We are ordinary believers doing extraordinary things with God's Word for God's glory making disciples and multiplying churches knowing that the cost is great believing that the reward is greater. In this message on Revelation 12:1–15:4, David Platt reminds us that when we fight our sin, we fight from a place of victory, not for it.
We are ordinary believers doing extraordinary things with God's Word for God's glory making disciples and multiplying churches knowing that the cost is great believing that the reward is greater. In this message on Revelation 12:1–15:4, David Platt reminds us that when we fight our sin, we fight from a place of victory, not for it.
You are listening to Radical with David Platt, a weekly podcast with sermons and messages from pastor, author and teacher David Platt. God make us a people filled with ordinary believers doing extraordinary things God's Word for God's glory, making disciples, multiplying churches, knowing that the cost is great, knowing that if we want to be a part of that, we can't just do business as usual. Knowing that the cost is great, but believing that the reward is greater. And the reward is greater, which is the whole point of the book of Revelation. So that leads us right into here. So I want to share that and then let that lead us into these seven visions from Revelation. So chapter 12, 13, 14, first part of chapter 15, I want to show you how these three plus a little bit more chapters are divided into seven visions. Okay, so you might underline these transitional statements with me. I want to show you seven times where John in these chapters says he saw a sign or a particular vision, and this is going to frame our time tonight. So look at chapter 12, verse 1. John says a great sign appeared in heaven. So you might underline that A great sign appeared in heaven. That's the first sign that he saw, the first vision he saw. That's chapter 12, verse 1. Then you get to chapter 13, verse 1. And John writes and I saw a beast rising out of the sea. So underline that that's his second vision, this beast rising out of the sea, number two. Then chapter 13, verse 11. John says then I saw another beast rising out of the earth. So that's vision number three, beast rising out of the earth. Then you get to chapter 14, verse one, vision number four. Then I looked and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb. So he's got this vision of the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, chapter 14, verse 1, that's the fourth vision, number 5, chapter 14, verse 6. John says then I saw another angel flying directly overhead and you see two more angels come after that that's the fifth vision right there, and then see two more angels come after that. That's the sixth or fifth vision right there. And then you get to the sixth one, chapter 14, verse 14. Then I looked and behold a white cloud and seated on the cloud, one like a son of man. So that's the sixth vision that he sees. So scene six up to this point.
Speaker 1:And then this is where it gets a little confusing, when you get to chapter 15, verse 1,. John says then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing seven angels, the seven plagues. But that actually introduces a whole new vision that's going to play out over chapter 15 and 16, which we're going to look at next week. So he kind of gives us a little bit of an introduction to that. But then you get to verse 2, and this is the seventh vision I want us to look at today, because this kind of interlocks between chapters 12 through 14 and chapters 15 and 16. John says and you might underline it here, revelation 15, 2, and I saw what appeared to be a sea of glass mingle with fire, and also those who had conquered the beast in its image. So that's the seventh vision we're going to look at tonight and we're going to see hopefully it'll be clear later why that vision right there ties with the six visions we see in Revelation 12, 13, and 14. So there you've got seven visions, starting in 12.1, 13.1, 13.11, 14.1, 14.6, 14.14, and 15.2, that frame this passage. So what I want to do tonight is I want us just to walk step-by-step through each of these visions. Now remember, john is not necessarily arranging these chronologically where it's okay, this happens and this happens and this happens. Instead, these visions collectively are giving us a picture, and here's the way I want you to imagine this.
Speaker 1:In Revelation 12 through 14, specifically, it's like John is pulling back the curtains on the stage of human history and all kinds of things are going on in the world, and what John does is he pulls back the curtains to show us that behind all of these earthly circumstances, there are heavenly realities that are affecting what's going on and reflecting what's going on on earth, and this is huge for us to realize. Nothing in our lives in this world is ultimately natural. Everything in our lives in this world is ultimately tied to the supernatural. We have a hard time thinking like this. We're from the West, we've got rationalistic minds, we think everything has a natural explanation, but what Revelation does here is it pulls back the curtains to help us realize how all of our struggles with sin, all of our struggles in marriage, your fears, your worries, your frustrations, your temptations, everything in our life in this world, is ultimately tied to a cosmic, spiritual battle that is raging in the heavenlies. And we need to realize that Everything in history behind the scenes is activity going on in the heavenlies. The scenes is activity going on in the heavenlies. All of earthly mankind is caught up in a cosmic battle between Christ and Satan and that transforms the way we understand our lives and our battles with sin and our struggles in marriage, and our fears and our frustrations and our worries and our temptations and everything else we face. So this week in your life on a day-by-day basis, I want you to see this coming week, I want you to see this past week, past, present, future. I want you to see it through the lens of hey, there's stuff going on behind the scenes here that affects the way we understand what's going on right in front of our faces in this world. So that's the effect of these seven visions. So what we're going to do is we're going to go one by one through them. I've tried to summarize in each one of these visions one statement that really sums up what that vision's about, and then I want to show you how that affects our lives on a day-to-day basis in this world.
