Mercy in the Worst of Times

Transcript

GR 2011
07/16/2017
Mercy in the Worst of Times
Revelation 7:9-12
Gil Rugh

We not only look forward to the coming of the Lord to call us to meet Him in the air, but we ultimately look forward to the time when we will return with Him to this earth and He will establish a kingdom which will never end. All creation will ultimately come into the perfection that God intended when He originally created it. We are in the Book of Revelation in chapter 7 and the Book of Revelation is about the culmination of all things. It will conclude with the establishing of an eternal kingdom on this earth and we will be part of that kingdom as God’s people forever and ever.

We began the judgments that will proceed the coming of Christ with chapter 6 of Revelation. There is a seven-year period, which will culminate with Christ returning to this earth to bring final judgment on His enemies and to establish a kingdom. That seven-year period begins with a specific event. There will be a leader in the western world that will pen an agreement with the nation Israel. We’ve talked about that will start the clock moving, and for seven-years God will be pouring out His wrath and judgment on an unbelieving world and at the end of that seven year, Christ will return for His kingdom. It’s a very difficult time, a very unpleasant time. Literally, billons of people will die in that seven-year period. It is characterized by a series of three sets of judgments, seven seals, which encompass everything, for out of the seventh seal comes seven trumpets, out of the seventh trumpet comes seven bowls and as you’re aware every time a seal is broken, the scroll judgment occurs. Every time a trumpet is blown, judgment occurs. Every time a bowl is turned over, judgment is dumped on the earth. That series will carry us through this seven-year period. We have looked through the first six seals in chapter 6 of Revelation.

Chapter 6 ended up with the sixth seal being broken and already we will have seen over one quarter of the earth’s population die. Figures are given here at the end of verse eight of chapter 6. Authority was given them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, famine, pestilence, wild beasts and we’ve just begun. Now after the sixth seal there is a pause, if you will. In most of your bibles, you probably have chapter 7 entitled, “an Interlude.” There is a break. The seventh seal won’t be opened until you begin chapter 8 so what chapter 7 does is turn our attention from earth. Remember in chapters 4 and 5 we were transported to heaven. John was taken there to see what was transpiring in heaven and then in chapter 6, our attention was directed to the earth and the judgments poured out there.

Now with chapter 7 our attention will be carried back to heaven and what is taking place and what we have in chapter 7 is preparation for coming judgments. We saw as the chapter opened up in the first three verses that there were four strong angels holding back the four winds from the four directions of the earth, which really pictured they were holding back the coming judgments and before they are poured out we have a work of God in sealing one hundred and forty-four thousand Jews. Verses four through eight describe that in detail and there’s no question here we’re talking about Israel. It says in verse four “there were 144,000 sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel” and to qualify there you had to be a descendant of Abraham through Isaac through Jacob through the twelve sons of Jacob. Not enough to be a descendant of Abraham. You had to be in the line of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Jacob’s twelve sons, the physical descendants. There are twelve tribes, twelve thousand sealed from every tribe. That indicated that these hundred and forty-four thousand come to faith in the Jewish Messiah. They are sealed. They belong to God; they are protected by Him so that they will survive the horrible events coming. That doesn’t mean they’re the only Jews that will be saved during this seven-year period, but it indicates, these are Jews God is setting apart for Himself, and we will see them standing on Mount Zion in another preview a little bit later in the book when Christ will establish His kingdom. They are sealed and protected and what we are being told in chapter 7 in the midst of these awful judgments and the wrath of God displayed in such a full way, there is mercy!

Come back to the Book of Romans chapter 1 just for a moment. In Romans, chapter one Paul talks about his plan to come and preach the gospel in Rome and he says in verse 15, “I am eager to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. I’m not ashamed of the gospel;” verse 16, “for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed;” how you can have God’s righteousness applied to your account, to you personally. Why you need that is verse 18: “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” and that the wrath of God is being displayed even in our day. We’re told in the rest of chapter 1 that part of the display of the wrath of God is because He begins to withhold His restraining grace so man becomes more open and flagrant in his practice of sin and rebellion against God.

