God Uses Time and Trials

 

God Uses Time and Trials

1 Peter 2:2; Phil. 1:6; Ps. 119:67; Jam. 1:2-4

 

SUBJECT: SPIRITUAL GROWTH

THEME: regarding spiritual growth, God uses time and trials as instruments throughout our journey’s. Our responsibilities are to realize this and actively pursue Christlikeness.   

RELEVANCE: Unless we realize that spiritual growth requires time, we may think that our slow pace of spiritual growth is due to something inherently deficient or wrong in us. If we don’t understand that God often uses trials to make us stronger, we may conclude that God is punishing us or is angry with us for some reason we don’t understand.

INTRODUCTION:

We are always on the forge, or on the anvil; by trials God is shaping us for higher things. -Henry Ward Beecher (1813–1887)

       Every Fall the Monarch Caterpillar Crawls to the End of a Twig, Fashions a Meticulously Fabricated Cocoon Around Itself, Slams the Door, and Goes to Sleep. Some time later, something utterly miraculous happens. Out crawls a butterfly! Somehow, by some power hidden deep in the mysteries of nature, a fat, low-slung, many-legged, ugly little creature of the earth is changed into a light, sleek, brightly-colored, beautiful little creature of the sky. How it happens, or even that it happens, is one of the true glories of nature.

As We Probe into this Mystery, However, We Learn Some Startling Truths. If you walked past the low tree limb where the cocoon was attached at just the precise moment the butterfly began to emerge from its magic chamber, you would see a fearful struggle—a struggle that would rend your heart and make you fear for the butterfly's life. The butterfly pushes and pulls and wiggles. Then it falls back, exhausted. It repeats the process again and again until, finally, after long and agonizing labor, it escapes the cocoon.

As You Watched this Struggle for Life—as Indeed it Is, for if the butterfly does not get out within a certain length of time, it will die in the cocoon—you would be tempted to come to the butterfly's rescue, perhaps by taking some tweezers and enlarging the opening ever so slightly to let the butterfly out of his potential coffin.

Well-meaning as such a gesture would be, it would seal the doom of the butterfly. For the very struggle to get out of the cocoon develops the butterfly's ability to fly. If the butterfly does not struggle to get out of the cocoon, it is condemned to crawl the twigs, unable to fly, until it starves to death or becomes dinner for a waiting bird.

Both Time in the Cocoon and the Trials in Getting out of it Are Essential to Transform the Ugly Little Caterpillar into a Beautiful Flitting Butterfly. Time and trials are both necessary to transform a worm-like creature, condemned to inching its way along the underbrush of life, into a lovely-winged creature able to take to the Heavens.

The Natural Realm with Butterflies Parallels the Spiritual Realm with Children of God. God wants us to undergo continuous transformation from creatures of the physical realm to creatures of the spiritual realm, from creatures of the world to creatures of Heaven, from creatures of time to creatures of eternity. With our bodies on earth, God wants us to live with our minds on Heaven.

And just as it takes time and trials to transform a caterpillar into a butterfly, so it takes time and trials to transform a child of God from one whose interests, values, and affections center on earth to one whose interests, values, and affections focus on Heaven. -Max Anders 

In this Message We Will Emphasize That …

1. Spiritual Growth Requires Time, Just as Physical Growth Does.

2. Trials Are Used by God to Make Us Spiritually Insightful and Strong.

3. The Bible Gives Us Many Examples of Spiritual Leaders Whose Trials Eventually Produced Spiritual Maturity.

MESSAGE:

I.  WHAT GOD SAID ABOUT THE ROLE OF TIME IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH

  The Bible teaches that spiritual growth requires time, just as physical growth does.

1 Peter 2:2, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

  A.  SPIRITUAL GROWTH IS SOMEWHAT RELATED TO PHYSICAL GROWTH.

In 1 Peter 2:2, the apostle instructs us “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:” This relates physical growth to spiritual growth.

