Author: Charlie Garrett

Presenting the Word of God to the People of God

Charlie Garrett Special / Holiday (Written)

Presenting the Word of God to the People of God

A close friend of mine asked me to have breakfast with him recently so that we could discuss something pressing upon him. Not sure of what was up, I – of course – agreed.

In our conversation, he said he had come to the conclusion, from a purely secular perspective, that the only thing that could save our nation from inevitable collapse was for the people to be turned back to a right relationship with God. There is nothing in the political arena that is capable of doing that at this point.

I think his thoughts are based on the fact that there is really no other avenue that will stop the fast-paced moral slide into the abyss that is occurring in the nation, and indeed in the entire world. There is no doubt that unless this unholy tide is stemmed, it will be too late in a very short time. Indeed, it may be too late even now.

In fact, just a week ago, I reported that “More than 120 retired American military officials have signed an open letter warning that America has veered left under Democratic control and that the nation’s survival is on the line.” They said –

“Under a Democrat Congress and the Current Administration, our Country has taken a hard left turn toward Socialism and a Marxist form of tyrannical government which must be countered now by electing congressional and presidential candidates who will always act to defend our Constitutional Republic.”

The main problem in America comes from the fact that the same people who have crept into the government, meaning the communists, have also secured themselves into almost every seminary in the nation. This may sound conspiratorial, but it is not. The leftist agenda in this nation is a communist agenda. The two, at this point, are inseparable.

If all you watch is the mainstream media, this may seem surprising to you, but they have been, for many years now, at the forefront of this by reporting a false narrative while these communists have slowly worked their way through both the government and our churches.

Text Verse: “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” 2 Timothy 4:1-5

To understand this problem, and to look back at how long this has been planned, we will go to a report submitted to the US Congress in 1963.

On Thursday, January 10, 1963, the Honorable A.S. Herlong, Jr. of Florida submitted, in an extension of remarks to the US House of Representatives, what he entitled “Current Communist Goals.” In his submission, he specifically named forty-five goals of the communists in order to gain control of this nation.

What I am presenting to you now is a sermon on how I prepare my sermons. It seems like this would otherwise be a waste of time. There are churches everywhere. Seminaries have courses on homiletics. And so on. Isn’t that enough to get the word of God out in a proper manner to the church? No, I do not believe it is.

Many seminaries teach a great deal, but little of it is based solely on the word of God. Some of them teach nothing of the word of God at all. And it is perfectly evident from what issues from innumerable churches across our land, from week to week, that the word of God is not the main concern of what they are presenting to the attendees.

But that is exactly what the structure of the church is established for. It is not there to push agendas, it is not there to make people feel good, and it is not there to be a self-perpetuating money maker. It is an institution that is to be designed around one main thing – the word of God. And that word of God is given to tell us, above all else, about His dealings with humanity through the Person of Jesus Christ.

Further, I’m not saying that the way I prepare sermons is the best way to do so. However, there are countless sermons spoken forth on any given Sunday that have – literally – nothing to do with the word of God. And those that do may only touch on the word. The rest of the time, people are simply given an easy message that is intended to encourage them in some manner.

This is not a proper way of informing people about the contents of the word of God. Whatever these people are being taught in seminary, it is not enough. That is perfectly evident. And so, I will convey to you my own method of sermon preparation so that any who truly cares about the word will be able to follow this path without all of the learning curve that I had to go through in order to come to where I am now.

The truth is, though, that this would be unnecessary if pastors were properly trained in the biblical text and proper theology, and also if they were willing to spend the necessary time it takes to prepare and present the type of sermons to their congregations that would protect their flocks from the damage inflicted by such ungodly people within the society.

This is not a sermon on either politics or communism, but these points must be understood as – at least in part – a basis for understanding why such a sermon is deemed by my friend to be necessary at all. Our churches have been led down a sad path of theological apostasy, and the only way to rectify that is to turn ourselves to what is sound and reasonable. And this is to be issued forth from any pastor who truly feels the weight of his responsibility to the flock he presents himself to each week.

Immensely important things like exalting the word of God that tells us about Jesus Christ in our church gatherings are to be found in His superior word. And so, let us consider that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. An Unholy Agenda

With the thought in mind that I said earlier about the leftist agenda in the United States actually being a communist agenda, and that it is being championed by the democrat party, I need to substantiate that before we go on. And so, of the forty-five points submitted by Representative Herlong to the United States House of Representatives in 1963 that I mentioned a moment ago, please consider the following twenty-eight –

  1. Do away with all loyalty oaths.
  2. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.
  3. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.
  4. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers’ associations. Put the party line in textbooks.
  5. Gain control of all student newspapers.
  6. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.
  7. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, and policymaking positions.
  8. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.
  9. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to “eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.”
  10. Control art critics and directors of art museums. “Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.”
  11. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them “censorship” and a violation of free speech and free press.
  12. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.
  13. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as “normal, natural, and healthy.”
  14. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with “social” religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a “religious crutch.”
  15. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of “separation of church and state.” (Remember these goals were published to expose them in 1958) Coincidence?
  16. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.
  17. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the “common man.”
  18. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the “big picture.” Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.
  19. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture–education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.
  20. Eliminate all laws or procedures, which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.
  21. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.
  22. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.
  23. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.
  24. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].
  25. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.
  26. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.
  27. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.
  28. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use [“] united force [“] to solve economic, political or social problems.

This was 1963, almost sixty years ago. Were we to go over each of these points, even with only with a broad brushstroke of printed articles from the past year, we would be able to identify that almost each and every one of them has been carefully and meticulously introduced, pursued, and fully completed within one party of the United States of America – the democrat party. This is unquestionable, it is without controversy, and it is beyond contestation.

Our government has been fully taken over by the communists and we have let it happen, above all, because we have replaced our faith in God with false idols of prosperity, wealth, consumption, moral turpitude, and even downright depravity. And, sadly, it is the church that has often been at the forefront of this amazingly precipitous decline.

Of all these forty-five points, the most important one, though only listed in position 27, says, “Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with ‘social’ religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a ‘religious crutch.’”

The reason this is the most important one is that if proper religion were maintained within the churches of our nation, none of these other points would have occurred. We would have remained on guard, we would not have allowed sexually, politically, and morally deviant people to overtake our society. And we surely would not have allowed the democrat party of these United States to succeed in destroying the foundational Christian underpinnings of this nation.

The man in the White House, his vice president, and indeed all of his associates – along with the democrats in the House and the Senate – are opposed to the right, perfect, and moral doctrines found in Scripture – wholly and entirely. Any person who has read through the Bible even once, and even if he does not accept the Bible as God’s word, could come to no other conclusion.

Everything stems back to, as Jude says, the “faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.” In our somnambulance, it is a faith that we have let go of, and we are now paying the price for our slumbering.

