Worship Old and New Part 8: Things that must soon take place (Rev 1:1).

Bible Readings [] =used in sermon https://youtu.be/NouP1slwvaQ?si=jfztV_qOaxkl-Xvj

Revelation 6   Revelation 13

Introduction

Made in God’s image, humans have an inbuilt instinct that life is meant to be going somewhere[1] (Rom 8:28; Eph 1:11 etc.). (The plague of youth depression and suicide in Australia is a sure sign of this.) It takes a huge amount of inner energy to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18) by not believing in a God who has a purpose for everything. As originally a “son of God” himself (Job 1:6; 2:1), the devil has always raised up alternatives to the Christian story of last/final things[2]. [Before I met Jesus, I was briefly attracted, as many young people were in those days, to Marxism[3], at the least because it offered an explanation of everything and a “prophetic” declaration of the goal of humanity[4]. Despite the popular use of the language of “cultural Marxism” (Jordan Peterson)[5], communism as a master story of the world[6] can safely be declared dead.] What then is the vision of life that is being energetically promoted for the future by the powers of evil in Western culture that must be opposed by the worship in Spirit and truth (John 4:24) of God’s people[7]?

Two Visions Twin Destinies

The books in scripture which most clearly present two radically discordant perceptions of reality/worldviews are John’s Gospel[8] and the book of Revelation. Revelation portrays two pictures of the End, the first leading to hopelessness and despair, the second, a vision that fills the horizon of the heavenly host[9] with great anticipation and delight.

The Earth Dwellers

In Revelation the majority perspective is of those simply called “earth dwellers” (11:10; 13:8, 14; 14:6 cf. 3:10; 6:10; 8:13; 17:2, 8). These are the nations of the earth who come under the authority of the beast, they are the global Babylonian empire, whose followers persecute the saints and the prophets and whose world is thoroughly demonised. From this group an interpretation of scripture has arisen concerning the nature of the climax of the outpouring of God’s wrath,

“then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshipped God, 17 saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. 18 The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (Rev 11:15-18). Whilst the heavenly creatures are moved to worship God, an altogether false interpretation has arisen that can never lead to praise. This interpretation, one of so-called “eco-theology” [10], portrays the Lord as finally holding responsible those who have ecologically degraded the planet[11]. It reflects a story more and more are claiming to be orthodox Christianity. In an era characterised by plunging fertility rates and population ageing in Western nations[12], the dominant story in the public sphere is “environmental catastrophism”. This year we heard the UN Secretary General announce that the era of “global boiling” has arrived[13] and we are told that the planet is at the precipice of irreversible warming for 2023 has already been pronounced the hottest year on record!  When given central place in human thought and striving for survival this has become what must be called an “apocalyptic idol”*[14] This  must manifestly become through its appeals for undivided global unity a project akin to the construction of the tower of Babel[15].

I was first alerted to the power of “eco-anxiety”*[16] by a Christian friend[17] who was at a climate change conference and at a break he was approached by a senior government politician who blurted out “Are you afraid, I am afraid!” This took his mind to Jesus words, “there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, 26 people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world” (Luke 21:25-26).

Those who Dwell in Heaven

The second perspective is a heavenly one possessed by a very small minority, and it speaks of the attack of the antichrist, “And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. 6 It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven.” (Rev 13:5-6) The identity of the heavenly tabernacle/temple is none other than the Church ascended in Christ (Dan 8:10-11; Gal 4:6; Eph 2:6; Col 3:1ff; Heb 12:18-24). Jesus declared to the Pharisees, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” (John 8:23). If you are one of those born of the Spirit from heaven above (John 3) you see things radically differently from other human beings. This comes out powerfully in Revelation 6.

Seeing Wrath as Restoration

In the midst of what the majority see as an existential and imminent crisis over the survival of humanity, those who see in the Spirit (Rev 1:10) see something else than the apocalyptic woes and trials of this world, “When he (the Lamb) opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. 10 They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.” (Rev 6:9-11). Those who have endured martyrdom for Christ long for God to hasten and finalise his judgements on the earth. Understanding that the fire, water and blood of the plagues sent from heaven are indispensable elements of the biblical sacrificial system (Davarlogos 103 footnote 27), they are in heaven actively petitioning God to complete his final purpose of cleansing the cosmos of its evil[18]. Their holy cries from under the altar, arise from consciences at peace over their own slaughter, and they call for even more righteous (Rev 14:7; 16:7; 19:2) acts of divine judgement, whatever the impact on the world. This is their apocalyptic vision of final just justice.

