THE FINAL JUDGMENT

Revelation 20 describes the final judgment. Only the wicked will be there. Only one verdict will be pronounced—guilty. Only one result will be declared—Hell. It does not matter if the sinner was rich or poor, all classes of every race of all time will be indicted. The Beast and False Prophet were cast into the lake of fire at Christ’s return. Now, after the Millennium and a final uprising, Satan is cast in to join them. Finally, all sinners are summoned to court and sentenced. 

To appear at that judgment is to have no hope. All that will be determined is the reading of all the crimes to determine the degree of punishment deserved.  Books will be opened that document every sin ever committed. Another Book—the Book of Life that contains all who have been born again and had their sins forgiven will be opened and those whose names are absent will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the “second death.” These are already dead in trespasses and sins, and now will die eternally—that is separated from God’s goodness and grace forever. They did not want Jesus and thus never have Him who is Eternal Life.

Think about the Judge on His seat. 

This speaks of HIS GLORY for it is “a GREAT white throne,” that He sits upon (emphasis added). God is great and there is none like Him. His greatness is incomparable and thus His glory is indescribable. It is the essence of all God is—the radiance of His Person. 

This also points to HIS PURITY as it is “a great WHITE throne,” where the Judge presides (emphasis added).  God is declared, “Holy, holy, holy,” an indication of His chief attribute. God is utterly pure and just. It is the expression of all God is—the righteousness of His Person.

Further, it conveys HIS SOVEREIGNTY for this is “a great white THRONE,” where He abides. He reigns over all—absolute Master of the Universe and every molecule it contains. Nothing happens but by His permission and all that occurs moves to what He has predetermined.  It is the end of all God does—the royalty of His Person.

Is your name in the Book of Life?  If it is, then Heaven will be your home. You have no fear of judgment, for Christ bore your judgment on the cross. All your sins have been blotted out by the blood. 

If your name is blotted out of the Book of Life, then Hell will be your home. You will face a fearful judgment, for you rejected the forgiveness Christ offered. All your sins will be declared and the justice of your sentence pronounced.  Call upon Jesus today—before it is too late!

THE FALL OF BABYLON

Revelation 18 proclaims God’s judgment on Babylon. As I study this, I have two basic questions. What is the identification of this political power and what is the implication of this prophetic passage?

First, let us deal with THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE POLITICAL POWER. 

This could be a literal city of Babylon that is rebuilt in the Middle East—in what is present day Iraq. That would be a strategic place as we consider the struggle for economic supremacy that involves oil and its prominence in the world’s economy. Likewise, such a city would be a buffer between the hostility between Arabs and Jews that threatens to ignite world war.

More likely, it is a symbolic reference to the city of Rome. John had experienced Rome’s hate in his exile on Patmos. The church was undergoing the kind of persecution by the pagan Roman Empire that is portrayed here. When the Apostle penned these words, Rome dominated the world politically and economically. Thus, many Bible scholars have identified Babylon as Rome. In this scenario, the Antichrist will establish his reign from Rome as the seat of his power. 

Second, we focus on THE IMPLICATION OF THE PROPHETIC PASSAGE.

While there may be some debate about the identification of Babylon, the implication of this text should be clear. Babylon symbolizes the center of a global ecclesiastical system, (see chapter 17) and a global economic system, as described in chapter 18.  I like how Chuck Swindoll interpreted this:

When this passage speaks of the fall of Babylon, it has in mind the system of thinking that will be embodied in the Antichrist’s regime. 

We have similar figures of speech today that refer to places we connect with a system of thinking. We speak of Wall Street, Hollywood, Madison Avenue, and Vegas. You can actually go to these places, but usually their names are used to represent something other than only locations.  They represent lifestyles or systems of thinking.

For those familiar with Israel’s history and the Old Testament, any mention of Babylon evokes the idolatrous and immoral apostasy of God’s people as well as God’s judgment on human conceit, expressed here in the future of this empire.” (The Swindoll Study Bible, p. 1663).

What is certain is that an ecclesiastical and economic system that seeks to unite the world as a substitute for and in opposition to Christ will be suddenly and permanently destroyed by Christ.  Heaven will rejoice!  

