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Introduction
Throughout Revelation, and specifically chapters 19 and 20 the victory of the risen and exalted Christ is depicted from varying viewpoints rather than a linear sequence of events.  Consequently, readers of Revelation often get stuck on how and when the events of the apocalypse occur rather than the overall theme, which is God's victory over evil, the lordship and royalty of the Godhead, the resurrection of the believer, and the Kingdom of God/Heaven coming to earth.
 
Vs 1 - 3
Vs 1:  An angel comes down from heaven holding in his hand the key to the Abyss or the bottomless pit and a heavy chain to bind Satan. Abyss was thought of as a vast deep cavern that serves as a place of imprisonment for evil spirits awaiting judgment.
 
Vs 2 – 3:  The angel seizes the dragon, that old serpent, the devil, binds him, and throws him into the abyss for 1,000 years.  When trying to decipher the binding of Satan for 1,000 years depends upon whether the passage is taken as descriptive of the present age or of a period that will follow the second coming of Jesus Christ. 
 
1,000 years is a period elected as a thousand years or a long period of time the devil is bound and thrown into the Abyss, which is then locked and sealed. The reason for imprisonment is not intended to punish the dragon. Imprisonment is to stop him from deceiving the nations. A thousand years of confinement does not change the devil’s plans, nor does a thousand years of liberty from the encouragement of wickedness change people’s basic tendency to rebel against their creator.
 
Three views of the Millennium Doctrine

1. Premillennialism – Taking a mostly literal approach, pre-millenarians expect a period of one thousand years’ duration, during which Christ will reign with his saints here on earth prior to the establishment of the eternal new heavens and new earth[1]
2. Postmillennialism – Christ returns after the millennial period. According to this camp, the millennial kingdom will be established through the evangelistic mission of the church. This enterprise will be so successful that all or most people will become Christians, resulting in a thousand years of peace on earth before Christ’s second coming.[2]
3. Amillennialism – The thousand years of Revelation 20 symbolizes an indefinitely long period of time, which happens to correspond to the entire span of time from the first coming of Christ until his second coming. Most aspects of chapter 20 (like most aspects of the rest of Revelation) are believed to be symbolic. The binding of Satan happened spiritually at the Cross; the reign of the saints is the present age; the loosing of Satan is a final period of deception coming on the world in the end of the age; the fire from heaven that devours the wicked is the second coming of Christ.[3]

 
Vs 4 - 6
Vs 4: John sees thrones with people sitting on them, and they are the faithful martyrs who willingly and obediently gave their lives rather than worship the beast or receive his mark. We do not know much about the people on the thrones other than they have been given the authority to judge. Their judgment does not relate to the question of who is worthy to be resurrected and share in the millennial reign with Christ.
 
The judgement appears to be connected to the vindication of the martyrs and their right to undertake the territory of the defeated powers of evil. John also sees the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and the word of God.They are the ones who stayed faithful to God and refused to worship the Beast and the False Prophet/idolatry. “These are the souls under the altar in 6:9 and all who are to meet a similar fate until the time of their vindication (6:11). They are called souls because, at this point, they are still awaiting the resurrection.”[4] Note, John does not speak of a reign of all saints, instead, he refers to the reign of the martyrs.  Lastly, John does not relate this reign with Jesus’ second coming.  He doesn’t refer to his return at all in this chapter.  Instead, like previously stated, John is recording what he is seeing, and it is simply giving us a behind-the-scenes glimpse. 
 
Vs 5 – 6: Those who partake in the first resurrection are called “blessed and holy”.  They are priests of God, they will reign for the thousand years or period of time, and the second death has no power of them.
 
Vs 7 - 10
Vs 7 - 8:  Satan is released from his chains, and he picks up where he left off.  He goes out and does what he does best… deceives the nations.  He assembles an army to wage war on God.
 
In Revelation, both Gog and Magog are symbols that represent the nations that are against God and assemble for one final attack on God and his people.
 
These are not specific regions; they represent nations across the world who oppose God.
 
Vs 9:  The nations that are allied with Satan surround the city where God’s people rside.  We anticipate a great battle, but none ever comes, instead, the enemies of God are consumed by fire from heaven. 
 
Vs 10:  The devil does not suffer the same fate as his followers.  He is cast into the lake of fire of burning sulfur.  He will join both the Antichrist and False Prophet.  In this lake, they will be tormented day and night for all eternity. The lake of fire was always intended for the dragon/devil, the beast, and the false prophet.
 
Vs 11 - 15
Vs 11:  This is the final scene of judgment. 
John looks and sees a Great White Throne descending from the heavens.  There is one seated on the throne, who is most likely God, and all creation flees from his presence, because of his awesome grandeur. 
The symbolism behind this is to show God is in charge and he will implement justice upon all that is under the control of evil.
 
In its departure from the presence of God, no place is found for the terrified universe.
 
Vs 12: The rest of the dead the “great and the small” all stand before God. 
 
This shows that no one is so important that they are immune from judgment, and that no one is so unimportant as to make judgment inappropriate. 
 
There is a book with deeds written in it and the other is the book of life. 
 
Concerning the deeds, the issue is not that salvation is attained by works but that works are the evidence of a person’s relationship with God. Our deeds matter. Salvation is by faith and obedience, and faith is revealed by the works of obedience it produces. The second is the book of life.  This would be considered a divine registry.  If one’s name is not written in it, they are thrown are not permitted into God’s Kingdom.
 
Vs 13- 15:  The sea now gives up its dead, as do death and Hades, and all people are judged based on what they have done. The sea is specifically mentioned to show that no one—not even those whose bodies had gone unburied because lost at sea—would escape resurrection and judgment. The lake of fire is the second death.  Anyone whose name is not written in the book of life will suffer the fate of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet. 
 
This concludes the judgment of evil.  The church reigns triumphant with the Messiah.
 

[1] Steve Gregg, Revelation, Four Views: A Parallel Commentary (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), 27.
[2] Steve Gregg, Revelation, Four Views: A Parallel Commentary (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), 28.
[3] Steve Gregg, Revelation, Four Views: A Parallel Commentary (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson Publishers, 1997), 28.
[4] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 365). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

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Vs 1 – 5: The “Song of Victory” breaks out in heaven which contrasts with the woes of the kings, merchants, and seafarers lose everything as a result from the fall of Rome. There is a celebration in heaven because evil has not triumphed.
We hear the praises from the nations who declare God as their salvation. The angels also all sing out in praise for the salvation, glory, and power of God.
His judgment of the prostitute who tarnished the earth with her infidelities is a true and just judgment.
In this crowd we also hear the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures as they sing, “Amen, Praise the Lord!”
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We hear a voice from the throne inviting the whole earth to join in response of praise to God.  
Vs 6:  John hears a sound like the sound of a vast crowd, like the roar of a mighty ocean waves, and the crash of thunder. Such a spectacle is appropriate for the proclamation that God has at last proven his worldwide reign on earth.
 
Vs. 7:  The heavenly choir resumes its song of praise with the exhortation. 
“Time has come for the wedding...” In biblical times a marriage involved two key factors… the betrothal and the wedding ceremony. These two were usually separated by a period of time during which the future bride and groom were considered husband and wife and as such were under the contracts of faithfulness. weddings in the near east is appropriate to help us get a better feel as to what is going on.  A wedding celebration in Jesus’ time could last as long as a week.  It was truly a festive celebration.  From what we gather there was no religious ceremony that precedes the celebration.  We do know the groom would get dressed up in his best outerwear and go to the parent’s house of the bride.  He was accompanied by friends, musicians and torch bearers if it was nighttime.  He received his bride from the parents and a celebration followed (signing of a contract or document of sorts did occur).  In the evening the bride was escorted to the nuptial chamber by her parents, and the groom by his companions or the bride’s parents. On the next day the festivities were resumed, continuing for seven days. It was a festive time and the whole community celebrated it.  The groom was the one who footed the bill and was expected to provide enough food and drinks for the whole party.  To run out of supplies would be a huge embarrassment to the groom.  It was possible for legal action to be taken against a family if they failed to provide enough food and drink for their guests.
 
By analogy, the church, espoused to Christ by faith, now awaits the (second-coming) when the heavenly groom (Jesus) will come for his bride and bring heaven to earth for the marriage feast that lasts for all eternity.[1]
 
his bride has prepared herself. The bride, the wife, or the woman, here is the reverse of Babylon, the depraved woman. The white robe is symbolic for one’s standing before God. The readers are warned that sin contaminates their garments, thus making them unfit for entrance into God’s presence. Hence, they must wash their robes in the blood of the Lamb by receiving the benefits of Christ’s death. Thus, the cleansing allows access into the New Jerusalem. The white robes are given as a promise of resurrection for those who were martyred. Being clothed in splendor was a traditional way to refer to resurrection.
 
Vs 8:  The prostitute who was once adorned with fine clothes and jewels is now in tatters and destitute is now contrasted with the church (the Bride of Christ) that is attired in linens of pure white.  It is explained to John that the linen represents the good deeds of the saints.
 
