Every Sunday we say the Lord’s Prayer together. Many of you learned this prayer when you were young children and you know the words so well that you could recite them in your sleep. Unfortunately, sometimes we become so familiar with something that it causes us to forget its true meaning. For instance, when we pray “Thy Kingdom Come” every week, do we really know what we are asking for?

When we pray “Thy Kingdom Come,” we are asking God to execute a cosmic coup d’état by overthrowing Satan as prince of this world and reclaiming his rightful place as King over the earth. When we pray “Thy Kingdom Come,” we are asking Jesus to return to the earth and judge the wicked and reward the righteous. When we pray “Thy Kingdom Come,” we are asking God to restore his rule and reign and recreate everything that has been destroyed by sin and death.

Well, I have good news for you this morning! God has heard our prayers for his kingdom to come and it will be just a little while longer until he answers them.

In Revelation 11:1-14 John showed us a picture of the advancement of history since the ascension of Christ—specifically, how God spiritually protects his church and uses it to witness in the world. He also told us that a day is coming when the unbelieving world will conquer the church and leave it for dead, but then God will breathe new life into it. At that time, true believers will be taken to heaven and unbelievers will suffer judgment. In Revelation 11:15-19, John zooms in to give us a close up picture of the end of history. Let’s take a look and see what it will be like when “Thy Kingdom has Come!”

Reclaiming the Kingdom (15)

With the blowing of the seventh trumpet, a startling event occurs. The readers are surely expecting another devastating judgment to fall upon the earth, but instead they hear a heavenly choir. The symphony of angelic voices shout out what the entire book of Revelation has been anticipating all along—the arrival of God’s kingdom and the end of human history.

This heavenly song celebrates the reversal of the tragic earthly situation during the age of sin. God’s kingdom of righteousness replaces the earthly kingdom of sin. The temporal reign of sin and the temporal nature of life in this sinful world will be overcome by the eternal Godhead, an eternal kingdom, and eternal life in glory for the faithful people of God.

When the heavenly voices proclaim “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” you can’t help but think about the climactic “Hallelujah Chorus” of Handel’s Messiah. It is no wonder that on March 23, 1743 at the London premiere of Handel’s Messiah, the entire audience at the Covent Garden Theater rose to their feet with King George II at the beginning of the “Hallelujah Chorus,” thus beginning the tradition of always standing during the singing of this glorious chorus.

When we think about God’s kingdom coming and overtaking this earthly kingdom and him reclaiming his rule and reign, it just makes you want to stand up and sing, “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”

Kingdom Worship (16-17)

It is not surprising that as soon as the reclaiming of God’s rule and reign on earth is announced that the angels in heaven get out of their thrones and fall on their faces before God and worship him. They begin to sing a hymn of thanksgiving to the Lord God Almighty, the Eternal One, for reestablishing his sovereign reign.

Worship is really the only appropriate response to the sovereign omnipotent eternal creator, sustainer, and redeemer of the universe. This is why it is so important to gather with God’s people for worship every Sunday morning. When we come together for church, we corporately humble ourselves before God, remember Jesus’ death and resurrection, and proclaim that he is the most important person in our lives. Worship reminds us of our rightful place before God and it realigns and refocuses our life for the upcoming week!

Worship is an act of humility and thankfulness! When we come together to worship God with his church, we show our thankfulness for who he is and what he has done for us in the past, what he is doing for us in the present, and what he will do for us in the future. When we neglect worship, we assert our arrogance and ingratitude. How important is worship to you?

Kingdom Judgments & Rewards (18)

The second half of the angelic hymn describes the judgments and rewards that accompany the coming of the kingdom of God. The “nations” is a reference to unbelievers—God’s enemies who have rejected his call to repentance, persecuted his church, and destroy the earth by morally corrupting it. The unbeliever’s show their anger toward God, but it is nothing compared to his anger with them. He judges them by pouring out his wrath upon them in eternal damnation.

On the other hand, “servants and prophets and your people who revere your name” is a metaphor for the church, that is, true believers—those who have humbled themselves before God and have repented from their sins. They all receive rewards for their faithfulness and perseverance, regardless of their social, economic, or ecclesiastical status in this life. Rewards will be given to all of God’s people, not just church or government leaders or the wealthy.

Most people like the idea of God dishing out rewards in the afterlife, but they are uncomfortable with the idea of God pouring out his judgment. People love to hear about God’s love and heaven, but they don’t like to hear about God’s wrath and hell.

N. T. Wright is the Bishop of Durham in the Church of England and one of the most prominent theologians in our world today. He helps us understand the necessity of God’s wrath when he says:

The biblical doctrine of God’s wrath is rooted in the doctrine of God as the good, wise and loving creator, who hates—yes, hates, and hates relentlessly—anything that spoils, defaces, distorts, or damages his beautiful creation, and in particular anything that does that to his image-bearing creatures. If God does not hate racial prejudice, he is neither good nor loving. If God is not wrathful at child abuse, he is neither good nor loving. If God is not utterly determined to root out from his creation, in an act of proper wrath and judgment, the arrogance that allows people to exploit, bomb, bully and enslave one another, he is neither loving, nor good, nor wise.

When the end of history comes, there are only two options: rewards in heaven or wrath in hell! Which one do you choose?

Kingdom Presence and Power (19)

As history on earth comes to a close, God’s temple in heaven is opened with the Ark of the Covenant there and a storm raging in the background. The temple and the ark are references to the Old Testament Holy of Holies where God’s presence was—here they symbolize God’s presence being open to his people. The storm imagery is symbolic of God’s power and majesty. As God’s kingdom overtakes the earthy kingdom, sin and suffering are eradicated and God’s presence and power are available to his people for eternity.

God certainly has a good sense of humor. I find it ironic that on Thursday afternoon, when I was working on this section of my sermon, John Lennon’s song “Imagine” came on the radio. Here I was reading God’s Word and imagining what God’s kingdom is going to be like while I was listening this song about an atheistic humanistic communistic utopian kingdom sugarcoated in a pretty piano melody. The contrast couldn’t have been clearer—John Lennon was telling me to imagine that there is no heaven, no hell, no religion, and to live for today, ahh-ahh-ahahah. But God was telling me that there is a heaven and there is a hell and that we need to think about tomorrow, you-hoo-oo-oo.

World peace is impossible as long as sin exists! But when thy kingdom comes, sin will be wiped away forever. So, go ahead and imagine! Imagine what it will be like to live in a place where sin doesn’t exist! Imagine—no more international terrorism, nuclear threats, or civil war! Image—no more political discord, economic anxiety, or financial frustration! Imagine—no more marital conflict or family quarrels! Imagine—no more domestic violence or child abuse! Imagine—no more drug addiction or chemical dependency! Imagine—no more sickness, disease, or death! Imagine—no more loss, mourning, or bereavement! Imagine—no more stress or strain, trauma or tension, worry or wondering!

Go ahead and imagine! Imagine! Imagine! Imagine! This is what it will be like when the seventh angel blows his trumpet and we will say, “Thy Kingdom has Come!

Parables are fictitious but analogous short stories that illustrate principles or lessons. The characters in a parable usually represent something else.

Revelation 11:1-14 is living parable. The apostle John is not only the storyteller, but he is also an active participant in this parable. Each of the characters, objects, and actions represent something else in this story of how God protects his church and uses it to witness for him. Let’s take a look at the parable of the fall and rise of the church!

1.) God Spiritually Protects the Church (1-2)

John begins the passage by telling us that the mighty angel standing before him a reed and told him to go and measure the temple of God and the altar and count the worshippers there. A reed is a stalk of tall grass that was commonly used as a measuring device in the ancient world, similar to a yard stick. In this passage, the “temple of God,” “the altar,” and the “holy city” are symbols for the church, the true people of God who have put their faith in Jesus Christ.

Throughout the Old Testament and particularly in the Book of Ezekiel, which provides the background to this passage, the act of measuring is a metaphor for God’s protection. In this passage the measuring of the temple connotes God’s presence and protection with his church. When they are measured they are identified as belonging to God and being under his protection. It is a picture of the saints within the precincts of the temple/church worshipping God and overcoming the world.

The significance of the measuring means that the church’s salvation is secured, despite the physical harm they suffer during the church age. God does not always protect his people from physical harm, but their protection from spiritual harm is guaranteed. God’s presence abides with the church’s members and protects them from contamination that leads to eternal death.

On the other hand, the angel commands John not to measure the outer court which belongs to the Gentiles. This is a symbol for unbelievers and “will trample the city of God for 42 months” is a metaphor for the physical persecution of God’s people throughout the church age. From the time of Christ’s ascension until his return to earth, the church will suffer physical persecution at the hands of unbelievers, but it will be spiritually protected.

This reminds me of the story of Felicitas and her seven sons. Felicitas was a Christian widow in Rome in the middle of the second century. It is said that she witnessed often and led many women to faith in Jesus Christ. Each of her seven sons also had a reputation for witnessing about Christ.

Now it happened that the pagan priests discovered this family’s Christian faith and turned them over to be prosecuted by Publius, the chief magistrate of Rome. He was willing to spare Felicitas, as being a highly respectable woman, first secretly summoned her and her sons into his own house, where he entreated them with fair words and promises, but afterwards threatened to punish them with severe tortures, unless they would forsake the Christian religion, and readopt the old Roman worship of the gods. Felicitas, remembering the words of Christ, “Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father in heaven,” answered briefly thus, “I am neither moved by thy flatteries and entreaties, nor am I intimidated by thy threats; for I experience in my heart the working of the Holy Spirit, which gives me a living power, and prepares me for the conflict of suffering, to endure all that you may lay upon me, for the confession of my faith.”

