Snapshots of Hope & Grace

We are continuing in our journey through Revelation ….the last book of the Bible. 

God gives the apostle John…a of VISION what will happen in the future.

It is a prophetic book…fast paced barrage of graphic images that rivals anything out of Hollywood.

Pointing to the long awaited return of the King of kings who will defeat His enemies …

and usher in a new world of divine justice and eternal peace.

No other book has provoked greater fascination or controversy than Revelation

Through its mysteries, graphic imagery, symbolism, powerful predictions…colourful language.

But theses scenes we read about…are …not meant to satisfy sensational curiosity

They are meant to WARN the rebellious and to ENCOURAGE the believer

So friends…please hear me here…

it is also a book of DECISION. (It pleads for you to decide)

A decision that will determine the destiny of your soul. 

We see this in especially.Revelation 14

Understand that…God created you…a living soul…

Even when the sun, moon and stars have grown cold……even when you die…your soul continues……your soul is eternal your soul continues

So where will your soul spend eternity?

It is decision that determines destiny.  

You have a DECISION to make…

BRIEF OVERVIEW…

Now it has been a few weeks since we have last been in our study of Revelation.

Revelation 1-3…Messages of the majestic Saviour…Jesus speaks to His church…

the …and for those who remain .Warningwicked & waywardPromising rewardfaithful

Revelation 4-7…Vision of Heaven…where Jesus, the Lamb of God is given a scroll…

Scroll is sealed with 7 …the scroll contains God’s plan for the last days.seals 

Each contains the judgments of God and His plan for accomplishing His divine plan & purpose…all described in graphic imagery…each would be opened one by one revealing God’s judgement on sinful mankind.(Saddest passage is )seal  Revelation 6:15-17

Revelation 8-10…more of God’s judgments on the earth…the 7 trumpets of God’s wrath…

known as as …catastrophic events with demonic deception.the Tribulation period 

Mankind will continue to defy God…even though He is giving them plenty of opportunities to turn from their wicked ways and come to Him.  

Revelation 11-13…considered the MID-POINT of the 7-year tribulation period… 

who faithfully preach & call people to repentance. 2 witnesses for God 

John is given a view of the great dramatic supernatural conflict that took place when Jesus was born into the world…and when Satan was out of heaven.given the boot

Revelation 14 gives us a PREVIEW 

A glimpse of upcoming events as we move closer to the end of the Great Tribulation…

The judgments are not over. We will see God’s full wrath on display in Rev. 15-16.

But before we get there…the Lord will provide several  SNAPSHOTS OF HOPE & GRACE…

Last time…we looked at SNAP SHOT #1…Revelation 14:1-5

Where we see …Jesus, the Lamb of God…standing in Jerusalem

This will only take place when all of God’s judgments are complete and finished. (Zechariah 14:4-5)

Jesus will stand on earth again…with Him are the 144,000 Hebrew believers in Jesus.

and triumphantly with Jesus at the end of the Tribulation on Mt. Zion… a new song before the throne of God…that only they could singSaved, sealed, protected by Godstandingsinging

4 More Snapshots…of HOPE & GRACE…in the form of Angelic Announcements

ANNOUNCEMENT #1 The GOSPEL is PROCLAIMED…

Revelation 14:6 “Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal Gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people.

Revelation 14:7 “And he said with a loud voice “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgement has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Notice what we are told…

a. This first angel is flying directly overhead…Revelation 14:6a

He will be visible to those who are on the earth…keep in mind:

from the devastating of God.The world will have suffered greatly judgments 

of the preaching in Jerusalem.The world will have heard the testimonies2 witnesses

of the .The world would have heard the messages 144,000 Hebrew witnesses

And yet…despite all of the evidence of …God getting their attention

Still many countless people refuse to repent of their sin and turn to Jesus.

b. The angel is proclaiming AN ETERNAL GOSPEL…Revelation 14:6b

It is important to note that … do not preach the Gospel.angelstoday 

It’s up to us today…the Church.

But what happens after the Church is to heaven?…taken upWho will preach the Gospel?