As we see events of our day moving toward such a globalist agenda, we must wonder how close we are to the climax of human history and the coming again of the Lord Jesus.  I set no dates. Jesus said none of us know the day or hour. But, He also told us, “Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near,” (Luke‬ ‭21‬:‭28‬‬).

VENGEANCE AND VINDICATION

At the time John was given the Revelation, he was in exile on Patmos. Intense persecution from pagan Rome was seeking to eradicate Christianity from the earth. The old Apostle had lost all his fellow Apostles, one by one to martyrdom. It would be easy to despair, save Christ came with a Word of hope, to let him know there would ultimately be vengeance and vindication for the church. While it may still seem to us that the other side is winning, may we be reminded that victory is assured!  Let us consider this as we examine Revelation 8:1-6.

It begins with THE SEAL, “When He opened the seventh seal,” (8:1a). Earlier, John had seen a seven-sealed scroll, (5:1). This symbolized the title-deed to the universe. Search was made for someone worthy to possess that title-deed and open the scrolls, and no angel above, nor man on earth, neither the dead or demon below was worthy, (5:2-3). John wept in despair. But John was told not to cry, and brushing the tears from his eyes, he saw the worthy Lion of Judah, who was also the Lamb of God, take the scroll from His Father’s hand. Jesus, the Son of God, is declared the only One worthy to take the scroll and open the seals, (5:4-7).  A great worship celebration rises in anticipation of the consummation of history in Christ’s victory, (5:8-14). 

Chapter six pictures the Lamb opening the seals of the scroll, and under each seal a judgment is unleashed on a Christ-rejecting world. They did not want Jesus then, they do not want Him now, but never forget that He is Sovereign and in giving them what they crave they will find condemnation.

When we arrive at chapter seven there comes THE SILENCE, “there was silence in heaven for about half an hour,” (8:1b). No strumming of harps, no singing of praise, no shouts of worship, no shuffling of angels’ feet as heard in chapter 7. This silence speaks louder than words—a sacred pause in the judgments that fell in chapter six. It is a moment to catch our breath for the opening of the seventh and final seal. The Judge has come into the courtroom.  All gathered there are silent.  The condemned await the pronouncing of the sentence.

Contemplate THE SIGNIFICANCE.

“And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. 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. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. 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. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” (8‬:‭1‬-‭6‬‬).

Beneath the seventh seal, there are seven trumpets that will sound, and each trumpet blast brings a judgment.  Four of those trumpet judgments are described in this chapter.  Trumpet one sounds—hail and fire destroy one third of earth’s vegetation, (v. 7).  Trumpet two sounds—what may well be an asteroid strikes the sea with the force of a nuclear explosion and tidal waves decimate the ships and the shoreline, (v. 8-9).  The third trumpet sounds—a comet with poisonous gas or a meteor with radioactive matter disintegrates on entering the atmosphere, poisoning a third of the fresh water, (v. 10-11).  The fourth trumpet sounds—smoke from the fires and dust from the impacts upon earth—fills the skies with a third of the light dimmed by the cloud, (v. 12-13).

You do not want to hear those trumpets of doom.  You want to hear the trumpet of deliverance, (1 Thess.4:16-17)!  We must appeal to sinners to come to Christ—to flee to Him for salvation!  There is an urgency to sharing the Gospel globally, for there is rapidly approaching a day when judgment will be fixed and final. 

The prayers of the saints are mentioned as sacred incense in 5:8. We are reminded that our prayers are stored up—not forgotten and left unanswered. Specifically, the prayers of the persecuted through the ages—the cry for justice will in God’s time be answered.  

“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. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, ‘How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?’ Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.” (6‬:‭9‬-‭11‬‬).

We see in chapter 8 and the opening of the seventh seal and the sounding of the trumpets that those prayers for vengeance and vindication will be answered, (8:3-6).

A CHARGE TO THE ELDERS

John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”  It is true in all dimensions of life—including the church and the elders who lead it. 

Elders are to exalt the Master (v.1). While they have a duty to the members, their ultimate reckoning is to God. It is a charge that is solemn and sobering for which they will answer to God, and stand before Christ Jesus in judgment. The work is of eternal significance. Therefore, church elders face stricter scrutiny at the Judgment Seat.  They must realize , it is about God’s kingdom and not building their own!  How is it built?

