Encouragement to Persevere

Transcript

GR 1551
01/10/10
Encouragement to Persevere
Revelation 14:12-13
Gil Rugh

We are in the midst of Revelation 14. You can turn there but we're really going to go back and start in chapter 1. I just want to do a quick overview with you so that we're all together in our thinking of where we are in the unfolding plan of the book of Revelation. The book of Revelation is unfolded in sequence—one event follows another. So we move in an orderly progression. There is much confusion on the book of Revelation, and part of it comes from the failure to recognize we are just following sequential events, one after another through the book of Revelation. That keeps things in proper order.

So come back to Revelation 1, we're just going to walk through each chapter, remind ourselves of what is there. Chapter 1 introduced the book and really gave the theme in verse 7, behold He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him. And all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be, amen. That coming of Jesus Christ, that climactic event to which the Old Testament prophets looked and prophesied, we will see in chapter 19 and the establishing of His kingdom in chapter 20. Then you have the vision of the glorified Christ, resurrected and glorified, now manifesting Himself to the Apostle John and giving him instructions in verse 19. Therefore write the things which you have seen, the things which are and the things which will take place after these things. And basically chapter 1, the things he has seen; chapters 2-3 will be the things which are and then chapters 4 ff are future events.

When you come to chapters 2-3 you have the letters to the seven churches. Now we noted these were seven historical churches, actual churches in existence at the time that John was given this information. These seven, and seven becomes the dominant number in the book of Revelation as we have noted, these seven churches are not only chosen as seven literal churches of the time, but they have been selected by Christ because really what He has to say to those seven churches is the message He wants to communicate to His churches down through history, during the church age. They aren't moving the church age along, in other words each church didn't represent a period of time in church history I don't believe, but I take it all seven churches are really in existence at all times, just as they were when John was given this revelation. There were these seven churches but they are selected because the message that Christ gives to them will be pertinent to all of His churches down through church history.

When you come to chapter 4, we take the step to events that are yet future. They not only are future for John, they are still future for us. Chapters 4-5 are the throne room scene in heaven. In chapter 4 John is called up into heaven. There he sees the throne room of heaven, he sees God the Father enthroned in heaven, praise and honor given to Him by the host of heaven. When you come into chapter 5 the focus is on Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And praise and honor and worship are given to Him. Significantly for the rest of the book, chapter 5 opened up with God the Father having in His right hand as He is sitting on the throne in heaven, a seven-sealed book or scroll. And the question goes out, who is worthy to open this book? And the answer is verse 5, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the root of David has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals. And the declaration, verse 9, worthy are you to take the book and to break its seals. For you were slain and purchased for God with your blood, men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God and they will reign from the earth. So Jesus Christ has the right to take this seven-sealed book from the Father because He has provided redemption so that a kingdom can be established in fulfillment of the eternal plan of God. This book is really, some call it the title deed to creation. It is the consummation of the plan of God as we'll see when we get ultimately to the last two chapters of the book. And the plan of God for His creation from the beginning is realized. It took the death of Christ to bring that about because of the entrance of sin into man's life and existence.

From there what we do, beginning with chapter 6, is start to open the seven-sealed scroll or book. Every time a seal is broken, and we noted it could be like a scroll rolled up, and you write on it, roll it up and then seal it on the end. Then you write more, roll it up, another seal. And there are seven seals that could be observed on the end of this scroll. Every time a seal is broken and the scroll is opened a judgment comes out. Now you'll note this is a seven-sealed book or scroll. Everything in the rest of the book of Revelation is contained in those seven seals. As we move along there will be order. You move from one seal to another to another. When you open the seventh seal everything in the rest of the book of Revelation will come out of that seal ultimately. So the progression will move along.

So the seals are opened beginning in chapter 6. Start out with what we call the four horsemen of the apocalypse, remember, because each of these first four judgments are represented by a different colored horse. And with each seal broken you have a judgment. For example, down in verses 7-8, when the Lamb broke the fourth seal then an ashen horse came out and authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword, famine, pestilence, wild beasts. So under that one judgment, the fourth seal judgment, the fourth horseman of the apocalypse, one-quarter of the earth will die. So you see the severity. We move through the fifth seal in verse 9, the sixth seal in verse 12. And with the breaking of the sixth seal there is an ominous awareness even on the earth of the seriousness of the situation. So we had verse 15 with the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks and said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall onto us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath is come. And who is able to stand.

