Persecution and the Second Coming - 29

Well, it's good to see you tonight, and thank you for being here and your interest in the Word of God.

I thought we'd be a little soft tonight because of the extension of Easter break for people, and we are, but there's some visitors here tonight, and I'm glad that you're here. So let me explain what I want to try and do this evening. In my preparation this week, I came up with three headings, and they were reorientation, review, and reengagement with the text.

But it wasn't too long into my study until I realized that my outline was quite ambitious. And therefore, I'm not sure that we're going to get beyond reorientation. So tonight, the preaching time is given toward a reorientation of the genre of apocalyptic literature, the book of Revelation, how we should approach it, how we should be studying it, and I think that it's absolutely critical.

I never heard anybody explain this to me, and once I understood it, it resolved a fair number of perplexities to me. Now, there's an awful lot of perplexity that don't get resolved simply by understanding this, but I think this is very important, a reorientation about how this portion of God's word comes to us. And then second, a reorientation about our thinking and considering the subject of tribulation as it relates to the second coming.

So that's my ambition tonight, to try and bring a reorientation around those two subjects. I don't know exactly how long it's been, but I know it's been over a year ago that we started this study in the book of the Revelation. And we've covered a lot of ground.

There have been a lot of interruptions for various and sundry reasons. We've had special occasions, we've preached from something else, communion services, we've given concentration to the preaching of the gospel. So there have been various reasons why we've had this disjointedness, and all the more reason I think tonight why we just need to pause and have a time of reorientation, get our mind around very critical things and go, okay, I need that, I'm helped by that, and I trust that that will be the case tonight. So as we think about this reorientation, it's critical that we understand that the book of Revelation is not a consecutive chronological prophecy of history. We read most of our Bible in that fashion. Now, you might be surprised, some of you may be a little surprised when I say what I'm about to say, that not all of the gospel account is given to us in a chronological consecutive fashion. If you're reading through the scriptures, I would suggest that you find a Bible reading program that takes you through the gospels chronologically, and you will be surprised at what you discover.

You begin to understand, oh, I always thought that was this time or that time. But for the most part, the gospels come to us in a chronological fashion, but not entirely. Now, the book of Revelation does not come to us in that fashion.

It is not a consecutive chronological prophecy of scripture. We've looked at the seven seals. We're looking now at the seven trumpets, and we will get to the seven bold judgments.

I'm trying to illustrate for you that if we were reading the book of Revelation in a consecutive chronological way, we would be thinking this way. The seven seal judgments. After the seven seal judgments are the seven trumpet judgments. After the seven trumpet judgments are the seven bold judgments.

That's how we would think. But that's not how we should understand the book of Revelation. This is the way we need to understand it. There are the seven seal judgments, and when you get to the seventh seal, it takes you back to the seven trumpet judgments. You get to the end of the sixth judgment, and we're instructed about the seventh trumpet is about to come. It takes us back to the seven bold judgments.

So there's repetition, covering the same ground, giving additional detail. You say, well, I need to see that, and I want to show it to you. So don't just take my word for it, because if I were sitting where you were, and someone just said that, I'd say, okay, show me.

I want to see it. So let's do that. Again, we're not going to have our finger in the text here of chapter 11, but we're going to get a reorientation. So turn to chapter six. And I'm going to read four verses that relate to the fifth seal. And then I'm going to read verses 12 through 17, which is the sixth seal.

So we're getting to the end of those seven seal judgments. Verse nine of chapter six. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. They cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?

And it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. Verse 12 under the sixth seal, I looked when he opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.

And the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb, for the great day of his wrath has come, and who is able to stand? Now folks, that is a depiction of the end of the age.

There's no coming back from that. And that depiction ushers in God's wrath and his judgment on an unbelieving world. John refers here to a great earthquake, to the sun turning black like sackcloth, to the moon being turned blood red, to stars falling to earth, to the sky receding like a scroll, to every mountain and island being removed from its place. Now you can't read that description and say, well that sounds like a bit of an upheaval. No, that's cataclysmic.

That's end of the age language. At the end of the seventh trumpet, now I'm switching gears with you, we're here at the sixth seal, but now we're moving away from the sixth seal to the trumpet judgments. At the end of the seventh trumpet, there is little doubt that the end has come. So now we're back in chapter 11.

Keep in mind our orientation. The seventh seals, the seven trumpets, the seven bowls, all confined to the same historical period. So here we are, chapter 11, verse 15. Then the seventh angel sounded and there were loud voices in heaven saying, the kingdom of this world, the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ and he shall reign forever and ever. And the 24 elders who sat before God on their thrones, fell on their faces and worshiped God saying, we give thanks O Lord almighty, the one who is and was and who is to come because you have taken your great power and reign. The nations were angry and your wrath has come.

