Revelation 8: Judgment and Justice in the Natural World

Transcription

1 Revelation 8: Judgment and Justice in the Natural World Revelation 8 Snug Gospel Chapel: June 26 th, 2016 Good morning! We re continuing once again our series in the book of Revelation, and this morning we re looking at the first four of the trumpet judgments. We ll be reading Revelation 8 in a moment, but before we do that, let s come before the Lord in prayer. Let s pray. Father, as we come to your Word this morning, I thank you that you have taken the things of heaven and revealed them to men. I thank you that you have made yourself known to us, through Your Word, through prophecy, through the Revelation of Your King, Jesus Christ, in this incredible book. I praise you for who you have revealed yourself to be through all these things: the Supreme Lord of Heaven, mighty and glorious, righteous and holy, powerful and just. There is none like you, Lord, and every word, every phrase, every passage in this book declares your majesty. This morning, Lord, I pray that you would receive all that is due to your Name. Be glorified in us, this morning, Lord. Be glorified in our worship, be glorified in my preaching, and may all the power and riches and wisdom, strength and honour and glory and blessing, be yours and yours alone, now and forever. Amen. When we last opened the book of Revelation, we saw a new scene in heaven. We saw seven angels standing before the throne, with seven trumpets, prepared to sound. We saw another angel, given the role of presenting the prayers of the saints before the Lord and we saw God Himself respond to those prayers the prayers of all the long ages, of saints past, present and future with fire and hail upon the earth. Today s passage represents the culmination of those events, with an outpouring of God s wrath upon the earth, both for His own sake, and on behalf of his saints. What I d like to do today is take a fairly systematic look at the first four of the seven trumpet judgments. The picture that should emerge for us is one of a series of catastrophic events that originate in heaven and find their impact upon the earth, and declare, emphatically, that Jesus Christ is Lord. Let s read. Revelation 8, beginning at verse 7. First Trumpet: Vegetation Struck 7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. [a] And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. Second Trumpet: The Seas Struck Then the second angel sounded: And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. 9 And a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

2 Third Trumpet: The Waters Struck 10 Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. Fourth Trumpet: The Heavens Struck 12 Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel [b] flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound! I d like to start by briefly looking at the first trumpet again. I know we saw examined this in depth the last time I preached, but I d like to place the events of the trumpet judgments in an even broader context than I provided for you last time, so please do bear with me. The First Trumpet Let s start with verse 7. The first angel sounded: and fire and hail followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. The last time I preached, I suggested to you that this first trumpet revealed the point at which these events occur in the Tribulation timeline. That s true, but I d like to point out to you another angle in this same passage that reveals something about the state of Israel at that time. Turn with me to Isaiah 28. Isaiah 28, and let s start at verse 2. Behold, the Lord has a mighty and strong one, Like a tempest of hail and a destroying storm, Like a flood of mighty waters overflowing, Who will bring them down to the earth with His hand. What we re seeing here is the same judgment detailed at the first trumpet, but viewed through a more specific lens. Isaiah takes the time here to zoom in, and look at the measure of this judgment that falls upon Israel primarily upon Ephraim and Judah. Why those two tribes? Because they represent the leadership of Israel. The Kingship of the North was located in Ephraim, the Kingship of the South in Judah.

3 There s more than that here, however there s an indication of the spiritual state of the nation of Israel when this judgment occurs. Look at verse 11. For with stammering lips and another tongue He will speak to this people, 12 To whom He said, This is the rest with which You may cause the weary to rest, And, This is the refreshing ; Yet they would not hear. 13 But the word of the Lord was to them, Precept upon precept, precept upon precept, Line upon line, line upon line, Here a little, there a little, That they might go and fall backward, and be broken And snared and caught. What Isaiah is revealing here is the pattern that has already taken place: that Israel, drawn back into the land (as occurred in 1948), should reject the call of the Lord to repentance, and should instead, at their own insistence, become bound by a legalistic system. Jerusalem was to hand its future and destiny over to a foreign power, with stammering lips and another tongue, and to substitute the rule of the King of Kings for A rule for this, a rule for that; a little here, a little there. This is Israel, in the land in unbelief. As a side note, you are no doubt aware that there are those who continue to question the authenticity of the state of Israel, according to the Scriptures. Many of these people argue that Israel, as currently constructed, is not a godly nation, and is therefore not the nation poised to inherit the promises of the prophets. This suggests to me a fundamental misunderstanding, or perhaps even worse, lack of knowledge regarding what Scripture says about Israel in the Last Days. God s Word makes it explicitly clear that in the Last Days, Israel will return to the land the place of repose in verse 12 in unbelief. It is at this time and in this context that a covenant is made. This is the covenant with Antichrist, which is yet future. Verse 14. Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers who rule this people in Jerusalem. 15 You boast, We have entered into a covenant with death, with the realm of the dead we have made an agreement. When an overwhelming scourge sweeps by, it cannot touch us, for we have made a lie our refuge and falsehood [b] our hiding place. So this is the timing. The first trumpet strikes after the midpoint of the Tribulation, when unbelieving Israel enters into a covenant with death and surrenders its leadership to the Antichrist.