He shows the Jews are just as guilty as the Gentiles are in their sin so that by the time you got to the end of chapter 3, we are told that “all are sinners.” Verse nine of Romans 3, “we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks (non-Jews) are all under sin” so then we can pick up verse 21. “But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested” so you can connect back to chapter one verses 16 and 17. “I’m not ashamed of the gospel; it’s the power of salvation for everyone who believes, to the Jew first also to the Greek. In it, the righteousness of God is revealed” then He tells us we live under the wrath of God for our sin so then He can pick back up in verse 21 of chapter 3 with what He said, verse 17 of chapter 1, in the gospel, the righteousness of God is revealed. Verse 21 of chapter 3, “now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested.” First he had to make clear, every Gentile every Jew is under sin, is a sinner under the wrath of God for their sin but the righteousness of God has been provided for Jew and Gentile alike.

Now as you come back to Revelation chapter 7, what we are seeing in this seven-year period leading up to the return of Christ to earth is the full display of the wrath of God but in chapter 7 we are reminded, even as today, the wrath of God is being manifested. Not to the degree it will, but in the display of God’s wrath there is mercy being displayed and even when we get now to this worst of times, the bible says the worst times of suffering, trial and death the world has ever or will ever experience, there is mercy. You say boy, is anybody being saved? Well chapter seven tells us God in His mercy has sealed a hundred and forty-four thousand Jews. Twelve thousand from each of the twelve tribes.

Now as we come down to verse nine, “what about Gentiles?” John has another vision. The “After this” often as you had at the beginning in chapter 7 indicates a new vision for John but it’s obviously connected to what has been going on. We see that God is going to show mercy to the Jews during this time of judgment. Will He show mercy to the Gentiles? The answer is “Yes” He will show mercy to Gentiles also. There will be salvation. “The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greeks” (the non-Jews) so when we come to chapter 9 John sees another vision and what we have in chapter 7 is a prelude, not only an interlude but a prelude.

He’s looking and he’s getting a vision of what is going to take place in coming days. The judgments are going to get worse. They’re being withheld, held back and we’re being told now that God has ordained and chosen that there will be a number, not only of Jews saved, but a multitude of Gentiles saved during the times of these terrible judgments that will unfold. There will be consequences. In other words, people say, well I’ll just wait. I heard Gil preach on this; if it comes out like he said then I’ll believe. Don’t count on it! There will be opportunity for salvation but there will be added difficulties. One of the things in 2 Thessalonians 2 is God is going to send a deluding influence and people will be more readily deceived than even today but God’s grace of salvation is provided so we’re going to pick up with verse nine of chapter 7.

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could count so it’s a huge number.” Obviously, God could have given us the number, 35,237,000. I just made that up but He could have given us a number. He knows, but John’s point as he looks and there’s just such a vast number. Sort of, like when He talked about the angels. You know ten thousands of ten thousands and thousands of thousands. I just couldn’t count them. Well here He just says “a great multitude which no one could count.” As we’re going to see in a moment, these are people who get saved during the tribulation period, that seven-year period, non-Jews particularly. “A great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, all tribes and peoples and tongues.” Now this multitude is a mixed multitude and it encompasses people from all over the world. Every nation, all tribes, peoples, tongues (their languages). I mean it’s a way of saying all over the world. They are standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They are seen in the presence of God in heaven before His throne.

Now you know we’ve seen people there, beings there, angels there, the twenty-four elders that are there, there are four living beings in close proximity to the throne. Now we have this huge number of Gentile peoples primarily, evidently before the throne and before the Lamb. I just want to mention something here about the deity of Christ that’ll come out even more clearly. You know we have some key verses in the bible, we talk about Christ is declared to be God. John 1 becomes an example. “In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, the Word was God” but you know the bible in many passages makes clear the deity of Christ. For example, like this, these people from all walks of life are standing before God the Father’s throne and the Lamb. They are joined together in that sense as equal. They “stand before God the Father’s throne and the Lamb, and they’re clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands.” This is the throne room of heaven. We saw it back in chapters 4 and 5.

Now we’re back in heaven again to focus on this additional group. They’re clothed in white robes, that’s indicative of righteousness. They have the righteousness of God provided for them in Christ. They have been victorious. Ultimately, they’ll be rewarded, as we’ll talk about the judgments coming so this is seeing them before the throne but we’re told of the fact that they have been saved. It will be clearer as we move down in this passage so these are people who have been saved, now in the presence of God, and they will be giving Him glory and credit for their salvation. The palm branches depict victory, triumph, and celebration.