Speaker 1:So we'll start with the first vision, chapter 12. God shows John and us that Satan has been conquered by Christ, the Savior, and is being conquered by Christians as they suffer. So if you were to ask me to sum up Revelation, chapter 12, in one sentence. This would be it. Satan has been conquered by Christ the Savior, and is being conquered by Christians as they suffer.
Speaker 1:Now, in order to understand this chapter, which some say is the heart of the book of Revelation, we got to understand the characters that are here. We got three main characters. We got a woman, we got her child that she's pregnant with and we got a dragon. So who's the woman stand for, who's the child stand for and who's the dragon stand for? Well, let's take them in the order in which they appear.
Speaker 1:First you've got the woman and, contrary to what the Catholic Church has taught throughout history, saying that this is Mary, the mother of Jesus, clearly, that is not all that's being portrayed here. From the very first verse of chapter 12, verse 1, a woman is clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, on her head a crown of 12 stars, and all throughout this chapter, that imagery, which is used to describe the Old Testament people of God, israel, is used to describe this woman and then, interestingly, after she gives birth to her child, then she flees to the desert and the dragon pursues after her and persecutes her and tries to overcome her, which is exactly what we've seen in Revelation, describing the New Testament people of God, who the dragon we'll talk about in a second is constantly persecuting. And so the picture of this woman when you see the woman in Revelation, chapter 12, we need to realize that this woman is a picture of the people of God spanning from the Old Testament to the New Testament All the people of God, now, clearly. Well, let's get to the second character Child. Verse 5 says the child is the one who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron, who is caught up to God and his throne. Clearly that's a reference to who. Okay, this is like easiest Sunday school answer in the book, right? So this is a reference to Jesus, very good, okay, so the child is Jesus. Now, obviously, mary gave birth to Christ, but this woman symbolically stands as the entire Old Testament people of God from whom Christ comes, and the New Testament people of God who follow after Christ. You've got the woman who is the people of God, old Testament to New Testament. You've got the child, who is Christ, and then you've got the great red dragon verse 3, with seven heads and ten horns and on his head seven diadems.
Speaker 1:Verse 9, john tells us, this dragon is that ancient serpent. That immediately takes us back to Genesis 3, right when Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent. Sin. Sin entered the world. He's called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. His name literally means the accuser. And so what chapter 12 does in three different sections verses 1 through 6, 7 through 12, and 13 through 17, in three different sections, from three different perspectives. In a sense, what John does is he describes the battle between this dragon and the people of God, and the center of that battle is Christ, the child of the woman, the child who came from the Old Testament people of God, who New Testament people of God are following after, and the overall picture of this battle is clear. I put it all in one line in your notes, but I want us to think about each one of these phrases one by one. First, the birth of Christ declared the death of the ancient serpent. Now let's pause there for a second. This picture in verse 2 of a pregnant woman who is crying out in birth pains with a dragon standing in front of her ready to devour her child. That picture sums up everything in the Old Testament. You think about it with me.
Speaker 1:Genesis, chapter 3,. Just as soon as sin enters into the world, god promises that from the seed of woman he's going to send a man who will overcome, who will crush the head of the serpent. And from that day the serpent is working, devil is working to keep that man from coming. Whether it's very next chapter, murder entering into the world and depravity just getting worse and worse. Then you see God raise up Abraham and promised that through Abraham's line, this is where the son is going to come, this man is going to come, the child is going to come through the light of Abraham. And then in Abraham's family you see barrenness and infertility. You see that repeated over and over again.