Your wrath has come. Back to chapter 6, verse 17. For the great day of his wrath has come and who is able to stand?

And what I'm suggesting to you is John is talking to us, revealing truth to us related to the same event. In chapter 11, the Lord's reign begins in verse 17. The time of his wrath and for judgment for the wicked and the reward for the righteous has come. Now, while Revelation 11 18 speaks of the final judgment, what follows in chapter 12 is a return and a consideration of Christ's first advent. So you see, if you don't understand this structure, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bold judgments, you come to this, the Lord's is reigning.

The day of his wrath has come. And then you turn to chapter 12 and you begin to read. Now a great sign appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a garland of 12 stars. Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth. And another sign appeared in heaven, behold a great fiery red dragon having seven heads and ten horns and seven diadems on his heads. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth and the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth to devour her child as soon as it was born. Now, you can't read verse five without seeing Christ here in his first advent.

She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God and his throne. So do you see what I'm suggesting? If you're reading this consecutively historical chronological and you come, wait a minute here, we're back to Christ's first advent? That consecutive chronological approach will really confuse you. The same repetition is seen in chapter 16. What are we dealing with when we get to chapter 16?

We're dealing with the bold judgments. Again, remember, I don't want to be overly repetitive, but just because this is reorientation, the seven seal judgments, the seven trumpet judgments, and then the seven bowl judgments. And when we get to chapter 16, that's what we're looking at.

Now notice with me chapter 16 verse 17. Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven from the throne saying, it is done. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth.

We'll stop there. Again, notice the description of a cataclysmic disruption, a great earthquake. Where have we seen the mention of a great earthquake?

This is just reinforcing this reorientation. Chapter 6 verse 12. This is the sixth seal. I looked when he opened the sixth seal and behold there was a great earthquake. Chapter 11 verse 13.

We're dealing with the trumpet judgments. In the same hour there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake 7,000 people were killed and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven. And then chapter 16 verse 18. And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings and there was a great earthquake.

Not three separate earthquakes, the same earthquake. Are you following what I'm trying to convey to you? This is repetition. John's revisiting the same historical time frame and giving additional detail. No one ever explained this to me. I was saved in 1979 and shortly after that time, the pastor announced that he was going to do a study on the book of the Revelation and I said on a Sunday night with my Bible open and with a notebook and we went through the book of the Revelation.

That's 43 years ago. Nobody ever explained to me what I'm explaining to you tonight. And it's not a novel idea. It's just I believe a correct way of understanding this portion of God's word as he's revealed it to us. John is portraying the events leading up to the second coming of Christ several times in these chapters from chapter 6 through 16.

And again, excuse me if I'm being overly repetitive, but the events in chapter 6 through 16 are not in chronological order. John, he introduces the bold judgments by making a statement in chapter 15. Chapter 15 verse 1. My Bible has a heading before the chapter, prelude to the bold judgments. This is what John says. Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete.

Now the first time we've had language like that. Because as you're considering what John is describing, as I've already mentioned to you there at the end of chapter 6, you say, well, there's no recovery from this. Stars are following. The moon is turning blood red.

The sky is rolling up like a scroll. It's the end of the age. Why isn't the content of Revelation 21 and 22 the next chapter? We wonder, well, why is there 15 or 16 more chapters after what we read in chapter 6?

What more is there to say? Well, there's more to say because he's going to go back and he's going to revisit that historical timeframe and give additional detail. That the bold judgments are not simply one episode or series of events within the final tribulation, but that they in some fashion are going to describe the culmination of God's judgment in history.

So this is the last time that John is going to speak of judgment. But what's critical that I wanted to point out to you was verse 1 of chapter 15, Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous seven angels, having the seven last plagues, for in them the wrath of God is complete. That's the first area of reorientation. One other area that I hadn't really planned but has come to my mind that I think I need to just touch on, and that is we have taken an approach to understanding this portion of God's word that we're to interpret it symbolically, we're to interpret it representatively, that we're not to try and interpret it literally.

