Emory Baptist Church

The Two Witnesses of the Tribulation

Please take your Bibles this morning and find Revelation 11:1. Today, I want to share a message with you entitled, “The Two Tribulation Witnesses.”

 

We are studying the book of Revelation verse by verse and chapter by chapter.  As it relates to a time line of the end times and the book of Revelation, we are at the midpoint of the seven-year earthly tribulation.  

 

I believe the rapture of Church occurs between chapter 3 and 4.  I believe the seven-year earthly tribulation begins with Revelation 6 and the seven seal judgments.  It then continues with the 7 trumpet judgements and will end with the seven bowl judgments. 

 

In the recent Sundays, we have used this diagram from Dr. Charles Ryrie in helping us get our minds around all that is taking place on the pages of Scripture.

 

 

The seven trumpet judgements begin in Revelation 8.  Revelation 9 begins the fifth trumpet judgement that is also called the first woe.  Revelation 10 is a parenthesis or an interlude.  Revelation 11 is the sixth trumpet also called the second woe.  The end of Revelation 11 starts the seventh trumpet judgement also called the third woe, and the seven bowl judgement’s of God’s wrath on unbelief will quickly follow.

 

Many commentators have said that Revelation 11 is the most difficult to understand in the entire book.  Therefore, I am not going to tell you today that I have it all figured out.  However, I am going to share with you what I believe to be true and that I understand this chapter as speaking literally.  That is also how I interpret all of Revelation unless the text says otherwise of itself.

 

Therefore, in Revelation 11, I am going to show you what I believe to be a literal temple built in a literal Jerusalem and two literal witness who are literally resurrected and a literal 3.5-year period and a literal 7,000 individuals who die.  Consequently, I would suggest that you interpret this chapter in the same manner.

 

There is one last comment I want to make before we turn to the text.  This chapter is highly Jewish.  What I mean by that is that we will see Jewish Christians worshiping in Jewish Temple with multiple Jewish references from the Old Testament. 

 

 

1. The Ministry of the Two Witness, Revelation 11:1-10

1 Then I was given a reed like a measuring rod. And the angel stood, saying, “Rise and measure the temple of God, the altar, and those who worship there. 2 But leave out the court which is outside the temple, and do not measure it, for it has been given to the Gentiles. And they will tread the holy city underfoot for forty-two months. 3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.”  4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6 These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.  7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. 

 

In verse one, John was given a reed or what we might call a cane pole.  He was to use it to measure the temple of God, the alter in the temple, and those Jews there worshipping. 

 

It seems that this literal temple will be built in Jerusalem during the first half of the tribulation and perhaps even with the influence and leadership of the Anti-Christ.  However, please understand that this measuring is not to determine dimensions but possession.  When John does this measuring, it will be to mark out those who are followers of Christ. 

 

In verse two, John was not to include the court of the Gentiles.  Gentiles here is not an ethnic term but describing unbelievers, and they will want to destroy this temple in the second half of the tribulation known as the Great Tribulation.  It will be worst persecution that Christians have ever known according to Matthew 24. 

 

Verse three introduces these two witnesses that have a prophecy ministry.  However, it is not telling or predicting the future.  It is boldly proclaiming God’s truth, and I believe these will be two literal individuals.

 

Tradition says this will be Moses and Elijah, and that is a good guess.  Moses’s body was hidden when buried, and Elijah was raptured and never died.  They behave like Moses and Elijah in verse 6.  However, at the end of the day, we just don’t know.

 

However, we do know they will preach during the second 3.5-year period. And they will be saddened or grieved when they preach because of the severity of God’s judgement on the depravity of humanity. 

 

According to verse 4, they will have the power of the Holy Spirit.  Two olive trees and two lampstands are Jewish references from Zechariah 4. 

 

They will also be protected by God’s providence in verse 5.  Anyone who wants to harm them will have their lives taken.

 

They will also be able to minister supernaturally according to verse 6.  Again, these signs remind us of Moses and Elijah.

 

Finally, God will use their ministry of preaching to convict hearts.  Verse 7 speaks of when their testimony is finished so we know they will be preaching about how Jesus worked in their lives.  That testimony and their preaching will be so powerful that according to verse 10 that is torments those who reject their message.

 

When their assignment is finished, and that is toward the end of the 7-year tribulation, their lives will be taken by the Anti-Christ.  That is the beast of verse 7.

 

Verses 8 and 9 are hard to imagine, but their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem for all the world to see probably through satellite and large video screens like you might see in NYC and Times Square.  At this time, evidently, Jerusalem will be rampant in sexual immorality and Christian enslavement. 

 

This will be true for three and a half days, and the depravity of man will be so awful that unbelievers will celebrate their deaths like we celebrate Christmas, with the giving of gifts.  This picture is almost too much to imagine, but wait.

 

 

2. The Miracle of the Two Witnesses, Revelation 11:11-14

11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.  14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

 

Can you even imagine?  Their bodies will be in the streets and dead for almost four days.  Then God intervenes and fills their lungs with breath.

 

All the world is watching and celebrating their death, and they stand to their feet.  Great fear is probably an understatement. 

 

Then God calls them to heaven.  Their ascension then triggers and earthquake in Jerusalem that kills 7,000 people.  However, praise the Lord, some will be saved, and rightfully so. 

 

This ends the second woe or the sixth trumpet judgement, but their third woe and the seventh trumpet judgement is coming quickly. 

 

3. The Message of the Two Witnesses, Revelation 11:15-19

15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned.  18 The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”  19 Then the temple of God was opened in heaven, and the ark of His covenant was seen in His temple. And there were lightnings, noises, thunderings, an earthquake, and great hail.

 

Yes, the two witnesses are no longer on the scene, but their message while preaching during the tribulation is this message here in the seventh trumpet judgement.  The message is simple.  Christ is coming, and His kingdom will reign. 

 

Notice verse 15.  Christ’s kingdom will swallow up every other earthly kingdom.  This verse is looking forward to the second coming of Christ and His earthly reign. 

 

The two witness surely declared this message when they preached as the 24 elders in verse 16 will proclaim in heaven.  Jesus is coming.  That will be bad news for those who don’t believe, but it will be good news for those who are saved as they will be rewarded as saints of God. 

 

This chapter ends with a look into heaven where God is evidenced by the ark of His covenant.  And we see His power in the lightnings and noises and thunderings and another earthquake and hail.

 

 

Conclusion

So what does all this mean?  It means that Jesus came to give you the opportunity to be at peace with God through faith in Him.  If you haven’t made that personal decision, then you aren’t at peace with God and on your way to hell.  God’s judgements of wrath in the tribulation will be on and for you.

 

However, if you will call on the name of the Lord to save you, you will receive peace with God, a personal and saving relationship with Christ, forgiveness of sin, an eternal home in heaven, and deliverance from God’s wrath.

