Thursday: The Third Angel’s Message
How does Revelation 14:12 depict God’s faithful people?
In contrast to God’s faithful people, Revelation 14:9-10 warns about the fate of those who face God’s wrath.
Image © Lars Justinen Goodsalt.com
In the Old Testament, the outpouring of God’s wrath is described symbolically as drinking wine from a cup (Jer. 25:15-16). The severity of the judgment upon the worshipers of the beast is expressed as drinking the wine of the wrath of God that is poured out “without mixture” (Rev. 14:10)into the cup of His indignation. In ancient times, people often diluted wine with water to reduce its intoxicating strength. But the wine of God’s wrath is described as “unmixed” (akratou). The unmixed, undiluted wine represents the pouring out of God’s wrath in its full strength, without mercy.
Read Revelation 14:10-11 along with Revelation 20:10-15. How do Isaiah 34:8-10 and Jude 7 shed light on the statement: “And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever” (NKJV)?
The statement of the torment with fire and brimstone refers to total destruction. Fire and brimstone is a means of judgment (Gen. 19:24, Isa. 34:8-10). The ascending smoke of destruction is a well-known image in the Bible. Isaiah prophesied of the future destruction of Edom by fire and brimstone: it will become a burning pitch; “it shall not be quenched night or day; its smoke shall ascend forever” (Isa. 34:10, NKJV). Jude describes the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah as suffering the punishment of “eternal fire” (Jude 7). These texts do not talk about endless burning, for none of these cities is burning today. The consequences are eternal, not the burning itself. The “eternal fire” in Revelation refers to annihilation; the burning will be long enough to make the consumption complete until nothing is left to burn.
| Although we can be thankful for the great truth that the fires of hell don’t torture the lost for eternity, the punishment is still terrible enough. What should the permanence and the severity of the punishment tell us about the sacred task we have been given to warn others about what is coming? |
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Although we can be thankful for the great truth that the fires of hell don’t torture the lost for eternity, the punishment is still terrible enough...
Nobody wants to hear it but it real!
The final judgment of those who have rejected Jesus is pretty graphic and has provided the scriptural basis for those who believe in an everlasting burning hell. For those of us who have lived in volcanic regions though, the imagery of the final judgment is pretty familiar. John, writing from Patmos would have known of Mt Etna and Vesuvius in the Mediterranian, both active volcanos. There are a couple of things about volcanos that I think are pertinent to the use of this imagery in Revelation.
1) A volcano sterilizes the country. Every living thing within its vicinity is not only killed but vapourised. I grew up in New Zealand, very near to Tarawera, a volcano that blew up in 1886. I climbed down into the 6km long crater 90 years after the eruption and experienced the sterile quiet that characterizes the region today.
2) A volcano also signals renewal. I also visit another crater here in Australia called the Warrumbungles. It is many centuries since it last erupted but you can still see the volcanic plugs and walls. The crater itself is now green and a haven for birdlife and kangaroos.
The final judgment is confronting but it is also a sign of renewal and I think it should be read that way. The reader should link the judgment scenes of Revelation with the renewal scenes. (It is worth doing a full Bible study on the idea of renewal - it is a recurring theme throughout Scripture.)
No Maurice, this passage does not provide any evidence for an eternal burning in hell. By the time one gets to the Revelation, they should have a correct understanding of "eternal" punishment, and even more so, the way to everlasting life through Christ. But even in this verse, a thorough study will prove the folly of thinking hell is an eternal punishing.
The Holy Spirit is promised to lead any true seeking "into all truth".
In a perfect world that might be the case. But for those who hold to the notion of an eternal hellfire, their basis is found in other places besides here, and Revelation only adds to their notions of this eternal torment. Once our minds are formed around certain notions about what we believe is truth, it takes a real work of the Holy Spirit to have that mind renewed, to cast down everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing every thought into obedience to Christ. As one who use to believe in eternal fire I can attest it took a bit to get completely cured of that notion. Sometimes it can be sudden for some people, for others it is like a mustard seed journey.
For me, learning the character of God through Jesus Christ took my mind in a new way of seeing texts that seemed to suggest eternal torment. Would the Lamb really burn me forever and ever before Him through out the ceaseless ages? Something wasn't adding up. Revelation 20 is a terrifying scene to be sure, and for some they can't see the disconnect between a loving Lamb and a vengeful God set on making sinners miserable for ever and ever. It can take time.
