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6 I saw an angel flying in mid heaven, having an eternal Good News to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth, and to every nation, tribe, language, and people. 7 He said with a loud voice, "Fear the Lord, and give him glory; for the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the springs of waters!"
the hour of his judgment has come
Last time we began an exploration of the differences between the kind of judgment we are used to in this world, and the true kind of judgment largely foreign to our way of thinking. Jesus defines true judgment in John 3 as simply what happens when the light of truth gets unveiled.
This is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the light; for their works were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light, and doesn't come to the light, lest his works would be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his works may be revealed, that they have been done in God. (John 3:19-21)
We will continue to explore more nuances of this issue of judgment, but first I want to explore a key word here that reveals how Jesus strategically cooperated with the Spirit in His life to bring about maximum results to bring glory to God's reputation. That is the word hour.
We launch this study with a strategic point of time in the life of Jesus that included this word hour. From here we expand our study to discover how this word figures into the things we find as important in this vital message from heaven here in Revelation.
I have said these things to you to keep you from stumbling. They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, an hour is coming when those who kill you will think that by doing so they are offering worship to God. And they will do this because they have not known the Father or me. But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes you may remember that I told you about them.
I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you. But now I am going to him who sent me; yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?' But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your hearts. Nevertheless I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will prove the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been condemned [judged]. (John 16:1-11 NRSV)
The word hour clearly has to do with time. And as an old adage goes, timing is everything. This is true in the way in which God arranges the strategic timing to unveil His responses to the assault of evil slander that has undermined His credibility and authority in the universe, particularly relating to His human reflectors here on earth. By unpacking how Jesus used this word hour during His time here on earth, we can see how it is directly linked to one of the most important aspects of recovering God's credibility, glory, honor and restoring His kind of authority. This issue is at the heart of the contention over authority by the great Satan who has hijacked even the terminology used to define salvation, and involves the issue of who has legitimacy to represent humanity in the assembly of the sons of God in heaven that functions as a key player in God's administration of the universe.
Now it happened on the day when the God's sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan also came among them. Yahweh said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Then Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." (Job 1:6-7)
Again it happened on the day when the God's sons came to present themselves before Yahweh, that Satan came also among them to present himself before Yahweh. Yahweh said to Satan, "Where have you come from?" Satan answered Yahweh, and said, "From going back and forth in the earth, and from walking up and down in it." (Job 2:1-2)
The heavens will praise your wonders, Yahweh; your faithfulness also in the assembly of the holy ones. For who in the skies can be compared to Yahweh? Who among the sons of the heavenly beings is like Yahweh, a very awesome God in the council of the holy ones, to be feared above all those who are around him? Yahweh, God of Armies, who is a mighty one, like you? Yah, your faithfulness is around you. (Psalms 89:5-8)
But you have come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable multitudes of angels, to the general assembly and assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, to God the Judge of all, to the spirits of just men made perfect, to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling that speaks better than that of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
Lest we get confused by challenges over who has rightful ownership or authority over this world, I would remind us of the words of Jesus Himself who came to challenge this situation that has produced so much evil in our world for so long. Not surprisingly it also includes the issue of giving glory to God. Here was the crucial moment when Jesus shifted in the way He used this word hour.
"Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say--' Father, save me from this hour'? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name."
Then
a voice came from heaven, "I have glorified it, and I will
glorify it again." The crowd standing there heard it and said
that it was thunder. Others said, "An angel has spoken to him."
Jesus answered, "This voice has come for your sake, not for
mine. Now is the judgment
of this world; now
the ruler of this world will be driven out.
And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people
to myself."
(John 12:27-32 NRSV)
For context we need to review how this word was used previous to this highly significant juncture.
The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there. Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage. When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no wine." Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come." His mother said to the servants, "Whatever he says to you, do it." (John 2:1-5)
To appreciate what Jesus had in mind when speaking with His mother, we need to keep reading.
This next reference to hour by Jesus involves context found in the first part of the chapter that directly involves both glory and judgment. This was because Jesus specifically came to this world to induce judgment, but very different from how we have imagined it happening. As we have mentioned many times already, God is not in the judging business as Satan has long led us to believe. This has been part of how Satan has stolen away God's glory, so Jesus came to reinstate the truth about His Father and the nature of His kingdom so that the true glory would be returned to its original Source.
Don't judge according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment." Therefore some of them of Jerusalem said, "Isn't this he whom they seek to kill? Behold, he speaks openly, and they say nothing to him. Can it be that the rulers indeed know that this is truly the Christ? However we know where this man comes from, but when the Christ comes, no one will know where he comes from."
Jesus therefore cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know me, and know where I am from. I have not come of myself, but he who sent me is true, whom you don't know. I know him, because I am from him, and he sent me." They sought therefore to take him; but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. (John 7:24-30)
Jesus referred a number of times to a future hour when significant events would coalesce to bring about momentous change. How would we define these, and more importantly what are the implications might they have for our situation today?
