Plymothian

The Chapel www.chapel.org  has a campus in McHenry where we live.  They started a Sunday School this past week and we were asked to read Colossians 3:1-17 and meditate on it or read it repeatedly.  Try reading it through yourself today and let yourself reflect on its meaning.  I will write more comment on the passage tomorrow.

Colossians 3:1-17
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your^[a]life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

 ⁵ Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.^{[b] 7} You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.

 ¹² Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

 ¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

At the end of all time Eden will be restored.  All the things that are not as they should be will be made right.  I am struck by the healing capacity of the tree in the garden.  The nations will be healed by the leaves of the tree.  There will be nations and ethnic differences.  The new Eden is not a bland affair.

Revelation 22

¹ Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. ³ No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. ⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. ⁵There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.

John and the Angel

⁶The angel said to me, “These words are trustworthy and true. The Lord, the God who inspires the prophets, sent his angel to show his servants the things that must soon take place.”

   ⁷“Look, I am coming soon! Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy written in this scroll.”

⁸ I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. ⁹But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your fellow prophets and with all who keep the words of this scroll. Worship God!”

¹⁰ Then he told me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this scroll, because the time is near. ¹¹Let the one who does wrong continue to do wrong; let the vile person continue to be vile; let the one who does right continue to do right; and let the holy person continue to be holy.”

Epilogue: Invitation and Warning

    ¹² “Look, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done. ¹³I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

   ¹⁴ “Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. ¹⁵Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.

   ¹⁶ “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you^[a]this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

¹⁷The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come; and let the one who wishes take the free gift of the water of life.

¹⁸ I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. ¹⁹And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

²⁰He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.”

   Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.

²¹ The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen.

Questions

1. From where does the river flow?
2. What will be no more?
3. How is God’s presence emphasized?
4. Would you want Jesus to come back today?
5. Why was this book an encouragement to a church under stress?

Finally we see that all things are made new.  The language literally indicates that the old forms of heaven and earth will pass away and a new form will be made.  The earth is utopian.  in other words all those things which have corrupted the earth over the years will be washed away. this is interesting because of the recurring theme of purity especially as it relates to gold.  The construction of the New Jerusalem is made with transparent gold, such is its purity. 

In the new order of earth there is room for a new city.  Our views of paradise tend not to be urban.  We think of little streams running through the forest struck by rays of sunlight.  However, urban development a living in community have always been central to God’s plan.  We do not escape people when the end comes, but we live in harmony with people at the end of all things.

Revelation 21

 ¹ Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. ² I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[b]or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 ⁵He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”

 ⁶ He said to me: “It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life. ⁷ Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children. ⁸But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”

The New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb

 ⁹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.” ¹⁰ And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. ¹¹ It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. ¹² It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. ¹³ There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. ¹⁴The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

 ¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia^[c] in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits^[d] thick.^{[e] 18} The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. ¹⁹ The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, ²⁰ the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.^{[f] 21}The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass.

 ²² I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. ²³ The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. ²⁴ The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. ²⁵ On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. ²⁶ The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. ²⁷ Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

Questions

1. What has passed away?
2. Why is the absence of sea significant?
3. Describe the new creation of God in your own words?
4. How can we create heaven on earth?
5. In what ways does your life mirror the harmony and the purity that are in heaven?

After Armageddon there are still 1,000 years to be lived.  1,000 years back from where we are today would take us to the time of the Vikings and William the Conqueror.  A lot has happened since then and the population of the world has mushroomed.  A dictator will rule the world for 1,000 years and all kinds of changes will take place.  Even though the dictator is God people will still fiercely desire their own independence.  I use the millennium to question whether democracy is the best form of government.  We are used to, in the west, being able to have a say in policy making by voting in our parties and holding them accountable to our desires.  I doubt very much that Jesus will consult people on his policies – if he does it will not be for his wisdom and insight to increase but for the development of his subjects. 

