Revelation 13 ―

Message delivered during the evening service, 2.5.2012, at Sovereign Grace Baptist Church, Anniston, Alabama, by Jon Cardwell.

CLICK HERE- Audio Message in Pop-up MP3 Player for slower Internet connections (16kbps)

CLICK HERE- Audio Message in Pop-up MP3 Player for faster Internet connections (64kbps)

CLICK HERE- Audio Message Download for later listening.

MESSAGE OUTLINE

I. Introduction

Revelation of Jesus Christ – the gospel supremely expressed
Revelation of St. John the Divine – the gospel submissively possessed
Rev 2, 3. Letters to Seven Churches
Rev 4. Heavenly Wonder: the Lamb upon His Throne
Rev 5. Heavenly Worship: Word & Prayer unto Praise
Rev 6, 7. The Seals of the Word Opened (Christ, the Prophet)
Rev 8, 9. The Sounds of Warfare Trumpeted (Christ, the Priest)
Rev 10, 11. The Gospel Proclaimed and Praised (Christ, the King)

Rev 12, The Incarnation
Enmity twixt the serpent & the woman, Gen 3:15

Rev 13, The Curse of Corruption
Enmity twixt the serpent’s seed & seed of the woman, Gen 3:15

Rev 14, The Conquering Lamb
Bruising the Seed’s heel in bruising the serpent’s head, Gen 3:15

“And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” Genesis 3:15

II. The Beast from the Sea Rev 13:1-10
Fallen mankind…

III. The Beast from the Earth Rev 13:11-14
False prophets…

IV. The Image of the Beast Rev 13:15-16
Every thought and imagination only evil continually…

V. The Mark of the Beast Rev 13:17-18

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED REVELATION STUDIES:

Apocalypse Now Sermon, Devotional & Articles

Apocalypse Sung Scripture Paraphrases

I beg you also to think for a moment of what the Lord did not say, because he was speaking about common bread; but of what we know to be true of him concerning his spiritual supplies for men. The greatest spiritual want of man is the pardon of sin by an atonement. Brothers, if the question were now standing, “Where shall we find an atonement?” it would indeed stagger us. Blessed be God, that question does not remain; for the atonement has been presented, completed, and fully accepted. Jesus has said, “It is finished,” and the real difficulty is over. The cross has rolled away the stone from the sepulcher, and hope has arisen. The application of the atonement may be difficult; but it must be a small labor compared with the making of the atonement. The well has been digged; the drawing of the water is an easier task. If Jesus died there must be life for men; if he has prayed “Father, forgive them” there must be pardon for the guilty. If Jesus has risen into glory our race cannot perish in shame. We argue from the cross a millennium of glory. This Man can satisfy the people because of the rich merit of his blood.

—Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 32
Delivered Sunday Morning, February 7, 1886
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
Sermon No. 1885, “The Problem of the Age”

Reblogged from The Cross Is All:

I Corinthians 10: 31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” “If any occupation or association is found to hinder our communion with God or our enjoyment of spiritual things, then it must be abandoned.  Beware of ‘leprosy’ in the garment. (Lev. 13:47)  Anything in my habits or ways which mars happy fellowship with the brethren or robs me of power in service, is to be unsparingly judged and made an end of— ‘burned.’  (Lev.13:52)  Whatever I cannot do for …

Our dear sister, Anna Wood, consistently provides straight truth, telling it like it is at her blog, “The Cross is All” (I love the name of her blog). In this post, “Entertaining Ourselves to Death,” Anna minces no words in her observations. (btw, did I tell you that I love the name of her blog?)

Reblogged from Slaughter of the Sheep:

Paula White’s attorney may categorically and emphatically deny that she was ever crowned queen by Ralph Messer, and he may claim she isn’t affiliated with him in any way…but that doesn’t mean he didn’t wrap her in one of his Torah scrolls. What do you think…does this look like Paula White? And here’s something else even curiouser (if that’s a word)… There is a video circulating the blogosphere that allegedly shows Paula White being wrapped in Messer’s Torah Scroll.  I wish you could watch it, but …

At her blog “Slaughter of the Sheep,” Chrystal Whitt alerts us to Paula White’s fashion faux pas, adorned in the Law of Moses. Steps backward for the “queen” of charismata as true Christians are clothed in Christ and His righteousness. Chrystal’s article also provides a link at the end of her post to apprise us of even more shenanigans, re Paula White, courtesy of Ken Silva of Apprising Ministries.

It is quite true that the Spirit of God produces sorrow, for one of his first effects upon the soul is holy grief. He enlightens us as to our lost condition, convincing us of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, and the first result upon our heart is astonishment and lamentation. Even when we look to Christ by the work of the Spirit one of the first fruits is sorrow: “They shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, and be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for his first-born.” But this sorrow is not the ultimate object of the Spirit’s work; it is a means to an end. Even as the travail of the mother leadeth up to the joy of birth, so do the pangs of repentance lead up to the joy of pardon and acceptance. The sorrow is, to use a scriptural figure, the blade, but the full corn in the ear is joy; sorrow helps on the fruit, but the fruit itself is joy. The tears of godly grief for sin are all meant to sparkle into the diamonds of joy in pardoning love.

—Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 27
Delivered Sunday Morning, February 6, 1881
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
Sermon No. 1582, “The Fruit of the Spirit: Joy”

The narrative of our Lord’s grief, if it be carefully studied, is harrowing in the extreme. One cannot long think of it without tears; in fact, I have personally known what it is to be compelled to leave my meditations upon it from excess of emotion. It is enough to make one’s heart break fully to realize the sufferings of such an One, so lovely in himself and so loving toward us. Yet this harrowing of the feelings is exceedingly useful the after result of it is truly admirable. After mourning for Jesus we are raised above our own mourning. There is no consolation under heaven at all like it; for the sorrows of Christ seem to take the sting out of our own sorrows, till they become harmless and endurable. A sympathetic contemplation of our Lord’s grief so dwarfs our griefs that they are reckoned to be but light afflictions, too petty, too insignificant, to be mentioned in the same day. We dare not write ourselves down in the list of the sorrowful at all when we have just seen the sharp pains of the Man of Sorrows. The wounds of Jesus distil a balm which heals all mortal ills.

—Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 28
Delivered Sunday Morning, February 5, 1882
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
Sermon No. 1643, “Our Lord’s Trial Before the Sanhedrim”

We have been made free from sin by the gospel truth of Christ’s sufficient sacrifice, which has come by His sufficient righteousness. Therefore, we have become slaves to Christ’s righteousness. The righteous standard of His perfect life is infinitely superior to any ideal the Law of Moses might bring. Whenever we dwell on our own righteousness so as to covet it, exalt it, or in any way think of it as worthy to be compared with Christ’s righteousness, we sin.

If we have truly been saved by God’s grace in Christ alone through faith alone, we will grow in grace, be strengthened in faith, and become more righteous through sanctification; yet, it is most effectively developed in our clinging by faith to Christ’s righteousness and not our own. Christ’s blood, His sacrifice, His righteousness, His holiness, etc., carries us along and upholds us with greater power than anything our regenerate will can muster. The wisdom of the regenerate is to recognize that the power of newness of life in Christ is found in ever increasing submission to the gospel truth of Christ crucified.

I find it especially sweet to learn the great strength of the Lord in my own weakness. We find out under trial where we are most weak, and just then in answer to prayer strength is given answerable to the need. The Lord suits the help to the hindrance, and puts the plaster on the wound. In the very hour when it is needed the needed grace is given. Does this not tend to breed assurance of faith?

—Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 29
Delivered Sunday Morning, February 4, 1883
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
Sermon No. 1704, “All Joy in All Trials”

Do not forget to display the standard of holy joy. Hoist it, and keep it flying. When the Bridegroom is not with us we will mourn; but so long as we see his face no man can make us fast. Rejoice, and yet again rejoice, and thus let the Royal Standard fly at the top of the tower: the King is within us! The Prince of Peace is enthroned in our hearts! The Lord is exalted, for he dwelleth on high, and we dwell on high with him. Glory be unto his name. Ring the joy-bells! With clamour of united joy let us shout unto our God who maketh us to ride upon the high places of the earth! Let it be known abroad that there is no God like our God and no people like his people. Under heaven there are none so joyous as the Lord’s afflicted saints, none so rich as the Lord’s poor, none so honoured in heaven as those that are despised of men for Christ’s sake, none so worthy to be envied as those who to-day are ridiculed for their faith in God. The Lord be with you, and bless every one of you with the full enjoyment of this majestic text, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

—Charles H. Spurgeon (1834-1892)
Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Vol. 30
Delivered Sunday Morning, February 3, 1884
At the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington
Sermon No. 1764, “The Rocky Fortress and Its Inhabitant”

Historically and generally, Baptists have had a desire to be true to Christ and true to His holy Word. Yet, to do so meant that we have had to suffer the bad with the blessings; which has kept us ever perched upon the horns of a dilemma.

If we believe that the scriptures should be made available to every man in his own language and his native tongue, we must be prepared that men will misunderstand, misinterpret, misuse, and may altogether twist, pervert, and corrupt God’s Holy Word. Although this will and does happen, we cannot withhold the scriptures from men. To deny others access to the scriptures undermines the Reformation and sets us on the road back to the Roman Catholic Dark Ages, where popish men insist that there is more than one mediator between man and God; where only certain of their number can declare the scriptures to the every man.

If we believe and proclaim that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone according to scripture alone for the glory of God alone, we must be prepared to be called antinomian. We must be prepared to be accused of preaching a gospel that is licentious and gives men permission to sin freely. Although we may be accused, slandered or maligned, preach we must the rich, eternal and magnificent gospel of the grace of God in Christ, and Him crucified. Remember, the Lord Jesus, Himself, was accused of antinomianism. His authoritative and sovereign responsive is recorded in Matthew 5:17-18,

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Whether you are Baptist or not, there are a great many things in the scriptures that will keep us perched upon the horns of a dilemma. Nevertheless, if our desire is to worship God in spiritual truth, then we must embrace this dilemma as part and parcel of God’s plan and design in order to keep us constantly yielded to the Holy Spirit, consistently nourished and strengthened in God’s Word, and continually exalting the Person and atoning work of Jesus Christ.