Cosmic Conflict 10. Revelation of Jesus 50

Welcome to a Revelation of Jesus. In this video, we will continue our study of the three angels of Revelation 14 with particular focus on judgment. As we saw in the previous video, they symbolize real-life people who are entrusted with life-saving messages to share with the world during the last days.

The first angel has “the everlasting gospel to preach to those who dwell on the earth—to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people—saying with a loud voice, ‘fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). In video 49 we studied 1 Corinthians 15 and saw that the Everlasting Gospel is the good news about what God has done, is doing, and will do to save us and the whole world from the pandemic of evil which has infected every person on earth. We fear God and give glory to Him when we recognize our total dependence on Jesus, allow Him to do His transforming work in our lives, and then tell people about Him.

—

Did you notice the reason given in Revelation 14:7 for the powerful preaching of the everlasting gospel and for the mandate to fear God and give glory to Him? It is “because the hour of His judgment has come”. The judgment is complicated and not very well understood, and in this video, I hope to make it a little more understandable. But to start, doesn’t it seem strange that in Revelation 14:7 the “everlasting gospel” is intrinsically linked to “the hour of God’s judgment”? Gospel means good news, but most people, especially unbelievers, do not consider God’s judgment to be good news at all.

In the book of Daniel we can learn why the judgment really is good news. Daniel chapter 7 portrays the world, and even God’s followers, as being oppressed and persecuted by powerful military, political, and religious forces, symbolized by beasts and horns. But Daniel saw “the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven to the Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:13). This is not Jesus coming in the clouds to this earth at His second coming; In Daniel 7, the Son of Man is coming to the heavenly courtroom where the judgment is about to take place. “The court [was] seated… and a judgment was made in favor of the holy followers of the Most High” (Daniel 7:26,22).

Daniel goes on to tell us the outcome of this favorable judgment. “The dominion [of those oppressive, persecuting powers will be] consumed and destroyed forever and the kingdom and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the holy followers of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom” (Daniel 7:26,27). This vision promises the permanent end of evil, and it is the judgment that brings persecution and oppression to an end. Although the oppressive powers themselves may not consider the judgment to be good news, it is definitely good news for everyone else, and especially for “the holy followers of the Most High” who will inherit the kingdom.

—

Coming back to Revelation 14:7, let’s look at some grammar. Notice that this verse does not say that the hour of His judgment will come. It says “the hour of his judgment has come,” using the present perfect, which indicates something that took place in the past and continues to have an influence in the present. The original Greek is even clearer that in the timeframe of the messages of the three angels, in other words, the time of the end, the hour of God’s judgment has already begun.

The grammar exposes another puzzle in this verse. “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come” (Revelation 14:7). On the one hand, “fear God” and “give glory to Him” are, grammatically, in the imperative, indicating “a command, something that demands attention or action”. In the strongest terms, God, through His messengers, commands “those who dwell on the earth” to change their lives; to start fearing God and giving glory to Him. On the other hand, the reason they are to do this is because “the hour of God’s judgment has [already] come”. And here’s the puzzle. The usual concept of the judgment is that it is a time after we die or after the Second Coming or after the millennium when our beliefs and behavior are going to be evaluated, and either rewarded or punished. In other words, by the time we get to the judgment, it is too late to make any changes. But in Revelation 14:7 God commands people who are still alive to change their relationship to Him because He has already begun His final judgment.

To understand this, we need to have a clear picture of what is entailed in the judgment. It is a complex subject, and I have already devoted many videos to the study of the judgment in the series on the seven seals.

—

I’m not going to duplicate that study here; I would encourage you to check out those videos to get the background, scriptural links, and details. But I do want to review the major conclusions from the Seven Seals that can help us understand the judgment that the first angel announces.

Starting in video 14, the introduction to the Seven Seals, we looked at the links of language and symbols as well as evidence from the chiastic structure that make it very clear that the seven seals are a symbolic description of the beginning of the final judgment. By comparing parallel language in the seven seals with that in the seven churches, we saw evidence that in our time, the judgment has already begun. In video 15 we saw that the final judgment, just like any other court proceeding, has two phases. During the discovery/ investigation phase the evidence is examined, giving the jury the information they need to make an informed judgment. Then, during the sentencing/executive phase, the sentence is pronounced and executed based on the finding of guilt or innocence.