Godprovides one final call to the world to be saved.…in His great mercy for mankind…

He is calling all people to, the Creator rather than Satan…who will soon be judged. worship God

(“There is a God to serve and a Satan to shun…a hell to avoid and a heaven to gain.”)

Notice it is an …it is a …ETERNAL Gospel message of Good News

It is the ETERNAL Gospel…because .the message does NOT change

The means of communicating the Gospel may change…but the message does not change.

It is the because believing it…ETERNAL GOSPEL will give eternal life. 

John 3:15 “…whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”

1 John 5:11 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life and this life is in His Son.

John 5:24 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life.”

It is GOOD NEWS that God will forgive all the sins of those who repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ…as the ONLY way of salvation.

And by their repentance and saving faith…God will take them into His eternal kingdom.

This is the we preach here at Fellowship and have preached since 1933.same Gospel 

The good news of forgiveness & eternal life only through Jesus Christ.

The preaching of this angel will reach many who still have not heard the Gospel message.

As earth’s darkest hour approaches..the angel will proclaim the Good News that ..it is not too late

Turn to the one true and living God. There is still time before God’s judgment resumes.

c. The message of the angel is UNIVERSAL…Revelation 14:6c

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for one people group…one race or one nation. 

It is for , EVERY nation…tribe, language & people….every person on earth.

The free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ is for who believes. anybody(John 3:16)

d. The Gospel is focussed on the Living God. Revelation 14:7

Remember that during the tribulation period…the anti-Christ will deceive mankind, requiring all people on earth to fear, glorify and worship him as a god.

But this angel is proclaiming: “The One who made all things.Fear God and give Him glory! 

ANNOUNCEMENT #2 JUDGMENT is PROCLAIMED…Revelation 14:8

Revelation 14:8 “Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”

Then a second angel begins to speak….. but news of judgement.not with good news

Proclaiming the ultimate destruction of Babylon.

First reference in to Babylon the great

So where have we heard of Babylon before?

It begins in you will read of a man named Nimrod…the “…”Genesis 10-11 first mighty hunter

(btw…the name “” means )Nimrod“rebel.”

Nimrod wanted to build a city…with a tower that reaches into Heaven. Nimrod 

The city was called. Babel 

Babel also wanted to create a one-world government and a one-world religion.

God judged them for idolatry & rebellion…confused their language & scattered them. (Genesis 11:5-9)

The area (Iraq) where that happened would become known as …Babylon

Becoming a powerful empire during Bible times…

586BC destroy Jerusalem & temple and take God’s people exile in Babylon.

became a symbol of sin & rebellion against God…Babylon 

So Babylon represents…the ULTIMATE ENEMY of God & persecutor of His people.Revelation 14

So will be a kingdom over which the beast will rule. i.e. capital city of the anti-Christ.Babylon

will corrupt the whole world and usher in a one-world government & one world religion.Babylon

(FYI…The first century Christians referred to the city of Rome as Babylon. 1 Peter 5:13)

It may possibly be, as many believe… that the antichrist will actually rule from Rome.

But notice……destined for destructionBabylon the city and all it represents…is going to fall

So this announcement will come as a shock to the unbelieving world…the followers of the anti-Christ

“fallen fallen…” note the repetition… emphasizes the certainty of the coming collapse.

will provide the detailed description of the future judgment that awaits…Revelation 15-18

But before that….God wants everybody to know that the Beast’s doom is sure

Everything he will do and will have done will be destroyed…his doom is certain!

But God ALSO wants the world to know that with the fall of the evil, religious political & economic systems called …all those who were intoxicated by her immorality also will fall.

So yeah…there is a DECISION you need to make that will determine your destiny.

Even now there is the spirit of the anti-Christ in the world…1 John 4:2-3

ANNOUNCEMENT #3 DOOM is PROCLAIMED…Revelation 14:9-11

v.9 “And another angel, a third, followed them saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand…”

v.10 “he also will drink the wine of God’s wrath, poured full strength into the cup of His anger, and he will be tormented with fire and sulphur in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.”

v.11 “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshippers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name.”

This third angel pronounces judgment on all who refuse to believe the eternal Gospel…and enter into a right relationship with God through faith alone in Christ alone.

