The Second Woe
Revelation 9:13-21
November 20, 2016

As we are studying through the book of Revelation we are currently seeing the wrath of God unveiled upon unbelieving humanity.

• We saw the Lamb of God (none other than the Glorified Christ) take the scroll from the hand of God.

• And as Christ began to break those 7 seals God’s wrath began to be unleashed.

• Recently we saw Him break that final seal and it ushered in 7 angels with 7 trumpets.

• Each of these trumpet blasts has brought a new round of judgment upon the earth. (The first four appeared as God undoing creation)

He burned 1/3 of the earth.
He ruined 1/3 of the ocean.
He poisoned 1/3 of the fresh water.
He darkened 1/3 of the light.

And that was bad, but it wasn’t all.
For after those first four trumpet blasts we actually had
An eagle flying in midheaven with a warning for those on the earth.

Revelation 8:13 “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The eagle announced that 3 woes were going to come upon the earth.

As we said last week, the word “woe” an onomatopoetic word OUAI.
It is a word that signifies severe affliction and torment.

And that eagle said 3 of them were coming.

We saw the first last week. It was a locust invasion.
It really wasn’t locusts at all,
It was actually a demonic invasion straight out of the pit.

But John likened the scene to that of a locust invasion
In the sense that they harmed everything in their path.

They afflicted men for 5 months and in that time
Scripture says that men sought death but could not find it.

It was a horrific period of demonic oppression, pain, and suffering.

And clearly the intent was to compare the current judgment to
A common horrific judgment that John’s readers would be familiar with.

Well the second woe follows that exact same concept.
A locust invasion was definitely a terrible form of judgment on the earth,
But there was one example of judgment that was even worse than that.

The real example of judgment was known as Sodom and Gomorrah.
And that is the judgment that is used to describe this 2nd woe.

Certainly you remember it.
Genesis 19:24-25 “Then the LORD rained on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven, and He overthrew those cities, and all the valley, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground.”

That iconic judgment was just a mini preview
Of what God has in store for the entire world.

In fact, the New Testament writers said that
We should look upon that judgment as an example
Of what God will do to all sinners.

2 Peter 2:6 “and if He condemned the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to destruction by reducing them to ashes, having made them an example to those who would live ungodly lives thereafter;”

Jude 7 “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”

Both of those men said that the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah
Was an example that we should learn from.

And not just that God rained down fire and brimstone on them,
But that after killing them in this way
God then punished them with “eternal fire.”

Those who died at Sodom around 6 thousand years ago
Have remained in eternal fire and torment since that day.

Sodom and Gomorrah is a horrific example meant to teach us.

So, we have two woes, which mimic the judgments of the Old Testament.
A locust invasion and Sodom and Gomorrah.

The main difference in the two is that locusts represented pain, not death;
Whereas Sodom represents both pain and death and eternal torment.

We’ve seen the locusts, now we move to Sodom.

In Sodom God unleashed 2 death angels
To go in and rain fire on that city.
Here we read that God is about to unleash 200 million of them
To go and rain fire on the entire earth.
THIS IS THE SECOND WOE

Let’s examine it together and see what God would teach us.
#1 THE SOVEREIGN DECREE
Revelation 9:13-16

As always, it is very important that you see and understand
WHO IS ACTUALLY BEHIND ALL OF THIS.

The book of Revelation never leaves the author of these judgments up to speculation. It is imperative that you understand who is doing this.
And as we have repeatedly seen, that person is God Himself.

The verse begins by saying “Then the sixth angel sounded”

And we are already reminded of who commissioned these angels.
• It was God who called them.
• It was God who gave them the trumpets.
• This entire plan is God’s plan.

But beyond that, this time we also hear “a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God,”

The altar is know well known to us.
It is that same altar of chapter 6 and chapter 8 which is the incense altar.
It is here that the prayers of the martyrs are continually lifted to God.

And it is these prayers which are serving as
The motivation behind the fury of the Lord.

Psalms 12:5 “Because of the devastation of the afflicted, because of the groaning of the needy, Now I will arise,” says the LORD; “I will set him in the safety for which he longs.”

God is angry at the world
For the way in which they have treated His children.

BUT THAT IS NOT THE ONLY REASON HE IS ANGRY.
(I don’t want you to assume that the sole reason for all the wrath
Is because people didn’t just treat each other nice enough)

HE IS ALSO ANGRY AT THE WORLD
FOR THEIR WILLFUL REBELLION AGAINST HIM.

You will see at the end of this text that the EXPECTATION was
REPENTANCE from their sins of idolatry, murder, sorcery,
sexual immorality, and stealing.

God’s wrath is also against sinners simply because of their sin.

I think this is a good point to sort of reinforce this morning.
In recent years I’ve actually began to hear doctrines
Which seek to distance themselves from this truth.

I’ve heard it that the only real sin for which people are judged
Is the sin of unbelief.

That is to say that people only fall under God’s judgment
For failing to believe in Jesus.

The rationale for this comes from the belief that
When Jesus died He paid for all the sins of all the people who ever lived
And therefore the only sin that can now condemn people is the sin of unbelief.

Jesus sort of squared everyone before God on the cross,
So none of those sins are really punished anymore,
Just the sin of failing to believe in Jesus.

The problem is that throughout this book of Revelation
We see that God is in fact judging people for their sin,
Not simply their unbelief.

At the end of this chapter John lists the sins of idolatry, murder, sorcery, sexual immorality and stealing.

And that’s not all
Revelation 20:12 “And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds.”

Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.”

Revelation 22:14-15 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs and the sorcerers and the immoral persons and the murderers and the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices lying.”

It is clear that the wrath which is being poured out on humanity
Is a wrath regarding their sin, not just their unbelief (which is also sin)

It is our culture’s desire to downplay the danger of sin
That has led to this faulty view.

BUT YOU MUST UNDERSTAND THAT
GOD JUDGES SINNERS FOR THEIR SIN.

TURN TO: ROMANS 1

Of course the famous verse is found in verse 16 where Paul states that he is “not ashamed of the gospel”.

We would ask why?
To which he would say because (16) “it is the power of God for salvation”

We would ask why?
To which he would say because (17) “in it the righteousness of God is revealed” (namely that you obtain God’s righteousness by faith)

And we would ask why we need God’s righteousness?
To which he would say (18) “because the wrath of God is revealed against all unrighteousness”

And we learn that God’s wrath is not simply revealed against unbelief,
But against all unrighteousness.

IF YOU READ ON YOU WILL SEE
It is because men have suppressed God’s truth.
They have rebelled against God’s order
And thus have not honored Him nor have they given Him thanks.

(21) “For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks…”

Well in what ways did humanity rebel against God’s order?
• In verse 23 they Exchanged The Glory For An Image.
• In verse 25 they Exchanged The Truth For A Lie
• In verse 26 they Exchanged The Natural For The Unnatural
• In verse 28 they Exchanged The Proper For The Improper

Humanity continued to do the exact opposite
Of what God intended and what God commanded.

And throughout the chapter specific sins are listed
That bring upon them the absolute wrath of God.

Idolatry, lust, homosexuality, wickedness, greed, evil, envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice, gossip, slander, hating God, insolence, arrogance, boasting, disobeying parents, and tolerating sins like these.

THE POINT OF COURSE IS THAT
SIN IS NO MINOR THING.

We have a sovereign God who has promised to unleash His wrath
On sinners who defy His sovereign authority.
And that is precisely what is happening here in the tribulation.

GOD IS BEHIND ALL OF THESE JUDGMENTS.
GOD IS POURING OUT HIS WRATH.
Hey may be using Satan and his demonic armies to do it,
But make no mistake that the judgment here comes directly from God.
We see that here.
(13-14) “Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

The specific judgment is God’s command to “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.”

And to answer your question:
• No, I don’t know who they are.
• No, I don’t know when they were bound.
• No, I don’t know why they were bound.

The term “Euphrates” does give a little enlightenment, but not a lot.
This river was central to four of the nations which afflicted Israel
(Assyria, Babylon, Persia, and Greece)

Perhaps it could be that these angels were the demonic influences
Behind those oppressive nations.

Daniel revealed that these nations did in fact have a demonic influence.

Remember when the angel came in response to Daniel’s prayer?
Daniel 10:12-13 “Then he said to me, “Do not be afraid, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart on understanding this and on humbling yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to your words. “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia was withstanding me for twenty-one days; then behold, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia.”

Perhaps we are dealing with the demons of those nations
Which dwelled along the Euphrates here.
But even that is nothing but speculation.

What we do know is that they were EXTREMELY WICKED BEINGS.
So wicked that instead of being in the pit that we saw last week,
These were held alone. (solitary confinement)

They were “bound at the great river Euphrates”
And they were obviously not released when the pit was opened.

Incidentally the word “bound” means “tied up”.
Revelation 20:1-2 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;”

They weren’t just in prison, they were in the stocks.
They were chained up.
These are bad bad angels.

And then SOVEREIGNTY IS REVEALED to an even greater extent,
For John says they are (15) “the four angels who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year”

God already has “the hour and day and month and year” recorded
As to when He plans to release these angels.

They are currently being “prepared” for that moment.

Some people have this mindset that
God has really yet to determine what He’s going to do with the earth.

They see that God is patient and kind and so they assume that
While the earth is grievous to Him
He still hasn’t been pushed to the point of total judgment.

You know if we’d just get our act together and quit offending Him,
Then maybe He’ll let us just keep on existing.

(I hear it most regarding America, that perhaps we will continue to exist
If we get our act together and quit offending God.)

But listen: God determined the fate of the world
When He pronounced the curse of death on Adam.

When Adam sinned the world fell from its state of perfection
And thus its judgment was set.

THE WORLD IS NOT GOING TO SURVIVE.
God isn’t waiting to see if it is salvageable.
God has already set the date of destruction.

The date of this 6th trumpet blast (along with all the others)
Is already on His calendar.

We are screaming towards it at the rate of 60 seconds per minute.
We are closer to that day now than we have ever been at any other point in history.
JUDGMENT IS SET.

As we speak, God is preparing these evil angels for this very moment.

Well what will they do?
“so that they would kill a third of mankind.”

DEATH

And they will have no trouble pulling it off.
(16) “The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them.”

The literal translation is (two myriads of myriads) or “twice ten thousand times ten thousand” which I think sounds even more terrifying.
Myriad was the largest number they had in the Greek language.

We’d say it was a bagillion bagillion of them (times 2!)

So if you’re wondering if they have the ability
To kill 1/3 of the people on earth the answer is yes.

This army, which has been prepared by God,
Is released according His sovereign plan and at His chosen time
As a means of judgment on sinners who rebel against Him
And who have afflicted His saints.

God is doing this.
And He is doing it because He is angry at sinners.

The Sovereign Decree
#2 THE SEVERE DESTRUCTION
Revelation 9:17-19

John says “And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them:”

In other words, this is what it looked like when God turned them loose.

“the riders had breastplates the color of fire and hyacinth and of brimstone”

“hyacinth” was a deep blue gray color (like smoke)
“brimstone” was literally burning sulfur

It is the Sodom and Gomorrah imagery.

