Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

You have just read the most awesome passage found anywhere in the Bible.

It confronts us with the sobering truth of our ultimate encounter with God.

The story is told of the great statesman Daniel Webster, toward the twilight of his life, attending a luncheon meeting with some younger government leaders.

The chairman of the group turned to Mr. Webster and asked, “What is the greatest thought that has ever passed through your head?” Quick as a flash Daniel Webster replied, “My accountability to God.” Nowhere is one’s accountability to God more clearly defined than in this passage of Scripture.

[Tim LaHaye, Revelation Unveiled (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2010).]

The Devil will be cast into everlasting torments and unrepentant unbelievers will face God’s just judgment and will suffer eternal death as a result.

I.

The Destiny of the Devil (Rev.

20:7-10)

- The Devil & His Dupes Meet Their Final Doom (Rev.

20:7-10)

A. Society’s Final Anarchy (Rev.

20:7-9a)

Note - Consider these thoughts concerning “Gog & Magog” -

Cryptically, John employed the expression “Gog and Magog” ... to refer to this future event.

Both Gog and Magog were individuals with the former the son of Shemaiah (cf.

I Chr.

5:4) and the latter the son of Japheth (cf.

Gen. 10:2; I Chr.

1:5).

In Ezekiel’s prophecy, Gog is the prince of Meshech, Tubal, and the land of Magog (Ezk.

38:2, 3, 14, 16, 18; 39:1, 6, 11).

The combination of these terms suggest another satanic battle against God’s people, albeit this one significantly different from the first.

For instance, the two occasions in Ezekiel and Revelation are different with regard to geography, timing, and result.

First, Ezekiel predicted that the invaders would come from the north (Ezk.

38:15), whereas John predicted that they would come from the four corners of the earth.

Second, Ezekiel predicted that the time would occur early in the Tribulation (Ezk.

36-39),3290 whereas John predicted this would occur after the Millennium.

Third, Ezekiel predicted that the Lord would allow nature to destroy them on the mountains and that they would be buried (cf.

Ezk.

38:22; 39:12), whereas John predicted that they would be consumed with fire.

[3289 The land of “Magog” was founded by the man Magw,g, the NT counterpart to gAgm' (4x).]

[3290 Assuming that the peace and safety (cf.

Ezk.

38:8) is the Antichrist’s false peace (cf.

Dan.

9:27; Rev. 6:1-2), recognizing that the Millennial Temple will not be inaugurated until 2300 days after the midpoint of the Tribulation (cf.

Dan.

8:14), and acknowledging that the weapons from the Gog/Magog battle will be burned for seven years or 2520 days (cf.

Ezk.

39:9), one may assume that Ezekiel’s predicted battle will occur 1040 days into the Tribulation (Millennial Temple inaugurated 3560 days after the Rapture [1260 + 2300 days = 3560 days] minus seven years [2520 days] = 1040 days into Tribulation, or about 2 years and 220 days after the Rapture).]

[Thomas M. Strouse, To the Seven Churches: A Commentary on the Apocalypse of Jesus Christ, Selected Works of Dr. Thomas M. Strouse (Bible Baptist Theological Press, 40 Country Squire Rd., Cromwell, CT 06461, 2013), 876–877.]

Deception is a real danger

News: It was one more tragedy for the Kennedy family.

When John F. Kennedy Jr. took off from Essex County Airport with his wife, Carolyn, and sister-in-law, Lauren, on July 16, 1999, he thought they were destined for a short trip up the coast to Martha’s Vineyard Airport.

Kennedy had received training as a pilot but was not instrument-flight rated.

In other words, he was dependent on his own perceptive accuracy to make appropriate adjustments.

In this case, that dependence proved deadly.

Flying over open water at night through difficult conditions, JFK Jr. lost the horizon, became disoriented, and flew into the ocean—all the while convinced he was flying true.

As believers, we must beware of deception.

It is easy, if we depend on our own perceptions, to be led astray.

We must fix our eyes on the Word, the “instrument panel” for our journey.

To miss this is to risk even more than crashing a plane.

[J.

Scott Duvall, Revelation, ed.

Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 266.]

B. Satan's Eternal Agony (Rev.

20:9b-10)

This passage reminds us that God’s sovereign plan includes the destruction of his archenemy, Satan.

The New Testament records multiple defeats or falls of Satan: being cast from heaven to earth (12:7–9; also perhaps Isa.

14:3–21),

​Revelation 12:7–9 KJV 1900And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven.

And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

​Isaiah 14:3–21 KJV 1900And it shall come to pass in the day that the Lord shall give thee rest from thy sorrow, and from thy fear, and from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve, That thou shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say, How hath the oppressor ceased! the golden city ceased!

The Lord hath broken the staff of the wicked, and the sceptre of the rulers.

He who smote the people in wrath with a continual stroke, He that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

The whole earth is at rest, and is quiet: they break forth into singing.

Yea, the fir trees rejoice at thee, and the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since thou art laid down, no feller is come up against us.

Hell from beneath is moved for thee to meet thee at thy coming: It stirreth up the dead for thee, even all the chief ones of the earth; It hath raised up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

All they shall speak and say unto thee, Art thou also become weak as we? art thou become like unto us?

Thy pomp is brought down to the grave, and the noise of thy viols: The worm is spread under thee, and the worms cover thee.

How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning!

How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.

Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms; That made the world as a wilderness, and destroyed the cities thereof; That opened not the house of his prisoners?

All the kings of the nations, even all of them, Lie in glory, every one in his own house.

But thou art cast out of thy grave like an abominable branch, And as the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with a sword, That go down to the stones of the pit; as a carcase trodden under feet.

Thou shalt not be joined with them in burial, Because thou hast destroyed thy land, and slain thy people: The seed of evildoers shall never be renowned.

Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; That they do not rise, nor possess the land, Nor fill the face of the world with cities.

being defeated during the ministry of Jesus (e.g., Luke 10:18; John 12:31; 16:11; Heb.

2:14; 1 John 3:8),

​Luke 10:18 KJV 1900And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

​John 12:31 KJV 1900Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

​John 16:11 KJV 1900Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

being cast into the Abyss (Rev.

20:1–3), and finally being thrown into the lake of fire (Matt.

25:41; Rev. 20:10).

​Matthew 25:41 KJV 1900Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

The head of the serpent has been crushed (Gen.

3:14–15).

​Genesis 3:14–15 KJV 1900And the Lord God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

The ancient dragon—Leviathan or Rahab—has been slain (Isa.

27:1; 51:9–11).

​Isaiah 27:1 KJV 1900In that day the Lord with his sore and great and strong sword Shall punish leviathan the piercing serpent, Even leviathan that crooked serpent; And he shall slay the dragon that is in the sea.

​Isaiah 51:9–11 KJV 1900Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord; Awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old.

Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?

Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep; That hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over?

Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, And come with singing unto Zion; And everlasting joy shall be upon their head: They shall obtain gladness and joy; And sorrow and mourning shall flee away.

Although he tempts, accuses, and tries to deceive now, his time is limited and his doom is certain.

...The strategy for believers is not to fear Satan but to stay alert to his schemes.

Interestingly, the first mention of the millennium is connected with the judgment of Satan, not the reign of believers.

The role for believers comes soon enough, but we shouldn’t miss the present implication: do not fear Satan, but be alert to his deceitful schemes.

Although Satan remains a dangerous enemy, he has been defeated and will eventually be destroyed.

As Osborne observes, “the great victory in the Apocalypse occurs not at Armageddon but at the cross.”5

Our present strategy includes putting on the full armor of God (Eph.