Gotterdammerung

Gotterdammerung! This is the German name for Ragnarok – the judgement of the gods. It is the final drama in the cycle of musical drams by Richard Wagner, telling the story of the Ring of the Nibelung: Das Rheingold; Die Walkure; Siegfried; and Gotterdammerung.

So often we think the Bible is alone in presenting the truths of God, but it is amazing how our God has preserved His truth throughout the whole of the earth. Although the Bible stands alone infallible and inerrant, elements of God’s truth are found throughout the world. Virtually every tribe in the world has a creation account which agrees in amazing detail with the revealed Word of God. Virtually every tribe of our world has an account of past judgement by a great flood and the saving of a few in a boat. Looking forward, it is astonishing to us to learn that many of the tribes of the earth look forward with trepidation to a great and final judgement of this earth.

The Norse were such a people. Listen to this passage from Bullfinch’s Mythology[1]: It was a firm belief of the northern nations that a time would come when all the visible creation, the gods of Valhalla and Niffleheim, the inhabitants of Jotunheim, Alfheim, and Midgard, together with their habitations, would be destroyed. The fearful day of destruction will not, however, be without its forerunners. First will come a triple winter, during which snow will fall from the four corners of the heavens, the frost be very severe, the wind piercing, the weather tempestuous, and the sun impart no gladness. Three such winters will pass away without being tempered by a single summer. Three other similar winters will then follow, during which war and discord will spread over the universe. The earth itself will be frightened and begin to tremble, the sea leave its basin, the heavens tear asunder, and men perish in great numbers, and the eagles of the air feast upon their still quivering bodies. The wolf Fenris will now break his bands, the Midgard serpent rise out of her bed in the sea, and Loki, released from his bonds, will join the enemies of the gods. Amidst the general devastation the sons of Muspelheim will rush forth under their leader Surtur, before and behind whom are flames and burning fire. Onward they ride over Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, which breaks under the horses’ hoofs. But they, disregarding its fall, direct their course to the battlefield called Vigrid. Thither also repair the wolf Fenris, the Midgard serpent, Loki with all the followers of Hela, and the Frost giants.

Heimdall now stands up and sounds the Giallar horn to assemble the gods and heroes for the contest. The gods advance, led on by Odin, who engages the wolf Fenris, but falls a victim to the monster, who is, however, slain by Vidar, Odin’s son. Thor gains great renown by killing the Midgard serpent, but recoils and falls dead, suffocated with the venom which the dying monster vomits over him. Loki and Heimdall meet and fight till they are both slain. The gods and their enemies having fallen in battle, Surtur, who has killed Freyr, darts fire and flames over the world, and the whole universe is burned up. The sun becomes dim, the earth sinks into the ocean, the stars fall from heaven, and time is no more.

After this Alfadur (the Almighty) will cause a new heaven and a new earth to arise out of the sea. The new earth filled with abundant supplies will spontaneously produce its fruits without labour or care. Wickedness and misery will no more be known, but the gods and men will live happily together.

Deep in the consciousness of the peoples of those northern nations were thoughts which reached back to the very beginning of the world. One of those truths which God had placed within their consciousness was the knowledge that there was an Almighty One, whom – although they could not worship Him properly – controlled all things and at the last would judge all things.

Now, we don’t live in superstition and ignorance such as that in which our fathers lived. We are privileged to have the Word of God in our hands. Let us, then, read an inspired – infallible and inerrant, certain and confident – account of that which the ancient Norse and Teutonic peoples referred to with wonder and awe – Ragnarok, or Gotterdammerung.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

The Surety of Destruction – God’s Word serves as the surety of destruction for this world. God, who cannot lie, has spoken, and it shall be. The wicked will be called to account, and all this transient world shall be judged – the heavens will disappear, the elements will be destroyed by fire, the earth and everything in it will be exposed as unworthy of eternity. In this verse we are given the sure Word of the Living God who states: the day of the Lord will come like a thief. Despite this warning, the most of mankind, including a tragic number of those who name the Name of Christ the Lord, deny that God will ever do such a thing as call mankind to account.

Man is a strange creature. It seems inherent within human nature that we deny the inevitable. Some years ago Lynda and I enrolled in a course to learn CPR. During our studies we learned that one of the surest signs that an individual is suffering a myocardial infarction – a heart attack – is that the individual denies that he has a problem with his heart. That is the most astounding thing! Dying and yet denying! What is true in the physical realm is equally valid in the spiritual realm. Man, knowing the inevitability and proximity of God’s judgement will deny that judgement. Denial will not alter reality, however, nor avert that which is sure. Follow this thought through the Word of God.

