In his death Jesus did something objective, final, absolute and decisive; something which enabled him to cry on the cross, 'It is accomplished'; something which was described by the author of the epistle to the Hebrews as 'one sacrifice for sins for ever'; something which turns Christianity from pious good advice into glorious good news; which transforms the characteristic mood of Christianity from the imperative (do) into the indicative (done); which makes evangelism not an invitation for men to do something, but a declaration of what God has already done in Christ.

 

--From 'The Meat of the Gospel', "Decision" (January 1962) (Billy Graham Evangelistic Association), p. 4.

The "I Am" Sayings of Jesus

The Seven "I Am" Statements of Jesus

Bread of life. John 6:48
Light of the world. John 8:12
The door. John 10:9
The good shepherd. John 10:11
The resurrection and the life. John 11:25
The way, the truth and the life. John 14:6
The true vine. John 15:1

Jesus did not always reveal his divine identity by saying "I am God in the flesh". Instead, he revealed himself by his actions. He forgave sins. (Mark 2:5) Only God can do that. He said he was Lord of the Sabbath. (John 6:22-59) Since God ordained the Sabbath, his claim is to be God.
 
In the "I am" statements, the phrase in Greek is "ego emi". It emphasizes the speaker. It is not necessary to add "ego" to say "I am". It is like saying "I, I myself am". Interestingly, the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) used the same words for God's statement in Exodus 3:14, "I am who I am". By making this statement, Jesus claimed to be deity.

REVELATION 17 - VISION OF THE GREAT PROSTITUTE

Revelation 17:1 through 22:9 tell the story of the Great Prostitute, or Harlot, the King and the Bride. The story of the Great Prostitute and her fall is long, extending from 17:1 to 19:10. This means it is important. There will be several comparisons between the Prostitute and the Bride. The Prostitute is the negative image of the Bride. The story of each one begins with the appearance of one of the seven angels who carried the bowls of judgment. The angel says come and I will show you and then carries John away in the Spirit to the wilderness to show him the Great Prostitute, as the Spirit carried Ezekiel into the wilderness. It also seems to reflect Isaiah 21, an oracle “concerning the wilderness of the sea” that foretells the destruction of the city of Babylon, even saying “Fallen fallen is Babylon”. These words will be repeated in Revelation 18.

The ending of both stories ends with words substantially similar to “these are the true words of God”. In each case, John fell down and attempted to worship the angel, but was prevented from doing so.

The Harlot is a symbol of the world system opposed to God. The Harlot is also called Babylon. That symbol makes since because, in the Old Testament, Babylon is the capital of those who rebel against or oppose God. Remember Nimrod, son of Cush, grandson of Ham? He was a mighty man and he established many cities which became enemies of God’s people. The first of those cities was Babel. (Genesis 10:10)  Later the people of Babel attempted to build a great tower to heaven to make a name for themselves. God thwarted their plan. (Genesis 11) Later, Babylon became the enemy of Israel, attacking it many times and finally destroying it and taking the survivors back to Babylon in exile. The fall of Babylon, the Great Prostitute, was announced by an angel is 14:8. It was shown in 16:18-19, the Seventh Bowl. Now we see a more detailed version of it.

The Vision of the Prostitute (what John saw)
17:1-6

The angel first says up he will show John the judgment of the Great Prostitute. He described her as: (1) seated on many waters; (2) the one with whom the kings of the earth have committed sexual immorality; and (3) who made those who dwell on earth drunk with the wine of that sexual immorality. Remember, “those who dwell on earth” refers to those who are no believers and are not sealed with the Holy Spirit.

Often the image of sexual immorality in the Old Testament, and in apocalyptic literature, is a symbol for idolatry. I think it is the case here. It goes back to the relationship between God and his people. God referred to himself as the groom or husband. HIs people, Israel, were his bride or wife. If they were unfaithful to him by worshipping other gods (idolatry), it was then similar to a wife being unfaithful to her husband (adultery or sexual immorality) In the New Testament, Christ is the groom and the church is the bride.It is similar to God’s condemnation of Jerusalem in Ezekiel 16. It is also the basis for Babylon’s judgment in Isaiah 21. The Beast forces worship of the state through physical power, violence, agains the church. It began with Rome. But Rome also seduced through economics and physical pleasure. This is represented by the prostitute.

The woman’s dress shows her to be wealthy and powerful, dress in the colors of royalty and adorned with jewels. She held a golden cup, an item reserved for the wealthy and powerful. This cup, though, is full of abominations having to do with sexual immorality. The word “abominations” was often used in the Old Testament for the practice of idolatry with various false gods. The word also brings to mind the “abomination of desolation” which described Antiochus’ desecration of the Jewish Temple Daniel foresaw in Daniel 9:27 and 11:31. Jesus used the phrase also to foretell the destruction of the temple by the Romans. (Matthew 24:15) On her forehead, was written a name of mystery, Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of the earth’s abominations.

In addition to her gross immorality, she was a persecutor and murderer of the saints, becoming drunk on their blood. (6) Their is a partnership between the government wishing unlimited power and the world system of greed and pleasure to kill their opponents, the followers of Christ who refuse to participate because they seek holiness and the worship of the one, true God.

The woman sat on a beast. The beast had blasphemous names, seven heads and ten horns. (3) This is the description given to the first beast, the beast rising from the sea. (13:1) This beast symbolized the power of government to persecute the saints. Like the beast from the sea, this beast is covered with blasphemous names. The fact that the woman sits on the beast indicates the world’s system of greed and pleasure is held up by the power of government. These two forces are united (at this point) against a common enemy, Christ and his church.

This vision was powerful. John marveled greatly at the prostitute, likely because of her obvious wealth and important position. She also looks like a great religious figure. But the angel rebuked him. And, good for us as well as John, the angel explained the meaning of the prostitute.