 

Will you call on Him today?  Are you not at peace with God today?  Answer that call and heed the message of the two witnesses.

 

Sweet and Sour Role

Woe is Me!

Have you ever heard anyone make the statement, “Woe is me?”  What they mean is that they are hurting or distressed or sad or grieved. 

 

Did you know those words can be dated all the way back to the oldest book in the Bible? 

 

Job 10:15

If I am wicked, woe to me; Even if I am righteous, I cannot lift up my head.  I am full of disgrace; See my misery!

 

Other instances of this same statement can be found in multiple Old Testament passages.

 

Psalm 120:5

5 Woe is me, that I dwell in Meshech, That I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

 

Isaiah 6:5

5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts.”

 

Jeremiah 4:31

31 “For I have heard a voice as of a woman in labor, The anguish as of her who brings forth her first child, The voice of the daughter of Zion bewailing herself; She spreads her hands, saying, ‘Woe is me now, for my soul is weary Because of murderers!’

 

Shakespeare even included it in Hamlet in 1602. 

 

Again, woe is me means that the speaker is hurt or distressed or sad or grieved.  That is exactly what very well could be said by anyone who lives through Revelation 9.

 

By way of reminder, in our study of John’s Revelation, we are looking at a futuristic event known as the great earthly tribulation.  It begins after the rapture of the church and in Revelation 6 with six seals of God’s judgment. 

 

These six seals include the four horsemen of the Apocalypse.  The seventh seal is opened at the beginning of Revelation 8 and includes four of seven trumpets of God’s judgment. 

 

The final three trumpets of judgment are called woes from Revelation 8:13, and the first and second woes or the fifth and sixth trumpets are here in Revelation 9.  This morning, we are going to see a trumpet of demons and a trumpet of death and a temptation to decline.

 

Let’s see one more reminder before we look at 9:1. This is the diagram that I showed you last week from Dr. Charles Ryrie.  These are God’s judgements on earth during the seven-year tribulation and the second half of the that tribulation.

 

 

1. A Trumpet of Demons, Revelation 9:1-12

1 Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit. 2 And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace. So the sun and the air were darkened because of the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke locusts came upon the earth. And to them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were commanded not to harm the grass of the earth, or any green thing, or any tree, but only those men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not given authority to kill them, but to torment them for five months. Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it strikes a man. 6 In those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will desire to die, and death will flee from them.  7 The shape of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle. On their heads were crowns of something like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 And they had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running into battle. 10 They had tails like scorpions, and there were stings in their tails. Their power was to hurt men five months. 11 And they had as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in Greek he has the name Apollyon.  12 One woe is past. Behold, still two more woes are coming after these things. 

 

Verse one tells us that the fifth trumpet or angel sounded, and John saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth.  John didn’t see the star actually falling.  This was an event that took place in the past, and I believe it is an allusion to the fall of Satan because of similar language found elsewhere.

 

Isaiah 14:12-17 (originally applied to the King of Babylon)

12 “How you are fallen from heaven,

O Lucifer, son of the morning!

How you are cut down to the ground,

You who weakened the nations!

13 For you have said in your heart:

‘I will ascend into heaven,

I will exalt my throne above the stars of God;

I will also sit on the mount of the congregation

On the farthest sides of the north;

14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds,

I will be like the Most High.’

15 Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol,

To the lowest depths of the Pit.

16 “Those who see you will gaze at you,

And consider you, saying:

‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,

Who shook kingdoms,

17 Who made the world as a wilderness

And destroyed its cities,

Who did not open the house of his prisoners?’

 

Ezekiel 28:12-16 (originally applied to the King of Tyre)

12 “Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord God:

“You were the seal of perfection,

Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.

13 You were in Eden, the garden of God;

Every precious stone was your covering:

The sardius, topaz, and diamond,

Beryl, onyx, and jasper,

Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold.

The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes

Was prepared for you on the day you were created.

14 “You were the anointed cherub who covers;

I established you;

You were on the holy mountain of God;

You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones.

15 You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created,

Till iniquity was found in you.

16 “By the abundance of your trading

You became filled with violence within,

And you sinned;

Therefore I cast you as a profane thing

Out of the mountain of God;

And I destroyed you, O covering cherub,

From the midst of the fiery stones.

 

Luke 10:18

18 And He said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

 

If this wasn’t Satan, it was one of his arch demons.  Verse eleven refers to him as the king over these demons that were locusts.  Other names for him include Abaddon and Apollyon, which both mean destruction.

 

Also in verse one, we see a particular location for these demons as we have already identified their leader.  Verse one says that the key to the bottomless pit was given to him.  This bottomless pit is none other than death and the grave or Hades.  It is the temporary home of demons.

 

Satan will then open the bottomless pit and up will come smoke that was will be so thick and so dark that it covers the sun. 

 

After we have seen the leader of the demons and the location of the demons, we see locusts that will be demonic.  Now there is a question as to whether John is talking about real, literal locusts. 

 

The reason why these may not be literal locusts but for sure demons is because they will not do what locusts normally do.  In verse three, they will have power like scorpions, but they won’t do any harm to the vegetation, but that is usually what locusts do.  Locusts normally ravage plant life. 

 

However, these locusts won’t even kill humans, but they will torment any and all humans who haven’t been sealed by God.   We know the 144,000 Jews have been sealed and any other tribulation saints alive at this time. 

 

Their torment will be like the sting of a scorpion for five months, and men and women will want to die but can’t and won’t.  The purpose of this first woe and all of these judgments is to get men and women to turn to Christ before it is too late.

 

He further describes their appearance in verses seven through ten.  They are like horses prepared for battle.  They have crowns on their heads and faces of men and hair like women and teeth like lions and breastplates of iron, and their wings sound like chariots. 

 

Verse ten moves from the picture of a locust to the locust having a scorpion’s tail, and that tail is going to sting and hurt men and women for five months. 

 

This section ends by going back to the leader of the demons.  He is called their king in verse 11 with the name of Destruction or Destroyer.

 

Brothers and sisters, this fifth woe reminds us that Satan is real and has a real agenda.  That agenda is to destroy and torment anyone he can.  That doesn’t mean I see him around every corner and under every table. 

 

However, I am fully aware of believe 1 Peter 5:8-9.

 

1 Peter 5:8-9

8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.

 

 

2. The Trumpet of Death, Revelation 9:13-19

13 Then the sixth angel sounded: And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 So the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 Now the number of the army of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And thus I saw the horses in the vision: those who sat on them had breastplates of fiery red, hyacinth blue, and sulfur yellow; and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone. 18 By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed—by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which came out of their mouths. 19 For their power is in their mouth and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents, having heads; and with them they do harm.

 

The sixth trumpet or second woe is one of death and begins in verse thirteen.  That verse says that John heard a voice from the alter saying to release four angels or I believe demons that were bound at the Euphrates River.  This destruction will originate from the east.

