God’s Sovereignty Seen Into the Future

Transcript

GR 2030
02/04/2018
God’s Sovereignty seen Into the Future
Revelation 13:8-9
Gil Rugh

The Book of Revelation has its unique place to play in Scripture because like the Book of Genesis that begins our bible and provides so much essential information regarding the creation and God’s will, the foundational things that will be unfolded through Scripture, so the Book of Revelation brings it all to its divinely appointed conclusion. We are reminded of the greatness of our God and His sovereignty, his power at work in the world. Remember the Book of Revelation is written to the churches. Sad that so many have neglected the Book of Revelation. It’s become a book of confusion rather than a book of revelation and clarification but it’s so the churches can understand and appreciate, be encouraged and blessed in their day-to-day service from the Lord, knowing that He is working to bring it all to its appointed conclusion and climax.

Just start out by putting up the Seventy Weeks chart so everybody gets oriented to where we are. This is based on the seventy weeks of Daniel, seventy-seven year periods, 490-years that had a beginning point around 444 B.C. and it came to a pause, if you will, with the first coming of Christ and His crucifixion. This relates to the nation Israel and God’s purposes for them, what will be done in order to bring them to the place of trusting in Him, their Savior their Messiah and the establishing of the kingdom. With the death and resurrection of Christ the movement of that 490-year period stopped. We say, maybe, put on a pause and God established the Church in Acts chapter 2 so that’s the shaded area on the chart, the period of time in which we are living. It simply means God’s work in the world and His salvation is now focused in the Gentile world primarily and it’s through the church, the Bride of Christ, the manifestation of which are local churches like ours and so many others that have existed down through church history to this very day. Together all these local churches make up what we know of as the Bride of Christ and we’ll talk more about that in chapter 19.

When the Church Age is completed, Christ will descend in the air and call the Church to meet Him in the air. We’ll be taken to glory and we’ll unfold some of the pattern of that further on. Then we will begin the seven years left in God’s program with Israel. God hasn’t forgotten about it, He hasn’t replaced it, He has simply revealed something He had not revealed through Old Testament Scriptures, so the Book of Revelation is about this final seven-year period. We had the basic foundational chapter presenting the glorified Christ and then we had the messages of Christ to the seven churches, seven literal historical churches of that time. Their message was given and preserved for us so that we as local churches today could understand something of Christ’s evaluation of His Churches, what He requires, what He will not accept or tolerate.

Then with chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation we move into this seven-year period and we’ve moved really through the first three and a half years and we’ve come to some chapters now that don’t move us forward but provide material we will have to understand for the last three and a half year period. In other words the judgments that were unfolded during the first three and a half years were sequential, seven seals, seven trumpets. In the last three and half years, we’ll have seven bowl judgments that will follow one another, but there will be other things going on necessary to know and understand, and really these chapters where we are including chapter 13 are giving details particularly to understand what is happening with the nation Israel. Obviously, Israel has experienced some of the suffering going on in the world that God is pouring out on an unbelieving world, but we want to understand. Not only is He pouring out His wrath on an unbelieving world but He is working to bring the pressure in such a great way on the nation Israel that they will finally bow before Him. By the time, we get to the end of the seventieth week, Israel will be crying out for their Messiah to return to earth and deliver them, and He will come, and we have then the establishing of the kingdom.

Just keep in mind, were talking about the last three and a half years of this final, seven-year period. It is yet future. Now there’re things going on that we’ll see, are written not just to tell us about the future but also to remind us and encourage us in our walk with the Lord as His people today. Three and a half years, forty-two months, 1,260 days, that’s the time given. We’re in chapter 13 and you’ll note the end of verse five talks about forty-two months, so you see we’re being told about things that are going to take place in the middle and will carry through the last three and a half years.

Chapter 13 is about the man we call the Antichrist. We’ll refer to him sometimes as the “beast out of the sea,” to distinguish him from the beast in verse 11 who is the “beast out of the earth,” and sometimes we’ll talk about the first beast of Revelation 13 and the second beast of Revelation 13. They are separate. The first beast is the political ruler, the sovereign of the whole world, for a three and a half year period-of-time. The second beast will be the religious leader to guide the worship of the world toward the first beast, as we’ll see when we get there. We’ve talked about this beast; he comes out of the sea, he had ten horns and seven heads. I want to go back to Daniel 2 for a moment if you would, Daniel 2 just to make sure we’re at least familiar with some things.

