“Worship God!” (Revelation 15:1-4)

God’s Judgment

What image comes to your mind when you hear the word “judgment”? Many people consider the word judgment to be negative. But today’s scripture (chs. 15-18) convinces us that we need a God of judgment. We need God’s righteous judgment.

During World War II, some men in a German prisoner of war camp received a secret message that Germany had surrendered to the Allies, but it was three more days before the Germans at the camp heard that news. During those three days, their miserable circumstances were no different than before, but their spirits were uplifted only because they now had hope. The news was certain, but not yet realized.[1]

Today’s scripture tells us the twofold aspect of the gospel. When Jesus returns, when Jesus executes the judgment, it’s a day of liberation, a day of vengeance, a day of salvation for God’s people. God will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be gone, tears gone, crying gone, pain gone. But as for the disobedient, it’s a day of destruction, a day of dreadful judgment.

Judgment on Egypt 

In Revelation 15 and 16 John sees the vision of the seven bowls and the seven plagues, which reminds us of God’s judgment on Egypt. When God brought his justice, it was a day of salvation for Israel, and at the same time, it was a day of destruction for Egypt. The Israelites groaned under their slavery for 430 years. They cried out for help and justice for 430 years. God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God saw what was going on with Israel. And he knew it was time to act (cf. Ex 2:24-25). Through the hands of Moses God brought his justice, his judgment on the Egyptians – the ten plagues. Ten chances to repent! Ten chances to humble themselves and turn to God! But Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he just refused to let the Israelites go. He refused to repent. So Pharaoh and his people perished. Through God’s judgment on the Egyptians Israel was saved.

Judgment on Babylon 

We see the same pattern here in Revelation 15-16. In this vision each of the seven angels pours his bowl, which is filled with the wrath of God. Like Pharaoh, those who endure the first five of the plagues harden their hearts, curse God, do not repent. The day of God’s judgment is coming.

In the next two whole chapters, 17 and 18, we see who Babylon the Harlot is (ch. 17) and how she is fallen (ch. 18). In the immediate context, which is in the first century AD, Babylon was Rome – invincible, luxury, enlightened, idolatrous, immoral, proud, godless. The Bible clearly tells us that Babylon was not just Rome. But Babylon has flourished throughout the world. Babylon is Vanity Fair, wherever it exists. And it will continue to exist until the day of judgment comes.

In his book Pilgrim’s Progress John Bunyan vividly describes Babylon, Vanity Fair – what it looks like in today’s world. The devil and his agents saw the path made by the pilgrims on their way to the Celestial City. So they set up a vanity fair – open and ongoing the whole year. At this fair they sell such merchandise as houses, land… honors, promotions, titles… lusts, and pleasures of all sorts, including things such as wives, husbands, children… silver, gold, pearls, precious stones, and much more. They also offer constant entertainment and other amusements of every kind. Here visitors can also find free offers that include thefts, murders, adulteries, perjuries.[2] When Christian and Faithful arrived at the fair, one merchant asked them, “What will you buy?” The pilgrims answered, “We buy the truth.” Then the merchant and others began to mock them, abuse them, beat them, put them into a cage, and later one fo them, Faithful, eventually died a martyr there.

One time Jesus said to his disciples about the signs of the end times, “But be on your guard. Don't let the sharp edge of your expectation get dulled by parties and drinking and shopping (literally, self-indulgence, drunkenness, and cares of this life). Otherwise, that Day is going to take you by complete surprise, spring on you suddenly like a trap” (Lk 21:34 MSG). So Jesus prayed for us, “Holy Father, protect them from the evil one. Though they may live in the world [Babylon], may they not be of the world. May they not follow or be captive to the ways of the world [Babylonian ways]” (cf. John 17:11, 14-16). Like the Apostle John, may we hear the voice from heaven saying: "Come out of her [Babylon], my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues” (Rev 18:4 NIV).

“It Is Done!” 

God’s glory was revealed through his judgment on the Egyptians. God’s glory will be revealed through his judgment on Babylon on the last day. But not only that, God reveals his glory and himself as a God who is merciful and just, as he executes his righteous judgment shown on the cross. When the seventh angel pours his bowl into the air, a loud cry comes out of the throne, saying, “It is done” (16:17). The exact same Greek verb was used when Jesus cried from the cross, “It is done” (John 19:30). The wrath of God is finished!