Vs 9 – 10:  John is told to write, “Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.”  The church portrayed as both the bride and the guests who are invited to the wedding. In Revelation those invited to the Lamb’s wedding feast enjoy God’s kindness; they are “called” and “chosen” The Lamb’s wedding feast is gracious, in contrast to the “banquet” on the battlefield in the next scene, where the allies of evil are defeated and are devoured by birds.
 
Overwhelmed, John falls and worships the angel, most likely mistaking the angel with Jesus.  Immediately John is told not to worship him because he is a mere servant of God.  Such an act of worship is unsuitable because the angel is also a fellow servant with John.
 
Vs 11:  Without warning heaven opens and suddenly there appears a white horse whose rider (named Faithful and True) is ready to wage a righteous war and end the present age.
 
Vs 12:  John sees a rider on a horse, the Messiah, Jesus Christ.  John describes this rider’s eyes were like flames of fire. This represents that nothing can be hidden from the Messiah. Upon his head are many crowns. This is an apparent contrast to the seven crowns of the dragon and the ten crowns of the beast out of the sea. Many crowns indicate unlimited power. He is King of all kings; all authority and power are is his and his alone.

“A name written on Him...”  The most common understanding of this name is that it is a secret name whose meaning is hidden from all creation. It expresses the mystery of Christ. There will always be a mystery about Jesus that humanity will never fully grasp or understand.
 
Vs 13:  According to Craig Koester, “There are two principal interpretations concerning the source of the blood. The most probable is that this is Christ’s own blood. Revelation says that Jesus’ blood advances God’s kingdom by delivering people from sin. Jesus’ blood makes the robes of the redeemed white, like the robes of those who follow him into battle. His blood also brings victory over evil, and here he defeats the satanic beast and false prophet. Since Christ appears in a bloodstained robe before the battle begins, the blood must be his own. A second interpretation is that it is the blood of Christ’s enemies. Revelation’s battle scene draws on Isa 63:1–3, in which God is portrayed as a warrior who has trampled the winepress of wrath so that his robes are red with the blood of his enemies. Since Jesus tramples the winepress in Rev 19:15, one might assume that his robe too is spattered with his adversaries’ blood.” [2]
 
Vs 14:  One would think the heavenly army is composed of angels, but more likely refers to the “called, chosen and faithful” in Revelation 17 and this would certainly include the faithful martyrs.  Their “finest pure white linen” points to the righteousness of divine retribution.
 
Vs 15: “Strikes down nations with sword” - The sword represents the conquering power of his judgment through word. This is not a literal sword, but it is a fatal pronouncement that goes out like a sharp blade from the mouth of Christ.
 
“Rule with an Iron scepter” - To rule with an iron scepter means to obliterate rather than to govern in a harsh manner. Just like the shepherd, he not only leads his flock to pasture but defends the sheep from predatory animals.
 
This final picture of ruling with an iron scepter can also remind us of the words of Jesus who calls himself the Good Shepherd in the Gospels.
 
Jesus the Good Shepherd
John 10:14 - 18
Vs 14 - 15: “I am the Good Shepherd…”  Jesus knows those who belong to him.  Take a moment and let that sink in.  If you are a believer in Jesus, it is because He called you by name, He chose you to be part of His flock; He willingly died for you so you can have an abundance of life.  
 
The word “know” is an intimate word.  It isn’t a general, “yeah I know her”, but has also been used as a Jewish idiom for intimate intercourse between a male and female.  It is a type of “oneness”.  Jesus is one with his flock. 
 
Our relationship with Jesus could/should be the same as the relationship between the Father and the Son.
 
Vs 16: “I have sheep that are not of this fold…” refers to Gentiles.  The Jew’s thought salvation was reserved for them alone because they were God’s chosen race.  However, Jesus tells us there are some sheep who are not of this fold who will hear his voice and respond.  Thankfully Jesus expands his folds to us who are not of the Jewish fold.
 
Vs 17 - 18:  The Father and the Son’s love are directly linked to Jesus’ death and resurrection.  
This is a very interesting passage to me because Jesus GIVES HIS LIFE (it is not taken from him) to be raised again.  Jesus’ death AND resurrection has always been the plan.  It has always been plan A, B & C.  The resurrection was not something God thought of after Jesus was crucified.  Jesus went to the cross knowing he would live again.
 
Verse 18 tells us so much about the death and resurrection.  You have probably heard a discussion or read an article about “who killed Jesus?”  Was it the Romans?  Was it the Jews?  Was it sin?  Was it humanity?  The answer is none of the above.  Jesus was not killed; he gave his life… He laid it down.  He did it on his own accord.  Jesus had/has authority over death.  He submitted to it on his terms.  In the same sense Jesus has the authority for resurrection.  This authority was given by the Father. 
 
If Jesus has the authority over death and the resurrection in his life, can you trust he has authority over them in yours?  Do you believe Jesus is willing and able to raise you up on the last day?  We have no reason to fear death because death is subject to Jesus, and we are in Jesus, so death has no dominion over us.  Sure, we will all die one day but we also live in the hope and expectation that we will also be resurrected through the authority of Jesus.
 
 
[1] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 347). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[2] Craig R. Koester, Revelation: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, ed. John J. Collins, vol. 38A, Anchor Yale Bible (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2014), 756.

 The announcement of Babylon’s judgment comes in two divisions. The fist is an angel who comes down from heaven with “bright splendor.” and with great authority.  The angel announces that Babylon (Rome) has fallen. The second is when another voice from heaven calls God’s people out of the city, for it is about to receive double the penalty for the suffering it imposed on others. There is nothing ahead for the city but death, mourning and famine. The once proud kingdom is now about to be ruined.
 
As we will see Rome has become a home for demons, evil spirits, and unclean birds. Nations drink her adulterous wine, kings commit adultery with her, and merchants grow rich from her excessive luxuries. 
 
Revelation 18
Vs 1 – 2:  Babylon has always been figurative of resistance to the expansion of the kingdom of God. As it fell in times past, so will it be destroyed in the future. Rome is called “Babylon” so readers will know what God did to the first Babylon and then recognize that in giving Rome that title he will once again carry out his judgment on the city.  The once magnificent city of Babylon will lie entirely forsaken. It is to become the hideout for evil spirits and all kinds of unclean creatures.  This is it is a prophetic representation of complete isolation where the accomplishments of humanity have become the demonic dwelling place of unclean and abominable creatures. Since Rome is already the habitation of evil spirits, it follows that when she falls nothing will remain but the evil spirits and ceremonially unclean creatures.
 
Vs 3:  This verse gives the reason for the fall of Rome.  Rome is fallen because she has coerced the nations to drink the wine of her passionate adulteries.   Adultery is often symbolic in the OT for apostasy from God. It is used here to denote the impure and illegitimate relationships between Roma and all the nations of the earth. In the last days it will be personified by worship of the beast. 
 
Vs 4:  God’s people are called to leave this ill-fated city. Prophets of former days had issued similar warnings. The call to leave suggests a literal departure from the doomed city, but when, according to theologian Robert Mounce, “projected on the larger screen of the consummation it becomes a call to the last generation of believers for ‘spiritual withdrawal from Vanity Fair.’”[1]
 
Two reasons they are to leave the city:

1. To not share in her sins. To share in sins is to reap her restitution. Commonly throughout the NT a believer is called to be set apart to God for a holy.
2. To not receive any of her plagues.

Vs 5 – 6:  Plagues are about to be released on the city because of the numerous sins the city has piled on her.  God has not forgotten these sins and he will punish the city because of them.  As a result, she will receive double the penalty.  She will ultimately get what she deserves and then some.
 
Vs 7 - 8:  Rome is to receive sorrow and torment in the exact proportion to the self-glorification and luxurious lifestyle she has chosen. This humiliation of Babylon will involve torment and grief.  The judgment that will fall on Rome will be like in kind to what she has dished out to others. She will receive a double portion from her own cup. She who once boasted of her invulnerability will be brought to nothing. Just as she has caused many to experience every kind of adversity, she herself will experience the distress of poverty and demise. The point, however, is not that the church will rejoice because others suffer but because God in his justice will see to it that the haughty vindictiveness of Rome will not go unnoticed or unpunished.
 
Vs 9 – 10: The kings and nations that turned to Rome and profited and benefitted their allegiance to her will all mourn because the city they depended on and loved has fallen.   They were involved in illegitimate affairs (immoral business practices, and power) with the prostitute and at one time enjoyed the luxuries that their adulterous relationship with Rome provided to them.  The nations do not rush to the rescue of their concubine but “stand at a distance, terrified by her great torment”. They are amazed that judgment could fall upon a city in such a swift manner, as great and strong as Rome. They raise their voices in the sorrowful lament.
 
Vs 11:  The mourning is also taken up by the merchants not out of sympathy for the fall of Rome who is now brought low, but because with its destruction they have lost their major source of financial gain
 
Vs 12 – 14:  The merchants mourn the fact that all the rich luxuries that Rome longed for have vanished forever. The concluding clause, “never to be recovered,” brackets the list along with the earlier statement, “no one buys their cargoes anymore”
 
Vs 15 – 17:  The merchants had profited richly from their trade with the great city of Rome. Now, like the kings of the earth, they take their stand at a safe distance to weep and mourn. Their lament is poetic in form. Continuing the use of triplets, the merchants describe the city as dressed in fine linen, purple, and scarlet; she glitters with gold, precious stones, and pearls.
 
