Every Knee Shall Bow — Chuck Smith

Revelation 15 and the Heavenly Song of the Tribulation Saints

Well, we've come to Revelation, this week chapters 14 and 15. We encourage you to read them over this afternoon and join with us tonight. They're exciting chapters dealing with events that will be taking place in the near future, events in which you will have a important part.

And so we encourage you to read them over, then join with us tonight as we gather once again to study the Word of God. This morning, I'd like to draw your attention to chapter 15, the first few verses where John said, I saw another sign in heaven was great and marvelous.

Seven angels having the seven last plagues for in them is filled up the wrath of God. And I saw as it were, the sea of glass mingled with fire and those that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his image and over his mark and the number of his name.

And they're standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the lamb saying, great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty.

Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? For thou only art holy, for all the nation shall come and worship before thee, for thy judgments are made manifest.

The scene is in heaven. Those that are singing are the tribulation saints. Those who were saved during the great tribulation. Those who were martyred for their refusal to worship the Antichrist or to take his mark.

The great tribulation is almost over. There are just seven plagues remaining, which we will get in the next chapter. The judgment of God upon the inhabitants of the earth will then be finished and Christ shall then come with his church and with his saints to exercise the rule over the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

The Songs of the Redeemed in Revelation

It's interesting. There are mentioned here different companies in heaven and each of them have their own particular song. In the fifth chapter, we have the church in heaven and the song that it sings.

Worthy is the Lamb to take the scroll and to loose the seals, for he was slain and he has redeemed us by his blood out of all of the nations, tribes, tongues, and people. That's your song. That's the one you'll be singing up there.

In chapter 14, we have the of the 144 ,000 of the Jews that were sealed to be preserved in the great tribulation period. Here in chapter 15, the song in heaven of those who refused to take the mark of the beast.

They were found back in chapter 6 and 7 of the book of Revelation, refused to take the mark of the beast and are now there in heaven singing their special song unto the Lamb. And so we read, they sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb, which first they extol the great and marvelous works of the Lord God Almighty.

They have seen much of the tribulation and much of the judgments of God that were poured out during the tribulation. But they're singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. It's interesting in Exodus chapter 15, we have recorded for us the lyrics of the song of Moses.

When the children of Israel came out of the bondage in Egypt, as they came to the Red Sea, the Egyptians were pursuing them, intending to bring them back into bondage. The Lord opened up the Red Sea and they passed through the Red Sea as on dry ground.

As the Egyptians attempted to follow them on this path God had made for them through the Red Sea, the waters came back and the Egyptian army was drowned. They stood there watching as the water engulfed the Egyptians and they sang to the Lord this song.

These are the words that Moses and the children of Israel sang to the Lord. I will sing unto the Lord for he has triumphed gloriously. The horse and his rider he's thrown into the sea. The Lord is my strength and song and he has become my salvation.

He is my God and I will prepare a place for him in my heart. He is my Father's God and I will exalt him. The Lord is a man of war. The Lord in is his name and he has cast Pharaoh and his chariots into the sea.

And with his hosts and with his chosen captains also, they've all drowned in the Red Sea. The depths of the sea have covered them. They sank to the bottom as a stone. Thy right hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power.

Thy right hand, O Lord, has destroyed our enemy. And the greatness of your power, you have overthrown those that rose up against you. You sent forth your wrath, which consumed them as stubble. And with the blast of your nostrils, the waters were gathered together.

The floods stood upright as a heap. The depths were congealed in the midst of the sea. The enemy said, I will pursue. I will overtake. I will divide the spoil. I will accomplish my desire upon them. I will draw my sword and my hand shall destroy them.

But you blew with your wind and the sea covered them. They sank as lead in the mighty waters. Who is like unto you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, performing wonders?

You stretched out your right hand and the earth swallowed them. You in your mercy have led forth your people, which you have redeemed. You've guided them in your strength unto your holy abiding place.

The people shall hear and be afraid. Panic shall take hold on the inhabitants of Palestine. Then the Dukes of Edom will be amazed. The mighty men of Moab shall tremble and all of the inhabitants of Canaan shall melt away.

Fear and dread shall fall upon them because of the greatness of your power. And they shall be as still as a stone till your people pass over. The people will pass over and the people which you have purchased, you shall bring them in and plant them in the mountain of your inheritance, in the place which you have made for you to dwell in the sanctuary, O Lord, which you have established.

The Lord shall reign forever and ever.". So they're singing, they're in heaven. Great and marvelous are the works of the Lord our God. The works that God manifested in the destruction of the Egyptian army pursuing the people of God who had escaped out of Egypt.

God's Justice in the Tribulation Judgments

But their song goes on, just and true are your ways, thou King of Saints. At this point, these people have been on the earth through the majority of the Great Tribulation period. They have experienced and seen the great catastrophes and calamities upon the earth during this time of God's judgment.

It is a time that Jesus described in Matthew 24 as great tribulation, worse than anything ever seen in the history of man up until this point or will ever be. In spite of seeing all of these horrible cataclysmic judgments of God, note that they declare, just and true are your ways.

