Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 18:9-16
Sep 26th, 2010
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Revived Roman Empire

Verse 9: "And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,"

Let me remind you that in chapter 18 we have judgment on Babylon from man's perspective. In chapter 19 we have the judgment of Babylon from God's perspective. The key verse in chapter 19, is verse 15, "And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God."

In verse 9 of chapter 18 we read, "They shall see the smoke of her burning," that is man's perspective on Babylon's judgment. The world will view the destruction of Antichrist's capital city, Rome. Rome is the capital of the old Roman Empire and is naturally the capital of the Revived Roman Empire. We know that Antichrist sets up a headquarters in Jerusalem, but that does not change the fact that Rome is the capital of religious Babylon as well as political Babylon.

Verse 9, "Who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her," In the last three and a half years of the tribulation period we see the greatest two class system in the history of the world. Just as in both communism and capitalism there are the poor and oppressed and there are the rich and privileged. So also in this new world order of Antichrist there are two classes. We see this in Revelation 6:6, "And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine." We see here the contrast of the rich and poor.

To live deliciously = to live in luxury, to live sensually. I have everything I desire and I control my destiny. I am my own god. All of this prosperity has resulted because the rulers of the nations have submitted to the control of Antichrist, and have taken his mark. When the judgment of God falls on the kingdom of Antichrist, all the wealth and privilege is swept away.

"Shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning," The world will see the fall of Rome and be shocked and grieved over the loss that will reflect on them as well. The world markets will collapse, all they had grasped onto courtesy of Antichrist is swept away.

Verse 10, "Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come." The destruction is so great and terrible that world stands back in disbelief and fear at the sight.

"In one hour is thy judgment come," The destruction of Rome is so awesome because it comes from Christ Himself. Revelation 19:21, describes this awesome moment. "And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh." We see here that God will allow witnesses to this fearsome event.

We get a further insight, "in one hour." This termination of the kingdom of Antichrist will come suddenly and instantly.

The process going on in these verses is the total collapse of the kingdom of Antichrist. Every aspect is destroyed, beginning with the collapse of the economy which was the glory of this evil kingdom.

Revelation 18:13, "And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men."

The god of materialism is swept away, the god of things. These are the idols that replace God in the hearts of men. The goose that had laid the golden egg, is gone up in flames. All of this is just the eschatalogical culmination of 6,000 years of man selling his soul for the almighty dollar and what it can give in the way of pleasure and pride. All in place of what God gives in Peace and Satisfaction and Joy to those who seek Him.

Verse 14. "And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all." A momentary gratification of the flesh is now gone and in its place an eternity of judgment.

Verse 15, "The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing," After all of seeming glory of Antichrist's kingdom, all that is left is fear and torment and weeping and wailing. These who have watched this whole scenario unfold from the beginning are not innocent bystanders; they made a deliberate choice to follow Antichrist and to receive his mark. They chose out of evil hearts of unbelief to gratify the flesh and turn away from God and His Christ.

Verse 16, "And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!" Babylon will produce material riches far greater than the world has ever seen. We have seen that scenario beginning to unfold over the last fifty years. It will reach a climax by the ingenuity of the beast and with Satan's help. But it will come to a climax in one hour!

Pressed into three and a half years; the whole story of man's attempt to build a utopia on earth without God will climax and come to an end in the judgment of God. The climax of man's worship of the creation (materialism) rather than the creator.

Matthew 4:12-17 Pt. 1
Sep 26th, 2010
Weekly Bible StudyArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary

The Light Dawns

Outline

1 - The Time - verse 12

2 - The Place - verse 13-15

3 - The Problem - verse 16a

4 - The Proclamation - verse 17

Introduction

1 - The ministry of Jesus was divided into 3 periods 

-- The year of His inauguration

-- The year of His popularity

-- The year of His rejection

2 - There is a year elapsed between verses 11-12.

-- The first year of His ministry

-- The year of His inauguration

-- Matthew does not record these events, they are recorded in John 1:35 - John4:44

3 - That ministry had taken place in Jerusalem and Judah

-- He had cleansed the Temple the first time

-- He had performed miracles

-- He had shared the gospel with Nicodemas

Now His greatest ministry was about to begin

- The year of His acclaim

- The year of His acceptance

- The year of His popularity

1 -- The Time 

Verse 12, "Now when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he departed into Galilee;"

The herald of the king had been arrested! That was foreboding news for the king, but Christ was not running from His enemies. It was God's time for His Galilean ministry to begin. God has a time, God has a timetable. All through scripture we see God's timetable. god's timetable is very important. God has a timetable for your whole life.

1 -- God's timetable is seen in creation.

Exodus 20:11, "For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it."  Why 6 days? God doesn't say. Why not 6 weeks? Why not 6 months? Why not 6 years? God doesn't tell us but we do discover that God operates on a timetable and that God's timetable is important.

2 -- God's world is on a timetable.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2  "To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;"

3 -- God's son came into the world according to God's time table.

Galatians 4:4, "But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law,"

4 -- God's Son died according to God's timetable.

John 7:30, "Then they sought to take him: but no man laid hands on him, because his hour was not yet come."

5 -- God has a time of visitation for every man and woman in the world.

John 1:9, "That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world"

Every man and woman born into God's world, receives some light of the truth about God. Romans 1:19-20, "Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:"

Also John 12:32, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."

1 Peter 2:12, "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."

6 -- God has appointed a time of judgment for all men.  Hebrews 9:27, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:"

All men have an appointment with death. With the exception of those believers who are living at the time of the rapture.

All men have an appointment with God for judgment. With the exception of those who by faith in the shed blood of Christ have had their sins blotted out and have received the imputed righteousness of Christ.

So the arrest of John was a signal that it was God's time for Jesus to leave Judea and go into Galilee to begin His mighty ministry there.

11-- The Place

Verses13- 15, "And leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zabulon and Nephthalim: That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying,
The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;"

1 -- It was the place where Christ was to minister and live.

The tribal inheritance of Zebulon and Naphtali was the area that surrounded the Sea of Galilee on the north and on the west. It was the area where most of our Lord's ministry took place. Probably Peter's home at Capernaum; was the closest thing to home our Lord knew during His ministry.

2 - It was the place of God's appointment.

Notice verse 14, "That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Esaias the prophet, saying," It was the place of Christ's ministry, forecast 800 years earlier in Isaiah 9:1-2.

3 -- It was a place of open hearts.(At least initially)

John 4:45, "Then when he was come into Galilee, the Galilaeans received him, having seen all the things that he did at Jerusalem at the feast: for they also went unto the feast." He left Judea because He had been rejected there! Their hearts had not been open to Him in Jerusalem and Judea.  He left Nazareth because He had been rejected there also. They had sought to kill Him. He came to Galilee because it was, at the time, the place of open hearts and open ears and open minds. Later their attitude would change, but now it was the place of open hearts.

Here is a principle- 'Christ always leaves the place of rejection.' In Matthew 13, the disciples asked Jesus, “Lord why have you changed your teaching methods?”  “Lord why are you now teaching in parables?” Jesus answered, “I am concealing truth from those who have closed their eyes to the truth and have rejected the truth.”

We have an illustration of this in 2 Thessalonians 2:11-12, "And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." For what cause does God send them a strong delusion?  Verse 10 tells us, "And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved."

The place where you will find Christ is the place of the open heart!  Is your heart and mind open to Christ today?