We have Palm Sunday before Easter remembering when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the colt of the donkey and they spread out palm branches. It was practiced more broadly than just Israel in celebration of things expressing joy and victory, gladness. They would spread out the palm branches they had in their hands, they are celebrating, there is victory, they are rejoicing before the throne of God in the presence of the Lamb and what are they crying out? “They cry out,” present tense, this is their continual cry saying, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” They’re giving God credit, honor, acclaim and to Christ who is the Lamb for their salvation. It is God as the source of salvation and it having been provided by the Lamb. Again, you see the clear deity of Christ presented here. Salvation to our God who sits on the throne. That’s referring to the Father and to the Lamb. Well, I mean could you say, and to Paul? Well you say that would be such a gap. No, it’s the Lamb. Remember Jesus prayed in that high priestly prayer in John 17 as He prepared for His arrest and crucifixion. He prayed to the Father, “restore to Me the glory I had with You before the world was.”

He is Himself a deity. There is order within the Trinity but there is equality. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, all equally deity. Three Persons, one God but there is order and the Son submits to the Father, the Spirit submits to the Father and the Son. It does not imply inferiority. It implies order among equals so they are acclaiming salvation to our God meaning all the credit, all the praise for our salvation goes to God and to the Lamb and we’ve seen this back in chapter 5 in the celebration in heaven as we saw them worshiping the Father on the throne in chapter 4. Then in chapter 5, they give honor to the Son. In verse nine of chapter 5, they sang a new song saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and break its seals; You were slain, purchased for God with Your blood,” note this, “men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation.”

Now in chapter 7 verse, nine we’re seeing some of those people from every tribe, people, tongue and nation and they’re all acclaiming the credit for our salvation, if I can put it that way, the honor for our salvation. We are saved because of God and Him alone, God the Father and God the Son who is the Lamb. Verse 11, “this great multitude” of verse nine “joined by the rest of the hosts of heaven” we’ve already met in chapters 4 and 5 “and all the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God.” You understand we come together to worship God, to honor Him.

What a travesty we make out of what is called worship when we distort it and make it all about me and am I happy, am I pleased and we direct attention away from God. The opposite is happening in the worship in heaven and we are to learn from these things. Jesus said they were given to the church for us to learn and to heed. They are to shape our conduct. All the angels and remember they’re thousands of thousands and ten thousands of ten thousands of them as we saw earlier and the elders and the four living creatures, these four living being. A category of angelic beings, cherubim or seraphim. They fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God. You know, sometimes people think that angels can’t celebrate salvation because God never provided salvation for angels.

Come back to Hebrews 2 if you would just a little bit before the Book of Revelation. The last large book and then there’s several small books and then there’s the Book of Revelation. Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14. “Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood,” those that Christ was going to redeem, “He Himself likewise partook of the same, flesh and blood, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. For assuredly,” now note this, “He does not give help to angels.” There has been no salvation provided for angels who sinned. Angels sinned and exercised rebellion against God at a point in time. Their doom for eternity was sealed at that point. There would never be salvation provided for them. Jesus Christ did not become an angel and die for angels. He became flesh and blood to die for human beings so that’s true so that He could be the One that would satisfy the requirements of God’s holiness as verse 17 goes on to say but come back to the Book of Luke.

The gospel of Luke chapter 15. We have some amazing glimpses; we’re getting a fuller glimpse into heaven in the Book of Revelation but we have glimpses given us at different times in Scripture and in Luke chapter 15 during Christ’s earthly ministry he’s trying to grab the attention of religious people, verse two, Pharisees and Sadducees and their need to be saved. The problem with the Pharisees is they didn’t think they needed to be saved. They were already righteous. They thought you can’t get any more religious than us so we don’t need it. Christ is showing something of their great need and note He gives this story an earthly story that shows how people celebrate on earth when something happens. We just pick up with verse seven. “I tell you that in the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.” These Pharisees prided themselves like many religious people today. I think I’m good enough. I’m religious, I’ve been baptized, I take communion, and I do these things. There’s no celebration in heaven over that kind of person but when sinners see themselves as a sinners and repent, there’s joy in heaven and that means angelic celebration for sure. Look at verse 10. He tells another similar kind of story and then the application. “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” Amazing! You want to cause celebration in heaven, lead a sinner to salvation. In fact even when you tell a sinner about the gospel, that sharing of that message, 2 Corinthian 2 says “rises to God as something pleasing to Him” and then when the person who has heard that gospel recognizes their sin and repents, turns from it, places their faith in Christ, heaven erupts in celebration.

