11 The Coming of the Lawless One

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Good evening - welcome back. Tonight, we’ve got a really great subject - we’re going to look at one of Bible prophecy’s most important subjects. But before we get to that . . .

Questions

Question 1: Are the 144,000 in Revelation 7 and 14 a literal group of Jews?

There are several reasons why the tribes mentioned in Revelation chapter 7 can't possibly be literal Israelite tribes. The Old Testament reveals that 10 of the 12 tribes were carried away by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. "In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes." 2 Kings 17:6.

History records that long before the time of Jesus, some of the 10 tribes returned to Samaria after intermarrying with the Assyrians. Their descendants, known as Samaritans, were hated by the Jews because they were no longer "pure" Israelites in blood or religion. In fact, because the 10 tribes have been so thoroughly scattered around the world and absorbed by their host nations, today a person would be hard pressed to find even one pure descendant from the tribe of Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, or Simeon-much less 12,000 of them!

Another strong clue that Revelation is not speaking of the literal Israelite tribes is that in the Old Testament, the 12 tribes were very unequal in population numbers. Judah was very large, while Benjamin was very small. God divided the promised land in proportion to each tribe's needs. But the 144,000 is composed of 12,000 per tribe, right across the board.

So who does make up this group? I believe the answer to this question lies in the fact that God's promises to literal Israel now apply to spiritual Israel. Since the year A.D. 34, the prophecies and attention of Scripture have focused on the children of faith-either Jew or Gentile. "For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit." Romans 2:28, 29. "And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." Galatians 3:29.

So, if this group of people aren’t literal jews, but simply followers of Jesus, then what about the number, 144,000.

There are a lot of numbers in Revelation, and all of them have a meaning. There are 7 candlesticks, 7 churches, 7 seals and trumpets and bowls. There is a garland of 12 stars on the pure woman’s head, 7 heads and 10 horns on the beast in Revelation 13 and 17. There are 12 gates and 12 foundations to the new Jerusalem in Revelation 21. Are these numbers all intended to be literal? Unless they say otherwise, I think so.

But there’s something about this number that’s different than the other numbers in Revelation—all the other numbers are about entities—churches, beasts, horns, foundations. This is the only place in Revelation where God is numbering people. Secondly, the context is symbolic—God is talking about spiritual Jews, not a literal Jewish bloodline. These points make me believe that these people are numbers for a purpose, and that purpose should help us understand if the number is literal or symbolic.

There were only two time when God authorized the numbering of Israel. The first is in Numbers 2:2-3

English Standard Version Chapter 1

“Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, by clans, by fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, every male, head by head. 3 From twenty years old and upward, all in Israel who are able to go to war

The second instance is in Numbers 26:1-2

After the plague, the Lord said to Moses and to Eleazar the son of Aaron, the priest, 2 “Take a census of all the congregation of the people of Israel, from twenty years old and upward, by their fathers’ houses, all in Israel who are able to go to war.”

There were two times God numbered Israel: one before the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, and the second after the 40 years of wandering. In both cases God gave a specific purpose for the census — numbering all those who are able to go to war.

When I read the book of Revelation I see a spiritual war. Paul tells Christians to put on the whole armor of God, as though we are doing battle. He also says that we fight against spiritual powers and wickedness. And wars are always fought of territory and subjects. Notice how Revelation 7:4 says John heard a number, but then in Revelation 7:9 when he looked he SAW a great multitude which no one could number.

It seems to me that these 144,000 are a special group of people, but not because they are the only ones who will be saved at the end of the world, as some suggest. And not because they are literal, virgin, Jewish men. But because they are redeemed by Christ, they go through the last day persecution, and because they have a special calling—a work to do.

Notice in Revelation 14, immediately following the description of this group, the Bible describes three angels that “fly in the midst of heaven.” I believe that this group of people is symbolic of any who choose to be used by God to share these three angels messages with the world, and who are alive when Jesus returns.

The Bible makes it clear that these are redeemed people. That means you and I can be part of the 144,000, if we say “yes” to Jesus and let Him use us in His service, and if God sees fit for us to live until the second coming. And notice that the result of their work for Christ is a group of people that are too numerous to count. The battle in Revelation is not a battle for property, but for human hearts, and it looks like God wins the hearts of a big group of people in the end.

That sounds like good news to me.

Upcoming Meetings

Tonight, our subject is “The Coming of the Lawless One,” and this is a night where we’re really going to set the table for understanding the major themes that lead to the final crisis you read about in Revelation 13.

And that will lead into Saturday night’s presentation, “Revelation’s Sign of God.” The Bible talks about something that distinguishes God’s people - something that sets them apart - as the final crisis breaks. We’ll look at what that is, and I guarantee, some of you are going to see things in Scripture that you’ve never seen before.

On Sunday night, “Revelation’s Forgotten History.” There are things that the Bible says, and then there are things people THINK the Bible says. On Sunday night, we’re going to look for something most people assume is in the Bible, and we’ll see if it’s really there. And this isn’t just an exercise in Bible trivia; this is something that matters, and it’s directly tied to a big prophetic issue.

