Pastoral Thoughts

Thanksgiving—A different Perspective

2025-11-24T15:30:00.000-05:00

Usually, when we tell the story of Thanksgiving, we stand on the deck of the Mayflower or the Spanish galleons, scanning the horizon, looking for hope, looking for land.

But today, I want us to get off the boats, walk up the beach, go into the tree line, and turn around. I want us to look at history not through the eyes of the ones arriving, but through the eyes of the ones who were already here.

The history of our country is a complicated testimony of times when we got that right, and times when we got it tragically wrong.

The Native Americans welcomed the foreigners to their lands. Though they had no familiarity with the Bible, still their welcome reminds me of the directive given to Christians by the writer of the book of Hebrews (13:2): “Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” and Paul’s advice to the Roman Christians in his letter (Romans 12 18): “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

I want to look at four specific moments—St. Augustine, Roanoke Island, Jamestown, and Plymouth—and ask: What were the Native American men and women thinking as they watched those sails pop up on the horizon? Let us look at what transpired, not with guilt, but with empathy.

St. Augustine: A Hospitable Curiosity

I want to start here in Florida; my home is just a few miles from the earliest permanent European settlement in the U.S.: St. Augustine.

It is 1565. The tribe of Native Americans around what would come to be called St. Augustine was the Timucua. And the name of their chief Seloy.

Now, put yourself in Chief Seloy’s sandals. You see these massive floating fortresses arrive. Men come out in heavy metal armor, sweating in the September heat. What was the Chief feeling? Perhaps curiosity mixed with caution. Chief Seloy did not attack. In fact, he did something that reminds me of the gift of hospitality we see in the New Testament. He gave Menéndez, the Spanish leader, his own “Great House,” the council house of the tribe, for shelter.

The Timucua tribe watched the Mass of Thanksgiving by the Spaniards, strangers kneeling before a cross. They showed hospitality; invited the newcomers to eat and welcomed them. Why? Well, the Timucua were smart. They had enemies (the French were nearby; other tribes were aggressive). They saw these Spanish soldiers as potential allies.

But I expect there also a wariness on their part. The Spanish modified the Great House. They dug a trench around it. They turned the house of hospitality into a fort.

Within months, the relationship soured. The Spanish demands for food became too heavy. They had overstayed their welcome. But that first moment? That first Thanksgiving in the New World? It was defined by a native spirit of generosity. They took a risk with the stranger.

And that challenges me—do I take risks on strangers, or do I lock my doors?

Roanoke Island: The Lost Trust

Further north, on the Outer Banks of North Carolina, was the “Lost Colony” of Roanoke. Its story happens from 1584 and 1590.

The tribes there were the Secotan and the Croatoan. When the English first showed up in 1584, the Native Americans were incredibly friendly. Chief Granganimeo of the Secotan tribe welcomed them. He took them to his village. There is no record of a Thanksgiving type celebration, but the Native Americans showed the colonists the type of hospitality we associate with the biblical imperatives and the holiday today.

A second group of colonists arrived at Roanoke Island in 1585, and things quickly changed. There was a theft—a silver cup that went missing. The English accused the Native Americans. When the cup was not returned, the English burned a village and destroyed their corn. We can imagine the feeling then. Betrayal. Confusion. Anger.

More settlers arrived in 1587. They stepped into a world where the well was already poisoned. The local tribes were not looking at them with curiosity anymore. They were looking at them with anger.

Governor John White left the 115 settlers at Roanoke and returned to England for supplies needed in the colony. After a three-year delay, he returned and found the settlement abandoned. It looked like an orderly departure, with no sign of attack. On one of the main posts of the defensive wall, stripped of its bark, the Governor White’s party found the word carved in capital letters: “CROATOAN,” the name of a tribe and a nearby island. The fate of the Roanoke colonists is not known. The disappearance of the colony is one of the most haunting moments in American history.

Jamestown: The Power Struggle

Now we go further north to Virginia, 1607, Jamestown. This is the land of the Powhatan Confederacy. And the Chief, Wahunsenacawh (whom we call Powhatan), was no simple villager. He was an Emperor. He ruled over 30 tribes.

When the English landed, Powhatan was not afraid; he was calculating. He looked at these Englishmen—who did not know how to farm, who were drinking salty water and dying of dysentery—and he did not see a threat. He saw incompetent children. Or, at best, he saw a tool he could use against his enemies. The feeling here was superiority mixed with pity.

There is a famous speech attributed to Powhatan, addressing Captain John Smith later. Listen to him: “Why will you take by force what you may have quietly by love? Why will you destroy us who supply you with food? What can you get by war?...We are unarmed, and willing to give you what you ask, if you come in a friendly manner."

As Jamestown expanded, the English stopped asking and started taking. It reminds me of how we sometimes treat God’s creation and His blessings. We grab and grab until the relationship is broken.

The Powhatan people fed the English during the winter, saving their lives multiple times. And yet, the English settlers grew in number, there were conflicts and deaths, and the settlers eventually pushed the Powhatan people off their land. The tragedy of Jamestown is that the native heart offered a hand, and eventually, had to raise a fist.

Plymouth: The Desperate Alliance

Finally, the story we know best: 1621, Plymouth, the Wampanoag people, and their leader, Massasoit; in Massachusetts today.

There are paintings of Massasoit sitting at the feast we regard as the first Thanksgiving. He looked serious and regal. But I wonder, what was he feeling? Just being nice and at ease? No, he had feelings of desperate necessity.

Just a few years before the Pilgrims arrived, a plague, brought by European fishermen, had wiped out 90 percent of the Wampanoag people. Their villages were empty. Most victims lay where they died, by this time their bones bleaching in the sun. Meanwhile, their enemies to the west, the Narragansett, were untouched by the plague and were ready to invade.

So, when Massasoit saw the Pilgrims—these people with guns and cannons—he did not just see new friends; he saw a lifeline for his people, thinking something like “If I ally with them, their firesticks will protect my people from the Narragansett. I will help you grow corn (so you do not die), and you will help me fight my enemies (so I do not die).”

So, sitting at that “first Thanksgiving,” he hoped for the settlers to be allies, a transaction sealed with a meal. And for 50 years that peace held, the longest peace between settlers and natives in early history, because it was built on mutual need.

Conclusion: The Ministry of Reconciliation

So, where does this leave us? We have seen hospitality in Florida, betrayal in Roanoke, calculation in Jamestown, and alliance in Plymouth. The Native American experience of the Thanksgiving celebration was not simple. It was a mix of hope, fear, generosity, dissappointmen and survival.

We must be honest about how this story ends. If we freeze the frame at the early Thanksgiving tables, we miss the tragedy that followed.

Despite those initial moments of hospitality—Seloy sharing his house, Granganimeo opening his village, and Massasoit sharing his corn—the relationships did not hold.

Over the next two centuries, the lands of the Native American peoples were seized; the Spanish in the South and West, the French along the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes, and, after winning its independence, the new nation of the United States eventually claimed all the land from coast to coast—through broken treaties, diseases, bloody battles, and displacement to reservations—fueling the insatiable hunger for land by a determined people with superior numbers and weapons.

This is the shadow behind the Thanksgiving feast. When we look at the history of the holiday from the Native Americans’ viewpoint, we see that the tragedy when both peoples stopped seeing each other as human beings, made in the image of God, and saw instead an obstacle.

While we give thanks for the land we live on, we must do so with humility, acknowledging the tremendous cost paid by those who were here first.

As Christians, when we look at this history, we should not feel guilty, because guilt does not fix anything. We cannot go back hundreds of years and change our history.

This Thanksgiving Day, take a moment to remember those Native American hosts—Seloy, Granganimeo, Powhatan, and Massasoit—by doing what they tried to do at the beginning: Open the door of your hearts. Share the corn. And treat the stranger as a friend.

Today, you have people in your life who are “the other,” like the Native Americans were to our ancestors. They may be people who vote differently, people who speak differently, people who look different.

“Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2).

“If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18).

Jesus Said: “I AM the Light of the World”

2025-11-22T09:35:00.000-05:00

And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.”
And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel,
‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

We read in Exodus chapter three (3:13-14) the earliest statement identifying God as the I AM:

¹³ Then Moses said to God, “Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you,’ and they say to me, ‘What is His name?’ what shall I say to them?” ¹⁴ And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

When God revealed His name, I AM, to Moses, He was not just giving Moses something to call Him—He was revealing His very being—self-existent, not created, dependent on no one, eternal, always present, and unchanging.

Jewish understanding linked this name with God’s absolute sovereignty and timeless being. God says “…I AM…,” claiming to be the first and the last, the only Savior.

In Isaiah 43:10, we find the Lord saying”

“You are My witnesses,” says the Lord, “And My servant whom I have chosen, That you may know and believe Me, And understand that I AM He. Before Me there was no God formed, Nor shall there be after Me.”

“I AM” is not just a name; it expresses God’s absolute, eternal, self-sufficient existence.

The “I AM” of the Old Testament also applies to Jesus, whom we know as the Son, one of the three persons of God…the One who came to save us. Knowing Him changes how we trust, worship, and live.

This evening, we consider the second recorded time Jesus used the term “I AM,” in John chapter eight.

It was early morning in Jerusalem. The previous night the great week-long celebration of the Festival of Tabernacles filled the temple courts with music, dancing, and light.

Massive golden lamps—some say on columns 75 feet high—had burned each night of the Festival in the Temple’s Court of the Women. People throughout Jerusalem could see the glow. The light commemorated the pillar of fire that guided Israel through the wilderness and symbolized the coming glory of God’s presence.

Jesus teaches in the temple courtyard.

But now it was morning. The light from the lampstands had been extinguished, and Jesus, sitting in the court where the lamps had blazed, was teaching a crowd of worshipers.

John reports that Jesus was among the Rabbis teaching in the courtyard. John wrote: “…early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them” (John 8:2).

While Jesus was teaching, a group of scribes and Pharisees interrupted Him, bringing a woman caught in adultery. We all know what happened. They meant to trap Jesus, to twist the Law into a weapon and discredit Him before the crowd. Instead, He silenced the accusers, and sent the woman away, forgiven and free.

The scribes and Pharisees left, defeated.

Jesus turned back to the crowd, and John 8:12 tells us:

¹²When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12).

In His claim here to be “…the light of the world…” He takes the name or title of “I AM.”

Jesus as the “I AM” recalls John’s description of Him in chapter one (vv. 3-4) that:

³All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. ⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

Jesus is not only the inexhaustible source of spiritual nourishment for us, but also the genuine light by which truth and falsehood can be distinguished and by which our direction in life can be established.

He is the “I AM,” the Light, the One who exposes hypocrisy, dispels shame, and offers a new way to walk as only God can do…the “I AM WHO I AM,” the self-existent, eternal God… oneness with the One we know as the triune God…united in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Jesus reinforces who He is even more clearly a few lines later in John chapter eight, verse 56-58, when Jesus tells His Jewish listeners: “⁵⁶Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” ⁵⁷Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” ⁵⁸Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

This “I AM” claim confronted the Jews in the crowd, many of whom responded in anger, that He would claim to be God.

Everyone since His death have had the choice: to believe and have life (John 20:31) or reject and remain in darkness, as Jesus tells them in the 24^th verse of chapter eight: “…if you do not believe that I AM He, you will die in your sins.”\For all of us, His followers, then and now, His “I AM” calls for trust, worship, and living daily as people devoted to Him, the “I AM,” the self-existent Lord.

Our Savior and Lord is God and Light, and as “…the light of the world…” He calls us to walk boldly in the blazing Light of His presence.

In John 8:12, we see Jesus as:

The Light of His Divine Identity
The Light of His Saving Power and Guiding Presence
The Light of His Life-Giving Hope

First, we will consider:

The Light of His Divine Identity

“I AM the light of the world.”

Jesus does not merely say, “I bring light.” He says, “I AM the light.” That phrase,“…I AM…,” would have stopped every Jew who heard His claim. They knew that God identified Himself to Moses at the burning bush: “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14; in Hebrew can be translated to English literally either: “I will be what I will be” or “I AM WHO I AM”).

When God revealed His name “I AM” to Moses, He was not just giving Moses something to call Him—He was revealing His very being: eternal, unchanging, and self-existent.

The “I AM” bridges the Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, it is the personal covenant name of God, signifying His eternal, self-existent nature. In the New Testament, Jesus boldly claims this name, showing that He is God incarnate, the fulfillment of God’s promises and the source of life and salvation.

Note that John has been building the theme of Jesus being the Light since his gospel’s first chapter, where he tells us:

“⁴In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:4-5), and

“⁹That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world (John 1:9).

Here, as in the Old Testament, the Light is a direct attribute of God.

David wrote in Psalm 27:1—“The Lord is my light and my salvation…,” and

Isaiah prophesied (9:2)—“The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined.”

As devoted Christians, we recognize that Jesus claims what only God can claim—He, the “I AM,” is the ultimate source of truth, holiness, the light of His presence, and life.

Most of us have known Christ for many decades. We have taught, we have served, we have preached, we have been in the uttermost parts of the world with the massage of Jesus. And Jesus, the “I AM,” should still cause feelings of wonder and gratitude.

He is no mere moral teacher or inspirational figure, but God Himself…the I AM… Worship is our only fitting response.

Next, we will consider:

The Light of His Saving Power and Guiding Presence

“Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness…”

The light of Jesus, the “I AM,” …truly God…rescues the lost from their darkness. Darkness in Scripture is used to symbolize sin, ignorance, and death.

The Lord, using symbolic language, gives Isaiah a prophetic look at the future promised, that the support of his servant, Christ, in the doing of his will. Isaiah prophesied in 42:7 that the Servant would be “…as a light to the Gentiles, ⁷To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the prison, Those who sit in darkness from the prison house.”

If we interpret this passage in terms of its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus, then it was through His earthly ministry with its climax…just as through his sufferings He died for our sins and rose again so we can inherit an eternal future with Him.

Jesus says, in John 12:46: “I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness” (John 12:46).

Some of us carry decades of private regret—past sins, failures in ministry, and broken relationships with colleagues or family.

The light of our Savior and Lord exists to deliver us, from the darkness of sin, from the darkness of doubt, and from the darkness of despair. In fact, in Psalm 27:1, David tells us:

The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?

Even for people in later life, as we are, the light of His saving and sustaining work is present, it is personal, and it is powerful. We do not have to stumble in old guilt or silent despair.

Notice that our not walking in darkness is conditional: “Whoever who follows Me…” Jesus’ light is not for passive regard; it is for us, His disciples. That means we are called “to walk closely behind” or “to stay in step” with our Savior and Lord. Just as the Israelites faithfully followed the pillar of cloud by day and fire by night through the wilderness (Exodus 13:21–22), we are called to follow the light of Christ’s living presence.

In Psalm 119:105, the psalmist declares: “Your word is a lamp to my feet And a light to my path...” Jesus fulfills that Word in person. Later in John 12, He warns: “Walk while you have the light, lest darkness overtake you … believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (v. 36).

And for us, the Holy Spirit tells us in John’s first epistle: “⁵This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. ⁶If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).

The call of our Savior and Lord to us is as fresh today as it was when we were young. His call is for us to “…walk in the light as He is in the light…” to continually seek Him through His Word…to keep praying for guidance every moment of every day…to walk with Christ step by step…and to teach the next generation about Jesus, whether they be your grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, or other young believers. Write emails and letters, talk to them about their Savior. I even post scriptures on social media. I know they follow.

I am particularly affected by the writer of the book of Hebrews, through whom the Holy Spirit advises us: “…let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, ²looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Finally, I want to consider:

The Light of His Life-Giving Hope

“…the light of life…”

Jesus promises not only to rescue and guide us as his disciples, but also that we will experience: “…the light of life…,” that is, an eternal, vibrant, unquenchable life.

John’s inspired message begins in John chapter one with the promise: “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men” (John 1:4) and ends with his description of the New Jerusalem: “²³The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light.” (Rev 21:23).

For us, life with Christ can be as vibrant as ever, though we are retired…think of it not as sunset but sunrise.

Always remember Jesus’ words:

“¹²When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I AM the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

We have served Him faithfully in pulpits and classrooms, in mission fields and homes, in board meetings and prayer rooms. But the question before us now is not, “Have we once followed Him?” It is, “Are we still following Him—closely, joyfully, radiantly?”

Christ still leads, still illumines our path ahead. Retirement is not the end of our pilgrimage, but a new stage of following His light with clearer eyes and steadier hearts.

So, let me ask:
Is your faith complacent or alive and vigorous? Hear again the voice of Jesus—calling us to rekindle our faith, to
“…walk in the light, as He is in the light…” (1 John 1:7).

You still have a testimony to give, a prayer life that can be vigorous and effective…Christ’s light in each of us is not diminished by the years; so, let it shine all the brighter because it has passed through many storms.

Hear the promise from our Savior and Lord: as Christians, we “…have the light of life.”

Present hope and eternal joy are already ours.

We walk daily in the dazzling light of His presence, the “…I AM…” who is “…the Light of the world.”

Amen

Living as Christians in a Broken World

2025-05-14T13:37:00.002-04:00

Unlike secular moral principles, which is based on ever-changing cultural norms, Christian ethics are grounded in God’s character and do not change. God wants us to live according to the moral principles and actions that arise from our relationship with Him. It is a life shaped by God’s revealed truth in Scripture, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and centered on love for God and neighbor.

As Paul tells us: “…whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). This verse is Paul’s summary statement about Christian liberty, conscience, and love. The immediate context is his exhortation to live thoughtfully and sacrificially. He calls us to a God-centered ethic in every area of life, even the most ordinary activities. Paul is writing to the church in Corinth, a community plagued by division, moral compromise, and theological confusion.

1 Corinthians chapters 8-10 constitute a unit in which Paul addresses the issue of whether the Corinthian Christians should eat food sacrificed to idols, an issue that was dividing the church there. Animal sacrifices were used in pagan religious practices in the city, and then the meat was sold to merchants who offered it for sale to the public.

While acknowledging that idols are nothing (8:4), Paul warns against misusing liberty in ways that could damage weaker believers or lead others into sin (8:9–13; 10:14–22). Just prior (10:23–30), he discusses the legitimacy of eating meat sold in the market without question of conscience, while still urging sensitivity if someone raises an issue of idolatry. Paul’s conclusion is that Christian freedom must be regulated not merely by knowledge, but by love, humility, and a passion for God’s glory.

A Christian's life must be lived in obedience to God. It is not merely a matter right and wrong, but about glorifying God in every decision, thought, and action. Christian standards begin with who God is: holy, righteous, just, and loving. All moral obligations find their source in His nature. David tells us: “The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does” (Psalm 145:17).

The standards for us from our Savior and Lord are not arbitrary; they reflect His character and being. When He calls His people to be holy, it is because He is holy: “…just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy’” (1 Peter 1:15–16; paraphrasing Leviticus 19:2: “Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy”).

God never changes. His moral standards remain constant across all cultures and eras. Our standards therefore are neither evolving nor negotiable, but must reflect the standards of our Savior and Lord. As a person of our triune God, Jesus reflects perfect righteousness in His life, teachings, death, and resurrection, all of which must be the standards for thinking and acting for Christians today.

He calls us to have an inward transformation rather than mere external compliance: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them…You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder…’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment” (Matthew 5:17, 21–22).

In Christ, our standards of thinking and acting come not from rigid rules, but from being Christlike and filled with the Spirit. He teaches us to love even our enemies (Matthew 5:44), to serve the least (Matthew 25:40), and to live with mercy and truth, all standards for every believer which are contrary to the typical standards in the Western secular culture.

As Christians, we do not live in human strength but in the power of the Holy Spirit in a process called sanctification, the work of the Holy Spirit enabling us to become increasingly like Christ. As Paul observes: “…walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Galatians 5:16 is a powerful and concise statement capturing the essence of spiritual growth and moral victory. In Paul’s letter to the Galatians, he introduces a section that contrasts life in the Spirit with life according to the flesh and is a key to understanding sanctification, which takes place not by human effort, but by submission to the Holy Spirit. Paul makes it clear in the next verse (Galatians 5:17) that there is a daily conflict: “For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whateveryou want.”

Having Christian standards is not primarily about knowing the right thing to do; it is about having the power to do it. This is where the Holy Spirit plays His role. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit began dwelling in us, enabling us to live a godly life, not through external regulation, but through internal transformation. The moral life our Savior and Lord expects is not natural to fallen human beings, who are, in fact, incapable of living holy lives because they are slaves to sin.

The Apostle Paul’s description of the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22–23 defines the moral character of Christ being formed in the believer: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22–23).

These fruits are in contrast with the “…acts of the flesh…” described earlier in the passage: “… sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like…” (Galatians 5:19–21).

Our morality is not achieved by suppressing the flesh, but by submitting to the Spirit’s work in us. Paul adds: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25); in other words, we must be responsive, sensitive, and obedient to His leading and rely on His strength.

As I noted earlier, the process of being transformed, (becoming increasingly holy), is referred to as sanctification. Paul describes the process this way: “And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). This transformation produces holiness (separation from sin), purity, compassion, and humility. It is not a sudden, but a progressive change. The Spirit reveals sin, convicts us, leads to repentance, and empowers our obedience.

The Christian life is not just about doing good; it is about dying to self so that Christ can live through us.

Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would guide us in truth and reminds us of His teachings: “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you” (John 14:26). John 14:26 is a promise from Jesus that the Holy Spirit would continue His work among His disciples after His departure. The Spirit would teach, remind, and ensure the faithful transmission of Jesus’ message. This verse highlights the deep unity between the Father, Son, and Spirit and offers believers lasting confidence in the Spirit’s ongoing work to teach, comfort, and sanctify.

The Spirit equips us not only to avoid sin but to do good works, with acts of justice, mercy, hospitality, and service that display the heart of God to a watching world and draw others to Christ. He convicts, empowers, guides, and transforms us. He is not merely an aid to morality; He is the essential source of it. The more we know Him, walk with Him, and submit to Him, the more our lives will reflect the holiness of our Savior and Lord.

The Spirit works in tandem with Scripture, never contradicting it, and bringing clarity in morally complex situations, shaping our conscience, and deepening our discernment. This means we must cultivate a life of prayer, Scripture study, and seeking the Spirit’s guidance, surrendering ourselves to His teaching and transforming work.

The Holy Spirit does not only empower personal holiness but also our witness to the world. Our moral lives are part of our gospel testimony, as Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14-16). In a dark world, God calls His people to “…let your light shine before others…,” not to glorify themselves, but as witnesses who, by their visible faith, point others to the Savior.

Jesus’ words challenge every Christian to live visibly, faithfully, and fruitfully. When we do, the result is not only a better world, but God being glorified by those who come to know Him through the light they see in us.

Partners in the Gospel

2025-02-09T09:04:00.001-05:00

Philippians 1:1-11

(Presented at the Saturday evening contemporary service

at Penney Memorial Church, Penney Farms, Florida, February 8, 2025.)

¹ Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: ²Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ³I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, ⁶being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. ⁹And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God (Philippians 1:1-11).

Introduction

Paul established the church in Philippi about 52 AD and wrote this letter to the church about a decade later, between 60 and 62 AD. Luke tells us in Acts chapter 16 that Timothy had been present at the founding of the church, and now, a decade later, we find Paul and Timothy together once more, this time in Rome, where Paul is under house arrest, and Timothy is assisting him. Even though confined, Paul was able to continue his writing, and he wrote four of the letters we recognized as part of the New Testament canon. They are the epistles of Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon.

The bond between Paul and the church at Philippi was remarkably close. This was the first church established in Europe, and its location is today an archaeological site in the region of East Macedonia in the northeastern part of Greece.

The tone of his letter to the Philippians is not like that of most of his letters. It contains no doctrinal discussions and no rebukes of evil, but is an outpouring of love and confidence in that church.

Paul begins this letter in vv. 1-2 with his standard greeting.

Calling Christians at Philippi “…God’s holy people in Christ Jesus…,” from the NIV translation, highlights their identity as people set apart through union with Christ. Some other English versions use the phrase “…saints in Christ Jesus…”

Though “…overseers and deacons…” were the two orders of officers in New Testament churches (1 Timothy 3), this is the only letter in which Paul addresses them in his greeting. “Overseers” for you Greek scholars is the plural of “ἐπισκόπος” (episcopos) which also rendered in English as “elder” and “presbyter.” Elders, deacons, and deaconesses were officers in New Testament churches (1Ti 3:1-3), along with “shepherds,” also called “pastors.”

The book of Philippians is often called the “Paul’s Epistle of Joy.”

He expresses his joy and confidence in God and His continuing work, despite being imprisoned under house arrest in Rome. His objective is to instill in the Philippian Christians the kind of joy that transcends one’s circumstances. Through this epistle, the Holy Spirit wants to instill the same kind of joy in us also.

Despite Paul’s confinement, his heart is full of gratitude because of the Philippians’ partnership in the gospel.

His blessing of “…grace and peace…” in v. 2 is what we might call the essence of God’s will for how we should live: “grace” being our recognition of God’s unmerited favor and a “peace” on which we can rely, even in the midst of the ups and downs of life.

Many of you have had times when you have felt the peace of God to be extraordinarily strong. For me, there have been several times like that…notably in the multiple times I have found myself in a hospital operating room being prepped for surgery. In those times, I have felt unusually at peace, invariably praying the words of our Savior and Lord from the gospels “…not my will, but thine, be done…” (Luke 22:42).

Our Savior and Lord wishes that kind of peace and immense joy in Him to be part of each of our lives.

Exposition

Proposition: Now, turning to vv. 3-11, we find three key marks of a church that brings joy and peace.

1. The first mark of a church that brings joy and peace is found in the Philippi church, a church that partners in the gospel (vv. 3-5)

³ I thank my God every time I remember you. ⁴ In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy ⁵ because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now…”

Paul first assures his readers that he thanks God for them, a pattern he follows in most of his letters to the churches.

He seems to have had an especially warm relationship with this church, that tone is obvious at the outset of the letter. By thanking God for them he stresses his personal devotion, the natural outflow from the heart of a deeply spiritual man to a people he loves and to whom he is devoted.

His prayer of thanksgiving for them was prompted by the joyous memory Paul had of his Philippian friends. He is grateful for the Philippians’ ongoing support of his ministry, which has extended from the establishment of the church until a decade later, citing their “…partnership in the gospel…”

He uses a common Koine Greek word translated “…partnership…” We are all familiar with it—κοινωνία (koinonia), meaning here “partnership” or “fellowship in the Spirit.” In this case, it means a deep fellowship of active participation, not just a passive association. As we will see later in this series in Philippians, the partnership between Paul and the church at Philippi involved financial support (Philippians 4:15-16), prayer (1:19), and even suffering for Christ (1:29-30).

The term “partnership” or “fellowship” expresses a two-sided relationship. It includes our participation in the life God wants for us (1Co 1:9; 1Jn 1:3), the sharing of a common faith as a group of believers, and also the existence of a brotherly relationship among believers (2Co 8:4; Gal 2:9; 1Jn 1:7). Evidently, this was the case between Paul and the Philippian church. Their partnership with Paul included financial support and their prayers for him and his ministry. Paul was filled with joy over their ongoing love for God, love for him, and for love for each other.

Paul recognized that the kind of fellowship or partnership between him and the Philippian Christians was not just a friendship, but a deep devotion that results in praying for, loving, and caring for each other.

Some Questions:

How well are we actively partnering in the gospel?
How are we doing in loving others as Jesus loves us?
How are we doing in praying for each other? ...praying for others here at Penney Retirement Community? …praying for the host of lost souls around us?
How are we doing serving each other as each has needs?
Do we visit the sick? …the folks who may feel forgotten?
How are we doing in being kind and tenderhearted?
How are we doing encouraging and comforting each other?
How well are we doing building each other up?
How well are we doing forgiving each other?
Are we holding each other accountable in love and not merely judging?
Do we share our excitement in the Lord with each other? …with others, including the lost?

2. The second mark of a church that brings joy and peace is that the Philippian Christians were believers who shared with Paul in the grace of God (vv. 6-8)

⁶…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. ⁷It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart and, whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God’s grace with me. ⁸God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.

Paul first expresses confidence in God’s faithfulness— “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…” (v. 6). The “…good work…” is a reference to their salvation and sanctification. Their faith in God produced their transformed lives by His work of regeneration and justification. Paul rejoiced in the Philippians’ generous gifts and the evidence of their spiritual growth. However, his confidence did not rest ultimately on them but on God, who would preserve them and was enabling them in their faith and their fellowship.

Paul continues, writing that God would carry His work in them on to completion “…until the day of Christ Jesus.,” a phrase that he uses six times in his epistles (1Corinthians 1:8; 5:5; 2Corinthians 1:14; Philippians 1:6, 10; 2:16). This expression is eschatological, a synonym of the “…day of the Lord…” in both the New and Old Testaments (1Thessalonians 5:2 and Amos 5:18-20), referring to the time when Christ returns, salvation will be finally completed, everyone's works will be examined, and believers will be rewarded.

An important thought we get from v. 7 is Paul’s deep affection for the Philippians, when he writes “I have you in my heart…” and in v. 8: “…how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.” In a sense they had become partners in his imprisonment and his current suffering, so close was the relationship and their love and care for him, and his love and desire to be with them.

Application: When we contemplate Paul’s statement that “…he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion…,” we know that our Lord is by grace shaping us into the image of Christ, and He won’t stop until the work is finished.

So, the question we must ask ourselves is:

How well am I trusting God to continue working in my life, to smooth those rough edges, and to make me more like Jesus?...a lessen I confess I have had to learn more than a few times in my Christian walk is that we rest in God’s faithfulness and not in our own ability to “fix” ourselves or “fix” others.

3. And the third mark of a church that brings joy and peace is that we find in Philippi a church that grew in love and discernment (vv. 9-11)

⁹ And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, ¹⁰ so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.

Paul prays for love to abound at the Philippian church. But not just every day, run-of-the-mill love. His prayer is for an ever-increasing love characterized by “…knowledge…” and “…depth of insight…,” also translated “discernment.” This love is not merely emotional but is informed by a deep understanding of God’s will.

Perhaps we could add to the meaning and call it moral depth of insight, because the phrase in v. 10 “…to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ…” suggests the ability to know and pursue what is truly morally right and pleasing to God. And he adds purity and blamelessness: Paul’s prayer points to our being ready “…for the day of Christ…” There is that bit of eschatology again—to strive to be pure and blameless for that future time when we will stand with other believers before our Savior and Lord.

And both now and in that future day, it is God’s will that we be “…filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ…” (v. 11), meaning the ethical and spiritual transformation that results from being united with Christ. Such “…fruit of righteousness…” not only glorifies God, but also enables His person and work to be seen in the ways we think, talk, and live.

Application

A healthy believer and a healthy church stand for truth in love, avoiding both harsh legalism and careless tolerance.

So my parting question is this:

As individuals, and as a body of believers, are we growing so increasingly we strive to meet our Lord’s standard: to be “…pure and blameless for the day of Christ, ¹¹ filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ…”?

Amen.

Living the Blessed Life--Unpacking the Beatitudes: An Expository Study of Matthew 5:3-16

2025-01-25T10:30:00.000-05:00

The Beatitudes, a major part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, comprise a core teaching which offer a profound guide for living a life of grace, humility, and purpose. They define success and fulfillment as His followers, not in terms of material wealth or power, but in values such as mercy, meekness, and righteousness. Jesus gives us a picture of God's kingdom, where the poor in spirit, the peacemakers, and the persecuted are honored and blessed.

In this brief work, we will explore the timeless wisdom of the Beatitudes, their deeper meanings, and their relevance in navigating the complexities of modern life.

1. Matthew 5:3— “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

What does it mean to be “…poor in spirit…,” and how does this poverty of spirit open the door to the riches of God’s kingdom?

Poverty of spirit is not just about humility; it is about complete dependence on God, which we might call the core value of Christian living. In Koine Greek the term “…blessed…” signifies a deep, spiritual blessing; a state of joy or contentment that does not depend on our circumstances. Some Bible versions translate this as “…happy…”

In addition, the word “…poor…” normally describes someone who is utterly destitute with no resources and forced to beg to survive. But Jesus is not talking about material poverty here. He is referring to an inner sense of complete insufficiency before God. So, becoming “…poor in spirit…” is far from being a negative attribute; it is something we should strive for, acknowledging that we are unable to earn God’s favor and are dependent on His grace.

The blessing is that “…the kingdom of heaven…” belongs to those who are “…poor in spirit.” Jesus uses “…the kingdom of heaven…” in reference to the spiritual realm where God’s authority and righteousness dwell. It is an inheritance we cannot earn, but which is given to us as we become empty of self and filled with the presence of the indwelling Holy Spirit. That is when the kingdom takes root in us.

How does this poverty of spirit look in daily life? How do we cultivate it?

· First is dependence on God in prayer. A prayerful life reflects a heart that recognizes our need for God’s strength, guidance, and provision.

· Second is a heart of repentance; being aware of the tension between our inner nature and the indwelling Spirit and continually seeking God’s forgiveness and filling. An ongoing sense of humility enables God to shape and transform us to be more like our Savior.

· Third is selflessness; considering others above us, consistent with the Holy Spirit’s instruction in Philippians 2:3: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves.”

This first Beatitude is a foundational teaching of Jesus. It calls us to acknowledge our need for God. It is only in our emptiness that God can fill us with Himself.

Poverty of spirit is not a burden but a doorway to blessing and to a life devoted to reflecting the character of God.

2. Matthew 5:4— “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Because of the broad scope of the Beatitudes, Jesus refers here more than to mourning over a personal loss, but rather, to our sorrow for sin and suffering, including personal grief over our own sin nature, as well as the overwhelming presence of sin and suffering everywhere.

The Koine Greek word “…mourn…” here means “heartfelt sorrow.” Spiritual mourning certainly includes recognition of our own lingering sinfulness. A notable example is the prophet Isaiah, who tells us upon encountering God in his vision: “…I saw the Lord…Woe to me!...I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty” (Isaiah 6:1,5).

In addition, we are called to have deep concern about the future of the millions of lost people around us and to do all we can do to tell them of God’s love. Remember John’s vision in Revelation 20: “Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (v. 15); and also remember that Peter’s admonition that God is “…not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).

Our Savior and Lord has given us the task of telling the lost about His offer of salvation and an eternal presence with Him.

We also are called to have deep concern for others in need, another cause for mourning among us. And not only that, but the call is to act, as the Lord told Isaiah: “Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow” (Isaiah 1:17). And Jesus taught us compassion for the needy and reminds us of our responsibility: “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40).

We might at this point ask why does God bless “…those who mourn…”? Jesus teaches in this Beatitude that responding with sorrow over sin, caring about and witnessing to the lost, and helping those in need results in God’s blessing. Our sorrow, or mourning, over all this leads us to repentance, action, and a deep reliance on God’s grace.

His promise is that “…they shall be comforted.” Comfort comes through our assurance of forgiveness and our efforts to reach out to others. It is the Holy Spirit living in us who provides guidance and reassurance: “...we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:1).

Jesus not only calls us to mourn over our own sin and the sinful condition of the world around us, but also, He calls us to help others in their time of need and, through our witness, for them to know the lasting comfort only God can provide.

3. Matthew 5:5— “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”

Jesus gives us a profound promise in this, the third Beatitude.

Many people will find this puzzling, because our culture, just like that of the first century, values strength and assertiveness. So why would Jesus bless meekness, and how does meekness deserve a reward?

The Koine Greek word translated “…meek…” here suggests not weakness, but rather, self-control and freedom from malice.

In ancient Greek literature, meekness often is used to describe a tamed animal, such as a horse trained to submit to a rider. So, by meekness, Jesus does not mean weakness. We could define meekness as strength under control or power held in reserve, as the ancient Greek writers asserted. A good example of meekness is Moses, who could at times was certainly strong, assertive, and confrontational, but is described in Hebrew as “…very meek…” (Numbers 12:3).

So, for Christians, meekness is a humble strength that trusts in God’s sovereignty and timing, and it is a call for us to trust and surrender our will to God’s. But meekness is not something we can accomplish on our own; it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit working within us (Galatians 5:23). When we surrender our strength to God, He shapes it into a meekness that mirrors Christ’s own humility and gentleness.

Jesus tells us that the meek “…will inherit the earth…” This would have reminded first-century Jews of an inheritance promised their ancestors in Psalm 37: “…the meek will inherit the land…” (v. 1); “…those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land…” (v. 9); and “…The righteous will inherit the land…” (v 29).

There is a present aspect of this promise in that we can live contentedly, without the relentless drive for power or possessions. The promised land for Christians became a metaphor for future reward— “…a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells…” (2 Peter 3:13). That is the ultimate inheritance believers will receive in God’s kingdom, a renewed earth where righteousness reigns.

Jesus teaches us in this beatitude that the meek are indeed blessed, with lives that are marked by a quiet strength and a peace that flows from a deep trust in God. Our reward is that we will find true strength now and eternal fulfillment in the richness of God’s kingdom in the life to come.

4. Matthew 5:6— “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”

Jesus emphasizes a core attitude for Christians in this fourth Beatitude, calling us to “…hunger and thirst for righteousness…” That means to go beyond simple moral behavior, but having a deep, spiritual craving for godly character. That is something that challenges us daily. If we are living righteously, we are living in a way that aligns with holiness, separation from sin.

The Bible tells us that righteousness is not something we can achieve through our efforts alone, it is “…by faith…” (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; 3:22; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). Righteousness is being in right standing with God, living in a way that aligns with His holiness. In Christ, God makes us righteous in His sight and transforms our hearts, enabling us to live differently—not in perfection, but genuinely pursuing holiness in our actions, thoughts, and decisions.

When we choose to live righteously, we offer ourselves as a “…living sacrifice…” having been “…transformed by the renewing of your mind…” (Romans 12:1-2), a transformation that includes how we view ourselves and the world around us, and that helps us to know God’s will more clearly.

Paul prays in Philippians 1:11 for us to be “...filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ…” Righteousness is seen in how we love, serve, and treat others, as well as how we manage our responses to challenges and temptations of life. It is evident in our daily choices, even in small acts of kindness, honesty, and integrity.

As you reflect on these scriptures, consider where God may be calling you to grow in righteousness. Are there areas in your life where you need to be more righteous…where you have drifted away from God’s standards? What changes do you need to make to conform to God’s will? And are there specific ways God is calling you to serve, love, or sacrifice for others?

5. Matthew 5:7—“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.”

Jesus focuses on Godly mercy in this fifth Beatitude.