I happened to be filing some papers. I sort of, collect things. Marilyn said I’m not allowed to have any more flat spaces at home because they collect things. My piles and they have an organization in my scattered mind and I pulled out a paper that I had received a few months ago from a conference, and the man was writing on the identity of the fourth kingdom in Daniel chapter 2. I just want to comment. This is the—you could put up the empires as seen by Daniel if you would, Daniel chapter 2 verses 32 to 35 and Daniel tells Nebuchadnezzar the dream that he had and then he’s going to interpret it.

Nebuchadnezzar saw the image of a man, head, chest, arms, belly, thighs, legs, toes and there are different metals in each of the areas of this man, starting with the head of gold, and they each represent a different empire and we’ve laid them out here. Daniel’s starting with his own time-period. Babylon was ruling the world at the time and so the gold that was in the head, characterized the head, he says, is Babylon at the end of verse 38, speaking to Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon and the Babylonian Empire. “You are the head of gold,” so you see the metal or what comprises that portion.

Then after these, “after you,” verse 39, “there will arise another kingdom inferior to you” that will be silver and it will refer to Medo-Persia. Then following Medo-Persia, there’ll be another empire and you’ll note how briefly he goes through these. Verse 39 you have two empires. It just says the second empire will be inferior and silver inferior to gold and the third kingdom bronze and that will rule over the earth. That refers to Greece and then when you get to the fourth kingdom you see now he’s going to expand it. Verses 40 to 43 involve that fourth kingdom because that fourth kingdom will ultimately bring us to the establishing of the Messianic Kingdom, so he says there’ll be a fourth kingdom, it will be iron. Well if you compare iron to gold, it’s not nearly of the same quality, the same value but as he said in verse 39 the second kingdom was inferior to the first so while they may deteriorate in quality they grow in strength. Iron has the greatest strength, so this kingdom will be the strongest kingdom, verse 40, and its feet, iron and then its legs iron and then you’ll get to the feet and toes, which are iron and clay mixed.

Many commentators take the two legs and emphasize these are the east and western division of the Roman Empire and that may be. I don’t think that’s the best interpretation because the interpretation given has to do with the metal. It is one kingdom. This fourth kingdom is a fourth kingdom. He’s not primarily dividing it into east and west. I say that because this paper and it was a scholarly paper of twenty-five pages with eighty or so footnotes and that but he was using that division to support the idea that he could make a clearer identification of the Antichrist and where he comes from. Some of his arguments could be held without talking about the east and western division the way he does, it’s one empire so I don’t think this image is the two legs representing Rome means the east and western split because Daniel doesn’t interpret that way he just interprets a fourth kingdom.

If you’re going to have an image of a man, but he doesn’t have two legs it wouldn’t be a true image just like he said, the second empire, the chest and arms are of silver. The belly and the thighs were the third, represent Greece so it’s just going down, it’s the metals the empire represented, because he wants to get to the toes then because the toes will be what is elaborated, not the legs. The iron represents the kingdom, unified, one kingdom, each of these, Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, but when you get to the toes you have a division and they’re stressed, the toes of the feet, verse 42, partly of iron, partly of clay, it’ll be a mixed kingdom so we have strength of iron but the brittleness of clay. Then in the days of those kings, so the days of the toes as he’ll elaborate later, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom, which will never be destroyed. That is yet future and is the period of time we’re talking about it is yet future.

Now when you come over to chapter 7 of Daniel, Daniel gives you the same information, different picture. Instead of being pictured by different metals of varying quality and strength, they’re different animals and so you have the same kingdoms but instead of it being an image of a man with a head of gold, you have a lion. Then you have Medo-Persia is a bear. Then you have Greece as a leopard and Rome is just a fourth beast. You’ll note there’s no division among east and western empire here, we’re talking about one empire, Rome, and it’s a common way to refer to it. I pulled off a few books, some secular, most secular I guess, just to see how they talked about Rome and that and its, you know, like we would, the Roman Empire. Now they go on to talk about its division, not always the same, different people talk about it, you can look at that but you’ll note this is just one beast, there’s no division in it until you look at the ten horns.

