Where is God in this Wicked World?, Part 2

This is the battle for the ages. This is good and evil. This is laying it all down and putting it all on the line, and it’s about the souls of people. It’s about people on the earth.

His mark is the number 666, it’s to be put on either on the right hand or the forehead, and without it no one can buy or sell. And then the camera moves from there up to heaven.

And then, chapter 14, we get a report on the hundred and forty-four thousand and they sing a song of praise. John’s given a preview of Armageddon when Christ will return triumphantly and, chapter 14, you get this song of the redeemed.

What is it John sees? He sees the Lamb standing on Mount Zion, the hundred and forty-four thousand – he’s getting this picture of what’s going to happen. Then what he hears are heavenly harps, heavenly hosannas, the hundred and forty-four thousand sing a song that no one else can sing, verses 3, 4, and 5.

And then there’s this message of the angels of God. The first angel, look at verses 6 and 7, he says, “Fear God, give glory to Him, when He will sit as judge, worship Him.”

The second angel makes a prediction here, he says, “This is what’s happening. Babylon is fallen.” Verse 9 of chapter 14, the third angel, “Don’t receive,” he says to the saints, “don’t receive the mark of the Antichrist.” The penalty? Eternal torment in the lake of fire. He urges the people, “Remain faithful, remain faithful.”

And then you get the assurance of the Spirit of God in verse 13, “Blessed are the martyrs for they will soon be rewarded.” And then you get this reaping of the harvest of God and Jesus Himself is the reaper, look at verses 14 and 15, the unsaved and the unrepentant of the earth are going to be judged and then notice, “Sinners will be crushed as overripe grapes in the winepress. Their blood will flow out in streams, a hundred and eighty miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle.”

And so this is heavy duty judgment of people for their sin and rebellion and God judges them.

And then, in chapter 15, the seven angels prepare to pour out the seven more judgments upon the earth, John hears the victors over the Antichrist singing a song in praise to God. And so in chapter 15 it opens up, what did he see? Seven angels.

This is the perfect book. There’s seven everything. There are seven signs, seven angels, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls. Notice these seven angels: they are to pour out God’s final judgment consisting of the seven bowls. Their appearance, notice, they are dressed in clean, shining linin and they wear golden sashes around their chests.

He sees a fire, and glass upon which those who stand have been victorious over the Antichrist, in verse 2. He sees a smoke filled temple - the holy of holies, look at verse 5 - it’s opened. The temple itself is closed to all until the bowls of judgments are completed.

Skipping down, he hears singing. Those who have been victorious over the Antichrist, and notice they sing the song Moses sang, praising His justice, eternality, holiness, and righteousness.

And so what we’ve been given is this background, chapters 12 and 13, of who are the major players and what they are doing. Satan, Antichrist, False Prophet, persecution. Chapters 14 and 15: Angels, worship, perspective, what’s going to happen, don’t take the mark of the beast.

Now we move to chapter 16 and now we’re going to get back into those bowls in succession and we’re back in chronology. The first judgment is the place: It’s poured out on the earth. Horrible, malignant sores break out on those who have received the mark of the beast.

Second judgment, verse 3, is upon the seas. The waters become blood, killing all life in them. Do you see the progression of this book? I mean, it was a third of the sea, now it’s all of the sea and blood.

The third judgment bowl, verses 4 through 7, it’s poured on the rivers and the springs; the freshwater sources become as blood. The angel now announces the reason for this, namely, to avenge the blood of the martyrs.

God remembers. Never forget that. He really remembers. These people have died and given their blood. They would rather die, the great passage you might jot down is Revelation 12:11. It’s that one little application, we’ll touch on it in a little bit but he says, “And they overcame him,” Satan, how? “by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their life even to death.”

And God looks at that and He remembers. And I would just remind you – He knows what you’ve been through. He knows when you’ve gotten a raw deal. He knows when you’ve been treated unjustly. He knows when you’ve been hurt by others. And He remembers.

The fourth judgment bowl is poured on the sun, it scorches all the people with its fire. Everyone responds to this plague by cursing and refusing to repent. That seems to be a pretty consistent pattern in the book.