1.  We Grow Slowly Physically—and Spiritually.  Certainly, physical growth is automatic and Spiritual growth is more dependent on our cooperation with the Lord, but still growth takes place over time.  Growth is not instantaneous!

When I was twelve through seventeen years old, I drove myself hard to develop better artistic skills. I had inherited an artistic gene from somewhere, and I simply loved to draw, color, and paint. I drew at school and then again at home, I could easily spend an entire evening or a Saturday afternoon drawing, sketching, shading with color pencils, creating, and painting. For quite some time I was enamored with creating “superheroes” and extraordinary “hyperphysical freedom fighter quads” who vindicated right, fought for justice and truth, and who were fully equipped with transcending abilities and qualities. I would start with a concept and build it to a sketch and then elevate it to a mixed media drawing and then finally an acrylic painting!  I was always proud of my latest achievement, but I couldn’t wait to launch another project.   Then it was back to the drawing board in an all-out effort to surpass anything I had ever done before.

All of this was done with a corresponding love for the animated silver screen and a fascination with the adventures of comic books, where drawing and painting were valuable abilities. Developing a limitless imagination was an imperative if this was to be my future! But no matter how sharp my skills where, I always wanted to be better and reach higher goals. There was always a consuming desire to improve, refine, and achieve perfection.

The same was true spiritually when I became a Christian after my fourth year in the Air Force. As I look back on it, I experienced rather significant spiritual growth from the very beginning. But it never seemed enough. I was never pleased with how far I had come. I was always consumed with how far it seemed I had to go (Phil. 2:12-13).

    2.  But Any Growth Takes Time. Yes, while it is always appropriate to do the things that encourage maximum growth, like Bible study, prayer, disciplines, church attendance, and service to others, we must still be content with our present spiritual stature, or life will be needlessly troubling and frustrating.  Not merely passive patience, but still appreciating where God has brought you from.

B.  THE BIBLE REFERS TO GROWTH AS TAKING TIME.

   1.  The Lord Jesus Increased and Grew in Favor With God.

In Luke 2:52, we read that, “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”  He waited until He was thirty years old to minister. Growth over time.

   2. It Takes Time to Transform a Life and Renew One’s Mind.

In a similar vein we read in Romans 12:2, “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Growth over time.

   3.  It Takes Time to Plant, Water, and Reap the Increase.

In 1 Corinthians 3:6 Paul writes, “I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.” Growth over time.

   4.  It Takes Time to Develop and Become Fit for Spiritual Leadership.

One of the qualifications for a pastor, a spiritual leader in the church, is that he is not a novice or a new convert (1 Timothy 3:6). 1 Tim. 3:6, Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Growth over time. You cannot become holy in a hurry!

       5.  This Does Not Encourage Us to Be Lazy and Lacks with Our Growth, but to Face a Reality Connected with Spiritual Growth.  Philip. 1:6, Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Philip. 1:9-11, And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; [10] That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; [11] Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

These verses encourage the pursuit of holiness and godliness, in conjunction with the reality that growth will take place throughout your spiritual journey in Christ on this earth.

II.  WHAT GOD SAID ABOUT THE ROLE OF TRIALS IN SPIRITUAL GROWTH

The Bible teaches that trials are used by God to make us spiritually insightful and strong.

A.  A DAMAGING & HINDERING MISCONCEPTION ABOUT TRIALS.

One FALSE teaching says if you are in God’s will, you will not have trials. You will not have physical ailments, or financial difficulties, or relationship problems. It teaches that if you have enough faith, God will heal you of those things. It says that if you claim what you want as though it were already true, it will become true.

However, some of the fundamental passages in Scripture disclaim this teaching.

B.  A HELPFUL & PROPER UNDERSTANDING OF TRIALS.

   1.  The Lord Afflicted David to Mature Him!

Psalm 119:67, Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.  

Psalm 119:71, It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes.

Psalm 119:75, I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.

