Harsh Words For Hard Hearts

42 “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him if a great millstone were hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea. 43 And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell, to the unquenchable fire. 45 And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown into hell. 47 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into hell, 48 ‘where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched.’ 49 For everyone will be salted with fire. 50 Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” – Mark 9:42-50 ESV

John chose to ignore the young boy Jesus held in His arms and instead tried to change the subject. He wanted to divert attention from Jesus’ object lesson on leadership and raise the issue of an unexpected, uninvited competitor casting out demons without Jesus’ permission or authority. This entire conversation began with an argument among the disciples about who was the greatest, and Jesus had picked up the little boy to use him as an object lesson for His ego-driven disciples.

“Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 18:3-4 ESV

After John’s attempted diversion, Jesus refocuses their attention on the boy. He expected His followers to reflect the humility of a helpless and powerless child. Their lives were to be marked by innocence and trustworthiness, and they were to show a child-like faith, a willingness to be led and cared for by others. But at the same time, the disciples were to understand their role as caretakers. They would be given the sobering responsibility of caring for God's sheep, so Jesus gives them a stern warning.

“But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone hung around your neck.” – Mark 9:42 NLT

The disciples failed to understand that their role as leaders came with serious responsibilities. They coveted the authority and notoriety that came with prominence but were oblivious to the risk involved. Little did they know their quest for power could devastate those under their care. Years later, the apostle Paul would warn the believers in Philippi: “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (Philippians 2:3 ESV).

Paul gives an even starker warning to the believers in Rome and Galatia.

…but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. – Romans 2:8 ESV

Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. – Galatians 5:26 ESV

Jesus must have shocked His disciples when he warned that it would be preferable to die an agonizing death than to lead the innocent astray. God would hold His shepherds accountable for caring for and feeding His sheep. Driven by envy and jealousy, the disciples were upset that some unknown individual was stealing their thunder by casting out demons in Jesus' name. But Jesus viewed this man as an ally. What faith it must have taken for this man to perform miracles in Jesus’ name? Jesus had not chosen or trained him. He had received no commission from Jesus. But he faithfully followed the example of Jesus and set free all those who were being held captive by the power of Satan.

But the disciples tried to prevent this man from doing the very thing Jesus had commissioned them to do. And Jesus warns them that their jealousy-induced actions could have easily led this man into sin. He could have taken their words as a rebuke from Jesus Himself and stopped following Him. Rather than offering him encouragement, guidance, and support, the disciples chose to throw him under the bus.

To ensure His disciples grasp the seriousness of what He is trying to tell them, Jesus provided them with some shocking illustrations involving self-mutilation. He wanted to get their attention and help them recognize the danger and deadly consequences of indwelling sin. Their jealousy could have caused this man to stumble. Their greed for greatness could easily divide them and hamper their future mission. Personal sin is infectious and harms others. So Jesus gave them three graphic illustrations designed to encourage self-purging of sin.

“If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand than to go into the unquenchable fires of hell with two hands.  If your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one foot than to be thrown into hell with two feet. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out. It’s better to enter the Kingdom of God with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell…” – Mark 9:43-47 NLT

Jesus chose three body parts that were essential to living a normal life: the hand, foot, and eye. Losing any one of them could greatly diminish the capacity to perform everyday functions. The loss of a hand, foot, or eye would render someone lame, partially blind, and reduced to the lowly role of a beggar. Just consider the miracles Jesus performed. He healed the man with the withered hand. He restored the ability to walk to a man who had been paralyzed for 38 years. He gave sight to a man who was born blind.

Yet, Jesus was telling His disciples that it would be better to lose a body part if doing so would prevent further sin. Jesus' hyperbolic language was meant to shock His disciples and drive home the devastating nature of sin. Of course, it is not one’s hands, feet, or eyes that cause him to sin. It is his heart. Jesus had already taught the disciples that lesson.

