Revelation - Antichrist

I’m glad that you’ve stuck with this study on the book of Revelation.  Together we’ve looked at the fact that just as God revealed Himself to John, He will still unveil His plan to us, if we listen to His voice.  We talked about modeling our own worship after the examples of heavenly worship we find in Revelation.  We saw that the wrath of God unleashed upon humanity isn’t a heartless vengeance, but an attempt to turn our hearts back to Him.  We discovered that God’s people are marked with the seal of the Holy  Spirit, and asked not just to endure hardship and tribulation, but to be bold witnesses for Jesus.  God has special blessings in store for those who overcome.  Today, we’re going to talk about one of the most noteworthy figures in the book of Revelation: the Antichrist.

            When I was young, it seemed like Christians were always trying to answer the question, “Who is the Antichrist?”  Both Ronald Regan (who has six letters in each of his three names, and survived a gunshot) and Mikhail Gorbachev (who had the Hebrew letter vav dripping blood on his forehead) were noteworthy candidates.  So was every leader that emerged in the Middle East, as well as every Pope.  Today, people are still trying to figure it out.  Most recently, I heard that Jesus secretly predicted the name of the Antichrist—that in Luke 10:18^[i], when Jesus said “I was watching Satan fall from heaven like lightning,” He was really speaking Aramaic and not the Greek of our New Testament, and that if you translate lightning from heaven from the Greek back into Aramaic, you get Barack Obama.  Seriously, all politics aside, this is just bad scholarship on so many levels—the most striking of which is the fact that Jesus was using the past tense, not the future, so He couldn’t have been talking about the Antichrist anyway.  So let’s quit trying to point the finger at somebody that we suspect might be the living Antichrist, and let’s see what the Bible has to say.

            Revelation 13: 1-4 gives a vivid, although symbolic, description of the man we call the Antichrist:

And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore.  Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten diadems, and on his heads were blasphemous names. ² And the beast which I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority. ³ I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; ⁴ they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” 

            More on the Antichrist, or Man of Lawlessness, can be found in 2 Thessalonians 2:2-12, but for today’s purposes we’ll stay with the narrative as it continues in Revelation 13.  In his arrogance, the Beast (Antichrist) who is empowered by the Dragon (Satan) blasphemes God and makes war against the saints.  Then another beast (false prophet) arises, performing great signs and making a religion about the worship of the Antichrist. Verses 16-18 tell of the mark and number of the beast:

¹⁶ And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, ¹⁷ and he provides that no one will be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name. ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for the number is that of a man; and his number is six hundred and sixty-six.

            Along with the identity of the Antichrist, people have been trying to figure out both the mark and number of the beast since the dawn of our faith.  Many portray the mark as being the number 666 on a person’s hand and forehead—visible to the naked eye.  Others think it has a more symbolic meaning.  What kind of mark or number could enable people to buy and sell, without which they can’t transact commerce?  When social security numbers first came out, people were convinced that this was the mark of the beast.  Then, when credit cards came out it was the same.  Now people are talking about microchip implants with the same concern. 

            Preterists, who believe that the book of Revelation is all about the Roman persecution of Christians, say that the identity of the Antichrist, the mark and the number of the beast, are all obvious to those who study history.  A man’s name can have a number because many of the ancient numerical systems were based on letters (take Roman numerals, for example).  Using the system called Gematria, in which letters represent numbers and vice versa, we find that the name “Caesar Nero” is, in fact, 666.

            Nero was the first emperor of Rome who sought to stamp out Christianity.  The Roman historian Tacitus even called the emperor cruel, and declare the innocence of those who were put to death by crucifixion, beheading, burning alive, and attacks by wild animals for the amusement of onlookers.  The apostle John was himself boiled in oil before his exile to Patmos.  It was under Nero’s persecution that Peter was martyred by being crucified upside down, and that Paul was beheaded. 

            As to the mark that allows buying and selling—Preterists say that this is Roman coin, which bore the image of Caesar Nero on its face.  Without this coin in your hand (there’s no difference in Greek between “in” and “on”), and without it preoccupying your thoughts, you couldn’t buy or sell.  In other words, unless you engaged in worship of the emperor and his government, you were toast—literally.

            While I believe that preterists make a good point here, I think that they’re only partly correct.  It seems clear to me that John was writing about Nero and Roman coin.  But I believe the book of Revelation to be God’s gift not just to the first generation that received it, but also to every Christian who comes afterward.  So preterists are right when they say that these references were all about Nero, but they’re wrong when they stop there and neglect to look at the future.  Futurists, on the other hand, are also wrong when they see only prophecy and not also history.  History repeats itself, and John is saying in Revelation that the kind of Antichrist to look for in the future is one just like Nero.  Don’t receive his mark, John warns, or divine wrath will fall on you along with those who follow this deceiver (14:8-11).

