Does the average person in our country honestly believe that God will judge those that deny Him and flaunt His laws? Probably not, at least not any time soon. If they did, their actions would be far different from what they are. Those that are atheistic or agnostic discount the possibility of a supreme deity; those that are nominally religious, for the most part, do not believe their God would be so cruel as to do such a thing. In the days of the Tribulation, it will be even worse. Satan, through the Antichrist, the Man of Sin, will deceive the world.
What lie will he use? Why would people, immediately following the rapture, not believe, after all, vast numbers of people have simply vanished off the face of the earth? To be sure, many will believe, but most will not. How will they explain it all? Perhaps the groundwork for this deception is being laid in our days.
With the scientific community, by and large, accepting as one of their fundamental axioms the denial of even the possibility of a supreme being or supernatural activity and insisting that all occurring phenomena must be explained by natural means, the world as a whole will look for an explanation of the Rapture and succeeding events in ways other than the Biblical explanation. They will not even consider for a moment the supernatural. Today, even though discounted by the scientific community, there are a great many people who are convinced that alien abductions have taken place. There are a great number of people who believe in demons, not as the evil spirits spoken of by the Bible, but as living beings who exist in dimensions not visible to us.
Does the world believe there are intelligent life forms existing elsewhere in our universe? Most certainly! Most scientific authorities are convinced that there must be intelligent life elsewhere in our universe.
Scientists such as Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking state that it would be improbable for life not to exist somewhere other than Earth. Stephen Hawking, in the Discovery Channel documentary, Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking, further warned that humans should not try to contact alien life forms and that aliens might pillage Earth for resources. “If aliens visit us, the outcome would be much as when Columbus landed in America, which didn’t turn out well for the Native Americans.”
A senior scientist at SETI (Search for ExtraTerrestrial Intelligence) stated at the SETI con Convention in Mountain View, California, in 2010 that proof of extraterrestrial intelligence could come within 25 years. He said, “I actually think the chances that we’ll find ET are pretty good. Young people in the audience, I think there’s a really good chance you’re going to see this happen.”
One possible lie, which could be used by Satan, would be that hostile alien beings have attacked our world. The lie will insist that because there is no God and all life has evolved here on earth, it must have evolved in other places as well. Now others have made contact with us. Many inhabitants have been abducted. Forces have been unleashed against the earth, causing tremendous damage to the ecological balance, and the main invasion is yet to come! He might even spread the lie that these alien forces are using the “old religious superstitions and stories” as a ruse. Promising great power, leadership and strength, Satan, through the Antichrist, will rally the world’s forces to defeat these alien invaders when they come.
Could this be the scenario used by Satan? It certainly is possible. It would fit with what was stated by Stephen Hawking, who was regarded as one if not the top scientific mind in our day. Nevertheless, we do not know at this point. We do know that the world will believe a lie and that Satan is the father of lies. 2 Thessalonians 2:7-12 states:
| 2:7 | For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. |
| 2:8 | Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; |
| 2:9 | that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, |
| 2:10 | and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. |
| 2:11 | For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, |
| 2:12 | in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. |
God is very clear in His word; rebellion against Him will be judged. In the days of the Tribulation, He will make this very clear to the world so that everyone has heard this message, whether they have access to the Word of God or not, whether they have heard the message of truth or not. Everyone everywhere will hear and be responsible. No one will be able to say in the Day of Judgment, “But, God, I did not know. No one ever told me!”
In the passage of study for this lesson, John sees the message and the warnings of judgment being broadcast to the rebellious world.
