Harmony #83: The Word That Endures (Matthew 23-24; Mark 12; Luke 20-21)

Over the past several weeks, we’ve seen a theme.

Jesus cleanses the temple and withers the fig tree (a symbol of Jewish religious leaders) to prophecy the end of the Sadducees as the priestly line, as well as the end of the Jerusalem Temple as ground zero of the Kingdom of God.

The Kingdom’s mantle will be passed to the church, where all are priests[1] and, as Jesus told the Samaritan woman, you won’t have to ask what mountain to go to in order to worship in the right temple. God’s people will worship in Spirit and in Truth[2] in the new temple: us as individuals[3], and us in community[4].

The Sadducees challenge him. Jesus responds to these three challenges by highlighting why they “withered at the root”:

• compromising relationship with Rome

• lack of knowledge concerning the Scripture

• misunderstanding of the power of God

• · lack of love

Jesus isn’t done. Now it’s time to teach.

 (Matthew 23:1-3, 5-12; Mark 12:38-40; Luke 20:45-47)

As all the people were listening to his teaching, Jesus said to his disciples, “Beware of the experts in the law and the Pharisees who [read the Torah] on Moses’ seat. Pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach.

They devour widows’ property and will receive a more severe punishment. They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they like walking around in long robes, with their phylacteries wide and their tassels long, and as a show make long prayers. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues, and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces.

They love to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ.

The greatest among you will be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.”

I highlighted Jesus’ conclusion because I’m not sure this is as much about using titles as it is about the danger of pride, of wanting those titles to be exalted. This is a contrast of attitudes, not roles. So, let’s update the list.

• compromising relationship with Rome

• lack of knowledge concerning the Scripture

• misunderstanding of the power of God

• lack of love

• lack of service and humility

Then, in good rabbinic fashion, Jesus points to something happening around them to contrast the Sadducees with an unexpected hero.

 (Mark 12:41-44; Luke 21:1-4)

Then Jesus sat down opposite the offering box, and watched the crowd putting coins into it. Many rich people were throwing their gifts of large amounts into the offering box. He also saw a poor widow come and put in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny.

He called his disciples and said to them, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the offering box than all the others. For they all offered their gifts out of their wealth. But she, out of her poverty, put in what she had to live on, everything she had.”

True worship will be costly. If we really worship, we will feel it. As David once said, “I will not give God sacrifices that cost me nothing.”[5] Jesus point out a contrast between the widow and the religious leaders living in luxury and making a show of their generosity, which turned out not to be that generous after all. It was nothing to them.

Jesus was going to need spiritual leaders in his new church who knew what it meant to be “broken and spilled out” for those around them. This will come true in the lives of the disciples and the apostles like Paul. Almost all of them will pay with their lives.

There is a place in Paul’s letter to Corinth where we see some exasperation. He is writing about false teachers making a show about how impressive they are: “super apostles” who are great speakers, who elevate themselves, and who evidently get rich off of the people they are supposed to be serving. He says they are “masquerading as servants of righteousness.” Then he basically says, “Listen, if we are looking for pumped up resumes, check this out.” At one point he cites what he has gone through.

“I have been in prison more frequently, been flogged more severely, and been exposed to death again and again.  Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move.

I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. 

Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches. Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn? If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness.” (2 Corinthians 11:23-30)

You would never have heard a Sadducee boast in that. Their boast was in the luxury and comfort that followed their compromise with the Romans. Clearly they were blessed by God because they prospered financially, physically and socially, right? They looked impressive – on Roman terms. Jesus flipped that table when he flipped their physical tables in the Temple. What was the most impressive resume of the follower of Jesus? Worship and love of God expressed in love of neighbor, which was going to look like humble service, often at great cost. Jesus once taught,

“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matthew 5:11-12)

Notice what people become when this happens.

 “You are the salt of the earth…You are the light of the world… let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. (13-16)

What is the light and salt? Good deeds of humble service motivated and empowered by God’s love. Back to today’s text.

(Matthew 24:1-2; Luke 21:5)

Jesus left the temple. As He was walking away, His disciples came up to Him and asked what He thought about the temple buildings. Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. He replied,” Look around you. All of it will become rubble. I tell you this: not one stone will be left standing.”

I think the disciples he was telling them that the Temple was going to be destroyed. It must have been hard for them to wrap their minds around the idea that it would be gone. It had been home base all their lives. Everything centered around the Temple and the Torah. “Are you sure? Look how impressive this is.”

I wonder if we wouldn’t have done the same. The Temple was a massive feat of architecture.[6]The stones were huge. Estimates are that it would take 7 modern cranes to move some of the rocks. No one is quite sure how they moved them – and fit them together as well as modern brick and mortar. It had lots of marble covered with gold. Josephus wrote that it was so opulent that it looked like a snow-capped mountain. “Are you sure, Jesus?”

Matthew 24:3-35; Mark 13:3-31; Luke 21

Later, as Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “We don’t understand Your predictions. Tell us, when will these things happen: When will the temple be destroyed? What will be the sign that You are returning in judgment?[7] How will we know that the end of this age is upon us?”

Jesus: “Take care that you are not deceived. For many will come in My name claiming they are the Anointed One, and many poor souls will be taken in. You will hear of wars, and you will hear rumors of wars, but you should not panic. It is inevitable, this violent breaking apart of the sinful world, but remember, the wars are not the end. The end is still unfolding.

Nations will do battle with nations, and kingdoms will fight neighboring kingdoms, and there will be famines and earthquakes. But these are not the end. These are the birth pangs, the beginning. The end is still unfolding.

They will hand you over to your enemies, who will torture you and then kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of Me. And many who have followed Me and claimed to love Me and sought God’s kingdom will turn away—they will abandon the faith and betray and hate one another. 

The love that they had for one another will grow cold because few will obey the law. False prophets will appear, many will be taken in by them, and the only thing that will grow is wickedness. There will be no end to the increase of wickedness.

 But those who do not waver from our path and do not follow those false prophets—those among you will be saved. And this good news of God’s kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, a testimony to all people and all nations. Then, beloved, the end/the consummation of the age will come.

When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. You will remember that the prophet Daniel predicted this—predicted the abomination that causes desolation[8]—when you see the prophesied desolation of the holy place. (Reader, take notice; it is important that you understand this.) When you see this, let those in Judea flee to the mountains.[9]

 If you are relaxing on your rooftop one evening and the signs of the temple’s destructions come, don’t return to your house to rescue a book or a pet or a scrap of clothing. If you are in the field when the great destruction begins, don’t return home for a cloak. Pregnant women and nursing mothers will have the worst of it. And as for you, pray that your flight to the hills will not come on the Sabbath or in the cold of winter.

They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. For the tribulation will be unparalleled—hardships of a magnitude that has not been seen since creation and that will not be seen again.

 Indeed the Lord God your merciful judge will cut this time of trial short, and this will be done for the benefit of the elect that some might indeed be saved—for no one could survive the depravity for very long.[10]

 I cannot say this clearly enough: during this time, someone will say to you, “Look, here is the Anointed One!” or “Aren’t you relieved? Haven’t you seen the Savior down there, around the bend, over the hill and dale?” Do not believe them. 

False liberators and false prophets will appear, and they will know a few tricks—they will perform great miracles, and they will make great promises. If it were possible, they would even deceive God’s elect. But I am warning you ahead of time: remember—do not fall for their lies or lines or promises.

 If someone says, “He’s out there in the desert”—do not go. And if someone says, “He’s here at our house, at our table”—do not believe him. When the Son of Man comes, He will be as visible as lightning in the East is visible even in the West. And where the carcass is, there will always be vultures.[11]

And as the prophets have foretold it: after the distress of those days, “The sun will grow dark, and the moon will be hidden. The stars will fall from the sky, and all the powers in the heavens will be dislodged and shaken from their places.”[12]

That is when the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. All the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming; they will see Him powerful and glorious, riding on chariots of clouds in the sky.[13] With a loud trumpet call, He will send out battalions of heavenly messengers; and they will gather His beloved faithful elect from the four corners of creation, from one end of heaven to the other.[14]

Now think of the fig tree. As soon as its twigs get tender and greenish, as soon as it begins to sprout leaves, you know to expect summer. In the same way, when you see the wars and the suffering and the false liberators and the desolations, you will know the Son of Man is near—right at the door.

I tell you this: this generation will see all these things take place before it passes away. My words are always true and always here with you. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.[15]

 Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 

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.”

* * * * *

Bible scholars generally take one of two views on this text: 

1.) Half of the chapter tells of the destruction of Jerusalem (v.1-35); the other half tells about the final judgment (v.36-51).

2.) The entire chapter deals with the destruction of Jerusalem.

If you click through different translations in Biblegateway.com, you will often see a heading at the beginning of Matthew 24. It will either say “The Destruction of Jerusalem” or “The Destruction of Jerusalem and Signs of the End Times,” or something like that.

There is no doubt that the destruction of the Temple is in view. Both views agree on this point. A.D. 66-70 were a terrible four years. The Zealots defended Jerusalem…zealously. The Romans, equally determined, starved its inhabitants into cannibalism at one point. In AD 70, they destroyed the temple and the city. More than a million Jews died, and more than 97,000 were taken captive. The Romans erected Titus’ Arch in Rome to celebrate the victory.[16]

The document I’ve been using for this Harmony Of the Gospel’s approach has this title: “The Destruction of Jerusalem.” I hold this in an open hand, but here’s a few quick reasons I prefer this view.

In the introductory remarks, Jesus speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem (1-3).

• The gospel was supposed to be “preached in all the world” before “the end” (of Jerusalem), which we see fulfilled in Colossians 1:6,23.

• Jesus said that the sign of the end was ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ in the ‘holy place.’ This is very likely the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, who first filled it with banners containing images of Caesar.

• When that happens, His disciples would know that the fall of Jerusalem was near (32-33), and the people in Judea will flee.

• The things of which He spoke were to come upon “this generation,”  “Generation” is used in Matthew 1:17, 11:16, 12:39, 41, 42, 45, 16:4, 17:17, 23:36, and 24:34. Every other place refers to the generation standing right in front of Jesus. He says to his disciples, “Pray that you may escape.”

• The concern about fleeing “on the Sabbath” is a very Jewish concern as opposed to a Gentile one, so this wouldn’t apply to all the world.

• As a result of Jerusalem’s destruction, those who leave are saved; those who stay die. When the Bible talks about what happens at the end of all things, the opposite is true. Those who stay inherit the New Heaven and New Earth, and those who are taken do not.

• People can flee from this judgment and hide; not so if it's the Final Judgment.

* * * * * 

Two points. The first one is a challenge, the second an encouragement.

I suspect the judgment that fell upon Jerusalem and the Temple was a form of “sowing the wind and reaping the whirlwind.” (Hosea 8) What was going on with the leaders? 

• compromising relationship with Rome

• lack of knowledge concerning the Scripture

• misunderstanding of the power of God

• lack of love

• lack of service and humility

First, Israel’s history had shown that whenever God’s people relied on empires like Egypt and Assyria for provision and safety instead of God, the empires always turned on them.

Second, the Sadducees knew better. They should have taken their sacred texts seriously, because they contain that warning.

Third and fourth, what happens when you get to cozy with the Empire? You start to look like the empire, and at that point you stop being salt and light because there are no good deeds that bring glory to God. This list of the sins of the Sadducees could be equally applied to the leaders of Rome. Now, they were just parties competing or power.

And when the Jewish leaders could not control their own people (the Zealots), they found out very quickly that Rome had only tolerated them while they were useful on Rome’s terms.

There is a warning here for the church. The characteristics of the Sadducees (and the Zealots) cannot characterize us. When a coercive, bullying or violent attempt to spread the Kingdom of God combines with a corrupt desire to share the power and luxury of the Empire at the expense of righteous obedience and true worship, we will become full of mold, and wither at the root. It will corrupt us from the inside out, and it will invite a whirlwind of destruction.

Second, I love how Jesus ends with hope. If I were a disciple, I might not have slept well that night considering all the things that were about to land on Jerusalem. But Jesus reminded them of what lasts, what is eternal.

“My words are always true and always here with you. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” 

 “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”(John 6:33)

The disciples need to hear this. The words of The Word will endure. The Sprit and the Life God gives will endure.

Truth will endure.

Hope will endure.

The love of many may wax cold, but yours doesn’t have to.

Many will believe lies, but you don’t have to.

Many will give themselves to wickedness, but you don’t have to.

Many will leave the faith and betray each other, but you don’t have to.

Steady.

Don’t panic.

Through you, the good news of God’s kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world as a testimony to all people and all nations.

 ____________________________________________________________________

[1] 1 Peter 2

[2] John 4

[3] 1 Corinthians 6

[4] Ephesians 2

[5] 2 Samuel 24

[6] NET Bible footnotes

[7] “Parousia, commonly denoting presence. Readers with a Jewish background would have taken these words to describe a coming in judgment.” (Gordon Ferguson)

[8] “The abomination of desolation is an allusion to Daniel 9:27. Though some have seen the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy in the actions of Antiochus IV in 167 b.c., Jesus seems to indicate that Antiochus was not the final fulfillment…Some argue that this was realized in a.d. 70, while others claim that it will not be fully realized until the great tribulation at the end of the age (Mark 13:14, 19, 24; Rev 3:10).” (NET Bible footnotes)

[9] Fleeing to the mountains is a key OT image: Gen 19:17; Judg 6:2; Isa 15:5; Jer 16:16; Zech 14:5. (NET Bible footnotes)

[10] “In a siege against the city lasting nearly a year, Cestius Gallius, the Roman general, withdrew to Caesarea and brought back a larger army. This break in the battle allowed the Christians who understood Jesus’ prophecy to flee the city. Josephus says that many did, leaving behind the Jews in the city who were determined to fight to the death (which they did).” (Gordon Ferguson, “Matthew 24: End of the World or End of the Age?”)

[11] In other words, when the judgment comes, the location will be obvious.