Suppose you are twenty and just have your car. One day you drive 105 mph in a 55 mph zone. You’re just flying. The cop has you on radar and you’re done. They impound your car, and bring you straight to the courthouse to face the judge. The good news is that your dad at that time happens to be the judge for that case. So now you’re thinking that you’re golden. He loves you, he’ll let you off, everything will be fine. But as you are entering the courthouse, your remember that your dad is a really good judge. He never punishes the innocent. He always punishes the guilty. He is a good and just judge. Now you’re a little nervous. He is your good, loving dad, but at the same time, he is a just judge. So he looks at you and says, “That will be $500 or a week in jail. Guilty as charged.” Then, he stands up, takes off his robe and walks down from behind the bench. He takes out his checkbook and writes the court a check for $500, paying that penalty himself, on your behalf.[3]

That’s what God did on the cross. We were dead because of our sins. We were stuck in our old-dead life, we were incapable of responding to God. But God brought us alive. He forgave us all our sins. God did it on the cross. He canceled the record of the charges against us (“scarlet letter”) and took it away, nailing it to the cross. On the cross he disarmed the enemy and his agents. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross! (Col 2:13-15) On the cross God has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son. It is done!

It’s done: the great transaction’s done!

I am the Lord’s and he is mine;

He drew me and I followed on,

Charmed to confess the voice divine.

Happy day, happy day, 

when Jesus washed my sins away!

He taught me how to watch and pray,

And live rejoicing every day.

Happy day, happy day, 

when Jesus washed my sins away!

Worship God 

For those who hear the good news and believe in Jesus, the day of judgment is “Happy Day.” It’s a day of liberation. It’s a day of salvation. So in today’s passage, Revelation 15:1-4, when God brings his righteous judgments, his people sing and worship, saying,

"Great and amazing are your deeds, Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, King of the nations! Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your judgments have been revealed.”

Worship God. That’s the purpose of the whole book of Revelation. That's the point of all God's judgments from beginning to end – Worship God. Don't worship the wealth of Babylon, don't worship the power of Babylon, don't worship the pleasures of Babylon. Come out of it right now, my people, and worship God!

Worship is not one-hour performance a week. Worship is not the performance of a routine of hymns and prayers and preaching. Worship is a lifestyle. Worship is all of life – a life before God, a life with God 24/7. In Romans 12:1 Paul says, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” I like the way Eugene Peterson translates this verse, saying, “Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering.”

The day of last judgment is coming. Jesus said, “See, I am coming like a thief!” (Rev 16:15) So brothers and sisters in Christ, let us stay awake. Let us encourage one another as we see the Day approaching. Let us come out of Babylon and worship God. Let us show his worth by the way we use our time, our money, our life. Then the day of judgment will be a day of rejoicing. Amen.

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[1] Steven J. Cole, “Lesson 98: Why You Need the Old Testament” (Romans 15:4), https://bible.org/seriespage/lesson-98-why-you-need-old-testament-romans-154
[2] John Bunyan, Pilgrim’s Progress (Aneko Press), 99-100.
[3] “The Judge Illustration,” The Compass: A Tool for Disciplers, https://www.cru.org/content/dam/cru/legacy/2012/01/thejudgeillustration.pdf

“Three Enemies and Three Victories” (Revelation 14:6-13)

The Art of War

Ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu, in his book The Art of War, tells us an aspect of warfare and how it applies to military strategy and tactics. Some of the phrases are so famous and are still quoted in the Chinese modern proverb. One of them is this: “知己知彼, 百戰不殆” (If you know your enemy and know yourself, you can win numerous (literally, "a hundred") battles without jeopardy).

The same applies to our spiritual battle. Today’s scripture (chs 12-14) reveals the identity of the enemy – who they are and what their strategy and tactics are. Then, it also tells us how God protects and strengthens his people, and how God empowers them to win the battles.

Three Enemies 

Basically, the devil has his three allies – his own false trinity: “the beast out of the sea,’ ‘the beast out of the earth,’ and ‘Babylon the Prostitute.’ The first beast – the beast out of the sea represents physical persecution (13:1-10). He has an impressive show of power – ten crowned horns and seven heads. He is given a mouth to blaspheme God. He is also given power to persecute the church. The second beast – the beast out of the earth represents intellectual false teaching (13:11-18). He has two horns just like a lamb, masquerading as a counterpart to Christ the Lamb. He performs miraculous signs, deceives the people on earth, and makes them worship the first beast. The third ally is Babylon which represents moral compromise (14:8; ch. 17-18). She is described as seductive prostitute who devours the church and its saints. In the early church the devil tried to crush the church by force. He tried to mislead the church by false teaching and by distracting the apostles from their ministry of the Word. He also tried to corrupt the church by the moral hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira. Then and now, the enemy’s tactics are always the same: physical persecution, intellectual false teaching, and moral compromise.

