Thru the Bible

Steve Schwetz: What's the business of Christians? And what's the role of the church? Well, that's what we're going to learn from our teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee here on Thru the Bible. I'm your host Steve Schwetz, welcoming you aboard the Bible Bus as we continue our study of Revelation, the last book of the Bible. So find your seat and open your Bible to Revelation 14:9 and while you do that, here's a voicemail left recently by a fellow passenger here on the Bible Bus. Let's listen.

Jim: This is Jim from Vancouver, Washington. I listen to Thru the Bible programs both on 93.9 KPDQ and True Talk 800, which is KPDQ AM. I'm calling just to say thank you because oftentimes I get behind in my Thru the Bible daily studies, sometimes several months behind, and I've done this twice now. And fortunately, when I do, the broadcast archive section of the website is there to help me catch back up and for that, I am eternally grateful.

The thing I noticed about myself is when I am reading one or more Thru the Bible studies each day, I'm just in a more grounded and level space. And when I'm not doing the studies every day, I'm less focused. I may not do much at all. So I love the fact that you're still out there after all these decades. And that when I get months behind, slowly but surely, two episodes per day, hopefully seven days a week, I can catch back up.

When I can, I do also listen to the question and answer program, except it's on 3:30 in the morning local time Saturday and Sunday, so there are a lot of weeks I miss. More recently, I've tried to listen somewhat regularly to the Sunday sermon. Thank you very much for still being there.

Steve Schwetz: Well, thanks for sharing, Jim. I love that you're using the full catalog of programs on the website and I sure hope that you don't mind me suggesting that the app is even easier to use. But however you choose to hop aboard, I'll continue to save you a seat on the Bible Bus. And what about you? Do you have a story to share about how our time together studying the Bible has changed your life? Or what you're learning as we study God's word together? Maybe there's a specific book or passage Dr. McGee taught that you never understood before.

Well, if you've got a story like that to tell, we want to hear it. And I promise you that it would encourage us and if we read or play it here on the program, it would bless everyone on the Bible Bus. All you need to do is call and leave a message at 1-800-65-BIBLE, or send an email to biblebus@ttb.org, or mail your letter to Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1.

You can also leave a note in the feedback section of our app. And we do love to hear from you. So please contact us today if you can. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, thank you that through your word we can learn more about you and your great love for us. As we study, help us to focus and hear the message that you have for our hearts. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.

Dr. J. Vernon McGee: Now friends, back today to the 14th chapter of Revelation and I'm putting in today at verse 9 and I'm going to read from verses 9 through 12, because this is the section that gives us the pronouncement of judgment on those who received the mark of the beast. Now, it's true that by receiving the mark of the beast, they probably made it through the Great Tribulation period, or at least most of it. But after all, part of the Great Tribulation is caused not by Satan being released, but also it's the direct judgment of Christ upon this earth, a Christ-rejecting world, in which he is getting ready to move personally and directly to put down the rebellion against him that is here.

So listen to this, "And another angel," here we go for the third one now. This is the third angel and there are three more to come. And he says here, "another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a great voice, 'If any man worship the beast and his image, and receiveth a mark on his forehead, or upon his hand, he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled unmixed in the cup of his anger.'" Now, I've just paused to say this. Do you think that the Lord Jesus is going to push the church he redeemed in this, which he very definitely says is the mingled unmixed in the cup of his anger? I can't believe that that could be possible.

"And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment goeth up forever and ever, and they have no rest day and night, they that worship the wild beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Here is the patience of the saints, who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus." Now, he's speaking again to a group of people who keep the commandments of God, the Old Testament law. They even bring sacrifices in that day, we're told, during the Great Tribulation and even into the millennium.

Now, this section I think makes it crystal clear that no one can assume a neutral position during this intense period under the beast. Even today, we see Christian businessmen who are capitulating to the ethics of the hour. In chapter 13, we saw that the awful alternative for refusing to receive the mark of the beast was starvation. On the other hand, the person who receives the mark brings down upon his head the wrath of God. Now, will you notice? It says he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. Now, I don't believe the Lord Jesus is going to push that cup up against his church.

Now, that's a figure though that's adopted from the Old Testament. In Psalm 75:8 I read, "For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup, and the wine is red. It is full of mixture, and he poureth out of the same. But the dregs thereof, all the wicked of the earth shall wring them out and drink them." Now, the Old Testament prophets picked that up, and they saw the cup of wrath filling up to the brim. And then when it was filled to the brim, that is, God would be patient and let man go on and on, the cup of wrath would be filled, and then God would press it to the lips of a godless society. They just kept building this thing up until judgment had to break.

Now, we're told here they're to be tormented with fire and brimstone. Now, I want to say this, that if this is not literal fire and brimstone, then whatever it is, is worse than fire and brimstone. Because if it is a symbol, a symbol is used to give a faint representation. It's sort of like the essence of something. I know there's the essence of peppermint, the essence of certain perfume. And I heard this definition of what essence is. Essence is the faint odor that's left in the bottle after the substance is gone. Now, what is it? A symbol. Well, it's the essence. It is just a faint copy of the reality, and the reality is I think ten times worse.

