Revelation 14
Song of the 144,000 witnesses in heavenverses 1-5
And I looked and lo a Lamb stood on the mount Zion
and with HIM an hundred forty and four thousand
having HIS Father’s name written in their foreheads
And I heard a voice from heaven – as the voice of many waters
and as the voice of a great thunder – and I heard the voice of
harpers harping with their harps
and they sung as it were a new song before the throne
and before the four beasts – and the elders
and no man could learn that song BUT
the hundred and forty and four thousand
which were redeemed from the earth
These are they which were not defiled with women – for they are virgins
these are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever HE goes
these were redeemed from among men
being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb
And in their mouth was found no guile
for they are without fault before the throne of God
Good news preached to everyoneverses 6-7
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven
having the everlasting gospel to preach to them that
dwell on the earth – and to every nation
kindred – tongue – people
saying with a loud voice
Fear God – and give glory to HIM
for the hour of HIS judgment is come
and worship HIM that made heaven – earth – sea
and the fountains of waters
Immoral Babylon is fallenverse 8
And there followed another angel
saying
Babylon is fallen – is fallen – that great city
BECAUSE she made all nations drink of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication
Torment waiting for those who worship Satanic trinityverses 9-11
And the third angel followed them – saying with a loud voice
If any man worship the beast and his image
and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand
the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God
which is poured out without mixture
into the cup of HIS indignation
And he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone
in presence of the holy angels – and in presence of the Lamb
and the smoke of their torment ascended up
for ever and ever
and they have no rest day nor night
who worship the beast and his image
and whosoever receives the
mark of his name
Tribulation saints have to remain steadfastverse 12
Here is the patience of the saints
here are they that keep the commandments of God
and the faith of Jesus
John commanded to continue to writeverse 13
And I heard a voice from heaven
saying unto me
Write – Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth
Yea – says the Spirit – that they may rest from their labors
and their works do follow them
Harvesting of the earth for judgmentverses 14-20
And I looked and BEHOLD a white cloud
and on the cloud one sat like to the Son of man
having on HIS head a golden crown
and in HIS hand a sharp sickle
And another angel came out of the temple – crying with a loud voice
to HIM that sat on the cloud
Thrust in thy sickle – and reap
for the time is come for YOU to reap
for the harvest of the earth is ripe
And HE that sat on the cloud thrust in HIS sickle on the earth
and the earth was reaped
And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven
he also having a sharp sickle
And another angel came out from the altar – which had power over fire
and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle saying
Thrust in thy sharp sickle
and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth
for her grapes are fully ripe
And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth
and gathered the vine of the earth
and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God
And the winepress was trodden without the city
and the blood came out of the winepress
even unto the horse bridles – by the space of a thousand
and six hundred furlongs
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. (59 “redeemed” [agorazo] means buy, purchase, acquire possessions, to cause release or freedom of persons, or ransom)
DEVOTION: I love to sing but cannot carry a tune. I know when singing is done wrong but can’t correct it myself. I have visited many churches that have had bad music programs. It doesn’t bring honor to the LORD. Some are doing the best they can but others don’t seem to care.
The problem is that many Christians don’t like to sing in church. I seem many standing up for a song who don’t move their lips to praise the LORD. They will be in for a rude awaking when they get to heaven. It will not be all singing but there will be some. I am looking forward to singing in heaven with a good voice.
Here we have a new song sung by just the 144,000 witnesses that died serving the LORD during the last part of the Tribulation. They were killed because of their testimony.
The good news is that they reached many even during the Tribulation time period. The LORD has kept a witness throughout the history of the world. HE has given every human being an opportunity to become a follower of HIM.
The ones listening to the singing are those Old Testament saints and New Testament saints that we are part of as New Testament saints. We will be there listening to their concert. It will be great to hear them sing.
I am looking forward to my time in heaven with all those who like to sing praises to the LORD. Hope all of you are looking forward to singing praises with the saints.
