The other side of Good News: The Wrath of God

The Wrath of God

Romans 1:18-24

Today we are going to go from midway through the 1^st chapter of Romans all the way to the end of the third chapter of Romans.

I would really encourage all of you to read through Romans yourself throughout the week to get the finer details of what Paul is saying, but I will state this. If you do not see chapters 1, 2, and 3 as one single unit, you will likely become confused.

I say that because if I were to bog down in one aspect of Romans 1 through 3, I would likely get confused. Not really, but there are some devices Paul uses in communicating with the Romans that if we were to look in isolation of some of those arguments, it would seem to say the opposite of what the final conclusion is.

So rather than do what I have seen some preachers do and go painstakingly through Romans verse by verse and even spend weeks or months on a single verse, I want us to look at it with the bottom line in view. What is the point.

Last week I preached on the Good News, the Gospel, which is God’s Only Son Provides Eternal Life. Eternal Life is not simply going to Heaven when you die. Eternal Life is knowing God intimately as the only true God. It’s having a relationship right now with Jesus Christ. Eternal Life is having God’s Holy Spirit in you, the God of the universe living through you. Christ in You, the Hope of all Glory.

In your bulletin, you will see an outline of chapters 1b through 3,

1. The Wrath of God and the immoral/unrighteous Romans 1:17-32

2. The Wrath of God and the moral/self-righteous    Romans 2:1-16

3. The Wrath of God and the religious/overly righteous              Romans 2:17-Romans 3:6

When I read the book of Romans, I’m reminded of a little story I read when I was a kid about a man telling a friend about his adventure of getting to fly in an airplane and his friend said well that’s good.

     That’s bad bc. the plane flew upside down and I fell out.

No, that’s good because I had a parachute.

   That’s bad because the parachute didn’t work.

no that’s good because down below I saw a haystack.

    That’s bad because I saw a pitchfork in the haystack

no that’s good because I missed the pitchfork.

     that’s bad because I also missed the haystack.

no that’s good because I landed in a lake right beside it.

     that’s bad because bad because I couldn’t swim.

no that’s good bc a man nearby jumped in to save me.

     That’s bad bc he was a lawyer and said I had to pay him

No, that’s good, bc he helped me sue the airlines and I got a million dollars

     You better believe that’s good.

What brings the wrath and judgment of God?

1.         Perversion of God’s Righteousness:

“suppress the truth” (v 18) and then later they “exchanged the truth of God into a lie…” (Romans 1:25a).

People exchanged the truth about God for a lie, embracing idolatry and false beliefs. When we distort the truth, we open the door to all kinds of immorality.

¹⁸ For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, ¹⁹ because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, ²¹ because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. ²² Professing to be wise, they became fools, ²³ and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

2.         Progression of UnRighteousness:

God gave them over to their lusts and impurity. Sin begets more sin. Their idolatry led to shameless immorality and unnatural acts.

“God gave them up to uncleanness… dishonoring their own bodies” (Romans 1:24).

²⁴ Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, ²⁵ who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. ²⁶ For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. ²⁷ Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

3.         Penalty of Rejection (26 items):

Humanity willingly forsook God, and He abandoned them.

Rejecting God leads to a complete moral breakdown.

²⁸ And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; ²⁹ being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, ³⁰ backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, ³¹ undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; ³² who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

    In summary, Romans 1:24-32 serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of turning away from God. May we heed this warning and seek His truth and righteousness. To say that “I was born this way, so that makes it okay,” is not correct. We were born in sin.

    Paul was writing from Corinth in Greece where there were all types of immorality going on, temple prostitution, idolatry, rejection of virtually every one of the ten commandments. Pretty much like what we see today.

2. The Wrath of God and the moral/self-righteous    Romans 2:1-16

Paul recognized however within himself, that he too was a person who was born with a sin nature and he will get into that in chapter seven. He recognized as he was in Corinth that even though he knew what was the law (In other words, he reminds both sides of the church—that we are ALL sinners. We have the same problem—we are equally hopeless without Jesus.

In fact, of the three types of people he was speaking to, I think this category of the moral self-righteous people, Paul was speaking most to himself.

As your pastor, I have to caution myself in this area. I think bible study teachers, deacons, church leaders, all need to really consider this aspect more so than Romans 1 and more so than the end of Romans 2 and the first part of Romans 3.