Showing mercy in Greco-Roman culture was viewed as weakness. Jesus, however, regards mercy as a strength and a virtue that reflects God's character. While the first-century Jews may have forgotten, His teaching was in line with ancient Jewish culture. For example, Micah wrote 700 years before Christ’s advent: “He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8), and God’s words to Hosea were: “…I desire mercy, not sacrifice…” (Hosea 6:6).

Mercy embraces both forgiveness for the guilty and compassion for the suffering and needy. Jesus defines no particular object of mercy is specified here, because mercy always must be shown by His disciples. This theme is common in Matthew, teaching in Matthew 9:12-13: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Mercy is both a feeling of compassion and an action, helping others in need. Biblical examples of the kind of mercy He expects of us include the good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37), and Joseph forgiving his brothers (Genesis 45:1-15).

Showing mercy means forgiveness, letting go of grudges (Ephesians 4:32); compassion, actively aiding those who suffer (Proverbs 19:17): and patience, understanding others’ weaknesses (Colossians 3:12).

For the Christian, mercy is both a gift and a model for how to treat others. David tells us in Psalm 103 that God’s mercy is abundant and everlasting, and James 2:13 reminds us that mercy triumphs over judgment. When believers show mercy, they align with God’s merciful nature and are assured of His ongoing mercy in their lives. Living mercifully is an essential trait of Christians.

6. Matthew 5:8— “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

When I consider this sixth Beatitude, three questions immediately occur to me:

· What does it mean to be “…pure in heart…”?

· What does it mean to “...see God…”?

· How does the purity of heart impact on our lives today?

To Jesus’ first-century hearers, the Greek word “…pure…” was used the same as we use it today, meaning “clean, wholesome,” and “untainted.” It also means moral or spiritual purity. In addition, the “…heart…” here is a metaphor for our emotional center or the core of our spiritual being.

By “…pure in heart…” Jesus means having an inner life that is uncorrupted by ulterior motives or sin and that we try to live in complete honesty and openness before God. As the Lord told Samuel “...the Lord looks at the heart…” (1 Samuel 16:7), and David prayed: “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me…” (Psalm 51:10). If we are “…pure in heart…” we have a heart set on God.

The secular world values external appearances and achievements more than the inner life. God looks at the heart, not expecting perfection, but He sees us living honestly before Him, striving for purity.

The promise Jesus gives us is that those who are “…pure in heart…will see God.” In Koine Greek, this conveys that it is certain we will see God. In scripture, this is profound regarding our future. Moses wanted to see God's face, but he was only permitted a glimpse of God’s back (Exodus 33:18-23). But in New Testament prophecy, the promise to see God is a certainty. Our eternal life is in God’s presence now and will be forever.

So how does the purity of heart impact on our lives today? Pursuing purity of heart brings us closer to experiencing God’s presence, love, and guidance in our everyday lives. It leads us to a life that reflects God’s character, a life marked by humility, love, and obedience, and a life that transforms our relationships, our decisions, and our desires.

To be pure in heart, we seek God’s glory. It is a journey of daily surrender and renewal, inviting God to search our hearts and align us more closely with His love and truth.

7. Matthew 5:9— “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.”

In the Beatitudes, tells us a lot about how to live as His disciples, and here, in the seventh Beatitude, He calls us to actively promote peace. A peacemaker is one who makes peace not merely by avoiding conflict, but with active, intentional efforts to create and sustain peace and to promote reconciliation and harmony in relationships.

In both the Old and New Testaments, “peace” is expressed by the Hebrew “shalom,” which means “peace, wholeness, completeness,” and “harmony” in all areas of life. Jesus embodies shalom as the “…Prince of Peace…” (Isaiah 9:6) and brings reconciliation between God and us: “…we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:1).

The Savior is calling us to actively promote harmony and reconciliation, both with God and with each other. It is an active role, not passive. As peacemakers, we must seek to help solve differences between people.

Practical aspects of peacemaking include:

·       Choosing to forgive as we have been forgiven through our Savior (Ephesians 4:32);
·       Seeking restoration in relationships that have been strained or broken (Matthew 5:23-24); and
·      Promoting unity by avoiding gossip, divisiveness; as well as choosing words that build up unity (1 Corinthians 1:10).

Remember, Paul urges us “...as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone” (Romans 12:18). That means humility and often sacrifice on our part.

To “…be called children of God…” is to bear God’s image, to reflect God's nature, and to be someone who reconciles and heals relationships. Just as God reconciled each of us through Jesus, we are called to represent Him in our relationships.

So how can we be peacemakers today?

·       In our personal relationships: strive to forgive, seek reconciliation, and extend grace;
·       In our community: stand up against injustices, be a voice of compassion, and work toward harmony, despite our diverse backgrounds; and
·       Within ourselves: find inner peace through faith and trust in God.

Our lives as peacemakers bear witness to God's Kingdom here on earth. To be a peacemaker is to reflect the character of God. So, pray for opportunities to be peacemakers and remember that each act of peace makes the Kingdom more visible.

8. Matthew 5:10— “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The focus of this Beatitude is encouragement for those who face persecution for those who suffer for their faith and for doing what is right in God’s eyes.

In Jesus’ day, persecution came from the Jewish authorities and Roman authorities, but it would soon grow much more as the church became established and widespread. Believers would suffer and die because of their faith.

Today, in Western culture, persecution may come in the form of ridicule, criticism, or discrimination. However, in the Eastern culture and many parts of Africa today, where Islam prevails, thousands of Christians have been physically harmed or died horribly for their faith.

So how can persecution be seen as a blessing, as Jesus tells us? How can Jesus claim that those who endure discrimination, hardship, physical suffering, and even death for their faith are blessed? The promise of “…the kingdom of heaven…” signifies our eternal reward for remaining faithful in the face of opposition because of our faith, an ultimate blessing of an endless existence in the very presence of our Savior and Lord.

The Apostle Paul speaks to this in Philippians 3:10, where he says “I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in His sufferings…” The Holy Spirit through Paul is telling us that persecution allows believers to share in some way with Christ's experience of rejection and ultimate victory. It also is an opportunity for us to experience spiritual growth and endure hardship or discomfort with faith, patience, and even joy, trusting that God is at work in us.

The early Christians experienced intense persecution…imprisonment, torture, and martyrdom for their faith. The apostle Peter encouraged them to “…rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed…” (1 Peter 4:13). Today, as I noted earlier, harsh persecution for Christian faith and righteousness, and even death, still occurs in some parts of the world. This Beatitude can be both a comfort and a challenge to persecuted believers, reminding them that their suffering is a sign that they are, indeed, a part of the kingdom of heaven.

Righteousness means a life characterized by moral integrity, justice, humility, and seeking to promote God’s justice, mercy, and truth in the world. For us that may involve speaking out against injustice, caring for the marginalized, or standing firm in our convictions, even at a personal cost.

Conclusion

In the Beatitudes Jesus gives us what we might see as radical redefinitions of what it means to be blessed. In a world where blessings were in His day and are in our day often associated with wealth, power, and social status, Jesus disagrees, blessing the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and those who suffer persecution. Our faith means we are called to be different from the pursuit of material success and power that people around us typically value.

Jesus reminds us that the Christian life is not about seeking comfort or avoiding hardship, but about faithful living, whatever the cost. And His blessings are not just promises of future reward but also reflect the present.

Following the Beatitudes in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus adds a foundational teaching of the character and behavior God wants us to show as Christians.

He continues in vv. 13-16, shifting His focus to the roles we must play in the world, comparing our role first to salt (v. 13) and then to light (vv. 14-16), underscoring the practical outworking of our transformed lives:

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. ¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:13-16).

He uses two metaphors in these verses. First, just as salt adds flavor, our holy lives reject the corruption around us, rather than letting that corruption infect us. Second, we must serve as light in a sinful world. The lost hate the light which exposes their misdeeds, and they will tolerate us only so long as we do not interfere with sinful living.

In His metaphor of light, Jesus uses a powerful and universal symbol, often associated with guidance, truth, and hope. In biblical literature, light frequently represents God's presence and His revelation. For instance, Psalm 119:105 proclaims, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path,” telling us how divine truth illuminates our lives.

When Jesus declares, “You are the light of the world…” (v. 14), He assigns a significant identity and responsibility to His disciples. This statement implies a dual purpose of reflecting God’s light and dispelling darkness. Importantly, “…the world…” broadens the scope of influence, emphasizing a global mission rather than merely a localized impact.

The imagery of “…A town built on a hill…” (v. 14) refers to the ancient practice of building cities on elevated terrain for protection and visibility. Such a town or city, illuminated at night, would be impossible to conceal. The metaphor underscores the inevitability of the world seeing the behavior of Christ's followers, whose lives must be marked by holiness that God means to be seen by others. In the first century, this image was especially meaningful. The glow at night of a hilltop city was a beacon of safety and hospitality for travelers. Similarly, Christians are called to be beacons of spiritual refuge and encouragement in a world shrouded in moral and spiritual darkness.

Jesus further illustrates His point with the metaphor of a lamp, which, in ancient Palestinian homes, was typically a small clay vessel filled with oil, emitting a modest but steady light. Placing such a lamp under a basket would defeat its purpose. Instead, it was placed high on a stand to maximize the impact of its light. In this imagery, Jesus emphasizes the futility of concealing our faith. Just as a lamp’s purpose is to illuminate its surroundings, so the Christian’s purpose is to exhibit God's love and truth through their testimony and actions. Concealing our faith is simply not an option; rather, its visibility is both expected and essential to impact our culture.

Jesus’ instruction to “…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven…” (v. 16) is not merely a suggestion; it is an imperative or directive. He is telling us to do it, and the purpose is not to promote ourselves, but rather a witness to the world with our lives, which must reflect God's character.

The principles in Matthew 5:13-16 remain relevant today as examples of godliness, because we are surrounded by a secular culture believing in moral relativism, spiritual apathy, and social injustices. We are called to be “…light…” to demonstrate a different way of life as followers of the Savior through:

1.     Personal Holiness, which begins with devotion to a transformation of faith and its subsequent values. It starts with our daily habits of prayer, study of scripture, and regular interaction with others, both the saved and the lost.
2.    Our Witness to Others, encompassing personal integrity, personal evangelism, practical service to others in Jesus’ name, and standing for social justice.
3.    Missions—Our Savior expects us to play a role in supporting efforts in fulfilling His commission to “…go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…” (Matthew 28:19-21), which means either by going or by supporting others who go, through our prayers and financial support.

We are challenged as Christians facing a sinful secular culture, but we must be constantly aware that we are not alone, but that the Holy Spirit indwells and empowers us.

Our Savior and Lord calls us to be bold and lead lives of faithful service to Him. His call on our lives is both a privilege and a responsibility to be salt and light to a lost and dying world.

Revelation Chapter 13: The Beasts from the Sea and Land

2024-08-13T18:30:00.001-04:00

Introduction

Chapter 13 continues John’s account of signs of events that began in chapter 12, presenting prophecies of two beasts, one coming out of the sea and the other out of the earth, both of which continue the persecution of believers that he describes in chapter 12. The two beasts receive their power from the dragon in chapter 12. We noted in 11:7 that the beast of the earth comes from the Abyss, and we will see later (chapter 19) that the beast will form an alliance with the “…kings of the earth…,” but will meet his end in the lake of fire.

The Exposition

In the beginning of chapter 13, John sees a being, a “…beast…,” arising from the sea (vv. 1-4):

¹ The dragonstood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on its horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. ²The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority. ³One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?”

I need here to note that the beginning of v. 1 in the King James Version (KJV) reads: “And I stood on the sands of the sea…,” which is an inaccurate rendering arising from changes and errors that occurred in more than 1,000 years of hand-copying biblical manuscripts. The KJV relied on those late manuscripts, but since the production of the KJV, many early and more reliable manuscripts of the New Testament have been discovered. “The dragonstood on the shore of the sea…” is without doubt the accurate English rendering of v. 1.

You may notice in chapter 13 that John’s perspective changes. Until this chapter, John’s vision has been that of watching events in heaven or watching from heaven. In chapter 13, however, John is not watching from heaven, but he is on earth as the beast emerges.

The beast from the sea gets power from the dragon, has seven heads and 10 horns, and “…on each head a blasphemous name…” This beast resembles “…a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion” (v. 2) and receives a fatal wound that is healed, causing the whole world to be “…filled with wonder…” (v. 3) and to follow the beast. For 42 months, the beast speaks blasphemies and wages war worldwide. John calls on believers for endurance and faith.

To the ancient Israelites, the sea was a dangerous, mysterious place. They feared that ferocious creatures might live under the surface, due partly to the history of ships that had gone missing and imaginations about unknown sea creatures. We find mention of the sea containing satanic sea monsters in the Old Testament (the dragon, Leviathan, etc.—Job 26; Psalm 74, 87, 89; Isaiah 27, 51).

The word translated “…beast…” here in vv. 1-4 is θηρίον (thérion), a Greek term meaning vicious wild animal that poses a great danger to humans. The beast is different from the dragon, which also had a reputation in Israelite mythology as ferocious. John described a beast in 11:7 as rising from the “…Abyss…,” which was believed to be the source of demonic powers opposing God.

We should remember that in John’s vision the dragon was defeated and cast out of heaven (12:11), but here in chapter 13, we find he is still able to wage war against believers on earth.

The beast shares some similarities with the dragon, but it has seven heads and 10 horns (v. 1; see 12:3). A creature with seven heads is thought to represent a creature with power that is hard to kill. In biblical imagery, the 10 horns express strength and power, so the imagery here is extraordinarily strong—a bull with two horns is a powerful creature, but a beast with 10 horns has that much more power.

In v. 4, we find the unbelievers in the world will engage in idolatrous worship of both the dragon and the beast, the beast because the beast is invulnerable, having survived a fatal wound (v. 3). The people will proclaim: “…Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?” (v. 4).

The entities in the vision John experiences are literal as well as symbolic. In v. 1 the dragon and the beast are symbols of the rise of powers in the world during the tribulation, a total dictatorship, the deification of secular authority controlling all the people of the earth, and an all-powerful one-world government with leaders the population will regard as god-like.

The dragon represents Satan, who takes his position amid the nations of the world, which are represented by the sand of the sea, meaning, all nations. The beast is the antichrist. Rising from the sea may represent the antichrist coming out of the abyss, or it may just be ascribing to the antichrist with the characteristics of the vicious monsters that were thought to live in the sea—big, powerful, angry, and murderous.

The 10 horns with crowns represent the leaders of the world, all of whom will come under control of the antichrist. John’s vision is like that of the prophet Daniel, who records his dream of future kingdoms of the world, represented by four beasts coming out of the sea. He writes of the fourth beast he saw in his vision, (Daniel 7:7): “…in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left…and it had ten horns.”

John’s vision in Revelation 13 portrays a satanic worldwide empire that will be under the control of the beast, who is the antichrist and who is the fourth beast of Daniel 7. John notes in his description of his vision of the beast with seven heads, “…and on each head a blasphemous name” (v. 1). The beast, or antichrist, is the leader of an end-time one-world government. He will be blasphemous in that he will demand or accept worship as a god and consider himself as a god.

Daniel’s vision in Daniel 7 also includes the symbols of a lion, leopard, and bear in reference to future kingdoms, and in Revelation 13:2, John sees the qualities represented by the lion, bear, and leopard as the power the end-time one-world government, the lion representing dominance; the bear, power; and the leopard, swiftness and shrewdness. Thus, the beast in Revelation 13 should be regarded as having the power and dominion of all the world powers in history. John makes it clear that the power of the beast, as the one-world leader, comes from Satan.

The names and titles given in the Bible to the beast, or antichrist, include:

·         The little horn (Daniel 7:8).
·         The king of fierce countenance (Daniel 8:23).
·         The Prince who shall come (Daniel 9:26).
·         The willful king (Daniel 11:36-45).
·         The son of perdition, the man of sin, the lawless one (2 Thessalonians 2:3).

Over the centuries, there has been debate about whether the antichrist in the prophecy represents a real future human world leader, an abstract symbol of an evil one-world government, or entirely symbolic of the struggle between the concepts of good and evil.

Scholars throughout history have differed in their interpretations of chapter 13, with varying views about the Antichrist, some holding that he appeared very early in the history of Christianity, some teaching that the idea of the antichrist was represented heresies of that time—for example, Irenaeus, 130-203 AD.; Tertullian, 155-220 AD.; and Polycarp, 69-155 AD., who understood the antichrist as merely a representation of the docetic heresies of the time and not a literal being.

Many modern interpreters who do not believe in a literal interpretation of biblical prophecies follow a similar line of thinking, that the antichrist is just the idea of what they view as modern-day heresies or an abstract idea, rather than a literal being. The protestant reformers in the 16^th century identified the antichrist as the pope.

There are those who argue that the prophecies of Revelation are mere symbols, and do not represent actual future events, and who hold that the book of Revelation is a highly symbolic description of events that happened in 70 AD, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. Today they are known as “preterists,” who believe the prophecies in the book of Revelation are not of the future but took place, and the book of Revelation is not a prophecy of the future.

In my view, the Bible is the source of truth and must be understood as literal, due to the host of prophecies that have been literally fulfilled (for example, Isaiah’s prophecies of the future Messiah in Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6-7). To be consistent in our Bible interpretation, we must regard the beast of Revelation 13 as one who will rise to power as head of the world-dominating government. He is depicted as having a great desire for power and authority, the fulfillment of which come from Satan himself.

This prophecy shows us that the antichrist will accept the offer that Jesus rejected, described in Matthew 4:8-10:

⁸…the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. “⁹All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.” ¹⁰Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’”

We are not told the mechanism of the relationship between Satan (the dragon) and the antichrist (the beast). It may be that Satan takes possession of the beast, as was the case with Judas, whom Satan possessed (John 13:27). We need to realize that the dragon (Satan) does not seem to the unsaved in the tribulation as the horrible, treacherous being that we Christians regard him. Scripture tells us that Satan is seen as a powerful and positive force, as we read in 2 Corinthians 11:14: “…Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light…” who can appear righteous and able to rescue people from danger and oppression, while at the same time, actually oppressing and enslaving the people who are not Christians. Notice in 13:3-4 the devotion the people of the world give to the antichrist and Satan:

“³The whole world was filled with wonder and followed the beast. ⁴People worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, ‘Who is like the beast? Who can wage war against it?’”

Worship that is due to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is instead given to Satan and his antichrist as the tribulation period begins to end.

The beast’s blasphemies are demonstrated in vv. 5-6:

⁵The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven.

Just as the antichrist’s efforts are to do everything possible to defeat God and turn people away from Him, so his speech offers blasphemies against God and God’s people. The unsaved people of the earth will willingly believe and follow the antichrist and continue to reject God.

The beast will be allowed to blaspheme for 42 months, or 3-1/2 years, the second half of the tribulation. These final years of the tribulation period comprise what the Holy Spirit calls “…the time of Jacob’s trouble…” in Jeremiah 30:7 and the latter part of Daniel’s 70th week in Daniel 9:24-27.

The blasphemies are intended to elevate the antichrist in the minds of the unsaved people on earth and to deny the greater power of God. In addition, the beast expresses his fury at those who have been taken in the rapture and are out of his reach.

This second half of the tribulation period will be launched by “…the abomination that causes desolations…,” first described in Daniel chapters 9 and 11, and then by Jesus in Matthew 24:15. Both Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 2: 3-4, and John, in this chapter (vv. 14-15) describe this as a future event, when the antichrist causes his own image to be set up in the temple at the midpoint of the tribulation period, an event which starts the great global cataclysm that will precede the coming of Christ with His church.

Vv. 7-8 tell about the antichrist’s war against the tribulation believers on earth:

⁷It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. ⁸All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

In the tribulation described here, to “…wage war…” means physical violence of all types with the intent of defeating the tribulation believers— “…to conquer…” or kill them. But we will see later that the apparent victory of the beast becomes his ultimate defeat in 15:2.

We saw in chapter 12 the general Satanic persecution during the tribulation period. Now, in chapter 13, the main instrument of that persecution is revealed. The global government of the antichrist will persecute, hunt down, and kill any people on earth who do not worship him. So complete will be the persecution of the tribulation saints that it will appear to those who worship the antichrist that God’s people, and thus God’s power and might, have been defeated.

These tribulation believers are people who come to Christ after the church has been raptured. V. 8 informs us that all those on the earth who are not God’s people will worship the beast, the antichrist. There will be little or no atheism and or the many different ideas about religion that exist today. There will be just two kinds of people: the tribulation saints, whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life, and everyone else, whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life and who worship the antichrist.

“…The lamb” in v. 8 (“… the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world…”) is a title for Jesus and reminds us that God’s plan of redemption is not an afterthought, but was established from the beginning, before He even created those who would be saved. He was not surprised at seeing the fallen nature of man, and He established the way back to Him and His righteousness from the very beginning of time.

The Bible teaches that God the Father and God the Son had a relationship of love and fellowship from before the foundation of the world. Jesus acknowledges this in His prayer in John 17:24: “…you loved Me before the world.” Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:20: “He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake…,” and Paul tells us in Ephesians 1:4 that “…he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” John in Revelation 17:8 refers to the lost as “…inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world.”

And finally, Jesus says in Matthew 25:34: “Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.’”

Vv. 9-10 record a warning to all people:

⁹ Whoever has ears, let them hear. ¹⁰ “If anyone is to go into captivity, into captivity they will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword they will be killed.” This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of God’s people.

The only other places in the book of Revelation we read the words “…he who has an ear, let him hear…” are in chapters 2-3, the letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor.

The warnings of v. 10 bring to mind the Lord’s warning against His disobedient people in Jeremiah 15:2:

² This is what the Lord says: “Those destined for death, to death; those for the sword, to the sword; those for starvation, to starvation; those for captivity, to captivity.”

And in Jeremiah 43:8-11, the Lord uses similar language about punishing the Israelites who had returned to Egypt for their idolatry:

⁷ So they entered Egypt in disobedience to the Lord and went as far as Tahpanhes. ⁸ In Tahpanhes the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ⁹ “While the Jews are watching, take some large stones with you and bury them in clay in the brick pavement at the entrance to Pharaoh’s palace in Tahpanhes. ¹⁰ Then say to them, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I will send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will set his throne over these stones I have buried here; he will spread his royal canopy above them. ¹¹ He will come and attack Egypt, bringing death to those destined for death, captivity to those destined for captivity, and the sword to those destined for the sword.’”

V. 10 poses interpretive problems, however. The latter part of v. 10 calls for “…endurance and faithfulness…” on the part of Christians in the face of persecution and is in no way a sense of punishment, as in the passages cited from the book of Jeremiah. Here, in v. 10, the Lord is merely warning the tribulation Christians that they will suffer because of their faith, a call for them to endure the persecution from the antichrist, as in the early centuries of the church, because of their faith.

In v. 11, a second beast appears:

¹¹ Then I saw a second beast, coming out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon.

This second beast John sees in the vision completes what interpreters call the “triumvirate of evil,” consisting of the dragon, the sea beast, and the land beast.

The “…second beast, coming out of the earth…” serves to the wounded beast that came “…out of the sea…” The beast “…coming out of the earth…” is also called the “…false prophet…” in 16:13, 19:20, and 20:21.

There is some diversity of opinions about the identity of the beast “…coming out of the earth…” In the view of some modern interpreters, both beasts constitute merely the representation of a spiritual movement and not real persons or beings, but this view seems to contradict the description of them as actual beings, both of whom will be “…thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur…” (19:20).

The dominant view among conservative evangelicals is that both beasts will be actual beings. Some see them as John's way of describing the false prophets of the Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24:24). Early Christian interpreters viewed both beasts as actual beings, the first beast the antichrist and the second beast one who will assist him by influencing demons to deceive the people of the earth.

The 16^th- and 17^th-century Protestant reformers, however, regarded the “…second beast, coming out of the earth…” as the papacy or as various popes of the time. To them, the “…second beast…” was a then-present threat and not a part of the future tribulation.

The second beast’s “…two horns like a lamb…” indicates an imitation of the true Lamb of God, since appearing as a lamb might contribute to masking its identity as a gentle lamb, rather than a satanic presence; “…it spoke like a dragon…,” teaching heresy. It reminds me of Jesus’ admonition: “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves” (Matthew 7:15). It is revealed in chapter 16 as the false prophet, giving us therefore what has come to be called the “unholy trinity”:

The dragon—Satan (opposite of the Father).
The first beast, out of the sea—the antichrist.
The second beast, out of the earth—opposite of the Holy Spirit.

Vv. 12-15 describe the functions of the second beast, who serves the first beast, giving breath to the image of the first beast in the Temple:

¹²It exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. ¹³And it performed great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth. It ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. ¹⁵The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.

The second beast “…coming out of the earth…” (v. 11) “…exercised all the authority of the first beast on its behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed…” (v. 12). It encourages worship of the first beast “…coming out of the sea…” (v. 1); it was “…given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed…” (v. 15).

The second beast deceives people by performing “…great signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people. ¹⁴Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth…” (vv. 13-14).

The deceiving miracles in this part of John’s vision also are found elsewhere in Revelation and in other places in the Bible: Revelation 16:14, 19:20; Deuteronomy 13:1-5; Matthew 7:22, 24:24; Mark 13:2; and 2 Thessalonians 2:9; among others. Even today, we must be careful. The Holy Spirit instructs us to be constantly alert to discern the spirits, as John warns in his first epistle:

¹Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ²This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world (1 John 4:1-3).

The second beast “…causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth in full view of the people” are satanic copies of three miracles of God:

1. Elijah called down fire from heaven in defeating the prophets of Ba’al at Mt. Carmel (1 Kings 18:38-39):

³⁸…the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench. ³⁹ When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The Lord—he is God! The Lord—he is God!”

2. he fire to come from the two witnesses of Revelation 11:3-5:

³And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ⁴They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” ⁵If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die.

3. We also know fire represented the word of God and the Holy Spirit's witness at Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-4):

¹When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. ²Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. ⁴All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

It is imperative for tribulation Christians to warn the unsaved during the tribulation that they must not be deceived by the spectacular miracles that the second beast performs: “…Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth…” (v. 14). Those signs will be false and satanic, but nevertheless, the satanic signs by the second beast will deceive the scores of people who follow the beast, the unsaved “…inhabitants of the earth” (v. 14).

John describes in vv. 14-15 that the second beast will cause:

“…an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived…” (the first beast, v. 14). , adding that “¹⁵…The second beast was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that the image could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed.”

The purpose of giving “…breath to the image of the first beast…” will be to encourage people to engage in idolatrous worship, making the beast to appear powerful, even invincible. Worshipping the image violates the first two commandments (Exodus 20:3-4), where God said: “³You shall have no other gods before me.” ⁴You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.”

Note that the first satanic beast will have the power of death over those who refuse to worship it. I am reminded of the attempts to kill Daniel and his friends, and the deaths of various prophets of God, Stephen (Acts 7:60), James the apostle (Acts 12:1-2), and Antipas (Revelation 2:13).

In summary, the first beast has the authority of the antichrist and acts on his behalf. Often called the “satanic prophet,” it will lead the world in idolatrous worship, “…causing fire to come down from heaven to the earth…” (v. 13), thus parroting power of the two witnesses from God, who devoured their opponents with fire (11:5), or perhaps it is an attempt to rival the demonstration of the power of God when the prophet Elijah prayed for fire from heaven in 1 Kings 18.

Thus, the image of the first beast who speaks has been erected in the temple and is what Jesus, Daniel, and Paul spoke of as the “…abomination that causes desolation…” (Daniel 9:27, Matthew 24:15, and 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4). It is an abomination in the sense of being a huge act of idolatry in opposition to the true God, and it is desolation in the sense that it will bring the judgment described by the seals, trumpets, and bowls, discussed in previous posts.

The beast uses signs to make the false teaching appear true and inspired or powerful. This reminds me of Moses and Aaron before Pharaoh (Exodus 7-9). Many signs they performed were matched by Pharaoh’s magicians. Remember Paul’s warning in 2 Thessalonians 2:9: “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie…”

Vv. 16-17 reveal that the beast will mark its followers:

¹⁶He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

The Koine Greek word John uses here translated “…a mark…” is χάραγμα (charagma), which is used widely: an engraving, a stamp, or sign, a carved image of a god (see Acts 17:29), an inscription, a wax impression or seal of the emperor, and even the brand marking on camels indicating ownership.

While some commentators hold that this is not a visible image placed on a person, but John's way of symbolically describing ownership and loyalty, there is no evidence, from the simple, literal interpretation of the text, that the mark is not a visible sign of devotion to the beast. Only people having the mark can “…buy or sell…” thus placing severe economic limits on tribulation Christians and exposing the as followers of Jesus and subject to death. Indeed, this is a real, physical mark, an attempt to imitate the action of the angel in Revelation 7:2-4; He will give a physical mark to confirm the identity of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists as “…the servants of our God…” :

² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.” ⁴Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel” (the 144,000 Jewish evangelists).

Finally, in v. 18, we find the number of the beast’s mysterious identity:

¹⁸Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

There have been a host of interpretations of “…His number is 666…” over the centuries, from serious to the truly bizarre.

The early church father Irenaeus (130-202 A.D.) warned against endless speculations. History records endless speculation about v.18, nonetheless. John’s observation that “…it is the number of a man…” may signify that the satanic beast may appear as a human being. Regardless, we can speculate that the number of the beast may help the tribulation Christians to recognize his true character and identity.

Only one other location in the book of Revelation refers to the number identifying this beast (15:1-2):

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

Countless attempts have been made to solve the puzzle of 666 over the last 20 centuries, and we will not try to solve it today. It is thought to reflect some practice of the first century that we do not understand. There are some examples of graffiti from the time that are expressions of love for people identified only with a series of numbers, which may be some code for letters or initials. We simply do not know.

Revelation Chapter 11: Judgments and Hope

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Revelation 11 deals with Jerusalem, which is called the holy city; two witnesses who appear, preach, die, and return to life; and the seventh trumpet, which signifies divine rule over the world.

As chapter 11 opens, John’s vision continues. He is given a reed as a measuring device to measure the temple, altar, and worshippers. In addition, the opening verses contain the introduction of “…two witnesses…” who prophesy and preach (vv. 1-6):

¹ I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. ² But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. ³ And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” ⁴ They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” ⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

The measuring reed (vv. 1-2), also known as a rod, was a hollow stalk from a cane-like plant that grew in the Jordan Valley. It was rigid and lightweight and was cut to a determined length for the purpose of measuring. It was used primarily to measure the dimensions of a plot of land to mark corners and define land being granted in a contract. For many centuries, the rod has been the system of measure for a plot of land, a building, a city wall, etc., and is still used as the unit of measure in land surveying today, with one rod equaling 16.5 feet in length.

We also find mention of the use of a measuring rod at the site of the temple in Ezeliel’s vision, recorded in Ezekiel 40:5:

“…I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six cubits long and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.”

John is told to “…measure the temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. ² But exclude the outer court…” (vv. 1-2). The outer court was the area occupied by Gentiles, who “…will trample on the holy city for 42 months…” (v. 2), a prophecy that will take place in the end-times.

Since John in v. 2 is instructed not to measure the outer court, but to leave it for the nations to overrun, it seems that here in chapter 11 that the measuring means that the temple of God, the altar, and the worshipers will be preserved from harm.

There is a similar reference to measuring in Revelation 21:15-17, where John envisions an angel measuring the heavenly city with a golden rod:

“¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.”

The apparent purpose is to mark off the city for protection from harm (21:27):

“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

The measurements in chapter 11 represent a guarantee that none of the faithful worshipers of Jesus as the Messiah will perish, even though they suffer physical destruction at the hand of the beast (see Revelation 13:7).

John is to measure “…the temple of God…” There are two Greek words used in the NT for temple. One is ἱερόν (hieron), which means either the whole structure of Herod’s temple, or specifically, including the outer courts, open to worshippers (see Matthew 4:5; John 2:14). But John uses a narrower term here: ναός (naos), which means only the sanctuary, that part of the temple where God himself resides and where only the priests were allowed (see Matthew 23:35; 27:51); ναός is always the term used for the Temple in the book of Revelation.

Interestingly, ναός also always refers to the Jerusalem temple in the Gospels with the single exception of John’s Gospel, where it refers to Jesus’ own body; John 2:21: “…the temple (ναός) He had spoken of was his body…” and Revelation 21:22: “I did not see a temple (ναός ) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (ναός).”

Some commentators hold that the “…temple…” in Revelation 11:1 represents the church in the Great Tribulation. In any event, the “…altar…” in John’s measurement in v. 1 refers to the stone altar of sacrifice in the Temple, and the expression “…the worshipers…” are the priests and others in the inner courts, which should be interpreted as symbols of the true servants of God in the tribulation.

John tells us in v. 2 that the outer court “…has been given to the Gentiles…” The term “…Gentiles…” in Koine Greek is ἔθνος (ethnos), a term which means non-Jewish mankind and which had the more general sense of “nations,” for first-century Christians, meaning everyone who did not follow Christ, including unbelieving Jews. For the early Christians, the term “ἔθνος” was roughly equivalent to our English terms “pagan” and “heathen” today.

John’s vision is that the nations “…will trample on the holy city for 42 months…” (v. 2), refers to a rebuilt Jerusalem and temple during last half of the future tribulation period. However, some interpreters who do not hold to a literal view of scripture see this passage as symbolic of the Jewish people and not meaning the city of Jerusalem. I, however, regard scripture as literal, including the book of Revelation, and John’s prophecies to be real future events.

The time of the trampling is “…42 months…” (v. 2), the second half of the tribulation period, 1,260 days or three and one-half years when the antichrist and his followers will wreak havoc on the holy city.

John describes this time period in 13:5-8):

⁵The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise its authority for forty-two months. ⁶It opened its mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. ⁷It was given power to wage war against God’s holy people and to conquer them. And it was given authority over every tribe, people, language and nation. ⁸All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.

Daniel 9 describes the tribulation period as starting with a seven-year peace treaty, the first half of the period being peaceful, but the last half being a time of desolation and destruction. In Daniel 9:27 he prophesies:

²⁷ He (the antichrist) will confirm a covenant with many for one “seven.” In the middle of the “seven” he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.

We know that the rebuilt temple will exist at the time of the Tribulation from the Daniel 9, above, and from 2 Thessalonians, where Paul discusses the antichrist who will appear:

“⁴He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple (ναός), proclaiming himself to be God” (2 Thessalonians 2:4).

As I pointed out earlier, John was not to measure the outer court (v. 2), called the Court of the Gentiles, symbolizing God’s rejection of the unbelieving Gentiles who have oppressed His people. The antichrist and his followers will bring devastation and destruction to the city of Jerusalem late in the tribulation.

In v.3, John is told:

“…I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

God appoints the “…two witnesses…” for the purpose of preaching both salvation and judgment during the second half of the tribulation (1,260 days, or 3-1/2 years). God appoints two witnesses because according to the law and tradition of the Jews, two or more witnesses were required to affirm a claim or testimony as true (see Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; Hebrews 10:28).

These “…two witnesses…” will deliver the final testimony to Israel—an offer of salvation to all and the promise of judgment on those who refuse to turn to Him.

The “…two witnesses…” will be “…clothed in sackcloth…,” a coarse, rough cloth woven from goat hair or camel hair and was very uncomfortable to wear. Traditionally, the wearing of sackcloth was a public demonstration of penitence, humility, or mourning. For the “…two witnesses…,” sackcloth is to indicate that they mourn over the wickedness of the world, God’s terrible judgment to come, and the desecration of the Temple and of Jerusalem by the antichrist.

Commentators offer a number of interpretations of these two. They are called “…two witnesses…” in v. 3, “…two prophets…” in v. 10, and, more figuratively, “…two olive trees and the two lampstands…” in v. 4. Some suggest they are two historic biblical figures such as Moses and Elijah, the apostles Peter and Paul, or the witness of the church itself or unnamed Christian martyrs. The “…two witnesses…,” whoever they are, are sent to give a prophetic witness to Christ in the final days of the church age and stand in for millions of others who will be preaching about Christ during the tribulation era.

In v 4, John describes the “…two witnesses…”:

⁴ They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.”

This is imagery drawn from Zechariah chapters 3 and 4. Zechariah’s vision included both the rebuilding of the temple by Zerubbabel, and, in the far future, he envisioned the two witnesses and their ministry, which indicates Israel’s final restoration in the millennium.

Calling them “…the two olive trees and the two lampstands…” may signify revival that results from the witnesses’ preaching, just as the rebuilding of the temple by Zerubabbel described in the Old Testament sparked a great revival among the Jews returning to Jerusalem and Judea from their captivity in Babylon.

Vv. 5-6 describe divine protection for the two witnesses reminiscent of the Lord’s protection of the Old Testament prophets (see 2 Kings 1:10 and Jeremiah 5:14). John writes in vv. 5-6:

⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.

The “…fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies…” in v. 5 likely will be literal fire. The two witnesses will be invincible, protected by supernatural power during their ministry with “…power to shut up the heavens…” Fire symbolically is judgment from God, and since it proceeds from the witnesses' mouths, we understand that their message of judgment will eventually be fulfilled by God's power (some examples are burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19:23-24; the “…consuming fire…” rescuing David in 2 Samuel 22:9; and David’s description of God in Psalm 97:3: “Fire goes before him and consumes his foes on every side…”). The Lord will protect the two witnesses until they complete their mission to witness to the unsaved.

A long, 3-1/2-year drought during the second half of the tribulation will increase the hatred of God by the unsaved people on the earth and thus cause increased hatred of the two witnesses. They will have “…power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood…,” making fresh water scarce and a large part of the water on earth undrinkable, which will add more suffering to unbelievers on earth during this period.

The words “…the power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood…,” recall the ministries of the prophets Moses and Elijah (see Exodus 7:17-21 and 1 Kings 17:1) and are evidence of same spirit and function as these Old Testament examples.

The Joy of Men Following the Death of the Two Witnesses, no. 32;

from The Apocalypse of Angers, 1373-87, by Nicolas Bataille.

Vv. 7-10 describe the witnesses’ death at the hands of the beast from the Abyss:

⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. ¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

When the ministry of the two witnesses is completed, God withdraws His supernatural protection of them, and the two witnesses will be killed. That the beast will come “…up from the Abyss…” is found here and in 17:8, and indicates his demonic origin.