When Publius could not move the mother from her steadfast purpose, he said to her, “Very well; if it seems pleasant to you, to die, die alone, but have pity and a mother’s compassion for your sons, and command them, to ransom their own lives by sacrificing to the gods.”

Thereupon Felicitas said, “Your compassion is pure wickedness, and your admonition is nothing but cruelty, for, if my sons should sacrifice to the gods, they would not ransom ‘their lives, but sell them to the hellish fiend, whose slaves, yea, whose serfs in soul and body, they would become, and be reserved by him, in chains of darkness, for everlasting fire.”

Then, turning away from the judge, to her sons, she said, “Remain steadfast in the faith and in the confession of Christ; for Christ and His saints are waiting for you. Behold, heaven is open before you; therefore fight valiantly for your souls, and show, that you are faithful in the love of Christ, wherewith He loves you, and you Him.”

This filled the judge with rage against her, and he commanded them to strike her on the cheek. Though they struck her in the face with their fists, in order to silence her, she did not cease to admonish her sons to remain steadfast, and to fear neither tortures nor rack, nor even death itself, but to die willingly for the name of Christ.

Then they whipped Januarius, the first-born, to death, in the presence of his mother. The leather whips had pieces of lead attached to the tips. Felix and Philippus, the two brothers next (in age), were beaten to death with rods. Sylvanus, was thrown off a cliff. Alexander, Vitalis, and Martialis were beheaded. Last of all, the mother was beheaded.

Even though this family suffered physical persecution at the hands of unbelievers, they were spiritually protected. Their faith was steadfast and their salvation was secure. May we always remember Jesus’ warning in Matthew 10:28—“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The only way to gain this spiritual protection is through a real relationship with Jesus! Have you truly put your faith in Jesus Christ? Have you been counted among the worshippers in God’s temple? Have you been measured for God’s protection on your soul?

2.) God Empowers the Witness of the Church (3-6)

The parable continues with God raising up two witnesses to prophesy for 1,260 days. The two witnesses in this passage are doubly symbolic. On one hand they are symbolic of the two Old Testament prophets Elijah and Moses, and on the other hand they are symbolic of the church, God’s witnessing community. We know that these witnesses are symbolic of Elijah and Moses because the text says that God gave them power to shut up the sky so that it would not rain during the time they were prophesying. In the book of I Kings, God gave Elijah the power to close up the sky and bring drought upon the land for three and a half years. In the book of Exodus, God gave Moses the power to turn the waters to blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague.

In the same way that Elijah and Moses proclaimed God’s Word and proved God’s sovereignty in the Old Testament, the church proclaims God’s Word and proves God’s sovereignty in the New Testament. These two witnesses which are also called olive trees and lampstands represent the church, God’s witnessing, fruit-bearing, and light-bearing community. 1,260 days is another way of saying 42 months or three and a half years. Each of these numbers is symbolic of the same time period—the church age that began at Christ’s ascension until his return to earth. The witnesses are dressed in sackcloth to symbolize a call to sorrow for sin.

Therefore, these two witnesses are a picture of the church empowered by God to proclaim his Word and call the world to sorrow over its sin until Jesus returns

This passage reminds us that God has empowered us to be his witnesses in this world. Just like Elijah and Moses before, He has called each one of us to proclaim his Word and call people to sorrow for their sin. He wants us to be his light-bearers in the spiritual darkness of this world. As members of God’s church, how are you fulfilling your mission?

3.) The Death and Resurrection of the Church (7-13)

The parabolic story continues with John saying that when the two witnesses finish their testimony, the beast will come up from the abyss and overpower and kill them. Their bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem, where the inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and celebrate by exchanging gifts with one another.

This is a graphic and symbolic picture of the church’s future destiny. When the church has accomplished its witnessing mission, a powerful demon will come out of the pit of hell and attack the church. John is drawing on the language of the “beast” from the beasts of Daniel 7, which represent four world empires that would dominate the Jewish people throughout the intertestamental period. At the end of history, the unbelieving world which is lead by demonic powers will seek to exterminate the church.

At this time, many Christians will be put to death for their faith and the church as we know it will die. The unbelieving world will erupt in joyful celebration at the news of the church being conquered. Then, ironically, they will do what we do to celebrate Christmas: exchange gifts.

But just like Jesus who was triumphantly resurrected from the dead on the third day, John tells us the God will breathe new life into the church and it will be taken up into heaven while the unbelieving world looks on. The consuming earthquake is a metaphor for God’s final judgment on the unbelieving world.

This passage reminds me of the epic battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Won Kenobi in Star Wars when Darth says, “Your powers are weak, old man.” And Obi-Won responds with those fateful words, “You can’t win Darth. Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine.”

That is the way it is with Jesus Christ and his church! When Satan struck Jesus down at the cross, Jesus became more powerful than Satan ever imagined. And so it will be with Jesus’ church at the end of history. The unbelieving world led by the demonic forces will strike the church down, but it will rise again in triumph. This is the Christian way—we triumph spiritually through physical suffering and death.

The unbelieving world is becoming more hostile to the church all the time. As our culture continues to shift away from Christian values, we can expect witnessing to get more difficult and persecution to intensify. But remember that we are spiritually protected by God. So, when the world threatens you, go ahead and say, “You can’t win. Strike me down and I will become more powerful than you can ever imagine.”

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus was exiled by the Roman Empire to the island of Patmos because of the Word of God the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the spirit and the resurrected Christ, the First and the Last, the Living One, the one who holds the keys to death and Hades, appeared to me in a vision. As the last living apostle on earth, he commissioned me to write down what I saw and send it to the seven churches. And then he began to reveal to me: things that had happened in the past, things that were happening in the present, and things that would happen in the future.

The Seals and the Trumpets

After I recorded Christ’s messages for each of the seven churches, he somehow transported me to heaven where I saw the angels in all of their glory. They were bowing down before him and worshipping him in majesty saying, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.”

I saw in the right hand of him who sat upon the throne a scroll sealed with seven seals. I wept because there was no one in heaven or on earth who was worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. But then a mighty angel said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah has triumphed. He is able to break the seals and open the scroll.” When I turned, I expected to see to see a ferocious lion, but instead, I saw a gentle Lamb, looking as if it had been slain. I knew that this was Jesus, the Lamb of God who died to take away the sins of the world.

I watched as the Lamb took the scroll from the angel’s hand and began to open the seals. When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, I saw seven angels standing before God with seven trumpets. The opening of the seals and the blowing of the trumpets inaugurated the great tribulation period that began at Jesus’ ascension and will continue until his second coming. God is pouring out his wrath upon portions of the earth through conquest, civil war, famine, demonic activity, and death. These judgments are meant to punish unbelievers for persecuting God’s people and to lead them to repentance. They are warning judgments, precursors to the final judgment that will take place when Jesus returns. This heavenly vision explained for me the things that have been taking place on earth and will continue to happen until Jesus returns.

God showed me all of these things and I have written them down as he has commanded me. I hope that all of you will read what I have recorded and take the words to heart. If you are an unbeliever, I urge you to repent from your sin and to put your trust in Jesus Christ for the salvation of your soul! This is the only way to survive the final judgment when Christ returns! If you are already a believer, I encourage you to continue to persevere through the trials, tribulations, persecutions, and sufferings of this life. Hold on to your faith as we wait for Jesus to make all things new!

The Mighty Angel and the Seven Thunders (1-4)

All of this happened before the seventh trumpet sounded. While I awaited the final trumpet, I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven to earth. It was an extraordinary sight—he was the most massive and majestic angel I had ever seen. As he descended from the sky, he was robed in a large white cloud which reminded me of God’s presence in the days when Israel was wandering in the wilderness. There was a rainbow hovering above his head, which reminded me of God’s mercy in the days of Noah. His face shined brighter than the son which reminded me of God’s glory when Jesus was transfigured on the mountain. His legs were like fiery pillars which reminded me of God’s guidance and protection in the days when he led the Israelites out of Egypt.

As I watched him plant his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land it brought to mind the ancient statue of Colossus that used to tower over the Greek island of Rhodes. Although this wonder of the world had been destroyed long before my day, I had heard stories about it. This angelic colossus was not some dead statue; it was a living picture of God’s dominion and sovereignty over his whole creation.

When his feet touched down, he opened his mouth wide and gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion which meant that he was about to say something very important. Then I heard the voice of seven thunders from heaven speaking to me. What did he say, you might ask? Well, that is for me to know and for you to find out, as they say! For just as I was about to put my pen to parchment and write down what I heard, I heard God’s voice say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

So, I picked up my pen and paused to think about everything that I had just seen and heard. As I watched the mighty and magnificent angel descend from the sky and stand as a sentinel over the earth, an incredible sense of comfort and assurance came over me. I was indeed reminded that God’s presence is always with me and that his mercy, guidance, and protection are always before me. God is sovereign over the heavens and the earth and everything in the earth. He is in control of everything!

When he told me to seal up what the thunders have said instead of writing them, I have to admit, I was confused. But as I thought about it, I realized that even though God has chosen to reveal many things about himself and his plan for the world, he doesn’t reveal everything. Many human beings think they know everything, but they don’t! Every once in a while, we all need to be reminded that only God knows all things!

No More Delay (5-7)

As I stood there looking at the angel, I noticed that the angel was holding a scroll in his hand. Although it looked smaller than before, I could see that it was the same scroll that the Lamb had opened. As he held the scroll out to me in his left hand, he raised his right hand to heaven and took this oath: “I swear by him who lives forever and ever, who created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it.” And then he said, “There will be no more delay! But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants and prophets.”

When the angel gave this oath and declared that there will be no more delay, I knew what he meant. The last days that were predicted by Daniel and the other prophets is now here. When Jesus came back to life and ascended into heaven, he inaugurated the last days here on earth. We are living in the last days right now!