The investigative phase of God’s judgment has not been widely recognized because it is usually assumed that God, knowing everything, doesn’t need any evidence in order to judge. Although this is true, we saw in video 15 that it is the angels who need to look at evidence in order to concur with God that there are humans who are safe to save for eternity. In video 16 we saw that the evidence to be examined in the investigative phase of the judgment is found in the Book of Life, which details the choices, deeds, and life circumstances of all who have responded to the Holy Spirit. The book of life is symbolized by a scroll sealed with seven seals in the Father’s hand. In video 17 we saw that Satan, portrayed as a mighty angel, challenged the opening of the scroll, seeking to block the review of evidence that would show that believers, despite their faulty lives, had faith in Jesus, and should be members of His eternal kingdom.

—

In video 18 we saw that Jesus, the Lamb of God, met the challenge of Satan by virtue of His perfect life, sacrificial death, and resurrection from the dead, opening the way for the judgment to proceed. In videos 19 and 20, we saw that those who are investigated fall into four basic categories, symbolized by four colored horses. Each horse has a rider who symbolizes either Jesus or Satan. Two horses symbolize those who are found to be faithful; Revelation 3:5 says that their names will not be blotted out of the book of life.

The other two horse symbolize those who are not found to be faithful; the implication is that their names will be blotted out of the Book of Life. Finally, videos 22-25 examine the judgment of those people who will be alive just before Jesus returns. These include the 144,000 who are the final messengers to the world, as well as the great multitude of those who accept Jesus during the final events, and also the people who reject Jesus and cast their lot with the beast.

—

With this background in mind, let’s look again at Revelation 14:7. “Fear God and give glory to Him, for the hour of His judgment has come”. The phrase “hour of his judgment” is unique to the Book of Revelation. Other passages of scripture talk about “The day of judgment”. For example, Jesus talked in several passages about the Day of Judgment in which the wicked people of Tyre, Sodom, and Nineveh would be judged to be more righteous than those who rejected Him when He was here on earth (Matthew 10:15, 11:22-24).

Paul calls it “the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed” (Romans 2:5). Peter compares it to the flood in the time of Noah and the fiery destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, concluding, “The Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials and to hold the unrighteous for punishment on the day of judgment… the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly” (2Peter 2:4-9, 3:5-7). The day of judgment is mentioned in the book of Hebrews: “It is appointed for man to die, and then comes the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This does not refer to some kind of private mini-judgment the moment each person dies. As we will see in our study of Revelation 20, when the day of judgment finally comes after the 1000 year millennium, the dead will rise, stand before “the great white throne,” and “They [will be judged], each one according to their works, by the things written in the books… and anyone not found written in the Book of Life [will be] cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

—

But the day of judgment is not the same as the hour of judgment of Revelation 14:7. As usual, we will look for language links and put together puzzle pieces until we get a clear picture of what this verse is talking about. And this is not just to satisfy random curiosity. We are talking about “the hour of judgment [that has already] come”. We are in the middle of an invisible judgment right now, and as we will see, the judgment is about to become very visible.

The closest links to “the hour of His judgment” are found in Revelation 18, which portrays the judgment of Babylon. Babylon is used in Revelation as a symbolic name for the final, oppressive union of church and state that will war against God’s followers in the last moments of earth’s history.

Babylon features prominently in the second half of Revelation, mostly to detail her final death throes and ignominious defeat. Revelation Chapter 18 is devoted to her corruption and her destruction, and it is here that we see the link to the hour of judgment. “Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour your judgment has come… In one hour, such great riches came to nothing… in one hour she is made desolate!” (Revelation 18:10,17,19). When Revelation 14:7 says “the hour of [God’s] judgment has come,” we can expect that this will include the destruction of the oppressive powers that have exploited the people of the world and persecuted God’s faithful followers.