A little later in the same chapter we read of a completely different perspective and response to the same events of divine punishment, “the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”” (Rev 6:15-17)[19] In their fierce hatred of God (cf. Rom 1:30-32; Col 1:21) these lost men and women unhesitatingly attribute implacable anger to the crucified and glorified Lamb of God[20].  Revelation pictures the reality of the Church triumphant above to encourage the Church below to keep worshipping in the midst of great tribulations (Rev 7:14). This is only possible when we share in the worshipping life of Jesus, who journeying into the agonies of Gethsemane “sung a hymn” (Mark 14:26 cf. Ps 116).[21] The difference between us and the earth dwellers, isn’t something as small as one of theology or intellectual worldview, but union with Christ by power of the Spirit in heart and conscience (cf. Rom 9:1 Heb 9:14). This has to do with the perfecting power of the gospel (Heb 10:14). The need for an unstained guiltless “good conscience” (Heb 10:21) will prove indispensable in the light of the severe trials that are coming on the world[22]. Let me attempt to clarify these things which are not inwardly easy to accept.

If at the time of the original biblical Exodus, God’s plagues fell only on the native Egyptians as a punishment for their worship of idols (Ex 9:26)[23], since the death of Jesus and his ascent with us into heaven, the sweeping judgments in Revelation (8:7-12; 9:15) seem indiscriminate, Christians must suffer these without fear of punishment as wrath for Christ’s sake. A historical model for how we are to respond fearlessly to these so called “natural disasters”, like famine, fire, flood, pestilence and earthquake (Ezek 14:21; Matt 24:7-8; Luke 21:25-28), is the responses of the Early Church to major plagues that devastated the Roman Empire https://www.biola.edu/blogs/good-book-blog/2020/how-did-early-christians-respond-to-plagues. Whereas the pagans, who could, escaped to the countryside, the faithful remained in the cities to nurture and care for the perishing, whatever their faith. Unsurprisingly, the Church grew rapidly after each pandemic. Acts such as this reflect the final all-wise purpose of the Lamb in his reverential submission to the Father manifesting the merciful glory of God on a planet that must be totally purged of evil (Heb 5:7; 2 Pet 3:5-10). Extreme vicarious identification with the subjects of divine judgement (Luke 14:27-33) will save the world. Nineteenth century Russian Christian novelist Dostoyevsky famously said, “beauty will save the world”: This us a rich prophetic truth.

In 2010 I was in Jerusalem where one of the most profound experiences of my life happened in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (the site of Jesus crucifixion, burial and resurrection). I had long seen myself called to be a “prophet of the cross” and so before entering the church I was very much asking the Lord to speak to me there. Once inside, the place was thronging with people from all over the world there on pilgrimage. Filipinos singing in Tagalog, Germans praying the Lord’s Prayer in German, the atmosphere was very intense. Then the Lord spoke to me unexpectedly through an external symbol. When you enter the chapel that stands over the site where Jesus was crucified a large painting faces you. It shows Jesus stripped and nailed horizontally to the cross. As I looked at the face in the painting something strange and wonderful happened. My heart was filled with a precious awareness and I could clearly sense the Father was saying; “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” As Christ was crucified the Father saw a beautifying love for himself and for the lost world of a degree that he had never witnessed before. This is the beauty that will save the world.

The witness of the empathetic identificatory suffering of the martyrs[24] will in their union with Jesus save the world. The Spirit of the plan of God, the Lord of the mystery (1 Cor 2:8; 2 Cor 3:18), has been working to prepare his Church, even in the West, for this time. As I was praying recently the Lord started to open up the connection between what was said about the apostles in Acts and the response of heaven to the Lamb in Revelation. Of the apostles we read, “they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonour for the name” (Acts 5:41cf. 5:33; 7:54). In Revelation 5 we hear, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing!””. The moment the Lord counts the Church in Perth worthy to be reckoned one with this own redemptive suffering, we will see all the phenomena we witness in the Early Church. This is a lesson a culture obsessed with self-worth can only learn through the witness of a suffering Church (Mark 13:10). After all, worship is most simply “worth-ship”.