The Angel’s Explanation
17:7-14

The Beast is the one with the mortal wound. He was, is not, is about to rise from the pit. (8) The fits with the description of the beast from the sea, who had a mortal would, but it healed. (13:3) This beast has the power and authority of Satan, having Satan’s throne and great authority. (13:3) He leads people to worship himself and to worship Satan. He is a powerful force of government, forcing worship of the state and its leader. The first and immediate type of this was the Roman government, forcing emperor worship on its subjects and killing those who resisted. But the ultimate power that is the Beasts at the end of the age will be even more powerful and aggressive. The angel said the miracle of apparent resurrection will cause every non-believer on earth to marvel at him or worship him. But, the end of the beast is destruction. It “goes to destruction”. (11) Christ will defeat him.

The angel continued his explanation in verse nine. The beast had seven heads. (3) The angel said they are seven mountain and also seven kings. Some think the mountains represent the seven hills upon which Rome was built. Some interpret the kings as Roman emperors and attempt to order them to fit this passage. But, these appear to be kingdoms or centers of power. Daniel referred to kings, but clearly meant kingdoms. The beasts in Daniel are also kingdoms or governments.

Much time has been spent speculating on who the fallen five are, and the others in verse 10. I will not speculate, but instead concentrate on the shortness of their reign: a little while. (11)  It may be that the seven represent pagan kingdom across the age, since seven in Revelation represents complete periods of time. The Beast, as the eighth king, belongs to the seven in that it is a powerful government opposed to God.  Regardless, time is short for these early powers. Christ is coming in power to defeat all of his enemies. The Beast “goes to destruction”. (11)

The ten horns are ten future kings who join the beast. But their authority only lasts one hour, a very short time. (12) They agree with the beast and submit to his authority in order to make war on the Lamb (Christ). But this was a mistake, for the Lamb will conquer them. He is after all the Lord of lords and King of kings. We who follow him are the “chosen and faithful”. We can persevere because we know this.

The Prostitute Is Deserted
17:15-18

The angel revealed that the waters upon which the Great Prostitute was seated are the people of the earth (peoples, multitudes, nations, languages). This is a picture of a world order devoted to immorality ruling over all those who are not in Christ. But, there is trouble in this faux paradise. The governmental powers turn against the powers of the economic and social order. The kings turn on it and destroy it. This is because the kings believe the Beast’s power and worship must be absolute.

In verse 18, the angel told John the woman was the great city that has dominion over the kings of the earth. She is “Babylon” symbolically.

Behind this destruction of Babylon the Great Prostitute is the Almighty God, who put it in the hearts of the kings to carry out God’s purpose. The description of her destruction is very similar to the destruction of Jerusalem God threatened in Ezekiel 16.

Titles of Jesus in the Bible

TITLES OF JESUS

 Christ, the Son of the living God. Matt. 16:16

The Word who became flesh. John 1:14

The image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation Col:15

The man, Christ Jesus. 1 Tim. 2:5

The radiance of the glory of God. Herb. 1:3

The one who partook of flesh and blood. Heb.2:14

Lord and God. John 20:28

The King, the Lord of Hosts (Jn. 12:41; Isa. 6:5

Bread of life. John 6:48

Light of the world. John 8:12

The door. John 10:9

The good shepherd. John 10:11

The resurrection and the life. John 11:25

The way, the truth and the life. John 14:6

The true vine. John 15:1

Teacher. Mark 1:27

Prophet. Matt. 21:11

Son of David. Mark 9:27

Servant. Mark 12:18

Son of Man. Mark 12:8

Lord. Mark 14:30

Lamb of God. John 1:36

Holy One of Goed. John 6:69

The Beginning. Col. 1:18

High priest. Heb. 5:1-10

Living One. Rev. 1:18

Deliverer. Rom. 11:26

Bright Morning Star. Rev. 22:16

"Look to the cross, thing of the cross and then go and set our affection on the world if you can."
 J. C. Ryle

The Westminster Larger Catechism Question 87.

Q. 87. What are we to believe concerning the resurrection?

A. We are to believe, that at the last day there shall be a general resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust: when they that are then found alive shall in a moment be changed; and the self-same bodies of the dead which were laid in the grave, being then again united to their souls for ever, shall be raised up by the power of Christ. The bodies of the just, by the Spirit of Christ, and by virtue of his resurrection as their head, shall be raised in power, spiritual, incorruptible, and made like to his glorious body; and the bodies of the wicked shall be raised up in dishonour by him, as an offended judge.

THE SIXTH BOWL (expanded) - REVELATION 16:12-16

16:12-16
The Sixth Bowl

The last two bowls set the stage for the end of this age and the judgment of Gods enemies. This sixth bowl dried up the Euphrates River. The reason is to prepare the way for the kings from the east.

Rivers were often sources of protection. They are natural barriers. In the Old Testament, God dried up rivers and seas to deliver his people, but also as a judgment on their enemies. God caused the Israelites to walk across the Red Sea on dry ground. But, he also caused those same waters to drown the Egyptian army in judgment. The drying of the Jordan inaugurated God’s judgment on the Amorites in Canaan. God’s drying the Euphrates inaugurated the defeat of Babylon by Persia.

Here, God is getting the earth ready for the return of Christ in victory. This drying the Euphrates inaugurates the defeat of all of God’s enemies by Christ. In Isaiah 11:10-16, we see a prophecy of the return of the Lord (the root of Jesse in verse 10) to gather his people and defeat his enemies. Verse 14 says God’s people shall plunder the people of the east. People of the east symbolize the enemies of the people of God, as first represented by Assyria and Babylon. In verse 15, he says the Lord will wave his hand over the Euphrates with his scorching breath and strike it into channels. This would allow it to be crossed to defeat Assyria or Babylon. This was initially fulfilled when Cyrus diverted the river, allowing his army to cross and defeat Babylon. This event was recorded by Herodotus, the Roman historian. But it is finally fulfilled at the end of the age, as he sets up the destruction of these nations to the east. Specifically, Babylon is God’s target.

