Saturday, February 17, 2007
Revelation 11:1-14 ~ Jeff Ludington
Revelation 11:1-14
Pray:
· Pray that we will measure up to God’s values
Vs. 1-2
1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 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.
· John tells us that he is given an implement to measure with
o A reed, or a measuring rod
o Like a “yard stick”
Textual Problem:
· NIV: Dynamic Equivalent
o The translators put together the words that best suited us for the MEANING of the text
· ESV: Literal Equivalent
o The translators tried to do the best WORD FOR WORD translation as possible
· This verse is a good example:
o The word “count” in the NIV doesn’t exist in the original
o It is the same verb from the first half of the verse
(Revelation 11:1-2 ESV)
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple;
· Notice no “count”
The verb “métreeson” which means measured is used for three things:
· The Temple
· The Altar
· And: those who worship there.
Why is this such a big deal Jeff?
· We in the Western Church are so prone to counting;
· When God would prefer we measure!
Example:
· I know how many people come each week (we count)
· I don’t know how many people are involved beyond Saturdays
We think that by sitting in a church service each week that we are living out our Christian Faith:
· How are you serving the poor?
· How are you sharing the message of the Gospel?
· Who are you praying for – praying with?
· What kind of small-group community are giving to and receiving from?
· What area of service inside the church are you giving too?
· Are you consistently giving to the church?
· Are you serving outside the church?
· Are you giving outside the church – in addition to tithing?
How are you living your faith, not just sitting in church?
· That, my friends, is the difference of measuring
· Rather than just simply counting
We are surrounding by a culture who places more value on numbers than it does on value.
· We count to get numbers
· We measure the faith or action of the people to get value
John is told to measure:
· The reason is that there needs to be some discernment
· We need to quit thinking that in Christ - anything is ok.
Vs. 3-5
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that 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.
God has a plan for His followers
· This is why we must measure
· God is able discern who is “in” and who is “out”
· He does it by value, not by quantity
“And I will give power to my two witnesses”
“And they will prophesy”
Two olive trees are out of the vision to Zerubabbel:
Zecheriah 4
Then the angel returned and wakened me. He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord?" "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
· Zerubabbel asks what it is he sees
· God first answers with the key to His measuring system
· “Not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit”
· Notice that it is by God’s Spirit and Empowerment that things are measured
If that had been written today, it may have said:
“Not by attendance, nor by giving, but by My Spirit” says the Lord of 2007
Zerubabbel goes on and asks:
Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand? What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said. So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."
· The two olive trees or branches are those anointed to serve the earth
· Old Testament wording that equals “those anointed to share God’s message”
Now, the lampstands are explained to us in Revelation 1:
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
· The lampstands are the 7 churches
But why do we only see 2 churches represented here?
· We will tackle that after we finish the passage
Vs. 6
6 These men have power to shut up the sky 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.
· These men
o Seen in the OT as those people anointed for the Gospel
o And in the NT as the Church anointed for the Gospel
o So we will just call the 2 witnesses the anointed Church
· The Church is given power to prophesy and do miracles
o The are charged with sharing the Gospel through their lives
o Another word for that is sharing their testimonies
See next verse:
Vs. 7-10
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 street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days men 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.
· We have now discerned between the Church and the World
· Those that are not a part of the Church are called “inhabitants of the earth”
Here is what is transpiring:
· The Church is looked over
· Those who are faithful are called to a task prepared by God
· Those who are called to a task are given power from God to complete it
· They complete their job through God’s power and then are killed
· The inhabitants of the earth celebrate their death
o Because they are evil
o And the faithful are calling sin what it is, sin!
Why you might ask, do they get killed for doing God’s work?
This may sound calloused to you, but their job was completed:
· Our job as faithful Christ-followers is to finish our divine task
· God will see to it that we do that
But, why weren’t they given protection for finishing the job?
· Because God is to get the glory, not them
See next Verse:
Vs. 11-13
11 But after the three and a half days a 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. 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.
· God gave them the greatest gift
o Eternal life
· When they were faithful in this gift
o God gave them a task
· When they completed the task
o God honored His own name through them
· When God had been honored
o They were again blessed by being taken into Heaven
Our issue is that we think that life here is the payoff!