CHALLENGE: Start practicing your singing while you are here on this earth. A church full of people singing really sounds great to a visiting preacher. Dead singing doesn’t help the sermon sound any better.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. (3956 “every” [pas] means all, any, the whole, thoroughly or whosoever)
DEVOTION: The gospel is preached to all nations and kindred and tongue and people. God doesn’t leave anyone out. Everyone has a chance to accept the gospel. No one can stand before the Great White Throne and say I never had a chance. Even in the Tribulation period there is the presentation of the Gospel. Many will be saved. Each nation will have some saved because all nations is represented in heaven.
This chapter goes on to describe the coming of the LORD in judgment. HE has a sickle in HIS hand. HE is going to ripe those who are not going into the wrath of God. There is another group that will be reaped by another messenger of God who are going to enter into the wrath of God. This wrath includes torment. This wrath includes fire and brimstone. This is all done in the presence of the Lamb of God and HIS angels. The smoke from the torment is going to come up for ever and ever. This judgment isn’t for a short time but for eternity. It is only going to be for those who WORSHIP the beast AND receive his mark. Two things seem to be necessary. The two necessary things are worship and the mark.
John is told to write down that it is a blessing to die for service to the LORD. Those who are followers of the LORD have to have patience. Those who worship the LORD are to keep HIS commandments. Those who are believers have to have faith.
Christ is coming at the end of the Tribulation in judgment. The battle of Armageddon is that judgment. It is not the final judgment. The Great White Throne judgment is the final judgment.
The Good News is preached but most refuse to accept it. We are the instruments that God uses to spread HIS word around the world. We are to reach all those who are in our world. These devotions reach six continents and many nationalities. Some are translated into other languages to share with people in other nations.
Each of us influences many nations in our personal world. Are we spread the good news to all those who are in our world? We know that the LORD is going to return when the last individual is brought into the kingdom to end this present dispensation.
One of us could be the one who leads them into the kingdom through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in our life. After the last is brought into the kingdom, then judgment is coming to this world. After the judgment is complete, the Lord will put HIS sickle into the world to reap those who are outside the gospel.
CHALLENGE: Work for we don’t know the day or time of HIS return. Reach the nations you can for the LORD.
: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receives the mark of his name. (5480 “mark” [charagma] means a stamp, an imprinted mark, a concavity in a surface produced by pressing (with a stamp or brand), image, representation, or sign)
DEVOTION: How long is for ever and ever? When the Bible talks about forever and ever it means eternity. That is time without end. God has no beginning or end. We have a beginning and an end of this life but our existence doesn’t end when we die according to the Bible.
Those who are followers of Jesus Christ will have their soul and spirit will go up to be with Jesus Christ immediately after death. Our bodies will be changed when we are called up to be with Jesus before the Tribulation time period. We will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ for our rewards and crowns while the Tribulation is going on here on earth.
Those who die without Christ will stand before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment after the Millennium. They will see that their names are not written in the book of life and be sent to spend forever and ever in a place of torment with the devil and his angels.
The Bible repeatedly makes this point clear. There are two different paths to live while here on this earth: one is to follow Jesus Christ and the teachings of the Word of God through the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the other is to reject Jesus Christ and live as you please and face eternity in torment.
Everyone is given the choice. No one especially here in America can say they were not given a choice. Everyone will answer for their choice on earth.
During the Tribulation time period the choice will be whether to worship the false political leader and receive the mark of this leader or not. Remember those who don’t receive the mark can’t buy or sell during this time period.
CHALLENGE: You forever is at stake with the choice you make. Make the right choice and help others to make that choice as well.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Write. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, says the Spirit that they may rest from their labors, and their works do follow them. (2041 “works” [ergon] means deed, a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing, workmanship, act, action, task, undertaking, effect, or labor.)
DEVOTION: John is writing this book under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. He is writing it to help us understand the future the LORD has planned for this world. God had HIS plan before HE created the world. Nothing takes HIM by surprise and HIS plan has never changed.
Now we have saints in the Old Testament that looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. We have saints in the New Testament who look back to the coming of the Messiah and HIS death on the cross for our sins. Those in this book are part of the nation of Israel who finally understands that the Messiah has come after the New Testament saints leave this world. The group of 144,000 witnesses will be Jewish who finally see the truth of Jesus Christ.
