WEEK 4 WACC Community Groups Present: A weekly companion to WACC s sermon series on the book of Revelation By Brian Funke Special thanks to Chris Nord and Craig Wright
WEEK FOUR: DAY ONE: Lamb and 144,000 Read Revelation 14:1-5, Isaiah 24:23, Joel 3:21, Deuteronomy 23:9-10, and Exodus 19:15 The cosmic battle between the forces of God and of Satan continues to rage as we enter into Chapter 14 of the text, but here we are met with a strong alternative to evil players rising out of the land and sea. In opposition to these nefarious forces, John turns his attention to a new scene; one with Christ (the Lamb) standing on the high ground of Mount Zion with 144,000 of those who bear the seal of God. (14:1). John then hears an awesome roar from heaven followed by a harmonious voice singing a new song before the throne of God. (14:3). The song can only be understood by the 144,000, who are said to be undefiled by women, virgins, and wholly dedicated followers of the Lamb. These are called the firstfruits of the redeemed and totally blameless. (14:3-5). What could all this mean? To answer that question, we first have to consider what they would probably mean to John s first readers in Asia Minor. John s first readers, who studied and knew the Hebrew Scriptures, would have immediately picked up on the Old Testament imagery he was laying down. For starters, the mention of Mount Zion would have brought to mind images of God s faithfulness and protection of his people Israel during times of great strife. (Isa. 24:23; Joel 3:21). In the days of the prophets, Mount Zion would have been a very physical location in Jerusalem, but here it is described as a heavenly abode where the throne of God resides along with the four living creatures and the elders. (Rev. 14:3). Seeing the Lamb present there alongside those faithful to Him drives home the point that He is the one who protects and reigns over both the heavens and the earth. This reminds us that even despite the rising tide of beasts and the wrath of the dragon on the Church, Christ still has the high ground and continues to watch over His Church and be worshipped through it all. Still, the question remains, What about these 144,000? Who are they, and what does their virginity have to do with anything? These are good questions, and their answers also come from a good understanding of Old Testament traditions and imagery. Traditionally, Israel s soldiers were expected to abstain from sexual relations before going off to battle. (Deut 23:9-10; Exodus 19:15). This similarity is fitting since these 144,000 are represented here as conquerors in the spiritual and religious warfare raging throughout the book of Revelation. This warfare can particularly be seen in the first
three chapters of Revelation, as well as the later in chapters 17-18 with the Great Harlot, where John references fornication (2:14), adultery (2:22), and unclean participation in idolatrous practices (3:4) as defiling the congregations in Asia. Sexual immorality is often the term used in Old Testament texts to refer to both the physical act of sex outside of marriage as well as the spiritual impurity of worshipping the gods of other nations. (The Book of Hosea). When these 144,000 are described as virgins and blameless, this describes their rejection of the worship of other gods as well as their undeterred devotion to Christ. Finally, as an endnote very much worth stating, the fact that John references women in relation to one of the things the 144,000 had to reject in order not to be defiled does NOT mean women are either second class to the 144,000, or worse, a constant temptation to their purity. Craig R. Koester says it best when he states: John did not consider sexual relations to be inherently defiling or view women as especially unclean, since elsewhere he portrays the people of God as a woman who bears many children (12:17) and as a bride on her wedding day (19:7-9; 21:2,9). The 144,000 chaste warriors (14:1-5) and the woman with many children (12:13-17) represent one and the same people of God. (Koester, 137) The complete Church is included with Christ in this picture of His sovereignty in the midst of rising evil. In light of this, we should feel comfortable and safe knowing that all of God s Children, men and women, will stand with Christ on Mount Zion even when the world seems to be falling apart before them. THINK ABOUT THE TEXT: Why is it important for readers of Revelation to be familiar with the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament)? What does 144,000 symbolize? What is the significance of calling the 144,000 virgins? When do you feel most protected by Christ? Have you ever flirted with things that took your attention and concern away from God?
PRAY AND WRITE: An important part of today s reading is the reality that followers of Jesus are protected by Him despite the chaos happening all around. The 144,000 are conquerors. Write a pray to God about Jesus s protection. Praise Jesus for His victory. Invite God to be present in the battles you are in today.