On Tuesday night, our subject is “A River Runs Through It.” We’re going to find a train of thought that stretches from the first pages of the Bible all the way into the book of Revelation, and people who discover this amazing thread unanimously report that they experience far more peace of mind than they used to. This is one of those nights when you’ll clearly see how reading the WHOLE Bible matters.

Then on Wednesday, I’ll talk about “Babylon Rising.” A lot of people, when they look at passages like Revelation 13, they become understandably concerned. It’s a passage that doesn’t sugarcoat the future, and it appears to be warning the human race about something very serious. But the problem that most people face is simply understanding the passage itself. So on Wednesday night, I’ll share some simple keys that will make reading that passage as simple as any other - and before we’re done, you’ll be able to tell ME what it’s talking about.

Then on Friday, what happens one minute after you die? I’ve probably heard a hundred different theories from a hundred different preachers, but on Friday night, we’re going to simply look at what the Bible actually says - and what it doesn’t say - and I think you’ll be amazed by the level of detail it actually gives.

As we get to the final topics of this seminar, we’re going to slip in a couple of extra meetings to cover everything. So that Saturday morning we’ll be looking at “Secrets of Answered Prayer.” And this is no gimmick: there really IS a key in the Bible that ensures that ALL of your prayers get answered, all the time. How many of you would be interested in knowing that?

Then on Saturday night, we’ll be looking at “God’s Strange Act.” Before human history comes to a close, the Bible says that God does something completely out of character. In the old King James Bible, it calls it “God’s Strange Act,” and when you understand what “God’s Strange Act” is really all about, you’ll discover a beautiful picture of your heavenly Father that you might never have seen before.

Then on Sunday night, the Bible talks about a prophetic moment when planet Earth is actually broken down and desolate. Some of you have been wondering when we’re going to be talking about the millennium, and this is the night. What we’ll do is gather a lot of the information that we’ve already studied, and we’ll line it up side by side - using the Bible, of course - and then we’ll step back and look at the big picture.

It’s a night you won’t want to miss, because this is one of the payoffs of all the hard work you've done.

But tonight’s subject “The Coming of the Lawless One.”

A couple of meetings ago, you might remember how we were talking about the fact that the center of Revelation is where all the big drama is: chapters 12, 13 and 14. At this point, we’ve already examined some of Revelation 12, where war broke out in heaven, and we saw the origins of the rebellion against God.

Then we took a preliminary look at Revelation 14, and on a coming night, we’re going back to that chapter in a lot more detail.

On a coming night, we’re going to study Revelation 13, where a beast comes out of the sea.

But in order to really understand chapter 13, we need to lay a foundation. We need to study some things that would have been really obvious to a first century audience - but here in the 21st century, a lot of time has passed, and we’ve forgotten a few basics. We have to do a little bit of homework.

And that’s what we’re going to do tonight. We’re going to look at a critical end-time issue, and we’re going to start building a foundation.

PRAYER

The other night, we studied a VERY important prophecy: the second Coming of Christ. And while we examined some popular theories in light of what the Bible says, we came across a passage where Paul says the antichrist has to come before Jesus returns for the church. (If you missed that night, you might want to go back and get the material, because it laid some really important foundations.)

Tonight, I want to dig just a little bit deeper, because Paul goes on to identify a HUGE last-day issue that is intimately connected with the antichrist. Let’s look at what he says to the Thessalonian church in Second Thessalonians 2:3-4

2 Thess 2:3-4

Let no one deceive you by any means, for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.

who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.

There’s just no question about the Bible’s order of last-day events: the antichrist reveals himself BEFORE Jesus comes to get His believers. And of course, that means that you and I will still be here on this planet when he’s working his deceptions, and that means we need to have our eyes wide open.

I want you to notice: there are two things Paul says must happen before Jesus comes:

First of all, he says there will be a great “falling away,” which means that we can expect an apostasy INSIDE Christianity before Jesus comes.

Then he says that the “man of sin” appears before the second coming of Christ.

The Bible is crystal clear: these two things have to happen BEFORE Jesus comes.

But then Paul goes on to say something VERY interesting:

2 Thes 2:7

For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work…

Paul says that you and I can expect a “falling away” - an apostasy - and then he says that lawlessness is a big last-day issue. In fact, he says that it was already an issue back in his day. So the “mystery of lawlessness” is a problem that finds its roots in the earliest days of the church and it will grow and grow until the antichrist is revealed.

The issue is lawlessness - and it’s not a small issue. In another passage, Paul looks forward to the final generations living on this planet, and he describes a really tragic problem:

2 Timothy 3:1-4

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers,

disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God.

I don’t know if any of that rings a bell for you - but if there has ever been a generation that answers to that description, you’ve got to admit our world is a pretty good fit.

You and I live in a world of broken homes, endless lawsuits, and violence in the streets. It’s not the same world that many of us were born into - and the violence seems to be getting more frequent and far more brutal. It’s hard to imagine, but there was a time - not too long ago - when parents actually let their kids out of their sight, because they weren’t worried. You could go where you wanted, and do what you wanted - as long as you came home in time for supper.

But that’s not the world we live in now. Now a mother panics if she can’t see her kids for a few minutes - and with good reason.