“It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.” – Mark 7:20-23 NLT

But Jesus used these extreme illustrations of physical dismemberment to make sure His disciples got the point. They were not to tolerate sin in their lives and were expected to take whatever measures necessary to eradicate its influence because it was deadly. Three times, Jesus refers to the ultimate destination of those who let sin control their lives.

the unquenchable fires of hell… – vs 44 (NLT)

thrown into hell… – vs 46 (NLT)

thrown into hell… – vs 47 (NLT)

Then Jesus provided a graphic depiction of this final abode of the wicked.

where the maggots never die and the fire never goes out… – vs 48 (NLT)

The Greek word translated as “hell” is gehenna, a transliteration of the Hebrew word hinnom. The Valley of Hinnom was just south of Jerusalem, and it had a sordid reputation. Jeremiah records that the apostate people of Israel used this valley as a sacred location where they worshiped their false gods.

They have also built places of worship in a place called Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they can sacrifice their sons and daughters by fire. – Jeremiah 7:31 NLT

In Jesus’ day, the valley had been relegated to a landfill where the city's refuse was dumped. People said the fires never stopped burning in gehenna; the stench was horrific, and the maggots were ever-present. It became the visual representation of hell, the place of eternal punishment. The average Jew avoided gehenna at all costs. Jesus wanted His disciples to know that hell was real and far more repulsive than a landfill. However, a life of sin would render someone fit for the fires of hell.

Jesus was not teaching that His disciples could lose their salvation; He was warning them to consider the seriousness of sin. There was no place for sin in the heart of a Christ-follower, because sin leads to death and Jesus had come to set them free from sin and death. As His disciples, John and the others were to develop a growing distaste for sin. Much later, long after Jesus died and resurrected, John wrote to Christians, warning them against allowing sin to influence their lives.

For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. – 1 John 2:16 NLT

Notice the role the hands, the feet, and the eyes play in our pursuit of pleasure, achievement, and possessions. It begins with our eyes. With them, we lust and covet. We see what we desire and begin to long for it. That’s where our feet come in. We pursue these things, chasing after them in a sad attempt to fulfill our heart’s desire. Then we use our hands to take hold of them and make them our own. In doing so, we replace the Father's will with the heart's desires, making worldliness our goal rather than godliness.

The last few sentences of Jesus’ teaching are difficult to understand. He moves from discussing amputation and disfigurement to discussing saltiness.

“For everyone will be salted with fire. Salt is good, but if the salt has lost its saltiness, how will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.” – Mark 9:49-50 ESV

It seems Jesus shifted from talking about the unquenchable fires of hell to a different kind of fire present in this life. Rather than a fire of everlasting punishment for sin, it is a fire of purification. He compares it to salt, a natural preservative used in that day. Jesus describes a purging, purifying fire meant to expose and remove the dross of sin from our lives. Sin is meant to be cut out and eliminated. The Christ-follower should expect and appreciate this process. Jesus even encouraged His disciples to “have salt in yourselves.”

They were to welcome the preserving and purifying work of God in their lives. Peter later refers to the “fiery trials” every believer will encounter during their time on this earth.

Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world. – 1 Peter 4:12-13 NLT

The disciples were being baptized with fire by Jesus. He rebuked them for their lack of faith, their obsession with greatness, and their unjustified jealousy over anyone stealing their glory. These men were being tested by fire so God could expose and remove the impurities in their lives. It was not enjoyable, but it was necessary. They were being prepared for the future, when Jesus would commission them to “go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 29:19 NLT). Godly leadership requires godly men who see things from God’s point of view. The disciples were not yet ready, but they would be when the time came. Jesus would see to it.   

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

A Simple Story with a Sobering Message

18 “Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.