            Chapters 17-18 tell of another famous character, besides the Antichrist and the false prophet.  Often named The Whore of Babylon, she is described thus:

Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, ² with whom the kings of the earth committed acts of immorality, and those who dwell on the earth were made drunk with the wine of her immorality.” ³ And he carried me away in the Spirit into a wilderness; and I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names, having seven heads and ten horns. ⁴ The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a gold cup full of abominations and of the unclean things of her immorality, ⁵ and on her forehead a name was written, a mystery, “BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.” ⁶ And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of Jesus. When I saw her, I wondered greatly (Rev. 17:1-6). 

            Again, generations of Christians have tried to identify this woman, who personifies the false religion of the Antichrist, led by the false prophet.  Some have suggested the Catholic Church, citing the seven hills of Rome and the scarlet garments.  Others have said put forward radical Islam, along with its penchant for beheadings.  Still others propose the New Age Movement, a revival of ancient paganism mixed with ideas from major world religions.  Personally, I believe that John had the emperor cult in mind—but that, since history repeats itself, Revelation also speaks of a future religion surrounding the Antichrist.

            Just as Christians around the world expect the return of Christ, so followers of other world religions expect the advent of an end-time leader.  Hindus anticipate Krishna’s appearance, while Muslims expect the Imam Mahdi.  Jews are still waiting for the Messiah, while Buddhists hope for Buddha Maitreya.  No one religion such as Catholicism is the Whore of Babylon.  Instead, a future world religion will be formed from all these hopes, with the Antichrist as its god and the false prophet as its head.  This is why Jesus said not to look for His return in the desert or on the mountain, but in the sky.^[ii]  No matter what signs and wonders some “god-on-earth” may perform, he isn’t Jesus unless he returns in the clouds.

            So, preterists believe that the Antichrist, false prophet, and the false religion were all in the past.  Futurists look for a literal unfolding of prophetic events in the time to come.  The good news for both is that no matter which way you look at it, Revelation declares that (as my New Testament professor Tommy South put it), “God wins!”  While these nasty characters wage war against the Lamb, He overcomes them “because He is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those who are with Him are the called and chosen and faithful (Rev. 17:14).”  After Babylon falls, along with her religion (ch. 18), we read about the doom of the Antichrist and false prophet :

And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone (19:20).

When preterists and futurists ask me to settle the debate for them, I tell them that they’re both right—about the once and future Antichrist.  Yet they miss the boat entirely if they fail to see Revelation’s application for today.  1 John 2:15-18 warns about not a person called The Antichrist, but a spirit of antichrist:

¹⁵ Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. ¹⁷ The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

¹⁸ Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour.

            Just as Nero was THE Antichrist that opposed first century Christians, and just as THE Antichrist in the future will torment the church, so many antichrists today stand against the truth of God in the world and the power of God in His people.  Beware anything that would leave its mark in your head (thoughts) or your hand (actions).  Don’t be deceived by the world and its lusts—for it is by these that the spirit of antichrist works against you.  Instead, overcome the world by the blood of the Lamb.  Remember the message and hope of Revelation—God wins!  Be firm and be faithful.

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[i] All scripture quotations are from the NASB.

[ii] See Matthew 24 in its entirety.  Part of this chapter seems to deal with events that would take place soon, and part deals with events that would come to pass in the far future.

Revelation - Overcomers

I have a mark on my forehead that few people notice today.  The scar has faded over time.  I got it when my brother and I were horsing around, and I hit my head on the corner of the TV.  But when I look at that scar, I don’t remember any pain.  I only remember my older brother helping me, carrying me across the road, through deep snow to our neighbor’s house for help.  I remember the kindness of our neighbor who cleaned my wound and put a bandage on it.  When I look at the mark on my forehead, I only think of love.

            The Bible says that God’s bear a mark on their forehead that identifies them as His beloved.  We first read about it in Ezekiel 9:4, but the theme is picked up in Revelation 7:2-3[i]:

And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”

            People who haven’t even read the book of Revelation have heard of the Mark of the Beast, a sign on the forehead that identifies people who worship the Antichrist[ii], but few people know that the Redeemed have a mark on their foreheads as well.  This invisible, spiritual mark identifies God’s people as His own.  This seal is Jesus’ stamp of approval for all who put their trust in Him, who overcome “because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, [who] did not love their life even when faced with death (Rev 12.11).” 

