"And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." -- (Rev. 19:20)
Background Reading:
Hell - the Furnace of Fire
Notice, first, how this verse does not begin. Remember that in verse 19, the beast and his army were gathering together to fight against Jesus. Where is the battle? How was the beast planning on attacking Jesus? All we are told is that the beast is cast into the lake of fire. The battle was so one sided that the result was inevitable. For a description of the actual events between verses 19 and 20, we can turn to Ezekiel chapter 38. There we have a description of what happens to the beast and his army during the battle:
"And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face. For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel; So that the fishes of the sea, and the fowls of the heaven, and the beasts of the field, and all creeping things that creep upon the earth, and all the men that are upon the face of the earth, shall shake at my presence, and the mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the ground. And I will call for a sword against him throughout all my mountains, saith the Lord GOD: every man's sword shall be against his brother. And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him, and upon his bands, and upon the many people that are with him, an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, fire, and brimstone. Thus will I magnify myself, and sanctify myself; and I will be known in the eyes of many nations, and they shall know that I am the LORD." -- (Eze. 38:18-23)
In Zephaniah, chapter 1, the great day of the Lord is described in this way:
"The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land." -- (Zeph. 1:14-18)
The Book of Joel has much to say about the day of the Lord and the Battle of Armageddon. Near the end of the book, there is this statement:
"Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel. So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more." -- (Joel 3:12-17)
"and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him" -- The false prophet mentioned here is the same false prophet mentioned in Revelation, chapter 13, where we learn of the false miracles he performed to deceive the peoples of the nations:
"And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads" -- (Rev. 13:13-16)
"with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image" -- The mark of the beast is an often talked about subject. In Revelation, chapter 13, we read that the false prophet, "causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six." (Rev. 13:16-18).
"These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone." -- These are the first two people cast into the lake of fire. Later, in Revelation, chapter 20, we learn that 1000 years later, after the time of the Millennial Kingdom, the devil joins them in the lake of fire: "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever." (Rev. 20:10). Notice that at that time the beast and the false prophet had been tormented in the lake of fire for 1000 years and yet they were no closer to the end of punishment than when they were first cast in because they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Also joining them after the Millennial Kingdom will be those who have died and did not place their faith in Jesus during their time on earth. This is described in Revelation, chapter 20:
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." -- (Rev. 20:11-15)
Therefore, take care brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the Living God. And, while there remains a promise of entering God's rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. Remember, those cast into the lake of fire will be tormented forever and ever.
Saturday, March 20, 2004
Friday, March 19, 2004
"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army."-- (Rev. 19:19)
Background Reading:
The Certainty of the Second Coming
What pride must fill the heart of the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies that they would gather together to make war against God and against His army. What audacity. What foolishness. No one can defy the Word of the Living God and prevail. Consider the example from history of David versus Goliath (the Philistine):
"And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." -- (1 Sam. 17:10).
"And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." -- (1 Sam. 17:33-36).
"And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands." -- (1 Sam. 17:43-47).
"And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled." -- (1 Sam. 17:48-51).
Thus, we can see the end of those who attempt to defy the Lord and His armies, that they will never prevail. How foolish to gather together to make war against the Living God.
Background Reading:
The Certainty of the Second Coming
What pride must fill the heart of the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies that they would gather together to make war against God and against His army. What audacity. What foolishness. No one can defy the Word of the Living God and prevail. Consider the example from history of David versus Goliath (the Philistine):
"And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together." -- (1 Sam. 17:10).
"And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God." -- (1 Sam. 17:33-36).
"And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD's, and he will give you into our hands." -- (1 Sam. 17:43-47).
"And it came to pass, when the Philistine arose, and came, and drew nigh to meet David, that David hastened, and ran toward the army to meet the Philistine. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth. So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him; but there was no sword in the hand of David. Therefore David ran, and stood upon the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled." -- (1 Sam. 17:48-51).
Thus, we can see the end of those who attempt to defy the Lord and His armies, that they will never prevail. How foolish to gather together to make war against the Living God.
