Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20010603.htm

REVELATION: CALL TO HOLINESS IN VIEW OF PROPHECY
Part III: The Things Hereafter'
"G. The Seven Thunders: God's Vengeance On Apostate Oppressors
(Revelation 10:1-11)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Perhaps the most formidable challenges we believers in Christ face today is that of outright flirtation with apostasy:

(1) Josh McDowell reports that the Reverend Sun Myung Moon came from a family that attended a Presbyterian church in Korea. Then, at age 16, Moon had a "vision" where Jesus Christ allegedly called him to "carry out the task that Christ had failed to complete" of (blasphemously) marrying and producing perfect offspring, Ibid., A Ready Defense, p. 356-358; Moody Monthly, July-August, 1977.

Moon's Unification Church a few years ago held a convention in Providence at a Marriott Hotel to celebrate a reconciliation with leaders of other faiths! Pastors of Southern Baptist, Church of God in Christ and American Baptist denominations met with him! His group is now a main patron of the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut!

With Moon's apostate doctrines and with unsuspecting PASTORS mingling with him, the GODLY face great challenges!

(2) Though open apostasy is still apparently outside many Evangelical arenas, they yet flirt with it on increasing levels. For example, several people in our Church in the last month have asked me about a book entitled, "The Prayer of Jabez" authored by the Walk Thru The Bible ministry's founder, Bruce Wilkinson. In the book, he reports having prayed that prayer recorded in 1 Chronicles 4:10 every day for decades after hearing a chapel message on it as a student at the Dallas Theological Seminary!

Now, there is nothing wrong with the prayer, but to imply one pray it every day for divine blessing is nothing less than an Evangelical "novena" Roman Catholics use all the time in newspapers! Yet, a reputable source tells me his book is hard to keep on the shelves in our area's Christian bookstores!

What amazes me MORE is Bruce attended DTS the first two years I did, so though BOTH of us might have heard the SAME message by Dr. Richard Seume, Mary Ann Cate's Father, we REACTED to it in incredibly different WAYS!

When we view the errant mingling of apostates with godly people, or the mingling of outright errant theology with godly beliefs in OVERT fashion, what are we to think and DO?!

(We turn to the sermon "Need" section . . . )

Need: "Though paganism is certainly on the rise, it seems the BIGGEST challenges to the godly comes from INSIDERS who know yet RESIST the truth! Will God deal with THIS evil?! How?"
  1. Before the seventh trumpet sounded, the Lord revealed to John He would judge APOSTATE oppressors of His people, those who at one time mingled WITH God's people only to REJECT the truth.
    1. Before the 7th trumpet sounded, John saw a great angel clothed with a cloud & rainbow, denoting the Noahic covenant, 10:1; Gen. 9:11-16.
    2. This angel had feet of brass, signifying judgment, which settled on the land and the sea, picturing Israel and the Gentiles which began as a distinction in Genesis 12:1 with the Abrahamic Covenant.
      1. The sea prophetically pictures Gentile nations in Revelation 13:1.
      2. Thus, the land is its antithesis, Israel.
      3. Since this symbolism is marked by the angel denoting the Noahic Covenant of Genesis 9, the Abrahamic Covenant distinguishing Israel from the Gentiles in Genesis 12 is in mind in the text.
    3. The little book in the angel's hand was later eaten by John, the taste of which became sweet but its digestion bitter, Revelation 10:8-10. This symbolism copies Ezekiel's experience (Ez. 3:1-14) when told to predict judgment on Israel's apostate people who had known God's truths, but had rejected them even to making life hard for the godly!
    4. The mighty angel involved in this symbolism roared like an enraged lion while seven thunders sounded their judgments, Rev. 10:3-4.
    5. John was forbidden to record the judgments announced by these seven thunder voices, for God wanted them hidden to us, 10:5-7.
    6. We recap this section as God's judgment on apostate oppressors:
      1. Between the end of the Noahic Flood when only believers in God exited the ark (Genesis 9) and the Abrahamic Covenant when God called Abraham to holiness as a Jew out of the godless Gentiles (Genesis 12), individuals who knew God's truth had rejected it.
      2. This rejection continued through Israel's era and on into John's day of the Church's dispensation, cf. Ez. 3:1-14 and 2 Peter 2:1.
      3. Such apostates have not only rejected the truth, but even persecuted unsuspecting members of God's true people as they mingled among them like wolves among sheep, Acts 20:29-30!
      4. Hence, God is going to judge apostate oppressors of His people in great wrath for the damage they have done to His people as signified by the angel's roar of a lion and 7 thunders, Rev. 10:3.
      5. However, so as not to obstruct some as yet unknown divine plan embedded in God's allowing such apostasy to exist, God has chosen not to tell us what these specific judgments will be, 10:4-7 with Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, footnote to Revelation 10:7.
  2. Then, God revealed a significant TURNING POINT in the book of Revelation: since INDIVIDUAL apostates together form a GREAT MOVEMENT of apostate ORGANIZATIONS, John would need to back up and prophecy through the Tribulation Period AGAIN on God's judgment on these ORGANIZATIONS! (Revelation 10:11)
    1. Until this point in the Revelation, God revealed His judgment only on INDIVIDUAL oppressors of His people, Revelation 6:1-10:10.
    2. However, the theme changes at Revelation 10:11 like a watershed: John was told he must predict the Great Tribulation a SECOND time about many groups and their rulers, cf. Revelation 10:11.
    3. Hence, apostates have oppressed His people both individually and as groups. Thus, God will reveal His judgments on these movements along with His judgments on individual oppressing apostates.
Application: (1) If we have attended Church for YEARS but have not believed in Christ, trust Him as Savior from sin NOW to receive eternal life, John 3:16. (2) As BELIEVERS, fellowship with God via (a) confession of post-justification sins (1 Jn. 1:9) and (b) dependence upon the Holy Spirit (Gal. 5:16-23) for the power to (c) obey Scripture, 1 John 2:3-6. (3) If we are oppressed by what turn out to be APOSTATES, (a) rejoice inasmuch as we are counted worthy to suffer as prophets of old (Mtt. 5:11-12) and (b) REST in God's coming verdicts, cf. Revelation 10:1-10!