Revelation 14:6-13.
| 14:6 | And I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; |
| 14:7 | and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.” |
| 14:8 | And another angel, a second one, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” |
| 14:9 | Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, |
| 14:10 | he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. |
| 14:11 | “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” |
| 14:12 | Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. |
| 14:13 | And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’“ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” |
The Announcements to The World
The text easily divides into two sections: a series of announcements made to those on the earth and an announcement made to the saints or believers. The stage is the earth. In the first announcement, an angel flies in midheaven, a term which refers to the atmosphere, the space above the earth but under the heavens. This angel has an eternal gospel to proclaim to all the earth, that is, to every nation and tribe and tongue and people. While God in the past has utilized human messengers to proclaim His message, He now uses an angelic messenger. This angelic being moves through the air, delivering a message that everyone will hear and, no matter what language they might speak, will understand. This message is called an eternal gospel, and it is given to us. The message is, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." This is the gospel of the kingdom mentioned in Matthew 24:3-14:
| 24:3 | As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” |
| 24:4 | And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. |
| 24:5 | “For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. |
| 24:6 | “You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. |
| 24:7 | “For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. |
| 24:8 | “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. |
| 24:9 | “Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name. |
| 24:10 | “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. |
| 24:11 | “Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. |
| 24:12 | “Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. |
| 24:13 | “But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. |
| 24:14 | “This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. |
The eternal gospel, the gospel of the kingdom, is the news that God will soon return and set up His kingdom, and all are to worship Him, the true God, the creator of heaven and earth! Now I realize that there will be some who will object to the gospel being defined in this way. “Wait a minute,” they will say, “the gospel is the message that Jesus is the Messiah, that He died and rose again to pay the penalty for our sins, is it not?”
Yes, it is! That indeed is the gospel, the good news, which we are to proclaim to the world, and it is the issue of faith for our age, the church age. Make no mistake about it! If anyone denies or rejects this message today, they are lost. People are saved today because Jesus Christ died in their place, taking and paying the penalty for their sin, rising again and imputing to them His righteousness. Indeed, they have always been saved in this way from Adam, the first man, to the last person in the Tribulation or in the Kingdom to follow it. There is no other way to be justified before God; there has been no other way, and there will be no other way. Man has always been justified by faith. Adam was, Abraham was, David was, believers today are, and believers in any age to come will be justified by faith as well. The agent of salvation has been, is and always will be the life, sacrificial death and resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. The requirement for salvation has always been, is and will be faith in the message God has given. What differs from age to age is the content of that message. The revelation of God is a progressive revelation. We know more today than what John the Baptist knew. He knew more than David or Abraham, who knew more than Adam. Yet what God revealed to them, they believed, and because of their faith, God justified them on the basis of the life and work of Jesus our Lord. The issue or content of faith differs from age to age.
During the Tribulation, Satan will set up his kingdom upon the earth and claim to be lord over it. He will claim to be supreme and demand worship from all on earth. The good news is that the true God, creator of heaven and earth, will soon come in judgment to set up the true kingdom with Jesus, the Messiah, King of kings and Lord of Lords. Do you believe this? This is the issue of faith for that generation. If you believe it, you will wait for the true king to come; you will not worship the beast or receive his mark. God makes this message very clear to the entire world by proclaiming it by angelic messengers.
The first of the three angelic announcements is an exhortation for all upon the earth to worship the True God, the creator. The second angelic announcement is the declaration that the false religious system has been judged. The angel proclaims, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who has made all the nations drink of the wine of the passion of her immorality.” More is revealed about Babylon, the Great, in chapters 17 and 18. Suffice it to be said here that Babylon, the Great is the false religious system or systems of the world. It must be noted that the Christian church organizations did not disappear from the earth at the rapture. Those who disappeared were true believers. The church organizations remained and no doubt prospered following the rapture. The world's religious system, whether as a whole or in its separate parts, has been used by Satan to deceive and mislead people for ages and now comes under God's judgment. This is a clear warning to the inhabitants of the earth that the truth is not to be found in these false systems. Worship God, the Creator, instead!
The last of the angelic announcements is a clear warning to all. The third angel proclaims:
| If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name. |
The message cannot be clearer than this. Worship the beast or receive his mark, and one is eternally lost. This statement has raised questions with some. It seems to leave open the possibility of salvation depending upon one’s works. In order to be saved, the argument goes that one must refuse to worship the beast or get his mark. While this is a negative, something one does not do; it is still dependent upon human action and effort. Therefore a person’s salvation is dependent upon their actions.