Song Here

Is God Unjust

In their wrath against the Lord (Rev 11:18 cf. Ps 2) the rebellious world seeks to destroy the Church (Rev 11:7-10), by brute force, if necessary, but by seduction and deception universally.  Babylon has “corrupted the earth” (Rev 19:2 cf. 2 Pet 1:4). In the righteousness of God those who destroy the earth morally must be destroyed by judgement from heaven (Rev 11:18). God returns to the nations their own intentions against him and his Bride.[25] The angelic beings reckon this to be “true and just judgement” (Rev 16:6-7)[26]. Despite the perversion of perception brought about by sin on earth, the saints and angels in the heavenly realms testify, exalt and praise God, unrestrainedly, for his perfect justice (Rev 15:3-5; 16:5-7; 19:2,11). The completion of the plagues which overpower the earth, brings peace to the human conscience just as it has already to the conscience of God (cf. Rom 3:25). “Then I saw another sign in heaven, great and amazing, seven angels with seven plagues, which are the last, for with them the wrath of God is finished.” (Rev 15:1). This powerful message echoes the finality of the atonement, where the dying Jesus declared, “It is finished and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30).  The cleansing and perfection of the cosmos flows from the death of the Son of God. There is much evidence that God’s people in Australia do not believe in such total divine righteousness. Whenever we can be heard complaining[27] about the weather, our politicians or the state of the economy we obviously have unbelief. Today, the Lord is seeking a blameless Bride for his Son (Eph 5:26- 27).

The Testing of the Church

Revelation reveals things as they actually are, so through it we can discern the hand of God in COVID 19. “When he (the Lamb) opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider’s name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.” (Rev 6:7-8). When we read in Revelation that such and such was “given power/authority” (6:2, 4, 8; 7:2; 8:2-3; 13:4. 5) to wreak havoc on the earth, until finally we read of the beast, “Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation,…” (13:7). We must recognise that the Lord of all (Acts 10:36) will test for the Church to grow her in holiness, to the point where it appears she will be on the verge of annihilation (Rev 13:7; 20:9).

If COVID 19 was a lesson in how far the modern secular state will go to protect its citizens, and if it caused a significant, if temporary, falling away in the Western Church, how much more can we expect if the reality of global climate catastrophism proves true[28]. The faithful must be prepared to keep meeting with the people of God in the flesh[29] no matter how difficult[30].

The Real Crisis of Worship: Worship and Affliction

Revelation unveils that the real crisis of the last days will be a crisis over worship. The final conflict of the ages, [recorded in Rev 12-13 etc.], is when the worship at stake is commitment of life itself, brought to a head by the mark of the beast. The Bible employs a combat image where an attack on the divine government of the cosmos leads to a final overthrow of the devil, which must however be outworked on earth in the flesh and blood of the saints. The more Satan’s sphere of influence is contracted the more vicious he becomes (Rev 12:7-12).

The hinge point of Revelation comes with the prophetic challenge, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” (Rev 14:12 cf. Rev 3:10, 14; 13:10)[31] Christ’s sacrificial death points the way in which God rules the world. It is this testimony which must always be carried on in the worship of the Church whatever the cost (Rev 6:9; 19:10).

Embodied Worship[32]

Since “the testimony of Jesus” embodies all prior revelation (Heb 1:1), and the Word become flesh (John 1:14) unites God and humanity, eternity and time, heaven and earth, bodily worship holds a central position in the divine plan for the “restoration of all things” [33]. This is something that the powers of evil know and hate.

One of the fifth century desert fathers said about Satan, “the devil has no knees he cannot kneel; he cannot adore; he cannot pray; he can only look down his nose in contempt. As unwillingness to bend the knee at the name of Jesus is the essence of evil (Cf. Is 45:23, Matt 4:9; Rom 14:11).” (Abba Apollo). We see an opposite spirit in those closest to the exalted Lamb in heaven who spend their times falling down before the Lamb and praising him and his Father[34]. Worship is completely integrated into God’s plan of ruling over the created world. The 24 heavenly elders and the living beings are part of what is called “the divine council”[35], the assembly with whom God in Christ by his Spirit shares his wisdom and will and through whom he rules the universe[36]. The present problem facing God’s war council is a rebellion from heaven which is being repeated on the earth (Rev 12-13).