Speaker 1:You see different ways in which the people of God are attacked, sidetracked. You see the line of the King of David coming about through much struggle, god doing creative things like using Moabites like Ruth to bring about the line of David. Once King David is raised up, spared from the hand of Saul, you see threats against the line of David. You see King Ahab and Queen Jezebel have a daughter and this daughter, the queen, decrees that the entire family and line of David should be exterminated. And she carries out that decree, but unbeknownst to her, god in his grace saves, shelters Joash from her wrath. And so the line continues. There's a point when the line of David, the kingdom of David, judah, is about to be overtaken by foreign armies and God comes and he promises, through Isaiah, chapter 7, chapter 9, the virgin will be with child, will give birth to a son. The increase of a government will have no end. This line is going to continue.
Speaker 1:You see stories like the book of Esther, where it's decreed again that all the Jewish people, all the people of Israel should be totally wiped out. And God raises up a woman for such a time as that to save his people from extinction. Story after story after story, the ancient serpent is fighting the coming of this child all the way to where you turn the pages in the New Testament. You get to Matthew, chapter two, chapter one. This child born and King Herod decrees that every child under a certain age should be slaughtered, trying to overtake this child. But God, in His grace, takes the child and his family to Egypt to escape the wrath of King Herod, because this serpent knows that the birth of Christ declares the end of the serpent. So that's his birth, then his death.
Speaker 1:The death of Christ defanged the adversary. So Satan, of course, did not stop and just give up once the child was born. He fought, through temptation after temptation, to keep Christ from going to the cross. But Christ went to the cross. And there at the cross Paul uses this language, colossians 2.15, jesus disarmed the powers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them by triumphing over them at the cross. He defanged the adversary. He paid the price for sin and then the resurrection of Christ demolished all his accusations against the church. In the end, death could not hold down this king. He was brought up to God chapter 12, verse 5. And in return, the accuser was thrown down chapter 12, verse 10.
Speaker 1:So now, what does all that mean? Let me just summarize that simply. That can sound really complicated, but here's the deal. Especially maybe you're here tonight and maybe even first time in church you're thinking what in the world is the Bible? It's weird. So just follow with me here.
Speaker 1:Here's the simple story. From the very entrance of sin into the world, God promised send his son in the form of a man, born of a woman, to defeat the devil. And God did this in the person of Jesus. He was born just as he had been prophesied for centuries before. And Jesus did what no one else has ever done or will ever do in human history. He lived a life of perfect obedience to God, never giving in once to temptation, to evil. And then he died on a cross to pay the price for sin once and for all. And three days later he rose in victory over sin and death and the devil himself, so that everyone who believes in him, everyone who trusts in him, will be saved from their sins, so that when the devil accuses you of being a grievous sinner, you can look back and say you're right, but I have a great Savior and because of his blood shed for me, I am safe from your accusations forever. That's the story.
Speaker 1:So I remember the first time I flew on a trip overseas with somebody who had enough airline miles to get into the exclusive airline lounge the crown room, I think they call it. So I walked with this guy past all those common travelers where they're sitting on the floor and crammed into uncomfortable seats in the airport. We walked through these double doors that opened to a room with comfortable chairs and a buffet line with food, drinks, and so I walked in the woman behind the desk kind of snootily, looked at me my ticket and she said you don't have the credentials to come in here. And as soon as she said that, the guy I was traveling with put his credentials on the table and said it's okay, he's with me. And I looked back at that woman with a smile on my face and hobbed right past her into the crown room.
Speaker 1:Oh, ladies and gentlemen, you try to enter the presence of God heavenly crown room and the adversary will look you sharply in the eye and say you do not have the credentials to enter there. And he's right, you don't. But, ladies and gentlemen, the joy of having Christ come up behind you, slap his credentials down the table, look squarely in the face of the devil and say it's okay, he or she's with me. And you smile as you walk right past the adversary into the presence of God. That's only possible by the birth, death, resurrection of Christ. He has demolished the devil's accusations against the church. Which begs the question have you trusted in Jesus as your Savior? There's no more important question that I could ask or you could answer. In your entire life, have you trusted in Jesus as your Savior? How else will you stand against the accusations of the evil one. Will you stand on your own merits, stained as your life is with sin, or will you stand on the merits of some other religious teacher? What other religious teacher in all of history has the credentials of Christ, a perfect life, a sacrificial death and a triumphant resurrection from the grave? The only way to overcome the accusations of the adversary is by the blood of the Lamb.