The fifth judgment bowl, verses 10 and 11, is upon the throne of the beast; his entire kingdom is plunged into darkness. I mean, this is, bang, we’re getting there. Once again the people refuse to repent.

The sixth bowl judgment occurs, the great river Euphrates dries up. Demons deceive the kings of the east and they march with their armies toward the Euphrates and prepare for Armageddon and a blessing is promised for those who will prepare their hearts for the return of Christ.

And then there’s the seventh bowl judgment, it’s poured into the air, there comes a voice from the temple saying, “It is finished.” History’s greatest earthquake occurs in verse 18, it splits Babylon into three parts, the great cities of the world collapse. Islands vanish. Mountains are flattened. Hailstones weighing seventy-five to one hundred pounds fall from the sky.

And then notice, at chapter 16 at the end, this is the third reference in this chapter of judgment to how people respond. They will not repent, in verse 9, they will not repent in verse 11, and notice at the very end, “and they cursed God on account of the plague and because the plague was so terrible,” and that’s how chapter 16 and God’s progressive judgments end.

Chapters 17 and 18, I’m going to try and go through a little bit briefly. One, because of time and, one, because you read it all, the gist of it is pretty easy to understand. But there’s lots of stuff: Babylon, Babylon and there’s lots of debate, none of which I’m going to get into.

You know, “Is this the Holy Roman Empire, is this figurative, is this symbolic?” Here’s what I can tell you for sure: It’s the world system and all the world system has offered that is a counterfeit.

Did you notice the parallel? God’s truth, Satan’s counterfeit; God’s truth, Satan’s counterfeit. You are living in a world that’s not quite as graphic as this, by what you can see, but what you can see here is the fruit and the world that we live in is everywhere around you everyday - there is God’s truth and Satan’s counterfeit.

And there’s a world system and he uses nice, pretty people to say, “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life is how you can be secure, significant, and a somebody. And if you can drive the right car, and look the right way, and have enough money, and get the right education, and you can get certain things, and that you will be…” What you’ll be is deceived.

And what you’re going to see now is that this whole system of Babylon, the world system, is going to fall apart.

This talks about a prostitute, because that’s… by the way, when you get mad at the world, you start getting victory. I remember when I finally realized, “You know what? This world system is trying to seduce me away from all that’s good.”

But I spent most of my Christian life, when it was early and I was young and struggling, not that I don’t struggle now, but it was like, “Oh, if I only had this and why won’t God let me have that? And everything that’s good, and fun, and exciting… He’s got commands that say “No.”

“I mean, there are four girls to every guy on my college campus and God says, ‘No sex before marriage?’ I mean, give me a break, you know? And He says I’m supposed to give the first portion of my money, and I don’t even have very much money now, and then He says that I’m supposed to think pure thoughts and then He says I’m supposed to turn the other cheek when I’m criticized and don’t retaliate? This ain’t fair! God… why, why, why?”

And then He says, “Don’t be greedy and don’t hoard,” why? Because it will destroy me. See, when you begin to see that the world system, and all those flashy commercials, and all those magazines in the checkout stand, and all those movies, and all those romance novels, are a prostitute trying to seduce you away from what will fill your heart and make you really secure, and really significant, and really loved, and really happy – when you look at it as a prostitute, then pretty soon you can get kind of angry and say, “You know what? Boy, I do not want to get seduced by that.”

But it is seductive, isn’t it? And we’re a people of flesh. And there’s something inside me that gravitates and is attracted to that. And I know, from Scripture, not from your faces right now because you guys look a lot more holy than you really are. But I will tell you that you struggle with that as well.

So notice this prostitute. She commits adultery with, she blasphemes God, she’s aligned herself with the godless, political system. On her forehead is written, “Babylon the Great, Mother of Prostitutes, Obscenities in the World,” she is drunk, she loves it. This is Satan, this is Satan’s tool.

She is drunk on the blood of the martyrs that she has murdered. She has enjoyed that. The interpretation of the prostitute is given in verses 7 through 18. He sees the woman riding on a beast with seven heads and horns. The woman represents a corrupt religious system depicted by the city of Babylon.

The beast represents various kings and they go through the different kings and some already, some not yet, and a lot of detail that we won’t go into.

