Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 15:2
Feb 14th, 2010
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

Triumph over Tragedy

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God."

"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire", John doesn't say the sea was glass, but "as it were".  Earlier in chapter 4:6 John describes it, "a sea of glass like unto crystal". But here what John sees is glass, "mingled with fire".

"Fire" speaks of judgment!  Hebrews 2:19 says, "For our God is a consuming fire". A righteous judgment is about to fall upon the whole earth! Paul refers to this same event in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8, "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengence on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." That is Armageddon at Christ's coming.

Notice, "Standing on a sea of glass", John saw people in heaven standing on a sea of glass. Notice who they were! "Them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name". These are the tribulation saints who have been martyred and now appear in heaven.  They have refused to worship the beast; they have refused to take his name; they have refused to conform; they have laid down their lives.

From the earth's perspective the beast has triumphed over them, they have been destroyed.

From heaven's perspective, "they had gotten the victory". What a contrast!  How we need to constantly have heaven's perspective. God graciously peels back the curtains of heaven and we see them before the throne of God. We see men on earth worshipping the beast - we see men in heaven worshipping God.

Notice their occupation. "Having the harps of God", do you like good music? Just wait.  We see who the real winners are!  Encourage your hearts, God's people are on the winning side!  Paul said, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"

Where does this idea of the sea come from? It comes from the Tabernacle. The Brazen Altar inside the gate of the Tabernacle was the place where sin was judged as the Lamb was slain and burned on the Altar. It is pictures salvation.

The Brazen Laver or Sea, next to the Altar, was the place where the Priests washed before they went into God's presence to serve Him. Practically we do sin and need cleansing, that is our experience as believers all of our lives. We need this cleansing in order to have fellowship with God. We have a great high priest who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Here in our text we see these believers in heaven, they no longer sin, they need no cleansing. They are now in a permanent, confirmed state of righteousness, instead of washing in the Sea  (the water) they are standing in a fixed state of righteousness. The sea (the water) is now a sea of glass. What a grand and glorious prospect, someday sin will be gone forever. The thing that so deeply grieves us now will be no more forever, thanks to our wonderful Savior!

We are overwhelmed by the contrast of the fate of the believer as compared with the fate of the men of this world who have their portion in this life and then go to hell to suffer torments forever. The believers fate is to spend eternity in a fixed state of righteousness that enables him to stand in the presence of God forever and enjoy the glories and wonders of his heavenly home.

Paul said, "For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory".  That is to be our perspective!

Matthew 1: Pt. 2
Feb 14th, 2010
Weekly Bible StudyArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Inspirational;Book Study

The King

The theme of the book of Matthew is, 'Christ The King'. The theme of chapter one is, 'The Birth of the King'. Paul says in 1 Tim. 6:15, that Jesus Christ is, "The blessed and only potentate, the king of kings and Lord of Lords". Christ is the only real king!

 Shelly, in  one of his sonnets speaks of meeting a traveller from Egypt. In the desert the traveller had found the remains of a statue consisting of two trunkless legs and a broken head. On the pedestal was the inscription, 'My name is Ozymandias', king of kings, look on my works ye mighty and despair'. Ozymandias had the audacity to call himself 'king of kings', yet all that remained of his kingdom were three broken pieces of a weather beaten statue.

Jesus is the only true King. The hymn writer has correctly echoed the truth of scripture."Jesus shall reign where'er the sun does in successive journey's run: His kingdom spread from shore to shore, Till moons shall wax and wane no more"

Jesus has left behind Him a kingom in mystery form that has captured and grown in the hearts of multiplied millions down through history. Still today, He reigns supreme sovereign in multiplied millions of hearts and lives!

Beyond that the literal, visible kingdom of Christ on earth is yet future! The promises of the Old Testament are not yet fulfilled. The promise of Luke 1:32-33 is not yet fulfilled. "He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end." - Christ is truly the coming King.

We want to consider the purposes of the gospels and Matthew's place among them.

The four gospels record the  Eternal Being - Human Ancestry - Birth - Life and Ministry - Death, Resurrection and Ascension of Jesus Christ - The Son of man - The Son of God. Taken together the four gospels set forth not a biography, but a person.

We do not have a full biography of Jesus Christ, a complete record of His life. For some reason it did not plesae God to give us a full biography of His Son's life. The years from His birth to His ministry are passed over in silence with but one brief incident. Even the events of His ministry are difficult to put in chronological order.   

The purpose of the gospels is not that we may have a complete biography that we may know about Christ, but rather that we might come to know the person of Christ. John 20:31  "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name."Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ of God?  Do you have life through His name?  Have you been born anew of God's Spirit?  Are you a new creature in Christ? Have old things passed away and are all things in your life new?

Why four gospels? 

Each of the four gospels presents a different picture of Jesus Christ. Put them together and you have composite picture of Christ. These four pictures help us to know Christ better.

In Mark, Christ is presented as the devoted servant, faithfully carring out His Father`s will.

In Luke, Christ appears as the Son of Man. Christ the perfect man is presented.

In John, Christ is presented as the Son of God. He is the eternal God who came from heaven and returned to heaven.

In Matthew, Christ is seen as -  The King of Israel, The Lion of the tribe of Judah. We learn a multitude of lessons about the nature, power, authority and purpose of Christ from this presentation of Him as the King of Israel. Matthew is then of special interest and appeal to the Jews.

We see four things about the King in Matthew, we will just look at one today.

1 - THE KING IN MATTHEW 

Mt. 1-- The birth of the King, heir to the throne of David.

Mt. 2 -- The preservation of the King. The great enemy of the King is seen tryhing to destroy the King.

Mt. 3 -- The herrald of the King. The promise of Malachi 3:1.

Mt. 4 -- The testing of the King.  Proof of His moral qualifications to be the King.

Mt. 5 to 7 --The Program of the King. We have the description of the righteousness of the King and the character of the citizens of the kingdom.

Mt. 8 & 9 -- The credentials of the King. Miracles that show He has the ability to establish and maintain the kingdom.

Mt. 10. -- The messengers of the King.

Mt. 11 & 12 -- The rejection of the King.

Mt. 13. -- The Mystery form of the kingdom. A kingdom in which the King and the kingdom are not visble to the natural man.

Mt. 14 & 15 -- The Ministry of the King.

Mt. 16 -- The Acknowledgment of the King.

Mt. 17 -- The preview of His Glory.

Mt. 18 & 19 -- The Soldiers (Disciples) of the King.

Mt. 20 -- The Excitement over the King.

Mt. 21 -- The formal Presentation of the King.

Mt. 22 -- The Deity of the King.

Mt. 23 --The Denounciation of the King.

Mt. 24 & 25 -- The Predicted Return of the King.

Mt. 26-28 -- The Death, Burial and Resurrection of the King.

We come to know much about the character, nature, authority and purpose of the Christ by seeing Him as King in Matthew. Next week we will see the King on the Throne -- The King in His Humility -- The King in His Glory.