These passages teach very clearly that the Lord afflicted David for the purpose of maturing him. Thus, God was not angry, or punishing him; this is one way He grows us up in Christ.

    2.  The Lord Used Afflictions and Trials in Paul’s Ministry to Advance Man’s Perception of Christ and to Secure Renewal and Glory for Paul.  Part of the means used by God in this transforming, maturing, and renewing process is suffering (see 1 Peter 4:1, 13-14). We see also in 2 Corinthians 4:8–11 and 16–18 that Paul suffered tremendously:

         A.  The Fruit of Paul’s Suffering Was the Exhibition or Broadcasting of the Life of Christ.  Service for God through constant exposure to violence and even death for Jesus’ sake makes Christ’s life evident to the world.

2 Cor. 4:8-11, We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; [9] Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; [10] Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. [11] For we which live are alway delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh.    

How can the world see the life of Christ when He is not personally or physically present in the world today?  The answer is that as we Christians suffer in the service of the Lord, His life is being manifested through our physical existence. When violence comes to a true servant of God, we usually think of it as a tragedy.  But in essences the suffering servant of God is freshly broadcasted for the world to see!

         B.  The Benefits for Paul Were Immediate and Eternal as He Suffered for Christ’s Sake. Paul compared the sufferings he had experienced, severe as they were (2 Cor. 11:23-29), to “light” and momentary troubles, pressures, and hardships. Though, as he wrote in 2 Corinthians 1:8, his hardships were “pressed out of measure” or far beyond his ability to endure, he said his coming “glory” … far outweighs them all! 

 2 Cor. 4:16-18, For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. [17] For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; [18] While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 

                 1.  The Trials We Face Are Nothing in View of the Eternal Glory That Will Be Ours When We Are in Jesus’ Presence (2 Cor. 4:14) and would be like Him (1 Cor. 15:49; Phil 3:21; 1 John 3:2).

This eternal perspective and hope in things to come sustained Paul during the temporary sufferings that marked his ministry. As he elsewhere reminded the Corinthians, the world and its present sufferings are passing away (1 Cor. 7:31). What is seen (the material) is temporary, but what is unseen (the spiritual) is eternal. The temporal will be replaced by a “crown of glory” that will never fade away (1 Peter 5:4), an “eternal glory” in Christ (1 Peter 5:10). Therefore, Paul said, believers should look not on what is seen but, ironically, on what cannot be seen. What the inner man “sees” surpasses what physical eyes see. -David K. Lowery, “2 Corinthians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary

                 2.  Trials and Afflictions Are Certainly Beneficial to Believers!

1 Peter 5:10, But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.    

                      A.  The Suffering Saint is Perfected.

Trials make the believer fit; they supply needed elements in our character to mature us.

                      B.  The Suffering Saint is Established.

Sufferings make Christians more stable, able to maintain a good confession, and to bear up under pressure. (Luke 22:32)

                      C.  The Suffering Saint is Strengthened.

Persecution is intended by Satan to weaken and wear out the believers, but it actually has the opposite effect.  It strengthens us to endure even more!

                      D.  The Suffering Saint is Settled!

This carries the idea of ‘foundations.’ God wants every believer to be firmly planted in a secure place in His Son and His Word!

QUOTE: “The inevitable suffering of the Christian life always yields the same blessed results in the character of believers; it will refine the faith, adjust the character, establish, strengthen and settle the people of God!” -Harry Lacey

     3.  Trials Produce Endurance, Endurance Produces Maturity.

Again, in James 1:2–4 we see: My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

     4.  We Are Actually Following Our Lord’s Example When We Suffer for Doing Right.

1 Peter 2:18-21, Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. [19] For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully. [20] For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. [21] For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

               A.  God's Will Includes Suffering, and Christ Left Us an Example by His Own Suffering. Verse 17 teaches that we may suffer for doing right. Christ suffered, we read in 1 Peter 4:1, and we should arm ourselves for the same purpose.

