Intent And Effect (Nah. 1:2-6)

Read Nahum 1:2-6.

Don't confuse God's intent with the effects of His actions.  When God, in a self-controlled manner, releases a judgment or a remedial discomfort, people do suffer.  That is the effect, but watching people suffer is not God's intent -- that is, if you believe "The Lord is good" (Nah. 1:7).

What is God's intent?  That mankind should repent (2 Pet. 3:9)), that they would return to Him. God's taking pleasure in the negative effects of His intent is ruled out (Ezek. 18:23 - The question demands a "no" answer.).  See also Ezek. 18:32.

Insights From The Parable of The Rich Man And Lazarus (Lu. 16:19-31)

Read Luke 16:19-31.

1. Every person is going to die. 
2. Every person, regardless of his lot in life, continues existence after physical death.  There is no truth to the false teaching called annihilationism.
3. Today matters.  Choices made today, especially concerning salvation and holiness, affect your destination.  No one avoids Hell by convincing himself and others that he is a good person.  No one avoids Hell unless he walks the path of holiness!  There is no truth to the false teaching called universalism.
4. What a hindrance money can be.  Beware self-righteousness, self-sufficiency, etc.  A rich person in Hell suffers as much as a poor person!
5. God's Word, not your opinion or experience, is the ultimate witness.  Will that witness be for you or against you on Judgment Day?
6. There are at least fifteen things you will not find in Hell:  grace, mercy, second chance, erasure of memory, relief, adequate excuse, joy, peace, a party, satisfaction, inability to feel pain, loss of awareness, bargaining, silence, change of venue (moving from Hell to Heaven because the sentence has been altered).

If you are a pastor, you could develop a powerful evangelistic sermon from point #6.

The Parable of The Dragnet (Mt. 13:47-50) (Part 2)

JESUS TELLS A BRIEF STORY AND THEN EXPLAINS IT.

JESUS TELLS A BRIEF STORY (13:47-48).

• The net was cast (13:47).
• The net was filled (13:47).
• The net gathered “fish of every kind." 
• One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
• Good fish, bad fish
• Mild fish, strong fish
• Suckers, bottom feeders
• The catch was sorted (13:48).
• The good fish were kept aside.
• They were marketable and profitable.
• The bad fish were thrown away.
• They were useless:  “…but the bad they threw away”.
• It doesn’t say they threw them back.
•  If they weren’t acceptable to one fisherman, why would they be okay for another?

JESUS EXPLAINS HIS BRIEF STORY (13:49-50).

• Jesus’ explanation deleted two things.
• He did not mention the net.
• He did not mention the catch.
• Jesus’ explanation highlighted one thing.
• Jesus emphasized the separation.
•  The separation would be done at a certain time:  “So it will be at the end of the age…” (13:49).
• The separating would be done by a certain group:  “…the angels will come…” (13:49).
•  The separated would be damned to a certain place.
• It is a place of fire:  “… throw them into the furnace of fire…” (13:49).
•  It is a place of torment:  “… there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (13:50).

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 9)

Conclusion: Having established that the wrath of God is not something you want to experience, a message such as this should stir you to consider four things.

1. It should stir you to consider the seriousness of your sin. It is called 'sin'; it is not called an excuse, an inconvenience, a shortcoming, a dysfunction or a disease. Sin has a serious consequence – death.

2. It should stir you to consider the state of your salvation. God won't take your salvation from you, but it is possible for you to relinquish it.

3. It should stir you to consider the state of other people's salvation. After hearing a message like this, you can't sit by and watch a rebellious, dying world position itself to be hit by a Mack Truck they don't know or believe is coming.

4. It should stir you to consider the serenity of your Savior.

• That Jesus wouldn't pour out His full wrath now!
• That Jesus would withhold the fullest outpouring of His wrath until an appointed time!
• That Jesus would think of you, that He would send people to you to explain the gospel and live it before you!
• That Jesus would allow you to be in church today to hear this sobering news and be warned how to flee from the wrath to come!

What hope!  You can avoid the wrath of God! Jn. 3:36 > “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” If you don't want the wrath of God to remain on you, then you must believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and obey Him.

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 8)

7. SEVENTH SEAL > silence, awe

^“When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” (Rev. 8:1)

Silence is a word that is not typical in heaven. 

