JESUS, THE SON OF MAN, AUTHORIZES THE HARVEST OF THE EARTH

This post begins with an ominous warning concerning the final seven vial judgments.  These judgments will be experienced worldwide and will finally culminate in the return of the King of kings.

Revelation 14:13 “And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.”

John declares that the coming judgments are so severe that those who die “in the Lord” will be blessed because they will not have to endure more than they already have.  Note that important qualifier—“in the Lord.”  Only those who die accepting the gift of salvation offered by God through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus can ever be blessed in death.  At death they pass into the presence of God.  As we learned in the last post, those who die having rejected that gift are destined for everlasting torment.

Revelation 14:9–11 “…If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night….”

John makes it clear in his record of the last judgment that this torment includes everyone—not just those that had taken the mark of the beast.

Revelation 20:15 “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”

Those that die “in the Lord” will finally be able to “rest” from their labor, their trouble, their weariness.  They will receive the reward promised them for their work for the Lord.

Matthew 6:20 “But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal….”

Matthew 5:11–12 “Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven….”

John looks again and sees one that looks like the “Son of man” sitting on a cloud wearing a golden crown and holding a sharp sickle.

Revelation 14:14-16 “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.  And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”

Yet another angel comes out of the temple loudly announcing that the time has come for the earth to be reaped.  I am reminded that the Lord Jesus told us that the Father had delegated all judgment to Him.

John 5:22 & 26-27 “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son….For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”

I liked the comments from Joseph Seiss, an old Lutheran minister, on these verses.

“As the destroyer of the works of the devil, and as the judge of the quick and the dead, it belongs for Christ to reap the earth and to clear it of the hellish seed of the great enemy....And to this end, the heaven crowned King holds ‘in His hand a sharp sickle.’ There is nowhere such a description or holding forth of the instrument in any harvest scene referring to the gracious home bringing of the good. The earth is to be cleared of its ill products now, therefore, only a cutting implement is in hand and so conspicuous displayed. The work is one of vengeance and sore judgment; therefore, it is sharp. Thus seated in regal majesty, with His terrible instrument in hand for His appointed judicial work as the Son of Man, there goes up to Him a mighty cry to send forth His sickle and reap, claiming that the time of reaping has come, and that ‘the harvest of the earth’ (not the church) is dried to dead ripeness.”

It is significant that there is a time that has been predetermined as right for this judgment.  It seems that sin has reached its fullness worldwide. I think that God’s statement regarding the withholding of judgment from the Amorites established the precedent for revealing God’s timing for implementing judgment.

Genesis 15:13–16 “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not full.”

This is yet another example of how God used His foreknowledge in establishing His plan and purpose in connection with man’s freedom to make choices.

(to be continued…)

THE THIRD MESSENGER ANGEL WARNS AGAINST TAKING THE MARK OF THE BEAST

We are still in the section of scripture that is preparing us for the final outpouring of God’s vengeance, the seven vial judgments, that will culminate in the return of Jesus to establish His kingdom on earth. 

Revelation 14:9–11 “And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.”

The third and final messenger angel loudly declares a warning to men that anyone that receives the mark of the beast in his forehead or hand is destined for eternal torment in the lake of fire.  The choice is either-or; there is no other option.  This tells me two things:  1) That no one can be forced to take the mark; and 2) no one will be able to say, “But I did not know.”  Each angel is following the lead of the first, and we were told in verse 6 that the message was being declared “to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.” 

I think it is interesting that the phrase “without mixture” is used.  This indicates to me that although the time of judgment we call the great tribulation will be terrible, God’s mercy will still be available for those who will choose to turn to Him in faith.  His wrath is poured out without mixture on those who choose to accept the antichrist as their lord. 

We will learn that after Jesus has ruled for 1,000 years on earth in a time of unequalled peace and justice, Satan will be allowed one last opportunity to gather a following.  Amazingly, he will be able to recruit quite an army, “the number of whom is as the sand of the sea” (Revelation 20:8).  When Jesus crushes this last opposition, the time of grace and mercy will be over.  Each individual’s fate will be sealed forever.  Those who have rejected Him will suffer the wrath of God “without mixture.”

David Guzik made an important point.  “The wine in the cup is associated with wrath (the ancient Greek work thymos), which describes a passionate anger….This is the idea behind the cup that Jesus wanted to avoid if possible. 

Matthew 26:39 “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

Jesus willingly took the cup of the Father’s wrath that we deserved; here the enemies of Jesus have no choice—the cup is forced upon them.” 

[end Guzik quote]

I have to admit that it was comforting to me to know that the Lord and holy angels are identified as those that witness the punishment of those who reject God as Lord.  I know we will rejoice that sin is being judged, but it is hard for the human side of me to imagine that we will rejoice at watching friends and/or loved ones suffer that judgment.  These people will be tormented (tortured, in pain) that is relentless, without relief.  The smoke will be a continual reminder of their judgment. 

It is important to understand the totally opposite positions of believers and unbelievers for eternity.  Those in the presence of God are at rest; those separated from Him will never know rest.