I think it will be quite straightforward for Satan to reveal who Jesus’ faithful subjects are who submit to his absolute dictatorship and who still wills to have autonomy.  The deception will be a repeat of the independence promised in the Garden of Eden.  However, rather than Satan starting millennia of rebellion as he did in the Garden – this will be the absolute end.  The wheat and the chaff are separated.  It is over.

 Revelation 20

 ¹ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ² He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

 ⁴ I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They^[a] had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁵ (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁶Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Judgment of Satan

 ⁷ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The Judgment of the Dead

 ¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Questions

1. In your own words describe how you imagine Jesus’ reign on earth to be.
2. What do you imagine Satan’s propaganda campaign to consist of?
3. Who is cast into the lake of fire?
4. How can you live in today’s world as if Jesus was already the world’s dictator?
5. What opposition does the rule of Jesus come up against today?

Jesus speaks and countless people die.  This is in stark contrast to the Jesus we might perceive in the gospels.  In the gospels Jesus speaks and brings healing and tenderness.  However, Jesus is God and God is just and loving.  The sword in Jesus’ mouth is a sign of judgement and justice and Jesus slays the rebellious peoples of earth in the name of justice.  In America, in some states, the death penalty for crime is still carried out.  As innocent people are found on death row the death penalty is losing its place.  I grew up in Britain which had cast aside the death penalty years ago.  One result of this is that issuing or decreeing death as a punishment is seen as increasingly draconian.  There is nothing remedial in this decree.  However, there is a difference between punishment and remedial discipline.  Punishment is the act of justice that crresponds with the severity of the crime.  The Bible teaches in the book of Genesis that the value of a human life is precious.  The precious payment then for a human life is death.  Of course, this becomes complicated in a corrupted and inexact system, but the value of human life is clear:  a life is worth a life.  Our modern system tries to redeem the offender and teaches that the life of the deceased is worth the efforts at reforming the offender or a life lived behind bars (which is often shortened for one reason or another).  It is strange to me that cultures that glory over vigilante justice movies where criminals are killed by superheroes or by distraught parents does not carry those values over into the justice system. 

God’s holiness and goodness demand justice.  When Jesus comes at the head of an army he brings justice.  It will be carnage.  I can not rejoice in such a truth now.  It seems that when I am in God’s presence I will rejoice because it is right and good.  Such is our distance from God.

Revelation 19

 ¹After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting:

   “Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
 ² for true and just are his judgments.
He has condemned the great prostitute
   who corrupted the earth by her adulteries.
He has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”

 ³And again they shouted:

   “Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up for ever and ever.”

 ⁴The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. And they cried:

   “Amen, Hallelujah!”

 ⁵Then a voice came from the throne, saying:

   “Praise our God,
   all you his servants,
you who fear him,
   both great and small!”

 ⁶Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

   “Hallelujah!
   For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
⁷ Let us rejoice and be glad
   and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
   and his bride has made herself ready.
⁸ Fine linen, bright and clean,
   was given her to wear.”

   (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.)

 ⁹Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.”

 ¹⁰At this I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Don’t do that! I am a fellow servant with you and with your brothers and sisters who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For it is the Spirit of prophecy who bears testimony to Jesus.”

The Heavenly Warrior Defeats the Beast

 ¹¹ I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. ¹² His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. ¹³ He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. ¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”^[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

   KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

 ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, ¹⁸so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.”

 ¹⁹ Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. ²⁰ But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. ²¹ The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Questions

1. What two entities have been defeated by the end of this chapter?
2. Why would early Christians clearly see the justice in God’s enemies being torn to pieces?
3. Why would many today find Jesus’ triumph in no way glorious or compelling?
4. How could you develop a more accurate view of sin in your life?
5. How would a more accurate view of sin lead to a stronger view of grace?

