Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Those words were written during a time of crisis and chaos. The nation of Israel was about to be invaded by a foreign world power, the Babylonians, and it had already been revealed by God that Israel was going to be defeated. How do you handle bad news? How do you handle really bad news? Some people go into despair, not knowing what to do. Others depend upon God to help them. Lamentations 3:22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
* God is merciful
* God is compassionate
* God is faithful
I. Hope in the Midst of Israel’s Chaos
These wonderful characteristics of God can been seen throughout the history of the nation of Israel. By all means, Israel shouldn’t even exist today. Down through history they have been attacked by almost every world power in existence. First it was the Egyptians, then the Assyrians, then the Babylonians, and then the Persians. During the days of Jesus it was the Romans and in during the last century it was Germany and the Jewish Holocaust. Storm after storm has hit Israel and still they remain. Why? Because God is merciful, compassionate, and faithful. I believe that God has chosen the nation of Israel not because of their greatness, but as a way of demonstrating His greatness. God has chosen a small and stubborn group of people to demonstrate what God can do.
The Bible teaches us that there is a day of great chaos and trouble coming for this world and especially the nation of Israel. Jesus said:
“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved.” (Matthew 24:21-22 ESV)
Jesus called this time period the Great Tribulation. What is the Great Tribulation and when will it occur?
A. The Church Age
Today we are living a time period often known as the ‘Church Age.’ This time period began on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came to dwell inside of every believer. Twin Oaks is a local church that is a part of ‘the church’ which is comprised of every believer from every age beginning at the Day of Pentecost and continuing until the Rapture.
B. The Rapture
Following the church age will be an event commonly known as ‘the Rapture.’ Though the word ‘rapture’ is not in an English version of the Bible, for centuries it was the in the Latin version which proceeded our English translations. It comes from the book of 1 Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
It is from the phrase ‘caught up’ that we get the word ‘rapture.’ It means to snatch away quickly. One day the Lord is going to return in the clouds and quickly gather His church from this world. Jesus said:
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only…Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
C. The Tribulation Period
Following the Rapture will be an event known as the Tribulation. The word ‘tribulation’ tells us a lot about this time period. It means: affliction, trouble, anguish, distress or extreme pressure. Jesus said that if His Father did not put a limit on how long this time period would last, no one could survive. The Bible speaks of events such as terrible earthquakes, water being turned into blood, intense scorching by the sun, millions of demonic beings released upon the earth and the sun being turned to darkness and the moon to blood. It’s a horrible, horrible time period for the world that is yet to come.
Some might ask, “Why would a God who is supposed to be good allow such a terrible time period to happen?” Let me answer that question with a question. “Why has mankind insisted on rejecting God and pushing Him out of every facet of our lives?” I remember an interview Katie Couric had with Anne Graham Lotz just a few days after 9/11. (Lotz is the daughter of evangelist Billy Graham). Though my quote may not be exact, it is very close to what was said. Couric asked Lotz – “If there is a God and He is so loving and kind, why did He allow something like this to happen?” Lotz responded by saying – “God is a gentleman and He will not force Himself upon us. For decades we have been telling Him that we do not want Him to be a part of our government, our schools or our lives. Perhaps He is doing what we have asked.”
The Tribulation Period may be divided into three sections:
(1) The First Half;
(2) The Middle of the Tribulation;
(3) The Last Half.
1. The First Half of the Tribulation
The Tribulation Period will not begin with trouble, but rather with peace. We read from the book of Revelation:
Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
At the beginning of the Tribulation Period a man often referred to as the Antichrist will rise to power and establish a world empire. He will be an extremely intelligent and gifted leader who will charm the world with his amazing abilities. The book of Daniel tells us that he will establish a 7-year peace treaty with the nation of Israel. During this time of peace, Israel will be allowed to rebuild their Temple in Jerusalem and reestablish their Temple worship. It is important to note that the preparation for this event has already begun. At this very time Jewish men are being trained to serve as priests. Various pieces of the temple have ready been made and the Jews are simply waiting for that one event that will allow them to rebuild their Temple and put everything in order.
In addition to the rebuilding of the Jewish Temple, scripture teaches us that during the first 3 ½ years of the Tribulation, Israel will prosper greatly. Perhaps it will seem like a land flowing with ‘milk and honey’ for many of the Jews.
But Israel’s prosperity will not come without problems. Following the first seal releasing the Antichrist will come the next two seals which will release war and famine.
Revelation 6:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Underlying this time of peace and prosperity will be a spirit of unrest. Other nations will become jealous of Israel and seek to destroy them. To learn more about what will happen, we need to turn to the book of Ezekiel.
2. The Battle of Gog of Magog
Perhaps some of you have heard of a battle known as the battle of Gog of Magog. What is this strange battle and when will it occur?
Ezekiel 38:1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 2 Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, 3 And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 4 And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: 5 Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: 6 Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee.
