Revelation - July 27th, 2008

Date: July 27th, 2008

Speaker: Kevin Snyder

Title: The Last Word on Evil

Series: Revelation

Introduction

Here we are 20% through Revelation before the issue of evil is really addressed.

It is the part that it very difficult to deal with because there are 7 seals, and 4 horses, and 7 trumpets and we don’t know whether we are to read these sequentially like a novel or if they are like the gospels different looks at the same events. It can get quite overwhelming and confusing. I again draw you back and encourage you to read it with your imagination.

However, perhaps Mark Twain said something we need to keep in mind as we walk through the book of Revelation:

“It is not the things in the Bible that I don’t understand that trouble me, it’s the things I do.”

And so let me share with you 3 basic things that I do understand about evil in ch. 6 – 8.

1. Evil has not Usurped the Controls

One of the concerns in the post-cold war era is “Who has control of the nuclear weapons? Could they fall into the hands of some suicidal mad man who would just push the buttons?”

And John begins by affirming that evil is not so powerful, not so unleashed that God has lost control. As bad as the evil is God still has not lost control of history.

Picture: Ocean liner

patrons & crew are doing all kinds of crude and destructive things…total caos on board. But God still steering the ship and will bring it to port. They cannot get into the controls and change the direction or outcome.

The framework for these chapters is 7 seals…a 7 point sermon.

In ancient times, an important document would be sealed with a wax seal ad imprinted by the king’s seal. Anyone opening the seals who was unauthorized was in danger of losing their life.

And from ch 5 it is made clear that the only one authorized to open the seals of history is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Important to note :

It is not the devil opening the seals.

It is not the emperor.

As bad as things get take heart a madman has not got into the control room and has control.

2. God is So Powerful even evil is used to bring about his purposes.

Sometimes we think God can only use good things and good people to bring about his purposes. However, we find in the Old Testiment how God used some godless kings who invaded Israel to stir his people back to himself.

(Jer. 51: 20 – 24)

“You are my war club,

my weapon for battle—

with you I shatter nations,

with you I destroy kingdoms,

21 with you I shatter horse and rider,

with you I shatter chariot and driver,

22 with you I shatter man and woman,

with you I shatter old man and youth,

with you I shatter young man and maiden,

23 with you I shatter shepherd and flock,

with you I shatter farmer and oxen,

with you I shatter governors and officials.

24 “Before your eyes I will repay Babylon and all who live in Babylonia for all the wrong they have done in Zion,” declares the Lord.

God’s desire is that we would repent and worship him. And often it is when we encounter evil, and consequences for choosing evil ways that we realize how good God is and how we would be better served to follow him.

When we don’t follow God’s directions we bring a truckload of trouble on ourselves.

And so God can use even evil to bring about righteous ends. Even evil is not outside his power to use as a means of judgment.

Rev 9:20,21

0 The rest of mankind that were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk. 21 Nor did they repent of their murders, their magic arts, their sexual immorality or their thefts.

God’s heart is not for judgment but repentance. The one explanation in Scripture for God not shutting down history is :

2 Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

3. Christ is at the Forefront of the Battle

With that let’s look at the 7 seals .

The 1st 4 seals deal with 4 different colored horses.

In Zech 6 we read about these same colored horses and riders who are sent out from God’s presence to do his bidding. Here we see the image employed again.

Seal 1: White Horse

I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

2 different views :

Represents foreign invaders
To me it seems more likely that it represents Christ. In Rev 19 11 – 16 we hear a more in-depth description of the horse and rider.

1 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. 14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Significance:

Significance is that in this world of conflict and evil Christ is not absent, but he is the first on the battlefield.
Another significant thing is that all of the happenings of chapter 6 & 7 are bracketed by Christ and prayer. Christ as the first on the battlefield, and in ch 8 we read about the prayers of God’s people & the powerful effect they have on the things of earth.

And so evil may not be explained or fully understood but it is contained, bracketed.