· That is why we measure the wrong way!!!
· We are starting with the wrong set of tools!!!
We asked the question earlier, why are there only 2 churches represented here?
· 2 olive trees, 2 golden lampstands
· Why only 2 churches?
· Measurement!!!
Let’s look at some ways we measure:
· Beauty magazine – image (how you look on the outside)
· Athletic magazine – points scored (works)
· Pregnancy magazine – inner health
The pregnancy looks at ways of seeing the true “health value”, not just looks.
· This is most like God’s value system
· He is looking at our health
o Are we eating right spiritually
§ Bible, prayer, fasting, journalling
o Are we exercising our faith regularly
§ Sharing our faith, serving
o Are we getting check-ups regularly
§ Allowing others in a small group to walk with us
These things help us get at how we are on the inside.
So, how does God measure us?
(Revelation 2-3 – what Jesus says to the Church)
Ephesus:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men. You have persevered and have endured hardships. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
· Ephesus has some good, and some bad
· Good deeds – like the points scoring of the sports magazine
· But, you have lost your first love
They are in need of repentance:
· So, this means that they are not ready for being sent out
o But they also aren’t apostate (completely away from God)
· They also are not OK to stay where they are
o They are in need of change
Not one of the 2 churches being sent out.
Smyrna:
I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
· Not measured by size or wealth
o But measured by character
· They will suffer it says, but they are being sent out!
This is one of the 2 churches being sent out.
I am not going to go through all the churches:
Pergamum & Thyatira:
· They both have good and bad attributes
· These both are in the “needs work” category
Sardis:
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
· The first one with no redeeming values
· God gives a stern warning that they are in danger of eternal punishment
Philadelphia:
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make (your enemies) fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
· Another one of the faithful churches
· This is the 2nd of the 2 churches mentioned
Laodicea:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
· Laodicea has no real redeeming value
· They are told to get straight, or they will end up in utter punishment
Here are the percentages:
2 churches worthy of God’s calling and accomplishing His tasks
· These are the two lampstands or olive branches
· These are the two prepared for ministry and God’s calling
· They are also both smaller, and have no money
· One is called weak!
Not the churches we would consider for ministry if we measured by our standards!
3 churches on the fence: in need of some serious work
· This is where the majority falls
· I would say that this is where a lot of America falls
o Unable to be useful as they are
o But still fixable if they repent and try
These are many of the churches that have large numbers, great programs, and huge budgets; the ones we would pick if we measured on the outside.
2 churches that are not fit to call themselves churches
· One of these churches is large in number
· And the other has a great reputation as a church
· Both are lacking in God’s eyes
Again: how would we measure them?
We are called to measure ourselves, not the way we want to, but by the scriptures:
· The scriptures give us the guidelines
· They tell us how to live to be useful
They are the ones that ask us:
· How are you serving the poor?
· How are you sharing the message of the Gospel?
· Who are you praying for – praying with?
· What kind of small-group community are giving to and receiving from?
· What area of service inside the church are you giving too?
· Are you consistently giving to the church?
· Are you serving outside the church?
· Are you giving outside the church – in addition to tithing?
WE must satisfy this measurement, not our own.
Share the Gospel:
· Our salvation isn’t by works
· We are saved by Grace
· But then called to a life of service to our God
Ephesians 2:7-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Are you ready to be measured by God’s values?
Pray:
· Pray that we will measure up to God’s values
Vs. 1-2
1 I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 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.
· John tells us that he is given an implement to measure with
o A reed, or a measuring rod
o Like a “yard stick”
Textual Problem:
· NIV: Dynamic Equivalent
o The translators put together the words that best suited us for the MEANING of the text
· ESV: Literal Equivalent
o The translators tried to do the best WORD FOR WORD translation as possible
· This verse is a good example:
o The word “count” in the NIV doesn’t exist in the original
o It is the same verb from the first half of the verse
(Revelation 11:1-2 ESV)
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, "Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple;
· Notice no “count”
The verb “métreeson” which means measured is used for three things:
· The Temple
· The Altar
· And: those who worship there.
Why is this such a big deal Jeff?