They acknowledge that the judgments of God are just and true. No one will ever be able to say of God, he gave me a bum rap. In the next chapter, chapter 16, we will see the vials of God's wrath, the final judgments upon the earth prior to our Lord's return.

In the fourth verse of chapter 16, it said, the third angel, when he poured out his vial upon the rivers, the fountains of waters, they became blood. And I heard the angel of the waters say, you are righteous, O Lord, which are and was and shall be, because of this judgment.

For they have shed the blood of the saints and the prophets, and so you have given them blood to drink. For they deserve it. And I heard another voice from out of the altar and it said, even so, Lord God and Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments.

Many times people say, well, God isn't fair. They imagine certain injustices concerning God. Basically, back in the beginning, when Satan came to Eve to tempt her to eat of that fruit, he suggested to her that the reason why God forbid them to eat that fruit was that God was trying to protect himself.

He's not really being fair to you. He knows that if you eat of the fruit of that tree, you will be as God. And so he's just trying to protect himself. And in his lie, he deceived them to eat of that tree, and they discovered it did not make them as God, but it brought the judgment of God upon their lives, and hence upon the world in which we live.

We often hear people ask questions that more or less insinuate that God isn't loving or God isn't fair. Why would a loving God allow a child to be born with physical handicaps? Why would a loving God allow innocent babies to die?

Whenever a person asks questions like these, the inferences are that God is not a loving God, or that God is not just, or that God doesn't exist except in the figments of a man's imagination. But it would appear that heaven has greater knowledge of all of the facts concerning God.

And those in heaven, knowing much more than we know, knowing the causes behind many of the things that puzzle us, they declare the fairness of God, and the justice of God, and righteous, and holy, and just are his ways.

The Fear of the Lord and Holy Reverence

There in heaven, this multitude of those who came out of the Great Tribulation, next of all, declare some of the natural characteristics of God. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord? Just what does it mean to fear the Lord?

It's not the fear that grips you when in your rear-view mirror you see red lights flashing, that panic that you feel, what did I do wrong now? The fear of God is the reverence of God, awe of God, realizing how great and awesome God is.

That's what the fear of the Lord is, and it is referring to here. Proverbs 8 13 tells us that the fear of the Lord is to hate evil. We had a lady in our church years ago when we were pastoring in Huntington Beach, and you would hear of someone, supposedly a Christian, who did some horrible thing, and she would always say, well, you know, pastor, they just don't have the fear of God in their hearts, and that is so true.

If a person really had the fear of the Lord in their hearts, reverencing God, honoring God, they couldn't do many of the things that they do. It's a lack of the fear of the Lord. God required his people to fear him.

Deuteronomy 10 12. And now, Israel, what does God require of you? Fear the Lord, walk in his ways, love and serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and keep his commandments which are for your own good.

What are the benefits derived by fearing the Lord? Psalm 111 says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Solomon said in Proverbs 1 7, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and then the fear of the Lord is to prolong your days.

And by the fear of the Lord, men depart from evil. By the fear of the Lord are riches and honor and life. They go on to say, who shall not glorify your name? In Psalm 119, we read that he sent redemption to his people.

The Name of the Lord as a Strong Tower

He has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and reverend is his name. Glorifying the name of God. Hallowed be thy name, Jesus said we are to pray. But just what's in a name? Solomon said, the name of the Lord is a strong tower.

The righteous run into it and are safe. Have you ever just run into that strong tower? When facing danger, facing uncertain future, you just sort of flee into that tower, the name of the Lord, just call upon the name of Jesus and just sort of commit yourself to him?

Years and years ago, when I was in high school, driving south on Bristol, which was only a two lane highway, and ended up down at the Santa Ana Air Base, I was driving my dad's car, it was a rainy day.

And of course, the fields out here were just nothing but fields, mud covered the, I hit this mud in my dad's car, and it started to slide and spin and so forth. And I just said, Jesus, and I didn't, I couldn't do anything else just fled into the tower.

Well, the car came to a stop and no, no problems. And so I just, you know, drove on back. But anyhow, the name of the Lord, a strong tower and, and how many times you know, I just fled into the name of the Lord, just calling upon him and just sort of committing yourself because you know that you can't do much else but just I need you Lord, at this point, the name of the Lord, a strong tower, the righteous run into it and are saved.

Often, the name actually implies something of the character of the individual. And often it just came about as the result of something that was observed in the individual. At birth, I think of when Jacob and Esau were born, they were twins.

Esau was the first to come out of the womb, and he had a lot of hair. And probably the midwife said, well, look at all of the hair he has. And so he got the name, Esau, which in Hebrew is hairy. Appropriate.

Hairy little kid, call him hairy, you know. And when Jacob was born, he was holding on to Esau's heel. And they said, look at that. He's a heel catcher. And the name Yaakov in Hebrew is heel catcher. So the names often implied circumstances of the birth or of the character.

The name of the Lord involves his character, Yahweh. Yahweh means the becoming one. It's a name that declares that God will become to you whatever you need. And thus, it was joined with other words they call the compound names of Jehovah.

