“The Great Unveiling: The True Words of God”
Revelation 19:1-21
Many of us in the older generations of life remember the original television series Dragnet. One of the classic lines of most every show came from Jack Webb who, as the detective, would question suspects. Whenever one of them would be evasive or verbose in an answer, Jack would predictably say, “Just the facts, ma’am; just the facts.” All he was looking for was the truth relevant to the case. The 19th chapter of Revelation serves much the same purpose. With a pause in the action of the unfolding judgment John leads us in a time of reflection, to take stock of the situation before proceeding to portray the ultimate end of the world in more detail. Verse 9: “And he added, ‘These are the true words of God.’” What words are true? Why is it important to know these truths? Because it will be even more difficult in the coming days to be faithful. And WE CAN LIVE FAITHFUL LIVES ONLY WHEN WE BELIEVE THE TRUTHS OF GOD’S WORD. So what are the important truths already established in Revelation?
The first of the great truths of Revelation concerns THE EXISTENCE OF SIN. In Revelation we repeatedly encounter sin. We didn’t need Revelation to teach that sin exists, so what is so new and important? In Revelation we get a closer look at ITS NATURE. Throughout we see that sin and evil are deceptive, destructive, and devastating. We learn that SIN IS MORE BITTER AND EVIL THAN WE THINK. IT causes nothing but damage and heartbreak, both for those for those who commit sin and for those around them. Revelation is the great object lesson demonstrating the Scriptural truth that sin and evil impact future generations, that people reap what they sow even into the 3rd and 4th generations. As long as sin exists there will be sickness, sorrow, disappointment, failure, guilt, mistrust, broken relationships, immorality and misery.
With John, we need to pause and do some self-examination. Ask yourself: what have I ever gained through sinning? What good have I ever done through sinning? Have I ever known sin or evil that did not hurt someone? Is there really a private kind of sinning that goes totally unnoticed? In Revelation, to sin – to be against God in any portion of our lives, to ignore His will at any time, to give Him lesser loyalty – is to join forces with Babylon and the Beast. And we all too easily do so. “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way.” (Is. 53:6)
But the deep joy of Revelation is that every time we think about the existence of sin and its evil, bitter nature, we also look up and see the Lamb upon His throne. We are confronted with the reality that SIN HAS BEEN OVERCOME THROUGH CHRIST’S BLOOD. The blood Jesus shed on Calvary wiped away the guilty verdict. As Paul wrote (Rom. 5:1), “Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” And there is no other peace like God’s peace – it is a peace that passes all understanding. The world cannot give it and the world cannot take it away! As one of the great hymn writers put it: “CALVARY COVERS IT ALL, my past with its sin and stain; my guilt and despair Jesus took on him there, and Calvary covers it all.” Whatever your sin, whatever the evil in which you’ve been involved, no matter the extent of your guilt – the Lamb, Jesus Christ, is seated on the throne and you are forgiven! Sin does exist – evil powers are at work – we sin way too often. But – but – the Lamb is on the throne! “Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory!” (6-7)
Next, in addition to the existence of sin, we need to recall the truth of THE EVENTUAL RETURN OF CHRIST. All we know for certain is that Jesus will return, at the blast of the trumpets, in great splendor. We do not know when it will be, but we do know what it means: as verses 11-16 clearly state, EVERYONE WILL FACE THE FAITHFUL AND TRUE JUDGE, Him who is called the Word of God, the King of kings and the Lord of lords. And when we do two things will happen.
First, SOME WILL BE CONSIGNED TO HELL. The harlot, and all those who were seduced by her, will be sent to hell. Those who have participated in what we call gross evil, those who have been in outright opposition to God, those who have refused to turn away from sin, those who failed to ‘come out of Babylon’, those who have sought to follow their own ways and whims will all swim and burn in the lake of fire forever. The Bible will be proven true. The sheep and goats will be separated, the wheat and chaff will be sifted.
Hear me very clearly on this – since we do not know when Jesus will return, when the hour of final judgment will begin, we CANNOT WAIT TO REPENT, to ask the Lord Jesus Christ for forgiveness, to change our ways. Hear Proverbs 1:28-33: "Then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and did not choose to fear the LORD, since they would not accept my advice and spurned my rebuke, they will eat the fruit of their ways and be filled with the fruit of their schemes. For the waywardness of the simple will kill them, and the complacency of fools will destroy them; but whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm.” Today is the day; this is the moment.
But second, as Proverbs indicates, at the judgment SOME WILL BE COMMENDED TO HEAVEN. Verses 7-9 portray the marriage and the marriage feast. Christ will find his Bride, the Church – having lived a heavenly life in the midst of the world – ready and waiting in all her beauty, glory, and purity. The result will be a banquet such as has never been imagined. As the loyal opposition burns in torment, the saints and martyrs will feast in triumph. But even here we need to heed the warnings of Jesus. Remember his parable about a great banquet (Lk. 14:15-24)? A man sent his servant to tell the guests that everything was ready. But those asked first all had excuses: one had bought a field, one some oxen, and another had just gotten married. So the master gave their seats to others! It was a parable pointing to Jesus’ invitation to the great banquet; it’s a parable about excuses and priorities. Jesus wants to know this morning, WHAT IS YOUR EXCUSE FOR NOT ENTERING FULLY INTO THE LIFE OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD? Why are you waiting? Too busy? Too preoccupied? Not serious enough about Christ? Not really willing to give up control?