“and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions” (destruction)
“and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone”

Some insist upon seeing some sort of present day military weapon here,
BUT I THINK THAT IS A MISTAKE.

We are told (as with the locusts) that these are angels (or fallen angels)
And they don’t need a tank.

These are celestial beings with the power of death
By means of fire and brimstone, that is the point.

And “A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths.”

Coupled with the ¼ of the population which was killed when the 4th seal was opened, we are now up to ½ of the world’s population.
Today that would be something like 3.7 billion people.

We already said that the death toll would equal (North America, South America, Europe, Australia, and Antarctica) Well now you can throw in Africa and ¼ of Asia.
DEATH!

(19) “For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.”

Again, without trying to link this to some modern day weapon of war
Just understand what John is doing.

He is describing the ultimate killing machine here.
Horses, Lions, Serpents, Fire & Brimstone, plagues

John is just describing the ultimate killing machine.
It is death – death – death

And what is the main problem with that?
Namely that with death comes finality and certain judgment.

Hebrews 9:27 “And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment,”

Ecclesiastes 9:4 “For whoever is joined with all the living, there is hope; surely a live dog is better than a dead lion.”

Look I know with the locusts men actually wanted death;
But that’s only because they didn’t realize what death held for them.

Death is finality.
Death brings judgment.

Those afflicted by the locusts were certainly in torment, but that only lasted 5 months, and they still had opportunity to repent and be saved.

Those who are victims of these 4 angels get no such opportunity.
These angels kill people and then they go to judgment.

Remember again what we read about Sodom and Gomorrah?
Jude 7 “just as Sodom and Gomorrah and the cities around them, since they in the same way as these indulged in gross immorality and went after strange flesh, are exhibited as an example in undergoing the punishment of eternal fire.”

Dying by fire and brimstone is bad, but not as bad as “the punishment of eternal fire”
Which they have felt for every second since that day.

What God unleashes here is absolutely terrifying wrath.
God is judging sinners with an IRREVERSIBLE and FINAL JUDGMENT.
The Sovereign Decree, The Severe Destruction
#3 THE SURVIVOR’S DEPRAVITY
Revelation 9:20-21

And this is really the sad part of the story.
• 2/3 of the earth were spared.
• 2/3 of the earth survived.

BUT NONE OF THEM LEARNED ANYTHING.
(20-21) “The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”

They were steeped in idolatry.
That is what John means by “the works of their hands”
And “to worship demons and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk”

This has been the universal and continual sin of humanity.
It is man’s propensity to make a god in an image
Which best suits their own sinful desires.

Paul said in Romans 1:
Romans 1:22-25 “Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.”

Man would rather create their own deity
Because they can then set the standards of the deity they create.

If you don’t want a god who says your sin is wrong
Then just create your own who will permit it.

The problem is that when you create a god who won’t judge
Then you create a god who can’t save either.
See they “can neither see nor hear nor walk”

These people had gods who didn’t judge their sin,
But the fallout was that these gods couldn’t save them from the death angels.

THE CRAZY THING is that those who did survive
Refused to leave those powerless gods behind.
WHY?

Because they loved their sin, and those gods allowed them to keep it.
“and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.”

“sorceries” is PHARMAKEIA it’s where we get our word pharmacy or pharmaceutical; it speaks of drug use.

“immorality” is PORNEIA which is where get our word pornography which is sexual immorality.

It is people who love nothing more
Than to gratify their sinful cravings for sexual pleasure.

IT REMINDS US THAT SINNERS AREN’T LOOKING TO LEAVE THEIR SIN, THEY ARE LOOKING TO JUSTIFY IT.

Today people continually look for a way to justify sin.
• Maybe their situation was just too rough…
• Maybe their parents raised them wrong…
• Maybe they’re just wired different…

Or even better:
Put yourself in their shoes and you’d do the same thing.
You can’t condemn them when you sin too.

You’ve heard them all I’m sure.

Can I put it to you straight?
SIN IS NEVER JUSTIFIED
• Your circumstances don’t matter
• Your culture doesn’t matter
• Your predicament doesn’t matter

SIN IS NEVER JUSTIFIED IT IS ONLY EVER JUDGED.

And whether or not I might do the same thing if in their situation
IS ALSO IRRELEVANT.

If 7 billion people all commit the same sin that still doesn’t make it ok in the sight of God, we just saw God kill 3.7 billion people.

SIN IS NEVER JUSTIFIED
You can’t find a single time in the Bible where God ever said, “Well, in that situation it would be ok if you went ahead and sinned.”

• God doesn’t say “Don’t steal unless you’re starving”
• God doesn’t say “Don’t murder unless they deserve it”
• God doesn’t say “Don’t covet unless you really need it”
• God doesn’t say “Don’t commit adultery unless you’re unfulfilled”

SIN IS NEVER JUSTIFIED
Someone would say, “I thought Jesus justified sin!”
And they would be terribly wrong.

JESUS CAME TO JUSTIFY SINNERS, NEVER SIN.
You will never find Jesus ever (not one single time) ever saying that sin is ok or that it is justified. NEVER
You find Jesus saying “Go and sin no more”
You find Jesus saying “Stop sinning so that nothing worse happens to you”
You find Jesus saying “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”

But you will never find Jesus telling a sinner that
Under certain circumstances their sin is ok.

You WILL find Jesus however offering to forgive or justify sinners
IF they would repent of their sin.

DO NOT CONFUSE THE TWO.
Sin is never justified.
Sinners are justified if they will repent.

The Holy God who created the universe has demanded that all people repent of their sin or face judgment.

Acts 17:30-31 “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.”

He is offended that
• The creature would dare to defy the Creator.
• We would exchange His glory for an image.
• We would exchange His truth for a lie.
• We would exchange what He says is natural for that which is unnatural.
• We would exchange what He says is proper for that which is improper.

SINNERS HAVE OFFENDED GOD AND THEREFORE MUST REPENT
OR FACE JUDGMENT.

The problem here (in our day and all the way until the tribulation)
Is that sinners love their sin and will not repent;
Even under the judgment of God.

They will run, they will scream, they will pray to the mountains,
They will seek death, but they will not repent.

John 3:19-20 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.”

So please understand it is not simply a failure to believe in Jesus
That brings judgment, it is sin which brings judgment.

Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

REPENTING OF THAT SIN AND TRUSTING IN JESUS
IS THE ONLY WAY TO ESCAPE IT.

Failure to believe in Jesus secures that judgment.
Hebrews 10:26-31 “For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, “VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY.” And again, “THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE.” It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”

We live in a culture (even a religious culture)
That would love to have you believe that we can all just live in sin
And all just get along and never confront or judge anybody,
But just be a proudly flawed congregation and be broken together.

That will work fine.
In fact the immediate effect will even be peace and happiness
And strong affection for one another.

And that plan will keep on working fine until… “the hour and day and month and year” that God has already set on His calendar when He will judge all those who refuse to repent.

• If there is truly any love for sinners…
• If there is truly any concern regarding their judgment…
• If there is truly and fear for their torment…

THEN WE CAN NEVER CALL GOOD WHAT GOD CALLS EVIL
AND WE CAN NEVER CALL EVIL WHAT GOD CALLS GOOD.

Woe to the world because of its sin
And woe to us if we fail to tell them.

Romans 1:16-18 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “BUT THE RIGHTEOUS man SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.” For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,”

1 Corinthians 9:16 “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.”

The Vision of the Four Chariots
Zechariah 6:1-8
November 13, 2016

Well tonight we come to this 8th vision
That Zechariah had in this one single night.

Let me be honest with you regarding this vision.
Unless you want to dive human reasoning or sheer speculation
You have to admit that this vision presents many unanswered questions.

For example, here are some things the text doesn’t tell us.
• What are the two mountain?
• What does it mean that the mountains are bronze?
• We clearly see that there are 4 chariots, but in verses 5 & 6 when the chariots are commissioned, the role of the red horses and their chariot is not mentioned. Where did it go?
Answers to those questions aren’t given.

Now that doesn’t mean people don’t try and answer them.
Many of the points that people glean from this text do not come from the text itself,
But rather from their speculations and their own determination to sort of
“Fill in the blanks” regarding what they think the various pieces represent.

Now, some would say that
• “the two mountains” are Mt. Zion and Mt. Olivet simply because the definite
article is used “the” which should cause the reader to recognize the two most important mountains.

Calvin says regarding the mountains:
“The prophet no doubt understood by these mountains the providence of God, or his hidden counsel, by which all things have been decreed before the creation of the world; and hence he says, that they were mountains of brass, as they could not be broken.” (Calvin, John [Calvin’s Commentaries 22-Volume Set, Habbakuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi; Baker Books; Grand Rapids, MI, reprinted 2005] pg. 141 in the second division of the volume)

That sounds fine I guess, but I have no idea where he gets that from.

Other theologians are certain that the successive chariots represent various nations and the peoples they conquered.
• They say the red chariot represented Babylon who went and conquered
Assyria.
• They say the black chariot represents Persia and the white represents Greece
who put an end to the Babylonian empire.
• They say the dappled chariot represents Rome who spread to the south.

Again, that sounds fine, but the problem is that the text never fills in those blanks.

Calvin says the mountains are bronze because God is unwavering.
Others say they are bronze representing judgment.

But I don’t think it’s right or safe to make a point from the text
That is not clearly seen, or that cannot be clearly seen by you.

Otherwise I haven’t really given you anything except a lecture of my own thoughts
That you’ll never be able to see as you study the text or defend
Or ever be able to stand upon or be truly edified by.

THE POINT I AM MAKING HERE IS THAT
We have to be very careful how we handle passages like this.

Instead of pulling an interpretation out of what we suppose to be true,
We are far better off, taking the truth that is revealed and applying it in our lives.

So let’s just make sure that we pick up on what is clearly revealed.
So while there are some things that we just have trouble figuring out,
There are some things that are extremely clear.

In this text there are three absolute and clear points that can be made.
#1 A BATTLE IS COMING
Zechariah 6:1-3

Up to this point Zechariah has seen 7 visions, this is the 8th.

HE FIRST SAW THE ANGELIC PATROL.
Those angels on horses who basically went out on a reconnaissance mission to find out the state of the world, especially regarding how they viewed Israel.

And we found that the world didn’t care about God’s people.
To this God responded that He does.

Zechariah 1:14-17 “So the angel who was speaking with me said to me, “Proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “I am exceedingly jealous for Jerusalem and Zion. “But I am very angry with the nations who are at ease; for while I was only a little angry, they furthered the disaster.” ‘Therefore thus says the LORD, “I will return to Jerusalem with compassion; My house will be built in it,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and a measuring line will be stretched over Jerusalem.”‘ “Again, proclaim, saying, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, “My cities will again overflow with prosperity, and the LORD will again comfort Zion and again choose Jerusalem.”‘”

So we learned of God’s heart toward His people.
Regardless of the struggles they faced, and the rejection they felt,
God was for them.

2ND WAS THE 4 HORNS AND 4 CRAFTSMEN
And here we learned a general principle which was that God isn’t just angry at the nations that have afflicted Israel, but that God would also punish those nations that had afflicted Israel.