Thursday, March 18, 2004
"That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great" -- (Rev. 19:18)
Background Reading:
The Los Angeles Riots -- A Biblical Perspective
When we come to the verse for today, it is interesting to note what type of people are involved in the Battle of Armageddon. Did you notice? In the picture given by this verse we have kings, captains, mighty men, men of war, all men, free and slave, small and great. Get the picture? That is every type of person, from the kings to the slaves, from the small to the great. What gets all of these people to come down to try to fight against Israel together? One word -- SIN.
In the Book of James, chapter 4, we have the following explanation:
"From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
And so, in Revelation chapter 19 we see the result of uncontrolled lust. In a normal society, lust can be controlled to some extent by the rules and laws of government with the threat of punishment. At the time of the end, even the kings and captains are overcome with lust and their desire for even more power and possessions. This is seen clearly in Ezekiel, chapter 38, where there is some explanation for the actions of the anti-christ in invading the land of Israel.
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" -- (Ezekiel 38:10-13)
There we have the explanation. The anti-christ comes with his army to take plunder, to take booty, to take livestock and goods, to plunder, and to carry away silver and gold. The sinful desire is so great for greater possessions that the lust leads the armies of the anti-christ to invade even a peaceful people that were living peacefully in their own land. Oh, how we must be careful to recognize the sin within ourselves and to repent and ask God for forgiveness. We cannot change our own hearts, but by placing our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and gives us a new heart so that we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves of righteousness.
A clear description of the unbelieving human heart is found in Romans, chapter 3:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes." -- (Rom. 3:10-18)
Indeed, we have seen that at the Battle of Armageddon, there is no fear of God before the eyes of the armies that come against God and against His chosen people. They do not know the way of peace and their feet are swift to shed blood. Consider, though, the hope that Jesus provides for sinners that place their faith in Him:
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." -- (Rom. 3:21-26)
Background Reading:
The Los Angeles Riots -- A Biblical Perspective
When we come to the verse for today, it is interesting to note what type of people are involved in the Battle of Armageddon. Did you notice? In the picture given by this verse we have kings, captains, mighty men, men of war, all men, free and slave, small and great. Get the picture? That is every type of person, from the kings to the slaves, from the small to the great. What gets all of these people to come down to try to fight against Israel together? One word -- SIN.
In the Book of James, chapter 4, we have the following explanation:
"From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts."
And so, in Revelation chapter 19 we see the result of uncontrolled lust. In a normal society, lust can be controlled to some extent by the rules and laws of government with the threat of punishment. At the time of the end, even the kings and captains are overcome with lust and their desire for even more power and possessions. This is seen clearly in Ezekiel, chapter 38, where there is some explanation for the actions of the anti-christ in invading the land of Israel.
"Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought:
And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates,
To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" -- (Ezekiel 38:10-13)
There we have the explanation. The anti-christ comes with his army to take plunder, to take booty, to take livestock and goods, to plunder, and to carry away silver and gold. The sinful desire is so great for greater possessions that the lust leads the armies of the anti-christ to invade even a peaceful people that were living peacefully in their own land. Oh, how we must be careful to recognize the sin within ourselves and to repent and ask God for forgiveness. We cannot change our own hearts, but by placing our faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and gives us a new heart so that we are no longer slaves to sin, but slaves of righteousness.