19 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22 The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, 23 and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. 24 And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ 25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. 26 And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ 27 And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father’s house— 28 for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ 29 But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ 30 And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ 31 He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’” – Luke 16:18-31 ESV

At first glance, this section of Luke 16 seems to come out of left field. It appears to lack any context. There has been no change of venue or scene, and yet, suddenly and unexpectedly, Jesus starts talking about divorce, adultery, remarriage, and the law. But the key to understanding this apparent shift in topic is found in verse 15, where Jesus pointedly addresses His adversaries, the Pharisees, brusquely pointing out the nature of their problem:

“You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized among men is utterly detestable in God’s sight.” – Luke 16:15 NET

Jesus had just disclosed that it is impossible to serve God and money at the same time. Whoever tries will “will be devoted to one and despise the other” (Luke 16:13 NLT). And the Pharisees, whom Luke reports “dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him” (Luke 16:14 NLT). They found Jesus’ parable about the dishonest manager to be ridiculous and His comments concerning unrighteous wealth and true riches to be laughable. Obviously, his poor and uneducated Rabbi from Nazareth had not been blessed with great wealth as they had. They believed their superior social standing to be a direct reward for their faithful obedience to God’s commands.

But Jesus won’t let them take the high ground. He exposed them for what they really are: Men who love money, covet the praise of men, and pride themselves on being the spiritual elite of Israel. Their apparent allegiance to the law was simply a means to an end. It earned them the awe and reverence of the masses. They were looked upon as the religious rock stars of their day, holy men who lived in perfect obedience to the Mosaic Law. Yet Jesus knew the truth. These pious religious leaders spent far too much time justifying themselves in the eyes of men when they should have been worrying about what God thought about them.

Earlier, Jesus had given His disciples a sobering warning concerning the Pharisees.

“Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees—their hypocrisy. The time is coming when everything that is covered up will be revealed, and all that is secret will be made known to all.” – Luke 12:1-2 NLT

Their true natures would eventually be revealed for all to see. Their cleverly disguised hatred for Jesus would come to light when they forcefully arrested Him and dragged Him before Pilate, the Roman governor. There they would level false accusations against Him, demanding that Jesus be put to death for posing a threat against the Roman government. It was all be based on lies, but they would eventually convince Pilate to crucify Jesus. But Jesus, knowing exactly what the Pharisees had planned for Him, told His disciples, “don’t be afraid of those who want to kill your body; they cannot do any more to you after that. But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear” (Luke 12:4-5 NLT). And that same warning applied to the Pharisees. That’s why they needed to show far greater concern about God’s assessment of their lives, rather than trying to impress their peers and the peasants.

Back to Luke 16. Beginning in verse 14, Jesus exposes the Pharisees’ lack of understanding of what is taking place right in front of their eyes. The kingdom of God that the law and the prophets predicted has appeared in their midst. Jesus, the Messiah of Israel has come to earth, and His arrival has inaugurated a new age.

“The law and the prophets were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urged to enter it.” – Luke 16:16 NET

In a sense, John the Baptist was the last of the old-school prophets. He came proclaiming the coming of the kingdom.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” – Matthew 3:2 ESV

But John, like all the prophets before him, added a message of judgment.

“Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” – Matthew 3:10 ESV

John called the people to be baptized, and he clarified that it was intended to illustrate their willingness to turn from their sinful ways. He even told the Pharisees to “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance” (Matthew 3:8 ESV). John believed that Jesus, in His role as the long-awaited Messiah, would be bringing judgment.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” – Matthew 3:11-12 ESV

But Jesus had come to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10). He had told His disciples that His incarnation had been intended to make salvation available to those who already stood condemned before God.

“I have come into the world as light, so that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness. If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day.” – John 12:46-48 ESV

Jesus was offering sinful men and women a means of finding favor with God that was not based on human effort. The law of God had never been intended to provide salvation. According to the apostle Paul, the law was “given…to show people their sins” (Galatians 3:19 NLT). In his letter to the Romans, Paul expands on this thought by adding, “The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins” (Romans 8:3 NLT). 