Significant thing is that Evil has not usurped the controls. Christ is the opener of the seals, the first into battle , and the one who at the end is the only horse and rider left standing.

3. The Waves of Evil Are not unnoticed or unrecorded.

The writer then identifies the opposition.

He identifies the various forms in which we experience evil. Evil is summarized in 3 horses:

Seal #2: Red Horse

“When the Lamb broke the second seal, I heard the second living being say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse appeared, a red one. Its rider was given a mighty sword and the authority to take peace from the earth. And there was war and slaughter everywhere.”

Red Horse = wars - Social evil

Seal 3: Black Horse

“When the Lamb broke the third seal, I heard the third living being say, “Come!” I looked up and saw a black horse, and its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice from among the four living beings say, “A loaf of wheat bread or three loaves of barley will cost a day’s pay. And don’t waste the olive oil and wine.”

Black horse seems to represent famine – Ecological evil

Some suggest the comments about wheat & oil & wine represent the social inequities. A growing gap between rich and poor. Where the staples are hardly affordable to the poor, but there is an abundance of that which the wealthy can afford. What is necessary for minimal living is unavailable while the luxuries of life, oil & wine, are abundant.

Seal #4: Pale Horse

“When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the fourth living being say, “Come!” 8 I looked up and saw a horse whose color was pale green. Its rider was named Death, and his companion was the Grave. These two were given authority over one-fourth of the earth, to kill with the sword and famine and disease and wild animals.

Pale Horse = Death & sickness – biological evil

Now all of these in our world seem so intertwined, don’t they. War results in famine, and sickness, and plagues. These horses often seem to travel together.

And note:

Christ doesn’t ride the red horse or the black horse or the pale horse. He rides the white horse and in the end it is the only one who prevails.

He battles the war with love
Famine with stewardship, and compassion
Sickness with the ministry of healing.

But evil isn’t just contained in these 3 horses. There is more

Seal #5 – Religious Persecution

“9 When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of all who had been martyred for the word of God and for being faithful in their testimony. 10 They shouted to the Lord and said, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you judge the people who belong to this world and avenge our blood for what they have done to us?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them (see Rev. 19:14). And they were told to rest a little longer until the full number of their brothers and sisters their fellow servants of Jesus who were to be martyred—had joined them.

Here we see evil focused on a specific group. Set apart and attacked for their beliefs. And they are saying some words that no doubt we at times have felt:

How long…?

Not a question of “if” but a question of “when”.

(Rev 12)

Because this is about the only seal where an explanation is given for “Why?”

Rev 12 taks about a woman = God’s people (Old Testiment people of god & New Testiment)

Enormous dragon = devil

Dragon stands waiting to destroy the womans child “the moment it is born”

Child represents Christ

Herod – tried to destroy child when killed all the babies

And when he couldn’t the dragon attacked heaven but was defeated in the cross. And he is hurled to earth.

And so what does the dragon do now?

He attacks the woman & her offspring – the rest of the people of God.

Point:

Satan’s first objective was to destroy Christ.

But when he couldn’t he has turned his fury on the church and her people.

And so understand that you are not being attacked by flesh & blod. But by principalities and powers. Satan is out to do away with the church and Christians.

But you overcome him in the same way as Jesus:

by the blood of Jesus

with the word

and by willing to adhere to Christ even at the expense of your life.

Point:

Expect persecution and know where it is coming from.

Seal #6: Catastrophe

12 I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood. 13 Then the stars of the sky fell to the earth like green figs falling from a tree shaken by a strong wind. 14 The sky was rolled up like a scroll, and all of the mountains and islands were moved from their places.

Whereas religious persecution is focused on a particular group. Here we see catastrophe – earthquakes, & ecological disaster is indiscriminate. And to these disasters there is no defense….whether a political leader, a head of military power, rich, or personally strong, or poor …. No one has a defense against this kind of act of judgment.

Jesus alluded to all of these things in Matthew 24 as the birthpangs before he comes.

