Bible Study: Revelation Chapter 14:12-15:8
March 5, 2007 To receive the greatest possible blessing from this Bible study, please take a moment to read the passage.
Prayer:
Lord, there are times when I grow weary and long for the rest You have promised. More often, I busy myself with everyday chores and neglect the more important business of Your kingdom. Help me complete the work You have prepared for me to do, not as a reimbursement for my atonement, but as proof of it. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Introduction:
R and R—our society seems to thrive on it. We work from one vacation to the next saving our pennies and planning our escape. However, the much needed rest results in more fatigue than before we left. Most of us have either said or heard someone say that we need to go back to work to rest up from our vacation.
We can rest assured that the “rest” Jesus promises differs from the vacations we endure on earth. It shall satisfy our every longing for perfect relaxation and meet our every need.
The Lesson:
The patient endurance of the saints, who obey God’s commandments and remain faithful to Jesus, will overcome the persecution of the beast.
In direct contrast to the warning to those who worship the beast, God promises rest to those who remain faithful to Jesus. Verse 13 is the second of seven beatitudes in Revelation, which offers comfort to those who face martyrdom because of the words of their testimony for the Lord. The first is found in Revelation 1:3—Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near (NIV).
Verse 13: seems like an odd blessing since it is bestowed on the dead. However, it holds the promise of eternity and our hope. Those who die in the Lord will rest from their labor. Many books have been written on the rest prescribed here because people long for perfect rest. It is guaranteed only to those who serve Jesus and persevere to the end. In his commentary, Matthew Henry points out the significance of the phrase, their deeds follow them. Although we are taught to lay up treasures in heaven, our treasures don’t arrive there as a payment to entitle us a mansion in God’s kingdom. Our works follow us as proof of our acceptance of Christ’s work on the cross. In a nutshell, the blessing combines rest from our labors, reward for faithfulness, and face-to-face fellowship with Jesus. The worst agony on earth will seem minuet in comparison to the joy that awaits us in eternity if we remain faithful.
Verse 14-16: John reverts to the battle at hand. He focuses on the One seated on a cloud “like the Son of Man”—the Lord Jesus Christ, our conquering King who is wearing a gold crown and holding a sharp sickle. The crown symbolizes His authority, sovereignty, and power. The sickle represents the two edge sword with the power to divide soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and exposes and judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart (Hebrews 4:12).
In verse 15, John describes another angel coming out of the temple to proclaim the Day of the Lord. God sends a special messenger to the Son for Jesus was not told beforehand when the hour would come. According to Matthew’s record, Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (24:36 NIV). The angel pronounces the time to harvest. Often in Scripture, the harvest refers to the believers as well as the unbelievers. The results, of course are very different. Believers are ripe with the fruit of the Spirit and ready to be plucked for the glory of the Lord, to bring pleasure to Him at His table, and to embrace His kingdom.
Non-believers are ripe with wickedness and deceit. These are not people whose deeds are evil, as we may perceive evil; but rather, those who denied Christ and worshipped the beast. Remember our deeds cannot save us nor do they go before us as an endowment to eternity. Only Jesus Christ can save. He has paid the price. Nothing more can be added to the ransom.
John says in verse 16 that without hesitation, Jesus acts on the Father’s command. In one swift swing of the sickle Jesus reaps the tares—those who worshipped the beast.
Verses 17-20: Two more angels exit the temple. One carries a sharp sickle. The other carries fire from the altar and shouts, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.”
The angel from the altar represents the martyrs resting there. The time of the promised vengeance has come. Their blood shall be revenged at last.
The grapes harvested in this passage are the sour grapes of the wild branch. Those that refused to be grafted into the true Vine or who were cut off from it. (Paul warns us to remain faithful and cautions us to guard against pride in Romans 11:22-24.)
The angel obediently swung his sickle, gathered the earthly grapes, and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. Verse 20 states that they were trampled in the winepress outside the city. Remember, the bodies of sacrificed animals were carried outside the city gate. And so Jesus also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through his own blood (Hebrews 13:12 NIV). The blood of the rebels will be shed outside the city as a token of their treatment of the Lamb of God. And their blood will flow approximately 5 feet deep the height of a battle horse’s bridle for a distance of 180 to 200 miles.
Chapter 15: God finalizes His judgment on the inhabitants of the earth through the seven last plagues—last, because with them God’s wrath is completed (v.1b).