Almost every mainstream denomination has been completely sold out to this leftist agenda. Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian, and so on. They have, for all intents and purposes, become bastions of communist ideology. Even the once sound Southern Baptist Convention has been infiltrated by this ideology, and it is quickly turning aside from the sacred and precious faith.

And because people within the congregations were unwilling to step away from what was occurring before their eyes, the power of these miscreants increased within the government because the people who run these churches are in the same bed as those who run this government.

It no longer matters to those in the democrat party if they commit the most horrendous of perversions because those in the churches are not there to condemn them. Think of Barney Frank – and how many years ago was that! Indeed, these churches are there to support them.

These words are not intended to condemn immorality within society. I am not the judge of those things. I can only highlight them as examples that are contrary to what the Bible expects for the society, and especially for the people of God. God will judge. Our accusations will convert no one. Only a proper explanation of what God expects in order to come to a precious saving faith in His provision will convert anyone.

Those churches that have held to the morality of Scripture as sacrosanct are belittled by members of their own denominations, by a complicit media, and now by a complicit group within Big Tech.

The voices of moral reason and godliness have been silenced both actively and passively. Actively by the tech companies, by government itself, and even by those within the hierarchies of these denominations who hold power over those in lower positions. And passively this has come about by those pastors who are too afraid to speak out at what is going on.

I do not need to dwell on this point any further, and I shall not. The damage is done, the infection has set in, and unless pastors are willing to exalt the morality found in Scripture to its rightful place within this society once again, even those pastors who ride a borderline approach are soon to be rounded up… and executed. Mock that if you will, but the hour is not long in coming. History is not without precedent in this regard. Rather, it is filled with it.

When faced with their own demise, most pastors will, sadly, simply step off the borderline and set their feet ontto the left of it, aligning themselves with the forces of iniquity that they are too terrified of to speak out against any longer. Yes, I suppose most will choose this path when the time comes.

Tragedy in the Garden

The woman was enticed, and she ate of the fruit
She passed it on to Adam and he ate as well
He became the second willing recruit
And together they left a sad story to tell

Their eyes were opened to their exposed state
They realized that life in sin just ain’t so great

They sewed together figs to hide their shame
And made coverings that just wouldn’t suffice
The Lord questioned them about their hiding game
And they realized that sin just ain’t so nice

“Where are you?” called the LORD. (Though he already knew)
“I was hiding because I realized something wasn’t right
I was afraid to answer, I’m naked … yes, it’s true
And so, I hid myself, like a shadow in the night”

“Who told you that you were naked? What is this you did do?
Have you taken of the fruit which I told you not to eat?”
“It was the women who did it… the one made by You
She told me of its yumminess… and how it was so sweet”

I thought it would be so good, but I guess I paid the price
I’m beginning to see that sin really ain’t so nice

“Woman, what is this thing that you have done?
Traded life under the heavens for life under the sun.”
Oh my Lord it was the serpent. He deceived me and I ate
And now I’m seeing that sin just ain’t so great”

Oh God that we could take it back and undo what we have done
Life was wonderful under the heavens
But it’s terrible under the sun

What can we do make things right?
Where can we turn to be healed?
How long will we be cast from Your sight?
How long until the grave is unsealed?

I have a plan, children, but you’ll have to wait
Many years under the sun toiling in the heat
But I will someday open wide heaven’s gate
When My own Son, the devil will defeat

I will send My own Son, the devil to defeat

II. How My Sermons are Prepared

For those preachers who are set and ready to put as first position the lives they have been called to, it means hard work is ahead. It is undoubtedly true that most pastors do not write their own sermons. Some have their staff write them so that they can deliver them with panache on Sunday morning.

There are books with formatted sermons already available. Sermons can be downloaded from the internet, and they can be purchased from innumerable people who will do the work for them so that they can get back to the more important issues of the ministry – be it a day of golfing each week, or some other time of leisure that would be otherwise unheard of if they truly devoted themselves to the calling set before them.

This should not be. Though you will not find this in Scripture, I am of the belief that no sermon should ever be preached by a pastor that he has not personally put together after struggling in the battle of preparing it. If he cannot do this one thing – this most important and intimate thing – for those he is shepherding, he should not be their shepherd.

Congregants should find out where their pastor’s sermons come from. If they are not from him and his personal studies, then what he is preaching is the work of another, and the doctrine may or may not even be what he believes. But it is the doctrine presented by the pastor that guides the church. And it is the church alone, that can stand against the unholy tide flooding the nations of this world.

And, before going on, a note of correction for those pastors who are willing to speak out – from the word – concerning the moral issues of the society: The term “Judeo-Christian values” is not a sound or appropriate way to refer to the values of the nation they are trying to return morality to.

Pastors may put forth terms such as “biblical values,” or they may be more specific and say, “Christ-centered biblical values.” But the term “Judeo Christian values” exalts the faith, whatever that may be, of Jews who do not believe in Christ… to the same level as those people – Jew or Gentile – who do. It is a perverse term that should never have become a part of the standard lexicon of faithful preachers of the word of God.

The entire body of Scripture, Old Testament and New, cannot be properly understood or explained without Jesus Christ being the central focus of what is being presented from Scripture. Jesus made that explicit in John 5 –

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. 40 But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.” John 5:39, 40

&

“Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you—Moses, in whom you trust. 46 For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. 47 But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:45-47

It is unconscionable for the preacher to preach in the church of the saints of Jesus Christ without clearly demonstrating, each and every week, that this precious word of God – conveyed to us by God through men of God – points to His workings in redemptive history completely and entirely, with Jesus Christ as the focus of what God is doing.

And finally, before I explain the mechanical “how” of preparing a sermon as I do, I will say this – clearly and without ambiguity. No person should be allowed into the pulpit to preach on the word of God unless he is fully versed in the word of God.

If he has not read the Bible through, innumerable times, and if he does not commit to reading this word every single day of his life – first thing in the morning and last thing at night – he should not be your preacher.

Any person can go to the streets and share the gospel, even preach the gospel. But for a complete and well-prepared analysis of God’s word from the pulpit, that person must be fully aware of the contents of the entire body of Scripture.

This does not mean various theologies of Scripture that anyone can learn in a seminary without knowing the word of God. This means knowing the word of God so that they can tell when the theologies of Scripture are being improperly taught to them when they attend seminary.

We have put the cart before the horse by sending people unaware of Scripture off to seminary to learn doctrine. Proper doctrine is to be derived from an analysis of Scripture. Scripture is not to be interpreted from man-derived doctrines.

No wonder we are in the pickle we are in! When a person enters a theological seminary and he is not yet well-versed in Scripture, he is subject to be taught anything – no matter how perverse – and he will accept it from that point on.