How long will the last days last? I do not know—times and dates are not for us to know, but I tell you this: When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, the mystery of God will be revealed and it will be the end of the world as we know it!

Do you recognize the seriousness of the issue? We are living in the last days right now! Jesus could return at any time and bring the world to an end? Are you ready?

The Bittersweet Bible (8-11)

After the angel said this, I heard God’s voice from heaven again. He told me, “Go, take the scroll that lies open in the angel’s hand.” With fear and trembling, I stepped forward and asked the angel to give me the little scroll. When he placed it in my hand, he said, “Take it and eat it. It will turn your stomach sour, but in your mouth it will be as sweet as honey.” At first, I wondered if I heard him right. Why in the world would he want me to eat the scroll? I agreed with him that it would turn my stomach sour, but I had my doubts about it tasting sweet like honey.

I was perplexed by his command until I remembered that God had commanded the prophet Ezekiel to do something very similar to this many years earlier. God had commanded Ezekiel to eat a scroll which symbolized God’s Word. And then he told him to go and preach to his people Israel. God’s Word was sweet, but because Israel refused to listen, it was bitter. Their hearts were hardened and obstinate to God’s Word.

That is when I realized that God was recommissioning me to continue prophesying about many peoples, nations, languages, and kings. He wanted me to continue to write down these visions of the last days, but he was warning me that it would be bittersweet.

Well, the angel was right, as soon as I put the scroll in my mouth, it immediately melted and tasted like warm honey, but a few minutes later it began to turn my stomach.

That is the way it has always been with God’s Word—his message of salvation is sweet but his message of judgment is bitter. Those who embrace God’s good news find it sweet to the soul, but those who reject it find it bitter to their hard hearts. For those who preach God’s Word and find people who listen and take heed, the experience is sweet, but those who preach God’s Word and find people who do not listen, the experience is bitter. Honestly, this is one of the reasons why so many preachers don’t last long—it can be a very bitter experience.

So, let me ask you—do you find God’s Word sweet or bitter? Is your heart soft or hard to the things of God? Will you be a recipient of his salvation or his judgment?

Now that you have heard my prophecy, let me pray for you!

Say first, for Heav’n hides nothing from thy view
Nor the deep Tract of Hell, say first what cause
Mov’d our Grand Parents in that happy State,
Favour’d of Heav’n so highly, to fall off
From their Creator, and transgress his Will
For one restraint, Lords of the World besides?
Who first seduc’d them to that foul revolt?

Th’ infernal Serpent; he it was, whose guile
Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv’d
The Mother of Mankind, what time his Pride
Had cast him out from Heav’n, with all his Host
Of Rebel Angels, by whose aid aspiring
To set himself in Glory above his Peers,
He trusted to have equal’d the most High…

These words come from the section of John Milton’s epic poem “Paradise Lost,” where he rhythmically recounts Satan’s fall from heaven that eventually led to the fall of mankind. Satan’s fall is one of the most tragic stories in history because it is the ultimate source of human pain and suffering.

The story is pieced together from various parts of Scripture, but it goes something like this: Sometime before God created the earth, he created angels, spiritual beings who serve God as his messengers and song-bearers. (Job 38:7) Lucifer, which means “Morning Star” was the highest ranking archangel; he was filled with beauty and wisdom and led the angelic choir in songs of joy when God created the earth. But somewhere along the line, Lucifer became so impressed with his own beauty, intelligence, power, and position that he began to desire for himself the honor and glory that belonged to God alone. So, he led a rebellion against God, taking a third of the angels with him.

God punished Lucifer by banishing him from heaven. God cast him and his rebellious angels to the earth, and changed Lucifer’s name to Satan which means “adversary.” Satan deceived Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, causing a sinful curse to be placed on humanity. Throughout the Old Testament period Satan prevented God’s chosen people Israel from being a light to the Gentiles by keeping them in the grip of idolatry. During this same period God incarcerated some of the demons in a spiritual prison called the abyss.

When Jesus was crucified, a great spiritual battle took place. Satan thought that he had won, but he was actually defeated when Jesus rose again on the third day. Then Jesus returned to heaven, sat down at the right hand of the father, and began his millennial reign. At this same time Satan was bound, imprisoned in the abyss, and prohibited from personally deceiving the nations. Before Satan was bound, God gave him the key to the abyss to release the imprisoned demons to carry on his destructive work in his stead. This has been happening for the past 2000 years. Sometime in the future Satan will be released for a short period of time and then ultimately judged by God and sentenced to eternity in hell. (Rev. 20)

The Screaming Eagle (8:13)

This brings us to today’s passage where we learn about the destructive plagues of demons that have oppressed the world for the past 2000 years and continue to terrorize the world today. The fifth and sixth angels blow their trumpets and John sees two demonic judgments released upon the earth. There is a brief pause between the first four trumpets and the last three, when John looks up to the sky and sees an eagle screaming out in a loud voice, “Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels.” The last three trumpet judgments are more severe than the others because they attack humans directly rather than the enviroment around them. The ominous spiritual darkness described in the fourth plague is now intensified by judgments of two demonic plagues.

The Fifth Trumpet- The Demonic Locusts (9:1-12)

As the fifth angel blows his trumpet, John saw a star that had fallen out of the sky to the earth. Throughout the book of Revelation, stars are symbols for angelic beings. This fallen star is a symbol for Satan himself, who was cast to earth by God. He was given the key to the shaft of the abyss, which is a metaphor for God giving him the authority to unlock the spiritual prison and release the demons that were held there.

In Revelation 5, John had spoken of created beings “in heaven, on earth, and under the earth.” These can also be designated as angels, people, and demons. People in the first century believed in a three-storied universe: heaven was above the earth; the Abyss or hell was a deep pit below the earth. Even today, we conceptualize this spiritual geography by thinking of God and angels “up in heaven” and the devil and demons as “down in the pit of hell.”

When Satan opened the Abyss to lead the demonic jailbreak, smoke billowed from the furnace-like pit, adding to the horrific image of the fires of hell. The dense smoke darkening the sun indicates that the judgment formerly limited to the demonic realm is being extended to the earthly realm. As a result of the death and resurrection of Christ, Satan and his demons have begun to be judged, and now the effect of their judgment is about to be unleashed on humans.

As the smoke rises from the Abyss, a horde of locusts emerge. But these are no ordinary locusts! They are a plague of demons, and instead of attacking crops and vegetation, they have God’s authority to torment those who do not bear God’s mark of protection on their foreheads. John uses the metaphor of a scorpion sting that was painful but not fatal to describe how these demons attack unbelieving humanity. The people who are tormented by these demons want to die but they can’t; God prevents these demons from killing people.

In verses 7-11 John gives us a close up view of these locust demons. Each of these images emphasizes that the demons are fierce and horrific beings that affect people in a fierce, horrific, and destructive manner. These descriptions are based on an exaggeration of the actual characteristics of a locust: their “hair” corresponds to the antennae, their “iron breastplates” correspond to their hard thoraxes, their wings sounded like chariots rushing into battle, etc.

Satan is the king of the Abyss and he rules over all of the demons. He is represented here by two other names: the Hebrew “Abaddon” and the Greek “Apollyon” which both mean destroyer. He is now using his horde of demons to destroy humanity.

The Sixth Trumpet- The Demonic Horses (9:13-21)

With the blowing of the sixth trumpet, John hears Christ’s voice calling from God’s throne commanding the angel to release “the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” These “four angels” are high ranking demons (demonic generals) who unleash a military-like assault on unbelieving humanity. Here, John capitalizes on the first century Roman and Jewish fears about the great Parthian armies on the other side of the Euphrates River. The Parthians had inexhaustible hordes of barbarian warriors. This physical threat is used as a metaphor for the spiritual assault that would be unleashed upon unbelieving humanity through an inexhaustible army of demons.

Like the close up picture of the locusts, John zooms in to give us a close up shot of these horse-like demons in verses 17-19. Again we have a list of monstrous metaphors to highlight the ferocious and dreadful nature of these demons that afflict people in a devastating manner. These images are based on exaggerations of actual Parthian warriors. Unlike the preceding plague of demons, this army of demons was given authority by God to kill a third of mankind, which is a symbol for large but limited portion of the unbelieving population.

In verses 20-21, we learn that the purpose of these plagues of demons was to bring unbelievers to repentance, but unfortunately, like the Egyptian Pharaoh in the Old Testament, the people hardened their hearts toward God and persisted in their idolatry. The world in the first century was full of idols of metal, wood, stone, and other false gods that were actually demons. The tragic irony here is that people are destroyed by the very idols and demons they worship.

Now that we have seen the fifth and sixth trumpet judgments by way of two demonic plagues, I would like to four implications for us today.

1.) Satan and Demons are Real

Unfortunately, there are many people in our world today who simply do not believe in demons. They think that demonic oppression is an overactive imagination. They think that demonic possession is some type of schizophrenic psychosis. But as we have seen in these two trumpet judgments, demons are real and they affect real people today.

C.S. Lewis, in his book The Screwtape Letters, points out, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and feel and excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors, and hail a materialist and a magician with the same delight.”

2.) Believers are protected from Demons

Those who have truly put their faith in Jesus Christ, who are born again, have the Holy Spirit inside of them, and bear God’s seal on their lives are spiritually protected from these demonic attacks. If you want to be protected from these spiritual attacks, you must become a part of God’s family.

3.) Unbelievers are Vulnerable to Demons

In many parts of our world today, literal idolatry still persists. People worship everything from rocks, trees, and hills to manmade statues, images, and figurines. In more developed countries, idols have been replaced by material wealth, chemical addiction, power, popularity, and the endless pursuit of pleasure. Don’t we see murder, witchcraft, sexual immorality, and theft all around us today?