               B.  We Can Actually Glorify God in Our Sufferings.

1Peter 4:12–16 indicates that we can glorify God in our suffering, and finally in 5:10–11 we see that our suffering can result in strength and maturity.

   5.  We must Dispel the Notion That the Christian Life Does Not Include Suffering. Otherwise, it will distort our perspective, confuse us, frustrate us, and cause us to think something is wrong with us. Not only does the will of God include trials, it includes trials over time—you cannot have one bad day, and wake up the next day spiritually mature.

Someone once asked the president of his school whether he could not take a shorter course than the one prescribed. “Oh yes,” replied the president, “but then, it depends upon what you want to be. When God wants to make an oak, He takes a hundred years, but when He wants to make a squash, He takes six months.”

If you want to be a spiritual squash, you can make it in a hurry. But if you want to be a mighty oak, you must sink your roots deep and dig in for the long haul.

III.  THE EXAMPLES GOD GIVES OF THE ROLE OF TIME AND TRIALS

The Bible gives us many examples of spiritual leaders whose trials eventually produced spiritual maturity.

Perhaps the most vivid and heartening way to grasp this truth is to see it fleshed out in the lives of some of the giants of the Scriptures.

A.  NOTE SOME VERY GOOD EXAMPLES FROM GOD’S WORD.

    1.  The Example of Joseph.

 For example, God gave Joseph reason to believe that God was going to use him in an extraordinary way. Yet each time Joseph tried to do something right, circumstances backfired on him, and he paid dearly for it.

He tried to get his brothers to shape-up by telling them about the dreams he had. But the dreams indicated God was going to cause Joseph to rule over them. They didn't like that, and Joseph paid for it by their selling him as a slave.

He tried to do the right thing by resisting the advances of Potiphar's wife. She retaliated by having him imprisoned. He tried to do the right thing in prison, but the man he befriended forgot about him, and Joseph languished in prison for another two years. Finally, God plucked him out of the prison and set him over the entire nation of Egypt. -Max Anders

  2.  The Example of David.

In a second example, David was anointed by Samuel to be king over Israel fourteen years before he came to the throne. During that time, rather than living like a prince, David was running from cave to cave like a common criminal, trying to keep Saul from lopping off his head.

  3.  The Example of Paul.

In the New Testament, Jesus told Paul that He was going to use Paul to take the message of salvation to the Gentile world. Fourteen years later Paul set out on his first missionary journey. During that time, Paul sewed tents, lived in the desert, and endured unsatisfying experiences with Jewish Christians in Jerusalem.

Between the time that God gave Joseph and David and Paul those promises and the time He fulfilled them was at least ten years, and easily more. During that time, God put them through the types of experiences that developed in them the strength of character, the sense of right and wrong, the compassion for others, and the vision for the future that they would need as leaders.

What was true of the spiritual giants of the Bible must be equally true for us: growth takes time and it takes trials. We cannot become holy quickly or easily.

B.  NOTE SOME VALUABLE ENCOURAGEMENTS FROM GOD’S WORD.

     1.  Our Response to These Realities, Then, must Be to Cultivate Patience.

Hebrews 12:1-2, Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Allow me to convey the account of another preacher regarding patience. Patience isn't one of the stronger virtues for most of us. I'm afraid my ultimate character was revealed at the age of four or five when someone told me that a peach pit was a seed, and that if I planted it, it would grow into a peach tree. So, I ran out to the sand box in the back yard and planted the peach pit. I waited anxiously until the next morning when I raced out to see my peach tree. But no peach tree had sprouted. In a fit of anger, which I remember clearly to this day, I ripped the peach pit out of the sand and threw it as far into the adjoining field as my chubby little fingers could throw it. I have been struggling for patience ever since. -Max Anders

The writer to Hebrews says that we must run with patience (endurance) the race that is set before us.  James 1:2-4, My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; [3] Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. [4] But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

   2.  In Addition to Patience, We must Persevere.

Proverbs 24:16, For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. 