Worship 

The battle is intense. We hear the news that Christian persecution has spread to more corners of the globe today. We hear the news that many pastors lose their ministries and their churches suffer because of moral failure. We see that the pulpit of this day in many churches is getting weak and powerless because of false teaching. The battle doesn’t seem to be going in our favor. Then, how can we regain our strength and win the battle?

The first three visions – the beast visions and Babylon vision – reveal the identity of the enemy, penetrating the hoax of evil. The next three visions reveal our support system. First is worship. John sees the Lamb leading worship on Mount Zion (14:1-5). We are so easily entangled with our sins – anger, greed, lust, pride, selfishness, and so on. Our life is so easily distracted and fragmented. If you find yourself stressed and out-of-perspective, the best cure for this is worship. In Psalm 73 the psalmist was so upset, frustrated, stressed, out-of-perspective, because he saw the prosperity of the wicked in this world. Then he said this: “Still, when I tried to figure it out, all I got was a splitting headache… Until I entered the sanctuary of God. Then I saw the whole picture” (16-17 MSG). Yes! When we come to this place and worship, then and only then, we see the whole picture. We see the Lamb on the throne who reigns over the nations forever. Then we find our fragmented lives corrected and restored. Then we find that our life is put in perspective. Probably many of us in this room have experience that the computer is frozen for some reason. In most cases, the best way to resolve the issue is to reboot the computer. Worship is like rebooting our life, rebooting our relationship with God.

Preaching 

The second vision is preaching. John sees three angels preaching sermons from a pulpit in midheaven (14:6-13). He hears “the eternal gospel”: Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again. There is nothing new. Everything in the Revelation can be found in the previous 65 books of the Bible. The gospel is already revealed in Christ, preached by Christ. But there is a new way to say it. Probably John already heard the gospel numerous times. But as he is going through the darkest valley, now he does see, taste, hear, feel, smell the gospel in a new, personal way. And he is sustained, encouraged, strengthened by it. As a poet and pastor, now he passes on what he saw, tasted, heard, felt, smelled to other suffering Christians. Let me ask you: When was the last time your soul was nourished and renewed by the gospel? When was the last time the gospel of Jesus Christ did speak to your heart in a personal way? Christ has died… He came for you. He took up your sins. He died in your place. You are forgiven. You are accepted. You are beloved; Christ is risen… He lives. He is with you today. He is always near to strengthen you, help you, sustain you. You are not alone; Christ will come again… Be prepared. Live for eternity. Set your heart on the kingdom of God!

The Bible says, “For our struggle is not against human opponents, but against the devil and all his agents” (Eph 6:12). So we must fight in a right way. We must put on the full armor of God. Particularly, we need the word of God – the only offensive weapon. Perhaps preaching tells us nothing new. But still today, God saves, sustains, strengthens his people through the foolishness of preaching (cf. 1 Co 1:21).

Holy Living

The third vision is holy living. John sees the Son of Man harvesting the fields (14:14-20). This vision shows us that while we are doing our best to keep God’s commands and to cultivate a life of holiness in a weed-filled world, we are being helped and made whole. In C. S. Lewis’ book The Screwtape Letters a senior demon Screwtape mentors his nephew Wormwood. One of his advice is as follows:

The great thing is to prevent his doing anything. As long as he does not convert it into action, it does not matter how much he thinks about this new repentance. Let the little brute wallow in it. Let him, if he has any bent that way, write a book about it; that is often an excellent way of sterilizing the seeds which the enemy [God] plants in a human soul. Let him do anything but act. No amount of piety in his imagination and affections will harm us if we can keep it out of his will. As one of the humans has said, active habits are strengthened by repetition but passive ones are weakened. The more often he feels without acting, the less he will be able ever to act, and, in the long run, the less he will be able to feel.[1]

God still speaks today. His Holy Spirit constantly speaks to our heart. But how often we ignore the Voice – the promptings of the Holy Spirit! How often we become numb to the voices of those in distress around us! But as we humbly listen, really listen, and do God’s will, our soul will find rest and security in the shadow of God’s wings.

God Is Able

Worship, preaching, holy living – these are our three weapons and our support system to win our spiritual battle. These three are much stronger than any tactics of the devil.