· We in the Western Church are so prone to counting;
· When God would prefer we measure!
Example:
· I know how many people come each week (we count)
· I don’t know how many people are involved beyond Saturdays
We think that by sitting in a church service each week that we are living out our Christian Faith:
· How are you serving the poor?
· How are you sharing the message of the Gospel?
· Who are you praying for – praying with?
· What kind of small-group community are giving to and receiving from?
· What area of service inside the church are you giving too?
· Are you consistently giving to the church?
· Are you serving outside the church?
· Are you giving outside the church – in addition to tithing?
How are you living your faith, not just sitting in church?
· That, my friends, is the difference of measuring
· Rather than just simply counting
We are surrounding by a culture who places more value on numbers than it does on value.
· We count to get numbers
· We measure the faith or action of the people to get value
John is told to measure:
· The reason is that there needs to be some discernment
· We need to quit thinking that in Christ - anything is ok.
Vs. 3-5
3 And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that 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.
God has a plan for His followers
· This is why we must measure
· God is able discern who is “in” and who is “out”
· He does it by value, not by quantity
“And I will give power to my two witnesses”
“And they will prophesy”
Two olive trees are out of the vision to Zerubabbel:
Zecheriah 4
Then the angel returned and wakened me. He asked me, "What do you see?" I answered, "I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl at the top and seven lights on it, with seven channels to the lights. Also there are two olive trees by it, one on the right of the bowl and the other on its left." I asked the angel, "What are these, my lord?" "This is the word of the LORD to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty.
· Zerubabbel asks what it is he sees
· God first answers with the key to His measuring system
· “Not by power, nor by might, but by My Spirit”
· Notice that it is by God’s Spirit and Empowerment that things are measured
If that had been written today, it may have said:
“Not by attendance, nor by giving, but by My Spirit” says the Lord of 2007
Zerubabbel goes on and asks:
Then I asked the angel, "What are these two olive trees on the right and the left of the lampstand? What are these two olive branches beside the two gold pipes that pour out golden oil?" He replied, "Do you not know what these are?" "No, my lord," I said. So he said, "These are the two who are anointed to serve the Lord of all the earth."
· The two olive trees or branches are those anointed to serve the earth
· Old Testament wording that equals “those anointed to share God’s message”
Now, the lampstands are explained to us in Revelation 1:
Revelation 1:20
The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
· The lampstands are the 7 churches
But why do we only see 2 churches represented here?
· We will tackle that after we finish the passage
Vs. 6
6 These men have power to shut up the sky 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.
· These men
o Seen in the OT as those people anointed for the Gospel
o And in the NT as the Church anointed for the Gospel
o So we will just call the 2 witnesses the anointed Church
· The Church is given power to prophesy and do miracles
o The are charged with sharing the Gospel through their lives
o Another word for that is sharing their testimonies
See next verse:
Vs. 7-10
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 street of the great city, which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 For three and a half days men 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.
· We have now discerned between the Church and the World
· Those that are not a part of the Church are called “inhabitants of the earth”
Here is what is transpiring:
· The Church is looked over
· Those who are faithful are called to a task prepared by God
· Those who are called to a task are given power from God to complete it
· They complete their job through God’s power and then are killed
· The inhabitants of the earth celebrate their death
o Because they are evil
o And the faithful are calling sin what it is, sin!
Why you might ask, do they get killed for doing God’s work?
This may sound calloused to you, but their job was completed:
· Our job as faithful Christ-followers is to finish our divine task
· God will see to it that we do that
But, why weren’t they given protection for finishing the job?
· Because God is to get the glory, not them
See next Verse:
Vs. 11-13
11 But after the three and a half days a 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. 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.
· God gave them the greatest gift
o Eternal life
· When they were faithful in this gift
o God gave them a task
· When they completed the task
o God honored His own name through them
· When God had been honored
o They were again blessed by being taken into Heaven
Our issue is that we think that life here is the payoff!
· That is why we measure the wrong way!!!
· We are starting with the wrong set of tools!!!
We asked the question earlier, why are there only 2 churches represented here?
· 2 olive trees, 2 golden lampstands
· Why only 2 churches?
· Measurement!!!