All of this helps us better understand what Jesus is saying in the closing verses of Luke 16. He is attempting to explain the significance of His incarnation. He is the king of Israel whom the prophets and the law foretold, and He has brought His kingdom or, better yet, His kingly right to rule. He is the Son of God and the anointed Savior of the world. And everything He is doing and will do is in fulfillment of the law and prophets. That is why He declared, “it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Luke 16:18 ESV). Nothing and no one was going to stand in His way – not even the Pharisees. Jesus was faithfully fulfilling the will of His Heavenly Father. And, even after His resurrection, He would tell His disciples:

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” – Luke 24:44 ESV

Yet, while Jesus was busy fulfilling the law, the Pharisees were doing it great harm. They were adding to it and creating loopholes for it. They were constantly coming up with ways to make its observance easier by designing clever workarounds. Even its clear teaching regarding divorce and remarriage had been diluted through their efforts. Adultery had become commonplace and the Pharisees had played a major role in justifying its ubiquitous existence among the Jews. This led Jesus to reiterate God’s unwavering outlook regarding divorce.

“Everyone who divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery, and he who marries a woman divorced from her husband commits adultery.” – Luke 16:18 ESV

Then Jesus followed this up with a rather interesting story. One of the first things we need to understand is that this story is descriptive and not intended to be prescriptive. In other words, Jesus is not teaching a doctrinal truth about heaven and hell, this life or the afterlife. He is simply telling a story designed to expose the erroneous beliefs of the Pharisees. They are represented in the story by the rich man who enjoyed great wealth in this life. But he proved to be uncaring and uncompassionate to the needy in his midst. In fact, every day he callously overlooked the sorry state of a poor man named Lazarus. In the story, both men die, and that’s where it gets interesting. Contrary to the common view among the Jews of Jesus’ day, the poor man ends up in heaven, while the rich man finds himself suffering in Hades. This would have been a shock to everyone that heard the story, and that was Jesus’ intent.

The rich man, stunned at this unexpected turn of events, begged God to show him mercy. And notice that he asks that God send Lazarus to do for him what he had refused to do for Lazarus all those years. Now that he was suffering, he wanted Lazarus to relieve his anguish. But God gave the rich man some very bad news.

“Son, remember that during your lifetime you had everything you wanted, and Lazarus had nothing. So now he is here being comforted, and you are in anguish.” – Luke 16:25 NLT

As stated earlier, this parable is not meant to be a treatise on heaven and hell. Jesus was not suggesting that there are lines of communication between Hades and heaven. Jesus does not tell us how the rich man knew that Lazarus was in heaven because that is not the point of his story. The point of the story is found in its closing verses, where Jesus brings back up the law and the prophets.

“Then the rich man said, ‘Please, Father Abraham, at least send him to my father’s home. For I have five brothers, and I want him to warn them so they don’t end up in this place of torment.’

“But Abraham said, ‘Moses and the prophets have warned them. Your brothers can read what they wrote.’” – Luke 16:27-29 ESV

The law contained all they needed to know about the treatment of the needy and oppressed. And the prophets had more than clarified what God would do to all those who chose to disobey His laws. The rich man’s brothers stood condemned because they refused to obey.

But, unswayed by the words of Abraham, the rich man continued to beg, stating, “if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God” (Luke 16:30 NLT). And this is where Jesus drives home the real point of his story.

“But Abraham said, ‘If they won’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they won’t be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’” – Luke 16:31 NLT

Subtly, but oh so clearly, Jesus reveals the underlying problem of the Pharisees. They were so arrogantly confident in their standing before God, that they refused to heed the warnings of Scripture. Jesus, the Son of God, stood before them and they refused to acknowledge Him. And even when He died and rose again, they would still reject His claims to be the Messiah.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Satan’s Final Fall.

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. – Revelation 20:7-10 ESV

Every since his attempt to overthrow God and take His place in heaven, Satan has stood opposed to God. His entire existence has been one dedicated to tempting others to rebel against their Creator. It began with Adam and Eve, and it has continued to this day. And even when Christ returns and defeats Satan and his forces, captures him and confines him to the Abyss, where he will remain for 1,000 years, his attitude toward God will not soften and his rebellious heart will not repent. Immediately upon his release, he will instigate yet another rebellion against God, His Son and His people. And the sad reality is that he will have no shortage of volunteers to join his insurrection. So, in this passage, we see Satan’s unwavering commitment to be god by eliminating the one true God. And we also see that humanity, even after having lived under the righteous and just rule of Jesus Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords, they will choose to side with the enemy, rather than remain under the rightful rule of Christ.

