THE FACE OF PUNISHMENT (REVELATION 15)

INTRODUCTION:

1. As we heard from the scripture reading, John was executed. (Matt. 14:10)

2. Have you ever wondered what kind of personality an executioner has?

3. What must a man be like if his job in life is killing people?

4. Do we have the capacity to be an executioner?

5. Would everyone here be able to go into a prison, flip the switch and end the life of another human being when an inmate on death row is hooked up in the electric chair?

6. These questions may sound a bit odd but they help introduce our lesson.

I. IN MANY INSTANCES, THE WORLD HAS A NEGATIVE VIEW TOWARDS PUNISHMENT

AND THOSE WHO INFLICT IT OR BELIEVE IN IT.

A. Many times the world argues for tolerance.

B. The world says not all crimes need to be prosecuted or punished.

(1) From the world we hear that love may outweigh justice.

(2) Compassion requires us to give wrongdoers more chances.

(3) We need to be people who have sympathy for our fellowman; i.e.

(4) Punishment should be reserved for the worst offenders.

(5) If we are a strong supporter of punishment, we are unloving.

(6) If people really care, punishment is distasteful.

(7) Those who favor punishment are essentially unkind.

(8) These ideas are currently being taught.

(9) This teaching is both fervent and firm.

C. If the world hears people say that crime should be met with justice;

D. If the world hears that people should be punished for wrongdoing;

E. The world responds (and this is especially true when Christians are involved):

(1) “You are cruel, uncaring, unloving.”

(2) “How could people preach love and push for punishment?”

(3) “How can Christians punish others if they care about them?
(4) “How can we spank a child and love the child at the same time?”

(5) The world is brave enough to allege that:

(6) “The Christian’s insistence on justice is a mask for hate.”

(7) “Since we push for punishment, this shows that we do not have love.

F. The world shouts: “Good people do not push to punish others.”

G. Those who want to punish others are malicious, evil, or hard-hearted.

H. Most of us have heard these charges more than once.

I. In the last year or two these charges have been intensified.

J. Tonight our text is Revelation 15 – the whole chapter.

K. This chapter is very short compared to many chapters in the Bible.

L. Though the verses are few, there is a valuable point to be made.

M. This point is as relevant now as it was in John’s day.

N. READ Revelation 15.

O. God is a God of love; we all know that.

P. The Bible teaches that God’s love is perfect; could not be greater.

Q. God cannot love any more than He currently loves.

R. God’s level of love is at its highest point.

S. Notice that punishment is in conjunction with God’s perfect love. (The plagues)

T. The world says that love and punishment cannot go together.

(1) These two things are opposites; they conflict with each other.

(2) Love and punishment are contradictory.

(3) God says that this belief is a lie.

(4) Rev. 15:1 – let’s look at this verse once again. READ.

(5) God is mentioned at the end of the verse.

(6) This God is the God of love.

(7) This loving God is also associated with “wrath”.

(8) God’s wrath (punishment) is listed: 7 plagues.

(9) We have previously commented on the significance of numbers in Revelation.

(10) Seven plagues indicate punishment that would be complete.

U. The next time we hear someone from the world talking about love,

V. And they argue that love cancels out punishment,

W. Or that love somehow lessens the need for justice … remember Revelation 15.

X. True love never cancels out justice.

Y. True love requires that justice be done.

Z. Love and punishment are partners, not opposites.

II. WHAT ABOUT THE SECOND CHARGE THAT OFTEN COMES FROM THOSE IN THE

WORLD? THAT IS, THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN OR INSIST UPON

JUSTICE ARE VINDICTIVE AND MALICIOUS.

A. Let’s take a closer look at Revelation 15.

B. We know that the loving God of heaven was angry. (Verse 1)

C. God was angry at Rome because of what she had done to God’s people.

D. The 7 plagues of this verse were destined for Rome.

E. If the world’s view of things is right, the one responsible for these plagues was hateful and hostile.

F. We have already shown that this is erroneous.

G. God was and is anything but vindictive and malicious.

H. What about the angels who carried these plagues?

I. The angels were somewhat similar to executioners.

J. The world, to be consistent, must argue that these angels are spiteful and mean.

K. They might appear to be loving, but inwardly there was hate.

L. Would the world be right about those who carried out the punishment?

M. Let’s look at Verse 5 from our text. READ.

N. The entrance to heaven was opened.

O. John later says that nothing “unclean” is in heaven.

P. Whatever/whoever is in this place is clean internally and externally.

Q. Who or what came out of heaven? Verse 6a – READ.

R. Did these angels have anything? Verse 6a – READ.

S. According to the thinking of many in the world, these angels had to be mean-spirited;

unloving; with no mercy or compassion.

