If you're new here, my name is Ricky. I'm one of the pastors here at the church, and I want to invite you to open up God's word if you have it to Revelation chapter 6. If you don't have a Bible, we have some on the back table. We'd love to give one to you just as a gift for you. Or if you got a phone, just Google Revelation 6, but be careful.
There's some weird stuff out there. This chapter in particular is one of those chapters in which there is both a bizarre fascination from the broader culture and a profound misunderstanding of the point of the chapter.
Now, we're going to talk about this chapter thematically. There's a specific theme that you will get as soon as we read the text, and that theme continues through the entire book of Revelation. In fact, it's one of the predominant themes of Revelation.
And yet is one that most Christians, especially in America, try to, you know, play— underplay or explain away or ignore.
Most people, as they read the book of Revelation, read the book of Revelation like this: Revelation 1, there's Jesus, we love that. Revelation 2 and 3, letters to the churches, okay, that's understandable. Revelation 4, the big throne, God's in charge. Revelation 5, Jesus the Lamb that was slain. And then Revelation 6, 6 to 19. It's like something blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then new heavens and new earth at the end. Yay. So we are embarking on the part, into the part of Revelation that we most often ignore or tends to create the most perverse fascination in the broader culture.
But I want us to see this through the lens of the first century. Remember that the Apostle John is taking down this revelation, and it was first given to encourage churches in Asia Minor who were being attacked by others, were being opposed by others, who were being seduced by the world. And Jesus sends this letter to them first, and then through them we get to benefit throughout all history as all Christians benefit from this.
6 · Poses the interpretive question that will govern the sermon: why would Jesus think this material is what suffering churches most need to hear? This reframes judgment language as pastoral care
So ask yourself as we read this, how And why would Jesus think that this is the most important thing to communicate to his churches in that place?
7 · Introduces Johnny Cash's 'God's Gonna Cut You Down' as a cultural entry point to the theme of divine judgment
Well, do we have any Johnny Cash fans? Fans at the church? Any fans of the Man in Black? Mrs. Wheeler, there we go. Love it. I got into the Johnny Cash thing late. I actually got into Johnny Cash, the first song, the first Johnny Cash song I remember hearing was the song posthumously released after he died that was a celebrity-filled music video. Like every celebrity from everywhere was in this video. Sort of as a tribute to Johnny Cash. And the song was catchy. His old ragged voice was compelling. It was a cool song. And then you started to listen to the song and you thought, and I remember thinking, well, is that right? The song went like this. You can run on for a long time, run on for a long time, run on for a long time, but, Sooner or later, God will cut you down. Tell the rambler, the gambler, the backbiter, tell them that God's gonna cut them down. And as a Christian, I remember thinking, is that right? You know, like, like, can I say— could I sing that? You know, is Johnny Cash allowed to sing that?
8 · Identifies the cultural and pastoral problem: people want a good Jesus without an angry God
And today you'll often find people open to hearing about a good God but not an angry God. I've had multiple people who are not Christians tell me that they like the kind and good Jesus who has children gathered to him and, you know, multiplies bread and heals people and talks about loving your neighbor. They like that Jesus. They They don't like the angry, wrathful, vengeful God of the Old Testament. But this one is okay, the nice version of Him.
9 · States the sermon's theological agenda: a thematic survey of wrath in Revelation to answer whether God is good, angry, or both
We're going to do today a thematic overview of the descriptions of anger and wrath in Revelation because they occur through the book. And we're going to ask, what is God really like? Is God good? Is God angry?
10 · States the sermon's thesis: God's goodness and anger are not contradictory but necessarily linked—he is good because he is angry at sin
And here's what I believe this passage and the Bible as a whole teaches. God is good and he is angry. And he is good because he is angry at sin and injustice and evil. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be good.
11 · Develops the thesis: God's anger flows from his holiness and justice, and rightly understanding this will prove to be good news rather than bad news
And God is angry precisely because he is good, because he is just, because he is incorruptible, because he alone is untainted by sin and evil. And when we see that, it'll prove to be good news.
12 · Provides immediate canonical context from Revelation 4-5: God is sovereign on the throne, and Jesus the Lamb executes God's purposes of judgment and redemption by opening the sealed scroll
Now, as we jump into this, remember the context. Revelation 4 shows God on the throne. Revelation 5, the purposes of God are bound up in this scroll with 7 seals. And the Lamb, Jesus, takes the scroll and basically says he will execute the purposes of God. The purposes of God are for judgment and redemption. Redemption through the ages.