4 Look at verse 17. I will make justice the measuring line and righteousness the plumb line; hail will sweep away your refuge, the lie, and water will overflow your hiding place. 18 Your covenant with death will be annulled; your agreement with the realm of the dead will not stand. When the overwhelming scourge sweeps by, you will be beaten down by it. 19 As often as it comes it will carry you away; morning after morning, by day and by night, it will sweep through. The understanding of this message will bring sheer terror. So we see here that it is the Lord Himself, not Israel, that breaks the covenant with Antichrist. The Lord destroys it with His own hand. This fits beautifully with Daniel 9:27, which tells us that Antichrist will confirm a covenant with the many, and that he will cause the offering and sacrifice to cease; it is only here, however, that we find that it is the Lord Himself who breaks this covenant and causes Israel to flee. There is a darker side to this message, however. The final verses of this passage make it abundantly clear that Israel will suffer grave judgment at this time. They will be beaten down and carried away as the scourge sweeps by and will rightfully be filled with terror. I don t want to get too far ahead of myself, but this is precisely the image presented in Revelation 12. It s a diversion, but one worth examining. Turn with me to Revelation 12, and verse 13. Now when the dragon saw that he had been cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male Child. 14 But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. 15 So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. 16 But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged with the woman, and he went to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. You can see, hopefully, how perfectly that fits with what we ve read in Isaiah. When the covenant is broken at the hand of the Lord through the power of the first trumpet judgment, Israel will flee, and seek refuge in Jordan some believe in Petra - as Isaiah has already outlined in chapter 26, saying: Come, my people, enter your chambers, And shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment,

5 Until the indignation is past. 21 For behold, the Lord comes out of His place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood, And will no more cover her slain. Again, you can see the continuity here; the imagery in Scripture is just so consistent. So, we ve defined the context and the timing but I suggested to you as we began that these judgments were broader than what Isaiah has outlined for Israel that the trumpets were global judgments representing the outpouring of God s wrath upon His own creation. Let s read Revelation 8 verse 7 again: 7 The first angel sounded: And hail and fire followed, mingled with blood, and they were thrown to the earth. [a] And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. Now, you might wonder why that is why the earth should itself should be judged at the hand of God; why the trees should be consumed, and all green vegetation destroyed. Well, the answer to this question can be found all the way back in Genesis 3, where God said cursed is the ground for your sake. You see, as head over God s creation, every system, every creature, every being placed in subjection under man is likewise afforded judgment on behalf of man. Paul hints at this in Romans 8, when he says that the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself will also be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we now know that the whole creation groans and labours with birth pangs together until now. So we understand that creation, which was placed in subjection to man, suffers with man at the judgment, just as it will be liberated with man at the coming of the King. This is why Creation awaits our redemption because redemption for us means liberation and renewal for the world itself. but first, judgment and we see that the first three trumpet judgments are all distinctly earthbound, and all fall upon the natural world. Verse 7. And a third of the trees were burned up, and all green grass was burned up. and so here it begins. The judgment upon creation; God s wrath poured out upon the work of His hands. A judgment upon Israel and upon the people of the earth. A judgment of fire and hail, mingled with blood a people flee from the hand of the Antichrist and seek refuge in Jordan, and the Lord once more pours out His anger against sin. A third of all the trees, and all the green vegetation are destroyed, and God s chosen people, the remnant of Israel, huddle in caves for safety. Let s move on. Verse 8. The Second Trumpet