Speaker 1:But then it gets even better. Look at verse 11. Verse 11 says those who conquer Satan conquer him by the blood of the Lamb and and and by the word of their testimony, for they love not their lives, even unto death. So what does that mean? Well, get the whole context here of Revelation, chapter 12. Once Satan figures out that he can't stop Christ, he turns to attack the church, the woman, the people of God who believe in Jesus. It says in verse 13,. He pursues them, and the word John uses for pursue there is used for persecution and opposition in different places in scripture. Verse 15 says he tries to flood them with persecution and the imagery is Satan's going flat after God's people fighting, working to strike them down. It's what was going on in the first century. It's what's going working to strike them down. It's what was going on in the first century. It's what's going on in the 21st century. The devil, the adversary, that ancient serpent, is still opposing Christ by opposing and persecuting his church, making war. Verse 17 says against this woman's offspring.
Speaker 1:But don't miss the whole point of Revelation, chapter 12. Satan is a defeated foe. That's why I put Satan has been conquered by Christ, the Savior, and is being conquered by Christians as they suffer, because the battle that is being waged in the world today is a battle that's already been won. Did you hear that the battle that's already been won? You hear that the battle that's being waged the front lines of every one of our lives in the world today is a battle that's already been won, and this is life-changing, testimony-emboldening news for every Christian in this room. It's why John is urging these persecuted Christians in the first century not to give up, to hold fast to their faith, to keep proclaiming the gospel. It's why I'm urging this church never to give up, to hold fast to your faith amidst suffering, to proclaim the gospel to the ends of the earth, because, amidst all the different battles we face, we know that Christ has won the war.
Speaker 1:Remember the story when, the morning of April 9th 1865, robert E Lee met with Ulysses S Grant to sign an agreement marking the end of the US Civil War. War over, peace accomplished, but just south of here where we're sitting tonight, from Montgomery to Mobile, the battle was still raging. The Civil War was technically over, but the Battle of Fort Blakely still took place, and the fighting was just as real Soldiers just as committed to destroying their enemies, guns and bayonets just as devastating, death just as brutal. The war had already been deciding, but the battle raged on, and the fighting was just as deadly as it had ever been, because peace had yet to be communicated and enforced to its designated end. So it's not a perfect picture, but it does capture a bit of what we see in this war we find ourselves in. Victory has been accomplished, satan has been defeated.
Speaker 1:What continues to be at stake, though, is the lives of people who are still fighting in this world, and, just as peace had yet to be enforced to its designated end in lower Alabama, jesus' victory has yet to be enforced completely in this world. One day he is going to fully and finally enforce his victory, abolish evil, but now we find ourselves in the middle of a battle, and the strategy of the adversary is to prevent people from experiencing the peace that has been bought for them by the blood of Christ. So, as we're on the front lines of this battle, that's where I want to remind you we do not fight this battle for victory. We fight this battle from victory, and that's a huge difference. We are not weak in this battle. We have overcome in Christ, the God of this world, and there are souls all around us in Birmingham, among the people, groups of the world, that have yet to be claimed for Christ, and so we go with boldness, knowing that the war is won. We fight struggles with sin and temptation on a daily basis, not as weak, but as those who have overcome in Christ. It's being conquered. So hear this Even the suffering that Satan brings to Christians, the persecution he brings to Christians, inevitably results in our victory.
Speaker 1:Follow this when Satan attempts to use suffering and persecution to defeat Christians, he ultimately contributes to their eternal delight and his own eternal destruction. I want you to see this. Satan attempts to strike down the church through suffering, and when he does that, he only contributes to our delight. This is Paul in Philippians, chapter 1, right To live is Christ, to die is what Gain. So Satan, kill me, gain. Satan, kill me, gain, gain. Christian, this is the power of Christ in you. Your earthly death is your eternal victory. That's great news. Every single funeral sermon I've preached for a follower of Christ, every funeral sermon I will preach for a follower of Christ, will be a constant declaration of one theme Death and the devil have been defeated and Christ and this Christian reign forever. So for those who are struggling through persecution and suffering in different ways in this room and around the world, we can know that Satan's attempts to destroy us only contribute to our eternal delight and his eternal destruction, because one day all of his efforts to destroy the church are ultimately going to turn upon himself. For we who died with Christ will reign over Satan forever and ever.