Vs 18:  The mourning continues with a third group, and it involves those in and connected with the shipping industry.  As they watch the smoke rise from the burning ruins, they cry out in amazement, “Where is there another city as great as this?”

Vs 21: Another mighty angel appears and takes a “huge millstone” and throws it into the water, never to be seen again.  This represents the fall of Babylon (Rome).  She will be cast out, forever lost and no one will ever be able to see this great city again.  The angel violently throws the millstone into the sea. This emphasizes how quickly and astonishingly the judgment of God will be accomplished not only upon an ancient city but the entire ungodly and anti-Christian world who opposes God.
 
Vs 22 – 23: John describes the effects of the sudden overthrow of Rome. He describes numerous characteristics of everyday life in Rome that cease to exist.

1. “The sound of the harps” - Music will never fill the streets again.  Silence reigns in the toppled city.
2. The craftsmen utilizing their career will end. The entire economy has abruptly ended.
3. “The Sound of the Mill” – This is the ending of food. The sound of the millstone is heard no more.
4. “The light of the lamp will never shine” – The absence of all light adds to the barrenness of the fallen city. It is uncertain if Rome had streetlights, but it was not uncommon for people to watch the wealthy being accompanied home from festivals and parties by a large staff of slaves carrying torches. Rome was accustomed to lights burning by night as craftsmen worked long hours to fill their orders. But now the darkness overtakes the desolate and secluded city.
5. “The happy voices of brides and grooms” - The joy of marriage—the closest connection between two human relationships—is likewise gone. Wedding ceremonies are a distant memory. The joyous celebrations of the marriage ceremony are now forever suppressed.
   
   

Vs 23b: One of the reasons for this judgment was because of the deception of the nations, which Rome had accomplished by means of sorcery. It is unlikely that this means the actual practice of magic for the advantage of business, however dark magic was widely practiced in Rome. It is meant to indicate in a larger sense the art of deception by which Rome had enamored the nations into a fraudulent means of security, which led to merchants and allies viewing Rome as the eternal city.
 
Vs 24:  The angel speaks about the blood of Christian martyrs that flowed in the streets of Rome. Rome’s guilt extends to all who have been slain upon the earth because she is the reigning sovereign of the entire world.[1]
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[1] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 339). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
[1] Mounce, R. H. (1997). The Book of Revelation (p. 327). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

 
Introduction
With the judgments concluding we now turn our attention to Chapter 17 as it portrays the judgment of God on the harlot, that sits in opposition to the cause of Christ.  In chapter 17 the harlot appears in a crude display of the snares of wealth, power and being drunk with the blood of martyrs. This vision can sometimes be seen as confusing but fortunately after the opening vision John learns from the angel the meaning of its symbolism.
 
Revelation 17
Vs 1: John is called by one of the seven angels to view the judgment of this notorious prostitute.  In Old Testament prophetic teaching the imagery of the prostitute is commonly shown to represent religious apostasy and idolatry.
 
The woman/prostitute of the Apocalypse represents a pagan city, and it is unquestionably Rome.  She is decorated in luxury and is intoxicated with the blood of the saints. She represents a dominant world system based on the seduction for personal gain over the righteous demands of a persecuted minority.  The apocalyptic proclamation that the woman shall soon be stripped naked and destroyed comes as a necessary and welcome reminder to the readers that God is forever sovereign, and He continues to occupy the throne of the Kingdom.
 
The woman is pictured as sitting upon a beast in many waters. The waters represent the peoples, multitudes, nations, and languages. Since the prostitute is later named Babylon the Great, it would appear that this is part of the description where Babylon is the city that is “over many waters.”
 
Vs 2: The kings of the earth who had illicit relations with the woman/city are the nations who are in illegitimate relations with Rome. They represent the apostate nations that Rome has enticed into idolatrous worship of herself and the beast.
Vs 7:  The angel who took John to the wilderness to see the vision of the woman and the beast responds to John’s amazement by explaining the mystery of the woman and the beast on which she rides. This is a single mystery that involves both characters. They cannot be understood apart from the other.  But what we see in chapter 17 is widely concerned with the clarification of the beast, but chapter 18 details the judgment of the woman/prostitute.
 
Vs 8:  The portrayal of the beast is a deliberate contrast to the picture of Jesus found in chapter 1 and Ch. 4.  In the widest sense the beast is understood to be a satanically inspired being or force that, even though he died, returns to launch himself with renewed rage against the powers of God.
 
He is the beast of chapter 13 who was fatally wounded in one of his heads and yet survived. Down through history he repeatedly “comes up out of the Abyss” to harass and, if it were possible, to destroy the people of God.  John wrote under the shadow of an impending persecution. The beast is about to come again.
 
The Beast had exercised a controlling influence in the consecutive supremacies of the emperors of Rome, but in this final attack he is to be revealed for what he really is—the incarnation of evil in its deep-seated hatred and violent opposition to God and all that is just and good.  It is the reappearance of the beast that causes the astonishment on the part of the unbelieving world.
 
Vs 18: the woman “represents the great city that rules over the kings of the world.” For John and his readers, the city is Rome. She is the wicked seducer whose malevolent influence has infiltrated the whole of the Mediterranean world. Yet Babylon the Great, who is the basis of universal harlotry and repugnance (v. 5), is more than first-century Rome. Every great center of power that has prostituted its wealth and influence restores to life the spirit of ancient Babylon.  It can be described as the final spiritual Babylon, which will provide the social, religious, and political base for the last attempt of Antichrist to establish his kingdom. 
 
This leads to what I want to spend the remainder of our time together.  The woman and the beast represent evil and idolatry, which God specifically has words to say about idolatry.  As with much of Revelation, we are encouraged to turn our attention to the book of Exodus.  More specifically Exodus 20.
Exodus 20:4. - 6
 
Do not make an idol for yourself, whether in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. 5Do not bow in worship to them, and do not serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, bringing the consequences of the fathers’ iniquity on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate me, 6but showing faithful love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commands (Exodus 20:4 – 6)
 
What Are Idols?
In Exodus 20:4 – 5 We are introduced to the sin of idolatry and the prohibition of people making images or statues (whether on earth, below the earth or in the heavens) and bowing down in worship to them.
 
The first commandment warns of worshiping the wrong God (there are no gods besides me), now the second commandment warns against worshiping God in the wrong way.  This commandment includes imagining the true God as like yourself, a ruler or something lower.  This means we have the tendency to make God into something of our own limited understanding, likeness, or ability to control.  This is what the Israelites did at the base of Mt. Sinai while Moses was receiving the law.  When the Israelites were worshiping the golden calf (Exodus 32) they weren’t worshiping foreign gods like Baal, Ra, or Osiris, they were worshiping their perception or creation of God.  They had created an image in the form of a golden calf and worshiped it as God.  They used their imagination to create and conceive a physical representation of what they believed was God.  Thus, even if their motives were right (which I highly doubt), they were creating an image of god, who could not be created.  This was their sin.  They created a god of their own understanding and imagination.  I have heard people talk about acknowledging or worshiping the god of their own understanding and this concerns me because they are talking about worshiping an idol.  What we perceive or imagine God to be in our own minds is dangerous and goes against the second command.  J.I. Packer writes, “No statement starting, ‘this is how I like to think of God’ should ever be trusted.  An imagined God will always be quite imaginary and unreal.”  
 
Do We Worship Idols Today?
You may say, “I am a Christian and I know I shouldn’t make statues in God’s image, so why is this commandment even relevant or applicable to me today?”  The answer is everything in our lives and in this world has the potential to become an idol!  
 
Modern humanity may not worship statues or carved images, but I would argue that many do have other (both seen and unseen) gods that they worship today. According to recently deceased author and Pastor Timothy Keller, “A counterfeit god (idol) is anything so central and essential in your life that, should you lose it, your life would be hardly worth living.  An idol has so much controlling position in your heart that you spend most of your passion and energy, your emotional and financial resources, on it without a second thought.” Professor Tom Shippey states, "(Idols are when we) take the hearts fondest desires and magnify them to idolatrous proportions.”  Anytime one needs something to represent or to see God we are undermining his freedom.  No image can capture God’s glory. However, we try do this with buildings, pulpits, relics lying around the church or any image that we need to bring us into the presence of God.

This happens in churches today. I remember many years ago once being criticized at a church I pastored for moving a pulpit from the area where I preached to another part of the stage; the reality was, the pulpit had become an idol.  On another occasion I asked a pastor friend if I could borrow some candelabras from his church for a wedding.  He agreed.  I went to the church to pick them up and I was stopped by the church secretary and told, very sternly, those candelabra cannot be removed from their place since they were the only items that had survived a church fire in prior years.  In fact, they are not even supposed to be touched without gloved hands.  Those candelabra had clearly become idols. 
 
Is all idolatry bad?
The short answer is yes.  God does not tolerate idolatry.  Throughout scripture we read that God will not take second seat to anyone or anything. Exodus 20:5 says, “For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods.”.  There are many potential idols in our lives and sometimes these can be good, healthy, and advantageous when viewed and used properly… but when we place them above God and worshiped (kiss hand in affection) they subtly become idols, no matter how good or advantageous they may be.
 