You have verse seven of Daniel 7. The “fourth beast, dreadful and terrifying, it had large iron teeth” so here you use the picture like, you know, the man had two legs, they were iron legs. Here this terrible beast has iron teeth. The point is the strength, the power, it’s destructive as we had in chapter 2. Then “it had ten horns” at the end of verse seven so you see what’s really important like the toes, mixed iron and clay in chapter two, here it’s the horns. “While I was contemplating the horns,” now he’s going to go a step beyond what the second chapter did. The second chapter stopped with the toes, ten toes but here we have the ten horns that would fit but now we go to a little horn coming up among them and then we have the kingdom set up so same basic information but a little more clarity.

Not only will we have this final phase, ten, but the ten then are going to have one who will be so unique as we saw in Revelation 17 that he can be called a separate empire but it’s in conjunction with the ten and so that’s where we get the seven empires. Revelation goes back to Israel’s beginning as a nation so Daniel started where he was. Revelation, as John receives it, is going back before Daniel to the two empires important in Israel’s history. Remember, that’s all the bible’s concerned about, the empires that impact Israel. You have Egypt, of course, where the nation was enslaved for 400 years. Then you have Assyria, which carried the northern ten tribes. Then you come down so when you get to Rome, Rome is the sixth empire. We’ve looked at the details and we’ll be coming up on them again in future studies. Then you have the ten nations which form the seven and then as Revelation chapter 17 said, the Antichrist who is part of the ten but becomes the sole ruler forms an eighth kingdom so come back to the Book of Revelation.

When you saw in verse one, we looked at this and we have seen it several times, the beast having ten horns and seven heads, I take it this is the final form here; we come with the beast that will be identified as the eighth. He has seven heads and we saw the seven heads here coming down through the ten nations, as chapter 17 clearly identifies. Then we’ll have the beast who is the eighth and he’s the focus here because this is the final form of that Roman Empire so it’s part of the Roman Empire yet it’s different as is the seventh, so the Antichrist will be the eighth. He’s part of it and yet he is as chapter 17 says he can be called the eighth even as the ten nations are called the seventh but they’re all part of Rome that’s why we’ve subset seven and eight under number six because the iron continues or in chapter seven it’s one beast.

Ten horns coming out of that beast and then the little horn out of the ten horns so he’s part of that; same picture so we want to try not to make too much like out of the legs in chapter two as though he’s emphasizing the east and western empire. I am not arguing whether we could divide Rome that way but its one empire; that’s what the bible is concerned about in the prophecy here. Rome in chapter two is iron and here as the beast and then we’ll have the establishing of the kingdom of Christ though that’s not until we get to chapters 19 and 20 with the return of Christ and the establishing of the kingdom.

All right, back in Revelation 13. We have looked through these opening verses. The dragon gives the power to the beast at the end of verse two. “The dragon gave him his power, his throne and his great authority.” Behind it all, is the devil. Now behind it all, of course is God. We’ll say more about that in a moment but as far as looking at what’s going on in the world and the activity here of these earthly parties, the power behind the beast is the devil. You come to verse three. “I saw one of his heads as it had been slain, his fatal wound was healed,” and we talked here. Some hold that this is the empire, the Roman Empire that has sort of, seemed to cease to exist and it has as an empire, but it will be revived or resurrected when you get to this seven-year period. Some would hold, it is the man himself, the Antichrist, the beast, in the person of the head that dies. I gave some reasons for that; I tend toward that. Almost everyone transitions whether it’s the empire or the individual both are involved here because the individual is leading an empire.

He will be ruling the world as we see. You get down to the end of verse seven; the whole world comes under his authority and control so you refer to the individual. We’ve looked at the names for the Antichrist and some of the key passages on him and we’ll be doing so again, as we progress through Revelation, so one of his heads has been slain. To me one of the greatest arguments is that as having been slain, we noted the word, “if “doesn’t appear here or in chapter 5 verse 6 where the same expression, “as slain” using hos, “as” but no word “if” but the perfect participle “has” having been slain. No question, Christ was slain and four of the five references of this “being slain” verb in the Book of Revelation are of Christ, so those are things that make me tend toward that’s the Antichrist who experienced the resurrection. Either the devil’s giving him his power, or I take it we move to personal pronouns here; him, he, his mouth, we’re talking about the individual.