Whatever Babylon represents it definitely includes an economic system.  We see this by how the merchants weep at her downfall.  This could be that Babylon is just a large economic power, like the United States or China, or it could be that Babylon is a system like free market capitalism or consumerism.  In today’s world many look for security in trade and the stock market is a main feature in the daily news.  The day-to-day volatility of the stock market leads to global gitters and insecurity.  In fact global issues affect stock holders and stocks effect global issues.  Consumerism has led to a world that wants more.  We are fed lies about needing to do things quicker so that we will rest more.  What we have seen is that gadgets and inventions that have made us more efficient have not led to rest or freedom but to more frenzied activity.  People medicate away the pain of living by keeping themselves busy and without deep thought.  How will the world suddenly deal with a terrible reality if the financial security and the material comforts that we have grown to love are stripped away? 

Christians in North America are so immersed in consumerism that many are unaware of their surroundings.  Christians think that they need more to be happy when the happy saints of old took vows of simplicity and poverty.  Riches are a burden or a blessing.  James 1 seems to indicate that both riches and poverty are a kind of trial.  Poverty tends to draw one to dependence on God.  Riches lead to self-sufficiency and entitlement.  Like spoiled children who have had their toys taken away, Babylon and her friends will wail and scream in the end times.

Revelation 18

 ¹ After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven. He had great authority, and the earth was illuminated by his splendor. ²With a mighty voice he shouted:

   “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’^[a]
   She has become a dwelling for demons
and a haunt for every impure spirit,
   a haunt for every unclean bird,
   a haunt for every unclean and detestable animal.
³ For all the nations have drunk
   the maddening wine of her adulteries.
The kings of the earth committed adultery with her,
   and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries.”

Warning to Escape Babylon’s Judgment

 ⁴Then I heard another voice from heaven say:

   “‘Come out of her, my people,’^[b]
   so that you will not share in her sins,
   so that you will not receive any of her plagues;
⁵ for her sins are piled up to heaven,
   and God has remembered her crimes.
⁶ Give back to her as she has given;
   pay her back double for what she has done.
   Pour her a double portion from her own cup.
⁷ Give her as much torment and grief
   as the glory and luxury she gave herself.
In her heart she boasts,
   ‘I sit enthroned as queen.
I am not a widow;^[c]
   I will never mourn.’
⁸ Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her:
   death, mourning and famine.
She will be consumed by fire,
   for mighty is the Lord God who judges her.

Threefold Woe Over Babylon’s Fall

 ⁹ “When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. ¹⁰Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry:

   “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
   you mighty city of Babylon!
In one hour your doom has come!’

 ¹¹ “The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— ¹² cargoes of gold, silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet cloth; every sort of citron wood, and articles of every kind made of ivory, costly wood, bronze, iron and marble; ¹³cargoes of cinnamon and spice, of incense, myrrh and frankincense, of wine and olive oil, of fine flour and wheat; cattle and sheep; horses and carriages; and human beings sold as slaves.

 ¹⁴ “They will say, ‘The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your luxury and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.’ ¹⁵ The merchants who sold these things and gained their wealth from her will stand far off, terrified at her torment. They will weep and mourn ¹⁶and cry out:

   “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
   dressed in fine linen, purple and scarlet,
   and glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls!
¹⁷In one hour such great wealth has been brought to ruin!’

   “Every sea captain, and all who travel by ship, the sailors, and all who earn their living from the sea, will stand far off. ¹⁸ When they see the smoke of her burning, they will exclaim, ‘Was there ever a city like this great city?’ ¹⁹They will throw dust on their heads, and with weeping and mourning cry out:

   “‘Woe! Woe to you, great city,
   where all who had ships on the sea
   became rich through her wealth!
In one hour she has been brought to ruin!’

 ²⁰ “Rejoice over her, you heavens!
   Rejoice, you people of God!
   Rejoice, apostles and prophets!
For God has judged her
   with the judgment she imposed on you.”

