Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20010617.htm

REVELATION: CALL TO HOLINESS IN VIEW OF PROPHECY
Part III: The Things Hereafter'
"I. God's Revelation Of The Meaning Of Post-Flood World History"
(Revelation 12:1-17)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

Practically most world history classes we would attend in any public school, college or university will tell us religion has caused much unjust suffering and war in human history.

What is usually the most particularly noted in the secular community are the evils of the Medieval Christian Crusades (around 1096 to 1244 A. D. according to Edward McNall Burns, Western Civilizations, p. 359). I have heard more than one critic of our CHRISTIAN faith complain that the CHRISTIAN Crusades, and of the senseless, cruel injustices and sufferings these wrought on innocent people in the Middle East all in the name of Christ.

The critic's argument usually goes like this: "If so much suffering and injustice was done in these Crusades in the name of CHRIST, how can you tell me the Christian faith is right?"



Well, if so much UNJUST BLOODSHED and SUFFERING has come in the name of religion, and particularly for the alleged cause of CHRISTIANITY, how can we conscientiously attend a church like Nepaug Bible Church and claim we adhere to faith in CHRIST?!



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



Need: "I heard CHRISTIANITY is the cause of so much suffering in human history! IS this so, and IF so, HOW does the God of the BIBLE factor into history's events and still stay SINLESS?!"
  1. We learned in Revelation 10:1-11 that individual rejection of God's truths by Noah's descendants led to WORLDWIDE apostasy:
    1. The angel with the cloud and rainbow depicts God's Genesis 9 pledge not to destroy the earth by water after Noah's Flood, and his feet standing on the sea and land pictures God's Genesis 12 Abrahamic Covenant marking Israel from apostate nations, Revelation 10:1, 2.
    2. Hence, since this angel roared with rage in Revelation 10:3, and God told John to prophecy a second time about groups in Revelation 10:11, we learned what happened between Genesis 9 and 12 has enraged God due to its ongoing evil in group rejection of the truth!
    3. Hence, there is a worldwide apostate group movement begun at Genesis 11's tower of Babel that has concerned God in history!
  2. Well, Revelation 12:1-17 gives us a PANORAMIC summary of a great CONFLICT between Satan and God over this MOVEMENT!
    1. Having told us about God's two official witnesses to apostate groups in Revelation 11:1-19, Christ turned John's attention to view a huge historical conflict that has raged re: a big movement since Gen. 9-12:
      1. On God's side, those in God's Abrahamic Covenant company have functioned opposite evil group apostasy since Noah's Flood:
        1. John's description of the woman clothed with the sun with the moon under her feet wearing a crown of twelve stars recalls Joseph's dream in Genesis 37:9-11: there these symbols picture the patriarch's family, the forbears of the Hebrew nation Israel.
        2. We also know this woman is Israel by Rev. 12:2, 5: there she travails to bear a child who will rule all nations with a rod of iron: that child is Jesus, so, in this context, the woman is Israel!
        3. Well, through CHRIST, even the Christian receives blessings as an offshoot of Israel's Abrahamic Covenant, Rom. 11:11-24. [Note: The Church is distinct from Israel, but is included in the kingdom blessings of Abraham's Covenant through Christ!]
        4. Summary: The woman represents God's working through the agency of Israel via His Abrahamic Covenant in Gen. 12 to call out individuals away FROM the apostasy of the descendants of Noah and create a godly kingdom under Christ, Gen. 11; 12:1ff!
      2. Conversely, Satan has opposed this divine work all along, 12:2-4:
        1. The second wonder in heaven is that of a great red dragon with seven heads, ten horns and seven crowns on its heads, 12:3.
        2. Revelation 12:9 calls this dragon Satan; hence, the 7 heads represent the city of Rome with its 7 hills (Rev. 17:9), the 10 horns the 10 nation confederacy of the revived Roman Empire in the Tribulation (Rev. 17:12-13) and the 7 crowns the Gentile kingdoms that have either ruled or are yet to dominate Israel (Rev. 17:10-11 with Pentecost, Things To Come, p. 323-324).
        3. Satan led 1/3 of the angels (stars) to rebel against God in his fall into sin, and these demons with Satan have worked to hinder God's fulfilling the Abrahamic Covenant by oppressing Israel or destroying Jesus at His first advent, Rev. 12:4 (cf. Matt. 1-2).
        4. However, Jesus overcame at His death and resurrection, and ascended to heaven to await His coming earthly kingdom, 12:5.
    2. Well, this conflict that has raged throughout history will climax in the middle of the Tribulation Period in open, cataclysmic war, 12:6-17!
      1. In the midst of the Tribulation, Michael the archangel and defender of Israel (Dan. 12:1) and his angels will fight Satan's hosts, and remove Satan from having access to heaven to accuse believers as he has constantly done in history, Rev. 12:7-10; Dan. 11:36-12:11.
      2. Satan will realize his time is short, and will thus furiously try to destroy Israel and so ruin the Abrahamic Covenant, Rev. 12:12-13.
      3. Israel will flee into the wilderness, being helped by God's forces so she can survive to await Christ's Second Coming, Rev. 12:6, 14-16
      4. Seeing he cannot annihilate Israel, Satan will turn on anyone else who is a believer to try to destroy them, Revelation 12:17.
Application: (1) To WIN in history's great conflict, believe on Christ and be translated out of Satan's reign and into Christ's kingdom, Jn. 3:16; Col. 1:12-13. (2) As a believer, realize the WRONGS of history arise from SATAN'S ploys, NOT from GOD, and live and serve on Christ's righteous side in living in accord with God's Word, Revelation 12:10-11; John 14:21-23.

