(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
We all have to make decisions in life, some decisions more difficult than other decisions.
The book of Revelation opens with seven messages to seven churches, then describes a series of divine judgments that will take place against the wicked. This will enrage the opposition, which will gather all its forces in a last ditch effort to gain supremacy. That effort will fail, and it will lead to...
* LXV. The Foremost Confrontation1
...which marks...
Despite all the opposition has going for it—military strength (but not military superiority), miraculous signs, public support—that combination cannot change the outcome. There will be conflict but no contest, resistance but no real challenge to God's authority. Furthermore, although the antichrist and his forces are assembled to fight the Christ and his forces, it is uncertain if the two armies actually meet on the field of battle.14 The biblical texts say nothing about contact.15 Only one party actually does anything, the messiah, whose actions are completely unilateral, at which point your side will see the destruction of the opposition.
In an attempt to win support prior to the battle, the opposition will not be blatant about its agenda. Its political pitch will not be: "Join the party of Satan. Let's show God who's really in charge!" There will be incentives:
Whether or not you witness these final events, the danger God's opponents pose will not wait until the end to manifest itself, and scripture offers several warnings to believers against being deceived. In his second epistle, John writes...18
As Paul also warns...
Symmetry and equality may appeal to some people's idea that there should be balance in the universe, but that is not how it is, and that is not how we would want it to be in all cases. Some people today think Satan is God's evil twin, someone with comparable power but with contrary intent. They are contrary, but they are not comparable. Unlike God, Satan is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient. Satan is not omni-anything. He is a created being with the limitations that attend such a state.21 Only God is unique,22 and He alone is without limitations, which is how the biblical writers describe Him.23
If someone gave you a tip on a horse race, information he insisted was a sure thing, would you take it? Would you place a small wager on the outcome? ...Probably not unless you were a gambler, because you know there is no such thing as a sure thing. The only exception is when the recommendation is based on revelation not speculation. In that case, though, God does not expect you to place a small wager but a sizable one. In fact, He expects you to wager it all, everything you have on the outcome of one event.
As in any race, there is more than one participant but, as in any race, there is only one winner. Unlike any other race, though, you know who the winner will be in this one. Moreover, you know the winner personally.... There are no better odds than that.
The shift in this revelation, from events in John's day—the seven messages for churches in Asia Minor—to events long after John's day—including The Foremost Confrontation—must have caused the apostle considerable consternation, at least until further reflection enabled him better to process all he saw. If this is not new for you, if you have had time to reflect on what John saw, it may no longer be overwhelming, even if it is still bewildering. Either way, the outcome will be the same: Your side wins.
Having considered The Foremost Confrontation, we will look next at The Foremost Condemnation, which constitutes the punishment of God, in 2 Thess 1:6-7, 9.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
Four friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night, one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under the weight of an impressive eight-point buck. "Where's Henry?" the others asked. "Henry had a stroke or something. He's a couple of miles back along the trail," his partner replied. "You left Henry lying out there and carried the deer back?" they asked, stunned. "It was a tough call," the successful hunter said, "but I figured...no one's gonna steal Henry!"We all have to make decisions in life, some more difficult than others. One decision that should not be difficult is what side we will be on in The Foremost Confrontation.
The book of Revelation opens with seven messages to seven churches, then describes a series of divine judgments that will take place against the wicked. This will enrage the opposition, which will gather all its forces in a last ditch effort to gain supremacy. That effort will fail, and it will lead to...
* LXV. The Foremost Confrontation1
...which marks...
- The prevailing of God (Rev 19:19-21)
Rev 19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. 20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. 21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.This is the conflict that occasions Jesus' second advent, just prior to the Messianic Age, and it is likely the conflict John identifies earlier as the battle of Armageddon,2 where forces that oppose God gather to attack His people Israel. Whether or not you are here to witness this,3 John describes the outcome.4 Initially...
1. Your side will see the deployment of the opposition (Rev 19:19).Look again at v. 19.
Rev 19:19 ...I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army.The apostle identifies two elements that will make up the opposition, both of which he mentioned earlier in the book:
- The "beast," also called the antichrist,5 is the titular head of the resistance, Satan's nominee to replace Jesus. John described him in...
Rev 13:2b The dragon [Satan] gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.... 4 Men worshiped the dragon because he had given authority to the beast, and they also worshiped the beast and asked, "Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?" 5a The beast was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies.... 8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
The beast's authority will not go unchallenged.6 We read in...
Rev 16:10 The fifth angel poured out his bowl [of God's judgment] 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.
In chapter 19, the beast will make his final attempt to maintain power, and he will not be alone.
- The "kings of the earth" are those rulers the beast has persuaded to support him.7 whether with promises of power or prestige.8 Ultimately, they will find themselves in the same situation as everyone else at this time.9 John writes in...
Rev 6:15 ...the kings of the earth, the princes, the generals, the rich, the mighty, and every slave and every free man hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called to the mountains and the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"
In chapter 19, these kings will join the antichrist for their last attempt to maintain power, and your side will see the deployment of the opposition. Subsequently...
2. Your side will see the defeat of the opposition (Rev 19:20).Look again at v. 20.
Rev 19:20 ...the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.Here the apostle identifies another element in the opposition, a person who is also mentioned earlier in the book.
- The "false prophet" is the public relations agent for the antichrist and the one who convinces people to join their cause. John describes him in...
