Revelation - Chapter Nine

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Chapter 9 – The Beast

Read Chapters 17 and 18

We begin this section of John’s vision with an invitation to come and see the judgment of the great whore who is seated on many waters. There is much discussion about who or what the great whore is. Preterists are convinced that she represents Jerusalem, basing their argument on Isaiah, Jeremiah and Ezekiel (see Isaiah 1:21; Jeremiah 2:20; Jeremiah 3:1–11; Ezekiel 16:1–43; Ezekiel 23) among others. Israel in the midst of their disobedience to God is called a whore. They point to the fact that Jerusalem like Rome is built on seven hills and they believe that the destruction in 70 AD is the point of the chapter 17. Futurists on the other hand argue that the whore is the Roman Catholic Church, the Roman Empire, a religious entity not yet arisen in the world, or a future rebuilt city in modern day Iraq.

We have this image of the woman sitting on a scarlet beast with blasphemous names on it. She is clothed in purple and scarlet. Scarlet is the color of the devil according to Isaiah 1:18. Some would say the colors are symbolic of the wealth in Rome. In her one hand is a cup full of abominations. We see the reference to this in scripture, ^NRS  Jeremiah 51:7 Babylon was a golden cup in the LORD's hand, making all the earth drunken; the nations drank of her wine, and so the nations went mad. On her forehead was written a name may be a reference to the fact that prostitutes in Rome had their names on their foreheads for identification of their vocation and who they were. The issue of Babylon the Great raises many questions and many ideas of the identity of the woman. In earliest of times Babylon was considered to be the greatest city and center of the Babylonian Empire. For Israel this was the largest of their enemies and eventually broke the nation of Israel. John would have known this history as a bleak period of their heritage. We hear John describe her as drunk with the blood of the saints and the blood of the witnesses. Here we have some potential understanding that John may well be talking about Jerusalem since the Saints to John would likely have been the Old Testament prophets and those who stood up to the leaders of Israel during their times of disobedience.

We are introduced fully to the Beast with explanation from John’s guide. The Beast is described as having seven heads and ten horns and is about to ascend from the bottomless pit. There is this little play on words describing it as it was and is not and is to come. This leads Preterists to believe that it is Nero since he was and is now dead and myth amongst the Romans was that he was to be resurrected. Some go so far as to say he was resurrected in the image of Domitian. Futurist thought is that this is the Anti-Christ, mimicking the image of Christ and yet he is not Christ and is to come in the future just prior to tribulation. The seven heads are seven mountains which could lead us to look at Rome or Jerusalem for both were built on seven hills. We will talk about the 10 horns later. Verse 9 calls into question that the seven heads are also seven Kings, five of whom have fallen, one is living and one is yet to come. If we place John’s Revelation after 60 AD we find that Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, and Nero have all passed at this point. There were three interim Emperors that most historians don’t count. We then have Vespasian who is the Emperor when Titus destroys Jerusalem and the Temple. Titus served as Emperor for a short while fitting in nicely with the scripture concerning the Kings. Here we see a historical correlation with Domitian who becomes Emperor after Titus and is considered by most historians as the most evil of all the Roman Emperors. His persecution of Christians was considered next to Nero in its audacity and suffering. Futurists believe that the seven Kings are seven nations that are Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece which at John’s time were all past into history. Rome was the living kingdom and the future kingdom is the kingdom of the Beast.

The ten Kings also have historical significance to us though John would not have known them. Following the destruction of the Roman Empire the Empire is divided into ten divisions or political alliances. They were Alemanni’s (present day Germany), Frank’s (present day France), Burgundian’s (present day Switzerland), Suevi’s (present day Portugal), Vandal’s (see chapter 2, page 8), Visigoths (present day Spain), Anglo-Saxon’s (present day England), Ostrogoth’s (see chapter 2, page 8), Lombard’s (present day Italy), and Heruli’s (see chapter 2, page 8). Preterists point to this historical alliance as the fulfillment of John’s Revelation. Futurists point to a future 10 nation alliance that is to come. Some point to the current European Union as the resurrection of the Roman Empire. What is intriguing about this is that their symbolism includes a woman riding a beast, a statue of her sits outside their headquarters. Other symbolism includes their headquarters building is modeled after Brueghel’s 1563 painting of the Tower of Babel. Futurists believe that out of this alliance will come an antichrist, the complete opposite of Christ and yet he will deceive many into believing that he is the Messiah come again. Futurists also point to verse 14 as a direct reference to Daniel 9:27 where they believe it says that the Anti-Christ will break a covenant with Israel 3 ½ years into the Tribulation period and begin an all-out war on Christians everywhere.