            The first generation of Christians who received John’s book of Revelation took heart when they read about God’s seal upon them.  Not only did it remind them of a king’s signet, but it also spoke of preservation.  Just as a seal keeps contaminants out of food, so the Holy Spirit keeps believers from the spiritual toxins of the world.  This dual-purposed seal gives Christians both the protection and the authority of Almighty God—something that we need when we face tribulation.[iii] 

            Christians knew a lot about persecution by the time John wrote about his apocalyptic vision.  They were persecuted by Jewish leaders from the beginning. Emperor Nero, who had blamed them for the burning of Rome in the summer of 64 A.D..  Likely, Nero himself had started fires in the quarters near his palace so he could expand his own property, but the flames had gotten out of control.  As a cover-up, Nero made Christians his political scapegoats.  Fox’s Book of Martyrs describes Nero’s persecution as follows:

Nero even refined upon cruelty, and contrived all manner of punishments for the Christians that the most infernal imagination could design. In particular, he had some sewed up in skins of wild beasts, and then worried by dogs until they expired; and others dressed in shirts made stiff with wax, fixed to axletrees, and set on fire in his gardens, in order to illuminate them. This persecution was general throughout the whole Roman Empire; but it rather increased than diminished the spirit of Christianity. In the course of it, St. Paul and St. Peter were martyred. 

To their names may be added, Erastus, chamberlain of Corinth; Aristarchus, the Macedonian, and Trophimus, an Ephesians, converted by St. Paul, and fellow-laborer with him, Joseph, commonly called Barsabas, and Ananias, bishop of Damascus; each of the Seventy[iv]. 

           

            Emperor Domitian began his persecution of Christians in A.D..  He required that subjects address him as “Lord and God,” and Christians naturally refused to obey.  Foxe’s Book of Martyrs says:

The emperor Domitian, who was naturally inclined to cruelty, first slew his brother, and then raised the second persecution against the Christians. In his rage he put to death some of the Roman senators, some through malice; and others to confiscate their estates. He then commanded all the lineage of David be put to death.

Among the numerous martyrs that suffered during this persecution was Simeon, bishop of Jerusalem, who was crucified; and St. John, who was boiled in oil, and afterward banished to Patmos. Flavia, the daughter of a Roman senator, was likewise banished to Pontus; and a law was made, "That no Christian, once brought before the tribunal, should be exempted from punishment without renouncing his religion...

Dionysius, the Areopagite, was an Athenian by birth, and educated in all the useful and ornamental literature of Greece. He then travelled to Egypt to study astronomy, and made very particular observations on the great and supernatural eclipse, which happened at the time of our Savior's crucifixion. The sanctity of his conversation and the purity of his manners recommended him so strongly to the Christians in general, that he was appointed bishop of Athens. Nicodemus, a benevolent Christian of some distinction, suffered at Rome during the rage of Domitian's persecution.  Protasius and Gervasius were martyred at Milan.  Timothy was the celebrated disciple of St. Paul, and bishop of Ephesus, where he zealously governed the Church until A.D. 97. At this period, as the pagans were about to celebrate a feast called Catagogion, Timothy, meeting the procession, severely reproved them for their ridiculous idolatry, which so exasperated the people that they fell upon him with their clubs, and beat him in so dreadful a manner that he expired of the bruises two days later.

John himself had been boiled in oil because of his testimony.  Having miraculously survived, it was assumed that he could not be killed so he was exiled to Patmos.  There, he wrote this book of Revelation to encourage those who similarly suffered for Christ.  Christians were marked with Jesus’ stamp of approval.  Even if they were not protected physically, they were preserved for eternity by the Holy Spirit’s seal.

Preterists believe that the book of Revelation is entirely about the Roman persecution of the early church, and a call for Christians to endure.  Futurists believe that the book is exclusively about future events that are yet to take place.  However, I believe that the Holy Spirit included Revelation in the canon of Scripture for all generations of Christians, and not just for the first or the last generation.  Believers in all ages have endured persecution of one kind or another.  Revelation is a call for faithful believers in the past, present, and future.

Revelation 6.9-11 describes the souls of Christian martyrs beneath the altar of God in heaven, crying out for justice.  “And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also (v. 11).”

In Revelation 7 and 14 we find 144,000 Jewish believers who likewise have been sealed by God.  Many have made much of this number, but it is not our purpose to investigate it here.  Suffice it to say that God’s people are marked as His, and that He promises rewards for those who bear His mark of faithfulness.

Some futurists believe the Rapture of the church[v] will happen before this time of Tribulation.  In Luke 17:22-37, Jesus describes his appearance as happening at any time—suddenly and without warning.  Quoting Revelation 3:10, pretribulational (dispensational) premillennialists point to Jesus’ words:  ^“Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.”  They also point to 1 Thessalonians 5.9, which says, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Escaping wrath means being raptured, they maintain.