• Rev. 4:5 > “Out from the throne come flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder.”
• Rev. 4:8 > Regarding the four living creatures: “ . . . day and night they do not cease to say, “HOLY, HOLY, HOLY is THE LORD GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, WHO WAS AND WHO IS AND WHO IS TO COME.”
• Rev. 5:2 > “And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice . . .”
• Rev. 5:9 > The four living creatures and the twenty-four elders “sang a new song.”
• Rev. 5:11-14 > “Then I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.' And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, 'To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.' And the four living creatures kept saying, 'Amen.' And the elders fell down and worshiped.”

Doesn't that sound like noise to you?

  

Why does heaven become silent?  There is still more wrath to be poured out and it will only intensify!  "Be silent before the Lord GOD! For the day of the LORD is near . . ." (Zeph. 1:7).  

If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, aren't you glad for 1 Thess. 5:9?

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 7)

6. SIXTH SEAL > cosmic, geographic and internal disturbances > Mt. 24:7b, 29

^“I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black

as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the

earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. The sky was split apart like a

scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. Then the

kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave

and free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the

throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able

to stand?'” (Rev. 6:12-17)

First, let's consider the cosmic disturbances in the heavens. Notice the words 'as' and 'like.' The alert us to metaphorical language. The purpose of a metaphor is to instruct us about what we don't know by using what we do know.

• “ . . . the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair . . .” Metaphor > black sackcloth > solar eclipse
• “ . . . the moon became like blood . . .” Metaphor > blood (red) > blood moon
• “ . . . the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree casts its unripe figs . . .” Metaphor > figs in a windstorm >meteorite shower
• “The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up . . .” Metaphor > rolled up scroll > provide a glimpse of what the heavens were 'hiding'

Joel 2:30-31; Isa. 13:6-13; 34:4

Second, let's consider the geographic disturbances on the earth. Notice the absence of the metaphorical words 'as' and 'like.' In other words, John isn't making analogies; he is stating facts.

• “ . . . there was a great earthquake . . .” Fact: Either an earthquake happens or it doesn't.
• “ . . . and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.” Fact: Either every mountain is moved or it isn't; either every island is moved or it isn't.

Third, let's consider the internal disturbances in people's hearts. No status of man was exempt. No title, rank, position or amount of wealth could exempt someone from experiencing the outpouring of God's wrath. “Then the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and free man . . . .” Mankind discovered something that was more terrifying than death: “ . . . the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb . . .”

What a contrast Scripture presents! Those who are God's children look forward to seeing Jesus; this is their hope (1 Jn. 3:2). Those who are God's enemies dread seeing Jesus; this is their terror (Rev. 6:16; Heb. 10:31).

Notice the four things that the people know.

• They know they have just seen God, as they refer to “the presence of Him who sits on the throne.”
• They know they have just seen Jesus, as they refer to “the wrath of the Lamb . . . .”
• They know they are experiencing wrath, as they mention that “the great day of their wrath has come . . . .”
• They know they are insufficient to withstand what they see and what they are experiencing, so they cry out for death.

They would rather die in an avalanche of rocks than face the terror of the Lord! Those who will not fear of the Lord now will fear Him later! Read 2 Cor. 5:11.

Fourth, let's consider the wrong response to God's presence and the Lamb's wrath. Those on the earth decide they would rather die by an avalanche of rocks than to look upon the presence of God and endure the wrath of His Son, Jesus. That sounds like an attempt at reverence, doesn't it? Unfortunately, Rev. 9:20-21 reveals that, instead of reverence and repentance, the inhabitants will choose rebellion. Never underestimate the propensity of the human heart toward rebellion. Even an outpouring of the Lamb's wrath, along with an awareness of its source and reason, couldn't entice human hearts away from rebellion. The best way to guarantee you won't have a hard heart later is to make sure you have a soft heart now.

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:10 (Part 6)

5. FIFTH SEAL > martyrdom

^“When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, 'How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' And there was given to each of them a white robe; and they were told that they should rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brethren who were to be killed even as they had been, would be completed also.” (Rev. 6:9-11)

The question is often asked, "Will people be saved during the Tribulation?"  Verses 9-11 provide the answer. Yes. Jews and Gentiles will be saved (Rev. 7:4-17). They are referred to as “the souls of those who had been slain.”