Notice that the wrath of God is mentioned the most in this passage.  Read Romans 2, beginning in verse 5

But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

What Paul is saying here is to the Romans and also to GracePointe, don’t forget that you goody two-shoes people who don’t struggle with the immorality and the irreligious things listed in Romans 1, don’t be so self-righteous because you needs God’s grace too.

Some of the hardest people to convert to Christianity are those who are morally good because they don’t compare themselves to God, but rather to other people.

But the wrath of God comes to everyone who does not rely on salvation by faith through Jesus Christ.

There is no partiality with God. Wrath comes to everyone but also so does grace.

3. The Wrath of God and the religious/legalist/overly righteous            Romans 2:17-Romans 3:6

Thirdly, Paul knew he was writing to Jewish believers in Rome. He knew what he was like when Paul was a legalistic, hyper religious, overly righteous person.

It was the religious Jewish leaders that Jesus had the greatest problem with and the most harshest criticism of.

In fact, if you read the sermon on the mount and the beatitudes and even beyond that, Jesus was raising the bar from the Old Testament, not lowering it.

You think you are doing great because you haven’t murdered? Don’t murder with having anger in your heart. You never committed adultery? Don’t lust in your heart. ]

Paul writes to those Jewish and religious people who are so busy keeping the law and reminding them that they too will face the wrath of God.

We often don’t read Romans 3:23 in context. The context is not so much the immoral but rather the overly moral, the hyper religious, that they too need grace because they too are sinners.

21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all  who believe. For there is no difference (No difference in the irreligious, the religious and the hyperreligious); 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation (that means the sacrifice that brought sinner and savior together) by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

Now I am going to jump over chapter 4 and come back to it next week just to give you an idea where we are going in the next few weeks. Before we leave the wrath of God, Paul brings it up again in chapter 5.

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 

James Boice in his commentary about Romans chapters 1-4 concludes with the following true story from a time when Thomas Harris wrote a book of pop psychology called I’m Okay—You’re Okay.

Shortly after that book came out John Gerstner, Professor at Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, used that book as a jumping off place for the story from when he and his wife had been in Kashmir.

They were returning from a shopping expedition in a little boat that had just pulled up beside a larger junk near the shore. There was a bump, and some water splashed on them. The owner of the boat got very agitated, yelling and gesturing for them to get out. 

Gerstner told how said to his wife, “See how excitable this fellow is? We get a little water splashed on us, and you would think it was a catastrophe of the first order.” The driver got more and more agitated and Gerstner kept saying, “It’s okay…It’s okay.” 

Finally, the owner of the boat got so excited that he broke out of the dialect he had been using, which the Gerstners had been unable to understand, and shouted. “It no okay!!!” 

At this they got the message and quickly climbed onto the shore.  The owner then threw his grandchild up to them and climbed out himself.

When they turned around the boat was gone. The hull had been punctured in the collision and the undertow had quickly swallowed their boat. If the Gerstners had delayed a moment longer, they would have been swallowed up with it.

This is the message of these first chapters of Romans, “It no OK. Society no OK. I am NOT O.K. You are not O.K. Jew and Gentile—No one is O.K.” And the sooner we admit that we are NOT okay and turn to the One Who knows that we are not, but Who offers us a way of salvation anyway, the better off we will be.

When we prevail in prayer...

 On Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at GracePointe Church, we are going through the seven portraits of prayer. However, there is another portrait in prayer, perhaps the most famous prayer portrait of all, found in our Daily Audio Bible reading for today.

In Genesis 32 there is a fascinating story about Jacob wrestling with an angel, whom Jacob later identified as a bodily, human manifestation of God.

Jacob was about to encounter someone whom he thought was his mortal enemy: his own brother, Esau. Jacob sent his wives, his children, all of his possessions and was left alone to wrestle with God.

Jacob had been a deceiver. Jacob had also been deceived. However, it was time for Jacob to come home and face his past, but before he could face his past, God showed up so Jacob could face his God in prevailing prayer.