13 · Cites Beale's interpretive summary: Christ uses even the forces of evil as agents to accomplish his kingdom purposes of sanctification and judgment
And G.K. Beale sums it up like this: "Through his death and resurrection, Christ has made the world forces of evil his agents to execute his purposes of sanctification and judgment for the purposes of his kingdom."
14 · Signals the sermon's three-part structure and introduces the first major section: the description of the wrath of the Lamb
All right, 3 sections today. The first and longest will be the wrath of the Lamb described. What is this wrath?
15 · Explains the structure of the Four Horsemen: they are not autonomous agents but are armed, given authority, and assigned tasks by God
First, we learn that the wrath of the Lamb is clear and is furious. Now, in the structure of the text, there was a— you'll see the four horsemen, or the four horsemen of the apocalypse, riding out, causing devastation. But they are being armed. They are being given authority. They are being assigned a task, as it were. And you see those— that phrasing: they were given, he was given a bow, this was given, he was given a sword.
16 · Draws an intertextual connection to Zechariah's vision of chariots, showing that the Four Horsemen are part of a biblical pattern of God sending agents of judgment
These mirror the passages of God doing something similar in the book of Zechariah with chariots riding out.
17 · Interprets the Four Horsemen: the first brings international war, the second civil war, the third economic collapse and famine, and the fourth pestilence and disease
And the first horseman causes conquering and invasions. So perhaps the best way to look at it is one nation invading another nation and wars between nations. The second horseman seems to cause civil war, so people inside of a country fighting each other. The third horseman causes economic devastation and starvation, in a sense. And the fourth horseman causes pestilence and disease and wild beasts. And essentially the picture is that death has corrupted all of creation and creation is turned against itself, against humanity.
18 · Uses contemporary economic concerns (inflation, gas prices) to make the third horseman's economic judgment concrete and relatable
Although I will say, in light of recent news, it is funny that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are war, civil war, pestilence, and inflation. In case you're wondering about that third phrase, like the quart of wheat for the denarius, you're like, what in the world is that about? Well, what it means is you go into Walmart and you're going to fill up on gas and you're like, is it $5 a gallon now? That's what it's talking about. It's saying that the prices have become inflated. You can't even buy the necessities that you need.
19 · Synthesizes the Four Horsemen as a comprehensive picture of a fallen world: humanity at war with itself and creation at war with humanity
Now, they together form a full picture of humanity at war with itself, creation at war with humanity, people going hungry, people being hurt.
20 · Moves to Revelation 8's trumpet judgments, showing how they systematically undo the creation order of Genesis 1-2
Now, similarly then, in Revelation 8, there is a second series of judgments. There are 8— not 8, sorry, 7 trumpets that are sounded. And often you'll find there'll be 6 trumpets of judgment, and then the 7th will be sort of a culmination. And so in this case, you see in Revelation 8 that every facet of creation laid out in Genesis 1 and 2 is destroyed. So in other words, the seas, they're turned undrinkable. The skies darken and stars fall down. The mountains pulled down. Creation and the living things turn on one another. There's— if Genesis 1 and 2 is the progressive creation, Revelation 8 is the progressive uncreation.
21 · Rapidly surveys multiple judgment sequences throughout Revelation (chapters 14, 15, 16) to show the pervasive and repeated nature of wrath as a theme
Then, lest you think, "Okay, well, man, those two sections were crazy, but I'm glad we're done with that." Nope. Revelation 14, God's wrath is pictured as a winepress, and the wicked— this is one of the most terrifying and startling images in Scripture— the wicked are seen as those in the winepress, and God in judgment is treading stomping, smashing on the winepress. That's Revelation 14. Revelation 15, 7 plagues are poured out, mirroring the plagues against the Egyptians. Revelation 16, 7 bowls of wrath are poured out.
22 · Makes the comprehensive biblical-theological claim that wrath is a central theme throughout Scripture, not a peripheral one
Here's what I want you to see. This is not a sub-theme in Revelation tucked away in a corner. Neither is this a sub-theme in the Bible. Read the Old Testament. See God's judgment brought against the Egyptians, but then see God's judgment brought against the evil and the unjust even among his people as the ground opens and people are swallowed, where wrath is poured out against his people through Babylon and Assyria, and then in turn, because of their wickedness, others conquer them. Unless you think, "Okay, well, Jesus, Jesus surely is the nice guy. Maybe the Bible is sort of an extended good cop, bad cop thing." where God the Father in the Old Testament is the bad cop, like, "You guys better behave," and then Jesus comes out and he's like, "Hey, everybody, just be cool and love one another." That— we tend to think about Jesus that way. In fact, Jesus is the person that speaks most about hell and judgment in the New Testament. Go back and read the book of Mark.