4.) Demonic Plagues are meant to bring unbelievers to Repentance

If there is anyone here who has or is experiencing the effects of demonic activity, repent from your sin and turn to Jesus Christ in faith!

Have you ever spent an afternoon in the backyard, maybe grilling burgers, weeding the garden, or enjoying a game of croquet, when suddenly you notice that everything goes quiet? The air seems still and calm—even the birds stop singing and quickly return to their nests.

After a few minutes, you feel a change in the air, and suddenly a line of clouds ominously appears on the horizon—clouds with a look that tells you they aren’t fooling around. You quickly dash in the house and narrowly miss the first fat raindrops that fall right before the downpour. At this moment, you might stop and ask yourself, “Why was it so calm and peaceful right before the storm hit?”

It’s an intriguing phenomenon that people have recognized for centuries, but what on Earth causes this calm? Storms need warm, moist air as fuel, and they typically draw that air in from the surrounding environment. As the warm, moist air is pulled into a storm system, it leaves a low-pressure vacuum in its wake, creating the sensation of the calm before a storm.

How many of you have ever experienced this phenomenon known as “the calm before the storm?” Some of you are probably thinking, “This is what I experience every day right before my kids get home from school?

Well, Revelation 8 is a lot like the calm before the storm. Verses 1-6 is the calm and verses 7-13 is the storm. Let’s take a closer look at this quiet calm in heaven before the great storm of judgment upon the earth!

The Quiet Calm in Heaven (1-6)

In verse 1, Jesus the Lamb opens the seventh seal on the scroll, just as he had broken the first six. John was surely shocked by what he heard—silence in heaven for about a half an hour. All of the angels and saints in heaven, who were just depicted as singing, shouting, praising, and worshipping God in chapter 7, now fall completely silent. Something major is about to happen. This silence is a dramatic pause as all in heaven wait expectantly for the Lamb to reveal the contents of the scroll and bring his plan of judgment and redemption to completion. This is the eerie calm before the winds of judgment are about to blow.

During this short period of silence, seven angels step forward and receive seven trumpets from God. The current silence will soon be contrasted with the loud trumpet blasts, which are symbols of God’s next series of judgments upon the earth. In the first century, trumpets were used for signaling warfare, not the making of melodies.

Meanwhile, another angel steps before the alter holding a golden censer. A censer is a bowl or fire pan that is designated for holding live coals and incense. The coals and incense were burned as an offering to God in Jewish temple worship, producing a pleasing aroma that went to God. The bringing of incense often accompanied prayers as they do here in this passage. As in Revelation 6, those who have suffered and died on earth are now in heaven and praying for God to executing divine justice by judging the inhabitants of the earth. There is silence in heaven so that God can hear the prayers of the saints.

The fact that the angel takes the censer and hurls the fire upon the earth is a clear sign that God has heard the prayers of the saints and is about to pour out his judgment on the earth. Just like in the book of Exodus, when God broke his 400 year silence and judged Egypt, who persecuted his people, God is about to break the silence again with thunder and rumblings and trumpet blasts that unleash his wrath upon the world. The plagues that he sent upon the Egyptians are now recapitulated on the inhabitants of the earth during the church age and inaugurate his final judgment. This is indeed the calm before the storm.

Like other places in the book of Revelation, this passage reminds us that God hears the cries of his people who suffer. He sees everyone who is mistreated, abused and persecuted, and he is already restoring justice by executing judgment upon the earth. These current judgments will one day culminate during the final judgment when Jesus returns to the earth.

For those of you who suffer injustice and persecution now, be encouraged! Hang in there! Keep the faith! God is on the move! He is already restoring justice now and he will one day return to the earth to finish his work in person!

The Storm of the Trumpet Judgments (7-13)

In verse 7, the first trumpet blasts and begins a series of seven trumpet judgments. The trumpet judgments are not separate from the seal judgments, but they are a recapitulation and intensification of the same judgments. It is simply a different picture of the same event.

Just as the first four seals were inaugurated by the death and resurrection of Christ and began the tribulation period, the first six trumpets began at the same time and will continue throughout the church age. Like the fifth and sixth seal, the seventh trumpet will take place when Christ returns for the final judgment of the earth.

Therefore, the first four trumpet judgments (that we are about to see) began at the death and resurrection of Christ, are currently taking place right now, and will continually intensify throughout history until the return of Christ. Let me explain.

The First Trumpet- Food Shortage (7)

When the first angel sounded his trumpet in heaven, John saw hail and fire mixed with blood. This plague is reminiscent of the seventh plague on Egypt, where God sent hail and lightning to destroy their crops. The hail, fire, and blood in this passage are not meant to be understood literally, but collectively, they are symbols for famine. “A third of the earth” is also a metaphor for a large part of the earth. This trumpet plague recalls the judgment of the third horseman of the apocalypse in Rev. 6:6, where wheat and barley became scarce.

This plague depicts God’s judgment upon earth by attacking its food source. Throughout the past 2000 years there has always been widespread famine across the earth.

Three of the worst famines in history include the Great Famine of Bengal, India, that took place in 1769; 10 million people died of starvation. The Great Potato Famine began in Ireland in 1845; one million people died and another 2 million immigrated to the United States. The Great Chinese Famine began in 1878. This famine proved to be more deadly than both the Great Famine of Bengal and the Great Irish Famine combined. During a two-year drought 20,000,000 people died of starvation.

Even though America has been relatively immune to famine, other countries around the world are suffering food shortages—places like Somalia, Ethiopia, and North Korea. Famine will continue to be a growing problem until the return of Christ!

The Second Trumpet- Salt Water (8-9)

The second trumpet judgment, like the first, introduces a plague that attacks the world food source. This time it happens from salt water rather than land. Like the first plague on Egypt where God turned the water of the Nile into blood and all of the fish died, God uses this plague to attack the food source from the sea and maritime commerce.

The Washington Post recently reported that an international group of ecologists and economists warned that the world will run out of seafood by 2048 if steep declines in marine species continue at current rates, based on a four-year study of catch data and the effects of fisheries collapses.

Human greed is consuming all of the resources that God has blessed us with. This, too, will continue to increase until the return of Christ. We are watching this judgment before our very eyes!

The Third Trumpet- Fresh Water (10-11)

With the third trumpet, the judgment of famine continues with the world’s fresh water supply being attacked. The star that falls upon the rivers and makes the waters undrinkable recalls Exodus 7 where Moses told Aaron to stretch out his hand and turn all of the streams, canals, ponds, and reservoirs to blood, rendering them undrinkable. “Wormwood” is a bitter herb that can make water poisonous. This plague depicts a shortage of good water and people suffering from drinking bad water.

Like the others, we are watching this judgment of God befall the earth before our very eyes. Today the World Water Council reports that 1.1 billion people live without clean drinking water—2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation—1.8 million people die every year from diarrheal diseases—3,900 children die every day from water borne diseases. And it is getting worse all the time.

The Fourth Trumpet- Darkness (12)

The fourth trumpet continues the same theme of judgment from the preceding trumpet, but it doesn’t refer to the physical realm. Early Jewish tradition understood the plague of darkness over Egypt as having symbolic significance. The darkness is a theological metaphor where that is an ominous spiritual darkness sets in over the land. In Egypt, the darkness was used to prove God’s sovereignty over the Egyptian Sun god Ra and to punish the people for their idolatry.

So, today we have an ominous spiritual darkness that has set in over large portions of our world today. This is part of God’s punishment on the inhabitants of the earth for their unashamed idolatry. Vast segments of the world population have been blinded by their sin and cannot see God’s truth for what it really is. Like the other judgments, the spiritual darkness continues to spread all over the land.

These judgments are happening now and they continue to intensify as time goes on and we get closer to the return of Christ. These judgments have the same purpose as the seal judgments in Rev. 6—they serve as punishments for those who refuse God and persecute his people, but they also serve to purify God’s people and draw them closer to him. These judgments remind us who is really in control of the physical and spiritual world, and call us to put our trust in Christ.

The calm before the storm has passed—we are in the storm right now—it’s going to continue to get worse—are you ready?

How many of you have ever attended a hootenanny? That is what I thought! “Hootenanny” is an old-fashioned country word for party. It’s a joyful celebration filled with singing, dancing, and feasting. Whenever Jesus returns and takes his people home, there is going to be a great hootenanny in heaven

John’s vision in Revelation 7 answers the concluding question of Revelation 6—“Who will be able to stand on judgment day?” Verses 1-8 answer the question, “Who gets to go to heaven?” and verses 9-17 answer the question, “What will heaven be like?”

Revelation 7:1-8 gives us a glimpse of the guest list and Revelation 7:9-17 gives us a peek at the program for the hootenanny in heaven. Let’s take a closer look!

A Glimpse of Guest List for the Hootenanny in Heaven (1-3)

This vision opens with John seeing four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, which is a metaphor for God’s sovereignty over the whole world. They are holding back the four winds of destruction, which is synonymous with the four horsemen of the apocalypse that were revealed in chapter 6. God used these four angels to restrain the demonic and destructive forces that were to be unleashed upon the earth until God’s people were sealed.

The seal pictured here is a metaphor of salvation. In the ancient world, seals served two purposes: authentication and a mark of ownership. A person’s signet ring would be pressed into a blob of hot wax to notarize and seal a document’s authenticity. Seals were also used to mark a person’s possessions, like when an owner’s mark would be branded on livestock. Unfortunately, in the Roman Empire, seals were commonly branded or tattooed on the foreheads of their slaves to show who owned them.