Those that would argue in this manner do not have a good concept of what faith truly is, nor have they considered the text that immediately follows. First, one must clearly understand what faith is and what faith is not. Faith is not the knowledge or conviction that something is true or valid. That is indeed a critical element of faith, but faith is more than knowing that something is true. Faith begins with knowledge but adds to it reliance or dependence upon something or someone, an entrusting of oneself to someone or something.
There are many people today who claim to have faith in God and in Jesus Christ. They may indeed be convinced of the truth of the gospel, that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He lived a perfect life, died for their sins and rose again, then ascended into heaven. Nevertheless, they are as lost as the one who declares there is no God. Why? Because despite their knowledge of the truth, they continue to try to live good lives so God will accept them into heaven. Although they know the truth, they have never come to rely upon what Jesus did as the only means of salvation. Knowing the truth and relying upon it are two different things.
There is a wretched bridge in Colorado! Wretched, that is, for us who are acrophobic. This bridge is a swinging suspension bridge over the Royal Gorge. One can walk out on it; one can or could drive across it. When my wife and I visited it, I stood on the ground on one side, and I knew it would hold me up; after all, a big truck was driving across it toward me. Did I have faith it would hold me up? No, I only had the knowledge, the firm conviction, it would. I was completely convinced it would! When did I exercise faith? When I committed or entrusted myself to that bridge and walked out on it when I relied upon it to hold me. Study the book of James. Genuine faith always is demonstrated in action; it works.
The Announcements to The Saints
Those who know that the true king is coming, that God, the creator of heaven and earth, will soon judge the world will rely upon him, will entrust themselves to him and as a result will not receive the mark of the beast, nor will they worship him. This is the exercise of their faith. They will persevere. As the following verses declare:
| Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, “Write, ‘Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on!’ “ “Yes,” says the Spirit, “so that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow with them.” |
The perseverance of the saints is a doctrine that is quite misunderstood. It is commonly taught that this doctrine holds that if one has accepted Jesus Christ as his savior, then he is saved no matter what he might do or say after that. What ought to be taught, however, is that those who are saved, i.e., the saints, who have genuinely placed their faith in Jesus Christ, will persevere unto the end until they stand before Him in glory. Verse 12 states, “This is the perseverance of the saints…” What is this perseverance? The context tells us, they will not worship the beast nor receive his mark! This is the evidence of their faith: they keep this command of God. This is how they express their faith in Jesus the Messiah.
For most, it will mean the forfeit of their lives. For many others, it will mean deprivation and starving. A voice in heaven declares a blessing for those who will give their lives who are in the Lord. They are blessed. There will be no rest for the spirits of those who do not believe and who die for, although they are not condemned to hell at this point; nevertheless, they are imprisoned in a place of suffering until the day of judgment. For those who believe and die, their spirits go to be with the Lord awaiting the resurrection at the beginning of the kingdom. The resurrection of the church, one must note, has already taken place.
As they await the kingdom with their Lord, those who have died have rest from their sufferings upon the earth. Their deeds, it is stated, follow with them. While none may have ever seen what they did while they lived upon the earth, while what they did might have been vilified, scorned and despised by those that persecuted them, they will be recognized and rewarded when they stand with their Lord.
What do we think about the judgment of God today? Do we even give it much thought? The world, it is all too clear, thinks very little about it. For many, no such thing can exist, for they do not believe in a God who created the heavens and the earth. Therefore, what they say and do in this life has no eternal consequences. If there is no judgment after death, there is little deterrent for the abhorrent deeds done today.
For many believers, the vision of being rewarded by their Lord is faint today. They do not see it clearly, if at all. For them, the only rewards are to be found in this life; and to achieve them, one must play by the world’s rules.
Today we need a vision, a clear vision of the coming judgment of God. It will change lives. In the final days before the kingdom, God will make this absolutely clear to all who live on the earth. Judgment will come for all those who refuse to worship the true God who created the heavens and the earth; for those who believe, their deeds will be rewarded!