23 · Concludes the section with a direct claim: if your view of God has no room for anger, it is not the biblical view of God
Here's what I want you to see: that the wrath of the Lamb is a clear theme in Scripture. It can't be ignored. And if our view of God doesn't allow for an angry God, then it is not the view of God in the Bible.
24 · Transitions to the second major claim about the wrath of the Lamb: it is partial (not yet complete) and present (already operative in history)
Second thing we learn: the wrath of the Lamb is partial and present.
25 · Uses church history and personal family history to illustrate that every generation has thought the Four Horsemen pointed uniquely to their time because war, civil war, famine, and plague are constants of fallen human history
Now, one of the key questions about these Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are whether they point to something that happened in the first century or something that happened now or something that will happen in the future, right? And here's the irony. Every century somebody comes out, and you can see this even in, like, church history. Every century, especially the Middle Ages, people were like, "This is it. It's the end." And how do they know? Well, first of all, we have wars between nations. Huh? Second, Civil wars. Huh? Third, economic devastation. And fourth, plague. And so everybody, and you know, so when the Black Death comes, they're like, "Oh, Hundred Years' War and civil war and the Black Death and economic devastation. This is it. We're in the end times." Right? And then the centuries kept rolling. And then World War I. "It's the Great War." And then the Spanish flu. And then the Great Depression. And then, you know, and then my dad was sharing with me during the Cold War that people regularly were like, this is it, this is it, nuclear combat. And this, you know, and we, you know, we're now back to that, I guess.
26 · Transitions from illustration to interpretive resolution, setting up the answer to the timing question
And so every age wrestles with this. Now, what's the best way to interpret this then?
27 · Gives the interpretive answer supported by Beale: the Four Horsemen have been riding since Christ's ascension and will continue until his return
Well, the best way to interpret this is, it seems to be, that the, the Four Horsemen are unleashed after Christ's ascension and continue to ride in their way until the final judgment. G.K. Beale says this: The plagues of the Four Horsemen are symbolic of the suffering of many throughout the earth, which will continue until the final return of Christ.
28 · Applies the interpretive conclusion theologically: God's sovereignty means his judgment is operative in the present, not just reserved for the future
So here's what you should see: God is sovereign, and part of his justice and judgment occurs even now. Even now.
29 · Identifies multiple biblical purposes for present judgment: experiencing the consequences of living in a fallen world, God giving humanity over to sin, divine discipline, and church purification
Now, as we'll— we could do a thematic overview in Scripture of the purposes of God and judgment. One of those purposes, well, one of the realities of judgment is that we're just Christians living in a fallen world, and we experience the fallenness of the world. And we One of the consequences of sin is that God gives humanity over to our fallenness and does not restrain us. Other times we see God using discipline in our lives in these ways. Or sometimes God purifies his church through sin. All of these could be part of the purpose of God through this judgment, which is partial and present.
30 · Directly confronts the expectation that Christians will escape tribulation, pointing out that the present age already contains the judgments of the Four Horsemen
And so some people are like, "We're not going to be present during the bad stuff in Revelation, right?" Sorry, here you are, right? This is your present.
31 · Reframes present suffering as comfort rather than cause for alarm: Christians throughout history have faced these judgments, and recognizing them as part of Jesus' plan keeps us from thinking we're off course when the road is rough
But all Christians, in a sense, this should be a comfort to you, have been present. And part of the purpose of God is that the people of God throughout the age, especially in the first century, would not— would say, look, this is what's happening. The world is in turmoil. And rather than going, things are out of control, we're going to die, they should say, no, No, Jesus is firmly in control and he's using these things for his good purposes. In other words, don't freak out because you think you're off the road. See the rough road as, yep, Jesus told us it would be rough, we're on the right road.
32 · Transitions to the third major claim: while judgment is partial and present now, it will come in complete fullness soon
All right, third, the wrath of the Lamb is coming soon in fullness.
33 · Distinguishes the sixth seal from the first four: it is complete, universal, final judgment—the Day of the Lord
Now, you'll see the first 4, then a pause in 5 for the martyrs, which we'll deal with, and then the sixth seal. Now the sixth seal, in contrast to the first four seals, is not partial judgment. It is complete judgment. It is universal judgment. This is what the Old Testament calls the Day of the Lord. It is the day of ultimate judgment on the earth. And we see this because even stars are destroyed. The sky is rolled up and every single person is affected. Regardless of who they are, right? The rich, their wealth will not protect them against this. The generals, their armies will not protect them against this. The great ones and kings, their power won't protect them. Everything is being undone.