What Can Idolatry Look Like for Us?
When we depend on or look to anything more favorably than God as our source of joy, security, and salvation then it/they have become idols in our lives. Idolatry can have many faces in our churches and culture. These idols can also include…

1.  Worship styles.  One person says, “I can only worship God with hymns and organs”.  Others say, “The only way I can truly worship God is only through modern praise songs and bands.” When the reality is, God should be worshiped regardless of musical styles. 
2. Nationalism. Some have elevated nationalism as their god.  Some believe God and country go hand in hand.  Some go so far as to say that they are Christian because they are American or a true patriot.  God does not share his glory with anyone. Now, there is nothing wrong with loving your country we live in a great country.  But our country, government, and ways of governing are not equivalent to God and allegiance to country does not make one Christian.
3. People. Relationships can become gods.
4. Money.
5. Power.

 
Conclusion
Is there something in your life taking precedence over God?  If so, then this “something” has become an idol/God.  We are created beings and we were created in the image of God to worship God.  Unfortunately, our natural sinful inclination is not to worship God, but to worship things created by God.  Romans 1:18 – 23 says, “But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.”
 
Sometimes it is so easy to exchange worship for God with the temporal and fleeting.  We replace God with subtle physical idolatry (people or things) or idols of our hearts (Unseen and possibly good).  
 
My prayer is that you take some time this week and pray about identifying the idols in your life and seek to replace them with the true, life-giving, fulfilling, and joyful worship to the only one who is worthy of praise.  When we faithfully allow God to search our hearts, He is going to deal with us individually and when He does, we need to be prepared to make the necessary changes in our lives so we can be right with God. 
 
 

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​​Introduction
Chapter 15 is the shortest chapter in Revelation. It opens by introducing the seven angels who eventually receive the seven bowls of wrath.  These bowls are the third series of seven (1. Seals, 2. Trumpets, 3. Bowls).  The set of bowls unfold from the seventh trumpet, just as the trumpets unfolded from the seals.  These seven bowls may very well be the third woe that was announced in Ch. 11:14.
 
Chapter 16 is the last of the three judgments of Revelation. They are the final series portraying the flood of God’s wrath. The chapter documents the carrying out of the concluding series of plagues. There are apparent similarities between these judgments and the trumpet-plagues of chapters 8 – 11.  In both plagues the first four plagues are released upon the earth, sea, inland waters, and heavenly bodies correspondingly. The fifth comprises of darkness and pain and the sixth, introduces us to the enemy hosts that come from the area of the Euphrates Both sets of plagues draw heavily for their imagery on the ten Egyptian plagues of Exodus.  However, there are distinct differences between the two sets of judgments.
 
Chapter 15
Vs 1: The seven angels and the seven bowls speak of the certainty and completeness of God’s divine wrath upon the unrighteous.  These are the last of the plagues and they complete the warnings God has given to an unrepentant world.  These plagues are the final outpouring of divine retribution by people whose hearts, like Pharaoh, are hardened against God.
 
V 2: The sea of glass is mentioned previously in 4:6 but it is also mingled with fire.  It is uncertain if the fire represent judgment or is just a descriptive word to help heighten the magnificence of the scene. 
 
The people standing beside the sea of glass are those who have emerged victorious over the beast.  They never abandoned their faith and never submitted to the dragon.  They are playing harps that are appropriate instruments for praising God. 
 
Vs 3 – 4:  they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb of God.  This is a song of celebrating and praising God for his righteous acts and redemptive history beginning with Moses and concluding with the victorious Lamb.  These are not two songs, but one. 
 
Vs 5 - 6:  After the song has been sung John sees the heavenly temple “sanctuary of the tent” open and the even angels of destruction emerge.  the sanctuary of the tent references the tabernacle of God in the wilderness, and it emphasizes that the final plagues come from the presence of God.  The seven angels emerge from the tabernacle and they are robed in pure bright linen which denotes their noble and sacred office and golden sashes which signifies their royal and priestly functions.
 
What it Means to Worship
I would like to pause here for the remainder of the message and continue to look at the act of praise and worship.  So much of Revelation revolves around worship and praise, thus I feel it is appropriate to talk more at length about worship and praise.
 
The Hebrew word for Worship is Shaw Kaw – Which means to bow down, to prostrate oneself, to honor, reverence as divine or Supreme Being.
 
The Greek word is Pros-Koo-Neh-O which paints a more vivid picture of worship.  It means to kiss the hand towards in token of reverence or kissing like a dog affectionately licking his master’s hand.
 
What we need to know about worship…

1. Worship is reserved for God alone.  Fear only the Lord and worship him alone. Deut 6: 13
2. Worship must be sincere and genuine.
   1. Heb. 10:22 – Let us draw near to God with sincere hearts.  

 
King David said that if he could make one request, he would ask to dwell in the house of the Lord forever. That sentiment comes from a proper understanding and real experience of worship. There’s nothing better than worship, once we learn how to do it. This outline is a beginning. It emphasizes a few key qualities for worship and shows how they contrast with the stale church experience of many people today.
 
Working on our Worship

Come with GLADNESS and joy, not gloom.“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy.” Psalm 100:1 - 2
 
Many people think of church as the most boring 60+ minutes of the week. Some can have the attitude of, “So maybe the songs this week aren’t my favorite; maybe the message doesn’t hit home…but hey, it’s still not a root canal!” However, our attitude should be “I have an hour plus to be in the presence of God and with his people so I will give God my undivided attention – I will make the most of this time.” 

The songs and sermons are not designed to be entertaining. They are ways to enhance your worship. Come into his house with praise and expectation. Be overjoyed by the fact that you are a child of God’s and focus on worshiping Him.​

Come to MAKE NOISE, and not quietly to observe.“Praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.” Ps. 150:6

 Worship should be noisy! The Psalms tell us to worship God with shouting, clapping, singing, and dancing – and with every imaginable instrument. What it doesn’t say is “sit quietly with your mouth shut, and watch.” If anything, the Psalms tell us to do the opposite.

Come to GIVE, and not to receive.
“Give thanks to Him and praise his name”.  Ps. 100:4

You are not the focal point of worship. God is.  When we focus on what we get out of worship, we can easily become critical of those who are leading and speaking. But when we focus on giving praise to God, we can look for every opportunity to participate…in singing, praying, giving, and teaching.
 In prayer, the acts of thanking God and praising him are much more appropriate than asking and requesting. This is not to say we can never ask; we can ask God for anything at any time. But when we come to worship, it is appropriate to thank and praise him for who he is and the incredible things he’s done. When you give God worship, ultimately you get more out of it!

Come FOCUSED, and not distracted.
“Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.” Ps. 100:3

In worship, there’s nothing more spirit-quenching then to be disengaged, bored and wishing you could get out the door. We are easily distracted, and the devil seeks to distract us from worship by causing our minds to wander, dwell on your selfish desires, and disengage from worship. We need to come to worship focused and ready to praise. When we delight ourselves in the Lord in this way, he gives us the desires of our hearts (Ps. 37:4).

Conclusion

• Worship is not just a part of the church service but is the culmination of what our lives should be in Christ.
• When we gather on Sunday mornings our primary goal should be to worship God, and praise Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength.
• As we depart the praise and worship should not end.  Praise and worship does not stop as I say the closing benediction. 
• When we live our lives daily for His glory and seek to devote our whole being to Him, we are worshiping him, so let us continue with this mindset and let our lives become the essence of true praise and worship of God.

​Introduction
Revelation 14 takes a turn from the gloom of the Antichrist and the False Prophet and refocuses on the reward for the readers for their endurance by giving them a glimpse of the final blessings. Chapter 13 is a somber reminder of the impending doom of what lays ahead for the immediate future, thus a little encouragement is for the recipients of this letter.  John now sees the vision of triumph for the followers of the Lamb, Jesus Christ.
 
Vs 1: This scene is intended to be an apparent difference of the vision of the beasts in the previous chapter.  The followers in chapter 13 are stamped or marked with the mark of the Beast (666 or 616) on the right hand or forehead.  It is in this new vision John sees the Lamb standing on Mt. Zion.
 
Mt. Zion
This is appropriate because Mt. Zion has long been associated with divine deliverance.  In this passage Mt. Zion represents

1. God’s sovereign rule.
2. The place of God’s dwelling and where He will establish his kingdom and govern in the end.
3. The Kingdom/or place of justice and peace where God dwells with his people and offers them security. 
4. Where praise happens before the throne of God in heaven.

 
The 144,000 have been interpreted many ways, some have suggested that if we look forward to verse 4 it appears as though they are a select group of saints that are consecrated to God.  But others have suggested the 144,000 is the complete body of the all the redeemed.  Once again, the number is not necessarily exactly or literally 144,000 but both most likely represent the complete number of redeemed throughout history.
 
There is a mark or names on the foreheads of the 144,000 symbolize loyalty and allegiance to the lamb, who is Jesus Christ.  Those who are sealed or marked have committed themselves or are in allegiance to the Lamb.  They are the overcomers whom Jesus has written his own name on them.
 