Most of us have a difficult time deciding what is really essential in life. You know what is one of the hardest things for us to do? Travel somewhere and take just one suitcase. We always want that one extra bag. We’d rather pack more and carry the extra baggage than decide what’s really necessary. We’d rather drag one more bag, cram one more case into the overhead space, repack the trunk, or pay the extra freight than deal with what is really essential for the journey. We would rather be weighted down than prioritize our load. I ask you this morning: WHAT IS REALLY ESSENTIAL FOR YOUR LIFE? What do you really need? What can you, must you, leave behind - what sin, what busyness, what personal dreams, what relationships? Jesus said, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Mt. 6:33) We must RSVP to the banquet invitation today. Today is the day of salvation, this is the moment! Respond now to the eventual return of Christ.
The third truth which enables us to live faithful lives concerns THE EFFECTIVENESS OF PRAYER. In Revelation we get glimpses of the prayers of the saints for judgment. Remember, for example, the martyrs under the altar. Their prayer was, “How long, O Lord?” How long before you judge the earth and the evil in it? And though God tells them He will judge when the time is right, they persist in their prayers. Likewise, WE MUST CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR JUDGMENT TO COME. Our prayers are essential in the plan of God. It is not that we wish to see anyone tortured or cast into hell – but we must love righteousness and justice so deeply that we want it to take over and rule the world! We must so deeply love Jesus Christ that we want His death to have its fullest effect! Judgment must come! Jesus must take up his power and reign! Is your desire that great? Is your love that deep? Is your belief in hell so vivid that you will work for the salvation of people even as you pray?
The message of Revelation is that WE MUST BE IN THE HABIT OF PRAYER, PERIOD! Not just for judgment, but to be within the fellowship of God’s Spirit. One of Jesus’ greatest invitations to the fullness of life was (Mt. 7:7-11), “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bred, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” If only we would believe! THERE IS NO LIMIT TO WHAT GOD WILL DO THROUGH AND FOR US – IF ONLY WE BELIEVE! If only we would pray like we cashed our checks at the bank – we hand them to the teller (or put it into a machine) never doubting that the money is there to back it up. Is your prayer life the same – hand it over and believe? As Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Never, never, never forget the effectiveness of prayer. Ask, seek, knock – believe!
The fourth truth that leads to faithful living is THE ETERNAL REIGN OF CHRIST. One of the clearest truths in Revelation is that Jesus Christ is not only reigning now, but that CHRIST’S REIGN LASTS FOREVER! As the Hallelujah Chorus so majestically proclaims, He reigns forever and ever and ever. The battle between Jesus and Satan has been going on for a long time – ever since the fall of Lucifer. Israel had her idols – Baal, Dagon, and their Ashtoreths. The stars, the sun, the emperors have all been worshipped. But they will all prove fallible and insignificant before the throne of God! Remember Elijah and the drought? None of the idols could produce rain, yet through the flame of fire the rains of God poured down in response to Elijah’s prayer. The idols were rendered powerless. God reigned! The Roman rulers were worried because many people were following Jesus rather than Caesar, and their power was threatened.
Yet still Jesus reigns! The Jewish nation was worried because Jesus didn’t fit her pre-conceptions and she was threatened. Yet still Jesus reigns! Even above all the idols and misconceptions of our day – our military might, our wealth, our success-driven and power hungry motives, our self-satisfying egos – still Jesus reigns! When God commanded us to have no other gods, He knew we’d try, and He knew we’d fail. He alone is sovereign; He alone reigns forever! He is the eternal King of kings and Lord of lords! If you had stood in the crowd that pronounced judgment upon Jesus, how would you have filled in the blank, “We have no king but ___________?” How do you fill in that blank this morning?
Your answer is important because to live obediently under the eternal reign of Christ GIVES US GREATER FAITH. I’ve shared before about a man who was sharing with our youth groups in Iowa about his personal discoveries concerning Satan worship. He talked about a friend of his who went to California and decided to enter a satanic temple and observe worship. The service proceeded with rituals and “magic” until, near the climax of the ceremony, the leader was to levitate a table and offer a body in sacrifice. At that precise moment the Satanic leader paused, angrily started walking around the crowd, and said, “Someone here is a Christian, and I cannot do my work.” As he came to this Christian the leader stopped, pointed and said, “And it’s you! Get out!” So the visitor got up, and as he walked out turned and proclaimed, “Isn’t it great that my God is still greater than yours!”
Since Jesus reigns we have greater faith! From Revelation we are challenged to believe that when we do pass through deep waters, the reigning Christ will be with us; when our rivers swell, they will not overflow; when we pass through the valley of the shadow of death, we will not fear any evil; when we are tossed to and fro by the storms and winds of life, peace will come and we will arrive safely on the other shore. This eternally reigning LORD WHO HOLDS TOMORROW ALSO HOLDS OUR HAND!
Visiting with a dying saint can be a wonderful experience. The visions of the life to come, the wisdom of the life lived here, the fact of that face-to-face meeting with Jesus Christ give them a wondrous grace, peace, and beauty! They are living reminders to us that the throne of God is never in peril; the truth of God will never be defeated; Satan will never win; evil will never reign; God will never forsake us; nothing will ever separate us from His love! He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He has the power to change and transform lives.
Just remember the cross – ugly, putrefying, excruciating; yet it is now a thing of beauty to which we cling forever! And what Jesus did with the cross He can do with our lives.
These words of God are true. They are just the facts. Believe them. This week, believe every verse you read as true. Take them all at face value. Obey them. Live by them. See what a difference it makes in your life. Believing is seeing, so believe and see!