—

We also find a reference to both hour and judgment in John chapter 5. This remarkable passage has a lot in common with Revelation 14, referring to the judgment as well as to a symbolic hour that is coming, which will culminate with the dead rising from their graves. “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live… the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth; those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:24,25,28,29).

Putting this passage together with some of the other passages we have looked at in this video, including the concepts from the seven seals, we can get a clearer picture of the phases of the judgment. Jesus said that “the hour is coming when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God… all who are in the grave will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life” (John 5:28,29). We know from 1 Thessalonian chapter 4 that the resurrection of life takes place at the second coming when “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout… And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17).

This is the culmination of “the hour of His judgment” that we have been studying in this video. It includes an investigative phase that is carried out by the angels as outlined in the seven seals, which we reviewed briefly earlier in this video. It also includes an executive phase in which the righteous dead will rise from their graves and join the living who have remained faithful during the great tribulation, and together they will “meet the Lord in the air”. At the same time, the living who have rejected Christ will be “destroyed with the brightness of His coming” (2 Thessalonians 2:8).

—

Jesus also said, “those who have done evil… who are in the grave will hear His voice and come forth…, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28,29). The “resurrection of condemnation” is a part of “the day of judgment” that we looked at earlier. The day of judgment also includes an investigative phase which takes place during the millennium, carried out by the faithful believers who returned to heaven with Jesus at the Second Coming. “[John] saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them… and they lived and reigned for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).

As we mentioned earlier, at the end of the millennium, the executive phase takes place. “The rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished… and [John] saw the dead standing before God… and the dead were judged, each one according to his works… and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:5,12-15).

We see then that “the resurrection of life… [and] the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:29) that Jesus talked about in John 5 are actually separated by the thousand-year millennium. In Revelation 20 these are called “the first resurrection” and the “second death” (Revelation 20:5,6,14).

The ones who will rise to everlasting life in the first resurrection are those who are declared to be righteous when their lives are examined by the angels in the investigative phase of the judgment that is taking place right now. They will “hear the voice of the Son of Man and come forth” from the grave to meet Jesus (John 5:25-29).

—

But besides those who are in the grave, there are also the people who are still alive during the time just before Jesus returns. These include the 144,000, the Great Multitude, and those who reject Jesus. These people will have their lives examined by the angels while they are still alive. According to Revelation chapter 7, the 144,000 will be “sealed in their foreheads” by the angels even before the great tribulation begins. The seal guarantees that they will remain faithful despite the terrors of that fearsome time.

The Great Multitude will hear their preaching of the everlasting gospel and will “fear God and give glory to Him.” They too, will have the awesome experience of having their secure place in God’s eternal family confirmed by the angels. Together with the 144,000 they will live to see the righteous dead rising to join them to greet Jesus when He returns from heaven to claim His own. This is what Jesus meant when He said, “He who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life” (John 5:24).

It is amazing to think that the judgment is already taking place, that the people all around us, including our friends and family, are living the lives and making the decisions that will seal their fate when Jesus comes. Jesus promised, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with me, to give to everyone according to his work” (Revelation 22:12). Now, during the “hour of His judgment” the people all around us may not have the luxury of putting off their decision for Christ with the hope of making things right on their deathbed.

—

Today, more than ever before, we need to appeal to our loved ones to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and to learn to walk with Him. Jesus reiterates, “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have” (Revelation 10:11). Now is the time to become serious and persistent in our prayers, to “hold fast” those that we love, interceding for them against the powerful attacks of Satan’s kingdom. It is also the time to reach out to people we don’t know, but who Jesus knows and loves. Wherever we may live, Jesus is saying to us, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent… for I have many people in this city” (Revelation 18:9,10).

This is why even now He is recruiting His 144,000 final witnesses who can help prepare the world for “the hour of trial which shall come upon the world, to test those who dwell on the earth” (Revelation 3:10). Now is a good time to tell Jesus that you are ready and willing to be used by Him as He prepares the world for “the hour of His judgment.”

—

If you were blessed by this video, I would appreciate it if you would like it, share it with someone, and subscribe to my YouTube channel; that really encourages me to keep on making more videos.