Revelation 14:12 “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.”

The announcements of the angels are also to serve as encouragement to the saints on earth to persevere in their faith and obedience to God.  I believe that everyone that is saved at any time past, present or future is saved by faith.  We in the church today are indwelt and sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. 

Ephesians 1:13–14 “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.”

In Old Testament times that was not true.  David feared having the Spirit of God taken from him. 

Psalms 51:10–11 “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”

It makes sense to me that this 70th week of Daniel is an extension of Old Testament times (as were the first 69 weeks).  I tend to think (and I most certainly could be wrong) that the seal of the Spirit is unique to the church age. 

  

It is for this reason that I think John is inspired to add these words of encouragement for people of faith to hold on to their faith—just as he did when it was revealed that the Antichrist would be allowed to overcome the saints.  The troubles of that time will be so bad that one would be tempted to give up and/or question God’s word.  God is so gracious; He supernaturally provides for the gospel to be declared throughout the world with a warning of the dire consequences of worshipping the Antichrist and with extra encouragement for people of faith to hang on and persevere to the end—because there will be an end and the reward is great!

“keep the commandments…..and the faith” - Works and faith go hand in hand.

(to be continued…)

MESSENGER ANGELS DECLARE THE GOSPEL & THE FALL OF BABYLON

In the previous posts we have learned about the rise to power of the Antichrist and the martyrdom of the 144,000 witnesses.  John is next told that three angels will be sent to declare important messages to those on planet earth.

Revelation 14:6–7 “And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”

Since the establishment of the kingdom is at hand and men have only a short time to accept His gift of salvation in Jesus, God provides a supernatural witness to the gospel message.  The 144,000 witnesses and the two prophets are no longer on the scene, so God sends an angel to fly throughout the heavens urging the people on earth to worship the one true God, Creator of heaven and earth.  This seems to be in fulfillment of Matthew 24:14—“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” 

The angel’s message is clear (my paraphrase):  Fear God and glorify Him; worship Him as your Creator.  Your eternal destiny is soon to be determined.

Questions arise because of the message preached by the angel.  It’s not Romans 10:9, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” 

The word “everlasting” indicates to me that the gospel has always been essentially the same.  The full revelation of that gospel has come in increments.  In every increment the required response of the individual is faith in God’s provision—even when that provision is not fully known.  I rest in the fact that God is righteous and is the One Who determines whether one has responded in faith to that revelation or not.

The second messenger angel announces the judgment and fall of Babylon.

Revelation 14:8 “And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.”

Babylon was the birthplace of false religion, and she is responsible for leading the nations into spiritual adultery. They rejected the one true God to follow the false gods established through the deceit and influence of Satan.  The prophet Jeremiah declared this same truth.

Jeremiah 51:7 “Babylon hath been a golden cup in the LORD’S hand, that made all the earth drunken: the nations have drunken of her wine; therefore the nations are mad.” 

Throughout scripture the description of Babylon was specifically identified as located in Shinar or Chaldea—not Rome, as taught by some.  The prophets declared that Babylon would be destroyed as completely as Sodom and Gomorrah. 

Isaiah 13:19 “And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees’ excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”

Jeremiah 50:13 “Because of the wrath of the LORD it shall not be inhabited, but it shall be wholly desolate: every one that goeth by Babylon shall be astonished, and hiss at all her plagues.”

Jeremiah 51:37 “And Babylon shall become heaps, a dwellingplace for dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing, without an inhabitant.”

Those prophecies have yet to be fulfilled.  The area of ancient Babylon is inhabited even today.  This will be discussed in more detail when we reach chapters 17-18; but I believe this angel is announcing the fall of the rebuilt city of Babylon in the land today known as Iraq.

(to be continued…)

A VISION OF THE 144,000 WITNESSES IN HEAVEN

As we begin chapter 14, we are continuing a parenthetical section that provides information that helps us better understand unfolding events of the tribulation period.  After the sounding of the 7^th trumpet judgment, it was revealed that Satan and his angels were cast out of heaven and banished to earth.  Point is made that he is very angry and eager to take out his wrath on the Jewish people.  Immediately after that we see the Antichrist and his false prophet rising to positions of global power and authority.  John reveals that the Antichrist will be given power to overcome the saints at that time, and I believe that includes the 144,000 witnesses that were sealed after the rapture.

Revelation 14:1 “And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads.  And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth.  These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb.  And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.”

I think the specific number of 144,000 seen with the Lamb and the fact that they are sealed with the Father’s name in their foreheads directly connects them to the witnesses identified in chapter 7.

Revelation 7:3–4 “Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

Just as with the two witnesses, I believe these witnesses had completed the ministry to which God had appointed them and then died as martyrs for their faith.  They will not have to endure the hardships of the “great” tribulation, the last 3.5 years before Jesus returns as King of kings.

An upcoming verse states that God sends an angel to declare the gospel.  I think this is necessitated by the fact that His original appointed messengers are no longer on the scene. 

I decided to do a word search on “Sion” to see if it gave further insight, and I think there is a verse in Hebrews provides some insight.