The angels again said with a loud voiice …that all will be clear and understood…

Those who reject Jesus Christ will succumb to the deceptions of the Beast…they will receive his mark of his ownership…rather than God’s seal of the Spirit (Revelation 14:9)

Back in everyone living at this time will be required under pain of death to worship the beast and his image…as a sign of their loyalty they will be required to receive a mark on the forehead or hand.Many will be deceived thinking this is the way to go. Revelation 13:15-18 

But here the third angel is proclaiming loud & clear…the terrible consequence… for taking that mark.

Once a person makes that decision…his or her fate will then be sealed.

In the final judgment of the wicked…those who reject the one true God and take this mark will experience the fullness of God’s wrath…Revelation 14:10

NOTE: this is the strongest language of damnation in all of Scripture…

Reserved for those future worshipers of Satan in the Great Tribulation: Revelation 14:11

The stakes could not be higher…nor the consequences cannot be more severe!

Please understand…God in His mercy is calling sinners to repentance even in the final hour.

There is a choice to be made…that will determine your destiny.

ANNOUNCEMENT #4 BLESSING is PROMISED…Revelation 14:12-13

Revelation 14:12 “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

With these a warnings as a backdrop…there is one more announcement…

God’s Word brings a brief vivid ray of hope…and a blessing is promised.

The stern warning to those who would reject Jesus is also an encouragement to those who put their trust in Christ in the time of the great tribulation. 

Some will face martyrdom and others will go into hiding…but keeping the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus is far PREFERABLE to those who take the easy way out and worship the beast.

This truth is confirmed by the fourth announcement from a voice from heaven calling for the saints to persevere in their faith in Jesus Christ…Revelation 14:12. 

Keep going Tribulation believer! Keep obeying, keep believing…

They may be put to death for their faithfulness to Jesus…but the Holy Spirit proclaims that those who die after having placed their trust in Christ can look forward to irrevocable rewards for their works. Revelation 14:13

These are the martyrs under the altar…Revelation 6:9-11

The great multitude from every nation, tribe, people standing before the throne & the Lamb…7:9, 14

They will know the reality of…absent from the body is to be present with the Lord…

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints…”

Revelation 14:13a “And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” 

For so many people this thought is incomprehensible….they fear death & dying…avoid it at all cost.

So why? Why are these people who die in the Lord ?blessed

Revelation 14:13b “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, for their deeds follow them."

In short they will be eternally …wonderfully relieved and abundantly rewarded.blessed

Your deeds/do not get you to heaven…but your deeds follow you.

WRAP UP…

You may so…if this is what will happen during the Tribulation what relevance is it to me?

You may say… “That passage is full of bad news” …but it is actually full of Good News.

This is how God works…even in the world darkest hour…

God is repeatedly calling the sinner to Himself.

All through God’s Word…countless examples of God calling people to repent…

To turn from their sin and fear Him,..live for Him!

The Bible says…Today is the day of salvation…do not harden your hearts…

You too will make a decision that will determine your destiny.

“There is a God to serve…a Hell to shun…a Heaven to gain…and an Eternity to live.”

The same decision about Jesus Christ is before you today.

God still calls even today…for you to be saved…repent from your sin and turn to God.

You will either say “yes” to Jesus or you will say “no” to Jesus.

If a person decides not to decide…that is a decision.

When you die…you will either die in the Lord or you will die outside of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If you were to die today, where would you be?

When you get to where you are headed, where will you be

There is the destiny of the dead.

Today…you can receive Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour.

You cannot remain neutral about the Lord Jesus. See: Matthew 12:30

Do you know Jesus personally? If not, you can pray to Him today by asking Him to come into your life.

Call on Jesus today. Repent (turn) from your sins, and turn to Jesus. 

Ask Him to forgive you of your sins, and acknowledge Him as Lord of your life.

i) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned…” (Know you are sinner)

ii) Romans 10:9-10 “…if you confess with your mouth…and believe in your heart…” Believe & Confess

iii) Romans 10:13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

It is a decision that will determine your destiny!