Other futurists believe that the Rapture will happen in the middle of the Tribulation or at the end.  They ask, “Who says it’s God will that the church escape hardship in the future, when we’ve endured it all along?  “Where would all these saints come from, who endure the Tribulation,” they ask, “if all the believers are raptured at the beginning of the time of trial?”  So it seems that your opinion about whether the church will go through the Tribulation depends greatly on your theology of suffering.  Do you believe that God will allow believers to suffer the Tribulation, or do you think His love will let Christians to escape it?  If you’re a futurist, then this is a question that must be answered.

Historicists believe that the timeline of Revelation covers not a seven-year period of Tribulation, but the full scope of Christian history, from the dawn of the Church to the Day of Judgment.  For them, persecution and endurance are continual themes for every generation—and it doesn’t matter when or if there’s a Rapture.  The fact is that sometimes, God’s people are removed from struggle and sometimes they are preserved through it.  The book of Revelation calls for believers to endure—and to do more than endure.  Christians are called to bear bold witness for our Lord, even in the midst of trial.

In the first century, many Christians under persecution recanted their faith in order to save their lives.  For first-century believers, Revelation was a call to continue, even if they had to pay with their last breath.  As an encouraging example, Revelation 11:1-14 gives a tale of two witnesses who stand up to the Beast, even though it ultimately costs them their lives.  Christians are reminded that even though they are killed, they will share in Christ’s glorious resurrection.  So too, Jesus encourages us, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev 2:10b).”  Revelation is a call for believers of all ages to overcome the evil one, and to endure tribulation however they find it.

In His letters to the seven churches, Jesus has some final words to say to those who overcome:

“To him who overcomes, I will grant to eat of the tree of life which is in the Paradise of God… He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death… To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it… He who overcomes, and he who keeps My deeds until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations; and he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of the potter are broken to pieces, as I also have received authority from My Father;  and I will give him the morning star… He who overcomes will thus be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, and I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels… He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God… He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne (Rev 2:7, 11b, 17b, 26-27; 3:5, 12, 21).”

I pray whatever trials you endure and whatever tribulations you go through, that you will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of your testimony.  I pray that you will be faithful, and that you will receive your crown.

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[i] All scripture quotations taken from the NRSV.

[ii] Rev 13:16-17; 14:9-12; 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4

[iii] Jn 6:27; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30; Rev 9:4

[iv] http://www.biblestudytools.com/history/foxs-book-of-martyrs.  March 18, 2015.

[v] Luk 17:34-37; 1 Thes 4:13-17; 1 Cor 15:50-58

Entertaining Angels - Swiss Chris

Last night, my daughter and I happened across a cyclist who had pulled up in our church parking lot to take a picture.  The sun was in the right position and the light was perfect for some beautiful photography.  We introduced ourselves to the cyclist, who said his name was Chris-Alexandre Gionchetta.  Chris is from Switzerland, and has been riding his bicycle across the world for four and a half years.  He has cycled through countries like Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Mongolia, China, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Vietnam, Thailand, Russia, and South Korea.  More recently, he has been traveling from west to east across the U.S.  He is on his way to Washington, D.C., where where he will board an airplane and fly back to Europe.  

Chris' bicycle (his third in his 35,000 mile journey) was laden with bags and gear.  I asked him where he stayed at night.  He said he usually found some out-of-the-way place to camp.  We invited him to camp in our yard last night.  He graciously accepted our invitation, and we were also blessed to share the evening with him.  After Chris and I toured our church and stood in our baptistery (he'd never seen one before), we had spiritual conversation about everything from Mormons and Muslims and meditation to Buddhists and Baptists.  He says that everywhere he has gone in the world, he has found one thing: love.  We also enjoyed some and not-so-spiritual conversation, enjoyed some simple food, and laughed until the clock showed it was later than I expected.  This morning after we shared some breakfast, Chris struck camp and we shot a few photos before he got back on the road.  He has seventy-five miles to travel today in order to stay on schedule--I hope he makes it.

Chris' message that he shares with everyone he meets is that you can live your dreams. "People say they have no time to do things, but you just have to make time.  I made time to ride my bicycle and it has given me so much time to think.  Just think."  Around the world, Chris has shared his inspiring message of peace, human solidarity, and "I can do it" attitude.  He speaks before thousands of children at schools through his foundation, the All School Project (click here to learn more).  He loves to share stories of bears and an appendix operation in Russia, bike theft in Vancouver, eating insects and Chinese medicine (not necessarily related), falling in love and breaking up, and all the wonderful people he has met on the road.   With Chris' can-do message, he would probably disagree with me when I say, "If you can't go see the world, at least you can welcome the world when it comes to see you."  Instead, several times he said, "Oh, but you can go see the world--and you have someplace you can stay when you get to Switzerland!"
  