This is a profoundly religious nation - we call ourselves the “Christian west”, but for some reason, in spite of all that Christianity, we still feel the need to lock our houses and keep the police on speed-dial.

And of course the question is: how did this happen? How did the world change so quickly?

Maybe it has something to do with the stream of ungodly information we feed our minds, day in and day out.

Or maybe there’s another problem.

Have you ever heard of a theory called “Situation Ethics?” It was popularized by the famous professor Joseph Fletcher back in the 1960s, and it taught a system of ethics known as relativism. It was popular enough that it became the way most of our generation has been taught to think.

What situational ethics teaches is that morality depends on the situation. There are no hard and fast rules about what’s right and wrong. Something that you normally consider to be wrong MIGHT be right if the circumstances are right.

So, for example: let’s suppose you crash your car out in the country, and your spouse is trapped under the vehicle. You’re not strong enough to lift the car, so you run down the road looking for help - and eventually, you find a house. But when you knock on the door, the man inside the house is nervous and refuses to answer. He just tells you to go away.

And that’s when you notice his son, playing in the yard. How hard would you be willing to twist the boy’s arm in order to convince him to open the door or call for help?

Of course, normally, you WOULDN’T torture a child like that - but in this case, you might consider it if it saved someone’s life.

That’s situation ethics - that’s an actual example from a philosophy course - and what it usually does is use unlikely scenarios to raise doubts about morality. It teaches that anything MIGHT be right, given the right circumstances: if you can justify it, then you can do it.

And now we have a generation that isn’t sure if there’s such a thing as absolute right and wrong. Instead of “that’s right” or “that’s wrong” - what we say is “that’s true for ME, but not for YOU.”

“That might be YOUR truth, but it’s not MY truth.”

And if you listen very carefully to what people are saying, you’ll hear echoes of the original question that the serpent asked Eve in the Garden of Eden:

“Has God really said…?”

It’s basically the same lie, repackaged for our generation. It doesn’t challenge the morality of God outright - instead, it just raises questions. “Maybe God didn’t really mean it in cases like THIS!”

And it always seems to use UNUSUAL situations - rare circumstances - to help confuse the matter. They use examples that will never happen to most of us, and they seem to fail to point out that sometimes, you’re choosing between two evils, and neither option is actually good.

It’s a mental exercise that raises questions over biblical morality - and it really HAS changed the way our generation thinks. A while back, I came across an educational pamphlet that was being handed out to kids in school. Listen to what it says:

A Booklet for Teens

Early on in life, you will be exposed to different value systems from your family, church, or synagogue, and friends. You may accept some of these values

without questioning whether or not they are the right values for you. But you may eventually realize that some of these values conflict with each other.

Now for the most part, that’s absolutely right: that IS the experience that a lot of kids go through. But what I want you to notice is the subtle way that it raises questions about morality. It says there are competing values in this world, which is true: but then it adopts a really neutral tone that makes it seem like there’s a huge buffet of equally valid moral options.

There are the values that everybody else has, and then there are the “right values for YOU.” In other words, everybody gets to decide for themselves. You become the final court of arbitration - the ultimate reference point for right and wrong. Never mind what’s right for everybody: just figure out what’s right for you, because there is no objective standard.

Listen to how the pamphlet concludes:

It is up to you to decide your own value system, to build your own ethical code… You will have to learn what is right for yourself through experience.”

We’re teaching kids that THEY are the center of the universe. There is no absolute right or wrong - only what YOU say is right or wrong. We’re teaching our young people to go with how they FEEL instead of what they KNOW. And that’s dangerous, because as you know, feelings are a notoriously bad way to assess reality. Feelings change all the time, and they don’t always reflect the truth.

This kind of thinking has led to some really troubling situations, including this story that showed up in US News and World Report all the way back in 2002.

73% of students said that when their professors taught about ethical issues, the usual message was that uniform standards of right and wrong don’t exist.

Now that’s true. If you went to a secular college in the last 40 years, and you took any kind of philosophy or humanities course, that’s exactly what they’re taught. And unfortunately, it’s led to some really disastrous thinking:

10-20% of students could not bring themselves to criticize the Nazi extermination of Europe’s Jews. Some students expressed personal distaste for what the

Nazis did. But they were not willing to say that the Nazis were wrong, since no culture can be judged from the outside and no individual can challenge the world-view of another.”

If 20% of a class can be confused about mass murder and genocide, then you can get confused about anything. Of COURSE you can judge the Nazis. Of COURSE genocide is wrong.

But we live in a world that is getting more confused by the minute. And you’ve got to wonder: what effect is this kind of thinking having on our marriages - on our personal and business relationships? What is this doing to basic honesty?

And what’s sad is that it’s not just the secular world saying this stuff; I hear Christians saying it, too - and some people get condemned as dogmatic and legalistic if they insist that God might have an immovable moral standard. Now, some people ARE dogmatic and legalistic - they’re just plain nasty - but is it legalism to say that God has a permanent moral standard?