This is not well, if I could see if you had a mass of people and you know several thousand people got saved, heaven would take notice. You know what He said in verse seven. “I tell you in the same way, they’ll be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents . . .” Down in verse 10. “I tell you there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner . . .” You know we think well, I’m just plugging away. You know we want to make an impact on the very courts of God in heaven. We carry the gospel so lost sinners can hear, repent and cause celebration in the courts of heaven. You talk about what is important, what makes a difference. There are a lot of mundane things that go on in our life but when you get the angels of heaven joined in the celebration of a sinner, wow, that’s making an impact! It’s only God’s power that can save a sinner but by His grace we are instruments He used to pass on the gospel so they can hear and repent. As Paul developed and we’ve looked at in Romans 10 you can’t be saved unless you hear the gospel and you can’t hear the gospel unless someone brings it to you and praise God some are sent and bring the gospel so angels are involved in that sense. They’re observers.

Come over, after the Book of Hebrews is the Book of 1 Peter. In between there’s James but they’re close. Hebrews, James, 1 Peter on your way back to Revelation. First Peter chapter 1, another little glimpse into angelic activity. First Peter chapter 1 and he’s talking about the gospel again. The message of Christ is the most important thing going on in the world today. You want to do something eternally important with your life today, tell someone the gospel. You know here Peter is talking about that and talking about the wonder of this gospel, verse three, giving praise. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy caused us to be born again” and he goes on to talk about what has happened with that gospel. In verse 10. “To this salvation, the prophets prophesied of the grace that would come to you.” They “searched through the Old Testament Scriptures,” verse 11, “seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glory to follow.” He can’t put this together, the Messiah the anointed One is going to reign in glory and He’s going to suffer and die but it was revealed to them, verse 12 that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you.

Now that “Christ has come, He suffered and died on the cross, ascended back to heaven and now we know He’s coming again.” Now we understand we’re the beneficiaries of this later revelation but note the last words of verse 12—“things in which angels long to look.” They are observers, the awesome wonder that our holy righteous God has provided salvation for filthy defiled sinners that deserve to spend eternity in hell with the angels who sinned and yet God keeps saving them. These are things into which angels long to look. They’re just observers but they can give God praise for His grace and mercy and His righteousness that He has provided salvation for those that were undeserving. No one could ever deserve to be saved. When we sin, we only deserve to be condemned.

It’s mercy that God has saved so come back to Revelation chapter 7. The angels join in worship, giving God praise, acclaiming Him as the God of salvation for sinful beings. Verse 12. They go on here now and it begins with Amen, and it ends with Amen. It’s just carried over from Hebrew to Greek to English. Let it be so. It’s true. Sometimes we’ve had it translated in the English bible, truly, truly, I say to you. Amen, Amen, I say to you. This is true, it will be so and we’re going to have this seven-fold doxology again acclaimed in heaven. You know when we were back in chapters 4 and 5 we saw heaven focused on giving honor to God and then we’ve come down to this sin cursed earth and saw the wrath of God poured out but now in chapter 7 our attention is taken back to heaven and what? Worship going on to God. We ought to be careful. Sometimes we get tired of worship. We get tired of coming together. I can do this as well at home. We are to worship Him wherever we are. There’s something about bringing together God’s people to give Him honor, to bow in His presence, to have His Spirit minister truth and this doxology is ascribed to God.

Come back to chapter 5, here we’ve had it at the end of chapter 4. We can’t go back to everything, look at verse eight. “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY IS THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS, WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.” Talking about the Father on the throne. Down in verse 11. “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; You created all things, because of Your will they existed . . .”

We come down to verse nine concerning Christ, the Lamb. “Worthy are You to take the book and break its seals; You were slain, You purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe, people, tongue and nation.” Down in verse 12, a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.” And every created thing . . . This is what? “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.” The four living creatures kept saying, “Amen.” The elders fell down and worshiped. In heaven, they know, giving praise, honor and glory to God.

You know we wake up on a Sunday morning and say, “ah, I don’t know if I feel like getting up and going.” We get to say less is better. I have one of the few jobs if we’d cut out Sunday night, a lot of people would be happier. Do we get tired of God? I’m not saying this is the only place we honor Him and worship Him but it ought to be a great privilege. You come together with other likeminded people, redeemed by grace to give honor to Him, to sit in His presence, to have His Spirit minister His truth. It ought to be a great privilege that we don’t take lightly.

