A Message For All People
Revelation 14:6-13
February 19, 2017
As you know we are in the middle of this
Parenthetical section of the book of the Revelation.
It is a section meant to illustrate the fact that Christ reigns and that there is not a thing the enemy can do to stop it.
• We’ve already seen the Child Satan couldn’t stop
• We’ve already seen the Battle Satan couldn’t win
• We’ve already seen the Woman Satan couldn’t kill
• And we are currently looking at the Throne Satan can’t keep
Satan has fallen to earth and done his best to set up his earthly kingdom.
• He has placed his own kingly puppet on the throne
• And he has empowered the false prophet to run the press for him
• He is also succeeding in killing off all those who worship God while he temporarily takes care of those who will worship him
For all intents and purposes it appears like Satan is winning.
This is why John has continually called for Perseverance and Wisdom.
Just because it looks like Satan is winning and just because it is easier to follow him doesn’t mean that is what a person should do.
• Instead a person should be wise enough to know better than to trade eternity
for immediate comfort,
• And they should be willing to persevere through momentary affliction for the
sake of eternal blessing.
These are the things we are learning.
Last week we actually saw the Satan’s dominion is nearly over as the Lamb returned and was standing on Mt. Zion with His faithful standing beside Him.
And we spent a little time talking about why they were able to survive.
The next chronological event that is going to happen
Is the battle known as Armageddon.
If you want to take a sneak peak at chapter 19 I can show you the events.
TURN TO: Revelation 19:11-21
That is what is now about to happen.
And it is the event which is also described at the end of this chapter where we see the blood running up to the horses bridles for a distance of 200 miles.
I just tell you that so you can fill in the timeline and see where we are.
Chronologically speaking we are right at the end.
But before we get to that event, we have 8 verses that once again demonstrate to us the tremendous heart of God.
• Even now…
• Even here…
• In a world that is as opposed to God as at any time in history…
Before this final judgment comes we find God doing
What is so consistent with His nature.
God operates as a Savior.
These 8 verses almost serve as a pause within the pause.
The Lord Jesus has returned and He’s about to slay the wicked,
And yet before He does we get one last preaching of the gospel.
This passage does a tremendous job of helping us see just how far God’s mercy will go; and the answer is, right to the end.
Even as Jesus has returned as just about to slay the wicked,
Even then He is giving one last opportunity to repent and trust in Him.
Make no mistake, it is a merciful God whom we serve.
Ezekiel 33:11 “Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’”
So here we are, at the end, and let me show you the message that God has preached to the whole world.
#1 A MESSAGE OF SALVATION
Revelation 14:6-7
Here John says, “I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;”
Now obviously we like the fact that
This angel is preaching the gospel to those on the earth,
But let me tell you some other things that I love about this verse.
We already know that we are dealing with the events of the end;
• And what we find is that even at the end…
• Even at times of great peril and deception…
• IT’S STILL THE SAME MESSAGE!
This angel is still preaching the “eternal gospel”.
If it was the message at the beginning
And it will be the message at the end,
Then it leaves little doubt to us what the message today should be.
The world may have changed a great bit from the days of Paul unto now,
But the message has never changed.
The message has always been the “eternal gospel”
Furthermore, I love the fact that this same message is preached “to every nation and tribe and tongue and people”
Why is that significant?
Because it reminds us that the gospel transcends all contexts and cultures.
There is enormous research done and pressure applied to churches today
About the need to be “culturally relevant”
Or to understand “the contextualization” of the hearer.
I just read a Facebook post this past week about how millennials are dropping out of church, and what things the church needs to do differently in order to reach them.
Today we have hipster churches
Cowboy churches
Country churches
Mega churches
Biker churches
Etc, etc, etc
But it is extremely encouraging to me to know that
The message of the gospel transcends all of that.
The apostles took this message of the gospel
Across hard cultural lines with distinct language barriers
And not one time did the message or the method ever change.
It didn’t matter if Paul was in Judea, Italy, Asia, Greece, Spain, or on the moon you find him always doing the exact same thing; he preached the gospel.
It is the single message which is always relevant to all people everywhere.
I’ve always particularly loved what Paul said to the people of Athens.
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.”
That is what you call a universally relevant message.