Both of these ideas are in mind when the angel places God’s seal on his servant’s foreheads. Christians do not bear literal mark, but the seal is a symbol for the authenticity of their faith and their allegiance to Christ. The fact that those who are sealed are called “slaves/servants of God” highlights the idea of ownership, showing that they belong to God.

God spiritually seals his people to enable them to respond in faith to the trials and tribulations that they would face throughout their lives. Believers and unbelievers suffer the same physical afflictions at the hands of the four horsemen, but believers are spiritually protected from the wrath of God. Whereas earthly trials harden unbeliever’s hearts toward God, they purify God’s servants.

So, who is on heaven’s guest list? Those who have been sealed by God! Who are those who have been sealed by God? Those who have genuinely put their faith in Jesus! How do you know if you have authentic faith in Jesus Christ? Those who persevere through trials and tribulations and maintain their faith in Christ!

There is one thing that I have observed over the years: Suffering either draws people closer to God or it drives them further away. A person’s response to affliction reveals the authenticity of their faith. If you want to know if your faith is genuine, just look at how you respond to suffering. How do you respond to God when you don’t have enough money to pay your bills? How do you respond to God when you are diagnosed with cancer? How do you respond to God when a loved one unexpectedly passes away? How do you respond to God when your life doesn’t turn out like you thought it would?

The 144,000 (4-8)

After John saw the angel emerge with God’s seal, he heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, from the twelve tribes of Israel. Over the years, there has been considerable controversy surrounding the identity of the 144,000. Most famously, Jehovah’s Witnesses believe that this is a reference to the exact number of people who will get to heaven—no more, no less. Those who recruit the most people to their group are counted among the 144,000—no wonder they are so motivated to knock on your door.

Others believe that this number refers to a remnant of ethnic Israelites in the first century, a group of ethnic Jews that will be saved at Christ’s second coming, the whole nation of Israel, or Christians who have been martyred. There are serious problems with all of these literal interpretations: they all betray the symbolic function of numbers used throughout the book of Revelation, not to mention that the twelve tribes of Israel did not exist in the first century AD.

I believe that the best way to understand this 144,000 is symbolic representation of the church as a whole, the true Israel, the complete people of God—taking 12 (the number of completeness), then squaring it, and then multiplying by 1000, another symbol for completeness in the Book of Revelation. This number represents the church throughout history; those who have the seal of authentic faith and ownership by God.

This interpretation fits the context best. Revelation 6:17 asks, “Who will stand in the final judgment?” The answer is those who have truly become part of God’s church through faith in Jesus Christ—not a group of ethnic Jews. The very next scene in the book pictures a great multitude in heaven from every nation, tribe, people, and language “standing” before the throne and worshipping the Lamb. This multitude is the church, the redeemed people of God, enjoying the benefits of heaven.

Will you stand on Judgment Day? Have you been counted among the redeemed of God? Do you bear the mark of authentic faith in Jesus Christ? Is your name on the guest list for the great hoedown in heaven?

The Hootenanny in Heaven (9-17)

Now that we know who is on the guest list, let see what the hootenanny in heaven will be like. Revelation 7:7-19 describes the heavenly celebration for those who have been sealed, persevered through the tribulations of the four horsemen, and have now entered their eternal home. It is one of the clearest pictures of heaven and one of the most beautiful passages in the whole Bible.

Here we have the multi-ethnic church standing before the throne, decked out in white robes, waving palm branches, and singing and shouting: Salvation belongs to our God, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb. This hootenanny is so wonderful that the angels want in on it. They immediately fall down on their faces and join in the song: Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God forever and ever. Amen!”

This passage highlights the rewards of heaven:

• The Glorious Presence of God (9a)

• Purification (9b)- The white robes symbolize purity and victory.

• Victory (9b)- The palm branches symbolize triumph after battle.

• Salvation (10)- Ultimate salvation from sin, death, and hell.

• Service (15a)- We will serve God in his temple.

• Shelter (15b)- God shelters his people

• No hunger, no thirst, no tears (16-17)

Duncan Matheson, the Scotch evangelist, was on his way home from an evangelistic meeting. He was trudging through mud knee-deep, and the siege seemed no nearer to an end, yet above the stars were looking down from the clear sky. He began to sing, “How bright those glorious spirits shine.”

Next day he found a soldier shivering under a verandah, with his bare toes showing through his worn-out boots. Matheson gave him money to buy a new pair. The soldier thanked him. ‘I am not what I was yesterday. Last night as I was thinking of our miserable condition, I grew tired of life, and said to myself, I can bear this no longer, and may as well put an end to it. So I took my musket and went down yonder in a desperate state, about eleven o’clock; but as I got round the point, I heard some person singing, “How bright those glorious spirits shine”; and I remembered the old school and the Sabbath school where we used to sing it.

I felt ashamed of being so cowardly, and said, “Here is some one as badly off as myself, and yet he is not giving in. I felt, too, he had something to make him happy which I had not, but I began to hope I, too, might get the same happiness. I returned to my tent, and today I am resolved to find the man.’ ‘Do you know who the singer was?’ I asked the missionary. ‘No,’ was the reply. ‘Well,’ said Mr. Matheson, ‘it was I.’ Tears rushed into the soldier’s eyes, and handing back the money, he said, ‘Never, sir, can I take it from you after what you have done for me.’

How bright these glorious spirits shine!
Whence all their white array?
How came they to the blissful seats
Of everlasting day?

Lo! these are they from sufferings great
Who came to realms of light;
And in the blood of Christ have washed
Those robes which shine so bright.

Now with triumphal palms they stand
Before the throne on high,
And serve the God they love amidst
The glories of the sky.

His presence fills each heart with joy,
Tunes every mouth to sing:
By day, by night, the sacred courts
With glad hosannas ring.

Hunger and thirst are felt no more,
Nor suns with scorching ray;
God is their Sun, whose cheering beams
Diffuse eternal day.

The Lamb, Which dwells amidst the throne
Shall over them still preside,
Feed them with nourishment divine,
And all their footsteps guide.

Midst pastures green He’ll lead His flock
Where living streams appear;
And God the Lord from every eye
Shall wipe off every tear.

To Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
The God whom we adore,
Be glory, as it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

So, this song gave the soldier hope because it highlights the benefits. Yes, our sins are many and our sufferings on earth are harsh, but by putting our faith in the blood of Jesus Christ, we can experience the same benefits. We can go to a place where God’s glorious presence is with us all the time, where we are purified from our sins, where there is victory over evil, where there is salvation from hell. We can go to a place where there is hunger, no thirst, no death, and no tears. If we persevere to the end, we will gain entrance to the great hootenanny in heaven. I hope to see you there!

We could summarize all of Revelation 6 with one word: blood! There is blood everywhere! Revelation 6 may be the bloodiest chapter in the Bible!

Last week we looked at verses 1-8, where the Apostle John saw a vision of Jesus opening the first four seals of the scroll which unveiled God’s plan of judgment and redemption for the world. The breaking of these seals unleashed the coming of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, demonic agents whom God has used to carry out his judgments upon the sinful world throughout the past two-thousand years. They have come in the forms of conquest, civil war, famine, and death, and they have left blood all over the earth.

In Revelation 6:9-17, with the unfolding of the fifth and sixth seals, we continue to see blood—blood on the earth, blood in heaven, and even blood in the sky. Let’s take a look!

Blood on the Earth (9, 11a)

When the Lamb opened the fifth seal, he saw the souls of the Christians who had been oppressed and killed. These martyrs were persecuted because their obedience to the Word of God and their faithful witness to the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is possible that only literal martyrs are in mind here, but it is more likely that the word “slain” is a metaphor for all saints who have suffered for the sake of the faith. This all-inclusive identification is probable from the use of the word “overcome” in chapters 2-3 and throughout the rest of the book for those not only who die for their faith but primarily for those who maintain their faith by conquering temptation, refusing to conform to the world, and persevering through trials and tribulations. Whether or not these saints have been literally put to death for their faith, they have so committed themselves to the Word of God and the testimony of Christ that they have generally become identified with the suffering and blood of the Lamb.

John sees the “souls” of those who have suffered because they have not yet received their glorified bodies, which won’t take place until Christ consummates his kingdom. These souls are under the altar. In the Old Testament sacrificial system, an animal was placed on the altar, slain, and the blood would drip under the altar. The saints under the altar are pictured as those who have been sacrificed for Christ. The purpose of this picture is to emphasize that, as with Christ, Christian’s sacrificial suffering and apparent defeat will be turned into victory. This victory is guaranteed by the white robe (a symbol for victory) that is given to them in verse 11.

Now John doesn’t tell us exactly who he saw under the altar, but I wonder if he saw John the Baptist, his brother James, and the Apostle Paul, who were all beheaded for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ? I wonder if he saw Stephen the deacon and Jesus’ brother James, who were stoned to death for their faith? I wonder if he saw the Apostle Peter, who was crucified upside down? I wonder if he saw the early Christians who were taken away from their families and thrown to the lions in the arena! I wonder if he saw the Christians who were wrapped in the hides of wild beasts and fed to the dogs! I wonder if he saw those saints who were set in wax, strung up in axle-trees, and burned as human candles to illuminate the evil Roman Emperor Nero’s garden at night!

In response to Jesus’ great sacrifice for us, these Christians were willing to suffer and sacrifice anything and everything for him. The opening of the fifth seal forces us to ask ourselves, “How much am I willing to suffer to remain obedient to Christ? How much am I willing to sacrifice to maintain my testimony for Christ? Am I willing to do for Christ what Christ did for me? Do I really believe that sacrificial suffering will be transformed into victory?”