Many have spent a great deal of time studying this prophecy and have determined that it is referring to nations such as: Russia, Iran, parts of Africa and Turkey. Scripture teaches us that during the last days, Russia is going to form a coalition of nations that will seek to invade Jerusalem. Scripture calls the leader of this coalition ‘Gog’ and his land ‘Magog.’
a. Why will Russia and these nations come against Israel?
There are at least a couple of reasons:
1) Hunger
Ezekiel 38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
If we lay this passage from Ezekiel beside the book of Revelation it appears that hunger and famine will cause Russia and these other nations to come against Israel. Apparently while Israel is prospering, they will be struggling. People will do anything when they are hungry.
2) Hatred
There’s a second reason why Russia and these nations will invade Jerusalem. It’s hatred. Notice again what our passage of scripture tells us.
Ezekiel 38:10 Thus saith the Lord GOD; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: 11 And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, 12 To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land.
‘To turn thine hand upon the places’ is a reference to the land of Israel and in specific, the city of Jerusalem. Here is an interesting truth. The phrase – ‘that dwell in the midst of the land’ could be translated as- ‘that abide in the center of the land.’ The word ‘midst’ actually means: ‘navel.’ It could be said that Jerusalem is the center of the world. The prophet Jeremiah wrote – “The day will come when watchmen will shout from the hill country of Ephraim, ‘Come, let us go up to Jerusalem to worship the LORD our God.'” (Jeremiah 31:6 NLT)
b. What Will Be the Outcome of This Battle?
Ezekiel 39:1Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: 2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee…
God will singlehandedly destroy 5/6 of the enemy armies. (Ezek 39:2) The destruction will be so great that it will take seven months to bury the dead. (Ezek 39:12) Men will be employed full time just for cleaning up the mess. (Ezek 39:14) The stench of death will be so great that those passing by will have to hold their noses. (Ezek 39:11)
How will God singlehandedly destroy this massive coalition of armies? The Bible says that He will do so with earthquakes (Ezek 38:19), pestilences (Ezek 38:22), and fire from heaven. (Ezek 38:22) He will also cause the armies to turn on each other. (Ezek 38:21)
c. What is the Purpose of This Battle?
Ezekiel 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
i. It Will Cause the Hearts of Godless People to Become Harder
Even though they will refuse to bow their knee to Him in submission, they are going to know that there is a God in heaven.
Ezekiel 39:13 Yea, all the people of the land shall bury them; and it shall be to them a renown the day that I shall be glorified, saith the Lord GOD.
ii. It Will Cause the Hearts of God’s People to Become Softer
An old preacher once said: ‘The same sun that hardens the clay, melts the wax.’ The manifestation of God will cause the hearts of the godless to become even harder. But it will also cause the hearts of Israel to be soften so that they might turn to God and be saved.
Ezekiel 39:7 So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not let them pollute my holy name any more…
II. Hope in the Midst of Our Chaos
If you know much about the nation of Israel, you know that they have a unique relationship with God. On the one hand God has often called them ‘stiff-necked and rebellious’ and at times God came close to destroying them completely. Yet the Bible also says- “for he who touches you touches the apple of his eye” Zechariah 2:8. Israel has God’s favor, not because of who Israel is, but because of who God is.
There was another dark day in the history of Israel when God allowed them to be invaded. We learn from the prophets of the Old Testament that Israel sinned greatly against God and therefore the LORD allowed them to be chastened. But during the midst of their chaos the LORD gave them a word of hope.
Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Jeremiah tells us three great things that can give us hope in the midst of chaos:
A. God is Merciful
Mercy is God withholding from us what we deserve. Israel doesn’t deserve to be blessed; nor do we. Like Israel, we deserve to be punished for our sins. Yet the LORD is merciful. The Bible says – “The LORD is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy.” (Psalm 145:8) The Bible says that each and every day God has a fresh supply of mercies awaiting us. What a great God we serve!
B. God is Compassionate
Many translations translate this as ‘love.’ God is merciful and His love never fails. There’s a song I sometimes hear on the radio that says: “Your love never fails – it never gives up – it never runs out on me.” If you’ve heard that song you know that they repeat that line over and over again. The first few times I heard it I thought, “Come on dude! Enough.” But then one day I began to think – “What greater truth to drive deep into my heart and mind? God’s love never fails, it never gives us, it never runs out on me.”
The Apostle Paul wrote-
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?…37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Nothing, not even our own foolishness, shall separate us from the love of God as expressed to us through Jesus.
C. God is Faithful
Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
I haven’t always been as faithful to God as I should have been. There are times when I have been unfaithful. Yet I stand here today secure in my salvation, not because of my goodness, but because of His faithfulness.
CONCLUSION
Perhaps you are currently going through a time of stress and trouble. Perhaps it seems like the enemy is coming against you with full force. If so, I pray that today’s message will give you hope. Once again i turn our attention to the words of Jeremiah:
Lamentations 3:21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 22 It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
"Seeds of Faith"