 

In verse fifteen, you see their objective.  They will kill a third of mankind.

 

If you take this third in Revelation 9 and pair it with quarter in Revelation 8, that is over half of the world’s population and could be in excess of 4 billion people.  What do you do with all of those corpses?

 

This destruction will come in the form of an army of horseman numbering two hundred million.  There was no way for John to see them, but he heard the number. 

 

They were horsemen with breastplates the color of fire.  The heads of the horses were like lions.  From their mouths came fire and smoke and brimstone.  Their tails were also lethal and did much harm. 

 

If you can’t wrap your mind around a two hundred-million-member army, remember that India and China both number one billion plus people today.  Furthermore, they are both to the east of the Euphrates? 

 

There was even an edition of Time Magazine dated May 21, 1965 in which China boasted of a two hundred-million-member army over 50 years ago.  Therefore, it might not be as impossible as you think.

 

Before we look at these last three verses, I want to remind you that even in the midst of all of this death, God will still ultimately be in control.  Let me show you.

 

In verse 1, who gave the key to the bottomless pit to fallen star?  It was God.  In verse 3, who gave the locusts their power?  It was God.  In verse 4, who commanded them as to what to do and set their boundaries?  It was God.  In verse 5, where did they get their authority and who determined the five-month period?  It was God.  And in verse 15, who decided the hour and day and month and year four bad angels to carry out their judgement?  It was God.

 

God is in complete control of everything.  Even the devil has to get permission from God to act. 

 

 

3. The Temptation to Decline, Revelation 9:20-21

20 But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. 21 And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts.

 

Perhaps the most shocking verses of this chapter are these in verses twenty and twenty-one.  There were witnesses to these demon locusts that tormented humanity and this unthinkable army destroying anyone in its path, but many of them still didn’t repent. 

 

They didn’t repent of their idolatry or their murdering or their sorcery or their immorality.  They kept on with their lives of sin.  They declined to repent. 

 

 

Conclusion

Is that a temptation that you are facing today?  Are you tempted to decline repentance?  You see God’s hand of judgment and hear God’s word, but you’re declining to change your behavior. 

 

Hebrews 3:7-8

7 Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you will hear His voice, 8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness.”

 

Brothers and sisters, don’t harden your hearts today.  What is keeping you from acting today?  What is keeping you from giving your life to Christ today? 

 

• What is keeping you from coming for believer’s baptism today?
• What is keeping you from joining the church today?
• What is keeping you from reconciling your marriage today?
• What is keeping you from committing to tithe today?
• What is keeping you from witnessing to that friend or family member today?

 

You’ve heard God’s voice today.  Don’t harden your hearts, but obey today!

Devastation All Around

Please take your Bibles and turn to Revelation 8:1. I want to share a message with you entitled, “Devastation All Around.” 

 

In a timeline of end times events, I believe we are currently living in the church age that began at Pentecost and will end with the rapture of the church.  In the bible, this will happen between Revelation 3 and 4. 

 

The rapture of the church is when the Lord Jesus comes in the clouds unexpectedly and raptures all living individuals who have been baptized by the Holy Spirit.  In other words, the rapture is when the Lord Jesus snatches away all living followers of Christ to heaven.

 

No one knows when that will happen.  It will happen unexpectedly without any warning or advance notice.

 

After the rapture, a seven-year period call the Tribulation will begin.  It will be God’s judgement on those living on earth who have rejected Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  The first half of the Tribulation will not seem like judgement.  However, the second half will be the Great Tribulation and the most severe Christian persecution that has ever occurred. 

 

Revelation 6 begins to show us God’s wrath and judgement poured out on the earth.  John speaks of them in the form of seals, trumpets, and bowls.  Today, we will see the seventh seal opened, and this diagram courtesy of Dr. Charles Ryrie of Dallas Theological Seminary may help in your understanding of these judgements going forward.

 

 

 

Notice that the seventh seal actually opens the first four trumpet judgements.  The seventh trumpet judgement opens the seven bowls of God’s wrath, and Ryrie even shows the three woes at the end of today’s text as parallel with the fifth, sixth, and seventh trumpet judgments.

 

 

1. The Mercy of God, Revelation 8:1

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

 

Think back for a moment to Revelation 6.  The first six seals of God’s judgement were opened in Revelation 6. 

 

However, chapter seven is an interlude or parenthesis.  Chapter 7 is a suspension of the judgments to see one hundred and forty-four thousand Jews saved and possibly commissioned on the earth to share the good news of the gospel before Jesus returns. 

 

Chapter 7 is also for seeing an innumerable multitude of primarily Gentiles around the throne in heaven worshipping the Lord.  They will come from every nation and every tribe and every tongue. 

 

All of chapter 7 is a testimony to God’s mercy.  Any time He waits to judge, He is being merciful, and even though I agree that these thirty minutes of silence in 8:1 is a silence of anticipation of what is to follow or a pregnant pause, it too is a silence of mercy. 

 

It is a continuation of chapter seven.  These thirty minutes of silence remind us of the mercy of God. 

 

What is mercy?  It is God withholding from us what we deserve. 

 

Unfortunately, followers of Christ often think that we don’t need the mercy of God because we have been born-again or baptized or belong to a local church.  In reality, we are in desperate need of God’s mercy every day. 

 

Are you guilty of any of these?   

Romans 1:29–31

1 Corinthians 6:9–10

Galatians 5:19–21

Ephesians 5:3–5

Colossians 3:8

2 Timothy 3:2–5

1 Peter 2:1

1 Peter 4:3

Revelation 9:21

Revelation 21:8

Revelation 22:15

 

My point is this.  Every person in this room is in desperate need of God’s mercy each and every day.  Heaven help us if we don’t realize it.

 

 

1. Prayers before God, Revelation 8:2-6

2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 3 Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the earth. And there were noises, thunderings, lightnings, and an earthquake.  6 So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

 

Do you ever wonder if your prayers matter?  Wonder no more!  Verse two says that John saw seven angels standing before God, and they were holding seven trumpets which will be part of the seventh seal of judgment. 

 

An eighth angel will come forth in verse three holding a golden censer.  That is a bowl or firepan holding live coals and incense. 

 

Incense was given to him to add to the prayers of the saints.  The smoke of the incense went up to the Lord along with the prayers of the saints. 

 

You may be unfamiliar with this practice, but remember the father of John the Baptist in Luke 1:5-10.

 

5 There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.  8 So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. 10 And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.

 

Who were these saints?  At the very least, they are the saints that will be alive during the tribulation, and they will be begging the Lord to bring the tribulation to an end.  They will be begging the Lord to end His wrath on the earth.  However, they could also be the saints of all time who have been praying for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in heaven. 

 

Do you think that prayer is important to God?  We’ve already seen earlier in Revelation 5 that our prayers are a sweet aroma in the nostrils of God.