And implying that he will become to you whatever your particular need might be. Yahshua, Jehovah is salvation, or Yahweh is salvation. Yahweh t'sidkenu, the Lord our righteousness. If you're troubled and upset, he becomes Yahweh shalom, the Lord our peace.

To Abraham, when Isaac said, dad, we've got the sacrifice, I mean, we've got the fire, we've got the wood, we don't have a sacrifice. He said, Yahweh, Yaira, the Lord will be our provider. The Lord sees, literally.

God becomes to you and wants to become to you today whatever your need might be. The becoming one. Becoming to you, the one who is able to take care of whatever problem you might be facing. They go on to say, true and holy are your ways.

God's Holiness and the Worship of All Nations

When we get to heaven, one of the characteristics of God will be deeply impressed upon us, and that is the holiness of God. True and holy. The first thing that we will see when we get to heaven will be the throne of God there above the glassy sea.

And the four cherubim around the throne of God declaring, holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which is, which was, which is to come. He goes on, or they go on to say in their song, all nations will come and worship before you.

In Psalm 22 that we read this morning, all of the ends of the earth, the psalmist said, remember and turn unto the Lord. And all of the families of the nations shall worship before you. For you have, and all of the nations whom you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name.

Every Knee Shall Bow and Every Tongue Confess

In Isaiah 45, 23, the Lord said, I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth, in righteousness it shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, and every tongue shall swear. Romans 14, 11, for it is written, as I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Paul wrote in Philippians 2, 10, that at the name of Jesus, every knee shall bow, every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. This vast crowd, every knee, includes yours.

Sooner or later, you will bow your knee before Him, and you will confess that He is Lord. Sooner or later, every one of you. Better now than later. To bow your knee now, and confess that Jesus is Lord, means salvation.

If thou shall confess with thy mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Now it means salvation. If you wait till later, and it is a forced issue, you are forced to bow your knee, you are forced to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, it will not be to salvation, but it will be an acknowledgement of the righteousness of the condemnation that you are now experiencing, and shall experience.

God's Patience, Judgment, and the Limited Opportunity to Repent

They go on to say, for your judgments are made manifest. We know that one of God's chief characteristics is love. God is love. We know that God is true. We know that He is just. We know that He is good.

We know that He is holy. We know that He is patient and long-suffering. We know that God is kind. We know that God gives to every man the opportunity to repent, but we also realize that that opportunity has limitations.

As God said to Noah, my spirit will not always strive with man. It may be that God's Spirit is striving with you today concerning issues in your life. If so, be thankful, because God's Spirit will not always strive with man.

There is a time, we know not when, a line we know not where, that marks the destiny of men between sorrow and despair. There is a line, though by man unseen, once it has been crossed, even God Himself, in all of His love, has sworn that all is lost.

In Hebrews chapter 10 26, we read these awesome words, for if we go on sinning willfully after we have received the knowledge of truth. There remains no other sacrifice for sins, only that certain fearful looking forward to the judgment and the fiery indignation by which God shall devour His adversaries.

For he that despised Moses' law died without mercy if two or three people witnessed against him. Of how much worse do you suppose the punishment shall be for those who have trodden underfoot the Son of God, counted the blood of His covenant wherewith He was sanctified, an unholy thing, and have despised His Spirit of grace.

For we know Him who said, vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord, and again the Lord shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of a living God. When in heaven we are standing there with the assembled multitude, where the sinners will be brought before God at the great white throne judgment, to receive from God their sentence, and we hear God declare, cast them into outer darkness, that they might be banished from my love forever.

All we will be able to say is true and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord. They didn't want your company, they didn't want your love while they lived on earth, and so now you have banished them forever from your company and from your love.

True and righteous are thy judgments, O Lord. The question is, what will be your destiny? Will this be your destiny, separated from God forever? It doesn't have to be. Today the Lord is inviting you to come and drink of the water of life freely.

Come with all of your doubts, with all of your hang-ups. He'll sort them out for you. The main thing is that you come. Father, we pray that today you will speak to our hearts. We realize, Lord, that there are those here who have not yet come to Jesus Christ.

They've not yet bowed their knee and confessed that Jesus is Lord. They have not yet surrendered their lives to be controlled by your Spirit. Help them today, Lord, while the opportunity is here to bow their knee, knowing that one day, sooner or later, they will all bow their knee and confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of the Father.

But then it will be meaningless. Only a confession of the righteousness of your judgment because of their failure to respond to your love. Touch their hearts today, Lord, and let them experience and know the full riches of your love as they receive you as the Lord of their life.

We ask this, Father, in Jesus' name and for His sake. Amen. Shall we stand? The pastors are down at the front. They're here to pray for you, and so we would encourage you to, if you haven't yet bowed your knee and accepted Jesus as Lord, that you do it today, while the opportunity is here, and while it means salvation and eternal life.

And so, as soon as we're dismissed, we would just invite you to come on down. These pastors are waiting for you, and they will pray with you and pray for you today, that you might experience the love of God in a very new and special way.

The Lord bless thee, the Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make His face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up His countenance His countenance upon thee, and give.