This is the same model that has been introduced into our secular schools all over this nation. We are training young minds to believe in a communist model of life, and this is what they will cling to – believing that what they are trained is correct – for all their days. And this all started because these communists first infected the churches of those who are now the teachers in our schools.

When Alexis de Tocqueville wrote about the young democracy planted in this nation, he highlighted the religious nature of the people of this land. He was adamant that the traditional religion of America is certainly of the highest importance in the nation’s statesmanship.

So much was this the case that he said that our religion – our Christian faith – “should be considered the first” of the nation’s “political institutions.” He concluded that America must at all costs “maintain Christianity.” This cannot occur unless pastors first properly explain this precious message to those who will enter into the political arena.

And that cannot occur when we ordain pastors who are unaware of the contents of the precious treasure we call “The Word of God.” If a person is well-versed in Scripture, there are many ways to present it to a congregation. Today, most sermons are presented as “life application” sermons, instructing the congregation on how to live one’s life in regard to whatever issue is being presented in the subject material.

Although there is nothing wrong with this approach, teaching the contents of the word of God, line by line, will mold congregants into people who are aware of the nuances of Scripture. With such a presentation, from week to week, they will not need to be told how to live their lives in a biblical manner. They will know how to do so because they will be aware of what the Bible expects of them.

This is the approach that some denominations take, and it is the approach that I myself follow. And so, as tedious as it may appear, I want to give a brief overview of how these sermons are put together. I honestly believe it is the most effective way of conveying the word of God to the people of God, and if enough voices rise from the pulpit with this approach, those who hear will understand the truth, reliability, and power of this word.

Each week, I follow on from whatever passage ended the previous week. We started our biblical adventure on October 23th, 2011, with Genesis 1:1. Since then, we have slowly and methodically progressed through the five books of Moses, so that today, a bit less than ten years later, we are going through the fifth book of Moses, Deuteronomy.

Following this approach has been both spiritually rewarding, and I am sure it has been edifying to all who have continued through these books, myself included. In the early chapters of Genesis, even until about Genesis 35, I feel I went far too fast through the verses. I wasn’t attentive to the detail as I should have been, and I was unlearned in any meaningful sense in the Hebrew.

Therefore, this has been as much of a learning experience for me as it has been for those who have participated in these sermons. The process has remained basically the same, but it has been slowly modified here and there to where we are now. It is my hope that in explaining how I write these sermons, it will help others in progressing more quickly past those points of learning that I had to struggle through.

I had no model to go by, no pattern laid out, and I had to discover what did work and what did not work. Even today, I will slightly amend my approach as needed.

When I started typing the sermons, I chose a passage by the size or content of the passage and determined to write a sermon based on that. At times, this is still necessary, but it is now the exception rather than the rule.

Instead, I will have the framework of the sermon laid out each week – a template that I use for each sermon. This has a title (which includes the book, chapter, and verses of the sermon and the subject of it); a text passage (whatever the subject verses are referred to during the sermon); a text verse (a verse that will anchor the entire text passage to the mind of the listener); and the standard closing of the opening section which is substantially repeated each and every week.

After this, will be a place for the main points of the sermon – be it two, three, or even four sections. Then comes a closing verse (a verse that will sum up the thought of what has been presented). After that will be a note of what the contents of the next sermon will be. And then a place is left for a poem based on all of the text passage for that sermon.

There is a reason for each of these. Maybe surprisingly, the poem for the sermon, or sermons, for the entire coming chapter is the first thing I type. Supposing I have completed the verses for Deuteronomy 17, then before I actually start the Chapter 18 sermons – meaning the week before I start – I compose a poem based on all verses of Chapter 18. This poem is as close to the original text as I can possibly make it.

That is now complete, and I don’t have to worry about it interfering with the typing of whatever sermons come out of Chapter 18, be it one sermon or five. As the contents of each sermon are completed, I simply take the poem and divide it according to the verses that were included in it. For example, Deuteronomy 18 turned out to be three sermons – 1-8; 9-14; and 15-22.

The question may be, “Why do you do a poem based on the verses of each chapter?” Being glad you asked, I will explain. The reason is that before giving the sermon, the sermon text is read – Deuteronomy 18:15-22, for example. After that, the sermon is given based on those eight verses. After the sermon has been given, a poem, based directly on those eight verses and matching them as closely as possible, is then read.

In all, the sermon passage is therefore heard in three different ways. It is, thus, a memory tool for the congregation. As poetry is different in tone and make-up, even if it is almost a mirror of the text itself, it is a completely unique memory tool.

Out of sheer laziness, because of the amount of time it takes, several times, I have thought to drop this part of the sermon. And each time I thought to do so, someone has walked up out of the blue and said how much the poem helps them to process what they have just heard.

With the format laid out and the poem done for the entire chapter, on the next Monday, I start into the sermon itself. I have the format all ready, and so I start by reviewing the verses that I will be going over and immediately get into analyzing the first verse. We’ll say it is Deuteronomy 18:15.

What I do is to open (at least) 8 tabs on the computer. The first six are from BibleHub.com and are set to the following:

1) Bible Hub – a parallel of the verse being evaluated with approximately 25 different translations of that verse. Sometimes, looking at them isn’t necessary. Sometimes reading all 25 translations is needed. It is an invaluable tool.

2) Bible Hub – the entire verse in the Hebrew with a link to Strong’s concordance for each word; each word in Hebrew; a literal English translation for each word; and the morphology of each word. Each word is linked to those various tools, and each is meticulously reviewed by me in all four of these aspects, as needed.

If the word being looked at is a new word in Scripture, that is noted, and its meaning and etymology are explained during the sermon. The introduction of new words, the number of times the words are used in Scripture, and other such information can be an integral part of understanding the passage.

This may be the most important tab open and spending an hour or more on a single verse is not uncommon.

3) Bible Hub – commentaries from (for the Old Testament) Charles Ellicott, Joseph Benson, Matthew Henry, Albert Barnes, Jamieson-Fausset-Brown, John Gill, the Geneva Bible, Cambridge, and the Pulpit Commentary.

4) Bible Hub – the commentary of Adam Clarke.

5) Bible Hub – the commentary of John Lange.

6) Bible Hub – the commentary of Keil and Delitzsch.

To get a fuller idea of what the verse being looked at is saying, I read almost every word of every commentary just named. This is an important step. These men have been trained in the biblical languages, and they have built their commentaries on some of the finest Bible scholars in all of church history who preceded them.

With the exception of Cambridge, for an evaluation of the Bible as an inspired text, these are some of the finest commentaries available. Cambridge is terrible in this regard, and their commentaries are often worse than useless – they being a bunch of liberal scholars.