34 · Transitions to explaining the chronological structure of Revelation using visual aids
Now, very much you're probably wondering, okay, well, so first 4 are kind of now, 6 is coming. How do we make sense of the timelines and chronology then of revelation. Now, we'll talk more about this as we go, but I want to show you some drawings that I did. Please make fun of them, because this is the best I can do with my finger on an iPad. Side note, if you're wondering, like, could Ricky receive help and learn to draw or write better? The answer is no, because once, at one point, my parents had us do art lessons, and And after a series of weeks, the art teacher came to my mom and said, "There's nothing I can do with him. So this is what it will be. If you're going to be part of the church, just get used to this."
35 · Presents the first interpretive framework for Revelation's structure: sequential/progressive, where the seven-judgment sequences are chronologically ordered and move toward the final day
So, but this is a diagram in the way that some see the unfolding of Revelation. So you have the cross and resurrection of Jesus and ascension, and then you have the very end, the day of the Lord, and in the middle there is history. So some people would view Revelation as progressively kind of these 7 judgments that occur repeatedly through Revelation are sort of each are chronological and keep occurring until the great day at the end. Okay?
36 · Presents the second interpretive framework: recapitulation/parallel, where some judgment sequences overlap and view the same events from different angles, similar to how the Gospels relate
Now, others— second slide, this one's even worse, I'm sorry— would notice that in Revelation some things occur out of sequence. For example, in Revelation 12, when we get there, seems very strongly to to be about the birth of Christ. And you're like, well, how does that fit in the timeline? So some people will then say, okay, some of these 7 sevens of judgment, some of them may be looking at the same events from different angles, almost like Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John look at the life of Jesus through different, slightly different angles that are complementary. There are different sections of judgment that overlap. For example, one good, reading could be Revelation 6. The sixth seal, the day of judgment, is then unfolded in full in Revelation 8, and Revelation 8 is kind of all tucked into Revelation 6.
37 · Synthesizes the two frameworks into a pastoral takeaway: regardless of which chronological view you hold, the clear thematic pattern is repeated cycles of judgment with increasing intensity culminating in the Day of the Lord
If you're losing track of this, it's okay. There's 3 people I'm talking to right now, and they need this. So basically, this is what I would encourage you to think about. What is clear, and this is— I'm not— this isn't— this may not be perfectly the structure of Revelation historically, but it is very much the structure of Revelation thematically, where the same types of events keep occurring and they seem to keep occurring with greater intensity until the end. So there's judgment and God's people are preserved and they're martyred and the gospel advances. And there's judgment and evil, God's people are preserved, there's martyrs and judgment, you know, and they keep going. And it eventually culminates in the Day of the Lord.
38 · Synthesizes the timing question: the Four Horsemen represent present ongoing judgment, while the sixth seal points to future complete judgment
Now, you could take away my terrible drawing. Here's what I want you to get. There's a sense in which from, from the first 4 seals, the judgment is now. But there is a sense in which, according to Revelation 6, the final Day of the Lord is yet to come.
39 · Establishes the justice of God's wrath through the fifth seal's martyrs crying out for justice
So, fourth, let's cover this: the wrath of the Lamb is just. Now, we know from all of Scripture that God's judgment is just, but we see a compelling example of it in the fifth seal where the people of God, the martyrs of God who are unjustly killed, cry out, "O Sovereign Lord," meaning they acknowledge the Lamb is sovereign, "holy and true." They acknowledge that he's incorruptible. 'How long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?' They are crying out for justice. They have been unjustly murdered as kind of an exemplar of the kind of injustice that occurs throughout history. And this leads to their cry of judgment, or the cry for justice and judgment. Johnny Cash sang in another song, "Well, you may throw your rock and hide your hand, working in the dark against your fellow man, but as sure as God made black and white, what's done in the dark will be brought to the light." Meaning this: this is the truth about an angry God in the Bible. If he sees the world as it is, He must be angry if He is good. If this is true, if He is holy and true, He must be angry. And if He is sovereign, He must do something about it. That is what the Scripture says of God. Wayne Grudem says this: What would God be like if He were a God that did not hate sin? He would then be a God who either delighted in sin, or at least was not troubled by it. Such a God would not be worthy of our worship, for sin is hateful and it is worthy of being hated. Sin ought not to be. It is in fact a virtue to hate evil and sin, and we rightly imitate this attribute of God when we feel hatred against great evil.