 

Do you think that prayer works?  Then why don’t we pray more.  Why do we turn more to the telephone to get results?  Why do we turn to an email or FB to get results?  Why do we turn to protests or riots to get results? 

 

Why have I been announcing and asking and begging for over a year to get 36 individuals or families to commit one hour a week in our prayer room and to no avail?  The bottom line is that we don’t trust the power of prayer.

 

However, it is the prayers of the saints before God here in Revelation 8:5-6 that precipitate the judgements of God in these 7 trumpets of judgement.  Prayer is God’s plan, and it works. 

 

 

• The Judgements of God, Revelation 8:7-12

7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up.  8 Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.  10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter.  12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night.  13 And I looked, and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

 

In verse 7, the first trumpet is the destruction of the ground.  With hail and blood and fire, a third of the earth is burned.

 

Imagine the domino effects.  If the grass is burned, what will animals eat?  If animals don’t eat, what will humans eat?  There will be devastation all around.

 

The second trumpet is the destruction of the seas and salt-water bodies.  Some large burning land mass will be thrown into the sea, and the sea will turn to blood or look like blood.  All the sea life will die, and a third of the ships will be destroyed.

 

Maybe this is a volcano or a meteor.  If it is a meteor, imagine the power and might that will be necessary to hurt it to the earth.  Imagine the water displaced when it hits the oceans, and imagine all of the dead marine life.  Where will it go?

 

The third trumpet is the destruction of the rivers.  A great star will fall from heaven into the rivers and springs of water.  Its name is Wormwood which is bitter and disgusting and will turn the waters to the same.  It will cause many men to die.

 

The fourth trumpet is the destruction of light.  A third of the sun and moon and stars will be struck rendering them inoperative.  It seems that twenty-four hour days turn into sixteen hour days.  Judgment will come.

 

Chapter 8 ends with only sounding 4 of the 7 trumpets.  However, a preview of the last 3 are in verse 13.

 

An angel or an eagle or an eagle that is really an angel will speak announce the trilogy of woes to the inhabitants of the earth at the time who have rejected the Lord Jesus.  The final three trumpets of God’s judgement will be worse than the first four.

 

 

Conclusion

Today, I invite you to be so grateful for the mercy of God.  Today, I invite you to begin praying like prayer works.  Today, I invite you to confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior of your life and avoid the judgment of God on your life.

So Who Can Stand?

Last Sunday morning, Bro. Ronnie guided us through Revelation 6 and the utter terror on the earth that will occur during the great tribulation as God judges those who had and were rejecting the gospel and the offer of salvation in Jesus Christ extended to them. 

 

You saw that through the opening of six of seven seals of judgment.  The seventh seal will start Revelation 8.

 

At the end of Revelation 6, verse seventeen asks a question, “Who is able to stand?”  At that time, who will be able to stand or survive God’s wrath and judgement? 

 

Today, we move to Revelation 7.  This chapter is what is called an interlude or a parenthesis or another scene that will happen ALMOST simultaneously with Revelation 6. 

 

Simply put, the title of this morning’s sermon is “So Who Can Stand?”  The answer is also simple: The Sealed of Israel on the Earth and the Saved from the Tribulation in Heaven.

 

Please allow me to give just a few more introductory comments before we turn our attention to today’s text.  First, I believe the Universal Church will be raptured, and that will occur in between Revelation 3 and 4.  In that even, the Lord will take all of the living believers at that time to heaven to be with Him for eternity.  It hasn’t happened yet, but it will unexpectedly.

 

Second, the earthly tribulation will come next, and we know from the Old Testament, specifically Daniel, that the earthly tribulation will last seven years.  It even appears that the seven years will be divided into two halves designating the first three and half years and then the second three and a half years.  However, remember, the Universal Church will have been raptured to heaven.

 

Third, I would say that Revelation 6 covers all seven years of the tribulation and introduces God’s judgment that will manifest itself in seals then trumpets and then bowls in the weeks to come.

 

Now, who can stand?

 

 

1. The Sealed of Israel on the Earth, Revelation 7:1-8

1 After these things I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, on the sea, or on any tree. 2 Then I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.” 4 And I heard the number of those who were sealed. One hundred and forty-four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel were sealed: 5 of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand were sealed; 6 of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand were sealed; 7 of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand were sealed; 8 of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand were sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand were sealed.

 

After six major and significant earthly judgments from God in chapter six, the opening verses of chapter seven show God’s mercy as the judgments are temporarily suspended.  Remember, there is still a seventh judgment to come.

 

Verse one says that John will see four angels at the four corners of the earth.  They are holding back the winds of the earth.  This is a very calm and peaceful scene. 

 

A fifth angel emerges in verse two.  He has the seal of the living God.  This is evidence that God Himself is behind this suspension of judgment which goes to show us that in fact, God is in control of all things.

 

This fifth angel then commands the other angels to cease from their judgments until they have sealed God’s servants. I believe these servants mentioned at the end of verse three are Jewish Christians. 

 

To be a servant of God is to be saved.  Evidently, these Jews will recognize Jesus as their Promised Messiah during the tribulation period.  According to Revelation 14:1, they will be sealed on their foreheads. 

 

1 Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads.

 

However, we cannot determine from this verse if this seal is visible to humans.  It may only be visible to God and His angels, but it certainly is in contrast with the mark of the beast.

 

In verse four, John says those that will be sealed will number 144,000.  Do I believe this number should be taken literally?  I do, but I’m not dogmatic about it because I know that sometimes John uses numbers figuratively or symbolically like he did in 7:1.  I know that there are not four literal corners of the earth. 

 

Please remember, these Jews were not raptured, and we know and believe that just because you are a Jew does NOT mean you are saved.  No one is saved apart from a personal and saving relationship with Jesus Christ.  These Jews entered the tribulation after the Universal Church was raptured, and they were saved. 

 

How were they saved if the Universal Church will be raptured?  Bibles won’t be raptured.  Evangelism Tracts won’t be raptured.  YouTube and Facebook and podcasts won’t be raptured. 

 

What does their sealing involve?  I believe it involves a spiritual salvation but also a physical salvation.  When God seals these 144,000 Jews, He will save them, and then He will physically protect them through the remainder of the tribulation. 

 

It will be like He did for the nation of Israel in the Old Testament.  He will physically protect them until Jesus comes again to the earth. 

 

What will they be doing after they are saved?  Some have said these will be Jewish evangelists.  This text doesn’t specifically say, but considering what they will know at this time…that Jesus is about to return and there will be no second chances, that is probably a safe bet.

 

Now, there are a host of questions regarding this listing of the 144,000 in verses five through eight.  Unfortunately, I only have one answer. 

 

First, many have asked why Dan is not mentioned in this tribal list.  No one can say for sure. 

 

Second, many have asked why Manasseh is mentioned but not Ephraim.  Weren’t they both sons of Joseph?  Yes, but no one can say for sure why Ephraim was not included. 