[12] “An allusion to Isaiah 13:10; 34:4 and Joel 2:10. The heavens were seen as the abode of heavenly forces, so their shaking indicates distress in the spiritual realm. Although some take the powers as a reference to bodies in the heavens, this is not as likely.” (NET Bible footnotes) See also Ezekiel 32.

[13] “See, the Lord rides on a swift cloud and is coming to Egypt. The idols of Egypt tremble before him, and the hearts of the Egyptians melt within them.” (Isaiah 19:1)

[14] “The reference to the Son of Man coming in the clouds is a figurative reference to Divine judgment upon the nations (Isa.19:1-4; Isaiah 34). And the reference to the angels gathering the elect is symbolic of God’s protection of His people (cp. Rev.7:1-3).” (Lanny Smith)

[15] See Isaiah 40:8. Also, “My words shall not pass away; be vain and empty, and unaccomplished; which is true of anything, and everything spoken by Christ; and especially here regards all that he had said concerning the calamities that should befall the Jews, before, at, or upon the destruction of their nation, city, and temple; and the design of the expression, is to show the certainty, unalterableness, and sure accomplishment of these things.” (Gill’s Exposition)

[16] https://hope4israel.org/jerusalem-70-ad-not-one-stone-left-upon-another/

Harmony #71: Always Pray, And Don’t Lose Heart (Luke 17:11- 18:8)

Now on the way to Jerusalem, Jesus was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. As he was entering a village, ten men with leprosy met him. They stood at a distance, raised their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

When he saw them he said, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went along, they were cleansed. Then one of them, when he saw he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice. He fell with his face to the ground at Jesus’ feet and thanked him. (Now he was a Samaritan.)[1]

Then Jesus said, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to turn back and give praise to God except this foreigner?” Then he said to the man, “Get up and go your way. Your faith has saved you.”

Now at one point the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming, so he answered, “The kingdom of God is not coming with signs to be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is in your midst.”

This narrative stresses several themes we have been seeing in Luke’s gospel.

·  Jesus has mercy on social outcasts. Jews did not travel between Galilee and Judea by going close to Samaria. Jesus had no problem doing so.[2] Meanwhile, foreigners (allogenēs) were warned not to enter the temple past the outer court.[3] Jesus is sending a pointed message: you stop foreigners from entering the Jerusalem temple, but here is one of them worshipping Jesus, the Son of God.

·  On their way to the priests, the lepers were healed. File away somewhere that Jesus did not require saving faith from them to heal them. He just healed them without commenting on their faith.  So they were healed, but the returning Samaritan was saved: “used principally of God rescuing believers from the penalty and power of sin – and into His provisions (safety).[4]Literally, his response of faith (trust) brought him salvation from his fallen state.[5] He received the greater healing - that of his soul.

·  The Pharisees wanted a grand political upheaval or signs in the heavens – some impressive display of public power. Jesus said, “It’s not like that. The Kingdom doesn’t come with an outward show. It's not a visible, earthly, temporal kingdom which could be pointed out as being here or there.[6]  The kingdom of God, “the dominion of righteousness”[7] was being manifested in Jesus among them, right in front of their eyes. Ten lepers had been cleansed of leprosy, and they basically yawned.[8]  Do you remember Marvin the Martian? “There was supposed to be a kaboom!” They wanted political or cosmic fireworks that unleashed the power of God while failing to see the unleashing of power of God right in front of them.

So, Jesus told them the Kingdom of God had arrived. He followed this up with a cryptic warning/encouragement. This passage has been widely debated, along with the harmony passages in Luke 21, Mark 13 and Matthew 24 - 25. Jesus is talking to his disciples about how to prepare themselves for what’s to come, but his language is highly symbolic while referencing the Old Testament and Jewish colloquialisms.

Commentaries wrestle with whether or not Jesus, when referencing what will happen in “this generation,” was talking about spiritual realities, upcoming events within the lifetime of his audience, future events that usher in the end of history, or all three. I am increasingly of the opinion that he was prepping them for what they and the Jewish people would personally would face spiritually and physically,[9] so that’s how I’m going to approach it this morning.[10] I will include plenty of footnotes. Luke seems to focus on the implications of Jesus’ death and resurrection (spiritual realities), while the other gospels land more heavily on the coming destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.  We will reference both.

To be cIear, I could be wrong :) . This is a great passage that should lead us into discussion as we strive to understand God’s word together. No matter what, this message would end with the same timeless encouragement, so let’s work our way there.

* * * * *

 Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.”

Already, I have questions. Jesus just said the Kingdom is here. Then he told them they were going to long to see the days of the Son of Man, but they won’t, so that must be something different. Clearly, the disciples to whom he is speaking are going to go through a lot of difficulty as they wait for something in the Kingdom that has not yet happened. And yet…

‍Matt 10:23: "But whenever they persecute you in one city, flee to the next; for truly I say to you, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel until the Son of Man comes."

Mark 14:62, Jesus tells the high priest, “From now on you shall see the son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.”

And here, I think is the interpretive key. Son of Man is a term Daniel is famous for using. Most commentaries will tell you Jesus is wanting his audience to remember this passage from Daniel 7:13-14: 

“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven one like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.”

When the Son of Man comes in Daniel, he’s not coming to earth. He’s coming to the throne room of God to take his place at the Father’s right hand and establish his heavenly Kingdom. This is not what people expect of a King taking his place on a throne.

People will tell you, ‘There he is!’ or ‘Here he is!’ Do not go running off after them. 

• In Acts 5, Rabbi Gamaliel speaks of two such messianic pretenders: Theudas, and Judas the Galilean, who led a revolt against the Romans.

• In Acts 21:38, Paul is suspected by the Roman temple guard of being the Egyptian who led four thousand Jews to the Mount of Olives.

• Josephus wrote of such prophets and messiahs as dangerous criminals bent on leading the nation to destruction. Josephus claims Felix executed imposters almost every day.[11]

For the Son of Man in his day[12] will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

That lighting imagery makes me think of the newly arisen Jesus.

“There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.” (Matthew 28:2-4)

Back to the text. Jesus must suffer many things and be rejected by the generation of people who crucified him. What will be happening in the world as these things happen? Nothing like some good Old Testament imagery to give them some hyperlinks.

Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

 It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.

People will be doing ordinary things, going about life, not aware that everything is about to change. In the two examples he gives, a judgment is rendered on the sinfulness of the world. This will happen on the cross. The ultimate judgment is rendered: the wages of sin is death. Of course, the ultimate salvation is offered at the same time: “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)[13] Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, he shows that He has conquered the devil, death, hell, and the grave (1 Corinthians 15:55-57; Revelation 1:18; Hosea 13:14; 2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14-15). He takes captivity captive and gives good gifts to mankind (Ephesians 4:8-10). He crushes the serpent’s head (Romans 16:20).

 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. Remember Lot’s wife!  Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 

Choices will need to be made. What matters most: the things of this world, or the things of Heaven?  If you try to hang on to this world, you will lose your life. If you let go of this world, you embrace life in the most profound way possible.

I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” “[Taken] where, Lord?” they asked. He replied, “Where there is a dead body, there the eagles[14]/vultures will gather.”[15]

Those being taken are going somewhere with dead bodies and vultures. This is clearly a reference to judgment; the image is certainly not of “heaven.” Commentaries will tell you this is likely the valley of Ben-Hinnom (Gehenna), the city dump used for incinerating garbage, dead animals, and executed criminals. This is also where the poorest of the poor lived, having been denied housing in the city or the outlying villages connected with the city.

“On that day” during the days of the Son of Man, they will have to choose an empire of material things or a kingdom of spiritual things. “On that night,” the consequences of that choice begin. Some will stay and live within the provision of the Kingdom; those who reject the Kingdom will live outside the Kingdom, much to their grief (weeping) and frustration (gnashing of teeth).

The parallel section of Matthew 24-25 ends with the Parable of the Sheep and Goats by concluding, “And [the goats] will go to the chastening/pruning of the Age, but the just [sheep] to the life of the Age.” (Matthew 25:46, DBH translation).  That translation suggests there is something that happens now, in this age, that is a consequence of our choice of whether we want to enter the Kingdom or not. Jesus elsewhere (Mark 9)[16] described Gehenna as a place where “the worms that eat [the corpses] do not die, and the fire is not quenched.”[17] Then he adds,  “Everyone will be salted with fire,” which seemed to include something relevant to present reality if everyone gets it.

I wonder if there is some sense in which we choose our fire. We can accept the fire of the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to purify our hearts and minds – and that will be a fire. Repentance and reconciliation when we have sinned against others; practicing humility; embracing truth even if we don’t like it; extending grace even when we don’t want to; practicing the sacrificial lifestyle of agape love; being relentlessly honoring and kind. That will burn through wood, hay and stubble like a fire.  

Or… we can endure the wages of sin, reaping the consequences of sinful choices as we weep and grind our teeth. We can be the prodigal stuck in a sin-filled pig sty eating pig food until we come to our senses. That, too, is a fire. Everyone will be salted with fire.

Lk 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable to show them they should always pray and not lose heart.

They need this right now. Following Jesus is going to be hard. Remember, they will be longing for a glimpse of God at work, to feel God’s presence, to know in the midst of trials that God is with them and for them. History tells us (and the parallel passages break it down more) how brutal life was for the Jewish people leading up to the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70: wars, famine, persecution, natural disasters. For Jewish people following Jesus, they are going to suffer for being Jewish and for following Jesus. Almost all of the disciples will be killed for their faith. They are going to need hope.

  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected people. There was also a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’

 For a while he refused, but later on he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor have regard for people, yet because this widow keeps on bothering me (“gives me a black eye”), I will give her justice, or in the end she will wear me out by her unending pleas.’ “

And the Lord said, “Listen to what [even an] unrighteous judge says! How much more will God give justice to his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night.[18] [Like a farmer waiting for a ripe harvest, he will not delay long[19] to help them when the harvest time has arrived]. I tell you, he will then vindicate them speedily.[20]

 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes,[21] will he find [the kind of persistent] faith(fullness) in this land[22] that trusts God to [bring justice and vindicate his people]?”

“To show them they should always pray and not lose heart.” The lesson of the parable is not that God is reluctant to be bothered with our needs, so we should keep pulling on his arm going, “Dad, dad, hey dad, daddaddaddaddad” until he annoyingly yanks his arm away and says, “WHAT!?!?” His point is that if an unjust judge would answer the request of a widow he doesn't even know, how much more will a loving, righteous, generous God hear the prayers of his children?

Have times been tough throughout history for followers of Jesus? Have there been times when we have been tempted to lose heart, to wonder why on earth God is not showing up NOW in ways we want God to show up? Will we contribute to the persistent faith(fullness) in our land that trusts God to bring justice, to be faithful, to never leave or forsake us?”

Can we live in prayer-filled hope? The whole section we read this morning tells a crucial message: the Kingdom has arrived; Jesus is Lord; don’t lose hope. Keep praying. Stay in “constant involvement with God as we interpret and deal with the world in which we live.”[23]

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. (Romans 12:12)

_________________________________________________________________

[1]  “It echoes Elisha’s healing of a Gentile (2 Kgs 5:1–19a), which Jesus notes at the beginning of his ministry.” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[2] As noted in the NIV Women’s Study Bible

[3] NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible

[4] HELPS Word-studies

[5]  ESV Global Study Bible. “They all had faith to be healed but only one out of the ten turned back to thank the Lord… Your faith has made you well” suggests that whereas the nine were cleansed from leprosy, the tenth was also saved from sin!” (Believers Bible Commentary)

[6] Believer’s Bible Commentary

[7] Asbury Bible Commentary

[8]  Now, “The kingdom of God is a spiritual reality present within the Christian believer and within the community of the Church.”  (Orthodox Study Bible)

[9] Check out Adam Clarke’s commentary on Matthew 24. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/acc/matthew-24.html

[10]  Jesus constantly references “this generation,” and it’s…that generation J Matthew 24:34  “Truly, I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.”  Matthew 11:16 (cf. Luke 7:31) “But to what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to their playmates.” Matthew 12:39 (cf. Mark 8:12; Luke 11:29) “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Matthew 12:41 “The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it…  Matthew 12:42 “The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it….”Matthew 12:45 “Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first. So also will it be with this evil generation.” Matthew 16:4 “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign…” Matthew 17:17 (Mark 9:19; Luke 9:41) “O faithless and twisted generation, how long am I to be with you? ” Matthew 23:36 “Truly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation.” Luke 11:50-52 “…so that the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, may be charged against this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah, who perished between the altar and the sanctuary. Yes, I tell you, it will be required of this generation.”

[11] Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament

[12] ‘Notice that in this passage, the "coming" of the "son of man" is not a coming here, but rather a coming before the throne of God in heaven: he is "presented" before God and found worthy of authority. The “coming” described in Daniel 7 is not a descent or “return” from heaven to earth, but the opposite: the “son of man” is carried by clouds into heaven and enters into the holy presence of God, whereupon he receives an eternal kingdom.’ (“What Is The Coming Of The Son Of Man? https://www.mercyonall.org/posts/what-is-the-coming-of-the-son-of-man)

[13] I like David Bentley Hart’s translation: “For sin’s wages are death, but God’s bestowal of grace is the life of the Age in Anointed, Jesus Christ.”

[14] “Sometimes a reference is supposed to the eagle-standards of Rome. (Comp. Deuteronomy 28:49-52; John 11:48.) This is very possible especially as the Jews were very familiar with the Roman eagle, and so strongly detested it that the mere erection of the symbol in Jerusalem was sufficient to lash them into insurrection (Jos. Antt. xvii. 6, § 3).” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament)

[15] We find this phrase in Matthew 24 also, which concludes by saying “this generation will not pass away” before seeing the signs of the Messiah. As the Good News translation puts it, “Remember that all these things will happen before the people now living have all died.” 