And then chapter 18, an angel with great authority and splendor announces Babylon’s destruction. The city is destroyed for its many sins. Why? Notice this, it’s become, the system, has become a den of demons, it’s filled with immorality, it’s materialistic to the core, its sins are as high as heaven, verse 5, it’s totally proud and arrogant, it has deceived the nations and killed the saints, and it’s buying and selling human slaves.

God orders His people to leave this corrupt city, those that are still alive in the Tribulation that are following Him; the city is destroyed by God Himself. And notice, the severity of the destruction: It’s given a double punishment for the evil deeds and the suddenness of it - Fire from heaven consumes the city and, boom, one single moment.

Then, notice, there is great remorse by the unsaved. The merchants of the world cry out, “How terrible… Babylon was great.”  They cry, “What are we going to do? Our money, our slaves…” and there is great rejoicing in heaven.

In fact, look at chapter 18, I want you to see this because there is a time and a place where we will be able to see that God makes things right. And the people that did really, really bad, bad stuff get exactly what they deserve.

And notice the command, “‘Rejoice over her, O heaven, rejoice saints and apostles and prophets, God has judged her for the way she treated you.’

“Then a mighty angel picked up a boulder the size of a millstone and threw it into the sea, and said: ‘With such violence the great city of Babylon will be thrown down, never to be found again. The music of the harpists, the musicians, the flutes, the trumpet players, will never be heard in you.

“‘Your merchants were the world’s great men. By your magic spell all the nations were led astray. In her was found the blood of the prophets and the saints and of all who have been killed on the earth.’”

There’s the story. The principle, right? The I John 2:15 and 16 principle. And if you don’t know what that says, by heart, the principle is: Love not the world. That’s the command. It’s written by the same author - John. And he says, “Love not the world.”

What’s the world? It’s Babylon. It’s the Babylon system that we live in. What’s the Babylon system? The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. He says, “Love not the world nor the things in the world. For all that love the world,” he says, “the love of the Father is not in you if you love the world.” He says, “If you love the world you’re committing adultery in your relationship with God.”

“If you’re a friend of the world,” James says, chapter 4, “you become an enemy with God.” One of the huge issues in our day is we think we can love the world and love God too and think everything is okay. And God says, “It’s not. It’s not.”

And there was an old word that people used years and years ago. They were called “Worldly Christians,” have you ever heard that? They don’t use it anymore. It’s because it so identifies how so many of us, according to all the studies, actually live.

This worldliness is having the same aspirations, the same desires, the same MO, and it’s wanting Jesus to help me get all that stuff the world has. And the principle is: Love not the world. It will bite you.

You know what? If you don’t believe it get a tea, a coffee, an ice water, or a diet coke and just read chapters 12 through 18 and swallow hard, baby.

If you want to see, the world looks pretty and the glitter, and the hair blowin’, and the Playboy picture, and the mansion, and all these cable channels, and all the reality TV, and I’m bi-sexual, I’m tri-sexual, I’m quatri-sexual, you know?

I’ve had more surgeries than you, and if I marry you, and twenty women who all have no self-dignity want to marry this one bachelor who is an absolute jerk and, then you got this other beautiful babe and these ten guys that line up and act like fools. And it’s complete sensuality.

And the only reason they keep having all these reality shows is people keep watching them. And supposedly there’s, what is it? Forty million born-again believers? But I got news for you. By and large, we watch the same stuff, we read the same stuff, we buy the same stuff, we pursue the same stuff, and we look like the world.

And God says, “You know what? If you want to see what it really looks like and where it’s going, read chapters 17 and 18, that’s what I think of it. It’s empty. Stuff can’t satisfy you, looks will never come through, charm is deceitful, beauty is vain.” Fear God.

Now that doesn’t mean you have to get clothes that are out of style in the last twenty-five years, and buy very large, black Bibles, become obnoxious and self-righteous, and put “Praise the Lord” stickers on the back of your car.

It’s not the external things that make you not worldly. Not being worldly is an issue of the heart…. where your heart is His. And you say, “The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – I don’t…”

Because this next verse, verse 17, that’s 15 and 16, “And the things of the world are passing away but he who does the will of God abides forever.” And that’s the hope! The promise, the principle, is the I John 2:15 and 16 are, “Love not the world” principle.