John is trying to help us understand God’s plan. An angle is telling him to continue to write what he sees because God wants us to know the truth about the future. Those who die because of their testimony for Jesus Christ are considered blessed and will be blessed for eternity.
Once these Tribulation saints die, they will rest from their labors and receive their rewards. They will be rewarded for their witness during this hard time in history. All their witness will follow them.
It is true that our witness will follow us after we die. Whatever we have done to bring glory to God will earn us rewards in heaven. Whatever we did for ourselves will not gain a reward. Remember that we can be selfish and lazy after we become followers of Jesus Christ and HE will have to chasten or correct us to make us better servants.
CHALLENGE: Don’t be selfish and lazy – reach out in service to the LORD today.
:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. (2372 “wrath” [thumos] means 1 passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon subsiding again. 2 glow, ardour, the wine of passion, inflaming wine (which either drives the drinker mad or kills him with its strength). [Strong, J. (1995). Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon. Woodside Bible Fellowship].)
DEVOTION: Don’t we often view God as something like Santa Claus? He is the jolly old man upstairs who is only concerned in giving us happiness. The joy of Christmas becomes mingled with the idea that gifts are important because of a newborn baby. We forget that the significance of Jesus’s birth is that He came to die as our Savior for our sins.
However, the Bible reminds us over and over that there is another side to God. He is a wrathful God when it comes to the subject of sin, simply because sin represents rebellion against His perfect order and against His commandments. There will come a time when He will decide to get rid of all sin once and for all. Those who have rejected Him as well as His purposes and plans will be sent off to hell for all eternity.
As God begins to pour out His punishments on rebellious mankind, we see that His wrath is coming out fully. He hates sin, although He is willing to show mercy to the sinner. Yet those who still inhabit earth have been so deceived by Satan that they continue to rebel against Him even after they have been able to see His judgments against sin. This is a sobering and awful picture which had its beginnings in man’s fall and consequent depravity. And we see that His anger is always holy, righteous, and just, because it is against the sin that so violates His character.
In recognition of this, we should realize that God also hates our sin, and that we cannot continue to sin time and again lightly. We need to seek His full forgiveness for everything that we have done against His will.
CHALLENGE: Keep short accounts with God. Is there anything in your life that you need to confess to Him right now? (MW)
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Writeverse 13
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sung a new songverse 3
Worship God the Creatorverse 7
Templeverses 15, 17
Altarverse 18
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Keep commandments of Godverse 12
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
Fatherverse 1
Father’s name on forehead of believersverse 1
Godverses 4, 5, 7, 10, 12
Throne of Godverse 5
Creatorverse 7
Wrath of Godverses 10, 19
Indignation of Godverse 10
Commandments of God verse 12
Winepress of the wrath of Godverse 19
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Lambverses 1, 4, 10
Creator verse 7
Presence of the Lambverse 10
Jesusverse 12
Faith of Jesus verse 12
Lord verse 13
Son of manverse 14
golden crown on head
sharp sickle in hand
HIM that sat on cloudverse 15
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Spiritverse 13
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Four breasts (Seraphim)verse 3
Angelverses 6, 8-10, 15, 17, 18, 19
Holy angelsverse 10
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Nationverses 6, 8
Kindredverse 6
Tongueverse 6
Peopleverse 6
Earthverse 15
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Defiledverse 4
Guileverse 5
Faultverse 5
Fornicationverse 8
Worship the beastverses 9, 11
Receive the markverses 9, 11
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Redeemedverses 3, 4
Firstfruitsverse 4
No guileverse 5
Without faultverse 5
Fear Godverse 7
Give glory to Godverse 7
Patience verse 12
Saintsverse 12
Keep the commandmentsverse 12
Faithverse 12
Blessedverse 13
Die in the LORDverse 13
Rest from their laborsverse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Eldersverse 3
Church (New Testament people of God)
Eldersverse 3
Die in the Lordverse 13
Last Things (Future Events)
Christ on mount Zion with 144,000verse 1
sung a new song
Forehead of believers had Father’s nameverse 1
John heardverses 2, 3
Voice from heaven
Voice of many waters
Voice of a great thunder