Vs 2 – 3: John hears a great voice that sounds like the roar of rushing waters, thunder, and a harp and the 144,000 are singing a new song. One would think this is a singular voice, but we find that it is the choir of the 144,000 singing the anthem of redemption.  The voice is many voices because John writes that “they were singing”.   This song is the new song of Revelation 5:9 and it is sung by those who have been purchased by the Lamb. This is a song reserved only for those who have are followers of the Lamb, they are the only ones who are able to sing it. 
 
These 144,000 have been redeemed from the world.  This does not necessarily mean that they were taken physically out of the world but instead they were detached from the evil ways of the world and its false beliefs.
 
Vs 4 – 5:  Who are the 144,000?  They can be described as three characters.

1. Virgins who have not defiled themselves.  They are pure and unadulterated..
   1. Some believe that they were an elite group of saints who attained the highest spirituality because they were unmarried, celibate, and virgins. The problem with this interpretation is that it suggests sexual relations within the confines of marriage is defiling.  This is contrary to NT teaching.
   2. The more likely interpretation, in my opinion, is that there is symbolism in describing the church as virgins.  In the OT Israel is referred as a virgin.  So, the 144,000 could be pictured as the promised bride of Christ who are awaiting the day of marriage, and are keeping themselves pure from defiling with the pagan world system.  They have resisted the temptations of the great harlot Rome with whom many rulers have fornicated with.
   3. Others believe they are figurative and the 144,000 have kept themselves from adultery and fornication.  They are virgins in the sense that they never had illegitimate sex or immoral relations.  Some believe the verses refer to those who did not enter sexual relations with temple prostitutes.
2. They are loyal followers of Jesus, or those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes.  This is not a mere following the Lamb as he wanders around heaven.  Instead, they follow his life and commandments while He was still on the earth.  They are disciples of Christ.
3. They are the redeemed from mankind as first fruits for God.  This speaks of the sacrificing themselves for God.  They offered themselves to God freely and they belong solely to him. They are an offering to God.

 
In their mouth was no deceit because they are blameless.  Romans 1:25 tells us that the pagan world has “exchanged the truth about God for a lie.” These 144,000 have not compromised their faithfulness and allegiance to the claims of the Antichrist.
 
Vs 6 - 11: The Lamb and his followers are standing victorious on the heavenly Mt. Zion is then followed by three angelic decrees. 

1. The first decree is referenced as an eternal gospel (Good News).
   1. The eternal gospel is the good news of God’s victory over evil.  The lamb has victory over death, now he calls his people to follow down the same path. This is the call to “deny yourself and take up your cross and follow Him.” The way of victory is the way of the cross.
2. The second decree announces the fall of Babylon the Great.  The symbolism of this announcement is assumed to be understood by the readers.  The city of Babylon had become the religious and political epicenter of the world.  It was renowned for its luxury and corruption.  Babylon was known to be the enemy of the people of God.  A judgment is falling on this pagan city and world system and God’s wrath is being determined. 
3. The third decree is a warning and judgment to all who have taken the mark of the beast or pledged allegiance to the Antichrist.  They are going to drink the wrath of God and face eternal torment in fire and sulfur.  This warning is targeted to the pagan population AND those who are in the Christian community who are tempted to renounce their faith in view of the coming persecution.  The angel is declaring that those who defect to emperor worship will drink the wine God’s wrath poured out in full strength.

 
Vs 12:  John encourages the believer to endure and keep faith in Jesus Christ.
 
 Vs 13:  Another voice from heaven proclaims a blessing to those who are going to be martyred from this point on.  The command to write emphasizes the importance of the message that follows.  A blessing is upon those who faithfully give their lives for God will enter victorious into their rest.
 
Vs 14: “one like a son of man” is none other than the risen Lord Jesus Christ returning in judgment.  On his head he has a “golden crown”, and this crown assigns the risen Lord as the conqueror and thereby has the right to act in judgment. 
 
He has a “sharp sickle in his hand.”  This is a tool of harvest and would signify the Messiah is prepared to reap the harvest of the earth in righteous reckoning. 
 
Vs 15 - 16: Yet again, another angel comes from the temple and gives the divine command to the one sitting on the cloud to begin the harvest.  This harvest, however, is not limited to the gathering of the elect. Because we see in the parable of the Wheat and Tares, it involves the gathering of the wicked for burning as well (Matt 13:30, 40–42). In the OT the harvest was a regular symbol of divine judgment.  Thus, the harvest of vv. 14–16 is likely a general picture of the coming judgment.
The time to reap has been determined by God and the time for judgment and remuneration has come. The harvest of the earth is fully ripe.
 
Vs 18: Another angel (the 6th one in Ch. 14) comes out from the altar.  If you recall the altar contained the prayers of the righteous (6:8) and we can conclude that the prayers of the righteous saints play a significant part in bringing God’s judgment upon the wicked.  This angel has authority over fire and fire in the NT is often connected to judgment.  Just as the grain is ready for reaping the grapes are ripe and the time for judgment has come.
 
Vs 19: The angel is God’s instrument for executing the judgment upon the unrighteous.  The angel swings the sickle and gathers the vintage and throws it into the winepress of the wrath of God.  The grapes of the earth are a collection of all who refuse to embrace the righteousness of God and have instead become His enemies.
 
Vs 20: The city outside is probably Jerusalem.  John now graphically describes the judgment of God as he states the judgment is a bloodbath and flows as deep as a horse’s bridle for 1600 stadia which equals 184 miles.  This most likely translates as the judgment of God is extended to all men everywhere who are not under divine protection.
 
The Kingdom: Recap
We need to keep in mind that the events of this chapter, and ultimately this apocalypse letter to the seven churches point to Jesus and the coming Kingdom of God. I talked at length last Sunday about this Kingdom and should recall that Jesus’ Kingdom was not a single event (His first Advent), but it came and continues in stages; it started with his public life, his death, resurrection, and anticipate his future consummation.  When we talk about the Kingdom of God or the Kingdom of heaven we are not talking about a place as much as the reality of God being King in and through Jesus and his achievements.  Jesus has possession of the Kingdom through his deeds; He is waiting to hand it over finally to the Father. (1 Corinthians 15:23 -28).

 
Introduction
 Last week we looked at Revelation 13. In this complex and confusing passage, we are introduced to two more creatures. One creature comes out of the sea and begins a reign of terror by deceiving the nations. The next creature emerges from the earth, and his job is to promote the agenda of the beast from the sea. In verse 3, we read about the beast receiving a fatal blow to the head and being miraculously cured or brought back to life. The creature from the earth forced humanity to worship the beast from the sea. In this episode, there is a blatant mockery of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The beast who was killed is now alive. Then he is worshiped as a ruler or king. Satan is the deceiver and accuser. He is not a creator nor a god. Evil does not create or promote originality; instead, it thrives on deception and mockery of all that is holy. The beast receiving the fatal blow to the head and his resurrection are plagiarism of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
 
In the next few chapters of Revelation, we will see kingdoms established, and rulers come to power. These kingdoms and rulers are temporary and, quite honestly, a mockery of the true sovereign God and His kingdom. They are false kingdoms set up by false powers and principalities.
 
So, I wanted to spend some time today and pause between Revelation 13 & 14 and look at the true King who has come and established His Kingdom here on earth and of God and for all eternity.
 
The Kingdom of God
So, let’s start from the beginning.
Acts 1:3 “During the forty days after he suffered and died, he appeared to the apostles from time to time, and he proved to them in many ways that he was actually alive. And he talked to them about the Kingdom of God.” The author, Luke, establishes early in the Acts of the Apostles the validity of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  He writes in verse 3 that Jesus appears to the apostles on numerous occasions giving proof or evidence that He was and is alive.  Aside from Acts 1, there are several resurrection accounts found in Mat. 28:18, Luke 24:36 – 37, and John 20:14 – 18 & 26 - 29.  These give accounts of Jesus’ encounters with his disciples and the Marys.  The Apostle Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:3 – 8 about Jesus appearing to over 500 people at one time and how he also appeared to the Apostle Paul.  Thus, Paul establishes the resurrection as the core of the Gospel message; without the resurrection, Christianity is empty, void, and false 1 Corinthians 15:14
 
Acts 1:4 - 6
The disciples anxiously ask Jesus, “Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?”  And Jesus responds, “The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.”  In other words, “It’s none of your business.” Jesus knew what they were asking, and they didn’t understand the big picture.  People often overlook that the disciples were asking a threefold question.

1. When will you establish this new political kingdom?
   1. The disciples had grown up in Israel.  They all lived in the great hope of the predecessors before them for centuries and had anticipated the Messiah to come to reestablish the nation of Israel to its place of glory.  They longed for the restoration of the early kingdom.  They prayed the nation would go back to the “good ole days” when King David and Israel reigned supreme. 
   2. The disciples couldn’t see that the Kingdom Jesus spoke of was not a kingdom that brought back the “good ole days.”  The kingdom of God was not going back to its former glory; it is about advancing God’s Kingdom here on earth and establishing His Kingdome forever with God as the Sovereign King

 

1. When are you going to establish an ethnically restricted Kingdom?
   1. The disciples, and Jews for that matter, wondered, “When are you going to restore the kingdom of ISRAEL?”  They wondered, when will we, your chosen people, receive our “just reward? God had chosen Israel to be his people to represent and bless the nations. They didn’t quite understand the commission He gave them. The job of Israel was to be a light to the nations, so people could see God and worship Him as their true God. But they weren’t. The reality is they didn’t care about the Gentile nations; in fact, they despised the Gentiles.  Their attitude was, “Who cares about the rest of the world?  They can go to hell for all we care.  We want to know when WE will be victorious.  It is a narrow mindset and a selfish one at that.