40 · Uses detailed statistics about child abuse to make concrete the reality and scale of injustice in the world, grounding the abstract theological claim about God's anger in specific, horrifying facts
Injustice and sin. Take just one example, the, the issue of child abuse. According to the Children's Advocacy Center, in 2010, 1,537 children died of abuse or neglect. 1 in 3 to 4 girls and 1 out of 5 to 6 boys will be abused before they reach age 18. 90% of abuse victims know the perpetrator in some way, and 68% are abused by a family member. For every incident of child abuse or neglect that's reported, an estimated 2 incidents go unreported. Child abuse occurs across all socioeconomic levels, ethnic and cultural lines, religion and education levels, and neglect, the most widespread form of abuse, makes up more than 59% of abuse cases. That's just one issue, brothers and sisters. That's just one thing.
41 · Shares a personal pastoral story of walking with an abuse victim through the legal process
Like, I don't know if I've ever felt this more strongly than when a number of years ago— I got to be careful with the details of this. A number of years ago, we— I was leading our singles group. We had a girl in the group come forward. She was an adult at that time and share that a family member had been repeatedly abusing her since the age of 13. And we walked with her through reporting it, through testifying against this family member, through this person going to jail. But I just remember feeling when the person was sentenced, when this family member was sentenced for what he had done, everything in the fiber of my being, seeing this girl's face and talking to her, everything in the fiber of my being said, It is not enough for him to spend a few years in jail. It is not enough.
42 · Applies the theological claim by calling the congregation to join the cry of the martyrs
Look, when we see the reality of the world around us, we should cry out with the martyrs, "How long, O Lord?" We know You are sovereign. We know You are good. How long? How long until war crimes in dark parts of Africa who are unreported and undefended are avenged? How long until human traffickers are exposed and judged? How long, O Lord?
43 · Restates the thesis in response to the 'How long?' question: Revelation is God's answer, showing judgment is partial now and will be complete soon
And Revelation, the book of Revelation, is the answer. Judgment is now, and judgment will come in fullness soon. And if God is not angry, He is not good. But the Bible causes us to rejoice that the wrath of the Lamb is kindled against the evil.
44 · Moves to the final attribute of the Lamb's wrath: it is purposeful, not capricious
And last thing we learned about the wrath of the Lamb is that the wrath of the Lamb brings peace. The ultimate arc of Revelation is toward the eternal rest, the that God's people sing about in Revelation 7, where they are hungry no more, where they're afflicted no more, where God is in their midst, where every tear is dried. In Revelation 11, the culmination of the 7 trumpets of wrath, there's a voice that cries, "The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever." The wrath of God is not capricious. It is not devastating for devastation's sake. It is no kid with a magnifying glass burning ants on the sidewalk just to see them writhe around. The wrath of God is necessary to put away evil and injustice so that the peace of His people and of the new creation can be protected for all eternity.
45 · Transitions to the second major section of the sermon: how the wrath of the Lamb can be escaped
Second, the wrath of the Lamb escaped.
46 · Establishes the proper human response to understanding the wrath of the Lamb: trembling, because that wrath is directed at all who are unjust
If we rightly understand the wrath of the Lamb, we will tremble. We should tremble because the wrath of the Lamb is for all who are unjust.
47 · Introduces Johnny Cash's arrest in El Paso as a local connection and a transition into discussing his sinfulness
Now, Johnny Cash has a strange connection to the city of El Paso. Did you know that Johnny Cash made a very famous visit that occurs in every biography of Johnny Cash to this very city, the city of El Paso? And those of you who know the story, you're like, oh boy. Because Johnny Cash came here to go to Wadis and purchase a large amount of drugs. And I think may either have purchased or had on his person an unlicensed firearm. And as he tried to leave on a plane, he was arrested, booked. There's a mugshot of him in El Paso. I think I saw some kid wearing it on a t-shirt, which was weird, but I don't understand youth culture.
48 · Catalogs Johnny Cash's sins during his dark period, culminating in his own assessment: 'I was evil
So, in that era, here's what you gotta know about Johnny Cash. In addition to being addicted to drugs, in addition to cheating on his wife repeatedly, in addition to having 2 young daughters he left alone for long periods of time, he repeatedly lied, he harmed those close to him. At one point, he tried to burn down burn himself and a friend down when he was too drunk in the middle of a forest. And this pattern occurred again and again and again. And he would say later in an interview, "I was evil. I was pure evil."
49 · Uses Johnny Cash's cover of 'Hurt' as a confession of his capacity to harm others
He would later cover— as a bizarre thing, which was amazing— he covered the Nine Inch Nails song "Hurt," and in his old ragged voice sang about this period of his life. I will let you down. I will make you hurt.
