Do Not Be Surprised When You Are Persecuted

Five seals of the scroll with seven seals (Rev. 5:1) have been opened by the Lamb. From the first four came the terrible Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. With the opening of the fifth the martyrs under the heavenly temple's altar cry out to the Sovereign Lord for vengeance. When will the Lord punish those who have murdered His beloved disciples? Be patient, He says and watch. Here comes the opening of the sixth seal.

When he opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth, the full moon became like blood, and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as the fig tree sheds its winter fruit when shaken by a gale. The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, calling to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?" - Rev 6:12-17 ESV

Scripture in the light of 1st century history

These are classical images from the prophets about the LORD's fierce anger loosed upon proud sinners. The sun, moon and stars will turn dark on the great and terrible day of the LORD.

Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with wrath and fierce anger, to make the land a desolation and to destroy its sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be dark at its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. - Isa 13:9-10 ESV 

Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed, for the LORD of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and his glory will be before his elders. - Isa 24:23 ESV 

When I blot you out, I will cover the heavens and make their stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give its light. All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over you, and put darkness on your land, declares the Lord GOD. - Eze 32:7-8 ESV

The Lord Jesus Himself foretold the persecution of his disciples. They were to be on guard for councils will condemn them, He warned, and they will stand before rulers to bear witness. And the gospel must be proclaimed to all nations (Mark 13:9-27). To speak of those events He borrowed the fearful symbolical language of prophets:

"But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. And then he will send out the angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of heaven. - Mar 13:24-27 ESV

The martyred saints beneath the altar are comforted as they hear about what was to happen to the seemingly invincible rulers of the earth's mighty nations.

So on to the opening of the seventh and final seal and the sealing of the great multitude, the 144,000, from every tribe of the sons of Israel. More on that in the next post.

And the application of this Word to all who believe in the Lord Jesus? Don't be surprised when the children of this world hate you and persecute you. Expect it. That is exactly what they did to our Lord Himself. Listen to words from the Apostle Peter (1 Peter 4:1-19).

Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God. For the time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry. With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you; but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. 

For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does. The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. . .  

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. . .  

. . . if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And "If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?" (Proverbs 11:31) Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. - 1Pe 4:1-19 ESV

(A final note to this posting: The picture above is from a group of that teaches the Preterist View of the end times. Preterism denies that Revelation is a prophecy about the future. My readers may want to study that view, among the many interpretations of Revelation. As a Christian committed to the Lutheran Confessions of 1530, I must reject it. I'll have more to say about that in future postings.)

The Crown Of Life Awaits

Some say the Greek word for myrrh (smyrna - Matt. 2:11) supplied the name for the second city to which John's Revelation is addressed. In ancient times myrrh was the chief export of that city.  It had been around for hundreds of years, first as a Greek city and later as one of the principal cities of the Roman province of Asia. To the believers in Smyrna, John writes in the name of Christ,

"And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: 'The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life. "'I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich) and the slander of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.' - Rev 2:8-11 ESV

The believers in Smyrna suffered tribulation, poverty and blasphemy. Jesus warned that believers will ever face such trials. He calls wars, famines and earthquakes the beginning of the birth pains. Added to them, He says, will be people falling from the faith, betraying and even hating one another. False prophets will also arise to lead many astray. Lawlessness, the rejection of God's revealed way of life, and a cold, calloused attitude toward believers will be part of the last days. But these are birth pains. Painful as they are, they are signs that Christ's return is imminent (Matt. 24:3-25). When He returns to judge all mankind the true children of God will be revealed and all will be made new forever (Rev. 21:5).

Already even now the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearts of believers, renewing them in the image and likeness of the Lord Himself. Paul writes,

For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. - 2Co 5:14-17 ESV

This is what we still observe. Wherever the Gospel is proclaimed, the Spirit re-creates men and women. They are literally new creations. They are no longer controlled by their sinful flesh, but begin to live for him who died and was raised. This Gospel is God's means of bringing His undeserved grace into the lives of believers.

Jesus Himself is called here the first and the last, a name already coined by John in the first chapter when he used the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet to describe Jesus as the Lord God, who is and who was and who is to come (Rev. 1:8, 17-18). So we are all comforted as we remember that all is in His hands. When Israel was released by Pharaoh in the days of the Exodus, the Egyptian king changed his mind and sent his army after them. To calm Israel's fears Moses said,

"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again." - Exo 14:13 ESV

We all need such strong words of comfort as we are persecuted. The LORD permits such trials so that our faith may be tested (Rom.5:3).

In turn, those persecuting the believers in Smyrna were called those who say that they are Jews and are not, but a synagogue of Satan. The Apostle Paul spoke also of false Jews, those who failed to see circumcision as a matter of the heart, but merely as an outward ritual. They relied upon their outward keeping of the Law. True believers, true Jews, always see circumcision as a "putting off of the body of the flesh," as being buried with Christ in baptism and raised with Him through faith in the God who also raised Jesus from the dead (Col. 2:12; Rom 6:3-5).