Now we have a break. Some of you may be using a Bible that titles this at the top of chapter 7, An Interlude, because we're going to have a break between the sixth seal and the seventh seal. There is instruction from heaven for the angels to hold back any further judgments. Verse 3, until we have sealed the bond servants of our God. And beginning with verse 4 you have the 144,000 who are sealed. And we are told there is no excuse for misidentifying who these are. We are told they are 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Each of the tribes is mentioned and told 12,000 are sealed to preserve and protect them from the judgments that are about to be poured out on the earth in greater intensity. Martyrs are drawn to our attention in verse 9 to the end of chapter 7. So you see the sealing of the 144,000 was crucial because there are going to be numerous believers martyred in the tribulation period.

Now we begin the tribulation before the 70th week of Daniel, the seven-year period, the tribulation that starts in chapter 6 verse 1. That will be preceded by the rapture of the church. All believers have been removed. But during the tribulation there will be the ministry of God's Word, proclamation of God's truth. People will get saved in evidently large numbers, because large numbers will be martyred for their faith.

So after you seal the 144,000 and are told and revealed why that is so necessary, because there are going to be great numbers of martyrs, you come to chapter 8 and the seventh seal is broken. Now you note what happens with the seventh seal. Out of the seventh seal comes a series of seven further judgments. But you understand they are all contained within the seventh seal. So when they broke the seventh seal there is silence in heaven for about a half an hour, drawing attention to the ominous events about to take place; because each of these judgments, these seals and then trumpets and then bowls, increases in intensity. Hard as that is to imagine when we saw just under the fourth seal one-quarter of the earth dying. But things are getting worse as we have noted.

So down in verse 6, the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. And they were seen in verse 2 following the opening of the seventh seal. Now there are going to be seven more judgments. Every time an angel sounds a trumpet another judgment will be poured out on the earth. So verse 7 of chapter 8, the first angel blew his trumpet, the first sounded. There came hail and fire mixed with blood thrown to the earth, a third of the earth was burned up. Verse 8, the second angel sounded and you have a third of the waters of the sea become blood and the creatures of the sea die. Verse 10, the third angel sounded; verse 12, the fourth angel sounded.

Then you come into chapter 9 verse 1, the fifth angel sounded. Under that judgment you have terrible suffering, but people can't die. So excruciating pain is inflicted on them but they can't even get the relief of dying. Verse 13, the sixth angel sounded. And under this judgment a third of mankind is to die. Now we saw just under the fourth seal and now the sixth trumpet, you had a quarter of the earth, now you have a third of the earth. So we have literally billions of people dying because those were only two of the judgments. And you add in all the rest of these judgments and it is an unbelievable time. We're told in verse 18, under that trumpet judgment, the sixth trumpet, a third of mankind was killed. But it doesn't change the sinful hearts of men. They still refuse to repent and bow before God, verses 20-21 tell us.

Now we take a break. The seventh angel doesn't sound yet, and we'll go through chapters 10-15, and what those chapter will do is give us some preview of what will be going on during the last 3½ years of this seven-year period. So I take it as we have moved along in the flow of the book of Revelation we've moved through the first 3½ years, now we're going to have a break and get a more complete picture of what will be taking place over the last 3½ years that culminate with the return of Christ.

Chapter 10 prepares the way for the sounding of the seventh trumpet even though it won't be sounded yet. We're told in verse 6, there will be delay no longer. Verse 7, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to sound, the mystery of God is finished as He preached to His servants the prophets. This will bring everything to a close because out of the seventh trumpet will come the last series of seven judgments, the seven bowls. That will bring us to Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ to earth to destroy His enemies and establish His kingdom. So that will bring to realization what God prophesied to His prophets in the Old Testament.

When you come to chapter 11 you have the ministry of the two witnesses and we begin to get a repeated emphasis on the timeline here, that we are viewing the last 3½ years. We're told that Jerusalem and the temple will be trampled underfoot, the end of verse 2, for 42 months---forty-two months, 3½ years. And the two witnesses will prophesy, verse 3, for 1260 days—3½ years. So marking this time will come up repeatedly. When the two witnesses are done giving their testimony they are killed. They lie in the streets of Jerusalem for days, and then they are resurrected from the dead.