Elders are charged to expound the message (v.2-4). There are many tasks for the elders, but the high calling is to preach the Word.  Elders cannot let church activity crowd out spiritual preparation. To speak for God, first you must hear from Him.  Then, elders can stand with a Bible in their hand and speak with the authority of heaven at their back.  We live in a day, when congregations increasingly demand for preachers to tickle their ears by telling them what they want to hear.  Never let that happen in your church!

  Elders must also exhibit the ministry (v.5). Beyond what your lips say is what your life shows. The character of the elder is to be one of moral purity as they exercise self-control. The commitment of the elder is to be one of endurance and effort. He is to have a heart for souls.  His ministry is Gospel-driven and his message is Gospel-centered.  The elders are not the exclusive soul-winners, but are to set the example as soul-winners. Blessed is the church that has such leaders!

THE JUSTICE AND WRATH OF GOD

“in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,” (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9)

What percentage of sermons yesterday focused on the wrath of God? Less than 1%? That is just a guess, of course. One thing I am confident of—there were not many.

Among books written for the church world, you will find many categories devoted to favorite authors, best sellers, family life, Bible study, spiritual growth, and such. Rightfully so. But, you are not going to find many books on the wrath of God.

If you are listening to popular Christian songs, how many even mention the wrath of God?  A few, but they are the exception.

Candidly, it is not something I enjoy thinking about. I find no pleasure in preaching on the subject. But, if I am going to be faithful to Christ and to my call, I cannot neglect the topic. Did you realize that Jesus said more about hell than He said about heaven?

Yet, most preachers shun the topic and many Christians are uncomfortable discussing it.  If we are going to have a proper understanding of God then we can’t avoid it.  So, the justice and wrath of God will be our focus in this week’s study. May God use this truth to drive us to our knees in repentance and disturb us concerning those without Christ, so that we share the Gospel with them.

GOD IS GREAT

As a child, I was taught a simple prayer containing a profound truth: “God is great; God is good...” and so it began with an acknowledgement of the greatness of God. It is a fundamental truth—“God is great.” This one verse is God’s testimony to His greatness, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.” (Deuteronomy‬ ‭10:17‬). We see four aspects of the greatness of God.

His greatness is displayed in His might.  The great God is, “mighty.” He is Almighty God Who can do all things.

His greatness is demonstrated in His majesty.  The great God is, “awesome.” Those who know Him best understand how little they grasp and are in turn grasped by the truth of His greatness in a way that produces awe. God staggers our mind and takes our breath away—bringing us to our knees in worship!

His greatness is discerned in His morality.  The great God, “shows no partiality.” He does not treat men with prejudice.  So, God loves all, and judges all by one standard—His infinite holiness—but has provision for all in His Son Jesus Christ, Whose righteousness is ours by faith.  He is Judge of all mankind for He is above all.

His greatness is declared in His self-sufficiency.  He will not take a “bribe.” What does a God Who is everything and has everything need from us?  How can He be influenced by us?  There is no bargaining with God.  We need Him, but He does not need us.

God is great; God is good.  Let us thank Him!

THE END: The Regeneration of Creation

Read 2 Peter 3:10-13.

The day of the Lord is the great prophetic period of the end times. It is not a 24 hour day, but encompasses the era from the rapture of the church to the end of the current creation.  As we use the word, “day,” in the sense of, “The Civil War took place in Lincoln’s day,” meaning a wider period of time—that is the usage here. It is a day of judgment, seven years of tribulation—the fearful judgments described in Revelation 6-19, and the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth by force with Christ’s return and the battle of Armageddon, His reign and the gathering and blessing of Israel, a final rebellion ending with the Great White Throne Judgment, and the dissolution of creation.

This all begins “as a thief in the night,” with Christ taking the church into heaven—suddenly, unexpectedly. The world will not be looking for the judgments to come.  The saints, however, will not be taken unaware. We will be noting the signs of the times, (see 1 Thess.4:13-5:11), preparing for the rapture. The wicked will be unprepared for the doom that will descend.