4 Jesus told them, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, 5 for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah.’ They will deceive many. 6 And you will hear of wars and threats of wars, but don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place, but the end won’t follow immediately. 7 Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in many parts of the world. 8 But all this is only the first of the birth pains, with more to come.

29 “Immediately after the anguish of those days,

the sun will be darkened,

the moon will give no light,

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

30 And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus gives us no illusions that everything is going to go tickity-boo for us as Cns.

He dispenses with any thought that the Canadian life is going to be a smooth, unopposed, delightful little walk into heaven.

There are Canadians who live under that illusion.

They think when they commit their life to Christ that they shouldn’t have any more troubles.
They are disillusioned by wars, by famine on the earth, by sickness & death, by religious persecution, and by natural disasters.
They were under some strange illusion that they are going to waltz into heaven unscathed by life.

But Jesus and John try to prepare us. In between the entering of Christ into this battlefield and his final conquering you will experience these things. You live in the “already” but the “not yet”.

In these 6 seals we have it seems every aspect of evil accounted for

War, famine, sickness & plague, religious persecution & natural disasters.
It seems nothing that we can experience as evil is unnoticed or unacknowledged. But it is all described and included in what we can expect to experience between Christ’s 1st advent and his 2nd. We experience a world gone awry. A world overwrought with evil and tragedy.

And, as Canadians we of all people should have no illusions about the depth and breadth of evil on this earth.

As a faith community we are more aware than any other sector of what’s wrong with the world.

It’s more than just our environment that shapes us to do evil,
it’s more than just our national interests at work in war,

it’s deeper than just the results of free market economy …

Behind all the cloaks is a depravity and evil that we are battling.

4. You Can Stand!

Chapter 6 finishes with the question: “Who can stand?”

If the political leaders can’t, and the military can’t, and the rich can’t, and the self-sufficient can’t and the poor can’t who can stand?

Who can stand in a world of evil like this?

And before the 7th seal is opened an answer is given:

“Then I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds so they did not blow on the earth or the sea, or even on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel coming up from the east, carrying the seal of the living God. And he shouted to those four angels, who had been given power to harm land and sea, 3 “Wait! Don’t harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have placed the seal of God on the foreheads of his servants.”

4 And I heard how many were marked with the seal of God— 144,000 were sealed from all the tribes of Israel:

5	from Judah	12,000
	from Reuben	12,000
	from Gad	12,000
6	from Asher	12,000
	from Naphtali	12,000
	from Manasseh	12,000
7	from Simeon	12,000
	from Levi	12,000
	from Issachar	12,000
8	from Zebulun	12,000
	from Joseph	12,000
	from Benjamin	12,000

Praise from the Great Crowd

9 After this I saw a vast crowd, too great to count, from every nation and tribe and people and language, standing in front of the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes and held palm branches in their hands. 10 And they were shouting with a mighty shout,

“Salvation comes from our God who sits on the throne

and from the Lamb!”

11 And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living beings. And they fell before the throne with their faces to the ground and worshiped God. 12 They sang,

“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom

and thanksgiving and honor

and power and strength belong to our God

forever and ever! Amen.”

So, Who Can Stand?

a. Angels

4 angels are brought on the scene.

They seem un-intimidated by the evil horsemen.
They are not undone by the calls from the martyrs under the altar.
They aren’t confused by the chaos in the cosmos. The angels stand holding their ground.

b. 144,000 will stand

Who are these 144,000?

Go to great lengths and there is great controversy. If you were a JW you would be worried and seeking to be that literal number.

But I think the most plausible answer is that it is the complete and full number of the people of God.

3 Reasons:

a. 144,000 are identified as people of faith

- elaboration of who they are – people who have Father’s name, not Satan’s written on their foreheads, the redeemed of the earth, kept themselves pure, who follow the Lamb, purchased by God, blameless)

b. One of the characteristics of Hebrew literature is it’s repetition. In English we tend to rhyme sounds. In the Hebrew mindset they tend to rhyme meanings.