 

1. When are you going to set up the kingdom in Israel?
   1. It wasn’t enough to establish a Kingdom for the Jewish people; they wanted the Kingdom to be restored in Jerusalem, on their home turf.  This is where David reigned, and this is where God would establish His next Kingdom as well. 
   2. The disciples never took into consideration that maybe this Kingdom that Jesus was talking about was not about them.  This is a Kingdom that went beyond the borders of Jerusalem and to all the nations of people.  

           
The Jewish people had lived under the thumb of Gentile rules for centuries, and they were ready to take their rightful place at the top of the heap.  But Jesus had something more in mind.  His response may have been, “It’s none of your business.”  But he didn’t end it at that.  He said, “You have other things to concern yourself with.”  In verse 8, Jesus says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  
           
Jesus was telling his disciples, “Let’s not focus on when the Kingdom will come; let’s focus on how the Kingdom of God will come.”  These words were both prophetic and a command.  They were prophetic because the disciples were Christ’s witnesses.  But in the same way, they were a command because he was telling them what they needed to do.  Their witness was to begin in Jerusalem, then expand outward like ripples in a pond to Judea, Samaria, and the rest of the world.  He was commissioning the disciples to be agents to spread the Gospel message to the known world.  But they were to wait until the Holy Spirit empowered them before they went out.  This is important to note because without being empowered by the Holy Spirit, they would have failed.
           
Being empowered by the Holy Spirit is essential when sharing the Gospel with someone.  It is imperative for us to understand that we must be driven by the Holy Spirit when taking the Gospel message to the world.  Yes, we are to use every opportunity we can to share Christ’s love, but we need to realize that it is not us who does the changing or convicting.  This is God’s job, and He is pretty good at it.  We need to trust that when we do share Christ’s love that God will work through us and be sensitive to know that not every situation is the right situation.  Sometimes we need to WAIT for the Spirit and move when He tells us to move.  This is what Jesus was saying to the disciples.  Wait just a little bit longer, and when you have been empowered by the Spirit, then you will go to all the nations.
           
Luke records that after he had spoken these words, “He was taken up before their eyes, and a cloud hid him for their sight.”  It goes on to say that they were looking intently up in the sky when two men stood beside them and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking to the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”  
           
It is believed these two men were angels, or maybe possibly Moses and the Prophet Elijah, although it has been accepted pretty much across the board that they were angels.  Who they were does not matter so much as what they said.  They questioned why the Apostles were gazing up at the sky.  The Apostles were not to be stargazers.  They will not be able to bring Jesus back by gazing up at the sky.  He is gone; they must let him go; He will return in his own good time and in the same way.  
           
Jesus will return one day to establish the Kingdom of God.  We do not know the day, the time, or the hour. Only God knows these details.  So, in preparation for Jesus’ return, we must take his commission seriously and be Spirit-empowered and go out to spread the Gospel.  Revelation 1:7 says, “And everyone will see him— even those who pierced him. And all the nations of the world will mourn for him. Yes! Amen!”
 
The return of Christ will be a public spectacle; it will not be private like his ascension.  Jesus will return as the victorious King, and when HE returns, his sovereignty will be openly displayed. The wailing will not be the same as in Zech. Instead, it will be wailing that results from impending judgment. As Christians, we anticipate this day of the Lord’s return, but until then, we must get on with our witness, for this is Christ’s mandate to us.

Introduction
In chapter 13 we are introduced to two more horrendous creatures that Satan uses to continue his war against believers.  They are beasts and they emerge from the waters and the earth respectively.  The first beast is a dreadful seven headed monster and the second is a little less gruesome in appearance but is still powerful and has the ability to deceive with his miracle working power.  The dragon from chapter 12, and the two beasts of chapter 13 make up an unholy trinity of Satanic wickedness. They are allied powers of evil, who will continue to persecute the saints of God.  
 
The dragon from chapter 12 becomes furious with the escape of the offspring of the woman (the Church/believers) so it stands on the sands of the shore, and it calls upon the dreadful legions to destroy the offspring of the woman.
 
Revelation 13: 1 – 10
 
Vs 1 - 2:  The creature that emerges from the waters has ten horns, seven heads, ten crowns on the horns, and on its head are blasphemous names.  This beast has similarities to the dragon in Revelation 12 and the four beasts of Daniel 7:3 - 8 that emerge from the sea.
 
In the ancient world the sea is associated with evil, a force that is hostile to God, or the final enemy of God’s people to emerge from this evil is entirely appropriate.
 
Ten horns: These represent 10 kings who wear crowns.  The crowns being placed on their horns instead of their heads so, this would suggest that his claims to authority rests on brutal force.
 
Seven heads: The seven heads shows that there is a relationship between the dragon of chapter 12 and the beast of Ch. 13.  In fact, it would suggest that the beast gets his power from the dragon (Satan).  We know the number seven represents completeness; thus, a seven headed beast would be symbolic of for the ultimate or complete enemy of the church.
 
Who or what is the beast?  It receives its power from Satan, blasphemes the name of God, makes war against the saints, and is worshiped by the pagan world, thus it could suggest that the beast is the Roman Empire who persecutes the church.  It is suggested that the beast could also represent the deification of secular authority or government.
 
The written names on the head that blaspheme God tell about the arrogance of this beast. These titles may refer to a title of honor given to Roman emperors in the first Century AD who wish to be recognized as divine within the Caesar cult. This was evident on the imperial coins of the time.  Julius Caesar, Augustus, among others were declared divine at their deaths.  Domitian wanted to be addressed as dominus et deus (‘lord and god’. Many have suggested that this beast symbolizes the Roman Empire, who continually persecuted and oppressed the Christian Church.
 
The beast has the appearance of a leopard, the feet of a bear, and a mouth like a lion.   This creature most likely symbolizes a final empire (since the beasts of Daniel represent four kingdoms) that will be more dreadful than any other.  Yet, it is not an empire that is powered on its own, it is an empire that is powered by evil or Satan, the dragon.
 
Verse 3: One of the heads of the beast was wounded, we do not know how the wound was received, but that is not important…  what is important is that it appeared to be mortal, and it was healed.  Many theologians who attribute the beast as the Roman Empire say that this beast represents Nero.  Nero was an infamous Roman emperor known for his viciousness and depravity.  He was feared by all and when he died people refused to believe his death was final.  Many expected him to rise again and appear in a resurrected form.  Others believe that this goes to show the resiliency of the beast. This secular authority seems to be wounded but returns with increased strength and most likely refers to Rome and one of its emperors. 
 
Vs 4:  This results in the inhabitants of the world worshiping the beast and the dragon.  Deification of secular power is in fact worship of Satan.[1] The people worship the beast because of the authority he wields, and that authority is Satan himself.  The motivation behind the worship is the mere power of his influence.
 
Vs 5 - 6:  In verses 5 to 7 the statements “was given” or “was allowed” is mentioned four times.  This shows that not only the beast is subservient to the dragon (Satan) but to John’s readers, they would know that he speaks of God as the ultimate source of power, or sovereignty.  The reign of the beast is only because God allows it to happen.  He operates within the limits that are set by God.  He is allowed to speak blasphemes against God.  He was allowed to have authority for forty-two months.  This is the traditional period for religious persecution.  It is during this forty-two month that the beast aggressively carries out the will of the dragon.
 
Vs 7 - 8:  The beast is allowed to wage war on the saints and demand universal worship, and this worship extends to every tribe, people, language, and nation.  Everyone on the earth will worship the beast except for those whose names are written in the book of Life.  The saints will be persecuted and killed (overcome) by the beast, but the real victory belongs to them.
 
Vs 11 - 12:  A second creature/beast comes out of the earth. This beast’s job and purpose is to promote and glorify the first beast.  He is a deceiver.  His two horns like a lamb represents or gives the appearance of being harmless and gentle.  He accomplishes his purpose by using his power to work miracles.   In John’s time a reference to this beast would probably suggest a local priest of the imperial cult or the provincial council of Asia Minor who enforced emperor worship.  In the final days the false prophet can stands for the role in false religion and forcing the people to yield to the worship of this secular power.
 
Vs 13:  We are warned throughout the Bible about false prophets who will attempt to (and succeed) lead people astray and worship other gods through signs and wonders.  This second beast deceives people into worshiping the Antichrist by imitating the miracles of true prophets of old. 
 
Vs 14 – 15:  This beast is only able to deceive unbelievers.  Why?  Because if one is truly loyal and obedient to Jesus will not be tricked by the miracles of the hose who deceive.
The second beast then instructs his followers to “make an image of the beast”.  He was given the power to give life to this image so that it could speak.  The grammar of the verse insinuates that the statue not only speaks but it also approved the death sentence upon everyone who would not worship it, or it could mean that the second beast was the one who instituted the death penalty on all who refused to worship. 
 