But remember that the brimstone of Sodom was quite literal. So that's something for you to mull over if you want to reject a literal hell. Now, will you notice here that hell is visible to Christ and the holy angels, but it does not say that it's visible to the 24 elders? And are we to assume from that, that the church does not know what's taking place on the earth? Now, I'm inclined to believe that the church will not see what's taking place on the earth during the Great Tribulation period. But certainly Christ and the holy angels.

Now, all that God's own can do in this period, therefore, is to be patient and wait for the coming of Christ. He says, "Here is the patience of the saints," and they are the ones that wait. Our Lord said, "But he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved." But why will he endure? Because he's been sealed by the Spirit of God and he's clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and he's able to overcome by the blood of the Lamb. And our Lord said in Luke 21:19, "In your patience possess ye your souls." That's all you can do, just wait out the storm. And that's what they will do in the Great Tribulation.

Now, we have here praise for those who die in the Lord in verse 13. Now, here again is a verse that is taken to a funeral today, and certainly the minute that you take it to a funeral, why, it has no application whatsoever. This is going to refer to the period we're talking about, the Great Tribulation period. Now, regardless whatever view that you take and you believe this is the Great Tribulation period, then this can only refer to that period. Now, will you listen? "And I heard a voice from heaven saying, 'Write, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth. Yea, saith the Spirit, and that they may rest from their labors or sorrows, for their works follow with them.'"

Now, this is not a statement for saints in the present age. Apparently many of God's saints, these tribulation saints, both of the 144,000 and also of the uncounted number of Gentiles, they're going to lay down their life for Christ. They'll be martyrs. And now he has this word of praise for them, "Blessed are those that die in the Lord." Because now they're going to rest from their sorrows finally. But their works are going to follow them, and he's going to reward them for this in a very particular way.

May I say that first of all, I feel that it's unnatural to want to die. Most of us want to live. Paul could say this in Philippians 1:23, "I'm in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart to be with Christ, which is far better." Now, it's far better to die and go and be with Christ. Nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. Personally, I'd like to stay down here quite a few more years and teach the word of God. I'm in no hurry to get to heaven. I'm going there someday, but I'm in no hurry to go there.

Now, this old story I've told you before illustrates my viewpoint. The boy in my southland years ago went to church on Sunday night. Preacher asked says, "How many of you want to go to heaven?" And everybody put up a hand but this boy. And he looked down at him and he said, "Son, don't you want to go to heaven?" And the boy said, "Yes, but I thought you were getting up a load for tonight." Well friends, I just don't want to be on that load either for tonight. I want to live down here because I'm going there ultimately and I'd like to live and serve just as long as possible.

I think it's unnatural to want to die. But in the Great Tribulation, friends, I think that's another story. All you're doing is just waiting in patience and in sorrow. Now, if you're martyred, it'll be a wonderful thing. Blessed are those that die in the Lord, and they're going to be rewarded. And he's going to reward them. Now, may I say this, that I don't think this is a good verse for a funeral today, especially some man that's been living in the clover all of his life. Some wealthy man, and I heard it used in Texas at a rich man's funeral.

Why, the man had been brought up in a home of wealth. He had never known what it was to lift his little finger to ever work. And he just sort of toyed around with the ranch and lost money on it, because he had so much he had to get rid of it somehow, and that's the way he got rid of it. And yet the preacher applied this that applies to tribulation saints. And to me, it's a terrible abuse of the word of God that's going to be precious to these people in the Great Tribulation today, but not for the saints living in affluence in a society today that's geared to comfort. Everything is geared to comfort today.

Now, let me drop down to verses 14 through 20. And we're given here a preview of Armageddon. And I call it the battle here, but I now call it the war of Armageddon. Now, let me read. "And I saw and behold a white cloud, and on the cloud one sitting like unto a son of man, having on his head a golden crown, in his hand a sharp sickle." John says, he sees and hears here. Now, a white cloud and on the cloud one sitting like unto a son of man. And I think that's evidently the Lord Jesus Christ that we have here.

And the cloud is, I think, a mark of identification. We're told in Matthew 24:30, "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." And I think it's that Shekinah cloud that is the sign in heaven. On his head a golden crown, and that I think further confirms this one as the Lord Jesus Christ. He's the hero of this book, friends, and you need Revelation to get a true picture of him.

Now, he's seen as king here, not as prophet or priest. His office as king is always connected with his return to the earth. A sharp sickle establishes this and speaks of the judgment of the wicked. And you have here something I think quite interesting. Dr. Newell calls attention to this word sickle. He notices that it occurs only 12 times in the scriptures, of which seven are in the verses of this section. Also the word sharp occurs seven times in Revelation, and four times here.

Now, will you notice what he says, verses 15 and 16? "And another angel came out of the temple, crying in a great voice to the one seated on the cloud, 'Send forth thy sickle and reap, for the hour is come to reap, for the harvest of the earth was dried.' And he that sat on the cloud cast his sickle upon the earth, and the earth was reaped." And I think that is the second coming of Christ. Now, send forth thy sickle and reap. That refers to the judgment of man on the earth.