Speaker 1:Verse 12,. Therefore, rejoice O heavens and you who dwell in them. This is only one vision. We got six to go, but that's, that is such good stuff. So, all right, we gotta fly. Secret church style. You ready go.
Speaker 1:Second vision, chapter 13 satan works through government that functions as divine authority instead of under divine authority. Satan works through government that function as functions as divine authority instead of under divine authority. Satan works through government that functions as divine authority instead of under divine authority. So when you get to chapter 13, verse 1, second vision, what we see is how Satan the dragon carries out his rage against the woman, the church and the world. Remember, this is not chronological, okay, this happens. And this happens Instead here in chapter 13,. What we're seeing is a picture of how Satan pursues, persecutes and opposes the church. He does it through raising up this dragon, this beast rising out of the sea.
Speaker 1:Now there's, as we would expect, all kinds of speculation about who or what this beast stands for. Is this beast a physical person, a particular empire or an evil spirit behind earthly systems? First century readers would have almost inevitably identified this beast as the Roman Empire, the state-ruled government that was mandating the worship of the Roman Emperor. Many would have associated this beast specifically with Roman Emperor, like Nero or Domitian. And then you span to 21st century commentators. Many associate this beast with the Antichrist, who is mentioned in John's other letters A series of leaders leading up to one main leader who will lead people away in the world through anti-Christian government.
Speaker 1:2 Thessalonians Paul talks about a man of lawlessness, a son of destruction who will exalt himself against every so-called god or object of worship. He will take his seat in the temple of God, proclaiming himself to be God, and so many people equate this beast with the man of lawlessness, antichrist. And then still others don't take this beast as any particular person or empire in history, but basically point to different, various anti-Christian governments and leaders who have oppressed and persecuted God's people throughout history. You can't help but think about various governments and leaders in world history who have oppressed and persecuted God's people even today, who are doing that, setting up laws against following Christ and proclaiming Christ. So I lean probably toward the latter there. Throughout the history of the church, from the resurrection to the return of christ, there have been and will continue to be governments and leaders, systems and structures that the devil will use to oppress his church and deceive the world.
Speaker 1:That doesn't rule out maybe a specific person or specific empire, specific antichrist or man of lawlessness coming in the future, the days ahead, but the overall point here, regardless of where that comes down, specific interpretation generally, the point is clear Satan works through government. It functions as divine authority instead of under divine authority. Here's what I mean by that. This is Revelation 13. Remember Romans. 13 tells us that God sets up government as a good thing in the world, as a good thing in the world, but when government begins to assert itself as divine authority instead of under divine authority, massive problems come about. There is a huge difference between leading under God and leading as God, and the latter is extremely dangerous, which is evidenced throughout out-oppressive governments, world history and around the world today, where the church is oppressed and people are deceived in the millions. But don't miss this Even when governments do this, unbeknownst to them though they think they're setting themselves up as God or against God, the reality is they're still under the sovereign hand of God. That's part of the point of Revelation 13.
Speaker 1:God permits this beast to curse his name, crush his people and control the nations. God permits this. We underlined these verses a few weeks ago, but let me remind you of them here and if you haven't underlined them, you might. Verse 5 says the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words and it was allowed to exercise authority for 42 months. Verse 7 says Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them, and authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nations. God allows permits. He gives authority to the beast to lead people to blaspheme his name, to curse his name, to crush his people, to control the nations. This is much like what we see in Romans, chapter 1, when God gives sinful men over to himself. This is what God is doing he's giving sinful government leaders over to themselves.
Speaker 1:But don't miss the encouragement in the middle of it to suffering states, suffering saints in oppressive states all around the world today, suffering saints in oppressive states all around the world today, even the saints in this country that in some senses are becoming in various ways hostile to the church. Do not fret or fear. God is in control. Trust in Him. Hold fast to Him. Do not be surprised when government begins to operate as divine authority instead of under divine authority. Hold fast to your faith, even though the cost becomes greater and greater and greater. Do not be deceived and pulled away. Which leads to the next piece, where we learn that Satan deceives through teachers who look like friends and speak like enemies, stimulating idolatry while slaying the innocent. Deceives through teachers who look like friends and speak like enemies. Satan's primary strategy in the world is deception. It's really interesting.