The gospel has always been, and will always be,
Perfectly relevant to all people of all nations at all times.
I love that even here at the end, it’s the same message.
Gives us great clarity in what must be preached doesn’t it?
I love to tell the story of unseen things above,
Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love;
I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true,
It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do.
I love to tell the story, ’tis pleasant to repeat,
What seems each time I tell it more wonderfully sweet;
I love to tell the story, for some have never heard
The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word.
I love to tell the story, for those who know it best
Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest;
And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song,
’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long.
Here at the end the gospel still remains.
Well, what exactly is being preached by this angel?
(7) “and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of water.”
The message here is a message
Which requires humanity to submit themselves fully to God.
That message has not changed since the dawn of time.
“Fear God”
• Which of course speaks of the reverence that He deserves.
• It is to recognize who His is in all His might and splendor.
• It is to call men away from their rebellion against their creator and to begin to consider exactly who He is and what He can do.
“and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come;”
• Giving God glory is the acknowledgment of what He deserves.
This angel first calls the earth to consider who they are dealing with
And then to ascribe to Him the credit or respect that He rightly deserves.
“worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”
• Worship here implies submission to Him.
James taught us that it is more than just giving God the glory He deserves; even demons do that.
James 2:19 “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder.”
Even demons “fear God”, even demons “give Him glory”,
But that of course does not indicate that they are found pleasing to God,
For while they give Him credit, they REFUSE TO WORSHIP.
What then is this “worship” which we are commanded here to give?
Romans 12:1 “Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.”
The first time the word “worship” is used in Scripture is found in:
Genesis 22:5 “Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey, and I and the lad will go over there; and we will worship and return to you.”
Abraham is there referencing the coming execution of his son Isaac.
Job gave us great insight as to what “worship” is.
On the day that Job lost all of his oxen, donkeys, sheep, camels, children, and all but 3 servants, here is how Job responded:
Job 1:20-21 “Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head, and he fell to the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD.”
Worship then is when we recognize
Who God truly is and what God truly deserves
And then fully submit all that we have and all that we are and all that we hope into the full sovereign will and desire of this deserving God, for His pleasure and glory alone.
It is quite literally us giving God everything.
Because we understand that He deserves everything.
Furthermore, worship is the only suitable response
Of a person who truly fears God and desires to glorify Him.
If you don’t give God worship then you don’t really fear Him
And you don’t really think He deserves glory.
SO THE ANGEL HERE is calling all the earth to
Not only recognize God and what He deserves,
But then to fully submit their lives to His control.
WHY IS THAT SUCH A BIG DEAL?
Because you are aware of the cost of making this type of decision.
Have we not read what happens to those
who refuse the beast and choose to worship God?
They are martyred.
But God is calling for worship regardless of the difficulty.
And that too is a reality all men must get past.
When God calls for worship He does so with the understanding
That worshiping Him may in fact be costly.
• Listen to Jesus repeatedly tell us to count the cost…
• Listen to Him declare that it may bring division in your family…
• Listen to Him tell us that the whole world may hate us…
Nowhere in the Bible did God promise that
If you worship Him everything in this life will go well for you.
(In fact many times He promises that it won’t)
God knows that suffering is the fate of those who worship Him
And yet He calls for it anyway.
EVEN IN OUR DAY
• God knows all about the dangers of Islam
• God knows all about the feminist movement
• God knows all about the gay and lesbian movement
• God knows all about the push for tolerance
But that doesn’t change the command to submit all that you are to Him.
The command is to worship Him anyway.
THAT MESSAGE HAS NEVER CHANGED AND IT NEVER WILL.
Here, during earth’s final hour, God is still preaching salvation.
A message of salvation
#2 A MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT
Revelation 14:8
Here we have another angel who preaches “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.”
• This is a message announcing the fate of the wicked world system.
• This is a message announcing the fate of the kingdom of Satan.
• Incidentally this reality is also the subject of Revelation 17 & 18.
It is a message preached here to show the world that
The kingdom they have been trusting in
Is a kingdom which will not endure.
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.”
This system won’t last forever.
2 Peter 3:7 “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.”
This whole world and its system will not survive.
To that Jesus even asked:
Matthew 16:26-27 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? “For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and WILL THEN REPAY EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS DEEDS.”