If you and I choose to believe that human beings can build their own morality, we’re going to run into trouble with the ethics and morality of Jesus. Let me show you what I mean:

Matt 7:21-23

Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,” shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Now here’s what I want you to notice: Jesus isn’t talking to atheists or secular college professors. He’s talking to deeply religious people - people who call Him “Lord.” One thing you’re going to notice about the Bible is that it spends far more time talking about the sins of God’s people than it does pointing fingers at people who don’t believe.

And this passage is aimed directly at people who claim to believe in God - but they’re not on their way to heaven, because they will not do the will of God. They refuse to do what’s right.

Now does that sound like God has no standards? Of course not.

And of course, we all know that you can’t do enough good things to earn a spot in heaven, because salvation is a gift that was purchased by the blood of Christ. But at the same time, Jesus says how you behave still matters. Listen to this:

Matt 7:21-23

Many will say to Me in that day, “Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in your name, and done many wonders in your name?

And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!”

What is the issue? The issue is lawlessness. In the Greek language, this is the very same word Paul used to describe the “mystery of lawlessness” - the trend that starts in HIS day and gets worse and worse until the day that Jesus comes.

And again, notice: Jesus is talking to religious people. They call Jesus “Lord,” but they live lawless lives. They’re not doing what God asks.

They’re just going through the motions - having a form of godliness but denying the power. They might put on a great church service - they might talk a good game - they might even work incredible signs and wonders - but they’re still lost, because they refuse do what God asks.

According to the Bible, contempt for God’s moral standards is going to be a HUGE last-day issue - even among God’s own people. Jesus makes it absolutely clear - Paul makes it absolutely clear - and unfortunately, you and I appear to be the generation they’re describing.

So let’s do a little bit of hard thinking. Let me ask you a difficult question tonight:

Has lawlessness crept into the Christian faith?

It’s easy to point your finger at the world and say, “look - they’re practicing lawlessness, just like the Bible predicted” . . . but never forget: MOST of Bible prophecy is actually addressed to God’s own people. The Old Testament points out the sins of Israel - and the New Testament points out the sins of the church.

And when Jesus says there will be lawlessness in the last days - and Paul says there will be lawlessness in the last days - when the Bible predicts a “falling away” - it’s not talking about outsiders - it’s talking about THE CHURCH.

So if we’re going to be honest with Bible prophecy, we have to consider the possibility that we answer to this description - especially if we really ARE the last-day generation.

The question isn’t: did Joseph Fletcher preach lawlessness? The question is: are we living it?

A fairly recent Gallup poll made this uncomfortable discovery:

There is very little difference in the behavior of the churched and the unchurched on a wide range of items, including lying, cheating, and stealing.

What did they discover? Christians are lying, and cheating and stealing just like everybody else.

So maybe - when the world points at Christians and calls them hypocrites - maybe they have a point. Maybe our behavior IS NOT consistent with the teachings of the Bible.

I hope you don’t mind if I ask some hard questions tonight.

Let me ask you this: where do modern Christians get the idea that sin doesn’t matter? Previous generations didn’t think that way.

Where do we get the idea that it’s OK to live in conflict with God’s moral law - to live any way we please?

Let me show you something really interesting I came across recently, because I think it might help explain where our thinking started to go wrong.

This comes from a VERY popular book on Bible prophecy - and the name of the author doesn’t really matter tonight, because you can find this kind of thinking in all SORTS of Christian writing. Listen to this very carefully.

When He as God’s only begotten Son gave Himself to die on that cross for the “sins of the whole world,” He ended the age of law and introduced the age of grace. From that time on,

individuals have been able to be eternally saved “through faith” by repenting of their sins and calling on Christ to save them. That is why it is called the “age of grace.”

Now there’s a lot of truth in that quote. We ARE saved by grace, and we can’t earn our salvation. That much is true. But listen carefully to what he’s actually saying: he’s saying that salvation comes by grace through faith ONLY for people who lived after the cross of Christ.

Only for people in the New Testament era.

And that would mean that BEFORE the cross, there must have been some other way to be saved. I mean, there MUST have been, because Hebrews chapter 11 tells me that all those notable Bible characters from the Old Testament are going to be in heaven, too.

So how were THEY saved?

Were they saved by their obedience?

Were they saved by the sacrifices?

And if that’s true, would that mean God actually has two different methods of salvation?

Absolutely NOT! Hebrews 10:4 makes it abundantly clear that the animal sacrifices in the Old Testament didn’t SAVE anybody. “It is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins,” the Bible teaches.

The fact is, there is only ONE way into heaven - Old Testament or New Testament. Listen to the words of the Bible:

Acts 4:12

Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

It doesn’t say “unless you lived in the Old Testament.” It says there is only ONE way - and that ONE way is Jesus.

The Bible teaches - very clearly - that salvation has ALWAYS been through Jesus. You and I look back to the cross by faith - we believe that the cross saves us - and the Old Testament people of God believed the same thing. They looked FORWARD to the cross, and all those sacrifices were just a stand-in for people waiting for the Lamb of God - a way for them to visualize what Christ was going to do for them.

The Bible teaches in the book of Romans that “the just shall live by faith,” and many people think that’s a New Testament concept - but when Paul said, “the just shall live by faith,” he was actually quoting the Old Testament:

He was quoting from the book of Habakkuk.

