Dr Tom Hover
August 18, 2024
Revelation 14:14-20 / James 5:7-11
THE END OF THE BEGINNING / Hurry Up and Wait!
AM
THE END OF THE BEGINNING
A Prelude of Armageddon
Revelation 14:14-20
Visions are not always given in chronological order. In the historical sections of Scripture such as Genesis or the Gospels, the story generally unfolds in chronological order. However, in prophetic Scriptures the reader is often taken on a literary journey that moves in and out of chronological order. The order of the vision s in Revelation does not always follow t he actual sequence of events that will play out in the future. Sometimes a vision will describe the Tribulation as a whole. Other times it will portray a series of judgments fulfilled in order. Occasionally, the vision will back up and fill in detailed information or jump forward to preview what will come. A brief review of end-times chronology and its relationship to the visions in the book of Revelation will help us get oriented. Here's a simple timeline of end-times events:
1.) The Gospel Preached to all Nations (Empowered by the Spirit)
2.) The Seven-year Tribulation (3.5 years of Deception [humanity is so poisoned it no longer recognizes the Truth] 3.5 years Antichrist steps in to recreate truth [Seals, Trumpets, Bowls—Divine Judgments)
3.) Tribulation Interlude #1 The Sealed Remnant
4.) Tribulation Interlude #2 The Arrival of Two Witnesses bringing prophetic messages half way into the Tribulation
5.) Characters involved in Tribulation are given symbolically:
The Dragon—Satan, The Woman—Israel, The Male Child—Jesus Christ , The Archangel—Michael, The Woman's Offspring—Tribulation Believers, The Beast from the Sea—The Antichrist, The Beast from the Earth—False Prophet
6.) The Return of Christ (The Rapture and Second Coming—Armageddon)
7.) Thousand-year reign (Millennial Kingdom—peace on earth and Israel restored)
8.) The Final Judgment (Great White Throne of Judgment)
9.) Eternity with God (New Heaven and New Earth)
Revelation 14:14-20
The Harvester Revelation 14:14
His Seating Revelation 14:14 a
His Stature Rev. 14:14 b, Daniel 7:13, Rev 14:15,1:13-14,
The Lord in a pillar of a cloud. Exodus 13:21-22
The Lord taken up in a cloud. Acts 1:9-11, Luke 21:25-28
His Supplementals Revelation 14:14 c & d
His Sickle Revelation 14:14 e
The Hollering Angel. Revelation 14:15
The Lord Jesus stated in Matthew 13:39 that "the reapers are angels" at the end of the age. Matthew 13:38-39
Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come = is the content of the angel’s message to the cloud-rider.
The Harvesting
A. God’s Works Revealed
1. The Prelude and the First Phase of Harvesting.
Revelation 14:16 The fact that the wheat harvest is followed by the grape harvest similar to Joel 3:13 argues for the conclusion that this is a preview of the bowl judgments to be unleashed in Revelation 15-16.
The Prelude and the Second Phase of Harvesting.
Revelation 14:17-18
The Angel with A Sickle. Revelation 14:17
The Angel with Fire. Revelation 14:18
The Vine of the Earth. Revelation 14:18, Isaiah 5:2-6, John 15:5-6
The Prelude and the Third Phase of Harvesting.
Revelation 14:19-20
God’s Wrath Comes. Revelation 14:19
God’s Winepress Done. Revelation 14:20, 6:12,16:16, 14:20
PM
Hurry Up and Wait!
Scripture Reading : James 5:7-11
Introduction: One preacher stated: “The trouble is that I’m in a hurry, but God isn’t!”Patience is the ability to keep your motor idling when you feel like stripping the gears. Patience has its limits. Take it too far and it’s cowardice. Waiting is a part of the Christian life, as James points out in this passage. The context involves the problem of injustice. In verses 1–6, James dealt with injustice displayed toward believers from businessmen who were mistreating them. When we’re treated unfairly, we want justice, and now! But James advises patience, telling us we’re to wait with:
1. A Patient Determination James 5:7
means holding one’s spirit in check, controlling one’s temperament, not allowing people to drive us to rage. It could be translated “long-tempered,” the opposite of a short fuse. Proverbs 14:29, 29:11 “Patience is the self-restraint which does not hastily retaliate against a wrong.” James uses farmers as an illustration (v. 7). If you’re impatient, don’t take up farming. It takes time after sowing for the harvest. And farmers are dependent on rain. The “early rain” helps soften the soil and give needed moisture; the latter rains help bring the harvest to maturity. Impatience does farmers no good. Likewise we must be patient, awaiting harvest time, waiting for God’s vindication. James sums up this point in verse 8, telling us to “establish” our hearts.
2. A Positive Disposition James5:9
Grumbling and complaining are common human traits, especially when things are difficult. Trials can cause us to lash out at others. The word “grumble” here conveys the idea of “groaning,” and the implication is more internal than external. To phrase it differently, it’s possible to grumble against another person without saying anything. James warns that grumbling against others is a reflection of the spirit of judgmentalism already condemned. James 4:11-12 If we would keep Christ’s return in view, we would not complain and criticize so much.
3. A Persevering Dependence James 5:10-11
proceeds to give us two examples of those who persevered through difficulty. The secret of patience is doing something else in the meantime. A. The Ancient Prophets.
Jeremiah, for example. God called him as a teenager in a small town. After he preached his first sermon, his family attacked him.After preaching in Jerusalem, the religious establishment persecuted him. He was beaten, thrown into prison, and dumped into a muddy cistern to die. Yet Jeremiah endured. The prophets weren’t some race of super-men. They were human, yet they learned to accept suffering with a persevering dependence. Romans 15:4 God sometimes permits us to be perplexed so that we may learn patience and better recognize our dependence upon Him. B. Job. Job suffered mentally, materially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. But he persevered. Satan predicted that Job would grow impatient with God and abandon his faith, but that didn’t happen. Job 13:15
said: “A man is a hero, not because he is braver than anyone else, else, but because he is brave for ten minutes longer.” Not all suffering is caused by sin.Sometimes suffering is caused by doing right, by living a godly life; but we must persevere. What have we leaned?:Simply wait on Him. So doing, we should be directed, supplied, protected, corrected, and rewarded. Benjamin Franklin said: “He that can have patience can have what he will” Never think that God’s delays are God’s denials. Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius.
There is much injustice in the world today. The Bible tells us that God will not settle all wrongs in the world till Christ returns. Therefore we’re to patiently endure. To do that, we must: •Meditate on the sovereignty of God. Impatience is an implicit denial of the sovereignty of God. • Meditate on the certainty of Christ’s return. • Reflect on the consequences of impatience. • If it involves another person, remember that you’re of like nature. Reflect on your own weakness; it will make your ability to be patient more effective. James 1:2-4
