offspring of the woman are "those who hold the testimony of Jesus." ** We are told that the woman was nourished in the wilderness for "time, times and half a time." This is another reference to the 3.5 years which demark the church age. Since the woman represents the people of God, she is both the mother of his child and also identified with the ongoing believing community. *** We see God's care for the church in multiple ways. They are given wings to fly, the river from the serpent is swallowed up, and they are "nourished" in the wilderness. Text: Rev 12:1-6 OT Text: Psalm 2 Featured Verse: Main Idea: [As was noted in a prior post, it seems that the third series of judgments would have been the seven thunders (10:4), but they were "sealed up" and not made known. In their place, John received an edible scroll which leads to these seven visions. This is the first of the seven, each beginning with the phrase "and I saw" or "I looked" or "a sign appeared."] Analysis In place of a series of seven judgments, we now have a series of seven visions. These visions show the conflict between the church and the powers of darkness. These chapters epitomize the theme of "revelation."* Through these visions, John is revealing the true conflict which lies behind the struggles that the church faces. Fortunately, the visions are a little easier to understand because John clearly identifies the symbolism. In verse 9, John calls the dragon, "that ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan." The male child is said to be destined "to rule the nations with a rod of iron." (12:5) This is a messianic psalm which points to Jesus. The woman has a crown of twelve stars. In a sense she represents Mary, but the inclusion of the 12-star-crown shows that she is representative of faithful Israel as a whole, which comes to include believing Gentiles. For this reason, her flight to the wilderness to escape the dragon (12:6) is a picture of the church in exile during the last days. Again, we see the reference to 3.5 years (1,260 days) which is symbolic of the church age. The dragon could not stop the birth of this child, nor prevent his saving mission. But, the believing community will continue to face the anger of this ancient serpent from their place of exile in the wilderness. Conclusion and Application Like the prior series of judgments, the seven visions cover the period of the church age. In this first vision, they go back to the beginning. Back to the nativity of Christ, and the spiritual conflict which quickly ensued. We will see in coming weeks that the dragon directs his agents against the church. John is revealing that there is a spiritual battle going on behind our struggle to remain faithful. We will continue with the dragon vision in the next two posts. Two things to explore: 1.) You may have already noticed, the picture that we have been using for the online blog comes from this vision. It is from an ancient church building and it depicts the confrontation of the dragon and the woman. 2.) I attached a YouTube video from Michael Card's album about the book of Revelation. This particular song narrates the drama of these visions. There are no hokey graphics, just music and lyrics based on this passage. Notes * Many commentators highlight the significance of these seven visions in the book as a whole. Derek Thomas and Greg Beale call them the "key to the entire book." Text: Rev 11:14-19
OT Text: Joshua 6:1-21 Featured Verse: Rev 11:15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Main Idea: We see (another) picture of God bringing redemptive history to a close and establishing his eternal kingdom as the kingdom of this world crumbles at the seventh trumpet blast. [The interlude of chapters 10-11 has come to a close. Verse 14 tells us that the final woe and the seventh trumpet will bring this second series of judgments to an end. Also, this fits the pattern of the four series of seven judgments (seals, trumpets, thunders/visions, bowls) in that each of the final visions gives us a look at the throne room of heaven as God brings final judgment onto the earth.] Analysis The dominant OT background for the first six trumpets was the Exodus account. The blowing of the trumpets is expressed in terms of the plagues that God used to deliver Israel from the bondage in Egypt. This will be further confirmed in chapter 15 when we hear the redeemed people singing the song of Moses. But the interlude of chapters 10-11 introduced another line of concern which will come together in this final trumpet blast. In yesterday's passage we saw the people of God giving faithful witness in the midst of a hostile world. And when God brought final vindication parts of the city walls crumbled. There is reason to believe that those two themes (the exodus and a crumbling enemy city) have come together in this final trumpet blast. The OT story of the exodus did not end in the desert, but followed Israel into the promised land. (Yes, there is also an interlude in that story - 40 years of wandering.) The entrance to the promised land required