The Finality of Babylon’s Doom

 ²¹Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a large millstone and threw it into the sea, and said:

   “With such violence
   the great city of Babylon will be thrown down,
   never to be found again.
²² The music of harpists and musicians, pipers and trumpeters,
   will never be heard in you again.
No worker of any trade
   will ever be found in you again.
The sound of a millstone
   will never be heard in you again.
²³ The light of a lamp
   will never shine in you again.
The voice of bridegroom and bride
   will never be heard in you again.
Your merchants were the world’s important people.
   By your magic spell all the nations were led astray.
²⁴ In her was found the blood of prophets and of God’s holy people,
   of all who have been slaughtered on the earth.”

Questions

1. What things can you tell for sure in Revelation 18 about Babylon?
2. What characteristics do you know about Babylon from the Bible?
3. Do you think that Babylon is representative of a system or a nation?
4. How do economics affect your life?
5. How would you be more dependent on God if you could push money issues aside?

Various interpretations have been offered for the images of Revelation 17.  We must remember that the imagery is apocalyptic and apocalyptic images are brilliant and vague.  To try and be too specific about what images mean involves reading into the text.  The harlot is usually a person who has lost their way.  In the Old Testament a harlot was the image given to either false systems that lured God’s people away, or God’s people when they were led astray.  It is easy to see that economic, political and religious systems lead people away today and ever have done.  The harlot could be any of these rising out of the general chaos that works against God’s ordered Creation.  The Beasts of the Old Testament are Empires or world systems.  In Revelation it seems that a system will be wrapped up in one world leader who will manipulate it.  However, the system that is wrapped up in the Beast and the system that is portrayed by the harlot will be at odds with each other.  After seemingly working with each other the Beast will destroy the harlot.  The Beast will do God’s work for Him.  God is in control.

Revelation 17

¹ One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits by many waters. ²With her the kings of the earth committed adultery, and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”

³ Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. ⁵The name written on her forehead was a mystery:

   BABYLON THE GREAT

   THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES

   AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.

⁶I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus.

   When I saw her, I was greatly astonished. ⁷ Then the angel said to me: “Why are you astonished? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast she rides, which has the seven heads and ten horns. ⁸The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and yet will come up out of the Abyss and go to its destruction. 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, because it once was, now is not, and yet will come.

⁹ “This calls for a mind with wisdom. The seven heads are seven hills on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ They are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come; but when he does come, he must remain for only a little while. ¹¹The beast who once was, and now is not, is an eighth king. He belongs to the seven and is going to his destruction.

¹² “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast. ¹³ They have one purpose and will give their power and authority to the beast. ¹⁴They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.”

¹⁵ Then the angel said to me, “The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages. ¹⁶ The beast and the ten horns you saw will hate the prostitute. They will bring her to ruin and leave her naked; they will eat her flesh and burn her with fire. ¹⁷ For God has put it into their hearts to accomplish his purpose by agreeing to hand over to the beast their royal authority, until God’s words are fulfilled. ¹⁸ The woman you saw is the great city that rules over the kings of the earth.”

Questions

1. What economic, political and religious systems rule people’s lives today?
2. How do such systmes distract from the deeper questions of life?
3. What is particularly seductive and pleasurable to today’s youth and could lead them astray?
4. How are you distracted from true faith?
5. How does the ultimate victory of God through evil systems encourage or confuse you?

People rail against a God who kills people or sits by and allows horrific things to happen.  This is because our anthropology is soft.  We think that mankind by virtue of being its lovely self deserves Hershey’s kisses, foot massages, and cool Martinis by the pool.  Because God is perfection our imperfection is horrific and deserves utter annihilation.  In fact annihilation might be seen as too good for humanity, since humanity as a whole has trampled on the free gift of grace offered through Jesus Christ.  I saw a blog where a young woman railed against a God who would not even do the simple, kind, nice things she would.  Of course, any human should extend grace toward another human because of the grace we have received.  Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed and we have to extend that grace and love to others while time allows.  The very fact that the woman whose blog I read compares her actions to God’s shows how far from understanding God’s holiness, goodness, and perfection she is.  Also her judgement on God shows how far she is from understanding her sinfulness, evil, and desperate condition.  In the end when God rains down his judgement on mankind it is no surprise that the people of the earth rail at him.  People today have lost the concept as to why a holy God would be in any way justified in showing righteous fury.