Speaker 1:I wish we had time to look at all the intricacies, but when you see the dragon, the first beast and the second beast described here, specifically in Revelation 12 and 13,. We're going to see this even more next week in Revelation, chapter 16. But the language that's used to describe the dragon, the first beast and the second beast is language that's used to describe in similar ways God the Father, god the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and the picture is these beasts dragon are setting themselves up in a sense as a copy of God, try to lure people away. Specifically, the second beast is called later in Revelation 19, a false prophet who deceives even from within the church. And look at verse 11, chapter 13. This would be one example.
Speaker 1:John says that I saw another beast rising out of the earth. He had had two horns, like a lamb. So circle, lamb, right there. Lamb. That word is used 29 different times in the book of Revelation. 28 times it refers to Jesus as the lamb.
Speaker 1:Here, here, the second beast sets itself up as a lamb and the picture is you've got this dragon, these beasts working together, and the second beast is trying to draw attention to the worship of the first beast. Deceiving people Look like friends but spoke like a dragon, speak like enemies, and again, there's all kinds of different interpretations for what the second beast is Accompanying anti-Christian government, anti-christian economic policies or religious and social structures, anti-christian religion, anti-christian economic policies or religious and social structures, anti-christian religion, cults and world religion. There's all kinds of different pictures, but the point is that the second beast seeks to deceive and in the process he massacres all who refuse him. Verse 15 says and again, notice the ultimate sovereignty of God. Here it was allowed to give breath to the image of the beast, so the image of the beast might even speak and might cause those who would not worship the image of the beast to be slain. So the picture is those who don't worship the first beast will be slain. Now again, all kinds of different potential interpretations for how this plays out in the future, what this means in the present. But the, the first beast will be slain.
Speaker 1:Now again, all kinds of different potential interpretations for how this plays out in the future, what this means in the present. But the point is clear. Mark it down there will always be a price to pay for believers who do not worship the idols of this world. Life will not be easy in this world when you are fighting idolatry in this world. Brothers and sisters, we need to hear this. We have bought into this idea that we can be a follower of Christ and our lives look just like the rest of the world and run after the same stuff the rest of the world is running after. And it's not true. You follow Christ, it will cost you in this world. You will go against the grain of this world. You will face opposition in this world because we don't live according to the ways of this world. Massacres all who refuse him and he marks all who follow him.
Speaker 1:Now talk about different possibilities for interpretation the number 666 and the mark of the beast. I mean, when ATM machines came out and credit cards, it was all over the board. That was it. But there's all kinds of different ways that people have understood this and different possibilities. But the picture is overall. Again, generally, we've seen the people of God described with the name of God written on their foreheads and a number assigned to them 144,000, which we're going to see again in Revelation 14 and 2. We've seen it already in Revelation 7.
Speaker 1:So it would make sense for the people who refuse to worship God, who worship the gods and idols of this world, have a picture written on their foreheads and a number attached to them, a number here of incompleteness 666, not complete like we've seen seven over and over and over again. But the effect of this mark is to show a decided difference. Don't miss the point. Every person in all of history, leading up to the end of history, either belongs to God in Christ or this world and its ways. Every person belongs in one of those camps, is marked in one of those ways. So which camp do you find yourself in? The dragon, this beast, the devil, in different ways, is working to pull as many into this camp in the ways of this world, in deceptive, subtle, damning ways. Which brings us to a low point at the end of chapter 13,. This picture 666.
Speaker 1:But right then, john does what he does at different points and he gives us a glimpse of the church in the middle of all this Vision. Number four faithful followers of Christ will one day stand boldly with him, sing loudly to him. One day stand boldly with him, sing loudly to him and be satisfied completely in him. So, amidst all this deception from these beasts and idolatry from these beasts and the dragon, now we see a picture. The 144,000, which we saw in Revelation, chapter 7, is a picture of the church gathered around Christ, standing with him, singing out to him.