Lesson: History since the Flood is the product of a great spiritual war: Satan is sabotaging God's post-Flood rule with GROUP apostasy begun at Babel, so God has set up a resistance to that apostasy in the Abrahamic Covenant; in that resistance, INDIVIDUALS overcome Satan's efforts by faith in Scripture's God while God then builds them into His kingdom. >

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

 To illustrate how God is innocent of the crimes in the Medieval Christian Crusades, and just what was behind it, note:

(1) According to secular world historian, Edward McNall Burns (Ibid., p. 355-358), though there were secular economic and political causes to the crusades, several religious ones were these:

(a) The medieval Christian was very concerned about sin, was afraid of its eternal consequences in hell and so sought to calm these fears by doing penance. A significant act of penance was a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, so pilgrimages became commonplace. Soon, interest in the welfare of Palestine, especially of its Christian control of favorite penance shrines motivated many European Christians to fight in the crusades to keep control of such shrines!

(b) Second, fighting amongst feudal nobles was common, a fact that concerned Europe's Christian religious hierarchies in that it threatened the viability of their own influence. Accordingly, these religious rulers called upon these nobles to fight for the Christian control of Palestine to redirect feudal hostility to a unifying goal for defending religious hierarchical influence!

(2) Well, had the Christian community really heeded God's Word at the time, there would have been no such errant crusades:

(a) Penance is unbiblical: Colossians 1:14 teaches all pre-salvation sins are forgiven at faith in the Gospel. Then, 1 John 1:9 shows if a believer sins, God cleanses him of all unrighteousness if he merely confesses it to Christ in prayer. Had the Church taught these truths, Europeans would never have wanted to fight in the crusades!

(b) Hierarchies are an evil in the Church according to the first alleged pope, Peter in 1 Peter 5:2-3. Had the Church taught the truth on this, there would have been no religious hierarchies calling upon feudal lords to attack Palestinian holy sites in the crusades!



In other words, the influx of ERRANT BELIEFS by false teachers led to the conditions that created the "Christian" Crusades. These crusades in turn FALSELY gave Christianity a bad name. GOD is NOT at fault for the Crusades -- SATAN is!