[16] See notes from that sermon here: https://www.clgonline.org/sermonblog/2023/12/10/harmony-53-who-is-the-greatest-mark-933-50-matthew-181-14-luke-946-50-171-3?rq=salted%20with%20fire

[17] Isaiah 66

[18] Revelation 6:9-11

[19] “In James 5:7 it is applied to the husbandman waiting for harvest. Here it is applied to God’s…coming to the help of tried saints.” (Expositor’s Greek Testament)

[20] Habakkuk 2:3 “For the vision points ahead to a time I have appointed; it testifies regarding the end, and it will not lie. Even if there is a delay, wait for it. It is coming and will come without delay.”

[21] “This probably refers to the approaching destruction of Jerusalem - the coming of the Messiah, by his mighty power, to abolish the ancient dispensation and to set up the new.” (Barnes’ Notes On The Bible)

[22] “The discussion had particular reference to their trials and persecutions in that land. This question implies that "in" those trials many professed disciples might faint and turn back.” (Barnes’ Notes On The Bible) 

[23] Stories With Intent: A Comprehensive Guide To The Parables of Jesus, by Klyne Snodgrass

Harmony #63: The Fire of God (Luke 12:1-9, 11-12; 49-56; 6:40; Matthew 10:17-20, 22-36)

Meanwhile, when many thousands of the crowd had gathered so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.

Do not be afraid of them, for nothing is hidden that will not be revealed, and nothing is secret that will not be made known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light, and what is whispered in your ear in private rooms, proclaim from the housetops.

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body,[1] and after that have nothing more they can do, because they cannot kill the soul. But I will warn you whom you should fear: Fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body[2], who has authority to end them both in Gehennah. Yes, I tell you, fear him!

Aren’t five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God, or falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. In fact, even all the hairs on your head are numbered. So do not be afraid; you are more valuable than many sparrows.

I tell you, whoever acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man, will also acknowledge in the heavenly court before the angels and my Father in heaven. But whoever denies me before people, I will deny him also before my Father in heaven and before his angels.”[3]

I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as wise as snakes and as innocent as doves. Beware of people, because they will hand you over to councils and bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, and flog you in their synagogues. And you will be brought before governors and kings because of me, as a witness to them and the Gentiles.

But when they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers and the authorities, and hand you over for trial, do not worry about how you should make your defense or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that moment what you must say. For it is not you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.[4]

All the nations will hate (denounce, persecute[5]) you because of my name. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Whenever they persecute you in one place, flee to another. I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.[6]

A disciple is not greater than his teacher, nor a slave greater than his master. It is enough for the disciple to become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. Everyone when fully trained will be like his teacher. If they have called the head of the house ‘Beelzebul,’ how much more will they defame the members of his household!”

I have come to bring fire on the earth—and how I wish it were already kindled! I have a baptism (of suffering) to undergo, and how hard pressed I am until it is finished![7]

Do you think I have come to bring peace (wholeness[8]) on earth? No, I tell you, my arrival is bring disunion of opinion and conduct![9] I have not come (to help everybody smooth over their differences), but to wield a sword (of the Spirit, the word of God.)[10]

For from now on there will be five in one household divided, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against her daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law. A man’s enemies will be the members of his household.[11]

* * * * *

There are multiple points to be made this week. Apply as needed :)

Guard against hypocrisy. I feel like we covered this last week.

We are sheep, not wolves. Watch out for the wolves; identify them, and don’t be like them. Jesus then identifies the wolves: councils, synagogues, rulers, authorities, governors and kings. Those with power. Religion has never done well when wedded with power; Judaism and Christianity are no exception. I think one reason is that it takes wolves to keep power – or maybe power makes us wolfish. God does not intend for us to go into hostile spaces and fight with the weapons of the hostile.

 The Good Shepherd’s Sermon on the Mount is the template for us sheep. Poor in spirit; mourning our brokenness; meek/gentle; hungering for righteousness; merciful; pure in heart; peacemakers; willing to endure persecution. (Matthew 5) That’s how sheep go into the territory of wolves. It feels so opposed to what we want to do, but it’s the path the Good Shepherd gave to us.

Proclaim truth boldly, show wisdom/sensibility, and live blamelessly. Representing Jesus well calls us to a faithful attitude, a discerning presentation, and a righteous lifestyle. First, we ought not be embarrassed or cowardly about our faith. We don’t have to be obnoxious, but Jesus said, “Acknowledge me before others.” When we have light for the darkness, we make sure it shines. Second, we need to pray for Holy Spirit help to ‘read the room’ when we present or defend our faith. What do people need in the moment? Not every field is harvested the same way; don’t take a combine to a melon patch. Third, we need to make sure we live in habits of faithfulness and righteousness. If faith without deeds is a dead faith, surely the presentation of our faith without the commentary of our deeds to accompany it is equally problematic. Our actions and words should tell the same story.

Truth is divisive. Expect pushback and persecution. Your translation might say, “All the people will hate you.” I think the better translations use “nations.” Jesus’ language clearly wasn’t meant to apply to every individual. The early church grew very, very quickly. Jesus is simply noting that everywhere they go, there will be pushback and minimum and persecution at maximum from somebody. I’ve talked with some followers of Jesus who just assumed that the larger amount of people who disliked them, the more faithful they must be. That… might not be what’s happening. The early church exploded because so many people really liked what they heard and saw in the first followers of Jesus.

That sword Jesus brings is elsewhere called “the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17) that “is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The message and means of peace with God was a foolish stumbling block for some. (1 Corinthians 1:23) Just like the same light can illuminate or blind, the same truth can land very differently in the eyes of different people.

If God’s truth divides us from others or brings disdainful attitudes on us, so be it. Let’s just be sure we don’t give reasons other than God’s truth for those things to happen.

Disciples of Jesus need not be afraid of the One who truly deserves their fear/awe/reverence.[12] Within the space of a paragraph, we read “fear God/don’t fear God.” I think that contrast is purposeful. We are supposed to wrestle with it. So here’s where I wrestled to J We are so used to being afraid of power, because so often power has been used to abuse. But God is Great AND God is Good (as we used to sing before meals). Jesus, right in front of them, is showing that God is using His power to save the world. Jesus is watching sparrows in person. The power is stunning; so is the love and provision. Peter will be a recipient of this. Even after denying Jesus and bringing on himself the punishment of a traitor, Jesus draws him back. When Jesus resurrects, he tells people, “Don’t be afraid.” He wasn’t on a revenge tour. He was there to seek and save the lost.

God’s Spirit will empower you. You don’t have to have perfect preparation or extensive training to represent Jesus. You just need to be faithfully present. Preparation is not a bad idea: “Be ready always to give a reason for the hope that lies within you, with gentleness and respect.” (1 Peter 3:15) Just remember that when we are weak, He is strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9) We won’t ever stand in front of the Sanhedrin, but we will stand in front of family members, and co-workers, and classmates. Be wise and gentle, but be bold. God’s Spirit is with you.

‘Baptism by fire’ is part of God’s plan. It will purify us.

The fire of God is a beautiful and terrifying gift. The imagery is used generously throughout the Bible.

OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES[13]

·  “For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. You brought us into the net; you laid a crushing burden on our backs; you let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.” (Psalm 66:10-12) 

· “The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and the LORD tests hearts.” (Proverbs 17:3)

· “Take away the dross from the silver, and the smith has material for a vessel…” (Proverbs 25:4)

· “I will turn my hand against you and will smelt away your dross as with lye and remove all your alloy.” (Isaiah 1:25)

· “The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling has seized the godless: ‘Who among us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?’ He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil.” (Isaiah 33:14-15)

· “Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver; I have tried you in the furnace of affliction.” (Isaiah 48:10)

· “And it shall come to pass in all the land, says the LORD, that two- thirds in it shall be cast off and die, but one-third shall be left in it; I will bring the one-third through the fire, will refine them as silver is refined, and test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; and each one will say, ‘The LORD is my God'” (Zech. 13:8-9).

· “Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.” (Lamentations 3:22)

· “But He knows the way that I take; when He has tested me, I shall come forth as gold.” (Job 23:10).

·“Behold, I will refine them and test them, for what else can I do, because of my people?” (Jeremiah 9:7)

·  “But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver…. ‘So I will come near to you for judgment. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice, but do not fear me,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.’ (Malachi 3:2-6)

NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLES

· “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.[14] His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matthew 3:11-12)

· “Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, for our God is a consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

· “ Their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work… If anyone’s work is burned up, it will be lost, but he will be saved; yet it will be like an escape through fire. ” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15)

·  And have mercy on those who waver; save others by snatching them out of the fire.” (Jude 1:22-23)

· “Your faith will be like gold that has been tested in a fire. And these trials will prove that your faith is worth much more than gold that can be destroyed. They will show that you will be given praise and honor and glory when Jesus Christ returns.” (1 Peter 1:7)

· “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

· “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.” (1 Peter 4:12) 

· “And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into Gehenna, where ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’ Everyone will be salted with fire.” (Mark 9:47-49)

So…. when the Bible talks about fire in this life, be it real or metaphorical, it always does two things: fire judges and purifies. The judgment of that which is evil also purifies the land or the person by getting rid of that which is destructive and evil.[15] The fire of judgment is a mercy to the victims of evil; the fire of purification a gift to the one doing the evil.

In the In the New Testament’s unveiling of the New Covenant, this fire seems to be two key things, both of which offer a judgment (by revealing what it pure and good) and a purification (since what is left is pure and good).

God’s Word

“’For what has chaff to do with wheat?’ declares the Lord. ‘Is not my word like fire,’ declares the Lord, ‘and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” (Jeremiah 23:28-29)

Foresters will occasionally do a “controlled burn” for the health of a forest. It gets out dead grass and trees, fallen branches, and thick undergrowth.

“By ridding a forest of dead leaves, tree limbs, and other debris, a prescribed burn can help prevent a destructive wildfire. Controlled burns can also reduce insect populations and destroy invasive plants. In addition, fire can be rejuvenating. It returns nutrients to the soil in the ashes of vegetation that could otherwise take years to decompose.

 And after a fire, the additional sunlight and open space in a forest can help young trees and other plants start to grow. Some plants, such as certain pine species, require fire before the cones or fruits containing the seeds can release them. These cones or fruits need fire to melt a resin that holds the seeds inside. As a result, without fire these species cannot reproduce.”

Apply these principles generously to the fire of God’s Word in our lives. God’s word will bring life, but there will be a prescribed burn. It’s taking up our cross to follow Jesus. It’s “dying daily,” like Paul described his life.  It’s being pruned. If God’s word does not at times feel like a fire burning away your sin, we aren’t taking the Bible seriously enough. Let’s try a couple verses.

“Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” (James 1:26)

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

“If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” (1 John 3:17)

Trials/Tests

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4)

Greek scholar, Kenneth Wuest, provides a beautiful illustration of God’s refining fire.

“The picture here is of an ancient goldsmith who puts his crude gold ore in a crucible, subjects it to intense heat, and thus liquefies the mass. The impurities rise to the surface and are skimmed off. When the metalworker is able to see the reflection of his face clearly mirrored in the surface of the liquid, he takes it off the fire, for he knows that the contents are pure gold. So it is with God and His child. He puts us in the crucible of Christian suffering, in which process sin is gradually put out of our lives, our faith is purified from the slag of unbelief that somehow mingles with it so often, and the result is the reflection of the face of Jesus Christ in the character of the Christian. This, above all, God the Father desires to see. Christlikeness is God’s ideal for His child. Christian suffering is one of the most potent means to that end.”

Why did Jesus bring a fire to the earth? Because the fire of God produces purified men and women of God. Because God is a Good Father, he desires the best for His children. He desires us to flourish as transformed image bearers living in the path of life, expanding the Kingdom of God wherever we go.

 ________________________________________________________________

[1] In 4 Maccabees, a first-century Jewish text about the martyrdom of a man named Eleazar and his seven sons, we read, “Let us not fear him who thinks he is killing us... . For if we so die, Abraham and Isaac and Jacob will welcome us, and all the fathers will praise us.” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament)

[2] “The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.” (Isaiah 8:13)

[3] “Before that glorious throng of heavenly beings, whose existence was a part of the creed of every true Jew; before the mighty angels, the awful seraphim; before that countless crowd of winged and burning ones who assisted at the awful mysteries of Sinai, would they who witnessed for him, and suffered because of him, be acknowledged by him. Their sufferings…would be recounted before the angels by the same King of heaven, when he returned to his home of grandeur and of peace in heaven.” (Pulpit Commentary)

[4] An example is seen in Peter’s testimony in Acts 4:8-12.

[5] https://biblehub.com/greek/3404.htm

[6] How could this happen in their lifetime? Many commentaries agree with the ESV Reformation Study Bible: “The ‘coming’ refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 as an act of judgment against the nation of Israel. This understanding retains the note of urgency and fits the experience of the church prior to a.d. 70… That event was terrible in intensity and fell on what had been the central visible symbol of God’s presence, the temple.

[7] “If Jesus refers here to the “baptism” with fire he may be suggesting that he will first experience the judgment in others’ place.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[8] “Wholeness, i.e. when all essential parts are joined together (HELPS Word Studies)

[9] Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance. This is the only time this word is used in the New Testament.

[10] Ephesians 6:17)

[11] “The passage recalls Micah’s description of the social disintegration in Israel leading up to the Assyrian conquest, when “a man’s enemies are the members of his own household” (Mic. 7:6). The rabbis interpreted this Old Testament passage with reference to the great time of crisis before the coming of the Messiah, when “children shall shame the elders, and the elders shall rise up before the children.” (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds of the New Testament)

[12] The Greek word for “fear” can mean the obvious “afraid”, but also “awe and reverence”. We can see which meaning is intended based on the context. Luke 12:4-7 is Jesus telling the listeners to whom they ought to owe allegiance; instead of revering human rulers, who do not control the afterlife, we ought to obey God, who does. (Expositors Bible Commentary)

[13] Moses saw a burning bush from which God spoke. (Exodus 3:1-3)  A pillar of fire led the people of Israel from Egypt. (Exodus 13:20-22)  A fire hovered over the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle (Exodus 40:38) – the same fire that hovered over the converts in Acts, identifying people as the temple of God.

