Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/Sermons/zz20010624.htm

REVELATION: CALL TO HOLINESS IN VIEW OF PROPHECY
Part III: The Things Hereafter'
"J. God's Aid During History's Worst Persecution For His People"
(Revelation 13:1-18)

Introduction: (To show the need . . . )

The spiritual persecution of true believers is on the increase:

(1) Dave Hunt reports in his June, 2001 newsletter, The Berean Call that "Missionaries returning [to the United States] from largely Catholic countries are sometimes cautioned by their support-church pastors to go lightly' on negative experiences with the Catholic Church [in their missionary works], as though it were appreciably different here . . ." (brackets ours)

Amazingly, in many Third World countries, Roman Catholicism often openly physically persecutes believers!

(2) Our Church received an e-mail from one of our missionaries this week in which they reported how a relative is experiencing persecution in her home for her faith. The Christian woman's husband, who is an unsaved alcoholic, has gone about slamming doors, throwing things around the kitchen and yelling against his Christian wife's beliefs! He reportedly claims he doesn't want his daughter to grow up with such beliefs, but to be just like him!

These missionaries have asked us to pray for this relative's welfare and continue spiritual encouragement needs!

(3) It has been reported to me by a member of our Church how a believer in our Litchfield County is facing personal persecution pressures from her own Gospel-preaching church for refusing to join in the church's involvement in a nationally known Evangelical's seminar ministry. The lady is taking a stand for doctrinal reasons as this party's ministry seriously errs against the Word on various levels.



How is it possible for believers like this who suffer growing persecution for their faith to continue to stand for the truth -- IS there a BIBLICAL directive to encourage and direct us?!



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



Need: "Either I or a friend struggles with the temptation just to QUIT living in God's will over the depth of OPPRESSION faced in DOING what is right! Is there PRACTICAL GUIDANCE so we can THINK THROUGH this trial and come out triumphantly for God?!"
  1. In its broadest context, the Revelation was written to edify God's people like the Apostle John who SERVE Christ, and that specially in the context of suffering persecution for doing so, Rev. 1:1-3, 9.
  2. Well, Christ revealed believers in Christ during the Tribulation are going to face history's worst nightmare for believers: in Revelation 12:7-17, we learned Satan will be furious over his loss of access to heaven in the Tribulation, and turn his WRATH on BELIEVERS.
  3. Satan's fury will erupt in his equipping the antichrist and false prophet to perform history's most terrible persecution of believers:
    1. An infuriated Satan will cause a Gentile antichrist to arise to afflict God's people on earth in the Great Tribulation, Revelation 13:1-8:
      1. The best mss at Rev. 13:1 read it was the dragon (Satan) who stood on the seashore, Metzger, A Text. Com. on the Grk. Test., p. 748.
      2. As such, the furious Satan of Revelation 12 is prophetically seen venting his wrath in causing his power to be expressed through the second beast that rises out of the sea, the Gentiles, Rev. 13:1b, 7.
      3. This beast is the revived Roman Empire, and its leader antichrist:
        1. The beast from the sea in Revelation 13:1 has 7 heads, picturing the city of Rome according to Revelation 17:9.
        2. Since the beast also has 10 horns, it pictures the Daniel 7:7-8 beast of the Roman Empire, Bible Know. Com., N.T., p. 960.
        3. This beast's union of leopard, bear and lion parts we know from Dan. 7:4-6 (Ibid.) means it is a combination of the former empires of Greece, Medo-Persia and Babylon respectively.
        4. Hence, the old Roman Empire will revive in the Tribulation!
        5. When Rome's empire revives under Satan, he will cause a mortal sword wound to one of its rulers to be healed, and the world will marvel about this human leader, 13:3 with 14c.
        6. The world will look to this man as a god, and Satan will equip him for the last half of the Tribulation, Rev. 13:4-5; Dan. 9:27.
      4. He will slander God, His temple and His people, and make war and overcome them while subjugating all nations on earth, Rev. 13:6-7.
      5. All who do not believe in Christ, whose names are not written in Christ's book of eternal life, will worship this antichrist, Rev. 13:8.
    2. An infuriated Satan will also cause a Hebrew false prophet to arise to afflict God's people on earth in the Great Tribulation, Rev. 13:11-17:
      1. As the Dragon, Satan is on the seashore, his influence then turns from the sea of Gentiles to the land, the antithesis of the Gentiles, the Hebrew segment of the earth, Revelation 13:1, 11a.
      2. His 2 horns as a lamb picture a religious identity, and his speaking as a dragon pictures a Satanic or witchcraft identity, Rev. 13:11b.
      3. This Hebrew false prophet will do miracles akin to what Old Testament Elijah did in calling fire down from heaven, 13:12-13. Since the Hebrew even today looks for the Old Testament Elijah to return to promote Messiah's arrival (cf. Mal. 4:5), this false prophet will persuade even unsaved Orthodox Jews to be deceived!
      4. The prophet will cause an idol to be set up and animated to make men worship it. He will force all to accept a mark on their right hand or forehead just to do business or be put to death, 13:14-17!
  4. Yet, the GUIDANCE and MOTIVATION needed for God's people to HANDLE this their WORST persecution in HISTORY will come from their TRUST in His WORD (as follows):
    1. Revelation 13:9-10 will be believed by victorious Tribulation saints to encourage them: they will know from this passage that any who capture them will themselves in time be captured, and those who kill them with the sword will themselves in time be killed by the sword.
    2. Revelation 13:18 will be believed by victorious Tribulation saints to guide them: they will know from this passage not to think antichrist is God, for he will have the human I. D. of 666 to expose his deception!
Application: (1) BELIEVE on Jesus Christ for salvation from sin to be REMOVED from the earth's coming Tribulation era BEFORE it BEGINS, Jn. 3:16; 2 Thess. 2:7-12, 13-14. (2) As a believer, REJOICE in this coming rescue and live for Christ today, 2 Thess. 2:15-17. (3) If distraught at current persecution for righteousness' sake, recall how GOD plans adequately to encourage and guide believers under history's worst persecution by SCRIPTURE, and so rely on SCRIPTURE for what WE face!

Lesson: Even in the WORST persecution for God's people in HISTORY, all the ENCOURAGEMENT and GUIDANCE they will need to HANDLE it will arise from their reading and trusting God's Word! >

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

 James R. White, author of the book, The King James Only Controversy has faced very ungracious criticism from some King James Only believers. He has stood for not blindly relying on the Textus Receptus behind the KJV, but for evaluating the quality of all the Greek manuscripts as do translations like the NIV.

What is so refreshing about White's book is to note how he himself has handled such persecution from opponents. On page 245, he answered an inflammatory question rising from the King James Only people as follows: "I've been told that there were homosexuals on the NIV translation committee. Is this true?"

Mr. White responded that Kenneth Barker, the general editor of the NIV has penned a response to this charge. In it, Barker denied any of the NIV translators or editors were homosexuals or lesbians. What had produced the rumors on the subject is explained in Barker's letter as follows: in the early days of the NIV translation, a certain Virginia Mollenkott was briefly consulted on a matter relating to English style. At the time, she was considered to be a committed believer, and her views on lesbianism hadn't surfaced as they would years later. Barker noted that had the NIV people then known of these views of hers, she would not have been consulted even on this minor topic.

Then, White documented from Otto Scott's book, James I: The Fool as King that many facts reveal King James I who authorized the KJV was himself a homosexual! Yet, graciously, White defended the KJV from the charge that it might be weak on its stand against homosexuality because of this fact, writing: "James' sexual behavior had nothing to do with the translation of the KJV . . ." (Ibid., p. 246).