We established that at the very beginning of our study. Seven candlesticks, what is that? Well, that's the churches. Well, let me give you an example here. If you're reading chapter 11 and you're trying to figure out, okay, my mind is in a swirl here, two witnesses and they are dying, they lay in the street and they're there for three and a half days and they're resurrected. Am I to understand that as two literal people who've lied in the streets for three and a half days and God's breathed life into them and the whole world has seen that? Well, that was the way I was taught the book of Revelation. But listen, even in the context of chapter 11, God is reminding us of the key to understanding what he's revealing to us. Notice with me, begin at verse 7. When they finish their testimony, who's they? Well, the two witnesses, and I'm convinced that that's the church, the church in its witnessing and prophesying and witnessing in not only what they say but witnessing in the way in which they persevere in the midst of persecution and suffering. When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them and kill them. Verse 8, and their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Which spiritually, so there is a hint right there, that we're to be understanding this portion of God's Word, not literally, but this is speaking in a spiritual fashion.

It's symbolic, it's representative of something. We'll get there probably next week, but just, again, we're talking about reorientation. Secondly tonight, in terms of reorientation, I think we need to carefully think about what the Scriptures tell us about tribulation as it relates to the Second Coming. In the Olivet Discourse, Matthew chapter 24, Jesus is speaking of the Great Tribulation.

And this is what he says in verse 21 and 22. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. What's implied there about the existence of the elective God during the time of the Great Tribulation?

They've got to be on the earth. They've got to be living through that period that Jesus is talking to. It makes no sense to consider them raptured away, safe in heaven, away from God's tribulation. Unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved.

But for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. That's a critical passage of Scripture, but not for tonight. But I wanted to start there because the Scriptures predict a period of unparalleled distress for the people of God that will immediately precede the second coming of Christ.

Let me say that again. The Scriptures predict a period of unparalleled distress for the people of God that will immediately precede the second coming. I think too often when we hear tribulation or the Great Tribulation, we think future.

It's out there somewhere. And I think that that is problematic. We need to be thinking that we are living in the last days and that tribulation and persecution is a part of that entire period. The persecution isn't something that's way out there.

You know what else contributes to us thinking that way is because we're living in relative safety. A large portion of Christendom is facing severe persecution and tribulation. If we were where our brothers are in the Ukraine, we wouldn't think about tribulation the way we typically do. We wouldn't be thinking, well, tribulation, that's way out there in the future.

No, no. The word tribulation, that Greek word is translated tribulation in our New Testament occurs 45 times in the New Testament. Only once of those 45 occurrences does it refer to the wrath of God. That's Romans chapter 2 and verse 5. The rest of the occurrences refer to suffering experienced by believers. 37 of those occurrences indisputably refer to the tribulation that believers experience throughout this age in which we're living. Let me remind you of some things from the various New Testament writers.

This is Paul and Barnabas warning the new converts in Southern Asia Minor. Acts 14, 22. We must go through many hardships and that word translated hardship is that Greek word that's translated tribulation other places. We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.

This notion that the road to heaven is just an easy road is foreign to the New Testament. Jesus said this in John 16 verse 33. In this world you will have trouble, not that you might have trouble, you will have trouble.

But take heart, I have overcome the world. So the word tribulation refers to a period of intense suffering at the end of history. And we could look at many scriptures to prove that but for time's sake tonight take my word for that. Now, the final tribulation is a period of severe persecution of saints who are on the earth. Now, it is not clear to what extent the final tribulation itself involves the infliction of God's wrath.

You understand what I'm saying? I read to you Revelation 15 one. For in them the wrath of God is complete. So you say, well, I thought the wrath of God is reserved for that period of time when the church has been removed and then God pours out his wrath on unbelieving people. Well, it's not that neat and tidy because Romans chapter 1 and verse 18 says, for the wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.

Not will be someday, is being revealed, present tense. So there's a sense in which the wrath of God is being revealed. Now, I can't point to and neither can you, that is a manifestation of the wrath of God. But some of what is happening around us is a manifestation of the wrath of God. So we must be careful that we don't misinterpret the scriptures to our own liking. Now, although God's judgments are never directed toward those who truly belong to him, God's wrath is never directed toward those who belong to him. Why do I say that?

Why do I say that tonight? Because our Savior exhausted the wrath of God that should have come to you and I. There is no wrath for those who are in Christ Jesus.

Paul says in Romans chapter 8 verse 1, there is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. There is no wrath. Jesus exhausted God's wrath that was directed toward us. He took our place. He stood in our place. He substituted in our place and absorbed the wrath of God and satisfied that in order to satisfy justice. So it's never directed toward those who truly belong to him. The judgments, however, can indirectly affect them, can affect you and me.

How is that? Well, think about the judgment that was coming on the world in Noah's day. Noah and his family.

I'll be generous here and say that they were inconvenienced by the flood. God's judgment on the world had an effect upon Noah and his family. Now it wasn't directed at Noah. God preserved Noah, directed him to build an ark. What about Jeremiah and the other prophets? When God's wrath was coming upon Israel and they were carried off to Babylon, was it directed toward the prophets?