Voice of harpers harping
Sang a new song
before the throne
before the four beasts
before the elders
No man could learn the song except
144,000 witnesses redeemed
From earth
144, 000 witnessesverses 3-6
Not defiled with women
Follow the Lamb
Redeemed among men
Firstfruits to God and to the Lamb
Found no guile
Without fault
Another angelverses 6, 7
Everlasting gospel to preach
Fear God
Give glory to HIM
Worship HIM
Hour of judgment has comeverse 7
Another angelverse 8
Babylon is fallen
Third angelverses 9, 10
Whoever receive mark of beast
will drink of wrath of God
Sinners tormented with fire and brimstoneverse 10
Torment ascend up forever and eververse 11
Sinners no rest day or nightverse 11
Voice from heavenverse 13
Write
Blessed are those who die in the Lord
Rest from their labors
White cloud – sat Son of manverses 14-16
Head a golden crown
Hand a sharp sickle
Reaped the earth
Another angelverse 15
Thrust in the sickle
Time to reap
Another angel came out of templeverse 17
Came out of temple with sharp sickle
Another angel out from altar verse 18
Power over fire
Thrust in sharp sickle
Grapes are full ripe
Winepress of the wrath of Godverses 19, 20
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QUOTES regarding passage
The divine eschatological judgment is presented in a threefold imagery: the unmixed wine in the cup (v. 10), the grain harvest (vv. 14–16), and the vintage harvest (vv. 17–20). These are best understood as three metaphors describing different views of the same reality, i.e., the divine judgment. Again the OT provides the background for this imagery of divine judgment (Isa 63:1–6; Lam 1:15; Joel 3:13; cf. Rev 19:13, 15). Caird certainly strains the text when he argues that the vintage overflowing with blood does not refer to the enemies of Christ but, connecting the “earth’s vine” (v. 18) with the new Israel, argues that the vintage must refer to the death of the martyrs of Jesus (p. 192). The reference to the “great winepress of God’s wrath” in v. 19 should clarify the imagery and leave no doubt that it denotes God’s judgment on the rebellious world and not the wrath of the beast on the followers of the Lamb.
The final verse (v. 20) is gruesome: blood flows up to the horses’ bridles for a distance of about two hundred miles (sixteen hundred stadia). Again, the source of the imagery is Isaiah 63:1–6, heightened by John’s hyperbole. A similar apocalyptic image for the final judgment on idolators, occurs in the pre-Christian Book of Enoch where the righteous will slay the wicked: “And the horse shall walk up to the breast in the blood of sinners, and the chariot shall be submerged to its height” (1 Enoch 100:1, 3, cited in R. H. Charles, The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, 2 vols. [New York: Oxford. 1913], 2:271). Here in Revelation the judgment is not the task of human vengeance but belongs exclusively to the Son of Man and his angelic reapers (cf. Rom 12:19–21). The symbolism is that of a head-on battle, a great defeat of the enemy, a sea of spilled blood. To go beyond this and attempt to find a symbolic meaning of the sixteen hundred stadia or to link the scene to some geographic location (cf. 16:4–6) is pure speculation.
The term “outside the city” requires explanation. It may refer merely to ancient warfare when a besieging army was slaughtered at the city walls, and the blood flowed outside the city. Some think John may have had an actual city in mind and have suggested Jerusalem because of the OT predictions of a final battle to be fought near the city (Dan 11:45; Joel 3:12; Zech 14:4; but cf. Rev 16:16—“Armageddon” is not near Jerusalem; so Beckwith, Ford, Mounce, Swete, etc.). On the other hand, John’s symbolic use of “city” in every other reference favors taking the word symbolically in this verse. In Revelation there are only two cities (the “cities” of the seven churches in Rev 2–3 are not called cities), the city of God, which is the camp of the saints, and the city of Satan, Babylon, which is made up of the followers of the beast (Beasley-Murray, Kiddle). There is no way to be really sure of the identity of the city, nor is its identity important. It is sufficient to take it as the same city that was persecuted by the pagans (11:2) and is seen in 20:9, i.e., the community of the saints (Charles). (Johnson, A. F. (1981). Revelation. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation (Vol. 12, pp. 543–544). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House)
14:17–20. Another angel had a sharp sickle, and a fellow angel commanded him to gather … clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe. Here a different word is used for ripe (ēkmasan), meaning “to be fully grown” or “in prime condition.” The grapes were full of juice and ready for harvest. In obedience the angel gathered the grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. They were trampled there outside the city, probably Jerusalem (cf. “the great city” in 11:8).