 

Third, many have asked why Judah is listed first and not the first-born Reuben.  I can confidently answer that Judah is listed first because Jesus is from the tribe of Judah.

 

Again, personally, I believe these sealed of Israel on the earth who will be able to stand or survive God’s judgment through the tribulation are a literal 144,000.  That means a literal 143,999 plus 1 Jewish brothers and sisters in Christ. 

 

 

2. Those Martyred Saints, 7:9-17.

9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever.  Amen.”  13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?”  14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.”  So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

 

I believe that verse nine is now another vision for John and another scene in this chapter.  Therefore, I don’t believe that John heard about one group of believers on earth in verses 1-8 and saw the same group of believers in heaven in verses 9-17. 

 

In verse 9, John sees a great multitude of people.  They are very diverse.  This group is multiethnic, multicultural, and multilingual.  They are from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues.   Because of the specificity of the Jews in verses five through eight, it stands to reason that most of these are Gentiles.

 

John sees them standing before the throne and before Jesus.  They are clothed in white robes, and they are worshipping with palm branches in their hands.  They are crying out, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  They are worshipping both God the Father and Jesus, His Son.

 

Also around the throne in this scene are angels and the elders representing the raptured Church and the four living creatures representing all of creation.  They all are also worshipping as they will prostrate themselves before God and Jesus and the throne. 

 

They will be saying and singing the contents of verse twelve.  BTW Amen means so let it be, you can count on this, or this is true. 

 

As we move to verse thirteen, it becomes clear who this multitude is.  One of the elders will ask John for clarity.  John defers his answer. 

 

The elder then identifies this group as Christian martyrs whose lives were taken during the tribulation.  Again, there will be those saved during the tribulation.  However, these individuals will have been martyred for their faith in Christ. 

 

Actually, this is the same group we saw last week below the alter.  They are now around the throne.  See Revelation 6:9.

 

9 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held.

 

These devoted brothers and sisters who will have given their physical lives for the name of Jesus and the furtherance of the gospel will be wearing white robes that have been washed in the blood of the Lamb. 

 

In heaven, God will protect them and comfort them unlike what they experienced on earth.  They will no longer be starved or burned or in pain.  For them, heaven will be relief and no more physical pain.

 

They will be able to stand or survive God’s judgement and wrath.

 

 

Conclusion

So what do take away this morning from Revelation 7? 

 

First, God is in control.  Go back to verses 1-3.  Who was in charge of the angels and is in charge of all things?  God is. 

 

Nothing that happened in 2020 caught God by surprise, and nothing that will happen in 2021 will either.  God is in complete control of all things.

 

Does that mean God causes evil?  It does not.  God allows evil to exist as a byproduct of giving us a choice to worship Him.  He causes good, and He allows evil.  Regardless, He is in control.

 

Second, heave is real, but it might be different than what you have in mind.  It won’t only be white.  It won’t only be American.  It won’t only be Baptist.  It is going to be different than you might think.  It will be every tribe and tongue from the four corners of the earth. 

 

Heaven will also be more than you can imagine.  Think about the greatest experience you can conceive.  Maybe it is an indefinite, all expense paid vacation in Hawaii.  Maybe it is a fourteen point buck taken at twenty five yards.  Maybe it is an eighteen hole round of seventy two at your favorite course.  Maybe it is your favorite team winning a championship.  Regardless, heaven will be different, and it will be more.  It will be drinking from the living fountains of waters never to thirst again. 

 

Finally, will you be able to stand God’s judgement?  Are you a servant of God?  That’s how 144,000 are described in verse 3. 

 

Do you believe that only way to be saved is through Jesus?  In verse 10, this great multitude will say that salvation belongs only to God and the Lamb, His Son, Jesus Christ. 

 

Do you know that you cannot earn salvation on your own merit?  Implied in verse 14 is that our spiritual garments are filthy rags and are in desperate need of being washed in the blood of the Lamb. 

 

If you aren’t ready to stand or survive the judgment of God today, I invite you to be saved. 

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Don't Cry Over a Sealed Scroll!

You probably recognize my sermon title as a takeoff from the idiom, “Don’t cry over spilled milk.”  What does that mean?  It means there is no use in being upset over situations that have already happened and cannot be changed.  However, today, we are going to see a situation over which John is crying, but this situation will change, and praise the Lord. 

 

What if there was no Jesus?  That scenario perhaps crossed John’s mind here in Revelation 5, but praise the Lord we know the answer.

 

In many ways, Revelation 5 is a continuation of Revelation 4 and a glimpse of heaven.  In chapter 4, we saw a throne in heaven, and we saw elders and creatures around the throne, and we saw them worshipping God the Father for eternity. 

 

However, that is not only who they worshipped.  In chapter 5, we see the appearance of God the Son.

 

This morning, from Revelation 5, I want you to see the problem with the scroll, the prominence of Lion/Lamb, and the praise for God the Son.

 

 

1. The Problem with the Scroll, Revelation 5:1-4

1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.  4 So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.

 

In verse 1, John saw a scroll in the right hand of God the Father.  This scroll had writing on the front and back and had seven seals. 

 

The first question that immediately comes to mind is what was on the scroll?  In some form or fashion, I would say this is the history of humanity that includes the fall of man with Adam and Eve and God’s plan of redemption through Jesus Christ. 

 

The seven seals will be focus of chapters 6-8 so I hope you’ll come back and find out their nature.  However, simply put, they normally are on scrolls to guarantee the integrity of the contents.  In this instance, we will see them to be judgments of God in the coming weeks.

 

In verse 2, John heard the loud voice of an anonymous angel.  This could have been Gabriel, but we can’t know for certain. 

 

He asked who is worthy open the scroll by loosing or breaking the seals.  Then, a universal search will happen with no apparent success.  Consequently, in verse 4, we see the only tears in heaven.  John wept because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll.  Perhaps, here is where we are reminded of the question, what if there was no Jesus?

 

 

2. The Prominence of the Lion/Lamb, Revelation 5:5-7

5 But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”  6 And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

 

But, there is Jesus, and we see His appearance in verse 5.  John’s fears were assuaged by the words of the elder.  Remember, I believe these 24 elders represent the raptured Church. 

 

These titles for Jesus is OT language reserved for the promised Messiah.  He will be of the tribe of Judah, and He will be of the family of David. 

 

In verse 5, He is the Lion, and He has prevailed.  That is the first aspect of His prominence.  He has prevailed as evidence of His standing as the Lamb who was slain.  Yes, He was slain, but in heaven, He is standing victoriously, and He will prevail, being the only one, to open the scroll and loose its seals.

The second aspect of His prominence is His position.  Notice where the Lamb is in verse 6.  He is in the middle of the throne.  He will be the center of attention.  Around Him will be the 4 living creatures, angelic in nature, representing all of God’s creation as well as the 24 elders representing the raptured Church. 