As I close, I want to share the life of John Wesley – how he was helped as he engaged in worship, listened to the preaching of the gospel, practiced a holy life. In his early years Wesley preached, taught, wrote, and even gave himself to missionary work. But deep inside, he was spiritually bankrupt – restless, helpless, powerless. But by God’s grace he kept going anyway. He never stopped worshipping, never stopped listening to the gospel, never stopped doing God’s will. Listen to his own words: “In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther’s preface to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed.” After his conversion, there were times Wesley struggled and doubted. But he kept going, kept practicing – worshipping God, listening to the word, doing the word.

Whether we want to be or not, we are in the battle. It can be physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, or moral. Whatever battle we have, our God is able. He is able to save us, help us, sustain us. So brothers and sisters in Christ, be strong and stand your ground. And don’t hold back. Come, worship God with all your heart, listen to the word with all your soul, throw yourselves into the work of the Lord with all your strength. “May God send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion” (Ps 20:2). Amen.

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[1] C. S. Lewis. The Screwtape Letters, Kindle Locations 487-492 of 1201.

“The Little Scroll and the Two Witnesses” (Revelation 10:8-11)

Titanic & Revelation

On April 10, 1912 the Titanic left Southampton, UK. She carried 2,224 passengers and crew. On April 14, four days later she hit an iceberg and sank into the North Atlantic Ocean. It caused the deaths of more than 1,500 people. Then, how many iceberg warnings did the Titanic receive? Reports show that there were at least 21 different warnings that the Titanic did receive from other boats. On the 11th April, she received 6 warnings; 5 more on the 12th; 3 more on the 13th; and 7 on the 14th. By the time the Titanic wanted to change course, it was too late.

Last year from fall through spring we studied the first half of the Book of Revelation (chs 1-9). From this week we will continue to explore the rest of the book (chs 10-22). Most scholars agree that chapters 8 to 11 of Revelation are difficult to interpret. In these chapters we see the visions of the 7th seal, the trumpets, the little scroll and the two witnesses. It is hard to understand the meaning of each vision. However, these visions have consistent sequence and unifying message, that is, “a call to repentance.” When we read these chapters, we should be able to see the word WARNING flashing in red lights all over the place. It’s God’s wake-up call for the unbelieving world, the wake-up call for nominal church, the wake-up call for sleeping Christians.

The Little Scroll and the Two Witnesses 

In chapters 8 and 9 the Apostle John saw six angels blow their trumpets one by one. Each angel brought their own plagues. The purpose of all these plagues was to wake up those who lived in this world. But the people who did not die in these plagues still refused to repent of their evil deeds and turn to God. They continued to worship their idols and go on their ways. John saw all this tragedy through the vision of the trumpets. He must have been sad. But then, in chapter 10 he heard the voice from heaven saying, “Take it [the little scroll], and eat; it will be bitter to your stomach, but sweet as honey in your mouth” (9). Here what does the little scroll stand for? It represents the word of God – particularly the gospel of Jesus Christ. The word of God is like a double-edged sword. “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Heb 4:12, NIV) When we receive the word humbly, it is sweet to our soul. It gives joy to the heart. It gives us wisdom. It gives light to the eyes. It revives us (cf. Ps 19:7-8). But the word of God can be also bitter when it is rejected. For instance, Jeremiah preached the word to his congregation, and the message was rejected. In Jeremiah 20:8 he says, “For the word of the Lord has become for me a reproach and derision all day long!”

Whether the word is sweet or bitter, whether the word is accepted or rejected, John is now ordered to preach it to all people. He is called to be a witness. Then, in chapter 11 God shows him a role model to follow. John sees the vision of the two witnesses. The two witnesses represent the witnessing and suffering church. They prophesy with the Spirit and power of God to turn the hearts of the people to God. They have power to shut up the sky. They have power to turn the waters into blood. They have power to devour their enemies. But at the same time, they prophesy in sackcloth. Not only do they convict the people of sin and call them to repentance, but also they become a part of the peoples’ story. They consider the peoples’ sins their own, and they mourn and repent in sackcloth. After the two witnesses have finished their testimony, a strange thing happens. The beast comes up, attack them, and overpower them, and kill them. Many people gloat over them and rejoice. Why does God allow the enemy to attack the two witnesses [his church]? It is because this is God’s way to bring people to himself. The two witnesses are slain but after the three and a half days they are raised from the dead. Because of this, unlike the unrepentant people in chapter 9 the remnants come back to God. In 11:13 the Bible says, “The survivors were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.” The death and resurrection of the witnesses exactly parallels the death and resurrection of Christ. God’s way of salvation is “victory through suffering.” Jesus Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God (1Co 1:24), but at the same time, he has become a part of our story. He carried our sin and died for us. By his substitutionary suffering and death Jesus brought all of us to God the Father and himself.

