Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

It is a remarkable thing in the world today that people are hoping for a better world and it is this that is the folly of the world.

Let me tell you what I mean.

If you were to survey the world, you would find that the top issues our world is facing are issues like poverty, global warming/climate change, disease, terrorism, addiction, crime, hunger, etc.

While these are important, the truth of the matter is they are not going to get better.

The problem is that people are using humanistic solutions to God-size problems.

Truthfully, and biblically, we know that things are going to get much worse.

There is not going to be a better day.

In fact, our world is heading toward a time of tribulation and judgement.

The message of the world is different.

The misnomer is that if we elect the right president, congressman, governor, or people that run our cities, that somehow they will legislate our society into a peaceful utopia.

This brings us to Revelation Chapter 14 in our continued study of Revelation.

We left off last week with the 144,000 jewish evangelists and their remarkable lives and ministry.

This week, with the 144,000 standing on Mt Zion with Jesus, a series of angelic messengers arrive on the scene with one last warning to the people to turn away from this world system before the Seventh Trumpet, which is the Bowl Judgements, is sounded.

Angels are very involved in the plans of God.

They were involved in the giving of the law.

They have been involved in the care of believers.

In fact, in Hebrews 1 it says they minister to the saints.

And angels are involved in the events of the tribulation.

In fact, the role of angels will be a major in God’s final judgment.

We see in the Gospel of Matthew, in the parables and here in Revelation that angels are instrumental in gathering the elect into the kingdom.

Angels are involved in bringing messages to the world during the tribulation and here in Revelation 14, we see that pattern.

Tonight we’re going not look at three such angels and also the role in the angels in harvesting the earth.

Let’s read through chapter 14 together:

I want you to first understand that the context of these three messengers is the impending judgement of the Seventh Trumpet, which are final Bowl Judgements of God that will appear in chapters 15-16.

If you remember, the Seventh Trumpet was announced back in chapter 11.

Up until now, we’ve been in a bit of an interlude.

And now, these three angels anticipate the seventh trumpet will be blown.

So just before the final outpouring of the last seven judgments God sends these powerful angels to make a last final appeal to the people of the earth to turn toward God.

Even in the moments before judgement, God is still giving sinful man an opportunity to change his eternal destination.

This unbelieving, rebellious world can avoid the holocaust of the day of the Lord and the devastation of judgment and eternal hell.

Even in this moment, we still find grace.

The First Angel is a Preaching Angel.

It says “I saw another angel” because this is a continuation of other angels God sent with messages to the earth during the tribulation.

It says he will fly directly overhead with visibility to everyone on earth.

His pulpit will be the sky and he will be in continual sight and earshot of everyone.

He will preach to ever nation and tribe and language.

His message, according to John, is the eternal gospel.

This is not a different gospel, but the same gospel since the fall of man.

Put you hope and trust in God and God alone.

This was the message to the world through Israel in anticipation of the coming of Christ.

This is the message now as we the church await the return of Christ.

This will be the message to the world during the Tribulation as we await the final victory of Christ.

They simply look at the message of God from different viewpoints.

The message has always and will always be the same: we are to put our full and complete hope in God for all things.

It is the gospel of grace, it is the gospel of Christ, it is the gospel of God, it is the gospel of peace and it is the glorious gospel.

There’s only one gospel.

The same gospel of salvation has all of those elements.

It is from God, it is about Christ, it is through grace, it provides peace, it is also, by the way, the gospel of the kingdom.

It is the good news that tells men and women how they can enter in to the eternal kingdom of God, the kingdom that has been opened by Christ and all who believe can enter.

(MacArthur).

Notice how directly this message comes in verse 7. The angel speaks “with a loud voice.”

That would be obvious.

In fact, he shouts.

The shouting indicates that he will be heard and it also is an indication of the urgency of the message.

And what is it that he shouts?

This is most important.

He shouts “with a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give Him glory.’”

The message is clear.

Is this angel trying to frighten people?

Absolutely.

But on the other hand, he is also inviting them to recognize the hope and grace found in God.

This is the very heart of the problem of the unbelieving world.

When they knew God, Romans 1 says, they glorified Him not as God but rather put their hope in their own sin and rebelled against God.

Romans 1 says because of the knowledge of God that is in them and the knowledge of God that is around them, men are without excuse.

Reason demands a moral lawgiver and a creator.

Pride denies a dependance on God.

That is man’s great sin, when he knows God he refuses to glorify Him as God.

Is is the sin of man in the garden, it is the sin of man today, and it will be the sin of man even in the great tribulation.

And so this warning comes from the angel hoping to snatch them out of the judgement of God.

The Second Angel is a Pronouncing Angel

Here we have an angel that is pronouncing judgement.

This sadly implies the rejection of the first angel’s message.

If everybody in the world responded to the preaching of the first angel, the second angel wouldn’t have to say this.

Think about Jonah as he came and declared to Nineveh God’s impending judgment on the city and the response of the city from the King down to the most common person and even the animals (Jonah 3:1-9).

It declares, “Fallen is Babylon the great.”

Who is this.

Babylon refers to the worldwide kingdom of the Antichrist.

You’ll remember that the first Babylon was built by Nimrod as a great city (Genesis 10-11).

Nimrod also built Nineveh.

Nimrod built Babylon which has been viewed as the Satan’s City, whereas Jerusalem is known as God’s city, and in the Bible they are regularly contrasted with each other and are seen in opposition to one another.

Babylon was centered around false religion, idolatry, rebellious hearts, witchcraft, and human achievement.

It is here that the tower of Babel was built as the first world power of idolatry.

But the angel says, “Fallen, fallen.”

That’s the end, divine judgement.

You can’t put your faith in this any longer.

Just as you can’t put your faith in it now.

The repetition of the word “fallen” serves to make the statement with great finality and great force.

It shows the intense nature of the judgment.

Fallen, fallen, by the way, is treated as if it were a future tense, although it is so certain to happen, it can be spoken of as if it’s already taken place.

More on Babylon will come in Revelation 17.

For now, it is enough to see it representing mankind in organized rebellion against God.

The Third Angel is a Damning Angel

This reminds us that there is a connection between worshipping the beast and his image and receiving his mark on his forehead or on his hand.

No one will casually or accidentally take the mark.

The connection between worshipping the beast and taking the mark will be clear enough.

Although, receiving the mark may seem innocent enough.

They are justifying their own present security by forfeiting their eternal security and damnation.

It was the same way in the first few centuries of Christianity, when to burn a pinch of incense to an image of Caesar, and to pledge “Caesar is Lord” was regarded as an innocent act of civic duty to the ancient pagans.

What is interesting in the finality of this allegiance.