In verse 15 we have a definition of the waters that tells us that the woman sits over all the nations, peoples and languages. Our understanding is skewed by time. For John, Rome was in fact over all the known world of his day. He had no idea that there was a large land mass between England and China called North and South America. Preterists point to this fact to say that for John he was pointing to Rome. Futurists take into account what we know two thousand years later. They point to a new city, maybe built on the original Roman Empire, maybe Jerusalem and maybe a rebuilt Babylon as the site of the woman in chapter 17. At the time of the original writing of this study, Saddam Hussein was still in power and was trying to rebuild the old city again. Since his demise, there has not been much talk about it being rebuilt on the original site.

In chapter 18, we have the beginning of the final chapters of the story. The Angels are beginning to sing a song of destruction and doom for the Beast, the Woman and of course Satan. Their song mimics the words of the prophecy of doom song from Isaiah and Jeremiah (Isaiah 13: 19-22; Jeremiah 51: 24-26; 61-64) which foretell of the destruction of the famed city Babylon. In fact Babylon is conquered and all but abandoned by 141 BC.

^NRS  Isaiah 13:19 And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the splendor and pride of the Chaldeans, will be like Sodom and Gomorrah when God overthrew them. ²⁰ It will never be inhabited or lived in for all generations; Arabs will not pitch their tents there, shepherds will not make their flocks lie down there. ²¹ But wild animals will lie down there, and its houses will be full of howling creatures; there ostriches will live, and there goat-demons will dance. ²² Hyenas will cry in its towers, and jackals in the pleasant palaces; its time is close at hand, and its days will not be prolonged.

^NRS  Jeremiah 51:24 I will repay Babylon and all the inhabitants of Chaldea before your very eyes for all the wrong that they have done in Zion, says the LORD. ²⁵ I am against you, O destroying mountain, says the LORD, that destroys the whole earth; I will stretch out my hand against you, and roll you down from the crags, and make you a burned-out mountain. ²⁶ No stone shall be taken from you for a corner and no stone for a foundation, but you shall be a perpetual waste, says the LORD…⁶¹ And Jeremiah said to Seraiah: "When you come to Babylon, see that you read all these words, ⁶² and say, 'O LORD, you yourself threatened to destroy this place so that neither human beings nor animals shall live in it, and it shall be desolate forever.' ⁶³ When you finish reading this scroll, tie a stone to it, and throw it into the middle of the Euphrates, ⁶⁴ and say, 'Thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disasters that I am bringing on her.'" Thus far are the words of Jeremiah.

Note that in Jeremiah verse 64 the destruction of Babylon will be complete and the city will never rise again. Jeremiah's warning creates some tension if the Babylon of John’s Revelation is the Babylon of old since its destruction by 141 BC would be the end according to God.

In verse 4 we hear a calling out of the people by God. Regardless of your view it would appear that at this moment in time, whenever that might have been or when it is to come, there is still time to make a choice in favor of the Book of Life or the alternative. For those who are living during this time there is even a greater need for evangelism and a sense of urgency to win people into relationship with God. Time is truly running out for those who have not made that choice. By verse 11 the world has truly degenerated into a chaotic place. Preterists simply point to the idea that in the midst of the height of the Roman Empire you needed Roman coins in order to buy or sell. But that was not true at the fringes of the Empire. Futurists point to a time to come when all commerce will shut down. Verse 24 gives us an important clue. John here is writing of the voice of the Angel who throws a mighty stone into the sea, …saying that in you was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slaughtered on earth. Only Jerusalem killed the prophets of Old which would lead us to believe that John is talking about this great city in his prophecy. We could also argue that John may not be talking about simply the Old Testament prophets but also about the Apostles and Disciples of his day though that might well be a stretch.