Now follow me VERY carefully, because a lot of Christians have been preaching something that just isn’t true. Salvation has been the same for EVERY generation: Old Testament or New Testament.

Salvation has always been through Jesus Christ, and no other way.

It’s just that in the Old Testament, the cross hadn’t happened yet, so they looked forward by faith. All those sacrifices were pointing to Jesus, and it was still a matter of faith. The book of Hebrews says that Abel offered a “better sacrifice” through FAITH.

Nobody earned it. Nobody shed enough animal blood to buy a spot in the kingdom. They were acting by faith, looking forward to the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

There is no “age of law” and “age of grace” when it comes to human salvation. Read the Bible carefully, and you’ll see that it’s ALWAYS been the age of grace. In fact, the Bible says - very explicitly - that Abraham was NOT saved by keeping God’s law. He was saved by faith:

Romans 4:2, 3

For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God.

Now tell me: was Abraham Old Testament or New Testament? He was Old Testament.

English Standard Version Chapter 4

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.”

How was Abraham saved? Through BELIEF. He had a relationship with God based on FAITH.

Old Testament - New Testament - everybody who has been saved has been saved by FAITH. That much is crystal clear in the Bible.

And yet some people are confused. They insist that the Old Testament was the “age of law,” and they get confused because the Bible DOES say there was a “law” that was abolished when Jesus died on the cross.

But what does it mean?

It’s really very simple: the Bible talks about more than one kind of law. In fact, it talks about four of them, but really, there are two major categories.

On the one hand, you’ve got the moral law of God - the Ten Commandments, engraved in stone by the finger of God. It was the law they kept INSIDE the Ark of the Covenant, which (if you remember) represented the throne of God. God’s government is based on moral law.

And of course, the Ten Commandments contain principles that are true for all time: you shall not murder, you shall not steal, and so on.

But then there was another law that the Israelites kept BESIDE the Ark of the Covenant. It was was written with human handwriting, and it was the ceremonial law. This was the law that told you how to sacrifice animals, how to keep the feasts, and how to run the temple.

So between those two laws, which one do you think became unnecessary the day that Jesus - the true Lamb of God - died on the cross?

It’s the ceremonial law. That’s why the hand of God ripped the veil in the Temple in half the day that Jesus died. They no longer needed the sacrificial system, because the REAL Lamb of God had come. We no longer needed the earthly temple, because now the REAL High Priest has gone into HEAVEN’S sanctuary to represent us before the throne of God.

Salvation has ALWAYS been by faith. There has NEVER been another way.

WE look back to the cross - and they looked forward to the cross.

And when Jesus died, the ceremonial law was dismissed - because we simply didn’t need it.

But the moral law - the Ten Commandments - that can NEVER be dismissed. Do you know why?

It’s because the moral law defines sin. It tells us what sin is:

Listen to this: I like the way the Old King James states it.

1 John 3:4

Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

Sin is what? The transgression of the law.

So here’s an easy question: do we still have sin in our world tonight? Of course we do. And that means people are breaking God’s moral law.

If the moral law was abolished at the cross - if those laws didn’t matter - then sin wouldn’t even exist. And if sin didn’t exist, there would be no such thing as sinners. And if there were no sinners - then we wouldn’t need a Savior.

And you know THAT’S not true.

If there is still such a thing as sin, there is still such a thing as a moral law that people are violating.

And yet some people insist that God abolished His moral law at the cross.

Some people say that Jesus abolished the Ten Commandments at the cross, and it no longer applies to Christians. I’ve heard that more than once - I’ve read it in books - I’ve heard it in sermons - I’ve seen it on Christian TV — so I looked for it in the pages of the Bible . . . and I couldn’t find it. In fact, I found just the opposite. Listen to the words of Jesus:

Matt 5:18, 19

For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass away from the law till all is fulfilled.

A jot is like the dotting of an “i”, and a tittle is like the crossing of a “t”. In other words, not even one tiny detail will pass away from God’s law.

whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;

but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Now let’s be honest with what the Bible says: does that sound to you like God’s moral law has been abolished? Absolutely not. In fact, do me a favor: everybody lift one leg up in the air.

Now go ahead and stomp on the ground. Do it again.

Let me ask you a question: is the earth still there beneath your feet? Yes, it is: and according to Jesus, that means that God’s law is still in effect. Is that clear?

“But wait a minute: I thought the Ten Commandments were just for the Jews. God gave them to the Jewish people at Mount Sinai, and I’m a Gentile, so they don’t apply to me.”

Well, let’s think about that. If that’s true - if God made up His moral law at Mount Sinai, and sin is transgression of the law, that would mean there was no sin before Moses, and we know that’s not true.

So the question is: did the Ten Commandment exist BEFORE Mount Sinai? Well, let’s think about Abraham:

Let me ask you: was Abraham a Jew? No, he wasn’t. There were no Jews for several hundred years AFTER Abraham. And yet listen carefully to one of the things that God liked best about Abraham:

Genesis 26:5

Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Think about this carefully. The Bible teaches that Abraham was keeping God’s law HUNDREDS of years before Mount Sinai. We already know that Abraham was saved by faith, and not by works... and yet the Bible is clear that Abraham KEPT GOD’S LAW.