And yet, their insights into the structure of the passage, and their analyses of the mechanical aspects of the Hebrew are invaluable. This past Monday, they pointed out a gender error in Deuteronomy 21:10 that not one of the 28 translations of the Bible that I read for the sermon caught, and not one of the scholars named above caught. And yet, without that, the typology of Jesus Christ in that passage would have been overlooked or flawed.

Even when their conclusion concerning the meaning of the text is completely wrong, as it most often is, what they submit can often alert the reader to something nobody else ever even hints at.

In other words, in their attempt to call the contents of the Bible into question, they will often bring out marvelous insights that – when thought through – do exactly the opposite.

As a side note concerning Bible Hub. It is one of the best sites I know of for the type of work I do. It is an invaluable resource and without it, the labor involved in what I do would go from 6-10 hours to 15 or even 20 hours, or more. There is no site that I appreciate more.

However, as this was put together by man, there will be errors at times. When I find an error in any part of the pages I am evaluating, I do not ignore it. I immediately stop my sermon typing and email John at Biblehub.com with the corrections. I sent one to him this Monday from that same verse. His site is a masterpiece of biblical information, and we want a perfect site for the users.

7) Bible Gateway – the chapter that is being evaluated (in this case Deuteronomy 18) is opened. This is kept open all day and often needs to be referred to innumerable times. I always use the same version for sermon typing (NKJV). Any variations in version are always cited.

8) Bible Gateway – an extra bible search engine is opened in order to search out passages from elsewhere in the Bible that will be cited. At times, I may open two or three extras if there is a lot going on.

9) In addition to the above, if there are any names of places or people included in the passage, a tab is opened for Abarim Publications. They have the finest and most accurate analyses of the meaning of biblical names to be found. Many “Bible Name” sites are so far off of an actual meaning of the names that they are useless. Caution and care must be taken when considering biblical names.

With all of these tabs open, and with reading everything involved with each of them for analyzing each verse, and then putting it together into a cohesive and understandable (well, hopefully) analysis for the congregation, I still take time to do one more thing with the verse that seemingly has nothing to do with the sermon. And yet, it often helps me to put together thoughts that are actually invaluable for the sermon.

It is something I recommend to anyone who wants to progress in their understanding of the Hebrew, the structure of the verse, and of how that verse can be misunderstood. I have taken one version of the Bible and I compare it directly with the Hebrew, word for word, and then check that translation for error – for every verse I look at.

In my case, and for personal reasons, I chose the King James Version. The reason this is productive is because it leads to other really valuable insights that you might not even have imagined. If you are going to analyze the Bible for your sermons as I do, I wholly recommend you pick a version of the Bible and do exactly this with each verse.

As a side note, I also type a commentary on a single verse of the New Testament seven days a week. Other than the Gospels, Acts (which is next), and Revelation (which is now three quarter complete), I have a full commentary on the entire New Testament. The reason I bring this up is that I do the same evaluation of the Greek against the KJV as I do for the sermon from the Old Testament Hebrew. If you would like my Hebrew/Greek comparison of the KJV, it is on our website.

At the end of the text study and sermon typing, we will say for Deuteronomy 18:15-22, I immediately finish the body of the sermon by typing closing comments. They are usually something that is more of a life application concerning what has been looked at.

However, there are times I will completely skip a life application, and simply go on to convey the glory of what Christ has done in relation to the subject matter at hand. In the end, the summary to the sermon is what will settle the minds of those listening and help them to redirect to what is most important.

That is either their life responsibility in relation to God, or simply contemplating the glory of God. Either way, this is an invaluable part of a sermon, and it must be carefully presented to leave the listener with the thought that they are accountable to this great, gracious, and yet holy God.

When that is spoken out to them, they should be moved into their soul over His goodness as is relayed to us in the redemptive narrative that is presented in the pages of Scripture.

Once this is completed, I will usually only then figure out what I want to be my text verse for the sermon. As I explained earlier, it is a verse that will anchor the entire text passage to the mind of the listener. In the case of Deuteronomy 18:15-22 the text verse is of Isaiah 8:19, 20.

Normally a text verse will be one verse, or a few at best. However, at times, it may be a whole passage if needed to convey the thought properly.

Next, I will figure out a closing verse. That is a verse that will, hopefully, sum up the content of the passage for the reader to say, “Yeah, I get that!” For that particular Deuteronomy sermon, I chose Hebrews 12:18-24.

Next, unless I have already divided the sermon up into individual sections, I will do that at this time. This is important because there are almost always changes of thought within the sermon that should be separated in order to help the reader transition.

In the case of Deuteronomy 18:15-22, it was divided up into three sections –

  1. Him You Shall Hear (verses 15 & 16)
  2. I Will Require It of Him (verses 17-19)
  3. III. You Shall Not Be Afraid of Him (verses 20-22)

Each of these main points are based on words that are conveyed directly within those verses. It is, thus, a word for word memory tool for the listener of the sermon, whether he or she realizes it or not.

After dividing the sermon up in this way, I then take the time to type a poem that reflects the sentiment of what was and what will be conveyed between the sections. I do one poem prior to the beginning of any second, third, or fourth section.

Hence, because there are three sections in the sermon from Deuteronomy 18:15-22, there will be two intervening poems. The reason for this is that it allows listeners or readers to mentally stop and clear their minds of the overload of information that they have just been presented… because there is an overload of information that has just been presented.

I learned to do this while reading a sermon by Charles Spurgeon, and it has been something I have done almost since the very beginning of my time as a preacher. I cannot imagine giving a sermon without this.

So, what is left at this point? Only two things are left for the sermon to be completed. The next thing I do is to now type the introduction to the sermon. Yes, that is almost the last – not the first – thing that I do. It is very rare for me to do it at any other time, but it does happen occasionally.

This comes at the end of the sermon typing because until I have done the conclusion of the sermon, I don’t know what that conclusion will be. But the conclusion is based on the contents of the sermon, and I don’t know what the contents of the sermon will be until the sermon is complete.

Once the conclusion is done, then the opening is typed to closely match what is said at the conclusion, and I can’t match that opening with the conclusion until I know what the conclusion says. This is the standard way of presenting such information – give a thought, explain that thought, and then sum up that thought.

In the case of the sermon, because the summing up is done first, then the opening must come afterward in order to match the summary, which is based on the contents of the sermon. Everything finds its place when it is done this way. Listeners are reminded of what they were told at the beginning of the sermon, and it will thus much better instill in their minds the contents of the entire sermon.

After the opening comments are completed, there is one more thing that needs to be done – the main title to the sermon. The sermon verses need to be put into the title. These weren’t known until the sermon was complete. In this case, Deuteronomy 18:15-22. After that, and last of all, the sermon is given a name.

