Sermon Details
War Over Worship
Speaker: Ray Foster- Details
- Series: Revelation
- Date:
- Scripture: Revelation
Revelation 13
The Two Beasts
13 Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea. It had ten horns and seven heads, and there was a crown on each horn. A name against God was written on each head. 2 This beast looked like a leopard, with feet like a bear’s feet and a mouth like a lion’s mouth. And the dragon gave the beast all of his power and his throne and great authority. 3 One of the heads of the beast looked as if it had been killed by a wound, but this death wound was healed. Then the whole world was amazed and followed the beast. 4 People worshiped the dragon because he had given his power to the beast. And they also worshiped the beast, asking, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against it?”
5 The beast was allowed to say proud words and words against God, and it was allowed to use its power for forty-two months. 6 It used its mouth to speak against God, against God’s name, against the place where God lives, and against all those who live in heaven. 7 It was given power to make war against God’s holy people and to defeat them. It was given power over every tribe, people, language, and nation. 8 And all who live on earth will worship the beast—all the people since the beginning of the world whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life. The Lamb is the One who was killed.
9 Anyone who has ears should listen:
10 If you are to be a prisoner,
then you will be a prisoner.
If you are to be killed with the sword,
then you will be killed with the sword.
This means that God’s holy people must have patience and faith.
11 Then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon. 12 This beast stands before the first beast and uses the same power the first beast has. By this power it makes everyone living on earth worship the first beast, who had the death wound that was healed. 13 And the second beast does great miracles so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth while people are watching. 14 It fools those who live on earth by the miracles it has been given the power to do. It does these miracles to serve the first beast. The second beast orders people to make an idol to honor the first beast, the one that was wounded by the deadly sword but sprang to life again. 15 The second beast was given power to give life to the idol of the first one so that the idol could speak. And the second beast was given power to command all who will not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 The second beast also forced all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a mark on their right hand or on their forehead.17 No one could buy or sell without this mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. 18 This takes wisdom. Let the one who has understanding find the meaning of the number, which is the number of a person. Its number is 666.[a]
Footnotes:
- 13:18 666 Some Greek copies read “616.”
Revelation 14
The Song of the Saved
14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb standing on Mount Zion.[a] With him were one hundred forty-four thousand people who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the noise of flooding water and like the sound of loud thunder. The sound I heard was like people playing harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the new song except the one hundred forty-four thousand who had been bought from the earth. 4 These are the ones who did not do sinful things with women, because they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb every place he goes. These one hundred forty-four thousand were bought from among the people of the earth as people to be offered to God and the Lamb.5 They were not guilty of telling lies; they are without fault.
The Three Angels
6 Then I saw another angel flying high in the air. He had the eternal Good News to preach to those who live on earth—to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He preached in a loud voice, “Fear God and give him praise, because the time has come for God to judge all people. So worship God who made the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the springs of water.”
8 Then the second angel followed the first angel and said, “Ruined, ruined is the great city of Babylon! She made all the nations drink the wine of the anger of her adultery.”
9 Then a third angel followed the first two angels, saying in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his idol and gets the beast’s mark on the forehead or on the hand, 10 that one also will drink the wine of God’s anger, which is prepared with all its strength in the cup of his anger. And that person will be put in pain with burning sulfur before the holy angels and the Lamb.11 And the smoke from their burning pain will rise forever and ever. There will be no rest, day or night, for those who worship the beast and his idol or who get the mark of his name.” 12 This means God’s holy people must be patient. They must obey God’s commands and keep their faith in Jesus.
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die from now on in the Lord.”
The Spirit says, “Yes, they will rest from their hard work, and the reward of all they have done stays with them.”
The Earth Is Harvested
14 Then I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and sitting on the white cloud was One who looked like a Son of Man.[b] He had a gold crown on his head and a sharp sickle[c] in his hand. 15 Then another angel came out of the temple and called out in a loud voice to the One who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and harvest from the earth, because the time to harvest has come, and the fruit of the earth is ripe.” 16 So the One who was sitting on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested.
17 Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he also had a sharp sickle. 18 And then another angel, who has power over the fire, came from the altar. This angel called to the angel with the sharp sickle, saying, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the bunches of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 19 Then the angel swung his sickle over the earth. He gathered the earth’s grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s anger. 20 They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the winepress as high as horses’ bridles for a distance of about one hundred eighty miles.
Footnotes:
- 14:1 Mount Zion Another name for Jerusalem; here meaning the spiritual city of God’s people.
- 14:14 Son of Man “Son of Man” is a name Jesus called himself.
- 14:14 sickle A farming tool with a curved blade. It was used to harvest grain.
Revelation 15
The Last Troubles
15 Then I saw another wonder in heaven that was great and amazing. There were seven angels bringing seven disasters. These are the last disasters, because after them, God’s anger is finished.
2 I saw what looked like a sea of glass mixed with fire. All of those who had won the victory over the beast and his idol and over the number of his name were standing by the sea of glass. They had harps that God had given them. 3 They sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb:
“You do great and wonderful things, Psalm 111:2
Lord God Almighty. Amos 3:13
Everything the Lord does is right and true, Psalm 145:17
King of the nations.[a]
4 Everyone will respect you, Lord, Jeremiah 10:7
and will honor you.
Only you are holy.
All the nations will come
and worship you, Psalm 86:9–10
because the right things you have done
are now made known.” Deuteronomy 32:4
5 After this I saw that the temple (the Tent of the Agreement) in heaven was opened. 6 And the seven angels bringing the seven disasters came out of the temple. They were dressed in clean, shining linen and wore golden bands tied around their chests. 7 Then one of the four living creatures gave to the seven angels seven golden bowls filled with the anger of God, who lives forever and ever. 8 The temple was filled with smoke from the glory and the power of God, and no one could enter the temple until the seven disasters of the seven angels were finished.
Footnotes:
- 15:3 King . . . nations Some Greek copies read “King of the ages.”