The Last Time The World Will Hear The Gospel
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
I mentioned in last week’s message that there are 7 visions that take place in this chapter.
We looked at the first one last Sunday found in verses 1-5...
Tonight, we will try to look at the other 6 and conclude this chapter.
In a nutshell, what’s being described in these verses tonight is the ultimate fate of the lost and the saved.
Like I mentioned last week, we are being given an overview of this event…It’s not necessarily in chronological order. This makes parts of Revelation difficult to determine what is happening and when it’s happening.
This is the last presentation of the gospel that will ever be given. It certainly seems like a last ditch effort, a final invitation of the Lord to draw sinners to Himself.
This will be their final chance to turn from the Antichrist and turn to Jesus Christ before the mercy seat is shut off.
Let no one deny the fact that God is a God of mercy. He has been rejected at every turn, but yet, even through the end of the Tribulation, He still offers mercy and grace freely.
Let’s take a look here and see what’s happening:
The Gospel Angel
The Gospel Angel
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
John sees an angel flying in between heaven and earth. The Greek word for this refers to the point in the sky where the sun reaches its high point at noon. In other words, no one can miss this angel.
The antichrist cannot shoot him down; the human race cannot ignore him. I can imagine this scene as he begins to speak, high in the air. Billions will pour out into the streets and fields to listen to what this messenger has to say. It sounds incredible to us, but remember that the world at this point has seen its fair share of the strange and miraculous.
The first angel proclaims the everlasting gospel. If there was ever a time when mankind would be ready for the gospel, you would think it would be now.
Some have argued that there is no precedent in Scripture for angels to preach the gospel.
Angels told men on earth where they could find the Savior, but they never directly evangelize.
Well, all I got to say is there is no precedent for lots of things that happen in Revelation! I’m just going with what the verse says!
Today, the church is responsible for the proclamation of the gospel. However, at this time in the Tribulation, with the church having been raptured, God will shift His methods.
This is so that the gospel will be delivered by 144,000 Jewish evangelists, two unique witnesses, converted people of all nations, tribes, and tongues, and now, an angel.
Notice it is the same gospel - an everlasting gospel! The true gospel has never changed! It is timeless and unchanged.
It is the same gospel that has been preached throughout human history - that mankind is sinful and in need of atonement in order to be right with God.
Babylon’s Doom
Babylon’s Doom
8 And there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication.
This angel’s announcement is against the city called Babylon. When we get to Revelation chapter 17, we will discuss Babylon in detail, but I’ll go ahead and give you a little info…Babylon was founding in Genesis 10 by an idolater named Nimrod.
Babylon became the site of the first organized system of religion that opposed God…It built the tower of Babel.
According to this verse, no matter how great the religious and economic system of the Antichrist is, it’s all going to come smashing down!
Two Outcomes
Two Outcomes
9 And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,
10 The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
We looked the week before last at how the Antichrist and the false prophet will threaten those who refuse to worship the image of the beast with death. Many will be beheaded according to the Bible because they refuse to bow.
In verse 9 and 10, we find that while the Antichrist threatens those who won’t worship him with earthly death, God threatens those who will with hell!
28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
God will not give His glory to another, and those who choose to glorify the Antichrist with their worship will justifiably receive all the wrath of God!
Everyone will spend eternity somewhere…There’s only two choices.
Hell is real.
The angel in verse 9-11 takes the lid off of hell and gives us a peak.
Jonathan Edwards, preaching the sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” said, “The pit is prepared. The fire is made ready. The furnace is now hot ready to receive them. The flames do now rage and glow. The glittering sword is sharp and held over them and the pit has opened its mouth under them ... O sinner! Consider the fearful danger you are in.”
This is the gospel of the third angel. It should be our gospel as well. People today though don't like the image of an angry God who sentences people to hell.
Today the sermon title would be, "People Who Have Made Some Bad Choices in Life in the Hands of a Loving God", or "Victims in the Hands of a Therapeutic God", or "Negative Thinkers in the Hands of a Positive God Who Wants to Fulfill Their Vision and Make Their Lives the Best Life Now"
Notice, in verse 13 quite the opposite for the saints in Heaven - They are blessed!
Let me just give you some keywords here...
“wrath/indignation/fire/brimstone/torment/forever/no rest”
but in Heaven, the saints are:
“blessed, at rest, and their works do follow them”
Heaven for the Christ is a happy, peaceful place in which joy simply continues to increase as time passes!
Armageddon
Armageddon
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.
17 And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18 And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe.
19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
This is a picture - A picture of God's coming wrath is given in the harvest of the earth.
He has been the sower of grace, now He is the grim reaper of wrath.
Winning souls to Christ is sometimes pictured as a harvest. The image is also used of God's judgment. God permits the seeds of iniquity to grow until they are ripe, and then He judges.
Christ separates the saved and the lost like a farmer harvests his crops.
He literally squashes them like ripe grapes in a winepress. The winepress is often used in the Bible as a symbol of God's wrath.
Blood flows out like juice.
This is a picture of Armageddon.
All the nations of the earth come against the nation of Israel to do battle! It will happen!
Out of these armies, so carefully and thoroughly smashed by Jesus Christ, comes blood by the gallon, so much so, that it gathers in a stream several feet deep in the middle of the valley of Megiddo in northern Israel, and slowly drains 200 miles away through the Jordan river system into the aptly named Dead Sea.
Men have rejected the saving blood of the Lord Jesus, now they will wallow in their own blood!
It's Jesus or destruction!
Conclusion
Conclusion
What shall we take away from this chapter other than the knowledge of the future?
12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Be patient...
...no matter how powerful the devil looks
...no matter how all-instrusive the world's system grows
... no matter how impressive the world's accomplishments seem
...no matter how many are with them and how few with us
...no matter how scary his minions
... no matter how fearful, hurt, worried, or lonely your heart
Be patient…If you a child of God, you’re on the winning side!