In the weeks preceding the message today we have studied Peter’s second letter, the Word of God which is recorded in 2 Peter 3:3-10. Listen once again and with fresh insight to those awful words which remind us of the wickedness of mankind determined to ignore God and pursue each individual’s rights! Peter writes: First of all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” But they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgement and destruction of ungodly men.

But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.

Recall the dark, awesome words which Paul penned and which are recorded in Romans 1:18-32. The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.

Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion.

Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

How can God not be filled with wrath when man chooses not only to ignore His mercy and grace but also chooses to move steadily toward ever more virulent forms of rebellion? At each step of the downward process, God surrenders man to his own will, with the inevitable result that man becomes increasingly confirmed in his rebellion and even more wicked. We witness precisely such movement toward destruction in our day. The more we attempt to improve matters, the more wicked matters become. The more we compel tolerance, the more intolerant we become. The greater our determination to protect children from their parents, the more children are abused. The greater our compassion for self-destructive behaviour, the greater the self-destruction witnessed.

When Paul spoke to the sophisticated Athenians he concluded his impromptu message with these thought-provoking words: Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead [Acts 17:29-31].

That conclusion prompted a reaction which demonstrates precisely the point I am making: When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” At that, Paul left the Council. A few men became followers of Paul and believed. Among them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, also a woman named Damaris, and a number of others [Acts 17:32-34].

The nearer man draws to destruction the more adamant become his denials of the inevitable! How astonishing! Little wonder that the Master asked with astonishment: when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth [Luke 18:8b]?

Notice the continuity which the Divine Author has provided us in 2 Peter 3:5,6: they deliberately forget that long ago by God’s Word the heavens existed and the earth was formed out of water and by water. By these waters also the world of that time was deluged and destroyed. In Matthew 24:37-39 Jesus said: As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

What was Noah doing for all those years he was building the ark? He was 120 years in building an ark. What did he do with his spare time for all those years? He is called a preacher of righteousness in 2 Peter 2:5, and similarly Hebrews 11:7 would indicate that he was a preacher of the Word. I’ll tell you what Noah was doing, he was obeying God and preaching righteousness to those living about him. Just as those of Noah’s day denied the inevitable, so those of our day deny this inevitable and put the day of judgement far from their thoughts. The Word of God is sure, however. There is a day appointed for the Risen Christ to judge the world, and denial will not put off that day.

“Preacher, when will that day be?” The day of the Lord will come like a thief. No man can tell when that day shall be. That day is appointed by the Living God, and no man can ever know until it is revealed. All we are assured of is that the day is certain. Therefore, let us each act wisely and prepare ourselves to meet the Judge of all mankind. Let us each determine that we will so live that we need not fear that judgement. Let us each determine that we will now settle the question of our salvation and receive the forgiveness of sin which is offered in Jesus the Lord.

“Preacher, what will happen on that day?” The heavens will disappear with a roar. The very elements – the atomic structure – will be destroyed by fire. The earth and everything in it – all nature, all living creatures, all mankind – will be laid bare … by fire. The words are descriptive and yet unrevealing. It will be a day of awesome conflagration.

The Source of Destruction – I draw your attention to the source of this awesome judgement – Jesus Himself. Peter is speaking of our Lord and Saviour [verse two] … the Lord [verses eight and nine] … the day of the Lord [verse ten]. Jesus Himself is the source of destruction resulting from judgement, for He is the Judge of all mankind.

There persists a saccharine, effete image of the Christ in this day of rebellion. Such a concept is a grievous error. The concept of gentle Jesus, meek and mild is folly far the mark when looking forward to what must come to pass. Jesus is no Casper Milquetoast. He is very God, risen from the grave and awesome in power and might. Do you not remember that awesome description which we are given in Revelation 1:13-16? Among the lampstands was someone “like a son of man,” dressed in a robe reaching down to his feet and with a golden sash around his chest. His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire. His feet were like bronze glowing in a furnace, and his voice was like the sound of rushing waters. In his right hand he held seven stars, and out of his mouth came a sharp double-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining in all its brilliance. Small wonder that John fell at the feet of this risen Lord as though he himself had died!

Listen again as John describes this risen Lord of Glory, Jesus Christ our Lord, in Revelation 19:11-16. I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron sceptre.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

We must be warned of our Judge. Jesus said of Himself: I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does. Yes, to your amazement he will show him even greater things than these. For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he is pleased to give it. Moreover, the Father judges no one, but has entrusted all judgement to the Son, that all may honour the Son just as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father, who sent him.

I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.

Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out—those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. By myself I can do nothing; I judge only as I hear, and my judgement is just, for I seek not to please myself but him who sent me [John 5:19-30].

Will Jesus actually judge the wicked? Will the Son of God actually call each man to account? As He departed this earth, the Risen Son of God gave what we Christians refer to as the Great Commission. The most of us memorise Matthew 28:19,20. The preceding verse is vital to understanding that command, however; it is germane in the case of this message. Jesus said All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me [Matthew 28:18]. The Risen Son of God clearly claims to possess total authority – including authority to call all peoples to account.

On one occasion Jesus and His disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee following a long day of ministry to the people. Jesus, exhausted by the demands of unceasing ministry fell asleep and His disciples sailed the boat–straight into the teeth of a fierce storm. Despite their most valiant efforts they could make no headway. At last, the boat in which they were sailing was threatened with capsizing. In deep fear they wakened the Master, asking whether He cared for their plight. The Lord simply said to the storm, “Hush! Quiet!” Instantly, the wind died down and the sea was calmed. The Disciples were more terrified at the revelation of Jesus than they had been by the sea. “Who is this?” they asked. “What kind of man is this?” [Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41]. Their astonishment, amazement and awe is akin to that which we must feel at the thought of the authority He possesses. Power over nature is but a demonstration that He holds power over us. He is not a Judge without authority … He holds all authority.

We have created for ourselves a Jesus who is benign and relatively powerless. Perhaps He will hasten to bail us out if we should encounter difficulty, but He doesn’t demand much. Best of all, He is silent about our secret little sins. We can live without respect to the will of God other than an occasional momentary nod of the head for a brief moment on Sunday morning, and He will neither correct us nor demand much of us. Thus, the apostolic charge against sinners holds true: There is no fear of God before their eyes [Romans 3:18].

This caricature of the Son of God holds true even within the professing church. The contemporary Jesus clucks His tongue at our wilful ways, but dares not intervene. So, we anticipate that we shall have the best of all worlds; we will live as we wish for the moment without thought of or regard to the will of the Lord and we will inherit heaven as well. The thought that we will be judged, called to account for our actions and attitudes, is pushed far from our consciousness … and God is but a distant memory. Yet the Word is emphatic that Christ shall judge all mankind!

There is in the Apocalypse, a frightful account of the inhabitants of this earth in that day when Jesus shall call sinners to account. Among those sinners are undoubtedly a vast number of religious people, even members of the churches. Listen to the warning. The kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?” [Revelation 6:15-17].

What an arresting phrase … the wrath of the lamb. A Lamb cannot be wrathful! John may well be providing us insight into the character of the race in those last days. Consigning Jesus to the realm of the mild-mannered, weak deity current in the contemporary thinking, imagine the astonishment which shall be felt when that innocuous deity is suddenly revealed to be Judge of the entire universe! The astonishment shall quickly turn to terror, and the terror to self-loathing. You see, the Word is quite clear that

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father

[Philippians 2:10,11].

Will you be ready? You may either confess Him as Lord now, in this day of grace, of you may confess Him as Lord in that day of judgement. The choice is yours.

The Spur of Destruction – What does it mean? The very fact that Jesus shall judge us must serve as a spur. Believers are spurred to insure that their lives reflect the glory which shall be revealed when Christ shall come. Outsiders should be spurred to consider Him as Saviour while there is opportunity to repent and to be saved. Though I wish to speak to those yet outside the precincts of grace, for the moment I must speak to believers. Most of us fall within that category and we need to hear the words of the Apostle. Peter addresses believers in the following verses, noting that knowledge of God’s judgement by the Son should serve to impel us toward holiness, toward anticipation, and toward commitment.

Live holy and godly lives (verse 11). In a former church there was a young man whose life was marked with burning zeal for the cause of Christ. I have always practised a policy of encouragement toward those who wish to explore whether God has perhaps called them to the ministry of preaching. I remember this young man’s first effort was a message on this very text. The title of that premier message was, It’s All Gonna’ Burn. He handed the hot end of the poker to those listening that night.

That young man was right, of course … it is “all gonna’ burn”. Because this is true, we who are called of God must insure that our lives reflect this knowledge, and the first reflection called for is to determine that we shall live a life marked by holiness and godliness. You ought to live holy and godly lives, says Peter. The knowledge that Christ shall momentarily appear has a purifying effect on the child of God. John, in his first letter, speaks of this very issue when he says, And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming [1 John 2:28].

Holiness is a natural state and a natural desire for the child of God. Listen to the words which Peter penned in an earlier letter. You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us [1 Peter 2:9-12].