If Chris was blessed by our hospitality, we were even more blessed by his company. I'm glad that our family had the opportunity to meet him--and especially that my kids had the chance to be inspired by this "chance" encounter.  The first thing that my 13-year-old did after the cyclist left was to pump up his long-neglected bike tires and go for a ride with a friend.  I'm struck by what we might have missed if we had seen this ragged-looking traveler, averted our eyes, and said, "Oh, there goes a homeless guy!"  By engaging him in conversation, we met someone we will never forget, who blessed us more than we could have blessed him.

The author of the New Testament book of Hebrews 13:2 (NLT) wrote, "Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!"  Chris may not have wings, but he certainly touched my family in a positive way.  I pray for wind at his back and safe travel for the rest of his journey.  And I pray that when the world comes to your door, you'll open your home and your heart to its love.

Revelation - Wrath of God

                Did you hear the one about the atheist orator who was contracted to a speaking engagement at a large university?  He was unable to attend his own lecture due to a hurricane that shut down all travel.  As he had already been paid for his appearance and refused to return the payment, the university sued him for breach of contract.  His legal defense maintained that he had been unable to travel due to an act of God.  He was immediately charged with fraud.

                In legalese, “Acts of God” are situations, generally referring to natural events such as tornadoes, earthquakes, wildfires, and the like.  Often, defendants use Acts of God to describe situations beyond their control.  According to one website, “The Act of God designation on all insurance policies…means, roughly, that you cannot be insured for the accidents that are most likely to happen to you.” [i]

                Religion journalist Cathleen Falsani writes:

A judge in Nebraska threw out a 2007 lawsuit filed against God by state Sen. Ernie Chambers, who had sought permanent injunction against the Almighty for bringing “acts of terrorism” against the Cornhusker state.  Chambers…asked that an order be issued demanding God to cease and desist from causing ‘fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects, and the like.’  Judge Marlon Polk threw out Chambers’ case because the defendant in the case a.k.a. God, could not be served with a summons. [ii]

               

Today in the book of Revelation, we look at Acts of God for which Ernie Chambers might sue, assuming the events happen within the senator’s lifetime.  In chapter six, Jesus the Lamb of God breaks open a book with seven seals.  With the opening of the book, the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are unleashed upon the earth.  Riders on white, red, black, and ashen horses bring conquest, war, famine, and death.  Martyrs cry out for vengeance with the opening of the fifth seal.  When the sixth is opened there is a worldwide earthquake, a darkening of the sun, reddening of the moon, and blotting of stars from the sky.  The sky itself is split apart.  All humanity hides, wishing for death “for the great day of…wrath has come (Rev 6:17[iii]).”

When the seventh seal is opened in chapter eight, seven angels blow their trumpets, which bring further destruction.  Hail and fire mixed with blood fall from heaven, burning up a third of the earth.  A burning mountain falls into the sea, killing a third of all sea life.  A falling star called Wormwood poisons a third of all water.  A third of the sun, moon, and stars are darkened.  The Bottomless Pit is opened and from it comes a demon prince ruling a hoard of unearthly locusts which plague humanity.  Murdering horseman-angels are released upon the world, killing with smoke and fire and brimstone. 

                In chapter sixteen, the seven bowls of wrath are poured out upon the earth.  Those who worship the Beast are plagued with sores.  The springs and rivers and the sea are filled with blood.  The sun scorches people with fierce heat.  Darkness and pain and drought plague humanity.  The Euphrates dries up.  Armies gather for the Battle of Armageddon.  Lightning and hundred-pound hailstones come from the sky.  But amid all these curses, I think the key verse in chapter sixteen is found in verse eleven: “…They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains…and they did not repent of their deeds.”  God’s entire purpose in all these plagues is to get people to repent—and yet their hearts are so hard that they will not.

                There is a problem with using the term Act of God to describe wildfires, windstorms, tsunamis.  These occurrences are natural events, caused by laws that God set in motion at the foundation of the world.  God does not plan every weather pattern.  Extraordinary events like the ones mentioned in Revelation, or like the Great Flood, or the destruction of Sodom, or the plagues of Egypt, are not natural occurrences but supernatural ones.  They are exceptions to the rule, not God’s usual method of dealing with sinful humanity.  Does God sometimes use these astonishing means to deal out His wrath?  Yes—the Bible confirms it.  But the problem comes when people try to read divine retribution into every hailstorm or hurricane.