Zechariah 1:20-21 “Then the LORD showed me four craftsmen. I said, “What are these coming to do?” And he said, “These are the horns which have scattered Judah so that no man lifts up his head; but these craftsmen have come to terrify them, to throw down the horns of the nations who have lifted up their horns against the land of Judah in order to scatter it.”

So now, after two visions, we have found that God is jealous for Israel
And He has a plan to do something about everyone who has afflicted her.
Those are encouraging visions.

3RD WAS THE SURVEYOR
Here we found that although Jerusalem felt vulnerable and indefensible there was no need to fear for God was watching over them to protect them.

In fact, it was not the refugees in Jerusalem who were in danger,
It was the stragglers who had remained in Babylon who were in danger.

Zechariah 2:5-8 “For I,’ declares the LORD, ‘will be a wall of fire around her, and I will be the glory in her midst.'” “Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the LORD. “Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye.”

So it is clear where God’s favor rests.
• Those who are currently in Jerusalem have nothing to fear.
• God is for them and He will defend them.
• It is the pagan nations who have afflicted Israel who are in danger.

4TH WAS JOSHUAH’S ATONEMENT
We saw Joshua seeking to intercede and we saw Satan accusing him.
What is worse is that Satan was right about Joshua’s filthiness.

However the beauty of the vision was that
• In spite of Joshua’s filthiness, God had chosen him
• And therefore God would not only atone for him,
• But would also cleanse him and commission him.

Zechariah 3:4-5 “He spoke and said to those who were standing before him, saying, “Remove the filthy garments from him.” Again he said to him, “See, I have taken your iniquity away from you and will clothe you with festal robes.” Then I said, “Let them put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him with garments, while the angel of the LORD was standing by.”

This vision is very encouraging to a group of refugees
Who know they do not deserve the favor which God has promised.

5TH WAS THE LAMPSTAND
As these people are seeking a task that seems absolutely insurmountable. In fact it likened to a mountain. These people are trying to rebuild God’s temple and the obstacles are numerous. Indeed, even the prophet was a little discouraged.

To which God reminded
Zechariah 4:6-7 “Then he said to me, “This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel saying, ‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ says the LORD of hosts. ‘What are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you will become a plain; and he will bring forth the top stone with shouts of “Grace, grace to it!”‘”

God was going to accomplish this project through them
By the power of His Spirit
And would thus succeed in once again making Israel a light to the world.
The 6th and 7th visions were a little more sobering.

THE 6TH AND 7TH WERE THE FLYING SCROLL AND THE FILTHY BASKET
They revealed that in order to fully accomplish His purpose of making Israel a light in the darkness, God was going to have to not only finish the temple, but also sanctify His people.

See, in their land there was a bad reality spreading,
And that reality was a love for the world. (Seen as a woman in an ephah)

There was a wickedness spreading through Israel
And therefore God was going to send His word to purify His people.
It was going to purge out of His people
Those who steal and those who swear falsely.

Zechariah 5:4 “I will make it go forth,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones.”

So basically we learned that
The things which the world loves and adorns and worships,
Have no place among the people of God, and God will remove it.

I recap those because I want you get a real FEEL FOR THE THEME
Of what is occurring here.

The visions are definitely linked.
• I’m for you
• I’m against those who are against you
• I’m with you
• I’ve chosen you regardless of what you are
• I’m helping you accomplish My purposes
• I’m also in the process of purifying you for those purposes

And now we come to the final vision of the 8,
And this is the vision that brings closure to the entire process.

You could say that that
The 6th vision (The Flying Scroll) was God’s judgment on His people, whereby He promised to purge and purify His people.

And this certainly fits the character of God.
Judgment always begins with God’s people.
1 Peter 4:17 “For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?”

However when we left after the 7th vision God had judged His people,
But He had yet to do anything to the world.

In fact, by the end of the 7th vision
• The world had built a temple in the land of Shinar (Babylon) for all the wickedness which God had purged from His people.
• They even put it on a pedestal.

In short, the world was worshiping and honoring the things
That were detestable to God and forbidden for God’s people.

So at the end of 7 visions,
God’s people had been judged but the world had not.
He had promised judgment way back in those 2nd and 3rd visions,
But He had yet to carry out that promise.

WELL THAT IS WHY WE HAVE ONE MORE VISION.

As I told you at the beginning there are some things here that are difficult to interpret since we aren’t told what they represent.
• We don’t know which mountains are represented here.
• We don’t know what the bronze means.
• (We can guess, but the explanation isn’t given)

I don’t think it’s that far-fetched to see a picture of Armageddon here.
Zechariah 14:1-5 “Behold, a day is coming for the LORD when the spoil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished and half of the city exiled, but the rest of the people will not be cut off from the city. Then the LORD will go forth and fight against those nations, as when He fights on a day of battle. In that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley, so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south. You will flee by the valley of My mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Azel; yes, you will flee just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD, my God, will come, and all the holy ones with Him!”

Perhaps it could be that the two mountains are really one mountain which is split in two and the bronze does represent the judgment of Christ.
Maybe that is exactly what is being seen, but again, we don’t know.

What we do know however is that “four chariots were coming forth from between the two mountains;”

And we know that chariots are instrument of war and judgment.

We do have four different chariots.
• One has red horses, which is never mentioned again.
• One has black horses which later goes against the north.
• One has white horses which also goes against the north.
• One has strong dappled horses which goes to the south and the whole world.

And we could do a lot of guessing as to what they all represent,
But that’s all it would be.

But here is what we do know.
THERE IS A BATTLE COMING

All the promises of judgment have not been idle promises.
When God spoke of punishing the wicked and judging sinners,
He was not just spouting off.

When God warned those Jews who remained in Babylon
To get out of there because Judgment was coming,
That was a very real warning.

We certainly understand the importance here, since we live in a world that thinks judgment is a myth which won’t actually occur.

2 Peter 3:3-10 “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day. The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up.”

Judgment is coming.
That is a very clear point found so far in this vision as well.

There is a battle coming.
#2 THE BATTLE IS MOTIVATED BY GOD’S PRESENCE
Zechariah 6:4-7

Here we find the question, and this helps us immensely.
Zechariah didn’t ask what the mountains were, or why they were bronze.
Perhaps he understood that.

But he did want to know what the deal was
With these four chariots that were coming.

(5) “The angel replied to me, “These are the four spirits of heaven, going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth,”

Zechariah is told what he needs to know here and that is that
These are “the four spirits” (could also be translated “winds”)

Perhaps there could be a link here to what we read in Revelation 7.
Revelation 7:1 “After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth or on the sea or on any tree.”

We saw there four angels of judgment, perhaps we’re dealing with the same ones here.

What we DO KNOW is that
They are “going forth after standing before the Lord of all the earth”

Which means that their mission is a mission from God.
They stood before Him for their orders and their motivation
And after standing before Him, they are now moving forward.

One thing you should pick up on in this passage
Is the constant revelation of action here.

There are two Hebrew words used repeatedly in this vision
• YATSA’ which means to “come forth” or “go forth”
• HALAK which means to “go” or “walk” or “move” or “flow” (river)

YATSA’ is used 6 times of these chariots
(1) “coming forth”
(5) “going forth”
(6) “going forth”
(6) “go forth”
(7) “went out”
(8) “going”

HALAK is used 3 times in verse 7 rendered “patrol” which can be a little misleading. They weren’t doing recon anymore, they were going to carry out their orders.
“eager to go”
“Go..”
“they patrolled” (i.e. went)

The emphasis here is on action.
The emphasis here is on doing and carrying out.

This vision is not a threat, this vision is the fulfillment of the threat.
These chariots are going, these chariots are moving,
These chariots are doing the will of God
Which they have discerned by standing in His presence.

There is a battle coming and it is a battle motivated by God.

The applications here for life are more than obvious.
If you want to share the passions of God
Then you have to spend time in the presence of God.

(No that does not mean you take some mystical spirit journey to heaven,
It means you spend time in His word)
As you do you will come to love what God loves, hate what God hates,
And have your heart beat in line with the very heart of God.

We live in a day where judgment and punishment and discipline
Seem unnatural and wrong to the world.
But that is only because the world
Doesn’t spend time in God’s presence.

If they did, they would respond like these angels
Who are eager to go and carry out God’s desires.

And we know where 3 of the 4 are headed.

We don’t know where the red ones went, but “the black horses are going forth to the north country; and the white ones go forth after them, while the dappled ones go forth to the south country. When the strong ones went out, they were eager to go to patrol the earth.” And He said, “Go, patrol the earth.” So they patrolled the earth.”

• The black and white went to the north.
• The strong dappled went to the south and then to the whole earth

And one of the key realities is that they were eager to do it.
There was no reluctance to go on their part.

They had stood before God.
His passion was their passion.
And when God commanded for them to go to war, they were eager to go and do it.

So we know that There is a battle coming and that this battle was motivated by God.
#3 THE BATTLE APPEASED GOD’S WRATH
Zechariah 6:7-8

Now again we don’t know where the red horses went.
And we don’t know the effect of the strong dappled horses.

The explanation of the vision however focuses on
Those two chariots that were dispatched to “the land of the north”

And we learn the point is that they
“have appeased My wrath on the land of the north.”

So we know God was angry at “the land of the north”
• We know after standing before God’s presence these spirits were angry as well.
• We know they were eager to go and do God’s bidding.
• And we know that whatever they did, it appeased God’s wrath.

God had a fury dwelling within Him towards this land
And He could not be settled until judgment was unleased on them.
But after this judgment was fully extended, He was now satisfied.

We ALSO KNOW who “the land of the north” is.
The book of Zechariah has already made this clear to us.

This is Babylon (Chaldea)
Zechariah 2:6-9 “Ho there! Flee from the land of the north,” declares the LORD, “for I have dispersed you as the four winds of the heavens,” declares the LORD. “Ho, Zion! Escape, you who are living with the daughter of Babylon.” For thus says the LORD of hosts, “After glory He has sent me against the nations which plunder you, for he who touches you, touches the apple of His eye. “For behold, I will wave My hand over them so that they will be plunder for their slaves. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me.”

We found out very early on that God was angry at the nation of Babylon
For the destruction they poured out upon His inheritance.
• While it is true that God used Babylon as an agent of discipline on His people, it is also true that Babylon enjoyed the role too much and sought to carry that discipline farther than God intended.

This made Babylon very offensive to God
And to the surviving remnant of Israel.

Listen to some of the cries of the survivors regarding Babylon.
Psalms 137 “By the rivers of Babylon, There we sat down and wept, When we remembered Zion. Upon the willows in the midst of it We hung our harps. For there our captors demanded of us songs, And our tormentors mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion.” How can we sing the LORD’S song In a foreign land? If I forget you, O Jerusalem, May my right hand forget her skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth If I do not remember you, If I do not exalt Jerusalem Above my chief joy. Remember, O LORD, against the sons of Edom The day of Jerusalem, Who said, “Raze it, raze it To its very foundation.” O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one, How blessed will be the one who repays you With the recompense with which you have repaid us. How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones Against the rock.”