Let’s look at some ways we measure:
· Beauty magazine – image (how you look on the outside)
· Athletic magazine – points scored (works)
· Pregnancy magazine – inner health
The pregnancy looks at ways of seeing the true “health value”, not just looks.
· This is most like God’s value system
· He is looking at our health
o Are we eating right spiritually
§ Bible, prayer, fasting, journalling
o Are we exercising our faith regularly
§ Sharing our faith, serving
o Are we getting check-ups regularly
§ Allowing others in a small group to walk with us
These things help us get at how we are on the inside.
So, how does God measure us?
(Revelation 2-3 – what Jesus says to the Church)
Ephesus:
I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked men. You have persevered and have endured hardships. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
· Ephesus has some good, and some bad
· Good deeds – like the points scoring of the sports magazine
· But, you have lost your first love
They are in need of repentance:
· So, this means that they are not ready for being sent out
o But they also aren’t apostate (completely away from God)
· They also are not OK to stay where they are
o They are in need of change
Not one of the 2 churches being sent out.
Smyrna:
I know your afflictions and your poverty — yet you are rich! I know the slander of those who say they are Jews and are not. Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.
· Not measured by size or wealth
o But measured by character
· They will suffer it says, but they are being sent out!
This is one of the 2 churches being sent out.
I am not going to go through all the churches:
Pergamum & Thyatira:
· They both have good and bad attributes
· These both are in the “needs work” category
Sardis:
I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. 2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.
· The first one with no redeeming values
· God gives a stern warning that they are in danger of eternal punishment
Philadelphia:
I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. I will make (your enemies) fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you.
· Another one of the faithful churches
· This is the 2nd of the 2 churches mentioned
Laodicea:
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
· Laodicea has no real redeeming value
· They are told to get straight, or they will end up in utter punishment
Here are the percentages:
2 churches worthy of God’s calling and accomplishing His tasks
· These are the two lampstands or olive branches
· These are the two prepared for ministry and God’s calling
· They are also both smaller, and have no money
· One is called weak!
Not the churches we would consider for ministry if we measured by our standards!
3 churches on the fence: in need of some serious work
· This is where the majority falls
· I would say that this is where a lot of America falls
o Unable to be useful as they are
o But still fixable if they repent and try
These are many of the churches that have large numbers, great programs, and huge budgets; the ones we would pick if we measured on the outside.
2 churches that are not fit to call themselves churches
· One of these churches is large in number
· And the other has a great reputation as a church
· Both are lacking in God’s eyes
Again: how would we measure them?
We are called to measure ourselves, not the way we want to, but by the scriptures:
· The scriptures give us the guidelines
· They tell us how to live to be useful
They are the ones that ask us:
· How are you serving the poor?
· How are you sharing the message of the Gospel?
· Who are you praying for – praying with?
· What kind of small-group community are giving to and receiving from?
· What area of service inside the church are you giving too?
· Are you consistently giving to the church?
· Are you serving outside the church?
· Are you giving outside the church – in addition to tithing?
WE must satisfy this measurement, not our own.
Share the Gospel:
· Our salvation isn’t by works
· We are saved by Grace
· But then called to a life of service to our God
Ephesians 2:7-10
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
Are you ready to be measured by God’s values?
Saturday, February 03, 2007
Revelation 10 ~ Jeff Ludington
Revelation 10
Recap:
Prayer:
Vs. 1-3
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.
· Thank God, John doesn’t start off boring!
· Immediately we have a picture of Christ or something like Him
“another mighty angel coming down from heaven”
· The rest of the description beyond this really speaks to something that should be Jesus
· But! – this says “another”
o SO: is it another mighty being messenger
o OR: is it another appearance of Jesus
“robed in a cloud”
· We see this description consistent throughout scripture
· A robe signifies a picture of some type of royalty and/or honor
· A cloud gives us the idea of divine presence
o We see the cloud surrounding Mt. Sinai in Exodus
o Jesus ascends in a cloud in Acts
o Hebrews talks about it as well
· So, it leads us as bible readers to see this a Jesus here
“a rainbow above his head”
· Unless you were born in Long Beach, Frisco
· A rainbow is symbolic of God’s covenant to Noah
Noah:
· 1700 years after creation
· God destroyed the wickedness on Earth by a flood
· Only 8 people survived
· A God promised not to destroy the entire planet by a flood again
Introduce:
- sweet verses sour idea using the grace verse flood
Notice that we have not had destruction in Revelation by flood!