How does it all end?  That is what Peter turns to next. After the Millennium and the Great White Throne Judgment, he speaks of the regeneration of creation. In ancient mythology, there was a bird called the Phoenix, that at the end of its life would consume itself in fire and then rise from the ashes reborn. Similarly, this old creation will come unglued at the command of God who holds it together. The fission of the atoms will unleash incredible heat—imagine nuclear explosions of an incalculable number. God will purge all the sin from the old creation and then regenerate new heavens and a new earth.

How should we live in light of that?  Don’t give yourself to the stuff around you—it won’t last. It’s going up in smoke. Give yourself to the eternal. Store up treasure in heaven where it endures forever!

THE END: The Great White Throne Judgment

Read Revelation 20:11-15.

All who are summoned to the Great White Throne Judgment are lost. There is no hope. No other court of appeal.  The only One who could have pled for us—Jesus Christ—has been rejected by these sinful souls.

Every wicked person who has died will be raised in an indestructible form and brought before Holy God. Their new body is designed for their eternal abode. As the righteous are fitted for heaven, they will be designed for hell. They did not want Jesus on earth, and they will not have Him for eternity. Salvation was rejected and now the consequences of that choice will be felt.

You see, a person who dies in sin now, does not go to the final hell—the lake of fire. They descend to Hades, and the realm of suffering, to await the final judgment when Hades will be emptied.

Why?  Because when we die we do not die—our influence lives on. Hitler is suffering in Hades, and yet his final punishment has not come. That’s because many still follow his hateful ways, and so judgment is accumulating for which he will ultimately suffer. God is just in all his ways.

Books will be opened and the crimes of every sinner will be read as the indictment of them. Every wicked thought, vile passion, filthy word, evil deed will be recounted. Then the Book of Life will be opened and their name will not be found.

“Guilty!” That is the verdict pronounced.

Here is the choice: you can have your name written in the Book of Life and the record of your sins expunged by faith in Christ or you can have your name blotted out of the Book and your sins declared because you reject Christ. There is no other option.

NO MAN IS AN ISLAND

Read Romans 14.

“No man is an island,” said John Donne, the seventeenth century English poet and preacher. He was reflecting the Biblical concept that who we are and what we do does not merely affect ourselves, but others around us.  Paul put it this way, “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself.” (Rom.14:7‬).

And to this end, we are accountable to God in life and in death.  There will be a Day of Judgment, where we will be evaluated as to the impact our life has had for Christ.  “For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written: ‘As I live, says the LORD, Every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (v.8-12‬ ).

The implications for our earthly activity since Jesus is Lord cannot be underestimated.  In every dimension of this life we are responsible to Him—and how we live for Him is in relation to how we live among others.  Likewise, the implications for our eternal accountability before Jesus as Lord cannot be overstated.  In each area of our life we will answer to Him—and He will judge how we have judged the worth of others.

The Apostle begins the chapter by discussing the debates among the saints over sacred days and special diets, that were leading people to judge one another.  Some, with a sensitive conscience were assailing the liberty of their brothers who felt a greater freedom in the “gray areas,” of life, while those who promoted freedom were attacking their brethren whom they thought legalistic, by flaunting their liberty.  Paul concludes with a call to love—to respect one another and commit them to God.  The final judgment is up to the only One qualified to make it—Almighty God.   “Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.” (v.13‬).

FOLLOW YOUR HEART?

Read Jeremiah 17.

We have heard the instruction, “Follow your heart!” We dare not! Rather, heed the will of God found in the Word of God. The heart of man is deceitful and desperately wicked. Sin has been engraved on it with a diamond-tipped, iron pen, so that what we think is good is bad and that which we brand bad is good.

The people of Judah were doomed to judgment for following their hearts’ diabolical desires. They worshipped the creation rather than the Creator. They trusted in what they could see instead of the immortal, invisible God who saw them.

The beautiful, bountiful blessings of a land flowing with milk and honey would be stripped and plundered by a marauding army. It would be as though they were sitting in the gasoline of God’s wrath, and their sins were the match they would continually be striking, until one day the explosive flame of HIs fury ignited.