First, notice prevailing prayer can come upon us in an instant. The man/Angel of the Lord came upon Jacob suddenly. Jacob was no stranger to visiting with angels or messengers from God. Look at verse 1 earlier in the chapter. Even before that, he had seen angels going up and down on a literal, spiritual stairway to heaven (see Genesis 28:12 and following verses). But here, in Genesis 32:24, there was no warning that this man/Angel of the Lord was going to come upon him.

We need to be ready and prepared to be in prayer and even wrestle with God about our needs. Luke 21:36 says, “Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

We also need to be prepared not only in prayer but also in the Word. 2 Timothy 4:1 says to “be instant” to preach the word. Be prepared to patiently encourage, correct, and even rebuke with the right doctrine.

Secondly, we need to not only be prepared, but we need to be persistent in prayer. Jacob wrestled all night in his struggle. Don’t you sometime wish God would just instantly answer us? If we are to be instant in prayer, why can’t He be instant in answering? The truth is God’s delays are not God’s denials, but in fact God’s delays are God’s desires!

God wants us to be persistent in prayer. Look at Luke 18 and the woman who kept coming to the unrighteous judge. How much more does God want us to come to Him, the righteous judge.

Thirdly, God was us to prevail. Have you ever play-wrestled with your kids? Isn’t it funny we don’t see moms doing it as much as dads? I’ve seen some dads who pin their kids down again and again and pretty soon, the kids don’t want to “play wrestle” because they always lose.

But what happens when dads let their kids pin the dads down? Nothing makes the kids squeal with delight than when that happens. And doesn’t that seem like what’s happening with Jacob and his all-night wrestling match? So much so that God changed the name of Jacob, the deceiver, to Israel, the Prevailer! “Prince of God”.

There’s one last lesson to learn from prevailing prayer and that is the price. The Angel of the Lord touched Jacob’s hip and caused him to henceforth walk with the limp. There’s a cost to discipleship. There is a price we pay in prayer. Life’s greatest lessons we learn often cause us to limp as reminder of the price, the sacrifice we make to see God face to face.

Jacob called the place Peniel, the Face of God. 2 Chronicles calls us to seek God’s face. “If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Psalm 27:8 cries out to us: When You said, “Seek My face,” My heart said to You, “Your face, LORD, I will seek.”

While Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have separated you from your God;

And your sins have hidden His face from you, So that He will not hear,” Jesus promises us that the pure in heart are blessed because they will see God (Matthew 5:8)

Be prepared to wrestle with God, persistent in prayer, and even “prevail” with God, because He WANTS you to win. But there is a price to pay: the cost of us being pure and separating from our sins.

But don’t “let go” of God in prayer. If we hang on to Him, He’ll bless you with a new name, a new identity, and a testimony of us being forever changed.

Substance of Hope, Evidence of Unseen (Hebrews 11:1)

    A lot of people want to go to Heaven, especially in comparison with the alternative of hell, but sadly many Christians are more interested in laying up treasures on earth, even though Jesus said that’s where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal (Matthew 6:19). 

    An avid fisher-woman told me that she wasn’t too excited about going to Heaven, saying if Heaven was better than her sitting by the water with her fishing rod, she just didn’t think she could handle it. 

    Another Christian I know was defending his lifestyle of not glorifying the Lord. His response was he was saved by grace and didn't care anything about living for Christ now and laying up rewards in Heaven. "I don't care about a mansion in glory," he said. "As long as I have a tiny little shack on the outskirts of Heaven, that would be fine with me." 

    Such a low view of Heaven and a high view of Earth is not Biblical, especially in light of Hebrews chapter 11. One way to keep our focus on Heaven is to first define what it means to have faith and second to see what faith in action looks like. 

     Hebrews chapter 11 defines faith in verse 1 and demonstrates faith throughout the rest of the chapter. Hebrews 10 introduces chapter 11 with words like “full assurance of faith” (10:22), “confidence” (10:19, 35), and “not shrink back”. Since we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), the question of “What is faith?” is a good one. 

    King James and New King James versions use the word "substance" to translate the word hupostasis of what is "hoped for". That word is similar in sound and spelling but in in sharp contrast with two similar words for “shrink back”: hupostoles and hupostello in the previous two verses of chapter 10. Let's look at how the writer leads into the wonderful chapter 11, or what many call the "Hall of Faith".

 

    "Shrinking back" leads to destruction, but the “certainty” and “assurance” of faith leads to the testimonies in chapter 11.