· In spite of all of the destruction and difficulty
· God is faithful
· Jesus is seen here honoring the covenant relationship with humanity!
“His face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars”
· Very reminiscent of Chapter 1
· You can go back and listen to that one for more info
Only Jesus could have all these attributes:
· We see Jesus described like this in Chapter 1
· We then see him “looking like a lamb who was slain” in Chapter 4
· We see Him here now
Remember: This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John
· We are supposed to learn more about Him
· We are supposed to see more of Him
· We are supposed to walk away with a different perspective
· So, we get many views of our King and our Lord
Vs. 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,
· Now this scroll is open in His hands
· We watched the scroll get opened one seal at a time in Chapters 4-6
· Now it is open, and it is available for the whole world
o We see this by land and sea
o Bothered covered by this divine messenger
Sea and Land:
· This shows us that this divine message held in His hand is for the whole Earth
Vs. 3
3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
· Again, very Christ-like
· Lion = the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
7 Thunders:
· Seven thunders probably speak to the power in Jesus voice
· The first comment is about a shout that sounds like a lion roaring
· The next is 7 thunders
Possibly a tie to a Psalm 29
Psalms 29
A psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
There is power in the voice of Jesus Christ!!!
· Revelation 1 – like the rushing waters
· Psalm 29
o Thunder
o Lightning
o Shakes the desert
o Cracks the trees
Vs. 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."
· When I read this, I want to scream
o “Why now?”
o “It was just getting good!”
o “Don’t seal it up!!!”
· Jesus speaks … but John is told not to write it down
· But clearly, we don’t understand all that God is doing here
A very similar thing happens in the Book of Daniel:
Daniel 12:5-9
Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
Sometimes, the plan of God is yet to be revealed!
Vs. 5
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."
· There will come a day when all of God’s plans will be revealed
It is also true that God’s plans are revealed daily:
· How many of us have sat around praying about stuff and waiting
· Then, one day, it happens
· God reveals Himself to you
· God opens your eyes to something
· God gives you a new step of faith to take…
So, not only will all of God’s plans be made known someday, many are made known with each new day.
· God is constantly revealing Himself on Earth
Vs. 8
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."
· Jesus is holding the open scroll
· He tells John to take the open scroll
Many see this as the distribution of God’s Word 500 years ago in the Reformation:
· In the 7 Seals and the first 6 Trumpets we have seen a lot of tribulation
· We have see the Earth suffer
· The church persecuted
· Those outside the church be punished
· And now, there is a reprieve between sufferings
During the Reformation the Bible was printed for the lay-person in over 9 languages in Europe alone!
So this time of trials and suffering pauses for just a bit:
· And the pause centers around a book or a scroll
· We see that we even get a reprieve when we dive into scripture
John is commanded to take it from Jesus:
Vs. 9-End
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."
So why does it taste sweet and then turn sour?
· Kind of a confusing passage
· We get the word of God tasting sweet
o But not it turning sour in the stomach
o That doesn’t make sense to us
Let’s see what it says:
· He takes the scroll, or the Word of God
· He eats it, or takes it all in
· It tastes sweet to him
o But then it turns in his stomach
· Then he is commanded to go prophesy again to many people
The response to God’s call on our lives isn’t always just sweet and easy!
· Often it is very difficult
· Often it leaves us very nervous and sour in the stomach
Consider this from the things in John’s past:
John: Heard the words of life from Jesus Himself
· How sweet it must have tasted to hear those very words
· Then those words told John that he would watch his Lord die
o Sour must have been one of the feelings he felt
o Can you imagine the knots in John’s stomach as Jesus was crucified?