Let me give you another story to think about.

What about Cain and Abel? The Bible says that Cain murdered his brother, and he was punished for doing it.

And why was it wrong for Cain to kill his brother? It’s because God’s moral law says “you shall not kill.” Apparently, the commandment against murder was binding LONG before Mount Sinai - it’s an eternal principle. It’s always been true.

What about Lucifer?

Long before Mount Sinai, Lucifer lied to Adam and Eve - he lied to the angels in heaven - he coveted the throne of God - and he called himself a god. These are all violations of the Ten Commandments, and they were already considered wrong LONG before Moses got a copy of the moral law on Mount Sinai.

People say that God’s moral law was just for the Jews, but honestly, that’s because they haven’t read the whole book. The moral law is eternal, and the moral law is very important.

It’s not as if God was bored one day and said, “Let’s see if I can think up some new rules to ruin everybody’s fun.”

That’s not what God is like. There are some very good reasons for God’s moral law.

First of all: the Ten Commandments just make good sense. Who wouldn’t want to live in a world where everybody kept those laws? I WANT to live in a world where people don’t steal, and I don’t have to lock my door or install a security system.

I WANT to live in a place where nobody murders - it would make me sleep a whole lot better at night!

I’d LIKE to live in a place where people keep their word and they don’t commit adultery!

I’ve been in places where morality DOESN’T matter, and I can tell you, God’s way is better.

So God’s laws make good sense. But furthermore, God’s law is actually a picture of who God IS. The moral law exists simply because GOD exists.

When God says, “do not murder,” He’s saying, “I want you to value life because I value life.”

When God says, “do not bear false witness,” He’s saying, “I want you to be honest, because I am honest.”

When God says, “do not steal,” He’s saying, “I want you to respect other people because I respect them.”

The law is a picture of God - it shows us what God is like. And honestly, that’s the reason the devil hates the moral law of God. He knows that anybody who studies that law will discover that God is everything He’s ever claimed to be. They’re going to discover that God is love, and God is good.

That’s why the devil wants lawlessness - not just because he wants bad behavior. The devil is trying to obliterate the name (or the character) of God from the earth, and he’s trying to keep you from writing God’s name in your forehead.

“But I’m pretty sure I’ve heard that God abolished that law!”

I know. I’ve heard it, too. But let me assure you: it is completely impossible for God to get rid of the moral law, because it’s a picture of who He is, and God never changes.

The Bible says that God is the same “yesterday, today and forever.” And to be quite honest, I wouldn’t WANT a God who changes. Everything in this world changes all the time, and I want something that doesn’t change.

I want to KNOW: when God says He loves me, He’s not going to change His mind. When God says He is merciful, that’s not going to change either. When God says that I can be part of His kingdom, that the cross of Christ is enough to secure my salvation - that’s not going to change.

I like the fact that you can always count on God. And if you LET Him, He’ll start to write those moral principles - His own character - right on your heart. He’ll write His name on your forehead so that you become like Jesus.

Listen to the promise of the Bible:

This is the book of Hebrews - which means it’s in the New Testament.

Hebrews 10:16

This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, says the Lord: I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds I will write them.

Don’t forget: there’s a battle raging for the human mind - and tonight, God says, “if you’ll just let Me in, I’ll help you win that battle. I’ll make a brand new creature out of you. Let me write My NAME in your forehead - let me write My character in your heart. Let me change you.”

And honestly? That’s how you tell the difference between people who profess godliness but deny its power and people who are willing to follow the Lamb wherever He goes.

You can tell who the real Christians are - not because they’re perfect - but because they’re willing to live out the character of God in their lives.

Listen carefully to what God says:

1 John 2:3, 4

Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.

He who says, “i know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.

Now again: this is the New Testament.

And the Bible says - in the New Testament - that if we claim to know God, but we won’t keep His commandments, then we’re lying.

It’s the same thing Jesus said: in the last days, people will say “Lord, Lord,” but they won’t do the will of God the Father.

It’s not a real relationship. It’s what Paul describes: a form of godliness that denies the real power of the living Christ.

How can you identify a real Christian? They follow the Lamb wherever He goes. Sure, they make mistakes - but then they pick back up, and they keep on heading in the right direction.

In Revelation 14, the Bible says that God’s NAME is written in the foreheads of His last-day people - and then you see another description of them just a few verses later. Listen to this:

Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring,

who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

It’s the same thing as having God’s Name written in your forehead. God’s name is a picture of His perfect character - and so is His Ten Commandment moral law. In the last days, there are people who KEEP God’s law - they VALUE it, because it’s who God is!

These people have given their hearts and minds to God, and they WANT to do what God asks them to do.

And in the last crisis, that’s what makes the devil furious with them:

You see, in the end, there are only two sides.

One group follows the dragon, and the other group follows the Lamb.

Those are your only two options. And when the devil sees people who keep the commandments of God, it makes him angry. Why?

