Sermon Tone Analysis

It should not be a surprise to anyone who has read the Bible that God judges.

After all, the historical record of God’s dealings with the descendants of Abraham reveals frequent judgments against wickedness.

Even today there is something deep within us that cries out for judgment against evil – unchecked racism drives the #BLM movement; hurt cries out for justice with #metoo and #churchtoo; and even in sports fan yell out “where’s the flag?” or “blow the whistle, ref”.

Yet Christians are accused of being too judgmental.

We live in a world where we crave justice, yet we recoil when justice is demanded of us.

People want Christians to pursue justice, just don’t judge me.

People want a stern judge for wrongs done against them, but a kindly grandfather God who evaluates my behaviors.

In previous sessions we have seen God who is merciful, loves, forgive, transforms and other beneficial attributes.

But a complete view of God cannot ignore His justice, His righteous anger and His wrath against all that is unholy.

People who have never read the Bible have many different notions about God.

But anyone who has read the Book knows that God’s Holiness demands that He discipline his children and that those who do deeds of wickedness remain under wrath.

A word of explanation about types of Literature: The Bible contains several types of literature: stories (Narrative), letters (epistles), poems (flowery language), oracles (speeches from God), and apocalyptic (future) literature.

In my experience, poetry and apocalyptic are the hardest to interpret and apply, so don’t be offended if the images in today’s text are hard to understand.

Sometimes a meal is just a meal, water is just a drink, and wheat is just a grain that is harvested for bread.

Other times food, water, wheat and grapes become symbols for deeper truth that God intends the reader to understand.

Transition: Using language consistent with this type of literature, today’s texts begins with…

3 Announcements of Coming Judgment (Rev.

4:6-13)

A Message for All on the Earth (vv.6-7)

1.

A Universal message for all who dwell on Earth in unbelief.

2. The coming consummate establishment of God’s sovereignty over evil is good news [for believers].[i]

3. How can news of impending judgement be “good news” [for unbelievers]?

Because the announcement is paired with a call to turn to God in Worship.

The call to turn will be expanded in vv.

12-13.

If a physician tells you, “We found a mass and we won’t know what it is until we do more tests” it is NOT good news.

If the same surgeon says, “The mass that you have is totally treatable and we expect a full recovery” then the same mass just became “good news”.

4. Commentators see a link between this “gospel” and the warning that Daniel gave to Nebuchadnezzar in Dan. 4.

5. Some don’t respond well to warnings.

They say, “It is better to love someone into Heaven than to scare them out of Hell.”

6.

But often a stern reminder of the consequences is essential to bring about change.

In similar way, when this angel says “Fear God and give Him glory” people tend to reply “ho hum” so he adds “because judgement is beginning”

A Message for Babylon (v.8)

1.

An intense message for those who fall to the claims of false religion.

2. Babylon – Babylon as an empire was used by God to bring about the destruction of the southern kingdom of Judah.

As Daniel and his 3 friends and the rest of the Jewish people were taken into captivity, they were forced to give up their identity as God’s people.

Their Temple was destroyed, their names were changed, and their culture was decimated.

Over time Babylon became a code word or a cipher for any power who set itself against God.

What Babylon did to Judah, Rome was doing to Christians as John records the Revelation.

3. Early Jews often used Babylon as a code name for Rome, as did early Christians (1 Peter 5:13).

Such allusions made sense; as Israel once experienced exile under the evil empire Babylon, now they are experiencing the captivity of a new evil empire in Rome.

Both Babylon and Rome destroyed the temple.[ii]

Today an equivalent would be any voice that promotes “freedom from religion” to undermine Biblical truth.

4. Immoralities/Adulteries (NIV) – Whenever Israel wandered from her faithfulness to God, it is described by the prophets as adultery.

The danger of worldly powers that oppose God is that it chokes out the potential that Jesus described in the parable of the sower when the good seed falls among the weeds and thorns.

Illustration

A Message for the Beast and Accomplices (vv.9-11)

1.

This 3rd messenger gives the most detailed message for those who trust the world system (Media/Entertainment/Economics/ Government/Power) to do/be what God is supposed to be.