Verse 2-4: John witnesses a multitude of people standing beside what appeared to be a sea of glass mixed with fire. These people, who shunned the beast, his image, and his mark during the great tribulation, now stand victorious. From God, they receive harps and sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb:
Great and marvelous are your deeds,
Lord God Almighty.
Just and true are your ways,
King of the ages.
Who will not fear you, O Lord,
And bring glory to your name?
For you alone are holy.
All nations will come and worship before you,
For your righteous acts have been revealed.
When people question our beliefs, we find our answer in these verses. We shall be satisfied and praise God for His justice. I never believed that it is wrong to question God. We are His children. Like all children, we have questions. Being the loving Father that He is, God expects and desires us to question. That’s how we learn to become more Christ-like.
However, there is a fine line between a sincere desire to learn and a rebellious spirit. We cross that line when we question God’s judgment, authority, and power.
Verses 5-8: The tabernacle of the Testimony evidences God’s presence, and the covenant between Him and His people.
Dressed in pure white robes and girded with golden sashes, the seven angels prepare for their mission to dispense the seven plagues upon the earth. One of the four living creatures, a minister of God, hands them the golden bowls full of His wrath.
Immediately, the temple is filled with smoke from God’s power and glory. And the day of redemption is past. No one was able to enter the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels were completed (v. 8b NKJV). The mercy seat will be inaccessible. No further petition or intercessions will be heard until the Final Judgment is completed.
Conclusion and Challenge:
If we receive the promises of God, we must heed the warning of His wrath. God cannot lie or He would not be God. The book of Revelation both sings with His promises for the glorious future of the saints and moans under the warnings of His judgment and wrath for those who refuse to come to Him through His terms.
When we witness to unbelievers, we do them a grave injustice by only reflecting one half of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. What a sad day when the mercy seat will be inaccessible and our petitions of intercessions will be unheard.
Prayer Requests:
Wayne and the youth group as they do their presentation Sunday morning, Gene, Chris, Nora, Jacob, Rachel, Nancy, Gloria, Amber, Shirley & Ryan, Melinda & Barry and family, Phyllis and husband, Don & Pat, John, Elizabeth, Mary, Irene, salvation for unsaved, April, Carl and Thelma, Ann, Pauline, revival—In our hearts, in our churches, and in our communities, cancer victims, our Bible Study, special unspoken needs, and remember me, Brenda Hendricks.
Praise Report:
Wayne and April are expecting their first baby April 2007. Congratulations.
The Youth Group had a wonderful time at Impact last weekend. The testimonies were uplifting and many bonds were made complete in Christ.
Bruce received a favorable report and is doing much better.
WOO HOO!! God is so good—always, all ways.
We are looking forward to your praise reports. Please keep us informed so we can share the wonderful grace of Jesus.
Next Weeks Study:
Our next Bible Study is March 6, 2007. Read Chapter 15, The Last Judgment. Look for the next beatitude.
Invitation:
Although we have not chosen to be, we are all born into sin because of the fall of man. It sounds hopeless and unfair. Nevertheless, in His infinite wisdom and abundant love, God has provided a choice for us. We can choose to repent of our sinful nature and believe in Jesus Christ. He is faithful and will cleanse us from sin and give us His Holy Spirit to equip us to live for Him. If you’ve made your choice to repent and believe in Jesus, we’d like to hear about it.
If you are free in Christ Jesus, pray for those who remain captive. Tell others, Christians as well as non-believers, what Jesus has done for you. Your testimony will benefit them and help you to strengthen your confidence in Christ’s work in your life and in the future.
If you’d like to participate in our Bible Study, please contact us with your comments, questions, and prayer requests at twosmallfish@verizon.net Be sure to put today’s Bible study in the subject line or I may delete it unopened.
To view the previous chapters of our study on the book of Revelation, follow this link: http://www.twosmallfish.org/revelation_bible_study.htm
To view our previous Bible studies and devotions, follow this link: http://www.twosmallfish.org/Archives/index.html
May God grant you safety, reassurance of His love, and the revelation of Jesus Christ,
See you in a twinkling,
Brenda Hendricks.
You turned my
mourning into dancing
You stripped me of my sorrow and clothed me with your joy
I cannot be silent, I will sing Your praises forever. Psalms 30:11&12
(paraphrased by me)