But remember that Babylon has become symbolic here. It stands for the world system of pleasure and immorality. Revelation 14:8 said Babylon made all the nations drink from the wine leading to passion for her immorality. It is also described in chapter 17 as sitting on many waters rather than on the river.  Because of this, I am more inclined to see the drying up of the rivers as symbolic of God preparing for judgment rather than a literal drying up of the river.  The drying up could also refer to Babylon losing support in the world, that people get tired of it. This would set the stage for its destruction. Indeed, in chapter 17, the kings of the earth turn against it.

It also appears that physical Babylon will not be rebuilt. Isaiah 13:20 records the Lord saying “It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations”. In order to destroy a physical Babylon, you would need to rebuild it and occupy it. That would contradict the word of the Lord.

Satan responded by sending evil spirits to the nations. Satan, the beast and the false prophet all send out “frogs”, symbolizing evil spirits. These spirits are emissaries of the beast who go through the world performing miracles and using them to unite the earth’s people into rebellion against God. (14) They gather for a final assault on the church (the camp of the saints in 20:9), to wipe out the remainder of those loyal to the God who has brought suffering and judgment on them. But in doing this, Satan and his minions actually work to accomplish the will and work of God, for they are setting up the “great day of God Almighty”. (14)

John will see two visions of this final battle. The first shows the defeat of the beast and the false prophet and their followers in chapter 19. The second will show the outcome for the dragon in chapter 20.

The act of Satan deceiving the nations brings up the issue of the binding Satan. If we look forward to Revelation 20:1-6, we have the only explicit mention of the millennium. What we se in this vision is Satan being bound by a great chain. His binding prevented him from deceiving the nations for a thousand years. After that, he is released for a little while.

In the premileenial model, this is interpreted to mean Christ coming and ruling on earth for a thousand years exactly, but somehow Satan getting loose from his rule and staging a final rebellion.

Postmillennialists believe there will be a future time of great peace and the domination of Christianity in the world. At the end of that time, Satan gets loose and stages a rebellion.

I believe the 1,000 years is symbolic of the church age. Satan is bound from deceiving nations, although he may deceive individuals. Jesus talked of binding Satan in is story of the strong man and his description of seeing Satan fall from heaven. At the end of the church age, as these last bowls of wrath are poured out, and as the beast is specifically attacked by God, Satan is released and is again able to deceive the nations. He does this by sending these emissaries around the world to perform miracles, just as Pharaoh’s priests mimicked some of the miracles of Moses. This view is the Amillenial view.

This rebellion of Satan and his demons leads to the event described in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. There Satan causes a rebellion, the man of sin or lawlessness is revealed. He is restrained at the time Paul wrote, but will be revealed and released at the end of the age. Then the Lord Jesus will destroy him wit the breath of his mouth when he returns. Note also that this passage speaks of the wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and be saved. This is the picture of this sixth bowl.

All of Satan’s forces assemble at Armageddon. The plain of Megiddo was the sight of many battles in the Old Testament. So, it seems a fitting place for Satan’s forces to oppose God.

In verse 15, Jesus inserts a reminder and a warning. He reminds us that he will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. He warns that us to be prepared, clothed and ready to go. This may indicate he will come when it appears the church is on its last legs and about to be extinguished.

PSALM 24: Prelude to Worship

    This Psalm deals with the Lord coming to his Tabernacle.  It may have been written when David brought the ark to Jerusalem, or in later commemoration of it.  It then deals with what kind of person may come into the Lord's presence and worship him and receive his blessing. 

    Verse 1 says the earth belongs to the LORD.  He owns it. It is his.  Every thing in the earth and every one who lives in it is his.  They are his possession. 

    Why does he own it?  Verse 2 tells us.  It is because (or "for" in this verse) he made it.  "Founded" and "established" are metaphors for beginning a city or constructing a building.  The Bible often speaks of the foundations of the world.  For example, Psalm 102:25 says "In the beginning, you laid the foundations of the earth and the heavens are the work of your hands."  The writer of Hebrews quotes this verse in Hebrews 1:10.  So, the "foundations" means the beginning, the time of creation. 

    God’s creation of the world is an important concept in Scripture.  Genesis 1:1 begins the whole Bible with the statement that God made the heavens and the earth.  It then proceeds to show us that God created all things on the earth and all of the things in the heavens.  As we discussed before, "heavens" means the sky and space, not just "Heaven" where God dwells.  The God we worship is the Creator. 

    So, the one who makes it owns it.  Deuteronomy 10:14 says "Behold, to the LORD your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth and all that is in it."  In Job 41:11, God said "Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?  Whatever is under the whole of heaven is mine."  Paul even uses this argument when he writes about election in Romans 9:20: "But, who are you, O man, to talk back to God?  Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, "Why did you make me like this?"

    The implication here is that, since God created us and therefore owns us, he is to be worshipped and he determines who may come to worship him. 

    Verses 3-6 deal with the issue of who may come into God's presence and worship.  David asked the question, “who may ascend the hill of the Lord or who may stand in his holy place”.  He alludes to the tabernacle here.  David brought the ark to Jerusalem and made a tent for it there on the hill.  (2 Samuel 6).  To go to the tabernacle, you had to ascend the hill of the Lord.  To stand in the holy place, in the tabernacle, you had to be clean.  He specifically addressed clean hands, a pure heart, and a soul not given to idol worship.  You see a very similar approach here to Psalm 15, which asked who could dwell in the sanctuary. 