Then you come to verse 15, the seventh angel sounded and there are loud voices in heaven. The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and His Christ. And He will reign forever. A celebration because all heaven realizes with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, that will turn loose the final series of judgments that will culminate in the return of Christ and the establishing of the kingdom.

But before we are told what comes out of the seventh trumpet, there is more information to be revealed about this last 3½-year period. So the content of the seventh trumpet, if you will, will not be unfolded until we get to chapter 16. So it sounds but then we have this interlude again, or parenthesis if you will, to get more information to appreciate what events are taking place during this period of time that wraps everything up, if you will.

So in chapter 12 you have the great sign in heaven—the woman, verse 1, clothed with the sun and moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And she was with child. And we noted, going back to Genesis 37, that that referred to Israel. It is a picture of Israel drawn from the dream of Joseph. So the woman here is Israel and she is about to give birth to the Messiah. The dragon, the devil of verse 3, appears in heaven, and he has seven heads and ten horns. And we've been back in Daniel and so on. The seven heads are seven earthly empires in Israel's history that have been significant for Israel. The ten horns refer to that phase of the Roman Empire that is in place during the 70th week of Daniel and plays a prominent role then. The seven heads have seven diadems because these are seven kingdoms or kings. He pours out persecution on Israel, verse 6. Israel, the woman, flees into the wilderness. For this last 3½ years Israel will be under intense persecution as the devil will attempt to annihilate Israel. Because if he can annihilate Israel, the promises given through the prophets in the Old Testament can't be fulfilled because there will be no Israel. And the kingdom was promised to Israel. But we're told it is 1260 days, and then we're told about the war in heaven that precipitated this 3½ years of persecution. We're told, verse 14, that this persecution lasts for a time, times and a half time. This is another way of talking about 42 months, 3½ years, 1260 days. The dragon, verse 17, was enraged with the woman, with Israel.

You come to chapter 13. You have two key people here acting as the devil's representative. The first beast described here is the one we know as the Antichrist. He will be the political and religious ruler of the world during the last 3½ years of the 70th week of Daniel. I say political and ruler because he will be the dominant power, he will be world ruler. He will also be the religious leader because the world will worship him. Verse 4, they worship the dragon; in the middle of the verse, they worship the beast. And you'll note in verse 5, he had authority to act for 42 months. Again, that reminder of the time period here. We are in the last 3½ years, completing God's program in bringing to completion the 70 weeks of Daniel, the 70 seven-year periods that will culminate with the redemption of the nation and the establishing of the kingdom. We're told in verse 8, all who dwell on the earth will worship him. You see he's a political ruler, he's a religious ruler.

Then you have the second beast in verses 11-18, and the purpose of that second beast, his man, is to direct the worship of the world to the Antichrist. We know we have the satanic trinity unfolded here. They worship the dragon who attempts to usurp the place of God the Father; the first beast attempts to usurp the place of Christ, be the false messiah, rule a kingdom of the world and be worshiped. And then you have the second beast who directs the worship of the world to the Antichrist, even as the Holy Spirit directs the worship of the world to Christ.

We come to chapter 14. We get a preview of how it all comes out, because you might get the idea that the devil is winning. The world is worshiping, chapter 8 verse 13--- all who dwell on the earth will worship him, with the exception of the elect. So you look around and almost everyone, it is going to seem, is worshiping the Antichrist. But what chapter 14 does is look at the end, how it all comes out. So you start out the first 5 verses, you have the 144,000. Who are they? We already saw it back in chapter 7---they are 12,000 from each of the twelve tribes of Israel. Where are they? Look at chapter 14 verse 1: I looked and behold the Lamb, that's Christ, standing on Mt. Zion. We are at the end of the 70th week of Daniel; we've looked at the end of that second 3½-year period now. He is on Mt. Zion, He has returned to the earth, and with Him 144,000. God sealed them, His seal is sure, and so when you get to the end you see the victory. Christ has won; He is on Mt. Zion, the 144,000 that He has sealed are there with Him.

We are told in verses 6-7, the angel flying in heaven, the worldwide gospel proclaimed. Remember Matthew 24, this gospel of the kingdom must be proclaimed in the whole world. Then the end will come. This is when that will happen, during this last 3½ -year period. Men are called to redemption to preach the eternal to gospel. Verse 7--fear God; give Him glory; worship Him. And another angel comes, verse 8, and announces the fall of Babylon. Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great. Now the fall of Babylon will be recorded in some detail in chapters 17-18, but you see here we are getting a preview of the end. Babylon is doomed to destruction; we'll talk about that in chapter 17-18.