A clear description of the unbelieving human heart is found in Romans, chapter 3:
"As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips:
Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:
Their feet are swift to shed blood:
Destruction and misery are in their ways:
And the way of peace have they not known:
There is no fear of God before their eyes." -- (Rom. 3:10-18)
Indeed, we have seen that at the Battle of Armageddon, there is no fear of God before the eyes of the armies that come against God and against His chosen people. They do not know the way of peace and their feet are swift to shed blood. Consider, though, the hope that Jesus provides for sinners that place their faith in Him:
"But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;
Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:
Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;
To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." -- (Rom. 3:21-26)
Wednesday, March 17, 2004
"And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God" -- (Rev. 19:17)
Background Reading:
The Glorious Return of Jesus Christ - Part 3
I will use the verse for today to demonstrate that the future Kingdom of Christ on earth will last for a literal 1000 years. Consider first the following verse:
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” – (Rev. 20:6)
To the person who interprets scripture literally, the above verse should be enough to prove that the Kingdom of Christ on earth will last for one thousand years starting after the Great Tribulation. Now, for those who claim that there will not be a literal 1000 year reign, consider our verse for today and some following verses:
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” – (Rev. 19:17-19)
You might ask, “What does that prove?” Well, nothing by itself, until you compare those verses with the following passage from Ezekiel and realize that they describe the same event:
“And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.” – (Ezekiel 39:17-20)
The connections between the two passages should be obvious from even a quick reading, but for completeness I will spell them out in detail:
“saying to all the fowls” = “Speak unto every feathered fowl”
“Come and gather yourselves together” = “come; gather yourselves on every side”
“unto the supper of the great God” = “to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you”
“That ye may eat the flesh of kings” = “drink the blood of the princes of the earth”
“the flesh of mighty men” = “eat the flesh of the mighty”
“the flesh of horses” = “filled at my table with horses”
“of them that sit on them” = “with all men of war”
Now, it should be clear that Ezekiel 39 describes the same battle as in Revelation 19, which is the Battle of Armageddon. How does that help us? Notice the following verses:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.” – (Ezekiel 39:11-12).
The house of Israel buries the bodies of those that died in the Battle of Armageddon for seven months. Thus, the Millennial Kingdom must last for at least seven months during this time of burial. It would be hard to argue that the seven months is also to be taken symbolically, but I suppose some may try. So, consider also these verses:
“And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.” – (Ezekiel 39:9-10).
Here the cities of Israel use the weapons from the Battle of Armageddon for seven years for fuel. So, they will bury bodies for seven months and use the weapons for fuel for seven years. Thus, we have proved that the Kingdom of Christ must last on earth for at least seven years. Can we do any better? Consider now the following verse from Isaiah:
“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” – (Isaiah 65:20).
This verse tells us that during the Millennial Kingdom, if anyone dies at a hundred years old they will have died as a child. Thus, the people living at that time must live longer than 100 years. Therefore, the Kingdom must last for longer than 100 years. How long? Revelation tells us 1000 years and now we have no reason to doubt that the number is literal. It must be more than seven months in order to bury the bodies after the Battle of Armageddon, it must be more than seven years to burn all the weapons for fuel, and it must be more than 100 years because people will live longer than 100 years. I think this is a case where we must read the 1000 years as being literal.
Background Reading:
The Glorious Return of Jesus Christ - Part 3
I will use the verse for today to demonstrate that the future Kingdom of Christ on earth will last for a literal 1000 years. Consider first the following verse:
“Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.” – (Rev. 20:6)
To the person who interprets scripture literally, the above verse should be enough to prove that the Kingdom of Christ on earth will last for one thousand years starting after the Great Tribulation. Now, for those who claim that there will not be a literal 1000 year reign, consider our verse for today and some following verses:
“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.” – (Rev. 19:17-19)
You might ask, “What does that prove?” Well, nothing by itself, until you compare those verses with the following passage from Ezekiel and realize that they describe the same event:
“And, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; Speak unto every feathered fowl, and to every beast of the field, Assemble yourselves, and come; gather yourselves on every side to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, even a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh, and drink blood.
Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan.
And ye shall eat fat till ye be full, and drink blood till ye be drunken, of my sacrifice which I have sacrificed for you.
Thus ye shall be filled at my table with horses and chariots, with mighty men, and with all men of war, saith the Lord GOD.” – (Ezekiel 39:17-20)
The connections between the two passages should be obvious from even a quick reading, but for completeness I will spell them out in detail:
“saying to all the fowls” = “Speak unto every feathered fowl”
“Come and gather yourselves together” = “come; gather yourselves on every side”
“unto the supper of the great God” = “to my sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you”
“That ye may eat the flesh of kings” = “drink the blood of the princes of the earth”
“the flesh of mighty men” = “eat the flesh of the mighty”
“the flesh of horses” = “filled at my table with horses”
“of them that sit on them” = “with all men of war”
Now, it should be clear that Ezekiel 39 describes the same battle as in Revelation 19, which is the Battle of Armageddon. How does that help us? Notice the following verses:
“And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will give unto Gog a place there of graves in Israel, the valley of the passengers on the east of the sea: and it shall stop the noses of the passengers: and there shall they bury Gog and all his multitude: and they shall call it The valley of Hamongog.