No, but they were living in the world and they were affected by it. So, let's go back to Revelation. And I was exactly correct when I said I was being overly ambitious about a three point sermon.

This is all the further we're going to get tonight, but this is important. In Christ's message to the churches, in Revelation chapters 2 and 3, let's turn there for a moment. To the church at Smyrna, chapter 2, verse 10. These are the words of Christ to the church. Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison that you may be tested and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death and I will give you the crown of life. There's a warning of severe tribulation coming, such as it may cost you your life.

That's how severe, but be faithful unto death. Chapter 3, to the church in Philadelphia, verse 10. Because you have kept my command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial, which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. There's a promise that Jesus is making to the church at Philadelphia in the context of an hour of trial that's going to come upon the world to test those who dwell on the earth. And he says, I will keep you from the hour of trial. Now, the question is how? How is he going to keep the church in that hour?

You say, well, I got the answer to that. How is he going to keep us? He's going to rapture the church away. We're not going to be here when it happens.

Well, might I suggest another way of looking at it? The question usually is answered, the question how is usually answered through physical removal in a pre-tribulational or a mid-tribulational rapture. Or could the how be answered through divine safekeeping during the period of distress? Because when we read that promise, I will keep you, at least I do, maybe I'm wrong, maybe you don't think this way, but my first thought is physically. He's going to keep us physically. Well, he may keep us physically, but I think the promise is more spiritually. He's going to keep us spiritually. He's going to keep us from falling away. He's going to keep us from denying our Lord. He's going to keep us so that we will persevere in the midst when the heat gets turned up. I think that's how we need to be understanding this as opposed to, well, he's going to keep us. He's going to safeguard us, kind of like being thrown into the fiery furnace, fire all around us, cords burned off, but here we stand, can't even smell smoke on us. That's an Old Testament true story, no question about that. But to take that story and extrapolate that to this and say, well, that's how I think he's going to keep us. Talk to, when you get to heaven, talk to those who gave their life in martyrdom.

It didn't work that way for them. There's parallel here, and it's in John chapter 17, the use of these words. John chapter 17, verse 15.

This is parallel phraseology. Jesus is praying to his heavenly Father, and he says, my prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. Now it's clear, Jesus is praying for the disciples' preservation from the power of Satan, even though they remain in the world.

He says, I pray that you not take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one. There's only three other verses in the New Testament that have God or Christ as its subject and believers as its object in this idea of keeping. And they're all in John chapter 17.

John 17, 11, John 17, 12, John 17, 15. And in each case, spiritual preservation is clearly intended. Jesus is going to keep them from the evil one. He's going to leave them in the world.

And he has a purpose for leaving us in the world. Now, no serious Christian believes that the church will not experience tribulation. We've read our Bibles at all, are mindful of church history, know what's going on with the voice of the martyrs. No serious minded Christian thinks that the church will not experience tribulation. At times severe tribulation. That's been the case of the church throughout its existence.

It's not something new. But there's no description of tribulation that indicates that it will involve greater suffering than many believers have already experienced. I hear people talking and say, well, God would never allow me or us to suffer this, that, and the other. And you say, well, what about all who've gone before us? One of the jobs of a pastor or job description in part is given to us in Ephesians chapter 4. We're to equip the saints for the work of ministry. And in my mind tonight, I brought that mindset to me.

My job is to equip you. And I believe difficult days are coming, persecution is coming upon the church. And this idea that, oh, God's just going to rapture us away and we're going to be safe and nothing's going to happen to us will not be a safe place to be standing. We're going to go back to chapter 11. And one of the things that surprises me is how little attention is given to chapter 11.

In fact, let me ask you this question. Most people who want to talk about the book of Revelation teaching about a rapture, where do they go? Chapter 4 and verse 1.

Okay? Chapter 4 and verse 1. After these things, John says, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me saying, come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. Now, that is a long, long, long stretch to read pre-tribulation rapture into verse 1 because that was individually directed to John. Come up here.

In his spirit, he remained on the earth. Okay? But chapter 11, I would set before you that if you want to hold to a post-tribulational approach, this is your passage.

You can defend it. Now, there's some issues you're going to have to wrestle with, but think about this with me. We'll just step in here, chapter 11, verse 11. Now, after three and a half days, the breath of life from God entered them and they stood on their feet and great fear fell on those who saw them.

Who is that? These are those who witnessed for Christ, those who remained on the earth, those who were his representatives, and they, those very same ones, verse 12, heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, come up here. That's not to John. That call is to them.