Then another angel, verse 9, a third one follows saying, if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger. He will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name. So you see we've gone to the end here. We'll get the unfolding of the Great White Throne judgment at the end of Revelation 20. But here we are getting a preview of the end. Christ will be on Mt. Zion; He will rule; His people will be with Him.

Babylon will be destroyed and the wicked will be cast into an eternal hell. Now that comes as an encouragement to believers. It will be an encouragement to the believers going through that tribulation period. Don't lose perspective; don't get disheartened. So here in chapter 14 verse 12 picks up, and this is where we pick up our study, here is the perseverance of the saints. What he's been talking about, this is what encourages them and strengthens them to endure. Don't forget how it all comes out. It may be discouraging to look around and see believers losing; believers are dying horrible deaths; the world is worshiping this man; there are mighty miracles being done. What is to be gained by resisting him, to have my family, my parents, my children, my grandchildren give their lives? But here is the endurance of the saints. These things are recorded. They will be an encouragement to believers during this time. And it's a good reminder for us; at all times as God's people we keep our focus on how it all comes out.

I share with you from time to time: I like to read books starting at the end. I like to read the last chapter and know how it's going to come out, then go back and read it. Because if I don't like how it comes out, I don't want to read the rest of it anyway. So we ought to be excited about the book of Revelation, we want to read how it comes out; then we back up from there.

Come back to Psalm 73, take a moment to look at this psalm that fits in the same pattern that we're talking about here. This is a psalm of Asaph. In my Bible under psalm 73 it says, the end of the wicked contrasted with that of the righteous. And that's what is going on. Starts out, surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet came close to stumbling, my steps had almost slipped. And what he is going to do in the first 14 verses here is show he almost stumbled and fell, he almost lost it, as he looked around at the wicked and their prosperity and became envious of them. So that's what he's talking about. As for me my feet came close to stumbling, my steps almost slipped, for I was envious of the arrogant, as I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pains in their death; their body is fat; they are not in trouble as other men, nor are they plagued like mankind. Verse 7, their eyes bulge from fatness, the imaginations of their hearts run riot. They mock and wickedly speak of oppression and so on. Down to verse 12, behold these are the wicked, always at ease. They have increased in wealth. Surely in vain I have kept my heart pure and washed my hands in innocence, for I have been stricken all day long and chastened every morning. I have nothing but trouble as I try to live a life pleasing to the Lord and honoring Him. And I look around at the wicked and they don't have any problems, and they are prospering and doing well and living the good life. And they don't even seem to have physical problems; they just seem to do good. I'm beginning to think, what benefit is there for me to continue to serve the Lord.

And then you have verses 16ff to put it into perspective, that brought Asaph back to reality. Verse 16, when I pondered to understand this, it was troublesome in my sight. It really bothered me. Until I came into the sanctuary of God, then I perceived their end. Surely you have set them in slippery places, you have cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment. They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors. Verse 21, when my heart was embittered and I was pierced within, then I was senseless and ignorant, I was like a beast before you. Nevertheless I am continually with you, you have taken hold of my hand, with your counsel you will guide me. Afterwards you will receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? Besides you I desire nothing on earth. My flesh and my heart may fail but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. You see the balance. I look around and see the wicked are doing well, they are succeeding. They have wealth, prosperity, the good life, physical health. And we think, what benefit is it serving the Lord? Then I came to the temple, I meditated on God and what He had said and everything was put into perspective. Things aren't good. They are good for the wicked now, they'll be terrible in the end; they are bad for me now, but they'll be good for me in the end.

So when you come back to Revelation 14, this is exactly what believers will be reminded of in the Tribulation and what we are to be reminded of all the time. So after talking about the ultimate end of the wicked who seem to prosper and do well under the worship of the Antichrist, here is the perseverance of the saints. The wicked will end up in hell as we read in verses 9-11, but here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. Here is the perseverance of the saints. That word perseverance—endurance---is often translated, hupomena; hupo, to be under and meno, to live, to dwell, a person who lives under the pressure, under the trials, under the pain, whatever that difficulty, but continues on. The knowledge of the end of the wicked. And he'll talk about the end of the righteous in a moment. That keeps a perspective. Is it worth it to suffer the terrible pain that will be inflicted in the tribulation for these people? Why not give in and worship the Antichrist and at least benefit from some of the prosperity, the good times here. Remember where they are going, remember their end. The smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image and whoever receives the mark of his name. That's not the easy way out. Here is the perseverance of the saints, this is what keeps the saints going and enduring.

