The Judgement and the Harvest
The Revelation of King Jesus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 2 viewsIn this passage we see the song of the redeemed, a reminder of the joy that awaits the faithful. We also see a warning to those that refuse to follow God.
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In this passage we see the song of the redeemed, a reminder of the joy that awaits the faithful. We also see a warning to those that refuse to follow God.
Marks, we all bear many marks that often tell a story, or at least they remind us of something that has happened in our lives. I have many marks on me, mainly do to my clumsiness I would think, or stupid decisions. For example I have a small scar on my forehead. Me and my brother where hitting a tire with hammers because it was fun to bounce them off the rubber, and we where bored. I ended up with a welding hammer to the head. I have a scar on my right thumb. The first mountain I climbed with friends Is Fisher Peak. Just under 10,000 ft in elevation. It was definatley scary. On the way down we found a glacier (long patch of snow?) We thought we should slide down it to save some time climbing down. Well I got on my but and slowed my short decent with my feet and hands. When I got to the bottom of the glacier my friend told me I was bleeding. I had sliced my thumb open on some shale on the way down. Being a group of redneck guys, I just stuffed my hand in a glove and kept going. I have a mark on my back. It is a tattoo of a picture that means a lot to me. I got it around the time I first started dating Criston, but I had been on the artists waiting list for 2 years before that. It is of a Christian painting called “forgiven” that we used while on a missions trip for a chalk art lesson. Though it did hurt a lot to get done, and cost more money than I could justify spending anymore. Though I am trying to convince my beautiful wife to let me get one more.
What marks do you bear? Maybe they to tell a story of your life, maybe some lessons learned about what not to do. In the book of revelation we learn about marks as well. There will come a time when we will have to choose the mark that we bear. Satan is trying to lead us astray and one day We will be forced to choose to be marked by the mark of Satan or stand out and follow God.
Even now while we anticipate the second coming of Jesus, we must choose what mark we bear. Now this is not literal but metaphorical, at least for now. But we need to make a choice. In this world we live in we struggle sometimes to live for God. It is easy sometimes to hide in the background. It is one of the side effects of going to a big church with many people. You can go, and be seen in church but hide among the masses. This is also a big struggle for bigger churches. But here in a smaller church it is harder to hide. In a small town, it is hard to hide.
What marks do you bear? do they tell of a life lived for Jesus? Do they tell of a life lived in Humility for the glory of the Lord? We must choose what master it is we serve. When the judgement of the Lord comes there will be no ambiguity left, we will be found out for what is truly in our hearts. Will we choose to follow Jesus?
Our Hope
Our Hope
This next passage shares with us what happens to those that refuse the mark of the beast and die for their faith? Even now while the mark is not here yet, there are those who still refuse to follow the ways of the world. What happens to those that die for their faith or just refuse to follow the world? These are the two questions that this passage answers. We start out with vs 1-5.
Then I looked, and there was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him were 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads.
There has been a lot of talk so far that is hard to hear, I understand that. I have been digging deeper in the word of God, and I understand it is sometimes a little hard to follow. But I keep going because I believe it is vital that we understand what is going to happen. We start out with a reminder of the ultimate reward for endurance through what is coming. Even now as we live in a time before the end times we need to be reminded of the ultimate reward for endurance.
Sacrifice for the Lord is not meaningless. We see that those set apart for the Lord are already seen as delivered. Though it mentions the 144k this is also a promise for us all. A reminder for us all as to what is promised for us. Isaiah 24:23 “The moon will be put to shame and the sun disgraced, because the Lord of Armies will reign as king on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, and he will display his glory in the presence of his elders.”
For those that have decided to follow Jesus, we find great joy in these verses.
I heard a sound from heaven like the sound of cascading waters and like the rumbling of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like harpists playing on their harps. They sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders, but no one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
I like to call this the song of the redeemed. What is heard is a new song sung by the redeemed. Like the voice of a mighty waterfall. If you have never been to a waterfall before, find time to do it. The sound of a rushing waterfall is quite the thing to behold. To stand at the falls and hear the water rushing down and crashing against the rocks is quite the thing to behold. It is a beautiful sight This will be quite the thing to behold. A mass choir, a new song of the redeemed.
The theme is deliverance. Only those that have paid the full price for their faith are the ones mentioned here but is a great sign of hope for those that are still around.
These are the ones who have not defiled themselves with women, since they remained virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were redeemed from humanity as the firstfruits for God and the Lamb.
This group is the Jewish witnesses that are set apart for God, who have followed God, who have been redeemed by the Jesus.
This could also refer to the whole church, we have gone over this already. Then the whole virgin/set apart thing would be in reference to them not giving themselves over to the world but rather set apart for God. Either meaning makes sense and does not really matter.
On the road to Judgement
On the road to Judgement
The rest of chapter 14 deals with the question of what happens to those that refuse to bow down to Jesus. We once again turn to another interlude, between the judgement. Explaining more to us what is all going on in the meantime. We have messages of hope in the midst of judgement, trials, persecution. We are told to stand firm on the word of God in the midst of overwhelming pressure to not.