    "Hands", "head" and "heart" are often named in the Bible but are actually representative of other things.  Here, "clean hands" does not refer to washing, but to actions that are right.  If you steal something, you do not have clean hands.  A "pure heart" does not mean one with no plaque in the arteries, but a person of pure motives.  In Matthew 5:8, Jesus said "blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God".  This means you come to truly worship, not to be respected or to look good or to socialize with your friends or to make business connections or to look for clients.  Thus, the one who could come to the tabernacle was one who had not acted sinfully, one who was not coming out of improper motives.  Also, one could not worship idols.  God commanded that only he be worshipped. 

    We can see that the one who could come into God's presence in the tabernacle had to be holy.  We know God is holy and cannot tolerate sin in his presence.  (That is Isaiah's vision of Christ in Isaiah 6.)  Verses 5-6 tell us this person will receive a blessing from God, worshipping God and being in God's presence. 

    Verses 7-10 are the herald's cry of the coming of the Lord's presence to the city of Jerusalem.  This may have meant the bringing of the ark to Jerusalem by David.  We know the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle according to Exodus 40:34.  The gates to the city of Jerusalem are opened so the Lord may come in.  He is referred to as the "king of glory".  He is strong and mighty in battle.  He has led Israel to victory over Egypt, over the Canaanites and all who oppose them.  He is the Lord Almighty, the Lord of Hosts, who is sovereign over all the powers of the universe. 

    The covenant people, Israel here, have the great privilege of worship in the presence of the Lord Almighty.  But they must be holy to come into his presence.  Not every one in Israel qualified.  This was acted out in the Old Testament by the sacrifices which cleansed of sin.  Before the High Priest could come into the holy place, he had to be purified.  The people all came offering sacrifices for sin.

            Of course, by this time in our journey through the Old Testament, you know I am going to look for Christ in the passage.  I did and I found him. 

    The New Testament tells us the world was made by Christ and for Christ.  John 1:3 is well known for this:  "All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made."  Paul gives a great explanation of this in Colossians 1:16-17:  "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether throne or dominions or rulers or authorities-all things were created through him and for him."  They were all created for him, to bring him glory.  He took part in creation and it all belongs to him.  All will bow before him one day for this reason.  He is entitled to be worshipped.

    Those who worship God receive the blessing of his presence.  Where does Christ dwell today?  He is with us when we gather as his body.  Who gets to come into his presence?  Does the sinner?  No, just as in this Psalm, it is the one who is clean and the one who worships no other god.  If we believe in Christ, we are clean.  We are not clean because we have been perfect, but because he has cleaned us.  Even more accurately, he has declared us clean and he has imputed his cleanness to us. 

    We believe in Jesus not only as savior, but as Lord, and as the only Lord.  David said the worshipper could not lift up his soul to what is false.  God commanded that there we have no other gods (Exodus 20:3).  Jesus said loving God with all of our being is the greatest commandment.  This principle has not changed from Old Testament to New Testament.  We cannot worship the gods of self, money, success, power or pleasure.  See what Paul tells Timothy about this in 2 Timothy 3:1-5. 

    Some believe this Psalm to apply to the ascension of Christ into heaven.  For those who observe the liturgical calendar, this Psalm is often read on Ascension Day or Ascension Sunday.  However, since it deals with those men and women who will come into his presence to worship him, I believe we can apply it to his second coming.  He will come as king and will be worshipped.  Revelation 21 shows the holy city coming down out of heaven and says the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them and they will be his people.  This is the blessing of his presence.  The tabernacle and the temple are types of this presence of God with man, they foreshadow it. 

    This chapter goes on to say who will not be there, who is not clean.  Revelation 21:8 says "But for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderer, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.  They cannot come into the presence of the holy God, for they are not cleaned by the blood of Christ.

Whatever we are and whatever goodness we have, we hold it all wholly from God and of his free grace.” - John Calvin

 

Spiritual Blessings

PRAISE TO GOD FOR SPIRITUAL BLESSINGS

EPHESIANS 1:3-14

Paul was not only a great theologian, who could write with deep meaning and complexity.  He was also one who had a great love for the Lord and could burst into praise while writing.  That is what we have in these verses today.   Paul bursts into praise to God for the spiritual blessings he has bestowed on us. 

Paul praises God’s wisdom, his forethought, and purpose.  He tells us we were not only saved for our own benefit, but also to exalt Christ and bring glory to God.  The end of God’s purpose is to bring everything together under Christ. 

Paul celebrates God’s accomplishment in Christ of his eternal purpose.  God incorporated Jews and Gentiles into one divine society.

Verses 3-14 are all one long sentence in the Greek.  Paul just poured it all out without stopping.  The English translations add punctuation to help us understand it.  

Most of us would separate theology from praise.  Baptists have often treated theology as boring or intellectual and, therefore, bothersome.  But, Paul’s praise here is built on theology.  He praises God for his purpose and his fulfillment of it, using theological terms so packed together it can take a long time to sort it all out and understand it. 

You could divide this passage into three sections.  In verses 3-6, the work of the Father is described; in 7-10, the work of the Son and in 11-14, the work of the Spirit.  I love it when we find a Trinitarian structure to Scripture.

What are the blessings for which Paul praises God?  They are:  election, adoption, redemption, forgiveness of sins, wisdom and understanding, unification of all things in Christ and the seal of the Holy Spirit.

So, think of this passage first as a doxology, a song of praise.  Remember the song we used to sing all the time in church that we just called “The Doxology”?  

1:3              Blessed Be God

Let’s look at verse 3, the first verse in this passage.  It has this nice repetition of the word “bless”, using it 3 times.  He says “Blessed be God” and “who has blessed us” and “with every spiritual blessing”.  