If people can be saved and will be saved during the Tribulation, then what's the big rush to bet right with God now? First, you aren't guaranteed your next breath, let alone awareness of when the Tribulation starts. You might not live long enough to be here for the Tribulation!

• 2 Cor. 6:2 > “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
• Deal with the matter of salvation right now and “do not receive the grace of God in vain” (2 Cor. 6:1).
• Isa. 55:6 > “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.”

Second, the ones who get saved during the Tribulation -- they will be martyred. What a deal you have right now! If you repent of your sin right now and surrender your life to Jesus Christ right now, you get to live until God grants your last breath You could be martyred; it isn't impossible but it also isn't automatic, as it will be during the Tribulation. If you won't repent of your sin now and surrender your life to Jesus Christ during this time of religious freedom, why would you think you will be able to do these things while defying world culture and law? Remember, this will become a world domineered by a possessed totalitarian who will manipulate religion for his purposes. Right now there is little fallout from declaring yourself a Christian. You might get laughed at or called a name or two. It will be a whole different ball game when your life is on the line. During the Tribulation it will be, “Deny Jesus Christ or die right here, right now.”

Notice why the martyrs were killed. The martyrs were killed, bottom line, because they pledged and maintained allegiance to God and not to the world dictator. More specifically, the martyrs were killed for two reasons.

• Reason #1 > the word of God
• Reason #2 > the testimony of Jesus

“Love makes the whole difference between an execution and a martyrdom.” (Evelyn Underhill)

John probably saw the blood of these loving martyrs under the altar. This is significant, as blood was always poured out at the base. Lev. 4:7 > “The priest . . . shall pour out [blood] at the base of the altar of burnt offering which is at the doorway of the tent of meeting.” A man's shed blood demanded payment (Gen. 9:5-6).

When you read the martyr's question, it brings up a matter called 'theodicy.' Theodicy is the study and attempted explanation of why God allows bad things to happen to good people, knowing that He could have prevented them yet didn't. In this case, why didn't God step in and prevent the suffering, torture and execution of His followers? Here is a summary of God's answer to the martyrs:

Though you don't understand My timing, My purpose and My plan, I'm asking you to keep waiting. My delay doesn't mean My disinterest in your question, My denial of your request or My delight in what happened to you.

• “ . . . God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” (Rom. 8:28)
• Isa. 55:8-9 > “'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' declares the LORD. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.'”
• Admit that you don't know God's purpose, don't understand God's plan, and have a limited perspective of things.
• Prov. 3:5 > “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding.”

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 5)

4. FOURTH SEAL > death, hades > Mt. 24:7b

^“When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, 'Come.' I

looked, and behold, an ashen horse; and he who sat on it had the name Death; and Hades was

following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and

with famine and with pestilence and by the wild beasts of the earth.” (Rev. 6:7-8)

The vicious, downward spiral of judgment continues. After war, murder and other forms of violence remove peace from the earth, the inhabitants experience skyrocketing inflation and never-before-seen food shortages. While people are starving – most of them, not the elite wealthy – an unprecedented number of people will die prematurely at the hands of this rider called Death. 

Death itself isn't what worries a person. What worries a person is how he will die, when he will die and what happens after he dies. The remainder of verse 8 answers some of these questions. The verse establishes that a person will die. This is in keeping with Hebrews 9:27, which says, “It is appointed for men to die once . . .” As a consequence for sin, each person is promised physical death, that death that I just mentioned in Hebrews. Because no one is exempt from sin, no one is exempt from physical death.

• Rom. 6:23a > “For the wages of sin is death . . .”
• Ezek. 18:4 > “The soul who sins will die.”
• Rom. 3:23 > “ . . . all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

Notice that the rider, Death, is associated with a color. One commentator said that the color 'ashen', also translated 'pale', “refers to the color of a corpse, or the blanched appearance of a person struck with terror.” If people will be terrified by the impact of the four horsemen, what will it be like when those same people see a glimpse of God on His Throne? We will discuss that more in the sixth seal.

Notice that the rider, Death, has company:  "Hades was following with him." This is what causes concern. While Death claims the material part of a person (his body), Hades claims the immaterial part of a person (his soul, his spirit).