It’s because those people are proving that he’s a liar. Those people are showing the truth about God to the whole world. They live by God’s moral principles, and because of that, the whole world can see that God is love.

Jesus once said, “I have shown Your name to my disciples,” and in the last days, God has a people who do the same thing: they show the name of God - the character of God - to the world.

And why do they do it? Out of a sense of duty? Out of sheer obligation? Because they have a checklist, and they want to be sure they cross everything off so they qualify for heaven?

Not at all. The reason is really very simple. Jesus said:

John 14:15

If you love me, keep my commandments.

It’s as simple as that. Nobody’s trying to buy their way into heaven. Nobody’s trying to earn brownie points. You simply love Jesus, so you do it.

Those of you who are married understand: guys, you don’t just pick up your clothes and make the bed just to earn brownie points with your wife. You do it because it puts a smile on her face. And ladies, you don’t do nice things for your husband just because you’re trying to earn his favor. You do it because you love him.

“But wait a minute! Aren’t there are passages in the New Testament that explicitly say the commandments have been abolished?”

Well, no there aren’t. Some people THINK there are, but that’s because they haven’t read the whole thing.

Let’s look at one passage that some people find a little confusing.

Romans 3:28

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

“Aha! See? It says the law is gone!”

Is that what it says? Let’s look at it carefully. Paul says you can’t be justified - you can’t EARN your salvation - by keeping the law, which is absolutely true. Jesus purchased your salvation, and keeping God’s law doesn’t buy you a spot in heaven.

But some people go one step further with this text, and they take this to mean that the moral law is gone - it doesn’t matter. But again: that’s because they didn’t read the whole thing. Listen to what it says just a couple of verses later:

Romans 3:31

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.

In other words, the fact that Jesus had to die for our sins establishes the eternal permanence of God’s law - and the fact that we are saved by the blood of Christ makes us want to KEEP it.

Do you see how important it is to read the whole book?

There’s one more text, also found in the book of Romans, and this one really confuses some people:

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

There you go - the law is abolished because now we’re living “under grace!” Obviously, God’s moral law is gone - it’s become irrelevant.

Not quite.

Let me ask you a really uncomfortable question, and you don’t have to answer out loud: have you ever been pulled over by the cops?

Let’s say you’re going 75 in a 55-mile-per-hour zone, and suddenly, you see the red and blue lights in your mirror. With your heart sinking (and some of you know the feeling), you pull over to the side of the road, you roll down your window and you wait.

At that moment, you are under the law. You’ve broken the law, you’re guilty, and there’s nothing to do but wait for your punishment. There’s no question about it: you’re going to get a ticket!

But’s say the cop is in a good mood. Let’s pretend it’s his birthday, and he’s decided he’s going to let you off with a warning. Is that what you deserve? No. You’re guilty, and you’re under the law. You’re going to have to pay the price.

But the warning is grace - it’s a pardon that you don’t deserve. So you’re free to go - no ticket, no penalty. Now you’re under grace.

So let me ask you: if you’re under grace, do you have blanket permission to ignore the laws of the land and drive as fast as you want from now on?

Of course not: that undeserved pardon actually makes you want to KEEP the law.

Now let’s look at that verse again.

Romans 6:14

For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

You and I have a pardon that we don’t deserve. We don’t have to pay the price for being under the law, because Jesus already paid for that. So now we live under grace. But that doesn’t mean we’re free to do what we want.

In fact, listen to the very next verse - the part nobody ever seems to read:

Romans 6:15

What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!

Do you see how easy this is if you read the whole thing?

The purpose of the law is to show us the character of God, and at the same time, to show us - by contrast - what WE look like. The Bible says the moral law of God is a like a mirror:

James 1:23-25

For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror;

for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.

But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

Notice how James calls the law of God the “law of liberty.” That’s because you’re not really free without God in your life. Nobody’s really free in a world where we live with murder, and theft, and adultery. Nobody’s really free when they’re lost in sin.

You and I are not free until we’re living in the kingdom of Christ.

And James says that God’s law is like a mirror. It shows you what you really look like. When God’s law says “you shall not steal,” you begin to notice that you have been less than honest in your life. When God’s law says that you ought to value human life, and you notice that Jesus says hatred is the same as murder, your own record begins to look far less than perfect.

You know, before I came to the meeting tonight, I looked into the mirror, and I noticed that I had some spinach caught between my teeth. It was really ugly and embarrassing - so I fixed it.

I smashed the mirror. Problem solved.

No? What’s the real solution? Brush your teeth!

The same is true with God’s Ten Commandments. Some people think, when God’s law points out our flaws, the solution is to smash the mirror - abolish the law - but in reality that solves nothing. Instead, when we see our sins, we need to run to Jesus and let HIM deal with it.

That’s what it says in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 19:7

The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of the Lord si sure, making wise the simple.

How does God’s law convert the soul? It shows us our sins, and drives us to Jesus. It forces us to stand at the foot of the cross and deal with who we really are, and with who God is. It forces us to deal with reality.

There are only two kinds of people in this world: pigs and sheep. A pig and a sheep are both running through a field, and they fall into a big mud puddle. Both of them are dirty - so in that regard, they’re exactly the same.