the defeat of an enemy city which stood on the border of the promised land. Moses did not live to make this journey, but his successor, a young leader named Joshua, led the people of God around the city in a procession of faithful dependence on God. Seven days of marching and a trumpet blown each day. On the seventh day, the final trumpet was blown and the fortified city of their enemy crumbled and the barrier to the promised land was removed. In a similar way, the seventh trumpet blast brings down the kingdom of this world and opens the pathway to the promised land. Like the Joshua account, the seventh trumpet blast brings the judgment and destruction of the enemies of God. In the book of Joshua, it was the hostile inhabitants of Jericho. In this vision from Revelation, it is the entirety of the world that will be brought into judgment (11:18). Conclusion and Application The biblical theme of universal judgment can be a hard doctrine. Partly, it is hard because we fail to see the seriousness of sin or the holiness of God. Partly, it is hard because we know that sin marks our own hearts and lives also. Celebrating the final judgment (as is frequently done in the book of Revelation) can feel like we are basking in hypocritical self-righteousness. But we need to remember the context. Persecution is real and the removal of persecutors is necessary for complete salvation. Verse 18 tells us that those who are destroyed are "the destroyers of the earth." The exodus story reminds us that we all sin and fall short of the glory of God but are saved (passed over) because of the blood of the Lamb of God. It also reminds us that the removal of opposition is necessary for complete salvation. There are two ways in which enemies of God can be removed. The first is conversion. Hence the urgency of the church to be faithful witnesses (11:4). Granted, Revelation doesn't show a lot of conversion stories, but the people of God are described as a "great multitude that no one could number from every nation" (7:9). As the story unfolds throughout the ages, many of God's former enemies are repenting and entering the kingdom by faith in the Lamb Slain. And yet, Revelation tempers our hope with a measure of reality. In spite of God's visible power, many people will refuse to repent (9:20). Those who continue in their opposition to God (which often leads to oppression for those who follow God) the day of judgment will be a day of wrath (11:18). For those who do not repent, their opposition to God will be removed in the final judgment. This is a stern and sober truth that should motivate our prayers and our witness. Text: Rev 11:1-14 OT Text: Ezekiel 40:1-6, 43:1-10 Featured Verse: Rev 11:4-5 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. Main Idea: God shows his protection of the witness of the church through the measuring of the temple. [We are continuing with the interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet.] Analysis Ok. I think that this might be the chapter that finally puts some people over the edge. A person sets out to read through the book. There are lots of strange images, but also lots of things we can intuitively grasp. (Letters to churches, worship in heaven, etc.) This section however, seems to be impossible to decipher at first glance. Personally, I am pretty familiar with Revelation, but when rereading this passage I found myself thinking - what is going on here? Let's start by stepping back from the details to look at what we know. First, the temple is measured. Then two witnesses give bold testimony. At first they seem to be unbreakable. Then the beast (who will be introduced more fully in chapter 13) conquers them and they lie in the streets before being resurrected. Then the city is shaken. The first question to ask is: What is the temple? The answer to this will determine the direction we take for the rest of the section. If the temple is meant to be understood physically and literally, then either this section has to refer to the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, or it has to look forward to a time when the temple is rebuilt, because there is not temple now.* However, if the reference to the temple is meant to be symbolic, then it can refer to the entire church age, because the church is the temple. Here are several arguments which favor reading this as a symbolic temple - representing the people of God. 1.) The book is already highly symbolic, and in many places John explicitly interprets things in symbolic ways. (lampstands = churches.) 2.) The OT background for the measuring of the temple is Ezekiel 40-43. In those chapters, the reference is not to the first temple (which had been destroyed in 586 BC), nor to the 2nd temple (which was rebuilt after the return from exile and continued until 70 AD.) Rather it is clearly to a (symbolic) temple which will be rebuilt by God at the end of history. Therefore, it would seem to be best to regard this temple in a similar manner. 