Passive patience is not what is called for. Active patience fits the need. We will fail. And when we do, we must get back up and try again. The person is not a failure who falls down, but who refuses to get back up (Prov. 24:16). How many times? Seven times seventy or as many times as it happens—that is how many times God will forgive you, so that is how many times you must forgive yourself.

No one enjoys failure, but God can make failure the back door to success. He did for Joseph, for David, for Paul—and He can for us.

Conclusion:

Amy Carmichael was an English missionary to India in the first half of the twentieth century. She had a particular burden for children who were confiscated to use as temple prostitutes by the Hindu priests. An accident in 1931 left her an invalid, crippled with arthritis. She remained mostly bedridden for nearly twenty years.

From a human perspective, that is so hard to understand. How, why would God allow such a brilliant, talented, dedicated servant of His to become so crippled that she could no longer serve Him as she once did, and live out her life in pain and misery? Yet Amy Carmichael met her pain with God-given grace and made a wonderful impact on the world for the cause of Christ even from her bed of pain. She wrote many stories which have touched hundreds of thousands of lives. She let her adversity make her spiritually stronger.

Like Job, who lost all that he had yet did not curse God; like Paul who in spite of persistent prayer for relief lived with a “thorn in the flesh”; like many other of God's choice servants, Amy Carmichael submitted to the pain and suffering—and as a result was blessed and used greatly by God.

Out of her own furnace of trials, Amy Carmichael wrote a deep and moving poem about pain entitled, “No Scar?”

Hast Thou no scar?

No hidden scar on foot, or side, or hand?

I hear thee sung as mighty in the land,

I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star,

Hast thou no scar?

 

Has thou no wound?

Yet I was wounded by the archers, spent,

Leaned Me against a tree to die; and rent

By ravening beasts that compassed Me, I swooned:

Has thou no wound?

 

No wound? No scar?

Yet, as the Master shall the servant be,

And pierced are the feet that follow Me;

But thine are whole: can he have followed far

Who has nor wound nor scar?

(Amy Carmichael, Toward Jerusalem, quoted by Russell Hitt in How Christians Grow 66)

We may shrink at the prospect of having to be wounded in order to mature. But we may all find grace and resolve in the words of Job, who suffered so greatly as a testimony to the grace of God: “When He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). Gold, mined from the ground, is often imbedded in dirt, rocks, iron ore, and mineral deposits. The refiner puts the mixed-up mess into a cauldron, where it melts under near white-hot heat. Since gold is so heavy, it sinks to the bottom, while everything that is not gold rises to the top. It is called “dross.” It is skimmed off the top until nothing is left but pure gold. Without the heat, there is no pure gold. That is what Job is referring to. When God has tried (refined) me, I shall come forth as pure gold.

Let me close with an insightful quote from C. S. Lewis:

Imagine yourself a living house. God comes in to rebuild that house. At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing. He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on.… But presently, He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense. What on earth is He up to? The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of … throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards. You thought you were going to be made into a decent little cottage: but He is building a palace. -Max Anders 

So, why is this Important to us?

If we don’t realize that time and trials are both needed to bring us to spiritual maturity, we may conclude that Christianity isn’t working for us, and quit. We may feel that God is angry with us, and give up because we don’t know what we did wrong.  If we don’t understand that God uses time and trials in every Christian’s life to makes us spiritually strong, we may wear out, burn out, or give up. We may miss the good that God wants to give us, because we don’t understand His ways.

The Lamb: The Original Avenger

REVELATION 6:12-17

SUBJECT: TRIBULATION SEAL JUDGMENTS

THEME:  The Lamb breaks the sixth seal, sending God's judgments upon the earth.

And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Rev. 6:12–17, King James Version).