6 Then the second angel sounded: and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third of the sea became blood. At this point, I need to make another slight diversion. Allow me for a moment to make a point about the importance of the careful, consistent interpretation of language in Scripture and particularly in prophetic Scripture. It is absolutely vital when we seek to understand prophecy that we are conscious of allowing the text to determine our interpretation. Let me explain that. What we re seeing here in these verses is figurative language. John says that something like a great mountain, burning with fire, was thrown into the sea.. This is a simile. We re all relatively familiar with what a simile is, but we need to be mindful about what it does, and does not mean. A simile is a device that consists of the comparison of two things with the word like. We ve seen plenty of these already in the book of Revelation, and of course we use them in speech all the time, so most of us will be familiar with how this works. John, for example, said the Lord s eyes were like a flame of fire in Revelation 1. John doesn t literally mean that Jesus eyes were on fire, of course, but he s using an image we understand to describe something vividly for our benefit. So that s what a simile does mean. What a simile does not mean, however, is that the apostle John is not describing a real event. In the context of this passage, there is a great deal of confusion among scholars, who have sought to turn this mountain into a broader metaphor, interpreting it as a kingdom and the fire as judgment, and so on. There is absolutely no need for that, and no suggestion in the language of this passage that we should interpret this image in that way. Instead, the event here is exactly what John describes: a large, flaming object that enters earth s atmosphere, and plummets into the sea, causing the death of a third of all sea life, and most likely a significant tsunami that destroys a third of all of the ships on earth. This is important, because it reinforces the consistency of the judgments detailed here. Each is a judgment upon the natural world. There s more than that here, though, and it ties in with the representation of ships in Scripture. Ships in the Bible tend to represent the wealth of the nations. While that s true, I think there s a more specific angle being hinted at here. It was present in the first judgment, and continues here in the second. More than that, this thread is tied together by a single, literal element. You may remember that the last time I preached, I quoted to you from Hebrews that our God is a consuming fire. It is no coincidence that each of these judgments begins with fire but each will end with the destruction of a primary requirement for human life. At the first trumpet, food sources are compromised as the grains and fruit of the land are burned and destroyed. At the second, the sea turns to blood, killing a third of all sea life and utterly devastating fisheries and marine food sources. A third of all ships are destroyed, crushing the transport industries and preventing the transport of food across continents. and at the third, the situation worsens even further. There s an escalation taking place here, too because while the average human can survive weeks without food, we can last just three days without water. So when the third trumpet strikes, and a third of the waters of the earth are made bitter, you can understand why so many die. On that note, let s move on, and look at the third trumpet. The Third Trumpet

7 Revelation 8, verse Then the third angel sounded: And a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water. 11 The name of the star is Wormwood. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. Once again, as we arrive at the third trumpet, we encounter a verse that people have tended to interpret spiritually rather than literally and once again, there s no indication that we should do so in the text. Many scholars have suggested that what we re seeing here, represented by a great star, is a fallen angel. While it is true that angels are at times described as stars in Scripture (and we saw this in Revelation 1 in particular), this view is not consistent with the physical impact of this object falling to earth, nor with the trumpet judgments that precede it. In fact, it s the same pattern in each of the first three judgments: a flaming object is thrown from the heavens to the earth. Judgment, impact, consequence. The second thing we need to note is the nature of the star. Whatever this object is, it strikes a third of the rivers and the springs of water. That might suggest that the atmosphere causes the star to break up and strike multiple locations across the earth. The consequence of this impact is clear: a third of the waters became wormwood. Wormwood is a herb that grows primarily around the Mediterranean Sea, from North Africa around the coast to SouthWestern Europe. It is referred to numerous times in Scripture, and is always associated with bitterness. Jeremiah 9:15 is a good example of this: Therefore, thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed them, this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink. and Lamentations 3:15: He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drink wormwood. In each of these cases, wormwood is associated with the bitterness that comes from the judgment of the Lord. While that s definitely what s being described here, it s also true in a very literal sense. Verse 11. A third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the water, because it was made bitter. It s this verse that identifies the thread that runs through each of the trumpet judgments. You see, without fail in Scripture, the judgment of wormwood is identified with one of this world s most ancient sins: idolatry. Turn with me to Romans, chapter 1. Romans chapter 1, beginning at verse 18. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and