But the pig and the sheep react differently. The pig LOVES the mud. He rolls around it, and enjoys it. You’ll never get him to come back out. But the sheep is different. He DOESN’T like the mud, so he climbs out of the puddle, and he goes to the Shepherd, who’s more than happy to clean him off.

All have sinned and come short of the glory of God, the Bible says. You and I are both in the mud - we have broken God’s law. The only real question is what we’re going to do about it.

So I know: some of you are wondering - what does this have to do with Bible prophecy?

It has everything to do with it.

It’s a huge last-day issue. Look again at this description of God’s last-day people.

Revelation 12:17

And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring,

who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

Who does the dragon hate? The people who have the testimony of Jesus and keep the commandments of God. There’s just no getting around it.

The Bible says the same thing in Revelation 14:12

Here is the patience of the saints; here are those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

This is a description of God’s last-day people - the ones who stand on Mount Zion with the Lamb, having the Father’s Name written in their foreheads.

In the ancient Roman world, prisoners of war were often sold as slaves. And as the story goes, there was a slave auction in a public market, and a slave who did NOT want to be sold. As the bidding started, he spit at the audience and swore that he’d never work for any of them. That didn’t seem to stop the Romans, and the bidding continued.

And there was one man who seemed absolutely determined to buy the angry slave. Every time someone raised the bid, he quickly bid just a little bit more. And eventually, he won: he bought the bitter man and led him away in chains.

“I will NEVER serve you!” the slave sputtered.

And that’s when they turned a bend in the road. The owner stopped - removed all the chains - and said, “okay, you’re free to go.”

It took a moment for reality to sink in, but once it did, the slave started to walk away. A few minutes later, he came back, incredulous. “You mean to say that you paid all that money for me just to set me free?”

“That’s right.”

“In that case, I’ve got nowhere to go, and if you’ll have me, I’d like to come and work for you.” And he worked for that man until the day he died.

Some years ago, Jesus climbed a hill with a cross on His back. It wasn’t His cross; it was yours. And even though He was perfectly innocent, He purchased you with His life. He paid everything He had to set you free.

And tonight, you’re free to respond however you want - but honestly, how could you ever say “no” to a God like that? How can you say “no” to Jesus? I’m going to serve Him with the rest of my life. Not because I HAVE to, but because I love Him.

Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep my commandments.” God’s plans for you tonight are HUGE. Most of us have been taking control of our own lives and coloring outside of the lines. But tonight, that can change. Tonight, you can allow God to start etching His own heart and mind on yours.

The ushers are going to hand out a card. If you were here when we talked about the Man of Revelation, you’ll be familiar with this card. You don’t have to fill this out, but I’d like you to so that I can pray for you.

You might not be perfect, and you WILL make mistakes - I promise - but tonight, you’re sensing that you want something more. You’d rather color INSIDE the lines with God’s help - because you can see what your sins did to Jesus. Tonight, you can see what Jesus paid for you, and with His help, you’d like to start living differently.

There are four little boxes. Check off any that apply, and then jot your name down so I can pray for you.

The first line says: I believe that salvation comes only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. If you believe, then you can check that box. If you’ve been a Christian for 75 years, you can check that box. If you believe for the first time tonight, you can check that box.

The second line says: I repent of my sins and accept Jesus as my personal Savior, believing that my sins are forgiven and His gift of eternal life is mine. Its because of the law that we can see our hearts and recognize sine. If you realize that you’re life has been out of sync with God’s word in any way, and you’d like to tell God that you are ready to receive Jesus love for you and return His love in obedience, then check the second box. Honestly, everyone in this room could check this box.

The third line says: I once knew Jesus, but have drifted away. Tonight I recommit my life to Christ. If you’ve been adrift spiritually and you’d like to return to Jesus, then check this box.

The fourth line says: Because of my desire to follow Jesus, I would like to be baptized soon. This is just for those of you who have heard about baptism and you’d either like more information about it, or you’re ready to take that step. Don’t feel any pressure to check that box, but if God is nudging you in that direction, then go ahead and I’ll touch base with you in the next couple of days to answer any questions you have.

The ushers are going to come by with some baskets. Go ahead and drop that card in upside down.

Do you notice that every meeting or two I invite you to make a decision? This is a regular part of studying the Bible. As we explore God’s Word he asks us to be “doers” and not just “hearers.” That means that when we learn something from the Bible we need to take a step in faith and apply it. If you still have questions and want more biblical context for a topic, please ask a question. But if what you’re hearing makes sense to you, then now is the time to make a decision and step forward in faith.

Let’s pray together:

Father, tonight, nothing could be clearer: You are everything You’ve ever claimed to be. The cross proves that You are love. The death of Your Son proves that You value us beyond anything else, and we can see that You really ARE a God of love. That’s Your character. That’s who You are. And so tonight, we’re asking You to write that same character in our hearts. Let us live the kind of lives where the world can see who You are just by watching us. Change us to be more like Jesus, we pray - in His wonderful name, Amen.

Saturday night: another foundational topic, “Revelation’s Sign of God.” Good night - God bless you, and we’ll see you tomorrow night.