The Saints before Us

Sermon given at Sydenstricker UMC 11/4/18

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^NRS Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, ² looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ³ Consider him who endured such hostility against himself from sinners, so that you may not grow weary or lose heart. ⁴ In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. ⁵ And you have forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as children-- "My child, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, or lose heart when you are punished by him; ⁶ for the Lord disciplines those whom he loves, and chastises every child whom he accepts." ⁷ Endure trials for the sake of discipline. God is treating you as children; for what child is there whom a parent does not discipline?

There is a story about a busy man who was walking to an appointment in a major city. While walking he encountered a man on the corner, beaten up, down on his luck who had the biggest smile he had ever seen. He could not get that smile out of his mind so he turned around and went up to the man. “How is it, that you, obviously homeless, have such a big smile?” The man replied, “Because I have Jesus.” The businessman scoffed, turned, and walked away. But hour after hour, day after day, the businessman could not get the man’s comment nor his smile out of his head. What is it about Jesus that could cause a homeless man to smile so? He picked up a copy of the Bible, had never opened it before and began to read. He was fascinated by the Old Testament stories and the prophets made him ponder. But the New Testament stories of Jesus were incredible. Suddenly he wanted to know more so he visited a church and talked with the Pastor. In time, he gave his life to Jesus. As it was, he happened to be in the city again on business and he sought out the man on the corner. He was still there and smiling. So he told him his story and the old man smiled even more. If my smile brings people to Jesus he said, then I am doing what Jesus wants me to do. The ripple effect of witnessing.

Today we come to celebrate All Saints day. It is a day when we remember those who have gone on before us. Several weeks ago, Brian Brown shared with us the ripple effect. As chair of the Board of Discipleship each year it is my honor to recognize those whose evangelism and witness have made a difference. The award is called the Harry S. Denman award. Harry was a great evangelist. But he was not always that way. Harry traveled as part of his work and one night, late, he arrived at the hotel tired. His desire was to go to bed and so he stepped to the desk and checked in. He remarked that he felt this overwhelming call to talk to the young man that night but he was tired and worn out. He said later, he could not sleep that night with the overwhelming feeling that he should have talked with that young man. So the next morning he went to the desk and inquired about the young man. He was told that the young man had taken his life in the wee hours of the morning. Harry was so broken about that and his unwillingness to talk to the young man the night before, that he swore that he would never miss the opportunity to reach out in witness ever again. The ripple effect.

I have often wondered how many times we have an opportunity to create a ripple. In this world of fast moving people, encountering people from all over the world, how much a ripple my actually make in the world around us. What if a little act of random kindness to a complete stranger caused that stranger to do an act of random kindness to another stranger and so on? How many lives might be changed with one little smile. How many people might have lives impacted if someone shared with them the love of Jesus. Someone said to me the other day that my sermons reach back to ancient times. That somehow they are not modern. It was meant to be derogatory but I took it as a compliment. If we spend our lives living the ways the early disciples spent their lives, witnessing and confessing our faith, what ripple effect might we create? Isn’t after all, the reason that we are all here? As I wrote this, I began to ponder, what are the ripples of Sydenstricker? Some years back there was colleague and friend who was preaching in the Farmville District and then came to the Eastern Shore District. Her name was Suzanne Spencer. She is the second wife of John Spencer after both of them lost their first spouses to illness. The ripples go and go.

When we begin to think about Paul’s words about the cloud of witnesses, we cannot help but pause and think about our own congregation. How many could ever have imagined that a meeting in the grove in 1907 by Reverend Sydenstricker would cause an entire congregation to feel the need to establish a church here. But in 1910 that is exactly what happened. Caleb Hall donated 4/10’s of an acre to construct a church, to be named Sydenstricker. In November 1955, Reverend Henry S. Amidon was sent to Sydenstricker to close it. However, he had a greater vision than that and so he went about growing the church, revitalizing it in every way, through faith, energy, number of members and the building itself. Our history tells us that in 1978 we had a challenge to actively evangelize and grow or maintain status quo. The congregation, the report tells us, wanted to meet the challenge. A new sanctuary was built and was consecrated Palm Sunday 1981. The ripple here in this community continues.