     The word "substance" in 11:1 is translated into English in several ways, including "substance" (KJV, NKJV), "confidence" (NIV11, YLT, NLT, TCNT), "assurance" (NASB95, ESV, LSB), "being sure" (NIV84, NET, NCV), "certainty" (NASB20, Adams), "reality" (CSB, HCSB, CEB). All those words mean basically the same thing with a little different nuance. Those words describing and defining "faith" are the basis for our “hope”. Paul gives a great explanation of unseen but eagerly anticipated “hope” in Romans 8:20-25.

²⁰ For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in HOPE; ²¹ because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. ²² For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. 23 Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴ For we were saved in this HOPE, but HOPE that is seen is not HOPE; for why does one still HOPE for what he sees? ²⁵ But if we HOPE for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.

     After the certainty of things hoped for, we see that Faith is also the conviction of “things not seen”. This thought found also found in a similar passage in James 2:18, when the writer said he would “show his faith by his works”. Faith is unseen, but the proof of faith, seen in its actions, is undeniable.

Still in need of prayer

I am so appreciative of people who have expressed their prayers for me in this endeavor of 

Seven Portraits of Prayer. 

I am also amazed that this is taking so long, so please pray and read through these pages and send me an email (not a message here as I often do not see these messages) if you find any improvements I can make before this goes to print production.

Even if you have already gone through these devotionals, click on them again, as you will find these prayer devotionals have been updated, now going seven days a week, morning and evening, for seven weeks.

 Click here to discover "Portraits in Prayer"  

Revelation 14: The 144,000, 3 flying angels, 2 harvests

     Revelation’s Chapter 12 is an overview of the spiritual war in heaven and the battle between the dragon and the woman and her offspring. Chapter 13 is an overview of the anti-Christ (beast out of the sea) and the false prophet (beast out of the earth). 

     Chapter 14 is an overview of the final half of the Tribulation, also called the 3 ½ year Great Tribulation. Its three parts are about the 144,000’s victorious standing with the Lamb, the three angelic proclamations, and the two sickle harvests.  

 

¹ Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. ² And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps. ³ They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. ⁴ These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. ⁵ And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.

 

Is this the same 144,000 as in Chapter 7? Some have questioned whether these are the same people mentioned in chapter seven (including Tim LaHaye). Others have questioned whether these are in heaven or still on earth. Zion is the hill just east of the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and is first mentioned as a stronghold taken by King David (2 Sam. 5:6-10). If this is the earthly Zion, then it must be a foreshadow as the Lamb of God will not come until the end of the Tribulation. When Christ returns, He will come and cause the Mount of Olives to split in two, falling to the north and south (Zechariah 14:4). 

However, in the New Testament, Mount Zion symbolizes heaven (Heb. 12:22), and it appears that following the resurrection of the two witnesses (Revelation 11), the 144,000 are also taken to heaven either through death or Rapture. If through Rapture, this is the firstfruits of the Jewish to God and to the Lamb.

There is a similarity in these who are taken to heaven and those who are in heaven in chapter 5. There is singing, harps, and redemption. The word “redeemed” means to buy in a marketplace (See 1 Corinthians 6:20, 7:23, and 2 Peter 2:1). Jesus bought us with the very price of His life, and it especially is significant that these 144,000 were purchased out of the Great Tribulation. They apparently did not believe until after the Rapture, but these Jewish men were among the firstfruits of the Tribulation, and perhaps were among the converts of the two witnesses, believed to be Elijah and Enoch.

They had been sealed during the first part of the Tribulation, but not for the entirety of it. They and other believers who are saved during the Tribulation will be blessed by coming out of the horrible events to come. A singular voice out of heaven which sounds like many waters has to be that of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:15). 

While many will be redeemed out of the Tribulation (Revelation 7:9-14, a multitude no one could number), these 144,000 have special privileges, including singing a song that no one else could sing. While most commentators have said that these are not necessarily virgins, but rather faithful men, a literal reading of the text indicates just that, and even Paul attested to the fact that abstaining from marital and sexual distractions is favorable with the Lord’s soon return (1 Corinthians 7:29). That they are without deceit, guile or fault does not mean they were perfect, for they had apparently rejected Christ until the Rapture, but it means that they were morally without reproach before men and even before God, much like Job and Noah were deemed by God as morally impeccable. Obviously, they were not without sin at all, for none of humanity is (Romans 3:23).