In Matthew, the harvest has so long been identified with Christian witnessing and believers have been urged to pray for laborers for the harvest, that it's difficult for the average Christian to fit this scene into the true context of scripture. Actually, believers are not urged to harvest today. They are urged to sow. And to sow the word of God. A sower went forth to sow. That's a picture of Christendom today. The Lord Jesus is the son of man, he's the sower. And the seed is the word of God, and the field is the world, and he's flinging it out in the world.

Now there's going to be a harvest someday. But that is at the end of the age. You and I are not harvesting. That's not our business. Our business is sowing seed, and that's the reason that I don't worry today about the results. I worry a great deal about the source. I want to do my best here in giving out the word of God. Why? Because that's my business, sowing seed. I'm not really concerned about the number who put up their hand. Anyway, I couldn't see you if you put up your hand. But the letters tell us the story.

And as I said, I have a sheaf of letters here of those that have turned to Christ. We just sow seed, that's our business. He's the one that's going to have the harvest and the harvest is the judgment at the end of the age. And that's the picture that is given to us here. And we're told that. The Lord Jesus says this, and let me read it in Psalm 2. "I will declare the decree. The Lord has said unto me, 'Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.'"

When did that take place? Did it take place at his first coming? No. This is no missionary text. This takes place at his second coming, when he comes in judgment. For the hour is come to reap. And that's in conformity to the words of Christ, "The harvest is the end of the age," and that's Matthew 13:39. The time has come to reap. So let's sow the seed today, friends, and not be so everlastingly busy of trying to get somebody's hand up or to have them come forward. Let's make sure we give out the word of God and the Spirit of God's going to take care of that.

And this again is set before us in the Old Testament, in Joel 3:13 and 14, "Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get you down, for the press is full, the fats overflow, for their wickedness is great. Multiples, multitudes in the valley of decision, for the day of the Lord is near at hand." Now let me read verses 17 and 18. "And another angel, and here we have another angel, came out of the sanctuary which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, he that hath power over the fire.

And he called with a great voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, 'Send forth thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.'" Here the sanctuary or the temple is in heaven. That identifies us with the Old Testament, you see, not with the church. A sharp sickle points to judgment and the grapes are fully ripe. The thought here, they're dry like raisins. And this is a change of metaphor for the war of Armageddon.

And that's the picture that Isaiah gives us in Isaiah 63:1 through 6, "Who is this that cometh from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah?" This is a very vivid picture. And that's not the coming of Christ the first time. That's the coming of Christ the second time. And as he trods the winepress, it's like blood on him. He's trodding down the wicked. When he came the first time, he shed his blood for them and they won't have it. They must be judged now.

And he gathers them, we're told when we get to Revelation 16:16, into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Harmageddon or Armageddon. And we're going to talk about that when we get to it. It's not a battle of Armageddon, but it's the war of Armageddon. Now, verses 18 through 20. "And the angel cast his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, cast it into the winepress, the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came out blood from the winepress, even unto the bridles of the horses as far as a thousand six hundred furlongs."

And that would go that length all the way from Dan to Beersheba. And it's the judgment that's coming upon the world at that time, because all the armies of the nations of the world come in at that time. And he comes to the earth, and he puts down that rebellion against God. But we'll have to leave off right there today, so until next time may God richly bless you, my beloved.

Steve Schwetz: The book of Revelation is clear, judgment is coming to the earth. But we praise God for his Son Jesus who took this judgment upon himself on the cross so that anyone who believes in him will not have to bear it. Are you ready to trust Jesus as your Savior so you can receive forgiveness of your sins and then be spared from the dark days ahead? Well, click on "How Can I Know God" in our app or at ttb.org and you'll find an assortment of Dr. McGee's audio and print resources available for download.

Or if you'd prefer to have us send you a copy by mail, just call us, 1-800-65-BIBLE. Again, click on "How Can I Know God" in our app or at ttb.org or call us. The number again, 1-800-652-4253. And to deepen your study of prophecy in the Bible, why don't you visit ttb.org where you'll find several terrific resources including our Bible Companion for Revelation. Download your free copy and bring it with you on the Bible Bus. Or another idea is to start your own home group.

Here in the US, we're more likely to call it a small group, but it's the same concept. You can use our Bible Companions to facilitate listening and learning together. First, just open your home or find a local spot to meet, even a park. Listen to Dr. McGee's teaching on your own or together and then read the Bible Companion lessons together and use the reflection questions at the end to start meaningful discussion. And finally, pray for one another. It really is that easy.

So invite your friends to gather around God's word by downloading a free copy from our app or at ttb.org. Or purchase Revelation or any of the New Testament Bible Companions in paperback. If you'd prefer to have a physical copy, just visit ttb.org or call 1-800-65-BIBLE for details or to place your order. Our study of the great and terrible days of the Tribulation continues tomorrow here on Thru the Bible, so please join us. I'm Steve Schwetz and I'll be here saving a seat on the Bible Bus just for you.