3.) Jesus, himself, spoke of his body being the true temple, not the physical building. Now, as the Body of Christ, Christians are the temple because God dwells in them. The rest of the NT speaks of the Church as being (symbolically) the temple of God. (1 Peter 2:4, Eph 2:20-22, 1 Cor 3:16-17, 2 Cor 6:16.) 4.) All other references in the book of Revelation to the temple are describing the ideal heavenly temple, not a physical building on earth. (7:15, 11:19, 14:15-17, 15:5-8, 16:1, 16:17) 5.) Finally, the book is addressed to seven churches in Asia Minor. Given the NT de-emphasis on the physical temple and the practical matter that they lived very far from Jerusalem and would be largely unaffected by the events there, it seems hard to understand how the destruction of the temple in 70 AD would relate to them. 6.) The presence of lampstands in verse 4 is a reference to Zechariah 4. John has already interpreted the lampstands as being churches. So, interpreting the temple as a reference to the church makes sense also. If the temple (and the lampstands) are symbolic, then it makes sense to continue with a symbolic reading of the passage as much as possible. Rather than try to elaborate and defend each point (which would make this a book and not a blog entry) I will simply offer a consistently symbolic interpretation in the space below. Conclusion and Application Reading this passage symbolically renders a meaningful interpretation which is harmonious with other parts of the book of Revelation and with other NT theology. In this way of reading it: The measuring of the temple represents God's protection over his people. She is known intimately by God and prepared for his presence in it. (A presence which will be fully realized in chapters 21-22.) The two witnesses are modeled after the two great OT prophets and demonstrate some of their notable traits. (11:6) For example, Moses turned water into blood (Ex 7:17-25) and Elijah stopped the rain with a prayer (1 Kings 17-18.) They represent the faithful witness of the entire church, that is the new temple of God. It also seems best to understand the lengths of time in this passage as being symbolic. Because seven represents wholeness or completeness in the book of Revelation, seven years would represent the complete scope of redemptive history. The Bible thinks of time hinging on the death and resurrection of Jesus. The time before Jesus is "the former days" and the time after Jesus is the "latter days" or "last days".** Splitting seven years in half would bring 3.5 years, 42 months, or (roughly) 1,260 days.*** These lengths of time are used to represent the age of the church, or the time between the resurrection and the return of Jesus. What we see in this vision is a partial protection. Because the saints are sealed (chapter 7) their souls are safe in God. They also experience a partial physical protection. Their souls are secure in God, but their bodies are safe until they have completed their testimony. (11:7) The measuring of the inner court of the temple while the outer court is trampled seems to be a pictorial representation of this reality. However, at the end of the church age the beast will achieve an apparent victory. The two witnesses will be killed. But this apparent victory will last a comparatively short time (only 3.5 days compared to 3.5 years of protection.) Many scholars think that this points to a great persecution of the church before the return of Christ, a truth that seems to be presented elsewhere in the Bible. However, God will get the final victory. The church (two witnesses) will be raised up and exalted, while the earthly city will be shaken. In short, God will guard our souls, even in the face of death. Death cannot defeat us. And while God does not promise to protect his people from all physical harm, he can completely protect us while we continue our mission of faithful witness. As one missionary once said, "we are immortal until we have completed the work that God has given to us." Notes *The Preterist View of Revelation holds that the book is mostly about the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Futurist View (generally what people are most familiar with in regard to Revelation) looks to nearly all of the events in chapters 6-22 as happening in the future. **The NT writers believed that they were living in the last days (Acts 2:17 and Heb 1:1-2.) Paul seems to refer to the writings of the OT as things written in the "former days." (Rom 15:4) *** The expression "time, times, and half a time" is also used in both Revelation 12:14 and Daniel (7:25 & 12:7) to describe a similar period of time. Text: Rev 10:1-11