Salt of the Earth 

As I shared earlier, the two witnesses represent the church. We are all witnesses. But what does it mean to be a witness in our daily lives? I think Jesus already answered this question. Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” First, being a witness means being salt. What is the function of salt? It is to prevent decay. Its main function is to preserve and to act as an antiseptic. When Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth,” it implies that the world has a tendency to become polluted, fallen, sinful and bad. If you read the first six chapters of Genesis, you will find this tendency. Wickedness of humankind is everywhere. The world is sinful and evil. That’s what the Bible has to say about this world. And Jesus said that we [Christians] are the salt of the earth. Seawater doesn’t decay easily, because it contains salt. Do you know how much percentage seawater has salt? The answer is about 3.5%. This 3.5% of salt preserves wholesomeness and prevents decay. Even one true Christian’s presence makes all the difference.

Once John Wesley visited those working at factories in the town of Epworth. In his journal he described their manner in this way: “The whole conversation of these was profane and loose to the last degree.” But he kept visiting anyway. Some of the workers began to join one of his prayer meetings. After this,

The whole scene was changed. In three of the factories, no more lewdness or profaneness was found, for God had put a new song in their mouth, and blasphemies were turned to praise. Those three I visited today, and I found religion had taken deep root in them. No trifling word was heard among them, and they watch over each other in love. I found it exceedingly good to be there, and we rejoiced together in the God of our salvation.[1]

The power of one. The power of salt. We are called to be salt.

Light of the World 

Jesus also said, “You are the light of the world.” Being a witness means being light. The first thing light does is to expose the darkness. Not only that, it also explains the cause of the darkness. Many religions and thinkers have been trying to explain what is wrong with the world without success. We Christians have the light which explains the situation. The trouble with humankind is not in their intellect, it is in their nature – sinful nature. By nature fallen man and woman love darkness rather than light. They are separated from God. They are not in the right relationship with God. So though they know what is right, they prefer and do what is evil (cf. John 3:19).

But praise God. Light not only expose the darkness and the cause of the darkness, but it also provides the way out of the darkness. The gospel alone proclaims that the fundamental problem is the problem of a sinful nature. And the gospel alone offers a permanent cure for this: “You must be born again.” What we need is not more of education, new political policies, or conferences. What we need is a new nature, new heart, new wills and affections that will love the light and hate the darkness. The Christian is the light that shows how people can have this new nature. We are the ones who must tell them Jesus is the way, Jesus makes us new person with new desires and a new orientation, Jesus gives us new life – life in the light.

More of the Holy Spirit 

We are salt and light. We are a witness for Jesus. But in order to be a true witness, we need the power of the Holy Spirit. John Wesley’s final sermon at Oxford university was to be filled with the Holy Spirit. The faculty argued that they didn’t need to hear that message. Wesley said, “Jesus’ twelve disciples lived a life together with Jesus for three years. They walked with him, talked with him, dined with him. But still, they had to wait until the Holy Spirit came to them. You and I have never seen Jesus face to face. Then, how much more do we need to be filled with the Holy Spirit to be his witness?” Then, he expounded what it means to be filled with the Holy Spirit. He said that it does not mean that all speak in tongues. It does not mean all the gift of healing, or of prophesy, or of teaching, etc. What it does mean, Wesley said, is to have the mind and the Spirit of Christ, that is, the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Wesley challenged his people as follows:

May it not be … that so many of you are a generation of triflers; triflers with God, with one another, and with your own souls? For, how few of you spend, from one week to another, a single hour in private prayer! How few have any thought of God in the general tenor of your conversation! Who of you is in any degree acquainted with the work of his Spirit, his supernatural work in the souls of men? Can you bear, unless now and then in a church, any talk of the Holy Ghost?[2]

May God give us grace to examine ourselves. May God give us the mind and the Spirit of Christ. May we bear abundant, genuine fruits of the Holy Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – in our life, that people may see and give glory to God the Father in heaven. Amen.

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[1] William J. Abraham, Key United Methodist Beliefs (Abingdon Press. Kindle Edition), 73.
[2] John Wesley, “Scriptural Christianity,” preached at St Mary’s, Oxford, before the university (Aug 24, 1744).