The Sudden End of the World
By Pastor Matt Black
11
March 2007
Lord's Day evening
Isaiah 13:13-14
Open your Bible to the prophecy of Isaiah and chapter 13. The title of this evening’s message is “The Sudden End of the World”.
Introduction: Are you like one of those people that like to read to the end of the story and see what is going to happen? Do you know that the Bible is the only book in the world that tells us the end of the story—even before it takes place! We are going to look at the end of the world in our study of Isaiah 13. Tonight we come to the blazing truth of this passage of Scripture—that everything that is held precious in this earth is going to vanish on the Last Day.
I. The Consummation of the Earth [including Babylon!] (i.e. A sneak peak at the future)
13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
Jesus: Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
Peter: 2 Peter 3:10-12, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
Isaiah: Isaiah 51:6 Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.
Paul of Tarsus: Hebrews 1:10-12, “And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands: 11 They shall perish; but thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; 12 And as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.”
John writes of it in Revelation 6:12-17, “And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”
Revelation 21:1, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.”
Again Paul says in Hebrews 12:25-27, “See that ye refuse not him that speaketh. For if they escaped not who refused him that spake on earth, much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that speaketh from heaven: 26 Whose voice then shook the earth: but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven. 27 And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain.”
1 John 2:15-17, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17 And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.”
James 4:4, “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
John 15:18 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
1 John 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.
Romans 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
Colossians 3:1-2, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”
With our mind we are to be as 2 Corinthians 10:5 says, “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”
II. The Character of the Lost (those “Left Behind”).
There is a popular series of books about the end times out called “Left Behind”. Needlesstosay, there are problems with these books. Sad to say, good solid sound Biblical teaching does not reach the New York Times best sellers list!
At any rate, the story of these books is that the Lord comes again and those on the earth are given a second chance. They are left behind—that is Christ comes and all unbelievers are left behind.
The idea of people being left behind is a Biblical idea. The only difference is that the Bible teaches that when Christ comes again, that is it! Christ comes and the elements melt with a fervent heat. No one lives through Christ’s Second Coming except those who “meet the Lord in the air”.
One day we will do an extended study on eschatology (i.e. the Study of Last Things), but suffice it to say, this passage among many, many others show that when Jesus comes again, there is NO SECOND CHANCE!!
14 And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land.
A. Two Pictures. Those who are left behind, when all God’s people meet the Lord in the air shall be scared to death! Look at the two examples:
1. “The chased roe”: Have you ever seen a deer who is being hunted? In our modern vernacular, those without Christ on the Last Day will be like a deer in the headlights. They will be frozen with fear!!!
The second example Isaiah gives is of a sheep.
2. “a sheep that no man taketh up”: In other words a sheep with NO SHEPHERD. A sheep without anyone to guide them is easily lost and dispersed without anyone aware that it is lost. A sheep without a shepherd is totally blind, stupid and helpless! And that is what all people are without the Lord!
So when Christ comes again, all people on the earth will be like a hunted deer and a helpless wandering pitiful sheep.
B. One Message: Sudden Destruction!
We come back to Babylon, and we see that it was a melting pot of many nations. Isaiah says in response to the sudden destruction of the Medes and the Persians, in verse 14b, “they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land”. They are going to want to go back to how it was before they had sold their souls for the glories of Babylon.
The truth of Scripture is that this judgment against Babylon is a small picture of what will happen at the Last Day. Christ will come and men will wish they had not sold their souls to the world. They will hate all their earthly success! They will wail with horror when Jesus comes again.
Isaiah says the destruction against Babylon is sudden! Time has run out! Then end has come! We see this identical idea in Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” Time has run out! Christ comes again. And that is the end!
We see the same message in picture form in Revelation 14. Turn over there to Revelation 14:14-16, “And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”
For a look at the suddenness of Christ’s coming look at 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then [Paul here is quoting our text in Isaiah 13]:sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.”
Now look at verses 6 and following. Paul is clearly telling them the Day of the Lord, that is Christ’s Second Coming, is something Christians should be looking for right now, “Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. 7 For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 8 But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. 9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”
I want you to notice that phrase in verse 9, “God hath not appointed us to wrath”. Paul is speaking of the fact that when Christ comes, all those on the earth remaining will go straight to eternal and sudden destruction.
Paul had earlier written in 1 Thessalonians 1, that those who were persecuting the Thessalonican believers were at that very time in danger of eternal destruction. Look at 1 Thessalonians 1:7-10, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: 9 Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; 10 When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.”
Conclusion: As we close I want to show you how earthly success comes to absolutely nothing. Let us close by reading Revelation 18, “And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. 2 And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. 4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 5 For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. 6 Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. 7 How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. 8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. 9 And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, 10 Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men. 14 And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. 15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 16 And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! 17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, 18 And cried when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city! 19 And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate. 20 Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. 21 And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. 22 And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; 23 And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. 24 And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”
Closing Hymn: 366 My Hope is in the Lord