50 · Identifies what Johnny Cash understood correctly: his position on the wrong side of justice and the inevitability of God's judgment
Now here's the thing Johnny Cash gets right. He got that he was on the wrong side of justice, and he got that sooner or later God would come for the unjust.
51 · Applies Johnny Cash's situation to all hearers: everyone stands at Revelation 6:17 asking 'who can stand?' before the wrath of the Lamb
What do we do then? We are all left at verse 17 in the crowd, and we say, "For the great day of their wrath has come, and who "Who can stand?"
52 · Reads Revelation 7:9-10 to show the answer to 'who can stand?'—a great multitude from every nation standing before the throne, clothed in white, crying out that salvation belongs to God and the Lamb
The good news is that chapter 7 occurs, and I'm going to just recover for an instant what Vince covered so well last week because we see the connection of these two texts. Look at Revelation 7, verse 9, and remember the cry, "Who can stand?" 7:9, "And after this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, 'Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne and to the Lamb!'"
53 · Reads Revelation 7:13-14 to explain how people can stand—they have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb
Verse 13, how does this happen? "Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these?" clothed in white robes. From where have they come?' I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.'
54 · Contrasts the two groups before the throne: those who ask 'who can stand?' in terror and those who stand in joy
Do you see these two groups? Two groups. One, it says, 'Who can stand?' And their view of God, their view of the throne, their view of the Lamb is Who can stand against the wrath against injustice? And yet there is this other group that they are standing. They are clothed in white. And when they look at the throne, they rejoice. And when they look at the Lamb, they rejoice. How can this be? What is the difference between the two of them? Is it that these finally did 100,000 good deeds? Is it that they were born into the right family, or they come from the right nation, or they sat in the right church? No, the only thing that separates this group from this group is that this group has washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
55 · Applies the gospel offer: anyone—including those who recognize themselves as evil like Johnny Cash—can be washed in the blood of the Lamb
And the good news of the Bible is that anyone can. Anyone. Even people who let others down, even people who make others hurt, even people who, like Johnny Cash, would say that they are pure evil. Evil, they can be washed.
56 · Uses Johnny Cash's 'Redemption Day' lyrics as a poetic summary of the gospel: Christ's blood, shed from hands, side, and feet, becomes the tree of life that redeems captives
Johnny Cash in the song Redemption Day says this: From his hands it came down, from the side it came down, from the feet it came down and ran to the ground. Between heaven and hell a teardrop fell. In the deep crimson dew the tree of life grew. And the blood gave life to the branches of the tree. And the blood was the price that set the captives free, and the numbers that came through the fire and the flood clung to the tree and were redeemed by the blood.
57 · Direct evangelistic appeal to non-Christians: recognize which group you're in, see that you cannot earn your way into the standing group, and come to Jesus to claim his mercy
Oh friend, if you are not a Christian, let me just encourage you to see yourself rightly and see which group you are in today. If you've not washed your robe, as it were, in the blood of the Lamb— the robe meaning, like, in a sense it represents your deeds, who you are, your righteousness. And if you look down and you think, "Man, I've let people down. I've made them hurt. I would be one of those that would be judged," hear the open invitation. You don't have to do 100,000 good deeds and come back. You just come to Jesus. Come to the Lamb. Claim his mercy and join his people today.
58 · Addresses the common Christian question about the timing of the rapture—when do Christians escape the tribulation described in Revelation?
And for those of us who are Christians, you know, one of the things that I— one of the questions I get a lot about Revelation, especially from folks who kind of have that sequential view of Revelation, they are really concerned with, okay, when do the Christians get pulled out though, right? Like, this is— like, I don't love this stuff. And Ricky was already disappointing me, saying that apparently I'm already here for the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, which I don't like. So when do I get sliced out and get to watch everything crazy happening? I'm not going to be here for the worst of it, right?
59 · Answers the rapture question with the central pastoral comfort: regardless of eschatological timeline, Christians won't face the worst of God's wrath because Jesus absorbed it
Here is one thing that every single orthodox commentator on the book Revelation agrees on, brother or sister in Christ, you will not be there for the worst of it because the wrath of the Lamb has been absorbed by the Lamb for you.