The first thing we should note is that it is different when we bless God than when he blesses us.  When he blesses us, he gives us something we need.  He blesses us with grace.  He blesses us with peace.  But, when we bless him, we do not add to him, since he is complete.  What we do is ascribe to him his character or the things he has done.  It is praise to him.  I think that is why the NIV says “praise be to God” rather than “blessed be God”.  It is conveying this very idea.  It just loses some of the poetry.

Second, these blessings all come in Christ.  God blesses us “in Christ”.  God has chosen to extend his blessings to the world through Christ.  Only those who are united with Christ receive them.  

Third, these are spiritual blessings.  Paul says God “blesses us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  I think what he means by “spiritual blessings” are in contrast to “material blessings”.  This new kingdom is spiritual.   

This spiritual blessing is in contrast to many of the promise of material blessings in the Old Testament.  For example, look at Deuteronomy 28:11.  If Old Testament Israel obeyed God and kept his covenant, he would make their crops and livestock increase.  God does not promise the church its members’ salaries will increase or their cars will multiply.  That is why prosperity preachers tend to quote Old Testament promises to Israel to say believers will receive wealth and health if they believe and give.

These blessings come in the “heavenly places” according to the ESV, or the “heavenly realms” in the NIV.  I take this to again mean the spiritual realm.  This phrase appears 5 times in Ephesians.  Christ ascended to the heavenly realm.  Later on, in verse 20, Paul speaks of Christ raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places.  Psalm 110:1 starts it off with a prophecy that the Lord would do this.  Jesus, in Matthew 22:44,  applied it to himself.  Several other New Testament verses speak of this. 

In Ephesians 2:6, Paul said God raised us up with Christ and seated us in the heavenly places in Christ.  So, even though we live here in this physical realm in our mortal bodies, in Christ we enter into spiritual life and blessings of God.     

1:4              He Chose Us

The first blessing for which Paul praises God is his choosing us.  He says God chose us in Christ.  God had a purpose.  He had a purpose for Christ and he had a purpose for us.  

His purpose for Christ was to redeem a people for himself.  1 Peter 1:18-20says “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.”    Revelation 13:8 says “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast-all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” 

God chose us before the foundation of the world.  He chose us before creation.      So, before the world was created, the Father chose the Son to be the redeemer, and chose those who would be the redeemed, all to be his people.  Revelation 17:8 says “the inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast…”  

There are many passages that speak of God’s choosing.  Romans 9 is one of the major ones.  Paul says that God chose Jacob over Esau before they were born  and before they had done anything good or bad, in order that God’s purpose in election might stand (Romans 9:11). 

Not only did God choose us before the foundation of the world, he did it for a purpose.  The purpose was to be holy and blameless in his sight.  Peter put it this way:  “…just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written:  Be holy, because I am holy.”  1 Peter 1:15.  Peter was quoting the words spoken to Israel in Leviticus 11:44-45.  This was totally an act of grace, because we, in our natural state were unholy and blameworthy.

Since God is holy, the only way we can witness to him is to be holy also.  When we do not appear holy to the world, we profane God’s name. 

The second spiritual blessing for which Paul praises God is that, in love, he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ.  Paul says we were predestined for this privilege, meaning again that this was determined before hand.  Adoption means becoming God’s sons and daughters through Christ, becoming part of God’s family, with all the privileges of children.  Romans 8:17 says we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.  Romans 8:29says “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” 

THE 7 BOWLS OF PLAGUES - REVELATION 15 & 16

Revelation 15 & 16
The Seven Bowl Judgments

Chapters 15 and 16 show us the seven bowl judgments.
It is the last series of judgments. We have  seen the seal judgments and the trumpet judgments.

15:1
Introduction

John introduced this new series of judgments in verse 1. He saw “another sign” in heaven. It must have been spectacular, for John said it was “great and amazing” and he had already seen things I would call amazing. This sign was the appearance of seven angels with seven plagues. The seal and trumpet judgments also contained plagues, but John some how knew these were the last. They were the last because, with them, the pouring out of God’s wrath on the people of earth who rejected him would be finished and complete.

Verses 2-4 contain an interlude showing the saints in heaven worshipping God. We looked at that last week, so we will not discuss it here.

15:5-16:1
The Source of the Plagues

John told us in verse one that the bowls represented a final pouring out of God’s wrath. In these verses he shows us what he told us.

John saw the sanctuary of the tabernacle opened. The angels came from there. Who is in the sanctuary? God the Father. We are shown that in the Old Testament Tabernacle, where God dwelt in the sanctuary between the cherubim. These angels are also dressed to show holiness and purity with pure, bright linen robes and golden sashes. This is the same clothing as the angel who appeared to Daniel, whose appearance and speech was so awesome it made Daniel pass out. (Daniel 10:5)



John is clear about the contents of the bowls. They are filled to the brim with the wrath of the Eternal God.

To further emphasize that this is a picture of God himself in action, John is shown the smoke from the glory of God and his power filling the sanctuary. (8) In fact, it was so full of the glory of God, no one can enter it until he is finished pouring out his wrath.

This is a direct reference to instances in the Old Testament where God’s glory filled the sanctuary and no would could enter. First, we see the dedication of the completed Tabernacle at the end of the book of Exodus. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle, and covered it, and Moses was unable to enter. (Exodus 40:24) Second, when the priests put the ark in the sanctuary of the newly completed Temple, a cloud, the glory of the Lord, filled the Temple and the priests could not stand up to minister in the face of it. (1 Kings 8:10-11) The third example is the commissioning of Isaiah. Isaiah was in the Temple after King Uzziah died. He saw the Lord on this throne. His train filled the temple. The foundations shook and the whole house was filled with smoke. (Isaiah 4:6)

All of these examples show the effect of God acting in his glory and power. John will see additional signs later in this chapter. Clearly, these plagues are acts of God coming from his power and glory. And, indeed, a loud voice from the sanctuary gives command to the seven angels: go and pour out on the earth the seven bowls of the wrath of God. (16:1) God will move with all of his power and glory to accomplish his plan at the end of the age.

