Revelation 18
& 19
The
Fourth Angel’s Message
and the Second coming
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Revelation
6:9 When he had poured
out the fifth seal, I saw under the
altar the souls of those who had been
slain because of the word of God
and the testimony they had
maintained….
Revelation
13:10 If anyone is to go
into captivity, into captivity he
will go. If anyone is to be killed
with the sword, with the sword he
will be killed. This calls for
patient endurance and faithfulness on
the part of the saints.
Revelation
18:24 In her was found
the blood of prophets and of
the saints, and of all who
have been killed on the earth.”
Given the
persecution that is coming, we have
to understand this profound truth:
When a martyr’s faith is
required, a martyr’s faith will
be given. God does not propose to
save His children from persecution or
death. However, God will see to it
that our normal fear of death is
displaced with a peace that passes
understanding.
God will give
His saints peace and holy boldness
if they will submit their lives to
His will.
Lucifer’s
government is called the great
prostitute because everyone who
attempts to save his life through compromise
or submission to the devil shows that
he loves his life more than he loves
God.
Note: Each
“unsealed” person will be
forced to choose whether he will
participate in the great prostitute
for survival while the fourth
angel’s message is being
proclaimed throughout the Earth.
This final
test reveals an important fact: Those
who submit their hearts to God’s
last call will be empowered
to face death without fear. Those in
rebellion will be unable to face
death. They are doomed to become part
of the great city because they
don’t have the courage to
“just say no.” Of course,
those like the 144,000 who were
sealed during the three angel’s
messages will not be fearful because
God grants every sealed person
perfect peace.
The great
tribulation story parallels the
spying that took place in Canaan. For
forty days the 12 spies looked over
the Promised Land. Remember the
testimony of the ten leaders?
Remember the testimony of Caleb and
Joshua? How is it that only two
men felt Israel could possess the
land? Peace comes through faith in
God!]
This is the
vortex where the Great Tribulation
ends…. It’s a test to see
who will live by faith and who will
not.
This
difficult choice reminds me of the
way that drug cartels are established
in South America. Evil men working
for a drug lord will approach
bankers, lawyers, and government
officials saying: Which do you want
– the silver or the lead?
The silver
represents money [bribes] and the
lead means bullets.
They say,
“Work with us and the money is
yours. Work against us and death is
certain.” This is a tough
position to be put in and many men,
fearing the loss of life or harm to
their family, surrender their
integrity to the cartel.
Selling out
to the drug lord makes them a
prostitute. When we exchange our
moral integrity for monetary gain or
even survival, we have
“souled” out.
When survival
is justified by moral transgression,
God is not honored and the devil
knows this. When survival becomes
more important than obeying God, the
survival of self has become God.
John 15:13
“Greater love has no one than
this, that he lay down his life for
his friends.”
Jesus
voluntarily laid down his life for us
and he requires his disciples to be
willing to lay down their lives for
His sake.
Matthew 10:38
Anyone who does not take his cross
and follow me is not worthy of me.
Matthew 10:39
Whoever finds his life [through
compromise] will lose it, and
whoever loses his life for my sake
will find it.”
So far, we
have viewed the destruction of the
great prostitute through the eyes of
those who benefited from her. Now,
John takes us to Heaven to view her
destruction through the eyes of the
144,000:
Revelation
19:1 After this I heard
what sounded like the roar of a
great multitude in heaven shouting:
“Hallelujah! Salvation and glory
and power belong to our God,
Revelation
19:2 for true and just
are his judgments. He has condemned the
great prostitutewho
corrupted the earth by her
adulteries. He has avenged on her the
blood of his [144,000] servants.”
[As I said earlier, this rejoicing
scene occurs at the end of the fifth
bowl.]
Revelation
19:3 And again they
shouted: “Hallelujah! The smoke
from her goes up for ever
and ever.”
Contrary to
what many people say, the phrase,
“for ever and ever,” does
not mean that the great prostitute
will burn eternally.
Rather,
the phrase means her destruction is
sustained according to the law
of vengeance. In other
words, God’s vengeance is not
momentary.
God’s
law of vengeance requires that the
wicked suffer for as long as it takes
– until full restitution is
accomplished.
This is
why Jesus said: Luke 12:5
But I will show you whom you should
fear: Fear him who, after the killing
of the body, has power to throw you
into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.
The idea
here is that the wicked have to
suffer the same pain and suffering
they imposed on God’s saints
– times two. This punishment is
far more torturous than human beings
can inflict.
This is
why Paul wrote, Romans 12:19
“Do not take revenge, my
friends, but leave room for
God’s wrath, for it is written:
“It is mine to avenge; I will
repay,” says the Lord.]
Revelation
19:4 The twenty-four
elders and the four living
creatures fell down and
worshiped God, who was seated on the
throne. And they cried: “Amen,
Hallelujah!”
Revelation
19:5 Then a voice came
from the throne, saying: “Praise
our God, all you his servants, you
who fear him, both small and
great.”
Revelation
19:6 Then I heard what
sounded like a great multitude, like
the roar of rushing waters and like
loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah! For our Lord God
Almighty reigns. [This is the
sixth bowl. Jesus assembles His
mighty army for Armageddon.]
Revelation
19:7 Let us rejoice and
be glad and give him glory! For the wedding
of the Lamb has come, and his
bride has made herself ready.
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