Psalm 34

“Glorify the Lord with me,

let us exalt his name together.”

2nd phrase repeats the first and adds a new meaning.

Well, in Rev. 7, John first hears a number – 144,000

Then, in verse 9, he sees a multitude that no one could count from every nation, tribe and people.

2 perspectives:

Hears heaven’s perspective
Sees from human perspective

These two are connected and elaborate on each other. From Heaven’s perspective…

Every person of faith is accounted for.
God knows who they are, and what tribe they are from.
He sees all of the tribes as a part of his great family
He has them all counted and accounted for.

And then from John’s human perspective…

he sees this as a vast number that humanly we can’t count,
and it is made up of not just Israel, but every tribe and nation.

c. And if we still don’t get it John elaborates:

v. 13 – “He is asked: “These in white robes – who are they and where did they come from?”

The answer:

v. 14

And he said, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation (meaning: the ones who have endured all the evil waves of the 6 seals).; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15

These are the ones who committed their lives to Christ.

What is their reward?

v. 16

they are before the throne of God

and serve him day and night in his temple;

and he who sits on the throne will spread his tent over them.

16 Never again will they hunger;

never again will they thirst.

The sun will not beat upon them,

nor any scorching heat.

17 For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd;

he will lead them to springs of living water.

And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

Do capture in your imagination the picture?

We live in 2 realities:

a. A time when evil comes at us like waves.

But that isn’t the only reality….the only story.

b. You can expect also a day when the wrongs will be righted

Wars will cease.

You will see the end to hunger.
The persecution will end.
The cosmos will be be corrected.

And you can be assured of this reality as a follower of J.C.

“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world.”

He sits on the white horse.

As Paul says

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long;

we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Evil may be rampant but nothing can separate you from the love of God.

Who can stand?

Heaven can stand.
And you can stand….because you know your eternal destiny.

Conclusion

How do we wrap this up?

Will wars come? Yes.
Will famines come? Yes.
Will disease and plagues come? Yes
Will Christians be persecuted for their faith? Yes.
Will natural disasters come ? Yes.
Will Canadians lose their lives? Yes

And, in this time we call history, these will come with such ferocity & frequency that at times you will wonder: “Who can stand?”
And at times your heart will ache and cry: “How long, God, until you step in and avenge the wrongs of this world and deal with evil?”

And with all this suffering & delay you may wonder: “Where is God? Has he lost control of the wheel?”

Is there any hope?

How can I endure?

And God through this incredible book of Revelation answers with a loud voice:

Evil has not usurped the controls
Heaven is not intimidated.
Evil is bracketed between the Christ who enters the battlefield, and the one who emerges victorious, having done away with evil on that final day.
And in Christ you can stand and overcome.

Friends, I can’t explain all the evil in this world.

But I know it for what it is.
I know it’s source.
And I know it’s end.
And I know in Christ can stand in the battle and come out victorious on the other end.

Prayer

Invite you to Christ.

Somehow in the midst of all these images and pictures you feel a need like never before for Christ. You see, the evil of this world and despair over it. Despair over knowing that humanly we don’t seem to make it better.

Wars increase and so does our ability to destroy more people.
Famine and social inequity seems to grow everyday.
Disease still claims the lives of people we love and we live under the threat of some new pandemic.
People die for their beliefs and we can’t understand the hatred.
Natural catastrophes are beyond our words to explain.

And you don’t need an explanation to all the evil, but you need some hope in it. You need to know it is contained. That it has not overtaken the control room.

You find comfort knowing God is there at the beginning, in the midst of the battle, and victorious in the end. And even though you don’t understand the delay there is comfort knowing God has a stopwatch & video camera in heaven, and there is coming a day when he will avenge and right the wrong, and right this world, and bring his people into the life we all long for where there is no more pain, suffering , evil.

And it is that anchor, that bracket that you need. And today you are ready to make a commitment to following Christ.

If that is you, I want to pray with you right now:

Prayer of commitment to Christ.

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