Revelation 19:15
This transcript was generated automatically and may contain errors.
Growing up, one of the things that we were not allowed to do was watch TV. We did, however, have a room in our house that had a TV in it, but my parents were careful to lock the door, especially when they left. They always instructed us, don't go in there to watch TV. But you may realize this, a locked door is like very little deterrent to a kid who really wants to watch TV, and there were six of us. So we found any way to get in. Oftentimes the window is unlocked. My little brother learned how to take apart door hardware and even pick locks in order to get in and watch TV.
Thankfully, the Lord's got a hold of his life, and he did not proceed to a life of crime. Whenever we were in there, we were very, very, you know, suspicious that my parents would come home. So one of us would be sitting by the window constantly, just looking outside into our driveway. We had a shade, but especially when it was dark out, you could see the light from the TV. We knew that would give us away. So whenever he saw or she saw headlights coming down, we would turn off the TV and just scatter. You know, we were out of there.
And I mean, I like to say that one day we got caught, that we learned our lesson, but we never did. You know, we kept getting away with it. We're looking tonight at someone who's coming back, and his eyes are like a flame of fire. There's nothing that escapes his sight. no one is going to get away with anything. And with that, let's turn to Revelation 19, verse 15. You can find it on your bulletin. If you go to, like, the very back of the pew Bible, just turn, like, three pages, and you'll be at Revelation 19.
So read that with me, please. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God, the Almighty. I think the main idea of this verse is that the righteous judgment of the Lord is certain, but it's not here yet. The righteous judgment of the Lord is certain, but it's not here yet.
Perhaps you felt it this morning as this passage was being read, just a heaviness. It is a sobering thing to look at the judgment of the returning Christ. But I think also that we can be encouraged as believers to know that Christ is coming back. We're going to look at this in two points. The first point is that judgment is certain. And secondly, that judgment is not here yet. That judgment is certain and that it is not here yet. Looking at the fact that judgment is certain, in this verse there are three separate images of judgment.
It might feel like John is just kind of mixing metaphors here. First we have a sword, and then a rod, and then a winepress. But I think what he's trying to just say by stacking these images one on top of the other is that Christ's return and Christ's judgment are sure, and they are certain, and they are inescapable. We're going to kind of take them in turn, looking at each one of them. First, the sword coming from his mouth. I think this has the idea that God's, that Christ's words are powerful. With them, he created everything.
With them, he breathed life into Adam. But with them, our text says, he also will strike down the nations, as with the sword. His words are powerful. His words can create, but they can also dissolve. The rod here is just a callback to Psalm 2. In our verse, it basically is almost an exact quote of Psalm 2. It says, he will rule them with a rod of iron. in psalm 2 that's the one where it talks about why do the nations rage why do the people's plot in vain and in psalm 2 it says you shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel and in psalm 2 there's also an invitation it's a warning to kings to be wise to turn to the sun but we don't see that same invitation here in revelation this is the end It is too late.
By the time Christ has come back, he is coming with one purpose, and that is to judge. Interestingly, the word for rule here in our verse in Revelation 19, he will rule them with a rod of iron, is the same exact word that's used to describe the act of a shepherd, the work a shepherd does. So part of this, it's an interesting tie. I mean, in the Greek Old Testament, it's the same word as well in Psalm 2. It's the word for shepherding. There's a tie between a shepherd and a king, a shepherd and a sovereign.
But this is not the shepherd of Psalm 23. This is the shepherd of Psalm 2, who's coming to judge and to strike and to break apart like a vessel. Finally, the winepress. I think it almost escalates here. It's just talking about, you know, it just stacks on adjectives. He will tread the winepress of his fury of the wrath, I guess nouns, of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. I don't know if you've ever stepped on a grape by accident, but it doesn't give much resistance. And there's no resistance to the wrath of Christ.
Every sin will be judged righteously. There's nothing that escapes his view. There's nothing that will escape his judgment. So if you right now are hearing these words, Christ has not come back. The invitation of Psalm 2 is still open to you. As Greg said this morning, the judge wants to be your friend. The one who is coming to judge is also the one who made sure that every sin was paid for. Every sin was made an account of.