⁶ Then I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth--to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people-- ⁷ saying with a loud voice, “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come; and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and springs of water.” ⁸ And another angel followed, saying, “Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.” ⁹ Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, ¹⁰ he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. ¹¹ And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” ¹² Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. ¹³ Then I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.’” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.”

 

Another angel flying in heaven refers all the way back to Revelation 8:13, when an angel proclaimed the three woes upon the earth. This angel is the first of three angels proclaiming messages of salvation, destruction, and ultimately damnation if the inhabitants take the mark of the beast or worships him. If the 144,000 taken out of the earth leaves a void, it’s possible that God, in His immeasurable love, will send an angelic messenger to proclaim salvation and warnings. Others have theorized that the angels (Gr: aggelos aggelos) are messengers, possibly satellite broadcasts, sent around the world for all to receive. Either way, the earth is without excuse for not receiving salvation. The first message is the everlasting gospel or good news. The gospel has always been the same (Genesis 3:15; Romans 4:3). People will be saved the same way in the Tribulation, through faith, but it begins with the fear of God (verse 7). 

God created everything and is about to bring creation to a closing hour of judgment. Secondly, another angel warns of the fall of Babylon. This is not “that great city” of Babylon of old, for Isaiah 13:20 prophesies that that city will never be rebuilt again, at least not to its former grandeur. It is interesting to note that Saddam Hussein attempted to restore Babylon’s glory in the 1980s and he and the city’s rebuilding was put to a halt in the Gulf War in the 1990s and again in the Iraq war.

What is “Babylon”? It is a religious and political (the Greek word of city is polis  polis) system with both worship and economical effects around the world. There will be a one-world government, monetary system and religious system, centering in an area or city known for its fornication, which does not necessarily mean solely sexual immorality. It appears to be the fornication which causes people to fall away from God spiritually. Spiritual adultery is a far greater sin against God than marital infidelity, although today’s society is seeing an increase in both. The third message declares the assured judgment of God of those who worship the beast and his image, and the phrase “wine of the wrath” connects both God and the judgment of those who commit fornication with Babylon.

The wrath of God includes eternal fire and brimstone punishment. Many people will say that hell is the absence of God. Not true, as the Bible declares God is everywhere (Psalm 139:8), and even the Lamb is present in the unbelievers’ punishment. Hell is only the absence of God’s love but is the full presence of Him and His judgment. Heaven is the opposite. It is the presence of God’s mercy, but the absence of His righteous punishment of sin. However, the patient endurance of the saints to the end will result in everlasting life and rewards.

¹⁴ Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud sat One like the Son of Man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. ¹⁵ And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Thrust in Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” ¹⁶ So He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle on the earth, and the earth was reaped. ¹⁷ Then another angel came out of the temple, which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. ¹⁸ And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” ¹⁹ So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. ²⁰ And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs.

Christ talked about the end times being a time of harvest by the angels (Matthew 13:24-30). With Christ on the clouds with his golden crown and a sharp sickle, He first has a harvest of those who have been saved, a good and ripe harvest. The second harvest is one of judgment, filled with wrath. The blood coming up to the horse’s bridles for one thousand six hundred furlongs or about 180 miles refers likely symbolically to the massive distance in which tremendous bloodshed will take place from Megiddo on the north (Zechariah 12:11; Revelation 16:16) to Edom and Petra in the country of Jordan on the south (Isaiah 34:5-6; 63:1).

The Revelation of the False Prophet (Revelation 13b)

The first beast mentioned in Revelation 11:7 is Satan. The second beast seen in Revelation 13:1 is the anti-Christ, described by John F. Walvoord as a “world dictator”. In Revelation 13:11, we see the third beast, the false prophet who, like the anti-Christ, is a human, and together they will be thrown alive into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20), where Satan will eventually also join them (Revelation 20:10). Walvoord says this regarding that verse:

                                                                                                                        

According to verse 7, the beast from the bottomless pit, which is none other than Satan himself, makes war against them and overcomes them and kills them. Of interest is the fact that this is the first of thirty-six references in Revelation to the beast (Gr., therion)… The beast out of the pit is Satan. The beast out of the sea is the world dictator (13:1). The beast out of the land is the false religious leader of that day (13:11). This unholy trinity is the satanic counterfeit of the divine Trinity, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (For further discussion see exposition of 13:1-4; 17:7-8.) 