Obviously, a title is a normal part of a sermon, but that is only chosen based on the contents of the sermon. Therefore, the contents of the title are usually the first and the last parts of the sermon to be completed. For example:

Deuteronomy 18:15-XX is the first thing I know about the sermon. When the sermon is complete and I know which verse has ended the passage, I then complete that part: Deuteronomy 18:15-22. This is actually necessary because there are times where I will start a sermon and will end up only evaluating one verse for the entire sermon. So, this part of the title must be completed after I know the sermon’s contents.

From there, and only then, is a title chosen. I used to choose titles for viewer appeal – “This sounds good and will catch people’s attention.” I no longer do this. I don’t care about catching people’s attention. I care about a proper presentation of the word of God. Therefore, the title is now, almost always, chosen directly and word-for-word from the sermon text. Thus, the sermon title is now complete –

Deuteronomy 18:15-22
A Prophet Like Moses

This is how sermons are prepared at the Superior Word.

To worship and to serve the Lord our God
Eternal fellowship in a land of Delight
On hallowed soil our feet will trod
And the Lord shall always be in our sight

In His light, to walk and also to praise
The Lamb of God who was slain
Illuminated by His ever-glowing rays
No tears, no fear, no sorrow, no pain

Come to the waters and be restored
Drink and receive Grace from the Lord

Heaven’s door is open for all to go through
But you see it’s guarded with cherub and sword
So, to pass through the gate, this you must do
It is the gospel, “Call on the Lord”

By faith in His work and by faith alone
Access is granted past heaven’s sword
His blood was shed for your sins to atone
Again, I beg you, call on the Lord

Again, I implore you, call on the Lord

III. Other Technical Aspects

Preparing a sermon as I do does not mean that when I am done on Monday, that the sermon work is done. Not by a longshot. Unlike a life application sermon that you can type up and have ready in an hour or so and then set it aside for Sunday morning, my 7-10 (or more) hour Monday sermon typing is only a beginning step.

First, a sermon that has been done in the way I do it cannot be conveyed to the congregation with minimal notes. It cannot be looked at once and then spoken forth either. Rather, what is typed is usually so intricate and complicated that it must be read, just as it is typed, to the church.

The first thing I do is to set the sermon aside for an entire week or more so that I mentally let go of everything that has been put together. After this, I read it out loud, check for errors, move things so that they fit better within the sermon, add in or amend things, and so on.

At the same time, I do the graphics work for the sermon. Everything that will be inserted into the video copy of the sermon that the congregation doesn’t get to see (but they get to see me live, so it’s a happy trade off), is prepared for when the video work is done.

After that, the sermon is set off to the side for the next nine or so weeks. That is because I type the sermons ten weeks in advance. This is an invaluable tool for several reasons. First, if I get sick or am otherwise unable to be at the church, I am unlikely to get behind.

Secondly, in doing another nine sermons in the order of Scripture, I am able to learn much more about what is coming, and often new points that I had not even thought of for those nine as-yet unread sermons will come out. If I could do sermons one hundred weeks in advance, how much more would this be the case. But one can only do so much.

And third, special sermons – such as at Christmas or Resurrection Day – will not interfere with the flow of the sermons out of the book we are engaged in at that time.

One week before giving the sermon, usually on Friday, I practice it out loud. This actually has the benefit of me getting my mind off the sermon I will be giving on Sunday, and it will have me ready for the next week because I now have all of the information from two sermons in my head to some extent.

On the week that I give the sermon, I will then practice it out loud each day, checking for things to correct or amend, and getting myself familiar enough with it so that it, hopefully, is passable to the church when it is given. They are far too gracious as they ignore my less than satisfactory oratory skills. For this, I am blessed.

Finally, on Thursday, I print off a copy for everyone that attends, I put it on the church website, scheduling it to appear on Sunday morning, and on Friday morning I send a copy of it out to those who attend online. And, on Friday as with each week, I then practice the next week’s sermon again, and the cycle continues on.

After giving the sermon on Sunday, I must then go home and edit and render the video, and then upload it to various sites on the internet. Once that is done, everything for the next ten weeks of sermons is moved forward one week in my sermon files, and the day is done.

Monday morning, a new battle is engaged as I face the daunting challenge of typing a new sermon – “Oh Lord, prepare my fingers for the battle that lies ahead.” It is my weekly petition to be given the grace of facing His word and not being left entirely defeated in the process.

To conclude: The point of this sermon is to help those who cherish this word, but who have not yet formed a sound approach to presenting this precious gift to the people they minister to.

Please note: it will make no difference that I have done this sermon unless it gets out to others, so I hope you will be willing to share it if it has been a blessing to you.

Closing Verse: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.’” Luke 4:4

The Word of God – holy, pure, and perfect too
It is given to satisfy man’s weary soul
In this life we trod, let us take an eternal view
And allow the word to convert us to God’s heavenly roll

There, in the Book of Life our names will be
Because we pursued His word and found Jesus
Innumerable redeemed, there by the glassy sea
Such a marvelous thing God has done for us

If we will just open the Bible, our own Book of Life
And accept what it says as holy and true
Then between us and God will end the strife
The word is given; to us life begins anew

Thank You, O God, for this marvelous word
In accepting its truths our place in heaven is forever assured

 Hallelujah and Amen…

Revelation 17:6

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Sunday, 23 May 2021

I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement. Revelation 17:6

The previous verse found John revealing the name written on the forehead of the great harlot. Now, he will continue to describe her. However, the description goes from physical things like purple and scarlet and gold and precious stones to her conduct. In this, John says, “I saw the woman.”

As stated before, this is a city (17:18) being compared to a woman. This is found in the Old Testament as well, as was previously noted. Of this woman, John next says she is “drunk with the blood of the saints.”

The terminology speaks of great slaughter, as if the blood were wine, and the amount is so great that those who spill it become intoxicated with it. This is seen, for example, in the sword of the Lord being drunk in this manner in Jeremiah 46 –

“For this is the day of the Lord God of hosts,
A day of vengeance,
That He may avenge Himself on His adversaries.
The sword shall devour;
It shall be satiated and made drunk with their blood;
For the Lord God of hosts has a sacrifice
In the north country by the River Euphrates.” Jeremiah 46:10

Remembering that this is a city, the location is what is first being highlighted. Rome, the center of the Roman Empire, killed innumerable saints of the early church. It doesn’t matter that this was conducted prior to its conversion to Christianity. It is the city that is being described.

The city of Rome (aka the Vatican) claiming Christianity is no more significant at this point than it is that Jerusalem followed the Lord at times and completely fell away from the Lord at others. It is the city that is described (meaning the people within it) throughout the Old Testament. Understanding this, John continues. She is not just only drunk with the blood of the saints, but also “with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus.”