Come back to chapter 7. Look at this doxology. Very similar to the previous doxology’s. Not everything is the same but you can see you’re just heaping praise on God in so many ways. “Blessing” in chapter 7 verse 12 after “Amen.” It is true. It will be so. Blessing, he’s giving a blessing. Praise, we talk about a eulogy often given as a funeral. That just comes from this word, “eulogia.” In Greek, we don’t have a soft (g) like a (j) so we bring it over, eulogy. We’d say it in English, eulojeia; it’s a eulogia, a eulogy. What are we saying? We’re speaking well of that person. We’re telling of the good things perhaps that we know of them or they did. Well in heaven, we’re giving praise, blessing, and honor to God. For what? The salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb. Blessing, give Him praise, glory! You know we have the doxology, comes from this word, “doxa”, it’s glory. God says I will not give My glory to another and yet here this is acclaimed to God the Father in verse 10 and to the Lamb that declaration of His Deity. We will be glorified! We will share in His glory! Human man will never be elevated. It is by His grace that He bestows glory on us but He alone possesses glory so He ought to be exalted and honored.

“Wisdom.” You know salvation is a display of the wisdom of God. Paul wrote to the Romans in the verses we looked at in chapter 1, and says “I’m not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” It’s the wisdom of God. You know the world likes to parade its intellect. We admire scholarship and sometimes we as believers get intimated because, well, I’m not smart enough you know to get in an intellectual debate with them. You know what we really are; we’re ashamed of the wisdom of God. Come back to 1 Corinthians chapter 1. Extensive section here. Look at verse 18. “For the word,” the message “of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing.” That’s how the world views it. You know you share the gospel with them and that’s ridiculous. Believing what God has said, that’s for people that aren’t intellectually developed. You don’t get admiration at the university for standing up and talking to them about God’s power as displayed in the suffering and death of His Son on the cross so that everyone who believes in Him could be forgiven sin. This is an intellectual environment. You can have your faith and believe it. Keep it to yourself.

“The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing but to those who are also being saved it is the power of God.” That’s why in this doxology we’re going to go on to ascribe power to God, for the gospel is the power of God and a display of His power. It is written, “I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." God has made foolish the wisdom of the world. How so verse 21. “Since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God.” You cannot come to know God through the pursuit of worldly wisdom. God was well pleased through the foolishness, what the world considers is foolishness we get the word “moron,” “moros” from this Greek word, foolishness, stupidity. The foolishness of the message preached, proclaimed to save those who believed because you see we proclaim, give out the message and God is pleased to use that to turn loose His power in the heart so that the light of the glory of the gospel of Jesus Christ shines in and they place their faith in Christ.

“For indeed Jews seeks for signs, Greeks search for wisdom.” You know as we’ve talked about, that’s the division in the world. That’s why we had Jews sealed in chapter 7 and now we’re talking about Greeks or non-Jews, Gentiles…..that’s everybody else. “We preach Christ crucified,” verse 23, “to Jews a stumbling block, to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called” who’ve been called, responded to God’s salvation “both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, note this, and the wisdom of God.” We acclaim God’s salvation and He is the One in His infinite wisdom, had His Son in His infinite wisdom come to be the Savior. “We preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block to Gentiles foolishness but to believers, Christ the power of God, the wisdom of God.” We come to tell them something. They’re too stupid and blinded by sin to know. They think we’re stupid. We come to share with them the wisdom of the infinitely wise God. Why should we be embarrassed? Why should we be ashamed? We don’t come with arrogance because we realize we were just like them but in the mercy and grace of God, we came to salvation. We come to tell you of that same grace and salvation.

We don’t need to be timid. Well, I’m not that well educated. Do you know the gospel? If you don’t go home and memorize it until you can say it backwards and forwards and from the middle to each end. Come out on Monday night and go with someone who will be sharing the gospel so you’ll learn to do it. You know it ought to be the first thing on our lips. Amazed….you know we get into politics in these days and Christians can hardly keep the kettle from bubbling over as they talk about it. When it comes to the gospel, (mumbling on and on) what? Well talk about what the Congress is doing or not doing, what President is doing or not doing. Oh boy, here it comes (more mumbling) you can’t shut them up and that’s true of us. We’re the people whose real thrill ought to be what matters for eternity. I want to tell you about something, you hear this and believe it I can tell you that there’ll be celebration in heaven. Now that’s something that’s worth listening to . . . all right let’s go back to Revelation 7 before I forget at my age where we are but I have notes to remind me.