Just as Satan deceived Eve in the Garden, and just as he attempted to deceive Christ in the wilderness, Satan, upon his release, will immediately set out to deceive the nations. The Greek word John uses is planaō, and it means “to cause to stray, to lead astray, lead aside from the right way” (“G4105 - planaō - Strong's Greek Lexicon (KJV).”), And the nations of the earth will eagerly follow him, and buy into his offer to lead the into battle against Jesus Christ and the people of God. Once again, it is important to note that this rebellion against Christ will take place after 1,000 years of peace and calm on the earth. Jesus will have ruled with a rod of iron, meting out swift and righteous justice. It will be a period of law because Christ will be ruling over a world that still contains unbelievers. There will be millions on the earth at that time who are not His followers and they will still have their sin natures. But their sins will be dealt with immediately. Jesus, the King, will not tolerate insurrection or allow sin to go unpunished. During that time, believers will play some kind of role in the judgment of the unbelieving. Paul seems to allude to this fact in his first letter to the Corinthians:

Don't you realize that someday we believers will judge the world? And since you are going to judge the world, can't you decide even these little things among yourselves? – 1 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

So, when these unbelievers choose to align themselves with Satan, they will, by their actions, demonstrate the unrelenting depravity of man. They will have experienced a entire millennium marked by justice, equity, mercy, grace, and the blessings that come from sitting under the rule of a truly righteous King. And Psalm 72 provides us with a vivid picture of just how remarkable that day will be.

1 Give the king your justice, O God,
    and your righteousness to the royal son!
2 May he judge your people with righteousness,
    and your poor with justice!
3 Let the mountains bear prosperity for the people,
    and the hills, in righteousness!
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people,
    give deliverance to the children of the needy,
    and crush the oppressor! – Psalm 72:1-4 ESV

12 For he delivers the needy when he calls,
    the poor and him who has no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy,
    and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life,
    and precious is their blood in his sight. – Psalm 71:12-14 ESV

But, in spite of all this, they will reject their King and choose to rebel against Him, rejecting His law, and hoping to replace He and His God and their dominion by the rule of Satan.

John tells us that Satan will gather forces from the four corners of the earth, and he uses the phrase “Gog and Magog.” We are not told who or what this refers to, but we get some insight in the prophecy of Ezekiel.

1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward Gog, of the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him 3 and say, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am against you, O Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal. 4 And I will turn you about and put hooks into your jaws, and I will bring you out, and all your army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed in full armor, a great host, all of them with buckler and shield, wielding swords. 5 Persia, Cush, and Put are with them, all of them with shield and helmet; 6 Gomer and all his hordes; Beth-togarmah from the uttermost parts of the north with all his hordes—many peoples are with you.

7 “Be ready and keep ready, you and all your hosts that are assembled about you, and be a guard for them. 8 After many days you will be mustered. In the latter years you will go against the land that is restored from war, the land whose people were gathered from many peoples upon the mountains of Israel, which had been a continual waste. Its people were brought out from the peoples and now dwell securely, all of them. 9 You will advance, coming on like a storm. You will be like a cloud covering the land, you and all your hordes, and many peoples with you. – Ezekiel 38:1-9 ESV