We do well to remember the warning Paul issued in the First Corinthian Letter. Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. Quickly making the application and providing a word of greatest encouragement, he added, and that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God [1 Corinthians 6:9-11].

Live a life of anticipation (verse 12a). Peter asserts that we believers are to look forward to the day of God. We are to live in anticipation of His return and all that that return will bring. We are to live expectantly. Whenever we observe the Communion Meal, one great declaration we make is that we are anticipating the return of our Lord. Such anticipation is transforming. The fact that we fail to live transformed lives speaks volumes about our lack of belief that Jesus will return. The darkest blot on the life of contemporary believers is that they do not live as though He shall shortly return. Living only for the tawdry baubles of this transient life they have no hope beyond the moment. Such people have reduced the Faith of the Lord Jesus to a cheap insurance policy. Beware of adopting such an attitude!

To the disciples, Jesus cautioned, keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to everyone: Watch [Mark 13:35-37]! That warning stands to this day. His disciples will be aware and alert. They will know the signs of His coming and live in anticipation of His presence. The life of the disciple of Christ will always be marked by hope and anticipation. They will refuse to be fixed on this transient moment, living instead for eternity.

Live a life marked by commitment (verse 12b). Of the day of judgement, Peter says that we are to speed its coming. That is an arresting phrase which is employed in the verse. How do we speed the coming of the Day of Judgement? As Christian people pray and witness and live godly lives they bring lost people to faith in Christ the Lord. In this way they hasten the dawning of that day. In a very real sense we are invited to participate in preparing the way for Christ’s return.

Focus for a moment longer on that phrase. The word Peter used, and which is translated speed, is the Greek word speuvdonta", and it conveys the concept of being in a hurry or immediacy. There is a sense of urgency in this passage. The Christian is to be committed to the coming of the Lord and committed to those practises which will afford Him a rich reception at His return. The child of God is to be committed to a life which will prepare the way for the return of the Saviour, though it means judgement for the lost.

The same thought is communicated in 1 Peter 4:7-11. The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.

What about the unbeliever? Is there nothing that one can do? In light of the coming destruction of all things and in light of the coming judgement of all peoples, you, my outsider friend, can make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with Him. Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation [2 Peter 3:14,15]. There is the answer for all who are yet unbelievers. Seek Christ and His salvation now, while His grace is extended. Obey the Word of God and be saved today. You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us [Romans 5:6-8].

If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:9-13].

Believe this Good News and be saved today. Amen.

It was a firm belief of the northern nations that a time would come when all the visible creation, the gods of Valhalla and Niffleheim, the inhabitants of Jotunheim, Alfheim, and Midgard, together with their habitations, would be destroyed. The fearful day of destruction will not, however, be without its forerunners. First will come a triple winter, during which snow will fall from the four corners of the heavens, the frost be very severe, the wind piercing, the weather tempestuous, and the sun impart no gladness. Three such winters will pass away without being tempered by a single summer. Three other similar winters will then follow, during which war and discord will spread over the universe. The earth itself will be frightened and begin to tremble, the sea leave its basin, the heavens tear asunder, and men perish in great numbers, and the eagles of the air feast upon their still quivering bodies. The wolf Fenris will now break his bands, the Midgard serpent rise out of her bed in the sea, and Loki, released from his bonds, will join the enemies of the gods. Amidst the general devastation the sons of Muspelheim will rush forth under their leader Surtur, before and behind whom are flames and burning fire. Onward they ride over Bifrost, the Rainbow Bridge, which breaks under the horses’ hoofs. But they, disregarding its fall, direct their course to the battlefield called Vigrid. Thither also repair the wolf Fenris, the Midgard serpent, Loki with all the followers of Hela, and the Frost giants.

Heimdall now stands up and sounds the Giallar horn to assemble the gods and heroes for the contest. The gods advance, led on by Odin, who engages the wolf Fenris, but falls a victim to the monster, who is, however, slain by Vidar, Odin’s son. Thor gains great renown by killing the Midgard serpent, but recoils and falls dead, suffocated with the venom which the dying monster vomits over him. Loki and Heimdall meet and fight till they are both slain. The gods and their enemies having fallen in battle, Surtur, who has killed Freyr, darts fire and flames over the world, and the whole universe is burned up. The sun becomes dim, the earth sinks into the ocean, the stars fall from heaven, and time is no more.

After this Alfadur (the Almighty) will cause a new heaven and a new earth to arise out of the sea. The new earth filled with abundant supplies will spontaneously produce its fruits without labour or care. Wickedness and misery will no more be known, but the gods and men will live happily together.

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