Whether the kingdom’s been brought back in, and he’s a key person here, in the middle, or at the end of verse three, and the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast and they worshiped the dragon, who gave authority to the beast and they worshiped the beast, so this, what do I say, mixture going on. They worshiped the beast but the spiritual power behind the beast is the devil so we talked about the fact all false worship is worship of the devil. We looked at Corinthians where Paul cautioned the believers in Corinth. You had to be careful you don’t get connected in false worship. You know it’s easy for a believer to say, well I know it’s nothing, they’re just idols, they’re meaningless. That’s right they’re just pieces of wood, pieces of metal, whatever is just empty ritual but there are spiritual forces behind false worship, so false worship is the worship of the devil, and that’s clear, they worship the dragon because he gave authority to the beast, they worshiped the beast.

They’re saying, “Who is like the beast, who is able to wage war with him?” and if it is the beast that is resurrected it could be that he has died in the conflict. That would fit the normal use of the word “slain” as Christ was slain. He’s the Lamb slain so that would fit here, perhaps in the battle of Ezekiel 38 he dies in that battle but is supernaturally resurrected. If it is the person, that would fit. They don’t see anybody as able to stand against him and this is the point where all authority is transferred to him, even the ten that formed that seventh form, of the empire. Remember Revelation 17, we’re not going back there again but we’ll get there again. They agree, the ten, to give their authority to the beast so he could have absolute, complete authority and they sort of become sub-rulers if you will, but he is the power. Who is able to wage war with him?

So we come to verse five, “there was given to him a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, authority to act for forty-two months,” so it’s not a mystery. Where are we? Well we are forty-two months away from the return of Christ when we get to this point, so we are in the middle of that seven-year period. When this man who has had a role but not so prominent during the first three and a half years because remember in Daniel 7, he was called a little horn in connection with the ten horns. He comes up, relatively insignificant. He is the one though who signs the agreement with Israel that marks the beginning of the seven-year period and maybe that’s part of his minor role, to act as representative in signing the agreement but he is present. He signs the covenant that marks the beginning of this seven-year period according to Daniel 9 so he has authority to act for forty-two months when we get to the middle of the seven-year period “and he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle and those that dwell in heaven.”

Again, you see we have moved. The beast is viewed as a personal, individual being with these personal pronouns. He and him, he did this, this is what he is doing, here, he opened his mouth in blasphemies. Well verse five said there was a mouth speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, given to him. Verse 7, “it was also given to him to make war with the saints and all the tribes and nations of the earth were given to him” and while we’re emphasizing that come down to verse 14. “He deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs, which it was given him.” We’re talking about the second beast but it’s given to him and there’s an authority. Verse 15, “it was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast.” To me that’s even a greater challenge than was the beast resurrected. Now we’ve got to deal with the image of the beast being given pneuma, spirit and we’ll talk about that when we get there.

You see the authority here and I take it, it’s the authority of God. Come back to Luke 4, Luke chapter 4. We have looked at this. This is the temptation of Christ and in verse five the devil “led Christ up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time,” and that shows you something of the spectacular power of devil. A moment of time and he can bring before Christ all the kingdoms of the world and you can be sure they were displayed with their glory. Sort of like when Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream the image of the man representing the kingdoms of the world. It would have had a spectacular appearance I’m sure, a head of gold, silver, the metals. When Daniel sees them in chapter 7, they’re “ravenous beasts.” You see something of their true character but here he shows Christ the kingdoms and note, the devil said to him. “I will give You all this domain,” all the kingdoms of the world, “and it’s glory,” now note this, “for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish,” but I want you to note he has authority but it is a subject authority. This part and we read different portions of Scripture it seems like well, you know, who’s doing it here? Now the devil has authority to give it to whom he wishes, but you note what he says. “It has been handed over to me and I give it to whomever I wish,” because the ultimate authority and power in all creation is the sovereign God, but were dealing with the fact that God in His plan, turns over to Satan, rule as the result of the fall of Adam but God is still in control.