As we pause this day, we remember, those who made a difference in the lives. We have already lifted up Rev. Amidon. Following him Rev. Jack Martin arrived, a man I got to know when he was District Superintendent of the Petersburg District, who had a vision for a larger church and a larger community presence. Following his leadership and the building of the new sanctuary, Ed and Libbie Wright arrived believing in that vision and doing all they could to make it possible. Some of the names I have heard are Claude and Jane Gentry, Shirley Dolfi who shared the original congregational care, Barb Russell whose life purpose was to recruit young people and the leaders to lead them. Nell Barnard who was the original flower person, who raised flowers for the altars each week. The Hall family who have been a part of this church from the very beginning. Today we have the memories of those who have passed to their heavenly reward to spur us on for the future. Never rest on the laurels of the past, but embrace the challenge of the future. That has been the mantra of Sydenstricker for generations and that job has been passed down to us today.

We are called therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us. How many of us can say that we came to faith because of the witness of someone before us? How many of us take seriously the command of Jesus to go therefore, to make disciples, to baptize and to teach. We are called to be the place where people can find Jesus, learn about God’s love and then share that love with the world around us. We are called just the same as those in the grove in 1907 to promote the love of God through our actions, words and deeds and to share the Gospel. We are called to show Christ’s love in action, bringing God to people and people to God.

As we remember, let us look forward. Who can we be if we put our faith and trust in God? What can be accomplished if we trust God to venture out and witness? Reverend Sydenstricker said it best, “We are ready to believe that the seed sown will bring fruit, and our labors will not be in vain…” There is much to be done. Let us celebrate the legacy of those who have gone on before us and then move forward into new realities, new beginnings, all to the glory of God.

Revelation - Chapter 8

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Chapter 8 – The Bowl Judgments

Read chapters 15 and 16

In Apocalyptic writing the numbers 3 and 7 are often used to mean completeness, perfection or finality. Certainly John has brought us to this place of completeness with the three groups of judgment. There were the Seven Seals followed by the Seven Trumpet judgments and now we have the Seven Bowl judgments. We are introduced to seven angels who have seven plagues to be poured down on the people who have accepted the Mark of the Beast. These new plagues will bring to mind the plagues brought upon Egypt in order to set the people of Israel free. They were isolated to that individual nation of Egypt and did not affect the whole world. Then we were introduced to the plagues from the Trumpets and Seals. But those judgments affected only part of the earth. Here we have the completion of the judgments against those who refused to accept God. We should note that those who have received the mark of God as opposed to the Mark of the Beast are exempt from the judgments that are inflicted on a person. Just as God has provided for those who are faithful when the Mark of the Beast refused those same folks to not be able to buy and sell, God will provide for those who are left to face these final judgments. It does not say in scripture that the faithful will not face pain and suffering when food and water supplies get short. We are reminded that our reward will be great in heaven.

As we await the pouring of the bowl judgments upon the earth, we see the Saints standing on a sea of glass (see Rev 4:6) with fire mixed in it and they are singing. They are singing the Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb. The Song of the Lamb is sung by those who are martyred for God throughout time while some say that they are the martyred from the Tribulation period alone. The Song of Moses (see Exod 15) was introduced to us when Moses and the Israelites had successfully crossed the Red Sea and they celebrated the drowning of the Pharaoh’s Army by God. It is a song that has been sung repeatedly throughout the history of the people of Israel, used in the dedication of the new Temple after the Babylonian Exile (Psalm 118) and then at major holidays since till our present day. It is a song of celebration of what God has done. The song of the Lamb is also a celebration to God. But we should notice that at no time in the words of the song is anyone other than God praised.

In verse five we are told that the angels come from within the Temple of the Tent of Witness. John may well have has pulled this descriptive from the Old Testament understanding in Exodus when the Temple of God was a tent with the Israelites in the wilderness before Solomon’s Temple was built (Numbers 9:15; 17:7; 18:2). The Temple fills with smoke (see Isa 6:4; Ezek 10:4) as God moves within it and the Angels come forward to do God’s bidding. One of the four living creatures we were introduced to in the beginning of John’s Revelation hands the bowls to the angels. Remember that the four living creatures represent the best in heaven. The seven bowls are filled with the full wrath of God. What we glean from this is that these judgments are the final judgments against the people, the demons and the Beast who have aligned themselves with the lawless one.