Blood in Heaven (10, 11b)

As these Christians gather under the altar, they ask God how long it will be until he judges the inhabitants of the earth and avenges their blood. Even though this is phrased in the form of a question, it is really a petition or a prayer—not a plea for personal vengeance, but a request for public justice. Just as any victim of a crime desires justice, these Christians want God to bring their unbelieving persecutors to justice. The titles “Sovereign Lord” and “holy and true” show that they believe that God is a just judge, but they wonder how long their persecutors will be allowed to get away with their evil crimes until they are brought to final justice.

God answers their question and request in verse 11. He tells them to be patient and wait a little longer until his plan was completed. The final judgment will begin when all believers whom God has appointed to suffer finally fulfill their destiny. God will continue to use the suffering and death of his saints to advance the greater purpose of expanding his church and therefore bring ultimate redemption and salvation to more people.

Since John saw this vision, there have been many more souls added to the area under God’s altar asking, “How long, O Lord?”From Polycarp, the Apostle John’s disciple and Bishop of Smyrna, who was martyred in A.D. 155 to Cassie Bernall, the seventeen-year-old Columbine High School girl that was shot in the head on April 20, 1999 for saying, “Yes, I believe!”—there have been countless Christians who have suffered injustice for the faith.

All of these persecutions and martyrdoms are injustices, and many of you have been unjustly persecuted for your faith in Jesus Christ. But in his sovereignty, he uses suffering to advance the cause of his church. The Ancient Church Father Tertullian was the first one to coin the phrase, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” Our suffering always has a greater purpose in God’s plan!

Blood in the Sky (12-17)

Through the opening of the sixth seal, God continues to answer the saint’s prayer by presenting a picture of the final judgment upon the world. He will vindicate his reputation and display his justice by punishing the opponents of his people. This picture of the final judgment represents a collage of Old Testament prophetic imagery for the destruction of the cosmos.

There is considerable debate over whether this passage should be understood literally or figuratively. If it is meant to be literal, then we should expect a real cataclysmic earthquake, the sun turning black, the moon turning blood red, the stars falling to the earth, the sky rolling up, and every mountain and island disappearing from its place as a part of the final judgment. If these images are meant to be understood figuratively, then they are metaphors for the devastation of God’s judgment upon the unbelieving world and the opponents of his people. Since all of these images were figurative in the Old Testament prophets, I think they should be interpreted figuratively here as well. The prophets used these images to predict God’s judgment upon his people Israel because of their sin. When God used the foreign nations to conquer Israel and take them into exile, it felt like the cosmos was collapsing. Thus, when Jesus return to judge the earth, it will feel like the caving in of the cosmos.

Verse 15 depicts unbelievers from every social, political, and economic status. It doesn’t matter if they are kings or slaves, princes or paupers, or rich or poor, they must be judged for their sin, unbelief, and persecution of God’s people. They try to escape God’s judgment by hiding in the caves, rocks, and mountains. They prove their idolatry by praying to the rocks to fall on them so that they won’t have to see the face of him who sits upon the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. Unfortunately for them, rocks and mountains do not answer prayers. Only the living God has the power to answer prayers and deliver sinners from judgment, but these people chose to worship worthless idols instead of the one who could save their souls.

Verse 17 ends this section with a dramatic declaration and a provocative question. The declaration in the vision “for the great day of their wrath has come” is a guarantee that the great day of judgment when Jesus returns pours out his righteous wrath on the earth will happen. The only question is “who will be able to stand?” Thankfully, the Bible in general and the book of Revelation in particular, provides the answer to this question: The people who put their trust in the Lamb who was slain and remain faithful to him throughout their lives are the ones who will be able to stand on judgment day.

You may say, “Wait a minute. How can any sin deserve everlasting destruction? If God is just, how can he punish like this?”

The best answer I ever heard to that question goes something like this: Suppose a high school student punches another student in class. What happens? The student is given a detention. Suppose during the detention, this young man punches the teacher. What happens? The student gets suspended from school. Suppose on the way home, the same boy punches a policeman in the face. What happens? He finds himself in jail. Suppose some years later, the very same young man is in a crowd waiting to see the President of the United States. As the President passes by, the boy lunges forward to punch the President. What happens? He is shot dead by the secret service.

In every case the crime is precisely the same, but the severity of the crime is measured by the one against whom it is committed. What is the just punishment from sinning against an eternally holy God? Answer: Everlasting destruction!

Whether you take these images of the final judgment literally or figuratively, they paint a grave picture for sinners who have resisted God’s offer of salvation. Since God is a God of justice, he has to hold all of us accountable for our sins and punish us accordingly. But since he is also a God of love and mercy, he has offered us forgiveness and redemption through his sacrifice on the cross. The question that we should all be asking ourselves is: Will I stand when the great day of wrath comes?

As I mentioned at the beginning, Revelation 6 is probably the bloodiest chapter in the Bible. There is blood all over the earth from the judgments of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The blood of the martyrs is under the altar in heaven. The moon in the sky is pictured as blood red during the great judgment day. But the greatest image of blood is from the one who is opening the seals on the scroll. Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. He was the one who allowed himself to be led like a lamb to the slaughter. He is the one who had blood come from his hands, feet, head, and side as he hung on the cross, and it is his blood alone that can provide atonement for our sins. Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

In Revelation 5, John began to tell us about his vision of the lamb that was slain. The lamb was found worthy to open the scroll and unveil God’s plan of judgment and redemption. Revelation 6 continues this story by telling us what happens when Jesus begins to break the seven seals and reveal God’s judgment upon the world. These judgments begin here in chapter 6 and continue through chapter 19. We will look at the first four seals today, which unfolds the coming of the famous four horsemen of the apocalypse.

This image of the four horsemen has been used over and over again in pop culture, in everything from art, literature, classic film, to World Championship Wrestling, were longtime heavyweight champion Ric Flair served as the head honcho of an alliance called the Four Horsemen. Whooo! They brought destruction to their opponents!

Timing of Revelation

Before we look at the nature of these judgments, I would like to discuss the timing of them with you. Some people see these events taking place in the so called Great Tribulation, which they usually say is a seven year period of intense suffering on earth during the end times. They believe that Jesus will either return just before, in the middle of, or immediately after this Great Tribulation, and then Christ will physically reign on the earth for a thousand years. These people would say that the judgments recorded in Revelation 6-19 will take place during the future Great Tribulation. This view is called pre-millennialism and it is the one portrayed in the “Left Behind” series. I think this view is incorrect.

Rather, I believe that the end times were inaugurated at the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ. When Jesus ascended into heaven he sat down at the right hand of the Father and began his millennial reign. The Great Tribulation period began at this time and will continue until Jesus returns and consummates his kingdom. Therefore, we are living in the Great Tribulation period right now. This view is called amillennialism.

If this view is correct (and I believe it is), the destructive forces of evil in Revelation 6 were unleashed upon the world as a result of Jesus’ victorious suffering on the cross and resurrection from the dead. The judgments of the four horsemen of the apocalypse are not reserved exclusively for a period of severe trial immediately before Christ’s final coming; we are experiencing them right now, and we have been for almost 2000 years.

The Four Horsemen (1-8)

Now that we understand the timing of these events, let’s take a closer look at each of the horsemen! In the text, the four horsemen are depicted as demonic agents that wreak havoc on the world through conquest, civil war, famine, and death.

The White Horseman- Conquest (1-2)

As the angel called for the first rider, he appeared on a white horse with a crown on his head and a bow in his hand. He rode as a conqueror bent on conquest. The white horse, the crown, and the bow are all symbols of conquest. Thus, we have a metaphor of an ancient king leading his army into battle to conquer another people or land. This demonic rider goes forth to conquer the world by instigating its inhabitants toward conquering one another.

We have seen this judgment of conquest repeated throughout the past 2000 years of world history. Think about how many territories the Roman Empire conquered to expand its kingdom in the first through fourth centuries! Then the Germanic Tribes weakened Rome and the Byzantine Empire took over the world throughout the Middle Ages. Then in the 1400’s, the Ottomon Empire took over the Middle East and began to invade Europe. In the 1500’s Hernando Cortez led the Spanish conquistadors to conquer the Aztec Empire and eventually all of Latin America. In the 1600’s the Brittish and French began colonizing North America, slaughtering Native Americans and two-centuries later led them along the Trail of Tears.

We still see conquest in modern times: Do you remember August 2, 1990, when Iraq invaded Kuwait and started the Gulf War. I remember watching operation desert shield and desert storm on CNN!

The forces of evil bring judgment upon the world by instigating international conquest, conflict, and war. The white horseman is always trying to get one nation is to subjugate another nation.

The Red Horseman- Civil War (3-4)

The second horseman depicts the progression from conquest to civil war. The color red is symbolic of the terrible bloodshed and slaughter to be wrought upon the world. This rider is given permission to take peace away from the earth, cause people to kill each other, and use the sword (which is a symbol of violence) to accomplish his bloody purpose. He works to influence people toward violence against their own people.

Haven’t we seen this throughout history? At some point, virtually every nation in the world has fought a civil war, and there has hardly been a time in the past 2000 years when there hasn’t been a civil war going on somewhere in the world: The War of the Roses in England (1455-1485), he French Revolution (1793-1804), the Korean War (1950-1953), the Vietnam War (1954-1975, the Yugoslav, Chechen, and Rwandan wars in the 1990’s, and the civil war in Darfur in the 2000’s and even in Libya last year.

With American involvement in most of the wars of the 20th century, do you know what is the bloodiest day in American history? September 17, 1862—The Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War with 23,000 casualties in one day!

As the blue and grey cavalry charged into battle that day, a solitary rider on a red horse stood on a hillside laughing at the ensuing slaughter. Evil demonic activity lurks behind every civil war that has ever been fought!