Come back to the Book of Daniel again. I should have told you to keep a marker in Daniel. Daniel is so similar to Revelation in much of its prophetic content that we keep going back. Look at Daniel chapter four verse 17 and we’ll pick up in the third line there. “In order that the living may know that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men.” We come to these passages often to show God’s sovereignty. At the end of verse 25, “until you, recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.” Verse 26, “it is Heaven that rules.” At the end of verse 32, “the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever he wishes” and we could go on. There’s no conflict in the sovereign plan of God, He rules overall and it is ultimately His determination, the ones who rule and the ones who don’t.

Romans chapter 14 says every ruler that’s in existence, has been appointed by God, and that’s why we respect them, honor them and submit to them, but now we’re told the devil rules and sets up his people and that just shows you something of the sovereign power of God. The devil has been given the authority to bring into power rulers but he always brings into power the rulers that in God’s sovereign plan will accomplish His purposes as God sovereignly uses the sin of a rebellious creation, the devil and his angels as well as fallen humanity to accomplish His purposes. It’s awesome, the sovereignty of God. The devil is putting in people for his purposes but the sovereign God who rules over all, the devil can never frustrate God’s purposes because that sinful person is exactly the person that God intended to use in his sinful rebellion to accomplish His purposes. You begin to realize how puny we really are and that man would think he is in a position to rebel or resist God so don’t get confused as we talk.

Come back to Revelation 13, the power of the devil but here these verses remind us when it says there was given to him, there was given to him. I take it we are carrying it back to the sovereign authority of God. You know this is what’s written here and we’ll see this as we move along to encourage us in the churches today, not just give us information so we can say we know something about the future, but this is to impact our living as we are living for the Lord in the days in which He has placed us. They are days of rebellion against God, days of opposition to His purposes, days when, the devil’s fighting against God. We are reminded our God is sovereign and even when we come to end times when the outbreak of rebellion is greatest against God, and quite frankly seeming to be most effective, it’s all because God in His control has ordained this.

There is no resisting the will of God so there was given to him this mouth speaking blasphemies. Verse six it was “blasphemies against God, blaspheming His name, His tabernacle, those who dwell or literally tabernacle in heaven.” The devil is relentless in his opposition against God and, of course, the person he would have to rule in his kingdom is a person in opposition to God. Come back to John’s gospel chapter 15 and I just want you to note this is the last night of Christ with His disciples and He says in verse 18. “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world but I chose you out of the world,” because of this, maybe the world will hate you. Not what it says, “because of this the world hates you.” so, important. “Remember the word I said to you, a slave is not greater than his master.” “If they persecuted Me they’ll persecute you, if they believe My word, they’ll believe yours.”

We sometimes get lax, were not living in this time in our country, and these days we talk about persecution but were not afraid somebody’s going to walk in the door and drag us out to prison or burn us at the stake. We can get lax, casual and you know, comfortable, and we think we can make peace with the world but you understand there is no making peace with the devil. He hates us and his people hate us. It’s only by the common grace of God that there is a restraint. Now that doesn’t mean you have to walk up to the unbeliever you see at lunch today and say, I know you hate me but we don’t want to lose reality. This is why believers think, well, if we do this; if we adjust this; if we let the world know that we’re really basically good people the world’s going to like us. That is not true!

You think the devil is in love with Christ, I mean it’s almost blaspheme to verbalize it. Remember what James said, “friendship with the world is enmity against God, you can’t be the friend of the world and the friend of God.” That’s what we’re talking about, so we’re reading about what is going on in the coming years, we don’t want to say, “well, we’re living in a different time,” but the spiritual warfare going on is no different except there is more restraint on the devil in his work in the world today. It will be lifted, remember, after the rapture of the Church, so back in Revelation 13.

These blasphemies, that’s the way the world is. We think ah, look at the world, why would they say such things, why would they do such things? It’s what is in their heart. Take the restraints off and they come out. It was given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. Whoa, you see the power that is given here, under the authority of God, sort of like Job. God said to Satan, “go ahead attack him.” Comes in and kills all his kids, takes his health away but God was still sovereign because He was in control, even what the devil could and could not do but here, he’ll have ability to overcome the saints and he’ll have authority over the whole world, every tribe, people, tongue and nation was given to him.

Remember what the devil offered Christ, but now in God’s plan, the devil can now give this to an Antichrist. Look at verse eight. We’re finally, where we left off. “All who dwell on the earth will worship him.” This is what the devil; wanted, what did he ask Christ? “I’ll give these things to You on this condition. You fall down and worship me,” but of course, Christ wouldn’t do it, but all who dwell on the earth--now there are going to be people saved and the true believers won’t, but by and large, we have worldwide worship, just like we have worldwide rule, we will have worldwide worship.