 

This Lamb is strong and powerful as seen in His seven horns and united with the Holy Spirit as evidenced by His seven eyes. 

 

In verse 7, His prominence is demonstrated when He will go to God the Father and take the scroll from His hand. 

 

Don’t ever entertain the thought of no Jesus because here He is in all of His prominence. 

 

 

3. The Praise for God the Son, Revelation 5:8-14

8 Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 And they sang a new song, saying:

 

“You are worthy to take the scroll,

And to open its seals;

For You were slain,

And have redeemed us to God by Your blood

Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,

10 And have made us kings and priests to our God;

And we shall reign on the earth.”

 

11 Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders; and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice:

 

“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain

To receive power and riches and wisdom,

And strength and honor and glory and blessing!”

 

13 And every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, I heard saying:

 

“Blessing and honor and glory and power

Be to Him who sits on the throne,

And to the Lamb, forever and ever!”

 

14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever.

 

For the rest of chapter 5, we see elders and the angels praising and worshipping God the Son through song and loud chanting in 3 hymns. 

 

The elders in verse 8 had harps and fell to the ground singing a new song in verse 9.  Notice what qualified the Lamb to take and open the scroll.  It was His death on the cross for the entire world.  It wasn’t just for Americans or just for Baptists or just for conservatives.  His blood was shed for every single human being, and if He demonstrated His love in that way, we should demonstrate our love as well.

 

Verse 10 foreshadows Jesus’ earthly kingdom and the redeemed reigning with Him. 

 

In verse 11 is the second hymn, and John saw an uncountable number of angels and elders praising and worshipping God the Son with a loud voice. 

 

Then in verse 13, John saw every creature singing a third hymn of praise and worship to God the Son.  The angels said Amen, and the elders bowed down.

 

 

Conclusion

First, get ready for worship in heaven now.  Every redeemed person can do that by singing loudly on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings with passion and enthusiasm regardless of what you think your talent level is.

 

Second, bless God with your prayers now.  Go back to verse 9.  The prayers of the redeemed are a fragrant aroma in the nostrils of God.  Pray about today and tomorrow and yesterday.  Pray when you are in trouble and when you are not.  Pray for yourself and your neighbor.  Pray, pray, pray!

 

Finally, worship and obey God the Son today because He is the only One worthy of our love and devotion.  He said Himself, if you love Me, keep My commandments.  Obey Him brothers and sisters, and all of the commandments in the OT can be boiled down to two in the NT: love God and love your neighbor. 

The Gospel of Christmas

On this Sunday before Christmas, I want to share with you the Gospel of Christmas in three statements that will include the traditional Christmas story as well as other Scriptures that give us a fuller picture of the gospel.

 

 

1. At Christmas, we CELEBRATE that Jesus was born in a cradle and of a virgin and as a fulfillment of prophecy, Luke 2:1-20.

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.  4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”  13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”  15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. 17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. 18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. 19 But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

 

When we think of a cradle, we think of rocking and padded and pretty.  However, the cradle of Luke 2 wasn’t that at all.  It was a feeding trough or a manger as mentioned in verses 7, 12, and 16. 

 

Think about that for just a moment.  The only begotten of the Father full of grace and truth was placed in a feeding trough after He was born.  If you’ve ever been on a farm or raised livestock, you might have a more accurate picture in mind than some of us.

 

Being born in a cradle or feeding trough or manger reminds us of Jesus’ humanity.  He was the Son of Man.

 

However, this Christmas story also reminds us of His deity as He was born or a virgin.  Go back to Luke 1:31-35.

 

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.”  34 Then Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I do not know a man?”  35 And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.

 

In verse 31, Gabriel is talking to Mary about how graciously God will use her in His redemptive plan.  However, Mary questioned the angel because she had never been with a man.  She was a virgin.

 

The angel responded with letting her know that that the miraculous would occur.  It would be a miraculous conception. 

 

Because Jesus was born of a virgin and miraculously conceived, He didn’t inherit or receive our sin nature and the guilt of Adam and Eve.  Therefore, this fact speaks to His deity.  He not only was the Son of Man, but He also the Son of God.

 

And the events surrounding His birth were the fulfillment of prophecy some 700 years before.  See Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7.

 

14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

 

6 For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 Of the increase of His government and peace

There will be no end,

Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom,

To order it and establish it with judgment and justice

From that time forward, even forever.

The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.

 

Again, at Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Jesus in a cradle and of a virgin and as a fulfillment of prophecy.

 

 

2. At Christmas, we COMMEMORATE that Jesus died on a cross for our sins and as fulfillment of prophecy, Luke 23:32-46.

32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left. 34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.”  And they divided His garments and cast lots. 35 And the people stood looking on. But even the rulers with them sneered, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God.”  36 The soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him sour wine, 37 and saying, “If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself.”  38 And an inscription also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”  40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”  43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”  44 Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. 45 Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. 46 And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’” Having said this, He breathed His last.

 

To commemorate means to remember, and it is imperative that we remember that Jesus being born of a virgin was not the end of God’s plan.  God’s plan also included Jesus dying on the cross. 

 

Dr. Luke gives us his account in Luke 23.  By the way, just in case you’re in church today or joining us online and wondering if God can save you, consider the thief on the cross. 

 

He woke up that morning on the way to hell.  He died that afternoon and went to heaven.  He repented in verses 40-41.  He requested salvation in verse 42.  He was redeemed in verse 43.

 

Jesus died on the cross, but He also died for our sins.  See 2 Corinthians 5:21.

 

21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

 

In the great exchange, when Jesus died on the cross, He took our sin and made it possible for anyone who would believe to have His righteousness.  He was sinless, our substitute, and completely satisfied God’s wrath that allowed us to have His righteousness.

 

And like His birth, His substitutionary death was also a fulfillment of prophecy.  See Isaiah 53:4-5.

 

4 Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

 

At Christmas, we celebrate Jesus being born in a cradle of a virgin and as a fulfillment of prophesy.  We also commemorate Jesus dying on a cross and for our sins and as a fulfillment of prophesy. 

 

 

3. At Christmas, we remember the coming of Jesus with a crown to judge and as a fulfillment of prophesy, Revelation 19:11-16.

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 

After Jesus died on the cross, He was resurrected from the grave to live eternally with His Father in heaven.  However, He’s coming back to earth one day.  This time, He will be wearing a crown according to Revelation 19:12.

 

Furthermore, His return will be to judge all of humanity as seen in his eyes like a flame and out of His mouth will come a sharp sword.  Jesus will also have the name of King of Kings and Lord and Lords. 

 

Finally, even this will be a fulfillment of prophecy as Revelation 19 is yet to happen. 

 

 

Conclusion

My invitation this morning comes in the form of a question as go to Revelation 20:11-15.  When Jesus comes again with a crown to judge humanity, will He judge you to heaven or to hell?