Come up here. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud and their enemy saw them. In the same hour, there was a great earthquake and a tenth of the city fell to the earthquake and 7,000 people were killed and the rest were afraid and gave glory to God, to the God of heaven. And then what comes in verse 15? The reign of Christ.

Well, we're going to explore that when we come back here, but let me conclude with these thoughts here. We need to be cautious about any view that exempts us from suffering and persecution because we are believers. Why would we think that God has a different path to glory for us than he had for his own son?

Why would we think that God has a different plan for us than he had for those who've gone before us and some laid down their life in martyrdom? Here's the sequence. Here's the order. We've heard it in Philippians chapter 2. What is the sequence?

What is the order? It's the same for us as it was for Christ. The cross before the crown, humiliation before exaltation, victory through suffering. Let's not forget the call of Christ. What is the call of Christ? It is to deny yourself, take up your cross.

What does that mean? Take up your cross, be willing to give your life for him and his cause and follow him. Paul talked about the fellowship of his sufferings. Peter spoke of participating in the sufferings of Christ as the path to glory.

In my personal preparation for Easter, I did some reading in J.C. Ryle's works on the Gospel of Luke. And I want to conclude with what he had to say in terms of commentary on this verse from Luke 22 verse 53 which says, these are the words of Jesus, When I was with you, this is Jesus speaking to his enemies, I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me but this is your hour and the power of darkness, Luke 22 53. This is what J.C. Ryle says about that verse and how it applies for our consideration tonight. The time during which evil is permitted to triumph is fixed and limited by God. We read that our Lord said to his enemies when they took him, this is your hour and the power of darkness. The sovereignty of God over everything done upon earth is absolute and complete. The hands of the wicked are bound until he allows them to work. They can do nothing without his permission but this is not all. The hands of the wicked cannot stir one moment before God allows them to begin and cannot stir one moment after God commands them to stop.

The very worst of Satan's instruments are working in chains. The devil could not touch Job's property or person until God allowed him. He could not prevent Job's prosperity returning. When God's designs on Job were accomplished, our Lord's enemies could not take and slay him until the appointed hour of his weakness. Nor yet could they prevent him rising again when the hour came in which he was declared the son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead. When he was led forth to Calvary, it was their hour.

When he arose victorious from the grave, it was his hour. The verses before us throw light on the history of believers and ages gone by. From the time of the apostles down to the present day, they have often been severely oppressed and persecuted by the hand of their enemies, but the hand of their enemies has never been allowed entirely to prevail. The hour of their trials has generally been succeeded by a season of light. The triumph of their enemies has never been entire and complete.

They've had their hour, but they've had no more. After the persecution with Stephen came the conversion of Paul. After the martyrdom of John Russ came the German Reformation.

After the Marian persecution came the establishment of English Protestantism. The longest night has its morning. The sharpest winters have been followed by spring.

The heaviest storms have been changed for blue sky. Let us take comfort in these words of our Lord in looking forward to our future lives. If we are followers of Christ, we shall have an hour of trial, and it may be a long hour too. But we may rest assured that the darkness shall not last one moment longer than God sees fit for us. It is in his good time it shall vanish away, and evening time there shall be light. Finally, let us take comfort in these words of our Lord in looking forward to the future history of the church and the world. Clouds and darkness may gather round the ark of God. Persecutions and tribulations may assail the people of God. The last day of the church and world will probably be their worst days, but the hour of trial, however grievous, will have an end.

Even at the worst, we may boldly say, the night is far spent and the day is at hand. Let us pray. Father, thank you that you are the sovereign God who is micromanaging this universe to your decreed ends.

And even as it's been prayed already from this place this evening, all things do indeed work together for good to those who love you and to those who are the called according to your purpose. Help us to realize that perhaps the greatest deliverance that any believer could ever have, whether it's giving their life for the cause of Christ, is to be translated into the very presence of our Savior. Lord, why should we fear men?

Why should we fear persecution when the worst they can do to us is to usher us into your presence? So, Lord, safeguard us. Keep us by your power.

Help us to think aright. Help us to be equipped to live in these difficult days. Lord, we think of the persecuted church and ask that you would grant them boldness, grant them everything they need to stand for you and to persevere. And if it would please you to physically preserve them, yes, we pray that. But more importantly than anything, we pray that you would spiritually keep them, that they would be faithful to the end if that indeed is your will for them. So thank you for your church that's gathered in this place tonight and for what we've considered in this time of reorientation. Use it, Lord, for our good and your glory. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.