Things are Not as They Seem

1
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!

• Scripture Reading
• Revelation 15 16
• This series follows the outline and material
  provided by Darrell Johnson in his book,
  Discipleship on the Edge

2
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Arent you glad that you came to church this
  morning?
• To hear such an edifying part of the Bible?
• Just what you were wanting to hear?
• The Wrath of God.

3
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• We will be looking at this disturbing part of
  Gods Word.
• Even in here we see Gospel Good News.

4
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• We will focus on 2 words that frame this passage
  
• Wrath Finished
• I saw in heaven another great and marvelous
  sign seven angels with the seven last
  plagueslast, because with them God's wrath is
  completed. Rev. 151

5
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
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• The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the
  air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from
  the throne, saying, "It is done!" 18Then there
  came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of
  thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake
  like it has ever occurred since man has been on
  earth, so tremendous was the quake. 19The great
  city split into three parts, and the cities of
  the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the
  Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine
  of the fury of his wrath. Revelation 1617-19

6
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Leon Morris in The Apostolic Preaching of the
  Cross
• The wrath of God is Gods strong and settled
  opposition to all that is evil. It arises out of
  Gods very nature. It is a burning zeal for the
  right coupled with a hatred for all that is evil.

7
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Revelation 155-7
• After this I looked and in heaven the temple,
  that is, the tabernacle of the Testimony, was
  opened. Out of the temple came the seven angels
  with the seven plagues. They were dressed in
  clean, shining linen and wore golden sashes
  around their chests. Then one of the four living
  creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden
  bowls filled with the wrath of God, who lives for
  ever and ever.

8
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Temple, Tabernacle of Testimony
• Contained the 10 commandments
• The plagues of wrath are the natural consequences
  of violating Gods moral law. Johnson,
  Discipleship on the Edge

9
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Gods essential character of holiness would not
  allow that to go unpunished.

10
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• How are 7 Seals, 7 trumpets and 7 bowls related?
• Are they 3 different realities 21 sequential
  events?
• Or
• Are they referring to the same reality from 3
  different perspectives.

11
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• I am inclined to side with those who believe that
  the 3 series of seven refer to the same reality
  of judgment but from 3 different vantage points.

12
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• The 7 seals are from the perspective of the
  suffering church.
• The 7 trumpets are from the perspective of the
  world being called to repentance.
• The 7 bowls are from the perspective of our Holy
  God.

13
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Lets compare the 2 of 3 series of 7
• Trumpets Bowls .
• 1. Effects the earth earth
• 2. Effects the sea sea
• 3. Effects the rivers rivers
• 4. Effects the sun sun
• Effects the pit of evil throne of evil
• Effects the Euphrates Euphrates

14
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Johnson and other interpreters of Revelation
  speak of something called Recapitulation.
• That the book of revelation is not written in a
  linear sequential way but that we keep covering
  the same ground, the same time period.

15
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• I think that that is one of the reasons that we
  have a hard time understanding Revelation.
• We get to the end of the 7 seals in Revelation
  81 When he opened the seventh seal, there was
  silence in heaven for about half an hour. and we
  think we have come to the end

16
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• We get to the end of the 7 trumpets in Revelation
  1115 The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and
  there were loud voices in heaven, which said
  "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom
  of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign
  for ever and ever.
• and we think we have come to the end.

17
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• We get to the end of the 7 bowls in Revelation
  1617 The seventh angel poured out
  his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came
  a loud voice from the throne, saying, It is
  done!
• and we think we have come to the end.

18
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Revelation in effect covers the same time frame
• the time between Christs first and second
  coming
• again and again

19
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Lets draw out several truths about Gods
  wrath/judgment.
• Wrath/Judgment is horrible
• - Revelations wild images are meant to get our
  attention
• - to realize we dont want this
• - 7 seals ¼, 7 trumpets 1/3, 7 bowls complete,
  no fractions

20
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• 2. Judgment/Wrath is justified
• - Rev 166 for they have shed the blood of
  your saints and prophets, and you have given them
  blood to drink as they deserve.
• - Greek word worthy to receive
• - J.I. Packer No one stands under the wrath of
  God except they have chosen to do so.

21
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• 3. Judgment only comes after ample time for
  repentance
• - Repeatedly They refused to repent. Rev.
  69, 11
• - Fractions ¼, 1/3, - chance for repentance
• - Revelation, like all prophecy, is not
  primarily to foretell the future, but is a call
  to repentance, saying, this is what your future
  will be like if you do not repent.

22
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• Judgment fits the crime
• - for they have shed the blood of your saints
  and prophets, and you have given them blood to
  drink as they deserve. 166

23
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• 5. Judgment is Just 
• Rev. 167 And I heard the altar respond Yes,
  Lord God Almighty, true and just are your
  judgments.
• Rev. 69-10When he opened the fifth seal, I saw
  under the altar the souls of those who had been
  slain because of the word of God and the
  testimony they had maintained. 10They called out
  in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy
  and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the
  earth and avenge our blood?"

24
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
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• 6. Judgment can be avoided
• - 7 bowls of wrath and judgment are for the
  people who had the mark of the beast and
  worshipped his image. 162
• - This is a call to repent, to choose to follow
  the Lamb who was slain.
• - This brings us to the It is finished. in
  Rev. 151 and 1617

25
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• This It is finished is an echo of Jesus words
  from the cross
• It is finished. John 1930
• What was finished on the cross?
• Everything that needs to be done to enable
  unholy sinners to be in relationship with a holy
  God. Johnson, Discipleship on the Edge

26
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
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• On the cross, God took upon himself, in the form
  of Jesus, the wrath of God, his zeal for the
  right and his hate for sin.
• You and I deserved that punishment but Jesus took
  it so we might have life.

27
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• How do we respond to this message this morning?
• Stay awake to the end times
• Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who
  stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so
  that he may not go naked and be shamefully
  exposed. 1615
• - Know that Jesus may come at any time and live
  accordingly

28
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• 2. Repent of everything that in not consistent
  with following Jesus.
• Daily repentance
• Ask the Holy Spirit to examine your heart and
  life to expose any sins hidden in your life

29
Things are Not as They Seem It is Finished!
Wrath
.

• 3. Care for those who have not yet accepted Jesus
  as their Lord and Saviour.
• If the wrath and judgment of God is so horrible,
  what should we do or say to those around us?