A Trifecta of Trouble
Notes
Transcript
We tickled this last week in speaking of the destruction that the false teacher were bringing on themselves
When God commands judgment, it’s going to happen
There may be a measure of judgment in this life—as we’ll see
There will certainly be judgment in the next, as other Scripture tells us
The sin, in each of these cases, was sexual in nature
…scholars are in agreement on that
…context supports it, v.2
“If then, go to” computer processes
If…there is sin
Then…there is judgment
It’s basic cause and effect/stimulus response
We have a series of “ifs” and one “then” response
We will get a peek at the range of His judgment
We will find a few things tough to understand
We will even look at the Jewish understanding of the historical events
…using non-canonical works to assist us
There is a BIG caution…only using such things when they agree with Scripture
Judgment of Fallen Angels
Judgment of Fallen Angels
If God did not spare angels when they sinned...
What angels?
Are we talking about ALL the fallen angels?
We worked through the matter of the fall of Satan awhile back
…best understanding is this event is NOT in view here
The other option, though not without problems, is the angels of
The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of man and they bore children to them. These were the mighty men who were of old, the men of renown.
The mighty men being the offspring
…not without problems; but problems not insurmountable
Seems to agree with
And the angels who did not stay within their own position of authority, but left their proper dwelling, he has kept in eternal chains under gloomy darkness until the judgment of the great day—
Also many of the apocryphal works 1&2 Enoch, Baruch, Jubilees, Testament of Naphtali
Writing of the 2nd Temple period 516 BC-70 AD, agree; linking them as the evil influence and ensuing wickedness leading up to the cause of the flood
Most relate the behavior to sexual wickedness
Flavius Josephus (regarded as an honest historian of Jewish ancestry) wrote in Antiquities 1.73
…for many angels of God accompanied with women, and begat sons that proved unjust and despisers of all that was good...
So, what about their imprisonment?
If it’s all the fallen angels, then who are the demons of the NT?
If it’s just the specific smaller group, it overcomes that problem
Either way, it may well mean that their imprisonment is merely confinement to the earthly realm
Satan being the god of this world may well be taken as the “god of his prison block”
The main things are the plain things and the plain things the main things
The major point: they are being (temporally) and will yet be (eternally) punished
Judgment of the Ancient World
Judgment of the Ancient World
By way of the flood
Warned by Noah…Where do we get the “preacher of righteousness?”
His very act of following God in the building of the Ark would be enough
He likely had questions; and no doubt gave answers
Josephus, 1.74
But Noah…persuaded them to change their dispositions and acts for the better;—but seeing they did not yield to him....
BTW, all early interpretations saw this a global event; Genesis account leaves no room for a regional flood
…and this flood would account for the fossil record as it is; the evidence is there for a young earth
But Noah and his family were saved
By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.
Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah
Judgment of Sodom and Gomorrah
Let’s deal with the skeptics: It really happened
9 OT references; 3 NT
Mentioned in the Book of Wisdom (another non-canonical writing), 3 Maccabees, Jubilees
Also by Josephus, Wars 4. 484; c.75 AD
…although it be now all burned up.... It is related how, for the impiety of its inhabitants it was burnt by lightning; in consequence of which there are still the remainders of that divine fire; and the traces of the five cities are still to be seen, as well as the ashes growing in their fruits....
But “righteous Lot” was saved—righteous? Really”
From God’s perspective, yes
He attempted to safeguard the angels from the evil men of the city
Understanding the evil the men were intending
Even offering his daughters to them
…and he took his family and fled
Judgment for the Righteous
Judgment for the Righteous
The message from Peter seems to be “If God knew how to get it right then, he’s got it figured out yet today
There’s a sense of rescue for the time of this life in view
…though it may not always be that way
Much of 1 Peter dealt with enduring in the trials of this life as believers
The theme of surviving/enduring/overcoming plays out throughout the NT
...the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials...
We will be rescued from an eternity in Hell, that’s eternal
Qualify the “we”
Peter was speaking to true believers—the church
Those truly trusting Christ
We await the resurrection; the 2nd coming of the Lord
…an eternity with Him!
What Judgment Awaits?
What Judgment Awaits?
There is both a temporal and eternal punishment for those who are evil
The image of fire, from Sodom and Gomorrah, is most frightening
then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment,
and especially those who indulge in the lust of defiling passion and despise authority. Bold and willful, they do not tremble as they blaspheme the glorious ones,
…also, best image of what awaits
And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
The answer is found in
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.
So, what? How and why does this relate to me, today, here...
We are being hammered by false teaching
We must not be overwhelmed by the false teachers/teachings we see, hear, are subject to
We may see revival in our land/culture…we may not
We may experience the Rapture and get pulled out of this mess…we may not
We may live our lives unscathed by the evils around us—not really likely…we may not
We may see the false teachers dealt with…or come to repentance…or we may not
We must remain faithful
…as Noah maintained his testimony and preached righteousness
…as Lot was distressed at the evil around him and followed the angelic commands to leave
>>we must follow the Word of God in spite of all that comes our way
Peter himself died (tradition) upside down on a cross; his rescue came only then
If...
Then...
God has shown his pattern of faithfulness to His people
…pattern of justice for the guilty
He will prove out to be faithful and just