INTRODUCTION:

The term “Avengers” has been associated with Marvel Comics since the Fall of 1963 featuring superhero characters like Hulk, Thor, Ant-man, Captain America, Iron Man and Wasp. Many others would join “Earths Mightiest Heroes” periodically to fight the onslaught of evil and to avenge the earth. In recent years some of these characters became household names upon being brought to the silver screen through Marvel’s Cinematic Universe. Movies featuring Iron Man, Hulk, Thor, Black Panther, and the Avengers have become so popular that they routinely shatter box office records with each iteration. 

While these comic books and movies are firmly situated in fantasy and action/adventure, there is a real Avenger that predates them all. In fact, He is absolutely anchored in reality and transcends all else and all others bearing the title Avenger. This is the real Original Avenger: The Lamb a.k.a. the Lord Jesus Christ! While He is the original Avenger, His work as an Avenger is yet future. It will unfold during the judgments of the Tribulation Period of the book of The Revelation apocalypse. Yes, He is being opposed by the forces of evil and sin today, but eventually His patience will expire. It is then that He will deal decisively with sin and vindicate His servants who have suffered for righteousness sake.  

The worship described in The Revelation chapters 4-5 is preparation for the wrath described in Revelation chapters 6-19. It seems strange to us that worship and judgment should go together, but this is because we do not fully understand either the holiness of God or the sinfulness of man. Nor do we grasp the total picture of what God wants to accomplish and how the forces of evil have opposed Him. God is long-suffering, but eventually He must judge sin and vindicate His servants. Look now as the Original Avenger breaks the sixth seal on the scroll....

LESSON:

The Sixth Seal: The Seal of the Wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:12-17).

The martyrs in Heaven cried, "Avenge us!" but the unbelievers on earth will cry, "Hide us!"

 

   — The SIXTH SEAL is now broken which introduces World Chaos— the great day of God's wrath begins— and catastrophic judgments upon the universe and the natural world are unleashed (Rev. 6:12-17). 

   — In this paragraph we find that the universe is shattered, that continents shake, the sun is darkened, stars and meteors fall and whirl through space, and sinners will hide in fear.  Both heaven and earth feel the judgment of natural catastrophes.

   — The terrifying results of opening of the sixth seal will cause all unsaved people, small and great, to hide in caves, calling for the rocks to crush them rather than face God's wrath. 

   — Thus far the troubles upon the earth have been the result of man’s actions under God, but here we witness the beginning of the anger and wrath of Almighty God and the Lamb.

Isaiah 13:9-13, Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. [10] For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. [11] And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. [12] I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. [13] Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

But remember, this is still only the beginning and not the final judgments. The seals of the Book are being broken and then the other judgments can be read. Therefore, the seal judgments are events that are to happen at the outset of the Tribulation period. Here is the beginning of God's wrath against the violence, hatred, and rebellion of a corrupt and evil world.  Let’s take a moment to note what John felt, saw, and heard.

A.  JOHN FEELS THE IMPACT OF THE LAMB’S WRATH ON THE EARTH (Rev. 6:12 a).

Once again, the Lord Jesus brakes yet another seal form the scroll which is the title deed to the earth. Through these series of judgments, He will punish sinful mankind and prepare the earth for His future kingdom. The first development is the news that a great earthquake strikes. The opening of the sixth seal will produce worldwide convulsions and catastrophes, including the first of three great earthquakes (Rev 6:12; 11:13; 16:18-19).

   1.   There Will Be a “Great Earthquake.” Vs. 12

Rev.6:12, And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.

      — Note the word “great;” this will not be an ordinary earthquake. The shaking will be beyond anything ever known to man.

      — Imagine the destruction of property, the loss of life, the fear gripping the hearts of people, and the further damage caused by the aftershocks of the earthquake. 

      --- Massive tsunamis will reach deep inland the world around; these seismic sea wave will destroy all forms of life, property, sea industries, and even entire coastal civilizations.   

      — Bridges, sky scrapers, water tank towers, subways, and travel tunnels will collapse.  Power lines will be down, and fuel, gas, and water lines destroyed. Pandemonium will grip what was once ‘civilized’ cultures. Without any intimation of exaggeration, desperation will reach epic levels….

