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REVELATION - Behold, I am Coming Soon
Studies in the Book of Revelation
BOOK 4 - THY KINGDOM COME (REVELATION 10:1 - 12:17) – The two witnesses of the last days and the expulsion of Satan from heaven
PART 4.4 - THE SEVENTH TRUMPET SOUNDS (REVELATION 11:14-19)

2. The Worship of God by the 24 Elders (Revelation 11:16-18)


The Rage of the World and the Wrath of God: The 24 saints in the throne room of God bear witness that in the end times the nations will consciously revolt against God and His commandments, against His redemption and His Holy Spirit (Psalm 2:1-5). They will no longer suppress their hate against their Lord, but openly cry out: “We will not have this man to reign over us.” (Luke 19:14, 27). They will change the commandments and laws of God and make man the center and measure of their culture. A new world order without God and without a Redeemer would dawn amidst universal human rights. The rage of the rebels against God, His message, His ordinances and His power will be directed against the Almighty's witnesses, servants and priests. Saul raged against the church of Jesus and pursued them with threats and murder (Acts 9:1; Revelation 12:12, 17; 14:8; 19:2).

In fact, however, everyone should confess the truth regarding himself: “I have earned nothing but wrath!” It is satanic and perverse to accuse God, the Creator and Judge. Instead, we must condemn ourselves. This is the only way to escape the wrath of God! Not rebellion, but brokenness, not self-realization, but self-denial lead to the realization of completed salvation in us (Matthew 16:24-28; Mark 8:34 -9:1; Luke 9:23-27; 1 John 1:8-10).

The 24 elders recognized the inevitable consequence of continued rebellion of the nations and their blaspheming of the triune God: The fury of God must erupt! Our God is not without wrath! (Psalm 90:7; Isaiah 5:25; Ezekiel 5:13) His emotions are holy. His love knows no limits, but His fury over the rejection of the atonement offering of His Son blazes bright. The Old Testament speaks more than 200 times of the wrath of God. The day of wrath is described as the greatest horror for those created (Psalm 110:5; Ezekiel 7:8-12; Romans 2:5). It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Hebrews 10:28-31)! The wrath of God is the greatest annihilating power in the world. At the end of time this rage will strike against all ranks and levels of civilization (Revelation 6:15-17), against everyone who has given himself to the antichrist (Revelation 14:9-11). All people of the earth will be smashed with a rod of iron if they do not obey the Lord (Revelation 14:19-20; 19:15). Babylon, the great deceiver, will be especially punished (Revelation 16:19).

Let us conscientiously pray with David: O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure (Psalm 38:2; 6:1; Jeremiah 10:24)! We must be frightened to death, because we have earned nothing but wrath! Jesus, however, not only forgave and bore away our sins, but also took our punishment and stilled the wrath of God (Isaiah 53:5-6, 10-12). He drank on our behalf the cup of wrath down to the bitter dregs (Matthew 26:39, 42; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42) and reconciled us with the saints. Christ alone is our peace (Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Ephesians 2:14). Whoever rejects His representation on our behalf, on him falls the great wrath of God, from which there is no escape or salvation.

The Judgment of God Upon the Dead: In their worship of the Almighty the 24 elders reach far into the end time and bear witness that a further goal of God's seizure of power is the resurrection of the dead to their and His just judgment. The dead are not dead! Their resurrection belongs to the events of the seventh trumpet. Paul bore witness that with the blowing of the last trumpet the dead would rise (1 Corinthians 15:51-57).

Mohammed picked up the prophecy of the world judgment, claimed, however, the dead would arise already with the sounding of the second trumpet. Scales would be set up, and all of the resurrected and the angels would quietly stand in long rows waiting till their turn came. According to the Koran, the Day of Judgment would last for 50,000 years on earth. In the process, the good deeds of each person will be weighed in the balance against his bad deeds. The outcome of this judgment will determine whether a person is destined for paradise, with all its earthly delight, or for the roaring fires of hell.