Though humans, both the second and third beast will personify the world’s political structure (the revived Roman Empire) and the ungodly religious structure

While the second beast, the anti-Christ, will have a political and a military hue, the third beast out of the earth; that is, the false prophet, will have a decidedly religious color. He will have spirits of demons coming out of his mouth, deceiving the world, working miracles, and causing the world to worship the anti-Christ and his image and even give animation to the image of the anti-Christ.

 

¹¹ Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth, and he had two horns like a lamb and spoke like a dragon. ¹²And he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. ¹³ He performs great signs, so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men. ¹⁴ And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived. ¹⁵ He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed.

 

Here is the false prophet, coming out of the earth; he is “another” beast, like the one which came up out of the sea. He will be a religious leader, like Christ (“like a lamb”), yet have the voice and teachings of Satan. He will be a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Like the two true witnesses, the false prophet will also have great powers, even calling down fire, so that perhaps those deceived will falsely think they are worshipping the true God. Verse 12 states that the first beast (that is, the first beast mentioned in chapter 13, the anti-Christ) will have a deadly wound that will be healed. The word wound is also translated at plague (plege) in 9:20; 11:6; 15:1, 6, 8; 16:9, 21; 18:4, 8; 21:9; 22:19. 

Verse 14 explains that such a wound will receive pneuma or also translated as spirit or breath. The word “image”, eikon, from which we get the word “icon” can also be translated as “statue” or likeness. However, it will be different than a mere statue or image. It will have pneuma and will be able to speak and even cause people not worshipping the image to be killed. Several verses state that both beast and image will be worshipped (14:9, 11, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4). 

 

¹⁶ He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. ¹⁸ Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666.

 

There is a connection between the mark, the name of the beast and the number of his name (verse 17). “whoever receives the mark of his name” (14:11), “those who have the victory over the beast, over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name” (15:2).

Initially, the mark of the beast is economical, perhaps with an increasingly cashless society, counterfeit money, international banking, and more identity thefts, this is one sure way that people are correctly identified in regard to buying and selling. 

Quickly however, the mark turns into something more religious. An angel warns against worshipping the beast and receiving his mark (14:9, 11). Those receiving the mark were likely to also worship him and were punished with sores (16:2). Those who received the mark did so initially by deception (19:20). And eventually, those who do not receive the mark will be beheaded (20:4).

There are far too many calculations of the number to justify any further speculations. Since it was originally thought to be Caesar (but even then, you have to misspell his name or spell it “Neron Kaisar” in Hebrew), there are far too many ways to make any number of people’s names to equal 666. Since we know that the anti-Christ will not be revealed until after the Rapture, this wisdom and understanding is not for us to know but will be made evident when those who are left behind need to know.

Should we be afraid of technologies that allow chips to be implanted under our skin for identification? We should be aware that such technology is coming, and it should heighten our awareness that time is short. 

Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) sounds remarkably similar to giving pneuma to an icon. If such systems as implanted chips, vaccines to heal the wound/"plague", and artificially intelligent machines becomes mandatory and there are no options, then yes, it would be something that should be avoided. 

Again, we as current Christians will not be on earth at this time, but there are indications that those who are saved during the Tribulation might be able to lose our salvation, unlike now. Only those who "endure to the end", will be saved (Matthew 10:22, Mark 13:13). Revelation 2:10 encourages that being faithful until death will ensure the crown of life. However, the resistance of such technology by Christians is likely just why the true mark of the beast cannot be administered until the church is first “snatched away.”

The Revelation of the anti-Christ (Revelation 13a)

In a previous chapter, we have seen the first beast in Revelation 11:7, who is the dragon/Satan. Here, in chapter 13, the second and third beasts of the book of Revelation are presented (13:1-4 and 13:11). Satan was the star that fell out of heaven in Revelation 9:1, who opened the bottomless pit/abyss in 9:2, who is the king of the 200 million demons/locusts in Revelation 9:11. The second beast appears, at least from the perspective of John standing on the shore of the Mediterranean, to come up out of the sea. This “beast” is a human being, with a number of a man, but receiving power, kingdom and authority from Satan. The third beast comes from the earth or the land.