One person wrote about this. This naturally carries the idea of remaining faithful under adversity. This is a little bit longer quote but just listen to it, and it gives you the flavor of the word. This is a man who has written a Greek commentary on some Greek words and this particular word here. It's not the patience which can sit down and bow its head and let things descend upon it and passively endure until the storm is past. It is the spirit which can bear things, not simply with resignation, but with blazing hope. It is not the spirit which sits statically enduring in the one place, but the spirit which bears things, knowing that these things are leading to a goal of glory. It is not the patience which grimly waits for the end, but the patience which radiantly hopes for the dawn. It is the virtue which can transmute the hardest trial into glory because beyond the pain it sees the goal. Then he refers to George Mathison, a man who was stricken in blindness and disappointed in love. He wrote a prayer in which he pleads that he might accept God's will “not with dumb resignation but with holy joy, not only with the absence of murmur but with a song of praise.” Reminder, there are trials, there is pain, there is awful hardship being inflicted on believers at this time in the tribulation, but it's part of the plan of God. It's not the final chapter for these believers anymore than suffering now is the final chapter for us. But as the believer endures under difficulty, endures under trial and hardship and pain, it is to develop God's character in him and sharpen the focus on the ultimate glory that God has promised.

This is a repeated emphasis in scripture. Go back to Romans 5. If we're honest, all of us at one time or another and perhaps more often than we like to admit do think in our mind, if we are faithful to the Lord, if we do our best in the power of the Spirit to honor the Lord and live for Him, He'll do good things for us. We just have that idea that that will be the payback for me here and now. But that is just not what the scripture says. Romans 5:1, having been justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand. We stand now in the grace of God that has brought us salvation in Christ. We exult in the hope of the glory of God. Not only this, in other words we not only exult in the hope of the glory of God, we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance. There is our word, endurance, perseverance. That's what tribulation does, it develops endurance, that commitment to God that is firmed up and strengthened. Perseverance results in proven character and proven character, hope. And hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given us.

Look over in Romans 8--we'll be getting to some of these passages. Verse 16, the Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God. If children, heirs also, also of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may be glorified with Him. You see the order—suffering, glory. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. Present time, time of suffering; future time, time of glory. That suffering will be intensified greatly in the Tribulation, but the pattern does not change. And so trials have a place in our lives. It's not, God, what is wrong? I've tried to be faithful. What is wrong? Nothing. I'm continuing to develop my character in you in preparation for the glory that is to be bestowed upon you. That's the place of the trials. There is more there, but we'll save that for when we get to Romans 8.

Come over to Romans 15:4, for whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, note this, that through perseverance (there is our word again) and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope. Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus. So that you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. God gives endurance. Lord, I can't take this, I can't do this anymore. I know, but I am sufficient. He can give the encouragement, the endurance, the perseverance that we continue on. It develops us. We all know somebody who has been through trials; there is something about the strength of their character that has been developed. You just don't get it any other way. We see it in children in a general sense. We want to protect them; we want to keep them from any kind of thing that would be unpleasant. And so we have 25-year-old two-year-olds. What happened? They never developed. Certain trials, certain pressure is necessary, and in the development of our spiritual character it is part of God's plan.

Come over to Hebrews 10. The Hebrews were these Jewish believers and professing believers and I think genuine believers even. They were beginning to grow weary. The suffering, the intensity of the relentless persecution, it wears you down. It's like pain--pain has a way of wearing you down, doesn't it? They’re tired from the relentless suffering they’re going through. They start to think that maybe they ought to go back to Judaism. Let's take the pressure off as much as we can, just like those in the tribulation might think. Let's just worship the Antichrist, take the pressure off. He tells them in verse 32, but remember the former days when after being enlightened you endured; there is our word again, you persevered a great conflict of suffering.