Yes, this is exactly the case with all who do not seek the Lord with all their heart, nor "study to show [themselves] approved unto God", trusting in fallen man to show them "truth".
To neglect the personal seeking of God is to choose folly and death(Prov 1:20-33; 8:36). The Psalmist writes: "taste(for yourself) and see that the Lord is good". Few do this, relying on popular men for their guidance. They will reap their reward.
Perfect world? Wasn't Lucifer in a perfect "world" before he cherished pride? Wasn't Adam and Eve in a perfect world before they cherished unbelief? The world is what we make it for ourselves through faith or unbelief. The Revelation is about 2 groups, those who serve the Lord, and those who serve Him not(Mal 3:18, Matt 25:31-33, etc). To serve the Lord is to seek Him with all of one's heart(Jer 29:13).
People who believe in eternal hell do seek God with the whole heart, and yet hold this notion. It can, and often is, a process. First thoughts and beliefs can and do run deep.
Hi Kevin
If you want to progress your journey a bit further, have a careful look into Isa 33:14-16 where it is the righteous that live with (within) everlasting burning.
How can that be? What is the meaning of the metaphor of fire - a metaphor that is applied to the Kingdom of God and to the Kingdom of Darkness?
I think the metaphor has to do with God's holiness, a fire of destruction for the wicked, but a glory of life for those committed to God.
The way I read Maurice’s comment, Maurice was not saying that there is a valid scriptural basis for eternal burning hell but that people (mis)perceive it to be such.
This is not the only ‘doctrine’ that people have derived as a consequence of misperception of scripture.
And Adventism is not immune from having done the same.
Readers will have to excuse me from having a second comment this morning.
The word patience has always intrigued me in this verse and I have a little life experience that provides me with a better understanding of this verse. Patience in synonymous with persistence. As I have mentioned in other comments, I am a computer scientist. My research area is about transactions in persistent systems. Briefly, a persistent computer system is a computer that, when it recovers from a crash, it recovers into a consistent state. For example, suppose you are in the midst of transferring money from your account to someone else's account and the computer crashes; what happens to the money. A transaction guarantees that the money will never be lost. Transaction systems are the basis of commercial operations all over the world and if a transaction system fails for a bank, they start to panic! A persistent system is a computer architecture design that supports recovery and consistency in the face of hardware or software failure.
When I see "the patience of the saints", I read "the persistence of the saints" and think that in Christ we have the ability to recover, in spite of the failures we encounter.
Well illustrated. Thanks for this.
Interesting the contrast between Rev 14:11 those who have no rest and Rev 14:13 those who rest from their labour. What can we learn from this?
Good question. I will take a crack at answering it, although it will be a work in progress. That true rest is only found in the Creator of true rest. At once the idea of rest spiritually and physically is combined, I think. As the first Sabbath was the destination of creation, so is the Sabbath a destination for those redeemed. The culmination of God's perfect work. Rest in the soul in forgiveness and rest from the pursuit of life in labor.
I would propose that there are several misportrayals of the nature and character of God reflected in today's lesson. I will attempt to discuss just one by way of illustration.
On the one hand we know that Isa 55:8,9 states that God's ways are not like our ways. But then on the other hand we promote human conceptions of wrath, punishment, vengeance and so on.
If God's ways are unlike our ways, how is God to help us grow to understand Him and His ways? Like any teacher will know, when introducing new material to students, start with where the students are at and then lead them on from there - from the known, step-by-step, to the unknown.
Problem is, we get stuck and stay at the first step. We have taken the metaphors literally as we experience them and failed to progress our understanding beyond that.
Wrath is one prime example. Please allow me to unpack what 'wrath' - more commonly known as anger - functionally is. First thing you need to keep in mind that, in addition to giving life its experiential feel, all emotions are motivational energy. They either motivate you to continue an experience (approach-based motivation) or to modify and experience (avoidance-based motivation).
Now, for any situation you (either consciously or subconsciously) will have a preference as to how that situation 'ought to be'. If the situation does play-out that way, well and good. But if the situation starts going in a different direction, the perceived departure from how it 'ought to be' will autonomously activate your frustration/anger emotion (via activation of your sympathetic nervous system also known as your fight-flight system) which will energise you to take action. Action to do what? You will be motivated to take action in an effort to get the situation back on track with how you believe it 'ought to be'. If you are successful in expending your motivational energy to achieve this, your frustration/anger will dissipate. If not, your frustration/anger will escalate further. This is the basic mechanism of anger.