16:2-4
The First Three Bowls

At the command of God, the first angel brought sores. Notice, the sores come only on those who worship the beast. This is God’s first counter attack on the beast, inflicting his people with misery to show he is more powerful than the beast. The final defeat of the beast will come later, but here God demonstrates his power over the beast and pours out his wrath on the followers of the Beast.   The seal of the Beast cannot protect his followers from the wrath of Almighty God. It is similar to the sixth plague on the Egyptians, also an outbreak of sores (boils, Exodus 9), showing that neither Pharaoh nor his pagan gods could protect his people from the power of God.

The second angel then turned the sea to blood and killed all the creatures in it. (3) In the second trumpet judgment, a limited portion of the sea was affected. But here we have an intensified judgment, affecting all of the seas.

The third angel turned all the fresh water sources to blood. (4) These two plagues resemble the turning of the Nile river to blood by Moses. (Exodus 7) All of the drinkable water on earth is ruined and all of the food sources in them killed.


16:5-7
An Explanation and a Praise

After the third bowl plague, an angel gave John, and us, an explanation and a praise. He declared that God is just in his judgment. His justness is shown because he brought blood on those who spilled the blood of the saints. As the angel says, it is what they deserve. God often punishes his enemies by turning back on them what they have done to God’s people. He has given them blood to drink.

After the angle cried out, the “altar” gives the response, confirming that God is just. This voice is the voice of those souls under the altar who cried out to God for vindication. Vindication has come and they have been allowed to see their vindication in the judgment of their persecutors.

Notice here that God is described as the one “who is and who was”. (5) In other descriptions the words “ and is to come” is added.  (1:8) It is omitted here because this is a picture of Christ’s coming, the end of the age under judgment.

16:8-9
The Fourth Bowl

The fourth angel caused the earth to be scorched by fierce heat from the sun. (8) This is real global warming. It is a foretaste of hell. How did the people react? They cursed God. They did not repent and give him glory. The picture here is of those who worship the beast realizing that God brought the plagues. But instead of glorifying him, the cursed God. They did not repent. (9)

16:10-11
The Fifth Bowl

This bowl is a direct attack on the beast. Verse 10 says the fifth angel poured his bowl on the throne of the beast. Remember from chapter 13, the beast has all the power and authority of the dragon (Satan) and his throne. He is worshipped by all non-believers. But now, God turned out the lights on the beast’s kingdom. There was total darkness. People were in anguish. They still had their sores and now they have nothing but darkness.

God did the same thing to Pharaoh and Egypt in the ninth plague. (Exodus 10) Egyptians worshipped the sun among other things and Pharaohs claimed to be the sun god or descended from him. With darkness, God showed his power over the forerunner of the beast, Pharaoh, and over the beast himself. It is also a preview of hell, which is sometimes called eternal darkness. (Matthew 8:12) In response, the worshippers of the beast refused to repent and even cursed God. It is amazing that, in the face of the power of God, people refuse to bow the knee to him. It shows how bad the human heart can become.

The darkness of the kingdom of the Beast will contrast sharply with the new Jerusalem, where believers will live. That city does not need sun or moon for light, for the glory of God illumines it. (21:23-24)

16:12-16
The Sixth Bowl

This bowl dried up the Euphrates River. The reason is to prepare the way for the kings from the east. The Lord is getting the earth ready for the return of Christ in victory. The drying of the Jordan inaugurated God’s judgment on the Amorites in Canaan. God’s drying the Euphrates inaugurated the defeat of Babylon by Persia. This drying the Euphrates inaugurates the defeat of all of God’s enemies by Christ. In Isaiah 11:10-16, we see a prophecy of the return of the Lord (the root of Jesse in verse 10) to gather his people and defeat his enemies. verse 14 says God’s people shall plunder the people of the east. People of the east symbolize the enemies of the people of God, as first represented by Assyria and Babylon.

Satan responded by sending evil spirits to the nations. Satan, the beast and the false prophet all send out “frogs”, symbolizing evil spirits. These spirits are emissaries of the beast who go through the world performing miracles and using them to unite the earth’s people into rebellion against God. (14) They gather for a final assault on the church (the camp of the saints in 20:9), to wipe out the remainder of those loyal to the God who has brought suffering and judgment on them. But in doing this, Satan and his minions actually work to accomplish the will and work of God, for they are setting up the “great day of God Almighty”. (14)

John will see two visions of this final battle. The first shows the defeat of the beast and the false prophet and their followers in chapter 19. The second will show the outcome for the dragon in chapter 20.

The act of Satan deceiving the nations brings up the issue of the binding Satan. If we look forward to Revelation 20:1-6, we have the only explicit mention of the millennium. What we se in this vision is Satan being bound by a great chain. His binding prevented him from deceiving the nations for a thousand years. After that, he is released for a little while.

In the premileenial model, this is interpreted to mean Christ coming and ruling on earth for a thousand years exactly, but somehow Satan getting loose from his rule and staging a final rebellion.

Postmillennialists believe there will be a future time of great peace and the domination of Christianity in the world. At the end of that time, Satan gets loose and stages a rebellion.

I believe the 1,000 years is symbolic of the church age. Satan is bound from deceiving nations, although he may deceive individuals. Jesus talked of binding Satan in is story of the strong man and his description of seeing Satan fall from heaven. At the end of the church age, as these last bowls of wrath are poured out, and as the beast is specifically attacked by God, Satan is released and is again able to deceive the nations. He does this by sending these emissaries around the world to perform miracles, just as Pharaoh’s priests mimicked some of the miracles of Moses. This view is the Amillenial view.