[14] Probably a reference to the event in Acts when the Holy Spirit appeared like “divided tongues of fire… and rested on each one of them.”(Acts 2:3)

[15] “It is difficult to determine the precise meaning of "fire" because the word can signify either judgment or purification. The immediate context suggests judgment; while Jesus came to bring salvation rather than judgment (Lk 4:19; Jn 3:17), his coming also meant judgment (Jn 9:39). But it may also signify purification. John the Baptist promised that Jesus would "baptize . . . with the Holy Spirit and fire" (see comments on 3:16). It is possible that this fire was to be "kindled" by the baptism of the Spirit (Ac 2:1-4), something that could only occur after his own "baptism" of death (v.50), the thought of which distressed him greatly.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

Harmony #12: The Year Of The Lord’s Favor - Part 2 (Luke 4:16-30; Matthew 13:53-58; Mark 6:1-6)

 Now Jesus, with his disciples following him, came to Nazareth, his hometown where he had been brought up. He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, as was his custom, and began to teach the people. He stood up to read, and the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written, 

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release (redemption) to the captives and the regaining of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”[1] 

Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fixed on him. Then Jesus began to tell them, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled even as you heard it being read.”[2] 

Points from last Sunday:

(a) It is possible that really godly people are right in front of us and we don’t see it. (“Surely, God is in this place and I did not know it”.)

(b) The response of wonder at Jesus’ teachings and works was coupled with persistent unbelief and rejection. (Wonder isn’t the same as worship. People can be amazed by Jesus and far from God.)

(c) God has concern for the poor and oppressed of all kinds. (Physical care and spiritual care go hand in hand. #both/and)

(d) Without the freedom Jesus brings, freedoms turn into either indulgence or oppression. (In Christ, we are freed from sin and to righteousness. Our freedom is holy – set aside for God’s purposes.)

This brings us to the 5th and final observation.

It is significant that Jesus stopped reading with the words “ … to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” He did not add the rest of the words from the passage in Isaiah: “and the day of vengeance of our God.”

Eventually, when John the Baptist goes to jail, his disciples will ask Jesus if he actually is the one they are looking for, or if they should look for someone else.[3] This was after JTB had clearly identified Jesus as the promised Messiah already, confirmed with a supernatural confirmation at Jesus’ baptism, let alone all the miracles he surely knew about.

I wonder if they were counting on the day of vengeance. Where was the promised physical freedom, the judgment on the oppressors? Do you remember how the Jewish crowds will eventually choose Barabbas over Jesus? They wanted the Zealot in their midst, someone who had a violent agenda to overthrow Roman oppression.

In a very practical sense, when was John going to get out of jail?  Was there going to be two Messiahs, maybe, a good cop/bad cop team? Why isn’t fire falling from heaven? (Something Jesus’ disciples will request later – and be denied).[4] Here’s what happened in response:

“At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Luke 7:21-23)

In other words, they saw him fulfill Isaiah’s prophecies concerning the Messiah. Why on earth would anyone stumble over this? I suspect it was because the point of his Incarnation was not to bring practical vengeance on Roman oppressors or the final Day of Judgment that John records at the end of Revelation. Jesus came to proclaim that the year of the Lord’s favor had arrived thanks to Jesus coming to earth to fulfill His mission of salvation.

I want to anticipate a response before we move on. This declaration does not mean Jesus’ death and resurrection did away with the need for justice to address sin and evil. John will record Jesus also saying this:

“For judgment[5] (from krino: distinguish; separate; render a verdict) I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made blind.” (John 9:39)

So how do we balance “for judgment I have come into the world” with, “God did not send his son into the world to condemn it, but to save it”? (also recorded by John in chapter 3 of his gospel). Well, John helps us in his own text:

“And this is the judgment (same root word): the light is come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil.” (John 3:19)

It is inevitable: when light is introduced, it separates light from darkness. This is a principle as old as Genesis 1.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (Genesis 1:3-4)

The light was a blessing; but the light is not the darkness (obviously), and the introduction of light makes clear the different nature of light and dark. As it is physically in the Old Testament, so it is spiritually in the new. A new kind of light is introduced, and it clarifies the chasm between spiritual light and spiritual darkness. Those who love the darkness will face judgment not because Jesus forced it on them, but because they have chosen the darkness. Here’s a good explanation for the judgment question from Ellicott’s Commentary:[6]

“The special form of the word rendered “judgment” in this place is used nowhere else by St. John, and indicates that…His coming was a bringing light into the darkness of men’s hearts, a testing of the false and the true, and as people accepted or rejected Him they pronounced a judicial sentence upon themselves. That light judged no one, and yet by it everyone was judged.” (Ellicott’s Commentary For English Readers)[7]

The purpose of His First Coming was to announce that the acceptable year of the Lord, or the year of the Lord’s favor, had arrived. Over and over in his ministry, Jesus pointed toward the goodness of life in the Kingdom of God.  In just the first few recorded incidents in his public ministry, we see three key components put into place:

• He explained the path to Kingdom citizenship (be born again).

• He described the worship (in spirit and truth).

• He described the outcome (“proclaim good news to the poor, redemption to the captives, sight to the blind, freedom to the oppressed, and the year of the Lord’s favor.”)

God revealed His plan for bestowing favor through the Incarnation of Jesus, who came to proclaim the grace and mercy of the gospel, the Good News of forgiveness and hope. God, through Jesus, has taken upon Himself the eternal judgment people deserve, and offers LIFE in a glorious, heavenly kingdom that begins now and moves into eternity.[8]

John the Baptist’s message was, “Repent and flee from the wrath to come.”[9] The reality of condemnation paves the way for the message of reconciliation. That groundwork had been laid. In Jesus’ first three encounters with people after the cleansing of the temple, he focused on the life that God offers.

The life is characterized by freedom from the power and condemnation of sin and freedom toflourish in our heart, soul, mind and strength, which will inevitably be expressed in working to help others flourish in the same way.

And if that’s the focus of Jesus, I think it’s safe to assume that our focus, as the people of Jesus, should be the same. We, as God’s ambassadors, have been empowered by God to carry on the message of Jesus.   

• We too, proclaim that Jesus has the power to bring freedom to those bound in oppression of all kinds;

• We, too, proclaim that Jesus has the power to bring healing to the spiritually sick, sight to the spiritually blind, mobility to the spiritually lame, and he has shown us this by bringing physical healing to prove He has the power to do in the realm of the unseen what he can do in the world of the seen;

• We, too, are ‘broken and spilled out’ for the suffering and needy both spiritually and physically, demonstrating the heart of the Great Physician who brings hope and healing to bodies and souls.

I wonder if people experience us as people joyfully proclaiming that this time period in which we live has been shown favor through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.  How much time do we spend pointing with excitement toward what God offers to the world through Jesus to those inside and outside the Kingdom of God? How often do we simply proclaim (and demonstrate) the beauty of life in the Kingdom to those both near and far from Christ? In other words, are we known for majoring for what we have been freed to?

I was raised in a church environment that focused more on John the Baptist’s message of fleeing the wrath to come than on loving Jesus and being captivated by what life in His Kingdom looks like. I constantly avoided hell instead of embracing heaven. I fled from the wrath to come at every revival meeting, but that almost never included running toward a glorious, risen Savior who offered me life abundant. I was more excited about skipping hell than I was experiencing heaven. I was more focused on avoiding Satan than pursuing Jesus.

Once again, we don’t ignore that the wages of sin is death, and bringing that point home can include helping the spiritually sick see their sickness and thus their need for the Doctor. But surely we are meant to major on the major point: the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ, our Lord. [10]

If we get so busy looking behind us to flee what’s nipping at our heels, we will lose our way because we have lost our focus. We have to see where we are going, and who we are following. We fix our eyes on the prize of the high calling we have in Christ Jesus.[11] We follow Jesus because we have been captivated by the person and promise of Jesus.  

As I look back over my meager 53 years, I think I spent far too much time looking behind me to avoid being singed by the fire (and frankly, trying to figure out how close I could get without getting burned.) When all that motivates you is avoiding punishment, you’re going to see how much you can get away with. How much sin can I do and still avoid hell?

Jesus didn’t come so I could flirt with sin effectively and get away with as much as I could. He came to give me an abundant, holy life in which I live in God’s design and favor. 

And when we - the oppressed, the captive, the blind, the hungry, the sick for whom Jesus died, and to whom He offers the good news of a salvation, redemption, healing and freedom – when we proclaim and live that message…. Well, I’ll let Isaiah remind us of what happens.

• “Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing appear;

• your righteousness will go before you…

• you will call, and the Lord will answer…

• your light will rise in the darkness…”

• your descendants will be known among the nations

• all who see will acknowledge that you are a people the Lord has blessed.

We rightly pray for revival in our town and in our land. We are in desperate need of it. It sure seems like it begins with us being rightly revived. It’s then that God’s people reflect the light of Jesus brilliantly and powerfully into a world smothered in darkness.

_________________________________________________________________________________

[1] The year of the Lord’s favor (Grk “the acceptable year of the Lord”) is a description of the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25:10). The year of the total forgiveness of debt is now turned into a metaphor for salvation. (NET Bible Commentary) Jesus reads Isa 61:1 – 2, with an added line from Isa 58:6 (tradition suggests that synagogue readers were allowed to “skip” material when reading the Prophets). Isa 61:1 – 2 probably evokes the Year of Jubilee (Lev 25), in which all slaves were to be released. Although Jesus’ reading ends with salvation, his audience would know that the passage goes on to announce also judgment. (NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[2] Regaining of sight may well mean more than simply miraculously restoring physical sight, which itself pictures a deeper reality (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43). Oppressed may well mean more than simply political or economic oppression, but a deeper reality of oppression by sin (Luke 1:77-79; 18:35-43). The essence of Jesus’ messianic work is expressed in the phrase to set free. This line from Isa 58 says that Jesus will do what the nation had failed to do. It makes the proclamation messianic, not merely prophetic, because Jesus doesn’t just proclaim the message—he brings the deliverance. “ (NET Bible Commentary)

[3] Luke 7

[4] Luke 9

[5] “The precise form of word for ‘judgment’ occurs nowhere else in this Gospel. It signifies not the actof judging (John 5:22; John 5:24; John 5:27; John 5:30) but its result, a ‘sentence’ or ‘decision’ (Matthew 7:2, Mark 12:40, Romans 2:2-3, &c.), Christ came not to judge, but to save (John 3:17, John 8:15); but judgment was the inevitable result of His coming, for those who rejected Him passed sentence on themselves (John 3:19). See on John 1:9 and John 18:37.” (Cambridge Bible For Schools And Colleges)

[6] We can feel a similar tension on the issue of peace. Over and over, we read about the peace that Jesus brings; specifically, “Peace on earth to those on whom his favor rests.” “He is our peace”; “Peace I give and leave with you.” Jesus brought peace. How do we reconcile this with his  statement in Matthew 10:34: "I came not to bring peace, but a sword."? The answer, I believe, is that Jesus is simply observing that not all will accept that Jesus is who He claimed, and disagreement over this issue will lead to conflict. See 2,000 years of history for how that dynamic has unfolded.

[7] More ways of thinking about this: “His coming would manifest the disposition and character of every man. The humble, teachable, and upright, though they were as much in the dark with respect to religion and the knowledge of divine things, as the blind man had been with respect to the light of the sun, should be greatly enlightened by his coming: whereas those, who in their own opinion were wise, and learned, and clear-sighted, should appear to be, what they really were, blind, that is, quite ignorant and foolish.” (Benson Commentary)

“As those are most blind who will not see, so their blindness is most dangerous who fancy they do see. No patients are managed with so much difficulty as those who are in a phrensy, who say they are well, and that nothing ails them. The sin of those that are self-confident remains; for they reject the gospel of grace, and therefore the guilt of their sin remains uncancelled; and they grieve and quench the Spirit of grace, and therefore the power of their sin remains unbroken. Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? Hearest thou the Pharisee say, We see? There is more hope of a fool, of a publican, and a harlot, than of such.” (Benson Commentary) 

“Nothing fortifies men's corrupt hearts against the convictions of the word, more than the high opinion which others have of them; as if all that gained applause with men, must obtain acceptance with God. Christ silenced them. But the sin of the self-conceited and self-confident remains; they reject the gospel of grace, therefore the guilt of their sin remains unpardoned, and the power of their sin remains unbroken.” (Matthew Henry’s Concise Commentary)

[8] John 10:10

[9] Matthew 3

[10] Romans 6:23

[11] Philippians 3:14

Babylon Is Fallen (Revelation 17-18)

Last week, when we covered the bowl judgments, I said I was going to take the approach that John's vision explains God’s coming judgment on the Roman Empire by taking into the account of the fall of Babylon in light of the defeat of Pharaoh at the Red Sea, and use all of these as framework for a universalized prediction of the judgments that will fall on all Babylons (World Systems) until the final global Babylon is gone when the cup of the global iniquity is full.  

The world of the “earth dwellers”– the corrupt systems that cater to the lust of the flesh, the lust of eyes, and the pride of life[1] – is going to be dismantled and judged, with nations and peoples reaping what they have sown. With that in mind, the next two chapters show the nations of the world bemoaning the loss of Babylon the Great. Two things to remember: 

• The details John describes do not neatly fit any past historical city. It’s not less than Babylon or Rome, but it’s more than just one city. It's the archetypal head of all worldly resistance to God.

• It shows systemic satanic deception and power at a global and national level. I know the idea that there can be “systemic sin” is a debated issue right now, but John sure thought it was a thing. Babylon is the poster child. New Testament scholar Bruce Metzger wrote: “Babylon is allegorical of the idolatry that any nation commits when it elevates material abundance, military prowess, technological sophistication, imperial grandeur, racial pride, and any other glorification of the creature over the Creator... The message of the book of Revelation concerns…God’s judgments not only of persons, but also of nations and, in fact, of all principalities and powers—which is to say, all authorities, corporations, institutions, structures, bureaucracies, and the like.”[2]

Because these chapters are soooo thick with all the same kind of hyperlinks we’ve seen before (Old Testament, historical people and events, Jewish literature), I’m going to let you read through the text and the footnotes included here on your own. We are going to jump to my own paraphrase/version that tries to take all those footnotes into consideration, and then we will discuss a couple key revelations in Revelation J So, let’s skip to page 7.