V. 7 gives us the first reference to “…the beast…” in the book of Revelation, who is further described in chapters 13 and 17. That “…the beast…comes up from the Abyss…” shows us his demonic origin. He attacks the prophets (literally “…he makes war on them…”). This description may relate back to Daniel 7:21 (“As I watched, this horn was waging war against the holy people and defeating them…”).

In all, “…the beast…” appears 36 times in the book of Revelation. He is the antichrist, ascending from the Abyss with satanic powers.

In v.8, Jerusalem is labeled “…Sodom and Egypt…” stressing the rebellion and immorality of its people. Isaiah called the rebellious rulers of Jerusalem in his era “…rulers of Sodom…” and “…“Hear the word of the Lord, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the instruction of our God, you people of Gomorrah!” (Isaiah 1:10).

John calling the city “…Egypt…” (v. 8) is a descriptive term which in the first century A.D. was symbolic name for the kingdoms that had enslaved Israel. He also calls Jerusalem “…the great city…”

The bodies of the slain “…two witnesses…” were left where they had been killed. To leave an enemy’s body lying without burying it was a way of showing dishonor, hatred, and contempt. Paul experienced this kind of contempt when he was left for dead by those opposing him in Lystra. In Acts 14, we find Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, where Paul performed a healing miracle, causing the crowd to regard Paul and Barnabas as gods. The incident is found in Acts 14:19-20:

“¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. ²⁰But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city…”

But Paul had recovered and had continued with his ministry in Asia Minor.

John tells us in vv. 9-10 that: “⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. ¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts…”

The world will watch, probably by electronic media, and no one will step forward to bury the two witnesses.

Gift giving to celebrate victory is a Muslim practice today; small gifts of candy are exchanged when there is a Muslim victory such as 9/11, the London subway, the Paris massacre, and the Brussels airport bombing. Those Muslims who are wealthier exchange more lavish gifts, all to gloat over a defeated enemy.

However, God will restore the two witnesses to life, vv. 11-12:

¹¹ But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.

The people of the world will watch this demonstration of the power of God. While the wicked celebrate their deaths, the victory will be snatched from the celebrants while all the world watches. God takes the “…two witnesses…” bodily into heaven, while their enemies watch.

Common sense would say that after such a dramatic demonstration of the power of God, millions would be saved. But that will not be the case. As we observe Jesus reminding His disciples in Luke 16:31:

“If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

Most people over the centuries have rejected Christ, even though He rose from the dead, and after observing the resurrection of the “…two witnesses…” during the tribulation, the unsaved will still not listen.

The restoration to life of the two witnesses marks the end of the second “…woe…”:

¹³At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. ¹⁴The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon (vv. 13-14).

We have already noted that first “…woe…” will feature something like locusts coming from the Abyss and harming “…only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (9:4) and which allowed torment unbelievers for five months with painful stings (9:5).

I should note that the book of Revelation uses judgment terminology that is unfamiliar and may be confusing to the modern reader; there are four sets of seven symbols—seven each of “seals, trumpets, signs,” and “bowls,” plus three “woes.” Each describes judgments on the unsaved, leading ultimately to the battle of Armageddon.

The judgments occur amidst the giving of the gospel to the unsaved on earth, and each warns of eternal judgment. The three “woes” are described in chapters 6-19 and feature progressively worse demonic activity, culminating with the third “woe,” about the battle of Armageddon.

We find the seven “seal” judgments in 6:1-17 and 8:1. Those verses give us a view of the horrors during the seven-year tribulation. The first seal describes the time of peace in the first half of the tribulation, and the remaining six deal with judgments in the second half. After the seventh seal (8:1), the seven “trumpet” judgments begin. The first six “trumpet” judgments are found in 8:1-9:21 and are judgments of the unsaved and tell of the release of demons.

The three “woes” begin after the “trumpet” judgments. John describes the first in 8:13:

As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!”

Description of the second “…woe…” begins in 9:14 with the command to the angel to “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” These four angels are demons.

After the second “…woe…,” the third will signal the end of judgments for sin, described in chapters 12-19, and include seven “…bowls…” representing the pouring out of God’s wrath,(16:1-21). These will be the worst acts of judgment the unsaved will ever experience and about which Jesus said:

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:22).

Vv. 13-14 of chapter 11 give us a description of the end of the second woe, the severe earthquake that will take place in Israel after the two witnesses have ascended:

¹³At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. ¹⁴The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.

All the events from 9:13 to 11:14 comprise the second “…woe…” and are parts of the sixth trumpet judgment. A severe earthquake takes place, a sign of God’s power, and produces repentance: “…the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven…” (v. 13). There is heavy damage and the loss of 7,000 lives. The death and resurrection of the two witnesses is witnessed around the world (vv. 9-10), and the earthquake also may be felt throughout the world. Millions apparently will repent as a result; however, we shall see that the repentance of many is short lived.

Vv. 15-18, open with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, signaling the third and last “…woe…,” which marks the beginning of the final judgments we will read about in chapter 16-19 and which will lead up to Jesus as ruler (chapter 19) and the establishment of the millennial kingdom (chapter 20):

¹⁵The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said:
“The kingdom of the world has become
    the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah,
    and he will reign for ever and ever.”
¹⁶And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God,
¹⁷saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    the One who is and who was,
because you have taken your great power
    and have begun to reign.
¹⁸The nations were angry,
    and your wrath has come.
The time has come for judging the dead,
    and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your people who revere your name,
    both great and small—

and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”

The theme of vv. 15-18 is given to us in v. 15: “the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah…” John does not distinguish here between the millennial kingdom of Christ and the eternal kingdom of the Father, as Paul does in ! Corinthians 15:24-28, where Paul writes:

²⁴Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷For he “has put everything under his feet.”^[^c^] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.

The differences between the accounts in Revelation 11 and 1 Corinthians 15 are merely in the detail and emphasis, not in basic theology. In John's view, the kingdoms of the world will be replaced by God’s kingdom, which Christians are already a part of. Even though there are many cultural and political divisions, the Bible views the unbelieving world spiritually, and its ruler is Satan, who leads human rulers to be hostile to Christ. But human rebellion will end with the return of Jesus to defeat His enemies and establish the messianic kingdom, a kingdom belonging to God the Father and ruled by God the Son and His people,

“…The nations were angry, and your wrath has come…” (v. 18) indicates there will be much resistance. The “…nations…” (understand this as “people groups” or even “tribes” or “cultures”) will be defiant and angry, and their anger and resistance will lead to an attempt to fight against Christ (see 16:4 and 19:17-21), and God’s wrath will descend on them.

The 24 elders speak of God’s wrath in (vv. 16-18) as if it is already present; however, it is near but still is in the future (20:11-15). His wrath is sure to destroy His enemies, which will occur at its final outpouring and includes the judging of the dead. His coming wrath has two parts: rewards and condemnation. There will be rewards for the Old Testament saints, the raptured church, and the tribulation saints, and condemnation for unbelievers, who are sent into the lake of fire (20:15).

John sees in v. 19 the time when the kingdom of God has been established (more fully described in chapters 20-22):

¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.

The presence of the Ark of the Covenant in the temple in heaven is revealed to John in v. 19. The ark in the Jerusalem Temple was the symbol of God’s presence, enabling the atonement for sin. In addition, it was a reminder of God’s covenant with His people. This most holy place in the temple of heaven represents God’s new covenant and its purpose of having offered salvation to mankind. The ark on earth was only a picture or representative of the ark in heaven.

The ”…flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm…” I v. 19 are displays of God’s power and judgment, and are mentioned earlier in 4:5 (“From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder”) and 8:5 (“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”)

The events in this verse are to take place as part of the seventh bowl judgment, found in 16:17-21.

The evil intentions and acts of the antichrist will become apparent to all. The people fleeing Jerusalem and the surrounding areas will hide in the many caves of the Holy Land to be sheltered by the Lord (12:6).

In summary, chapter 11 is a key chapter in the book of Revelation and explores the future of Jerusalem, the holy city; the appearance, death, and resurrection of the two witnesses; and the announcement of the seventh trumpet, indicating God's kingdom and authority over all mankind and emphasizing not only His judgments, but also our hope for the ultimate triumph of good over evil.

Revelation Chapter 12: A Great Sign Appears

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At the end of chapter 11, John once more envisions God’s temple in heaven, where He dwells in glory. John has already seen the temple in the vision and has observed its spender, God on His throne, the praying souls of the saints, and the 24 elders praising God, but now the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in the temple in heaven is revealed to him.

The Ark of the Covenant in the Jerusalem Temple was the symbol of God’s presence, enabling the atonement for sin, as well as a reminder of God’s covenant with His people. This most holy place in the Temple in Jerusalem represented the forgiveness of sins for the Israelites; the Temple in heaven, which John sees in his vision, represents God’s new covenant and His having offered salvation to all mankind. The ark on earth was only a picture or representation of the ark in heaven.

Described in his vision in chapters 12-14 are events that will come before the final bowl judgments, which begin in chapter 15. Chapter 12 briefly describes the persecution of God's people, using the symbolism of the dragon (Satan), who wages war. Chapter 13 continues the same theme by describing the persecution of the Christians by beasts who serve the dragon. Then chapter 14 ends with a prophecy of the redeemed 144,000 on Mount Zion, who have triumphed over the beast and of the final judgment of those who worshipped the beast.

While no signs appear in chapters 1-11, John sees seven signs in chapters 12-19, three in heaven (12:1, 3; 15:1) and four on earth (13:13-14; 16:14; 19:20). Only one sign is positive (12:1), while the other six are omens of evil or judgment from God.

In chapters 12-14, John describes the main characters of the tribulation his vision reveals. We are introduced to three main figures in chapter 12: (1) the woman, (2) the child, and (3) the dragon or beast, in three scenes—the birth of the child (vv.1-6), the expulsion of the dragon (vv.7-12), and the dragon's attack on the woman and her children (vv.13-17).

An illustration of the woman of the Apocalypse, a redrawing
of an illustration dated c. 1167 in Hortus Deliciarum (Garden of Delights),
depicting various events from the narrative in Revelation 12 in a single image.

The woman (v. 1) represents Israel; the dragon (v. 3) is Satan; the child (v. 4) is Jesus. The archangel Michael is the head of the angelic army or angelic host. The woman’s many offspring represent Gentiles who come to faith during the tribulation. The beast of the sea (13:1) is the antichrist, and the beast of the earth (13:11) is the false prophet, who praises the antichrist. John also sees a woman clothed with the sun. These are signs that these beings will literally appear on the earth.

The first sign John sees, which he calls “…a great sign…” (literally a “mega-sign”), is found in the opening verses of chapter 12 (vv. 1-6):

¹A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. ² She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. ³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. ⁵ She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

In the book of Revelation, the woman in a vision generally represents a religious idea or system. For example, Jezebel in Revelation 2:20, represents a teacher of evil or falsehood in the letter to the church in Thyatira:

“Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.”

In another example is the “…great prostitute…” in 17:1-2, which represents a false religion:

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

Another example is the “…bride…” in 19:7-8, who stands for the church:

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

In Revelation 12, the “…woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head…” (v. 1) has been identified in various ways. Roman Catholics see her as Mary. Roman Catholic art sometimes depicts her standing on a crescent moon with 12 stars above her head, an artistic interpretation of Mary as Queen of Heaven.

But I agree with most protestant evangelical commentators that the woman of vv.1-2 is Israel, as represented in various Old Testament passages. For example, Ezekiel chapter 16, we find the lengthy metaphor of His people, Israel is depicted as a woman or bride whom He had dressed in honor and splendor but who had been unfaithful.

Other Old Testament passages also show a woman representing Israel.

Isaiah 54:1-3 employs the metaphor of His promise to return to errant Israel:

“¹Sing, barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor; because more are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband,” says the LORD. “²Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes. ³For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.”

Jeremiah 3:20 uses the metaphor to stress the unfaithfulness of the Israelites to the Lord:

“But like a woman unfaithful to her husband, so you, Israel, have been unfaithful to me, declares the Lord.”

And in Hosea 2:19-20, He promises Israel:

“¹⁹…I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. ²⁰I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the Lord.”

John notes in Revelation 12:2 that the woman in the vision is pregnant (some English versions: “with child”) and about to give birth. We will see in v. 5, that the child born of the woman—born of Israel—is Jesus, hence the view by the Catholic Church that the woman is literally Mary.

The woman in the vision cries out in pain as the time to give birth nears. I believe her pain is illustrative 0f the pain suffered by the Israelites for many generations under domination by foreign nations, specifically the Roman occupation in the first century A.D. Alternatively, her pain may reflect the painful conditions in the world during the second half of the tribulation as Jesus’ next advent nears, when He comes with His church to rule

John describes in vv. 3-4 the sign of the appearance of a frightening red dragon, with seven heads and 10 horns and seven crowns:

³ Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. ⁴ Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

Remember, this is a sign and not a literal “…enormous red dragon…,” a creature or entity of great power and evil nature. The figure of the enormous red dragon represents the evil nature and character of Satan. In the Old Testament, the idea of the dragon is used to depict enemies of God and enemies of Israel (see Psalm 74:14; Isaiah 27:1; and Ezekiel 29:3).

The “…enormous red dragon…” vision of v. 3 presents a frightening picture of the extent and strength of the evil that will exist in the tribulation world. The dragon of the vision is Satan (see v. 9), and the dragon’s seven heads metaphorically represent extensive or universal knowledge or great intellect. There is a parallel to the first century condition of the nation of Israel, comparing Roman rulership of the Mediterranean world at the time of Jesus’ first advent and Satan’s domination of the world in the latter part of the tribulation.

The 10 horns are representative of the revived Roman Empire during the tribulation period. The seven crowns signify Satan’s claim of ruling authority over the world.

Dealing with the biblical record of dreams and visions is complicated for modern Bible scholars, however, and I advocate the view of evangelical scholars. There are a few conflicting interpretations about meaning of the seven heads and the seven crowns by commentators, but we will all see clearly eventually when we are with Christ in heaven, and the mysteries of the prophetic visions in scripture are revealed for all who have been saved.

We note that vv. 1-2 are a vision similar to Daniel’s vision recorded in Daniel in 7:7-8:

“⁷ …in my vision at night I looked, and there before me was a fourth beast—terrifying and frightening and very powerful. It had large iron teeth; it crushed and devoured its victims and trampled underfoot whatever was left. It was different from all the former beasts, and it had ten horns. ⁸ “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a human being and a mouth that spoke boastfully.”

The little horn of Danial 7:8 is one who becomes the world ruler, reigning over this revived Roman Empire and having destroyed the political entities of the world, in order to gain dominance during the tribulation period.

Daniel’s vision progressed as follows:

Daniel first sees three beasts (lion, bear, and leopard) rising from the sea (Daniel 7:1-6).
He then sees a fourth beast, different from the others, which has ten horns (Daniel 7:7).
Out from the ten horns, Daniel saw a “…another one, a little horn…” who uttered great boasts (Daniel 7:8).
Then God will appear with intent to judge (Daniel 7:9, 10), and this fourth beast will be killed (Daniel 7:11).
The other three beasts will have their lives extended at an appointed time (Daniel 7:12).
Christ will return to establish His kingdom on earth (Daniel 7:13, 14). In Revelation 12:4, the dragon turns its attention to the earth:

⁴ Its (the dragon’s) tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born.

The vision of the sweeping of stars from the sky is symbolic of the dragon's power over the saints of God. The dragon (Satan) is before the woman, anticipating certain victory over the messianic child and countering the will and purposes of God.

The most prominent interpretation is that this is a portion of the angelic host who joined Satan in his rebellion and who were ejected from the presence of God along with him, as depicted in Revelation 12:9: “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

God created the angels to serve Him and His creation. A portion of the angels, led by Satan, chose evil over holiness. The dragon in John’s vision (Satan) will oppose and attempt to eradicate the power and influence of Christ during the latter part of the tribulation. Just as he sought to kill the child Jesus through Herod’s murder of Israelite children two years of age and under born in Bethlehem because one of them, Jesus, who was destined to be the king of the Jews.

As we look at vv. 5-6, keep in mind that what John sees is a vision prophesying events through vivid symbolism:

⁵She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.” And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. ⁶ The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.

The vision depicts the birth of a male child who is to rule all nations with an iron scepter, meaning absolute authority and referring to Christ, the Messiah. He rules now as the Savior and Lord for every Christian. He will rule the world with all authority at His return at the end of the tribulation, at the judgment after His 1,000-year reign, and in the world from the New Jerusalem after the judgment. Revelation 19:14-16:

¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

Note that John’s vision in chapter 12, while prophesying about the coming of the Lord at the end of the tribulation, seems in a way to parallel Jesus’ first advent, in that He is opposed by Satan, who attempts to kill Him. But in His second advent, He rules all nations with an iron scepter (rod of iron).

One commentator writes: “After a conflict with the prince of this world, who came and tried Him, but found nothing in Him, the Son of the woman was taken up to heaven and sat on the right hand of God. Words can hardly be (more complain) than these” (Alford's Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary, Revelation 12).

Roman Catholics see this vision as Mary giving birth to the church, but it is obvious that the child is Christ and is not the church. Jesus gave birth to the church, not the other way around. The woman in the vision could therefore either be either Mary or Israel (often depicted in the Old Testament as God’s bride and His betrothed), the only two women who could have given birth to Jesus. Protestant commentators mostly hold to the interpretation of this vision that the woman is Israel. We will see that this view is demonstrated in the remainder of this chapter.

In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit repeatedly refers to Israel as the God’s bride, His betrothed, and her child was “…snatched up to God and to his throne.” There are parallels, such as Christ’s ascension and the child Jesus taken to Egypt for protection at the command of God (Matthew 2:13-15). In John’s vision of God’s throne, the Son, the Lamb, the Lion of Judah is present at the throne (chapter 5).

The woman (Israel) is persecuted by the dragon (Satan) and flees to the wilderness, a place prepared for her by God. She remains there for 1,260 days, or 3-1/2 years, representing the remainder of the tribulation period in the vision.

While the symbolism in John’s vision is complicated, conservative commentators see v. 6 as the protection of the Messianic Jews during the time prophesied by Daniel in Daniel 9, as we see in Daniel 9:24-27:

²⁴ “Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place. ²⁵ Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. ²⁶ After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. ²⁷He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

Israel flees “…into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days” (v. 6). Some commentators identify the place prepared by God at the rock city of Petra. There have been rumors since the late 1940s that Christians in Israel and Jordan have hidden caches of food and supplies hidden in caves around Petra.

Other commentators see it as the caves in the mountains of Israel. Christians also have hidden provisions and Bibles in caves throughout Israel, including a friend from my time in seminary, Dr. Harold L. Willmington, who placed cases of Bibles in caves throughout Israel during his extensive travels there, to help provide a dwelling place and sustenance during the terrible events of the second half of the tribulation.

Vv. 7-9 tell of a terrible war:

⁷ Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸ But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹ The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

In the vision, John sees Michael and his angels fight with the dragon and prevail. At the mid-point of the tribulation, God will turn the tide against Satan, first in heaven and then on earth. A battle will take place that will deny Satan access to heaven. Michael and his angels fight with the dragon. This is a dramatic scene of battle between “good” angels and “bad” angels. (Guzik, Study Guide to Revelation 12 at blueletterbible.org).

This is a battle between equals. The dragon, Satan, is a counterpart of Michael, who seems to be the chief angel opposite Satan, the chief of fallen angels.

The triumph of the archangel results in the dragon and his angels being ejected from heaven to earth. It seems apparent that Satan had access to heaven. The battle is the sign of Satan’s last desperate attempt for power before the kingdom of Christ comes (see v.12); “…that ancient serpent,,,” (Satan) had tempted Eve and, in addition, is the one “…who leads the whole world astray."

Michael the archangel appears in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.

For example, Daniel 12:1-2:

¹At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt.

Compare this description in Daniel with 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17:

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

In his vision of a time long into the future, Daniel reveals a role for Michael, the archangel in a future resurrection of the dead. The resurrection Daniel refers to seems to be a resurrection that takes place during the tribulation, those who die during the tribulation, both believers and unbelievers. From the passages in Daniel and 1 Thessalonians, we can infer that Michael may be the archangel accompanying Christ when He returns in the clouds for His church.

In Revelation 12, the battle between Satan and his demons and Michael leading the heavenly angels occurs at the mid-point of the tribulation. It is a physical, material battle to be fought in a way we can only imagine. Until this battle (at the mid-point of Daniel’s 70th week), Satan has access to heaven, but in the battle, he is hurled to earth, as described in v. 9:

The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

Notice the descriptions of Satan in v. 9: dragon, serpent, devil, Satan, and the one “…who leads the whole world astray.” Satan is vicious, an accuser, an adversary, and a deceiver. John Walvoord states about the Devil: “The title ‘Devil’ is from the Greek diabolos, from the verb diaballo, which has the meaning of ‘defaming’ or ‘slandering.’ He is the master accuser of the brethren” (from Guzik).

Ezekiel 28:14-16 provides a brief history of Satan’s fall from an anointed angel into wickedness and sin:

¹⁴ You were anointed as a guardian cherub,
    for so I ordained you.
You were on the holy mount of God;
    you walked among the fiery stones.
¹⁵ You were blameless in your ways
    from the day you were created
    till wickedness was found in you.
¹⁶ Through your widespread trade
    you were filled with violence,
    and you sinned.

We find an interesting detail about Satan’s fall in Luke 10:18, when Jesus said: “…I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven…” What Jesus spoke of either refers to the first fall of Satan (from righteousness into sin, in the Ezekiel 28 passage cited above), or He is providing a prophetic look ahead to the Satan’s fall in Revelation 12:9: “… He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.”

In John’s vision, the stars that are swept from the sky to earth in v. 4 are Satan’s angels. The vision is picturing the same event in vv. 4 and 9. From the text, we can see that Satan prompted 1/3 of the angels to follow him, meaning that 2/3 of the angels remain faithful to God.

The vision in vv. 10-12 shows us a joyful declaration in heaven. Satan’s work as the accuser of Christians ends here, when he is cast out from, and denied access to access to, heaven:

¹⁰ Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power
    and the kingdom of our God,
    and the authority of his Messiah.
For the accuser of our brothers and sisters,
    who accuses them before our God day and night,
    has been hurled down.
¹¹ They triumphed over him
    by the blood of the Lamb
    and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much
    as to shrink from death.
¹² Therefore rejoice, you heavens
    and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea,
    because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury,
    because he knows that his time is short.”

Vv. 10-11 interpret the victory over Satan in the battle of vv. 7-9 and announces the martyrs' victory and the final woe to the earth because of the his defeat, and they are shown as victorious “…by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony…” and their loyalty to Christ even if it leads to death (v. 11). Satan has failed. Because of Satan’s defeat, the Lord says: “…rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them…” (v. 12), but Satan still plans to pursue his futile attempts even knowing his time is short (v. 12; 3-1/2 years, see vv. 6 and 14).

Then vv. 13-17 give us a glimpse of conflict on the earth at the hand of Satan, following his defeat and expulsion from heaven and being hurled to the earth:

¹³When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. ¹⁴The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. ¹⁵Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. ¹⁶But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

These verses describe Satan’s attack on the woman (v. 13), and God’s protection of her (v. 14). He can no longer move against the male child (who is in heaven) or against believers, so he now attacks the woman, who runs away into the desert.

John most likely chose the word "…pursued…" (v. 13) because it is also the Koine Greek verb meaning "to persecute" (διώκω, diókó, “to put to flight, pursue, by implication to persecute”; see Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”).

The reference to “…the two wings of a great eagle…” (v. 14) is the Holy Spirit’s way of connecting the protection and deliverance of the Messianic Jews in the tribulation with the deliverance of their ancestors, the people of Israel, in the exodus from Egypt, as Satan (the dragon of Revelation 12), acting through the Egyptian Pharaoh, pursued them:

³Then Moses went up to God, and the Lord called to him from the mountain and said, ‘This is what you are to say to the descendants of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel: ⁴‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself (Exodus 19:3-4).

As God protected His people on their journey into the desert, in like manner He will miraculously protect the tribulation saints from destruction by the dragon.

The woman of vv. 13-17 is a representation of the Messianic Jewish people in the midst of the tribulation. Satan attacks the Jewish people, including Messianic Jews, because from the time of Abraham, the Jews have played a critical role in the plan of redemption. Christ, the Redeemer, came from the Jews, the fulfillment of the Father’s plan of redemption, and Jesus promised that the Jewish people would exist and welcome Him when He returns in glory to this world, as He tells us in Matthew 23:37- 39:

³⁷“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁸ Look, your house is left to you desolate. ³⁹ For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’”

For Satan to destroy the Jewish people, God’s eternal plan would not be carried out as prophesied. The late John Walvoord (theologian, pastor, and former president of Dallas Theological Seminary) wrote: “The persecution of Israel is part of the satanic program to thwart and hinder the work of God…Israel is hated by Satan not because of any of its own characteristics but because she is the chosen of God and essential to the overall purpose of God for time and eternity.”

The reference in v. 14 to “…a time and times and half a time…” is the three- and one-half-year period comprising the last half of the tribulation during the 70th week of Daniel (see Daniel 9).

There is the vision of the serpent spewing a flood like river of water out of his mouth to engulf and drown the woman in vv. 15-16:

¹⁵Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. ¹⁶But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. ¹⁷Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to wage war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

The water imagery is a symbol of destruction by an enemy. As the desert earth absorbs the gush of water, so the covenant people will be helped by God and preserved from utter destruction. This vision is assurance to the Messianic Jews, and their converts (all the people of God converted by the witness of the Messianic Jews), of God’s continuing protection and care.

The wrath of the dragon is focused against God’s people in v. 17—Israel (the woman) and Gentiles who come to faith in Jesus during the tribulation (that is, the rest of her offspring). Satan’s war against “…the rest…” of these believers is what will turn out to be his final attempt to destroy them. He has failed to eliminate them so far, so he once more attacks those who “…keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.”

To “…wage war…" is the same term John used to describe the beast's attack on the two witnesses (11:7) and believers (13:7). Satan cannot prevail in his efforts to eliminate Christians, but he can wage war on them.

Next, in chapter 13, we will see John’s vision continue, with the dragon (Satan) and two beasts one arising out of the sea and the other out of the earth continuing their wars against God’s people.

2024-03-31T07:04:00.004-04:00

Isaiah the Prophet,
Painting by Pietro Perugino 1452-1523

The Suffering Servant: Isaiah 52:13-53:12

Introduction

Today we look at the fourth of what commentators call the “Servant Songs” in Isaiah. These are Hebrew poems or chants that told the Israelites some details about the future Messiah. Isaiah recited or chanted these probably in the temple court.

The first Servant Song we discussed is in Isaiah 42:1-9, in which the Father calls the future Messiah “My Servant.” That Song prophesies that the Messiah would have a quiet and patient demeanor, would offer comfort to the weak and oppressed, would bring truth and justice, would be a light to the Gentiles and open mankind’s eyes. The first song ends with Yahweh assuring that the Messiah’s advent is sure because we can depend on His word. He tells us in 42:9:

See, the former things have taken place,

and new things I declare;

before they spring into being

I announce them to you.”

In the second Servant Song, Isaiah 49:1-13, the Lord prophesied that the Messiah would come in human form, would be an effective teacher and glorify the Father, that He would be sent to save Israel, but that Israel would reject Him, He would save all mankind, that those who despised Him will one day worship Him (a prophecy of His second coming), and that He will be a covenant to all people, including the Gentiles, saying in 49:6:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.”

That is something that the Israelites found hard to accept, because to them Gentiles were vile, unclean, and beyond redemption.

In the third Servant Song, Isaiah 50:4-9, we read a prophecy that the Messiah would be obedient in speaking and teaching, in listening to the Father, in His suffering, and in accomplishing His purpose, and predicting:

Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame. (50:7)

Throughout the Servant Songs, we have run into a characteristic of the Messiah that the Israelites did not accept—that He would be a light to the Gentiles. They expected a Messiah that would free them from foreign domination and reinforce their rigid legalistic practices. But Isaiah prophesied that their Messiah would come to save all people, including the hated Gentiles, and the Messiah’s message would not be one of political and national dominance, but one of restoration to and communion with the Father.

The fourth Servant Song is found in Isaiah 52:13-53:12, and the first part of this Song is found in the final four verses of chapter 52:

¹³ See, my servant will act wisely;

he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

¹⁴ Just as there were many who were appalled at him—

his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being

and his form marred beyond human likeness—

¹⁵ so he will sprinkle many nations,

and kings will shut their mouths because of him.

For what they were not told, they will see,

and what they have not heard, they will understand.

This Song continues with chapter 53, which contains perhaps one of the best known passages in the Old Testament:

¹Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

⁴ Surely he took up our pain

and bore our suffering,

yet we considered him punished by God,

stricken by him, and afflicted.

⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions,

he was crushed for our iniquities;

the punishment that brought us peace was on him,

and by his wounds we are healed.

⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.

⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

¹¹ After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

¹² Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,

and he will divide the spoils with the strong,

because he poured out his life unto death,

and was numbered with the transgressors.

For he bore the sin of many,

and made intercession for the transgressors. For

He shall bear their iniquities.

First, I want to deal briefly with the first part of the Song, (52:13-15):

The Exalted Destiny of the Servant

¹³ See, my servant will act wisely;

he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.

¹⁴ Just as there were many who were appalled at him—

his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being

and his form marred beyond human likeness—

¹⁵ so he will sprinkle many nations,

and kings will shut their mouths because of him.

For what they were not told, they will see,

and what they have not heard, they will understand.

The song opens with the Lord calling attention to the Servant’s wisdom: ¹³ See, my servant will act wisely;

V. 13 begins with a Hebrew interjection means more than just to see, but means to pay special attention, to look or observe with care and understanding that “…my servant will act wisely.” In many older English translations, it is rendered “behold,” and is a common way in the Old Testament to draw attention to what the Lord is about to tell us.

The Servant’s wisdom was deeply self-denying. The outcome would be determined by the Father, with the Servant—the son, Jesus—willingly shouldering the burden of untold suffering. In these verses, God’s wisdom and human wisdom decisively part company.

V. 14 tells us:

…there were many who were appalled at him—his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any human being and his form marred beyond human likeness…

This is a description of His appearance at the crucifixion…an appalling sight “…disfigured…” and “…marred beyond human likeness…”

V. 15 may seem a bit odd to us, we’re told that the suffering Servant “…will sprinkle many nations.”

This isn’t the first time I have encountered v. 15. Before we were saved, we were irregular church goers, and the church we attended sprinkled water on a newborn’s head as the means of baptism. I knew there were various forms of baptism, so I asked the minister of the church we had attended about it. She told me sprinkling is the only proper form of baptism and cited the passage “…he will sprinkle many nations…” in Isaiah 52:15 as her proof text.

But the Hebrew term translated “…sprinkle…” in English has what scholars call “priestly overtones.” It refers back to Leviticus 16:14 in which Aaron is to take some of the blood of a sacrificial bull and “¹⁴…sprinkle it on the front of the atonement cover…” of the ark and then take the blood of a sacrificial goat and “¹⁵…sprinkle it on the atonement cover and in front of it. ¹⁶ In this way he will make atonement for the Most Holy Place because of the uncleanness and rebellion of the Israelites…” This ritual cleansing of the tabernacle was to atone for the sin of the Israelites, whose sin and rebellion defiled the tabernacle when they worshiped.

So in verse 15 of Isaiah 52, the prophet sees the future Messiah as not only a victim, but also a priest. His sacrifice won’t be for Israel alone, however, since we’re told that his blood will sprinkle many nations, meaning His sacrifice will be for all mankind.

In addition, there are a few scholars who point out this “…sprinkling…” also may be a remembrance of the sprinkling of blood on the door posts and lentil of the Israelites’ dwellings on the night in Egypt, when the Lord spared the firstborn of the Israelites (Exodus 12). It is the blood of Christ, His death on the cross in payment for our sin, that enables all mankind to enter into communion with the Father.

In the latter part of v. 15, Isaiah prophesies that the Servant’s exaltation after the horror of His terrible suffering and death, would be most emphatic, even joyful for those responding in faith. Jesus’ second advent is in view here, although Isaiah had no way of knowing of two advents. His prophecy that—“…kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand…”—anticipates a day when the even world leaders will be humbled and silenced, because they will understand what had previously been unknown to them…the arrival of the King of Kings. Kings will fall silent in his presence, overawed and eager to see and hear rather than to speak themselves in the presence of such an unprecedented revelation.

The Servant Song continues in chapter 53, telling us something of the Messiah’s life during His first advent (53:1-3):

The Life of the Servant

¹ Who has believed our message

and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

² He grew up before him like a tender shoot,

and like a root out of dry ground.

He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,

nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

The implication in v. 1—“Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”—is that despite these and other prophecies, few would recognize the Messiah, although the prophecies clearly describe Him and his life and purpose.

V. 2 tells us, ^“He grew up before him like a tender shoot…” The “…tender shoot…” is the same term we find in Isaiah 11: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse, from his roots, a branch will bear fruit.,” referring to a young plant or the growth that sprouts from the stump of a tree after it has been cut down or died. Jesus was the “…shoot…” that came from “…the stump of Jesse…,” David’s father. By the first century, when the ruling house of David had long before been cut off, just as prophesied, came the Jesus the Messiah, a descendant of David, the son of Jesse.

V. 3 and following describe His pain and suffering:

³ He was despised and rejected by mankind,

a man of suffering, and familiar with pain.

Like one from whom people hide their faces

he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Jesus’ suffering and death was horrendous. He endured it on our behalf, in our place. In so doing, the He bore our guilt and penalty—they were transferred onto Him. God would judge Jesus Christ, His own Son, because He took our sin upon Himself, and His pain served a great redemptive purpose.

The passage gives us a good description of how things were when Jesus first came to earth. It was a dark time in history for the Israelites, a dark time spiritually, a dark time politically after centuries of foreign dominance and occupation, a time of poverty; the nation of Israel was all but dead.

But then came the Messiah, in humble circumstances and with no particular personal charisma or especially pleasant or appealing physical stature. Jesus was born to a poor, working family and probably had an average appearance.

Even in adulthood, when He taught as the Son of God, He was despised and rejected…rejected by the religious leaders, who cursed Him, falsely accused Him, and in many ways expressed their hatred and disgust for Him. Although a few saw Him for Who He is, most “…held Him in low esteem.”

Vv. 4-9 tell of:

His Suffering for Our Sin

4 Surely he took up our pain
and bore our suffering,
yet we considered him punished by God,
stricken by him, and afflicted.

5   5 But he was pierced for our transgressions,
  he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him,
  and by his wounds we are healed.

In Isaiah 53:4-5 we see all the broken

ness of mankind…it is, in fact, a summary of the Gospel story.

The Hebrew words translated “…pain…” and “…suffering…” in vv. 3 and 4 can legitimately refer to either physical infirmities, mental pain, or spiritual problems. Charismatic Christians normally limit the meaning of “…by his wounds we are healed…” only to physical illnesses because of their theology of miraculous healing. Hoowever, the context of the passage is that His pain and suffering took place for the “healing” of sin it enabled for us.

Normally, the surrounding context indicates what the author meant by the words he used. Most evangelical commentators see the phrase “…and by his wounds we are healed…” as referring not to physical healing, but to the spiritual healing from our “…transgressions…” and our “…iniquities…”

In addition, Isaiah 53 uses three different Hebrew words for sin—translated “…sins…,” “…iniquities…,” and “…transgressions…”—at least nine times in the chapter, and we must consider the context to identify the passage’s intent. For example, in v. 5 we read that Christ was “…pierced for our transgressions…” and “crushed for our iniquities”; so that, in v. 6, “…the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” The obvious focus of Isaiah 53 is on sin, not on physical illness or infirmities.

The Messiah as substitutionary atonement for our sin—for the judgment due us—is one of the most intense passages in the Bible. Note how this is emphasized in v. 5 (“…he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed). He paid the price for us, so that we would not have to and so that we could live in communion with the Father.

This doctrine of the atonement for our sin is often repeated often in the New Testament and is at the core of Christian theology.

For example:

“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).

“For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous” (1 Peter 3:18).

Vv. 6-8 describe our sin and the Messiah’s acquiescence to the process of atonement:

⁶ We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to our own way;

and the Lord has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

⁷ He was oppressed and afflicted,

yet he did not open his mouth;

he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,

and as a sheep before its shearers is silent,

so he did not open his mouth.

In v. 6, the prophecy describes us in a not-so-complementary way…as sheep that “…have gone astray…” and that have “…turned to our own way.” These are descriptions of the sinfulness of people’s hearts. It means every one of us. Even after trusting in the forgiveness that God gives, we sometimes are still prone to turn aside to our own ways.

There are quite a few teachers and preachers today, especially some of the celebrity ministers on television, who would tell us we should believe in ourselves…to have confidence in ourselves…to be proud of ourselves…and to enjoy all we can of the happiness and prosperity that is there for the taking.

But that’s not what the Bible teaches here: “…We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way…”; I am reminded of Paul’s lament in Romans 7. We all look up to Paul’s example of faithfulness, yet there was a time when he admitted: “…I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out (Romans 7:18).

The Bible tells us people everywhere have some tendency to be like the proverbial wandering sheep of v. 6…thinking we know what we’re doing, but occasionally clueless because of that old nature that always seems to lurk just around the corner.

Sheep often wander aimlessly unless the shepherd guides them. They have virtually no way of defense when they’re in danger, except to run.

Then in the latter part of v. 6, we encounter the solution: “…the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” All of us. So not just some of us. No one is excluded here. The sharpest, smartest, richest, most talented and intelligent people in the world are like sheep…prone to go astray. But the beauty of this v. 6 is that God chose to pour out the judgment that we deserve on Jesus, who has paid the price for every time we have turned aside from God’s way to our own way.

In v. 7, the prophet reminds us that Jesus the Messiah would be injuriously treated by the Jews, and indeed He was; He was shown no mercy. The opening phrase, “He was oppressed and afflicted…” conveys a sense of unjust treatment and hardship. Yet, despite the affliction he endures, there is a remarkable response—Jesus chooses silence. His silence is not what would be expected and stands as a powerful symbol of the servant’s willingness to endure suffering for our sake without protest or self-defense.

The imagery of being “…led like a lamb to the slaughter…” gives

The parallel image of Him “…as a sheep before its shearers is silent emphasizes His silent endurance even further. The shearing of sheep is a common practice that requires the sheep to remain still, and He is likened to the sheep’s quiet compliance, a voluntary surrender to a process that, though uncomfortable, serves a purpose.