Because of key differences found in the battle that is described in Ezekiel’s account, he is most likely dealing with a battle that appears before the millennial reign of Christ. But John’s borrowing of the designation, “Gog and Magog” reveals that there will be similarities. It appears from Ezekiel’s prophecy, that Gog is a reference to a ruler and Magog is the land or the people over which he reigns. So, when John mentions that Satan gathered the nations of the earth, “Gog and Magog”, he is saying that Satan was able to entice and recruit all the rulers and their people, from the four corners of the earth. And they gathered together outside the “the camp of the saints and the beloved city” – the city of Jerusalem. They set up a siege against the capital city of Jesus Christ, the King. Satan and his forces intend to storm the city, remove Christ as King and destroy all those who follow Him. This includes all those who are part of the church, as well as the tribulation saints, the 144,000 witnesses, all those martyred during the tribulation who were resurrected at the beginning of the millennium, and the Jewish people. But they will fail. John tells us that “fire came down from heaven and consumed them” (Revelation 19:9 ESV). This appears to be the work of God the Father. He steps into the scene and brings the final judgment against rebellious mankind, destroying each and every one of them. Except for Satan. 

…and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. – Revelation 19:10 ESV

Satan is finally removed from the earth, never to deceive the world again. He joins the other two members of his false trinity, Antichrist and the false prophet, in the lake of fire or hell, where he will remain forever. In essence, Satan will get what he has always wanted: Complete independence from God. He will never enter the presence of God again. He will be completely and utterly removed from any further interaction with God. But it will be a period marked by perpetual torment. He will discover the painful reality that life apart from God is anything but freedom and joy. It is misery and pain. It is the daily, ongoing reality that all you had placed your hope and trust in is incapable of meeting your needs. The false gods you have erected in this life will become your permanent gods throughout eternal life. And they will continue to fail you and let you down as you spend eternity trying to satisfy your longings with that which cannot deliver. Hell will be a real place filled with real people. It will be marked by great pain and suffering. But perhaps the greatest suffering will man’s inability to find satisfaction or fulfillment of any kind. Hunger will go unmet. Thirst will never be quenched. Joy will be perpetually illusive. There will be no source of happiness. Contentment will be unattainable. Love will be unavailable – either to receive or give. And the pain of loss will be unbearable. And yet, our God calls out to us, pleading with us to accept what He offers and to turn to the One who makes satisfaction, joy, contentment and a life filled with love possible.

1 “Is anyone thirsty?
    Come and drink—
    even if you have no money!
Come, take your choice of wine or milk—
    it’s all free!
2 Why spend your money on food that does not give you strength?
    Why pay for food that does you no good?
Listen to me, and you will eat what is good.
    You will enjoy the finest food.” – Isaiah 55:1-2 NLT

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Message (MSG)  Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson

Do As I Pray.

Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” – Matthew 6:9-13

The Bible has a lot to say about the topic of prayer.

“…pray without ceasing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV

“Yet Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed.” – Luke 5:16 NET

“…pray for those who abuse you.” – Luke 6:28 ESV

“…pray at all times in the Spirit.” – Ephesians 6:18 NASB

“When you pray, do not babble repetitiously like the Gentiles, because they think that by their many words they will be heard.” – Matthew 6:7 NET

“Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray.” – James 5:13 ESV

“Continue steadfastly in prayer…” – Colossians 4:2 ESV

But while there is no shortage of advice and admonitions regarding prayer in the Scriptures, it's far easier to read about than actually put into practice. And even when we do actually pray, we can find ourselves doing it for the wrong reasons. James rather bluntly reminds us, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions” (James 4:3 ESV). For many, prayer is nothing more than an attempt to get from God what we want or desire. But Jesus would have us remember that prayer is not about us. It is, first and foremost, about God and our relationship with Him as child to Father. We are more than free to come to God with our needs, wants, and even our desires. But we must attempt to bring those needs, wants and desires within His will. Which is why Jesus placed early within His model prayer the words, “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” The goal of our relationship with God should be a growing sense of intimacy and familiarity. We should desire to know Him better and better. But if God becomes little more than a source for seeking our self-prescribed satisfaction and comfort, we miss the whole point. God really does want to give us what we desire, but He prefers that He be what we desire. More than money. More than popularity. More than a trouble-free life. More than pleasure. More than health. More than anything or anyone else. When writing to the believers in Ephesus, John wrapped up his letter with these words: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life” (1 John 5:20 ESV). John is telling his readers that, because of their belief in Jesus Christ as their Savior, they have been given a relationship with God. He is the true God and eternal life. Jesus Himself declared, “this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3 ESV). To know Jesus is to know God. Jesus knew God well. He knew His Father intimately and with the loving familiarity of a son toward a dad. He loved talking with His Father. He prayed regularly to His Father. The gospel of Luke tells us, “Jesus himself frequently withdrew to the wilderness and prayed” (Luke 5:16 NET). He longed to hear from His Father. He shared His heart with His Father. But I find it interesting that right after John reminded his readers of their relationship with the one true God, he warned them, “keep yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21 ESV). That is the last line of his entire letter. But why did he choose to end his letter that way? I think it was because he knew that men will always struggle with replacing the one true God with false gods. Timothy Keller describes idols in these sobering and somewhat convicting terms: “What is an idol? It is anything more important to you than God, anything that absorbs your heart and imagination more than God, anything you seek to give you what only God can give. A counterfeit god is anything so central and essential to your life that, should you lose it, your life would feel hardly worth living“ (Timothy Keller, Counterfeit Gods). Prayer should be seen as an ongoing, unhindered opportunity to spend time and get to know better the one true God. Yes, we can bring Him our needs. We can even share with Him our desires. But as we grow to know Him better and better, we will see that much of what we wanted was outside of His will – not necessarily wrong or sinful – but simply not what He had in mind for us. In His prayer, Jesus keeps the content short and simple. It has just the right blend of adoration, submission, intimacy, awe, dependency, and responsibility for maintaining relationships with others. It acknowledges our need for God. It provides expression of our love for and adoration of God. The whole prayer is really about God. And at the end of the day, that is what the focus of our lives as believers should be about. Again, as Jesus said, “this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3 ESV). Knowing God because we know Jesus. Having an intimate and familiar relationship with the Father because we have believed in His Son. That is the essence of eternal life. The goal of salvation is not heaven – it's God. Eternal life is not about a destination – it's about a relationship with God. Getting saved isn't to stay out of hell – it's about knowing God.

An Unexpected Twist.

Luke 16:19-31

“But Abraham said, ‘If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead.’” – Luke 16:31 NLT

Jesus had a unique way of turning things on their ear, upsetting the apple cart, and disrupting the status quo. He was always shaking up the comfortable conclusions people had reached and making them reassess their preconceived ideas of how things worked in God's Kingdom. He used His stories or parables as a way to hook people in, peaking their interest, while at the same time rocking their world. In considering His story of the rich man and the poor man, it is important to remember the context. It goes all the way back to the opening of chapter 15, where the Pharisees and religious leaders confronted Jesus about His questionable choice of friends. It seems that they were offended that this so-called Messiah was fond of hanging out with sinners. He even ate with them. Something these self-righteous men would never do. It was that encounter with the religious leaders that began Jesus' string of stories. He then launched into the stories of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the lost son, the unfaithful manager, and now, the rich man and the poor man. But if you remember to consider what prompted Jesus to tell these stories, it might be better to rename them "The Parable of the Abandoned Sheep," "The Parable of the Overlooked Coins," The Parable of the Self-Righteous Son," The Parable of the Remorseful Servant, and "The Parable of Unbelieving Rich Man."

If we remember the context, we can't overlook the fact that Jesus is dealing with the attitude of the Pharisees and the religious leaders. In the middle of His story about the unfaithful manager, Luke records the statement, "The Pharisees, who dearly loved their money, heard all this and scoffed at him" (Luke 16:14 NLT). Whether they got that the story was about them, they certainly didn't agree with what Jesus was saying. They didn't like His conclusions. These were men who enjoyed a rich and satisfying life. They viewed wealth as a sign of the blessing of God. They were rich because they were righteous – or so they thought. Unlike the manager in the story, they didn't see themselves as unfaithful stewards of God. They had been faithful and their wealth was a sign that God was pleased with them. Which led Jesus to tell the story of the rich man and the poor man. This is a story designed to juxtapose two extreme conditions, and to destroy the faulty thinking that plagued the people of Israel concerning the blessings of God. The rich man "was splendidly clothed in purple and fine linen." He lived a life of luxury. Jesus' audience would have naturally concluded that this man was righteous because of His wealth. Then Jesus described a second man, who was a poor beggar, relegated to begging for food. Not only that, he was inflicted with sores. Again, Jesus' audience would have naturally concluded that this man was a wicked sinner who was simply being punished by God for his sins.