* * * * * * * * * *

And then one of the seven messengers entrusted with the seven bowls came over to me.[3] Guide: Come, and I will show you the true nature and God’s judgment of the great whore[4] who is sitting on the many waters.[5]  She has seduced all the kings[6] of the earth[7] into committing lewd, sexual acts[8]; and most earth dwellers have become intoxicated[9] with the wine of her harlotry.[10]  Immediately I was in the Spirit, and the guide picked me up and carried me off. In the middle of a vast desert,[11] I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet-colored beast covered with blasphemous names.[12] The beast had seven heads and ten horns like the beast I had seen earlier rising out of the sea. The woman[13] was dressed in purple and scarlet fabrics; she shimmered with gold and jewels and pearls. 

I looked closer and saw that her hand held a golden cup[14] brimming with abominations, bubbling over with the impurities of her sexual exploits. On her forehead was inscribed a name, a mystery[15]: “Babylon the great, the mother of whores and the abominations that defile the earth.”  I looked and saw that the woman was drunk because she had gorged herself on the blood of the saints and the blood of those people who refused to deny Jesus even to save their own lives.[16] When I saw her, I was filled with wonder. 

Guide:  Why are you so amazed? I will reveal to you the mystery of this woman and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast you saw was, and is not,[17] and is about to come up out of the abyss and go away into eternal destruction. And the earth dwellers, whose names have not been inscribed in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will be astonished when they see the beast because it was and is not and is to come. Here is the mind possessing wisdom: The seven heads signify the seven mountains[18] where the woman is seated.[19] They also stand for seven kings.  Five have fallen, one is alive, and the last has not yet come to reign.[20] But when he does come, he will be allowed to reign only a short time.[21] Regarding the beast that was and is not, it is actually an eighth ruler[22] that springs from the seven and goes away into eternal destruction.[23]  The ten horns you saw stand for ten kings who have not yet ascended to power, but they will be invested with royal authority for a single hour and will reign together with the beast.[24] These come together for one purpose and one purpose alone: to yield their power and authority to the beast.  Together they will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will be victorious over them because He is the Lord over all lords and the King over all kings; and those who stand with Him are called, elect, and faithful. 

 (continuing to speak to me) The waters you saw, where the whore is seated, represent the peoples and multitudes, ethnicities and languages. The beast and the ten horns you saw will despise the whore[25]; they will make her a wasteland and strip her naked.[26] They will gorge themselves on her flesh and incinerate her with fire.[27] For God has placed in their hearts to do what He has purposed, that is, to become one in mind and to surrender their kingdoms over to the beast until the words of God accomplish their end. 18 And the woman you saw—she is the great city that rules over the kings[28] of the earth.[29]

Next I saw another messenger descending from heaven. I knew he possessed great authority because his glory illuminated the earth.  Heavenly Messenger (with a powerful voice): Fallen, fallen, is Babylon[30] the great city![31]It has become a habitat for demons, A haunt for every kind of foul spirit, a prison for every sort of unclean and hateful bird. For all the nations have drunk deeply from the wine of the wrath of her immorality, And the kings of the earth have disgraced themselves by engaging in gross sexual acts with her, and the merchants of the earth have grown fat and rich, profiting off the power purchased with her luxury. 

Then I heard another voice from heaven urge, “My people, get away from her—fast.[32] Make sure you do not get caught up in her sins. Put some distance between you so that you do not share in her plagues, for her sins are higher than the highest mountain. They reach far into the heavens, and God has not forgotten even one of her missteps.”  Deal out to her what she has dealt out to others, and repay her double according to her deeds.[33] In the cup where she mixed her drink, mix her a double.  Whatever glory she demanded and whatever luxury she lived, give back to her the same measure in torment and sorrow. 

Secretly she says in her heart: “I rule as queen; I am not like a widow;[34]
 I will never experience grief.”[35]  Because of this arrogance, in a single day, plagues will overwhelm her. Her portion will be death and sorrow and famine, and she will be incinerated with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who exacts judgment on her. And the kings of the earth, who committed lewd, sexual acts and lived lavishly off of her, will weep and wail over their loss when they see the smoke from her burning body rise into the sky.  They will stand at a distance, fearing they, too, might fall victim to her torment. They will moan,

Woe to you, our great city! Babylon, the most powerful city in the world. In a single hour, your day of judgment has come. And the merchants and the magnates of the earth weep and mourn over her demise because no one is buying their goods any longer:[36]  warehouses remain full of gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine fabrics, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant woods, items made of ivory, and items finely crafted out of expensive wood; bronze, iron, and marble; cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, and frankincense; wine, olive oil, rich flour, and wheat; cattle, sheep, horses, chariots, and human cargo (the trafficked souls of humanity).[37] 

Everything your heart desired has gone away; All the glitz and glitter are lost to you forever; you’ll never have them again! The sellers of these goods, who made a fine profit from her, will stand at a distance. Like the kings, they will fear her punishment might fall on them too. They will weep and mourn their loss. Woe to you, our great city, dressed in finest linens, in purple and scarlet fabrics, dazzling in gold and jewels and pearls. In a single hour, all this wealth is gone. And all the sea captains, all those who sail the seas, sailors, and those who make a living by the sea, stood at a distance. Strong men were reduced to tears as they gazed on the smoke that rose from her ruins. “Was there ever any city like her?” they asked. They threw dust in the air covering their heads. They wept bitterly and mourned their loss. Woe to you, our great city; all who had ships at sea became rich off your wealth! In a single hour, you have been utterly ruined.[38] 

 Rejoice over her torment, O heaven. Join in the celebration, you saints, emissaries, and prophets because God has judged in your favor and against her. Then a mighty messenger picked up a huge stone—it looked like a great millstone—and he cast it into the sea.[39] Mighty Messenger: Watch and see. This is how Babylon, the great city, will be thrown down; violently will she go down, and they will search for her in vain.  Never again will the sound of music grace your streets. The melodies and harmonies of the harpists and musicians and flutists and trumpeters will never be heard again. And never again will an artisan of any craft be found in your markets, And never again will the grinding of the millstone provide rhythm to your city, And never again will the light of a lamp bring warm light to your houses, And never again will the voices of the bridegroom and bride bring joy to your festivities.[40] For the merchants were the magnates of the earth, and all the nations fell prey to your sorceries.[41] And in her streets the blood of the prophets, saints, and all who have been slaughtered upon the earth,[42] ran freely.[43]

* * * * *

 Here begins my paraphrase/ translation - for better or worse :) 

And then one of the seven messengers entrusted with the seven bowls of plagues came over to me. This angel said,“Come, and I will show you the true nature of and God’s judgment on a spiritual prostitute who has seduced all the kings of the earth into the worship of anything but God: money, power, sex, the state, luxury, people, self – anything but God.  These empires offer a system of domination that seduces the powerful, partly with the promise of more power, and intoxicates common people with its alluring false promise of security that supposedly comes from increasing prosperity and power. 

Everyone who loves this world – it’s almost like they have become drunk on sin, addicted to sin on which it is built. They can’t get enough of it.” My guide carried me to the middle of a vast desert, the place where the church fled to get away from Satan’s attacks.

I saw this spiritual prostitute sitting on a beast splattered with the blood of the saints. This 7-headed beast is all the nations and all the rulers of the world, territorially grand and ideologically expansive, creating a compromised but tantalizing blend of politics and religion, and blasphemously self-promoting its own (alleged) grandeur, making claims about itself that are rightly made only about God.

The woman was wearing a headband (as prostitutes are required to do) covered with the names of all the other gods with whom people had been committing spiritual adultery.  The woman appeared beautiful (as all wealthy nations do): she was dressed in stunning robes; she shimmered with gold and jewels and pearls. She looked fine. 

But when I looked more closely, I saw that her hand held a golden cup brimming with poison, with abominations. It was frothing over with the spiritual ooze that follows idolatry. On her forehead, right beside her headband, was inscribed her name, solving the mystery about who she was: “Babylon the great, the mother of idolatry and the abominations that defile all the nations of the earth.” Babylon was drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of those people who refused to deny Jesus even to save their own lives.  

When I saw her, I was astonished and confused. My guide said, “Let me explain. The beast you saw is all nations that rise up against God - past and present and future. They arise from Satan’s domain and will return to it in the end.  Jesus’ resurrection has ensured their final defeat, but until then they have life, even thought their death is sure.  Those who love earthly nations and worldviews – those whose names have not been inscribed in the book of life - will be mesmerized by all these nations. They will love the greed, exploitation, luxury and idolatry Babylon has to offer them. 

Even though Babylon is seated in power on all of these nations past, present and future, they are all temporary. They all rise only to fall. None of them can last forever. The last of these nations are not yet here, but when they arrive, they will (like the others) be powerful for a limited time as they appear to rule the world.  These nations of the world have one purpose and one purpose alone: to worship and serve the idolatrous goals of the beast.  Together they will make war on God and His Kingdom, but Jesus -  the Lamb who was slain -  will be victorious over them. He is the Lord over all lords and the King over all kings; His called, elect, and faithful will stand with Him. 

 The waters you saw represent the peoples and multitudes, ethnicities and languages.  And the prostitute, Babylon, is a worldview of systemic evil that seduces and then rules over the kings of the earth. But they will eventually plunder and shame her. They will all consume themselves; their sin will spark a fire of judgment and reap an inferno. For God has placed in their hearts to do what He has purposed, that is, to become one in mind and to surrender their kingdoms to evil until the words of God accomplish their end. Remarkably, the idolatrous nations end up undermining the very powers, riches, and privileges they sought. This is how false worship always ends: it is self-destructive through overindulgence and unrestrained oppression and violence. 

When another messenger descended from heaven, I knew he possessed great authority because his glory illuminated the earth. He said with a powerful voice: “Fallen, fallen, is Babylon the great city!  The systems the world held in awe have now become a lifeless wilderness, a habitat for demons and foul spirits, a home for everything unclean and hateful.” This is because all the nations have drunk deeply from the intoxicating wine of violence and greed, and are paying the price.   All the nations have disgraced themselves by joining this idolatry as they were bought with power and enslaved withluxury. The buyers and sellers of decadence and oppression have grown gluttonous, and rich, and cruel.

 Then I heard another voice from heaven say, “My people – followers of the Lamb - get away from Babylon and her nations—fast. Do not get caught up in her sins. Put distance between you so that you do not share in her judgment, because her sins are higher than the highest mountain. They reach far into the heavens like smoke rises from an inferno, and God has not forgotten even one of her missteps. God will deal out to her what she has dealt out to others, and repay her double according to her deeds. In the cup from which she poured our violence and misery, God will mix her a double.  Whatever glory she demanded and in whatever luxury she lived, she will get back the same measure in the torment of justice and the sorrow of guilt and shame that follows sin. 

Secretly she says in her heart: “I rule as a powerful queen; my lovers will never leave me and take away my luxury; I will never experience the grief of loss and need.”  Her addiction to power and comfort leads to arrogant self-sufficiency; the desire to avoid suffering leads to corruption, as anything can be done to keep what she has.   Because of this arrogance, judgment will take her by surprise and overwhelm her. Her life will turn into death and sorrow, and her plenty to famine, and all that she gloried in will disappear like trash incinerated with fire, for mighty is the Lord God who exacts judgment on her. 

And the kings of the earth, her political lovers who committed vile spiritual idolatry with her and lived lavishly off of her, will mourn over their loss when they see the extent of her collapse.  But... they will stand at a distance. They only loved her for what she could do for them. They will be full of fear that they, too, might fall victim to the same torment.  They will moan, “Woe to you, our great city! Babylon, the most powerful city in the world! Your day of judgment has crashed down on you.”  

 And as the economy crashes, and luxury and indulgence disappear, the merchants – the buyers and sellers of things and people -  will weep and mourn over her demise. All their stuff will count as nothing. It will be useless.   Warehouses of luxury goods consumed in acts of conspicuous consumption will remain full of unused and useless gold, silver, jewels, and pearls; fine fabrics, purple, silk, and scarlet cloth; fragrant woods, items made of ivory, and items finely crafted out of expensive wood; bronze, iron, and marble;  cinnamon, spices, incense, myrrh, and frankincense. 

Staples that people need to live - wine, olive oil, flour, and wheat – staples imported in such massive and unnecessary quantities that they left others malnourished and starving - these will be gone. The money and power that follow cattle, sheep, horses, chariots will dry up. Worst is their human cargo- the trafficked bodies and souls of defenseless humanity used, abused and treated like commodities. This, too, will end.

The empire’s elites once got rich and indulgent at the expense of the rest of the empire and indeed the world; now, everything their hearts desire has gone away; all the glitz and glitter are lost forever. The sellers of these goods, who made a fine profit from selling them to Babylon, will stand at a distance.  Like the kings, they will fear her punishment might fall on them too. They will weep and mourn the loss of the city that made their extravagance possible. “Woe to you, our great city, dressed in finest linens, in purple and scarlet fabrics, dazzling in gold and jewels and pearls. Your empire of wealth has collapsed.”  

And all the movers and shakers of this oppressive economic system that abused and consumed things and people alike will keep their distance as well.  Men thought of as strong (by beastly standards) will be reduced to tears as they gaze on the smoke that rose from her ruins. “Was there ever such a glorious human city like this one?” they will ask as  they weep bitterly and mourn their loss.“Woe to you, our great city; all who trafficked things and people became so rich off your wealth! Now, you have crumbled.”

But these economic and political titans of the earth?  They were deceived and corrupted. All the nations fell prey to Babylon’s poisonous seduction. And it was in Babylon’s streets that people paid the price: the blood of the prophets, saints – indeed, all whose lives have been pillaged - ran freely. Empires will eventually resort to anything necessary, including lethal violence, to silence the pro-God, counter-cultural witness of the faithful. Their economic, physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering filled the gutters of the cruel world.