Hebrews 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels….

To interpret Sion as the heavenly Jerusalem makes sense with the chronological flow unfolding in John’s narrative.

John hears a voice from heaven that again has the description previously associated with Jesus (Rev. 1:15, 10:3).  There is a verse in Ezekiel that uses this description to describe the voice of God, which provides another affirmation of Father and Son as one.

Ezekiel 1:24 “And when they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of great waters, as the voice of the Almighty, the voice of speech, as the noise of an host: when they stood, they let down their wings.”

He also hears the voice of harpers (a singer, one who plays and sings to the lyre) singing as they play their harps. 

Point is made that these men are singing a special worship song that only the 144,000 can learn.  The 144,000 are described as virgins (chaste), celibate men that have been set apart as the firstfruits of redeemed Israel, those who accept Jesus as the Messiah, according to the principal established in Exodus.

Exodus 13:2 & 12 “Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.  That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD’S.”

  

When these servants speak, they are without guile (deceit or trickery).  They stand in the presence of God before the throne without fault (unblemished, without blame).  They are speaking the truth.  There appears to be a verse in Zephaniah that applies here.

Zephaniah 3:13 “The remnant of Israel shall not do iniquity, nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found in their mouth: for they shall feed and lie down, and none shall make them afraid.”

(to be continued…)

ONE-WORLD GOVERNMENT CONTROL & THE MARK OF THE BEAST

Continuing our stroll through Revelation, we have reached the point where the false prophet introduces the infamous “mark of the beast” to control all business transactions across the globe.

Revelation 13:16–18 “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.”

Until the development of current technology, it seemed impossible to think that such worldwide economic control could be possible.  I think it is important to note that neither economic nor social status will be considered with regard to compliance with this dictate.  No one will be allowed to buy or sell anything without this mark. 

The first step in conditioning the public to accept such “marking” was to introduce the technology as part of vital medical treatment and as a means of improving the safety and security of pets and children.  In the push to get to a cashless society, it is now being touted as the most effective safeguard against identity theft, money laundering, thwarting terrorist operations, etc.  As I continue to watch the news, it appears to me that many will turn to chip implants or skin tattoos just for the convenience they provide.  Very few seem to consider the fact that these implants or tattoos also greatly enable the development of a “big brother” surveillance society similar to that pictured in George Orwell’s, 1984.  A chip under the skin allows the powers that be to track a person’s movements and access the personal information it stores.  I was surprised to find a report by Jay Stanley and Barry Steinhardt of the ACLU from January 2003 warning against the dangers connected with being part of a “Surveillance Society.”  A pertinent quote from that report follows.

“If we do not take steps to control and regulate surveillance to bring it into conformity with our values, we will find ourselves being tracked, analyzed, profiled, and flagged in our daily lives to a degree we can scarcely imagine today.  We will be forced into an impossible struggle to conform to the letter of every rule, law, and guideline, lest we create ammunition for enemies in the government or elsewhere.  Our transgressions will become permanent Scarlet Letters that follow us throughout our lives, visible to all and used by the government, landlords, employers, insurance companies and other powerful parties to increase their leverage over average people.  Americans will not be able to engage in political protest or go about their daily lives without the constant awareness that we are – or could be – under surveillance. We will be forced to constantly ask of even the smallest action taken in public, “Will this make me look suspicious? Will this hurt my chances for future employment? Will this reduce my ability to get insurance?” The exercise of free speech will be chilled as Americans become conscious that their every word may be reported to the government by FBI infiltrators, suspicious fellow citizens or an internet service provider.”

It’s interesting to me that John clearly reveals that the mark will consist of “the name of the beast or the number of his name.  He even identifies the number as the number of man—666.  In spite of this clear declaration from scripture, people will line up to comply with this directive.  The LORD has in the past and in the future will continue to verify the truth of scripture through the fulfillment of prophecy.  In spite of an abundance of fulfilled prophetic revelations, men continue to fall for the deceit of the enemy and reject the truth of His word.  You would think that the widespread availability of the truth of God’s word today in light of biblical prophecy would promote a great revival of faith, repentance and acceptance of that truth.  The pride of Satan and those that follow him in rejection of God as Lord of His Creation seems to trump truth and reason; they would rather believe a lie than submit to the Creator.  This too is in fulfillment of scripture.

John 8:44 “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.”

John 5:43 “I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.”

2 Thessalonians 2:8–12 “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

The intro phrase to verse 18 is intriguing.  After looking at several translations, it seems to be saying—You are going to need wisdom (understanding, learning, cleverness) to figure out what I am going to say next.  Count or compute (from the Greek) the number of the beast.  It is the number of a man; man’s number is 666.  Who knows in what direction this takes you.  We know that both the letters of the Hebrew and Greek alphabets were assigned numbers.  There are so many ways you could count or calculate; yet, I believe that those who need and are seeking understanding will probably know exactly what this scripture means when the time comes.  That is the whole purpose of revelation—revealing information.  God intends for us to understand when He gives us warning.

(to be continued…)