John Newton the great hymn writer at the end of his life when his mind was going said I only remember two things. I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior. That’s great, two things. When my mind’s gone, I’m going to have it written there, I am a great sinner, Christ is a great Savior. That’s what we’re talking about in Revelation chapter 7 so we give Him praise for His wisdom in our salvation, thanksgiving; I owe the gratitude to God. Every day we ought to be thanking God. Thank you Lord for your grace in saving me. Are we ever tired of that? That’s the most important thing that has happened in your earthly life. The most important thing that will happen to you, you were saved by God’s grace. Honor, the word means honor, esteem. Now we have even in churches people come to get their self-esteem built up. We come to build people up in their esteem of God, to honor Him, to be impressed by how awesome He is, how worthy He is.

Power, the world and its wisdom couldn’t know God. It took what the world would view as foolish for God to display in fullness. That’s why God wants to use you and me as instruments to share the gospel. I took that little nobody and used them to communicate My gospel and My power, used that gospel to transform that life. How amazing! That’s why Paul said, “when I came to Corinth I determined I would know nothing but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” If you know the gospel, you can go anywhere and tell anyone. That’s what Paul said. I know the Greeks pride themselves in their wisdom. I went to Corinth saying I have one thing to tell them about Jesus Christ and Him crucified so we give Him honor, power; declare His might. I mean you begin to pile up words when you talk about our salvation.

Ephesians 1 does this. It talks about the “power of God and the strength of His might,” strength, might, power. Here we have the power of God, His might, His strength. What do you say? I can tell you something that will change your life for eternity. I can tell you something that if you will believe this simple message you will be rescued from an eternity in hell. Not because I have some power but I can tell you something that if you’ll believe it, it will release the power of God in your life, do something that only God can do so how does this doxology conclude. “To be to our God forever and ever.” If you’re tired of worshiping God now you’d better back up. Maybe you won’t be very happy in heaven. You see the Church is happy less is less and less and less and I wonder, is this going to be going on forever and ever. We ought to delight in it! What greater privilege and blessing given to me to come and join with others who can declare God’s salvation forever and ever. “Amen.” We began this doxology with Amen. It ends with Amen. It will be so. It’s true and it will be forever and ever.

We’ll just overview the next two verses and we’ll delve into them a little more fully next time. One of the elders asks John a question. “These who are clothed in the white robes who are they, where have they come from?” Now he’s not asking John because he doesn’t know. The elder knows he’s getting John’s attention. All this celebration, all this vocal declaring the honor and praise and glory and wisdom and so on of God. Who are these people joined in this? Who are these gathered before the throne and you can tell they’re people that have come from the earth because they’re of every tribe, language, and nation and so on and all John can say is, who are they, where did they come from? John said, “My lord, you know.” He said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes, made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” That’s why I say this is anticipatory, a reminder as the judgments begin to pour out again in chapter 9 and get worse. Salvation is taking place.

This is when as Jesus said in Matthew 24 this “gospel must be preached in all the nations and then the end will come.” Been a motivation for missions work and carrying the gospel out and we need to do that but that won’t be the fulfillment of Matthew 24. In Matthew 24 Jesus is talking in the context of this very period we’re studying right now and we’ll see later how this gospel is proclaimed to the whole earth during this period. That’s when it will finally be realized so this is not well it’s contingent; we’ve got to get the gospel to everyone in our day so the Lord can come. We won’t because the fulfillment of this--that doesn’t mean, we shouldn’t be about that work. Matthew 24 is telling us about this, “these” what, “come out of the great tribulation.” Jesus refers to this in Matthew 24; we’ll talk about this in our next study in the context of the last three and a half years of the tribulation. As bad as things are going to be and as much death because we’re going to see in the coming judgments, another third and more of the earth is going to die so we’ll have crossed the line of over half the earth’s population and we’ll still not be to the worst part yet.