WEEK FOUR: DAY TWO: Messages of Three Angels Read Revelation 14:6-13, Isaiah 34:5-10 From the Lamb surrounded by His blameless saints at Mount Zion, the narrative once again flows forward in a dramatic telling of messages from on high. This time the message is carried by three angels in quick succession. Each angel announces a message pertinent to the events happening on earth, yet the content of each angel s message is different from the others, but there seems to be a theme to their activity. The first angel proclaims an eternal gospel to everyone on earth calling them to fear God whose hour of judgment has come (14:6-7). The second gives news of events on earth, saying Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great (14:8). The third angel issues a gruesome warning to all those who worship the beast, threatening them with the wine of God s wrath (14:9-11). We are not left to wonder the meaning of these messages, as verse 12 immediately informs us that these are calls for the endurance of the saints (14:12). Finally, the whole section ends with a heavenly voice marking the blessedness of those who die in the Lord from now on (14:13). The judgments and gruesome details of the messages of these heavenly beings rightly do what Revelation does best: make us uncomfortable. But why? Throughout the generations of the Church many have sought to interpret these passages, and passages like them, in ways that correspond well with the rest of Scripture. Today is no exception! To many modern readers, it is difficult to accept the fact that God will judge anyone so harshly as to make them drink His wrath. This seems to stand in stark opposition to everything we learned in Sunday School of Jesus gentle love and healing presence for the lost. The question then comes to mind: How can God be so judgmental and Jesus so forgiving if they mean to accomplish one and the same purpose? To help us understand this question, one thing we can do is look at what the text is telling us about spiritual realities. First, we get a message in the form of an eternal gospel which means good news for those who hear it (14:6). It informs us of God s sovereignty over all creation and tells us to fear and worship Him (14:7). Thus, the message of the first angel functions as a call of conversion and good hope in God who made all things and controls all things. Second, we get a statement of a fact concerning the fall of Babylon. Since Babylon has yet to be brought up in the narrative, its reference here reminds us of two things. First, that Revelation does not narrate events in chronological order, and second that the descriptions of Babylon the Harlot to come ought to be read in light of her coming ruin.
There will be more on this in later chapters of Revelation. For now, the introduction of Babylon creates suspense for later. Third, we get a warning plainly directed at those who worship the beast, outlining the terrible fate that awaits them. Readers might be brought back to the Hebrew Scriptures again as the warning has echoes of the prophet Isaiah (Isa. 34:5-10). This seems fair, since their actions against God justly earn them punishment, yet to know that it all happens in the presence of the Lamb (14:10) causes many of us today to hesitate. For more on this idea, Koester reminds us of the very serious message John is communicating in Revelation: The vision of divine wrath is properly read as a warning. Warnings are not given in order to make people despair of grace, but to bring about change and to avert disaster...john is compelled to write because the threat of divine judgment is real, and he is able to write because the hope of averting judgment is also real. (Koester, 139) Ultimately, to dismiss the reality of God s wrath is to also dismiss the assurance of the hope He brings when He calls us to repentance. It is important to remember that this section does not end with a warning but a blessing. These two messages, coupled with the rest of the messages given by the angels, work together to disturb readers out of complacency and encourage them to persevere in faith. This way there is the reality of which side we will land on crashing in on us. We today are called to choose for ourselves where we will land. THINK ABOUT THE TEXT: How do strong warnings of judgement sit with you? What is the connection between wrath and the assurance of the hope Jesus brings? What areas of your life is God trying to warn you about?
PRAY AND WRITE: Write a pray to God asking Him to guide you in your life. Take time to repent. Listen for God s voice to bring you hope.
WEEK FOUR: DAY THREE: Harvest of Earth Read Revelation 14:14-20, Daniel 7:13, Joel 3:13, Mark 4:29 and John 15:1-17 Judgment continues with yet another interplay between promise and warning as two separate scenes of ingathering and harvest play out after the angelic messages. First, the fully ripe earth is reaped with a large swing by an angel who bears a passing resemblance to Jesus, the Son of Man. (14:14-16). Then attention is turned to yet another angel who is told to gather the grape harvest from the vine of the earth. (14:17-19). Unfortunately for this harvest, all its yield is thrown into the great winepress of the wrath of God and crushed till there is an overflow of blood (14:17-20). And, once again, at the end of it all, we are left wondering what it all might mean. And, once again, here are some things to consider as you think about it. This passage depicts two separate possibilities when it comes to the final harvest of the earth. There is either the hope of salvation represented in the grain harvest or the threat of judgment as distinguished by the trampling of the grapes. Just like in the messages of the angels, this passage displays a promise and a warning playing out almost simultaneously while also giving us information about events previous and yet to come in both Revelation and the Bible in general. The image of the grain harvest done by the Son of Man has obvious positive connotations associated with it that harken back to Christ s sayings about the kingdom of God (Mark 4:29; John 4:35-38). The image of the winepress, on the other hand, recalls other biblical passages that recount the wicked trodden down like grapes on the winepress (Joel 3:13; Isa. 63:3). This disturbing image also reminds us of the unchronological movements of Revelation since later in the text it will be brought up again when Christ treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God (19:15). With all that in mind, we now can see a bit clearer with regard to the overall emphasis of John s message. There are only two options, and we need to choose now. (Koester, 140) The message is consistent with the others repeated throughout Revelation. When all is said and done, the whole earth will be reaped and ever single person placed on either one side or the other. Some will be sheep and some will be goats. Yet, just as all the promises and warnings in Revelation are a call to repentance and perseverance, those who follow Jesus with their lives should not have any reason for despair when hearing about the harvest of the earth. Everyone is once again confronted with a choice. Our choice is connected to a concrete outcome. For both sides, whether it be a promise or a warning, the answer is the same: Christ is coming, and He will claim for Himself the harvest of the earth.