Come down to verse 36. You have need of endurance so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what was promised. For yet in a very little while He who is coming will come and will not delay. You see how the tension is focused to the end. I know my parents talked about the coming of the Lord; I talk about the coming of the Lord; now my kids talk about the coming of the Lord. I just can't keep going because I don't know when He is coming. But I know He is coming. That's the hope held out. You have need of endurance; keep in mind He is coming again. But my righteous one shall live by faith. And if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him. We are not of those who shrink back to destruction, but those who have faith to the preserving of the soul. Then you have the great examples of chapter 11. They endured even though they didn't realize what was promised. Realize it in the sense of getting to enter into it. They are promised things, but they walk by faith but didn't get to enter into the promise yet. But they are an example of endurance.

So you come to Hebrews 12:1, therefore since we have so great a cloud of witnesses (the witnesses are in chapter 11) surrounding us, let us lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles. And that's to grow weak in faith. Let us run with endurance (there is our word again) the race set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him—(He did what?)-- endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Him so that you will not grow weary. That constant emphasis on enduring, the goal ahead. Christ endured because of the joy set before Him, the redemption that He would accomplish, the salvation He would bring. He endured all He had to endure. So we keep our eye on the end, what God is doing to us and in us and so on.

Turn over to James 1:2, consider it all joy my brethren when you encounter various trials. I have to remind myself of this verse when a trial comes, because our first reaction to a trial is to complain, to ask God why. Not something else, Lord. You know right now I don't need anything else. Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, multi-faceted trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces (here is our favorite word) endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result that you may be perfect and complete. Lord, make me more like Christ. And trials come in and we say, what's wrong, Lord. Well, didn't you ask Me? I'm answering your prayer, giving you the desire of your heart. You would like to be more like my Son, right? You would like to have more of my character produced in your life. Well, let endurance have its perfect result so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. Verse 12, blessed is the man who (here is our word again) perseveres. Sometimes it is translated perseveres, sometimes endures, but the same basic word. Under trial--for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life. That's the goal. It's not what I get now, it's what I get at the end—the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

One other verse—James 5:11, we count those blessed who endured. Read Hebrews 11 for some of those Old Testament saints. You have heard of the endurance of Job and you have seen the outcome of the Lord's dealings. The Lord is full of compassion and is merciful. Men aren't bringing trials into my life; the Lord is the one who is the guardian of my life. The devil--did he cause Job's trials? Yes and no. The Lord determined to bring those trials into Job's life to develop Job. Things aren't out of control. Men can cause pain; when it comes to the Tribulation the Antichrist and his worshipers will be causing great pain for believers. But all is under control.

So you come back to Revelation 14. That's why Jesus said in Matthew 24:12-13, he who endures to the end will be saved. There is our word again. He who endures to the end will be saved. The perseverance of the saints is a biblical doctrine. True saints, true believers will persevere, will endure. What trials do is sift out the genuine from the false. That's true now; it will be true here in the Tribulation. Verse 12, here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. The saints, the holy ones--those that God has set apart from sin for Himself. This is what encourages them to endure. They know how it all will come out for the wicked and for the righteous. Being reminded of the end of the wicked reminds them they don't want to be like them at all. And a reminder of what God has prepared for those who love Him. And the saints are those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus Christ. You are not saved by your works, but those who are saved manifest their salvation by their works, by living in obedience to God. They obey God.

Back to John 14. As you are aware, our love for God is not some kind of emotional feeling that comes and goes. But our love for God is our obedience to God. Jesus spoke on this in John 14:15, if you love Me, you will keep My commandments. Verse 21, he who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me.

Stop at I John 2:3, by this we know we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments. The one who says I have come to know Him and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in Him. Whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him. Verse 6, the one who says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same manner as He walks. That emphasis, obedience. So the saints are the ones who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus Christ; they endure. Circumstances, situations, trials, whatever, don't determine. He is my God; I serve Him; I obey Him; my faith is in Him. That does not change by circumstances; that is not changed by situations; that is not changed by trials and difficulties. That's what he is saying. There are other verses here that we could look at.

Come back to Revelation 14:12. The perseverance, endurance of the saints. And who are the saints? They are identified here; they are those who keep the commandments of God. They obey Him and they keep their faith in Jesus, no matter what comes.