The first angel steps forward and unleashes the first bowl on the people of the earth who have taken the Mark of the Beast. They develop painful sores that cause them to desire to be dead and yet they cannot die. We are reminded of the 6^th plague in Egypt (Exod. 9: 8-12) and the story of Job (Job 2:7). The second Angel steps forward and pours the second bowl into the sea. Some would argue that this is strictly the Mediterranean Sea but most would argue that at this point the plagues are world-wide. Imagine the stench and the destruction of food supplies and world-wide commerce when all the animals of the oceans die and rise up to the surface. We are reminded of the 1^st plague that God brought upon the Egyptian people (Exod. 7: 14-25). The third Angel pours the third bowl into the waters of the world’s rivers and springs and they turn to blood. Our water supply for crops, drinking and other uses are now ruined. We are told that this in retribution for the blood of the Saints who have been martyred by the world. Now we come the fourth Angel and the fourth bowl. This will be the final bowl judgment upon the living people directly. The bowl is poured out and the sun becomes dangerous to those exposed to its light. Imagine for a moment that without water the world becomes a parched, hot, and hostile environment. Some have argued that these are all done through nature as God has continuously done throughout the history of the world. We have red tides (see news for Florida in September 2014) where algae contaminates the water, killed off sea life, and left a blood like look to the water. Some might point to the current dangers of Global warming as the fulfillment of this prophecy of the sun. I suspect that these are all future events since even the Preterists cannot point to specific events in the past that align themselves with the Bowl Judgments.

We now reach the point where God will turn the wrath of God on the Beast and the Dragon. The fifth bowl is poured on the very throne of the Beast. It brings total darkness to the residence of the evil force John calls the Beast, also known as the Anti-Christ. There is some discussion here about exactly where this will be. If we are Preterists and we believe that Nero was the beast then we should be able to look back and find an event that fits this during his reign. Some say it is when Rome burned and the sun was obliterated by the smoke. Futurists on the other hand point to this as a future event but argue whether the throne will be in rebuilt Babylon near present day Baghdad, Rome or even Jerusalem. Saddam Hussein had in fact begun construction at the site of ancient Babylon, the capital city of the Babylonian Empire. For those pointing to Jerusalem they argue that the Anti-Christ taking up resident in the Temple is the true desecration of the Temple described in Luke 21: 20-21. Preterist’s look to Antiochus IV but this was well before Jesus prophecy. This reminds us of the 5^th trumpet and the 9^th plague on Egypt (Exod 10:21-23) We are told that men curse God but that no-one repents.

The sixth bowl is poured out on the Euphrates River and it dries the river up. The people of the John’s time would look to the Euphrates as the edge of the known civilized world and as a natural barrier to the forces that lived beyond it. Here we are introduced to two new actors in this vision, the False Prophet and the King of the East. The False Prophet is believed to be the little horn in earlier prophecy (Daniel 7:8; Rev 13) and most folks believe this to be either symbolism for the Roman Catholic Church or the Head of the church during Tribulation. The king of the East may be a literal presence or symbolism for the evil forces that will gather depends on your world view at this point. Futurists take this literally and believe that this will be a King from China with an army that moves towards Israel. At this point the Dragon and the Beast are desperate so they deceive the armies of the world to begin to assemble to go to war with God in a place the NRSV calls Harmagedon. Literally that would mean the Mountain or Hill of Megiddo which is a real place. The valley of Megiddo has been the center of battles throughout history with at least 34 major battles for control of the trade routes to the East and Middle East. In Biblical times we have the stories of Barak (Judges 4), Gideon (Judges 6:3), Saul’s death (1^st Samuel 31:8), and then in history Pharaoh Thutmose III in the 15^th century, Napoleon and battles in World War I. Napoleon described the valley as the most natural battlefield in all the world.  Here the final confrontation will occur. I dare not call it a battle since you will see that it is one sided in favor of Jesus.  (Zechariah 12 & 14; Zephaniah 3:8; Isa 24)

The seventh and final bowl judgment is poured out on the air. It is the final bowl judgment and the final of the 3 groups of God’s wrath. Ephesians 2: 2 describes the Devil as the Prince of the Air. It is quite likely that John is aware of that description here. In that moment there is a great earthquake in the great city. Again there is disagreement whether this is Rome, Babylon, or Jerusalem. The city is torn in thirds and all the cities (probably a reference to all the major cities) of all nations will fall. The people are then confronted with large hailstones weighing as much as 100 pounds (7^th plague on Egypt Exod 9:22-26) that cause them again curse God without repentance.

So ends the judgments phase for those living.