And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.” – (Ezekiel 39:11-12).
The house of Israel buries the bodies of those that died in the Battle of Armageddon for seven months. Thus, the Millennial Kingdom must last for at least seven months during this time of burial. It would be hard to argue that the seven months is also to be taken symbolically, but I suppose some may try. So, consider also these verses:
“And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:
So that they shall take no wood out of the field, neither cut down any out of the forests; for they shall burn the weapons with fire: and they shall spoil those that spoiled them, and rob those that robbed them, saith the Lord GOD.” – (Ezekiel 39:9-10).
Here the cities of Israel use the weapons from the Battle of Armageddon for seven years for fuel. So, they will bury bodies for seven months and use the weapons for fuel for seven years. Thus, we have proved that the Kingdom of Christ must last on earth for at least seven years. Can we do any better? Consider now the following verse from Isaiah:
“There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.” – (Isaiah 65:20).
This verse tells us that during the Millennial Kingdom, if anyone dies at a hundred years old they will have died as a child. Thus, the people living at that time must live longer than 100 years. Therefore, the Kingdom must last for longer than 100 years. How long? Revelation tells us 1000 years and now we have no reason to doubt that the number is literal. It must be more than seven months in order to bury the bodies after the Battle of Armageddon, it must be more than seven years to burn all the weapons for fuel, and it must be more than 100 years because people will live longer than 100 years. I think this is a case where we must read the 1000 years as being literal.
Tuesday, March 16, 2004
"And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." -- (Rev. 19:16)
Background Reading:
In Him: Like Him
In this verse we have the great truth that Jesus Christ is "KING OF KINGS" and "LORD OF LORDS" as described by the name that is written on His robe and on His thigh. Most individuals who claim to be Christians would agree with this statement: "Jesus is my Lord and Savior." Many would also be able to recite the truth that, "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9). However, what sets the true Christians apart from those that merely profess to be Christians is that they not only acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, but they also act as if He is Lord.
What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord? Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23). When we say that Jesus is our Lord, that means that we must be willing to do whatever He commands. It is written, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (1 John 2:3). What then of the person that "says" Jesus is his Lord, but continues on in his sin, living a life of immorality, constantly filled with envy, greed, and lust without repentance? The answer is clear, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4).
Beloved, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As Lord, He demands loyalty from those who would be called His servants. We remember the story of the man who would follow Jesus: "Lord, I will follow thee" he said, but then added, "but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house." The King of Kings and Lord of Lords responded, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:61-62).
Consider the following story from the Bible:
"But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." (Luke 17:7-10).
Background Reading:
In Him: Like Him
In this verse we have the great truth that Jesus Christ is "KING OF KINGS" and "LORD OF LORDS" as described by the name that is written on His robe and on His thigh. Most individuals who claim to be Christians would agree with this statement: "Jesus is my Lord and Savior." Many would also be able to recite the truth that, "if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." (Rom. 10:9). However, what sets the true Christians apart from those that merely profess to be Christians is that they not only acknowledge that Jesus is Lord, but they also act as if He is Lord.
What does it mean to say that Jesus is Lord? Jesus said, "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me." (Luke 9:23). When we say that Jesus is our Lord, that means that we must be willing to do whatever He commands. It is written, "And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments." (1 John 2:3). What then of the person that "says" Jesus is his Lord, but continues on in his sin, living a life of immorality, constantly filled with envy, greed, and lust without repentance? The answer is clear, "He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1 John 2:4).
Beloved, Jesus is King of Kings and Lord of Lords. As Lord, He demands loyalty from those who would be called His servants. We remember the story of the man who would follow Jesus: "Lord, I will follow thee" he said, but then added, "but let me first go bid them farewell, which are at home at my house." The King of Kings and Lord of Lords responded, "No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God." (Luke 9:61-62).