Moses admonished Israel in the same way in his final words. In days to come, he said, if they again abandoned their faith in the LORD who graciously brought them to the promised land. When they fell again into such a religion, based upon outward rituals, the LORD would again have to bring upon them the curses described earlier, curses like those that came upon Sodom and Gomorrah when "the whole land burned out with brimstone and salt, nothing sown and nothing growing" and no plant could sprout (Deut 29:23 ESV).

In the same way the LORD speaks to all believers in these final days, not only those in Smyrna. The LORD will permit Satan to throw them into prison and even to kill them. They will be tested. Do they trust only in the LORD? Do they understand that ultimately the devil cannot harm them? Do they realize that tribulation will only be for ten days? All of God's commands are summarized in the Ten Commandments (Exod 20:1-17). Ten plagues came upon Egypt before Pharaoh set Israel free (Exod 7-11). Ten nations conspired against Israel, laying crafty plans against God's people (Ps. 83:3-8).  But this is the constant message: the LORD is in control. The nations cannot prevail against Him. The LORD laughs at them as He puts limits on the devil and those who serve him.

Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and against his Anointed, saying, "Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us." He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision. - Psa 2:1-4 ESV

So the Spirit, through John, concludes with added words of comfort. Their enemies may destroy their bodies, but they will not be hurt by the second death, the lake of fire that has no power over those who have died and risen again with Christ (Rev. 20:6, 14; 21:8).  They have already died spiritually and risen again. They cannot therefore ever die again. What awaits them is the crown of life, life that has already begun in them when they were raised with Christ to newness of life. The crown of that life is the resurrection of the body (1 Cor 15:19-26). So the final word to the believers in Smyrna and to all believers in all places and all times:

Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.' - Rev 2:10-11 ESV

Running With Endurance

I'm still working through John's rock-solid introduction to The Revelation of Jesus Christ. He writes,

I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. - Rev 1:9 ESV

Tribulation and patient endurance! These themes echo again and again in The Revelation:

"'I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. ... "'I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first. - Rev 2:2, 19 ESV 

Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth. - Rev 3:10 ESV 

And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever, and they have no rest, day or night, these worshipers of the beast and its image, and whoever receives the mark of its name." Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. - Rev 14:11-12 ESV

 The Apostle Paul recognized the importance of endurance as well:

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, - Rom 15:4-5 ESV

Just today my wife and I began to make plans to celebrate our upcoming wedding anniversary. I suggested that we go to a local steak house. Now you don't have to ask me to endure the eating of a fine steak washed down with a good mug of my favorite beer. Endurance applies rather to things like my heart bypass operation several years back and the later recovery process. Our spiritual life in Christ is more like that than Sylvia's and my upcoming anniversary celebration. God's Word does indeed speak of Christ's return to carry us as His bride to celebrate in the Father's house. Even now the wedding feast is ready. But we have not yet reached the king's dining hall.

"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son, and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, "See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast."' ... Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.' - Mat 22:2-4, 8-9 ESV 

Meanwhile, however, we face opposition, conflict, temptation and—what's John's word here?—tribulation ! He calls himself our brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance. The parallel word for tribulation is persecution, something I wrote about in the immediately previous blog. We have great enemies out there in the world, enemies led by the prince of this world (Eph. 6:12; John 8:44; 12:31; 14:30; 16:11). And they do not back down.

Aware of that reality we need to teach and preach the truth about the Christian life. Yes, there are victories. Yes, there are miracles. Yes, Jesus is with us always. But tribulation, opposition, conflict and suffering in both body and spirit are ours as well. But let us not be discouraged. Listen again and again to the apostles as they offer encouragement in the Name of the Risen Christ.  

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. - Heb 12:1-3 ESV

Would God Lead Us Into Temptation?

Why on earth should I pray, "Our Father . . . lead us not into temptation?" Does the Father in heaven ever lead anyone into temptation? And if so, why? Surely He would not want to tempt us to disobey Himself or turn our backs upon Him. And if not, why does the LORD Jesus teach us such a prayer. Is He misleading us and not really suggesting that our Father would want to lead us into temptation?

I'm confused.

Let's take another look at this petition.

Once the disciples came to Jesus, asking his opinion about who was the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus called a child to join them and then said, "Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven." Then he went on to warn about temptations to sin—or to be more precise, stumbling blocks along the path.

"For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! - Mat 18:7 ESV

Necessary? Perhaps inevitable is a better translation, because of the ways of the world and the people that live in it. What else could we expect? The ordered world of men is opposed to the will and plan of God. It is filled with skandala, the Greek word for the movable trigger of a trap, a trap stick. It refers to anything set up along one's path of life that might cause you to stumble or be caught. It may be either that trap stick or a stone set in the way. Metaphorically it refers to any person or event or anything by which you are drawn into sin, unbelief or rejection of the LORD. Once the trap door drops you're caught and cannot get away.