Revelation 16

    ¹Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.”

 ²The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly, festering sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped its image.

 ³The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead person, and every living thing in the sea died.

 ⁴ The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. ⁵Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say:

   “You are just in these judgments, O Holy One,
   you who are and who were;
⁶ for they have shed the blood of your holy people and your prophets,
   and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.”

 ⁷And I heard the altar respond:

   “Yes, Lord God Almighty,
   true and just are your judgments.”

 ⁸ The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was allowed to scorch people with fire. ⁹They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him.

 ¹⁰ The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and its kingdom was plunged into darkness. People gnawed their tongues in agony ¹¹and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.

 ¹² The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. ¹³ Then I saw three impure spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. ¹⁴They are demonic spirits that perform signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty.

   ¹⁵“Look, I come like a thief! Blessed is the one who stays awake and remains clothed, so as not to go naked and be shamefully exposed.”

 ¹⁶Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon.

 ¹⁷ The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, “It is done!” ¹⁸ Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since mankind has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. ¹⁹ The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. ²⁰ Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found. ²¹ From the sky huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds,^[a] fell on people. And they cursed God on account of the plague of hail, because the plague was so terrible.

Questions

1. How are te story of the plagues of Egypt and of the seven bowls similar?
2. Why do you think people do not plead for mercy but call out curses?
3. Why would people think they could make war against God?
4. If you received a life without grace tomorrow, how would that be?
5. How does a relationship with God change your perspective on His role in the world?

What is a glorious victory over sin?  We know that in many cases sin has corrupted cities, institutions and peoples.  In that case a victory over sin involves moving forward and ‘taking strongholds’.  There is a time to be offensive in the war against sin, but sometimes this is not the case.  Sin does try to take our own strongholds and amajor defensive victory is just to make a stand.  I am defensively minded as a tactician and so I resonate with good defenses.  In military strategy there is strength in planning good positions for redoubts, towers and gates.  In this way the enemy loses so much in trying to take their objective that they give up the fight.  However, in this world of pluralistic and postmodern thought we seldom make a stand.  We too soon sacrifice the eternal truth of God for transient lies that make us popular with the masses but lose us the essentials of our faith.  As a game I have played says, “An open mind is like a fortress with its gates unbarred and unguarded.”  Another quote I have heard is, “He who stands for nothing will fall for anything.”  The reality of the Christian faith is in many ways unchanging.  In the Last Days it will be assaulted covertly and overtly.  Those who win the victory in those days are those who do not bend.  Those who rejoice at the end of the tumult are those who made no concessions to keep the peace with The Beast, The False Prophet, or Satan himself.  To win is to endure.

Revelation 15

 ¹ I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign: seven angels with the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed. ² And I saw what looked like a sea of glass glowing with fire and, standing beside the sea, those who had been victorious over the beast and its image and over the number of its name. They held harps given them by God ³and sang the song of God’s servant Moses and of the Lamb:

   “Great and marvelous are your deeds,
   Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
   King of the nations.^[a]
4 Who will not fear you, Lord,
   and bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come
   and worship before you,
for your righteous acts have been revealed.”^[b]

 ⁵ After this I looked, and I saw in heaven the temple—that is, the tabernacle of the covenant law—and it was opened. ⁶ Out of the temple came the seven angels with the seven plagues. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes around their chests. ⁷ Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for ever and ever. ⁸ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed.

Questions

1. Why are the plagues the ‘last’ plagues?
2. According to the victorious few what will all nations do?
3. In your opinion did the victorious harpests win by allowing themselves to be killed rather than recant?
4. What assaults are made on Christians today where to give ground is to betray God?
5. Are there areas where we must compromise the literal requirements of our faith in order to live in today’s world?