The word translated as “martyrs” signifies “a witness.” It is someone who testifies to something. The word eventually became synonymous with one who dies for his witness because this has been the lot of Christian witnesses throughout the church age.

The “witness” is what becomes the reason for their death. The cause of it, however, is that the witness is not accepted by the great whore who rejects the simplicity and truth of the witness. It is true that Christians have been martyred throughout the world and by countless other cultures and religions, but that is neither a mystery, nor is it unexpected.

However, what is revealed in the mystery of Rome is that it not only martyred the saints prior to its claim to Christianity, but it continued to do so throughout most of its history. Anyone who determined to follow the word of God, apart from the heretical doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church, has been considered anathema by them. And in their declarations, they have killed countless faithful Christians in the process.

Albert Barnes says, “How applicable this is to the papacy, let the blood shed in the valleys of Piedmont; the blood shed in the Low Countries by the Duke of Alva; the blood shed on Bartholomew’s day; and the blood shed in the Inquisition, testify.”

Along with them are the accounts of both martyrdom and persecution of many of those of the Reformation. As a single example of those countless witnesses for Christ at this time who were persecuted and martyred for their faith, take time to read up on John Hus. The city of Rome (eventually the seat of the Roman Catholic Church) has a long history of being drunk with the blood of the saints and of the martyrs of Jesus. But who would think! John couldn’t imagine, and he says, “And when I saw her, I marveled with great amazement.”

Here the verb, thaumazó, and its cognate noun, thauma, are both used. In essence, it says, “I was astonished with great astonishment.” It is the same verb that was used in the Greek translation of Daniel 8:27 after he beheld a vision that completely overwhelmed him –

“And I, Daniel, fainted and was sick for days; afterward I arose and went about the king’s business. I was astonished by the vision, but no one understood it.” Daniel 8:27

The appearance of this harlot stunned John. The finery, the extent of her reach (many waters), the names of blasphemy, and the filthiness of her fornication – all of these, along with her drunken state because of the volumes of blood of those who confess Jesus Christ was literally shocking to his eyes.

She is a great contrast to the woman of Revelation 12 who fled from persecution, whereas this harlot actively persecutes. And those saints of the end times will be in the sights of this vile whore.

Life application: This harlot – a spiritual entity who has mixed idolatrous worship with the truth of Jesus Christ – has also been instrumental in killing those who have held to His word and His testimony alone.

One can look back through the church age to see what organization it is that has been the leading proponent of killing those who disagree with their theological position. The Inquisition is just one evidence of the brutality exercised against the saints of God. The reason for these martyrdoms is seen in those who reject hierarchal levels of authority or anti-biblical teachings in order to faithfully follow the true Leader of the church – Jesus, and the one source of church doctrine – the Bible.

Anytime a body stemming from the Christian faith mixes in extra-biblical rites of worship which are contrary to the Bible, they commit spiritual harlotry. An example of this is the practice of praying to Mary or the saints. There is no biblical justification for this, and, in fact, it is anti-biblical in practice.

Increasing the guilt occurs when statues are given reverence and petition – a practice known as idol-dulia – the veneration of an idol. This is supposedly acceptable to those who promote the practice because they say it is in contrast to latria – meaning “worship” which is granted only to God. In fact, however, there is no distinction between the two. Both words are translated in the same manner from the Latin – to serve. The same is true with the translation of the Hebrew word avad (to worship) which is translated as both dulia and latria. In other words, there is no actual distinction between the two.

Why is this important? Because certain groups and individuals proclaim that grace can be obtained from practicing idol-dulia – thus it is a practice of harlotry. Any worship, service, or veneration provided to any being or image other than God is spiritual prostitution. Any worship, service, or veneration offered to the wrong god is also. There is one God, and He has revealed Himself in the Person and work of Jesus Christ. This is the reason why Hebrews 3:1 states we are to “fix our thoughts on Jesus” (NIV) and Hebrews 12:2 asks us to “fix our eyes on Jesus” (NIV). Any other spiritual attention that is granted is spiritual harlotry.

Throughout the church age, those who have held fast to the message of Jesus have suffered for their refusal to bow the knee to any lesser god – many becoming martyrs. Countless others have been led astray by these false modes of worship and their fates have been determined because of their actions.

No wonder John marveled at the great harlot in amazement. He saw the absolute perversion of the beauty and glory of the message of his Lord in the wicked dealings of men who were given charge over helpless sheep. He must have been overwhelmed at the thought of what had come about within the very church he was writing to.

Let us hold fast to our faith in Christ, and let us also be sure to reject any form of worship that is not sanctioned in Scripture. Let us hold fast to the truth of God as revealed in our precious Lord JESUS!

Heavenly Father, forgive us for any past offenses against You where we have wrongly petitioned anyone or anything other than You. We know now that we cannot pray to Mary, to the saints, or to any other person or object, except for Jesus. We understand that Jesus alone is the Mediator between us. Therefore, we will pray to You through Him alone. Amen.

 

 

Revelation 17:5

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Saturday, 22 May 2021

And on her forehead a name was written:
MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT,
THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS
OF THE EARTH. Revelation 17:5

This is referring to the great harlot John has been describing. Of her, he says, “And on her forehead a name was written.”

Scholars of the past have noted that prostitutes of the past actually had their names tied in a circlet which was then displayed on their foreheads as a label. This would be similar to how people at a store will wear a name badge today. The forehead is the most prominent and visual place where anyone can see the identification plainly and immediately.

In other words, nothing is hidden about this. It is obvious and clearly exposed. The forehead is also the place of acknowledgment, such as in vows.

The High Priest of Israel wore a turban as he performed his duties and the passage from Exodus 28 notes the adornment of it –

“You shall also make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet:

HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

37 And you shall put it on a blue cord, that it may be on the turban; it shall be on the front of the turban. 38 So it shall be on Aaron’s forehead, that Aaron may bear the iniquity of the holy things which the children of Israel hallow in all their holy gifts; and it shall always be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.” Exodus 28:36-38

There is a marked difference between the forehead of the high priest and that of the great harlot. Holiness and true worship are replaced with what is abominable and false. Where the High Priest (a picture of Jesus as our Mediator) bears the sins of God’s people, the great whore bears her own sins and leads others into her abominations.

As noted earlier, the forehead is also the spot where the mental assertion of something is made. For this reason, Moses gave this instruction to the people of Israel concerning the laws they had received –

“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:6-8

Rather than mentally asserting that God is the Creator and worthy of holy reverence, the only mental assertion in the mind of this whore is fornication, idolatry, lust, and abominable practices. She identifies with the name next to be stated and acknowledges its position openly. And that name is:

MYSTERY – This is either a part of the name, or it is a way of saying, “This is a harlot, but it is unknown except to whom it is revealed,” or it means that the name is to be understood in a spiritual sense. One (or both) of the latter two options seems more likely. In other words, this is a city and a body that is a harlot, but those who have not had the mystery revealed to them do not know it is so. Further, this is not a literal female woman who is a harlot, but she is being used as a metaphor to describe the city. This harlot has been working out her practices in a way that people don’t even realize that they are following the wrong path. What they think is right is not, and yet it is hidden from them.