Babylon had done the unthinkable to them
And they could not wait for God to avenge them.

What is also true is that God’s wrath was kindled
Against Babylon for what they did to Israel.

And honestly we don’t have time to read all the prophecies of judgment that are spelled out throughout the Old Testament against Babylon, but here are a few.

TURN TO: Isaiah 47:1-15

TURN TO: Jeremiah 51:1-14
Jeremiah 51:34-40
Jeremiah 51:45-64

Pretty severe stuff right there.
But you get the idea.
God’s people are crying out for vengeance regarding what Babylon
God is promising to answer that prayer.

It is a promise carried even to the end of the age.
Revelation 18:21-24 “Then a strong angel took up a stone like a great millstone and threw it into the sea, saying, “So will Babylon, the great city, be thrown down with violence, and will not be found any longer. “And the sound of harpists and musicians and flute-players and trumpeters will not be heard in you any longer; and no craftsman of any craft will be found in you any longer; and the sound of a mill will not be heard in you any longer; and the light of a lamp will not shine in you any longer; and the voice of the bridegroom and bride will not be heard in you any longer; for your merchants were the great men of the earth, because all the nations were deceived by your sorcery. “And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth.”

So we know who this “land of the north” is
And we know that God is most certainly angry at them.

And we see here that God has a plan to satisfy His wrath on them.
He will dispatch two chariots of judgment against them to destroy them.

This was the message of the vision.

God will destroy them and satisfy Himself.

So what does all this mean for the refugees in Zechariah’s day?
In an immediate sense
The message is one of encouragement, validation, and ultimately warning.

God has been saying all along that He is for Israel
And He will one day judge the nations that have afflicted them.
Those were not idle words.

But why would the vision seem to focus more on the wrath that is going to the land of the north (Babylon)?
• Why doesn’t it talk about the direction of the red horses?
• Why doesn’t it reveal the destruction of the strong dappled horses?

I think that is obvious as well.
• God is certainly judging more nations than just Babylon. (The vision of the 4 craftsmen identified 4).
• However of all the nations that God will judge, there is only 1 that His people have decided to dwell in and be comfortable in.

Which nation was that?
Babylon

I think it’s obvious why God goes to great lengths
To emphasize the destruction of Babylon.

It is once again a call for His people to come out of her.
On one hand it is vindication to the cry of the afflicted.
On the other it is a call to those who are too comfortable in her midst.

This vision brings closure.
This vision brings finality.

Judgment is coming on those who afflict God’s people
And God’s people should so trust in that,
That they distance themselves from that judgment.

We hear God saying “Come out of her!”

NOW, I DO WANT TO EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BETTER.
Some would say, well does that mean I’m supposed to leave America?

Look, the whole world is sinful, not just America.
Paul told the Corinthians:
1 Corinthians 5:9-10 “I wrote you in my letter not to associate with immoral people; I did not at all mean with the immoral people of this world, or with the covetous and swindlers, or with idolaters, for then you would have to go out of the world.”

I mean, God is going to judge the whole world,
So in a physical sense leaving isn’t even possible.

Then what does that mean?
It means to come out by living different in her midst.

Colossians 3:1-11 “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

1 Peter 4:1-6 “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose, because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for the lusts of men, but for the will of God. For the time already past is sufficient for you to have carried out the desire of the Gentiles, having pursued a course of sensuality, lusts, drunkenness, carousing, drinking parties and abominable idolatries. In all this, they are surprised that you do not run with them into the same excesses of dissipation, and they malign you; but they will give account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. For the gospel has for this purpose been preached even to those who are dead, that though they are judged in the flesh as men, they may live in the spirit according to the will of God.”

The point is that you live different.

The physical illustrations of the Old Testament
Have spiritual application for us today.

1 Corinthians 10:6-11 “Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved. Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written, “THE PEOPLE SAT DOWN TO EAT AND DRINK, AND STOOD UP TO PLAY.” Nor let us act immorally, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day. Nor let us try the Lord, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the serpents. Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.”

You get the point?

Do not associate in the activities that invite judgment
As though it will not occur.

Be encouraged that God
• Has chosen you
• And is for you
• And has justified you
• And is sanctifying you
• And is working through you
• And will vindicate you.

But also understand where God’s anger and wrath is directed
So that you can distance yourself from those things.

These were great truths to Israel in Zechariah’s day
And they are great truths for us today.

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

The First Woe
Revelation 9:1-12
November 13, 2016

It has been a couple of weeks since we last looked at this Revelation,
However you will remember that we recently saw
THE LAMB OPEN THAT 7TH AND FINAL SEAL.

That scroll is the title deed to the earth, and it contains the judgments
By which the Lamb will redeem this fallen world back to Himself.

And when the Lamb INITIALLY took that scroll HEAVEN WAS EXCITED.
Revelation 5:8-10 “When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

The initial response to this idea of taking the scroll and opening it brought absolute jubilation to the saints of heaven.

• In fact we heard those four living creatures enthusiastically shouting “Come” to those horseman as each of the first four seals were opened.

• There was excitement and enthusiasm at the thought of the Lord finally judging sinners and redeeming this earth back to Himself.

But as the seals continue to be opened the scene in heaven changed
From that of excitement to that of a much more solemn tone.

In fact, when that 7th and final seal was opened we read:
Revelation 8:1 “When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”

When that seventh seal opened
All of heaven was now able to see all the judgments that were contained.
They could now see the full wrath of God and what it entailed and heaven sat silent.
It was sobering.

And heaven was sort of frozen in regard to the reality UNTIL an angel approached the altar and once again visited the prayers of all those saints who had been martyred throughout the ages for their love of God.

When those prayers were once again heard,
All of heaven united behind the effort.

The angel even threw fire from the altar to the earth.
And the judgments of the 7th seal were begun.

Immediately out of this seal came 7 trumpet judgments,
And we saw the first four last time.
We saw God systematically begin to almost “undo” creation.
• 1/3 of the earth was burned up
• 1/3 of the sea was turned to blood
• 1/3 of the fresh water was turned bitter
• 1/3 of the sun and moon and stars were darkened

God literally attacked creation.
And this was totally and perfectly just.

But it was at this point that we saw a brief pause in the action.
Revelation 8:13 “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

This eagle had a message for the earth.
“Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth”
It was a three-fold woe was because there were three more trumpets left to blast.

God is about to unleash three more terrible judgments upon the earth.
And judgments that are categorized as “Woe”

WHAT DOES IT MEAN?

“Woe” is a unique term, it is actually more of an expression than a word.

It is what we call an ONOMATOPOEIA,
It is a word in which the sound equals the definition.

“Squawk” or “Knock” or “Baa”

Well in the Greek that is the word the eagle uses.
“Woe” translates “OUAI” (oo-i)

And it is a word of great sigh or groaning or pain or lamenting or disgust.

You may remember Jesus used it repeatedly when examining the religion of the Pharisees, using it 8 times in Matthew 23.
• Saying over and over “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!”
• There it was a term of disgust.

Jesus also used it in pronouncing judgment.
Matthew 11:21 “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.”

Matthew 18:7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to that man through whom the stumbling block comes!”

There Jesus could only groan as He pictured the judgments that would one day come upon those who had such access to the truth and yet failed to submit to it.

It was also a word often used in the Old Testament.
Isaiah alone uses it over 20 times.

Probably most famously in:
Isaiah 6:5 “Then I said, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I live among a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

There Isaiah pronounced woe upon himself for the absolute horror that was about to come upon him for being a sinful man in the presence of the Holy God.

It is far more than just discipline or even punishment,
To pronounce woe is the most intense form of judgment.

And that angel at the end of chapter 8 said 3 woes are coming.

THIS MORNING WE LOOK AT THE FIRST.
It is probably the most famous judgment scene in the book of the Revelation.

Very few people read through Revelation without being greatly affected by “THE LOCUSTS!”

What we actually have here is Satan being given more liberty on the earth
Than he has ever been given at any previous point.

We are all familiar with the goal of Satan.
John 10:10a “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…:

Peter said:
1 Peter 5:8 “Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”

And if he were to be given absolute free reign
There would be no shortage to the destruction he would unleash.

However, Satan does not have free reign.
His freedom is limited to the sovereign permission of God.

• That is why when we read the book of Job we continually found Satan asking God for permission to afflict Job.

• That is why we have Jesus telling Peter
Luke 22:31 “Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has demanded permission to sift you like wheat;”

• That is why in regard to temptation Paul said:
1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

The reality is that Satan only desires deception and destruction,
But his freedom is limited by God.
He only gets to do what God allows.
What we are about to see taking place under this 5th trumpet blast
Is Satan being given more liberty than he has had
At any time since his removal from heaven.

I used to liken this scene to a 5 month taste test of hell,
And certainly there are some similarities there, what when you consider the fire and the heat and the torment and the unending nature.

However hell will be much worse than even this.

What we have here is NOT the pain that God inflicts upon sinners.
What we have here is the pain Satan would inflict upon sinners.

God’s wrath is seen in the fact that God allows him to do it.

THIS IS WHAT SATAN WOULD DO IF HE HAD MORE FREEDOM.

And I think understanding this has VALUE EVEN FOR OUR OWN DAY.
There is a real fascination occurring in our day
With the things of darkness or evil or even Satanic things.

• Our culture is obsessed with shows like “The Walking Dead”
• Or love stories as seen from vampires.
• There is a movie recently released called “Ougi” presumably dealing with the propensity to call evil spirits through a ougi board.
• Witches and warlords and demonic expressions in horror movies have long been popular,
• FOX even has a new sitcom out called “Lucifer” which is of course about how the devil works in our world.

There is a fascination with darkness and demonic and satanic activity.

But if there was every any confusion regarding his plans for people
Let this passage answer those questions,
For here we see what he does once he is given a little more freedom

And in this we are reminded of the fate that awaits sinners.
God’s judgment is no laughing matter.

Let’s look at this scene together (5 things)
#1 THE AUTHORITY IS RECEIVED
Revelation 9:1

Let me explain some of the symbolism here.
You all know who that old fallen star is.
He is none other than the devil himself.

He is that evil angel who was kicked out of heaven
For trying to lead a rebellion against God.

Isaiah describes his fall
Isaiah 14:12-15 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”

The old fallen star we read about here is the devil,
Isaiah spoke of his fall from heaven.
We know that now (in the tribulation) he has been confined only to earth.

Revelation 12:7-12 “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God day and night. “And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. “For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”

Currently Satan has some sort of unique access to the Father.
• He is currently referred to as “the prince of the power of the air”
• We see in the book of Job how he is required to present himself before God

But later, during the tribulation, we find that
He will be permanently removed from the heavens and will dwell on earth,
At which time he will be exceedingly angry.

It is part of that fury that is seen here.

And we find that while on earth, there is authority that is given to him.
“and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him.”

Who gave him that key?
Well, who currently has it?
Revelation 1:17-18 “When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, ” Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades.”

Jesus owns that key.

Let me explain it a little.
This “bottomless pit” or “abyss” as it is also translated
Is a prison created by God for the incarceration of the damned
As they await eternal punishment in hell.
You may know of it as “Hades”

Hades is not hell. It is horrible, but it is not yet hell.
Revelation 20:14 “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.”

