Damsel in Distress

18: Introduction: Keaneu Reeves to Drew Berrymoore who said, "I am a lover not a fighter." "No, no because if you are a lover, you gotta be a fighter." Drew, "How So." Keanu, "Because if you don't fight for your love, than what kind of love do you have?"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZo7slu6xqw

Different Damsel in Distress Stories:

Princess Bride, Sleeping Beauty, King Arthur???, Shrek kind of makes fun of all of these.

19: Jesus Wins by Defeating the Enemy.

The first half of this passage is songs of praise for God destroying Babylon.

Re-Cap -

Babylon - Is Rome of John’s Day, but is symbolic for any city throughout history that through corruption, violence, etc. woos the nations away from God towards a luxurious lifestyle through the exploitation of those they conquered - Slavery and corruption.

The Babylons of this world are judged by God by means of active/passive judgement.

Active - God removes his Common Grace completely allowing the Babylons to receive the full consequences of their way of operating in the world.

Passive - This allows them to be judged in a way they have judged others. They receive what they gave out to others - They are conquered, seiged, sold into slavery.

They are consumed by their sin and their God.

All Nations will be judged - Here the picture is the smoke going up forever - a Picture of complete destruction - never to return.

Why do the people celebrate?

Because they have been saved from the Injustices and the corruption of this world.

This is actually normal.

20: Celebration at VJ Day: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aZ1jHeN1hBI

But here is why everyone is celebrating. Jesus wins by defeating His enemies, and does so in order to...

21: Jesus Wins His Bride.

1. The wedding language of 19:6–8 is a critical way of viewing the promised victory of God.

- Israel had long been known as God’s bride.

God Made a covenent with Israel, God committed to Israel.

But the other nations around Israel would try to lead her astray with other gods...

But here God wins her back by defeating the enemies through Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The picture of 19:6–8 is of that promised wedding ceremony.

The promise of a final home and eternal provision of safety, stability, and fidelity is what John has in mind here.

Johnson describes it well: “The bride is the heavenly city, the New Jerusalem (21:2, 9), which is the symbol of the church, the bride of Christ the community of those redeemed by Christ’s blood. The wedding imagery, including the wedding supper, was for the Jews a familiar image of the kingdom of God. Jesus used wedding and banquet imagery in his parables of the kingdom (Matt 22:2ff.; 25:1–13; Luke 14:15–24). The OT used the figure for the bride of Israel (Ezek 16:1ff.; Hos 2:19), and NT writers have applied it to the church (2 Cor 11:2; Eph 5:25ff.). Heaven’s rejoicing has signaled the defeat of all the enemies of God. The time of betrothal has ended. Now it is the time for the church, prepared by loyalty, and suffering, to enter into her full experience of salvation and glory with her beloved spouse, Christ” (Alan Johnson, Hebrews–Revelation, Expositor’s Bible Commentary [Grand Rapids, Zondervan, 463], 571, Logos).

The Tale of Two Cities Contrasted.

Babylon - Depicted as a Prostitute - seduces people away from God.

Here the Bride - A Relationship of Commitment and Love between God and Believers.

What we know about this Bride.

This is the church from all times, all places, all nations, all people groups.

Instead of the luxurious garments of Babylon. They wear simple white robes washed in the blood of the lamb. - Grace.

The are prepared for their wedding day, because....

They received Jesus as their Lord and Savior - Allegience to Him.

Jesus absorbed their sin when he died on the cross - imagry of the lamb who had been slain.

And they Patiently Endured - persecutions and martyrdom.

They did not take vengeance themselves - They let God take vengeance.

Humans have been trying to save themselves, and this world for 1,000’s of years. And it has not worked. It is because there is an enemy that needs to be defeated. That enemy is your sin. That Enemy is a world led by Satan to draw you away from God. We all need saving.

22: Next Step:

Receive Jesus as your Savior.

So this is why they are singing, It’s a party.

23: Let’s Celebrate.

Picture of Wedding Celebrations

- The Table

- 24: Video of Wedding Dancing

25: This picture is given before the end has come.

The 7 churches are just starting to be persecuted.

Sin is still in our world.

We face various challenges that could cause us to despair and fear.

However, the promise of Jesus is that victory is to come. While a wedding is likely a metaphor for our final status, it was meant to remind the believers not to lose heart. Whatever we are facing is not for our destruction but for the preparation of an eternal dwelling where we will no longer be subject to ongoing distractions of the “Babylon”; at his return Jesus will render his judgment final and our freedom complete.

- The idea at the end that Jesus alone should be worshipped and that the Spirit of Prophecy is about Jesus. This takes us back to the beginning of the book which reminds us that the book is the Revalation of Jesus.

Johnson states, “Whenever a Christian gives anyone or anything other than God control of his life, he has broken the first commandment” (Johnson, Hebrews–Revelation, 573) Confusing the Creator with his creation is one way of abandoning the unfathomable nature of God for a poor imitation. Leon Morris sums it up this way: “There is no place in Christianity for the worship of any but God. John is immediately checked with ‘See not’ (hora mē), where the abruptness lends emphasis to the prohibition. It is clear that some early Christians were tempted to worship angels (Col. 2:18). This passage rebukes and discourages the practice” (Leon Morris, Revelation: An Introduction and Commentary, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries 20 [Downers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 1987], 217, Logos).

A Reminder that for us this is Worship of the finally victory that is yet to come. This is how we can worship while we are in the battles of life, and we don't feel victorious. We Worship in light of the end.

26: Action Step:

Worship Jesus Personally

Worship Jesus with the Whole Bride of Christ.

Conclusion:

Most people like fairy tale movies. My family watched West Side Story over Christmas Break. Not a Happy ending. But the Book of Revelation and God’s Story has that happy Ending. God wins over Evil, and those who receive Jesus will have a great party for eternity celebrating their liberation from evil, sin, suffering, injustice, idols, and the constant lure of a world that wants to keep us from the one being in this universe that truly loves us completely.