OT Scripture: Ezekiel 2:9-3:9 Feature Verse: Rev 10:11 "And I was told, 'You must again prophesy about many peoples and nations and languages and kings." Main Idea: John is commissioned to give another set of prophecies. Similar to the OT prophet Ezekiel, he is given (in a vision) a scroll to eat which he will pass along in a series of seven visions. We have seen that the seven seals and the seven trumpets had many parallels. In this section we see another similarity. In between the sixth and seventh seals there was an interlude that showed the sealing of God's people for protection in the midst of the various plagues. In a similar manner, chapters 10-11 appear to form an interlude between the sixth and seventh trumpet. In the second chapter of the interlude (chap 11), the church's witness is shown to be protected through the measuring of the temple (more on that tomorrow.) Analysis In the first part of the interlude we are also introduced to a new series of events. John sees a mighty angel coming down from heaven with a scroll in his hand (10.1). He hears seven thunders sound (10:3) but he is told not to write down the prophecy of the seven thunders. Instead, he is given a scroll to eat, which will enable him to bring a new series of prophecies (10:11). So, what is this all about? It may seem weird for a prophet to eat a scroll, but that is how the prophecy of Ezekiel was introduced in the OT (Ez 2-3.) This is a picture of internalizing God's word. John takes it in, then shares it with his churches. Of course, all of this is part of the vision, I don't think we are meant to understand this as literally eating a scroll. Because the the seven thunders are not written down, it seems that the scroll contains prophecies that are in place of the seven thunders. It appears that the expected pattern has been interrupted. If we look back at the seven seals and the seven trumpets, then take a peak forward at the upcoming seven bowls of wrath (chaps 15-16), a pattern emerges. - Seven Seals effect 1/4 of the people. - Seven Trumpets effect 1/3 of the earth. - [Seven Thunders not recorded, but we would expect them to impact 1/2] - Seven Bowls effect all of the world or 1/1. In place of the seven thunders, we are given a different set of pictures. It seems that the scroll that John eats - instead of recording the seven thunders - leads to a series of visions. These visions, which come after the seventh trumpet, show the conflict between Satan and the church and the final victory of Christ over the forces of evil. (More on that in chaps 12-14.) Summary and Application 1.) Like many other parts of the Bible reading and internalizing God's word is often described as feeding on the word. Jesus himself said that we cannot live on bread alone, but that we need to eat the word of God for spiritual health (Matt 4:4.) Our interaction with God's word needs to be more than just glancing over the words. We need to internalize the message, take it into ourselves and let it change us. 2.) The world-wide scope of the gospel is again affirmed. Ezekiel ate a scroll and had a message for the people of Israel (Ez 2-3.) But, John's message will be more expansive, it is for "many peoples and nations and languages and kings." (10:11) 3.) We don't know why the seven thunders were "sealed up" and replaced by this new scroll and the seven visions which will unfold very shortly. But, many scholars see those seven visions (chaps 12-14) as being the real heart of the book. In these sections, the witness of the church will withstand the onslaught of Satan. Perhaps this is the solution to the closing words of yesterday's text. After the seven seals and six trumpets the people still "did not repent." (9:20-21). In the next series of visions, we will see the faithful witness of the church in the face of persecution. Perhaps it was decided that what we most need to see is not another series of judgments (if indeed the seven thunders were similar judgments effecting 1/2 of the world.) Rather, we need to see God sustain his people for faithful witness even as the world around them brings crushing pressure and the devil himself wars against them. That is what we will see in the coming chapters. May it bring hope in the midst of conflict. "Text: Rev 9:13-21
OT Scripture: Joel 2:12-17 Featured Verse: Rev 9:20-21 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, nor did they repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. Main Idea: Like the sixth seal in a prior chapter, this sixth judgment seems to point toward a climactic battle at the end of time. We are reminded that God has a final purpose Analysis Many commentators recognize that this section of the book is particularly difficult to understand. (Fortunately, later visions will be a little clearer, so hang on.) For now, we want to recognize some of the patterns that we can see and set some parameters around what is known... and what is uncertain. The sounding of the sixth trumpet causes four angels to be released. Like the demonic powers seen in the vision of the fifth trumpet they seem to be forces of evil that bring destruction on the earth. In verse 16, they are compared to an army that numbers "twice ten thousand times ten thousand" (200,000,000.) That is a large army. Scholars say that is greater than the entire population of the Roman Empire at the time. The army is portrayed in grotesque ways similar to the demonic locust hoard of the fifth trumpet vision. Unlike the demonic locust hoard (which did not kill), this army of mutant horses kills one third of mankind with "fire and