THINK ABOUT THE TEXT: How do strong passages draw lines in the sand of being for or against God? What are ways you choose God over Babylon in your life at home, work, or in public? How does showing the love of Christ represent God s marking on us? PRAY AND WRITE: Write a prayer to God about Christ coming. Share with Him your excitement or nervousness over this. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into choosing God s side. WEEK FOUR: DAY FOUR: Worship in Heaven
Read: Revelation 15, Exodus 15 Once again, in the midst of hearing harsh punishments, we are taken back to the presence of God with a song reminiscent of that of Moses song in Exodus 15. However, this does not happen without a brief word of more plagues to come (15:1), making us enter into this new scene of heavenly song with a clear reminder that the end is still yet to come. Be that as it may, John lets us take our rest for a moment in another song of conquering sung beside a sea of glass. (15:3). This sea is reminiscent of the same sea of glass before the throne of God in Revelation 4:6 where a new song is sung for the Lamb who conquered by offering Himself as a sacrifice for others redemption (5:5-6). Now, the song of Moses is sung as another song of the Lamb, evoking the memory of the time God liberated Israel from Egypt (Exodus 15). Then, just as the message began with a warning, it ends with the beginning of more plagues to be unleashed on the earth. (15:5-8). What could this all mean? One way to understand it, is through the lens John uses to describe this new Revelation of God, the Hebrew Scriptures (The Old Testament). If anything can be said of John of Patmos, it s that he knew his Old Testament like the back of his hand. We have seen time and time again of his masterful use of OT imagery to evoke new and awesome understanding of staggering events to come. John knew how to use OT imagery and references to make his message clear to the entire Church down to our generation. Chapter 15 is no different! Here, he takes the song Moses sang over Israel s liberation from Egypt in Exodus 15 to highlight God s ultimate liberation of all His people through the blood of the Lamb. This last element is crucial to John s message to the Church: that true liberation, which Israel s was just an image, can only come through the victory over evil achieved through the blood of the Lamb (5:5-10; 12:11) (Koester, 142). This Lamb-centered focus is key to understanding the nuance John is using when describing the song of the saints. Koester picks up on this nuance when he writes: Remarkably, the faithful do not sing about their own deliverance, but celebrate God s position as King of the nations. Instead of focusing on the destruction of Israel s enemies, as does the song of Moses in Exodus 15, the song in Revelation 15 focuses on the conversion of the peoples of the world... Inspired by a number of Old Testament passages (Deut. 32:4; Ps. 86:8-10; 111:2; 139:14; 145:17; Jer. 10:6-7), the heavenly singers laud God s power and justice, asking, Lord, who will not fear and glorify your name?
They answer their own question by announcing that All nations will come and worship before you (Rev. 15:4). God s worthiness for worship, which is ultimately fulfilled in the Lamb, is the focus of this passage. This reminds us of Revelation s grander picture than simply dwelling on the terrors to come. When it comes down to it, this passage and many passages like it are clear calls for all people to become Christian and follow Jesus. In that case, Revelation s main message is one where God calls people to conversion and participation in His blessedness through the blood of the Lamb. That is something worth singing about! THINK ABOUT THE TEXT: Why does the author show these grand visions of heaven in the midst of severe warnings? What do you sing to God about? What imagery and symbols do you use to reflect on Christ s conquering presence in your life? PRAY AND WRITE: Write a prayer of praise to God expressing your thoughts on His great deeds and glorious ways. Put to words how God has rescued you from slavery just like he did with the Israelites.
WEEK FOUR: DAY FIVE NO reading today. You have worked hard. You ve earned a day off. Take some time to review all that you have read and studied. What have you learned? What has been new? What is unclear? How has studying Revelation impacted your understanding of who Jesus is? Write a prayer to God. Share your questions, thoughts, and feelings. Ask God to reveal Himself to you.