O heaven, rejoice when you see justice roll down, because it means God has been victorious. Join in the celebration, you saints, emissaries, and prophets because God has judged in favor of the followers of the Lamb and against the followers of Babylon and Rome.

Then a mighty messenger picked up what looked like a huge millstone and he cast it into the sea. The messenger said, “Watch and see. This is how Babylon, the great city, will be thrown down; violently will she go down, and they will never find her again. Do you remember when Jeremiah prophesied God’s judgment on Jerusalem? It will happen again, but this time to the Babylons of the world: No more celebratory music, because there will be nothing to celebrate; no more marketplace hubs of community life, there is no community when there is no unity; food and fuel will be scarce, as consumers and hoarders and users care only for themselves; even the closest of human relationships will fall by the wayside. And thus Babylon will fall. 

Empires often eventually die of  self-inflicted wounds; their subjects revolt and destroy the very thing that has empowered them; this reversal is, in a very real sense, the judgment of God. [44] 

* * * * *

The “Babylon/Rome” societies mentioned in Scripture have certain common characteristics:

• Overabundance, and luxury accumulated at the expense of others (Jer 51:13; Eze 16:13, 49; Na 2:9; Rev 18:3, 7, 16-17). It’s when the love of money becomes the root of all kinds of evil: exploitation, greed, the commodification of people.

• Arrogance, self-trust and boastfulness (Isa 14:12-14; Jer 50:31; Eze 16:15, 50, 56; 27:3; 28:5; cf. Rev 18:7). Even the most powerful nations who say, “I rule the world,” and whom people say, “Who is like her?” are going to fall. 

• The use of power and violence against God’s image bearers and children (Jer 51:35, 49; Eze 23:37; Na 3:1-3; cf. Rev 18:10, 24). Ninevah was judged for violence against image bearers; Egypt for violence against God’s people. All the spilled blood of the innocent cries out to God.[45]

• Oppression and injustice (Isa 14:4; Eze 16:49; 28:18; cf. Rev 18:5, 20). Unfair courts, corrupt legal, political and economic systems.

• Idolatry (Jer 51:47; Eze 16:17, 36; 23:7, 30, 49; Na 1:14; cf. Rev 17:4-5; 18:3; 19:2)[46]Think specifically of emperor worship (as we saw in the 7 letters) which tried to make Christ subservient to Caesar. Nations will seek to make the state or its political leaders the source of hope and trust, the thing that demands our allegiance even if it puts us at odds with our faith.

 In summary: We see an arrogant international economic power with clients around the world, hostile to the path and people of God, engaged in the uncontrolled pursuit of luxury, with commerce that even includes trading in human beings, and with a willingness to use violence and exploitation to keep its comfort and power. That’s…all nations, given enough time.[47]

Revelation is a sustained stripping of the sacred from secular power—military, political, economic—and a parallel sustained recognition of God and the Lamb as the rightful bearers of sacred claims. [48] Revelation is a summons to uncivil worship and witness.

John is calling followers of Jesus to choose allegiance to Babylon or to Christ. We choose either Heavenly Kingdom or Earthly Empire. Christians must “come out” – that is, withdraw their support of and participation in – from any nation, party or leader who demands an almost worshipful loyalty and adulation. The Cross must always stand higher than the flag.[49]

Let’s pull from today’s headlines just to see the timelessness of John’s warning. The Jerusalem Post published an article this week that I think is worth noting. It’s called “Ukrainian religious leaders liken Putin to anti-Christ, Hitler.”[50] 

The spokesman of the Orthodox Church of Ukraine had harsh words for Russian President Vladimir Putin calling him the anti-Christ and likening him to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler. “Putin is really not messiah, but really anti-Christ of our current time,” Yevstratiy Zoria, the spokesman for the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, said on the BBC Global News Podcast. “He is anti-Christ because everything what he does, everything what he do now, is totally against gospel, against God’s law.”Zoria’s statement followed that of Metropolitan Epiphanius I of Ukraine who said on Sunday that “the spirit of the anti-Christ operates in the leader of Russia.” 

“The spirit of the antichrist operates in the leader of Russia, the signs of which the Scriptures reveal to us: pride, devotion to evil, ruthlessness, false religiosity. This was Hitler during World War II. This is what Putin has become today.” While these statements serve to highlight a religious conflict between the Orthodox churches of Russia and Ukraine, Putin – though seemingly secular – has not shied away from using religion in his political quests. In his latest nonfiction book, Enemies and Allies, Evangelical author Joel C. Rosenberg explored how religion factors into Putin’s politics. 

“Putin… claims to be a Christian, occasionally attends the Russian Orthodox Church, poses for photo ops with Orthodox priests, and refers in speeches to the church and its importance in Russian life more than any Russian leader since the days of the czars. But there is no evidence that he has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ or that the teaching of the Bible actually shapes or guides his actions. Rather, the evidence suggests Putin is playing on the deep cultural and nationalistic affection the Russian people have for the Russian Orthodox Church to advance his popularity and political power."

[An article] in The Heritage Foundation argued that “Putin often invokes the Russian Orthodox Church in his public speeches, giving the church a much more prominent place in Russian political life than under his predecessors. But these invocations hardly seem sincere in the religious sense. Rather, he has used the church to justify Russian expansion...” Bishop of Leeds, Nick Baines [noted] that Putin has been encouraged by the Russian Orthodox Church to invade Ukraine. The Church, he said, has bought into the "mythology," which Putin believes, that Russia and Ukraine belong together – Ukraine is a fake country.

 Or, from Christianity Today, in an article entitled “Hundreds of Russian Pastors Oppose War In Ukraine.” 

Ukrainian evangelicals have had enough. Battered by a week of war, they have heard numerous prayers for peace uttered by their Russian colleagues. But they did not hear condemnation. “Your unions have congratulated Putin, giving thanks for freedom of belief,” said Taras Dyatlik, the Overseas Council regional director for Eastern Europe and Central Asia. “The time has come to make use of that freedom.” 

“Remember Mordechai and Esther,” he wrote March 1 in an open letter. “Do not be like Jehoshaphat, who entered into an alliance with Ahab, and was silent when God spoke through the prophet Micaiah.” Dyatlik accused his Russian colleagues of buying into national rhetoric—first in 2014, when Russian-backed forces invaded the eastern region of Donbas—and again today. But “begging on my knees,” he leveraged his reputation with the heads of Russia’s evangelical unions—while acknowledging their difficult reality. “You fear prison,” he said. “[But] do not be faithful to Putin. Be faithful to the body of Christ.”

Oh, friends. We must be careful. The Russian church is not uniquely susceptible to this kind of deception. Christians who were, and are, and are to come will live in Babylons that look good, but in whose hand is a bowl full of abominations. Russian Christians are not unique in being deceived by how national leaders paint the world; Russian Christians are no unique in needing to fight the tendency to compromise for the sake of economic, physical or spiritual comfort. Russian Christians are not unique in tarnishing their legacy over the pursuit of or alignment with state power. This is as old as Revelation.  

"Come out of her, my people." 

(Jeremiah 50:8; 51:6-9; Isaiah 48:20; 52:11; 2 Corinthians 6:17).

Christians are to flee, to separate themselves ideologically and spiritually from all the forms of Babylon. If we "share in her sins," we will share in her sufferings. This warning is addressed to professing Christians. We must be wise.[51] I want to talk next week about how we do this pointedly and purposefully. I leave you with this as prep.

The task of a witness is to speak courageously in word and deed, testifying to the truth of God and prophesying against all falsehood that distorts and parodies divine truth.  

Witnesses offer testimony to the vision of God given them in the hope that others will repent from error and turn to the truth, but their success is measured, not by the quantity of their converts, but by the steadfastness of their testimony.  

This suggests that the church should be missional and prophetic, a martyrological community, a gathering of witnesses. Such a calling is difficult and dangerous, but it carries with it the promise of God’s protection in the present and God’s reward in the future.[52]

_____________________________________________________________________

[1] 1 John 2:16

[2] Reading Revelation Responsibly, Michael Gorman

[3] “Many believe that chapter 17 describes religious Babylon and chapter 18 the commercial aspect.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

[4] Jezebel in 2:20–23 was a key seducer akin to Babylon the prostitute (2:21, 22; cf. 17:2). In the Bible, harlotry frequently symbolizes apostasy and idolatry (see Is 1:21; 23:15; Jer 13:25–27; Ezk 16; Hos 4:12; Nah 3:4). (Orthodox Study Bible) “The best background for understanding the language of the chapter is… the descriptions of Jerusalem as the harlot in Eze 16 and 23 and Babylon as the harlot in Jer 51.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[5] Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute. Introduces the theme of ch. 17 and contrasts with 21:9(“Come, I will show you the bride”). (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[6] “Some Jewish prophecies complain about Rome’s drunken weddings with her suitors, the kings of the East she was seducing.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[7]  “Both the kings of the earth and the inhabitants of the earth are seduced into committing spiritual adultery with Babylon. The indication is that she made them drunk with power, material possessions, false worship, and pride.” (NKJV Study Bible)

[8] “Nineveh, the capital of the evil Assyrian empire, seduced the nations with her prostitution and witchcraft (Nah 3.4)” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[9] Seducing the nations into idolatry, likely through the empty promise of political power and especially economic gain (cf. 18:2–19) (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[10] “Because Babylon is the city responsible for the destruction of Jerusalem’s first temple in 586 b.c., John uses this ominous symbol to describe the Babylon of his day—Rome, the city on seven hills… Its beauty and power are legendary, but beneath the surface lies the truth of its nature. What Rome represents in John’s day has been replicated by many different world powers and their material attractions.”  (The Voice Commentary)

[11] Why in the desert, when she usually sits on many waters? “Since the woman who gave birth to the Child-Ruler fled into the wilderness as a place of protection (12:6, 14), perhaps Babylon here is seen as being in league with the dragon and the beast as they ferociously pursue God’s people (12:13–16).” (NKLV Study Bible) On the other hand, Believer’s Bible Commentary thinks this is an apostate church. Primasius said it was “the absence of God, for his presence is paradise.”

[12] “Full of blasphemous names.” These are spiritual competitors, the names of the gods and the other nations. (Michael Heisser)

[13] “Gentiles often personified their homeland as a woman, or the city as a wealthy goddess enthroned beside a river.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[14] Jeremiah 51:7

[15] “Roman law stated harlots must wear headbands exhibiting their name. This great harlot bears the mysterious name of BABYLON . . . MOTHER OF HARLOTS. For the late-first-century Christians, Babylon was incarnate in Rome (see 1Pt 5:13), but it is primarily a spiritual reality, a “mystery,” transcending concrete manifestations. (Orthodox Study Bible)

[16] Condemnations of Babylon and Tyre (Jer. 50; 51; Ezek. 27) (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[17] “The play here on the tenses "was . . . is not . . . will come" refers to a three-stage history of the beast… That John's beast "is not" refers to his defeat by the Lamb on Calvary (cf. Jn 12:31-32)… all other gods are nothing or nonexistent (1Co 8:4-6). Satan once had unchallenged power over the earth ("was," cf. Lk 4:6; Heb 2:14-15). Yet he is given a "little time" to oppose God and his people (12:12c; 13:5; 20:3b) before his final sentencing to "destruction" (v.11; cf. Mt 7:13; Jn 17:12; Ro 9:22; 2Th 2:3). It is this apparent revival of Satan's power and authority over the world after his mortal wound (Ge 3:15) that causes the deceived of earth to follow him.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[18] “An ancient seal showing a seven-headed chaos monster being slain illustrates John's imagery. In that scene, the monster is being slain by a progressive killing of its heads. Four of the heads are dead…Yet the chaos monster is still active because three heads still live. Similarly, John's message is that five of the monster's heads are already defeated (12:11). One head is now active, thus showing the reality of the beast's contemporary agents who afflict the saints; and one head remains, indicating that the battle will soon be over but not with the defeat of the contemporary evil agents. “(Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[19] Ancient writers commonly referred to Rome as the city on seven hills. However, “In the seven other instances in Revelation, the word for "hills" here is always rendered "mountains," which are world powers (Isa 2:2; Jer 51:25; Da 2:35; Zec 4:7). It seems better, then, to interpret the seven mountains as a reference to the seven heads or kings, which describe not the city but the beast.” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[20] “Seven mountains may also refer to successive world empires (see Ps. 30:7; Jer. 51:25; Dan. 2:44, 45).“ (NKJV Study Bible)

[21] “These five may be the first five Roman emperors, beginning with Julius Caesar with the being Nero. The five might simply represents an indefinite number of previous persecuting states, with the sixth indicating Christians are near the end.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[22] So much speculation here. Most agree: it’s the final ruler before God wraps up history.