V. 7 portrays the humility and obedience of the suffering servant. His silence in the face of oppression and affliction reflects His submission to the Father’s purpose for the Son as the Lamb of God whose sacrificial death brings redemption and forgiveness.

The phrase in v. 8, “…by oppression and judgment…” indicates that judgment was in fact employed as an instrument of oppression.

⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away.

Yet who of his generation protested?

For he was cut off from the land of the living;

for the transgression of my people he was punished.

It seemed as though the Servant must die without descendants, being “…cut off…” suggesting not only a violent, premature death but also the just judgment of God.

V. 9 provides us with another specific detail of the death of Christ:

⁹ He was assigned a grave with the wicked,

and with the rich in his death,

though he had done no violence,

nor was any deceit in his mouth.

V. 9 gives us a prophetic detail that Matthew reports literally occurred. Jesus died with the wicked (crucified between two criminals) and was buried in a rich man’s tomb. Matthew tells us in Matthew 27: 57-60:

⁵⁷ As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. ⁵⁸ Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body, and Pilate ordered that it be given to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body, wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, ⁶⁰ and placed it in his own new tomb that he had cut out of the rock. He rolled a big stone in front of the entrance to the tomb and went away.

Jesus’ pain served a grand purpose—He suffered on our behalf, in our place. In so doing, the Servant bore our guilt. Our guilt and penalty transferred onto Him. God would judge Jesus Christ, His own Son, because He took our sin upon Himself. This greater redemptive purpose called this into plan into action.

The Messiah’s ministry on earth did not end with His death. Even in death He was victorious: He defeated death in His resurrection and now is at the right hand of the Father. Vv. 10-12 tell us of:

His Ultimate Victory

¹⁰ Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,

and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin,

he will see his offspring and prolong his days,

and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.

¹¹ After he has suffered,

he will see the light of life and be satisfied;

by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,

and he will bear their iniquities.

Vv. 10-11 remind us that after suffering comes vindication, suggesting the completion of the Servant’s atoning work in his death and the opening of a new life beyond that death. Being “…an offering for sin…” (v. 10) is a special overtone of completion, because His suffering and death involved restitution for our sin, as well as an offering to God. Nothing remained to be done; the work was complete.

The statements in v. 10 that “…he will see his offspring and prolong his days…” and in v. 11 that “…he will see the light of life and be satisfied…” both foreshadow the Resurrection.

In. v. 11, the prophet goes on to tell us that”… by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities…” I see this as good background for Paul’s doctrine of justification through Christ’s, appropriated by faith. Christ’s righteousness and therefore his innocence of sin furnished a basis for his substitution.

And finally, the opening statement of v.12 shows God the Father honoring the Servant for his faithful work and the Servant in turn dividing “…the spoils with the strong…”:

12 12 Therefore I will give him a portion among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the strong,
because he poured out his life unto death,
and was numbered with the transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors.

That phrase dividing “…he will divide the spoils with the strong…” introduces a new note into the passage, using a military reference of distributing the spoils of battle to others. Nowhere else in the Servant Songs is there military language. Christ’s work is presented as a victory over spiritual foes, resulting in a distribution of spoils to those made strong in Him. The reference may relate to the giving of spiritual gifts, but that is unclear.

Innocent, he was charged with human sins and so bore their penalty. Beyond this, he has an intercessory ministry, concerned about and ministering to his people.

Finally, Jesus’ “…intercession for the transgressors…” began on the cross with the compassionate words for His tormenters, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:24). And His compassion has continued ever since and will continue until the last day, as Paul reminds us in Romans 8:34: “Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. ”

Conclusion

Isaiah has given us a good look at our Savior in the four passages we know as his Servant Songs…whom God calls My servant, who would save Jews and Gentiles alike, and who was obedient even in suffering and death.

It is good for us to take a long look at the prophecies of the Messiah, at the gospels that record Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and at the epistles, in which God fills in a lot of the details.

We need to take a long look at His life and death, His resurrection and ascension, and the fact that He continues to minister to us and intercede for us.

The Obedient Servant: Isaiah 50:4-9

2024-03-29T19:49:00.003-04:00

The Prophet Isaiah
Painting by Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Introduction

We find the third of what are called Isaiah’s “Servant Songs” in Isaiah 50:4-11.

You may recall that the Servant Songs are Hebrew poems or songs in which Isaiah predicted for the Israelites some details of the character of the coming Messiah…prophecies fully 700 years before the Messiah’s first advent.

Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs,” found in chapters 42 through 53, are prophetic and give details about the character and purpose of the Messiah.

These prophecies have in view both the Messiah’s first advent to suffer and die as that perfect atonement and the Messiah’s second advent and future kingdom on earth. Isaiah, of course, did not know about two advents, and therefore some of his prophecies contain elements of both.

The first Servant Song is in Isaiah 42, where he identifies the Messiah as “My Servant,” who would demonstrate a quiet and patient demeanor, would bring truth, justice, and comfort to the weak and oppressed, would be a light to the Gentiles, and would open mankind’s eyes to the reality and grace of God.

He introduced the Messiah as the first song opens:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”

That first Servant Song ended with the assurance that the Messiah was sure to come, because God had promised, and He always had kept His promises.

The second servant song is found in Isaiah 49. In it, he prophesies that the Messiah will come in human form, He will be an effective teacher, He will glorify the Father, was sent to save Israel, He will be rejected, and He will save all mankind.

This second Servant Song intermingles the promises of the Messiah to both the people of Israel in the relatively near term, their exile and return in the two centuries immediately following Isaiah, and to the Messiah’s message of salvation to the Gentiles in his first advent, seven centuries after these prophecies.

Throughout his prophecies, Isaiah emphasizes the role of the Messiah as the Savior, not just for Israel, but for all people as well…an idea that the Israelites rejected.

This evening, we focus on the third of the four Servant Songs, which concentrates on the obedience of the Messiah to the will of the Father and contrasts Israel’s sin and disobedience with the Servant’s obedience. The Servant would be everything Israel was not: He would perfectly obey God the Father.

We also see that the Messiah will be persecuted yet vindicated. The verses preceding this song, vv. 1-3, compare Israel to an immoral wife, and only God has the power to ransom her. Then, starting in verse 4, the Servant responds to the instruction of God. He is not rebellious (v. 5), even when His obedience to God results in suffering. Isaiah expresses the Servant’s confidence in God’s help and that He will be found innocent (vv. 7-9). The Servant resolves to see His task to completion, no matter how difficult.

In the prophecies of this song, we find that the Servant’s perfect obedience will lead to His rejection (v. 5). Notice the escalation from the second song, which tells us the Servant would be deeply despised (49:7). Now, in this third Servant Song, it is prophesied that the Servant will suffer physically at the hands of His captors (Isa. 50:6):

“…I offered my back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard…”

Seven centuries later, this prophecy was fulfilled. Abuse and insults were heaped on Him. He was turned over to the Roman soldiers. His back was beaten, His face was hit, and He was spit upon (see John 19:1-3; Matthew 27:30). Jesus was obedient unto death (Philippians 2:8), and the Father vindicated His Suffering Servant by resurrecting Him.

Let’s look at the text of the third Servant Song:

⁴ The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

⁵ The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;

I have not been rebellious,

I have not turned away.

⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,

my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from mocking and spitting.

⁷ Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame.

⁸ He who vindicates me is near.

Who then will bring charges against me?

Let us face each other!

Who is my accuser?

Let him confront me!

⁹ It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.

Who will condemn me?

They will all wear out like a garment;

the moths will eat them up.

The Exposition

In v. 4, we see:

The Servant Will Be Obedient in Speaking and Teaching

⁴ The Sovereign Lord has given me a well-instructed tongue,

to know the word that sustains the weary.

He wakens me morning by morning,

wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

V. 4 is the voice of the Servant. We find the phrase, “Adonai Yahweh,” “the Lord Yahweh,” four times in this song, vv. 4, 5, 7, 9. In each instance, the Lord God enables the Servant: ”

…has given me a well-instructed tongue…” (v. 4), “…has opened my ears…” (v. 5), “…helps me…” (vv. 7 and 9), Not only does “the Lord Yahweh” empower the Servant, but these references authenticate the Servant’s work.

The Lord God has given the Servant the tongue of a teacher (literally “a learned person”). There is and will be an ongoing communication between God and the Servant—with God conveying wisdom and the Servant listening — in order to absorb every word and thought of God the Father, the Lord Yahweh. Otherwise, the Servant would have nothing to teach His weary people. Because He listens, however, the Servant has power from the Lord Yahweh to help and care for the weary.

That is no mean feat, because the Jewish people have long suffered over many generations—through enslavement, exile, and domination by cruel foreign powers—and they are described as a weary people. The Lord Yahweh will commission the Servant to teach them and encourage them—to bring them hope. That would be impossible except that God makes it possible.

The Servant is given “…the word that sustains the weary…” (v. 4), and we know that God’s word is powerful and true, whether spoken by God directly, as He did in the creation in Genesis 1, to Moses on the mountain in Exodus 19, by one of the prophets, or by the New Testament authors. In fact, the New Testament describes Jesus, the Servant, with these words in John 1: “…Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:14). God still works today through our scriptures and the preaching of the word, our reading and teaching the word, and in our personal evangelism sharing the word with the unsaved.

Moreover, in v. 4 the Servant tells us the Lord Yahweh “…wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.” God speaks to the Servant constantly. The sense that we get here is that the Lord gives the Servant encouragement and instruction each morning. So the Servant does the will of the Father continually.

To me, this is also a picture of our discipleship, which, with constant practice, gets easier each day we are devoted to faithfulness. When we devote ourselves to the word and to prayer today, we find it a little easier and easier to listen and obey Him tomorrow. We will see what that means in the Servant’s life when we get to verses 6-9. Those verses show the strength that the Servant developed through daily discipleship.

In vv. 5, we read that:

The Servant Will Be Obedient to the Father’s Will

⁵ The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears;

I have not been rebellious,

I have not turned away.

In v. 4, the Servant tells us the Lord Yahweh “…wakens my ear…”; and now , in v. 5, He repeats that slightly differently, telling us “The Sovereign Lord has opened my ears…” and that He responds positively, saying: “… I have not been rebellious, I have not turned away.” The Servant is prophesied to respond positively to the will of the Father…but in truth, it must be tempting for the Servant to rebel, knowing what would happen to Him. He proved willing to do the Father’s will and did not “…turn away.”. We remember that some of the prophets were less faithful. Jonah ran away. Jeremiah complained. When the Lord called, there may have been times in our lives when we wanted to resist…to go in another direction.

In v.6, we learn:

The Servant Will Be Obedient in Suffering

Instead of turning away from the Father’s will, the Servant tells us:

⁶ I offered my back to those who beat me,

my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard;

I did not hide my face

from mocking and spitting.

I offered my back to those who beat me…” sounds like scourging—a terrible beating with whips or rods that sometimes kills the one who is beaten. “…my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard…” describes another form of physical punishment, one intended to inflict physical pain, disfigurement, and humiliation. In that culture, the beard was an important part of a man’s identity. A man would shave his beard only to express mourning. For someone to shave a man or to pluck his beard was to humiliate—to show great contempt.

He ends v. 6 with: “I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” While insults and being spat upon might seem mild compared with scourging and having one’s beard plucked out, this sort of humiliation was very degrading in the culture. Unlike our current culture, which is long on tolerance and short on shame, the people of that time and place took shame seriously. But even today, we tend not to take insults lightly and would recoil at being spat upon.

So let’s pause for just a moment and consider the question…Just who was Jesus?

On one occasion, when He was teaching in the temple courts, a group of Pharisees challenged His authority, demanding to know who He was.

His answer, found in John 8:28-29, bears on this point:

“…I do nothing on my own but speak just what the Father has taught me. ²⁹ The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.”

We may wonder who would take offense at the Servant’s ministry in the Jewish culture? Who would cheer His beating and death? The answer, simply, is that in the Jewish culture at the time of this prophecy and seven centuries later when Jesus appeared, there was a strong and mistaken sense of what to expect in the Messiah.

The people did not believe Jesus was the Messiah. The leaders of the community—the priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees—led the Jews to believe that the chief act of the Messiah would be to throw out the Roman rulers, but certainly not a Messiah like Jesus.

His message was not what the people wanted to hear.

In John 6, Jesus tells His followers that those who trust in Him will need to show the same sacrifice and commitment as He would experience…but many of them responded, “This is a hard saying; who can accept it?” (John 6:60). Jesus replies, “…there are some of you who do not believe,” (6:64). Then John tells us, “From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him” (6:66).

We know that His message ultimately led to His death. He knew this would happen, but never held back on His teaching. Many times, in fact, we see Him confronting the scribes and Pharisees in the temple, with crowds around them listening.

He was blunt and honest with the people in urging them to trust in Him completely, not to expel the Romans, but to trust Him for eternal life with the Father.

Matthew reports that He laid it out bluntly for them, quoting Jesus in chapter 10:

³⁷ “Anyone who loves their father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves their son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. ³⁸ Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. ³⁹ Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it” (Matthew 10:37-39).

And to a people who envied those among them with wealth and power, He says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5).

In addition, the Jews were steeped in the tradition that righteousness meant following the letter of the law and the hundreds of additions to the law their rabbis added. But Jesus taught that righteousness consisted not of following the letter of the law, but a matter of an internal spiritual commitment.

He said:

²¹ “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ ²² But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment…” and

²⁷ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ ²⁸ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:21-22; 27-28).

It’s not just His words of commitment that must affect us, but also His words and ministry to those who are weary and burdened; burdened, sad, hurting inside, and discouraged. He is ministering to us right now.

Back to the Servant Song…

In. vv. 7-9, we learn:

The Messiah Will Be Obedient in Accomplishing His Purpose

⁷ Because the Sovereign Lord helps me,

I will not be disgraced.

Therefore have I set my face like flint,

and I know I will not be put to shame.

The Messiah says, in verse 7, “…I have set my face like flint.” Flint is a hard, dense rock. The simile here is that the Messiah would not be swayed from His purpose. In the gospels, we find this to be true of Jesus, who was not swayed from His purpose by hardship, opposition, or betrayal. Jesus did not have just a strong sense of purpose, but a perfect sense of purpose. In v. 7, He alludes to God’s help….Knowing that God the Father leads Him, He feels neither disgrace nor shame. So He can say Therefore have I set my face like flint, and I know I will not be put to shame. He has a solid confidence that God will vindicate him in the long run, so he is able to endure suffering in the short run. We find in the gospel accounts that though people sought to mock and shame Jesus, He persevered, because, as He tells us in v. 8: “…He who vindicates me is near…”: and thus He can say: “Who then will bring charges against me? Let us face each other! Who is my accuser? Let him confront me!”

In v. 8, the Servant challenges all comers, as if He is in a courtroom battle:

⁸ He who vindicates me is near.

Who then will bring charges against me?

Let us face each other!

Who is my accuser?

Let him confront me!

He has God the Father as his defense counsel, so He has nothing to fear. He boldly dares his opponents to confront Him, and it is clear here that his earlier failure to resist violence in v. 6 reflected the principle of strength, rather than a helpless surrender to the crowd’s violence.

So He can say in v. 9:

⁹ It is the Sovereign Lord who helps me.

Who will condemn me?

They will all wear out like a garment;

the moths will eat them up.

The Servant does not fear his own fate. He is confident that His enemies will find themselves worn out and eaten up.

The Servant is a model for us in demonstrating confidence in God the Father…in His case, confidence of vindication…and in our case, confidence in our Savior’s promises of love and care and an eternal existence in His presence. Despite our weaknesses, we can stand boldly without shame and disgrace as we trust in Him in the present and for our future, just as God delivered His people in the past.

Conclusion

I don’t want for us to study the prophecies just to gain knowledge. We want to know them so that we can be more like our Savior and Lord, so we can understand Him and know and do His will. Jesus prayed for us in John 17:18: “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.”

So the question my question for us all this evening is…What do we know about His will for us from this third servant song?

First, we must be like Him in speaking and teaching: share the gospel message, encourage and admonish each other, use our communication to build the kingdom, not criticize, gossip, and judge others.

Second, we need to listen to what God has to tell us, through the Bible, through our interactions with each other, and through the inner voice of God. We must not turn away from His voice, and not just to request Him to act, but pray for a better understanding of His will for us.

Third is suffering, learning to deal with life’s circumstances righteously and to do God’s will regardless of the consequences to our pride.

Finally, we need to commit to being steadfast in purpose: doing God’s will and pursuing righteousness regardless of hardship, opposition, embarrassment, or even betrayal.

Revelation Chapter 11: The Seventh Trumpet

2024-02-21T17:10:00.001-05:00

Illustration of the two witnesses of Revelation 11,
from the Cracow Bible, 14th century

We learned in chapter 10 of John’s vision of an angel of a wonderful appearance and the voices of the seven thunders. John describes the angel’s strength, his descent from heaven, his attire, being clothed with a cloud, a rainbow on his head, and his face like the sun. His feet were as pillars of fire, with one foot set on the sea and the other on the earth. He had a little book open in his hand, and his cry was like the roaring of a lion.

As chapter 11 opens, John’s vision continues; he is given a reed as a measuring device to measure the Temple, altar, and worshippers:

“¹ I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, ‘Go and measure the Temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. ² But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months. ³ And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.’ ⁴ They are “the two olive trees” and the two lampstands, and “they stand before the Lord of the earth.” ⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.”

The measuring reed, also known as a rod, was a hollow stalk from a cane-like plant that grew in the Jordan Valley. It was rigid and lightweight and was cut to a determined length for measuring the dimensions of a plot of land to mark corners and define land being granted in a contract. For many centuries, the rod was the system for measuring a plot of land, a building, a city wall, etc. Interestingly, in western cultures, the rod is still used as the unit of measure in land surveying, with one rod equaling 16.5 feet in length.

Ezekiel mentions the use of a measuring rod at the Temple in his vision of in Ezekiel 40:5: “…I saw a wall completely surrounding the Temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man’s hand was six cubits long and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high.”

John is told to “…measure the Temple of God and the altar, with its worshipers. ² But exclude the outer court…” (vv. 1-2), the outer court was the area occupied by Gentiles, who “…will trample on the holy city for 42 months…” (v. 2), a prophecy that will take place in the end-times.

Since John in v. 2 is instructed not to measure the outer court, but to leave it for the nations to overrun, we read here in chapter 11 that measuring means that the Temple of God, the altar, and the worshipers will be blessed and preserved from harm.

There is a similar reference to measuring in Revelation 21:15-17, where John envisions an angel measuring the heavenly city with a golden rod:

“¹⁵ The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. ¹⁶ The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. ¹⁷ The angel measured the wall using human measurement, and it was 144 cubits thick.”

The apparent purpose in this instance is to mark off the city for protection from harm (21:27):

“Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”

The measuring in chapter 11, however, represents a guarantee that none of the faithful worshipers of Jesus as the Messiah will perish, even though they suffer physical destruction at the hand of the beast (see Revelation 13:7).

John is to measure “…the Temple of God…” Two Greek words are used in the New Testament for “Temple”:

ἱερόν (hieron): means either the entire structure of Herod’s Temple, or specifically, the outer courts, open to worshippers (see Matthew 4:5; John 2:14).
ναός (naos): which John uses here and is always the term used for the Temple in Revelation. ναός does not refer to the entire Temple with its courts, but only the sanctuary, that part of the Temple where God himself resides and where only the priests were allowed (see Matthew 23:35; 27:51).

Interestingly, ναός always refers to the Jerusalem Temple in the Gospels except for John’s Gospel, where it refers to Jesus’ own body; John 2:21: “…the Temple (ναός) He had spoken of was his body…” and Revelation 21:22: “I did not see a Temple (ναός ) in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its Temple (ναός).” Some commentators hold that the “…Temple…” in Revelation 11:1 represents the church in the Great Tribulation.

The “…altar…” included in John’s measurement in v. 1 refers to the stone altar of sacrifice in the Temple, and the expression “…the worshipers…” are the priests and others in the inner courts. These may be symbols of the genuine servants of God in the tribulation.

According to prophecy, the rebuilt Temple will exist at the time of the Tribulation (Daniel 9:27):

“He (the antichrist, the ‘one who causes desolation’) will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the Temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

and (2 Thessalonians 2:4):

“He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s Temple (ναός, the inner sanctuary), proclaiming himself to be God.”

John was not to measure the outer court (v. 2), called the Court of the Gentiles. Leaving it out of the measurement symbolizes God’s rejection of the unbelieving gentiles who have oppressed His people.

The antichrist and his followers will bring devastation and destruction in the city of Jerusalem. God rejects them, as evidenced by telling John not to measure the outer Court of the Gentiles. God rejects those who oppose Him. “They will trample on the holy city for 42 months…” (v. 2), which is the period of three and a half years comprising is the second half of the tribulation.

In v.3, John is told: “…I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.”

God will appoint the “…two witnesses…” to preach about both salvation and judgment during the second half of the tribulation—1260 days, or 3-1/2 years. God appoints two of them because according to the law and tradition of the Jews, two or more witnesses were required to affirm a claim or testimony as true (see Deuteronomy 17:6; 19:15; Matthew 18:16; John 8:17; Hebrews 10:28).

These two will deliver the final testimony to Israel—an offer of salvation to the people who decide not to continue to reject Christ and the promise of judgment on those who will not turn to Him.

The two witnesses will be “…clothed in sackcloth…” Sackcloth was a coarse, rough cloth woven from goat hair or camel hair and was very uncomfortable to wear. Traditionally, the wearing of sackcloth was a public demonstration of penitence, humility, or mourning. The sackcloth will show that the two witnesses are mourning over the wickedness of the world, over God’s impending judgment on the world, and the desecration of the Holy Temple and the Holy City of Jerusalem by the antichrist.

Commentators offer several interpretations of the two witnesses. They are called “…two witnesses…” in v. 3, “…two prophets…” in v. 10, and, more figuratively, “…two olive trees and the two lampstands…” in v. 4. Some suggest they are the appearance of two historic biblical figures such as Moses and Elijah or the apostles Peter and Paul. Others hold they represent the witness of the church itself or the appearance of unnamed Christian martyrs. A good general understanding is that God sends the “…two witnesses…,” whoever they are, to give a prophetic witness to Christ in the final days of the church age and stand in for millions of others who will be preaching about Christ during the tribulation era.

John refers to the “…two witnesses…” in v. 4 as “‘…the two olive trees’ and the two lampstands, and ‘they stand before the Lord of the earth.’”

This is imagery drawn from Zechariah chapters 3 and 4. Zechariah had a vision that included both the rebuilding of the Temple by Zerubbabel; and in the far future, he envisioned the two witnesses and their ministry, which indicates Israel’s final restoration in the millennium.

The presence of the olive trees and lampstands may signify the light of revival, with reference to the fact that olive oil was used to fuel the lamps. The witnesses’ preaching will spark a revival, just as the rebuilding of the Temple by Zerubabbel described in the Old Testament sparked a revival of the Jews as they returned to Jerusalem and Judea from their captivity in Babylon.

Vv. 5-6 give warning to anyone who would try to harm the two witnesses:

“ ⁵ If anyone tries to harm them, fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies. This is how anyone who wants to harm them must die. ⁶ They have power to shut up the heavens so that it will not rain during the time they are prophesying; and they have power to turn the waters into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague as often as they want.”

A question commentators have wrestled with throughout church history is…Who are these two witnesses?

It is impossible to be sure about their identities. Many suggest the two are Moses and Elijah or two prophets like them—like Moses in that they have the power to strike the earth with plagues, and like Elijah in that they have the power to keep it from raining. Jewish tradition expected both Moses and Elijah to return in the future. They were both present at the transfiguration of Christ, which was a kind of preview of Christ’s second coming (Matthew 17). We might call this “informed speculation,” because the identities of the two witnesses are not given to us.

The text states that “…fire comes from their mouths and devours their enemies…” This is very likely to be literal fire. The two witnesses will be invincible, protected by supernatural power during their ministry with “…power to shut up the heavens…”

A long, 3-1/2-year drought during the second half of the tribulation will increase the hatred of God by the unsaved people on the earth and thus cause increased hatred of the two witnesses. They will have “…power to turn the waters into blood…,” making a large part of the water on earth undrinkable, thus adding to the suffering of the unsaved on earth during this period.

John in vv. 7-10 sees the beast come out of the Abyss and kill the two witnesses:

⁷ Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. ⁸ Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. ⁹ For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. ¹⁰ The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.

There are 36 references to the beast in the book of Revelation. The beast is the antichrist, ascending from the Abyss with satanic powers. When the ministry of the two witnesses is completed, God withdraws His supernatural protection of them, and, unlike many who had tried before, the beast will kill the two witnesses.

To leave an enemy’s body lying without burying it was a way of showing dishonor, hatred, and contempt, a contempt which Paul experienced being left for dead by those opposing him in Lystra. In Acts 14, we find Paul and Barnabas in Lystra, where Paul performs a healing miracle, causing the crowd to regard Paul and Barnabas as gods. Acts 14:19: “Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead.” The crowd had assumed that Paul was dead, and instead of burying him, they dragged him outside the city to lie on the ground and rot because of their contempt and hatred. But Paul recovered and went on with his ministry in Asia Minor: “But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city…” (Acts 14:20).

Notice in v. 8 that Jerusalem is “…figuratively called Sodom and Egypt…” This stresses the wickedness of the people inhabiting the city.

In v. 9, we read: “For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial.” And in v. 10, John tells us that the people of the world will watch, probably by electronic media, and no one will step forward to bury the two witnesses. Instead, “The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.”

A Muslim practice today, when there is a Muslim victory such as 9/11, the London subway, the Paris massacre, the Brussels airport bombing, is “…sending each other gifts…”—small gifts and candy for the poor, and those who are wealthier exchange more lavish gifts, all to celebrate the victory and to gloat over a defeated enemy.

Vv. 11-12 tell us God will bring the two witnesses back to life : “¹¹ But after the three and a half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and terror struck those who saw them. ¹² Then they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, ‘Come up here.’ And they went up to heaven in a cloud, while their enemies looked on.”

The people of the world will watch this demonstration of the power of the only God. While the wicked celebrate their deaths, the victory will be snatched from the celebrants while all the world watches. God takes the two witnesses bodily into heaven, while their enemies watch.

Common sense would say that after such a dramatic demonstration of the power of God, the two witnesses would begin preaching, and millions would listen and be saved. But that will not be the case for everyone. In Luke 16:31, we find Jesus reminding His disciples: “If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”

Most people over the centuries have rejected Christ, even though He rose from the dead, and in the resurrection of the two witnesses during the tribulation, the wicked would still not listen.

A part of the second woe is the severe earthquake in Israel after the two witnesses have ascended, described in vv. 13-14:

“¹³ At that very hour there was a severe earthquake and a tenth of the city collapsed. Seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven. ¹⁴ The second woe has passed; the third woe is coming soon.”

The earthquake results in heavy damage and the loss of 7,000 lives. While the survivors gave glory to God, we will see that this is short-lived, and few will turn to Christ for salvation as the seventh trumpet sounds (v. 15):

“¹⁵ The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.’”

The seventh trumpet announces the seven bowls and final judgments that we will read about in chapter 16, as well as the events leading up to the coronation of Jesus as King (chapter 19) and the establishment of the millennial kingdom (chapter 20).

The angel refers to “The kingdom of the world…” Even though there are many cultural and political divisions, the Bible views the world spiritually as one kingdom with one ruler, who is Satan. It is Satan’s influence and his control over the world that leads human rulers to be generally hostile toward Christ. Human rebellion will end with the return of Jesus to defeat His enemies and establish “…the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah…,” commonly referred to as the “Messianic Kingdom,” a kingdom belonging to God the Father and ruled by God the Son and His people.

The chapter concludes with the 24 elders giving thanks and speaking of God’s wrath (vv. 16-19):

“¹⁶ And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, ¹⁷ saying: ‘We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. ¹⁸ The nations were angry, and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.’ ¹⁹ Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.”

The reference to “…the One who is and who was…” (v. 17) is a phrase the elders use to describe God the Father. It is possibly a sign that the kingdom on earth, which was once in the future, is now present.

The elders continue: “The nations were angry, and your wrath has come,” indicating to us that there is still much resistance. The nations (understand this as “people groups” or even “tribes” or “cultures”) will be defiant and angry. Their anger and resistance will lead to an attempt to fight against Christ (see 16:4 and 19:17-21).

The wrath of God that 24 elders speak of is near but still in the future (20:11-15), but the elders speak of it as if it is already present, showing the knowledge and confidence they have that the matter is settled. They know His wrath is sure to destroy His enemies and add: “The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your people who revere your name, both great and small—and for destroying those who destroy the earth” (. V. 18). The final outpouring of God’s wrath includes the judging of the dead and has two parts: rewards and condemnation. There will be rewards for the Old Testament saints, the raptured church, and the tribulation saints and condemnation for unbelievers into the lake of fire (20:15).

“God’s temple in heaven…” (v. 19) is where He dwells in glory. John has already seen the Temple in the vision and has observed its spender, God on His throne, the praying souls of the saints, and the 24 elders praising God.

Now, in his vision, the presence of the Ark of the Covenant in the Temple in heaven is revealed to John.: “…within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant…” (v. 19). The ark in the Jerusalem Temple was the symbol of God’s presence, enabling the atonement for sin. In addition, it was a reminder of God’s covenant with His people. This most holy place in the Temple of heaven represents God’s new covenant and its purpose of having offered salvation to mankind. The ark on earth was only a picture or representative of the ark in heaven.

John continues in v. 19: “And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm.”

These displays of God’s power and judgment were first mentioned earlier in Revelation 4:5 (“From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder…”) and Revelation 8:5 (“Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.”)

The events in v. 19 comprise the end of the seventh trumpet judgment. Since heaven is the source not only of God’s favor and grace, but also of His vengeance, then it is not surprising that judgment comes from the same place as His grace—from the Holy Place in His Temple in heaven.

The evil intentions and acts of the antichrist will finally be apparent to all.

A Savior to the Gentiles: Isaiah 49:1-13

2024-02-05T07:44:00.011-05:00

The Vision of Isaiah, by Jean-Louis-Ernest Meissonier (1815 – 1891)

Introduction

Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs,” chapters 42 through 53, are prophetic and give details about the character and purpose of the Messiah.

Isaiah’s prophecies of the Messiah have in view both the Messiah’s first advent to suffer and die as that perfect atonement and the Messiah’s second advent and future kingdom on earth. Isaiah, of course, did not know about two advents, and therefore some of his prophecies contain elements of both.

In our last study, we examined the first Servant Song in Isaiah 42, in which the Lord identified the Messiah as “My Servant,” who would demonstrate a quiet and patient demeanor, would bring truth, justice, and comfort to the weak and oppressed, would be a light to the Gentiles, and would open mankind’s eyes to the reality and grace of God.

The character and office of the Messiah were exhibited to us in general terms in Isaiah’s first Servant Song, chapter 42, in which he introduced the Messiah this way in v. 1:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations.”

That first Servant Song ended with the assurance that the Messiah was sure to come, because God had promised, and He always had kept His promises.

This second Servant Song is more difficult to outline, because the text intermingles the promises of the Messiah to both the people of Israel in the relatively near term, their exile and return in the two centuries immediately following Isaiah, and to the Messiah’s message of salvation to the Gentiles in his first advent, seven centuries after these prophecies.

Mixing the promises the way they are intermingled in this song is a literary device that emphasizes the role of the Messiah as the Savior, first for Israel, and then for all people.

I can imagine Isaiah in the temple court announcing his prophecies in this Servant Song to his listeners. I am not sure how his audience would have reacted…but I wouldn’t be surprised if there were puzzling looks and bewildered shaking of heads…an outright anger and rejection at his suggestion that the Messiah would have anything to do with Gentiles.

The Israelites expected a Messiah for themselves only, one who would rise up and defeat the oppressive nations around them…and then establish His rule, through the nation of Israel, over the entire world. But they did not buy into the idea of a Messiah who would offer salvation to all people, including the hated Gentiles. At Jesus’ first advent, 700 years in the future, this was still the attitude of the people of Israel; they hated the Gentiles.

In the judgment of the Jewish establishment in the time of Jesus’ first advent, He had failed to demonstrate He was the Messiah, because He did not eject the Roman occupiers from their land, and they resented His criticism of their hypocrisy, their legalism, their lack of devotion to God. And He associated with people the Jews deemed unclean.

Isaiah’s prophecies, and the Servant Songs, are right on the mark: The remnant or preserved ones of Israel will turn to Him, and still in our future today, the Messiah will, indeed, rule the world from Jerusalem.

The second Servant Song is found in Isaiah 49:1-13 and concentrates on the Messiah as a savior to the Gentiles, a subject he also dealt with in his first Servant Song.

Here is what Isaiah tells us in the second Song:

¹ Listen to me, you islands;

hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the Lord called me;

from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.

² He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow

and concealed me in his quiver.

³ He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

⁴ But I said, “I have labored in vain;

I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,

and my reward is with my God.”

⁵ And now the Lord says—

“he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord

and my God has been my strength—”

⁶ he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my servant

to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that my salvation may reach

to the ends of the earth.”

⁷ This is what the Lord says—

the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kings will see you and stand up,

princes will see and bow down,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you;

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

⁹ to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads

and find pasture on every barren hill.

¹⁰ They will neither hunger nor thirst,

nor will the desert heat

or the sun beat down on them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them

and lead them beside springs of water.

¹¹ I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highways will be raised up.

¹² See, they will come from afar—

some from the north, some from the west,

some from the region of Aswan.”

¹³ Shout for joy, you heavens;

rejoice, you earth;

burst into song, you mountains!

For the Lord comforts his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Exposition

In this second Servant Song, Isaiah begins by telling us:

V. 1: The Messiah will come in human form

¹ Listen to me, you islands;

hear this, you distant nations:

Before I was born the Lord called me;

from my mother’s womb

he has spoken my name.

It is the Servant—the Messiah—who speaks beginning in v. 1. His reference to “…islands…” and “…you distant nations…” means the entire world and confirms again that the Messiah would be sent not just to Israel, but to the entire world.

It is interesting to me that these two phrases “Listen to me, you islands…” and “…hear this, you distant nations…” express the same thought in twice different words. The last part of the verse also express the same idea twice: “…Before I was born the Lord called me…” and “…from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.”

Such parallel structures are common in Hebrew poetry and are called “appositions,” and we find it often in the Hebrew scriptures. For example:

Psalm 25:4:

“Make known to me your ways, Lord; teach me your paths…” and

Psalm 91:1:

“Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty…”

The Hebrew writers employed appositions to give emphasis to what they wanted to emphasize. In v. 1 the emphasis is on the fact that it is at Yahweh’s initiative that the servant serves: “…Before I was born the Lord called me…” and “…from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.” His calling was to be a part of Yahweh’s plan from the beginning of his life.

Isaiah introduces the Messiah as born into the world, and in his prophecy he hints at the full extent of the Messiah’s commission, which is not only to restore the errant Israelites and reconcile them to their Lord, but also to be a Savior to the whole world, which Isaiah refers to as “…islands…” and “…distant nations….” This, of course, meant the Messiah would also call the Gentiles to the knowledge and obedience of the true God, and to bring them to be reconciled to Him along with the Israelites. The Israelites hated the idea that the Messiah would Minister to the Gentiles, whom they regarded as unclean, unsalvageable, and forever condemned.

From v. 1, the prophet tells the Israelites the Messiah would be a human being, born as others are born of a woman (although virgin born, Isaiah 7:14).

V. 2 tells us:

V. 2: He will be an effective teacher

He made my mouth like a sharpened sword,

in the shadow of his hand he hid me;

he made me into a polished arrow

and concealed me in his quiver.

Here we find another example of apposition: “He made my mouth like a sharpened sword…” and “he made me into a polished arrow…” V. 2 has nothing to do with actual swords and arrows. These are metaphors pointing to the Messiah’s ability to deliver Yahweh’s word successfully with his mouth “…like a sharpened sword…,” speaking and teaching effectively.

Paul uses a similar metaphor in his letter to the Ephesians, referring to: “…the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17), as does the author of Hebrews, who writes: “…the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword…” (Hebrews 4:12).

The statements in v. 2 “…in the shadow of his hand he hid me…” and “…(He) concealed me in his quiver…” speak to the timing of the Messiah’s advent; before His advent, He was with God the Father, Who waited for the right moment to send the Savior.

In v. 3, God calls the Messiah “…Israel…”:

V. 3: He will glorify the Father

He said to me, “You are my servant,

Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.”

V. 3 is the only place in the Bible where the Messiah is called by the name “…Israel…” To call the Messiah “…Israel…” may seem curious to us, but it emphasizes both His human origin as a child from among the Israelites and divine origin as the chosen one of Israel. “Israel” here is used as a synonym of “Servant,” to identify the future Messiah with God’s chosen people Israel.

The purpose of Israel was, in part, to demonstrate the existence of the one true God to the world, because, like today, most people in the ancient world were alienated from God. They lived with a host of superstitious religious ideas and created and worshiped idols. Through Israel, God offered the knowledge of His existence, created a covenant relationship between Him and His people, and right from the first covenant God made with Abraham, He made it clear that his purpose for Israel was about offering salvation to the world—He promised Abraham in Genesis 12: “…all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:3). That would be accomplished with the advent of the Messiah.

His purpose for Israel was to bring the gospel to the world, offering the world the cleansing from sin and a renewed purpose. So in v. 3, this Servant—the Messiah—is going to be the vehicle to fulfill the task given to Israel. Jesus came to us through Israel, and we must remember that promise to Abraham that Israel’s main purpose right from the start was to bless “…all peoples on earth…” Paul shows us how we are to interpret God’s promise to Abraham in his letter to the Galatian church:

⁷ Understand, then, that those who have faith are children of Abraham. ⁸ Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.” ⁹ So those who rely on faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith” (Galatians 3:7-9).

Isaiah’s prophecy emphasizes that people will see the splendor of the Father through the saving work of the Messiah.

In vv. 4-5, Isaiah tells us the Servant will be rejected:

Vv. 4-5: Sent to save Israel, He will be rejected

⁴ But I said, “I have labored in vain;

I have spent my strength for nothing at all.

Yet what is due me is in the Lord’s hand,

and my reward is with my God.”

