If its not worth doing, then don't do it!
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If its not worth doing, then don't do it! |
     
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A New Song in Glory Revelation 14: 1-20
The only thing that I ever learned to appreciate from the European theologian Karl Barth was the importance of reading the daily paper as well as the Bible and Commentaries in preparation for preaching. This appreciation was especially brought home to me this week. Early in the week I really wrestled with the theme verse there at the top of our order of service and wondered what on earth I could say in this context. The very next day I received a magazine which contained an article absolutely essential for the development of our lessons today. Later in the week the Supreme Court of Israel made a ruling which also helped set up the context of this particular chapter. Very many times in the course of working through this difficult book of Revelation, God in His providence has provided the leading and inspiration so necessary for my weekly preparation. I do hope that you regularly sense this working of His Spirit in all of our hearts. One week, one of you left your bulletin with notes that had taken on our Psalm meditation. These notes are somewhat different from my own preaching notes. That fact pleases me immensely because it indicates real spiritual discernment instead of mere appreciation of what poor insights I can share each and every week. In that spirit of discernment, let us turn our attention to this important fourteenth chapter of John's Revelation. This chapter is clearly divided into three portions. Verses one to five inspire a very different feeling than the last two chapters. We have had enough of grimness and horror and are well prepared to hear of the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ and the security of all those who belong to Him. The one hundred and forty-four thousand here are the true Israel that we noted earlier in chapter seven. These are the redeemed of the Lord in all ages numbered symbolically for completeness. These symbolically numbered should be understood to include the whole Church. We do not here have some group of super-elect set apart from the common brethren as some cultic types would have us to believe. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior you are indeed numbered here in this passage. These, the true Israel have remained faithful to the Lamb. This faithfulness is symbolically affirmed in verse four where their purity is emphasized in the fact of their following Jesus, in the fact of their being purchased by the blood of Christ and in the fact of their being found blameless because of that purchase. These phrases here describe the idea of enabled sinners becoming sanctified saints of the Everlasting God and Lamb through the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who are called are on their way to eventual enjoyment of this particular scene where a New Song in Glory is to be learned. Now, we should be concerned with who is true Israel in the New Testament sense. Recently the Supreme Court of Israel ruled that genetic Jews who believed in Jesus could not automatically become citizens of modern Israel because they had by their faith in Him forfeited their Jewishness. In an opposite sense Paul taught in Romans 2: 17-29 that the true descendants of Israel are those who are Jewish inwardly and spiritually. The false descendants of Israel are those who have forsaken the truth of historic, God-given Judaism by not following after the Messiah and believing in Jesus as God manifesting Himself in our presence. The Supreme Court of Israel have their decision all wrong! In the same sense today we cannot lay claim to the Cross of Christ on the basis of growing up in any Church, or in our public affiliations with any religious institution. No, we must be spiritually committed to Jesus Christ. Those who believe in His Name, those who obey His commands, they will be called into His glorious heavenly Kingdom to learn the new song described here. We move now to the second portion of this chapter. Here there are three Angels with messages for every nation, tribe, language and people. The first Angel issues an evangelic call as has been issued throughout all of eternity. Many people ask where the gospel message is contained in this particular passage. We need to note that our first portion pictures the Church in heaven, while this portion covers events prior to the first portion. Our order of events here is not exactly chronological. This eternal gospel is a call to commitment. The words "Fear God" indicate the sense of awe that mankind should have before the Creator of this His universe. The words "give him glory" and "worship him" indicate the logical actions that should occur when we appreciate who He is and how lowly is our present human condition! The second Angel announces the doom of Babylon. While this phrase particularly applies to the context of Ancient Babylon and its proud tower, it equally applies to the Ancient city of Rome which proudly proclaimed itself in Latin as "The Big Apple"! There is also a probability that this phrase also applies to Jewish Jerusalem at the time of the Christ. We have to remember that approximately two millions of Israel were called out of Judaism into Christianity. And from the time of Christ to our own the two faiths have gone separate ways entirely. The Jewish lobby would certainly have us forget the fact that God abandoned His city, and those who claimed genetic privileges to His new Spiritual Kingdom. We should remember regularly the spiritual nature of Christ's own Kingdom and be cautious in trying anew to build up any everlasting material towers of strength in our own age. All that is material is doomed. "Fallen! Fallen! is Babylon the Great ..." Should we focus our lives and fortunes and honor and faith on these things then one day we must hear the words of the third Angel. The third Angel pronounces judgment on the worshipers of the beast. If you choose the world and all of its vain pleasures you will have rejected not only the Lamb of God, but also the eternal blessings of hearing and singing the New Song in Glory. Do you ever grow tired in the course of working day after day. Do you look forward to a Sunday rest. Just so should we look forward to the rest from our labor mentioned in verse thirteen. However, if we are not in Christ, the torment of never resting is pointed out in verse eleven. In verse twelve we hear a word that was also there in our chapter last week. Hear it "This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus." We are reminded again that our lives are in His hands. Our sufferings in this life are only apparent. Christ is indeed coming again. Our calling is to be patient and as we wait obey His word and keep our commitment of faith in Jesus Christ. In the third and last portion of this chapter we see a symbolic scene of what happens to all of those who are not described in the first portion of our text today. Here we do not see the redeemed of the Lord. Here instead is the fate of the wicked. These are the ones who have not died in the Lord. This symbolism describes the end of the world. The war of the universe finally comes to an end. Here in this scene is fulfilled the words of Christ in Matthew 25: 30-46. We would do well to remember that "the wages of sin is death". In the final settlement we will find ourselves where we belong for all of eternity! No mistakes will be made by Him who wars the crown of Glory! Where will you spend eternity? Would you attach yourselves to the vain material glories of this world? Would it not be far better to endure social sufferings for claiming Christ? Would it not be far better to commit yourselves to our faithful Creator? May the mighty power of the Holy Spirit enable you to stand with Christ and with His Church in eternal Glory? Will you sing the New Song in Glory? It is my fond hope that you will! May the Lord bless you and your soul by calling you into His eternal spiritual Kingdom. Amen.
Christ Covenant REFORMED (Presbyterian Church in America) Box 13926 -- Columbus, OH 43213 Rev 14a 18 March 90
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