The Black Horseman- Famine (5-6)

The color black represents sorrow and mourning caused by famine. This rider is holding a pair of scales in his hand. In the ancient world, scales were used to measure food rations in times of famine. Wheat was the better grain and the major staple for the wealthy; barley was less expensive and less nutritious and was eaten by the poor. A quart of wheat was enough food for one person for a day, and three quarts of barley was enough to feed a small family. Therefore, a man’s entire earnings were barely enough to feed himself, let alone his family. Luxury items such as oil and wine had to be preserved and protected. The prices listed here were between eight and eighteen times the average prices in the Roman Empire at the time.

Do you think groceries are expensive right now? Can you imagine paying $45 for a gallon of milk or $30 for a loaf of bread? Like conquest and civil war, there hasn’t been a time in the last two millenniums when there hasn’t been famine somewhere in the world, and there are many places in the midst of famine right now. Thankfully, America hasn’t experienced famine since the Great Depression of the 1930’s, and even that was mild compared to other places. I wonder if perhaps America is on the verge of an oil famine. Can you imagine how our lives would change if gasoline was $50 a gallon?

The Pale (Green) Horseman- Death (7-8)

And finally, as the fourth seal is broken, another rider appears on a pale horse. No, it’s not Clint Eastwood wielding a Winchester rifle and a Colt 45 coming to shoot up the bad guys, but it is another demonic force named “Death” and his little Tonto sidekick “Hades” is following close behind. Death is simply the loss of physical life and Hades is the place of the unbelieving dead. They come to bring death to the inhabitants of the earth.

The Greek word translated here as “pale” is “choros” from which we get our English word “chlorophyll.” This was a pale green color that connoted death because it was the color of a corpse. This horseman is the epitome of the other three because he inflicts damage through the sword, famine, plague, and wild beasts.

Just think about the epidemic of death in the 20th century. Even though we live in enlightened times and have supposedly learned our lessons from ancient barbaric civilizations. Through all of the wars and genocides of the 20th century, historians have estimated that more that 260 million people were killed.

Gary Haugen, President and CEO of International Justice Mission says, “The 20th century is an open-mouthed grave: an entire generation of European youth composting the World War I battlefields, Hitler’s six million Jews, Stalin’s twenty million Soviet citizens, Mao’s tens of millions victims in China, Pol Pot’s 2 million Cambodians, the Interhamwe’s million Tutsi Rwandans, and the millions of lives wasted away during apartheid’s forty-year reign.”

And this doesn’t even count the millions who have died from famine, cancer, AIDS, and other diseases and natural disasters. The Pale Rider was alive and well throughout the 20th century, and there is no reason to think that he is taking a break in the 21st century!

Now that we have seen the timing and nature of the judgments of the four horsemen of the apocalypse, let me conclude by explaining the reason for all of this. You can’t help but notice that even though these judgments are carried out by the demonic forces of evil, they are initiated by God himself. Jesus is the one who opens the seals and the angels are the ones who announce the coming judgments.

But why would God do this? Just like in the Old Testament when God raised up the wicked Babylonians to bring judgment on his people Israel for their sin, he raises up these evil forces to bring judgment on the world for its sin. God’s judgment always has three purposes: to purify the saints, call sinners to repentance, and punish those who refuse accept Christ’s kingship.

So, whenever you face God’s judgment through suffering and tribulation, you have to ask yourself which group you belong to. If you are a Christian, God uses suffering to purify your faith and help you to rely on him more. If you are not a Christian, God uses suffering to call you to repent from your sin and turn to him in faith. If you refuse to accept Christ’s kingship, these sufferings are punishments for your wickedness.

We all experience the judgments of the four horsemen, but for different reasons. To which group do you belong?

Evangelist Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The world has lost the power to blush over its sin; the Church has lost her power to weep over it.”

Although Ravenhill meant this for the modern world and church, it is also an apt description of the city and church of Pergamum.

The Church in Pergamum (13-17)

About 70 miles north of Smyrna stood the magnificent city of Pergamum, one of the most important cities in the Roman Empire. The city boasted almost 180,000 inhabitants (about 3 times the size of Burlington, VT) and was known throughout the world for its architectural innovations, including the temple of Athena, the great altar to Zeus, and a library that held over 200, 000 volumes. By the first century A.D., Pergamum had become not only a key political center, but a major intellectual and religious center as well. A plethora of cultic philosophies and spiritualities existed there, but the religious landscape was dominated by the Roman Imperial Cult, which recognized the Greek gods but worshipped the emperor as a “god.” The emperor referred to himself as “savior.”

The city was littered with temples, altars, and shrines, which raised money through elaborate feasts, festivals, and sacred prostitution. If ever there was a pagan city, it was Pergamum. It participated in all sorts of perverse practices, and like Las Vegas and Amsterdam today, it competed against the Corinth for the title “Sin City” of the ancient world.

Satan’s Throne (13a)

This is why Jesus says, “I know where you live—where Satan has his throne.” He empathized with the church in Pergamum because he knew how difficult it was to be a Christian in such a sinful and anti-Christian city. Satan did not literally live there, but there was a pervasive satanic presence in the place. The image of a “throne” was appropriate amid all of the statues and altars in Pergamum, and it would have brought to mind the throne-like altar of Zeus or the temple of Asclepius, the serpent god of healing, which was symbolized by a snake.

Interestingly, the Altar of Zeus still exists today. A German archaeologist, Carl Humann, began excavating the Altar on Sept. 9, 1878 and shipped it out of the Ottoman Empire and reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum in Berlin. Kaiser Wilhelm II celebrated its erection in Berlin in 1902. Adolph Hitler became dictator in 1934 and ordered construction of the Tribune at Zeppelin Field in Nuremberg for his Nazi rallies. He used the Altar of Zeus as the model for the Zeppelintribüne. The Führer’s pulpit was in the center of the tribune, and Hitler used it as Satan’s Throne to carry out his diabolical work in the twentieth century.

“Satan’s throne” is a reference to the ungodly political powers that persecuted God’s people in Pergamum. They tried to force the Christians to accept the pagan religions, make sacrifices and offerings to the gods, and declare that Caesar is Lord and Savior.

Faithfulness amidst Persecution (13b)

But the Christians in Pergamum would have nothing to do with this! Jesus commends the church for remaining true to his name and refusing to renounce its faith in him. They refused to confess anyone other than Jesus as Lord and Savior, even when they faced persecution to the point of death like in the days of Antipas.

The only thing we know for sure about this man named Antipas was that he was a faithful witness of Jesus Christ and that he was martyred in Pergamum sometime before John’s writing of the Book of Revelation. There is a church tradition that says Antipas was the Bishop of the church in Pergamum and had been ordained to that office by the Apostle John.

It is said that the pagan priests went to the Roman governor and complained that the prayers of Antipas were driving their spirits out of the city and hindering the worship of their gods. As punishment, the governor ordered Antipas to offer a sacrifice of wine and incense to a statue of the Roman emperor and declare that the emperor was “lord and god.”

Antipas refused. So, the Governor said, “If you reject the divinity of the emperor, then that is the equivalent of rejecting the city of Rome.” Antipas was sentenced to death on the Altar of Zeus.

At the top of the altar was a hollow bronze bull, designed for human sacrifice. They placed the victim inside the bull, and they would tie him in such a way that his head would go into the head of the bull. Then they would light a huge fire under the bull, and as the fire heated the bronze, the person inside of the bull would slowly begin to roast to death. As the victim would begin to moan and to cry out in pain, his cries would echo through the pipes in the head of the bull so it seemed to make the bull come alive. Even in the midst of the flames, the elderly bishop Antipas died praying for his church.

Antipas did not renounce the name of Christ and modeled faithful Christian witness for his congregation. They followed his lead and Jesus praised them for remaining true to his name!

Pergamum’s Compromise (14-15)

Even though Jesus praised the church at Pergamum for not renouncing his name, he still had a few things against them. Some of the church members had compromised their faith by engaging in practices that were not consistent with their faith. The compromise is explained through references to the compromising relationship Balaam had with Israel in the Book of Numbers in the Old Testament: King Balak of Moab could not conquer Israel with military force, so he hired the evil prophet Balaam to attack Israel spiritually by pronouncing curses. But when God only allowed Balaam to utter blessings, he advised Balak to attack the Israelites by seducing them into idolatry and sexual immorality. The Moabites overcame God’s people by leading them into compromising sin.

This is exactly what was happening to some of the members of the church in Pergamum. The cult of Balaam and a group called the Nicolaitans were enticing the Christians to compromise their faith by participating in the pagan practices of eating meat sacrificed to idols and committing sexual immorality. Even through God’s Word clearly prohibited these practices, Satan used these groups to compel the believers to compromise their godly convictions. The cults would say ungodly things like, “It’s not really that bad! Everybody else is doing it! It’s not hurting anybody! If you can’t beat them, join them!” And because some of the Christians feared being marginalized or ostracized, they decided to conform to the culture of Pergamum rather than the character of Christ.

Pergamum’s Warning (12b, 16)

Since this church had compromised so severely, Jesus introduces himself to the church by reminding them that he is the one who has the sharp double-edged sword coming out of his mouth, an image of his sovereign justice and judgment. After he points out there sin in verses 14-15, he challenges them to repent from their sins of idolatry and sexual immorality and he warns them that unless they change their ethical positions and spiritual practices, he will fight against them with divine judgment and justice.

Pergamum’s Reward (17)

But to those who hear Jesus’ words, repent from their sin, turn away from their compromising tendencies, and remain faithful to Jesus until the end, he will bless them with the reward of eternal life. He uses the symbols of hidden manna and a white stone to represent eternal life. Jesus is saying that if you refuse the idolatrous meat sacrificed to idols, I will sustain you with what comes from heaven. White stones were associated with votes of acquittal in ancient courts. Conversely, black stones were given for guilty verdicts. Jesus is saying that those who remain faithful to him until the end will receive a vote of acquittal from their sins, a new name (which means a new identity), and gain entrance into the eternal community of the redeemed.