                In 2005, many religious leaders said that Hurricane Katrina was divine retribution against both the immorality and Voodoo practices of the New Orleans area.  Evangelist Pat Robertson said that the 2010 earthquake in Haiti was the wrath of God for a pact that previous generations had made with the devil.[iv]  Of course, natural disasters aren’t the only things people point to as examples of the wrath of God.  Some religious leaders are saying that Ebola is God’s wrath against “sins including corruption and immoral acts such as homosexuality.”[v]  People who believe the Bible understand that at times God does use war, natural disaster, and disease in order to bring divine wrath.  Yet, we also must recognize that not every occurrence of these kinds of things is an indication of God’s displeasure with specific people and specific sins.

                First and foremost, the Bible says that God is our loving Creator, who wants to bless rather than curse.  Luke 9:55-56 says that when Jesus’ disciples wanted to call fire down on their enemies, “…He turned and rebuked them, [and said, “You do not know what kind of spirit you are of, for the Son of Man did not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them.’] And they went on to another village.”  Where there may be exceptions to the rule, compassion is generally the way of God.  In Matthew 18:14, Jesus says, “So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish.”

                Yes, we realize that death and destruction are part of the human experience.  Since death came into the world through sin in Eden, it has continued to reign to this day.  Every creature that has ever been born has died[vi].  This isn’t the wrath of God, but the consequence of human sin.  Romans 5:12 says, that “through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned.”  Therefore physical death is the inheritance of every human being, and not the direct wrath of God against specific sins.  Since everybody will die, it seems silly to point to this specific death or those specific thousand deaths and say, “See there—in that particular case, that’s an example of the wrath of God.”

                The book of Job is an example of a righteous man who endured great trouble.  Job’s friends said that his suffering was God’s judgment on a sin that he had allegedly committed.  The story’s narrative disputes this, insisting on Job’s innocence.  Rather than God smiting Job, Satan is the culprit.  We learn that there are times when God removes divine protection for the sake of our personal growth.  God can even bring great glory out of human suffering.  Romans 8:28 says, “…We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”  This doesn’t mean that God causes disaster, but that God can use it to accomplish His will, as He did in the life of Job.

                Many ancient people (and many modern ones too!) believed that tragedy was always a sign of God’s wrath.  Yet Jesus contradicts this notion by saying that God  “… causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (Matthew 5:45).”  Jesus often dealt with people who wrongly attributed disasters to the wrath of God.  In response, He said, “Or do you suppose that those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them were worse culprits than all the men who live in Jerusalem? I tell you, no, but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish (Luke 13:4-5).”  While God did not cause this tragedy, Jesus says that events like this bring our own mortality more readily into focus.  Disasters like this ought to lead us to repentance, so that we are ready to meet our Maker when the time comes.

                So we understand that death and suffering and pain are just a part of life.  Rather than being the result of specific sins, they are the result of humanity’s general fallen nature.  It wasn’t just people who experienced the curse of sin—all of creation suffers along with us.  In Matthew 24:8, Jesus describes wars and disasters as “birth pangs.”  Similarly, the apostle Paul wrote:

For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.  For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope  that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now (Romans 8:18-22). 

                So if we realize all these things, how do we then differentiate between regular (and sometimes extreme) suffering, and the wrath of God?  First, we have to understand that these occasions are exceptions to the rule.  Jehovah is not Zeus, always ready to smite people with lightning bolts.  Second, as in the cases of the Great Flood or the destruction of Sodom or the plagues on Egypt, God announces judgment beforehand through prophets or angels.  The Book of Jonah demonstrates that God’s purpose is to bring people to repentance—God is not some bloodthirsty punisher who takes delight in destruction.  As in the case of Nineveh, God forgives when His threats of destruction lead people to repentance.  Even when people don’t repent and suffering results, God reminds them that their suffering is because they wouldn’t listen.  He gives them another opportunity to repent.  Yes, God does at times cause sorrow, but 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “For the sorrow that is according to the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death.”

                This brings us back to some key verses in the book of Revelation that demonstrate God’s purpose for this time of Tribulation.  In Revelation 3:19, Jesus says, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.” The word “repent” appears twelve times in the book of Revelation.  God’s clear desire is not to punish people, but to discipline them with the rod of suffering, and lead them to repentance.  Yet Revelation 16:9 says, “Men were scorched with fierce heat; and they blasphemed the name of God who has the power over these plagues, and they did not repent so as to give Him glory.”  God longs for human repentance—even His wrath has restoration as its goal.