 

¹ Then I stood on the sand of the sea. And I saw a beast rising up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name. ² Now the beast which I saw was like a leopard, his feet were like the feet of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. The dragon gave him his power, his throne, and great authority. ³ And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast.

 

Whether John, in his vision, is on Patmos or on the shore of Israel, it is not clear, but a beast appears to arise from out of the sea. This could mean that the beast will be Roman (see Revelation 17:9) or European, which is implied in Daniel 9:26 when it says he will be of the people who destroy Jerusalem. He even could be American, of European descent, with the appearance of arising out of the sea. The “beast” of the anti-Christ will be alive and likely an adult during the period just before the Rapture, and possibly already a political leader, known to those in the church. However, he will not be revealed until after the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:3), and even then, he will sign a covenant with many nations (Daniel 9:27).  He will be great in speech and appearance (Daniel 7:20), cunningly deceitful and outwardly peaceable (Daniel 11:21), a world leader, controlling its economy (Revelation 13:7, 16-17).

What are the seven heads? The seven heads are seven earthly kingdoms, six are in the past and the seventh (that of the anti-Christ) is coming during the Tribulation. The seven heads and ten horns are identical to the dragon in Revelation 12:3 (“And another sign appeared in heaven: behold, a great, fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns, and seven diadems on his heads”), and are also identical to the scarlet beast (the false prophet/“the beast out of the earth”) ridden by a woman in Revelation 17:3 (“So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns”).

In Revelation 17:9-10, the seven heads are identified as seven mountains on which the woman sits. “⁹Here is the mind which has wisdom: The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits. ¹⁰ There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time.” Notice the angel said that the seven heads are seven mountains and in addition, there are also seven kings; therefore, the seven heads/mountains are related to but distinct and separate from the seven kings. In Revelation 12:3, the seven heads are also related to but distinct and separate from the seven diadems/crowns. It can be safely assumed that the heads/mountains are not literal mountains and are not individuals, but rather are seven kingdoms of the seven kings.

Revelation 17:10 says that five of the kings and their kingdoms had already fallen in John’s day. One king or kingdom was in existence in John’s day, and another had not come. Those five fallen kingdoms were enemies and oppressors of Israel: Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Medes/Persia and Greece. The sixth “head” in existence in John’s day was Rome.  Revelation 17:10 says the seventh head (the revived Roman empire) will only remain a short time.

In Revelation 13:3, one of the heads appeared as though it had been mortally wounded. Many have said that the anti-Christ will appear to have been raised from the dead. However, a consistent reading of “heads” as “kingdoms” will show that the kingdom (one of the heads of the beast) of the anti-Christ will appear to be healed from its mortal wound. A word-for-word translation of the Greek is “as having been slain to death and the wound of its death was healed.” Read Revelation 13:3 along with Revelation 17:11 which says, “¹¹ And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition.” In other words, out of the slain kingdom (“head”) will miraculously come an eighth king, the anti-Christ, who will be as bad as all of the seven previous enemies of Israel combined. Thus the “eighth” will not be a head at all, but the beast itself. He is the “little horn” that arises out of Daniel’s fourth beast with ten horns (Daniel 7:8).

What are the ten horns? The ten horns are ten national leaders in the Tribulation, led by the anti-Christ. They are the same as the ten crowns. In chapter 17, the seven kings (five of which had already fallen) are not the same as the ten horns (kings), which the angel says in 17:12 are “ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.” In the same way, the seven crowns/diadems in Revelation 12:3 are different than the ten crowns in chapters 13:1 and 17:3. Only Satan, the dragon, is described with having the seven diadems/crowns.

In other words, John’s description of the anti-Christ is a culmination of Daniel’s four beasts all rolled up into one.  Recall what Daniel wrote in Daniel 7:

³ And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. ⁴ The first was like a lion (Babylon), and had eagle’s wings... ⁵ And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear (Medo Persia)... ⁶ After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard (Greece), which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it. ⁷ After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast (Rome), dreadful and terrible, exceedingly strong. It had huge iron teeth; it was devouring, breaking in pieces, and trampling the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.