This is why Paul warns, for instance, about those who love to cause dissension and divisions among members of the Body of Christ. They love to set up traps that are contrary to the teachings we learned from our fathers and teachers. They're not at all interested in building up your faith in Jesus, Paul says. All they're really interested in is themselves and what's in it for them. So they use smooth, apparently profound and wise talk, mixed with flattery. It sounds so very learned, so intelligent, so very interesting—so modern. In this manner they deceive the hearts of those untrained to sort out their deceptions, those Paul calls the naive (Romans 16:17-18).

So back to our prayer. Why does our Father in heaven bring us into such situations? Whatever for? I suppose that's really another way of saying, Why doesn't He simply pluck us up and take us completely out of the world to some place where there is no temptation to sin? But of course that's quite impossible, is it not? Fly to a deserted island in the Pacific and you'll still have your own sinful heart, to say nothing of the demons assigned to lead you away from your LORD. As long as we live in this present world we will have such struggles and stresses. Listen to Jesus.

In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world. - John 16:33 ESV

Temptations to sin are inevitable in this world. The fight will go on! There is no escaping it. We're in a war. So we pray for help to overcome the world. Teach us how to fight. Teach us the ways of the enemy. Arm us, train us, equip us for this war. And give us victory today!

More about the battle in my next post.

Looking Ahead To The Signs Of Jesus' Return

When Jesus warned his disciples that the Herod's Temple would be torn down, they responded by asking two vital questions. They wanted to know when that would be and what would be the sign of his coming and the end of the age. The sign and the end of the age were interconnected in their minds (Matt. 24:1-3).

The Lord did not tell them when the Temple would be torn down. He did make it clear that the entire city of Jerusalem would be surrounded by her enemies (doubtless the Romans) and laid waste as the prophet Daniel had foretold (Matt. 24:15; Daniel 9:24-27). In those days of vengeance Jerusalem would be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles (Luke 19:43-44; 21:21-25). Other prophets as well as Daniel had foretold this, because Jerusalem and her leaders had rejected their promised Messiah. So the book of the prophets ends with Malachi saying,

"For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that it will leave them neither root nor branch. - Mal 4:1 ESV

Further, such death, desolation and destruction would mark the coming of the Messianic king who would usher in a new era of peace and joy. Malachi continues,

But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. - Mal 4:2 ESV

Jerusalem was destroyed as the prophets foretold and Jesus confirmed. In 70 A.D. the Roman armies finally breached the walls and laid waste to the temple. Many of Jesus' disciples fled the city, forewarned by his words. The abomination of desolation had been foretold by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 12:11). It had already happened once back in 168 B.C. when Antiochus IV Epiphanes attempted to wipe out Judaism. Jesus uses the same language to warn that it was about to happen again. Abominable statues of false gods would again be set up in the Temple's holy place.

"So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short." - Mat 24:15-22 ESV

The problem we later believers face is this: how much time is there between the destruction of Jerusalem and Christ's return in glory and power? And what signs do we look for to mark the end of this age in which the church, the living body of Christ, lives and serves? What signs demonstrate that Christ's return is imminent and about to happen? Follow Matthew's record of Jesus' words.

1. False messiahs and false prophets will arise: "For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray. ... And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. . . Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. . . So, if they say to you, 'Look, he is in the wilderness,' do not go out. If they say, 'Look, he is in the inner rooms,' do not believe it.'" - Mat 24:4-5, 11, 23-24, 26 ESV
2. Wars and rumors of wars will abound: "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom . . ." - Mat 24:6-7 ESV
3. Jesus' disciples will be persecuted and hated: "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake." - Mat 24:9 ESV
4. Many will stumble and fall away from Jesus: "And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. ... And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold."- Mat 24:10, 12 ESV
5. Natural disasters will occur: ". . . there will be famines and earthquakes in various places." - Mat 24:7 ESV
6. The Gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed worldwide: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." - Mat 24:14 ESV

Some critical things to remember about all this:

• "All these are but the beginning of the birth pains." - Mat 24:8. The age of the Messiah is coming, but the signs above only point to the beginning. They are pains to be sure. The birth will take place, but the when is not for us to know. 
• The exact time of Christ's return remains in the hands of the heavenly Father: "But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only." - Mat 24:36 ESV
• The people of this world will be clueless about the Christ's return: "For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." - Mat 24:37-39 ESV
• Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ... Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. - Mat 24:42, 44 ESV

There will be no mistaking Jesus' return. It will be sudden, loud, as bright as lightning and obvious to everyone. He will come on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. Then the Day of Judgment and Renewal will take place.

"For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. 

"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. 

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." - Mat 24:27-34, ESV

So as we await our Master's return each day we joyfully give ourselves to the tasks of our calling. And we keep looking up, because this could be the day.

"But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes." - Mat 24:43-46 ESV