8 changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. The last few words of this passage explain a second angle to these judgments. This is why God has caused His wrath to be poured out upon His own creation: because in doing so, He takes away any and every excuse for man to worship the creature, the creation, rather than the Creator. The book of Numbers has a collection of verses that provide another layer of insight here. You see, the Lord laid out for the children of Israel the punishment for a woman suspected of adultery. She was to be brought before the priest, and made to drink bitter water. The judgment to occur, however, was a supernatural one: if she were found guilty in the sight of the Lord, her belly would swell, she would be made barren and endure great pain. Should she befound innocent, the drink would not harm her at all. This is God s indictment upon the world of Revelation: that men loved darkness, rather than light, and worshipped the creation, rather than the Creator. They exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image made like corruptible man, and abandoned the very relationship they had been created for: a relationship with their God. Each of these judgments, then, is not only an assault upon God s creation, but an assault upon idolatry. More than that, with every trumpet, the terror escalates. The trumpets begin with the systematic removal of the basic requirements for human life, and progress to the point where, as Jesus said, unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved. Looking at even just the three trumpets we ve seen so far, you can see why that is. With devastated food sources and a lack of drinkable water, it s no wonder that so many will die here. but even this judgment, as terrible as it is, isn t the height of God s wrath. and in fact it s about to get worse. I understand that there is always a human tendency to view judgment as being harsh, or unfair. Certainly the judgment of God in these passages, and in fact, in this entire book, is a terrible thing. We ll see next week that there are supernatural forces that are given the right to torture men for five months, but not allow them to die. We ll see people scorched by fire from heaven, and inflicted with terrible sores longing for death, but not finding it. These are awful, horrific things. but let me spoil the ending for you and quote from Revelation 9. This is Revelation 9, verse 20. But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the work of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries, or their sexual immorality, or their thefts.

9 This is why God must judge: because sinful man refuses to recognize the Kingship of their Creator, and refuses to turn to Him, and repent. God s judgment here is clear: the soul that sins shall die, and the wages of sin is death but still, men love darkness, rather than light. The apostle Paul actually anticipates the question of God s judgment in wrath in Romans 3, where he says: Is God unjust who inflicts wrath? (I speak as a man.) Certainly not! For then how will God judge the world? indeed, let God be true, but every man a liar. For it is written: that you may be justified in your words, and may overcome when You judge. (Romans 3:5,4) Let there be no doubt about this: every single man, woman and child on this earth is deserving of the judgment of God. It is only by the mercy of God, through Jesus Christ, that we should be reconciled to Him at all. and even that came at so great a cost that He, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking upon Himself the form of a servant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself, and became obedient unto death. even the death of the cross. (Philippians 2:6-8) This was ever God s desire: that He should be both just, and the justifier of those who are being saved. Just, in wrath, and justified, in the great mercy shown to us all through the blood of Jesus Christ, who offers salvation freely to all. but here now in Revelation 8, there is no repentance. There is no God have mercy on me, a sinner ; there is only idolatry, only rebellion, only tight-fisted rejection of the Lamb. And so we see God judge: supernaturally; powerfully; conclusively. The wrath of God is not just poured out in Revelation; it is completed. And every action and reaction of man in this book vindicates the judgment of the King. So it is that when men see these judgments, and suffer the wrath of God, and still refuse to repent, The King of Kings is justified in His words, and will overcome when He judges. but in case you think I ve closed the door to mercy here, there is still grace to be found in these verses. Let s move on. The Fourth Trumpet Verse Then the fourth angel sounded: And a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them were darkened. A third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. 13 And I looked, and I heard an angel [b] flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!