⁵ And now the Lord says—

he who formed me in the womb to be his servant

to bring Jacob back to him

and gather Israel to himself,

for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord

and my God has been my strength—

Isaiah gives us words he attributes to the future Messiah in v. 4: “I have labored in vain.” In view here is the first advent, when the people of Israel rejected Him, and it appeared, at the time of His death, that He had labored in vain. His own people, to whom He had come to save, had rejected Him and His message.

The emphasis in v. 4 is on the suffering Servant, but we should remember that though the Lord was rejected, and it may have looked for a time that He labored in vain, His confidence is always in God…so He testifies in v. 5, saying: “I am honored in the eyes of the Lord and my God has been my strength.” Even the death of the Lord Jesus Christ was a victory; in fact, it is the greatest victory the world has seen up to the present time.

At His first advent, Israel rejected Him. But He did something far more wonderful: He offered salvation for the world, having done the work of the Father. In His second advent, He will accomplish the purpose outlined for Him in v. 5, which is: “…to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself…”

V. 6 emphasizes that the Servant will be Savior of the whole world: “…a light for the Gentiles…”:

V. 6: He will save all mankind

…he says:

“It is too small a thing for you to be my

servant to restore the tribes of Jacob

and bring back those of Israel I have kept.

I will also make you a light for the Gentiles,

that my salvation may reach

to the ends of the earth.”

The Israelites did not want a Messiah who would offer redemption the Gentiles along with themselves, because of their low regard for them.

The Israelites did not think of a Messiah who would impact the world beyond granting freedom to the Jewish nation. They expected a prophet, perhaps with supernatural powers, who would lead them to political and military victory to end the domination of foreign powers over them.

While the Messiah’s chief purpose was Savior for Israel, God’s word about the Messiah given through Isaiah was: “I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” Though they never tried to accomplish it, as we know from the word given to Abraham, Israel’s mission was always to bring the knowledge of the true God to the world around them. But instead, the Israelites developed a hatred and spitefulness toward all Gentiles.

The Messiah, however, in His first advent, became the “…light for the Gentiles…,” offering salvation to Jews and Gentiles alike. In Isaiah’s Servant Songs, we find he repeats the two themes in v. 6—that he will “…restore the tribes of Jacob…” to their God and be “…a light for the Gentiles…”

V. 7: Those who despised Him will worship Him

⁷ This is what the Lord says—

the Redeemer and Holy One of Israel—

to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,

to the servant of rulers:

“Kings will see you and stand up,

princes will see and bow down,

because of the Lord, who is faithful,

the Holy One of Israel, who has chosen you.”

V. 7 addresses the fact that the Messiah was to be despised and suffer humiliating treatment in His first advent…but in the latter part of the verse, Isaiah tells us there will come a time when kings and princes shall recognize Him as Messiah and worship Him. This will occur when He returns to gather His people and ultimately rule the world.

But the prophet did not know of two advents. In v. 7 we see both of Christ’s advents, the first when He “…was despised and abhorred…” (His first advent) and the second when kings and princes will “…bow down…” to Him (His second advent). Isaiah addresses this again in his fourth Servant Song in chapter 52, writing: “…kings will shut their mouths because of him. For what they were not told, they will see, and what they have not heard, they will understand. (52:15).

Vv. 8-13:

Vv. 8-13: A covenant to all people

⁸ This is what the Lord says:

“In the time of my favor I will answer you,

and in the day of salvation I will help you;

I will keep you and will make you

to be a covenant for the people,

to restore the land

and to reassign its desolate inheritances,

In v. 8, “In the time of my favor…” and “…in the day of salvation…” are parallel phrases that indicate that Yahweh grants His saving grace according to His plan. The Lord continues in v. 8: “…I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances…”

A covenant is an agreement between two parties, outlining what is expected of both sides. Covenants between equals are typically agreements where each party agrees to give something in exchange for something else—usually something equal in value to what they expect to receive.

However, covenants between God and humans are not covenants between equals, but are covenants between a superior (God) and an inferior (humans).

God initiates covenants between Himself and His people and dictates their terms. In every case those terms are favorable to the His people. For example, God established a covenant with Abram in which he required Abram to leave his home and family to go to a land that God would show him. In return, God promised“

I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great,and you will be a blessing.³I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” (Genesis 12:2-3).

This was the foundational covenant for the Hebrew nation and the first indication of His promise to bless all peoples.

Vv. 8-13 comprise both a metaphor of God extending His grace to all people these verses deal with prophecies of real events to come for the Israelites.

Looking first at v. 8, we find the servant is “…to be a covenant for the people…” Given that Yahweh always specifies covenant terms favorable to the humans, this conveys the sense that Yahweh will bless the people through the work of the servant. Initially, the promise is to the Israelites in Babylonian captivity, which is to take place about a century after Isaiah’s prophecy, in 605 and 596 B.C. Isaiah, prophesies in v. 8 that God will “…restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances…” and in vv. 9-10 provide for them on the journey preparing for their return to their homeland from Babylonian captivity, beginning in 530 B.C., about two centuries after Isaiah.

⁹ to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’

and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’

“They will feed beside the roads

and find pasture on every barren hill.

¹⁰ They will neither hunger nor thirst,

nor will the desert heat or the sun

beat down on them.

He who has compassion on them will guide them

and lead them beside springs of water

The beginning of v. 9 sets the tone for these final four verses of this second Servant Song with the promise:

“…to say to the captives, ‘Come out,’ and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’” and in v. 10: “He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water.”

These phrases have a double meaning. God today calls human beings out of the darkness of sin into the light of righteousness. So God’s guidance and care on a journey of the Jewish exiles that is both geographical for the Israelites…and also long-term spiritual. When God says: “… to those in darkness, ‘Be free!...” it is as applicable today as it was 3,000 years ago when it was first given In Isaiah’s prophecy. For the Jewish exiles, they will return to their homeland, and for people everywhere, the Servant—the Messiah—offers the way for all people to return to their Creator and be saved.

The image of God turning mountains into roads and removing all obstructions in v. 11 is a reference to His assisting in the Jews’ return from Babylon to the promised land. It may also be taken as the easy path for all people to receive God’s offer of His grace.

¹¹ I will turn all my mountains into roads,

and my highways will be raised up.

¹² See, they will come from afar—

some from the north, some from the west,

some from the region of Aswan.”

¹³ Shout for joy, you heavens;

rejoice, you earth;

burst into song, you mountains!

For the Lord comforts his people

and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.”

One note about v. 12. I am not sure where the NIV translators came up with “…they will come from afar—…some from the region of Aswan.” In Hebrew, the verse reads “…from the land of the Sinites…,” referring to Sinim, the Hebrew term for the far east. His point in v. 12 simply relates to God’s offer of grace to all mankind.

Finally, in v. 13 we find the idea of joy available to all mankind. God will have mercy because of His compassion, His promise, and His grace, resulting in a reason to “…shout for joy…” and “…rejoice…” The idea in this verse is, that the heavens and the earth would have cause to exult together . It is common in Isaiah thus to interpose a song of praise in his prophecies.

Conclusion

I am not sure how Isaiah’s contemporaries reacted to his prophecies…first, predicting the Jews’ exile from and return to their land, and, second, his prophecy of God’s offer of grace to the Gentiles, who were to the Jews, filthy, unworthy, and permanently rejected by God.

Many of Isaiah’s contemporaries probably at best were puzzled and at worst angry with him. They expected an exclusive Messiah for themselves, to rescue them from the oppressive nations around them and to establish His rule, through the nation of Israel, over all the world.

They thought of themselves as the only people worthy of God’s grace and found it impossible to accept the idea of a Messiah who would offer salvation to everyone.

At Jesus’ first advent, 700 years after Isaiah prophesied about Him, that was still the attitude of the people of Israel. In their eyes, He failed first because He did not eject the Roman occupiers and, second, because pointed out their own hypocrisy.

His first advent proved the accuracy of Isaiah’s prophecies. God sent His Son, the Messiah, to the people of Israel and ultimately to us, with the invitation to turn to Him, accept His offer of salvation and an eternal future with Him.

We should all remember…God did not choose the people of Israel because of their greatness. They were weak and powerless in a world that was dominated by other nations of people alienated from God.

Nevertheless, God chose Israel to make salvation and communion with God available to the world. God intended to save all through Israel…and through the people of Israel, that offer of reconciliation and relationship with God came us all with the arrival of Jesus, the Messiah.

Praises for Our Graceful God: Psalm 147: 1-11

2024-02-04T15:59:00.019-05:00

Sermon, presented at Penney Memorial Church, Feb. 4, 2024

Psalm 147: 1-11

¹ Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God,

how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the exiles of Israel.

³ He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

⁴ He determines the number of the stars

and calls them each by name.

⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

his understanding has no limit.

⁶ The Lord sustains the humble

but casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;

make music to our God on the harp.

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;

he supplies the earth with rain

and makes grass grow on the hills.

⁹ He provides food for the cattle

and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him,

who put their hope in his unfailing love.

An Exposition of Psalm 147: 1-11

Introduction

Psalms 146-150 comprise a special group of psalms in Jewish history.

The ancient Israelites called these five psalms the “Praises.” In our English translations, each of these psalms starts…and ends…with that imperative, “Praise the Lord,” which in Hebrew is simply “halelu.”

For centuries, Israelites would sing or chant these five psalms as they climbed the hills to Jerusalem on their pilgrimages for various festivals and holy days celebrations there.

Today, I want to focus on part of just one of these five “Praises” Psalms, Psalm 147.

The writer of Psalm 147, along with psalm 148, is unknown, but is thought to be either the prophet Haggai or the prophet Zechariah, because these two psalms were penned shortly after the return of the exiles to Jerusalem from Babylonian captivity, beginning about 535 B.C. Both Haggai and Zechariah ministered a few years later, about 520 B.C.

Psalm 147:2 is evidence of the writing just after the exiles’ return; v. 2, stating: “The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.” However, there are a very few commentators who believe this is predictive prophecy, written by David hundreds of years before the Israelites’ exile and return.

These “Praises” psalms end the psalter with just pure praise for the Lord. All five open and close with the Hebrew “halelu,” “Praise the Lord.” It is intended to call for a response…for God’s people to lift up our voices and join in the psalmist’s joyous song praising their Creator.

Psalm 147 bears witness through song to all who hear that God is supreme as Creator and that He delights in those who love and depend on Him…

That is similar, really, to what we do in worship today…

Just like those ancient Israelites on their pilgrimages to Jerusalem, we sing to praise God and as a testimony of our faith and dependence…we sing because we depend on God to heal our hearts that are broken by sin and to show us His lovingkindness…and in our singing, we praise Him as our Creator, our Savior, and the One who lives in us and through us.

Exposition

Psalm 147 emphasizes God’s goodness toward His chosen people. Today, we will briefly focus on vv. 1-11, in which the Israelites praised God as comforter and creator.

In vv. 1-3, the psalmist praises the Lord for His grace to the afflicted and for His greatness.

The people would sing:

¹ Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God,

how pleasant and fitting to praise him!

² The Lord builds up Jerusalem;

he gathers the exiles of Israel.

³ He heals the brokenhearted

and binds up their wounds.

In singing or chanting v. 1, the people simply expressed their enjoyment of God. The name the psalmist uses for God in vv. 1 is “Elohim,” the Hebrew name for God that emphasizes God’s power and might as “Supreme One” or the “Mighty One.” “Elohim,” the psalmist tells us in v. 1 is “…good,…pleasant,” and “…fitting.” Praising God is, indeed, something we were created to do.

The psalmist uses the name “Yahweh” in v. 2, emphasizing God’s self-existent, eternal, and unchanging nature. The phrase in v. 2, “Yahweh builds up Jerusalem; He gathers the exiles of Israel” refers to the restoration of Jerusalem through the labors and skill of godly leaders, such as Ezra and Nehemiah, who were the instruments in God’s hands. The Lord rebuilt Jerusalem because He promised that He would bring the Israelites back from exile (Jeremiah 29:10) and even named the king (Cyrus) who would free them, a century before it happened (Isaiah 44:28; 45:1–4). The Jews returned to their land from Babylon (2 Chronicles 36:22–23; Ezra 1:1–4). We read of the restoration of the city in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah.

The Israelites had felt devastated for nearly two generations before being released from their Babylonian exile. While in captivity, they mourned the destruction of their nation. V. 3 recognizes their healing as they return to their land and witness the rebuilding of Jerusalem…God’s people, exiled, had been “…brokenhearted…,” but God had healed “…their wounds…” and they would now prosper within the walls of Jerusalem.

The message for God’s people everywhere and in every era in these verses is that He also “…heals…” the wounds of those among His people who are brokenhearted or grief-stricken.

I am reminded of the beatitudes, where Jesus says: “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4) and, ultimately for us in the future, from John’s account in the book of Revelation: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain…” (Revelation 21:4).

In vv. 4-6, the psalmist praises God as ruler of the universe.

Right in the middle of talking about God healing the brokenhearted and binding up their wounds, the psalmist interjects vv. 4-6:

⁴ He determines the number of the stars

and calls them each by name.

⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;

his understanding has no limit.

⁶ The Lord sustains the humble

but casts the wicked to the ground.

The change is quite abrupt, but the connection seems to be to reinforce God’s power to gather and restore the exiles to their native land by pointing out God’s power in creating and even naming the innumerable stars. If He can do that, He certainly can care for His oppressed people.

V. 6 of the psalm may at first seem out of place: “The Lord sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.” But I don’t think so. It follows that our Lord, described in v. 5 as “…mighty in power; his understanding has no limit,” has the power to be a good judge in the vindication and sustaining of His people, and His position as Creator of the universe qualifies Him to judge the wicked.

In this section, the psalmist uses another familiar name of God—Adonai. This is a very prominent name of God in the Old Testament. Adonai is a Hebrew word that translates as “Lord” or “my lord, my master” or “owner.”

The psalmist likely borrowed his thoughts in vv. 4-6 from the train of thought in Isaiah 40, where Isaiah gives a similar description of God’s creative power.

Isaiah wrote:

²⁶ Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:

Who created all these?

He who brings out the starry host one by one

and calls forth each of them by name…

²⁸…The Lord is the everlasting God,

the Creator of the ends of the earth…

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary

and increases the power of the weak.

The only requirement for receiving God’s grace and strength is to recognize our own weaknesses and call out to Him...as the psalmist tells us “Great is our Lord and mighty in power…,” and the word from Isaiah “He gives strength to the weary…” We all may experience His strength in our weakness and His healing when we feel weary or broken.

In last series of verses, vv. 7-11, in providing for His creation. the psalmist praises the Lord for His greatness

⁷ Sing to the Lord with grateful praise;

make music to our God on the harp.

⁸ He covers the sky with clouds;

he supplies the earth with rain

and makes grass grow on the hills.

⁹ He provides food for the cattle

and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse,

nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;

¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him,

who put their hope in his unfailing love.

In these verses, the psalmist once more uses the name “Yahweh” to emphasize God’s self-existent, eternal, and unchanging nature.

Note that things that most people would attribute to natural processes or to “Mother Nature,” the psalmist attributes to Yahweh, reminding us that He is directly involved in making the clouds, sending rain, causing grass to grow, and feeding the animals. Even baby ravens, which have a raucous cry and are hardly attractive, are the objects of His tender care.

We see all around us the Creator’s care for His creation. Jesus applied it to us in the gospels saying:

“²² …do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear. ²³ For life is more than food, and the body more than clothes. ²⁴ Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds!... ²⁷ Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these” (Luke 12:24-27)

The psalmist continues (v. 10), “¹⁰ His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of the warrior…”

V. 10 is a military context…war horses and foot soldiers. Horses weren’t generally used in the ancient middle east for farming or transportation. Donkeys were employed for plowing, transportation, and as pack animals. If you were better off, you might have a team of oxen to help you plow deeper and break up rocky soil.

But horses were used in war, and warriors on foot were terrified by a cavalry charge of large war horses that could trample them. Even more dangerous was a horse-drawn war chariot, a fast-moving platform for archers who could rapidly break through the enemy’s lines and bring deadly weapons up close.

Horses were the pride of commanders and struck fear into defenders on the battlefield…but God is not impressed with the strength of horses or invading foot soldiers.

David briefly addressed the subject in psalm 20, where he wrote:

”Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (20:7).

Finally, in v. 11, the Psalmist tells us what does impress God…what gives him pleasure:

^“11 the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.”

By fear, the psalmist means having deep respect. We have deep respect for God because of His great power and the purity of His holiness. We hope in His love, which is promised to us in the gospel.

The Apostle Paul tells us to make pleasing God a lifelong study in our relationship…in Ephesians chapter 5, he tells us:

^“8… Live as children of light ⁹(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) ¹⁰and find out what pleases the Lord” (Ephesians 5:8-10).

And in Colossians chapter 1:

“…live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God…” (Colossians 1:10).

Conclusion

John Piper develops this idea in his excellent book, The Pleasures of God (revised and expanded, [Multnomah], pp. 197-202). He asks why God takes pleasure in those who fear Him and hope in His love. The answer, he writes (p. 199):

“Surely it is because our fear reflects the greatness of his power and our hope reflects the bounty of his grace.”

Piper expresses it well…so as we leave this service and go back out into the world this morning…a world that consists not just of fellow believers in our little community, but also a wider world that is lost…let’s remember the psalmist’s words:

¹ Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!...¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.

Amen.

Benediction

Lord may your presence go with us, bringing light into our homes and our interactions with others. Grant us wisdom to make choices according to your will and the strength to persevere in the face of challenges. May your love shine through us, touching the lives of the people we encounter. And now…

4 Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come . . . , 5 …from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. Amen. (from Revelation 1:4-5)

Isaiah 42:1-9: The Servant of the Lord

2024-01-30T12:51:00.008-05:00

The prophet Isaiah, painting by
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
1475-1574

Background

When we look at the first part of the book of Isaiah, we find how he warned the people of Judah of the consequences of their sin. He predicted the destruction of both the northern kingdom of Israel, which occurred several years into his prophetic ministry, and Judah, which occurred more than a century after hiss ministry ended.

Isaiah also prophesied the eventual restoration of God’s chosen people to their land and gave remarkable details about the Messiah who would come and provide the perfect atonement for sin.

His prophecies of the Messiah have in view both the Messiah’s first advent to suffer and die as that perfect atonement and the Messiah’s second coming and future kingdom on earth, which we know as His second advent.

Isaiah wrote during a troubled period in the history of Judah and Israel. It was a time when the Assyrian empire was expanding partly at the expense of the northern kingdom of Israel. Under King Tiglath-Pileser III (reigned 745-727 BC) the Assyrians swept westward into Aram (today, Syria) and then into Northern Kingdom of Israel. They then continued south, and in response, the Kings of Aram and Israel tried to pressure King Ahaz of Judah (Southern kingdom) into joining their alliance against Assyria.

But instead of joining this alliance, Ahaz chose to ask Tiglath-Pileser for help against Israel and Aram, an act which Isaiah condemned (Isaiah 7). Assyria assisted Judah by conquering and deporting the people of the Northern Kingdom, but this left the Judah even more vulnerable and exposed to attack from its ally-turned-enemy, Assyria. In 701, King Sennacherib, who had become king of Assyria threatened to capture Jerusalem and deport its people into Assyrian slavery (Isaiah 36).

The Judean king at that time was King Hezekiah, a godly man who prayed earnestly. Isaiah prophesied something that seemed highly improbable to the people of besieged Jerusalem…that God would force the Assyrians to withdraw, as related in Isaiah 37:5-7:

⁵ When King Hezekiah’s officials came to Isaiah, ⁶ Isaiah said to them, “Tell your master, ‘This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid of what you have heard… ⁷ Listen! When he hears a certain report, I will make him want to return to his own country, and there I will have him cut down with the sword.’”

Shortly afterward the angel of the Lord destroyed the Assyrian army encamped around Jerusalem, as Isaiah describes in vv. 36-37 of chapter 37:

³⁶ Then the angel of the Lord went out and put to death a hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp. When the people got up the next morning—there were all the dead bodies! ³⁷ So Sennacherib king of Assyria broke camp and withdrew. He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.

Along with his men, the Assyrian King Sennacherib was overcome with concern as predicted and quickly left for Nineveh, where he suffered assassination, as the priest Ezra reports in 2 Chronicles 32:21:

“…when he (Assyrian King Sennacherib) went into the temple of his god, some of his sons, his own flesh and blood, cut him down with the sword.”

Isaiah also prophesied that Judah would be defeated and taken captive by the Babylonians, which occurred about 100 years after Isaiah’s prophecy. We find the account of his prophecy in 2 Kings 20: 16-18:

¹⁶…Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the Lord: ¹⁷ The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the Lord. ¹⁸ And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood who will be born to you, will be taken away, and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.”

Isaiah gave King Hezekiah this prophecy around 700 B.C. The Babylonians conquered Judah in 597 BC, pillaged the city, and took many prominent citizens, including the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel, back to Babylon…the start of the Babylonian captivity and the Jewish Diaspora.

The Babylonians besieged Jerusalem again in 589 BC after the king, Zedekiah, rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar and in 586-587, blinding Zedekiah after murdering his sons. They demolished the temple and the city’s walls and made Judah a Babylonian province.

Isaiah’s warnings to Israel and Judah of their national sins continue throughout chapters 41 to 49 of his book. In these chapters, God gives them encouragement that He will eventually redeem them, restore them from their captivity, and return them to Jerusalem…which took place beginning about 528 BC after the Medes and the Persians conquered the Babylonians and allowed the Jews to return to rebuild their city, wall and temple.

Isaiah’s many visions and prophecies spoke of people and events in what was then the present and in addition, both the near future and the distant future. He claimed that the deliverance of the Jews would prefigure another deliverance, this time from sin, which would take place seven centuries later with the birth of Jesus, the Messiah…

With this as a brief background, I want to turn to what are known as Isaiah’s “Servant Songs,” which we find in chapters 42 through 53. They are prophetic in nature, and their main purpose is to give us details about the character and purpose of the Messiah.

The First of Isaiah's Four "Servant Songs"

Vv. 1-9 of chapter 42 comprise the first of Isaiah’s four “Servant Songs.” In this brief passage, he gives us a partial picture of the future Messiah in His role of the Servant of the Lord:

“Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. ² He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. ³ A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; ⁴ he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.” ⁵ This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: ⁶ “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, ⁷ to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”⁸ “I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. ⁹ See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

In the Servant-Song passages, Isaiah emphasizes the Messiah will be both a king and a servant. He declares that the Messiah will be commissioned by God to bring forth justice to the nations, and as He accomplishes His mission in His first advent, He will remain The gentle and kind.

The term “Servant Songs” has been used of these passages by commentators throughout the centuries, but the term may be something of a misnomer, because there is no evidence they were ever sung.

There can be little doubt that the servant of chapter 42 is Israel’s future Messiah. Isaiah’s prophecy here intermingles some elements of both His first and second advents.

Isaiah provides us with some details about the future Messiah:

V. 1: The Holy Spirit calls the Messiah, “…My Servant…”

¹ “Here is my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen one in whom I delight;

I will put my Spirit on him,

and he will bring justice to the nations.

“My servant” is a designation given for several of Israel’s faithful spiritual leaders over the preceding centuries…God called Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Caleb, Job, and Zerubbabel, among others, “my servant.” The designation also would be used a century and a half after Isaiah prophesied even to refer to Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylonia, whom God called His servant in using him to invade Judah as His instrument of judgment in 586 B.C.

The Messiah also is called “…my chosen one…” in v. 1 because He was chosen to serve the Father.

Further, the Lord says of Him, “I will put my Spirit on him…” We find the visible representation of this at Jesus’ baptism:

Isaiah 42:1:

“…I will put my Spirit on him…”

Matthew 3:16

¹⁶ As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Isaiah prophesies “…he will bring justice to the nations…” (literally, “…to the Gentiles…” or “…to the heathen…).

This is both a look at His first advent and a look forward beyond the first advent to His second, when He will establish and rule over a kingdom in which justice prevails throughout the world.

It is difficult to describe just how revolutionary this prophecy was to the Israelites who heard the prophecy from Isaiah that the Messiah would come not just for them, but also for “…the nations…”—which always is a reference to the Gentiles in the New Testament. This was very hard for the Jews to accept, because they regarded the Gentiles not just as pagan, but also unclean, unsalvageable, and forever condemned by Yahweh.

The New Testament writers affirm the offer of salvation to the Gentiles, as well as to the Jews.

The earliest occasion is found in Luke 2, where we find a devout Jew named Simeon, a “…righteous and devout…” man of Jerusalem to whom, according to Luke, “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah” (Luke 2:26). Luke describes what occurred when Simeon met Mary, Joseph, and Jesus as they entered the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law of Moses on the 40th day from Jesus’ birth—the presentation of Jesus at the Temple:

…When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, ²⁸ Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: ²⁹ “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. ³⁰ For my eyes have seen your salvation, ³¹ which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: ³² a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”

In addition, Matthew cites the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1 in Matthew 12, where he writes:

Isaiah 42:1:

“…he will bring justice to the nations…” (literally “…to the Gentiles…” or “…to the heathen…).

Matthew 12:15-18, 21:

¹⁵…A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him. ¹⁷ This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: ¹⁸ “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations…²¹ In his name the nations will put their hope.” (Greek ἔθνος—ethnos: “Gentiles, nations,” or “pagans.”)

The inclusion of Gentiles in the church did not occur without some opposition by Jewish converts, however. The Jewish Christians insisted that at minimum Gentile convert follow Jewish customs of the law in order to be saved. In a meeting with Jewish believers in Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were confronted by some of the Jewish converts, who, according to Acts 15, “…stood up and said, ‘The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses’ (v.5).

Luke continues to describe what followed in Acts 15:7-10:

⁷ After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. ⁹ He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear?”

Then the apostle James rose to speak and reminded the group of the words of the prophet Amos, arguing for the inclusion of the Gentiles in the church and not requiring Jewish works of the law. James said:

Acts 15: 15-17:

“¹⁵ The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: ¹⁶ ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, ¹⁷ that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord…’” (quoting from Amos 9:11-12).

Paul, who tells us to accept one another as Christ accepted both Jewish and Gentile converts in Romans 15:7-9:

⁷ “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. ⁸ For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed ⁹ and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (15:7-9).

Paul continues, in Romans 15, citing a number of passages from the Old Testament to explain why Gentiles can praise God for his mercy:

⁹…As it is written: “Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name” (quoting 2 Samuel 22:50; Psalm 18:49).

¹⁰ Again, it says, “Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people” (quoting Deuteronomy 32:43).

¹¹ And again, “Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him” (quoting Psalm 117:1).

¹² And again, Isaiah says, “The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; in him the Gentiles will hope” (quoting Isaiah 11:10).

Note the key lines of thought here: Christ serves both Jewish and Gentile Christians.

Isaiah tells us in v. 2 that:

V. 2: The Messiah will have quiet and patient demeanor

² He will not shout or cry out,

or raise his voice in the streets.

V. 2 is a prophecy referencing the peaceful demeanor that largely characterized Jesus’ ministry during His first advent. He describes how the servant of Yahweh—that is, Jesus—would, literally translated: “…will not cry, nor lift up, nor cause to be heard in the street, His voice.”

Even when confronting, and being confronted by, the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus did not lose His cool, even though He spoke hard, confrontational truths. He usually was quiet, gentle, and humble, the opposite of what people expected of the King of the Jews. His manner of appearing is to be mild, gentle, and humble; the very opposite of the Pharisees and leaders among the Jews , whose mannerisms were to exalt themselves. The Messiah will not seek His own, according to the prophecy.

However, Isaiah’s prophecy is silent about Christ’s demeanor at His second advent. When He comes again, He will return with the hosts of heaven and the host of the saved that comprise His Church to establish the Messianic Kingdom on earth. That is the role John saw in his vision in Revelation 19:

¹⁴ The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. ¹⁵ Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. ¹⁶ On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords (Revelation 19:14-16).

At that time, the Antichrist will be cast into the Lake of Fire and Satan will be bound for a thousand years (Revelation 19:20; 20:1-3). The nations and their representatives will be judged, as described in Joel 3 and Matthew 25, and Israel will be restored to her land, never more to be removed, according to the prophecies of Amos 9:15; Ezekiel 34:2.

In vv. 3-4, Isaiah prophesies:

Vv. 3-4: The Messiah will comfort the weak and oppressed and establish justice

³ A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. ⁴ he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.

There is an ancient middle east cultural reference here. “A bruised reed He will not break…,” a refers to the Messiah’s compassion even for the people which the culture may regard as the least among them.

First, let me explain that the reed to which Isaiah refers still grows by the water in Israel. It is hollow, easily bent (or “…bruised…”) when leaning under the pressure of the wind or pushed aside by an animal coming to drink. Shepherds used reeds to make a small whistle-like musical instrument.

But once the reed is creased, it is useless. If it was still in the ground, it dies. If the shepherd’s reed instrument was bent and creased, it cracked and splintered and was no longer of any use.

Isaiah refers with the imagery of the “…bruised reed…” to people living under the pressures of poverty and oppression. His point is that the Messiah would not come to reinforce the oppression they suffered in the culture, but to give them comfort…to give them hope and faith.

The message was an important one to Isaiah’s contemporaries, who were about to suffer judgment and destruction from God because they had turned away from Him to worship idols. They had created an unjust culture in which there were few who were wealthy and politically powerful, including the priests…and the vast majority of the people were poor and faced a system of justice that was ripe with bribery and influence against them.

In prophesying that “In faithfulness he will bring forth justice…,” the prophet is telling them that the Messiah would come not to reinforce the evil culture, but to overturn it.

This one line of the verse, “In faithfulness he will bring forth justice…,” could be a whole sermon. The Messiah’s purpose is to give hope, to deliver the promise of joy and eternal life, the hope that so pervades Paul’s letters—the hope and the certainty of living in His presence eternally regardless of current circumstances of suffering and pain.

There is another rather obscure phrase in verse 3: “…and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out…”; literally: “…a smoldering flax he will not quench…” The metaphor here is to a smoldering wick in an oil lamp, the fire still alive, but dying. It is a metaphor about the weak and suffering, beaten down by social structures, unemployment, severe poverty and suffering. Isaiah tells us the Messiah would not come to add to their suffering, but to revive them with the message of salvation and a bright future in His presence; indeed, “In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;…” rather than coming to add to oppression and suffering.

This look into the future was fulfilled beginning with the Messiah’s first advent. The compassion Jesus showed for the suffering and the poor continues in the spirit of tenderness and compassion found in every true Christian. As Christians, we see the less fortunate, and the Holy Spirit dwelling in us urges us to reach out to help. It is also important to note that the Spirit in us also instills a God-given sense of justice. No one hates oppression and injustice like Christians do, not just because of the unfairness, but also because it is contrary to the character of our Savior and Lord.

That “…he will not falter or be discouraged…” suggests that the Messiah would face trouble or opposition that might discourage some from the task at hand. Others, faced with what he would have to experience, may falter, but his faithfulness sustains him as he is obedient to the Father’s will.

The Messiah will not fail in bringing truth and justice to mankind. This prophecy was fulfilled in part in the Messiah’s first advent, by His instilling hope and character in the hearts of those who have trusted Him as Lord and Savior…and who have been changed by the indwelling Holy Spirit. The prophecy of bringing justice to the world will be fulfilled universally at His second advent, when He will establish His government of righteousness throughout the world.

“In his teaching the islands will put their hope…” is Isaiah’s way of saying that the truth and justice the Messiah shall bring will be throughout the world. The word is translated both as “the isles” and “the coastlands” in various Old Testament passages.

Isaiah places emphasis in this Song that:

⁵ This is what God the Lord says—the Creator of the heavens, who stretches them out, who spreads out the earth with all that springs from it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: ⁶ “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles…”

The opening of verse 5 is intended to reinforce that the prophecy is from God and is reliable: “This is what God the Lord says…who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it (the earth)…,” having created us as living, breathing beings with a living spirit, or self-awareness. Unlike other biological life, human beings alone are self-aware; we know our past, we are capable of knowing God and His holiness, and we can know for sure the certainty of His promises for the future.

After reminding us of these certainties in verse 5, in verse 6 the word of the Lord given to Isaiah reminds His people of His promises to them: “I, the LORD, have called You in righteousness.” Both God the Father and God the Son—the Messiah—are perfectly righteous and holy. “…I will take hold of Your hand…” reinforces the common purpose of the Father and the Son. The picture is of support, walking together as one. Here is just one of many word-pictured in scripture of the unity of purpose of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

“…I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles…” is a promise of salvation and future eternity with Him and relates to the “new covenant” instituted by the birth, death, and resurrection of the Messiah.

“…a light for the Gentiles…”” is one of the many occasions in Isaiah’s prophecy of the Messiah’s purpose of not saving just the Israelites, but all mankind. We covered this earlier in v. 1, where Isaiah prophesies “…he will bring justice to the nations…” (literally, “…to the Gentiles…” or “…to the heathen…).

In v.7, Isaiah tells us:

V. 7: The Messiah will open the eyes of the lost.

…to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

V. 7 paints a picture we often find in scripture. For example, the opening verses of Isaiah 61 describe the coming Messiah this way:

The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…

Those depicted in prison are the unsaved, who are in spiritual darkness, imprisoned by slavery to their sinful, self-centered nature and desires. The Messiah came to open our spiritually blind eyes, to release us from our spiritual prison and free us from slavery to our sinful nature. Without Him, people live in spiritual darkness.

Isaiah in vv. 8-9 emphasizes that:

Vv. 8-9: His advent is sure.

“⁸ I am the Lord (Yahweh); that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. ⁹ See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

As He does many times in Isaiah and the other prophets, God reminds His people that this prophecy is dependable. He establishes this truth with two arguments.

First, He reminds us: “I am Yahweh…” who is the one and only, all-powerful, self-existing God.

The name Yahweh was loaded with spiritual truth for the Israelites.

To the Israelites, Yahweh was:

The one who brings into being
Creator, life-giver, giver of existence
The who brings his promises to pass
The absolute and unchangeable one
The self-existing, ever-living, one and only God

The name to the Israelites signified the One who created the heavens and the earth; the Creator of life; the One who cared for their needs, rescued them time and time again; the One who is truth and righteousness; the one and only God, who sets the standards for worship, sinlessness, and judgment.

In v. 8, He reminds them, “I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols,” reminding us of the false gods and idols that had tempted the Israelites and turned them away for centuries as they gave in to cultural pressures of the pagan nations around them.

For Isaiah’s contemporaries, this was a stern reminder. Most of Isaiah’s ministry up to this point consisted of warning the Israelites of the impending judgment because they had turned away from the true God and toward the idols of the pagans.

Finally, Isaiah’s readers are told that:

V. 9: The prophecy is reliable

“…the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.”

We can take comfort in all of the prophetic messages of Isaiah and all of the other Old Testament prophets inspired by the Holy Spirit: God has a perfect track record:

All He had promised had come to pass!

In the next posting, we will focus on the second of Isaiah’s four Servant Songs:

Isaiah 49: 1-13: A Savior to the Gentiles

Isaiah 9:1-7—The Messiah Is Coming!

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¹ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan—

²The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. ³You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. ⁴For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. ⁵Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. ⁶For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. ⁷Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.

Introduction

Isaiah 9 often has been called the “oracle of salvation” in the Old Testament.

Isaiah chapter 9 originated as a thanksgiving hymn to recognize not the acts of God in the past, but to thank Him for what He would do in the future. The prophet was aware that God was determined to bless His people Israel, despite their many sins and rejections of Him.

Chapter 9, of course, is best known for vv. 6-7, where Isaiah introduces us to the Messiah. Isaiah 9:6 is often coupled in sermons in the Christmas season with Isaiah 7:14:

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

The Exposition

Chapter 9 opens with the promise of a bright future for the people of God.

In v. 1, the prophet writes:

“¹ Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan…”

The region called Galilee, in the northern part of Israel, included the lands of the tribes of Zebulon and Naphtali, which the Assyrians, under King Tiglath-pileser III, invaded and in 733/732 B.C. at the time of Isaiah’s prophecy, circa 740-700 B.C. It is because of the Assyrian occupation in Galilee that Isaiah calls the people “…those who were in distress…” in v. 1.

In addition, the people of Judah, which bordered Galilee to the south, were fearful because the Assyrians had occupied territory so close to them, because the Assyrians were ferocious and merciless to the people in regions they conquered.

The Assyrians carved out three provinces for themselves at that time. One Isaiah calls: “…by the way of the sea…,” in v. 1, referring to the region of Philistia, and the other he calls: “…Galilee of the nations…” The Hebrew expression גְּלִיל הַגֹּויִֽם (“Galilee of the nations”) specifically refers to the nations of the House of Israel, referencing the rebellious tribal lands of Zebulun and Naphtali. These were among the first areas of Israel to be attacked from the north because of the major highway running through them. We read about the Assyrian invasion in 2 Kings 15:29:

“In the “time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maakah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria.”

Isaiah has a reassuring message for both the Judeans and the Galileans in v. 2. He tells them they face a bright future:

“² The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

(The literal Hebrew of v. 2 reads: “…As for those residing in a land of death’s shadow, light has shone upon them.”)

Isaiah describes the people of Galilee as having emerged from “…a land of death’s shadow …” when the Assyrian domination ends. We will see in later verses that he refers to an even brighter future light in his prophecy—the advent of the Messiah, the King promised to Israel who would be born in the royal line of David.

The prophecies found in this chapter have been an important part of Christian theology and worship for many centuries. Since the earliest days of the church, the church fathers and the scholars and commentators in the generations that followed have linked the prophecies in chapter 9 to Jesus’ birth 700 years later and ministry in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee.

Jesus was, scholars argue, the one Isaiah calls in v. 2 “…a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness…”

In the New Testament, when Jesus moved to Galilee and ministered there, it was in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 9:1-2; Matthew tells us:

“¹²When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah: ^15 ‘Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—¹⁶the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. ¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.’”(Matthew 4:12-17).

Vv. 3-5 show us that the gloom Isaiah cites in v. 1 has turned into praise and exaltation as the prophet anticipates the people's own future joy in God. V. 3 begins with words of thanksgiving and praise. It is a prophecy that the Lord will enlarge the nation and increase their joy:

³ You have enlarged the nation

and increased their joy;

they rejoice before you

as people rejoice at the harvest,

as warriors rejoice

when dividing the plunder.

“…The nation…” in v. 3 is Israel, which had been reduced to a small remnant, but God would restore it.