Come back to the Book of Genesis. We’re in no hurry; I’m hoping the Lord comes before the end of our study of the Book of Revelations so I’m dragging it out. Genesis 11, see how this begins, not begins in the actual begins-begins, but begins. Verse one of chapter 11, “now the whole earth used the same language” and the same words, they journey and they come, verse four. They say, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered across the face of the whole earth.” This is the Tower of Babel where God confuses the language. You see what they want; they want to be bound together. It might be what they call “Globalism” today. One world, but with that comes, one worship, so there we’ve arrived at this, come back to Revelation 14. What God frustrated back in Genesis 11, by dividing their languages so they split up and spread out after the times of the flood.

Now here with the restraints removed, this is given to the devil to carry out his desire, and to the man that the devil raises up to do what he could not get Christ to do. All the world will worship this man and that will lead us into verse 11, where the man whose responsibility to direct worship to the Antichrist is brought into view. “Everyone,” now there’s a qualification here, “everyone whose name has not been written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain” and this raises the issue of the sovereignty of God, the doctrine we call election. A Greek word for choose, eklektos so we just bring it over we translate it, to choose. Now everybody in the world is going to worship the Antichrist, except those whose names are in the book of life, and have been there from the foundation of the world. Now there are two possibilities grammatically how this verse can be translated. I think King James has it; it’s been a while since I looked at it. It’s the Lamb, who was slain from the foundation of the world, but I think we have it translated correctly, if you’re using the New American Standard Bible, it’s the names written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who has been slain.

The reason for that—come over to chapter 17 verse eight. “The beast that you saw was, and is not,” is about to come out of the abyss and go to destruction. Now note this. “Those who dwell on the earth, whose name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, will wonder when they see the beast,” so it’s the same thing but the connection to the Lamb and the death of the Lamb is not included. Basically he is saying here, even if it was not as clear in chapter 13 verse eight, it’s very clear here in chapter 17 verse eight. I think the translation we have is the more accurate, “the name has not been written in the book of life from the foundation of the world,” that means you go back before the creation, the names were there that were going to be there.

Come back to Revelation chapter 3. We looked a little bit at the book of life when we looked in Revelation chapter 3 and I probably told you, we’ll take care of that when we get to chapter 13 and now I’ll tell you, we’ll take care of it when we get to chapter 18 and then we’ll take care of it. Revelation chapter 3 verse five. “He who overcomes” and remember who’s the one that overcomes, but he who believes that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, according to 1 John 5. “He who overcomes will be clothed in white garments; and I will not erase his name from the book of life, I will confess his name before My Father.” Now some say everybody’s name is in the book of life but if you die without placing your faith in Christ, your name is erased. I don’t think that’s what it’s saying. I don’t think it can be saying that.

I think verse five is a promise. Your name, in the book of life will never be removed, you will be confessed, by Christ as one belonging to Him before God the Father, so the statement here, I will not erase his name from the book of life is a promise to those who have placed their faith in Christ. Well, if the names are in the book of life from the foundation of the world where do we go from here. Remember we’re talking about the sovereignty of God behind everything in chapter 13 and that’s what we have here. God is sovereign in the salvation of individuals and He has ordained that from before the foundation of the world even the individuals that will be saved, so the names were written in the book from the foundation of the world.

Now we have to get into the discussion, were they put there because God looked down the corridors of time and saw that Gil would place his faith in Christ when he heard the gospel at just such a time, so we’ll put his name in there? Then, in the course of time as the result of the creation, he’ll believe but I don’t think that fits there either. It wouldn’t solve anything because, if that were the way that it was done, all you would do is remove it from the sovereign control and determination of God but the fact is the names were still there. In other words, the names have been in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Now we may talk about how they got there but the fact is, we used to sing the song, There’s a New Name Written Down in Glory and it’s Mine. I appreciate the thought but there are no new names written down in glory because the names have been in the book of life from the foundation of the world. Now you may want to talk about how they got there.