60 · Gives concrete pastoral instruction flowing from the theological truth: Christians can rest and sleep peacefully knowing Jesus has them and God's wrath will pass over them
So man, whatever, whatever your view of Revelation is, look, you can rest. You can go to sleep tonight, right? Rather than being like, "Where do I get off the bus?" Just get these two things: one, Jesus has got you, and two, because of the Lamb, the wrath of God will pass over you. And you will join that multitude who will hunger and thirst no more, and the sun shall not strike them, for the Lamb will be in the midst of the throne— Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every every tear from their eyes. That's your future.
61 · Transitions to the final major section: practical applications of the doctrine of the wrath of the Lamb
All right, very briefly now, the wrath of the Lamb applied. The wrath of the Lamb applied. How then do we think about this?
62 · First application: the wrath of the Lamb should sober us toward sin
Well, first, the wrath of the Lamb is sobering, sobering. In Revelation 2 and 3, there are areas of compromise with these churches, and this is meant to help reinforce to them that sin is serious, injustice is serious.
63 · Cites Colossians 3 to show that specific sins—sexual immorality, covetousness, etc
Colossians 3 says this: "Put to death, therefore, what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming."
64 · Direct application question: are you trifling with sin, and do you share God's anger toward what angers him?
Brother, sister, is there a sin that you are trifling with, a sin that you're playing with? Does what makes God angry make you angry?
65 · Uses the cultural celebration of adultery/divorce as an example of American culture's casual acceptance of sin that God hates
Sometimes I think in our American culture we are used to a number of sins. Right? We're using, we're just kind of casually like, well, you know. And even you encounter these moments where like, you know, maybe you have somebody that's been married for a number of years, but their heart leads them away from their spouse. In American culture, it's like, oh, you've gotta follow your heart. You gotta be true to yourself. You gotta do you, right? And they applaud the person. Yeah, leave that spouse. Go chase your dream. You don't love them anymore.
66 · Contrasts American culture's applause with Scripture's perspective: God grieves when marriage (the picture of Christ and the church) is torn apart for sin
And in light of Scripture, God is grieved that the picture of Christ and the church is being torn apart for someone pursuing sin.
67 · Calls for calibrating our sense of justice to Scripture rather than culture, and for being sobered by what Scripture calls sin
Let's set our definitions of justice according to the Bible and be sobered.
68 · Second application: the wrath of the Lamb is comforting to those who see injustice daily (social workers, law enforcement, pastors)
Second, the wrath of the Lamb is comforting. There is so much injustice in this world. Look, there's certain occupations you see it. I've talked to social workers in our church. That see the injustice. I've talked to law enforcement people in our church that see evil and injustice. As a pastor, you see it. As a pastor, I've sat in the police station as someone has gone inside to make a report of assault, right? You see this, you feel this. How do we stay sane in an insane world? Revelation 6. Even now, God brings a measure of justice, and one day justice will be poured out in full. In the end, hear this, nobody will say God was unjust. In the end, every wrong will be made right.
69 · Concludes the comfort application with the call to look forward to final justice
So we look forward to that in comfort.
70 · Third application: the wrath of the Lamb frees us from the burden of being ultimate justice-bringers
Third, the wrath of the Lamb is freeing. Apart from the wrath of the Lamb, we would be tempted to go, "Man, we have to be the people that have to ultimately bring justice." I had this one friend who would always get real mad, and his dad made him memorize the verse, Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, which I thought was a weird thing to have a kid memorize, but the verse has a point, meaning this: God will ultimately bring justice. So therefore, we can try to act justly in the spheres that God has given us, try to act justly in our jobs and in our communities, but we can be free from the burden of, man, we've gotta do enough things to bring about some justice utopia.
71 · Analyzes the limitation of human justice movements: even when oppressors are deposed, they are replaced by more unjust people because power reveals the heart
Here's the problem with justice on earth. And there's some ways that there's a commendable desire from Gen Z and the millennials for justice, which is not always calibrated according to biblical justice, so read your Bible. But one of the things that is problematic about the millennial and Gen Z pursuit of justice is failing to acknowledge that once you have a group of unjust people up here and then other people down here, once the unjust people get deposed, they will get replaced by more unjust people, right? This is the reality. There is no ultimate human resolution.
72 · Critiques the critical theory power-reversal framework as biblically attested but limited: power reveals the heart rather than corrupting it
This sort of critical theory framework of the people in power getting replaced by the people not in power, that's all across the Bible. And the problem is, Power doesn't corrupt people, power reveals what's in our hearts. So if you're like, man, we're gonna be the generation to do it, just set your expectations in a better place. You may act justly and God use that to give glimpses of his perfect justice, which is beautiful and commendable, but our ultimate hope is the justice of the Lamb. And that is so freeing.