The custom was to produce grape juice by trampling on grapes in a winepress. The result here, however, is different. Blood flowed out of the press rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia, about 180 miles. While this distance may be literal and may designate the area of judgment as around the city of Jerusalem, it is of course impossible for the blood to reach a height where it would touch horses’ bridles. What this affirms is a tremendous bloodletting in which blood is spattered as high as the bridles of horses. This is a graphic picture of a great slaughter (Isa. 63:1–3). Other Scriptures (e.g., Rev. 16:14; Dan. 11:40–45) make it clear that there will be a world war of tremendous scope underway at the time of the second coming of Christ, and this may be a partial fulfillment of these prophecies.
Taken as a whole, Revelation 14 on the one hand refers to the preservation of the 144,000 through the Great Tribulation. And on the other hand, it graphically declares some of the terrible judgments that will be inflicted on the world which rejects Christ and follows Satan’s substitute for the Lord.
William Kelly regards this chapter as an outline of major events at the end of the Age: (1) the appearance of the godly remnant of Israel; (2) a testimony to Gentiles; (3) the fall of Babylon; (4) the doom of the worshipers of the beast; (5) the blessedness of saints who are martyred; (6) the harvest; (7) the wrath of God on the world (Lectures on the Book of Revelation, p. 330). (Walvoord, J. F. (1985). Revelation. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 965). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
“The harvest is ripe!” (vv. 14–20) The Person pictured here on the white cloud is undoubtedly our Lord Jesus Christ (see Dan. 7:13–14; Rev. 1:13). We have had the image of the cup, and now we have the image of the harvest, both of the grain (Rev. 14:14–16) and of the grape (Rev. 14:17–20). Again, this anticipates the final judgment of the world.
While winning lost souls to Christ is sometimes pictured as a harvest (John 4:34–38), this image is also used of God’s judgment (Matt. 13:24–30, 36–43; Luke 3:8–17). God permits the seeds of iniquity to grow until they are ripe, and then He judges (Gen. 15:16).
The grape harvest is often a picture of judgment (see Joel 3:13ff, which anticipates the Day of the Lord). In actuality, Scripture portrays three different “vines.” Israel was God’s vine, planted in the land to bear fruit for God’s glory; but the nation failed God and had to be cut down (Ps. 80:8–16; Isa. 5:1–7; see also Matt. 21:33–46). Today, Christ is the Vine and believers are branches in Him (John 15). But the world system is also a vine, “the vine of the earth” in contrast to Christ, the heavenly Vine; and it is ripening for judgment. The wicked system—Babylon—that intoxicates people and controls them, will one day be cut down and destroyed in “the winepress of the wrath of God.”