This rebellion of Satan and his demons leads to the event described in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. There Satan causes a rebellion, the man of sin or lawlessness is revealed. He is restrained at the time Paul wrote, but will be revealed and released at the end of the age. Then the Lord Jesus will destroy him wit the breath of his mouth when he returns. Note also that this passage speaks of the wicked deception for those who are perishing because they refused to love the truth and be saved. This is the picture of this sixth bowl.

All of Satan’s forces assemble at Armageddon. The plain of Megiddo was the sight of many battles in the Old Testament. So, it seems a fitting place for Satan’s forces to oppose God.

In verse 15, Jesus inserts a reminder and a warning. He reminds us that he will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. He warns that us to be prepared, clothed and ready to go. This may indicate he will come when it appears the church is on its last legs and about to be extinguished.

16:17-21
The End

This is the end of the age and the final expression of God’s wrath on the rebellious people of earth. The angel pours the bowl in the air. Possibly this is because Satan is sometimes described as the prince of the power of the air, as in Ephesians 2:2.

Either God himself or his representative cries from the temple “it is done”. All of the symbols of God’s appearance in power are there. There is lightning, thunder, the greatest earthquake in the history of earth, the earthquake we saw previously in the sixth seal. God shook the earth, destroyed the cities and even the great cities. The mountains and the islands were destroyed. God poured out his with on Babylon, the symbol of the earthly system of wealth and pleasure. There are great hail stones falling to earth.

And still, those who worship the beast cursed God rather than repent.

The One Indisputable Fact in Eschatology

We may disagree about many things as we study the "last things". But there is one indisputable fact.

This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven." Acts 1:11

Jesus will return! 

REVELATION 14, Part 2

3 Angelic Messages
14:6-13

The scene now shifts from heaven to earth. Three angels will bring three announcements. The announcements are warnings to those on earth who follow the Beast.

The first angel proclaims the eternal gospel to people all over the earth. He calls for repentance and belief as judgment approached. The angel calls on people to fear God, give him glory and worship him a creator.

To fear God is to recognize him as the Almighty and the only God. There is not much fear of God in the American culture. Some of the blame for this falls on the church, which has often presented God as our co-pilot, or a Santa Clause type of being, or our cozy little buddy. The pendulum of preaching took a big swing from over emphasizing God’s wrath in the 50s to over emphasizing God’s wrath ever since. Much of our music and teaching treats God as less than God and more like a heavenly buddy. You could hardly expect the culture to fear God if the church does not. We give God glory by acknowledging who he is.

These words really strike me. Once, as I walked in Brooklyn, a young man stood on a chair and yelled out these words. Some Christian people moved away in embarrassment. Yet, in a sense, the young man was the voice of the angel in this passage.

This message is a sort of “last call”. The message of the gospel has gone out over the world since the resurrection of Jesus and it will continue to go out until the harvest. Then there will no longer be an opportunity to repent and be saved.

The second angel declared the fall of Babylon the great. This comes as an interesting surprise, for John has not discussed the figure of Babylon yet. The fall is announced, but will be described at length in another vision to be described in chapters 17-18. Babylon is a powerful symbol from the Old Testament, signifying the pagan world order which oppressed God’s people. The words here are taken from Isaiah 21:9, where riders say Babylon is called and her idols shattered.

For the original audience of this book, the churches of Asia, it was the Roman Empire. It has taken many forms throughout church history. This order uses a mixture of raw power and sexual license to rebel against God. Imagine someone telling you to explore all of the realms of sexual possibility and punishing you if you object that it violates God’s standards. Where do we see that happening? We will see that those who participate in Babylon all suffer God’s wrath along with it.

The third angel speaks of the fate of those who follow and worship the beast and its image. (9-11) They will “drink the wine of God’s wrath” in full strength. They will suffering hell, tormented with fire and sulfur. This punishment will last forever. It is a fate much worse than the physical death the beast inflicts on believers. Verse 11 says their torment “goes up forever and ever and they have no rest”. This verse destroys the concept of some who say punishment is not forever, but will be ended by annihilation.

14:12
The Call for Endurance

Why are these visions given and these messages recited ? Verse 12 tells us. It is a call for the endurance of the saints. By telling of the joy of heaven to come and reminding us of the fate of those who reject Christ, we are encouraged to endure in our faith. We endure despite the power of our enemies. But we also endure because we know of their future destruction.

14:13
The Blessing

After the angelic messages, a voice sounded from heaven saying blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on, for the rest from their labors. This is in great contrast to the fate of those who follow the Beast. We may not think of death as a blessing, especially if we have it easy on earth. But it is a ceasing of suffering and a beginning of bliss: life in the presence of the Savior, as part of the Saints of all history, with no pain, persecution or suffering.

This, by the way, is the second of 7 benedictions in Revelation.

A few days ago, I lost a precious friend I have know for decades. She was a lovely woman, full of faith and joy, one who shared Christ at every opportunity and encouraged everyone around her. It was uplifting just to be around her. But, about one year ago, she went to the hospital in pain. The doctors found advanced cancer in several places. She took the treatments, losing her hair and swelling up so that her beautiful features were distorted. The Lord took her. I, and many others, are so sad to lose her. But I am so glad her suffering is over. She stands on Mount Zion with the congregation of the redeemed, singing the praise of Jesus in his presence. She is free of pain and full of joy. She has rest from her labors.

The voice from heaven also tells us the deeds of the dead in Christ follow them. Even though are deeds done in the flesh are flawed by our sin, they have value. The Apostle Paul said: “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, know that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:58)

In the parable of the talents, Jesus told the faithful servant “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.” (Matthew 25:21) I long to hear those words from Jesus. If I do, it will be enough for eternity.