Lesson: (1) Those who have MINGLED with God's people as "wolves among His sheep" doing great damage to are both KNOWN by God and will receive a special expression of His WRATH. (2) For reasons YET to be seen, reasons that if known would upset God's plans, the Lord has not told US WHAT these great "thunder" judgments will be, but the ROAR of His administering ANGEL tells us they will be awesome! These facts reveal God KNOWS of the damages of apostates, but that the VALUE of our STANDING for truth amidst their efforts must be ENORMOUS or God would never have allowed it to occur, cf. Matthew 5:11-12! >

Conclusion: (To illustrate the sermon lesson . . . )

 Last Sunday night, a believer in our Church approached me about a concern she had regarding the mingling of outright error within the camp of many gospel-believing Christians. She said, "It makes me glad I attend a church where I know we are getting the truth!"

That is about the fifth person who has said that to me in the last two weeks, and that for a variety of issues that have arisen!

Though we may occasionally pay a price for such a stand, it is more than worth it when I see men and women approaching me expressing their thanksgiving for our having taken these stands! It's easy to SLEEP at night, knowing if the rapture occurs, we can look our Lord in the face and tell Him, "We obeyed you, Lord!"

Accordingly, in view of the PROMISES of God in Matthew 5:11-12 and many other places, it is my PRIVILEGE to assert before you TODAY, that I hereby REDEDICATE myself afresh to be VIGILANT for the truth as PASTOR of this Church! I covet your prayers to this end of having the Holy Spirit guard the form of healthy words allotted to me in accord with 2 Timothy 1:13-14.

But, how about YOU? When I spoke with this believer last Sunday night following the service, and shared how I was looking only to CHRIST and not even the fine Bible School or Seminary from which I graduated for the ultimate truth, she responded, "Well, WE ALL need to take that stand in our PERSONAL lives!"

How right that statement is! Are YOU prepared to stand for the TRUTH in YOUR life in light of the DRIFT in apostasy all around YOU? This is not a call to lovelessness as though doctrinal integrity must be made at the cost of Christian love! It is because of our LOVE for God and His Word and for one another that we are urged of God to STAND FIRM on the truth, 1 John 5:3!

(1) Are YOU prepared to stand for the truth of the Gospel and the Word of God as INDIVIDUALS? The reward is worth it!

(2) If YOU are in our service and are not yet a true believer, are YOU prepared to BELIEVE in Christ and become a TRUE Christian with the rest of God's people? The reward is worth it!