Speaker 1:Listen to how John describes them in verse 4. He says it's these who have not defiled themselves with women for their virgins. We'll come back to that in a second. It is these who follow the Lamb wherever he goes. These are the ones who faithfully follow the Lamb amidst idolatry and immorality in this world. And this is the ethical point that John's driving at here. He's encouraging Christians, amidst a world of idolatry and immorality and deception, faithfully follow the Lamb. In fact, you go back to chapter 13, verse 9, right after the introduction of the first beast.
Speaker 1:What does John do? He stops and he says if anyone has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is to be taken captive, to captivity he goes. If anyone is to be slain with a sword, with a sword, he must be slain. Here's a call for the endurance and faith of the saints. What John's doing here is he's saying it is it will be costly to follow Christ in this world, but don't compromise, even if it means you're being slain. Hold fast to your faith, even if it means you lose your job and all your money. Hold fast to your faith, even if it means you lose your job and all your money. Hold fast to your faith, even if it means ridicule and isolation and oppression and imprisonment or death. Follow the Lamb, because one day you're going to stand with Him, sing to Him and be satisfied in Him.
Speaker 1:This is the reward of uncompromising purity in this world and this is the imagery behind virgins who have not defiled themselves as women. That's not a literal, physical picture of celibate people. This is Christ followers who have not given their lives and their minds and their hearts over to the ways of this world. They've held fast to Christ amidst the temptation of this world and enticements of this world. This is the reward of uncompromising purity in the world and this is the reward of unapologetic proclamation of the gospel. Verse 5 says in their mouth no lie was found, for they are blameless. That's a contrast with the false teaching at the end of chapter 13.
Speaker 1:Here in chapter 14, these are saints who have proclaimed the truth of God in a world that is full of lies. So faithful followers of Christ will stand with him and sing to him and be satisfied in him forever, which leads to the fifth vision, where we learn that who we worship on earth determines where we go in eternity. Who we worship on earth determines where we go in eternity. These three angels cry out fear God and give him glory, worship him, who made heaven and earth, and this vision sets up a major contrast. So follow with me here. On one hand, we learn that all who indulge in the enticing wine of this world will one day drink from the everlasting wrath of God. All who indulge in the enticing wine of this world will one day drink from the everlasting wrath of God. All who indulge in the enticing wine of this world will one day drink from the everlasting wrath of God. Now, as soon as I say that I want to. I hope this is obvious. But emphasize, I'm using imagery here from a text from the text. In this statement I'm not saying Scripture's not saying that if you drink a glass of wine you'll experience the wrath of God. That's not what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:But when you look at verse 8, and you see Babylon the great mentioned, it's the first time we see Babylon. We're going to see this more in the days ahead and the rest of Revelation. But Babylon symbolizes the intoxicating immorality of this world in all of its forms, particularly in the form of sexual immorality. You see that mentioned at the end of verse 8. And the picture is exactly what we see all over our culture People who indulge in, drink down sexual pleasure and temporal pursuits in this world, thinking that that's where satisfaction, that's where delight are found. And Revelation is shouting loud and clear that that cup is empty and it will not satisfy. You spend your life running after sexual pleasure, material possessions, successful pursuits in this world. You drink from, indulge in the enticing wine of this world that will lead to the everlasting wrath of God. And the language is strong, Verse 10,. You will drink the wine of God's wrath, pour it full strength into the cup of his anger and you will be tormented with fire and sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of your torment will go up forever and ever and you will have no rest, day or night. That's destiny of all who live for the enticing indulgences, sexual pleasures, material possessions, selfish pursuits of this world. So don't buy into the idea that your actions today do not have eternal consequences tomorrow, everlasting, never-ending, soul-tormenting consequences. Tomorrow, the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever.
Speaker 1:One of my favorite preachers in history a couple centuries ago, george Whitefield used to urge crowds to consider the torment of burning like a livid coal. He was using imagery from Scripture Consider the torment of burning like a livid coal, not for an instant or for a day, but for millions and millions of ages. So, men and women, men and women, college students, teenagers, to every person within the sound of my voice, turn aside from the enticing immorality, idolatry of this world in all of its forms, for it only leads to everlasting wrath. That's why verse 12 says here's a call for endurance of the saints. It's like John said to the church and church there's a word here for us, because sexual immorality, material possessions, temporal pursuits are ripping apart lives and marriages and families all across the church. And it's like John saying to the church wake up. You're toying with that which leads to torment. Like wake up and see. It doesn't satisfy. Like wake up and see, it doesn't satisfy. Don't compromise with the ways of this world that leads to everlasting wrath. He doesn't leave us there. He gives us this contrast in verse 13. Hear it.