With this being the start point of functionally understanding 'wrath', now lets be intentional about going further in our understanding beyond what we are familiar with and be aware that we are entering the territory where God's ways are different to ours.
The Hebrew word for 'wrath' paints a word picture of a slowly swelling nostril. This is intentionally emphasising a measured and controlled (ie self-controlled) arousal of motivational energy to take action - as opposed to a reactive losing of one's temper.
There is a way things ought to be - that is the meaning/'definition' behind the word righteousness. And what way ought they to be? The way that promotes self-renouncing love (Agape) which leads to abundant, harmonious, eternal life (Jn 10:10; Jn 3:16). When things arise that lead away from or threaten this (ie sin and its consequential iniquity), God is roused/motivated to act to bring about a restoration back to the way things 'ought to be'/righteousness.
Now, at this point I need to also make raise awareness of the context in which we exist and that God operates within - the eternal intersecting with the temporal intersecting with the Great Controversy. Sound complex? It is. While we can only barely begin to understand fragments of this realm, it is vital that we keep awareness of this reality as it helps us appreciate why God's actions are often different to what we think should happen - and especially in what timeframe. For example, we typically desire that God will fix things now (and that is understandable in our finiteness and 'groaning' condition Rom 8:22-24). I would propose that this is one of the reasons why we, of necessity, need to cultivate faith and perseverance (Jas 1:3-5) and why God's promise is that He will be with us and help us in our situation (1 Cor 10:13) - rather than that He will 'fix' all things here and now. Sometimes (or perhaps often) God works to bring about the restoration of things from the eternal back to the temporal rather than the other way around because doing so means a permanent repair rather than a temporary fix (Rom 8:28).
Although the term used is 'wrath', I would propose that the 'higher' experience of God in this state is Compassion - for both the victim and the perpetrator. God does not glory in the fall of the wicked - only humans do that because of our tendency to desiring retribution. However, God's compassion does not preclude the presence of reality. This is what I believe the true interpretation to be behind the statement that God "will by no means clear the guilty" (Ex 34:7). While God is motivated to restore all back to what ought to be (as per 2 Pet 3:9), God well knows that there are those who do not desire this (as per Gen 6:5) and therefore reluctantly but nevertheless intentionally releases these people to that which their hearts desire - the consequences of which is self-destruction/annihilation. This is what I believe God's "strange act" refers to - surrendering his desire expressed in 2 Pet 3:9 to the will of those who have hardened (irreversibly set) their hearts in harmony with the nature and character of the kingdom of darkness.
So, God acts via reality to facilitate ultimate restoration of things back to they way they ought to be. This process of restoration (termed "justice") returns things back to "righteousness". Thus, righteousness and justice are synonymous which is why you will frequently see them paired together in scripture.
I hope this explanation gives at least some insight into how I would propose that God's wrath is indeed "higher" than how we experience wrath.
The nature and character of God is misunderstood by any who do not fully understand the symbolic language of the Revelation. God's true character is revealed by the Truth "once delivered to the saints", and this will lead the seeking soul to "understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God"(Prov 2:1-5). Most do not conduct this search for themselves, and are easy prey for Satan's ministers of unbelief who themselves "know not the scriptures, nor the power of God".
Anyone who follows the conclusions of others(including the SS quarterly) will be open to deceptions of every sort(I am NOT saying the SS quarterly is deceptive). Only by personally seeking the Lord, who is willing to "instruct and teach" each searching soul, will anyone find the Truth that sets us free from sin, and from being misled.
Lead people to search the Word of God for themselves, and long explanations of someone's ideas will not be needed. Isn't this how false ideas are promoted in the first place? Too many are saying "I have the truth", rather than saying "Here is where you will find the truth".
While it is true that we must study scripture for ourselves, it is also wise to listen to the community of believers. It is easy when studying for ourselves to think we are being led by the Holy Spirit, but in fact, are reading into it our own thoughts and ideas. Interaction with others in our faith community provides the appropriate check and balance to ensure that we are not deceiving ourselves. That is how the Holy Spirit works.
Even when I was doing my PhD research- which is really individual work, I had weekly meetings with my supervisor and had to present papers to international conferences to test my ideas against the scrutiny of others. Such interaction was valuable and my peers contributed to my understanding of the issues involved.
Likewise in our spiritual journey, we need to combine our own study with the cut and thrust of dialog and interaction with others. (and yes I agree, we must not rely solely on the work and conclusion of others either.)