And for you and for me, if we are believers, those were made an account on himself, on the cross. Every sin is paid for, but Christ took the payment that we deserved on the cross for himself. If you are not a Christian, repent of your sin. Accept the offer of clemency from the king. But if you are a Christian, reflect on the great wrath of God that Christ took on our behalf.
One of the best ways of doing that is built into what we do as a church and is in obedience to Christ. And that is taking the Lord's Supper. I'm talking to people who are here on Sunday night. I imagine that you'd be here if we were doing the Lord's Supper as well. But how important is it to obey Christ's command to reflect on the body that was broken for us and his blood that was shed for us and just to realize the great love our Savior has for us. This judgment is certain. But also, this judgment is not here yet.
That's what we're going to look at in our second point. The book of Revelation was given to us so that we may know what is to come, John says in the first chapter. this is something that is going to happen but it's not here yet and some of you may be waiting for that judgment when we are going over revelation this past summer a brother in our church was fired from his job who i knew and he was fired because he was an outspoken christian if you are waiting for god to bring his wrath on those who have wronged you it will happen and that is a comfort if you have been wronged it is a comfort if there is injustice that's just waiting out there waiting for Christ's return so I would say endure present trials and persecution well and with patience as Chris said a couple weeks ago they are building up for us an eternal weight of glory
so persevere well I think another thing to realize here in light of the fact that the judgment is not here yet. I mean, our verse is talking about stuff that will happen. If you look at the verbs in English here, it says, These are things that are coming in the future. So right now, there is still time for the nations to repent. There is still time for them to hear the same gospel that saved us.
The fact that there is a judge and the fact that he loves them. So how should we respond to the fact that this is not here yet, this judgment that talked about here in Revelation 19? I think a couple ways. Tonight, we're here to gather for prayer. And there were several evangelistic prayer requests given. Later in the evening, Stephen is going to send out an email with those requests. If you would, pray for those people. Pray for the brothers and sisters who are trying to share the gospel with their neighbors, with their family, with their friends, with their coworkers and classmates.
Be faithful in prayer. Pray for their boldness in sharing the gospel and pray for that God would soften the hearts of those who they're sharing the gospel with. Secondly, I think we can financially support gospel efforts. Our church does that. We send people, we have strategic partners with people in the world because we want to see the nations reached by the gospel. We want to see people come to faith and we want to send people to tell them just about that. If those two things, you're confused about what to do with air, I mean, you can talk with Ryan Robertson, you can talk with Tim Jackson or Stephanie Stiles, who's our deaconess of missionary care.
I'm sure they will have ideas of what you can do practically and in prayer for these brothers and sisters. It also means not only praying for those who are sharing the gospel, it means that you yourself are called to bring the gospel. We have received mercy from God, and how much more should we be willing to risk our reputation, to risk anything it takes to bring the gospel to others? Be fervent, encourage yourselves, and know each other, and know that Christ is coming back.
Yet there is still time to repent. There is still time for the nations to hear the summons of Psalm 2. Tonight we're going to sing Before Jehovah's Awful Throne. If you want to just look at the first verse with me. This is the call that our church is making to the nations, echoing Psalm 2 here. The nations are in view. it says, before Jehovah's awful throne, ye nations bow with sacred joy. Know that the Lord is God alone. He can create and he destroy. This is a sobering text this evening. The judgment of Christ has not happened, yet it is promised. We don't know when it's coming, but until it does, as long as it's called today, be faithful in prayer. Be faithful in supporting missionaries and state side workers as well, and be faithful in your evangelism. Let's pray.
Heavenly Father, you have reached us with the good news, Lord. You have promised to judge, but you've also given mercy. We are so thankful for your Son. We're so thankful for the wrath that was poured out on him in our place that we deserved rightly. I pray that you would give us boldness in proclaiming the gospel, that you would give the missionaries that we have sent and commissioned and are partnered with boldness in sharing the gospel, that they would not grow weary, that you would not let Satan hinder their efforts, and that you would bring your people home to you. In Jesus' name, amen.