10 There s a lot that could be said about the events described here. In fact, I even toyed with the idea of putting this one trumpet off until next week. There is potential science behind these events that I find very interesting. While we could have looked at the effects of this judgment in great detail, I think the point here is informed best by the context. Each of the judgments prior to this point are entirely earthbound. They are judgments upon the natural world, with man affected only indirectly. Each of the judgments that follow are equally earthbound, but are aimed entirely toward the judgment of man. This fourth trumpet is unique in that respect, as it affects the sun, moon and stars in the firmament, and thus occurs somewhere between the earthly space, and the heavenly space. We ll see too, as we progress, that in contrast to the first three judgments, all of which come from the heavens and end up impacting earth, the fifth, sixth and seventh trumpets all have their origin on the earth itself. With that in mind, I believe this fourth trumpet serves as a warning and I think Scripture bears that out. In fact, there are three functions here, and I d like to highlight them for you as I draw this to a close. The first, Jesus Himself highlights for us in Luke 21. This is verses 25 to 27. And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. This is the first function: that these signs should fill the men of earth with terror, overwhelmed by the expectation of those things that are coming upon the earth. As we ll see next week, this fear is with good reason. Things are about to get worse. Much worse. Even in these first four judgments we ve seen restraint God s judgment meted out in thirds. but no longer. The angel flying through the midst of heaven indicates this, too, crying Woe, woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!. This is, for want of a better expression, where the shoe drops. Just as this judgment represents transition, so too we will see in the coming judgments a transition from restraint, to utter wrath. This brings us to the second function. We find this one in Matthew 24, and I ve quoted it before throughout this series, and even this morning. Jesus said, unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect s sake (that is, for the sake of the great multitude seen in Revelation 7), those days will be shortened. What this means, once again, is that there is mercy here even in the midst of judgment. Yet again, we see this pattern occur, where God s judgment is nonetheless interspersed with grace. I would suggest, too, that these signs in the heavens aren t merely the dimming of the sun, moon and stars; I believe what Scripture is suggesting to us and I think Matthew makes this explicit is that the day itself will be shortened by a third 16 hours as opposed to 24. This too fits with the idea of an acceleration, or escalation, of the Lord s judgment, and even more so as we continue. The events that follow are packed in tightly, as the world races toward the end of the Tribulation, the return of Jesus Christ, and the final judgment of all flesh. and so it is, with that in mind, with the world rampaging toward its ultimate conclusion, both in judgment and in glory, that the Lord God sends an angel to announce to the people of the earth the impending woes that are about to befall. Surely, you would think, that if the Lord didn t their attention before now, if the seal judgments were insufficient, if the unveiling of the heavenly realm were not enough, surely you would think that the striking of the sun, moon and stars would be enough!

11 wouldn t you? but again, we see the rejection of the King. [For] the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the work of their hands, that they should not worship demons, and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk. And they did not repent of their murders or their sorceries, or their sexual immorality, or their thefts. I ve said this at various points throughout this series, but I think it comes across so very clearly, so often, that it needs to be repeated. You see, men don t go to hell because their preachers can t find the right words. They don t go to hell because they haven t heard the gospel preached in just the right way, or because we haven t yet found the words to convince them that they really do need a saviour. I ll tell you why they go to hell. In fact, I ll let Jesus tell you why they go to hell. John 3 verse 18. He who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. If you want to confirm that today, you don t have to go very far. Go home today, turn on the TV. See the shooting in Orlando, or the latest stabbing in Jerusalem. Watch the starving children in Syria living among the rubble, or the terrorist bombings in Paris. in fact, if we re honest, we don t even have to go that far. How many times this week did you grieve the Holy Spirit because you loved darkness rather than light? You see, we all need a Saviour. The difference between the Christian in the Rapture and the one suffering God s wrath in the Tribulation isn t goodness in fact, thank God it isn t goodness, because we d all be lost. What sets the Christian all alone in a world obsessed with darkness is the blood of Jesus Christ that washes us from every stain and declares with emphatic resurrection power that we are His. and we are not appointed to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. So where are you, today? Where do you stand, on Jesus Christ? You know, I ve quoted verses all around it today, but I never did quote this one. Perhaps now is the time. I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.

12 Do you believe that this morning? Do you believe that there is a Redeemer who saves us from the wrath of a Holy God? Because make no mistake, a righteous God must judge, and will judge both the living and the dead, and as the wall behind me beautifully reminds us, as Jesus said, I AM the Way, the Truth, and the Life no man comes to the Father except through Me. This is why, every time I step into this pulpit, I seek to preach Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. Revelation makes that easy, because it declares to us, over and over and over that God is angry over our sin, that He is angry over our rebellion, that He is angry over our rejection of His promises and provisions but that His judgment has been met with mercy in the blood of Jesus Christ. He is solution, once, and for all, for sinners like me. For sinners like you. He is the answer. He is God s answer to God s wrath. and His is the only name under heaven, given among men, by which we must be saved. Let s pray.