Some see in this image an anticipation of the “battle of Armageddon,” when the armies of the world will gather against Jerusalem (Zech. 14:1–4; Rev. 16:16). Certainly, John is using hyperbole when he describes a river of blood four feet deep and 200 miles long (see also Isa. 63:1–6). Today, God is speaking to the world in grace, and men will not listen. One day hence, He must speak in wrath. The bitter cup will be drunk, the harvest of sin reaped, and the vine of the earth cut down and cast into the winepress. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 2, p. 608). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
14:19 wine press. This vivid imagery signifies a horrendous slaughter or bloodbath (cf. Is 63:2, 3; La 1:15; Joel 3:13). Here it refers to the slaughter of all the enemies of God who are still alive, facing the destruction at Armageddon, the final battle against God’s enemies, staged on the Plain of Esdraelon. The bloody imagery comes from the fresh juice of stomped grapes splattering and running down a trough from the upper vat to the lower vat of a stone winepress. (MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (2006). The MacArthur study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Re 14:19). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
Ver. 19. And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, &c.] Before upon the earth, when the harvest was gathered in, the wheat being on the earth, but not belonging to it; but here into the earth, the vine being the vine of the earth, rooted in it, and natural to it: and gathered the vine of the earth; the Arabic version reads, of the whole earth; in like manner as the tares in the parable are said to be gathered, and bound in bundles, and cast into the fire, which, as here, intends the destruction of the wicked, at the end of the world: this vine may be said to be cut down at the burning of the world, and to be gathered at the second resurrection, as the wheat-harvest of the saints will be at the first resurrection: and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God; the same with the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, so often mentioned in this book: the torments of the wicked will lie in the wrath of God being poured forth upon them, and into them, which will be that fire that can’t be quenched, and that worm that never dies; and this is signified by the squeezing of grapes in a wine-press, as God’s judgments in this world sometimes are, Isa. 63:3, 6 and which will be very heavy and intolerable, since this winepress will be trod by the Lord God Almighty: and it is said to be a great one, as it must needs be, to hold the vine of the whole earth, or all the wicked of the world, who will be like the sand of the sea, innumerable; and this will be big enough for them all, and they will all be cast into it at once. Tophet is deep and large, Isa. 30:33. (Gill, J. (1809). An Exposition of the New Testament (Vol. 3, pp. 805–806). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
agorazo (ἀγοράζω, 59), primarily, “to frequent the market-place,” the agora, hence “to do business there, to buy or sell,” is used lit., e.g., in Matt. 14:15. Figuratively Christ is spoken of as having bought His redeemed, making them His property at the price of His blood (i.e., His death through the shedding of His blood in expiation for their sins) (Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vol. 2: Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (85). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.)
God aims to bring men to himself.
God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. —Acts 17:27
Over all the history of our race’s acquaintance with God, all the religions, all the theologies, it seems so plain. God has been forever desiring, forever trying to give knowledge of himself to human beings. Always God has been trying to make us understand him. Never has he turned and gone away in anger and left us in our ignorance. He has hovered about the human mind with an unbroken presence. Thus people in every age, in every condition, even in their own despite [contempt], have learned that God is just, that God is merciful, that he governs the world in obedience to his own perfect nature, that he therefore must punish, and that he must reward. These are not guesses about God. They are not beliefs about him that people have reasoned out from their own natures. They are the truths about him that God has been able to press into the human understanding, even through every veil that humanity drew between itself and God.
There is no one so ignorant, so careless, so indifferent about what God is and what God is doing that God is not all the time pressing on that individual life and crowding into it all the knowledge of himself that it will take. As the air crowds on everything, on the solidest and hardest stone and on the softest and most porous earth, and into each presses what measure of itself each will receive, so God limits the revelation of himself by nothing but the capacity of every person to take and hold his revelation. [He gives as much as we can take!]
God is teaching you always just as much truth as you can learn. If you are in sorrow at your ignorance, still you must not despair. Be capable of more knowledge and it will be given to you. What hinders you from knowing God perfectly is not God’s unwillingness but your imperfection. Grow better and purer, and diviner wisdom will come to you—not given as wages, as reward, but simply admitted into a nature grown more capable of receiving it. “If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God” (John 7:17). Here is Christ’s old promise again: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him” (Rev. 3:20). —Phillips Brooks
Diana Wallis, Take Heart: Daily Devotions with the Church’s Great Preachers (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2001).
After many years of delay, David assumes Israel’s throne.
INSIGHT
Earlier, Samuel had anointed David-then a young, inexperienced boy-to be king over Israel. Fourteen years elapsed between Samuel’s anointing and the time when David actually assumes the rule over all of Israel.
Instead of luxuriating in the royal palace during these years, David runs from cave to cave, trying to escape from Saul who is bent on killing him. But it is these difficult experiences that build into David the strength of character, the convictions, the sensitivity to right and wrong, and the vision to be a great king.
