SCRIPTURE: Revelation 14:1-15:4 (Page 1465); Joel 3:1-21 (Page 1087)
SERMON: The Day of the Lord						14 January 2001

  I. INTRODUCTION
A. A SIGNIFICANT BACKGROUND
1. the Exodus (15:2-4; 14:1-5; Ex.15:1f; see Exodus plagues in seals, trumpets, bowls; see Exodus, chps.4-15)

2. the Day of the Lord (14:14-20(Joel 3:13,14); 8-11(Is.13:6,9; 21:9); see Joel 1:15; 2:1,11,29-31; see Amos 5:18-20; 1Th.5:2f; 2Thes.2:2; see Rom.2:16; 1Cor.1:8; 5:5; Phil.1:6,10; 2:16; 2Pt.3:10f; see Rev.19:11f; 22:7f,20)

B. A SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURE (14:1-15:4)
1. getting to the point (14:1-15:4; see 14:11,12 with 13:9,10; 18)
a1           -  the praise of God for the Day of the Lord is begun (14:1-5)
b1            - The Day of the Lord is proclaimed (14:6-11)
c(a3)   - point: God’s promise to His persevering people in midst of destruction (14:12,13; see 13:1-15:4)
b2           - The Day of the Lord is performed (14:14-20)
a2           - the praise of God for the Day of the Lord is perfected (15:2-4)

2. summary: saved through the destruction of our enemies (14:1-15:4; 2Sam.3:18; 8:1f; see Rev.12:7-10; 1Jn.3:8; Heb.2:14f)

C. A SIGNIFICANT PRINCIPLE (14:6,8,9 & 15,17,18; see 8:13,etc.; see Dt.17:6; 19:15 and Mt.18:16; John 8:17; 2Cor.13:1; 1Tm.5:19; Heb.10:28)

 II. MESSENGERS OF GOD’S SALVATION (14:6-20; see Heb.1:14)

A. THE ANGELS PRONOUNCING SENTENCE (14:6-11)
1. another angel (6; see 1:1,20f; 5:2f; 7:1; 8:2f; etc.)
a. midheaven (6; see 8:13; 19:17)

b. an eternal Gospel against unbelievers (6; see 11:3f; Jn.3:18f; Mt.24:14,9; see Rev.14:16-19; 13:11-14; see 14:3,4; 5:9)

c. fear, glorify and worship (7; see 4:9; 16:9; 19:7; see 11:13 with Ps.66:3; 1Kngs.18:38f)

2. another angel: sccond, followed (8)
a. Babylon: oppressor destroyed (8; see 18:2; Is.21:9; Jer.51:8)

b. the wine of passion of immorality (8; see 12:15; 13:1f,11f; 2Th.2:9-12)

3. another angel: third, followed them (9)
a. against idolatry and immorality (9b,11b; see 13:1f,11f)

b. the wine of passion of wrath (10; see 16:19; 19:15; Ps.75:8; Jer.25:25; 51:7)
1) straight up (10)
2) torment: infinite (fire) and eternal (10; see 9:17,18; 19:20; 20:10; 21:8; Gen.19:24; Mt.8:29; 18:34; Lk.16:23,24)
3) in the presence of the Judge (10b; see 6:16,17; 19:15; Mk.8:38; Jn.5:22)
4) torment, restlessness: eternal (11; see Is.48:20-22)

c. summary: fear God (see Lk.12:4,5)

(completed on reverse)

SERMON: The Day of the Lord							14 January 2001

B. THE ANGELS EXECUTING SENTENCE (14:14-20; see v.10)
1. twofold picture (Joel 3:13,14; see Rev.14:14,19)

2. The Son of Man on white cloud... (14-16; see Dan.7:13,14(Rev.11:15); Mt.24:30; 26:64; see Jn.5:22,27)
a. cloud: the presence of God (14; see Ex.40:34,35; 1Kngs.8:10,11; Ezk.10:3,4)
b. crown: authority to judge (14; see 1:5; 17:14; 19:16; see Rom.2:16)
c. sickle: power to judge (14; see Joel 3:13,14)
d. angel with the Father’s command (15; see Jn.5:19f; Mt.24:36)
e. the hour to reap; withered (15; see 7; Joel 3:13; see Mt.24:36)
f. against the earth (15,16; see 6; see 13:11,12,14,14 & 14:9,11)

3. ...and His angels with Him out of the Temple in heaven... (15,17,18; see 10; see chps.4,5; 8:3-5; see Heb.1:14; see Mt.13:41,42; 16:27; (24:30f; 25:31f); see Mk.8:38; Lk.9:26)
a. another angel: he also had a sickle (17; see 8:2f; 15:1f)
b. another angel: he had fire (18, see 10; see 8:5; 11:5)
c. ripe (18; see 15; Joel 3:13)
d. against the earth (19; see 15,16; 6; see 13:11,12,14,14 & 14:9,11)
e. wrath, tread (19,20; see 10; 19:15; Is.63:3; Lam.1:15)
f. outside the city (20; see 22:15; Heb.13:12; Num.19:3,7)
g. 1600 stadia (20; see Ps.95:10(Heb.3:17); Ezk.29:11-13; and Mt.18:21f)

III. THE BEATITUDE (12,13; see Lk.6:20-26; Dt.27:12,13,etc.)

A. THE LESSONS OF THE PARABLE OF HISTORY (13:10; 13:18; 14:12; see 12:1-15:4)
1. the kingdoms of the world persecute God’s people severely (13:1-8; see Dan.7:1-8; 15-21; see 2Tim.3:12; 1Pt.4:12f)

2. like Nebuchadnezzar and his idol with the three young men (13:11-17; see Dan.3; see Dan.6)

3. but all oppressors are destroyed completely in order to completely deliver God’s people, just like Pharoah and Egypt at the Red Sea (15:2-4(14:1-5; Ex.15); see 14:6-20; see Ex.4-14)

B. THE PROMISE TO THOSE WHO STICK IT OUT (13:8,18; 14:12,13 see chps.2,3)
1. the perseverance of the saints: keeping God’s commandments & believing Jesus’ promises (12; see 13:10b; see Eph.2:1-10; Jms.2:14f)

2. a guaranteed promise (13; see Heb.6:13f,9-12)

3. blessed are the dead... (13; see Lk.6:20f; see Rom.6:3f; 8:18f; Phil.1:21f; 1Th.4:16; see Rev.5:1f; 7:10f; 11:15f; 12:10f; 14:1f; 15:2f; 19:1f; ; see Heb.1:3; 12:22)

4. rest up from labors because our deeds are not forgotten (13; Heb.6:10f; 1Cor.15:58)

C. PERSEVERE FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD! (12,13; see 15:2-4; 14:1-5; see 13:1-18(1Jn.2:19; Mk.4:19); 14:6-20; see 1Th.5:1-28; Lk.12:4,5; see Rev.22:20)