"The Last Mountain"
Dietrich Bonhoeffer is one of the best known theologians of the twentieth century. His book "The Cost of Discipleship" should be on every Christian's bookshelf. As most of you know, in 1943, Bonhoeffer found himself in prison. Eventually he would be executed for participating in a plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. But while he was in prison he had time to reflect on many things, including Christmas.
He wrote: "Celebrating Advent means being able to wait. Waiting is an art that our impatient age has forgotten. It wants to break open the ripe fruit when it has hardly finished planting the shoot. But all too often the greedy eyes are only deceived; the fruit that seemed so precious is still green on the inside, and disrespectful hands ungratefully toss aside what has so disappointed them. Whoever does not know the austere blessedness of waiting-that is, of hopefully doing without-will never experience the full blessing of fulfilment.
Those who do not know how it feels to struggle anxiously with the deepest questions of life, of their life, and to patiently look forward with anticipation until the truth is revealed, cannot even dream of the splendour of the moment in which clarity is illuminated for them. For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait."
Waiting is an art that we have long forgotten. No one values, let alone practices the art of waiting anymore!
We all prefer instant gratification. We all want the quick fix. We all want the immediate download, but at the same time, somewhere in the deep, dark recesses of our minds we sense that waiting, longing for, and anticipating, something does have its rewards. Think about it: without waiting there's no real appreciation. Without waiting, a precious gift is devalued. Without waiting we never fully focus on, or long for, the object we desire.
The difference between the Christmas experience of a five- year-old and the Christmas experience of a thirty, forty, or fifty-year-old is waiting. The five-year-olds' Christmas is magical because the waiting is so excruciating long. For a five-year-old there is no longer night in the year than Christmas Eve. For a thirty or forty or fifty-year-old, Christmas shows up before we know it. There is no waiting. There is only the anxiety of not being ready.
Today we finish our Mountain Moment series by looking at the Last Mountain.
Please turn with me to Revelation 16, p. 1043
As you turn there, let me give you a bit of background. Chapter 16 is about the final battle. It is about all the nations of the earth standing against God in one last cage-match. The climax of the chapter is found in verse 16: "Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon."
Interestingly enough, this is the only place in the Bible that we find the word Armageddon. Given how well-known and popular is this idea of Armageddon, you would think it would be more prevalent in Scripture, but it isn't. Everyone knows that Armageddon is connected with some catastrophic event that signals the end of the world. Unless Bruce Willis, saves the day, that is-NOT!
Now Armageddon is a Hebrew word that John transliterates into Greek and it means, "Mount of Megiddo." Megiddo is located in northern Israel. It is a city that held great strategic importance in the ancient world. It lay along one of the primary trade routes running between Egypt in the south, and Asia and Europe to the north. It was a place where news and ideas from all over the then known world were exchanged. It was, therefore, a place of great cultural influence.
Furthermore, Megiddo was situated on the edge of the "Plain of Jezreel" or the "Plain of Megiddo", which divided Israel from east to west. Whoever controlled the Plain of Megiddo controlled the trade routes and the whole country of Israel. For this reason, many important battles were fought in this area. In fact more than two hundred battles were fought there. But the thing you need to remember is that Armageddon, or Mount Megiddo is not a real place. There is no Mountain of Megiddo. It is a plain. So John is talking about a spiritual or a symbolic name here when he talks about Armageddon, he isn't talking about a real, geographical location. John's map is spiritual. That point is reinforced by the fact that John doesn't even translate Armageddon from the Hebrew.
This is something you have to keep in mind with Revelation. It is an apocalyptic book, meaning it is a specific kind of writing that involves lots of symbols and vivid pictures that are meant to illicit in us strong emotions that communicate the important nature of the message of the book. When you read Revelation you can't help being swept up in what is clearly a life and death drama and that is the point of all of the imagery in Revelation.
It is speaking to us of a life and death drama, but the drama is communicated with symbolic images that were never meant to be taken literally. If you don't understand this key point in interpreting Revelation you are going to pretty much miss everything that God is trying to communicate while you run down a bunch of imaginary rabbit trails that just aren't there in the original message of the book.