According to Johannine scholar Stephen Smalley, “The notion of breathing life into the ikon of the beast is a satanic parody of the gift of God’s Spirit to believers… This is a broad and figurative way of depicting the second beast as a kingmaker; by magical deception, the beast from the earth is able to convince people that the image of the first beast represents true deity. The image in the present context refers not simply to the likeness of an individual Roman emperor, who claim divine status, or even first century demand for submission to the imperial powers. The idol in verse 15 represents ‘any substitute for the truth of God in any age.”[2] 
 
Vs 16 - 17:  To identify those who worship the first beast they are required to get a mark on their right hand or forehead.  There are no exceptions.  Religious tattooing was common in the ancient world, and followers of a particular god were often marked to show their steadfast loyalty.  This is a mockery of the sealing of God’s elect in chapter 7.  In chapter 7 the elect are sealed to escape God’s judgment, and now the followers of Antichrist are marked” to escape his wrath against the church.  This loyalty to the beast will certainly and clearly determine the line between God’s people and Satan’s.
 
The mark not only shows loyalty to the Beast, but it also enables the recipient of the mark to buy and sell daily.  Those without the mark cannot get the necessities for daily living.  
 
Vs 18:  The Apostle John now provides a way for the intelligent reader to determine or compute.
the beast’s number.  He does not give much indication other that the fact that it is the number of man, and that number is 666. Recently some texts have translated the number as 616.  It is believed that the number is specific to one certain historical person.  Throughout history there have been multiple guesses as to who this person is or will be.  Some take the number to be more as a symbol than a code. 666 is the number that falls short of perfection in each of its digits.  New Testament scholar Robert Mounce writes, “it seems best to conclude that John intended only his intimate associates to be able to decipher the number. So successful were his precautions that even Irenaeus some one hundred years later was unable to identify the person intended. An additional 1,800 years of conjecture have not brought us any closer to a definitive answer.”[3]
 
Smalley writes, “The repetitive ‘666’ stands for human and secular forces, including the Romes of any period, which are oppressive and unjust, and seek to dethrone the Creator and enthrone the creature.” He continues, “John is not referring here in the first place to individual and historical tyrants; he is speaking of varied types of authority which use power wrongly, so as to introduce doctrinal error and ethical compromise.”[4]
 
Conclusion
As we conclude this morning we are reminded of the seriousness of God’s command against idolatry.  In Revelation 13 we see the beasts working collectively to deceive people into idolatry.  A simple definition of idolatry would be looking to or depending on anything more favorably than God.

We are created beings and we were created to worship God.  Unfortunately, our natural sinful inclination in not to worship God, but to worship things created by God.  Romans 1:18 – 23 says, “For God’s wrath is revealed from heaven against all godlessness and unrighteousness of people who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth,19 since what can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse. 21 For though they knew God, they did not glorify him as God or show gratitude. Instead, their thinking became worthless, and their senseless hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man, birds, four-footed animals, and reptiles.
The sinful tendency for humanity is to worship anything other than God.  We can easily exchange our worship for God with the temporal and fleeting.  We replace God with subtle physical idolatry (people or things) or idols of our hearts (Unseen and possibly good).  
 
My prayer is that you take some time this week and pray about identifying the idols in your life and seek to replace them with the true, life-giving, fulfilling, and joyful worship to the only one who is worthy of praise.  When we faithfully allow God to search our hearts, He is going to deal with us individually and when He does, we need to be prepared to make the necessary changes in our lives so we can be right with God. 
 
Thus, we see the stage is set for the final encounter.  This is a place of tension because for the believer we are living in the already, but not yet.  This simply means that Jesus was victorious on the cross, but the full acknowledgment of that victory is yet to come. The end has not come so evil will persist until that final battle between good and evil concludes.
 
[1] Smalley, Stephen, The Revelation of John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 339.
[2] Smalley, Stephen, The Revelation of John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 349
[3] Robert H. Mounce, The Book of Revelation, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 262–263.
[4] Smalley, Stephen, The Revelation of John: A Commentary on the Greek Text of the Apocalypse, (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2005), 353

 
Introduction   
Revelation Chapter 12 is another break in the Apocalypse.  Before John writes about the remaining plagues in Ch. 16 he explains the primary cause of the violence that is about to break upon the church.  The event is a classic conflict of God Vs. Satan.  John also describes the persecution the church is about to experience.
 
Once again, the symbolism is very dense and what John sees is clearly a vision, as John witnesses this event or a wonderous sign in heaven. The purpose of this chapter and the vision explicitly is for John to encourage the churches to remain strong during the inevitable trials and tribulation.  From here on the stage is being set for the final confrontation in the chapters to come.
 
Verses 1 - 6
Vs 1 – 2:  John witnesses an event of great significance.  In this vision John sees A woman who is clothed with the sun, and has the moon under her feet, and wears a crown of twelve stars.  There is much speculation as to who the woman is or what she represents, and it will be simpler to begin with determining who the woman is not… The woman is not Mary the mother of Jesus.  She could represent the true messianic community, or more likely the church. 
 
The woman is “clothed in the sun” – The world may despise the true Israel, but from God’s vantage point she is a radiant bride.
 
“The moon beneath her feet” speaks of dominion.
The woman is pregnant and “she cried out because of her labor pains and the agony of giving birth.” and this shows us that she is the true Israel in her pre-Messianic pain and anticipation.
 
Vs. 3: This is another significant event, and this time it is a vision of a red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven Crowns.  There is no doubt as to who the dragon is as we see him named in vs. 9, He is Satan AKA the Devil.  The mention of dragons in the OT is common.  Metaphorically he represents Israel’s enemies. 
Thus, the red dragon in this chapter could be the archenemy of God and His people.  Red symbolizes the lethal personality of Satan, and the seven crowns represent his universal or complete power (Seven is the number of completeness).  The crowns represent Satan’s audacious claim of royal power over the Messiah.
 
Vs 4 - 5:  The dragon stands ready before the woman, so when the child is born, he can devour it.  He is determined to devour the child, so he waits for his victim to be born.  This describes the vicious opposition the Christ child faced in the early years of his life.  It stars with King Herod’s desire and plot to destroy the Messiah and climaxes at the crucifixion.
However, the child was born and caught up to heaven.  The noteworthy theme is that Satan’s plans were thwarted because of Jesus’ ministry, his death at the cross of Calvary, and concluded by his ascension and exaltation.
 
Vs 6: The woman flees to the wilderness.  Fleeing is something the Israelites have historically resorted to.  The Israelites fled from the Egyptians, Elijah fled the pursuit of Jezebel, Mary and Joseph fled to Egypt in response to Herod’s decree.  However, the intent of verse 6 is not to so much the church fleeing as a way of God sustaining her.  Instead, the wilderness is often symbol of God’s divine provision and fellowship.  It was in the wilderness where God spoke to Israel, protected her, and provided for her.  Thus, this verse is intended to promise those facing martyrdom that God has prepared a place for spiritual protection for them, and he will empower them to stand fast against the devil.
 
Verses 7 – 12
Vs 7 – 8: A war arises in heaven between Michael the Archangel and his angels and Satan and his angels.  This is an all-out attempt on Satan to regain his position in the presence of God. The end result is Satan is cast down.  Apparently up until this time Satan, in some respect has access to heaven.  His defeat now forfeits his ability to access heaven.  It is noteworthy to mention that it is Michael who wars against Satan and not Jesus.  Satan and his angels are cast down to earth
 
Vs. 9: The great dragon is now identified as the devil and Satan.  The word satan was not originally a proper name.  Satan is the Adversary, the accuser, and deceiver.
 
Vs 10:  The voice crying from heaven is most likely the collective voices of the twenty-four elders.  They proclaim victory!
 
Vs 11:  Satan is defeated by the archangel Michael, but he is also conquered by the faithful believers as well.  Their victory lies in the blood of the lamb.
 
What does heavenly victory look like?

1. For the believer
   
2. For the enemy

The Believer
1 Corinthians 15:56, 57
“The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ!”
 
We are told in the Bible that all who believe in Jesus are children of God (1 John 3) so we are victorious, or we have overcome the world.  The word “overcome” is derived from the Greek root word nike (ni-Kay) which means victorious.  We are victorious in this life because of the blood fo the lamb. The darkness of this world, Satan, and his demons cannot overtake us because we are victorious.  The reason we are victorious is because Jesus Christ. 
           
God’s love for us is so great that He has fought and continues to fight the battle for us, and He has declared us victorious.  Through Jesus Christ we now have a new life, a life where we are fully alive, thriving and in need of nothing because the Spirit of God dwells in each of us.  The old ways; the sinful, dark ungodly ways are gone, and we no longer need to live in the murky waters of the world.  We now live in the fresh waters of Jesus Christ; living victoriously over sin, Satan and all his evil beings.  We are thriving in the Kingdom of God and sharing the Good News that Jesus and His Kingdom has come.  Satan and his minions will try and beat you down but take comfort and security in the understanding that nothing that comes your way can defeat you or hold you down in this life or the life to come because Jesus has defeated death and sin.   
 
