Sin Discovered, Judged and Removed (Zechariah 5:1-11, Revelation 18:1-8, Revelation 19:1-6, Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Rev. William L. Barron, February 26, 2023Part of the Morning Worship at North Greenville Church series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
Our text today covers Zechariah's sixth vision, that of the flying scroll. The scroll was approximately 30 ft x 15 ft and was essentially a large message board. Interestingly, it was the same size as the holy place in the temple. The message board represents the Word of God calling us to repentance. It proclaims a curse upon two representative sins, called out on the two sides of the message board. The example is the one who curses and the one who steals. The house of the judged, unrepentant sinners will be completely consumed in the consummation of the curse. This is a complete, absolute judgment on those who refuse the call to repentance. Yet those who come to true repentance will find healing provided by God, who brings every deed into judgment (Eccl. 12: 13-14. The question comes to us, "How are we to live?" We must fear God unto salvation, and then we are to hold to His law. Our time is one of changing morality into falsehood. If we refuse to fear God and keep His commandments, we will experience eternal death in hell. One of the purposes of the law is to provide a mirror to us, showing that we do not attain to His standard no matter how hard we try. We must trust in Christ, our redeemer, who kept the law perfectly. This trust is pictured in the Passover, where the choice was life or immediate death. So, where do we stand? Do we hold to God's law or man's law? God's law consequences are eternal. The next vision is the basket with the woman inside. This represents a basket full of wickedness. The basket was resealed and flown to the land of Shinar (in Babylon, where proud men built the Tower of Babel in a vain effort to find their own way to God.) There is no way to God but by Christ. The basket represents the Jesus' cross. Babel was man's first worldwide rebellion against God. In Revelation, Babylon is the representation of hell. The basket of wickedness was hauled to judgment. We gain assurance of peace with God through trust. The scroll goes everywhere to issue the call to repent. God's kingdom is wonderful, a temple where sin is dealt with. Trust, and you shall be holy; it is a firm promise.
| Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
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| « By My Spirit, Says The Lord Of Hosts | None | God's Patrol Over The Earth » |
Zechariah 5 (Listen)
5:1 Again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! 2 And he said to me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll. Its length is twenty cubits, and its width ten cubits.” 3 Then he said to me, “This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land. For everyone who steals shall be cleaned out according to what is on one side, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cleaned out according to what is on the other side. 4 I will send it out, declares the LORD of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief, and the house of him who swears falsely by my name. And it shall remain in his house and consume it, both timber and stones.”
5 Then the angel who talked with me came forward and said to me, “Lift your eyes and see what this is that is going out.” 6 And I said, “What is it?” He said, “This is the basket that is going out.” And he said, “This is their iniquity in all the land.” 7 And behold, the leaden cover was lifted, and there was a woman sitting in the basket! 8 And he said, “This is Wickedness.” And he thrust her back into the basket, and thrust down the leaden weight on its opening.
9 Then I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, two women coming forward! The wind was in their wings. They had wings like the wings of a stork, and they lifted up the basket between earth and heaven. 10 Then I said to the angel who talked with me, “Where are they taking the basket?” 11 He said to me, “To the land of Shinar, to build a house for it. And when this is prepared, they will set the basket down there on its base.”
(ESV)
Revelation 18:1–8 (Listen)
18:1 After this I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was made bright with his glory. 2 And he called out with a mighty voice,
“Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great!
She has become a dwelling place for demons,
a haunt for every unclean spirit,
a haunt for every unclean bird,
a haunt for every unclean and detestable beast.
3 For all nations have drunk
the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality,
and the kings of the earth have committed immorality with her,
and the merchants of the earth have grown rich from the power of her luxurious living.”
4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying,
“Come out of her, my people,
lest you take part in her sins,
lest you share in her plagues;
5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven,
and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others,
and repay her double for her deeds;
mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed.
7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury,
so give her a like measure of torment and mourning,
since in her heart she says,
‘I sit as a queen,
I am no widow,
and mourning I shall never see.’
8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day,
death and mourning and famine,
and she will be burned up with fire;
for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.”
(ESV)
Revelation 19:1–6 (Listen)
19:1 After this I heard what seemed to be the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
Salvation and glory and power belong to our God,
2 for his judgments are true and just;
for he has judged the great prostitute
who corrupted the earth with her immorality,
and has avenged on her the blood of his servants.”
3 Once more they cried out,
“Hallelujah!
The smoke from her goes up forever and ever.”
4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who was seated on the throne, saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!” 5 And from the throne came a voice saying,
“Praise our God,
all you his servants,
you who fear him,
small and great.”
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out,
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
(ESV)
Ecclesiastes 12:13–14 (Listen)
13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
(ESV)