• Hades is a prison, also called the pit, where the ungodly are imprisoned in utter torment as they await final judgment.

• It is filled both with demonic beings who have been imprisoned and with sinners who have died without Christ.

Remember the story of the rich man and Lazarus?
Luke 16:22-24 “Now the poor man died and was carried away by the angels to Abraham’s bosom; and the rich man also died and was buried. “In Hades he lifted up his eyes, being in torment, and saw Abraham far away and Lazarus in his bosom. “And he cried out and said, ‘ Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus so that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool off my tongue, for I am in agony in this flame.’”

That man died without Christ and was placed in Hades
As a place of horrific punishment and torment.

But it is not just unredeemed humanity that is in the pit.
2 Peter 2:4 “For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment;”

Jude speaks of the same angels:
Jude 6 “And angels who did not keep their own domain, but abandoned their proper abode, He has kept in eternal bonds under darkness for the judgment of the great day,”

We don’t have time to get into the story, but
If you read Genesis 6 and the story of Noah you will learn that in Noah’s day the sons of God (angelic beings) entered the earth and sought to cohabitate with human women thus producing some sort of half human half demonic unredeemable race.

God punished those angels who went after “strange flesh” (that is flesh unlike their own) and committed them to these pits of darkness.

The fact that it is horrific also to angels is seen in the begging and pleading of demons with Jesus that He not send them there.

Luke 8:30-31 “And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion”; for many demons had entered him. They were imploring Him not to command them to go away into the abyss.”

So what we have here is a prison.
An awful place of torment feared by men and demons alike.
It is an awful place where the most vile demons and sinners
Are currently kept awaiting final judgment

Now, if you will remember, when Jesus died,
He entered that place and proclaimed Himself king.
1 Peter 3:18-19 “For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also He went and made proclamation to the spirits now in prison,”

Jesus dropped into this place and declared Himself king.
Thanks to Revelation 1 we know He also took the keys and busted out.

Jesus has the authority over this awful place of torment.
He sends people there, and only He can deliver from that place.

But on this day, at the blasting of the 5th trumpet
Jesus gives the keys to this horrific spiritual prison to the devil
Who has been thrown to the earth.

Are you figuring out that this can’t be good for the people on earth?
Jesus just gave authority of the worst prison ever created to the devil in his fury.
“WOE”

The Authority is Rendered
#2 THE ARMY IS RELEASED
Revelation 9:2-3

The Scriptures says that Satan “opened the bottomless pit”,

In this pit are the imprisoned demons.
The worst of the demonic army.
These are the demons who aren’t presently free to roam the earth.

Imagine if all American prisons were opened.
Imagine what that would do to America.

WHAT HAPPENS HERE IS WORSE.
THE EARTH’S SPIRITUAL PRISON IS OPENED.

In this action, we catch a glimpse of SATAN’S REAL DESIRE for the world.
“He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit.”

When that rich man said he was in agony in the flame,
It is apparent that he wasn’t joking.
It is like taking the lid off of the earth’s biggest barbecue pit.

Smoke belches forth so thick that you can’t breathe,
And it literally blots out the sun.
If you are asking me, that is some kind of big fire.

“Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”
The smoke was bad enough, but I feel certain that humanity could in no way be ready for what is about to be revealed when the smoke clears.

“out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth,”
Now before you start joining all the other apocalyptic experts and talk about how this must be an apache helicopter firing missiles on the earth, let me draw you back for a moment.

Turn to Joel 2:1-11

I want you to follow along with me as I read these eleven verses.
Do you see how similar that is to the passage we are reading in Revelation?

But who is this army?
Joel 1:1-12

That army was a locust invasion.
Joel used its imagery to explain what the Babylonian army would do to Judah.
A locust invasion was just about the worst thing the people could envision.

EXPLAIN A LOCUST INVASION.

John is using the same imagery here.
He describes this devastation in the worst way he knows how.

It’s like a locust invasion.
Before them was life, and peace, after them was utter destruction.

“and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power.”

Again we find that “power was given them”
God is allowing them to do this.

And their power is “as the scorpions of the earth have power.”
• In Israel the native scorpion is known as “The Deathstalker Scorpion”
• It is yellow in color and between 3 & 4 inches long.
• Aside from the obvious super painful bite one of the main effects of being stung
by this scorpion is paralysis.
(https://askabiologist.asu.edu/venom/scorpion_venom)

JUST LIKE DEMON POSSESSION.

Acts 8:7 “For in the case of many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out of them shouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.”

The point is that John isn’t talking about locusts that wipe out a crop.
He is talking about demons that are unleashing torment on people,
With affliction similar to that of a scorpion sting.

This is the effect of Satan releasing his army from the pit.

Authority is Rendered; Army is Released
#3 THE AGONY IS REVEALED
Revelation 9:4-6

Here is another reason we know this aren’t actual locusts.
They aren’t attacking vegetation, they are attacking people.

(4) “They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads.”

God does agree to allow Satan to release his army,
But as they are released, God sets some parameters.

You cannot afflict creation and you cannot afflict believers.
We know this would have most certainly been the 144,000 who were sealed,
But I think it would also include those who have believed as a result of their message.

Now this is very interesting to me.
• Satan is allowed to release his army.
• But he can’t attack creation and he can’t attack God’s people.

What is left to attack?
The only possible thing left for Satan to attack would be
Those who are currently rejecting Christ and currently following him.

And we would assume at this point that Satan would say,
“Oh very clever God, well thanks but no thanks,
There is no way I’m attacking my own people.”

But can I remind you again of the purposes of Satan?
John 10:10a “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

• He doesn’t care about his own.
• He doesn’t comfort his own
• He doesn’t provide for his own.
• His only desire is to destroy…even his own!

Think back with me for a moment to the greatest servant Satan ever had.
You know him as Judas.
• This man yielded up his own body for Satan’s personal usage in order to
betray the Christ unto death.
• If ever there was a man who should have received a “Well done” from Satan
you’d think it would have been Judas.
• And yet, as soon as Satan was finished with him, he left alone to despair and
suicide.

If you think Satan won’t turn on his own you’ve got another thing coming.

Not only that:
(5-6) “And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.”

Here we find out that God puts yet another limitation on him.
Not only can he only attack his own people,
BUT HE ALSO CANNOT KILL ANYONE.

All he can do is hurt people for 5 months.
• It doesn’t make sense that you’d attack your own people just for the purpose of making them miserable.

Well, let me introduce you to the plans Satan has for you.
Apparently he is more than happy to afflict even his own followers
With pain that they wish they could die from.

Authority is Rendered; Army is Released; Agony is Revealed
#4 THE AFFLICTION IS RELENTLESS
Revelation 9:7-11

We just learned that men seek death and can’t find it.
That reminds us that this torment is absolutely relentless.

But that is also revealed in the description of this demonic army.

Here we learn about them
And why no one will be able to escape their torment.

“Like horse prepared for battle”
Strength and courage charging into battle

Job 39:19-25 “Do you give the horse his might? Do you clothe his neck with a mane? “Do you make him leap like the locust? His majestic snorting is terrible. “He paws in the valley, and rejoices in his strength; He goes out to meet the weapons. “He laughs at fear and is not dismayed; And he does not turn back from the sword. “The quiver rattles against him, The flashing spear and javelin. “With shaking and rage he races over the ground, And he does not stand still at the voice of the trumpet. “As often as the trumpet sounds he says, ‘Aha!’ And he scents the battle from afar, And the thunder of the captains and the war cry.”

“Crowns of gold”
“stephanos” = victors crown – Confident and victorious over men
They are winners, and they have authority to afflict.

“Faces like men”
Intellect – not stupid insects, but scheming, and executing war minds.

“Hair like women”
Seduction – their main weapon to devour is deception

“Teeth like lions”
Destruction – they may appear pretty, but they will tear you apart

“Breastplates of iron”
Invulnerable – protects the vital organs, you can’t kill them

“Sound like many chariots”
Multitudes of them, too many to fight

“Tail like Scorpions”
Heartless – they torment everyone without the seal of God.

Vile, scheming, deceiving, destructive,
powerful, cruel, unbeatable enemies,
And there are lots of them.

A foe who is:
• Smarter than you
• More powerful than you
• That deceives you to destroy you
• That can’t be killed
• And that outnumbers you.

And just in case you are confused as to their purpose,
John gives ONE MORE DETAIL.

(11) “They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.”

• The name of their ruler is given in both Hebrew and Greek for both the Jew and the Gentile to have full understanding,
• But in both languages his name means the same: DESTROYER

And I remind you again that the thief ONLY comes to steal, kill, and destroy.
All he does, even for those who bear his mark, is steal and kill and destroy.

And here God has turned him loose as a form of His great wrath
On sinful humanity who has rejected His Son.

What is the point?
• Rejecting Christ brings judgment.
• It is not ok, it is not optional.

God has already given Jesus the name which is above every name.
That name is “Lord”
And it is already declared that every knee will bow to Him.

Refusal to bow to Him only results in having your knees broken.
Psalms 2:7-12 “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. ‘You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.'” Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!”

This isn’t optional.
Failure to submit to the Son only brings intense judgment from God.

HERE SEEN in the reality that God will allow Satan to afflict the earth
To an even greater extent than he has ever been allowed before.

And then one more quick point.

Authority is Rendered; Army is Released; Agony is Revealed; Affliction is Relentless
#5 THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS REPEATED
Revelation 9:12

“The first woe is past; behold, two more woes are still coming after these things.”

After the fourth trumpet we heard that eagle say “Woe, woe, woe”
Because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet.

The first brought a demonic army full of torment on all who do not believe.
And now the eagle reminds that there are still two more to go.

You get the point don’t you?
• Being stiff necked toward God will not pay off.
• It’s not worth it and you can’t win.

It is imperative that all yield to Christ and submit to Him as Lord.
It is imperative that all bring Christ the glory due His name.

The punishment for failing to do so is not worth it.

And let me say one more thing:
This is not some sermon where I tell you to submit to Christ so you won’t go to hell. THAT IS THE WRONG MOTIVATION.

You need to submit to Christ because you have offended God
And Christ is the only way to reconcile that relationship.

It’s not about you skipping torment, it’s about God being satisfied.
This passage reveals just how unsatisfied He is at the rebellion of sinners.

The Flying Scroll and The Filthy Basket – part 2
Zechariah 5:1-11
October 30, 2016

It seems we find ourselves in another one of those scheduling dilemmas
Where the normal routine of our study is chopped up by other activities.

We missed last Sunday night and we’re going to miss next Sunday night,
But hopefully we can gather back together here tonight
And find again the point that is being made through these night visions of Zechariah.

We actually started looking at these two visions last Sunday night,
And again I want to remind you that these visions are so important
To your understanding of what God intends for His church to be today.

Now for a quick recap.
• Zechariah is a prophet of God to minister encouragement to this group of refugees who have now left Persia and have returned to Jerusalem in order to rebuild the temple.

• That project has not come without it’s difficulties, but despite the hardships, God is succeeding in His purpose.