Consider the following story from the Bible:
"But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.
So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." (Luke 17:7-10).
Monday, March 15, 2004
"And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." -- (Rev. 19:15)
Background Reading:
An Earnest Invitation
It will not be needful for me in this blog entry to go too deeply into the first part of our daily verse for it has been clear from previous posts that Jesus returns at His second coming to smite the nations in righteous judgment. I pause only to note the instrument used to smite the nations, namely a sharp sword out of His mouth, which is symbolic of Christ's word. (Heb. 4:12). Leaving that subject, I press on to the other statements in the verse that "he shall rule them with a rod of iron" and "he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
First, then, the statement -- "he shall rule them with a rod of iron". This is surely a reference to Psalm chapter 2, so we will now examine that passage. In Psalm chapter 2, the nations of the world are seen as plotting against God and against His anointed (the Messiah). The psalmist asks, "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" (Psalm 2:1). Indeed, the nations have set themselves, the rulers have taken counsel together, they plan to break away from the Lord and His anointed, and to cast away their cords. What is the divine response? "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision." (Psalm 2:4).
Brethren, consider the end of these worldly rulers and take heed -- no plan against God can stand. Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, just as it is written, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6). Jesus shall possess the uttermost parts of the earth and the heathen will be His inheritance. He shall "break them with a rod of iron" and "dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:9). When God reigns on earth, His judgments are true and righteous, and His punishments swift. That is why it is written, "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling" and again, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." (Psalm 2:11-12). But to those who honor and serve Jesus as Lord, to those who place their faith in Him, they have this promise: "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." (Psalm 2:12).
This brings us to the final part of our text, "he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Here is a striking picture of the judgment of God and the ultimate end of unrepentant sinners. While God is a God of grace and gives eternal life to those who place their faith in Jesus, He is also a just God and will punish sinners for their sins. It is written, "Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord." And again, "The Lord shall judge his people." And then this warning, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10:30-31).
As C.H. Spurgeon said, "When he is angry, where, where, oh where can sinners hide? When he is angry, when he takes a bow and fits an arrow to the string, where is your shelter then?—where your defense and refuge? Sinners, 'Kiss the Son,' bow before him now, and receive his grace; acknowledge his sway, lest he be angry with you, and for ever shut you up in black despair, for none can give you hope or joy when once he is angry."
And I conclude now by noticing that God warned of the same treading of the winepress in Joel chapter 3, where it is written, "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:12-14). Now Joel chapter 3 is a foundational passage when examining Bible verses related to the Millennial Kingdom, so I will reserve a full discussion of that passage for a later blog entry.
"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth." (Isa. 63:1-6).
Background Reading:
An Earnest Invitation
It will not be needful for me in this blog entry to go too deeply into the first part of our daily verse for it has been clear from previous posts that Jesus returns at His second coming to smite the nations in righteous judgment. I pause only to note the instrument used to smite the nations, namely a sharp sword out of His mouth, which is symbolic of Christ's word. (Heb. 4:12). Leaving that subject, I press on to the other statements in the verse that "he shall rule them with a rod of iron" and "he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."
First, then, the statement -- "he shall rule them with a rod of iron". This is surely a reference to Psalm chapter 2, so we will now examine that passage. In Psalm chapter 2, the nations of the world are seen as plotting against God and against His anointed (the Messiah). The psalmist asks, "Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing?" (Psalm 2:1). Indeed, the nations have set themselves, the rulers have taken counsel together, they plan to break away from the Lord and His anointed, and to cast away their cords. What is the divine response? "He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the LORD shall have them in derision." (Psalm 2:4).
Brethren, consider the end of these worldly rulers and take heed -- no plan against God can stand. Jesus will reign from Jerusalem, just as it is written, "Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion." (Psalm 2:6). Jesus shall possess the uttermost parts of the earth and the heathen will be His inheritance. He shall "break them with a rod of iron" and "dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel." (Psalm 2:9). When God reigns on earth, His judgments are true and righteous, and His punishments swift. That is why it is written, "Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling" and again, "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little." (Psalm 2:11-12). But to those who honor and serve Jesus as Lord, to those who place their faith in Him, they have this promise: "Blessed are all they that put their trust in him." (Psalm 2:12).