We can know the blessing of trusting in God or the cursing of trusting in ourselves. To look to the Lord as our hope is to find the stability of being rooted by the river of His grace, the beauty of evergreen foliage where we reflect His glory, and the productivity of fruitfulness as His Spirit works in and through us.

Jeremiah testifies to his faithfulness in a populace that had forsaken the Lord. He cries out for God to spare him even as he visits judgment on his generation. He confesses his hope in the Lord.

It is never easy to stand alone. But, really the child of God never does—the Lord is near all who trust in Him. We can speak against the evil of our day. They may not be persuaded to repent. This generation may choose to stop their ears to the truth—that is the deceitfulness of the heart. What I have control over is my own path—to choose God’s way, as I look to His wisdom and lean on His strength. In the words of the old hymn:

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus!
Stand in His strength alone,
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.”

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!

Read Jeremiah 16. 

When you wake up and your house is on fire, you don’t have time to shower and make breakfast—you run out as fast as you can.  Typical activities are set aside and we shift into crisis mode.  That is essentially what God alerts Jeremiah to in this chapter.  Jerusalem is about to be engulfed in the flames of God’s wrath.  The usual activities—good in their place—are no longer a priority.

Gruesome deaths will soon be witnessed in Jerusalem—whether by starvation, as the Babylonian army besieges the city or by sword, as the pagan power breaks through the defenses.  The carnage will be overwhelming—carcasses littering the ground—and not enough people to bury them.  The survivors will be carried into captivity, while the corpses will rot as human refuse, picked over by buzzards and beasts.  They had first forsaken God, and so God will now forsake them.

Because of this, Jeremiah is forbidden to marry, mourn, or engage in mirth.  He will have no marriage, for having a wife and seeing her suffer would only compound his sorrow exponentially.  He cannot mourn by attending a funeral.  There will be no funerals—too much death and not enough people to bury them.  There will be no mirth, as the prophet will attend no wedding celebrations. The young will die—the voices of the bridegroom and bride vanishing from the land, replaced by their dying gasps.

The spiritually senseless people question Jeremiah.  They can’t imagine God would do such a thing to them.  So, once more, the prophet reads heaven’s indictment against them.   Persistent sin that might prick the conscience at first, has a way of callusing our soul.

Three figures of God’s fury are presented.  God will cast them out as a warrior would hurl a spear.  Those who are cast out will be caught by the Babylonian invaders, like fish caught in a net.  Should some escape, the fishermen will become hunters to track them down.  There will be no place to hide, because God always sees and knows.  Ultimately, it is not the hand of the Babylonians that will seek them, but the hand of the Lord that will seize them in His sovereign decree of judgment.  It is the long arm of the law which they have violated.  Like a banker coming to collect a debt—the Lord will hold them accountable for their sin debt and charge them interest, as well.  What a painful day of reckoning!  

Jeremiah, however, knows where refuge can be found—as Luther wrote, “A mighty fortress is our God; a bulwark never failing.”  A ray of grace breaks through the storm clouds of judgment descending.  The Jews carried into captivity will someday be released to return.  As God brought their forefathers out of Egyptian slavery and into the Promised Land, so in an even greater way, He will bring the Jews out of captivity and back to Jerusalem.

An even more amazing display of grace will transpire—the very Gentiles whose paganism had been embraced by the Jews, leading to their chastisement, will be converted from idolatry through the Jews restored to the land.  Out of the remnant that returns, a Jew will arise, Christ Jesus, Savior not only of Israel, but Savior of the world!

Now, dear reader, understand the crisis we are in—the urgency of your setting aside all things for the main thing—getting your heart right with God.  It may be the world will soon go up in flames.  Will you escape?  We will either pay the price for our sins in the fires of eternity, or run to Christ as our Refuge, by faith receiving the forgiveness of our sin debt, in the price He paid on the cross.  You cannot run from Him, but you can run to Him!

GOD FORSAKEN

God forsaken—what a frightening term for a fearful truth—and it was what the inhabitants of Jerusalem were about to experience.  The vultures were circling and the jackals were skulking—waiting to pick the bones of the dead.  The Jews should have raised their voices to God in repentance, but instead roared at Him as a lion in their arrogance.  That was folly to be met with God’s fury.