• In order to encourage the people God has given to Zechariah in one night 8 different night visions.

1) The Vision of the Angelic Patrol
Which was a vision meant to remind the people that God is extremely jealous for them.
They may not be treated all that well in the world, but that does not mean that God has somehow forgotten them.

2) The Vision of the 4 Horns and the 4 Craftsman
Which was a vision reminding these refugees that not only was God angry at those nations which oppressed them, but also that God was going to judge those nations that oppressed them.

3) The Vision of the Surveyor
This vision reminded the refugees that not only was Jerusalem the property and possession of God, but also that God would be a wall of defense around His people.

4) The Vision of Joshua’s Atonement
Here we saw Joshua standing before the Lord for the purpose of atoning the people and yet Satan was seeking to accuse him and wreck that work. However, despite Joshua’s obvious sin, the Lord chose to justify Him and make Him acceptable.

It was a reminder that God had chosen Israel and therefore God would redeem them.

5) The vision of the Lampstand and the Olive Tree
This vision was given to remind Zechariah and Zerubbabel that God Himself was at work to rebuild the temple and again make Israel a light in the darkness and that God was at work doing this through His chosen vessels, namely Joshua and Zerubbabel.

And then we came to these next two visions
Which we began looking at the last time we met together on Sunday night.
The vision of The Flying Scroll and The Vision of The Filthy Basket

And each of these visions really serve as sort of an extension
Of that vision which was given regarding the lampstand.

While we PRIMARILY LEARNED from that vision that
God is at work by His Spirit through His people
To accomplish His purposes

We also must recognize that
THE PURPOSE WAS to make Israel a light in the midst of the darkness.
Certainly that was the point of the lampstand.

This has always been the purpose for God’s people.

Now, as we said then, Israel often failed at that purpose.

Jesus said:
Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Jesus was there exposing Israel for claiming to be light
And yet failing to shine that light.

The reason that we noted that they were unable to do this
Was because they lacked righteousness.

This was the same point that Paul would make in his epistle to the Romans.
Romans 2:17-24 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.”

Paul was emphatic to the Jews that they were failing miserably
In their efforts to be a light in the darkness
Because they weren’t any different than the world.

In fact, instead of glorifying God through their obedience
They actually blasphemed God through their disobedience.

At some point the church has forgotten this very basic reality.
Namely that God has called us to be light in the darkness.
Instead the church has determined to be like the darkness.

• You should know that light is offensive.
• You should know that light exposes.
• You should know that light is uncomfortable to the darkness.

This is clearly stated in Scripture.
John 3:19-21 “This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. “But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.”

We were never called to blend with the darkness,
But rather to expose it.

Ephesians 5:11 “Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;”

The shame of God’s people and the shame of the church today
Is that instead of shining into the darkness,
We are more prone to put a basket over our light
To make sure we don’t offend the darkness.

It is extremely backward and perverted.

Last time we met we talked about why our light often times fails to shine.
And the reason is because of wickedness.

• If we look like the darkness…
• If we talk like the darkness…
• If we act like the darkness…
• Then how can we claim to be a light in the darkness?

The church cannot concern itself with the approval of the sinner,
But only with the approval of God.
And that is really the point of these two visions.

Now we already started working through the first vision, but let’s hit it again quickly so as to make sure we remember what we learned.

#1 THE VISION OF THE FLYING SCROLL
Zechariah 5:1-4

• Here you will remember that we saw a flying scroll, which spoke to the swiftness of its travel.

• We also noted that this scroll was the same dimensions as the Holy of Holies which reminds us that this word is sanctified and inseparably linked to the presence of God.

• We also found that this scroll was filled with a “curse”.
This is a message of judgment.

Not so different than the scroll which Ezekiel ate or which John ate in Rev. 10
Or which Jesus is opening in the tribulation.
This scroll is covered with judgments.

And we found that this scroll was going after two specific people.
(3) “Then he said to me, “This is the curse that is going forth over the face of the whole land; surely everyone who steals will be purged away according to the writing on one side, and everyone who swears will be purged away according to the writing on the other side.”

We are dealing with “the one who steals” and with “the one who swears”

And we discussed each of these last time.
But the one who steals is one who is basically steeped in immorality. They commit sins against their neighbor.

These are those who claim to be God’s people
And yet they live lives just like the unredeemed of the world.
In short, there is no light shining there.

The second problem was those “who swear”. Verse 4 indicates it is those who “swear falsely by My name.”

These are those who have entered into a covenant agreement with the Lord whereby they took an oath that they would serve Him and yet they have not upheld their end of the agreement.
Their profession to obey God was a lie.

And what is the problem here?
What is the problem with someone who says they are a Christian, but then lives like the world?

THE PROBLEM IS THAT THEY BLASPHEME GOD!

And as we said last time, I can’t stress enough how wrong this is,
And yet how overlooked it has become.

The church has become far more concerned about the comfort of the sinner than they have about the glory of God.

We’ll let people sin all day long without confrontation,
Regardless of what their testimony does to God’s reputation,
If only we can maintain a good friendship with them.

• We seem to think it wrong any time a sinner gets offended
• We seem to think it wrong any time a sinner gets confronted
• We seem to think it wrong any time a sinner get rebuked
But what about when God gets offended?

I told you this morning, but tomorrow marks
The 499th anniversary of the start of the reformation.

October 31, 517 was the day Martin Luther nailed that 95 thesis
On the door of the castle church in Wittenburg, Germany.

Certainly we aren’t going through a history of the reformation here,
But out of the reformation came 5 statements of faith and 1 motto.

The 5 statements were:
• Sola Scriptura – Scripture Alone
• Sola Fide – Faith Alone
• Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
• Solus Christus – Christ Alone
• Soli Deo Gloria – The Glory of God Alone

They fought and died for the belief that the true gospel comes only from Scripture and not from man’s logic or church tradition
And that this gospel as contained in Scripture clearly teaches that
Man is only justified by faith alone as a gift of God’s grace alone
Through the sacrifice of Christ alone.

But as an even more important cry than all of these was this final sola.

The Reformers understood that
• The reason that God saved sinners by grace apart from any work of the
sinner,
• The reason that God required only faith apart from any religious action,
• The reason that God used Christ to pay the debt of sinners apart from
any other payment

WAS FOR 1 REASON ALONE.
And that reason was so that God alone would receive the glory.

More important to them than any other thing
Was that God alone be glorified.
I’m not sure we can say that this is the passion of the church any more.

The motto that came out of the reformation was POST TENEBRAS LUX
“After Darkness Light”

In order to glorify God the reformers decided to shine the light of the gospel into the darkness of the world all for the glory of God.

There was no blending, there was no tolerating,
There was no unifying with that which was false.

They were more concerned about the glory of God
Than the comfort of sinners.
I’M NOT SURE THE CHURCH CAN SAY THAT TODAY.

Well you can see by this first vision
That shining light into darkness was certainly important to God
Even if it wasn’t important to His people.

He is about to take His word and “purge” from the among His people
All the blasphemers who live like the world while claiming to be believers.

(4) “I will make it go forth,” declares the LORD of hosts, “and it will enter the house of the thief and the house of the one who swears falsely by My name; and it will spend the night within that house and consume it with its timber and stones.”

God will take His all penetrating word and with the accuracy of a double edged sword will exterminate the blasphemous from among His people.

WHY?
So that their light will once again shine into the darkness.

I just can’t stress this enough church.
• It is ok that you are different from the world
• It is ok that you hold views that the world says are wrong.
• It is ok to be scorned and rejected and talked about for standing for truth.

Jesus said:
Luke 6:22-23, 26 “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets…”Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”

It is clear where God stands.
He is about to purify His people.

The Vision of the Flying Scroll
#2 THE VISION OF THE FILTHY BASKET
Zechariah 5:5-11

It seems really peculiar and strange, but I promise you it isn’t that hard to grasp.

We see that there is something that “is going forth”
That is to say that there is something
That is spreading throughout the land.

What is it?
(6) “I said, “What is it?” And he said, “This is the ephah going forth.” Again he said, “This is their appearance in all the land.”

So in all the land we have this “ephah going forth.”
An “ephah” was a basket and it held about a bushel.

It was a symbol of commerce or treasure or valuables.

Think of in one sense like a purse.
• A woman’s purse is where she keeps the things that are valuable to her. Her money, or jewelry, or things she needs handy.

This ephah was just a symbolic picture of the things
That mattered to the culture in Israel.

Well, in verse 7 we get to see what is in the ephah.
(7) “(and behold, a lead cover was lifted up); and this is a woman sitting inside the ephah.”

And so here we find that this society likes this “woman”.

Now at this point I suppose we could just go crazy trying to figure out what it all means.
• Does it mean this culture loves woman? (sexual immorality)
• Does it mean this culture loves feminism?
• Does it mean this culture focuses on motherhood?

To make sure you do understand the clear explanation is given.
(8) “Then he said, “This is Wickedness!” And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening.”

We still don’t specifically know what the woman represented except that
Whatever she represented heaven says it is what?
“Wickedness!”

If you really want to push the envelope here I’d probably be most inclined to link this to the sin that would soon be exposed among the refugees.

• If you read Ezra 9-10 you will find out that one of the sins of the refugees was that they began to marry foreign wives.

• This was strictly forbidden in Israel because these pagan women would pull your heart away from devotion to the Lord to serve their gods (just look at Solomon)

Ezra 9:1-4 “Now when these things had been completed, the princes approached me, saying, “The people of Israel and the priests and the Levites have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, according to their abominations, those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians and the Amorites. “For they have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy race has intermingled with the peoples of the lands; indeed, the hands of the princes and the rulers have been foremost in this unfaithfulness.” When I heard about this matter, I tore my garment and my robe, and pulled some of the hair from my head and my beard, and sat down appalled. Then everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel on account of the unfaithfulness of the exiles gathered to me, and I sat appalled until the evening offering.”

• Ezra was obviously bothered by the wickedness that was spreading throughout the land.
• Ezra actually commanded them to put those wives away and they did.

During the days of Nehemiah the problem surfaced again.

Nehemiah 13:23-27 “In those days I also saw that the Jews had married women from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. As for their children, half spoke in the language of Ashdod, and none of them was able to speak the language of Judah, but the language of his own people. So I contended with them and cursed them and struck some of them and pulled out their hair, and made them swear by God, “You shall not give your daughters to their sons, nor take of their daughters for your sons or for yourselves. “Did not Solomon king of Israel sin regarding these things? Yet among the many nations there was no king like him, and he was loved by his God, and God made him king over all Israel; nevertheless the foreign women caused even him to sin. “Do we then hear about you that you have committed all this great evil by acting unfaithfully against our God by marrying foreign women?”

I think I’ll go with Nehemiah’s response instead.
Ezra pulled out his own hair, Nehemiah pulled out their hair.

But all because of their propensity to marry women who were forbidden.

It’s possible that this was the root issue here,
But we don’t even really know that.

All we know is that whatever it was it was “Wickedness!”
And it was going forth throughout the whole land.

THAT MEANS THAT
Instead of being people who were lights in the midst of darkness
They were a people who were blending with the darkness.

Righteousness wasn’t going for from God’s people, wickedness was.