SO…
• To everyone who has rushed after the beast…
• To everyone who thought he was winning…
• To everyone who has thus far done everything they can to gain the world…
This angel is announcing that they should stop and forsake that pursuit.
YOU WON’T WIN!
BABYLON WILL FALL!
Even at this final hour God is still pleading with sinners
Who are determined to go down with the ship.
A message of salvation, a message of judgment
#3 A MESSAGE OF TORMENT
Revelation 14:9-11
If those first two message weren’t enough
Then this one should really shake you to the core.
“If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and who receives the mark of his name.”
Let that sink in.
We have already established that God is demonstrating great mercy here;
BUT DO NOT ALLOW THE PRESENCE OF HIS MERCY
TO CAUSE YOU TO DOUBT THE CERTAINTY OF HIS JUDGMENT.
God is merciful to all who repent of their sin and worship Him.
For all those who refuse to repent…they receive torment.
And this angel even goes to great lengths to describe that torment to us.
They “will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger;”
God’s wrath mixed in full strength distributed in the cup of His anger.
It sounds terrible.
Here God announces that there will be no diluting His wrath.
Sinners will receive it in its full un-mixed reality.
This will not be one of those “This hurts Me more than it hurts you” moments.
AND THAT’S NOT ALL…
This angel says that those who receive this wrath “will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”
I remind you again that Satan is not in charge in hell; Jesus is.
Someone would ask, “Why would Jesus watch such a thing?”
• Why would He just to sit there as sinners are being tormented with fire?
• How could He watch?
I’ll tell you how, because He is holy!
Remember the parable of the vineyard?
The one about the men who rented the vineyard but who never produced the fruit and eventually beat the slaves and killed the son who was the heir?
Let me remind you how that parable ended:
Luke 19:27 “But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence.”
When Paul said that every knee would bow to Jesus, he wasn’t joking.
But many knees will bow to Him from the agonies of hell.
And in His fury He will not only pour out judgment,
But will satisfy His righteous indignation
As He watches them in torment.
Does that surprise you?
Did you think Jesus wasn’t offended by sin?
Did you think it really didn’t bother Him?
IT DOES…
Because of His great wrath, God is going to torment men in His presence.
AND THAT IS NOT ALL…
(11) “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever;”
So how long does this torment last?
FOREVER!
Everyone who enters hell gets a life sentence without parole,
And that is especially harsh considering even the worms don’t die in hell.
There is no end to this.
We’ve all read that story in Luke 16 about the rich man who went to Hades and was tormented in the flame.
That guy is still there.
2,000 years later and he’s still in agony in that flame.
Rejecting God is no laughing matter.
AND THAT IS NOT ALL…
“they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”
That means there are no breaks…
There are no moments of reprieve…
NOW I REALIZE that speaking of such a God who would punish sinners in this way for all eternity is not popular sentiment today,
But that does not change the fact that this is who God is.
GOD’S MERCY IS SEEN IN THE FACT THAT
Before this judgment becomes reality
He is crying out relentlessly to all those who are on the earth
To forsake the beast, and to forsake the world,
And to worship Him with all their heart.
And I think this is worth addressing a little deeper.
I can say that the focus of this message is the unredeemed, but I think we probably need to look at that a little more directly.
I want to ask you, who this message is being preached to.
• It’s easy to say that it is to those who had not yielded their lives to Christ.
• But I think it would have also been to those who had taken the mark of the beast.
And I do want to address that just a second
To make sure we understand and defend the integrity of the gospel.
So let’s cut to it: If we say that those angels are addressing those who have taken the mark of the beast
THEN WE MUST BE SAYING THAT SALVATION IS POSSIBLE FOR THEM.
Is that true?
Can you still be saved after you take the mark?
Now many would say, and they certainly have grounds, that the answer is an emphatic “NO”
• Since verse 9 seems to make it clear that if anyone takes that mark he will drink of God’s wrath.
There certainly seems to be a definite certainty there.
But if that is true then we have to ask,
“Who are those angels preaching to?”
You say, “Well those who haven’t taken the mark, but who aren’t following Jesus either.”
So the message would be then
To those who somehow have managed to stay in limbo?
Somehow this group of people found the strength to resist the cry of the beast,
But have also managed to reject the call of salvation from Christ.