73 · Fourth application: the wrath of the Lamb focuses us on mission
All right, last, the wrath of the Lamb is focusing. You'll see that in Revelation 6, one of the things it said is that the number of martyrs is not yet complete. In Revelation 7, we see this complete multitude of every tribe, people from every tribe, tongue, language, and people group. So what is clear here is that the Lamb has a plan. He is gathering a people for himself. That is one of the purposes for which the Lamb delays the ultimate day of the Lord.
74 · Personalizes the mission application: every Christian exists only because God delayed judgment
Look, brother or sister, if you are a Christian, you are a Christian because the Lord in his mercy delayed the day of the Lord that you may be gathered to his people. Isn't that good news?
75 · Balances eschatological longing with gratitude for delay: we long for the day of justice, but we should thank God for his patience so more can hear the gospel
And so all of us, man, we long for that day. We long for that day of perfect justice, but we should also thank God for his patience that more may hear about the offer of the Lamb to wash your robes white in the blood of the Lamb.
76 · Cites Grudem quoting 2 Peter 3 to ground the 'patience produces mission urgency' application in Scripture: God delays judgment so more may be saved
Wayne Grudem says this: When we think of God's wrath to come, we should simultaneously be thankful for his patience in waiting to execute that wrath in order that yet more people may be saved. He quotes, "The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar." Grudem is pointing us to the fact that, man, we should be focused in this life.
77 · Direct mission application: because the Lord delays in kindness, we should prioritize telling others about Jesus
On helping more people hear about Jesus. The Lord delays in his kindness, and every year he does. May we tell others about him. May we point others to him. What are your priorities in life, right? Is it this? It should be.
78 · Introduces the story of Johnny Cash's brother Jack, whose dying words were 'Meet me in heaven,' establishing the hope that runs through Johnny's life
All right, well, let me conclude this way. When Johnny Cash was 12, his brother Jack was severely injured in a taming table saw accident. And at the hospital, Jack, who seemed to have a genuine faith, told Johnny and the rest of his family— the last words he spoke to his family were, "Meet me in heaven."
79 · Connects Jack's dying words to Johnny's final album, where he sings about resurrection hope and meeting Jesus in the air, echoing his brother's final request
Perhaps it was appropriate then that Johnny Cash's last posthumous record was titled "Ain't No Grave" and contained an elderly Johnny Cash with his voice cracking and straining singing the old song Ain't no grave can hold my body down, and contained the beautiful line, "Will Jesus meet me? Jesus, meet me. Meet me in the middle of the air."
80 · Answers the question posed by Johnny Cash's life: how can an evil man hope to meet Jesus? Only through the blood of Jesus who died for sinners
Why could the same man who's saying God's going to cut you down and the same man who called himself an evil man hope to meet Jesus and his brother in the air? Because of the blood of Jesus. Who died for sinners.
81 · Brief pastoral qualification: we can't know for certain if Johnny Cash was saved, but his hope appears genuine
Now, was Johnny Cash a genuine Christian? I don't know, but God knows, and Johnny knows, and I think the hope he held out is genuine.
82 · Transitions to the Lord's Supper, inviting believers to participate and non-believers to observe
So now let's transition to that hope in the Lord's Supper. Take that cup at your seat, and if you are in Christ, you are welcome to take communion with us. If you're not in Christ, we ask you to just refrain but observe what the Lord has done in picturing the sacrifice of Jesus through the bread and the cup.
83 · Reads the Luke 22 institution narrative and explains that the Lord's Supper is both memorial (what God has done) and promise (what he will do when the kingdom comes)
Luke 22 says this: And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he said, "Take this and divide it among yourselves, for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. The Lord's Supper is both a picture of what God has done for us and a promise from Jesus that one day he will eat and drink with us when the kingdom comes. So every time we do it, it is both a reminder of what he has done, but a promise of what he will do.
84 · Reads the words of institution over the bread and invites the congregation to take it
Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." Please take the bread.
85 · Reads the words of institution over the cup, invites the congregation to drink, and transitions to corporate worship
And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood. Please drink in remembrance of him." And now let's stand and sing.
86 · Closing prayer asking Jesus to help the congregation not be overwhelmed by injustice but to have deep hope in his future making of all things right
Jesus, we look forward to that day. We look forward to that day that you promise that you will eat and drink with us in this world of injustice, Help us not to be overwhelmed or burdened or hopeless. Help us to have a deep hope that you see, you know, and in the end you will make everything right. May we rejoice that we are those counted among those with robes gathered around the throne, standing and rejoicing that salvation belongs to our God and to the Lamb. Amen.