   2.  Christ Foretold Such Earthquakes.

Mt.24:7, For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  

      — Jesus Christ Himself predicted there would be more earthquakes in the latter days than ever before.  Down through history there have been many earthquakes as the Lord Jesus stated (Matt. 24:7), but this one in Revelation will be more than an ordinary earthquake.

      — All the earth’s faults will begin to fracture simultaneously, resulting in a cataclysmic, global earthquake.  Every section of the earth will be jolted by this killer quake.

                                                                                                                       

   3.  John Mentions Three Great Earthquakes.  (In the Revelation)

Rev.11:13, And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city [Jerusalem] fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant [rest] were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.

Rev. l6:17-19, And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath.

   4.  The Prophet Predicted Such Earthquakes.

The Old Testament predicted earthquakes in the end time.

Ezk.38:19, For in my jealousy and in the fire of my wrath have I spoken, Surely in that day there shall be a great shaking in the land of Israel.

Jer.4:24, I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

Amos 8:8, Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

Joel 2:10, The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

Hag.2:6, For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land.

B.  JOHN SEES THE IMPACT OF THE LAMB’S WRATH ON THE UNIVERSE (Rev. 6:12 b-14).

All of nature will be affected: the sun, moon, and stars, as well as the heavens, the mountains, and the islands. Compare this scene with Joel 2:30-31 and 3:15 as well as with Isa 13:9-10 and 34:2-4.

  1.  The Sun and Moon are Affected.   Vs. 12

The sun and moon will be eclipsed and blackened, and stars or meteorites will shower the earth (6:12 b).

    — Very practically there are times when such astronomical events occur now.

    — The heavenly bodies are sometimes darkened by such catastrophes as volcanic eruptions, wind storms, and smoke from fires. Of course, whatever darkens the sun hides the light of the moon and stars from earth.

    — When the volcano Krakatau exploded on August 27, 1883 with the loudest noise ever heard in the world, an estimated cubic mile of rock entered the atmosphere.  The dust and debris circled the earth at a height of 17 miles (27km), and for two years strange red sunsets were seen.

    — This will be a period of great darkness.  Accompanying the earthquake will be numerous volcanic eruptions; and large amounts of ash and debris will be blown into the earth’s atmosphere, blackening the sun and giving the moon a blood-red hue (Zech. 14:6,7).

  2.  The Stars and Meteors are Affected.  Vs. 13

These are star-like items falling and creating stellar showers with large heavenly bodies crashing into each other and slamming into the earth’s atmosphere (Rev. 6:13).  The stellar showers are likened unto winter figs growing without the protection of leaves and are easily blown from the trees. So, will the heavens be mightily shaken with the winds of God’s wrath that even the stars themselves will fall!

     — “Stars” and/or meteorites of varying sizes fall from outer space to earth quite often. The word “stars” can refer to any celestial body, large or small, and is not limited to the normal usage. The best explanation is a massive asteroid or meteor shower.

     — This at least in part is what is meant by these passages; in addition, there will be unbelievable disorder inflicted upon some of the stars above, disorder causing massive explosions like fireworks will hurl meteorites throughout space.  A massive volcanic eruption in the heavens that affects all the universe!  This seems to be the case. We do know for certain that there is going to be a severe intensification of astronomical developments, and they will shake the heavens themselves!  

     — Scripture declares emphatically that these events will occur during the end times. (Note: the stars fall to earth only two times: here when the sixth seal is broken [Rev.6:13], and after the tribulation when Christ returns to earth (Mt 24:29-31).

Matthew 24:29-30, Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: [30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

  

  3.  The Heaven and Skies are Affected.

The sky rolls up like a scroll and will disappear (Rev. 6:14 a).  The earth’s atmosphere will be somehow dramatically affected and the sky as we know it disappears (Is. 34:4).  I’m unable to elaborate more on this mind-blowing statement in Scripture.  This was the most dramatic judgment thus far in this time of great distress before the Second Coming. But Scripture predicted these developments in no uncertain terms in other places also.