The problem with that is that we already learned that the only people who don’t take the mark are those who are the elect; chosen of God.
Remember?
Revelation 13:7-8 “It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.”
That verse seems to remove any notion that
There will be any group that remains just in undecided limbo.
And frankly since no one can buy food without the mark it is hard to believe that anyone who is not committed to Jesus would refuse the mark based on some sort of moral ground. The cost is just too high.
Beyond that, verse 6 makes it clear that these angels are preaching “to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people;”
I think those who have taken the mark must be included in this.
The point I am making is this.
The only people who those angels could possibly be speaking to are those who have the mark.
So preacher, “Do you really think that people who have taken the mark can still be saved?”
Well, this is why I’m bringing it up.
I think this presents us an opportunity to clarify the gospel.
Let me ask you: What sin have you ever found in Scripture to be so horrific that God wouldn’t save someone out of if they repented?
• Are we saying that pagan worshipers can’t be saved? (Abraham was)
• Are we saying that Christian persecutors can’t be saved? (Paul was)
• Are we saying that Satan worshipers can’t be saved?
The only type of sinner who is listed as “unpardonable” in Scripture
Is one who refused to trust in Christ.
They can’t be saved because they have rejected the only means of salvation.
I bring this up because I want you to understand
The redemptive scope of the gospel and the mercy of God.
Now look, I’M NOT SAYING that there will even be one person who has taken the mark who will actually repent.
Scripture doesn’t say that any will.
I’m just saying that if they would repent of that sin, and remove that mark, and place their faith in Jesus,
I have no reason to believe that Christ would not forgive and save them.
That is the gospel, and it is a tremendous testimony to the mercy of God.
And I think then the call here from these angels becomes even clearer.
“You don’t want to enter eternity with that mark on your forehead.”
You’d better remove it and remove it now!
A message of salvation, a message of judgment, a message of torment
#4 A MESSAGE OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Revelation 14:12-13
FIRST God addresses those who have refused the beast,
And SECOND He addresses those who may be considering it.
First, to the faithful is that familiar message:
(12) “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”
After revealing the truth about God’s judgment,
John once again reminds why endurance is so important.
You don’t want to give up on Christ right before the judgment.
You’ve come so far, you’ve endured so much, hang on!
Hebrews 10:32-39 “But remember the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings, partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated. For you showed sympathy to the prisoners and accepted joyfully the seizure of your property, knowing that you have for yourselves a better possession and a lasting one. Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive what was promised. FOR YET IN A VERY LITTLE WHILE, HE WHO IS COMING WILL COME, AND WILL NOT DELAY. BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM. But we are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but of those who have faith to the preserving of the soul.”
I think that is the same message here.
It is a reminder to persevere and to keep trusting.
Certainly this next message is very encouraging to the redeemed,
But I think this voice is ALSO ADDRESSING THOSE
Who are considering the option.
• Those who are presently counting the cost of leaving the beast and following
Christ.
• No food, No provision, Certain martyrdom
You know they’d be caught in limbo here,
Many of you remember the struggle.
To those people God gives a wonderful and encouraging word.
(13) “And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!” ‘Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.”
It is true that if you cling to Christ you may die.
But if you die you are blessed!
Why?
Because you instantly leave a world of pain and suffering
And immediately enter a life of rest and reward!
Death has never been anything to fear for a believer.
Philippians 1:21-24 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.”
1 Corinthians 15:53-57 “For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. “O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
2 Corinthians 5:1-2 “For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven,”
And that is the point of the heavenly voice here.
If you are debating whether or not to stick with Christ…
If you are debating whether or not to leave the beast…
Let me unequivocally tell you what to do!
RUN TO CHRIST!
If you stick with Christ you get death here and rest for all eternity.
If you stick with the beast you get life here and torment for all eternity.
That is the sermon being preached as Christ returns,
But as we already said, that is also the message being preached today.
Indeed that message is the eternal gospel message.
And it applies to us today.
What is it that would keep you from submitting to Christ and becoming a fully submissive worshiper of God?
What is that thing holding you back?
Well is that thing worth being tormented for all eternity?
Listen to this message which is for all those who live on the earth.
Leave the grip of the enemy
And submit yourself to worship the true God of heaven.
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.”