BABYLON THE GREAT – The name itself signifies complete confusion. Babylon comes from the Hebrew babel, meaning confusion. The deception of the whore is complete. What she proclaims as truth is actually a confused and twisted substitute. Following the word babel back to its origin, one scholar notes that its plural form means “gate of the gods.” The term was therefore used to denote all supposed avenues which led to the gods – sorcery, astrology, occult practices, humanism, idolatry, etc.

Babylon was later an empire composed of a government, a religious identification, and that warred against Israel (the people of God) through both spiritual (Ezekiel 23:11-21) and actual (innumerable references) means. This harlot will emulate ancient Babylon and will be considered a superlative example of it, the last and greatest example of the ideal of it.

THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS – Of all of the harlotry that occurs, this harlot is the preeminent one. Her name signifies that from her stems all false religion which is opposed to the truth of God. It is the one that is the beginning, or source of the others, and one which rears up all the others to act in her manner. She sets the examples for all the others in her doings. Remembering that harlotry in this sense is a turning away from God and to false religion, idolatry, and so on, this entity counterfeits right faith, but then turns its congregants away through subtlety, guiding them into apostasy.

AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH – Matthew Poole says of this title, “And abominations of the earth; a place in which not only idolatry reigneth, but all abominable things committed in the world; carnal whoredom tolerated by them, and sodomy, &c.” It is a place where there is vile wickedness of the heart, perversion, lusts for power, control, and (as Poole notes) sodomy. These “abominations” are unclean, perverse, filled with wickedness, and the doctrines of demons. The practices she promotes cover all “of the earth,” and people from every shore are involved in her wickedness.

Looking at the description above, one can clearly identify a place that exists on earth, right now, that fits this description. It may or may not be all that is inclusive of what MYSTERY BABYLON is comprised during the tribulation, but this place, this city, is the head of it. Look at the world around you and the identification of her should be clear.

Life application: In the Bible, we are told to think on Jesus and to look to Him. Anything that takes our attention off of Him, or which falsely portrays His gospel message, is to be completely rejected.

We can ask ourselves, “Is there such an entity on earth that resembles Christianity and yet has departed from the truth of the gospel?” “Has this entity taken people’s eyes off Jesus and directed them towards other things?” “Are practices of this entity filled with idolatry, demonology, sorcery, and occult practices?” “Has such an entity arisen which fulfills a role unintended by the Lord when He established this church?”

If one reasonably and in an unbiased manner evaluates these questions, the answer is “Yes.” And as the days progress, Mystery Babylon will be seen for what she truly is – apostasy and wickedness.

It is our obligation as believers to turn from anything that is not focused on Jesus Christ. He alone is to be our hope and our highest joy. God has appointed Him to be our one and only path to salvation. Let us rejoice in Him. Yes! Let us rejoice in JESUS!

Lord Jesus, You alone are due my reverence and my worship. No other being is worthy of any praise or prayer directed to them. Help me to be a light to others who may be caught up in the untruth of the lies of the great whore who steals men’s souls away from coming to a saving knowledge of Your glorious majesty. Amen.

 

 

Revelation 17:4

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Friday, 21 May 2021

The woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication. Revelation 17:4

The great harlot named in verse 17:1, meaning the city being described in the vision, is described further in this verse. Of her, John says, “The woman.” This is repeated from the previous verse where he said, “And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast.” As noted then, this term is used to describe a city. That will be stated explicitly in verse 17:18 –

“And the woman whom you saw is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth.”

Therefore, the imagery given here is metaphor and needs to be evaluated from that perspective. Of this woman, John says she “was arrayed in purple and scarlet.” The two words have a close enough appearance that both are used to describe the robe placed upon Christ. First is porphurous, or purple. That is seen only in John’s gospel (twice) and here in Revelation (twice). One instance from John says –

“And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe.” John 19:2

The other word, kokkinos, or purple, is found in Matthew when referring to the robe placed upon the Lord –

“And they stripped Him and put a scarlet robe on Him. 29 When they had twisted a crown of thorns, they put it on His head, and a reed in His right hand. And they bowed the knee before Him and mocked Him, saying, ‘Hail, King of the Jews!’” Matthew 27:28, 29

Whether this is the same robe in both accounts, as some assume, or whether it is a different robe placed upon Jesus (one by Herod as is seen in Luke 23:11, and the other by the soldiers of Pilate), the point of using both words in Revelation is probably to show that this woman identifies with Christ. Both the scarlet color (war, blood, and judgment) and the purple (nobility/royalty) were used to describe that which was placed upon Him. This woman is an entity that appears to be emulating Him by being arrayed in both colors.

John next continues with, “and adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.” The word translated as “adorned” signifies to be gilded with. Gold speaks of purity, holiness, royalty, and divinity. Next, the Greek says, “stone precious.” The singular stands for the plural. The same idea was presented by Paul in 1 Corinthians 3 –

“For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is.” 1 Corinthians 3:11-13

Obviously, Paul is using the term to refer to works worthy of reward. The margarités, or “pearl,” is used in parables by Jesus to refer to the precious teachings (spiritual truths) of the gospel. That is seen, for example, in Matthew 7:6 and 13:45 –

“Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.” (7:6)

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, 46 who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (13:45, 46)

One can see that this city is supposedly identified with Christ. It is adorned with robes as He was, it is a city basing its splendor on works and upon the wisdom found in the gospel. However, it is a harlot – meaning it has prostituted itself – betraying its calling and scorning the One she is identified with. Only in pretense is she aligned with the things of God. However, in reality (as John continues), she is “having in her hand a golden cup.”

This takes the reader back to the description of Babylon from Jeremiah 51 –

“Flee from the midst of Babylon,
And every one save his life!
Do not be cut off in her iniquity,
For this is the time of the Lord’s vengeance;
He shall recompense her.
7 Babylon was a golden cup in the Lord’s hand,
That made all the earth drunk.
The nations drank her wine;
Therefore the nations are deranged.
8 Babylon has suddenly fallen and been destroyed.
Wail for her!
Take balm for her pain;
Perhaps she may be healed.
9 We would have healed Babylon,
But she is not healed.
Forsake her, and let us go everyone to his own country;
For her judgment reaches to heaven and is lifted up to the skies.” Jeremiah 51:6-9

The harlot of Revelation is not unlike Babylon of old. She has a golden cup in her hand, signifying wrath and judgment, and this will be brought down upon her as well. Of this cup, John says it is “full of abominations and the filthiness of her fornication.”