Some people believe it was by the foreknowledge of God seeing who would believe but the fact is as we sit here today, that name is already there. Say, well, what’s the hope then, Que Sera, Sera, whatever will be will be. I guess so, let’s pray. No, that can’t be the solution, God is sovereign. What about the responsibility of man? Without the divine intervention of God, man will not change so I take it the names have been put here. Come back to Ephesians chapter 1. This is an unsettling doctrine for many people. I think one of the greatest comforts in Scripture is the sovereignty of God. My confidence is in the fact He is in complete control.

Ephesians 1 verse three. “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies in Christ, just as He chose us in Him,” here’s out expression again, “before the foundation of the world.” He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world and so I take it that God’s sovereign work of election took place before the foundation of the world. Now it’s carried out in time. How do I put this together with the responsibility and will of man? Paul said “I endure all things for the sake of the elect that they might come to the salvation, which is found in Christ Jesus.” Paul didn’t think that should make me lazy or indifferent. I carry the gospel out there to those whom God has appointed, those who will believe it, and be saved and he says “I become all things to all men so that I might by some means save some.”

You have the human side, human responsibility and divine sovereignty and one does not offset the other. God is sovereignly in control and if you sit here this morning and have never placed your faith in Christ that’s your decision, and you say well, what if I’m not one of the elect. Well I say prove you are. Cry out to God for mercy because God said “He so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, in order that whosoever, believes in Him will be saved.” Lord, here’s old Whosoever calling on you. I want to be saved. I believe Christ died for me and You said whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved. It’s me again, Whosoever. I’m calling on You Lord to do what You said You’d do. Well, yeah, and you will be saved.

That’s an evidence of God’s sovereign grace that worked in your life to bring you to that point, so we’re lost because of our stubborn refusal to believe and we’re saved because of God’s sovereign grace in acting to bring us to Himself. We are totally responsible and He is completely gracious. He offers salvation to everyone but in our stubborn sinfulness, we will not have it. Why haven’t you believed in Christ? Well I may not be one of the elect. Why haven’t you believed in Christ? God says because you won’t. You don’t want to. They’ll be no excuses, so the fact that the names are there is a great comfort. God brought you here so you could hear the word. Hear that “Christ died for your sins according to the Scripture.” “He was raised from the dead.” If you believe in Him, you’ll be saved. How gracious is He?

You think you just came here by accident. The sovereignty of God and His plan brought you so you could hear the gospel and believe. Oh, I don’t think He chose me. Well quit thinking. I wouldn’t have chosen you either but that doesn’t mean He didn’t. He wasn’t looking for people; Oh I’m going to look for some people that are my kind, I’m going to pick the best of the crop. Paul says He chose me the worst of sinners so He could show how gracious He is. That’s where we are. When we lose that perspective, our theology begins to unravel and we begin to become smug Christians who aren’t sinners quite like others. By God’s grace, we are what we are that’s what Paul said, He took me the worst of sinners, the chief of sinners and bestowed His grace on me and by the grace of God, I am what I am, so we’re talking about God’s grace in salvation.

There’s no other answer, we don’t solve it by saying, “well I don’t believe that.” I believe everything the Scripture says even if I cannot resolve everything the Scripture says. I believe I’ve been saved by the sovereign grace of God and His divine choice, not because I was better than anyone else, it’s by grace; it’s the mercy of God. It’s by God’s grace you came to hear the gospel today so you might believe. If you never heard, you could never believe. If you hear and never believe, you’re just doubly guilty of rejecting what God offered. We have to leave it there, I have seven summary points so we will start with those next time, be reminded of God’s grace as we begin to look at the man that will be raised up in the divine plan of God, to fulfill the purpose of the devil to direct worship to the false Christ. The world loves it and there are going to be powers displayed in the world like have never been seen.

Let’s pray together. Thank You Lord for the riches of Your word. Lord we would take to heart the truths here, not just be interested because of future events but Lord we are living Your divine purpose and plan for us today in the world in which you have placed us, for the purposes You have for us. Lord how sad it would be if we would not be faithful, we would not be careful, we would not be diligent. We would be lax in a time of warfare, spiritual battle and conflict. Lord thank You for Your grace that brought us salvation and thank You for Your grace that has gifted us. Thank You for the grace that uses us in the accomplishing of Your work in these days. Pray that You’ll be honored in Christ’s name. Amen.