The call to worship is a call to nothing less than the re-personalising of humanity in the likeness of the Son of God[37]. The whole of life needs to be offered in grateful response to God for the self-offering of the Lamb (Rom 12:1-2). This totality of response necessarily begins with “hearts sprinkled clean from a guilty conscience and our bodies washed with pure water” (Heb 10:22). [For this reason, by virtue of the order of creation and redemption in Christ, there is no such a thing as bodiless, order less, sign less, worship.]  Embodied worship is true spiritual worship because it points to the eternal reality of the Word forever made flesh as its ultimate point of reference. From biblical perspective emotions image our postures[38]. It is natural for people to clap when happy, kneel when reverent, shout when impassioned etc. (We were created to do this.) From what we can glean from scripture and artefacts of ancient works of art, prayers in the Early Church were made standing with arms uplifted in a Y shape[39]. This bodily posture appears in both Testaments (Pss. 28:2; 63:4–5; 134:2–3, 141:2; 143:6; 1 Tim 2:8).

 

An outstanding dimension of the worship of the heavenly divine council we can join in is acclamation. Overcome by the justice, righteousness and grace of God’s great all-encompassing plan for the universe these holy beings spontaneously cry out of his all-surpassing greatness. ““Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!…Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honour and glory and blessing…”” (Rev 4:8, 11; 5:9ff etc). Having been raised up in Christ and seated with them in the heavenly places we are a part of this ruling body, and sharing the fulness and glory of Jesus’ perfected joy (John 15:11; 1 Pet 1:8), overflowing with the peace and love of God (Phil 4:7; Rom 5:5), we are already one in Spirit with these servants of God in Christ (cf. Rev 19:10). We will enjoy perfect fellowship with them forever.

 

Acclamations bind the congregation, just as they bind the heavenly host, to the universal rule of Christ for God and function as a footstool for his feet (cf. Ps 110:1; 2 Cor 2:14). The worship of the triumphant Church wonderfully penetrates our gathering on earth just as it fills the heavenly world.  Acclamations like “Praise the Lord”, “Hallelujah”. “Glory to God” etc. are always fitting shouts of victory and endure for all eternity.

Conclusion

The ancient and modern worlds have much in common[40]. At the root of this commonality is an attempt to solve the unnatural problem of human suffering by any means.  Natural/fallen humanity’s religious, philosophical, and political solution is always some form of idolatry. The tremendous achievements of ancient civilisations were accompanied by what we would now see as irrational idolatries. The gospel of Jesus cleansed the Western world of these idiocies. Today, the brilliance of modern society is increasingly penetrated by the stupidities of contemporary ideologies[41]. Under the judgments of God, the former blinds the world to the latter. The only power potent enough to reverse this long historical trend in Western, and hence global, culture, is if the Church is willing to be counted “worthy” in its union with the heavenly Lamb and the martyred and now glorified saints. Who are certainly pleading with invincible authority for divine justice to be fully and finally manifest on the earth. God the Father’s goal is to perfect on earth what is already true in heaven (Matt 6:10), and his one and only way of doing this is innocent, voluntary, substitutionary suffering. [A perfected vision of divine justice necessarily flows into increasingly perfected worship. This is the revelation which came to Jesus as he approached the cross and how the suffering, he embraced made his perfect (Heb 2:10-11; 5:7-9).] This is the “revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev 1:1). We are those servants. United, not only with all the suffering saints through history, but also in union with the angelic host in their service and worship of Jesus (Rev 19:10; 22:9).

I began this series with saying that in times of dire testing the people of God need apocalyptic visions to sustain their faithfulness. This is so today, only new revelations of divine reliability through “the eternal gospel” given by God to Christ in raising the crucified Lamb from the dead (Rev 5:5-6; 14:6-9) can testify to the Father’s eternal justice and sustain the Church in a time of deepening darkness across the earth. Such is the call to “eucharismatic” worship[42].