Even for us today, the road to transformation always goes through the tunnel of trials. (Quiet Walk)
At a gas station one day, Staci encountered a woman who had left home without her bank card. Stranded with her baby, she was asking passersby for help. Although unemployed at the time, Staci spent $15 to put gas in the stranger’s tank. Days later, Staci came home to find a gift basket of children’s toys and other presents waiting on her porch. Friends of the stranger had reciprocated Staci’s kindness and converted her $15 blessing into a memorable Christmas for her family.
This heartwarming story illustrates the point Jesus made when he said, “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).
It can be tempting to hear this and focus on what we get out of giving, but doing so would miss the point. Jesus preceded that statement with this one: “Love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (v. 35).
We don’t give to get things; we give because God delights in our generosity. Our love for others reflects His loving heart toward us. By Remi Oyedele (Our Daily Bread)
THE SIMPLICITY OF THE GOSPEL
The light of the body is the eye: therefore, when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness. Luke 11:34
There is nothing so disconcerting as a plain, direct gospel that, stripping away all mere decorations and embellishments and ignoring all nonessentials and make-believes, exposes the naked soul and flashed onto it the light of God. How much easier it is to appreciate the ceremony and ritual, to indulge in high-sounding, idealistic generalities, and to be busy with philanthropic actions. How much more gratifying to the natural self are these than to face the simple direct questions of the Word of God. Idealists and humanists are rarely, if ever, persecuted.
But leaving all that, let us consider positively the gospel view of life and the solution of the gospel for the problems of life. That there is nothing so characteristic of it as its essential simplicity is seen most clearly perhaps if we look at it in the light of some words spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, “The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness” (Luke 11:34).
If we work out the picture found in those words, we shall see plainly the simplicity of the gospel. Our Lord says that what the eye is to the body in the matter of light, the soul is to man, and the individual man is to society. Thus we see that there is in man something vital and central. Man is not a mere collection and aggregate of parts. There is a center to his life called the soul, as vital to his life as the eye is to the body in the matter of light.
A Thought to Ponder: Our Lord says that what the eye is to the body in the matter of light, the soul is to man.
(From Truth Unchanged, Unchanging, pp. 88-89. By Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
The Good Pastor
“I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” (John 10:14)
The Greek word used here for “shepherd” is the same as for “pastor.” The Lord Jesus, therefore, was saying, in effect: “I am the good pastor: the good pastor giveth his life for the sheep [that is, ‘for His flock’].” A good pastor is, thus, one who leads his flock into good pasture, who knows his flock, and who is known by his flock. A good pastor would even give his life for his flock (vv. 1-16).
However, this is not merely a term for the leader of a church congregation. The term and the concept are sufficiently broad to include all those individuals (teachers, military officers, parents, etc.) who have leadership responsibilities.
In all such cases, our guide and example is our good shepherd, our good pastor, our good leader—the Lord Jesus Christ. With this in mind, consider some of the other biblical references to our good shepherd: “Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away” (1 Peter 5:2-4).
Note also Hebrews 13:20-21: “Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.”
Most every Christian, at least on occasion, must assume the function of a spiritual shepherd, and every Christian, always, is spiritually a sheep. The Lord Jesus is our good shepherd, and we do well to follow Him in all things.
(HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
First, we must equip people theologically; and, second, we must equip them biblically. (p. 140)
Today, people are often focused on the love of God but fail to understand the holiness of God and the implications of that for their lives.
A second reason the church needs theological teaching is because people’s views of God are distorted by contemporary views of God. (p. 140)
A third reason we need to teach theology in the church is because we are continually confronted by erroneous views when we witness. (p. 141)
A final reason to teach theology is because people can become confused by conflicting theologies. (p. 141)
The result of this lack of understanding leads to either dogmatism (anyone who disagrees with me is a heretic) or confusion (I don’t know if election is biblical or not). The first results in exclusion (we reject anyone who differs); the other result in error (if we do not know what we believe, we will believe in anything). (p. 142)
(Developing Leaders for the Small Church by Glenn C. Daman)
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