Then I saw another angel flying high overhead, with the eternal gospel to announce to the inhabitants of the earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. He spoke with a loud voice: “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.”
I want to focus on three ideas here. Fear God, Give Him Glory, Worship Him. Not that big of a deal for those that are followers of Jesus. We know this is what we are supposed to do, this is not new to us.
This is a command to ALL the inhabitants of the earth. To fear God, to bow down to Him, to worship Him. We go from the hope of glory, to the vindication of the martyrs.
Even though the world bow down and finally give the glory to God. the end result for those that are not followers of Jesus is not fun to see. The main idea here is seen in the next few verses.
And another, a third angel, followed them and spoke with a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will also drink the wine of God’s wrath, which is poured full strength into the cup of his anger. He will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the sight of the holy angels and in the sight of the Lamb,
and the smoke of their torment will go up forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and its image, or anyone who receives the mark of its name. This calls for endurance from the saints, who keep God’s commands and their faith in Jesus.”
Torment and wrath
Followers of Jesus are on the road to victory in Jesus. But those that refuse, even after all these warnings are told what is going to befall them.
I just and loving God will not have patience forever against those who refuse to follow Him. Be warned. What are you marked with (figurative). Those that are marked by the beast, that refuse to follow Jesus will encounter the wrath of God. It says they will drink the wine of the wrath of God. Tormented by fire. For eternity they will be tormented by the wrath of God.
Not fair you may say. How is it fair that after all though good someone can do they will still encounter the wrath of the lamb. It is not fair that any of us are saved. We all deserve death and judgement. I do not mean to scare people, but I do not deserve eternity in Glory. I have come to the realization, after I gave my life to Jesus that I deserve wrath, I deserve judgement but Jesus blood covered that. God sees me now through the lens of the sacrifice of Jesus. My transgressions where nailed to the cross with Jesus. and yours can be as well.
This calls for endurance.
be encouraged you followers of Jesus. Be strong and of good courage, for the Lord your God is with you and has won the victory. we do not like the idea of eternal wrath and try and get around it by teaching annihilation, which is not all that much better. But I read the story of someone who came to Jesus I thought was interesting.
Revelation Contemporary Significance
A young atheist chose to consider the claims of Christ immediately rather than deferring the decision because the doctrine of hell made the stakes too high to ignore. Twenty-four years later that former atheist remains a committed Christian—and is writing this commentary.
a Harvest Metaphor
Most of us will understand this Harvest Metaphor.
Another angel came out of the temple, crying out in a loud voice to the one who was seated on the cloud, “Use your sickle and reap, for the time to reap has come, since the harvest of the earth is ripe.” So the one seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
We may have heard the phrase that the field is ready for harvest, but the workers are few. Jesus said this in the book of John. It is in reference to a world that is ready to hear about Jesus, but the workers need to step up.
But there is another harvest metaphor, but it is the other side of that. a different type of harvest. It speaks of the harvest of grapes and them being thrown in the wine press of the wrath of God.
Verse 20 speaks of the wrath of God pressing down on those that have not given their lives to Jesus. The imagery of the blood flowing from the great wrath of God, we are not sure exactly what that means.
The imagery is that of great battle, the judgement of God reigned down on the earth. A great defeat of the enemy to the point where there is nothing left. This for sure we do know, that vengeance belongs to God alone.
So What?
So What?
What marks are you known by? in this interlude, we are given hope and a warning. But I ask the question what are you marked by? How have you comitted your life to Jesus? I have many marks on me, some from foolish mistakes, we all have marks on us that tell a story about how we have lived and what we have done.
Some hurt more then others. But are we marked and set aside by Jesus or are we marked and set aside by the things of the world? As the army of God, we dare not compromise with the things of the world but rather we give our lives to Jesus.
The song of the redeemed
The song of the redeemed
We remember first the song of the redeemed. Those chosen by God, set aside for His ministry singing praises to the king of kings. Those that have given their lives for their faith. It is a reminder for us all of the great reward that is due those who are followers of Jesus.
Give your life to Him, you will one day be part of the redeemed that are part of the great choir of God. Great joy due to those that give their lives to Jesus. Though the world may mark and scar us sometimes we hold this great hope in our hearts, that we are on the road to victory, it is only a matter of time.
The cry of the condemned
The cry of the condemned
we heard the song of the redeemed now we read of the cry of the world that has adulterated itself to the ways of satan. Kind of harsh I know, but they allowed themselves to take the mark of the beats. This has not happened yet, but the imagery behind it still rings true.
The idea of worship of God, fear of the Lord, giving glory to the Lord. But not because they want to but because they have to. They have no other choice, it is to late.
Any short term advantages of allowing ourselves to be set aside for the world and the ways of the beast are nothing. Do not allow yourself to be led astray.
Rather we must allow ourselves to be lead to God. John held no quams over scaring people into believing. We could do with a little more fear of the consequences of not following God with our whole lives. Will you be among those that will sing the song of the redeemed?