THE BOOK OF REVELATION

INTRODUCTION - Psalm 2 is a great Messianic Psalm dealing with the triumph of the Lord Jesus Christ over His enemies. The Psalm opens up with the adversaries of God endeavoring to fight against the Lord. God laughs, and then states that He has set His King on His holy hill. This is the picture of Christ reigning in the place of supreme sovereignty and authority on Mount Zion. The kings of the earth are then warned that if they do not turn to Christ, they will be dashed to pieces by Him. All those who trust in Him shall be blessed. The theme of Psalm 2 is repeated in the New Testament as Peter shows us that the enemies mentioned in this Psalm are Herod, Pilate, the Jews, and the Romans (Acts 4:25,26). In the first century, they endeavored to overcome God and Christ. This theme is also repeated in Revelation chapters 12 through 14. In chapters 12 and 13, Rome under Nero (the Beast) and Jerusalem under the religious rulers (the False Prophet) attempt to do the work of the Devil (the Dragon) by persecuting the church. Yet the scene shifts as we come to Revelation 14. There is Christ standing on Mount Zion (He is the Psalm 2 "King on God's holy hill") accompanied by His people. This was an important theme for the early church. They were a persecuted people and the possibility of annihilation was very real. The picture of Christ on Zion with His church was meant to convey comfort and assurance to these oppressed people, for they had nothing to fear with Christ in control. This morning we shall look at the next section of Revelation 14 which continues with the Psalm 2 theme. The nations which rage against Christ have only two options. Either they will bow to Christ or they will perish under His rod of iron. First, we are shown -

1) THE ANGEL WHO ANNOUNCES THE EVERLASTING GOSPEL - Revelation 14:6,7 - The first picture is a description of the incredible mercy and patience of God. One would think that if these enemies dared to rage against the throne of God and the Lord's people that they would be destroyed in an instant. Instead, God responds with the warning of His Gospel. The enemies are told that a great judgment was coming and that they needed to turn to God and Christ, and fear the Lord (Revelation 14:7). Such was the message of the early church to her enemies, even as they persecuted her. God's people went to their deaths proclaiming the great mercy of God to sinners. If these persecutors did not turn to God, then they would reap the wrath of the coming judgment. This is the same message found in Psalm 2 as the enemies of God are shown mercy and told to turn to Christ, otherwise they would perish (Psalm 2:11,12). The same message is preached to sinners today. If we have not come to Christ and remain His enemies, it is only by the grace of God that we are alive and not cast into hell. The sinner is compelled to turn to the Savior, otherwise judgment will fall.

2) THE ANGEL WHO ANNOUNCES THAT BABYLON IS FALLEN - Revelation 14:8 - Here is the proclamation of the fall of Jerusalem. Israel of the first century had turned away from the Lord and killed the Son of God. They pledged their loyalty to Caesar and discarded the lordship of Christ. Since she had broken covenant with God, the Lord would send all the covenantal curses upon her. Jerusalem would be destroyed and the Temple would be demolished. John describes this fall as the "fall of Babylon." How can we say that John had Jerusalem in mind when he uses the word "Babylon" to describe it? We should realize that "Babylon" was a nickname which the Christians gave to the apostate city of Jerusalem. The Apostle Peter, who ministered in Jerusalem, at the end of one of his letters refers to Jerusalem in this fashion (I Peter 5:12,13). Earlier in the book of Revelation, Jerusalem is identified as both Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8). It is fitting that such an idolatrous and wicked city be now named after the enemy of God's people in the Old Testament. Jerusalem, like Babylon of old, was now persecuting God's true people, the church. She had become an unholy, idolatrous, and immoral city. In Revelation 14:8, this "Babylon" is also called "the great city" which is a common reference in Revelation to the city of Jerusalem (Revelation 11:8). At the same time, Jerusalem was meant to be a city which drew the nations to the one true God. Since she had become apostate, the nations now fed on her idolatry and blasphemed God because of Jerusalem (Revelation 14:8). Instead of leading the nations to the Messiah, apostate Israel led men into idolatry and immorality. The nations who followed Israel would also follow her into judgment.

3) THE ANGEL WHO ANNOUNCES THE WRATH OF GOD AND CHRIST - Revelation 14:9-11 - Those who follow Rome and Jerusalem will perish with these nations. The Jews who had forsaken Christ and the Romans who stood against the people of God would receive the full punishment of God's holy wrath. Here we see the exclusiveness of Christianity. In biblical religion, there is no Lord but Christ, no worship but that of God, no salvation apart from Jesus. Either you bows to Christ and His mercy, or you will experience God's wrath. We are given an incredible description of that wrath in verses 10 and 11. The Jews of John's day had drunk from the cup of Israel's apostasy. The Romans drank from the cup of their own idolatry. The wicked of today drink from the cups of this world's iniquity and idolatry. In the end, the sinner should realize that God is going to give him another cup to drink from - the cup of eternal wrath. Forever God will punish the sinner in His holy torment. Fire, brimstone, anger, torment, forever and ever will be the punishment for the sinner who rejects Christ and God. Note also that it is Christ who will oversee this punishment (Revelation 14:10). We often think of Jesus as being meek and mild, full of compassion and forgiveness. Yet on the day of judgment the sinner will see the great wrath of the Lamb of God. He will come against sinners in great vengeance for they have trampled God's grace and mocked Christ's sacrifice at Calvary. It is the same theme of Psalm 2, for if the kings of the earth do not turn to Christ, they will experience the iron rod of His judgment. They will perish in His anger (Psalm 2:9,12).

4) THE PATIENCE AND BLESSING OF THE SAINTS OF GOD - Revelation 14:12,13 - How is a Christian to view and respond to the great wrath of God and Christ against rebellious sinners? The early church was a suffering church, and down through the ages God's people have continually suffered at the hands of wicked men. The martyrs of Revelation cry for vengeance against their oppressors (Revelation 6:10). God tells His people in every generation that the "patience of the saints" is the truth that one day God will judge their enemies. God is just and holy. His judgment is certain. Christ will avenge His persecuted church. Thus, God's people are not to fret over evildoers, for they will one day face the justice of God. This is how the early Christians and all oppressed Christians can "die in the Lord" (Revelation 14:13). For now, we are called to be obedient to God's law and stand for the faith (Revelation 14:12). God will take care of the wicked in His own time. Should we die for our faith, our joy will be complete for this will bring rest from our labors (Revelation 14:13). Notice the contrast between God's people and the wicked. When the ungodly are judged, they shall never find rest. Yet when the people of God die in the Lord, they shall find rest forever from their labors here in this world. This is the great patience and blessed of the saints of the Lord!