In principle, however, the Koran emphatically states that the fate of each created person has been determined in advance. Not only all people, but all Muslims, would inevitably go to hell, and few there would be to have the prospect, at some later point of time, to enter into the eternal gardens, and even then, only provided they had prayed enough, fasted, sacrificed and fought for Islam (Sura Maryam 19:71-72).

The Bible reveals to us another picture of the last judgment. With this judgment the age of grace and forgiveness ends. All those who have rejected their freely offered justification through the Lamb of God will be judged according to their deeds. Thereby, one thing is already certain: “There is none who does good, no, not one.” (Psalm 14:3) “No one is good but One, that is, God.” (Mark 10:18) “All men are liars.” (Psalm 116:11) “The imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth.” (Genesis 6:5; 8:21) “We all fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23) By nature we have all earned the wrath of God.

All who enter into judgment without their Savior have already been condemned (John 3:18). The wrath of God abides on them (John 3:36). In the final analysis, it comes down to one point: whether man allows his sin to be freely cleansed by Jesus or not (John 16:8-9) At the time of God's judgment, the non-redeemed will have the horror of recognizing their sin in the light of God and His holiness. With despair they will realize they willfully rejected the salvation prepared for them.

Payment or Reward? For followers of Christ, however, the judgment of the dead will be a time for determination of rewards. God's children, by nature, are not better than other men. They have, however, allowed their hearts and minds, their tongues and hands to be cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ. Through their faith in Christ they have been freely justified. In addition, the Holy Spirit has driven them to practice works in the love of God, to continuous prayer and to voluntary sacrifice. The judgment will bring to appearance how much Christ, by His Spirit, could work in and through them. He will determine their “reward”, or undeserved recompense, which in the end is simply the outworking of the grace of Jesus Christ. For followers of Christ, it will be evident just how far they either hindered the Holy Spirit, or opened themselves to Him, that they might do the good works which God the Father had prepared beforehand for them to walk in (Ephesians 2:8-10).

The first mention of wages in the Bible is in regard to Abraham. At God's word, he left house and home and went out as an unsettled Bedouin, going place to place without the protection of his clan. Thereafter the Lord assured the obedient one: “Do not be afraid (of robbers around you), Abram. I am your shield, your exceedingly great reward.” (Genesis 15:1) Any and every thought of merit or reward is ruled out by this promise (Hebrews 10:35). Conspicuous are the greatness and the content of the promised wage: The Lord did not give Abraham money, land, houses or descendants, but gave Himself to His servant! Employees work for wages. We, however, are not employees of God, but His children, and thus heirs. Heirs receive everything that is of the father. We have the privilege to go home, to God our Father. Christ said: “Your reward in heaven is great,” (Luke 6:22-23; Matthew 5:12) and Paul added: “Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance” (Colossians 3:24).

The New Testament speaks numerous times of the “wages of sin and unrighteousness” (Romans 1:27; 6:23), namely, death. Christians, however, receive a valuable reward that is everlasting. They receive much more than they deserve. They receive not only gifts, but the Giver Himself, who gives Himself to them. They receive “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:13). Eternal life resides within them. The love of God has been poured out in their hearts. They are freed from all guilt and the fear of death. They have peace with God. The pleasure of God, their Father, rests upon them. Children of God expect no earthly wage, for they live in the love of their Lord and receive from His fullness continuously grace for grace (John 1:16). Our wage is to be able to serve our gracious, glorious God (1 Corinthians 9:16-23).

PRAYER: Heavenly Father, we magnify and worship You because You do not only destroy the wicked, but You also save Your children and bless Your servants. You do not give them money or property as a perishing payment, but fellowship with You personally, as You had promised Abraham to be a shield to him and that his reward should be very great. (Genesis 15:1)

QUESTION:

  1. How does God bless His beloved ones at the end of the world?

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