The Greek word bdelugma, translated as “abomination,” signifies an accursed thing. It is that which emits a foul odor. Thus, figuratively, it is a moral horror. It is something that is a stench to God. It reflects those who refuse to listen to and obey His voice.

The word translated as “filthiness” signifies something that is not pure because it is mixed. Morally, it is that which is tainted by sin.

Finally, the word “fornication” means sexual impurity and that which is idolatrous. There is a selling off, or surrendering, of purity.

The question to consider concerning this woman is, “Is there a city that fits the description of this harlot in the world today? One that identifies with Christ, bases itself on good works and the pomp and majesty of the Christian faith, and yet which is filled with abominations and idolatry?”

Life application: This great harlot bears little resemblance to the woman depicted in verse 12:1, 2 – “Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a garland of twelve stars. 2 Then being with child, she cried out in labor and in pain to give birth.”

Whereas the woman in chapter 12 is clothed with the sun – something created by God and without change by man – the great harlot is arrayed in purple and scarlet. These are materials that require forming and shaping by man’s hands, and then they have dyes applied to them. Rather than bearing the radiance and glory of the Creator, they reflect the things that are lusted after by the world.

These garments and their colors indicate wealth, status, and royalty. The great harlot is also “adorned with gold and precious stones and pearls.” The adornment of the woman in chapter 12 is “a garland of 12 stars.” Again, the stars are created by God; the adornments of the harlot are materials that are cut, melted, set, and/or shaped by the hands of men. They are external refinements that hide the true state of who she is.

Remember, this harlot is symbolic of something else and not actually a person. This entity has all the appearance of finery, status, and majesty; and yet it is an abomination to God. The idea of fornication is used throughout the Bible when speaking of the intermingling of false religion with the truth, or false religion completely substituting the truth in God’s people. This harlot is a religious entity that has completely compromised itself to filth, abominable practices, and apostasy. It has taken the truth of the gospel and changed it. This is something Paul calls “anathema” in Galatians chapter 1.

What city is there today that fits this description? Be advised that the gospel is not based on works, but on faith in Jesus Christ. Acceptable works are derived from faith in Christ. Let us remember that God alone has done all that is necessary for man to be saved. It is only faith in what He has done that this comes about. The gospel is about God’s provision as is found in the giving of JESUS.

Lord, here we are – given the beauty of Your truth in the pages of Your word. And yet, we change it and pervert it. We mix in falsity with it and then pass that on to others instead of simply trusting that what You have given us is right, proper, and sufficient. Turn our hearts to Your word alone and let us rest in that. Amen.

 

 

Revelation 17:3

Charlie Garrett Revelation (Written)

Thursday, 20 May 2021

So he carried me away in the Spirit into the wilderness. And I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast which was full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. Revelation 17:3

John is now given a new direction in his vision which explains who is the “great harlot” that verses 1 and 2 referred to. In this, it says, “So he (meaning the angel of verse 1) carried me away in the Spirit.” This is thus an explanatory vision. It is what occurred with Ezekiel several times. One such time was –

“And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house with the elders of Judah sitting before me, that the hand of the Lord God fell upon me there. 2 Then I looked, and there was a likeness, like the appearance of fire—from the appearance of His waist and downward, fire; and from His waist and upward, like the appearance of brightness, like the color of amber. 3 He stretched out the form of a hand, and took me by a lock of my hair; and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven, and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the north gate of the inner court, where the seat of the image of jealousy was, which provokes to jealousy. 4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the plain.” Ezekiel 8:1-4

As can be seen, Ezekiel was among others. His physical body remained, but he was taken in a vision to see events selected by the Lord for him to then relay. This is the same now with John. In his vision, John is taken “into the wilderness.”

The wilderness in Scripture is a place of trial and testing. It can also be a place of closeness to God or separation from God, depending on the subject. For example, Charles Ellicott notes –

“The woman clothed with the sun (Revelation 12:1), persecuted by the dragon, finds a home in the wilderness into which she is driven. She is persecuted, but not forsaken; she can joy in tribulation. The scarlet-clad woman, amid all her dazzling surroundings, is still in a wilderness.”

What John next sees is a rather remarkable thing. He says, “And I saw a woman.” The angel has already called this woman “the great harlot who sits on many waters.” He also has said of her that it is she “with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication” (17:2).

At the end of the chapter, the angel will explicitly say that this woman, “is that great city which reigns over the kings of the earth” (17:18). Of this woman, it says she is “sitting on a scarlet beast.” Due to the description that follows, it can be inferred that this is the same as the “beast out of the sea” of Chapter 13.

Taking the symbolism from the Old Testament, scarlet, or red, in the Bible pictures and symbolizes war, blood, and/or judgment. Thus, it can be inferred that this beast is an entity that is warring, bloody, subject to judgment, or delivering judgment (see vv. 13:4 & 13:7). Further, this beast is “full of names of blasphemy.”

This corresponds to verse 13:1, which described the beast as having, “seven heads and ten horns, and on his horns ten crowns, and on his heads a blasphemous name.” The names of blasphemy are recorded there, but so also are the continued parts of the description now being given, which says, “having seven heads.”

Later in this chapter, the seven heads are said to be “seven mountains” (17:9) and also seven kings (17:10). The word for “mountains” can simply mean “hills.” Either is an acceptable translation. The word can also be taken literally, or it can be taken as a metaphor for a government entity. Finally, the verse ends with, “and ten horns.”

The ten horns are specifically said to be ten kings in verse 7:12. The description is now given, and it will be built upon in the verses to come.

Life application: The things John is seeing in his vision are identifiable as to what the things mean – scarlet, a beast, horns, and so on. The meaning is generally clear from such things already found in Scripture. However, the actual identification of them is not explicitly stated. Further, whether some are literal or are metaphors (such as the mountains) is unknown. Therefore, what is presented can be turned into countless points of conjecture.

Being dogmatic about a single interpretation is not the wise path to follow. And yet, an analysis must be made with one’s best interpretive guesses. In the end, time will meet up with the prophetic utterances, and the two will come together, revealing the truth of all of the symbolism. When it happens, the truth of Scripture will be seen.

For now, let us consider the words of Revelation as God’s inspired word. It is showing us, in advance, that He already knows what is coming and how it will all pan out. Because of this, we can be absolutely confident that what it says about the victory ahead is certain. In the end, there is victory, because at the end there is JESUS.

Heavenly Father, You have revealed future events to us in Your word because You want us to study them and stretch our minds as we think them through. Help us to see clearly into what You intend for us to see and help us to not fight over the things which are yet hidden from our view. May our studies of Your word be edifying to us and bring glory to You. Amen.