Speaker 1:Blessed indeed are those who die in the Lord, who do endure. That's the picture. Blessed indeed that they may rest from their labors for their deeds follow them. All who indulge to follow us, all who indulge in the enticing wine of this world, will one day drink from the everlasting wrath of God. But all who endure amid trials and temptations in this world will one day enter into the rest and relief of God. Endure, endure, endure. Don't give up the para. Endure, and one day rest will be yours, for your enduring deeds will follow you. Who you worship on earth not just with your lips but with your life who you worship on earth determines where you go in eternity. And eternity is coming.
Speaker 1:Sixth vision the judgment of God is inevitable and intense. So you got two visions back to back at the end of chapter 14, a grain harvest and a grape harvest. And the picture's clear One day Christ will harvest all the saints who trust in him. One day Christ is going to bring all true followers of his to himself and at the same time he will tread every sinner who turns from him. And that's strong language, but it's language that is necessitated by this text. I can't think of a more graphic portrayal of the judgment of unbelievers than the picture of grapes being crushed, pressed in a wine press, and then a picture of blood flowing for hundreds of miles from it.
Speaker 1:So, amidst all these visions and symbols, signs, don't miss the essence of what they're saying. Every single person in this room will one day come face to face with God. You will come face to face with God, and you will either stand before God alone in your sin, or you will stand before God with Christ as your Savior. You will either stand having lived for the ways of this world, or you will stand having lived for the ways of this world, or you will stand having endured in the word of God. And so I want to urge you, if you have never trusted in Christ as your Savior, to turn from your sin and cry out for Christ to save you, even now in your heart, not play religious games with eternal reality. Are you clinging to Christ as your life, as your Lord, as your King, as your Savior? You're hiding from the devil's accusations against you in submission to him as a faithful follower of his? If not, I invite you to come to him, turn to him, trust in him and Christian if you're in him and yet you're toying with the ways of this world, the stuff of this world. Open your eyes and wake up. It kills. You've been saved from that. So press into Christ, call out for the grace and the mercy and the victory of Christ over sin in your life. Don't toy with it. Don't toy with it. Endure, knowing that soon last vision, chapter 15, soon all the saints throughout all of history are going to rejoice together in the song of the redeemed.
Speaker 1:That's why I include chapter 15 here, because chapter 15 describes the song of moses, the song of the lamb. It's based on exodus, chapter 15, when god had brought his people through out of egypt, out of slavery in egypt. He brought them to the edge of the red sea. The egyptian army was about to overtake them behind. They thought this is it, is it, this is the end. And God splits that sea in half and he sends his people through on dry land. They get to the other side. The water comes crashing down on the Egyptian and he saves them.
Speaker 1:It's said in Exodus, chapter 14, the Lord will fight for you. And the Lord fought for them, saved them from their adversary. And so that's the image that Revelation 15 brings in here in a much more ultimate way. Christ has conquered the adversary, he has overcome the evil one. He has brought us through. So let's live in that and let's rejoice in that.
Speaker 1:Conquering Christians will one day shout as they consider God's incomprehensible works.
Speaker 1:Great and amazing are your deeds, o Lord, god the Almighty, in Exodus 15, after they had gone through the Red Sea, moses sung out I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously. The Lord is a warrior, the Lord is his name. Your hand, o Lord, is glorious in power. Your hand shatters the enemy. In the greatness of your majesty, you overthrow your adversaries. The Lord will reign forever and ever, and that's what we'll sing. We'll look back at all the trials and all the battles and all the suffering and all the difficulties and all the temptations, and we'll see that all the stuff in this world, god was preserving and keeping his people, god was protecting his people and God was showing his victory in and through our lives. And we will praise him for his incomprehensible works. And on that day, conquering Christians will sing as they behold God's incomparable worth. Who will not fear, o Lord, and glorify your name, for you alone are holy. We hope you've enjoyed this week's episode of Radical with David Platt. For more resources from David Platt, we invite you to visit radicalnet.