• When a believer in Jesus Christ dies, the immaterial part is not kept in Hades but goes right away to live with Jesus (2 Cor. 5:8).
• When a person who does not believe in Jesus Christ dies, the immaterial part is kept temporarily in Hades.

Why do I emphasize the word 'temporarily/" One should wish that Death was the end of an unbeliever's body and Hades was the end of an unbeliever's soul/spirit! Rev. 20:6 talks about a second death. Rev. 20:11-15 gives us the sobering reality.

Verse 8 concludes by stating that twenty-five percent of the earth's population will die. Let's say that, after the Rapture of the Church, the world population shrinks from 7 billion to 6 billion. I have no reason to use that particular number, except for math purposes. I'm hoping that many more than a billion people will go in the Rapture! If we're left with six billion people after the Rapture, that means that the population decreases to 4.5 billion. To picture a population decrease of 1.5 billion people, imagine a world without any people living in North America (including Greenland), South America (including all of Central America), Europe and Australia.¹

What will bring about such dramatic population decrease? Four culprits will be responsible.

• Sword. That's the rider on the red horse.
• Famine. That's the rider on the black horse.
• Pestilence. That means virulent, epidemic disease. In the past few years we've heard about outbreaks of Ebola, Avian Bird Flu, West Nile Virus, and now the latest – Zika Virus.
• Wild beasts.

1Based upon projected populations (by continent) for 2016. http://www.ecology.com/world-population-continent/ (accessed 4-9-16)

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 4)

3. THIRD SEAL > famine, inflation

^“When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, 'Come.' I looked, and behold, a black horse; and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a

voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, 'A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three

quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.'” (Rev. 6:5-6)

The first thing mentioned is that the rider of the black horse holds a pair of scales. What is the purpose for a scale? A scale is used to determine price, value, weight or volume. Then it is your judgment call – Will you pay the price the scale has determined?

Without realizing it, you do this each time you fill up your vehicle with gasoline. The average price of gasoline in the Pittsburgh area, as of April 9, 2016 was $2.188 per gallon.¹ If you don't think the price at the gas station is low enough, you move on to another station. You will buy gasoline; it is only a matter of what you are willing to pay.

In the scales mentioned here, the commodity isn't gasoline but food. Talk about inflation! The verse says that a denarius would buy one quart of wheat (small amount, higher nutrition) or three quarts of barley (higher amount, lesser nutrition). You'll agree with me, right, when I say that's not a whole lot? By the way, a denarius is the equivalent of a day's wage (Mt. 20:2).

“If you consider the context of the first century A.D., it is clear that John predicted a very dramatic increase in the price of wheat. A person reading the Book of Revelation in the first century A.D. would have read that a denarius would buy only enough wheat to make 1.5 to 1.875 one-pound loaves of bread instead of 25 loaves of bread . . . This would represent between a 1333% and 1667% increase in price!”²

When there is scarcity (famine) there will also be starvation.

Total number of people that die every year from hunger3	7,665,000
Total number of people who died of hunger today	21 thousand
Percent of world population considered to be starving	26 percent
Time between deaths of people who die from hunger	3.9 seconds
Total number of people who do not have enough to eat	945 million
Percent of world’s hungry that live in just 7 main countries	65 percent

Here is the kicker:  While people will experience unprecedented, skyrocketing inflation and increased starvation during the Tribulation, luxuries will still be accessible to the rich but not to the poor.  That's what is meant by“Do not damage the oil and the wine.”

1http://then.gasbuddy.com/GB_Price_List.aspx?cntry=USA#us_cities (accessed 4-9-16)

2http://www.prophecyproof.org/2011/02/revelation-66-the-end-times-cost-of-food-part-1/ (accessed 4-9-16)

3These statistics were taken from http://www.statisticbrain.com/world-hunger-statistics/ (accessed 4-9-16).

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 3)

2. SECOND SEAL > war, violence, murder > Mt. 24:6-7a

^“When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, 'Come.' And another, a

red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that

men would slay one another; and a great sword was given to him.” (Rev. 6:3-4)

That didn't take long, did it? Just two verses ago, we said the world would welcome the new global ruler, the Antichrist, and because of that it appeared there would be peace. Wrong! There will be no lasting peace until Jesus, The Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6), rules on this earth during the one-thousand-year reign known as The Millennium. 