And this angel sought to put an end to it.
(8) “And he threw her down into the middle of the ephah and cast the lead weight on its opening.”

So we are clear what’s going on.
Wickedness is spreading and this angel wants to put a stop to it.

But then look what happens.
(9-11) “Then I lifted up my eyes and looked, and there two women were coming out with the wind in their wings; and they had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the ephah between the earth and the heavens. I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” Then he said to me, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”

The woman in the ephah she was specifically called what? “Wickedness”.

So we know what the woman represents here in this vision.
• Well now we have two more “women” coming with the “wind in their wings”, indicating that they are moving fast.

And Zechariah goes on to say that “they had the wings of a stork”

I’m not sure the symbolism here.
Most commentators say something like “the stork was an unclean bird”
And so the stork is obviously playing to the wickedness.

I guess that works, but the eagle was also unclean
And it is referred to favorably many times in Scripture.

So honestly I’m not sure about the stork wings.

However understanding that isn’t essential
For WE SEE WHAT THESE TWO WOMEN DO.

“the lifted up the ephah between earth and the heavens;”

They rescued this woman.
They rescued this wickedness in a basket.

The angel sought to incarcerate her and stop her,
They rushed in and delivered her.

And that’s not all.
(10-11) “I said to the angel who was speaking with me, “Where are they taking the ephah?” Then he said to me, “To build a temple for her in the land of Shinar; and when it is prepared, she will be set there on her own pedestal.”

So not only did they rescue her but they also chose to honor her.
• They took her to “the land of Shinar” that was Babylon.
• And the will “build a temple for her” so that they can worship her.
• And she will be “set there on her own pedestal.”

This isn’t hard to understand.

Think now about the two visions.
• God wants His people to be a light in the midst of darkness.

• In order to do that He is sending His word to purge out His people all those who commit wickedness and who swear falsely.
He is purifying His people.
In a sense that is what the angel was doing to sense he took that wicked woman and sought to incarcerate her in that basket with a lead weight.

• However the world rescued her and took her to another land where they could worship and adore her.

WHAT ARE WE TO MAKE OF THIS?

THE SIN THAT IS ERADICATED FROM THE CHURCH
IS EXALTED IN THE WORLD.

• Do you see that point?
• Do you see that what God hates and seeks to remove the world loves and
seeks to exalt?

The sin that is eradicated from the church is exalted in the world.

Do you know who this woman really is?
You say, “well she’s wickedness.”

That’s true, but she’s wickedness with a temple,
She’s wickedness on a pedestal, she’s wickedness with a following.

Do you know what she really is?
SHE IS FALSE RELIGION

She is religion which gains its direction from the world.
As opposed to religion that gains its direction from God.

LISTEN YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THIS.

God and the world are NOT on the same page.
• They do not love the same things
• They do not honor the same things
• They do not seek the same things
• They do not produce the same things

Just because it seems right to the world
Does not mean it is right before God

God and the world are opposites at every point.
1 John 2:15-16 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.”

James 4:4 “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”

God and the world are total opposites.
You cannot be like God and like the world at the same time.
You are either darkness or you are light.

The self-deception of the ages is
When people get involved in religion
And think they are the children of God
But in reality they are only people who love the world.

1 John 1:5-6 “This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth;”

Matthew 6:22-23 “The eye is the lamp of the body; so then if your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light. “But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!”

Do you see the self-deception that is prevalent?
We think we can be called the children of God because we are religious,
But in reality we just love what the world loves.

Is it any wonder then that our light does not shine in the darkness?

God was rebuilding this temple.
That is true; He was doing it by the power of His Spirit.

But it was going to take a lot more than a temple
To make His people a light that shines in the darkness.

They were going to have to actually be different.
They had to quit loving what the world loved.

And in order to accomplish that God was sending His word
To penetrate every home and purge out of His people
Those who say they love God but actually love sin.

I JUST DON’T KNOW HOW TO STRESS IT ANY MORE THAN THIS.
We must be different.
We must love what God loves and hate what God hates.

We cannot let the world dictate to us what is worthy of honor
Because the world clearly honors what is detestable to God.

• The world has its religion.
• The world has its own version of Jesus.
• The world has its own definition of sin.
• The world has its own definition of righteousness.
• The world has its own definition of eternity.

But it is all just darkness.

God has called us to be lights in the midst of darkness,
To be different, to stand against the flow, to expose what is false,
And to spread what is true.
And churches that will are growing fewer and fewer and fewer.

BUT THAT DOESN’T CHANGE THE FACT THIS IS GOD’S DESIRE.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

God’s Promised Judgment – part 2
Revelation 8:1-13 (3-13)
October 30, 2016

We actually began our study of this passage last week,
It just took me a little while to actually get into it.

We first took a look at the nature of God and His propensity to judge.
In fact God has repeatedly promised that judgment is coming.

Exodus 34:5-7 “The LORD descended in the cloud and stood there with him as he called upon the name of the LORD. Then the LORD passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Romans 2:4-6 “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS:”

Both of those passages (and a host of others) reminds us that
Despite the prevailing themes of HUMANISM & UNIVERSALISM
Judgment is NOT a myth.

GOD WILL JUDGE SINNERS.

In fact, if you listen to what Jesus said,
There will be MORE people who find themselves under judgment
Than there will be who find themselves in salvation.

Matthew 7:13-14 “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Luke 13:22-24 “And He was passing through from one city and village to another, teaching, and proceeding on His way to Jerusalem. And someone said to Him, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” And He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”

And therefore it can NEVER be the position of the church
To act like sinners won’t be judged.

To fall into such modes of thinking or preaching or acceptance
Is to totally malign the truth of Scripture
And this is something that the church just cannot do.

As I told you last week, this is a hill on which to die.

People who do not repent of their sin and submit their lives to Jesus Christ will be judged by God and punished for all eternity.
This is a very evident truth promised throughout Scripture.

And it is some of the SPECIFICS OF THAT JUDGMENT
That we are reading about here in the book of the Revelation.
These judgments are not all of God’s judgments,
But they are certainly a terrible part of it.

We are currently looking at the judgments that unfold
WHEN THE LAMB BREAKS THAT SEVENTH SEAL.

Last week we saw our first two points.
#1 THE ANTICIPATION OF JUDGMENT
Revelation 8:1

• You know that the scroll which the Lamb is unrolling is the title deed to the earth and it records the judgments that God will unleash upon sinners and upon the enemy in order to redeem the world back to Himself.

• We already saw the first 6 seals opened before we took our pause in chapter 7 to see how people are made able to stand before God.

There is only 1 seal left to open,
And when it opens all the judgments of God are revealed.

And in verse 1 we saw the initial response of heaven when they were allowed to see what was included in this final seal.
• Heaven literally held its breath.
• Heaven was speechless.
• Heaven had no words.

Included in this seventh seal are all 7 trumpet judgments
And all 7 bowl judgments.
HEAVEN NOW SEES THEM ALL.

#2 THE PREPARATION FOR JUDGMENT
Revelation 8:2

Here we saw those special 7 angels who have this specific purpose
Of ushering in these judgments of God.
(They are given trumpets by God because trumpets signify God’s intervention.)

And the point we made here is that it is God who instigates the judgment.
Those angels didn’t take the trumpets, trumpets were given to them.
Make no mistake who the catalyst behind all this is.

This is the promised judgment of God
And it is moving forward by God’s divine decree.

Anticipation of Judgment, Preparation for Judgment
#3 THE MOTIVATION FOR JUDGMENT
Revelation 8:3-5

Now we have “Another angel”
He is not one of the 7

And he comes and “stood at the altar, holding a golden censer;”

The altar here is the incense altar
And the censer is used for the purpose of burning incense.

After God detailed the dimensions of this altar, He commanded Moses:
Exodus 30:6-10 “You shall put this altar in front of the veil that is near the ark of the testimony, in front of the mercy seat that is over the ark of the testimony, where I will meet with you. “Aaron shall burn fragrant incense on it; he shall burn it every morning when he trims the lamps. “When Aaron trims the lamps at twilight, he shall burn incense. There shall be perpetual incense before the LORD throughout your generations. “You shall not offer any strange incense on this altar, or burnt offering or meal offering; and you shall not pour out a drink offering on it. “Aaron shall make atonement on its horns once a year; he shall make atonement on it with the blood of the sin offering of atonement once a year throughout your generations. It is most holy to the LORD.”

This was the incense altar.
What was the purpose?

It was symbolic of intercessory prayer.
• When the priest went into the holy place to intercede for you he also burned
incense and as you saw the smoke rise from outside the tent it was symbolic of
your prayers ascending to God.

That is why Isaiah said:
Isaiah 1:13-15 “Bring your worthless offerings no longer, Incense is an abomination to Me. New moon and sabbath, the calling of assemblies — I cannot endure iniquity and the solemn assembly. “I hate your new moon festivals and your appointed feasts, They have become a burden to Me; I am weary of bearing them. “So when you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; Yes, even though you multiply prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”

God told them that He hated their incense because He hated their prayers.
That incense was symbolic of prayer.

It is the same thing we see in Luke 1
Luke 1:8-10 “Now it happened that while he was performing his priestly service before God in the appointed order of his division, according to the custom of the priestly office, he was chosen by lot to enter the temple of the Lord and burn incense. And the whole multitude of the people were in prayer outside at the hour of the incense offering.”

Well here that angel has approached the incense altar
And he has a “golden censer” which is used for burning incense.

ONE MIGHT ASSUME AT THIS POINT
That the angel is going to intercede before God on behalf of the world
That God might calm His fury and not judge the world
As harshly as the writing on the scroll seems to suggest.

After all, we did see this happen many times in the Old Testament.
• We remember God ready to destroy the Israelites after the golden calf and
then Moses interceded.
• We remember God ready to destroy Israel in the book of Amos until Amos
interceded.

One might suppose that this is what is happening here.
This angel is going to intercede on behalf of earth’s sinners
That God not pour out His heavy wrath upon them.

But that isn’t what happens.
“much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand.”

The angel sent prayers to God alright,
But it wasn’t intercessory prayers on behalf of the earth that he sent.

What prayers did he send?
“the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne.”

Remember them?
Revelation 6:9-11 “When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, ” How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.”

• There we saw all those people who had been slain for their faith and they weren’t crying out for mercy for earth’s persecutors they were crying out for vengeance.

• They wanted God to avenge them and to judge them.

• But if you will remember God’s answer was to wait just a little while longer because there more servants who would be killed like they had been.

• And it wasn’t until that number was completed that God would be willing to judge the sinners on earth.

You remember that?

Well who was it that we saw standing around the throne in Revelation 7?
Revelation 7:13-14 “Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Apparently all those who would be slain have been slain
And so the prayer of those below the altar is now revisited.

They cry out again for vengeance.

It is the cry of the afflicted throughout the generations.
Psalms 7:6-11 “Arise, O LORD, in Your anger; Lift up Yourself against the rage of my adversaries, And arouse Yourself for me; You have appointed judgment. Let the assembly of the peoples encompass You, And over them return on high. The LORD judges the peoples; Vindicate me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and my integrity that is in me. O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous; For the righteous God tries the hearts and minds. My shield is with God, Who saves the upright in heart. God is a righteous judge, And a God who has indignation every day.”