This brings us to the final part of our text, "he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." Here is a striking picture of the judgment of God and the ultimate end of unrepentant sinners. While God is a God of grace and gives eternal life to those who place their faith in Jesus, He is also a just God and will punish sinners for their sins. It is written, "Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord." And again, "The Lord shall judge his people." And then this warning, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." (Heb. 10:30-31).
As C.H. Spurgeon said, "When he is angry, where, where, oh where can sinners hide? When he is angry, when he takes a bow and fits an arrow to the string, where is your shelter then?—where your defense and refuge? Sinners, 'Kiss the Son,' bow before him now, and receive his grace; acknowledge his sway, lest he be angry with you, and for ever shut you up in black despair, for none can give you hope or joy when once he is angry."
And I conclude now by noticing that God warned of the same treading of the winepress in Joel chapter 3, where it is written, "Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision." (Joel 3:12-14). Now Joel chapter 3 is a foundational passage when examining Bible verses related to the Millennial Kingdom, so I will reserve a full discussion of that passage for a later blog entry.
"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength?
I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.
Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat?
I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fury, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth." (Isa. 63:1-6).
Sunday, March 14, 2004
"And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean." -- (Rev. 19:14)
Background Reading:
The Signs of Christ's Coming - Part 9
Who is in the armies that follow Christ from heaven at His second coming?
Angels -- It is clear from scripture that angels will accompany Christ when He returns to earth to judge the world. In Second Thessalonians, we read, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." (2 Thes. 1:7-10). Again, in the Gospel of Mark it is written, "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." (Mark 13:26-27).
Angels are also described throughout scripture as being clothed in white linen. For example, the angel at the tomb after the resurrection of Christ is described as having "raiment white as snow". (Matt 28:3). The angels with the apostles when Christ went up to heaven were wearing "white apparel". (Acts 1:10). Thus, it is apparent that angels will be part of the armies that accompany Christ when he returns to earth.
Believers -- In addition to angels, it is possible that the armies coming with Christ from heaven are also composed of believers. The believers would include old testament believers, believers from the church age, and believers that died during the tribulation (see MacArthur Study Bible fn. Rev. 19:14). In Zechariah, it is written concerning the coming of Christ that, "the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." (Zech 14:5). The Bible also states that the saints will reign with Christ. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1 Cor. 6:2).
All of the believers are described in scripture as being clothed with white linen or brightly shining:
Old Testament Saints: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Dan 12:3).
Saints in the Church: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." (Rev. 19:8).
Tribulation Saints: "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev. 7:13-17).
Background Reading:
The Signs of Christ's Coming - Part 9
Who is in the armies that follow Christ from heaven at His second coming?
Angels -- It is clear from scripture that angels will accompany Christ when He returns to earth to judge the world. In Second Thessalonians, we read, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." (2 Thes. 1:7-10). Again, in the Gospel of Mark it is written, "And then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven." (Mark 13:26-27).
Angels are also described throughout scripture as being clothed in white linen. For example, the angel at the tomb after the resurrection of Christ is described as having "raiment white as snow". (Matt 28:3). The angels with the apostles when Christ went up to heaven were wearing "white apparel". (Acts 1:10). Thus, it is apparent that angels will be part of the armies that accompany Christ when he returns to earth.
Believers -- In addition to angels, it is possible that the armies coming with Christ from heaven are also composed of believers. The believers would include old testament believers, believers from the church age, and believers that died during the tribulation (see MacArthur Study Bible fn. Rev. 19:14). In Zechariah, it is written concerning the coming of Christ that, "the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee." (Zech 14:5). The Bible also states that the saints will reign with Christ. In 1 Corinthians, Paul writes, "Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world?" (1 Cor. 6:2).
All of the believers are described in scripture as being clothed with white linen or brightly shining:
Old Testament Saints: "And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever." (Dan 12:3).
Saints in the Church: "And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints." (Rev. 19:8).
Tribulation Saints: "And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (Rev. 7:13-17).
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