14:14-20
The Second Coming

This passage contains two pictures of the second coming of Christ in judgment. The first picture is a harvest of grain. The crop to be reaped is not actually named, but the Greek word for “ripe” indicates a head of grain that has matured.  The second is a picture of a harvest of grapes.

The pictures show Jesus, “one like a Son of Man”, presiding over the harvests. He wears a golden crown and is seated on a cloud. This is a reference to Daniel 7:13-14, where one like a son of man comes with the clouds to the Ancient of Days in his heavenly court. It is the same appearance as Jesus had in the opening vision of Revelation. (1:13) In Revelation 1:7, it is said that Jesus is coming with the clouds, referring to his second coming in Judgment. That is the picture here in chapter 14.

Angels carry the message from the “temple” to the Son of Man. The Father sends the message to the Son that the time has come for the second coming. Jesus had said “concerning that day, or the hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)

John the Baptist also referred to Jesus as bringing judgment, saying “his winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire”. (Luke 3:17) It appears, therefore, that the harvest of grain is the gathering of the church to Christ. That is bolstered by the fact that the church pictured earlier in the chapter, in 14:4, is called the “first fruits” which is a reference to the harvest of wheat.

The treading of grapes as a symbol of God’s wrath is a symbol used in the Bible because the pouring of juice from the crushed grape resembles blood. The picture seems to be taken from Joel 3:12. There, the Lord harvests the enemies of Israel, puts them in the winepress and treads them until the juice overflows the vats. It is a picture of God’s wrath on the wicked. Their blood thirsty ways of persecuting the church are repaid in their own blood. It is also a fulfillment of Isaiah 63:1-3, 6, where God said he trampled his enemies until his robe is stained like one who treads in the winepress and Poured out their blood on the earth. This image will return in Revelation 19.

Here are a couple of small, but interesting points. The holy city was trodden by God’s enemies. Here the enemies are trodden in the winepress. Also, this winepress was trodden outside the city. (20) Only believers will enter the final city of God. Nothing impure will ever enter it.

At the end of this age, Jesus will return. He will not come to save as he did the first time. He will come to judge. Those who are not in Christ, all suffer God’s wrath, They will be cast into hell. Those who are in Christ are gathered together with him for eternity.

The judgment of the wicked will not only be an occasion of judgment, but also an occasion of vindication for the saints. Remember that John saw the saints beneath the golden altar asking when God would vindicate them. The prayers of the saints were mixed with incense and burned on the altar. The angel took the censer which held the prayers, mixed them with fire, and threw the fire down to earth, symbolizing this vindication in the judgment of those who persecuted the church. (Revelation 8:1-5) Here in chapter 14, the angel that calls for the harvest of grapes is the angel “who had authority over the fire”. (14:18) The final judgment is both the culmination of the Lord’s plan for those who rejected him and an answer to the prayers of the persecuted saints.

15:1-4
The Song of the Redeemed

The last verses of this passage show those who endured and did not worship the beast gathered in heaven. So, the scene has shifted from earth back to heaven.

They conquered the beast by resisting his seduction and power. (2) They held harps, stood beside the glass sea. At least it appeared to John as glass mingled with fire. (15:2).  This is the same thing we saw in 4:6. John there described it as “a sea of glass, like crystal”. It is also the same thing Ezekiel saw (Ezekiel 1:22) as “the likeness of an expanse, shining like awe inspiring crystal” which was a divider between earth and heaven. It is also the same thing that Moses saw when he went up on the mountain with Aaron and the elders and they saw God. Under his feet they saw a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven in clearness. (Exodus 24:10)

They sang a song of praise to God. They sang of his great deeds, his justice, our fear and reverence of his holiness, and the submission to nations to God now that he is fully revealed. The song is called the Song of Moses, alluding to Exodus 15 again. There they sang  a song celebrating God’s deliverance of his people in the Exodus and the demonstration of his power and glory. It is also the song of the Lamb, for it celebrates the victory of Christ over his enemies in a new exodus from the sinful earth to the perfect new earth.

Sometimes we are short sighted. We see the plight of the church on earth. It seems weak. It seems outnumbered. We must remember that the church is really very large and growing. And the Christ who leads it is all powerful.

Looking back at the first verses of chapter 15, we see a new thing beginning to happen. The final judgment cycle is about to begin. Seven angels with seven plagues are in heaven waiting. They will complete the wrath of God. This will end this age, the first heaven and earth. We will see this from seven perspectives. We will get a deeper look into the conflict we saw in the sixth seal and seventh trumpet. As with the trumpets we will see a series of judgments and an interlude of worship.

Two Natures of Christ

"The second Adam is far greater than the first Adam was. The first Adam was only man, and so he fell. The second Adam was God as well as man, and so He completely conquered." J. C. Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospel

Two Natures of Christ

1689 Baptist Confession

2. The Son of God, the second person of the Holy Trinity, is truly and eternally God. He is the brightness of the Father’s glory, the same in substance and equal with him. He made the world and sustains and governs everything he has made. When the fullness of time came, he took upon himself human nature, with all the essential properties and common weaknesses of it⁹ but without sin.¹⁰  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. The Holy Spirit came down upon her, and the power of the Most High overshadowed her. Thus, he was born of a woman from the tribe of Judah, a descendant of Abraham and David in fulfillment of the Scriptures.¹¹  Two whole, perfect, and distinct natures were inseparably joined together in one person, without converting one into the other or mixing them together to produce a different or blended nature. This person is truly God and truly man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and humanity.¹²

 

⁹John 1:14; Galatians 4;4. ¹⁰Romans 8:3; Hebrews 2:14, 16, 17; Hebrews 4:15. ¹¹Matthew 1:22, 23; Luke 1:27, 31, 35. ¹²Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 2:5.