Psalms 9:19-20 “Arise, O LORD, do not let man prevail; Let the nations be judged before You. Put them in fear, O LORD; Let the nations know that they are but men.”

And those are but the tip of the iceberg regarding God’s people.

The ill-treatment of God’s people is a very common thing.
• Remember how the Israelites were mistreated in Egypt as slaves.
• How often did the pagan nations afflict them even in their own land?
• Do we remember Jezebel killing the prophets?
• What about the attacks of Assyria and Babylon and Greece?
• Do we remember the slaughter of the apostles?
• Or how about the many slain during the reformation?
• Or the more than 300 puritans burned alive by Bloody Mary?
• Or those who suffer today in Islamic nations?

Many times God’s people have cried out to God for Him to intervene
And judge those who blaspheme His name and persecute His saints.

And time after time the answer has been to wait.
God was not yet in the process of judging sinners
Because He was till undertaking the process of saving sinners.

He remained patient
And He asked the same of those who had suffered for His name.

Well apparently that day is over.
It is now the Day of Judgment and those prayers are once again
Lifted up to God that it might motivate Him to that judgment.

The ill-treatment of God’s people is no minor thing & it is never forgotten.

2 Thessalonians 1:6-8 “For after all it is only just for God to repay with affliction those who afflict you, and to give relief to you who are afflicted and to us as well when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.”

That is the day we are looking at here.
God is about to vindicate His people and avenge their blood on the earth.

And once the angel sends the smoke of the incense upward to God,
He also sends the fires of judgment down to the earth.

(5) “Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”

That is heaven’s decision regarding this judgment.
The earth deserves it for how they have treated God’s people.
It is time for judgment to fall.

Anticipation of Judgment Preparation for Judgment Motivation for Judgment
#4 DESCRIPTION OF JUDGMENT
Revelation 8:6-12

Here we have the blasting of the first 4 trumpets
And honestly there isn’t a whole lot of explanation that is needed.
It is pretty clear and obvious what is occurring here.

THE FIRST TRUMPET wipes out 1/3 of the earth and trees and all the green grass.
(6-7) “And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

The one thing I would caution on here
Is trying to push too much natural explanation into this.
(By that I mean, don’t try to figure out this out with a natural explanation.)

Things like the hail is actual hail, the fire is probably lightning,
The blood could be like mud balls or the blood of the people hit with the hail.

I WANT TO CAUTION AGAINST THAT AND HERE IS WHY.
These judgments are not natural judgments.
These are supernatural judgments.

And unless John uses the phrase “like” hail or “like” fire or “like” blood
Then we have no reason to assume he was being anything but literal here.

These judgments are not a result of the curse, they are a result of the fury of God and they do not require a natural explanation.

We are much better off just to say that
God sent “hail and fire, mixed with blood” to the earth.

The effect here is staggering which is that “a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.”

It was a specific judgment targeted at the earth’s vegetation.

AND THEN THE SECOND ANGEL.
(8-9) “The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.”

Here again the themes of fire and blood.
Only this time instead it coming with hail it comes “like a great mountain”.

Call it a meteor if you want, call it an asteroid,
I just know it is a massive land mass that John compares to a huge mountain.

And again the effect is similar in that it brings destruction to 1/3 of what it hits, in this case the sea.
• 1/3 of the sea became blood
• 1/3 of the sea creatures destroyed
• 1/3 of the ships destroyed

AND THEN THE THIRD ANGEL
(10-11) “The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.”

This time the target is the world’s freshwater.
And we find that “a great star fell from heaven burning like a torch” and it polluted 1/3 of the fresh water.

Significant here is that the star actually has a name by which it is called, “Wormwood”

The word “wormwood” translates APSINTHOS
It is where we get our word ABSENTHE
Which is a drink created from the wormwood plant.
It is actually illegal in several countries because it is so dangerous.

In Scripture it is a word used of God making waters bitter and poisonous.

Jeremiah 9:15 “therefore thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, “behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.”

Amos probably had the best handle on it.

We find what God desired of His people.
Amos 5:24 “But let justice roll down like waters And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.”

But instead of a stream of righteousness, God only received a stream of bitterness.
Amos 5:6-7 “Seek the LORD that you may live, Or He will break forth like a fire, O house of Joseph, And it will consume with none to quench it for Bethel, For those who turn justice into wormwood And cast righteousness down to the earth.”

Amos 6:12 “Do horses run on rocks? Or does one plow them with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison And the fruit of righteousness into wormwood,”

Here we have God returning the favor on the world.
For the world who turned His righteousness into bitterness
God is now turning their water into bitterness.

And the result is that “many men died from the waters.”

Unlike at Marah where God turned bitter waters sweet,
Here God turns sweet waters bitter.

AND THEN THE FOURTH TRUMPET
(12) “The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.”

I’m not sure how this happens, but when dealing with the supernatural judgment of the Creator we certainly don’t have to understand it.

John simply says that God struck the great lights in the sky.
The effect was not dimmer light, but shorter light.
• The sun shined for 1/3 less of the time than normal, as did the moon and stars.

What we have here then is specific and calculated judgments from God.
These aren’t random acts of natural disasters, these are specific.

God targets land, trees, sea, fresh water, and the sun
And each time He specifically only targets 1/3.
It speaks of divine control and precision.

It gives the appearance of God UNDOING CREATION
• The One who created the sun and moon and stars and ordained that they should shine is now undoing that.
• The One who created the sea and all it contains and the fresh water and the trees and the grass is here undoing it.

Zephaniah 1:2-3 “I will completely remove all things From the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will remove man and beast; I will remove the birds of the sky And the fish of the sea, And the ruins along with the wicked; And I will cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD.”

THE POINT?
• This is not random
• This is not accidental
• This is not chaotic
• Nor is this of human origin

Man couldn’t have that devastating of an effect if he set his mind to it.

These are not the result of
Human irresponsibility regarding the environment.
This is the result of an angry Creator who is unleashing divine judgment on His creation because of their sin.

LISTEN:
You should be concerned about global warming,
But it’s not the one they talk about on the news.

THERE ARE BIGGER ISSUES TO DEAL WITH THAN CO2 EMMISSIONS.
GOD HAS PROMISED JUDGMENT UPON THIS WORLD FOR ITS SIN.

• This world is in danger, but not because of too many water bottles or hair spray or Styrofoam.

• This world is in danger because by reason if it’s sin it has horribly offended the One who created it.

• And the God who created this world has enough power to destroy this world without even breaking a sweat.

You are seeing that here.
And this is just the first 4 of the trumpets.

And that leads us to the last point.
#5 THE DECLARATION OF MORE JUDGMENT
Revelation 8:13

We get another pause in the flow.
This time just one verse.
But it is given for perspective.

Hear we have an eagle flying with a message for the world.

“Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

Now let that sink in.
You mean that’s not all?
• God has just wrecked this world with world war, famine, death, earthquakes, and has sent fire and blood to wipe out 1/3 of everything precious on the earth, and still He’s not done?

NOPE

TURN TO ISAIAH 9:8
We aren’t going to get deep into this passage,
But there is a point to be made that I want you to see.

In verses 8-12 God is telling Israel that He is going to punish them for their arrogance and refusal to repent.

The punishment will be an invading army.
(11) “Therefore the Lord raises against them adversaries from Rezin and spurs their enemies on. The Arameans on the east and the Philistines on the west; and they devour Israel with gaping jaws. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away and His hand is still stretched out.”

An invading army is not enough to satisfy God’s anger.

In verses 13-17 God refers to Israel’s lack of respect for God’s word so God promises to remove anyone who will give them the truth.

The punishment is having to live in a corrupt society.
(17) “Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men, Nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.”

That’s still not enough to satisfy God’s anger.

In verses 18-21 God speaks of Israel’s spreading wickedness and how God is going to allow them to tear each other to pieces.

The punishment is God allowing them to tear each other to pieces.
(21) “Manasseh devours Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, And together they are against Judah. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.”

In 10:1-4 God speaks of Israel’s ambition and how God will judge them accordingly.

The punishment is death and captivity.
(4) “Nothing remains but to crouch among the captives Or fall among the slain. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.”
PREACHER, WHAT’S YOUR POINT?

My point is that there is no amount of pain and suffering
That mankind can endure
That will ever fully satisfy God’s wrath on her sin.

When it comes to judging and punishing sinners,
GOD WILL NEVER SAY ENOUGH.

Matthew 25:41, 46 “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels…”These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

God will inflict torment on sinners for all eternity
And they will never reach a point where God says,
“Ok, that’s enough, we’re even.”

Sinful humanity is incapable of paying off their debt before God.

That is the warning of the eagle here.
Yes you’ve suffered, yes it’s bad, but you ain’t seen nothing yet.
It’s going to get worse because God’s wrath on sin is NEVER SATISFIED.

EXCEPT FOR ONE PLACE

Can I read you a remarkable verse?
Romans 3:21-25a “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith.”

I want to point out specifically that word “propitiation”.

Propitiation means “the turning away of wrath by an offering.”
You could look at it like “appeasement”

And Paul says that Jesus was such a propitiation.
Jesus turned away the wrath of God by an offering.
That offering was Himself.

Why is that so amazing?
Because Jesus there accomplished something that a sinner can’t accomplish in hell for all eternity.

Jesus satisfied God’s wrath,
And we’ve been seeing that His wrath is never satisfied.

What Jesus did on the cross is so effective and so powerful.
And you don’t have the slightest chance of ever duplicating it
Regardless of how much you suffer.

TOMORROW IS REFORMATION DAY.
On October 31, 1517 Martin Luther nailed the 95 thesis to door of the castle church there listing the abuses of the Roman Catholic church.

One issue Luther had was with the selling of indulgences.
• According to the Catholic church an indulgence is a way to reduce the amount
of punishment that one has to undergo for sin.

• According to Catholic doctrine if you don’t have enough righteous merit of your
own when you die, then you go to purgatory which is a place of purging until
you are purged from your evil and become righteous.

• To shorten that stay loved ones on earth can obtain indulgences which are
extra units of merit to apply to your account so you can get out earlier and go
on into heaven.

Luther vehemently opposed such notions.
And his 95 thesis against such practices began the great reformation.
(October 31 is a big day for the church, but not because of Halloween)

Luther was right to protest because according to Scripture
It is utter nonsense to think that any sinner
Can ever satisfy God’s wrath on his sin by his own suffering.

The only one to ever do that was Jesus Christ.
He fully propitiated the Father’s wrath toward all those who trust in Him.
(It is really quite remarkable!)
This morning I want to remind you again of the reality of God’s judgment.
THERE IS NO ESCAPING IT APART FROM JESUS CHRIST.

It is real
It is promised
It is terrible
It is eternal

Unless you repent of your sin and submit your life to Christ
Who already bore that wrath and fully satisfied the Father
On behalf of all those who trust in Him.

I would certainly encourage you to repent of your sin and trust in Jesus,
Because regarding wrath you ain’t seen nothing yet.