The Lord had brought them into a land flowing with milk and honey, but soon there would only be desolation.  The rulers of Babylon—the commanders of their army—would invade—rape, pillage, destroy, kill, and enslave until all would be destroyed.  

Notice, that it is “the sword of the LORD” that falls upon them.  God is sovereign and even as He will use the Babylonians as His sword, it is His hand that wields it.  God is not beyond using a foreign nation to bring down wrath on a land like America today—such a God-blessed land that can soon become a desolation because we have forgotten the source of our blessing.  Nuclear weapons would do that.

The farmers sowed what they hoped would be a harvest of grain, but they would instead reap thorns.  You reap what you sow, and thorns are the crop that comes from the curse of sin.

When Jerusalem fell, the nations that encircled them—Egypt, Philistia, Moab, Ammon, Edom, Syria, and others would be exult in the downfall of Judah and like the aforementioned vultures and jackals were eager to devour the scraps.  Yet, Babylon would conquer those nations, as well.

Out of the dark storm clouds descending on Jerusalem, a beam of hope breaks through in the distance.  After 70 years of captivity, the Jews will be permitted to return.  God will have compassion—and not just to them.  The pagans who dwelt in the land, and influenced the Jews to call on Baal, can be influenced by the Jews to call on the LORD—and “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved” (Rom.10:13). There is hope for Jews and Gentiles alike.  We can sink roots of repentance into the soil of salvation or we will be uprooted and destroyed.  There is no middle ground. 

THE DAY HEAVEN CLOSES

The temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, and no one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.  (Revelation 15:8)

Have you ever needed to make a bank deposit, but when you pulled up to the bank you found they had just closed?  Maybe you needed to mail some important papers and the post office had just shut its doors.  It is a sinking feeling to be running low on gas, finally spot a service station, only to see a sign posted in the door, “CLOSED.”  I recall a few times of locking the door to the place where I worked, and as I was gathering up my stuff to go home, have someone knocking on the door, only to have to tell them, “I’m sorry, but we’re closed.”  Something much worse will happen someday—heaven will close; the pearly gates will lock.  In Revelation, there are several occurrences where John mentions doors that are open.  In chapter 15, heaven’s door closes!

There are a series of sevens in Revelation.  It is the number of completion.  Seven seals are opened on the scroll, and under each seal a judgment is unleashed.  When the seventh seal is peeled away, there are seven trumpets that sound a particular doom.  The sounding of the seventh trumpet signals the outpouring of seven bowls of wrath—the final plagues (v.1), said to complete the wrath of God.  The term used for wrath is the strongest Greek word that John might have used to describe this judgment.  It is the horror that awaits those left behind after the rapture of the church who enter the seven-year tribulation.

In contrast to what these who rejected Christ experience, we find that those who received Him are safely home (v.2).  It is amazing grace to know that some will be saved out of great tribulation—who wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb (Rev.7:14).  They were slain by the Beast, but were not overcome.  Death brought release from a sinful world and entrance into heaven.  They will sing the songs of the redeemed in glory (v.3-4).

Then the entrance to the holy of holies in the temple in heaven opens so seven angels may exit bearing seven plagues (v.5-7).  There is a finality about their appearance—these powerful, celestial warriors march out in a column, their assignment clear, inexorably bringing the conclusion of cosmic cataclysm.  Smoke fills the temple—the manifest glory of God.  We are reminded of how Mount Sinai was covered with smoke when God appeared to give Moses the ten commandments.  Recall also how Isaiah saw the King of Glory sitting on His throne in the temple and Scripture says the place was filled with smoke.

With the exit of these angels, the door closes.  It says that, “none can enter,” as these final plagues are outpoured.  Heaven is closed.  Those who would be saved have been.  The souls that would come to Christ have been gathered in and only judgment remains.  Jesus said, “As it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man.”  Noah warned people of the flood and begged them to get on the ark.  When the door closed, it was too late for those outside.  Someday the final opportunity comes to every soul.  This could be yours.  Have you given your life to Christ?  Don’t wait until too late!

WHEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE

 

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.  (Revelation 9:1)

From time to time, someone will say to me, “I’m going through hell!”  They are suffering and I sympathize, but they are wrong.  The horrors of hell are far beyond anything we know in this world.  There is coming a day, however, when the world gets a foretaste of hell.  Because people reject the heaven God offers, He will give them the hell they deserve.

When we come to the eighth chapter of Revelation, six seals have been opened on the scroll, and this brings the climactic opening of the seventh seal.  Beneath the seventh seal is written the decree of seven trumpets of judgment that are to be sounded.  Four of these terrible outpourings of wrath are described in that chapter.  The last three will be so horrible that they are called the three “woes.”  We will consider two of these woes that come with the fifth and sixth trumpet blasts, as detailed in Revelation 9.

All hell breaks loose when the lid to the bottomless pit is lifted.  That abyss is the present prison of some extremely evil spirits.  They have been imprisoned there since they nearly led the human race into total annihilation in the days of Noah (2 Pet.2:4-5; Jude 6).  They are pressing against the prison door even now—straining with all their might—hordes of hell longing to be free from their torment that they might unleash torment on the world again.  That key is at last handed over to the star fallen from heaven (v.1).  Jesus holds the keys for He is Lord of all (Rev.1:18), but now He will allow Satan to take the key and loose his minions.

Out boils the smoke of the abyss (v.2).  The result is that the sun is darkened and the air is defiled.  The demons take on the form of monstrous locusts (v.3-12).  Throughout Bible history, the swarms of locusts were a sign of God’s judgment.  Those brought devastation to vegetation, but these will spare the grass and strike the godless (v .3-6).  Their mission is to inflict unbearable pain to all who do not have the seal of God (that is—the 144,000 witnesses and those converted by their testimony).  Sinners will scream—insane with pain—yet, be unable to die.  The duration of this affliction will be five months (v.7-12).  Even the demons’ form will be frightening and fiendish.

After the sounding of the fifth trumpet and the first woe which ascend from below the earth, the sixth trumpet signals the second woe that descends from above the earth (v.13-21).  The altar, meant to be a place of forgiveness for those who receive Christ, will become the source of fury for those who reject Him (v.13-15).  If we do not accept the sacrifice of Jesus to pay the price for our sins, then we will have to pay the debt ourselves!  Fallen angels are chained, but in that day loosed.  These are bound up at the Euphrates River—Babylon—which is the polluted fountain of all false religion.  They will be in the vanguard of an army 200 million strong (v.16-19).  These will gather for the great jihad against Israel, perhaps this army is Russia and her Muslim allies (see Ezek.38-39).  The most remarkable thing is that people still will not repent (v.20-21)!  Their hearts are so hard; they had rather suffer this hell than submit to heaven!

PERSEVERING TRUST IN PERPLEXING TIMES

Why do You show me iniquity,

And cause me to see trouble?  

Why?  It is the big question.  We see things happen in this world and are perplexed.  We believe that God is great and good—so why does He allow evil to exist?  Scripture acknowledges this struggle—and it is the theme of the prophecy of Habakkuk.  He has been called, “the doubting Thomas of the Old Testament.”  If we are honest, we will say at times, “Me too!”  Is God great, but not good?  He could do something about the wicked things that happen, but chooses not to do so.  Is God good, but not great?  He does not want such horror to happen, but He cannot stop it all.  Either proposition diminishes the nature of God—and that is why some conclude there is no God.  Let us listen in on the struggle Habakkuk faced and hear the solutions He found that can give us a faith that stands.

Habakkuk is believed to have ministered at the same time as Jeremiah.  Both men would observe the judgment of God being unleashed upon His people.  Habakkuk refers to the Chaldeans—the Babylonians—whose brutal and bloody armies were attacking Judah. They were going to be God’s instrument to inflict discipline on His disobedient people.  That Judah deserved chastisement was undeniable.  Warning after warning had been given.  The rod of correction had been applied in various times and degrees.  The prophet is perplexed, however, that God would use a pagan people—surely more sinful than the Jews—as His means to discipline Israel.