Both men die. But this is where the story begins to take an unexpected turn for the audience. Things do not turn out they way they would have imagined. Shockingly, in Jesus' story, the rich man ends up in hell and the poor man ends up in heaven, with Abraham and all the faithful patriarchs. This would have been a shock to all those listening to Jesus speak that day. Why? Because they believed the one man's wealth was a sign of God's blessing and, therefore, a guarantee of his future in heaven. The poor man should have been the one to end up in hell, because he obviously had lived a wicked life on earth. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been destined to a life of begging and misery. But Jesus' story is designed to explode these myths regarding righteousness and reward in God's Kingdom. The poor man was not being rewarded with heaven because he was poor and the rich man was not being punished with hell because he was wealthy. This was all about the condition of the hearts of the two men. Just a few moments before, Jesus had told the Pharisees, "You like to appear righteous in public, but God knows your hearts. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God" (Luke 16:15 NLT). In the story, Jesus says that the rich man called out to Abraham for relief. He was in anguish and he asked Abraham to send the poor man to cool his parched tongue with just a dip of water from his fingertip. Interestingly, Jesus reveals that the rich man, while in hell and under torment, still views the poor man as his servant. Abraham breaks the news to this man that what he is asking is impossible. So the rich man begs Abraham to send the poor to warn his family so that they won't end up like he did. He wants Lazarus, the poor man, to rise from the dead and tell his rich brothers that they can't depend on their wealth as a sign of God's blessing and an assurance of their future place in God's Kingdom. And this is where Jesus makes His final and most important point. The rich man says, "But if someone is sent to them from the dead, then they will repent of their sins and turn to God" (Luke 16:30 NLT). Interestingly, Jesus wove the great patriarch and icon of the Jewish people, Abraham, into this story. It is he who is speaking, when Jesus relates the following message: "If they won't listen to Moses and the prophets, they won't listen even if someone rises from the dead" (Luke 16:31 NLT). The rich man in the story was an unbeliever. He had placed all his faith and hope in his wealth and riches. The Pharisees standing before Jesus as He told this story were also unbelievers. They refused to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, the Son of God. And even when Jesus was put to death by them and rose again from the grave, they would still refuse to believe that He was who He said He was. They put their faith in their own self-righteousness. They believed that they were blessed by God because they were descendants of Abraham. Which is why Jesus chose to have Abraham deliver the bad news in His story. God does not reward men based on their affluence, influence, religiosity, piety, power, prestige, position, Bible knowledge, status in the religious community, good works, or any other man-established criteria. What this world honors is detestable in the sight of God. He looks at the heart. Jesus knew the hearts of the Pharisees. He knew why they refused to believe in Him. And He knew that they would continue to refuse to believe Him even after He rose from the dead. They had placed their faith elsewhere. And the results for them were going to be unexpected and highly unwelcome.

Father, Your ways are not our ways. You don't do things the way we expect. You are not impressed by what impresses us. You don't reward the way we do. You see what we can't see – the hearts of men. You reward based on faith and faith alone. Those who humble themselves and recognize their own sinfulness and their need for a Savior, and place their faith in the gift of Your Son are saved. Rich, poor, slave, free, educated, uneducated, young, old, male, female, religious, irreligious, impressive, unimpressive. It has nothing to do with our value and what we have done, but only with what Jesus Christ has done for us. Thank You!  Amen.