 

11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

A Glimpse of Heaven

Heaven is the home of God.  It is the destination where almost every human wants to spend eternity.

 

 

We have heard stories about heaven.  We have read books about heaven.  We probably have even watched movies about heaven.

 

However, this morning, we are going to see a glimpse of heaven that can be trusted above all other description, and that is the description that John gave in Revelation 4.

 

 

This morning, we are taking a major turn in our study of John’s Revelation.  Most of the rest of this book all happens in the future, and is even yet to happen. 

 

We know chapter 4 marks a major shift in John’s writing by the wording that he used.  At the end of 1:19, Jesus said write about things which will take place after this.  4:1 says after these things.  Do you see the connection there?  John was to write the things which will take place after the messages to the churches.  That now begins at 4:1

 

 

However, this glimpse of heaven in chapters 4 and 5 serve as a prologue or transition.  All of chapters 2 and 3 were set in the first century.  Beginning in chapter 6, we will see the Great Tribulation on earth.  Jesus will return in chapter 19.  He will reign on earth for 1000 years in chapter 20, and chapters 21-22 tell us about eternity. 

 

 

Just a few more introductory comments, and then we’ll turn to 4:1.  When we first began this study back in September, I told you then that apocalyptic literature is highly symbolic.  We will see that today in chapter 4 with the use of the word “like” in 1, 2, 3, and 7.  Consequently, while some meanings of symbol can be determined, I will probably not be as dogmatic as others have been simply because I can’t with complete honesty. 

 

 

Finally, Revelation 4 is about a throne in heaven.  That word is used some 14 times in this chapter.  Therefore, I want to show the person on the throne who is to be worshipped, the participants around the throne who will worship, and the practice of worship at the throne.

 

 

1. The Person on the Throne who is to be Worshipped, Revelation 4:1-3

1 After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, “Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this.”  2 Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. 3 And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

 

These first three verses detail the person on the throne who will be worshipped.  In verse one, John saw a door standing open in heaven.  He then heard a voice that sounded like a trumpet speaking and called him up to heaven. 

 

What was said to John is found at the end of verse one.  By the way, who is speaking to John?  Go back and look at 1:10-11.

 

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet, 11 saying, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last,” and, “What you see, write in a book and send it to the seven churches which are in Asia: to Ephesus, to Smyrna, to Pergamos, to Thyatira, to Sardis, to Philadelphia, and to Laodicea.”

 

It was the Lord Jesus then, and I would suggest that it is the Lord Jesus here.  However, notice something interesting to me.  Most red-letter editions of the New Testament don’t have these words in 4:1 in red.  Why?  They do have 1:10-11 in red.  My answer?  I don’t know.

 

The Lord Jesus called out to John to temporarily be transported to heaven for another vision.  Therefore, John has a second vision where his body remains in Patmos, but his spirit is transported to heaven.  He then began to describe for us what he saw.

 

The first thing that John saw was a throne and One sitting on the throne in verse 2.  A throne is a symbol of authority and rule like with a king.  I would suggest that the One sitting on the throne and the Person on the throne to be worshipped is God the Father.  God the Son, the Lord Jesus, will make His appearance in chapter 5. 

 

Verse 3 then describes some colors.  God had the appearance of a jasper stone.  This was a crystal-type color similar to the color of light and may have been similar to diamond. 

 

He was also like a sardius stone in color which is blood-red.  Your translation may say ruby. 

 

There was also a rainbow around the throne that was like an emerald in appearance.  Emerald is green.  Therefore, these primary colors describing God here are white, red, and green.

 

There is one last item I want to point out in verse 3.  Notice the rainbow.  The rainbow is a sign of God’s faithfulness. 

 

In Genesis, it was a sign of God’s faithfulness to never flood the world again.  Here, it is a sign of God’s faithfulness to be in control or reigning and ruling from His throne. 

 

By the way, I hate that the homosexual agenda has stolen the rainbow for their symbol.  Make no mistake about it.  Long before it was a symbol for diversity, it was a symbol of God’s faithfulness.  God is the Person on the Throne who will be Worshipped. 

 

 

2. The Participants Around the Throne who will be Worshipping, Revelation 4:4-8a

4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads. 5 And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. Seven lamps of fire were burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.  6 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. 7 The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle. 8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within.

 

God the Father will be the Person on the throne who will be worshipped, but who will the participants worshipping be?  In verse 4, John saw twenty-four thrones around God’s throne.  On these thrones, he saw twenty-four elders that were clothed in white and wearing golden crowns on their heads.

 

Undoubtedly, I would contend that these are either pastors or older men that are representative of a larger group of people.  An elder or elders are the human leaders of the local church.  Elder is also used to describe someone older in age and experience.

 

What about the number twenty-four?  The number twelve is used in the Bible to communicate fullness or completeness.  To double that number would be the fullest of fullness.

 

I would say these twenty-four elders symbolize the raptured Church.  OT saints will be resurrected later. 

 

These twenty-four elders represent the redeemed and born-again Body of Christ that will be raptured before the Great Tribulation.  The evidence seems to be clear to me with their white garments of purity and their golden victor’s crowns of overcoming. 

 

Verse 5 speaks of flashes of lightening and sounds of thunder as a part of this worship service.  Then there are seven lamps of fire.  John identified these as the seven Spirits of God or the fullness of the Holy Spirit. 

 

He then saw something like a sea of glass.  This wasn’t a sea but like one symbolizing vastness.  Then in the center of the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures.  They were creatures in the sense of being created not like beasts as the KJV translates it. 

 

Who were these four living creatures?  I would say they are some type of angel.  They have eyes all over them.  One was like a lion.  The second was like a calf or ox.  The third had a human face.  The fourth was like a flying eagle.  They also had six wings. 

 

Turn to Ezekiel 1:1-14. 

 

1 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the River Chebar, that the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 2 On the fifth day of the month, which was in the fifth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there.  4 Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings. 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.  10 As for the likeness of their faces, each had the face of a man; each of the four had the face of a lion on the right side, each of the four had the face of an ox on the left side, and each of the four had the face of an eagle. 11 Thus were their faces. Their wings stretched upward; two wings of each one touched one another, and two covered their bodies. 12 And each one went straight forward; they went wherever the spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went.  13 As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning. 14 And the living creatures ran back and forth, in appearance like a flash of lightning.

 

These are angels symbolizing all of creation. The lion is the wild creatures.  The calf is the domesticated creatures.  The eagle is the flying creatures.  The man is the pinnacle of creatures. 

 

The main idea is that they were angels of some type, and along with the elders where the participants around the throne worshipping God the Father. 

 

 

3. The Practice of Worship at the Throne, Revelation 4:8b-11

And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”  9 Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: 11 “You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.”