Phil; I believe you have truly nailed the wrath of the lamb! I would hope that all Christians could get over there terror of what they think God wants to do to them and realize that what he wants to do, is save them to be united with him...Royce
p.s. seems you agree with James 1:20, Phil.
I agree with all bible verses in the original languages. It is some of the interpretations since then that I don't agree with. Fortunately I am not the only one.
Final judgment to those who were evil has to be pronouced anyway. If there is Justice after all, there has to be an end to bad things. We all will receive what we deserve at some point. The results of our choices along life must result in something. Good will last forever. Evil wil disappear.
"We all will receive what we deserve at some point."
It's a good thing I don't believe that!
What we all deserve is eternal death but what we all are given is eternal life in Christ Jesus, if only we believe Him, accept His death in place of our own and, because of the amazing beauty of that gift, surrender our will and our lives over to Him so He can change us to be like Him.
That is the Gospel.
I am troubled by the emphasis of Thursday's assignment on the negative aspects of the end of the world. Rev. 14:12 is quoted then the entire reading is about the eternal fire and "Wine full strength". It matters where we put our emphasis. We need to understand the reality of the consequences of sin, but the larger concept is how to become and remain those who "keep the commandments of God and and the faith of Jesus'. This is where the emphasis should be! The grey box at the end of the page implies our mission is to scare Hell out of those we attempt to reach for Christ. This has absolutely no appeal for me and strikes me as a perversion of the gospel.
Actually, the negative is to lead to a positive decision against Babylon and the mark. It's a plea for earth dwellers to shake themselves from the debilitating affects of Babylon's offers, to realize to remain in Babylon and to ultimately receive the mark will mean disaster. It isn't coercion, it is compassionate appeal. Looked at that way we avoid that navel gazing into the darkness of doom to come.
To our merciful God the act of punishment is a strange act. Yet He will “by no means clear the guilty.” By terrible things in righteousness He will vindicate the authority of His downtrodden law. The very fact of His reluctance to execute justice, testifies to the in enormity of the sense that call fourth His judgments, and to the severity of the retribution awaiting the transgressor. All the inhabitants of earth are soon to meet the great Lawgiver over His broken law. There are many, many in the popular churches Who know little of the real meaning of the message for this time. I appeal to them not to disregard the fulfilling of the signs of the times, which say so plainly that the end is near. Oh how many who have not sought their soul salvation, will soon make the better lamentation, “The harvest is passed, summer is ended, and my soul is not saved!” When will men learn that God is God, not man, and that He does not change? Ellen G White, Signs of the Times, 1/25/1910 I think that says it all.
The fire that consumes the wicked purifies the earth. Every trace of the curse is swept away. No eternally burning hell will keep before the ransom and the fearful consequences of sin. One reminder alone remains: Our Redeemer will ever bear the marks of His crucifixion. Upon His wounded head, upon His side, His hands and feet, are the only traces of the cruel work that sin has wrought. Ellen G White notes: The Book of Revelation, p.74
Is it possible that the reminders borne by our creator will remind the redeemed from planet Earth of the effect that sin had on creation? Won’t the redeemed be a powerful and convincing witness (throughout eternity, for future generations) for God’s purposes? And what of the inhabitants of eternity who witnessed the creation, then the corruption and finally the redemption of Earth? Will they no longer have memories of the great darkness that enveloped our creation, and the resulting chaos that existed on Earth?...or the lost relationships they may have experienced due to the infection of sin? Will we forget the the efforts and ultimately the sacrifices made by God and the final victory of agape love over selfishness? Could it be that the “...smoke of their torment...” rising forever represents that those who experienced (and survived), or witnessed sin (from eternity) will remember why sin/selfishness must not be allowed another chance to exist?
It would seem that the scars borne by our creator remain with us for eternity, for a reason.
Hi Gary
Good to see the “smoke of their torment” being explained metaphorically...
What do you reckon the lake of fire metaphor might be referring to?
If I may...
"What do you reckon the lake of fire metaphor might be referring to?"
It refers to a complete, irreversible end.
Hey Phil,
That is a great question.
Exploring these passages of scripture with a better understanding of God’s character for me means re-examining the understanding/interpretation of the symbols.
The lake of fire as stated in Revelation seems to be related to passages regarding God’s throne/presence in Daniel and Isaiah. These passages relay to me that the righteous will be “in” the fiery presence of God, singing praises and blessings to God for His healing of our mind/soul/spirit, but the “un-healed” will perish from the glory of the truth that emanates from the presence of God. This is my current and more than likely incomplete understanding of the Lake of Fire.