What if God uses a violent people and the instrument of terrorism to visit His judgment on America?  In a future day, might it be that the Holy One would allow an invasion of this land by an oppressive nation?  Our response is typically, “We don’t deserve this!”  No—we deserve far worse!  Justice alone would have wiped us off the face of the earth long ago. It is only the mercy of a loving God that puts up with us.  If I got what was coming to me, I would be cast into hell—and so would you.  When we compare ourselves with others sinners, we can find some that are worse than we are, but the truth is that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God and the wages of sin is death.   

The key verse in this book is also one of the most important in Scripture.  It is found in 2:4, “But the just shall live by his faith.”  This text is quoted three times in the New Testament (Rom.1:17; Gal.3:11; Heb.10:38).  It is the key to real life—how eternal life commences, conquers, and is consummated as we are saved by faith, live by faith, and die in faith.

Never doubt in the dark what God has told you in the light.  There will be dark times—always have been and always will be while we are in this world ravaged by sin and death.  Habakkuk was in a dark place and it was getting darker.  That is how it seems today.  The Bible predicts a world that will become engulfed by the blackness of sin, until Christ’s return brings the dawn of a new day.

We need a persevering trust in these perplexing times.   We must walk by faith and not by sight.  The world says, “Seeing is believing” but God says, “Believing is seeing.”

CODE BLUE

Blow the trumpet in Zion, And sound an alarm in My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the LORD is coming, For it is at hand….   (Joel 2:1)

Our world is sick with sin.  The immune system of a godly heritage that once offered protection to America against this plague has weakened to the point our nation is being overwhelmed by evil.  Unless we turn to God, our condition is terminal, our demise perhaps imminent.  A cascade of catastrophe can overwhelm a country.  Our vital signs indicate distress!

I have been in the hospital numerous times—in fact, my first job was at St. Joseph’s Hospital—and heard the call, “Code Blue! Code Blue!”  A patient was in a crisis situation—resuscitation was required immediately, or the patient’s next room would be in the funeral home.  Sometimes, it is too late, the person too far gone—they cannot be revived.

The Jews of Joel’s era had come to such a critical condition.  God tells His prophet to sound the alarm—a spiritual “Code Blue” call goes out.  The parallels to America today should be obvious. We have an emergency.  Our nation needs intervention—stat!

Joel’s “Code Blue” alarm is phrased as “The Day of the Lord.”

The first chapter contains a PREVIEW OF THE DAY OF THE LORD.  Joel’s focus is on the Day of the Lord—a time of retribution for the Gentiles and of redemption for the Jews.  The first chapter presents a preview of the Day of the Lord.  These were literal events in history which preview future events in prophecy—a portrait of Divine judgment is painted.  The devastation we read about was caused by a locust plague.  It reminds us that when the Day of the Lord comes it will be a day of retribution.  The intent of the suffering was to bring them to repentance. Their distress was meant to drive them to their knees.

The preview of the Day of the Lord, given in chapter one, brings us to PROPHECY OF THE DAY OF THE LORD in the second chapter of Joel.  Joel’s, “Code Blue” extends beyond his day, to that future Day—a judgment previewed by historical experiences, that issues in a judgment prophesied in eschatological events.   Joel had described a plague of locusts that would devour the land in the first chapter of his prophecy.  In chapter two, he describes an invasion of a massive army like a locust plague which decimates the land.  If the Jews are not led to repent of their sins by the insect invasion, something much worse is coming—infantry, not insects, from the north (v.20).  As the locust plague was devastating in its scope, so the horror Israel faces in her future will exceed any previous terror.  Jesus described it as a time of tribulation—not just for Israel, but the world—that if it were any longer all life would perish (see Matthew 24:21-22).  Wars and rumors of wars mark the course of the last days and lead ultimately to Armageddon.  Beyond the cataclysm of World War III and its bloody campaigns, there is a demonic locust invasion from the abyss during the Day of the Lord (see Rev.9:1-12).  Ultimately, Israel’s suffering leads them to cry out to God.  Scripture tells us that as the Great Tribulation comes to a crescendo of conflict, the Jews in Jerusalem will face certain genocide, but Christ will come again with the armies of heaven and obliterate Israel’s foes.  Get ready!  Jesus is coming soon!