                What did these passages about God’s wrath mean for the original readers of the book of Revelation?  That while persecution under Roman oppressors was terrible indeed, things could be much worse.  That one day all suffering will come to an end when the world is made new. What will it mean, to a last generation of humanity that goes through this painful time of Tribulation?  That godly sorrow leads to repentance, and that the Lord will give them one last chance to turn to Him.  What does it mean to us today?  That while suffering is a part of everyone’s life, God wants to use it to bring about our good.  Through today’s study in Revelation, I hope that we’ll learn that not every disaster or tragedy is an act of God—that would paint God with a terrible kind of brush.  Generally, we simply accept suffering as a part of life in this fallen world.  I hope we’ll realize that God loves us, and that even when we do suffer, through our tragedy God is trying to bring us back to Himself.

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[i] http://www.barricksinsurance.com/insurance_jokes2.html.  March 14, 2015.

[ii] Falsani, Cathleen.  “You Can Sue God, But You Can’t Win.”  November 21, 2008.  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cathleen-falsani/you-can-sue-god-but-you-c_b_136453.html.  March 14, 2015.

[iii] All scriptures taken from the NRSV.

[iv] “Pat Robertson Blames Earthquake on Pact Haitians Made with Satan.”  Jan 13, 2010.  http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2010/01/pat-robertson-blames-earthquake-on-pact-haitians-made-with-satan/.  March 14, 2015.

[v] “Is Ebola a Curse from God?  Some African Christian Leaders Think So.”  August 11, 2014.  http://www.religionnews.com/2014/08/11/ebola-curse-god-african-christian-leaders-think/.  March 14, 2015.

[vi] With the exceptions of Enoch (Gen 5:24; Heb 11:5) and Elijah (2 Kings 2:11)

Revelation - Heavenly Worship

If I were to ask you, “What is worship?” there are many answers you might give.  You might say that worship is a church service on Sunday morning or a quiet reflection on your front porch at sunrise.  To you, worship might be a hymn or praise song, Scripture readings or sermons, liturgies or doxologies or offerings or Communion.  But I suggest to you that while all of these things are elements of worship, none of them are worship in and of themselves.  While each of these are expressions of worship, worship itself is the soul’s stretching toward God, as my seminary professor Glenn Hinson said, “opening ourselves before [God] like a flower to the morning sun.”  While worship can have many expressions, what it must always be (and what it can never be without) is a genuine human response to God’s infinite grace.

                Unfortunately, too often we get worship mixed up with the forms of worship.  We go to church, sing our songs, read the Bible, give our money, hear some scripture and a sermon, and we think we have worshiped.  It reminds me of the little boy who knelt by his bed, saying his prayers on Sunday night.  He said, "Dear God, we had a good time at church today—but I wish you had been there!"  Sometimes I think that if God were to answer a prayer like that, He might say, “My child, it was good seeing you in My house today—but I wish you had really been there!”  All too often, we bring our bodies to church but nothing else.  Mentally and spiritually we check out, and we leave without worshiping at all.

                The book of Revelation shows many scenes of heavenly worship that can teach us how to approach the living God.  John witnesses angelic worship as the heavenly court celebrates the Lord.  Revelation 4:8-11[i] says:

And the four living creatures, each one of them having six wings, are full of eyes around and within; and day and night they do not cease to say,

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come.”

⁹ And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, ¹⁰ the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

¹¹ “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”

When we worship God, we praise Him for who He is.  Our first desire should never be to ask God for the things we think we need, but simply to love our Lord.  The living creatures sing of God’s holiness.  This word holy means “other” or “different.”  It means that God is not like us.  God’s ways are not our ways and God’s thoughts are not our thoughts.  And that should make us glad—because if God were simply a reflection of who we are, if we had made God in our own image, we would be in trouble.  But God is holy.  Then, these magnificent creatures sing about God’s eternal nature.  Because God is eternal, we know that He is also reliable.  He never changes, but will be as He has been forever.

Next, we see that heavenly worship involves paying honor to God.  No dollars are dropped into the plate, but instead the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks.  I wonder—do you think that God is somehow improved by these gifts, as if He gets more glorious or more powerful than He was before, simply because we give Him glory and power?  No—but He is pleased when we relinquish our own glory and power and strength to Him, recognizing Him as the Source of everything good in our lives.  The twenty-four elders cast their crowns before the throne, rejecting their own treasures and their own egos, declaring instead God’s worthiness to receive glory and power and strength.  At church I’ve seen too many peacock shows with people strutting around showing off their own glory.  Whether it’s proudly parading their fine clothes or flaunting their gifts to the church or reminding people of all the acts of service they’ve performed, they wear their crowns to honor themselves.  Oh, we’ll get crowns in heaven,[ii] but they won’t be for our benefit—they’ll be so that we can have something to abandon at the feet of Jesus.