So Armageddon, or the Mountain of Megiddo, is not a real place. It doesn't exist. What that means is that John, by using the name Armageddon, is trying to communicate to us something important about how the battle of good and evil will end. There is significance in him choosing a Mountain where there isn't one, associated with a place of great cultural and political significance. But, just because the Mountain of Megiddo isn't real doesn't mean that the battle between good and evil, between God and Satan, between Christ and the Antichrist, and between those who follow or reject Christ isn't real. It's real right now. As we saw in 1 John the spirit of the antichrist is already at work, the battle is already on, but there will be a day when this battle is finally and fully realized and God will say, as He does at the end of verse 17, "It is done."
Now, in chapter 16 we also have the seven bowls of God's wrath poured out on the earth. The battle of Armageddon takes place between the sixth and the seventh bowl, with the seventh bowl being the final removal of all evil.
Now, as soon as we hear the word "wrath" we get a bit nervous. Wrath is one of those words, like taxes or Beiber that just makes us cringe. But it shouldn't be that way, if we really understand what God's wrath is.
Beginning with verse 1 we read: 1 Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, "Go, pour out the seven bowls of God's wrath on the earth." 2 The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. 3 The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. 4 The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood. 5 Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: "You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 6 for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve." 7 And I heard the altar respond: "Yes, Lord God Almighty, true and just are your judgments." 8 The fourth angel poured out his bowl on the sun, and the sun was given power to scorch people with fire. 9 They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. 10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
Let's stop there for a moment. What do these first five bowls of God's wrath remind you of? It is important to ask that question when you read Revelation because there are all kinds of Old Testament images throughout Revelation that John uses and they become signposts to helping us understand its message. So, you have boils, and water turned to blood, and the sun burning and then turning to darkness, and in verse 13 you also have the mention of frogs coming out of the mouths of the Satanic system. All of these bowls of God's wrath remind us about the plagues that God brought upon the Egyptians, right?
OK, what exactly were those plagues about? Well, each of those plagues was directed against a specific Egyptian god. Each plague brought pain from what the Egyptians looked to for blessing-whether we talk about the Nile (Hapi) turning to blood, or the Sun (Ra) turning to darkness, or the plague of frogs (Heqt), or any of the other plagues.
So the point of all of the plagues was to point out, in a physical way, the spiritual consequences of following false gods. To put it another way, the plagues were the physical manifestation of their spiritual reality. The plagues were also the result of Pharaoh's persecution of God's people because he refused to allow them to go into the desert to worship God. More than that, they also pointed to the reality and glory of the one true God. So we can expect these kinds of meanings to also flow from the bowls of wrath. The bowls of wrath are the physical manifestation of the spiritual reality of those who experience them. They are a sign of the spiritual consequences of following the false religion and standing in opposition to God's people.
Finally they point to the reality of God, which brings us to the last point about the bowls of wrath. Starting with verse 9 we read: "They were seared by the intense heat and they cursed the name of God, who had control over these plagues, but they refused to repent and glorify him. 10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast, and his kingdom was plunged into darkness. Men gnawed their tongues in agony 11 and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done.
You find the same kind of response in verse 21 as well. Now the first thing I want to point out from these verses is that we get an insight into the purpose behind God's wrath. Ultimately, God's wrath is a means of reaching out to those who are in rebellion. It is about generating a response of repentance. It is about motivating people to turn to Him. It is about pointing out the reality of God. True it is an extreme way of getting someone's attention, but the extreme nature has been dictated by the hostile, unreachable attitude of the people God is trying to reach. This is God's last effort to try and rescue those who have stood in opposition to Him.
But, also notice the people's response. They know that God is the source of their pain and they also know that what they are going through is warranted because of their sin, but rather than crying out to Him in repentance, they refuse and curse God instead.
It is hard to believe, given the circumstances that people would continue to curse God and not repent. But that is the way it is. For example remember the words of Rehab to the spies that she hid in Jericho. She said to them, "I know that the LORD has given this land to you and that a great fear of you has fallen on us, so that all who live in this country are melting in fear because of you. 10 We have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red Sea for you when you came out of Egypt, and what you did to Sihon and Og, the two kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan, whom you completely destroyed. (Joshua 2:9-10)
Rehab recounts how the entire city was melting in fear. They knew they were doomed. They knew they couldn't stand again the Lord, but let me ask you a question-how many of them repented and made a deal with God's people?- Only Rehab and her family. The rest, knowing the reality of the Lord and the inevitable outcome of the battle, did nothing.