T. These angels were carrying around destructive power.

U. These creatures were headed out on a mission to destroy Rome.

V. Though this was their mission, God tells us about the angels (messengers).

W. Since these creatures came from heaven, they were anything but spiteful and hateful.

X. A sad task needed to be done and it was going to be accomplished.

Y. To insure that we have the right idea about the messengers, there are additional details.

Z. Verse 6b – READ.

(1) These creatures were dressed in heavenly apparel.

(2) Precious stones were part of their wardrobe.

(3) The clothing was bright.

(4) It was also pure.

(5) These messengers were not on a sadistic mission.

(6) These beings were righteous.

(7) We have horrible wrath coming from beautiful containers.

A. The world teaches that punishment comes from those who hate.

B. This could be true in some instances.

C. Many in the world seem to affirm that this is always true.

D. It is argued that wrath never comes from people who are loving.

E. God says that this is false.

(1) Wrath did come from righteous and loving creatures.

(2) It came from both the loving God of heaven and His righteous messengers.

F. The world will never believe this point but it is true.

G. Wrath (judgment) can be as pure and as righteous as love.

H. People can dispense punishment (judgment) and still have great love in their hearts.

I. Love and punishment are inseparably linked.

J. When the two are separated, love is perverted.

K. This is what we find in Revelation 15.

L. We have love that is pure and we have wrath that is also pure.

III. ONE OF THE BENEFITS THAT WE CAN RECEIVE FROM THE BIBLE, IF WE WILL STUDY

IT, IS THAT WE CAN DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THE PREVAILING IDEAS AND

PHILOSOPHIES IN OUR CULTURE ARE TRUE OR FALSE.

BEING AWARE OF WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR CULTURE IS IMPORTANT. ZIG ZIGLER

PUT THE MATTER WELL WHEN HE SAID, “I READ THE BIBLE EVERY DAY AND A

DAILY NEWSPAPER. THAT WAY I KNOW AHT BOTH SIDES ARE UP TO.” INDEED, WE

CAN KNOW WHAT BOTH SIDES ARE UP TO, AND WHEN THE WORLD ARGUES FOR

THINGS THAT ARE WRONG, WE CAN BE THERE TO EXPLAIN AND REFUTE THE ERROR.

A. Tonight we heard an illustration of how this may be done.

B. However, we are not going to stop here.

C. There is another distinct point in Revelation 15.

D. Many times brethren have asked me about heaven.

E. Two of the most common questions are these:

(1) “How can we be happy knowing people are suffering in hell?”

(2) “If our loved ones are lost, will this not sadden us?”

F. Both of these questions are touched on in Revelation 15.

G. In the picture that John gives several things are happening:

(1) There are angels ready to go out and plague the Roman Empire.

(2) Massive destruction is in the works.

(3) The Christians that John saw in Revelation 15 had lived in Rome.

(4) Verse 2a. READ. (“the beast”, image, name, etc.)

(5) These people surely had family members who would experience the coming wrath.

(6) It is not assuming too much to believe that some of these family members were not Christians.

(7) Family members were going to face devastation and then they would enter into eternity unprepared.

(8) Few things could be any sadder than this.

(a) Punished on earth

(b) Punished in eternity

(9) To us, the picture could not be any more disturbing.

H. Yet, with the impending destruction and death, with the certain eternal loss of some family

members on the horizon, what were the saved people in Revelation 15 doing?

I. They are pictured as singing. Verses 3-4 – READ.

J. The fact that these people are singing when destruction was on the way is very revealing.

K. There is a fact that is even more thought provoking.

L. Look at the end of Verse 4. READ 4b.

M. These people were singing about God’s “righteous acts”.

N. If we look back to Verse 3, the words “righteous and true” are seen.

(1) These people seemed not only to be aware of what was going to be destroyed but they were

comfortable with the destruction.

(2) They praised God for what was going to be done.

(3) God’s impending judgment was seen as just and right.

(4) These people were not pleading for the punishment to be stayed.

O. I may be wrong but I will advance a suggestion based upon Revelation 15.

P. When saved people enter into heaven,

(1) There will be a complete (full) sense of justice on the part of the saved.

(2) My understanding of this sense of justice in this type of environment, along with the intensity of

heaven (Verse 2), relieves the mind of any pain concerning others.

(3) Concern over the unsaved will not be present.

Q. If this is not convincing, or if it is incorrect, we may say this:

R. Rome was going to be wiped out; devastated/ destroyed.

S. God’s people knew that and they were still happy.

T. The contentment of these people was not even slightly diminished.

U. The fact is that the Bible illustrates happiness in heaven.

CONCLUSION:

I once heard an interesting radio broadcast.

1. A man said, “When you are happy, don’t worry. You will come down.

When you are down, don’t worry – you will come up.”

2. In heaven there is no “down”; it is always “up”.

3. What a great place!

4. How we should thirst for the day when we can enter into heaven …

5. A place where we can be eternally “up”.