But a reminder, in this time God is not willing that, any should perish but all should come to the knowledge of the truth but people will perish in their stubborn sinfulness like they do today. Why would you not believe? We have people sit here Sunday after Sunday, hear the message and never believe it. All God says, they are worthy of the judgment that will send them to hell so in the tribulation but there is mercy. How gracious God is. You know we think we’ve come to the end of our rope, that’s it, no, but for God even in this time there is mercy. The only way to be cleansed, they washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. There’s only one place of cleansing. I want to summarize this. If you’d put up the summary points so begin with verse one. Just what we’ve looked at. Impress it on your mind.

* Salvation is for all everywhere. That’ll encourage you. Whatever background and wherever in the world. That’s what is said in verse nine. We’ve seen the Jews in the preceding verses, now we can get everybody else together. There is no other name under heaven given amongst men, whereby we must be saved. Jesus is the only Savior but He is the Savior for everyone everywhere who will believe so verse nine, an encouragement. Salvation is for all everywhere. Not all everywhere will heed it.

* Salvation is the work of the Father and the Lamb. The ascription of praise and credit, if I can use that word, “Salvation to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb.” God gets all the credit for your salvation. I realize we’re thankful for the person who saved us. I don’t know who it was who was sharing the gospel when I trusted Christ, don’t know his name but all the praise goes to God anyway who ultimately brought about my salvation, prepared the way, sent the instrument and then impacted my heart. Salvation is the work of the Father and the Lamb.

* Thirdly, important here. All who know salvation is from God worship Him. All these who know salvation is from God join in worshiping Him. I don’t believe it’s true that some people in false religions trust Christ and continue in the false religion. Your eyes are opened. You discern truth you recognize that error. That doesn’t mean that we’re perfect in our sight but there’s a drastic change. It’s like Paul, committed, faithful Jew in the broad context but when He gets saved his eyes are opened, and then life is never the same. This idea that yeah but I go on in my paganism whether it’s Protestant, Catholic or some other religion in the world; all who know salvation is from God worship Him. That can only be done through Christ.

* Number four. All praise and glory for salvation belongs to God alone. We come to worship Him, give Him praise. I’m glad you’re here. This service is not about you in that sense. It’s about turning our attention to Him. Now by His grace His Spirit, ministers to our hearts as we worship Him and that’ll be true through eternity but it’s about Him. We are here to tell people about the One who is the source of salvation, the One who needs to be honored for salvation, the only One from whom you can receive salvation so all praise and glory for salvation belongs to God alone.

* Fifthly, this is a tough one. We are all filthy and defiled by sin. I’m going to say more about this in our next study. It gets a little bit dirty, negative but they had to “wash their robes,” verse 14 “and make them white in the blood of the Lamb.” We don’t see ourselves as we are. We begin to fail to see people as they are. We need to see that all our righteousnesses are as polluted, filthy, defiled rags as Isaiah wrote. We are not righteous; we are not clean in the sight of God. We need to see ourselves as we are. If we don’t, Jesus said I can’t help you righteous religious leaders. I didn’t come to call the righteous I came to call the sinners to repentance. The problem was they removed themselves from being helped because they saw themselves as already righteous. Christ wouldn’t have had to come to earth if we could be righteous in another way so thinking we’re righteous cuts us off from benefiting from the provision of Christ so we are all filthy and defiled by sin and we were all that even if we’ve been cleansed now. Periodically I read Titus chapter 3 to remind myself because we slide into this view of viewing other people as so filthy and so defiled and so dirty and I just can’t understand how they could do such stuff and then Paul tells Titus remind them they were just like them. We were no different than them and if we don’t keep that before our minds we begin to cloud and pollute the gospel.

* And lastly, the blood of Christ provides cleansing and forgiveness for all who believe. Just that simple. The gospel is the power of God for everyone who believes. Not everyone who hears, not everyone who’s been raised in a Christian home, not everyone who has attended a bible believing church, not everyone who’s been baptized, not everyone who takes communion; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes. It doesn’t get any more gracious than that. It’s narrow but it’s broad. Narrow, there’s only one way. Broad, everyone who wants to can come. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” How gracious He is.

Let’s pray, thank you Lord for the wealth of Your word even as we look into this last book containing the last of Your revelation. We’re in awe and reminded Lord how easily we become settled, complacent and easy in our life in a country that You’ve prospered. Lord it’s good for us to be reminded of who You are, the wonder of the salvation You provide, the awfulness of sin and its consequences. We give You praise for our salvation. Lord pray that by our testimony this might be a day of salvations for others. In Christ’s name. Amen.





.



15