Verse 13, and I heard a voice from heaven saying, write blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. We have a second motivation. The first motivation for endurance to these believers is a recognition of where the wicked and the worshipers of the Antichrist and so on are going. They are going to an eternal hell. And another motivation is the blessings that belong to those who endure and continue to obey the Lord and keep their faith in Christ. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. There are seven beatitudes, blessings, in the book of Revelation, this is the second. The first was in chapter 1 verse 3 and we don't have time to look at the rest. The next one won't come until chapter 16, so we'll wait and see then as we get toward the end of the book. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. They are going to die terrible deaths, they are going to be martyred, they are going to see loved ones die—parents, children, whatever—who have become believers. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.

And it is reconfirmed. Yes, says the Spirit, so that they may rest from their labors. For their deeds will follow them. What a stark contrast. Death brings to them rest. Note verse 11, and the smoke of their torment, the wicked, goes up forever and ever. They have no rest day and night. You see the difference, look at the end. It seems my life is just turmoil, suffering, hardship, heartache now. And I look at the wicked and they are doing well, they are at ease. Well, when I enter the presence of the Lord my labors, my struggles, my battles are over. I enter into the rest that He has provided for me. The wicked at death, any rest they had, superficial, is of limited duration because from that point on they will never have a half second of rest for all eternity. No rest. Day and night they will be tormented, verse 10. And it is endless into the ages of the ages. They have no rest. But the saints, verse 13, death may come and death may come to them in a terrible way. Death may come to them in an excruciatingly painful way, but at the end of it is, they rest from their labors. Kapon—toil, exhaustive work and labor. They rest from their labor, it is over. Their deeds follow with them. Remember they keep the commands of God and their faith in Christ.

So the results of our faithfulness to Him will follow over. Has it been worth it? For an eternity of rest, I suffered some in this brief period of time; and the reward of my labors and faithfulness to my God continues on. How do you compare it? You see, keep my eye on that. I struggle today and it's an opportunity for God's character to be developed in me. Lord, I don't understand why it has to be this way, but I do believe you are in control. I believe that you are bringing into my life those things that will be best used to prepare me to manifest your character and be ready for the glory you have for me. I just have to accept that. That's walking by faith. If I understood why God did everything in my life and why it had to be this way, I wouldn't have to walk by faith--Id' walk by sight. But I walk by faith; because, Lord, I don't understand; I don't know why. In this period of time that will be just intensified. But the point is the same.

What is written here directly pertains to those going through the Tribulation. But I want to close with two verses. Revelation 1:3, blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed, keep, the things which are written in it, for the time is near. These things were written here, not just to give me information about things that are going to happen in the future, but to shape me in the way that I live. I am to keep these things. That is the first beatitude, the first blessing in the book. On those who read and hear and heed, keep. Put these things into practice.

Come to the end of the book, Revelation 22:7, behold I am coming quickly. Blessed (there is another one of our beatitudes) is he who heeds, keeps, the words of the prophecy of this book. The book of Revelation is a book of prophecy, a book about future things. But just not to satisfy curiosity about what God has planned for the future. It is to shape me in the way that I live today. By God's grace I won't be going through that 70th week of Daniel; but the truths that God has revealed about that are to shape the way that I live today. Now I won't be going through the same persecutions and sufferings that those believers will, that we looked at in chapter 14, but it is a reminder to me how I am to face the tribulations and trials and not to lose my perspective. It's the final outcome that matters. The wicked may look like they are doing well; they may look like they've been successful and have the good life, a life of ease, relatively pain free. And my life is nothing but troubles and struggle. But I've read the last chapter, I know how it comes out, and I'm living in light of how it is going to all end, not where it is today. That shapes us as believers, enables us to live with the joy of the Lord in anticipation of the glory that will be ours.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for these simple verses in the midst of an awful time, words of encouragement that as you talk about and reveal the judgments that will be poured out with devastating effect on the world in those days, as you make known the terrible suffering that your people will go through in those days, yet in the midst of it your work is being done. Your people are being protected even as they suffer terribly, even as they die awful deaths. That's not the end for them. It's the end of their suffering, the end of their trials; it's the beginning of their rest. Lord, help us in our lives in these days to maintain this biblical perspective as well. It is easy for us to become envious of the world, become envious of those who seem, even though they don't know you, don't obey you, don't trust you, yet they seem to be successful and have prosperous lives. May we not envy the world nor the things that are in the world, desire them for ourselves; because we have better things; we have eternal things; we have things that you have prepared for those who love you. May these things shape our thinking and control our behavior. Give us joy and the endurance that will be a testimony of the reality of our relationship to you. We praise you in Christ's name, amen.