2. Verses 9–11 form a counter-proclamation to that of the image in chapter 13.

There it was decreed that those who would not worship the image should be killed and that those without the mark of the beast should be able neither to buy nor to sell (13:15, 17).

Now the third angel of chapter 14 pronounces a much worse fate for those who do worship the beast and bear his mark.[iii]

About a year ago I walked into Clark’s hardware for the first time.

I needed a plumbing piece that was only $3 or $4.

But I didn’t have any cash on me and when I tried to pay with my debit card I was told that I couldn’t trade with them unless I had cash or an established account.

NO!

I am not equating the hardware store with the Beast.

I don’t have the Clark mark, but I’ve since made sure I always have cash when doing business with them.

3. Aligning with the Beast permits certain temporary benefits, but the long-term consequences are devastating!

4. Full strength - What does that mean?

5.

In the ancient world when wine was produced, it comes out about 30 proof, that is, about 15 percent alcohol.

Since it is fermented, not distilled, there was some variance.

Yesterday I performed a wedding in the Tallgrass Praire preserve for a couple from Kansas City.

During the ceremony I mentioned that it was a wedding where Jesus did his first miracle.

This miracle causes a certain problem for our prohibitionist friends, because Jesus did not turn the water into grape juice.

6.

However, it was very common to “cut” the wine with water, somewhere between one part in ten (one part of wine to ten parts of water) and one part in three.

Most table wines that people drank in the ancient world were cut… [The difference between table wine and full strength was like the difference between beer and hard liquor] Now God’s wrath is poured out full strength.”[iv]

7. 10b-11a describe drastic, unrelenting, constant and eternal punishment for those who align with the world’s solution, rather than put their trust in God.

Warning: Prepare Now! (vv.12-13)

1. Trust and Obey – keep the commandments…and…faith in Jesus.

2. Remember, John was living about 30 years after the crucifixion as he is recording things yet to happen that are being revealed to him in a vision.

V.12 is a real-time reminder to those who would shortly receive his letter and were living under the Roman persecution of 1 & 2 Peter.

3. Blessed Rest – the hardships of this life will eventually be rewarded.

4. V.13 is a message from Heaven that there is a coming rest that will make all the current painful endurance worthwhile.

Transition: After these 3 messages regarding unbelievers, false religion, and the eco-political world system, John presents…

2 Descriptions of Coming Judgment (Rev 14:14-20)

Harvest of Wheat (& Tares) (vv.14-16)

In Matthew 13 Jesus told a story that illustrates the time in which we are living.

God’s kingdom is made up of those in whom the good seed has yielded fruit and we are growing until a future day of harvest.

The enemy of the Church has sown weeds (spiritual imposters) amidst our plants.

Some of the servants asked the master if they should go through the fields removing the weeds.

Jesus replied, “No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.”

(Mt 13:29)

1. Jesus prophesied that during our age there would be imposters among us.

But he also instructed that at the time of harvest the weeds will be gathered for a very different outcome than the wheat.

Matthew 13:30 (ESV) — “Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, ‘Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

2. I have heard men warn, “Do not confuse my kindness with weakness.”

And those who flaunt their sin before God must not confuse His patience with acceptance.”

3. Once the sickle has struck your root, it will be too late to change your allegiance.

Harvest and Pressing of Grapes (vv.17-20)

1. Verses 18-19 give us the picture of the grape harvest and the second part of v.19 moves immediately to the processing in the winepress.

2. The winepress at this time was made of large stone vats hollowed out with channels to separate the juice from the pulp from the seeds, rind and stems.

3. The whole cluster was placed into the press for a process of extreme pressure and separation.

4. The separation of weeds from wheat led to burning.

The process of separating the worshippers of God from the worshippers of the Beast yields blood as deep as a horse’s bridle over a span of about 200 miles.

Transition: God’s coming judgment on sin will be extreme and it will be sure, but we must NEVER view it as a reason for glee.

4 Observations about God’s Wrath

Hell most often was mentioned by Jesus (Matt 10:28)

1.

No other person in the New Testament spoke of hell more frequently than Jesus.

2. Jesus warned of the reality and atrocity of hell in places like the story of the rich man and Lazarus, or in…

Matthew 10:28 (ESV) — And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.

Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Judgment is no small matter (Rev.