I came across an account from someone who survived a plane crash. He admitted that he always expected people who were dying to cry out to God for mercy in their final moments, but noted that he heard many respond with cursing, even as they faced death. In death many just follow the habits they've spent their entire lives developing. Whether God acts with justice or mercy, some refuse to believe. That the world dies unrepentant in the face of God's judgements reveals the depth of human rebellion against God. It's a troubling and scary thing.
Sometimes people think that they can just change their minds as they face death. They think they can erase a lifetime of ignoring and rejecting God and repent and squeak into heaven in the very last minute. But that kind of thinking is just as misguided as thinking that you can jump up in an out of control elevator just before it crashes on the ground floor and survive the crash. You may be able to jump up, but that isn't going to do anything to change your downward momentum. Our reality is that we are changed by the decisions we make every day and a lifetime of rejecting God changes the human heart into an inescapable downward momentum for most people.
Ultimately, as Christians, I don't think we have to pay too much attention to the bowls of wrath, or their sequence, or even their content. The overall picture they provide to us is that the very same God that rescued His people from the evil clutches and bondage of Egypt is the same God who rescues us as well.
Let's pick up the account with verse 12: The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up to prepare the way for the kings from the East. 13 Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs; they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet. 14 They are spirits of demons performing miraculous signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them for the battle on the great day of God Almighty. 15 "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed." 16 Then they gathered the kings together to the place that in Hebrew is called Armageddon. 17 The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!"
Let's stop there. I find the sixth bowl very interesting. It concerns the drying up of the Euphrates to allow for movement of kings of the East. That is followed by a propaganda campaign by evil spirits that brought all of the kings of the whole world together. Notice that the last battle begins with and ends with a reference to God's will. It begins with God making the way possible by drying up the Euphrates and all this comes to pass on "the great day of God Almighty."
We often get the idea that the world is out of control and spiralling to its end like an out of control train. We ask if our world can get any worse. We start to wonder about all the stuff that we see around us, but the fact of the matter is that Armageddon will happen when God decides it will happen. In other words, God is in control. He isn't reacting to Satan's moves, Satan reacts to His moves. The river drying up is God's doing. The forces of evil will not gather for the final battle until God allows them to gather together on the day He has determined. True the world seems chaotic and so do our lives sometimes-that's where our waiting and our longing for Christ's return comes in, but God is in control and when the time comes, God and God alone will say, "It is done."
Now look at verse 15. Verse 15 is interesting. In the midst of all these bowls of wrath happening we have this verse. Jesus says: "Behold, I come like a thief! Blessed is he who stays awake and keeps his clothes with him, so that he may not go naked and be shamefully exposed."
These words from Jesus seem out of place. They certainly shift the focus and the action. In the midst of all of these bowls of wrath and just before Armageddon brings the curtain down on the battle of good versus evil, Jesus tells His people, "Stay awake and keep your shirt on!" What is Jesus talking about here? What happens if we are asleep in bed when Christ returns? What happens if we are having a shower when He returns? What if we are asleep in the shower when He returns?
Well before we talk about what it means to be awake and clothed, don't miss the point here. John has been writing about the gathering of the world's armies and the final battle. The intensity of the imagery in chapter 16 is troubling. You could start to feel overwhelmed and fearful. In fact we start to be creeped out by the whole thing, but just before the climatic point of the entire battle between God and Satan begins, Jesus calls for a time out and He says-"Oh, and by the way, don't get distracted by the action and don't forget what all this is about. It's about my return. It's about my coming. It's about the very thing you have been waiting for!
Think about it, the entire focus of this chapter is nothing short of epic. It is a world-wide focus that comes crashing down into the most climatic moment the world has, or ever will see, but then Jesus stops everything and steps into the picture and He changes the focus entirely. The focus goes from concerning all the nations of the earth, to an individual focus. It goes from being a world-wide climatic battle, to each of our individual relationships with Christ. Jesus makes it very simple. Jesus makes it personal. Jesus says, "Whatever else you may think or feel, it is just about me and you. Stay close to me, that's all you need to do!" And then he steps out of the scene and the focus returns to the battle.