The beast of Revelation is described as a combination of all four beasts or kingdoms of Daniel. This future beast will “like a leopard,” that is, having the form and organization of noble and cultural Greece (symbolized by Daniel as a leopard), the powerful and awful claws and feet of the Medes and Persia (bear), and the devouring mouth of Babylon (lion), and the power of Satan himself (Daniel’s powerful fourth beast). All of these are arch-enemies of Israel, and the anti-Christ will be worse than any enemy before.

What are the seven diadems in Revelation 12:3? The ten crowns mentioned in Revelation 13 and 17 are ten end-times leaders who follow the anti-Christ and the false prophet in the future. However, the seven diadems in chapter 12 are unique to the dragon.

During the lead up to the Tribulation and even during the first half, there will be world-wide kingdom power that oppresses Israel. The kingdom power will be comprised of ten kings or nations, which give their allegiance to the beast, the anti-Christ. But this man will then attempt to assume the place of Christ and of God and seek worship, the worship which ultimately go back to Satan, the dragon.

⁴ So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” ⁵ And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months.

The calamities described in the first nine chapters will give rise to a world leader, to whom the unbelievers will give utmost allegiance to and even ascribe worship to. The world may even be deceived to believe that the beast is truly Jesus Christ, and the dragon is truly Jehovah God. The beast will not contradict them and will continue to rise in power for 42 months, or the first three-and-a-half years. At that time, he will cease all sacrifices, go into the temple in Jerusalem, and declare himself to be God (2 Thess. 2:4).

⁶ Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. ⁷ It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. ⁸ All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. ⁹ If anyone has an ear, let him hear. ¹⁰ He who leads into captivity shall go into captivity; he who kills with the sword must be killed with the sword. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints.

While the remnant of Israel was shown as the woman in Chapter 12 as to escape from the wrath of the dragon, many will be overcome or killed. Everyone who is not a believer in Christ will worship the anti-Christ. Verse 10 is an encouragement to those who are captured or killed, that they will be redeemed. Such an encouragement will produce patience and faith of the believers.

The Stars and Scars of Christmas

 The late Adrian Rogers, who pastored Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, preached a sermon entitled "The Stars and Scars of Christmas." The star points to way to the Child, and the scars point the way to heaven.

Desk of Pastor Adrian Rogers, 
housed at Southwestern Baptist
Theological Seminary, Fort Worth

"You picture the baby in the manger, and you see those little, dimpled feet. Those little, dimpled feet would someday be pierced with a searing, cruel nail. Those little, chubby hands would one day bear scars, so important that He carried them with Him to heaven as a souvenir of His visit to earth. The only man-made things in heaven are the scars of Jesus Christ, telling thw world that Jesus suffered, He sympathizes, and He saves." Bob Billups, publisher of GC2 Press, has graciously invited me to write again for the Bible Study material to come out in June of 2023. The first time was from my favorite book of the Bible, the Gospel of John, and this time on my favorite topic: heaven. By the way, you can save shipping and get today a DIGITAL version of "The Beauty of Restoration," an in-depth study based on the final chapters of the gospel of John, leading right up to the beginning of Lent, which begins February 22, 2023. OVERVIEW: "Was there a time you were committed to Christ and actively served the Lord with gladness? Was there a time you met the Lord each day for a quiet time of prayer and study? "But not now. "Have you wandered away in your walk with Jesus? Here’s the good news. Jesus will restore you if you meet Him at the Cross. That’s what happened to the Apostle John. He ran away. He deserted the Lord, but he met Jesus back at the cross. And Jesus restored John…and Jesus also restored Peter…and Jesus can restore you too. "Do you want to be restored? Like John, you may have known the Lord for a long time, but something caused you to slip away from the side of Jesus. It’s time for you to come back. The Bible says, 'Come near to God and He will come near to you.' (James 4:8 NIV) "Come to the cross. It is only there that you can witness how wide and long and high and deep is the love that Christ has for you. And when you meet Him there, the first thing Jesus says to you is, “I’m glad you are back. I’ve missed you. I want to restore you to a place where you lean on me. Now, I have a job for you. Take care of my people. Serve me again. I have a cross for you. Take it up and follow me” and discover The Beauty of Restoration $3.50 SKU: GC2001350-PDFSG