[23] “Of the three stages of the beast—was, is not, will come—only the last is related to his coming "up out of the Abyss" (v.8)…  Christ has killed the monster by his death (Ge 3:15; Rev 12:7-9) and for believers he "is not" (has no power), yet the beast still has life ("one is" [v.10]) and will attempt one final battle… and will give the appearance that he is alive and in control of the world (cf. Lk 4:5-7). That beast belongs to the seven qualitatively (he is of the same quality)." (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[24] “The number “ten” goes back through v. 7 and 13:1 to Dan. 7:7, 24… the beast has characteristics of all four of Daniel’s beasts.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)  “May designate the ten provincial governors of Rome, Rome’s client kings from conquered territories, or the “the kings of the earth” (v. 18; cf. 16:14)” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[25] “A prostitute’s former lovers might betray her (Lam 1.2), strip her (Ezek 16.39; 23.26–29) or even kill her (Jer 4.30). In the OT God stripped his people (Jer 13.22, 26–27; Ezek 16.37), Nineveh (Nah 3.5) and Babylon (Isa 47.3)” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[26] “Evil will turn against evil as the beast and its “ten horns” will destroy Babylon, the idolatrous economic system that supports them. They despise, shamefully expose, and burn Babylon (cf. Isa 47:1–14), which also recalls the judgment against apostate Israel (cf. Ezek 16:35–42; 23:28–30).” (NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible)

[27] “The lesson from Roman times can be generalized: idolatrous states end up destroying the very powers, riches, privileges, and people that they originally supported. False worship is self-destructive.” (ESV Reformation Study Bible)

[28] “By this period people in the empire spoke of Rome as the city that ruled land and sea to the ends of the earth.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[29] “When John’s prophecy will be fulfilled, an amazing thing will happen: The harlot will be made desolate by the very system that carried her.” (NKJV Wiersbe Study Bible)

[30] “’Babylon’ means ‘confusion’…It signifies people who are arrogant, robbers, dissolute and impious, and who persevere in their wickedness.” Caesarius of Arles

[31] Likely inspired by Is 13:19–22; 34:11–15

[32] “Separation is a refusal to participate in the works of darkness (2Co 6:14–18).” (Orthodox Study Bible)

[33] Double payment was exacted from a thief (Ex 22.4, 7, 9), and from God’s people (Isa 40.2; Jer 16.18). Babylon would drink from “the cup she mixed” (cf. Rev 14.8–10; Isa 51.22–23; Jer 50.29; Ob 15). (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[34] See Isaiah 47 for background imagery here.

[35] Babylon's sin is described as satiety ("luxury"), pride ("boasts, I sit as a queen"), and avoidance of suffering ("I will never mourn"). Luxury leads to boastful self-sufficiency (Eze 28:5); the desire to avoid suffering leads to the dishonest pursuit of luxury (Eze 28:18). 

[36] This is Roman merchandise. (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[37] “Most items on the list are luxury goods, symbols of conspicuous consumption; some are basic staples, such as wheat, but imported in such massive quantities that residents of Rome ate free while many peasants in Egypt, where much of the grain was grown, were malnourished. The list climaxes with “human lives” sold as slaves (v. 13)—the gravest injustice of the empire (cf. Deut 24.7)… Rome’s rich indulged themselves at the expense of the rest of the empire.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[38] Reminscent of Eze 27, a lamentation over the fall of Tyre. 

[39] “God commanded Jeremiah to hurl a stone into the middle of the Euphrates to symbolize the permanent fall of Babylon (Jer 51.63–64). Revelation amplifies the image as a millstone thrown into the sea, probably recalling Jesus’ warning in Mark 9.42 and Luke 17.2.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible)

[40] “When God judged Judah by means of Babylon, Jerusalem became desolate, without lighted lamps or the sounds of millstones or the joyful sound of newlyweds (Jer 25.10; cf. Jer 16.9). Now Babylon reaps what it sowed.” (NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible) 

[41] Nahum’s prophecy against Nineveh mentions “the prostitute, gracefully alluring, mistress of sorcery, who enslaves nations through her debaucheries and peoples through her sorcery” (Nah 3.4).

[42] “The great sin of Babylon is cited. She has martyred the prophets and followers of Jesus. John has already mentioned this blood-guiltiness (17:6; cf. 19:2). Elsewhere the death of martyrs is attributed to "the inhabitants of the earth" (6:10), the "beast that comes up from the Abyss" (11:7, 13:7), and the "beast, coming out of the earth" (13:15). In v.24 "the blood . . . of all who have been killed on the earth" refers to all those who have been martyred because of their loyalty to the true God. Once again, in John's mind, Babylon the Great encompasses all the persecution against the servants of God until his words are fulfilled (cf. 17:17).” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)

[43] Note also the many allusions to Jer. 50; 51and Ezek. 27.

[44] Several paragraphs from Reading Revelation Responsibly, by Michael Gorman, were woven into this.

[45] Deuteronomy 32:33

[46] This list from NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

[47] Dragons, John, and Every Grain of Sand: Essays on the Book of Revelation. Edited by Shane wood.

[48] Ibid

[49] Asbury Bible Commentary

[50] https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-699171

[51] Expositor’s Bible Commentary

[52] Reading Revelation Responsibly, Michael Gorman

7 Trumpets (Revelation 8-11)

 Now when the Lamb opened the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour[1].  Then I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Another angel holding a golden censer came and was stationed at the altar. A large amount of incense was given to him to offer up, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar that is before the throne.  

 The Old Testament associates silence with divine judgment.[2] This seems to be a response to the death of and the prayers of saints that bring about the judgment on those through whom evil and suffering have been unleashed in the world. 

The smoke coming from the incense, along with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel’s hand. Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it on the earth[3], and there were crashes of thunder, roaring, flashes of lightning, and an earthquake.[4]

The prayers go up; fire, a common biblical metaphor for a judgment that either refines or destroys, comes down. Now, the trumpets show how God’s judgment of evil impacts the earth as we groan our way toward the end.   

 Now the seven angels[5] holding the seven trumpets prepared to blow them.[6]

Remember we talked about the "birth pangs" Jesus warned would start in the generation of his listeners? The birthing process is a lot of pain, a lot of unpleasantness, but a good result at the end. There will be life on the other side, but the process is going to be hard. 

We are going to see the removal of peace; the destruction of the things that prop up the idolatry and empires of the world; deprivation; suffering; loss; despair.  This is reaping what was sown.  Consumer cultures consume themselves. Violent cultures ruin themselves. Indulgent cultures soften themselves. God sends the whirlwind. 

[Babylon’s] sins are piled up to heaven, and God has remembered her crimes. Give back to her as she has given; pay her back double for what she has done. Pour her a double portion from her own cup... God has judged her with the judgment she imposed on you.” (Revelation 18:5-6; 20)”[7]

A third will be impacted,[8] meaning it’s not total judgment. There is time for people to see what is going on and repent. In that sense, while this judgment is certainly about retribution for the evil done, it also holds the potential to be rehabilitative and restorative. It’s a good reminder of how to pray for justice/judgment: may it not only stop the evil, but may it be the means by which the evildoers come to their senses.

The images are apocalyptic: flaming mountains that are nations; stars that are angels; a speaking eagle. I think we are meant to see “through” them, weighing them like we do numbers.[9] There is room for the famine to be deprivations of all kinds, or the bitterness of the water to be a contrast to “the living water,” which speaks to spiritual realities. We are going to see everything shake. The people have placed their trust in idols, in false gods, in what is unstable and chaotic, and it’s not going to end well.[10] 

 The first angel[11] blew his trumpet, and there was hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was thrown at the earth so that a third of the earth (soil) was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

The fire and blood are symbols of the wrath of God.[12] They can’t be literal: the blood and hail would put out the fire; a fire that destroyed 1/3 of the dirt and trees and all the grass would destroy the globe.

The first 4 trumpets are modeled after the plagues on Egypt (Exodus 7-11). Revelation 15:3 compares the return of Jesus to the first exodus;[13] it would make sense that the second exodus is ushered in in similar fashion.[14]  

Since the plagues of Egypt directly challenged the gods of the Egyptians, I am inclined to see this trumpet as a spiritual warfare broadside against the gods of this world, judging the world systems behind the evil and corruption of the world (which we will say more about at the 7th trumpet).[15]However, just like the first Exodus, it’s not too late repent and join those about to head to the Promised Land.[16]   

 Then the second angel blew his trumpet, and something like a great mountain of burning fire was thrown into the sea.[17]A third[18] of the sea became blood, and a third of the creatures living in the sea died, and a third of the ships were completely destroyed.

In the Bible, mountains often stand in for kingdoms[19] or nations, many subject to God's judgment.[20] Jeremiah speaks of Babylon as a destroying mountain which would be burned by fire (Jeremiah 51:25) that will sink into the waters never to rise again.[21] We will see this again with the destruction of Babylon’s global maritime commerce in chapter 18.[22] Rome depended on the sea for food and commerce; the sea captains lament Babylon’s ruin.[23]

Once again, see ‘through’ this: it’s an indictment on nation(s) plural. All nations. God’s judgment will rock the gods of this world, and then hit the issue most talked about in the Bible: money, the idol of wealth, commerce, power and security. Look how rocked we have been by the shipping issues in the last few months (“We can’t have Christmas!”). There is nothing new under the sun.  

Then the third angel blew his trumpet, and a huge star burning like a torch fell from the sky; it landed on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. (Now the name of the star is Wormwood.) So a third of the waters became wormwood, and many people died from these waters because they were poisoned.

In Jewish apocalypses, stars sometimes appeared like burning mountains; one fell into the sea and burned both the sea and Israel’s oppressors.[24]  1 Enoch 18:13 and 21:3[25] describes the preliminary judgment of the fallen angels as “stars like great burning mountains.”[26] Stars represent angelic beings in Revelation (see on 1:19). OT angels often represent earthly peoples and kingdoms.

In fact, the rabbis interpreted the Exodus 7:16–18 plague on the waters as a judgment on the Nile god, who represented the people. They would quote Isaiah 24:21 - “the Lord will punish the host of heaven on high and the kings of the earth on earth.” Here Babylon’s ‘angel’ appears to be judged along with the nation. It was prophesied. Not only are the nations shaken, but any spiritual powers behind them have been toppled from their place of authority as well. 

O shining one, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the ground, O conqueror of the nations…  But you were brought down to Sheol, to the remote slopes of the Pit. (Isaiah 14:12-15) 

Wormwood recalls the bitter water at Marah - still on an Exodus theme (Exodus 15:23). If the “living waters” of chapters 7 and 21 represent the reward of eternal, spiritual life for faithfulness through suffering (7:17; 21:6; 22:1), then the waters of death in Chapter 8 represent a punishment of suffering associated with eternal, spiritual death. 

Then the fourth angel blew his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, and a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened.[27] And there was no light for a third of the day and for a third of the night likewise.[28] 

Our earth is too finely tuned to not be destroyed by literal celestial events like that. It’s a known image of judgment to John’s audience: at God’s judgment of Edom, “all the starry host will fall” (Isaiah 34:4).  The Dictionary Of Bible Themes notes the many ways in which celestial bodies played multiple roles in the Bible, but here’s what’s relevant to us today. Under the category of “Worship of the Stars,” we find: 

·      Prohibited by God Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3 2 Kings 23:4-5

·      Judgment of star worshippers Jer 8:2: 19:12-13; Amos 5:25-27; Acts 7:42-43

·      Examples of star worship 2 Ki 17:16; 2 Ki 21:3-5; 2 Chronicles 33:5; Acts 28:11

·      Idolatrous worship of the moon Deut. 4:19; 17:3; 2 Ki 23:5; Job 31:26

·      Sun Worship Forbidden to God’s people Deut 4:19;17:2-5; Job 31:26-28

·      Practiced in Israel and Egypt Ez 8:16; 2 Ki 23:5,11; Jer 8:1-2; 43:13

 Judaism has long interpreted The Exodus plague of darkness as a spiritual, cultural, or mental darkness. It's the darkness of despair when people realize the futility of their idolatry and the disaster that is coming up on them (Jeremiah 15:19, Amos 8:9, Joel 2).[29] 

 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying directly overhead[30], proclaiming with a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe[31]to the earth dwellers because of the remaining sounds of the trumpets of the three angels who are about to blow them!”

 God’s people are spared the following plagues, as happened with the later Egyptian plagues.[32]Since God’s people are spared, this is good reason to think that what follows has to do with spiritual judgment that will ‘pass over’ God’s faithful people sealed by the Lamb’s blood.   

Then the fifth angel blew his trumpet, and I saw a star that had fallen from the sky to the earth, and he was given the key to the shaft of the abyss. He opened the shaft of the abyss and smoke rose out of it like smoke from a giant furnace[33]. The sun and the air were darkened with smoke from the shaft.  Then out of the smoke came locusts onto the earth, and they were given power like that of the scorpions of the earth.[34] 

The “star” that John sees is an angel (20:1) with the key (3:7) to open the Abyss. The Abyss was believed by John’s audience to be the underworld prison of evil spirits.[35] 

 They were told not to damage the grass of the earth, or any green plant or tree,[36] but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their forehead. The locusts were not given permission to kill them, but only to torment them for five months, and their torture was like that of a scorpion when it stings a person. In those days people will seek death, but will not be able to find it; they will long to die, but death will flee from them. Now the locusts[37] looked like horses equipped for battle.[38] On their heads were something like crowns similar to gold, and their faces looked like men’s faces.  They had hair like women’s hair, and their teeth were like lions’ teeth. They had breastplates like iron breastplates, and the sound of their wings was like the noise of many horse-drawn chariots charging into battle. They have tails and stingers like scorpions, and their ability to injure people for five months is in their tails. They have as king over them the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon.

Notice that the locusts don't do what no locusts normally do. They can't touch any green thing - or those who have the Seal of God upon their forehead. One assumes the threat is non-physical: for example, the devastation and famine of the soul (Amos 8:11-14).[39]  I favor the view that this describes demonic activity on earth.  

• “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons…” (1 Timothy 4:1). 

•  “‘Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great!’ She has become a dwelling for demons and a haunt for every impure spirit.” (Revelation 18:2)

• “The horses are men, and the riders are evil spirits.” (Primasius and Andrew of Caesarea, 500s)

• “A terrifying picture of demonic oppression.” (Orthodox Study Bible)

• “These locusts probably represent demons.” (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

• Demonic forces out of the abyss… [John uses] frogs to represent demonic powers in the recapitulation in Revelation 16:13. (Expositor’s Bible Commentary: New Testament)

 This aligns with Christianity’s view of an active supernatural world that tries to influence, oppress, and even seek to take control of humanity to bend them away from God. John’s view of this is sobering. It sounds like he is showing a practical application of what Paul wrote: when you offer yourself as a slave, you are a slave of the one you obey. (Romans 6:16)

 The first woe has passed, but two woes are still coming after these things! Then the sixth angel blew his trumpet, and I heard a single voice coming from the horns on the golden altar that is before God, saying to the sixth angel, the one holding the trumpet, “Set free the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates!” Then the four angels[40] who had been prepared for this hour, day, month, and year were set free to kill a third of humanity. The number of soldiers on horseback was 200,000,000; I heard their number.