smoke and sulfur coming out of their mouths." (v.18) Is this referring to demonic powers that look like an army, or to an army that is an agent for demonic powers? I am not sure. Here are some things we can be more confident seeing in the passage. There are several important patterns that can be observed. The sixth trumpet has important similarities to other events in the book of Revelation. The sixth judgment in each of the three series of seven seems to relate to a climactic battle that occurs at the end of history. Other descriptions of a final battle in the book of Revelation are found below: - Sixth Seal (6:12-17) - "then the kings of the earth and...the generals... hid themselves in the caves... for the great day of [God's] wrath has come." - Sixth Trumpet (9:13-19) - "the number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand."** - Sixth Bowl of Wrath (16:12-16) - "the kings of the whole world assembled... at a place...called Armageddon." - Rider in White (19:19) "Kings of the earth gathered to make war." - Satan Defeated with God and Magog (20:7-10) - "nations at the four corners of the earth... gather... for battle." So, what do we make of this? There are a few possibilities. The approach that we have taken so far is to recognize a pattern of recapitulation in the book, such that a single event is described repeatedly. While that seems to take us a long way toward understanding what is happening in the book of Revelation, there is more that we can add to it. Because the series of seven judgments increase in magnitude* there is also a sense that the whole scene of judgment is escalating. While it seems that many of these accounts, listed above, seem to point toward a single final battle, it is a known feature of biblical prophecy to describe contemporary judgments with the language of the ultimate last battle. For example, the fall of Jerusalem (in both 486 BC and 70 AD) is described in language that sounds like the end of the world. In other words, it should not surprise us that bad things happen in history. When they occur, they give us a foretaste of the final conflict. History has periods of peace interspersed with intense conflict. The Persecution of Domitian, the Fall of Rome, the Black Death, the Civil War, World Wars I & II... all felt like world ending cataclysmic events to those who participated. In a sense they carried with them the echoes of final judgment. Because the sixth trumpet is said to affect "one third" of mankind, it may be a window into this phenomenon. Conclusion and Application Well, perhaps that seems a little complicated or a little abstract. Our final landing point is to see the impact of these judgments on people. God has a purpose in bringing judgments into history. They serve to bring justice and reveal his glory. But they are also opportunities for repentance. When any particular bad thing happens it is a reminder that we are naturally separated from God and need to be reconciled to our creator. Every war or disaster is an opportunity for people to review their spiritual situation and turn back to God. Hard things can serve as wake up calls for repentance. Unfortunately, John shows us that the majority of people do not respond in this way. Although they had experienced a judgment that was meant to stir them to repentance they did not turn from their rebellious sin. (9:20-21) Humans experience suffering for many reasons. Sometimes it is our fault. Often it is not. Sometimes we even suffer because we are pursuing righteousness. But regardless of the reason, suffering is always an opportunity for deeper repentance and more dependent faith. When we hear of "wars and rumors of wars" and when our land is marked by "famines or earthquakes" or disease (See Matthew 24:6-8), let us place our trust in our heavenly Father, who through Christ has sealed us for redemption, and let us draw near with more heart-felt repentance. Note * The seven seals affect 1/4 of mankind. Then the seven trumpets affect 1/3 of mankind. (The fraction is becoming greater as the denominator gets smaller.) The seven thunders (10:4) are "sealed up" so we don't get to hear what this judgment would be, but following the pattern we would expect it to affect 1/2 of mankind. Finally, the seven bowls of wrath complete the cycle of judgment. They affect the entirety of mankind - essentially 1/1. ** The "second woe" is not said to end until after the interlude of chapters 10 and 11. In these visions, a different perspective on warfare is introduced. The temple of God is sealed and two witnesses give faithful testimony until they are martyred. This will be discussed in more detail later, but I reference here because it seems to be part of the sixth trumpet (the second woe) and includes continued themes of warfare that is witnessed throughout the earth. |
AuthorMatt Koerber (unless otherwise noted). Because this devotional links so closely with the sermon series, the preacher for a given week will also write the daily devotionals. Archives
April 2023
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