John: went out and preached the Gospel to many
· How sweet to see so many lives changed
· As we know from History, John was boiled in oil for his efforts in the Gospel
o A very sour price to say the least
John: went and planted churches in Asia Minor
· A very sweet assignment
o The ability to minister to the people
o The charge of sharing the sweet words of Christ to the un-churched
· Then he was imprisoned for his efforts of faith
o Another very sour feeling of isolation on Patmos
Most of all:
· John was given the sweetest thing of all
o He was ushered into Heaven
o He saw the very throne-room of God
o He saw the Lamb that was slain
o He saw the angelic host and the Elders worshipping before the throne
o He participated in the greatest worship event ever held
· But, then – he saw the most horrible thing of all
o Destruction of his fellow man
o The planet God created – was being destroyed by it’s creator
o People persecuting the church
o People misleading one another
Friends, there is nothing more sour that John could have seen!
As well as no sweeter scene than the one in Heaven
The Word of God is:
· A fountain of living waters flowing over us
· A river of peace that washes all fear and pain away
Also the Word of God is:
· A double-edged sword
· Dividing soul and spirit
· Bone and marrow
Friends, how do we God’s Word today?
· Do we take the bad with the good?
Are we willing to do what it takes, even when it turns our stomach bitter with knots?
CONSIDER THE GOSPEL:
· Not the one we tell, but the one Jesus lived!
Share the Gospel:
· Christ must have had a sour knotted stomach in the Garden of GethsemaneBut the sweet taste of grace overpowered it
Recap:
Prayer:
Vs. 1-3
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.
· Thank God, John doesn’t start off boring!
· Immediately we have a picture of Christ or something like Him
“another mighty angel coming down from heaven”
· The rest of the description beyond this really speaks to something that should be Jesus
· But! – this says “another”
o SO: is it another mighty being messenger
o OR: is it another appearance of Jesus
“robed in a cloud”
· We see this description consistent throughout scripture
· A robe signifies a picture of some type of royalty and/or honor
· A cloud gives us the idea of divine presence
o We see the cloud surrounding Mt. Sinai in Exodus
o Jesus ascends in a cloud in Acts
o Hebrews talks about it as well
· So, it leads us as bible readers to see this a Jesus here
“a rainbow above his head”
· Unless you were born in Long Beach, Frisco
· A rainbow is symbolic of God’s covenant to Noah
Noah:
· 1700 years after creation
· God destroyed the wickedness on Earth by a flood
· Only 8 people survived
· A God promised not to destroy the entire planet by a flood again
Introduce:
- sweet verses sour idea using the grace verse flood
Notice that we have not had destruction in Revelation by flood!
· In spite of all of the destruction and difficulty
· God is faithful
· Jesus is seen here honoring the covenant relationship with humanity!
“His face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars”
· Very reminiscent of Chapter 1
· You can go back and listen to that one for more info
Only Jesus could have all these attributes:
· We see Jesus described like this in Chapter 1
· We then see him “looking like a lamb who was slain” in Chapter 4
· We see Him here now
Remember: This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ to John
· We are supposed to learn more about Him
· We are supposed to see more of Him
· We are supposed to walk away with a different perspective
· So, we get many views of our King and our Lord
Vs. 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,
· Now this scroll is open in His hands
· We watched the scroll get opened one seal at a time in Chapters 4-6
· Now it is open, and it is available for the whole world
o We see this by land and sea
o Bothered covered by this divine messenger
Sea and Land:
· This shows us that this divine message held in His hand is for the whole Earth
Vs. 3
3 and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
· Again, very Christ-like
· Lion = the Lion of the Tribe of Judah
7 Thunders:
· Seven thunders probably speak to the power in Jesus voice
· The first comment is about a shout that sounds like a lion roaring
· The next is 7 thunders
Possibly a tie to a Psalm 29
Psalms 29
A psalm of David. Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness. The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders, the LORD thunders over the mighty waters. The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is majestic. The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, Sirion like a young wild ox. The voice of the LORD strikes with flashes of lightning. The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh. The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare. And in his temple all cry, "Glory!"
There is power in the voice of Jesus Christ!!!
· Revelation 1 – like the rushing waters
· Psalm 29
o Thunder
o Lightning
o Shakes the desert
o Cracks the trees
Vs. 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."
· When I read this, I want to scream
o “Why now?”
o “It was just getting good!”
o “Don’t seal it up!!!”