Is. 34:4, And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.

Ps. l02:25-26, Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands. They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.

NOTE:  Many interpreters have attempted to see a figurative fulfillment to this prophecy or have sought a more rational explanation by handling it in a non-literal sense. It is perhaps more accurate, however, to take this prediction very literally; to resist explaining away the clear emphasis on universal calamities and apocalyptic events. The trumpet and bowl judgments, to be revealed later in Revelation, also include great disturbances in the heavens and on the earth before Christ’s second coming.

  4.  The Mountains and Islands are Affected. Rev. 6:14

     — Every mountain, hill, and island will be removed from out of their places (6:14 b). What does this mean? This is a prophetic way to describe the devastation of the astronomical events and the great earthquake and meteorites falling to earth. 

     — Under the stress created by the global earthquake, great segments of the earth’s plates will begin to slip and shift, realigning whole continents.

Jer. 4:24, I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly.

Nah. l:5, The mountains quake at him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned at his presence, ye, the world, and all that dwell therein.

Remember: this is a picture of what will be happening in the early portion of the Day of the Lord. These events-the catastrophe in the heavens and on earth and the fright and panic that strikes people with maddening terror-all this is right before the Great Tribulation. This is only the breaking of the seals of God's great scroll and the events within the pages of the book-the worst judgments-are yet to come. Who will be able to stand before The Lamb: the universe’s mightiest Avenger?

CONCLUSION:

In Romans 10:9-13, God reveals how we can be saved and escape the wrath that is coming; we are instructed to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ who died, was buried, and rose again the third day:

That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10, For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11, For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.12, For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13, For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:9-13, KJV)

The Apostle Paul details the need to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord God, the supreme authority sent by God the Father to provide the solution for humanity's sin problem. By believing that Jesus died, was buried, and rose again as the all sufficient payment for our sins, we are saved. God begins for the first time ever to view us as righteous when we believe on Christ with all our heart and we naturally now confess Him as the Lord and Savior of our lives. Furthermore, we are assured of a growing confidence that such an outright confession of faith in the Lord Jesus will not in any way fall short of God's saving grace, be disappointed, proved foolish, or become the source of shame. Paul further guarantees that anyone, whether Jewish or non-Jewish, who calls upon the Lord Jesus Christ will be indeed rescued from eternal perishing and the ultimate consequences of our sins. We must call upon the Lord for mercy today and the Lord is generous to save anyone and everyone who truly calls upon Him for deliverance from the ultimate condemnation of sin.

Beloved, salvation is by God showing undeserved favor on repentant sinners who place their faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. When we examine our past, we can only discover that we do not measure up to God's or our own expectations. We are guilty of significant and small failures before a perfect and holy God. When Christians look at our present situation, we understand that it is because of God's saving grace and redemptive work on our behalf. When we consider our future, it can only be summed up as the outcomes and provisions of Almighty God dealing with us most graciously. He has an incredible plan for our present and our future. We deserve hell for our failures, idolatry, and sin, but because of Jesus Christ we will enjoy forever with God. What God has done for us He is willing to do for all who will repent believing the gospel of grace.

Beloved, salvation cannot be earned, deserved, merited, bought, worked up, or worked for. It is not for sale; it is already paid for and based on the work of Jesus Christ alone. Like myself, you must come to God acknowledging your sinfulness, confessing Jesus Christ, the Son of God as Lord and Savior, and believing the Gospel—Christ died, was buried, and arose again the third day as the Scriptures said He would. This Jesus died to pay the price for my and your sins. When we trust Him, He will forgive, cleanse, and reconcile us to God forever. Beloved, today is your day to come to Jesus Christ. Trust Him today as Savior or face Him one day as The Avenger. The choice is yours.