Okay, Gary, I'd like to understand which passages in Isaiah and Daniel you have in mind, before I reply. So could you please elaborate?
Do these passages also refer to "fire and brimstone" as two passages in reference to the "lake of fire" do? Are these passages to be taken literally or metaphorically?
(I question whether all biblical "fire" is of the same nature.)
Thanks, Gary. That interpretation of "the smoke of their torment" makes sense in the light of what we know of God's character.
On the other hand, the more usual interpretation is that, in the Bible, "forever" is circumscribed by the subject to which it refers. For instance, if something will affect me "forever," it is as long as my life shall last. If a nation is affected "forever," it is as long as that nation lasts. If a fire burns "forever," it will burn until it has consumed all its fuel and goes out. That, in this instance, the smoke would ascend as long as the "torment" continues. Now here's a question: Just what is their "torment"? Let's keep in mind that the language of this passage is fairly clearly metaphorical.
Hello Inge. Regarding the references in Isaiah 33:14,15 and Daniel 7:9,10. Also, Eze 28: 11-14 references the fiery stones on God’s holy mountain...meaning?
Regarding torment, it would seem that given God’s character of unconditional love that the torment of the wicked is the consequence of their choice to ignore the wooing of the Holy Spirit. Then, faced with the raw, unadulterated truth when God reveals Hinself as they attempt to “take” the City of God, they will then bear the consequence of sin: “...when it is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.” James 1: 14, 15. The wicked have overthrown Satan, and now are themselves overthrown by their wickedness in the unfiltered presence of our holy God. Each individual not inside the City will be tormented by their own conscience...until death.
And...I would suggest that “forever” may mean as long as the rightous live. If ever a question arises from a future generation regarding sin, those of us who experienced life on a sin-cursed planet will be a powerful defense against sin ever rising again, as will the countless other beings and “creatures” that witnessed the drama during Earth’s sin age.
Thanks, Gary. I will first address the "torment." I believe you are spot on. The "torment" will be mainly mental anguish - as it was for Christ on the cross. He did not die from the physical results of crucifixion, but from a broken heart. That did not, however, mean that He escaped physical torture. I believe the same will be true for the wicked. They will suffer physical effects. But I think you may have mis-typed when you wrote, "I would suggest that “forever” may mean as long as the righteous live." If you wrote, "I would suggest that “forever” may mean as long as the rebellious wicked live," I could agree with you.
Now on to the fire: As I suggested, all fire is not the same. Although the prophets saw a river of fire pouring out from His throne and make other references to fire in relation to God, not once do they use the term "fire and brimstone." This is significant because that's what fell on Sodom and Gomorrah, and it was very physical indeed. I don't see any connection between the lake of fire in Revelation and descriptions of God's throne, other than the word "fire," and that correlation seems insufficient for establishing a significant teaching.
By the way, 2 Thessalonians 2:8 tells us that the wicked will be destroyed by "the brightness of His coming" at the Second Coming. I take that very literally. They cannot stand in the presence of a Holy God.
But God seems to be doing something different at the end of the millennium when the whole rebellious population is *resurrected* to face the final judgment. The language is pretty clear, and I think it is for us to integrate this into our understanding of God's character, rather than denying the plain language of Scripture. If this stretches us too much, we just need to accept that God knows what He is doing, because His ways are higher than our ways.
Do I see questions/comments above that seem to doubt(?) the reality of the fire and smoke mentioned by the 3rd angel, perhaps thinking it to mean...something other than real fire and smoke?
If this is the case, let me point out what Peter writes by the Spirit(2 Pe 3:5-7), as well as Jude(7), concerning this very fire and it's smoke. Do any view the flood as only a description of something other than real water drowning every creature in who's breath was life? What does the present geology of earth tell us?
Peter and Jude are very clear aren't they? Also, read Ps 37 lately? What actually happened to the captains and their 50 when Elijah called down fire upon them? What did James and John believe about it when the Samaritans snubbed their beloved Master? What is Jesus referring to in Mark 9:43-48?
I would also suggest a look at the Greek use of "aion", which can describe "a portion of time", or a finite "age". I believe Inge's comment about this term being measured by the duration of the event or object in which it is associated is good to consider as well.
I apologize if I have misunderstood the meaning of some of these comments.
Thank God for this week's
lesson