· Jesus speaks … but John is told not to write it down
· But clearly, we don’t understand all that God is doing here
A very similar thing happens in the Book of Daniel:
Daniel 12:5-9
Then I, Daniel, looked, and there before me stood two others, one on this bank of the river and one on the opposite bank. One of them said to the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, "How long will it be before these astonishing things are fulfilled?" The man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, lifted his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and I heard him swear by him who lives forever, saying, "It will be for a time, times and half a time. When the power of the holy people has been finally broken, all these things will be completed." I heard, but I did not understand. So I asked, "My lord, what will the outcome of all this be?" He replied, "Go your way, Daniel, because the words are closed up and sealed until the time of the end.
Sometimes, the plan of God is yet to be revealed!
Vs. 5
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."
· There will come a day when all of God’s plans will be revealed
It is also true that God’s plans are revealed daily:
· How many of us have sat around praying about stuff and waiting
· Then, one day, it happens
· God reveals Himself to you
· God opens your eyes to something
· God gives you a new step of faith to take…
So, not only will all of God’s plans be made known someday, many are made known with each new day.
· God is constantly revealing Himself on Earth
Vs. 8
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."
· Jesus is holding the open scroll
· He tells John to take the open scroll
Many see this as the distribution of God’s Word 500 years ago in the Reformation:
· In the 7 Seals and the first 6 Trumpets we have seen a lot of tribulation
· We have see the Earth suffer
· The church persecuted
· Those outside the church be punished
· And now, there is a reprieve between sufferings
During the Reformation the Bible was printed for the lay-person in over 9 languages in Europe alone!
So this time of trials and suffering pauses for just a bit:
· And the pause centers around a book or a scroll
· We see that we even get a reprieve when we dive into scripture
John is commanded to take it from Jesus:
Vs. 9-End
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."
So why does it taste sweet and then turn sour?
· Kind of a confusing passage
· We get the word of God tasting sweet
o But not it turning sour in the stomach
o That doesn’t make sense to us
Let’s see what it says:
· He takes the scroll, or the Word of God
· He eats it, or takes it all in
· It tastes sweet to him
o But then it turns in his stomach
· Then he is commanded to go prophesy again to many people
The response to God’s call on our lives isn’t always just sweet and easy!
· Often it is very difficult
· Often it leaves us very nervous and sour in the stomach
Consider this from the things in John’s past:
John: Heard the words of life from Jesus Himself
· How sweet it must have tasted to hear those very words
· Then those words told John that he would watch his Lord die
o Sour must have been one of the feelings he felt
o Can you imagine the knots in John’s stomach as Jesus was crucified?
John: went out and preached the Gospel to many
· How sweet to see so many lives changed
· As we know from History, John was boiled in oil for his efforts in the Gospel
o A very sour price to say the least
John: went and planted churches in Asia Minor
· A very sweet assignment
o The ability to minister to the people
o The charge of sharing the sweet words of Christ to the un-churched
· Then he was imprisoned for his efforts of faith
o Another very sour feeling of isolation on Patmos
Most of all:
· John was given the sweetest thing of all
o He was ushered into Heaven
o He saw the very throne-room of God
o He saw the Lamb that was slain
o He saw the angelic host and the Elders worshipping before the throne
o He participated in the greatest worship event ever held
· But, then – he saw the most horrible thing of all
o Destruction of his fellow man
o The planet God created – was being destroyed by it’s creator
o People persecuting the church
o People misleading one another
Friends, there is nothing more sour that John could have seen!
As well as no sweeter scene than the one in Heaven
The Word of God is:
· A fountain of living waters flowing over us
· A river of peace that washes all fear and pain away
Also the Word of God is:
· A double-edged sword
· Dividing soul and spirit
· Bone and marrow
Friends, how do we God’s Word today?
· Do we take the bad with the good?
Are we willing to do what it takes, even when it turns our stomach bitter with knots?
CONSIDER THE GOSPEL:
· Not the one we tell, but the one Jesus lived!
Share the Gospel:
· Christ must have had a sour knotted stomach in the Garden of GethsemaneBut the sweet taste of grace overpowered it