The Church in America

In many ways, the American church is like the church in Pergamum. We are trying to live the Christian life and remain faithful to Jesus Christ in the midst of a pagan culture. There are numerous pressures to adopt the values of society and be conformed to the image of this world. As a nation, we don’t bow before statues of Zeus and Athena, but we do erect altars of arrogance, podiums of pleasure, and shrines of selfishness. American culture worships the gods of power, money, materialism, success, celebrities, and entertainment! It is difficult to be a faithful Christian when we dwell in the shadow of Satan’s throne—in a culture of opposing beliefs and values.

I believe that Satan is using the same strategy with the American church today as he did with the church in Pergamum two-thousand years ago. He doesn’t openly attack the church through external persecution; he attacks it subtly by tries to get us to compromise our biblical values and to conform to the culture around us.

The world’s values and God’s values are very different. The world’s business ethic says, “Do what you have to do to get ahead!” God’s business ethic says, “Do unto others what you would have them do to you.” The world tells our young people, “Have sex when you are ready.” God says, “You are not ready to have sex until you are married!” The world says, “Get what you can while you can get it.” God says, “It is more blessed to give than receive.” The world says, “It’s your life, live it how you want to.” God says, “You are not your own; you were bought with a price.”

The church faces incredible pressure to conform to American culture. In some ways, of us are guilty of compromise. Some of us have adopted the culture’s views of society, business, and sexuality. Others have embraced the culture’s political and social positions. Some just “go with the flow” of everyone else at work or school because we are afraid of being marginalized or ostracized. How have you compromised?

Like the church in Pergamum, Jesus offers us the opportunity to repent from the areas where we have compromised. And if we remain faithful to his Word, his ethics, his positions, his practices, and his life, we too will be rewarded with hidden manna, a white stone, and a new name!

Jesus’ Sovereignty over History, Life, and Death (8)

Like Jesus’ letter to the church in Ephesus, he opens his letter to the church in Smyrna with an affirmation of his sovereignty from the chapter one vision that suits the situation of the church best. Here he chooses to introduce himself by the title “the First and the Last, who died and came to life again” which asserts his sovereignty over history and life and death. Jesus is eternal; therefore, he is in control of everything that happens in the past, present, and future. He proved his sovereign over life and death by dying on the cross and coming back to life again.

These affirmations were especially relevant to the situation in the church at Smyrna because it was suffering terrible afflictions. The church needed assurance that their ultimate future was already secure, even though their present lives were unsecure. The Christians needed to be reminded that Jesus was still in charge and that he was watching over them.

Does that ever happen to you? Do you ever face afflictions whereby you need to be reminded of God’s sovereignty? Do you ever encounter present problems that cause you to fear for your future security? Do you ever experience crises, dilemmas, and predicaments where you just need to know that Jesus is still in control and he is watching over you?

This affirmation of Jesus’ sovereignty renews our hope! When you experience afflictions, remember that Jesus is eternal; he has authority over your past, present, and future! When you are afraid, remember that Jesus has authority over life and death! Remember that Jesus is in control of everything and he is watching over you, and you will be able to overcome any affliction!

Poverty and Slander in the Church (9)

In verse 9, Jesus identifies the two primary afflictions in the Smyrnian church: poverty and slander, and the two were interrelated. The slander against them contributed to their poverty. The large Jewish population in Smyrna constantly spoke evil and spread negative propaganda against the Christian church. They pointed out to the Roman government that the Christians refused to pay homage to Caesar as Lord. And every time there was an earthquake, flood, drought, or some other natural disaster, they blamed it on the Christian’s refusal to worship the gods of the pantheon. The Jews persecuted the church by slandering the name of Christians.

The church’s lack of physical and material resources was a direct result of this slander. The Jews did what they could to incite Roman hostility against the church. When Jesus says that these people “who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan” he means that even though they were ethnically Jewish, they were not really part of God’s chosen people because they denied Jesus as Messiah, and when they persecuted Jesus’ church, they were actually doing Satan’s work.

Although the Romans tolerated Judaism, they stripped Christians of the right to worship their God and discriminated against them by denying them opportunities for employment. In such an antagonistic environment, it was difficult for the Smyrnian Christians to make a living, and many of them were economically destitute.

Even though the Jewish and Roman persecution was intended to force the church out of the city, it actually had the opposite effect. It brought the church closer together and made it stronger. Jesus acknowledged their physical poverty, but he highlighted their spiritual wealth. They were spiritually rich because their sufferings helped them to identify closer with the sufferings of Christ. This is why God did not remove the animosity and persecution, but he encouraged them to remain faithful and endure, for this was participation in the way of Christ.

Throughout the centuries, slander and poverty has often been the lot of God’s followers, because the people of this world often seek to do them harm. There are many members of Satan’s synagogue, although most of them don’t even recognize it. Even today, Christians all around the world are stripped of their rights, denied employment, and forced to live in poverty. While it is to a much lesser degree, this still happens in America too!

When you face slander or poverty because you are a Christian, remember that even though you may be physically poor, you can be spiritually rich. If you remain faithful to Christ and participate in his sufferings, God will bless you with a wonderful reward of spiritual riches.

When Jesus tells the Smyrnian Christians they are spiritually rich despite their physical poverty, I am reminded of a story that my pastor once told me. When he was in Bible College preparing for the ministry, he went on a mission trip to Russia, not long after the Iron Curtain collapsed. One evening he was slated to lead a question and answer session with a group of communist atheists.

He answered their questions the best he could, but he was so intimidated by the hostile crowd that he lost his composure. As his defense of the Christian faith began to falter, a little old lady in the back of the room stood up and chastised the group for treating the student so badly. Then she said, “Look at me! I have nothing! Come to my flat and see! I have nothing of worldly possessions, but I have Jesus! And I have everything!” The group, who knew the woman’s suffering, walked away in quiet convicted contemplation. The old woman was physically poor, but she was spiritually rich!

Overcoming Affliction (10-11)

In his message to the church at Smyrna, Jesus sympathized with their affliction and exhorted them to remain faithful to him until the end. He told them not to be afraid of what they are about to suffer. Apparently, the persecution was going to intensify and that some of them would be put in prison, but he promised a crown of life for those who overcome affliction and remained faithful until the end, even to the point of death. The crown of life is a symbol of triumphant eternal life. This means that they would not be harmed by the second death. The first death is physical death, which everyone experiences; the second death is the final judgment when Christ returns. They did not have to fear imminent danger because their destiny was secure in Christ, the eternal one who overcame death and gives eternal life.

Sixty years after the writing of this letter, the Smyrnian church was still facing severe persecution. Fourteen Christians were seized and dragged to the public arena where they were fed to wild beasts. All but one died gloriously, one even slapping a wild animal that seemed to be too lazy to attack the Christian who was intended to be its dinner.

The crowd was not satisfied and began to shout for more. They began to shout for Polycarp, the elderly pastor of the Smyrnian church, who had been a disciple of the Apostle John during his younger days. The authorities were sent to find him, after exacting information of his hiding place from a servant, who was subjected to hideous torture.

He was brought before the magistrate in the stands of the arena and immediately tried and convicted while the frenzied crowd shouted for his blood. It was a most unusual and illegal trial that went something like this, the magistrate speaking first:

“Swear by the fortune of Caesar! Repent! Declare: Death to the atheists!”

Turning to the mob, with a lift of his head and a wave of his hand, Polycarp shouted, “Death to the atheists!”

But the magistrate knew what Polycarp meant. “Apostatize! Swear, and I will set you free at once! You have but to insult Christ.”

“I have served Him for eighty-six years and He has never done me any wrong. Why then should I blaspheme against my King and my Savior?”

“Swear by Caesar’s fortune!”

“You flatter yourself if you hope to persuade me. In all truth I solemnly declare to you: I am a Christian.”

“I have the lions here, to use as I think fit.”

“Give your orders. As for us Christians, when we change it is not from good to bad: it is splendid to pass through evil into God’s justice.”

“If you do not repent I shall have you burned at the stake, since you are so contemptuous of the lions.”

“You threaten me with a fire that burns for an hour and then dies down. But do you know the eternal fire of the justice that is to come? Do you know the punishment that is to devour the ungodly? Come, don’t delay! Do what you want with me.”

The condemnation was proclaimed; the mob rushed from the seats to gather sticks and faggots, with the Jews gleefully helping along. Polycarp told the soldiers in charge of the execution that they need not fasten him to the stake, for he had no intention of fleeing. The flames leaped high, while from the flames could be heard this prayer from the lips of Christ’s faithful servant:

Lord God Almighty, Father of Thy beloved and blessed Son, Jesus Christ, through whom we have received the grace of knowing Thee, God of angels and powers, and the whole creation, and of the whole race of the righteous who live in Thy presence; I bless Thee for deigning me worthy of this day and this hour that I may be among Thy martyrs and drink of the cup of my Lord Jesus Christ. I praise Thee for all Thy mercies; I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, through the eternal High Priest, Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, with whom to Thyself and the Holy Spirit, be glory both now and forever. Amen.

Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna, heard Christ’s words and took them seriously. He endured slander, poverty, and persecution, but he overcame his affliction and remained faithful even to the point of death. As his body was consumed by the flames, heaven received his victorious soul. King Jesus coroneted him a crown of life!

Do you hear Jesus’ words? Are you taking them seriously? In the midst of your afflictions, remain faithful to your King and Savior who never did you any wrong! And you will overcome your affliction, you will receive a crown of life, and your destiny will be secure forever! You will have victory in Jesus!