However, there is a problem with v. 3 that has caused much debate among scholars, likely due to an early error in some manuscripts in writing one of two similar Hebrew words that are pronounced alike but have different meanings. They are לו, (lô), which means “to him, his” or “their” and לא, (lo’) which means “not.”

The King James translates the text as: Thou hast not increased the joy” whereas it should properly read “Thou hast increased their joy,” in agreement with all other English translations and the majority of Hebrew manuscripts.

Significantly, the Isaiah scroll from among the Dead Sea scrolls, the earliest Hebrew manuscript we have of the book, uses the Hebrew word meaning “his” or “their”; v. 3 in the Isaiah scroll reads, in translation:

“You have multiplied the nation. You have increased their joy. They rejoice before you according to the joy in harvest, as men rejoice when they divide the plunder.”

Nevertheless, the debate about v. 3 still continues on today by the “King-James-only” folks, who dismiss every English version other than the King James as false and a product of Satan. They regard the King James Version as inspired by the Holy Spirit the same as the authors of the original Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.

The NIV and other modern English translations offer the accurate renderings of v. 3: “You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy…”

That God would enlarge the nation after its many catastrophes, no doubt sounded remote at the time Isaiah wrote it, but the promise was partially accomplished as Israel and Judah recovered and grew…and was fully accomplished with the advent of the Savior to preach the gospel. His people eventually will enjoy peace and prosperity under His blessing. Both the farmer and the soldier have their times of joy at the climax of their work, and these provide illustrations of the joy that is to come to God's people.

In v. 4, Isaiah reminds the Israelites of a rescue God orchestrated in the past as a way of assuring them He would eliminate the present threats from the Assyrians:

For as in the day of Midian’s defeat,

you have shattered

the yoke that burdens them,

the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor.

Here is the background:

The Midianites had a mixed past in their relationship with Israel. They descended from Abraham but eventually became hostile toward Israel.

V. 4 refers us back to the miracle found in Judges 7. The “…day of Midian’s defeat…” in v. 4 is when God vanquished the Midianite army surrounding Jerusalem through a mighty defeat by a small group of 300 men under the leadership of Gideon and armed with torches and trumpets.

We read about the day of Midian’s defeat in Judges 7:

…Grasping the torches in their left hands and holding in their right hands the trumpets they were to blow, they shouted, “A sword for the LORD and for Gideon!” ²¹ While each man held his position around the camp, all the Midianites ran, crying out as they fled. ²² When the three hundred trumpets sounded, the LORD caused the men throughout the camp to turn on each other with their swords (Judges 7:20-22).

It was no ordinary military victory; it was a miracle from God and a reminder that God would still deliver His people.

Isaiah goes on to vividly picture the renewed peace in Israel and Judah in v. 5:

⁵ Every warrior’s boot used in battle

and every garment rolled in blood

will be destined for burning,

will be fuel for the fire.

Vv. 4-5 depict a celebration of victory and God’s grace to His people Israel.

Isaiah also has in mind the ultimate salvation of God’s people Israel as he moves on to vv. 6-7, where he transitions from the then-current deliverance of Israel from the Assyrian threat to a prophecy about the advent of the Messiah, a far-more important deliverance to come in the future.

Vv. 6-7 is a brief passage that has been cited by Christians since the earliest days of the church. Isaiah gives us in those two short verses a ton of information in his prophecy of the advent of the Messiah…details about His birth and His identity…and he predicted all this a full 700 years before the Messiah’s would come.

In vv. 6-7, Isaiah writes:

⁶ For to us a child is born,

to us a son is given,

and the government will be on his shoulders.

And he will be called

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

⁷ Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

The zeal of the Lord Almighty

will accomplish this.

Until 1947 A.D., skeptics claimed vv. 6-7 had to have been added sometime after Jesus’ birth because of the detailed accuracy of the prophecy. No such details could have been known, the skeptics said, 700 years before Jesus’ birth when Isaiah prophesied.

But in 1947, a scroll of the book of Isaiah was found among the Dead Sea Scrolls which had been written in antiquity long before that holy night in Bethlehem, gave us irrefutable evidence of the prophecy’s existence long before the Savior was born.

As a brief aside, let me say Isaiah 7:14 is usually quoted alongside Isaiah 9: 6-7…

The background to Isaiah chapter 7, is Judah’s wicked King Ahaz having rejected the opportunity to ask a sign from the Lord. Isaiah told him, in 7:13-14:

“¹³…Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of humans? Will you try the patience of my God also? ¹⁴ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.”

The ultimate fulfillment of this prophecy goes far beyond King Ahaz…to announce the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus Christ. We know this passage speaks of Jesus because the Holy Spirit says so through Matthew, in Matthew 1:20-23

“²⁰…an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.’ ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ^23 ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).”

Through Matthew, the Holy Spirit assures us that its fulfillment is found in the virgin birth of Jesus. Mary is the foretold virgin through whom God gave us Jesus.

Isaiah 7:14 speaks of Jesus, the One who would be known as Immanuel. “Immanuel” (עִמָּנוּאֵל), of course, is the Hebrew word meaning “God with us” or, literally, “with us is God.” Immanuel expresses the wonder of the incarnation, as John aptly explains in John chapter 1, that God “…became flesh and made his dwelling among us…” (John 1:14).

About Isaiah 7:14, John Calvin wrote:

“He (Jesus) is…called God with us, or united to us; which cannot apply to a man who is not God...it denotes not only the power of God, such as he usually displays by his servant, but a union of person, by which Christ became God-man.”

I bring up Isaiah 7:14 because this same emphasis on the dual God-Man nature of the coming Messiah child continues in Isaiah 9:6, and inevitably the two references are quoted together in sermons at Christmastime.

The words of Isaiah 9:6 comprise one of the most powerful prophecies testifying plainly and clearly that the promised Messiah to come would, in fact, be God Himself born in human flesh.

Isaiah writes: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given…” We find confirmation of Isaiah’s words in the gospel of Luke, where Luke reports in 2:6-7 the birth, and in 2:11 the announcement to the shepherds by the angel that this baby boy was the Messiah:

“⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them…¹¹ ‘Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.’”

Isaiah continues his prophecy, predicting in the latter part of 9:6 some of the roles the Messiah would fill. Isaiah prophesied:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

The word of Isaiah about the future Messiah came long before our Savior’s advent, more than seven centuries before Mary would give birth in the humble stable to that one true King.

We are entering the season of Advent…a time of preparation as we celebrate God becoming man and living as one of us. His desire is to be with us and save us from the consequences of our rebellion.

Isaiah prophesies extensively about the future Messiah, in v. 6, giving us four names for the coming Messiah…each one showing us the plan of God for His people…and the Savior who would change the world.

Isaiah tells us we have in the Messiah, our Wonderful Counselor, our Mighty God, our Everlasting Father, and our Prince of Peace.

Wonderful Counselor

Isaiah calls the Messiah Wonderful Counselor.

There is some debate about whether this designation is one term (“Wonderful Counselor”) or two (“Wonderful” and “Counselor”) because there is no punctuation in the written Hebrew language. The King James Version translators chose to separate the two terms with a comma (“…and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor…”), understanding Isaiah to mean that these are two separate attributes of the Messiah. Most modern translations render it as a single attribute, “…Wonderful Counselor…” Neither choice of the translation radically changes the meaning.

The Hebrew term translated “Wonderful” here means “extraordinary, hard to be understood” and is used only to describe God and God’s dealings with His people. The word is found 21 times in the Old Testament, every time referring to the work of God.

The Hebrew term translated “Counselor” means “guide, teacher, or intercessor.” “Counselor” was a government term in the ancient near east and referred to the counselors or senior advisors every king employed. Isaiah intended his term “Wonderful Counselor” to tell us the Messiah would do powerful, miraculous works only God can do.

The term “Wonderful Counselor” to the Hebrew mind had much more depth than we modern westerners may realize.

When we hear the term counselor today, we may think of a good psychologist or just someone who can give us good advice. But Isaiah means much more. His reference to the coming Messiah as being “Wonderful,” means “beyond understanding, immeasurable,” and “profound.”

Christ defies the expectations of humanity, for the counsel that He brings to us is the very plan for our salvation, filled with wonder beyond our ability to really comprehend.

The wonderful counsel and plan that God provided was a way for us to deal with our sin nature. God’s people cannot pull themselves out of their own sin. Jesus became human and bore the burden of common temptations, and only by bearing the full weight of mankind’s sin would God be able to save His people. So, God became man to with His people, enduring everything we endure. But He was different. He resisted temptations and was thus able to redeem the world by sacrificing Himself.

Everyone who tires of his or her own efforts for security may come to Christ freely, because He is our hope of salvation. All of this stems from the great and enduring love of God for the people. We are His creation, and He longs so much for a relationship with each of us that He became a man to live among us, give us the opportunity to know Him, and to offer Himself for us.

It is no surprise that Isaiah called Him “Wonderful” …meaning “beyond understanding, immeasurable, and profound.”

Mighty God

Biblical theology tells us that God is manifested to us in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Paul wrote of Jesus, the Son, in Colossians 2:9 that “…in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form…,” which is a clear-cut statement of the deity of Christ. Paul also referred to Jesus as “…our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” in his letter to Titus (2:13). John wrote in 1 John 5:20: “We know also that the Son of God has come…He is the true God and eternal life.”

And we have Jesus’ own testimony in His conversation with Philip (John 14:9): “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

A name Isaiah gives for the child that is born, the son that is given in v. 6 is “…Mighty God…,” revealing to us that the Messiah would be, literally, God Himself. We refer to Him as “God the Son” or the “Second Person of the Godhead.”

The term phrase here translated “…Mighty God…” is the Hebrew word אֵל (El), with the addition of the adjective גִּבּוֹר (gibbor), meaning strong or mighty, hence the English translation, the “Mighty God.” The Hebrew, “el gibbor,” expresses mightiness and the omnipotence and deity of the coming Messiah, truly God with great power and strength.

Isaiah did not stop writing about el gibbor in 9:6, however. In vv. 20-21 of very next chapter, he says:

²⁰ In that day the remnant of Israel, the survivors of Jacob, will no longer rely on him who struck them down but will truly rely on the Lord, the Holy One of Israel. ²¹ A remnant will return, a remnant of Jacob will return to (el gibbor) the Mighty God.

Who is this remnant to return to? To the Lord, the one true God of Israel. Here He is plainly called the “Mighty God” (el gibbor) in the very same prophetic context as Isaiah 9:6. Indeed, only a chapter apart from it. Jehovah is el gibbor, the Mighty God. The Messiah is el gibbor, the Mighty God.

Other prophets concur that Jehovah is el gibbor, the “Mighty God.”

Jeremiah, for example, writes in his prophecy that God is our:

…Great and mighty God (el gibbor), whose name is the Lord Almighty… (Jeremiah 32:18).

Similarly, Zephaniah writes:

…The Lord your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior—literally, “…Yahweh your God in your midst, the mighty (gibbor) One.... (Zephaniah 3:17).

God is rightly called “mighty” by the prophets. He is the living God, the only God in existence. And Jesus, our Savior, is the “Mighty God”—the el gibbor—on whom we have the right and privilege to call.

Everlasting Father

The literal translation of this Hebrew name is not “Everlasting Father” as we find in our English translations, but more accurately, “Father of Eternity.” Alternatively, a well-known Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures widely used in the 1^st century A.D., called the Septuagint, translates the name as “Father of the age to come.”

The Hebrew term for “Everlasting Father” means “eternal, in perpetuity” or simply “without end.” Notice that the next verse, v. 7, says of the Messiah, “Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end.”

The concept of “Father” in Isaiah’s time and culture included the roles of protector and provider. The king, for example, was regarded as the father of his subjects, and spiritual leaders such as Abraham and Moses were called fathers of their people.

The word “Father” in the context of v. 6 describes the Messiah as benevolent and just. In chapter 22, Isaiah uses “father,” in the sense of “a fatherly ruler,” where God applies the description to Eliakim, who was prime minister of Judah under King Hezekiah:

“²⁰ In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah. ²¹…He will be a father (literally, “a fatherly ruler”) to those who live in Jerusalem and to the people of Judah.”

The idea here in 9:6 is that as “Everlasting Father” the Messiah would fill a kind of fatherly role to His followers forever, not only ruling, but also providing for His people.

I should note that “everlasting” is an adjective that the Old Testament writers never use to apply to any merely human ruler. It is, of course, equivalent to Isaiah’s prediction that the Messiah’s rule will be forever.

Isaiah makes that prediction in 9:7, referring to the Messiah, who will reign on David’s throne “…and over his kingdom…from that time on and forever…,” clearly referring to the “…Everlasting Father…” of v. 6. The Messiah will guard and sustain His people, preserving the throne of David, provide and protect His children with wisdom and compassion eternally.

This child that Isaiah spoke of 700 years before His birth would show us both the power of the Mighty God and the heart of the Everlasting Father. Under his care, his protection, and his provision, we are safe and will be satisfied for all eternity.

Isaiah is not teaching us that God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, is the same person as God the Father. Isaiah did not have the Trinity in mind at all, because the concept of the trinity had yet to be introduced. He writes about the Messiah’s character toward His people, His father-like in his treatment of those that believe.

Isaiah addresses eternity more than any other prophet. He speaks of God as “…the high and exalted one…He who lives forever…” (Isaiah 57:15; literally, “…the high and lofty One who inhabits eternity…”). Here in v. 6, he refers to the Messiah in the same way.

Isaiah could not have seen the full glory of Jesus, the Messiah, and I doubt if he understood very well the full import of the Messiah as Mighty God and Everlasting Father. But today, if you want to know what God is like, just look at Jesus, the perfect image of God and the exact representation of his being.

Jesus alone makes the Father known. He told us:

“…I and the Father are one…” and “…the Father is in me, and I in the Father…” (John 10: 30, 38), “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6), and “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father” (14:9).

Jesus, the Mighty God and our Everlasting Father, came into a broken and sinful world to fill our hearts as our one and only Savior…save us and teach us how to love God and one another. And once we are His, it is forever…no goodbyes…nothing will be able to separate us from his love…not even death itself.

We can praise God for our eternal security in Christ, our Everlasting Father.

Prince of Peace

Isaiah also describes the future Messiah as the “…Prince of Peace.” The phrase “Prince of Peace” is the Hebrew שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (shar shalom), which literally is translated “the prince or ruler of the peace.”

Like every generation before us, we live in a world filled with hatred, unrest, violence, and wars. Some people may wonder how Jesus could be the all-powerful God who acts in human history as the embodiment of peace…in the face of mankind’s behavior.

Earthly kingdoms advance through greed, war, and oppression. God’s kingdom advances through righteousness and peace (Jn 14:27) — peace that will exist forever in God’s new heaven and new earth.

Isaiah encouraged the people to maintain hope that God’s peace would prevail in human affairs, but it would come in a future day inaugurated by the appearance of the Messiah. In Isaiah’s prophecies, his vision of the advents of the Messiah are sort of foreshortened. On the one hand, in His first advent, the Messiah would bring peace between mankind and God, and on the other hand, in His second advent, Isaiah pictured a day when peace will cover the earth and all pain will cease—the kind of peace John’s vision shows us in Revelation 21:4:

There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

Believers today have had the experience of peace with God, and we look forward to the hope of the end of human conflict at His second coming as well.

In His first appearance, Jesus came to earth to seek and save those who were lost and wandering from him…to establish a way for people to enter his kingdom and find the peace he offers. We who have come to Christ have peace with God, knowing our sins are forgiven and we can rely on the presence of a holy God in our lives now and forever. And we have the peace knowing that we will, one day, inhabit a world ruled by our Savior and Lord…a world that will be free from strife and violence.

But for us in the present, Isaiah is telling us that the Messiah came to deliver an inner peace through Christ. We find that peace in quiet moments, in worship and prayer, and in the sure knowledge that our future is in His hands.

Jesus is called the Prince of Peace because He is the only one who can bring true peace, restoration, redemption, and reconciliation between us and God. As Prince of Peace:

He restores broken relationships.
He gives us the opportunity for a pious and balanced life.
He gives us the assurance of eternal life.
He is the only one who can bring true peace, restoration, redemption, and reconciliation between us and God and people around us.

The Hebrew word for “peace,” שָׁלוֹם (shalom), which means “harmony, wholeness,” or “well-being.” It is often used to describe or promote a sense of calm and tranquility among people or even nations. The concept of shalom also has the more foundational meaning of “the spiritual harmony brought about by a person’s restoration with God.”

People live in a sinful state and need to be reconciled to God. It is because of Christ’s sacrifice that we are restored to a relationship of peace with God; as Paul wrote to the Roman church: “…While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…” (Romans 5:8) and “…since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ…” (Romans 5:1). There can be a deep, abiding peace between people’s hearts and the Creator, and that cannot be taken away. It is Christ’s work as the “Prince of Peace.”

When the heavenly host sang to the shepherds in Luke 2, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Luke 2:14), they were singing about the Father’s goodwill and peace toward mankind, made real by His sending the Son, the Messiah, as the means of restoring peace with Him.

Isaiah concludes his brief description of the Messiah in v. 7:

7 Of the greatness of his government and peace

there will be no end.

He will reign on David’s throne

and over his kingdom,

establishing and upholding it

with justice and righteousness

from that time on and forever.

In the original Hebrew text, the prophecy of v. 7 begins: “To the increase of his dominion and of peace there will be no end upon the throne of David and over his kingdom…,” which means the Messiah would exercise abundant or great authority.

In stating in v. 7 that “He will reign on David’s throne…,” the prophet makes it unmistakably clear that the ruler he is writing about is from the royal line of David and, therefore, would be the “Anointed One” or “Messiah.” Furthermore, Isaiah predicts that His rule would be marked by righteousness, justice, equity, fairness, and impartiality.

The Lord made a promise to King David, recorded in 2 Samuel chapter 7:

“Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me[b]; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16).

The New Testament tells us repeatedly there is a connection between Jesus and David. The genealogies of the Savior, the book of Acts and the epistles, and especially the many gospel references to this relationship show that Jesus is the fulfillment of this promise to David. Fifteen times in the gospels, our Lord is called specifically “…the Son of David…”

Isaiah pictures Christ ruling over the people of God for all eternity. We know the baby in a manger, completely dependent on those around Him for His very survival, will judge and rule the world, as Isaiah tells us in v. 7, “… establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”

Unlike human governments which start corruptly, or which inevitably end in corruption, the reign of that child born in Bethlehem will be both righteous and with perfect justice eternally.

Conclusion

Isaiah’s prophecy of the future Messiah is simply amazing, encompassing both the first and second advents of the Messiah. We need to remember that the intervening gap between those two advents—the church age, which we are in now—was not visible from the hi perspective. Isaiah saw the grace and mercy of the sovereign covenant-keeping God of Israel at the forefront of his time and in the future.

Closing Prayer

Lord,

Thank you because you sent Jesus, Immanuel…God with Us. He came in the form of a human being, humbled himself taking the form of a servant, and was obedient to the point of death for our sins. You gave us Jesus, Father, and everything our soul needs and longs for is found in Him.

We pray that you will give us the faith to live like we have been truly redeemed…and a bold faith to be your witnesses to a fallen world. Help us to love one another and to do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility counting others as more significant than ourselves.

Help us not to look only to our own interests, but also to the interests of others. Help us be poor in spirit…help us be meek and merciful…to be pure in heart…to be peacemakers…and to live in such a way that people will see your love in us and be drawn to you.

Father, to put it simply, help us be like Jesus.

And thank you, Father, because, as we celebrate in this advent season the fulfillment of your promise, as we light candles and lights, and sing of the immense joy that fills our hearts, we are reminded of the glorious truth that changed the world, that changed our hearts, that changed eternity: Jesus has come to seek and to save the lost.

Amen

The Protestant Reformation: Many Issues Are Still Relevant Today

2023-10-29T15:41:00.003-04:00

(Following is the text of the evening service recognizing 506th anniversary Oct. 31 of the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, presented at Penney Memorial Church in Penney Farms, Florida, on Sunday, October 29. Presented by Dr. Lawrence Roff and myself.)

Martin Luther

A Brief Overview of the Reformation

The Reformation was a series of reform movements birthed as early as the late fourth century to criticize some of the Roman Catholic doctrines and practices (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia). The reform movement culminated in the 16^th century with Martin Luther and other reformers. They were not attempting to separate from the Roman Catholic Church, but rather to reform certain church doctrines and practices and bring the church more in line with biblical teachings.

Martin Luther nailed his
"95 Theses" to the Castle Church door
Oct.31, 1517.

Most Christians relate the Reformation to Martin Luther’s act of nailing his “95 Theses” a little more than 500 years ago to the door of the Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany, on October 31, 1517.

In his document, Luther exposed what he saw as the corrupt institution of the sale of “indulgences” by the Pope and clergy, primarily to raise money for the construction of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Indulgences were written decrees that promised full or partial remission of the time someone, either the buyer or a loved one, had to suffer in purgatory for their sins. Luther was a devout, honest, and ethical priest who objected to this practice, and he called for reform.

But the opposition of Luther and the reformers to the Church quickly soared beyond the issue of indulgences. Luther challenged the pope on the doctrine of salvation, the interpretation of Scripture, and the significance of Church tradition. As a result, he formulated statements we know as the "five solas" of the Reformation:

· • Sola scriptura: God’s Word alone

· • Sola fide: Faith alone

· • Sola gratia: Grace alone

· • Solus Christus: Christ alone, and

· • Soli Deo gloria: God’s glory alone

It is important for us to note that none of the relevance of these insights has faded over the last 500 years.

Sola Scriptura: God’s Word alone

Sola scriptura, is Latin, meaning “God’s Word alone.” It is a declaration that scripture is the sufficient and final authority for doctrine and practice in the church. Sola scriptura was and still is a foundational doctrinal principle of Protestantism. Scripture is divinely inspired, without error, and all-sufficient for the Christian’s faith and manner of life.

Sola scriptura was one of the main theological beliefs that Martin Luther proclaimed against the Catholic Church during the Protestant Reformation.[23]

Paul describes scripture concisely for us in his second letter to Timothy, where he wrote:

“¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

The doctrine of sola scriptura means what it says—God’s word alone, without additions and without being subject to a church authority or extra-biblical traditions. As such, the scripture is our chief, supreme, and ultimate source not only for doctrine in the church but also for the way we live as Christians.

Sola scriptura directly contradicts the teachings of the Catholic Church, which has historically elevated its traditional dogma and practices, as well as the Pope’s authority, to the equal of or even superior to, scripture. The doctrine of sola scriptura rejects any authority over the church other than the Bible.

The scripture is the personal witness of the Holy Spirit to the heart of every Christian.

In his first letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul reminds us:

“² By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain” (1 Corinthians 15:2) and warns: “…Do not go beyond what is written” (1 Corinthians 4:6).

Peter tells us in his second epistle:

“²⁰ Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. ²¹ For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21).

We must be guided by the words of Scripture rather than our feelings or emotions, or the pressures from our culture to conform to changing ideas and practices, because the idea of sola scriptura is just as important today as it was 500 years ago. Today, the message of scripture competes with skepticism…the questioning of all certainties and stable truth, especially in our western culture. So we find, perhaps more than ever before, that we must heed the words of Jude, one of the brothers of our Lord, who wrote in his short epistle that he “…felt compelled to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to God’s holy people” (Jude 3).

Sola fide: Faith alone

Martin Luther considered justification by faith alone—sola fide—to be the article on which the church stands or falls. He asserted that it is by faith alone that we receive the righteousness of Christ, enable Him to live in us, and the basis on which we stand as forgiven and justified before God. Our acceptance by God, he asserted, comes not from the pope or the measuring of one’s works, but it comes from solely through God’s grace.

The doctrine of sola fide is as vital to us today as it was to the Luther and his fellow reformers. On the basis of our faith alone we are justified, and not on the basis of what Paul calls “…works of the law…” (Galatians 3:20). We are righteous not by virtue of our works, but by virtue of the righteousness of Christ, which we receive through faith alone.

On the contrary, Paul, referring to the writing of the prophet Habakkuk(Habakkuk 2:4), tells us in his letters to the church at Galatia and the church at Rome: “…‘the righteous will live by faith’” (Galatians 3:11; Romans 1:17). This is a thought also echoed by the writer of Hebrews (10:38).

Paul also wrote in his letter Rome: “…For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified…” (10:10) and that “…the one who does not work but trusts God who justifies the ungodly, their faith is credited as righteousness…” (4:5), and in his letter to the Galatian church, he wrote: “…a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ…” (2:15).

The modern theologian J.I. Packer explains sola fide this way:

“…where Rome had taught a piecemeal salvation, to be gained by stages through working a sacramental treadmill, the Reformers now proclaimed a unitary salvation, to be received in its entirety here and now by self-abandoning faith in God’s promise, and in the God and the Christ of that promise, as set forth in the pages of the Bible” (Sola Fide: The Reformed Doctrine of Justification, article at www.ligonier.org).

The doctrine of sola fide—faith alone—upholds the truth of the biblical gospel. It is of such importance that the Apostle Paul wrote to the Galatian Christians: “…If anybody is preaching to you a gospel other than what you accepted, let them be under God’s curse!...the gospel I preached is not of human origin…I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ” (exerpted from Galatians 1:9-11).

Sola fide assures us of our salvation and is a vital doctrine to Christians today, as we affirm our Lord’s atoning work and the righteousness He has imputed to us.

Sola gratia: Grace alone

The doctrine of sola gracia is closely related to the doctrine of sola fide and may best be summed up for us in the very familiar and widely quoted passage from Paul’s letter to the Ephesian Christians:

“⁸ For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—⁹ not by works, so that no one can boast” (2:8-9).

Sola Gracia means that salvation comes by divine grace or “unmerited favor” only, not as something earned or deserved by the sinner.

Martin Luther long struggled with the idea of works and his constant fear was that he would not be accepted by God, Before coming to his convictions about salvation by faith alone though grace alone through Christ alone, Luther had found that monastic life failed to ease his guilt, because he doubted that he could earn God’s favor through his works.

In his book, Here I Stand: A Life of Martin Luther, 20^th-century historian Roland Bainton quotes Luther about his struggle:

“…if ever a monk could get to heaven through monastic discipline, it was I” Luther said, “…yet my conscience would not give me certainty…I always doubted…The more I tried to remedy the uncertain, weak and troubled conscience with human traditions, the more daily I found it more uncertain, weaker, and more troubled…” (p. 45).

Whatever good works a man might do to save himself, Bainton added, these Luther was resolved to perform.

In addition to his marvelous observation to the Ephesians that “…it is by grace you have been saved, through faith,” the apostle Paul offers us this assurance in his letter to Titus:

“¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. ¹² It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³ while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ…” (Titus 2:11-13).

Sola gratia is descriptive of the “good news,” that our Lord “…came to seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10). It is He who draws sinners to Himself, gives new life to people who are “…dead in (their) transgressions and sins…” (Ephesians 2:1), and who causes a people to accept Him as their redeemer.

Sola gratia is important today simply because it continues to be the basis of our assurance of salvation…based not on what we do but on what Jesus Christ has done. Thanks be to God that we can know that Jesus lives in us and will deliver us at the last day (John 6:39).

Solus Christus: Christ alone

Solus Christus expresses the biblical conviction that Paul defines in his first letter to Timothy: “…⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus…” (1 Timothy 2:5).

In addition, Luke reports in the book of Acts that after Peter and John were seized in Jerusalem for preaching Christ, Peter testified before the Jewish rulers, elders and teachers of the law that “¹² Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

We rely on Christ’s as entirely sufficient as our Savior and Lord, with no need for any new revelation or any priest to mediate between us and God. Our confidence is in Christ alone standing at the center of God’s eternal purposes, Christ alone as the object of our saving faith, and Christ alone must be at the very center of our spiritual life.

We are saved by Christ alone, apart from the merit of any other person. He alone is our Savior and Lord; He alone is our “…great high priest who has ascended into heaven…” (Hebrews 4:14); He alone “…redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us…” (Galatians 3:13) and the “…one mediator between God and mankind…” (1 Timothy 2:5).

Our righteousness does not save us; it is Christ’s alone; as Paul told Titus: “…He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy” (Titus 3:5). He also wrote in his letter to the Romans: “²² …righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe…” (Romans 3:22).

The gospel preaches Christ and Christ alone—the One who came from heaven to seek the lost (Luke 19:10); who obeyed the Law perfectly; who was crucified and rose again; and, as Paul tells us in his letter to the Romans, Christ is the one who at this very moment “…is at the right hand of God and is…interceding for us…” (Romans 8:34) and to the Colossians, he wrote: “…He is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy” (Colossians 1:18).

Against the prevailing moral relativism of today in our western culture are the eternal truths of the claims of Christ:

He is the only Son of God: “…God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life...” (John 3:16).
“…there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved...” (Acts 4:12) .
Jesus tells us He is: “…the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me...” (John 14:6).
He is the only “…mediator between God and men…” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Jesus is the head and king of the church, and we owe allegiance to Him, even in the face of our culture’s pressure change or adapt our faith to its changing standards.

Soli Deo gloria: God’s glory alone

John Piper, a contemporary American theologian, pastor, and chancellor of Bethlehem College and Seminary, defines soli Deo gloria in a few short words: “The glory of God is the holiness of God put on display. That is, it is the infinite worth of God made manifest…” (desiringgod.org/articles/rebuilding-the-basics-the-centrality-of-gods-glory). He adds that the doctrine of soli Deo gloria is the “heart and soul of the Reformation” (desiringgod.org/messages/soli-deo-gloria).

Soli Deo gloria addresses a core purpose of our lives as Christians: to reflect the glory to God in our ministries and in our manner of living.

The Reformed theologian R.C. Sproul put it this way: “In all that we do, the driving passion of the Christian must always be Soli Deo Gloria, to God alone be the glory. And the only way for this passion to be realized is to honor God as God, to understand Him as He has revealed Himself in His Word…”(ligonier.org/learn/articles/for-glory-god).

Isaiah, witnessed the expression of wonder at the glory of God when he saw the vision of the seraphim around God’s throne calling to one another about God’s boundless glory, saying: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory!”(Isaiah 6:3).

Paul, in his letter to the church at Rome, expresses his wonder at the glory of God: “³³ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!…³⁶ For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen” (Romans 11:33, 36). To the Ephesians, he wrote that God “…²⁰ is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, ²¹to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever!” (Ephesians 3:20-21).

And David acknowledged the magnificent glory of God in the Psalms, when he wrote: “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands…” (Psalm 19:1) and “¹ Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. ² Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness” (Psalm 29:1-2).

And today, we still echo the thoughts of Solomon, who tells us: “Praise be to his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen” (Psalm 72:19).

We continue the commitment of those who have gone before us…the 16^th-century reformers…devoted to the idea of soli Deo gloria—God’s glory—and pledge with the apostle Paul: “…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31).

There is no room for the glory of man in God’s plan for salvation. The glory is God’s alone. We all were dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1) and could do nothing to help ourselves toward life. But, praise the Lord, “the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). The glory is God’s, not ours.

Consequently, we are called to live with ever-increasing humility, not with the pride of considering ourselves better than others. It is the Lord, and He alone, who deserves credit for any good found in us. May He continue to be glorified in our lives!

The Source of Renewal and Wisdom: Psalm 19: 7-14

2023-10-08T16:38:00.008-04:00

by Joel B Curry, D.Min.

Introduction

Most of us believe the Bible is the most important book in our homes. I have read from it frequently for the last 43 years, since Shara and I met the Lord. It still challenges, comforts, motivates, and inspires me.

Our scripture was written by more than 40 authors over a period of 1,600 years. Most of those authors didn’t know each other. Some were educated, and others were not, but all of their messages are inspired by the Holy Spirit…and their messages still have the power to change people’s lives.

In my case, committing to our Savior and Lord in my 30s brought about a radical change…As I began to study and pray…He changed me from a greedy, godless corporate manager and weekend partier…to a Christian who developed a heart for preaching, teaching, and personal evangelism.

This morning, I want to focus on God’s revelation to us.

God speaks the decisive word that puts us on the way, the road. The path of life.

The Hebrew word for Bible or scripture is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning “to proclaim” or “to call.” (Note: The Hebrew word for “Bible” is מקרא (miqra), which derives from the root קרא (qara) meaning literally to “proclaim” or “to call.”) Indeed, God’s word is a call on each of our lives…a voice to heed…not merely something to be read and looked casually. It is a word to be listened to and obeyed. Fundamentally, God’s word is a call…It is God calling us, His children.

John Bunyan, author of Pilgrim’s Progress, testified, “Read the Bible, and read it again, and do not despair of help to understand something of the will and mind of God, though you think they are fast locked up from you. Neither trouble yourself, though you may not have commentaries and expositions; pray and read, and read and pray; for a little from God is better than a great deal from man.”

We find in Psalm 19 the two ways God reveals Himself to us. One is called “general revelation.” David, the author of Psalm 19, refers to the details of creation as evidence of God’s power and design in the first six verses of Psalm 19. To know something about God from observing His creation is “general revelation.”

The second half of the psalm, which we will briefly examine this morning, celebrates God’s revelation in His word… hailed for its perfection and benefit to us. That portion of the psalm, vv. 7-14, deal with what is called “special revelation”: how God reveals Himself to us through the pages of His word.

Vv. 7-14 are where I want to focus this morning. I encourage you to follow along in Psalm 19 if you have your Bible with you today…or you will find Psalm 19 on page 439 in the pew Bibles.

The Exposition

Our Lord, through the words written by David in vv. 7-14, shows us five ways we benefit from knowing God’s word.

First, David tells us in v. 7 that the word of God is a source of:

1. SPIRITUAL RENEWAL (v. 7)

He writes in v. 7: “⁷ The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul…”

“The law of the Lord…” is a broad term that David and other writers used to refer to the written revelation God has given us. He writes “The law of the Lord is perfect…,” meaning it is complete, with nothing left out. There is no part of our lives, no problem that we will ever face, no question with which we will ever be troubled…that the Word of God does not speak to and give us guidance…it is perfect, as David says, “…refreshing the soul.”

David uses here the uniquely intimate and personal Hebrew name, “Yahweh,” translated “Lord” in English, which means or “the one bringing into being, self-revealed, life-giver,” or merely “creator.” It is derived from the Hebrew verb meaning “to come to pass, become,” or “to be,” which is the term God used to refer to Himself translated “…I am…” when He spoke to Moses at the burning bush…when:

¹⁴ God said to Moses, “I am who I am. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I am has sent me to you…This is my name forever, the name you shall call me from generation to generation’” (Exodus 3:14-15).

Yahweh came to be used by the Israelites as the sacred personal name of God. It is a long and interesting story, but eventually Yahweh appeared as Jehovah in English due to its rendering in the Latin Vulgate.

David uses the name Yahweh in our passage this morning in order to emphasize the origin and authority of the revelation.

He uses another familiar word in v. 7 also: “Torah”—translated into English as “law,” which refers to God’s written Word. He calls the Torah “…perfect…,” which means “complete” or “sufficient” in the Hebrew mind.

David, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, tells us here that God’s written word is “…perfect, refreshing the soul…” and “…trustworthy, making wise the simple.” That is, the word of God is sufficient to meet all our needs…and able to transform us.

But while the word of God is perfect, we are not. We cannot measure up to it.

The law, as David and his ancient Israel compatriots knew it, taught them about their sin nature. The word of God, as it exists for us today, shows us a lot more. It shows us God’s will and His grace and offer of forgiveness for believers.

There’s a story in the Old Testament where we see an example of God’s word bringing about a great change in God’s people.

It is found in Nehemiah chapter 8, where Nehemiah describes the wall surrounding the city of Jerusalem having fallen into disrepair. That made the city vulnerable to enemy attack. Having returned from Babylonian captivity, Nehemiah organized the people of the city into work parties, and together they rebuilt the wall in record time.

As they completed their work, the people gathered together to hear the priest Ezra read from the law, the Torah. We find the account in Nehemiah chapter 8:

“Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly…He read it aloud from daybreak till noon…And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law…Ezra praised the Lord, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, ‘Amen! Amen!’ Then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground” (Nehemiah 8:3-6).

The Israelites heard the word of God and turned their hearts toward Him.

This is what can happen when the Bible is read…it is the source of spiritual renewal and immensely beneficial in our lives.

David also gives us, in the latter part of v. 7, a second way we benefit from knowing God’s word. Not only is the word a source of spiritual renewal for us, it also is a source of:

2. PRACTICAL WISDOM (v. 7)

“The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy,” David writes in v. 7, “making wise the simple.”

The Hebrew rendering here in is that the “statutes” or “testimonies” of the Lord are “trustworthy, sure,” and “reliable.”

That reminds me of Isaiah’s description of God as “…the Lord Almighty, whose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent” (Isaiah 28:29). And Solomon reminds us in Proverbs: “Blessed are those who find wisdom, those who gain understanding…” (3:13) and “How much better to get wisdom than gold, to get insight rather than silver!” (16:16).

God’s Word is filled with examples of people who did right and people who did wrong. Those examples are there for us to learn what God is like and what He desires from us (1 Corinthians 10:11).

Micah 6:8 is a familiar reference where the Lord summarizes His desire for every person:

“He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.”

Malachi 3:18 makes it even clearer:

“…you will…see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.”

The righteous, in other words, simply serve God.

If we make it our goal to seek God and honor Him in everything we do—as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 10: “…whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God…”—if we do that, we will understand right and wrong and make life choices are pleasing to Him.

All of us know sometimes in life the choice between right and wrong may not be clear…and there are times when the choice between good, better, and best is not clear, either. It is in those times when we need wisdom from being knowledgeable about God’s will…and we find the expression of His will in His word.

So far, David has told us the word is a source of spiritual renewal and practical wisdom. In v. 8, he adds that the word of God is a source of:

3. CONFIDENT LIVING (v. 8)

David writes in v. 8: “The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes.”

The good news for us is that we don’t have to wonder where we stand with God. We can be sure. The word of God is “…right…” in the sense of straightforward and just. It encourages us to be upright and to experience the joy of knowing our Savior and the future He has for us.

John puts it this way in 1 John chapter 5: “¹³ I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. ¹⁴ This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (5:13-14).

Paul tells us of the Lord’s promise of eternal life to all who will trust Him in the opening verses of his letter to Titus: “…Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness—² in the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time…” (1:1-2).

John also reminds us of the Bible’s promise of forgiveness, another aspect of our living confidently as God’s children: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

I suppose I could go on and on about it, because the Bible goes on and on about it. The bottom line is that we can be confident about our relationship with God and confident about the future. We can face tomorrow with confidence.