The Antichrist will not stop until each person gives total allegiance to him, is 'owned' by him and worships him as God. How might the Antichrist go about this? One possibility is the development of transhumanism.¹

“Transhumanism is the idea that human beings, as a whole, can be drastically improved in physical and mental areas with technologies such as cloning, genetic modification, bionics, nano-technology, drugs, etc. . . . Such technological advancements, some have said, would even redefine what it means to be human.” (Matt Slick)

Peace will be taken from the earth.  That will be accomplished by war. What the Antichrist doesn't gain by deceit he will take by force.

Men will slay one another. That will involve more than one nation rising against another in war. This slaying will consist of murder. Murder is listed as one of the sins that will be prominent in the last days (Rev. 9:21). Right now in the United States violence is quickly becoming the national pastime. Look at the surging fascination with and popularity of violent video games. Look at the surge in domestic abuse. “In 2 out of 3 female homicide cases, females are killed by a family member or intimate partner.”²

Peace that was initially promised won't be realized. Unfortunately, the red horse won't be the only instance where peace is withdrawn. We know that, halfway through the seven-year time period known as The Tribulation, the Antichrist will break his peace treaty with Israel and will take over the temple in Jerusalem, demanding to be worshiped as God.

War, violence, murder -- just scan the news headlines if you think the events in Revelation can't happen. What about ISIS?

1See the following URL for a definition of transhumanism and its implications: https://carm.org/what-is-transhumanism (accessed 4-9-16)

2http://www.safehorizon.org/page/domestic-violence-statistics--facts-52.html (accessed 4-9-16)

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 2)

1. FIRST SEAL > rise of the antichrist > Mt. 24:4-5

^“Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures

saying as with a voice of thunder, 'Come.' I looked, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it

had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” (Rev. 6:1-2)

The rider on this white horse is not the same as the rider on the white horse in Rev. 19:11. The rider on the white horse in Rev. 19:11 is Jesus Christ, while the rider on the white horse in Rev. 6:2 is the Antichrist. This Antichrist will be a demon-controlled political figure who will rule the world once the Rapture of the Church has happened. He will control politics, commerce, religion and the military.

Concerning a person whose ambition is that great, you would expect an upsurge in opposition. Rev. 6:2 says there won't be. Notice that he has a bow but there is no mention of arrows. He won't need them because the world will gladly welcome and accept him – at least at first.

Think of the turmoil that will be in the world the moment after the Rapture occurs. The world will be looking for a leader, someone with answers and solutions.

The Seven Seals (Rev. 6:1-17; 8:1) (Part 1)

INTRODUCTION:

• Rev. 5:1-10 > Jesus, the Overcomer and Worthy One, is the only one who is qualified to open the book and break the seals.
• The scene now shifts from events in heaven to events on earth.
• The wrath of God is about to be poured out onto the earth!
• It is important to note that the Church is not present on earth when these events unfold.
• Chapter six begins with four riders, known as the Four Horsemen of The Apocalypse.

The Bookkeeper (Rev. 20:12)

Type your name into Google search. What comes up in the list? Hopefully it's just a list of blog posts, social media updates and good recommendations. What if it wasn't so refined? What if Google listed every negative, critical, cynical, backbiting word you said? What if Google listed a summary of your "life trash"?

While God doesn't always publicize content, nothing is hidden from Him. His books are more accurate, more updated, more full than Google could ever provide. God knows what you said, what you did, what you wanted to say, and what you wished you had done. He records words, deeds and intentions.

"And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books." (Rev. 20:12)

You will either live according to THE Book (The Bible) or be judged according to what God wrote in these other books.

Read Psa. 119:1-2, 8-11.

Righteous Judgment (Jn. 5:30)

We're continuing to read through the Gospel of John. Today's reading is John 5:24-47.
-----
Judgment is the process of separating and selecting to arrive at a decision. How can you exercise righteous judgment?

Neutralize your own will. Admit that you do have a preferred outcome. Through prayer, get your personal preferences out of the way (Mt. 26:39).

Emphasize God's will. To do this you must wait for God's will, listen to God's will and execute God's will (Jam. 1:22).

Cultivate a listening ear. Learn to recognize God's voice (1 Sam 3:10). One of the biggest hindrances to righteous judgment is speed. Take your time. Get it right.