The Enemy
So, what does victory look like to Satan?  It looks like hell.  
 
Revelation 20:1 – 3, 7 -10 “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven holding the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan,, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the thousand years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.
When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea.  They came up across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven and consumed them.  The devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
 
Victory in Jesus results in eternal condemnation for Satan.  Jesus wins and because of Him, so do we.
 
Vs 12: The heavens rejoice because of the victory of Jesus, but it is also a cause for woe upon the earth and sea.  Satan’s time is short between the time of his defeat in heaven and the time for his final judgment.   It is during this short time that he will launch an earthly attack on the church and the persecution that is forthcoming.
 
 
 
 
 

Introduction:
Politics and religion are hot button topics.  If you ever want to have a heated discussion or start an argument with someone just mention God in conjunction with government.  Some believe these two go together like water and oil, thus avoid discussion these subjects all together while others love to have one sided heated debate.  In today’s passage Jesus enters the ring as he takes on the topic of religion and politics head on.  
 
Mark 12:13 - 17
The passage is often misinterpreted incorrectly.  I have heard several sermons that twist Jesus’ response.  People are quick to interpret Jesus’ response to be careful to balance the sacred and secular areas of our lives.  However, Jesus never fully answers the question because the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trick him.  They did not care what his answer is, they just wanted to trap Jesus by answering the question incorrectly (which seems at first glance no answer would have been right in the Pharisees eyes).  The question was “Can one still pay taxes to Caesar and still have allegiance to God?”  As we will see in a moment this was a well thought out and loaded question. 
 
Background
Before we start let’s look at the background of this passage so we can better understand what is going on. Paying taxes to Rome was a touchy subject during Jesus’ days.  The controversy was mainly what paying taxes represented to the Jews.  They were not, so much, against the idea of paying taxes in general because they already were paying a Temple tax, local taxes, and taxes to Herod. But to the Jewish people paying taxes to the Romans represented loss of freedom.
 
I can imagine we would be angry if we had to give a portion of our hard-earned money to an oppressive nation who violently and forcefully overthrew our government and country (Especially if we believed we were the chosen nation of God).  Imagine that you were part of a nation who took pride in freedom, to worship God and for human rights and now we are enslaved by a nation who is oppressive and imposes her taxes on us for her wealth. 
Taxes represented Rome’s rule over Israel and the Jews celebrated the fact that they were God’s chosen people, yet they agonized over the fact that they were not living as God’s people, instead they were living under oppression and fear of the Roman government.  This was the main reason tax collectors were despised.  These individuals were Jews who worked for the Roman government and were given the freedom to collect taxes at an inflated rate and kept some of the money for themselves after giving the Roman’s their share.  They were protected by the Roman government so they could set their rates at whatever price they wanted.
 
Not only did the Jews not like what the tax represented, Rome, but also the coin itself went against their law against carved or graven images.  The possession of the coin would be considered a form of idolatry for the Jews since the coin had a carved image of the Caesar on it. Theologian N.T. Wright writes, “(I)mages of human beings were out of the question, and here is Tiberius (Caesar), staring coldly out at the world from every small Roman coin.  And writing!  Around the head the words say in Latin, ‘August Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus’.  On the other side it says: ‘High Priest’ (the emperors were mainly high priests of the main Roman cult).  – If the Romans had gone out of their way to be offensive to the Jews, they could have hardly done it better.”
 
Outline
Before the Pharisees asked the question to Jesus, the Pharisees and Herodians intended to stroke Jesus’ feathers a bit by telling him that he was an upright man.  God’s interests were his interests, and he was totally a man who seeks God’s approval and not mans. They were trying to make him out to be a moralistic man of God so in their plot to set him up it was designed to have a question that would put him in a positive light.  The Pharisees and Herodians were implying that, Jesus was a religious man who had no regard for what men thought of him and he was filled with wisdom, thus, they asked him if it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. But overall, it was a trick question because no matter how Jesus responded his answer would get him in trouble, or so they thought.
 
Jesus doesn’t fall for their flattering words; he sees through them.  However, he faces a dilemma, if his answer is to pay the taxes then he would be going against that which the people despised.  Plus, it would also put into question his claims to be the Messiah, because according to Jewish tradition and thought the Messiah was supposed to set the people of Israel free from injustice and tyranny.  If he answered in the affirmative, then he could be considered a sympathizer to the Roman government hence putting him in the same bracket as tax collectors and sinners. However, if he suggests not paying taxes then the Pharisees could go to the Roman government officials and accuse Jesus of being a dissenter, a rebel, and one who was trying to stir up the people against Rome.
 
Jesus does not answer the question because he knows they don’t really care what he thinks.  He throws the Pharisees and Herodians off guard by seeking a coin (one that he does not possess). This is strategic because Jesus answers their question by showing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.  When they produced the coin (the one with Caesar’s face on it) they were showing everyone around that they were handling or possessing this same coin that was hated by the Israelites. In possessing the coin, they were showing their support for Caesar because the coin belonged to Caesar. Next, he asks them whose face is imprinted one the coin?  They respond, “Caesars.”   By their admission the coin belongs to Caesar (since it bears his image) so he can have it back. Jesus’ reply, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and give to God what belongs to Him.” He is saying EVERYTHING belongs to God.
 
Many pastors and teachers have taught throughout history that Jesus is saying that life is broken into two realms, the sacred and secular.  This means that we are to have human leaders for everyday life and God/Jesus for spiritual matters. This interpretation could not be farther from the truth. “Give to Caesar the things belonging to Caesar” does not mean humanity has control or even ownership over the physical, political, and earthly sphere just the same as “Give to God what is His” does not mean God is only in control of the religious, sacred, and spiritual realm.  God and Caesar (human government) are not equals; they are not counterparts.
 
Jesus says that the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image.  It is, in many ways his idol.  Jesus says to pay taxes but do not submit to the Romans as the ultimate authority. The hypocrisy in this passage is when we see the Pharisees having no issue doing business with or receiving Caesars money, therefore they should pay taxes.  But Jesus takes it a step further by saying since the Romans demand tax money then Israel should oblige and pay the taxes but also in life, they must give to God what belongs to Him.  What belongs to him?  Humanity bears the image of God thus we belong to Him.  As God’s children we bear his image as and we owe allegiance and loyalty to him, we owe and our very being.  Romans 12:1:1 – 2 says, “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. 2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
 
Often, people like to compartmentalize their lives into these two divisions of sacred and the secular and they do it well.  People reserve Sundays and maybe a few hours here and there during the week for God since this is the time reserved for church, Bible Study, or serving.  But the rest of the days they figure they can live however they please.  Jesus does not advocate this compartmentalized life.  He does not say I want to be your Lord and Savior on certain days, or when faced with death, tragedy, difficulty, and spiritual issues and then you are free to fend for yourself during the good times and prosperous times. He does not say that Spiritual issues belong to him and everything else belongs to humanity (e.g., government, finances, & us).
 
God makes it clear that we must put our allegiance, loyalty, and trust in Him alone. We cannot place our allegiance, trust and happiness in humanity, politics, wealth, power, and our position in life. Our lives were made by Him, and he has authority over all, and our allegiance should be to Him alone.  The point of the passage above that many people miss is that God doesn’t want you for a few hours on Sundays and Wednesdays.  He doesn’t want you to trust him only when time are tough.  He wants what is rightfully His, all of you all the time. Jesus implies, “I want to be the Lord of your finances, the Lord of your marriages, the Lord of your work, the Lord or your security, and the Lord of all aspects of your life.”
 
Now, I do not believe Jesus tells us to have nothing to do with government or secular institutions.  We are citizens of this planet thus we cannot cut ourselves off from reality and reject the world, laws, and the obligations we have to it. As Christians we are free and as American Christians, we have religious liberties, and this does not exempt us from civil law that is intended for order. We have the obligation to pay taxes so we can use roads, sewers, social security, Medicare, and have public servants etc. We should contribute to society, and we should exercise our ability to vote and submit to governmental authorities (We must render to the government what bears the governments image). However, we owe our sole allegiance and loyalty to God. This means we should pray for our government officials, politicians, and secular society whether we like or agree with them or not.  This is part of giving of your whole self to God. We are the children of God who bear his likeness.  We are created in His image, and we belong to Him. 
 
Conclusion
So, Jesus' response of life goes beyond a simple balancing act between the sacred and secular aspects of life. In this passage he exposes the hypocrisy of the Pharisees by pointing out their acceptance and use of the very coins they despised. His statement, "Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to Him," carries a deeper meaning.
 
While we have obligations to our government and society (secular and sacred) in which we live, our ultimate allegiance and loyalty should always be placed in God. We are created in God's image and therefore belong to Him. Jesus desires our wholehearted devotion and surrender in all aspects of life, not just on certain days or in specific spiritual matters. God wants all of us to live in ways that honor Him and recognize His authority over all areas of our lives. Let us remember that we are created in His image, and we belong to Him. May we surrender ourselves completely to Him and allow Him to be the Lord of our lives, embracing His guidance and direction in all that we do.