The grapes of wrath and the fear of the Lord were more potent in the mind of the 20th century.  Now that we are in pursuit of global niceness wrath and fear are left for fundamentalists and extremists.  It is hard for people in the soft, consumer comfort of the west to understand the place of wrath unless they experience grief and pain.  However, pain itself has become such a loathed aspect of life that rather than endure it we deny it or medicate it away.  Entertainment, drugs and sports can take our minds away from the pain and the darkness that resides in the heart of the human being.

However, under the veneer of our shallow existence is a wellspring of pain, sin, and vengeance.  We live with the suspicion that, left to ourselves, something might not be right.  However, when someone acts toward us with selfishness, vindictiveness, or indifference righteous wrath against them wells up inside us.  This righteousness is part of the image of God.  It demands justice, but we forget that we are marked with the same internal blemish.  Eventually God will crush us all in brutal, horrific justice.  The justice of it will be revealed to others as they see fully revealed the self-interest of our hearts.

There is one way out of the shallowness of entertaining ourselves to death.  There is one way out of the darkness that consumes us.  It is to receive mercy.  Having received mercy from God and acknowledging the darkness, we allow God to work like a surgeon operating painfully to remove the evil that still clings to us.  The surgery of spiritual growth is a frustrating and painful affair.  However, it is also joyous release.  As God removes destructive desires and cruel intentions we are free to be conduits of God’s grace to others.  A community that extends God’s grace to each other is heaven on earth.  A community that does not feel it needs grace because it is already good and just will burn forever in the realisation that God’s goodness is deadly for those who do not know him.

Revelation 14:6-20

 ⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth—to every nation, tribe, language and people. ⁷He said in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.”

⁸ A second angel followed and said, “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great,’^[a]which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries.”

⁹ A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, ¹⁰ they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment will rise for ever and ever. There will be no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or for anyone who receives the mark of its name.” ¹²This calls for patient endurance on the part of the people of God who keep his commands and remain faithful to Jesus.

¹³Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.”

   “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

Harvesting the Earth and Trampling the Winepress

¹⁴ I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a son of man^[b] with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand. ¹⁵ Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.

¹⁷ Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” ¹⁹ The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. ²⁰ They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.

Questions

1. How is verse 7 good news?
2. How can something good be horrific?
3. Describe te horrors that come from God’s judgement?
4. Why do people today want God to come back and make everything good?
5. What would need to be eliminated in today’s world for absolute perfection to occur?
6. How are you preparing the world for God’s goodness?

Going Deeper/Personal Note

I drove back from Milwaukee and was tired when I turned right in a right hand turn lane near to home.  Those in the car told me that I had come to a complete stop for a considerable time.  However, I crossed the white line that marks the right hand turn lane.  The lights on a camera went off an I was caught not making a perfect right hand turn on red.  The camera does not know mercy or grace.  The camera only knows justice.  I had obeyed the spirit of the law and stopped but not the letter of the law.

I feel so entitled to mercy and am so used to grace that I was angry.  My values are so soft that I wanted forgiveness for crossing the line as my right.  It seems petty to fine me $100 for crossing a line and stopping with my tires on the other side.  I do not want the law to run its course, I want mercy.  My anger shows me how far from goodness I am.  These cameras are notoious for thei righteous issuing of fines.

I know that th cameras are reviewed by humans and that nothing may come from this, but the stringent requirements of the law are represented by the camera.  Without Jesus we are all under God’s law.  We are all expected to stop at every stop line.  God would.  We are all expected to never to do 1 m.ph. over the speed limit.  God wouldn’t break a single law.  God is the law.  Living in the presence of such perfection is impossible.  We can submit and die or we can live in an angry hell, which is the second death. Those who submit are raised into a new life where everything received is undeserved and they are grateful.  They know to pass on to other humans kindness and compassion.

This is the gospel.

How do you feel about it?