Now I think we have talked about what it means to be awake enough in the context of Christ's return to know what Jesus is asking of us. To be awake is to be alert, or to be ready. It means to be prepared for Christ's return by keeping our eyes on Him. To be awake is to understand that the battle is won or lost by our faith in, and submission to, Christ.
The mention of nakedness is similar. The Christian's clothing is mentioned several times in Revelation. Those in the church of Sardis whose deeds are not right have soiled clothes, while the worthy ones will be dressed in white (Rev. 3:4). The church of Laodicea is naked and they need to purchase white clothing to wear (Rev. 3:17-18). The martyrs under the altar are clothed in white (Rev. 6:11), as is the multitude before the throne (Rev. 7:9).
The key to the image of clothing is found in Rev. 19:8, in which the bride of Christ is given "fine linen, bright and clean" to wear. Then we have this defining comment: "Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints." If one is not acting righteously, which means following the commands of Christ, he or she is naked before him, and his coming will leave such a person "shamefully exposed." So to be awake and clothed simply means that we are actively living out our faith while we wait, while we long for, while we live in expectation of Christ's coming.
OK, before we close, let's talk a minute about the meaning behind Armageddon. What does the Mountain of Megiddo symbolize? Well, all through our Mountain Moment series we have seen that mountains are places of meeting with God. Moses meets with God on a mountain. Moses dies in the presence of God on a mountain. Elijah shows the power of God against the prophets of the false god Baal on a mountain. Jesus meets with, and is encouraged by, God on a mountain. Jonathan turns the enemy away and brings victory to God's people on a mountain. On and on it goes. Mountains are places where God's presence and God's will become tangible.
So when John imagines a mountain where there isn't one, what he is saying is, this place of battle is a place where God's presence and God's will, will be fully revealed and realized. This place of final battle is a place where God is going to SHOW UP AND REVEAL HIMSELF in the ULTIMATE MOUNTAINTOP EXPERIENCE! In fact the experience itself is going to be such a tippy-top mountain-top experience that we don't even need a real mountain to give us the right ambience!
But then we have to ask the question why Megiddo? Why is Mount Megiddo? I believe there are a couple of reasons. First of all, the area was known to be a strategic place of battle where the freedom of God's people always hung in the balance. If you have control over the plains of Megiddo, you have control over the entire country of Israel, so the battle for the freedom of God's people is won or lost at Megiddo.
More than that, Megiddo is the crossroads of the trade routes from all over the then known world. It is the place where new ideas clash with old ones. It is the place where God's people were confronted with all of the false and conflicting ideas that the world had to offer. It was a place where faith was challenged and so it was a place that was very much about a battle for the mind. It was a place where attitudes and ideas that shaped cultures tried to shape the culture of God's people.
As you read through Revelation, one of the major themes is remaining true to the faith. There are those who remain true to the faith and there are those who are swayed by the religion, by the attitudes and by the so-called benefits of following and worshipping the beast.
As we have already noted. Those who followed the beast didn't repent when the bowls of God's wrath came--they cursed God instead. What does that mean? It means that the battle had already been lost in their minds. They were unreachable because of what they thought and believed. They had been swallowed up by the lies of the culture.
Now, put that thought together with Christ's comment to the church to be awake and clothed. Jesus is saying be ready for my return by keeping your mind focused on living for and serving me. Know that the battle is about being swallowed up by the antichrist message of the dominant culture. It is in the mind that the battle will be first won or lost. The issue is about keeping yourself in a true, living relationship with Christ. If you have that, that is all you need.
The message to us is that we don't have to worry about Armageddon if we keep our minds on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God, rather than the ideas and attitudes of the culture around us (Colossians 3:1-2). How much are you buying into the culture? How is the culture affecting your faith? How ready are you right now?
Bonhoeffer wrote: "For the greatest, most profound, tenderest things in the world, we must wait." Advent reminds us that waiting is a great thing when it causes us to focus on and long for the thing for which we wait. This Christmas don't be distracted by the cultural trappings of Christmas. Use the season to build your expectation and your longing. Focus on Christ's coming. Keep the faith. Live out the faith. Skip the turkey and stay awake. Keep your shirt on, because you never know when God is going to build the final mountain.