Finally in this chapter, the elders proclaim, “for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”  Whenever worship happens, worshipers are reminded of the things that God has done.  This is done through the proclamation of the word.  Preachers declare God’s mighty deeds so that worshipers are reminded of God’s worthiness and trustworthiness.

In chapter five, we learn of prayer and music and in heavenly worship.  Verses 8-10 say:

⁸ When He had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. ⁹ And they sang a new song, saying,

“Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.

¹⁰ “You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth.”

                Often at our church we spend more time talking about people on your prayer list than you do actually praying for them.  That’s why I instituted the prayer bowl.  Instead of talking about these prayer needs, we simply fill out a prayer request card before the worship service.  When I lead the congregation in prayer of supplication, I take these cards from the bowl, along with our printed prayer list, and just pray.  Our prayer shouldn’t be a gossip session, but incense lifted before the throne of God.

                Churches ought to have music like there is in heaven.  Yes—there are harps in heaven (and I imagine a thousand other instruments as well) that people use to make melody and harmony before the Lord.  Just as the living creatures sang (and still sing) a new song, our music should always be new in our hearts.  This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t cherish the old songs of the faith—but when we sing them, they should be current and fresh and meaningful in our souls, not dutiful dirges that we sing simply because the music director demands it.  And, of course, it means that we should welcome new songs in our worship services, vibrant expressions of worship that reflect the styles of younger generations and old.

                Imbedded in this new song is proclamation of the Gospel—of what God has done and what we must do.  The Lamb who was slain to redeem His people has now given us a mission to the rest of humanity.  What would worship be without a reminder to the people that they have a task to perform?  Our job is not simply to come to church and worship, but to engage in service, to be a kingdom and priests and ministers to the children of God.

                Verses 11-14 describe “myriads of myriads, thousands of thousands” of angels praising God. 

“And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying,

“To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”

¹⁴ And the four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” And the elders fell down and worshiped.

               

When we worship the Lord, we join in the song of the angels, and raise the cry of all creation, blessing God and recognizing His authority over all.  This word “Amen” is a continuous chant in heaven.  It’s an unending word of submission that means, “Let it be,” declaring God’s sovereignty over the universe and over our individual lives.  And it’s not simply a word of submission, but a gesture of prostration and obedience to God.  So too, our ‘Amen’ ought never to just be the end of our prayers—instead it should be the way we continuously live our prayer throughout the day.

                 Chapter nineteen shows the final scene of worship in the book of Revelation. Four times in the first six verses, a great multitude and the living creatures shout, “Hallelujah!”  This is a compound word, which is a shout of command for the people to give a hallel to Yah.  A hallel is a foolish, crazy, exuberant exclamation of joy.  It’s an enraptured outburst of praise and worship.  Yah is simply an abbreviation of God’s name—Yahweh.  Like David who danced before the Ark, those who shout hallelujahh ought to be undignified before the Lord, giving their all to Him in celebration.

                In verse five, heavenly worship reflects the fact that all people are equal in God’s kingdom.  “And a voice came from the throne, saying, ‘Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.’” People of all social statures are alike in God’s eyes.  All are servants of God.  As it is in heaven, worship in our churches should reflect egalitarianism among the Lord’s people.  No one is less than another, and no one is more important[iii].

                Revelation’s final word on worship is verse seven, where the redeemed say, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”  Worship is the way we prepare ourselves to meet the Bridegroom when He comes.  It’s our garment of praise[iv] that makes us ready to be with our Beloved.  Each Sunday when we come to church, and each day in our private time of worship, we prepare ourselves like a bride for the Lord. 

                Worship on earth ought to be modeled on worship in heaven.  It means preparing ourselves to meet our Master.  When we worship the way the saints in heaven and angels do, we clothe ourselves in beauty as we await the coming King.  Worship means singing and shouting, submitting to God and serving humanity.  I pray that worship in your church and in your heart is genuine, and that you live your ‘hallelujah’ and your ‘amen’ every day.

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[i] Scriptures taken from the NASB.

[ii] “What are the heavenly crowns that believers can receive in Heaven?”  http://www.gotquestions.org/heavenly-crowns.html.  March 11, 2015.  1 Cor 9:24-25; Mt 6:19; 1 Pet 1:3-5; 1 Thes 2:19; Php 4:4; Lk 15:7; Rev 21:4; 2 Tim 4:8; Php 3:20; 1 Pet 5:4; Ac 7:55-56; Isa 42:8; 48:11; Gal 1:5; Rom 8:18; Rev 2:10; Jn 10:10; 4:10; 6:35; 1 Jn 2:25; Jas 1:12; 1 Jn 5:3; Heb 12:2. 

[iii] Mt 20:26; 23:11; Mk 9:35; 10:44

[iv] Isaiah 61:13