Rev 13:12 He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. 13 And he performed great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come down from heaven to earth in full view of men. 14 Because of the signs he was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was wounded by the sword and yet lived. 15 He was given power to give breath to the image of the first beast, so that it could speak and cause all who refused to worship the image to be killed. 16 He also forced everyone, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on his right hand or on his forehead, 17 so that no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of his name.
In chapter 19, the false prophet will be captured with the antichrist, after which both will be consigned permanently to a place of punishment, the "lake of fire,"10 and your side will see the defeat of the opposition. Finally...
3. Your side will see the destruction of the opposition (Rev 19:21).Look again at v. 21.
Rev 19:21 The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.This confrontation with the forces of evil results in their complete defeat, with no casualties reported on the messiah's side. Those killed do not cease to exist. As John says later, those in the lake of fire, which will include the wicked who die in the conflict;11 they "will be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (20:10b).12 In other words, the opponents of God continue to experience the punishment of God even after their physical death.13
Despite all the opposition has going for it—military strength (but not military superiority), miraculous signs, public support—that combination cannot change the outcome. There will be conflict but no contest, resistance but no real challenge to God's authority. Furthermore, although the antichrist and his forces are assembled to fight the Christ and his forces, it is uncertain if the two armies actually meet on the field of battle.14 The biblical texts say nothing about contact.15 Only one party actually does anything, the messiah, whose actions are completely unilateral, at which point your side will see the destruction of the opposition.
In an attempt to win support prior to the battle, the opposition will not be blatant about its agenda. Its political pitch will not be: "Join the party of Satan. Let's show God who's really in charge!" There will be incentives:
- Financial
Rev 13:17 ...no one could buy or sell unless he had the mark...of the beast....
- Sensual16
Rev 17:2b ...the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.
- Supernatural
That last characteristic, deception, will be the most pervasive and effective tool for the opposition and the one believers will have to guard against most carefully.17Rev 13:14a Because of the signs [the false prophet] was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants of the earth.
Whether or not you witness these final events, the danger God's opponents pose will not wait until the end to manifest itself, and scripture offers several warnings to believers against being deceived. In his second epistle, John writes...18
2 John 7 Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist.This is the same danger about which Paul warns,19 and he expresses particular concern for believers.
1 Tim 4:1 ...in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.He echoes Jesus' warning to disciples in the Olivet Discourse.20
Matt 24:4 ...Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.... 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.... 24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.Deception is a danger believers must guard against even now. Given the prevalence of such concerns in scripture, it behooves you not to be overconfident.
As Paul also warns...
1 Cor 10:12 ...if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!Linda and I appreciate symmetry and equality because they often produce the most pleasing and beneficial result.
- When we were hanging two matching needlepoint pieces she made, we did not place them randomly on the wall or in different rooms but put them on either side of a window in the same room, because that combination offered an attractive display.
- When we were teaching a martial arts class, we had the students practice the same number of repetitions for their techniques on both sides of the body, rather than concentrating on their stronger side, because we wanted them to develop well-rounded ability.
- When the choir prepares for a concert, Linda often asks me if she is sticking out rather than blending in, given that her part is usually higher than the others, because she knows the group sounds best when all the parts are at the proper level.
Symmetry and equality may appeal to some people's idea that there should be balance in the universe, but that is not how it is, and that is not how we would want it to be in all cases. Some people today think Satan is God's evil twin, someone with comparable power but with contrary intent. They are contrary, but they are not comparable. Unlike God, Satan is not omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient. Satan is not omni-anything. He is a created being with the limitations that attend such a state.21 Only God is unique,22 and He alone is without limitations, which is how the biblical writers describe Him.23
- The psalmist said...
Ps 135:6a The LORD does whatever pleases him....
- The prophet said to God...
Jer 32:17b Nothing is too hard for you.
- The savior said...
No such thing can be claimed for the devil. Satan is evil, but he is not God's evil twin; he is not comparable to God in any way.24 As Asaph says in...Matt 19:26b ...with God all things are possible.
Ps 83:18b you alone are the Most High over all the earth....and as God says through Isaiah...25
Isa 45:5a I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God....Therefore, when God finally chooses to take Satan out of the equation, no amount of resistance the devil might offer will be effective in preventing or postponing the inevitability of God's plan. Thankfully, the universe is asymmetrical and displays inequality in a most fundamental way. The balance of power is clearly with God, who is clearly in charge.
If someone gave you a tip on a horse race, information he insisted was a sure thing, would you take it? Would you place a small wager on the outcome? ...Probably not unless you were a gambler, because you know there is no such thing as a sure thing. The only exception is when the recommendation is based on revelation not speculation. In that case, though, God does not expect you to place a small wager but a sizable one. In fact, He expects you to wager it all, everything you have on the outcome of one event.
As in any race, there is more than one participant but, as in any race, there is only one winner. Unlike any other race, though, you know who the winner will be in this one. Moreover, you know the winner personally.... There are no better odds than that.
The shift in this revelation, from events in John's day—the seven messages for churches in Asia Minor—to events long after John's day—including The Foremost Confrontation—must have caused the apostle considerable consternation, at least until further reflection enabled him better to process all he saw. If this is not new for you, if you have had time to reflect on what John saw, it may no longer be overwhelming, even if it is still bewildering. Either way, the outcome will be the same: Your side wins.
Having considered The Foremost Confrontation, we will look next at The Foremost Condemnation, which constitutes the punishment of God, in 2 Thess 1:6-7, 9.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
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Jim Skaggs