 

Our final thoughts today are on the practice of worship.  We have seen the person of worship.  That is God the Father.  We have seen the participants of worship.  That is the Church and Angels.  Now we turn to the practice of worship in the second half of verse 8 and following.

 

The four living beings begin worshipping and don’t stop.  They proclaim of the Lord and to the Lord that which is familiar to us from Isaiah 6.  Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.

 

In response, the twenty-four elders begin to worship as well.  They fall down prostrating themselves before the Lord and then cast their crowns and are worshipping also.  They are proclaiming verse eleven. 

 

Therefore, here are some truths we can see about worship in heaven that can guide our worship on earth in the local church.  First, worship can be a sight to behold.  Remember all of the colors mentioned and the flashes of lightening?  When we hear of a church now that does such or has some dramatic lighting, we mock them and say they are putting on a show.  Maybe they are simply trying to look more like heaven. 

 

Second, worship can be loud.  You simply don’t understand this text if you think worship can’t be loud.  There were peals and sounds of thunder, and truth be told, we’re ok with loud if it is our preference of music being played or sung. 

 

Third, worship should be fully participatory.  There isn’t anyone in this chapter not singing because of their voice or because they don’t like to sing.  Everybody is singing.  By the way, you better start liking to sing because there won’t be any preaching in heaven. 

 

Fourth, worship can be continuous and repetitive.  In verse eight, the four living beings did not cease to say all night and all day, and they repeated over and over again holy, holy, holy.  I’ve heard some of you older saints mock newer songs because of their repetition.  There is nothing wrong with repetition when your singing to God about God. 

 

Finally, worship should be active.  It is ok to raise hands and kneel and even get on your face before God.  That is what is happening here.  They then blessed the Lord by casting their crowns at Him.  All their rewards or good deeds were used to bless the Lord.

 

 

Conclusion

My invitation to you this morning is to worship like Revelation four.  Keep in mind if you’ve never been born-again, you won’t do this.  Therefore, my invitation to you is to be saved.

Will You Be Left Behind?

We have come to a transition point in our study of Revelation.  We have seen John’s initial vision in Revelation 1 and the seven churches of Revelation 2 and 3.  We now come to Revelation 4:1, but go back to Revelation 1:19.

 

19 Write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after this.

 

This verse gives us a very good outline that we have already used.  The things which John had seen are in verses 9-20 of chapter 1.

 

The thing which were at the time are found in Revelation 2-3.  Those were seven real, literal churches of the first century in what we know now as Western Turkey.

 

Verse 19 finishes with the things which will take place after this.  These are future events or things to come.

 

The next observation that I want you to see is the use of the word “church” in John’s Revelation.  The literal word is ecclesia which means the assembly of the called out ones.

 

That word is used 20 times in the book of Revelation and 19 times in chapters 1-3: 1:4, 1:11, 1:20, 2:1, 2:7, 2:8, 2:11, 2:12, 2:17, 2:18, 2:23, 2:29, 3:1, 3:6, 3:7, 3:13, 3:14, and 3:22.

 

The only other time it is used is in 22:16. Isn’t that interesting?  It is used 19 times in talking about the things that John had seen and the things that were.  However, it is only used once after that.

 

Many evangelical, conservative Bible commentators tell us that chapter 4 begins talking exclusively about future events.  I would agree.

 

Chapters 4-18 detail the great tribulation on earth.  Chapters 19-20 detail the second coming of Christ to earth.  Chapter 21 speaks of His 1000 earthly reign on earth, and chapter 22 speaks about eternity in heaven.

 

So what is going to happen between chapters 3 and 4 that would justify 19 uses of church in chapters 1-3 but only 1 in chapters 4-22.  I would say it is the rapture of the church. 

 

You will not find the word rapture in our English Bibles.  Actually, our English word has a Latin origin which means “caught up” as translated in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

 

For the remainder of our time this morning, I want to show you the promise of the rapture, the plan of the rapture, and the persons who will be raptured.

 

 

1. The Promise of the Rapture, John 14:1-3

“Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. 2 In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

 

In Jesus’ words to His disciples, He promised His return and taking them to heaven.  Verse 2 speaks of His Father’s house with many mansions or rooms, and verse 3 contains the promise.

 

The reason we know this is not Jesus’ second coming is because when He comes then, it won’t be to return to heaven.  It will be to reign on earth for 1000 years.

 

John 14 contains the promise of the rapture.

 

 

2. The Plan of the Rapture, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. 14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus.  15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words.

 

In 1 Thessalonians 4, Paul answered a question for the Thessalonian Christians who were concerned about their brothers and sisters in Christ who had already died.  Jesus said they were sleeping in verses 13-14.

 

By the way, that description is never used of unbelievers.  It is only used of believers, and it doesn’t mean spiritual inactivity but temporary physical inactivity.

 

Verse 14 speaks of some type of return with Jesus and these who have already died. 

 

Verse 15 says their return will come become before a uniting of the living Christians and the Lord. 

 

Verses 16-17 clear up much.  The Lord will come down with a military shout.  Perhaps this summoning His troops.  There will also be the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God will sound.

 

Then, the dead in Christ will wise first.  Who are these?  They are all followers of Christ between the coming of the Holy Spirit and the time of this event who have physically died.  They will be resurrected.  This will be a reuniting of body and spirit.

 

Then, in verse 17, those who believers who are alive at the time will be caught up or raptured.  That means that will ascend to meet the Lord in the air.  They will never experience a physical death.

 

Cars will be wrecked.  Jobs will be abandoned.  Airplanes will be emptied.  Clothes will be left behind.  Will you?

 

 

3. The Persons who will be Raptured, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  55 “O Death, where is your sting?  O Hades, where is your victory?”  56 The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

In this first letter to the Corinthian Church, Paul addressed what will have to person who is to be raptured.  Our bodies as they are cannot be united with Lord because of sin.

 

Therefore, in verse 51, we shall be changed.  At a moment’s notice, the last trumpet will sound.  Does that language sound familiar?  See 1 Thessalonians 4.

 

The dead in Christ will be raised.  Does that sound familiar?  See 1 Thessalonians 4.

 

Then, those who are physically alive and followers of Christ will be changed.  Our bodies will be changed to incorruption and to immortality, and this is only possible because of the physical and bodily resurrection of Christ.

 

 

Conclusion

So you have to answer this question, “Will you be left behind?”  Some might be wondering about the timing before you answer, and that is the problem.  The rapture will be without sign or warning.

 

36 “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. 37 But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 38 For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. 42 Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. 44 Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

 

Earlier in Matthew 24, Jesus was speaking about the great tribulation and second coming of Christ, but in verse 36, He went back to speak of the rapture.

 

Like the flood, it will come without physical warning.  People will be carrying on as normal. 

 

In verse 40, Christians will be raptured.  Non-Christians will be left behind. 

 

Like a thief, we will not know the timing so you be ready today.  Will you be left behind?