The Euphrates was the boundary behind which enemies lurked. [41] It’s a physical image for a spiritual reality. The numerical background for this huge number is Daniel 7:10. It just means there’s a lot. A lot a lot.

 Now this is what the horses and their riders looked like in my vision: The riders had breastplates that were fiery red, dark blue, and sulfurous yellow in color. The heads of the horses looked like lions’ heads, and fire, smoke, and sulfur came out of their mouths. A third of humanity was killed by these three plagues, that is, by the fire, the smoke, and the sulfur that came out of their mouths. For the power of the horses resides in their mouths and in their tails, because their tails are like snakes/scorpions[42], having heads that inflict injuries. 

This invasion is often compared to the daunting Parthian army. See ‘through’ it. You think they are scary? The spiritual battle is worse.  

The rest of humanity, who had not been killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so that they did not stop worshiping demons and idols made of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk about. Furthermore, they did not repent of their murders, of their magic spells, of their sexual immorality, or of their stealing.

INTERLUDE

An angel measures the temple, John eats a scroll that tastes good going down (this story ends well!) and then does not sit well at all (#birthpangs). Then two witnesses show up in a city for 3 ½ years, breathe fire on anyone who challenges them, get killed, then come back to life. 

MEASURING THE TEMPLE

Measuring the temple is best understood against the background of Ezekiel 40 – 48 in which measuring is associated with establishment and protection. Measuring suggests God's presence, which is guaranteed to be with the temple community living on Earth before the Lord's return.[43] But the angel didn’t measure the outer court of the temple. Short version: your soul will be safe, even if your skin is not.

THE TWO WITNESSES

• 2 lampstands, which are identified as churches in chapters 1 & 2,[44] have the powers of both Moses (law) and Elijah (prophet) and establish the truthfulness of the gospel message. (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6; Matthew 18:16, Luke 10:1-24). 

• The three and a half years (Daniel’s “time, times, and half a time”) is from Christ's resurrection until His final coming.[45]

• The fire is God's judgment on the world’s sin through the spoken word of Scripture.[46] In Luke 9, the disciples wanted to copy Elijah by calling down fire upon some Samaritan villagers. Jesus rebuked them, but then sent out groups (of two) to declare the danger of judgment (and the good news of mercy) through the proclamation of the Gospel. 

• The great city where the bodies lie is the world: Rome is Sodom, Egypt, Babylon. It’s all the troublesome nations that have plagued God’s people in different ways. 

• The restoration to life is taken directly from the “dry bones” resurrection of Ezekiel 37:5 -10.[47] God’s church will not stay down.

• The people repent – or at least acknowledge the power of God, which might not be the same thing…[48]

The Seal Interlude: “You are sealed. Endure.” 

The Trumpet Interlude: “You are secure. Witness.” 

Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Then the twenty-four elders who are seated on their thrones before God threw themselves down with their faces to the ground and worshiped God  with these words: “We give you thanks, Lord God, the All-Powerful, the one who is and who was[49], because you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations were enraged, but your wrath has come, and the time has come for the dead to be judged, and the time has come to give to your servants, the prophets, their reward, as well as to the saints and to those who revere your name, both small and great, and the time has come to destroy[50] those who destroy the earth.” Then the temple of God in heaven was opened and the ark of his covenant was visible within his temple.[51] And there were flashes of lightning, roaring, crashes of thunder, an earthquake, and a great hailstorm.

 This is still a “woe,” because the ‘woes’ are from the perspective of the world.  God’s reign means evil’s judgment. It’s not good news for everybody. 

However, The picture of God’s judgment here in Revelation shows a God who has been restraining the full, devastating consequence of the sin we have sown. It also shows a God who, when “our iniquities are full,” will no longer hold back the chaos from the abyss. He will give us the full experience of our masters. 

If paradise is being fully in the presence of the one we serve with all the blessings that follow, perhaps hell may be thought of as fully experiencing the presence of the one we have been serving (the dragon and his servants) with all its cursings.

Meanwhile, God sends warnings. There are not only little oasis or outposts of heaven that function as signposts for eternity with the Lamb; we find the same kind of signposts for an eternity with the Dragon. 

·      What we think will never fail, fails.

·      What we think will always provides, stops providing.

·      What once measured our success begins to measure our failure. 

·      What we thought filled us was actually consuming us.

·      What we thought was refreshing us becomes bitter and sickening.

·      What we thought brought flourishing brought destruction.

·      What we thought made life matter made life meaningless.

No matter who you think the witnesses are, their purpose is clear: with holiness, grace, and hope, faithfully preach and model the message of the Slain Lamb to all inside and outside church walls so that as many as possible may be delivered from the judgment to come. 

The witnesses are never promised a time of prosperity of wealth or independence or popularity or even freedom to practice our faith. What they are promised is that God’s grace will be sufficient (2 Corinthians 12:9), and that the true church will rise from the ashes.

No matter what happens, I know this: We are called to be faithful witnesses to God in a sin-captured world.[52] Yes, this is daunting, but if you are committed Jesus, you are sealed. You have been claimed. 

For the true church, Revelation is sobering but also exciting: the cost may be high, but the end will be glorious. Revelation is supposed to bring hope. The king is returning. Evil will be undone. God’s originally good Earth will be renewed. Bear holy and faithful witness to it. [53]

___________________________________________________________________________

[1] Don’t sweat the time frame. It’s just a literary device that means it happened :)

[2] Habakkuk 2:20 -3:15; Zechariah 2:13 -3:2; Zephaniah 1:8 7-18

[3] “The smoke of the incense…shows that the petition of chapter 6:9 -10 is now being presented before God. Their petition for judgment has been found acceptable.” (Beale)

[4] “Peals of thunder, flashes of lightning and an earthquake” is almost identical to the description of the last judgment in 11:19 and 16:18 as well as 4:5. (Beale) 

[5] Jewish tradition identifies seven angels who offer up the prayers of the saints as they enter before the glory of the Holy One (Tobit 12:15). (Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary Of The New Testament)

[6] “The primary perspective of the first five seals was on the trials to which believers must pass; now, the focus in the first six trumpet are on the judgment which unbelievers both inside and outside the church must endure.” (Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary)  “In the first round, we were looking at the tribulation through the lens of the church. In round two, we see it from the vantage point of the world.” (Mark Moore, How To Dodge A Dragon: An Uncommentary On Revelation) 

[7] “Sometimes, God’s judgment in Revelation takes the form of imperial practices themselves, or the consequences of such practices. War, famine, pestilence, death, injustice in the marketplace, and rebellion are all…human evils rather than cosmic events… We would  be misguided not to see these also as divine punishment, similar to the snowball effect of sin unleashed in the world according to Paul in Rom 1:18-32. The question “human sin or divine punishment?” presupposes a false dichotomy and asks for an unnecessary choice; the answer is of course, ‘both’”. Michael Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly

[8] “Third part is a rabbinism, expressing a considerable number. "When Rabbi Akiba prayed, wept, rent his garments, put of his shoes, and sat in the dust, the world was struck with a curse; and then the third part of the olives, the third part of the wheat, and the third part of the barley, was smitten.” (Adam Clarke)

[9] “Cosmic signs [are]symbols of the distress and disease generated by human evil. [This is] indirect divine judgment.” Michael Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly

[10] Greg Beale notes that while we are told serious things about the ‘world’ collapsing under God’s judgment, physical symbols are meant to point us toward spiritual realities.

[11] Heisser points to Moyise’s Old Testament in Revelation to note the trumpet judgments in Revelation 8, 9, and a bit of 10 follow the themes of Joel 2-3 and Amos 1-2.

[12] Tyconius (370), Oecumenius (500s), Andrew of Caeserea (563) thought it might come through warfare. “The land was wasted; the trees-the chiefs of the nation, were destroyed; and the grass-the common people, slain, or carried into captivity.” (Adam Clarke)

[13] The redeemed sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb

[14] From Mark Moore, How To Dodge A Dragon: An Uncommentary On Revelation:

 Israelites in Egypt - Christians in Asia Minor/All of us   The people of God suffer oppression; God sends plagues to demonstrate his power/provoke repentance; repentance does not follow; God defeats the oppressor; God’s people praise the God who will reign forever; the ark of the covenant is present with God’s people

[15]  Michael Heisser notes, “Where do we get the nations and their gods to begin with? Genesis 11. Babylon.” And that’s the mountain that is about to be thrown into the sea…. 

[16] When Israel left Egypt, “a mixed multitude went up with them.” (Exodus 12:38) 

[17] “Mountain, in prophetic language, signifies a kingdom; Jeremiah 51:25; Jeremiah 51:27; Jeremiah 51:30; Jeremiah 51:58. Great disorders… are represented by mountains being cast into the midst of the sea, Psalms 46:2. Seas and collections of waters mean peoples, as is shown in this book, Revelation 17:15. “(Adam Clarke) 

[18] A fourth of the earth was affected by the seal judgments; a third is now devastated by the trumpet judgments. There is a progression in intensity.

[19] Revelation14:1; 17:9; 21:10

[20] Isaiah 41:15, 42:15; Ezekiel 35; Zechariah 4:7

[21] Babylon’s judgment is as a stone thrown into the sea in Revelation 18:21 

[22] Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary

[23] “Every shipmaster and all who sail anywhere and every sailor and as many as work on the sea... cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning... and they were weeping and mourning, saying ‘woe, woe, is the great city, through which all those who have ships in the sea became wealthy because of her wealth.’ ” (18:17–19) 

[24] NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

[25] Revered Jewish literature from around 200 BC. While not Scripture, it functioned as a commentary that was highly influential in shaping Jewish thought. 

[26] Heisser, from an episode on the Naked Bible podcast

[27] Parallel to Exodus 10:21–23.

[28] Early church fathers were inclined to see the celestial bodies as the church, and the darkness as the result of heretics dimming the light of Scripture.

[29] Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary

[30] This eagle is in the “middle heaven,” the home of the sun, moon, planets, and stars (Revelation 14:6; 19:17).  It’s a place where all the world will see/hear.

[31] “Look! An eagle is swooping down, spreading its wings over Moab ... Woe to you, O Moab! The people of Chemosh are destroyed.” (Jeremiah 48:40, 46).

[32] How do they do this? “‘Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues.” (Revelation 18:4)

[33] The abyss in the Old Testament represents chaos. Here, the abyss seems to represent part of the spiritual world that is the home of evil that will be judged. That’s why it can be referred to as watery (chaos) and also fiery (judgment). 

[34] Many of the early church fathers were convinced this was about heretics, though a few chalked it up to demons… that were inspiring heretics. (All my notes on Early Church Fathers come from Ancient Christian Commentary On Scripture.)

[35] Demons pleaded with Jesus to spare them the Abyss. (Luke 8:30–31)

[36] Once again a reminder this is imagery, as all the grass was already gone.

[37] Like horses prepared for battle: a conquering host. Gold-like crowns: authorized to rule in people’s lives. Human-appearing faces: creatures of intelligence. Hair like women’s: hair was considered seductive. Lion-like teeth: ferocious and cruel. Armor-like iron breastplates: difficult to attack and destroy, etc. (Believer’s Bible Commentary)

[38] OT imagery. “They have the appearance of horses; they gallop along like cavalry” (Joel 2:4). An army of locusts “has the teeth of a lion” (Joel 1:6) and make a noise “like that of chariots” (2:5). Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary of the New Testament

[39] Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary

[40] This seems to be a recapitulation of the 4 Horsemen.

[41] Heisser notes that beyond the Euphrates was the domain of Baal. The language of the Old Testament relates not just to the invading armies that Israel had to put up with, but also the idea that there are cosmic powers itching to invade.

[42] Jewish tradition held that in Sheol and Abaddon there were “angels of destruction,” who were in authority over thousands of scorpions (Heisser). Scorpions and serpents were associated in Old Testament and extra-biblical Jewish writings as metaphorical images for false teaching. (Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary)

[43] Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary

[44] Only two of the seven churches/lampstands remained faithful in Revelation 2-3: Smyrna and Philadelphia. Perhaps these two churches represent the faithful church. The whole world will see the two witnesses, which is understandable if they're a global church. That the witnesses are called trees comes from the vision of Zechariah in chapter 4. 

[45] Funny but true story: the Babylonian kings tried to predict what Daniel prophesied by doing the math of the 70 weeks. When nothing would happen in a literal 70 weeks, they would recount and try again…because the numbers were meant to be weighed, not counted.

[46] “I and making my words in your mouth fire and this people wood, and it will consume them.” (Jeremiah 5:14).  

[47] Greg Beale, Revelation: A Shorter Commentary

[48] Compare to Egypt: “And the Egyptians will know that I am Yehovah when I stretch out my hand against Egypt and bring the Israelites out of it.” They knew and acknowledged, but that’s not the same as salvation.

[49] Ooh. No more “and is to come.” He has arrived! 

[50] Here’s another reason I tend to see most of God’s judgment in Revelation as God giving people over to themselves. The word here for ‘destroy’ is the same word ‘destroy’ at the end of the verse that they did to the earth! “’Diaphtheírō (from diá, ‘thoroughly,’ which intensifies phtheírō, ‘defile, corrupt) properly, thoroughly corrupt, totally degenerate (disintegrate); waste away by the decaying influence of moral (spiritual) impurity; ‘utterly corrupt’; becoming thoroughly disabled (morally depraved), ‘all the way through’ (‘utterly decayed’).” #windandwhirlwind (HELPS Word Studies)

[51] In the Old Testament, the ark was a sign of God’s presence. It was usually behind a veil, but here it is fully revealed and accessible to all. 

[52] Thanks to http://newlisbon.church/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Revelation-Workbook.pdf for some really helpful insights.

[53] How do we do this? Faith/trust/belief based on the person and work of Jesus; commitment that orients/prioritizes our life; lifestyle committed to holiness (set apart for God); words that speak truth righteously; consistent, conscientious witness.