Our Bible is our Lord’s complete message for human beings…inspired, inerrant, and infallible. It is our guide…not for just for a few favorite verses, but the whole thing, teaching us about God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, and God the Son…and in doing so, it transforms us…what we believe, why we believe, and how we live.

David adds in v. 9 of the Psalm: “The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.”

In the Old Testament, “…the fear of the Lord…” rarely refers to actual fright or terror, but refers to holding God in proper reverence and awe. “The fear of the Lord…” is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge, according to Proverbs 1:7 and a “a fountain of life, turning a person from the snares of death” according to Proverbs 14:27.

David here is talking about an absolute, reverential respect for God, which is something that adds immeasurably to our confidence in living in our Lord’s very presence, every hour of every day.

Then in v. 10, David tells us that the Lord’s decrees are “more precious than gold…” and “…sweeter than honey…,” showing that we can be completely fulfilled by thinking, saying, and doing what God wants of us. The two metaphors of gold and honey express the value and delight Christians experience in God’s Word and the fact that it guides in this life and beyond.

But David adds another aspect of the word to his lessons of spiritual renewal, practical wisdom, and confident living. In v. 11, he tells us that knowing God’s word is a source of:

4. DAILY GUIDANCE (v. 11)

He writes about God’s statutes: “By them your servant is warned; in keeping them there is great reward” (v. 11).

Those who heed the Word become like the Word—complete and mature in the faith. David wants us to know that it can keep us on the straight and narrow path in life…and it forewarns us of dangers that may arise from our disobedience and guides us to godliness.

The word “…servant…” here in v. 11 is perhaps better rendered “…bondservant…” The bondservant in ancient Israel was willingly bound to doing the will of the one to whom he or she owed service. David’s use of the term bears out his own willingness to do God’s will and not his own will, no matter what, and he tells us that keeping God’s commands and ordinances is in itself a reward.

David closes Psalm 19 in vv. 12-14 with a:

5. HEARTFELT PRAYER

Admitting he has some hidden faults that can interfere with doing God’s will, he writes in vv. 12:

¹²But who can discern their own errors? Forgive my hidden faults.

We are all like David. We have some of those hidden faults from which we need to be delivered. “Hidden faults…” are sins that we may have committed in ignorance or without knowledge.

David realized that we all have these blind spots. We may not recognize some sins in our own lives, but they are not hidden from God.

Asking God to cleanse us of hidden faults implies more than just asking Him to forgive them. We need God first to reveal them to us so we can commit to change and seek His help to overcome these sins. Because David so valued a close relationship with God, he asks the Lord in v. 12 to declare him innocent of hidden faults.

In his second epistle, the apostle Peter gives us great advice applicable to any sin or fault, known or hidden:

“…rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ²Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³…you…are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 1:2-3, 5).

In v. 13 of the psalm, David continues his prayer, asking for cleansing from what he calls “…willful sins…”:

¹³Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me. Then I will be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

Willful sins are deliberate. A better translation of David’s term, “…willful sins…,” would be “arrogant sins, presumptuous sins” or “insolent sins…” sins we commit knowing we are in the wrong and which hinder our desire for a close relationship with our Savior and Lord.

David’s prayer to be cleansed of sin, both hidden and willful, is a prayer for all of us.

Then he concludes his prayer with these often-quoted words which are so wonderfully, marvelously penetrating from v. 14, the closing verse of the psalm:

¹⁴May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight, Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

David desperately wanted the Lord to accept his words and the thoughts of his heart. In this Psalm, David addresses the Lord as his rock and his redeemer. He recognized that the Lord was the provider of his security and his salvation.

By shedding His blood on the cross, Jesus is our Redeemer (1 Peter 1:18–19), and as our living Lord He keeps us safe (1 Peter 1:3–5).

Conclusion

In conclusion, we find in Psalm 19 that David shows us God in His creation and then shows us His righteousness and the expectations He has for us. He shows us our need for forgiveness and our Lord’s readiness to grant it.

We know that forgiveness comes to us today through the gospel…the good news message of Jesus Christ…His sacrifice and His offer of a new life to all who believe.

God speaks to us in Psalm 19 of His creation and His law. We must be still…open our hearts…breathe in deep…listen…and then we will hear His wisdom…know He is love…sense Him reaching out to draw us close and embrace us, all the while transforming us into his own image.

And above all, as Christians we are called on to share the love of God and the offer of forgiveness and eternal life with every person we can.

Let us pray:

Prayer

Lord, forgive us for our hidden faults and willful sins. You have promised that our sins will be removed as far as the east is from the west. Having failed You many times, we come to You in repentance and faith, trusting that all our sins have been washed away by Jesus’ blood. Help us to guard our hearts, and in your strength and grace, keep us vigilant to avoid sin. Help us to have a clear conscience, washed clean in the blood of Jesus; and above all, help each of us to share your love with the people that cross our paths. Amen.

Blessing

“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen” (Jude 24–25).

A New Life & a New Future

2023-10-04T08:36:00.062-04:00

(Presented at Penney Retirement Community's Tuesday evening Bible study, October 3, 2023)

Romans 6

¹ What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? ²By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? ³Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

⁵For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. ⁶For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with,^[^a^] that we should no longer be slaves to sin— ⁷because anyone who has died has been set free from sin.

⁸Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

¹¹In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹²Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace.

Introduction

When we look at the early chapters in the book of Romans, we see clearly the connection of faith to salvation. In order for us to be justified (or declared innocent) before God, we must have faith in Jesus, and salvation and redemption come only through Jesus.

Leading up to Romans 6, Paul discusses some benefits of our standing before God. Those include the fact that we can have peace with God, we stand permanently in grace, and we can rejoice in the hope of His promises.

The early church in Rome consisted of several house churches and were led mostly by Jewish disciples of Jesus. When Claudius expelled all Jews from the city of Rome, however, only the Gentile Christians remained. Therefore, the church grew and expanded as a largely Gentile community from 49 to 54 A.D, during which Paul wrote this letter.

In chapter 6, Paul continues his discussion from earlier chapters of the benefits of being saved and justified, with the chief benefit being that in Christ, we no longer are the servant of the world of sin.

The core message Paul is telling the believers in Rome is that they have been set free, totally free, from their slavery to their sin nature.

In our passage today, Paul tells us that in Jesus we have:

·       A new life vv. 1-4
·       A new future vv. 5-10
·       A new purpose vv. 11-14
·       Implications of our choices vv. 15-19
·       Benefits of being Christlike vv. 20-23

The Exposition

· Paul tells us in vv. 1-4 that in Christ we have a new life

Paul asks this question in v. 1: “Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?” Should we continue to sin so that we could receive more grace from God? If sin allows God’s grace to shine through, then why not? Then immediately in v. 2, Paul answers his own question: “By no means!” (literally, “May it never be!”).

This may well have been a question troubling some of those early Christians as they struggled against their sin nature in the permissive and promiscuous culture of Rome.

Paul taught that Jesus made one sacrifice for all sins, and God’s grace covers every sin we have ever committed or will ever commit. The writer of Hebrews concurs, stating:

“12 But when this priest (that is, Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. ¹⁴ For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy” ( Hebrews 10:12-14 ).

Paul’s opening of the discussion in chapter 6 in vv. 1-2 raises what to us may seem to us as a bit odd. But for the Roman Christians, no doubt grew out of his teaching about justification, as presented of in 5:20: “…where sin increased, grace increased all the more…,” and the Romans needed to be assured that grace is not a license to sin.

In addition to Paul’s warning in vv. 1-2, the Apostle Jude also condemned the approach to grace that may result in increased sinning. Jude condemned: “…ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord” (Jude 4).

Grace is a free gift…so how much is it worth to us? Do we treat it as something valuable? In his Cost of Discipleship, German pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer offered this observation about the issue: “…grace is costly…because it calls us to follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is grace because it gives a man the only true life. It is costly because it condemns sin, and grace because it justifies the sinner.”

Paul’s readers were still young in the faith and may also have misunderstood the role of God’s grace in their behavior. It may seem a silly or moot issue to us, but to relatively new Christians in Roman society it probably was not.

We also perhaps can regard the question in vv. 1-2 is an example of hyperbole or overstatement on Paul’s part, making the extreme point that the more we sin, the more God’s grace will be required, thereby contributing to His glory.

Paul also had dealt with this in 3:8, where he posed the question: “Why not say—as some slanderously claim that we say—’Let us do evil that good may result’”?

Such a suggestion, of course, is preposterous, and as we read in v. 2, Paul soundly rejects the suggestion: “By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

He does not say we don’t struggle with the sin nature, however. In fact, he deals with his own struggle with the propensity to sin in chapter 7.

Paul emphasizes in his letters that we have died to sin, stressing the impossibility of a Christian continuing in a life dominated and conquered by the sin nature. Christ supplanted the sin nature with His own nature in believers, who because of Him are able to choose to be pure, holy, and righteous.

As he puts it in Ephesians 4, we are in possession of “²⁴ …the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” We are no longer enslaved by the old nature and, unlike the unsaved, we are able to choose righteousness.

But the sin nature—what we call “the old man” or “the flesh”—continues to lure us. We overcome it by living in the spirit, not in the flesh.

Paul holds that we have died to sin, and since sin no longer is our nature, we must not continue in it. Even though we may struggle with sin, we must allow the spiritual side of our existence to prevail against our old self-serving sin nature.

To bring further clarity to this, let’s look at Romans 8, where Paul tells us:

“⁵ Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. ⁶ The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. ⁸ Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ” (Romans 8:5-9).

So how do we live by the spirit? By works?…By resisting sin?…By controlling our desire to sin? Absolutely not. No…just consider what Paul tells us in Colossians 2:6-7:

“⁶ …just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,⁷ rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”

We live by the spirit the same way we received the Lord. Not by works…not by resisting sin…not by exerting control over our sin nature.

No, we live by the Spirit by faith, just as we received the Lord by faith…

Another aspect of living by the Spirit is simply reading His word. As Paul tells us in Romans 12, we must “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Constantly renewing our minds in the Word brings about important changes in us, mainly because of the weakening of the sin nature in us.

Some of you in this room this evening came to Christ as adults, like I did. If so, you must have noticed, just like I did, that when you became Christian, your focus changed. What I would call radical change was my own experience. I accepted Christ not until I was in my 30s, as a pretty ruthless rising corporate manager and weekend partier. But with Christ my focus quickly changed…my outlook on life took on new meaning and purpose…all because, as Paul puts it in v. 2: “We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?”

Without Christ, I was lost are spiritually dead…responding chiefly to selfish desires…for money, position, advantage over others, more stuff…all of those desires that are centered on pleasure, physical comfort, psychological well-being, and winning at the game of life. Looking back, life without the Lord for me before the Lord found me was a pretty empty existence.

Paul expands on the theme of what we were before Christ entered our lives and afterward in his letter to the Christians in Ephesus (Ephesians 2:1-5):

“¹ As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, ² in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. ³ All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. ⁴ But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, ⁵ made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.”

Those without Christ have no real standard other than self-satisfaction. That’s what Paul means when he talks in Ephesians 2 about following “…the ways of this world…”; we were formerly servants of our selfishness, but as Christians we are no longer chained to a life of sin and can relate to God and His holiness. We have, Paul says, died to sin.

Vv. 3-4:

³ Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.

He uses the example of baptism in vv. 3-4 of Romans 6 to illustrate our vital union with Christ in his death, giving us the picture of dying to our old life and being raised in the new life with Christ.

The importance of burial imaging in baptism is that it attests to the reality of death…the death or end of the old life governed by the sin nature. God who raised Jesus Christ from the dead has likewise imparted life to those who are his. The expression to “…live a new life…” in v. 4 is literally translated to “…walk in newness of life…,” the walk being the evidence of the new type of life granted to the child of God.

V. 4 of our passage in Romans chapter 6 kind of sums up the fact that our old sin-filled life was buried with Christ, and in believing and trusting in Him we rose with Him to live a life free from the slavery to our sin nature, telling us that: “…just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

In addition to telling us that we have a new life, Paul also tells us:

In Christ we have a new future (5-10).

Notice how Paul transitions in v. 5 to the term “…united…”: “⁵ For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.”

He doesn’t mean a physical death here, but rather, the death of our slavery to sin and resurrection to righteousness.

How do we know this? V. 6 gives us the answer: “…our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin…”

V. 7 continues the thought by stating that we have been “…set free from sin…” The literal meaning is that we have been justified, declared righteous, or declared free from sin, as contrasted with our pre-Christian state, in which we were dominated by sin.

But we have been freed from the power of sin through our faith in Jesus. As Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “…if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” For the Christian, the old life of sin apart from Christ is gone, and we are a new creation in union with Christ.

Paul sums up the ultimate meaning of being united with Christ in vv. 8-10, where he tells us:

^8…if we died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. ⁹For we know that since Christ was raised from the dead, he cannot die again; death no longer has mastery over him. ¹⁰The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.

Union with Christ continues to be the theme in vv. 8-10, but attention shifts from its effect on the problem of sin to a consideration of its bearing on the problem of death…so Paul writes about resurrection.

With the note in v. 8 that “…we will also live with him…” Paul is considering our future bodily resurrection. Death because of our sin held the Savior only briefly, because He was not guilty of personal sin, and therefore death had no right to hold him indefinitely (Acts 2:24). Likewise, it had no right to call him again to the experience of death. Once having been raised from the dead, our Lord is alive for ever and ever, as He announced to John in Revelation 1:18: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.”

Paul knew it was important to emphasize this truth to the Roman Christians to help define what we should expect in the future, but also to motivate us in our manner of living in the present, as he pointed out to the Corinthians in his second letter to them: “…he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again” (2 Corinthians 5:15).

Paul has so far told us we have in Christ a new life and a new future, and now:

· In Christ we have a new purpose vv. 11-14

¹¹ In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. ¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. ¹³ Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness. ¹⁴ For sin shall no longer be your master, because you are not under the law, but under grace (vv. 11-14).

We know there are only two options for human beings: to live enslaved to sin or to be servants of our Savior’s righteousness and His purposes for us. We should always remember how Paul characterizes people—either slaves to sin or slaves to righteousness.

In v. 11 Paul tells us to “…count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The key word “…count…” (literally, “to reckon” or “to consider”) has a more precise meaning in the original language of Paul’s letters, Koine Greek, than in our English translations. Paul uses the present imperative verb tense (“…count”), stressing the necessity to keep on doing it…telling us to constantly or repeatedly count or consider ourselves dead to sin in order to avoid yielding to the ever-present call of our sin nature.

Because we are dead to sin and self but alive to God, Paul is telling us emphatically that we must act like it. That’s the emphasis in vv. 12-13, where the implication is that sin has been reigning, but now we can resist it.

Believers must do their part by refusing to answer the sin nature’s call. Paul’s description here of the body as “…mortal…” is a reminder that despite being united to Christ, we are still living in a frail instrument subject to the ultimate call of death.

In v. 13, Paul reminds us that we can be instruments of unrighteousness to sin or instruments of righteousness to God. In v. 12, he treats sin as a value we can choose to let govern us, but in v. 13 he moves to the actions that result, because our actions demonstrate the core values we have chosen.

Paul elaborates on this point later in Romans 12:1-2:

¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. So we can choose to be conformed to the world—that is, self-centered—or we can choose to be transformed and thereby prove the good, acceptable, and perfect will of God.

Paul offers encouragement to his readers in v. 14 of chapter 6, reminding them that sin is not their master “…because you are not under law, but under grace.” Under grace, there is liberty to live in accord with a higher principle—the resurrection life of the Lord himself.

He sees grace as a sort of disciplinary power…not a license to live as we want, but to live sober, upright, and godly lives, just as he instructed Titus:

“For the grace of God…teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age…” (Titus 2:11-12).

We sometimes struggle with the sinful nature that constantly wants to dominate us, but we must always realize that in Christ we are no longer servants of the sin nature but servants of righteousness…and we are determined to live accordingly.

How we determine to live is a conscious decision.

Paul affirms that we have a more or less free will when it comes to putting our faith into action. In 1 Corinthians 3 Paul warns us to take heed about how we live and that what we do to build on the foundation of Christlikeness will be rewarded. He tells the Corinthians they were to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ, and in doing so:

“…their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. 14 If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.”

Considering all this I want to briefly present a couple of points from vv. 15-23. First, there are:

· Implications of our choices (15-19).

¹⁵ What then? Shall we sin because we are not under the law but under grace? By no means! ¹⁶ Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? ¹⁷ But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you have come to obey from your heart the pattern of teaching that has now claimed your allegiance…

V. 15 asks and answers the same question as in v. 1. To paraphrase Paul: “…since sin is no longer lord over us, then can the Christian sin and never pay a penalty?”

The answer is a resounding no.

V. 16 explains that:

“…you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness.”

As Christians, we have changed masters. The former master, our sin nature, no longer has to enslave us or have any authority over us. We are called to give our all to our new master, Jesus. We belong to Jesus, and we are no longer slaves to sin. For the first time in his or her life, the new Christian can decide to serve righteousness.

Remember, there are implications that come with our choice. Jesus said,

“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24).

If we continue to commit certain acts of sin, while making no effort to stop letting that sin reign in his life, the result will be that eventually we will sink back into the very slavery from which we were freed at the moment of our salvation.

In vv. 18-19, Paul tells us:

¹⁸ You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. ¹⁹ I am using an example from everyday life because of your human limitations. Just as you used to offer yourselves as slaves to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer yourselves as slaves to righteousness leading to holiness.

We are not slaves to God in the sense we have no freedom or choice. If we choose to serve Him, all the promises of God’s word belong to us.

When we present ourselves to Christ, we will become more Christ-like, and a life of service to God is very sanctifying. You are sanctified, or made holy and set aside for special service. Sanctification means that God sees us as sinless. Our challenge as Christians is for us to reach for the point where we are free of sin, which is where God already sees us because we are sanctified in His sight.

We do not strive to be sinless in order to earn salvation. Rather, our motivation is that it pleases God when we become more like the one we serve.

Finally, our vv. 20-23 inform us of the:

· Benefits of being Christlike (20-23).

²⁰When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. ²¹ What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! ²² But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. ²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (vv. 20-23).

A little personal testimony…before I met Christ, my life was a mess. I did not really realize it, but I was in a desperate condition. Driven by self-centeredness and the insatiable desire for success, like every lost person I was bound by every evil and free from every good.

After becoming a believer, I could relate to what Paul says in v. 21 about being ashamed. He says,

“What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death.”

It took the encounter with Christ for me to realize the extent to which sin had enslaved me. I realized my life was pretty shallow before my encounter with Jesus. I had no real purpose, no direction, and no focus, and I was spiritually dead.

Paul cites the benefits attached to our choice to be Christlike in v. 22:

“…now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”

Meeting the Savior changes a person.. Now he or she is free from enslavement to sin and for the first time in his or her life can choose to serve God. The result is not only a holy life now, but also everlasting life in the presence of the Lord.

V. 23 concludes with that familiar teaching we all use in our personal evangelism:

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

The beauty of a life in Christ is that we get to make choices. Once you make the choice to follow Him, you must keep choosing to be Christlike. God knows we will struggle. Remember, Paul never says that learning to live out our new way of life is going to be automatic. We may be saints, but the reality is we don’t act like saints all the time. It’s a process that can be challenging for us.

We all must make it our purpose today to fully present our lives to God as a living and holy sacrifice and remember the lessons Paul has given us today, that how we live is a choice, that there are implications to the choices we make, and that there are benefits for us attached to our choice to be Christlike.

Conclusion

Today it is my prayer that “…he who began a good work in you will carry it onto completion” (Philippians 1:6 )…and we all realize that journey encompasses faith in our Savior and a lot of personal reflection…and often…just plain grit.

May you be blessed as you recognize the grace to which you were called and the complete victory that is yours through Christ our wonderful Savior and Lord.

Amen.

Revelation Chapter 10: The Angel and the Little Scroll

2023-09-16T17:47:00.000-04:00

Chapter 10 is a short chapter that is considered to be an interruption or interlude in John’s vision, with vv. 10:1 to 11:14 preceding the seventh trumpet judgment, which is found in 11:15.

You may remember from our discussion of chapter seven that John placed two visions (7:1-8, 9-17) between opening the sixth and seventh seals. Likewise in chapter 10 through 11:14 John places two interludes before the blowing of the seventh trumpet. These are two affirmations for us, with God announcing via this angel that the last woe is at hand with no further delay.

Revelation 10:1-4:

“¹ Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. ² He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, ³ and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 4 And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, ‘Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.’”

The Angel of Revelation 10, watercolor
by William Blake (1757-1827)

In the midst of the terrible events on earth that the angels and saints in heaven have been witnessing, John sees “…another mighty angel coming down from heaven” (v. 4; possibly Michael, “…the great prince…” of Daniel 12:1). This is not one of the angels of the judgments, but is an angel that arrives with a message in “…a little scroll…” (v. 2). This scroll is thought to be similar to or connected with the symbolic scroll of Ezekiel 2:9-3:3. Ezekiel was told to eat the scroll, just as John is told to eat the scroll given him here (see vv.9-10). This is a literary device intended to symbolize the reception of the word of God into one’s innermost being.

John could see the words on the scroll because it “…lay open…” in the angel’s hand. The angel “…planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land…,” symbolic the prophetic message meant for the whole world.

Great thunder accompanies the shout of the angel (v. 3)When the angel shouted (v.3), seven thunders spoke, an indication that the message of the scroll is to have a huge impact on the earth. Then John heard “…a voice from heaven…” (most likely the voice of Christ) that commanded him to “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.” We do not have any details about the contents of the small scroll in the angel’s hand (not to be confused with the Lamb’s scroll in Revelation chapters 5-7). The instruction not to seal the contents of the scroll is reminiscent of Daniel’s vision of the tribulation and judgment of the last days in Daniel 8:26: “…‘seal up the vision, for it concerns the distant future…”

There is something mysterious or special about the arrival of this angel. Being “…robed in a cloud…” amounts to a mysterious appearance but also great majesty. His features are masked or dimmed by the mist, and he is like royalty “…with a rainbow above his head…”

The rainbow is a reminder of God’s promise in Genesis 6-9 that God chose the rainbow to be the sign of His promise to Noah. Genesis 9:8-13:

“⁸ …God said to Noah and to his sons with him: ⁹ ‘I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you ¹⁰ and with every living creature that was with you—the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you— every living creature on earth. ¹¹ I establish my covenant with you: Never again will all life be destroyed by the waters of a flood; never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth.”

Just as in the example of Noah, while God judges evil, he protects and preserves His people. There is something majestic or mysterious about a rainbow. Even though today we know the science of the phenomenon and refraction of light, the rainbow still seems to be a mysterious and majestic image of the power of God.

It has been so in history. When God called Ezekiel to be His prophet among the Jews exiled in Babylon, Ezekiel described God’s appearance this way (Ezekiel 1:26-28):

“…²⁶ high above was a figure like that of a man. ²⁷ I saw that from what appeared to be his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded Him. ²⁸ Like the appearance of a rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around Him. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord…”

Also, remember John’s description of what he saw as he entered God’s presence in Revelation 4:2-3:

“…and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne…”

Returning to Revelation 10 and the angel John saw descending from heaven, we read about the appearance of the angel in v. 1: “…his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars…” That completes John’s description of the descending angel—a powerful, authoritative, and majestic appearance.

As chapter 10 unfolds, we will see the meaning of this vision. We know that at this point in the vision, the Lord is not ready to provide those left on earth after the seven seal judgments and six trumpet judgments with an actual account of the terrible bowl judgments and final judgment of mankind. He has given mankind repeated, detailed warnings of the coming judgments. Knowing more details about what is coming will change no more minds about turning to the Savior. He will reveal the details when the time comes.

Vv. 5-11:

“⁵ Then the angel I had seen standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it, and said, ‘There will be no more delay! ⁷ But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.’ ⁸ Then the voice that I had heard from heaven spoke to me once more: ‘Go, take the scroll that lies open in the hand of the angel who is standing on the sea and on the land.’ ⁹ So I went to the angel and asked him to give me the little scroll. He said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.’ ¹⁰ I took the little scroll from the angel’s hand and ate it. It tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth, but when I had eaten it, my stomach turned sour. ¹¹ Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.’”

The angel “…raised his right hand to heaven. ⁶ And he swore by him who lives for ever and ever, who created the heavens and all that is in them, the earth and all that is in it, and the sea and all that is in it…” (vv. 5-6). The verb here, “…raised his right hand…,” is a term which means the taking of an oath. The angel is taking an oath, and that oath, and “…There we no more delay!…” (v. 6), signifying that the time has come for the seventh trumpet judgment and the releasing of the bowl judgments.

The angel instructs John to take the take the little scroll. Having been commanded to write all that he saw (Revelation 1:19: “Write therefore, what you have seen, what is now, and what will take place later…”), John’s likely intention is to write what the scroll contains, but the angel with the scroll tells him not to reveal the contents. (The angel) “…said to me, ‘Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey…” (vv. 9-10). This is reminiscent of Ezekiel 3:3, where Ezekiel says “So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth.”

V. 11 (“Then I was told, ‘You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings”) is a call for John to redouble his efforts to warn sinful mankind of its impending judgment. John obeys this directive by revealing the seventh trumpet and the bowl judgments, beginning in Revelation 11:15.

Note that chapter 10 offers us a confirmation of John’s prophetic call, as v.11 indicates: “You must prophesy again about many peoples, nations, languages and kings.”

Revelation Chapter 9: Continuation of the Trumpet Judgments

2023-08-08T08:31:00.001-04:00

In chapter 9, John focuses attention on the fifth and sixth trumpets, which describe the first and second woes. The importance of his focus is emphasized in that John gives more than twice the space to describing the fifth and sixth trumpets than he does to the previous four trumpets.

Woodcut by Albrect Durer,
"The Seven Trumpets Are Given to the Angels",:
c. 1498.

Some commentators relate John’s description of the woes of the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments to the prophecy of the day of the Lord found in Joel 2:1-4:

“1 Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming. It is close at hand—2 a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness. Like dawn spreading across the mountains a large and mighty army comes, such as never was in ancient times nor ever will be in ages to come. 3 Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes. Before them the land is like the garden of Eden, behind them, a desert waste—nothing escapes them. 4 They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry.”

As chapter 9 begins, four of the Trumpet Judgments have been opened, and John now describes the fifth starting with these words:

“1 The fifth angel sounded his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. 3 And out of the smoke locusts came down on the earth and were given power like that of scorpions of the earth.”

The Greek term “…Abyss…” (v. 1) is βυθος (buthos) and means “depth, very deep” or “bottomless.” The word refers to the underworld as a prison for certain demons (Luke 8:31 and Jude 6) and as the realm of the dead (Romans 10:7). The Abyss is what the Bible calls the underworld from which Satan and his demons emerge to roam the earth. It is a place the demons do not want to be in, a place of discomfort, and a place where Satan and his demons cannot deceive people. John writes of the Abyss also in Revelation 11:7 and 17:8, identifying it as the place from which the beast arises.

The fifth trumpet releases locusts from the Abyss: huge billows of smoke pour out, darken the sky, and there is the release horse-like locusts. These locusts are unlike normal locusts, ferocious and able to inflict terrible torment on the inhabitants of the earth who do not have the seal of God (vv. 4-10):

“4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 They were not allowed to kill them but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes. 6 During those days people will seek death but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them. 7 The locusts looked like horses prepared for battle. On their heads they wore something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces. 8 Their hair was like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. 10 They had tails with stingers, like scorpions, and in their tails they had power to torment people for five months. 11 They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer).”

John describes the locusts as resembling an army “…prepared for battle…” (v.7). The locusts’ heads resemble horses’ heads. He describes them as having “…something like crowns of gold, and their faces resembled human faces…,” which implies that there is something unnatural or demonic about them. Their teeth “…like lions’ teeth…” suggest they can bring terrible devastation. The “…breastplates like breastplates of iron…” appear as a kind of shield of metal plates across the chest, “…and the sound of their wings was like the thundering of many horses and chariots rushing into battle…” (v.9).

Locust plagues are known as among the most severe plagues in history. The imagery of locusts is a reminder of Joel’s vision of the locust army that came on Israel as a judgment from God (Joel 1:6; 2:4-10). The locusts John describes, however, inflict agony like scorpion stings (vv. 3, 5, & 10) and therefore are not ordinary locusts, but exist to inflict injuries only on those who worship the beast and who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (v.4). They are most likely demonic forces from the Abyss, and the people of God are protected from their sting.

Directing the locust hoard is “…the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon and in Greek is Apollyon (that is, Destroyer)…” (v. 11). The Hebrew term אֲבִדּון (’Ăḇaddōn) means “destroyer, destruction, ruin,” or “doom” and often is used to mean “the place of ruin” or even “the grave…” (Job 26:6; Proverbs 15:11; 27:20; Psalm 88:11). It is also translated simply “death” in Job 28:22. The Greek term Ἀπολλύων (Apollyon, v. 11) means “exterminator, destroyer,” or “angel of death,” and he is entrusted with authority over the Abyss.

The character "Christian" struggles with Apollyon.
Illustration from John Bunyan's The Pilgrim's Progress,
1850 edition

In v. 1, John reports seeing a “…star…” falling to earth which “…was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss.” The star is most likely symbolic of an angel, “…the angel of the Abyss…” (v. 11), and (20:1), where reference is also made to “…an angel coming down…” who has the key to the Abyss.

Note that in v. 4, John observes that harm will come only to “…those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads.” We first encountered the seal of God in our study of Revelation 7, where in 7:2-4, John declares:

“2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: 3 ‘Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ 4 Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.”

The seal in 7:3 refers to that which will be placed on the foreheads of the servants of God during the tribulation period. Then 7:4-8 describes these servants as the 144,000 witnesses, or evangelists, who will come from the 12 tribes of Israel and who will be witnesses of the gospel worldwide.

Revelation 9:1-3 tells us that the demons (identified as locusts) will bring death to the earth, except for those who have the seal of God on their foreheads: “They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads” (v. 4). The ones who will be safe are the 144,000 servants described in Revelation 7:4-8 plus their converts—all other people who become Christians during the tribulation.

The Greek word for “seal” is σφραγίς (sphragis), meaning “a signet ring” or “the inscription or impression made by a seal or signet.” In Revelation 9, it signifies the impression of the name of God and Christ stamped upon the foreheads of the saved.

In v. 12, John tells us: “The first woe is past; two other woes are yet to come…,” and in vv. 13-19, John describes the advent of the sixth trumpet judgment:

“13 The sixth angel sounded his trumpet, and I heard a voice coming from the four horns of the golden altar that is before God. 14 It said to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, ‘Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.’ 15 And the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand. I heard their number. 17 The horses and riders I saw in my vision looked like this: Their breastplates were fiery red, dark blue, and yellow as sulfur. The heads of the horses resembled the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke and sulfur. 18 A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths. 19 The power of the horses was in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails were like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury.”

Note that “…the four horns of the golden altar…” (v. 13) are part of God’s design for the golden altar of incense, the description of which is found in Exodus 30:1-3:

“1 Make an altar of acacia wood for burning incense. 2 It is to be square, a cubit long and a cubit wide, and two cubits high—its horns of one piece with it. 3 Overlay the top and all the sides and the horns with pure gold, and make a gold molding around it.”

The horns are usually pictured with one horn-like protrusion on each corner of the altar, but no one knows the exact appearance of the altar. Horns in the ancient near east were a symbol of strength. While the altar of incense was a place of mercy, in this instance the prayers of the saints beneath it are crying for vengeance, and the altar of incense becomes an instrument of God’s vengeance.

Back at chapter 6:9-11, in the opening of the sixth seal, John saw “…under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’” (6:9-10).

We find God’s response in 9:15: “…the four angels who had been kept ready for this very hour and day and month and year were released to kill a third of mankind.” Four demonic battle leaders, who had been previously selected and bound by God for this hour, are released and are leading a huge army of demons in an invasion that will kill 1/3 of the people still left on earth from among those who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. John describes their appearance as armored war horses and their weapons being fire, smoke, and sulfur (vv. 17-19). Commentators have proposed all kinds of interpretations of what John is seeing in the vision as modern implements of war, including tanks, helicopters, and cannon. The battle in chapter 9 is not the battle of Armageddon, however. John’s description of that final battle occurs later in Revelation 16.

The “…four angels…” of v. 14 are instruments of God’s judgment, held back at the river Euphrates until God chooses to release them. The reference to “…the golden altar…” in v. 13 connects the release of these angels with the prayers of God’s saints for vindication (Revelation 6:9 and 8:3).

On the attack is a mounted army of some 200 million horses and riders (“…twice ten thousand times ten thousand…,” v. 16) released to wreak havoc on the earth among those people who do not have the seal of God. These are demonic forces, with riders having brightly colored breastplates of red, blue, and yellow suggestive of supernatural horsemen. In addition, the horses’ heads resemble lions’ heads and they are spewing fire, smoke, and sulfur and “…tails…like snakes, having heads with which they inflict injury…”; the horses themselves, therefore, are instruments of death (vv. 17-19).

The huge number of horses and riders indicates a demonic horde and not a human army. Elsewhere in the Bible we find such large numbers of angelic hosts (Psalm 68:17; Revelation 5:11; 2Kings 2:11-12; 6:17). The emphasis in vv. 16-19 is on the demonic character of the 200 million horses and riders, determined to show no mercy to those people on earth without the seal of God on their foreheads.

Vv. 20-21: “20 The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.”

John lists the most prevalent sins he sees being practiced by the unsaved on earth in the tribulation period. They “…did not repent of the work of their hands…” (v. 20), and this fact relates to the next phrase about the worship of idols: “…they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk.” Idol worship will be universal among the unsaved in the era of the tribulation. There will be vast numbers of murders, “…magic arts…” (v. 21), sexual immorality, and thefts.

I should note here that the meaning of “…magic arts…” (v. 21) has been lost in translation. The Greek word here is φαρμακεία (pharmakeia), which is the root of the English word “pharmacy.” The Greek term φαρμακεία means “the administering of drugs” or even “poisoning” and often is associated with sorcery and magical arts. The use of the term in v. 21 seems to infer the taking of drugs by the people in the tribulation period.

In the ancient near east, drugs were used by pagan religions to dull the senses and bring one to a state in which he or she was susceptible to such religious experiences as séances, witchcraft, incantations, and the influence of mediums. Various plants would induce a drugged state when ingested, in addition to excessive consumption of wine.

John’s vision predicts the prevalent use of drugs and alcohol among the unsaved on earth during the tribulation. In addition, John sees sexual immorality as a widespread sin of the unsaved in the tribulation era, along with unbridled theft.

Conclusion

God’s purpose for the plagues that will affect the unsaved in the tribulation is His judgment on humanity for choosing idolatry, murder, theft, drugs, and sexual immorality over devotion to the Savior.

John had earlier called the churches to repent of their faithlessness, threatening that they, too, could be judged (see 2:5, 16, 21-22; and 3:19).

What John witnesses in his vision of the day of the Lord is a time of rampant, escalating sin by the unsaved on earth, while the saved in heaven watch and call for vengeance. The 144,000 Jewish evangelists and those saved under their preaching, however, do not take part in the terrible sin of the unsaved and thus escape the judgments taking place around them.

Revelation Chapter 8: The 7th Seal & the Golden Censer

2023-06-19T08:44:00.005-04:00

“When he (Christ) opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour” (v. 1).

At the beginning of this chapter, instead of the loud praises in heaven, we encounter complete silence. This follows the brief interlude we encountered in chapter seven. It is a time of serious reflection and anticipation of the reality of the judgments that are about to begin and a time to hear the prayers for deliverance and justice by the persecuted saints suffering on earth. It has been described as an “…awesome silence before the great storm of God’s wrath on the earth” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary (Abridged Edition): New Testament, Rev 8:1).

Vv. 2-5: “2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. 3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God’s people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God’s people, went up before God from the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.”

In ancient Israel, trumpets were blown by the watchmen on the city’s wall to warn as a call to battle or to gather warriors to repel an impending attack. Trumpets were also sounded on the first day of the seventh month (the month of Tishrei; which is late-March to late-April on the Gregorian calendar), to warn the people to prepare for the Day of Atonement. They also were used to announce important events and, early in Jewish history, trumpets were used by priests to praise God (see Psalm 150:3: “Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise Him with the harp and lyre, praise Him with timbrel and dancing, praise Him with the clash of cymbals, praise Him with resounding cymbals”).
In the book of Revelation, trumpets are signals of impending judgments, as described in chapters eight, nine, and eleven. The trumpet judgments in Revelation are not so destructive as the final bowl judgments (chapter 16).
John describes seven trumpet judgments and seven plagues referred to as bowl judgments or plagues. The purpose of the trumpet judgments is to warn the people of the earth, the day of judgment is near. The trumpet and bowl judgments will render the earth utterly desolate. Opening of the seventh and final seal unleashes the bowls of God’s wrath.
Seven angels, and not Christ, will mete out the judgments of the seven trumpets to be followed by the seven bowls of God’s wrath. The length of time for each judgment is not determined, except for the fifth trumpet judgment, which will last five months (see 9:10).
The seven trumpet judgments come before the return of Christ to the earth, while the seven bowl plagues begin after He returns and has removed His people.
In v. 5, John describes an angel holding a censor of burning coals and incense, symbolizing the answer to the saints’ prayers for vengeance rising to God on His throne. The angel hurls the censor full of burning coals to the earth, bringing a terrible judgment of thunder, lightning, and earthquakes to the people remaining on earth during the beginning of the second half of the tribulation. These are earthquakes more severe than the great earthquake of the sixth seal (see 6:12).
The first four trumpet judgments announce God’s destruction of the ecology of the earth. The last three involve demonic devastation of the earth’s inhabitants (9:1-21; 11:15).
The Sounding of the Trumpets Begins

Vv. 6-13: “6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. 7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. 8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed. 10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter. 12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. 13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: ‘Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!’”