The hope is justice finally, and fully, prevails. He who does the will of God lives forever. The hope is you’re not going to be left out, the hope is, yes, it’s kind of hard and you’re kind of out of step at times but He says, negatively, every person who has ever done these evil things is going to get their just reward. And positively, every person that has trusted God will be duly rewarded.  And so He says, “That’s your hope.” He who does the will of God abides forever.”

Now we’ve got just enough time, so let’s pick it up. You follow along, chapter 19 and let’s roll through it.

Chapter 19, the Second Advent or Second Coming of Christ, a vast crowd in heaven begins praising the Lamb for His wrath on a corrupt whore – that’s how God sees the world.

The reasons for this judgment: Their false religious system is condemned on two accounts. They corrupted the earth with immorality, verse 2, and they murdered the saints of God, second half of verse two.

The rejoicing over this judgment, verses 3 to 5, this is where we get the song, “Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah!” The singers, there’s a vast multitude, the twenty-four elders join in. They’re praising the Lamb.

And now for this wedding, and the wedding feast of the Lamb that’s going to occur. The clothing of the bride – she wears the cleanest, whitest, finest linens. Those are people that are not of the world. The chastening of the apostle, John is rebuked, he starts to worship this angel and this angel goes, “Dude, dude, stop!” That’s Hebrew. I’m just messing with you.

He says, “Don’t worship me! Hey, this is the moment. It’s only Jesus [who is to be worshiped].” Then we get the appearance of heaven’s king, look at verse 19. John sees Jesus who is called Faithful and True seated on a white horse, coming from heaven.

That’s what you need to remember. He is faithful and He is true. And you live in a world of deception and falsehood, and people and things that won’t come through. He is faithful and true for you and your life.

His eyes are flaming, He’s wearing many crowns - different word for crowns. These are the diadems. These are the ruling crowns. His robe is dipped in blood. It’s been out of compassion and mercy and love that even the harshest judgments – whosoever – no one would get a raw deal. The only people that will be separated from Christ forever are people who choose to turn away from Him and not receive His love.

He holds a sword in Him mouth. The armies accompany Him from heaven, they are dressed in fine linen, they follow Him on white horses. And there’s the avenging of heaven’s King. He defeats the Antichrist and the False Prophet, look at the very end, I like this part. He just slam dunks them in the lake of fire. The armies are utterly destroyed, Jesus destroys the Antichrist and the False Prophet.

And then what you see, and I just want you to check the very beginning because I think they go together. And chapter 20, “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand the great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and he bound Him for a thousand years. And he threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until a thousand years were ended. And after that, he must be set free for a short time.”

And we’ll learn why God does that, and that thousand years, and the new heaven and the new earth. But the principle in this section is the I John 4:4 principle. The John 4:4 principle: “Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world.”

There have been seven seals, seven trumpets, seven bowls; there has been evil, there has been Satan, there has been the Antichrist; the evil world system, the political system; there has been deception and through it all – Faithful and True. “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.”

He can overcome the slander, the condemnation, the accusations, the deception, the injustice, and the pain and jot down, if you would, Ephesians chapter 6. Your defense, your defense of putting on your position in Christ in a hostile, fallen world is outlined in Ephesians 6:10 to 18.

And you need to understand that passage and know how to appropriate it because it’s true that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world but if you do not know how to deal with the things coming at you in the world and spiritual opposition, you’ll fall and you’ll fail.

But it’s not because God hasn’t provided everything that we need. But that’s the principle. He’s victorious.

And here’s our hope: The hope is Jesus defeats Satan, evil, and wickedness for all time. We are eternal winners and co-reign with Him. We co-reign. Jesus wins, we win.

My application here is we can endure anything when we look at today’s struggle through the lens of tomorrow’s certainty. You can endure anything, I can endure anything. We can endure a tough marriage, we can endure health issues, we can endure a mate walking out on us, we can endure people who treat us unjustly, we can endure getting treated in a church like no one should be treated in a church. Right? That happens too. You can endure cancer.

We can endure anything when we look at today’s struggles through the lens of tomorrow’s certain victory. And there is One coming on a white horse – He’s Faithful and True – and if you put your faith in Christ, He lives in you.