The first four trumpets seem to differ from the last three, which are called “woes” (8:13; 9:12; 11:14) and remind many commentators of the plagues in the book of Exodus. Commentators also have related these trumpet judgments to the “…four winds…” of the “…wrath of the Lamb…” (see 6:16–7:3), which will be delayed until the sealing of the servants of God.
After the sounding of the first four trumpets, one-third of the earth and its plant life are burned, one-third of the sea can no longer sustain life or enable shipping, one-third of the world’s fresh water is poisonous, and the sun, moon, and stars are darkened. While some commentators believe the trumpets passage is symbolic symbolic, most understand it to contain prophecies of literal impacts God’s judgments will have on nature during the reign of the Antichrist.
The judgments seem to come in quick succession, reminiscent of the judgments in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Jewish slaves leave (Exodus 7 and following).
The First Trumpet
The hail and fire of the first trumpet judgment (v.7) is roughly parallel the fourth plague Moses describes in Exodus 9:23-26, with the addition of hail and fire mixed with blood. The result is that “A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up” (v. 7). This may be description of volcanic activity resulting from severe earthquakes. The steam and water are blasted high into the atmosphere by volcanic eruptions and freeze into hail stones, which fall to earth along with ash, rocks, and hot lava.
The blood in v. 7 is either literal by divine action or rain contaminated by fine dust and gaseous volcanic emissions so that it appears red. The lava flows from the volcanoes, and the burning lava falling from the sky destroy by fire 1/3 of the earth’s plant life.
The Second Trumpet
At the sounding of the second trumpet (vv. 8-9), what seems to be a large meteor or asteroid collides with the earth (v. 8: “…something like a huge mountain all ablaze…”). It is blazing as it heats up from the friction of the atmosphere, and it will bring huge devastation as it impacts in an ocean. The resulting tidal waves will destroy one-third of the world’s ships and will kill one-third of the sea life (v. 9).
A third of the sea turned into blood… (v. 8) may be literal—God’s direct act—or it could be from all the debris stirred up from the ocean’s bottom or dead micro-organisms known as “red tide.” Whatever it is, it will be a dramatic demonstration of the wrath of God in judgment of the sin of the people left on earth in the tribulation.
The Third Trumpet
At the sounding of the third trumpet (vv. 10-11), John describes a “…a great star, blazing like a torch…” falling from the sky and turning a part of these fresh water supplies into very bitter water. Such a calamity in poisoning fresh water sources would mean that many people would die.
The name of the falling star is “…Wormwood…,” which is a reference to the bitter herb Artemesia absinthium that is native to the middle east. In the Old Testament both the prophets Jeremiah (in Jeremiah 9:15; 23:15; and Lamentations 3:15, 19) and Amos (5:7 ) refer to the wormwood herb. The Artemesia absinthium herb still grows today in the middle east. Its leaves are pleasant smelling, but its root is bitter, and consuming it causes a kind of drunkenness and eventually death.
In the Old Testament Hebrew, wormwood could mean poison or sometimes is even used to refer to the poisonous hemlock tree. In the Greek of the first century, the word had become a synonym for “undrinkable” and “poisonous.”
There also is a divine messenger associated with this falling star, described in 9:1-2:

“1 I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth. The star was given the key to the shaft of the Abyss. 2 When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss.”

The Abyss is what the Bible calls the underworld where Satan and his demons dwell and from which they emerge to roam the earth. The Greek term is ἄβυσσος (abyssos) and means “Abyss, the deep place, the underworld, the abode of the dead and demons, an “unfathomable depth.”
The Abyss is not a place the demons want to be. In Luke 8:26-33, Jesus confronts the demons in the demon-possessed man. They beg Jesus not to order them to return to the Abyss, but to send them to possess a nearby heard of pigs, who then rushed off a cliff and drowned.
We also learn more about the function of the Abyss in Revelation 20:1-3:

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

The Fourth Trumpet
John relates that when the fourth trumpet sounds, a partial darkness occurs on the earth, reminiscent of the ninth plague (Exodus 10:21-23). There are some Old Testament parallels to this phenomenon, as the darkening of the heavens appears in connection with the visible manifestation of God in judgment (see Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7-8; and Joel 2:10; 3:15) and when Christ was crucified (Matthew 27:45).
As this judgment is given, God will supernaturally reduce the intensity of the light and energy of the sun by one-third and dim the moon and stars the same amount, causing severe impact for the remaining inhabitants of the world, mainly a drop in temperature that will produce changes in weather, eventually meaning the deaths of millions from the cold and lack of food production.
Later, in the fourth bowl judgment, the sun brightens again, but with such intensity that the heat would kill many people (see 16:8-9):

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

As if the judgments that had already taken place were not enough, now John hears a flying eagle call out “…woe…” three times (v. 13):

“As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: ‘Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!’”

The eagle’s cry indicates the terrible impact of the last three plagues, which kill a third part of the population of the earth (9:18: “A third of mankind was killed by the three plagues of fire, smoke and sulfur that came out of their mouths.”). This is a warning that the worst is yet to first half of the tribulation (“…the beginning of birth pains…,” Matthew 24:8) will not be as horrible as the final half (“For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again,” Matthew 24:21).
The “…eagle that was flying in midair…” of v. 13 is symbolic. In the book of Revelation we find only two other references to eagles (4:7; 12:14); 4:7 refers to one of the four living beings, and it may be that John intends the eagle in 8:13 to have the same significance.

Revelation Chapter 7: The 144,000 “Servants of Our God”

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Chapter 7 is considered to be parenthetical or an interlude, inserted between the opening of the sixth seal (6:12) and the seventh seal (8:1). The chapter is intended to answer the question that is asked at the end of chapter 6, as survivors seek shelter, hiding from God in caves: “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” (6:17).

The chapter opens after the judgment of the sixth seal has been revealed. Initially, John describes angels who are restrained (v. 3) from bringing destruction to the world until the 144,000 “…servants of our God…” from the tribes of Israel are sealed (vv.1-8):

“¹ After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree. ² Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea: ³ ‘Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ ⁴ Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. 5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben 12,000, from the tribe of Gad 12,000, ⁶ from the tribe of Asher 12,000, from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000, from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000, ⁷ from the tribe of Simeon 12,000, from the tribe of Levi 12,000, from the tribe of Issachar 12,000, ⁸ from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000, from the tribe of Joseph 12,000, from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000” (7:1-8).

In the vision, John sees “…four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth…” (v. 1). The “…four winds…” refers to destruction from the judgment of God. It is a typical phrase used of God’s acts of judgment (for example, see Jeremiah 49:36, 37: “I will bring against Elam the four winds from the four quarters of the heavens…I will bring disaster upon them…”).

The 144,000 “…servants of our God…” are thought to be Jewish evangelists who seek converts during the tribulation, but there is considerable debate among biblical scholars about whether the reference is intended to be literal or merely symbolic. My own view is that these are literally 144,000 evangelists.

John sees the judgment being interrupted for a time as vision supplies the answers to the question posed at the end of the previous chapter (“…who can withstand it?”). The answer is that two groups will survive the judgments of the tribulation on earth:

First, the 144,000, 12,000 from each tribe of Israel (vv. 1-8). In the present time, individual Jews do not know their tribal ancestry. This will change with the anointing of the 144,000 Jewish evangelists. God will reveal their tribal heritage o He has preserved His people Israel since He called Abraham nearly 4,000 years ago.
The second group that will survive will consist of the converts resulting from the witness of the Jewish evangelists, who are depicted in white robes standing before the throne of God (see vv. 9-17).

Whichever is the case, John’s answer to the question implies that only the true “…servants of our God…,” are divinely sealed and will be shielded from the wrath of God and the Lamb. Just as the imprint of the owner’s seal was used on documents and scrolls in John’s era, God will mark His servants with His seal on their foreheads. This mark, or seal, could be the name of God, the Hebrew name of God (Yahweh), or perhaps just a mark of some other kind.

Two other times in the history of the Jewish people do we find a mark or sign to distinguish the faithful among God’s people:

The Passover (Exodus 12); Exodus 12:7, 12-13, where the blood on the doorframes marked those who were obedient to God:

“…they (the Israelite slaves in Egypt) are to take some of the blood (of the sacrifice of a lamb by each household) and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs…I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.”

Ezekiel 9:4-6, where Ezekiel envisions God judging in Jerusalem and ridding the city of idolaters. In Ezekiel’s vision, one person is selected to put a mark on the foreheads of the faithful, and temple guards were to follow him through Jerusalem:

“…Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it…Follow him throughout the city and kill without showing pity or compassion…but do not touch anyone who has the mark…”

The Hebrew text indicates the mark to be the Hebrew letter tav, or “t.” Some commentators hold the position that it is reasonable to assume God would be consistent in these two instances of the mark on the forehead, with the letter tav being used to mark the 144,000 “…servants of our God…” Others hold that the word “Yahweh” (God) or “Yeshua” (Jesus) would be more appropriate because the text indicates the mark is a seal.

These Jewish evangelists are Messianic Jews. They may be from the growing population of messianic Jews who have regathered in the land of Israel.

This second group appearing in John’s vision of chapter 7 are those who are saved during the tribulation, dressed in white robes (vv. 9-14):

“⁹ After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands. ¹⁰And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’ ¹¹All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, ¹² saying: ‘Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!’ ¹³ Then one of the elders asked me, ‘These in white robes—who are they, and where did they come from?’ ¹⁴ I answered, ‘Sir, you know.’ And he said, ‘These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.’”

The phrase “…standing before the throne and before of the Lamb…” (v.9) is reference to the great multitude’s position as God’s servants and is like John’s earlier vision in chapters 4 and 5 of the throne.

One of the 24 elders speaks to John and tells him who these people are: “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (v. 14). Many of them are Jewish Christians who are saved by the witness of the Jewish evangelists, as then traveled throughout the world preaching Christ. They are “…from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb…” (v.9). This is either a literary device confirming they were saved and worshipping God and His Son, or they have been martyred and are actually in heaven with the multitude are all the angels and the cherubim.

John’s description of them in white robes may be a factor identifying them with the white-robed martyrs that appeared when the fifth seal was opened (see 6:11). The white robes are symbolic of salvation and purity (v.10) and are “…made white in the blood of the Lamb…” (v. 14), suggesting they may have died as martyrs.

The palm branches held by the multitude (v. 9) symbolized victory and were traditionally used in various Jewish festival celebrations. In John 12, palm branches are used to celebrate the entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Here in v. 9, they celebrate the victory of Christ’s faithful servants. Palm branches and the inscription “the redemption of Zion” appear on Jewish coins minted between approximately 140 B.C. to 70 A.D.

The word rendered “creatures” in v. 11 is better translated “beings” and refers to the cherubim, who are always close to the throne of God. Ezekiel describes them in Ezekiel 1: 12-20, observing that the cherubim are in constant motion around God.

In his vision of the multitude in vv. 15-17, John tells us that God will protect and sustain them:

“¹⁵Therefore, they are before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. ¹⁶ Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat. ¹⁷ For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

V. 15 and following give insight about the true people of God in their relation to the Christ. John identifies them as continually serving God with praise and worship. He also mentions the temple in v. 15, which raises the question whether or not he is envisioning the saints in some intermediate, temporary state, since we know from 21:22 that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem.

In. v. 17, we find the Lamb shepherding His people, who no longer suffer as they did in the tribulation. The assurance that “…God will wipe away every tear from their eyes” (v. 17) is echoed in 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Thus, John has laid out the glorious existence waiting for the saints in heaven after the difficulties of the tribulation period. It is important for us to know that the Bible teaches that our eternal existence with the Father and the Lamb is not just something promised to us, but it is already our possession. We are just waiting for the time when we actually experience what John describes.

We will be before the throne of God and serve Him day and night. We will never again suffer discomfort (vv. 16-17): “The sun will not beat down on them, nor any scorching heat…the Lamb…will be your shepherd…He will lead you to springs of living water…And God will wipe away every tear from your eyes.”

In the presence of God, we will experience no pain, no suffering, and no sorrow.

Revelation Chapter 6: The Seals Are Opened

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Chapter 6 begins a long section of the book in which we read of the judgments and the events of the time of the seven-year tribulation on earth.

It begins with the opening of the first seal (vv.1-2), then through the trumpet judgments in chapters 8-9, and the bowl judgments in chapter 16, culminating in chapter 19 with the return of Christ at the end of the seven-year tribulation, when He will destroy the ungodly.

Chapter 6 is a continuation of John’s vision in chapters 4 and 5, with the scene shifting from heaven to events on earth. The scroll in the vision itself will reveal the consummation of the mystery of all things. The events revealed as each of the seals is opened describe world events that are to occur during the church age.

The opening of the seals reminds me of the signs of the approaching end times spoken of in the Olivet Discourse (see Matthew 24:1-35; Mark 13:1-37; and Luke 21:5-33), in which Jesus describes events of the last days falling into three periods:

the period of false Christs, wars, famines, pestilences, earthquakes, and death, called “…the beginning of birth pain…” (Matthew 24:8);

the period of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21; “…great distress…”; and,

the period “…immediately after the distress of those days…,” when the sun and moon will be darkened, the stars fall from the sky, and Christ will return (Matthew 24:29-30).

Consequently, the seals correspond to the “…beginning of birth pain…,” and we will see that these events are similar to what will take place in the trumpet judgments (8:2-11:19) and bowl judgments (15:1-16:21). Commentators remind us that the events immediately before the end will extend through the church age, from the first century A.D. until the present.

We will discover that the first four seals differ from the next two in that they describe four horses of different colors with four riders who are given different powers over the earth.

The seven seals

In chapter 5, remember that only Christ is worthy to open the scroll, because he is equal to God the Father and the only one qualified to judge the earth and is sinless.

In chapter 6, as Christ breaks open the seven seals of the scroll one at a time, we find that the breaking of each seal unleashes a new demonstration of God’s judgment on the earth.

What John describes happens in the tribulation period. The seals that Christ opens in chapter 6 include all the judgments. We will define each judgment as we encounter them in the text of this chapter. The seventh seal contains the seven trumpet judgments, and the seventh trumpet judgment contains the seven bowl judgments (John describes these in chapters 8, 9, 11, and 16).

Each of the first four seals represents conflict directed at Christians to test them and to identify false disciples (v.10). The seals may also be descriptive of judgments on mankind in general. However, since the fifth seal contains the cries of Christians who have been martyred, it stands to reason that persecution of believers also is the subject of the first four seals.

Vv. 1-2: The first seal: “…a conqueror bent on conquest…”

“¹ I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, ‘Come!’ ² I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.”

Zechariah had a vision that was similar, with red, black, white, and dappled horses pulling chariots of judgment; Zechariah 6:1-8:

“¹ I looked up again, and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains—mountains of bronze. ² The first chariot had red horses, the second black, ³ the third white, and the fourth dappled—all of them powerful. ⁴ I asked the angel who was speaking to me, ‘What are these, my lord?’ ⁵ The angel answered me, ‘These are the four spirits of heaven, going out from standing in the presence of the Lord of the whole world. ⁶ The one with the black horses is going toward the north country, the one with the white horses toward the west, and the one with the dappled horses toward the south.’ ⁷ When the powerful horses went out, they were straining to go throughout the earth. And he said, ‘Go throughout the earth!’ So they went throughout the earth. ⁸ Then he called to me, ‘Look, those going toward the north country have given my Spirit rest in the land of the north.’”

In Revelation chapter 6, the four horses and their riders represent forces or spirits. The white horse and its rider in v. 2 symbolize world conquest, the rider being the spirit of conquest, most likely the antichrist. Judgment falls on the unbelief of Israel (see Luke 21:22-23), while at the same time God will test believers to separate the chaff from the wheat. The conquest of Israel and other nations comes in the form of a short-lived time of world peace. The rider on the white horse carries a bow, representative of military strength, but no arrows. In the tribulation period, the conquest of the world will be accomplished through peace treaties and alliances that will prove insincere and deceptive.

During the time of the tribulation, the world will experience the emergence of a series of false messiahs, culminating with the antichrist as the leader of a one-world government. The antichrist is given a “…crown…” (v. 2), signifying that by some means, the people and governments of the world will unite and choose him as world leader. Thus, he conquers the world through a kind of a bloodless coup by the promise of world peace. People and nations throughout the world will follow the antichrist and be obsessed with accomplishing the false peace he promises.

Vv. 3-4: The second seal: “…power to take peace from the earth…”

“³ When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, ‘Come!’ ⁴ Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword.”

Opening of the second seal results in the emergence of a bright red horse, whose rider has been called the spirit of bloodshed or the spirit of conflict or war. He holds “…a large sword…” indicative of the many people he will slaughter. He represents the terrible time of worldwide war that ends the short-lived peace during the tribulation. This time of war will be on a scale larger than we can imagine and involves virtually every nation and people group on earth. Millions of people will die. Violent slaughter will be commonplace: assassinations, armed revolts, and massacres of combatants and civilians.

Vv. 5-6: The third seal: poverty and famine

“⁵ When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, ‘Come!’ I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. ⁶ Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘Two pounds of wheat for a day’s wages, and six pounds of barley for a day’s wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’”

On the black horse of the third seal is the rider who is the spirit of famine, prophesying widespread famine and its resulting death, sorrow, and desolation caused by rationing a limited food supply during the tribulation, and severe inflation of food prices. The text refers to two pounds of wheat, which is the approximate amount needed to sustain one person for one day and indicates the near-starvation to come. It will take “… a day’s wages…” to buy only enough for one person to stay alive. Barley is less expensive than wheat, but is low in nutritional value and usually fed to animals. Six pounds of barley would be about enough for daily supply for a two- or three-person family. The pair of scales held by the rider was a common measuring device of the first century and comprised a pair of trays hung from each end of a balancing beam.

Oil and wine (“…Do not damage the oil and the wine…, v. 6) were staples in the first century. Oil was necessary for baking bread, and wine was used in cooking and was essential for purifying water. This reference is another way of telling us that sustenance will be extremely limited and food so valuable only the very wealthy will have enough.

Vv. 7-8—The fourth seal: “…Death and Hades…”

“⁷ When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come!’ ⁸ I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”

“Pale” in Greek is the word from which the English word “chlorophyll” and indicates an ashen or grayish-green color that would be typical of a person nearing death from disease or a decaying corpse. It is symbolic of death brought by pestilence or plague following a worldwide famine. The picture of the pale horse depicts death on a scale that is impossible for us to imagine, surpassing the death toll from the worldwide war represented by the bright red horse of the second seal. In the tribulation, one-fourth of the people left in the world will die from war, famine, sickness, and ferocious wild animals.

In the New Testament, the Greek word “…Hades…” refers to the place of the souls of the wicked prior to final judgment in hell. The Bible consistently teaches that upon death the souls of the righteous are taken immediately into the presence of God, and the souls of the unsaved go to a place of punishment and suffering, known as “…Hades…”

Luke 16:19-31 is an example, where we find Jesus telling the parable of the rich man and Lazarus and depicting Hades as a place of torment:

“¹⁹ There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. ²⁰ At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores ²¹ and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. ²² The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. ²³ In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. ²⁴ So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’ ²⁵ But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. ²⁶ And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’ ²⁷ He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, ²⁸ for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ ²⁹ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.’ ³⁰ ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’ ³¹ He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Vv. 9-11: The fifth seal: the souls of martyred Christians

“⁹ When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. ¹⁰ They called out in a loud voice, ‘How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?’ ¹¹ Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.”

With the opening of the fifth seal, the scene changes from charging horses to one of the martyred saints who are under the altar, crying out for God to avenge their deaths. This is thought to be just prior to the start of the second half of the seven-year tribulation on earth. In the second half of the seven-year tribulation comes the “Day of the Lord,” when God unleashes His judgment and wrath on earth.

These martyred Christians’ souls are shown under the altar, which is most likely the altar of incense, from which these saints’ prayers were ascending to God. They are given white robes because of their righteousness. The white robes signified purity and righteousness, assurance and comfort for the saints while they wait for the number of Christians that God has predetermined He will allow to die before destroying the wicked rulers and armies of the earth. They are told to “…wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.” God will answer their prayer for vengeance, but only according to His timing.

Vv. 12-17: The Sixth Seal: “…the great day of their wrath has come…”

“¹² I watched as he opened the sixth seal. There was a great earthquake. The sun turned black like sackcloth made of goat hair, the whole moon turned blood red, ¹³ and the stars in the sky fell to earth, as figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind. ¹⁴ The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. ¹⁵ Then the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and everyone else, both slave and free, hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. ¹⁶ They called to the mountains and the rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can withstand it?’”

Jesus breaks the sixth seal, and John witnesses several eschatological signs of the day of the Lord, prophesied in both the Old and New Testament (see Isaiah 13:10; Jeremiah 4:29; Joel 2:31; 3:15; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Matthew 24:29).

Joel 2:31-32: “31The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 32And everyone who calls the name of the Lord will be saved; for on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there will be deliverance, as the Lord has said, even among the survivors whom the Lord calls” (quoted in Acts 2:20).

Matthew 24:29 (quoting Isaiah 13:10):“Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’”

The signs revealed by the opening of the sixth seal generally fall into two categories: a great earthquake on the earth and stars falling from the heavens, creating absolute terror. The problem for biblical interpreters is determining how literally the whole description should be taken. The description includes events from the standpoint of ancient cosmology, including the falling of the stars. The scene, whether we understand it as literal or figurative is catastrophic and distress for people who are left on earth. Earthquakes are a recurring theme in the account of the tribulation, along with other catastrophic physical phenomena during the tribulation (see Revelation 8:5, 12; 9:2; 11:13, 19; and 16:8, 18).

The sixth seal gives us a picture of God’s coming of the day of wrath. God has been warning mankind for thousands of years that He will, at the end of this age, pour out His fierce wrath on all the wicked. “The Day of the Lord” or “day of wrath” is often prophesied in the Bible. Violent demonstrations of God’s wrath are prophesied and will be worldwide:

Zephaniah 1:14-15: “¹⁴The great day of the Lord is near and coming quickly. The cry on the day of the Lord is bitter; the Mighty Warrior shouts his battle cry. ¹⁵ That day will be a day of wrath—a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness.”

The “…great earthquake…” in v. 12 does not refer to the normal earthquakes we are familiar with today. Right now, the average is about 50 per day, or 20,000 earthquakes per year, very few of which are felt on the surface. But John describes hundreds or thousands of quakes happening together. They are cataclysmic and worldwide. Likely, all faults fracture and move, and the movement of continental plates. This will be a time of very great fear, because no place will be free from the shaking of the earth.

The text states “…the sun turned black…,” which is better understood as “dark.” Dust and ash from fissures caused by the shifting of the earth’s crust will fill the air, dimming the sunlight, and “…the whole moon turned blood red…,”no doubt both phenomena occurring because of atmospheric dust and pollution. John’s vision that “…the stars in the sky fell to earth…” is a little misleading in the English translation; “…stars…” in this passage is a term that means any celestial body, large or small, and depicts a prolonged meteor shower or that the sky will be completely dark and celestial bodies can no longer be seen.

The reference in v. 13 that “…figs drop from a fig tree when shaken by a strong wind…” is a reference to the fact that early winter figs can easily be blown from the fig tree in a strong wind, ruining the crop. John’s meaning here is that there will be more famine and failed crops.

“…The heavens receded like a scroll being rolled up…” (v. 14) depicts dimness or darkness characterizing the atmosphere. The sky will no longer be blue and clear, with darkness blotting out the sun, moon, and stars. There is a similar description in Isaiah 34:4, as Isaiah prophesied the judgment: “All the stars of heaven will be dissolved and the sky rolled up like a scroll; all the starry host will fall like withered leaves from the fine, like shriveled figs from the fig tree.”

“…Every mountain and island removed from its place…” is John’s description of the extent of the earthquakes and movement of the earth’s crust being so violent and extensive that the earthquakes and movement of the earth’s crust will result in the very geography of the earth being changed.

There will be no escape for anyone from the cataclysmic events, no matter how humble, powerful, or wealthy they are. Survivors will not find shelter and protection in open spaces, but in caves. Air on the surface will be nearly unbreathable. Dust, ash will cover everything, with homes and buildings having collapsed from the weight of the dust and ash.

Survival will be possible only in the depths of the earth, where air is less polluted. People will not be seeking protection from the physical conditions alone, however. Rather, they will realize the reality and power of the God of the Bible and will know they are in the midst of the judgment of God, the day of wrath predicted by the prophets.

In the midst of the tribulation, there will be many who will seem to acknowledge God, but still not accept Him as Lord. Instead of turning to Him, they will turn away and hide.

But at the end of 1,000 years, at the judgment seat of Christ “…every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God…” (Romans 14:11), as everyone “…will give an account of ourselves to God…” (Romans 14:12).

Revelation Chapter 5: The Scroll & the Lamb

2023-02-09T08:31:00.003-05:00

Vv. 1-4—In his vision, John sees a scroll in God’s hands:

“¹Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. ² And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, ‘Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?’ ³ But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. ⁴ I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside.”

Scrolls were sheets of papyrus or parchment that were sewn together into one long piece and then rolled, often rolled onto a spindle. Typically, there was writing on both sides. Ancient papyrus scrolls contained contracts, deeds, marriage contracts, wills, agreement to perform services (such as plowing, planting, harvesting, or building a house), as well as biblical texts.

The scroll that John saw was a kind of deed granting authority over the earth, intended for Jesus, the One who would take possession and rule.

God the Father is holding the scroll in His right hand as He sits on the throne. It is sealed with seven seals. Seals on scrolls were normally blots of hardened wax on which a ruler’s signet ring or seal has created a mark. Only the authorized recipient was supposed to break the seal and open the scroll.

According to many Bible scholars, the scroll John saw may be the scroll that Isaiah refers to in Isaiah 29:11: “For you this whole vision is nothing but words sealed in a scroll. And if you give the scroll to someone who can read, and say, ‘Read this, please,’ they will answer, ‘I can’t; it is sealed.’”; or the scroll Daniel describes in Daniel 12:1-4: “¹At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people—everyone whose name is found written in the book—will be delivered. ² Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. ³ Those who are wise[a] will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever. ⁴ But you, Daniel, roll up and seal the words of the scroll until the time of the end. Many will go here and there to increase knowledge.”

The opening of each seal on the scroll John sees in God’s hand results in the delivery of a judgment, similar to the scroll given Ezekiel in Ezekiel 2:10: “When He (God) unrolled it before me, it was written on the front and back; [words of] lamentation, mourning, and woe were written on it.”

The practice in the middle east was to put a wax seal on each of the seams where the pieces of papyrus or parchment were sewn together to assure the entire scroll was authentic and had not been altered. Each seal would need to be broken in order to receive the contents of the next panel in the scroll.

The scroll was unrolled one panel at a time, after each panel’s seal was broken. The outer seal (first seal) would have an impression of the seal or signet of the sender. The six inner seals may have been just globs of wax adhering to each seam and preventing the scroll from being completely open without breaking each seal.

John describes a sealed scroll with promises of judgement. We will see as each seal is broken, each judgment upon the earth takes place. Remember, John’s visions were of what would take place in the future, during the tribulation and the afterward at the judgment.

A mighty angel cries out (v. 2):“Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” John is upset at the gravity of the angel’s countenance. No one can be found who is worthy to open the scroll. Only the other party to the contract would be qualified or worthy, and no mere humans, angels, cherubim, seraphim, or any other created being were qualified to open the seals to this scroll.

Notice in v. 2 that the question is asked not who is merely qualified but who is “…worthy…” The literal meaning of this Greek term is “having the weight of another thing of like value, worth as much.” Here is my interpretation: “the one who is worthy” is the one who measures up to the standards of the contractor, the one who is equal to God the Father. That standard is perfection. Only one who is perfect and without sin is worthy to judge the sins of the world.

That judgment begins with the seven seals, bringing judgment on the earth during the tribulation, and ends many years later at the judgment seat of Christ, and then after a 1,000 years, with the throwing of Satan into the lake of fire.

In vv. 5-10: John observes there is only one who is worthy; it is “…the lion of the tribe of Judah…” and “…the root of David…,” both of which are Messianic titles:

“⁵ Then one of the elders said to me, ‘Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.’ ⁶ Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. ⁷ He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. ⁸ And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying: ‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. ¹⁰ You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.’”

Jesus the Christ, the Son of God, is the one worthy to open the seals. Jesus meets the standard of worthiness, which is perfection as one of the Trinity, sinless, fully man and fully God.

The “…Lamb…” is a reference to His sacrifice for our sin. Jesus still bears the scars from His torture and crucifixion. The lamb’s “…seven horns and seven eyes…” are of special significance. Horns were an ancient Jewish symbol for power and strength. The eyes symbolize the fact that He can see and discern everything. The horns and the eyes represent the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth, signifying both strength and supernatural knowledge. It means the Holy Spirit possesses all power in every age and with complete understanding to see what is in the heart of men and women in every age.

In v. 7, John tells us that each of the elders and the four living creatures had “…a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.” Harps were small stringed instruments used to accompany singing and celebrations.

Smoke from burning incense rose from the “…golden bowls full of incense…” (v. 8), symbolizing believers’ prayers rising to God. The bowls are more like saucers, a common part of temple worship. We can assume the reasons for the believers’ petitioning God to be calling for his judgment on those who killed them (see Revelation 6:10). The prayers of the saints are immediately connected with the trumpets of God’s judgment (see Revelation 8:3-4). The prayers are asking God to vindicate the martyred saints. V.10 refers to the coming kingdom, so the prayers are petitions for God to judge the world and to extend his kingdom throughout the earth.

Vv. 11-14 feature many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand:

“¹¹ Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. ¹² In a loud voice they were saying: ‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!’ ¹³ Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, saying: ‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!’ ¹⁴ The four living creatures said, ‘Amen,’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”

John is telling us that the number of angels is beyond calculation. The angels were saying, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” They emphasize that Jesus is equal with God, the One worthy to carry out His judgments.

The Lamb’s act of taking the scroll “…from the right hand of him who sat on the throne…” (v. 7) calls forth three hymns of praise (vv. 9, 12, 13) from the living creatures and elders. John sees them fall down in worship before the Lamb as they had earlier done before the one on the throne (see Revelation 4:10), thus acknowledging that Jesus, the Lamb, is God.

Coming up:

Revelation chapter 6, where we learn that the seals are opened, and the judgments begin on the earth.

Revelation Chapter 4 : John's Vision of the Throne in Heaven

2023-01-06T10:33:00.021-05:00

Revelation 4:1-11:

“¹ After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’ ² At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it. ³ And the one who sat there appeared to be jasper and ruby. A rainbow that shone like an emerald encircled the throne. ⁴ Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. ⁵ From the throne came flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder. In front of the throne, seven lamps were blazing. These are the seven spirits of God. ⁶ Also in front of the throne there was what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal. In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures, and they were covered with eyes, in front and in back. ⁷The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’⁹ Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: ¹¹ ‘You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being’”

Wooden icon, "St. John Writing the Book of Revelation,

by Theodoros Poulakis, 1622–1692; courtesy of the

Byzantine and ChristianMuseum, Athens.

Introduction

Looking back to Revelation chapter 1 for a moment, remember that Revelation 1:19 gives us an outline for the book: “Write, therefore, what you have seen, what is now and what will take place later.”

“…what you have seen…”

In his vision, John describes what he sees: Jesus the Messiah in heaven (1:14-18): “¹⁴The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. ¹⁵His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. ¹⁶In his right hand he held seven stars, and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. ¹⁷When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’”

“…what is now…”

“…What is now…” is described in chapters two and three, comprising the letters to the churches that existed at that time, in which Jesus describes the then-current successes and failures of the growing church, including their deeds, doctrinal purity in the face of false teachers and false doctrines, and their response to cultural norms and persecution. The seven letters include both praise and rebuke for conditions in those churches.

“…what will take place later…”

In chapter four through chapter 22, John describes his vision of “…what will take place later…” He observes the opening of the seals, the saints in heaven looking down on the tribulation, the final judgment, and the new earth and begins describing what he sees: “¹ After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’” (v. 1). Then John taken to heaven in his spirit: “² At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it” (v. 2).

In vv. 3-11, John tells us what he sees and hears in heaven, starting with the bright, multi-colored scene surrounding the throne of God. He observes that God, who is sitting on the throne, resembled “…the appearance of jasper and ruby” (v. 3). Jaspers are red, yellow, brown or green, and rarely blue. In the Old Testament, the high priest’s breastplate included the gem. Moses described the ornate high priest’s breastplate in Exodus 39:10-13: “¹⁰ Then they mounted four rows of precious stones on it. The first row was carnelian, chrysolite and beryl; ¹¹ the second row was turquoise, lapis lazuli and emerald; ¹² the third row was jacinth, agate and amethyst; ¹³ the fourth row was topaz, onyx and jasper.” The bright gemstones on the high priest’s breastplate were placed there to reflect something of the colors and brilliance surrounding God’s throne in heaven

What John sees is a very appropriate image—the multi-colored rainbow was a symbol of God’s faithfulness to His word and His promises from the time of Noah found in Genesis 9:16-17: “‘¹⁶ Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth.’ ¹⁷ So God said to Noah, ‘This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.’”

The 24 elders John saw (v. 4) represent the redeemed in heaven, all the people who were saved. They have received their crowns and now live in the place prepared for them in heaven (see John 14:1-4). Some commentators hold that the 24 elders John saw in his vision in chapter 4 represent the 12 tribes of

Israel plus the 12 apostles of Jesus. Still another interpretation held forth is that the 24 elders comprise a group of exalted, ruling angels, though that view has little support. The crowns of gold John sees are interpreted as symbols of the church’s role in ruling with Christ in the coming millennial kingdom. John notes that the 24 elders are dressed in white, which represents righteousness and purity. The Father declares the redeemed as righteous because the Son had saved them and made them slaves to righteousness rather than slaves to sin.

The “…flashes of lightning, rumblings and peals of thunder…” (v. 5) are symbolic of the Father’s power and majesty. (In the book of Revelation, lightning and thunder always mark an important event. John also saw seven lamps, which he identifies as “…the seven spirits of God.” Spirits of God are mentioned four times in the book of Revelation (here in v. 5, and in 3:1, 4:5, and 5:6). Commentators generally relate the seven spirits in v. 5 to the sevenfold ministry of the Spirit prophesied to rest on the Messiah described in Isaiah 11:1-3: “¹A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. ² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—³ and He will delight in the fear of the Lord.”

John describes the crystal-like floor or pavement that stretches out before God’s throne with a glistening, glossy surface as “…what looked like a sea of glass, clear as crystal” (v. 6). He wants to give his readers an appreciation for the magnificence he observes as he sees heaven in the vision. John’s description reminds us of the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of heaven, which he describes in Ezekiel 1:22: “Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was what looked something like a vault, sparkling like crystal, and awesome.” The large basin that was at the entrance to the Temple in Jerusalem, used by the priests for ceremonial cleansing, was intended as a reflection of the glassy surface John sees in his vision of heaven. The basin in the Temple was more than eight feet tall and more than nine feet in diameter.

Also in v. 6, John also describes “…four living creatures…covered with eyes, in front and in back,” which are the cherubim that angels refer to the Old Testament in connection with God the Father’s presence. Their function is to guard the throne and lead in the worship of the Father. The “…eyes, in front and in back…” illustrate that nothing escapes their perception and attention. The Old Testament psalmists describe God “…enthroned between the cherubim…” (Psalm 80:1 and 99:1).

In the last part of v. 6, John tells us he sees “In the center, around the throne, were four living creatures…” He gives us a description of them in vv. 7-8: “⁷ The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle. ⁸ Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.’”

In the first-century middle east culture, the lion symbolized strength and power, the ox (the better translation is “calf”) symbolized the rendering humble service to God, the creature with “…a face like a man…” conveyed the idea of rational beings, and the “…flying eagle …” meant serving God with swiftness like eagles’ wings. Each of the creatures had “…six wings and was covered with eyes all around…,” which was symbolic of great knowledge, with nothing escaping their perception. The living creatures’ constant worship (v. 8) testified to the Father’s holiness and eternal existence, and the living creatures’ acknowledgement that God “…was, and is, and is to come…” is reminiscent of His testimony that He is the “I AM”, the claim of God the Father and God the Son, which in Hebrew reflects three states of being for God: “I am, I was, or I will be,” placing emphasis on God’s eternal existence, His present work, and His future promises to us. I imagine the living creatures’ testimony as being a quiet chant throughout heaven, their never-ending expressions of worship and praise of God the Father, who sits on the throne.

In vv. 9-11, John tells us of the 24 elders laying their crowns before the throne to acknowledge that God alone is the source of rewards they have received and symbolically divesting themselves of all personal honor and glory.

John’s report of his vision in these verses gives us a vibrant picture of God’s throne and the constant worship of all the saints in heaven and every being surrounding the throne. In chapter four, we find John nearly overwhelmed at what he is seeing. His description conveys to us something of the magnificent presence of the Father and the Son in heaven.

Pastoral Thoughts

Thanksgiving—A different Perspective

Jesus Said: “I AM the Light of the World”

Living as Christians in a Broken World

Partners in the Gospel

Living the Blessed Life--Unpacking the Beatitudes: An Expository Study of Matthew 5:3-16

Revelation Chapter 13: The Beasts from the Sea and Land

Revelation Chapter 11: Judgments and Hope

Revelation Chapter 12: A Great Sign Appears

The Obedient Servant: Isaiah 50:4-9

Revelation Chapter 11: The Seventh Trumpet

A Savior to the Gentiles: Isaiah 49:1-13

Praises for Our Graceful God: Psalm 147: 1-11

Sermon, presented at Penney Memorial Church, Feb. 4, 2024

An Exposition of Psalm 147: 1-11

In vv. 1-3, the psalmist praises the Lord for His grace to the afflicted and for His greatness.

In vv. 4-6, the psalmist praises God as ruler of the universe.

In last series of verses, vv. 7-11, in providing for His creation. the psalmist praises the Lord for His greatness

Conclusion

Benediction

Isaiah 42:1-9: The Servant of the Lord

The prophet Isaiah, painting byMichelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni1475-1574

Isaiah 9:1-7—The Messiah Is Coming!

The Protestant Reformation: Many Issues Are Still Relevant Today

Martin Luther

Martin Luther nailed his"95 Theses" to the Castle Church doorOct.31, 1517.

The Source of Renewal and Wisdom: Psalm 19: 7-14

A New Life & a New Future

Revelation Chapter 10: The Angel and the Little Scroll

Revelation Chapter 9: Continuation of the Trumpet Judgments

Revelation Chapter 8: The 7th Seal & the Golden Censer

Revelation Chapter 7: The 144,000 “Servants of Our God”

Revelation Chapter 6: The Seals Are Opened

Revelation Chapter 5: The Scroll & the Lamb

Revelation Chapter 4 : John's Vision of the Throne in Heaven

The prophet Isaiah, painting by
Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni
1475-1574

Martin Luther nailed his
"95 Theses" to the Castle Church door
Oct.31, 1517.