Jesus said to her, "Woman, believe Me, an hour is coming when neither in this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But an hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for such people the Father seeks to be His worshipers." (John 4:21-23)
These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; an hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but will tell you plainly of the Father. (John 16:25)
When they arrest you and hand you over, do not worry beforehand about what you are to say, but say whatever is given you in that hour; for it is not you who speak, but it is the Holy Spirit. (Mark 13:11)
They will make you outcasts from the synagogue, but an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. (John 16:2)
But these things I have spoken to you, so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you of them. These things I did not say to you at the beginning, because I was with you. (John 16:4)
Children, it is the last hour; and just as you heard that antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have appeared; from this we know that it is the last hour. (1 John 2:18)
The following verse I believe may apply to several, if not all of the hours spoken of in these passages.
Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world. (John 16:21)
looking to Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)
These passages speak of an 'hour' that will engulf the world very near the end of history just before the climactic return of Jesus at His Second Coming. This 'hour' evidently will involve every human being alive at that time, unlike the previous 'hours'. It will also be similar in many ways to the events that transpired in His own life while here on earth and especially the closing scenes of His suffering.
'Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth. (Revelation 3:10)
And another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, "Put in your sickle and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe." (Revelation 14:15)
The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the beast for one hour. (Revelation 17:12)
...standing at a distance because of the fear of her torment, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, Babylon, the strong city! For in one hour your judgment has come.' (Revelation 18:10)
'...for in one hour such great wealth has been laid waste!' And every shipmaster and every passenger and sailor, and as many as make their living by the sea, stood at a distance... (Revelation 18:17)
And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, 'Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!' (Revelation 18:19)
There is also the 'hour' of Christ's Second return that has been the hope of Christians ever since He went back to heaven. This is the hour we are to prepare for diligently by coming to know Him intimately and allowing Him to transform us so that when He comes we will not shrink back.
Now, little children, abide in Him, so that when He appears, we may have confidence and not shrink away from Him in shame at His coming. (1 John 2:28)
For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will. (Matthew 24:44)
But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into. (Luke 12:39)
Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (John 5:25)
Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear His voice. (John 5:28)
But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. (Matthew 24:36)
And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters." (Revelation 14:7)
Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. (Romans 13:11)
We focus again on the hour that was the backdrop for Jesus throughout His life on earth, the focal point of all history where the mettle of God's power of love would be tested to discover its absolute limit to prove its strength or be exposed as too weak to stand up against the forces of evil and fear.
Now before the Feast of the Passover, Jesus knowing that His hour had come that He would depart out of this world to the Father, having loved His own who were in the world, He loved them to the end. (John 13:1)
When the hour had come, He reclined at the table, and the apostles with Him. (Luke 22:14)
Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You." (John 17:1)
Behold, an hour is coming, and has already come, for you to be scattered, each to his own home, and to leave Me alone; and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. (John 16:32)
And He came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "So, you men could not keep watch with Me for one hour?" (Matthew 26:40)
And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. (Mark 14:35)
Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners." (Matthew 26:45)
While I was with you daily in the temple, you did not lay hands on Me; but this hour and the power of darkness are yours. (Luke 22:53)
What is the very essence of what transpired in this 'hour' that was so intimidating to the Son of God? It was the enormous emotional and physical cost of unspeakable suffering and shame that would be extracted from His soul in order to put in place the great identity exchange.
Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
This betrayal of trust and protection was not merely carried out by a close ally among His disciples, it would be felt as if His own Father in heaven were betraying Him into the hands of vicious sinners hell bent on shaming and torturing Him to death in the most publicly humiliating way possible.
What then shall we say about these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who didn't spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how would he not also with him freely give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32)
The enemy asserts that passages such as this prove that God is not trustworthy because He ultimately betrayed His own Son, so He is little different than Judas. Yet this passage is in the middle of one of the most intense presentations of the passionate love of God for us in all of Scripture where we find the key that unlocks its true meaning just a few verses previous.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28 NIV)
This is what was at the heart of what transpired during the intense hour of the power of darkness. As Joseph framed it when explaining how God had turned the crass betrayal his brothers had committed against him into a means of saving millions of people including his own family.
Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save many people alive. (Genesis 50:19-20)
The Son of Man was released by God into the hand of sinners during this hour of concentrated sinful wickedness. What was exposed as a result was a reflection or a releasing of His love with extreme power to transform the thinking of beings all over the universe, not just in humanity. Yet it came at enormous cost to the infinite heart of love within the entire Godhead.
However, it was the Lord's will for him to be crushed and to suffer, for when he gives his life as a guilt offering he will see his descendants, he will have a long life, and what the Lord wants will be achieved through him. After his suffering, he will see the results and be satisfied. Through his knowledge my servant who does what is right will set many right, and he will bear their sins. That's why I'm going to grant him a place among the great, and give him the prize of the victorious, because he poured out his life in death and was counted as one of the rebels. He took on himself the sins of many and asked forgiveness for the rebels. (Isaiah 53:10-12 FBV)
For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
We are concentrating our attention of the meaning of the word hour in connection to the judgment of God that also involves the exposing of everyone and everything that has been hidden from view through deception and subterfuge by the enemy. Judgment means exposing what is true that has become hidden and is under suspicion. In truth, the greatest judgment of God's motives, disposition and the methods He relies on to relate to all He created has already happened in a most bizarre and gruesome way – the violent torture and execution of the innocent Son of God. Yet this truth has become buried under even greater mountains of fresh lies for the express purpose of obscuring the truth it was not God who carried out this merciless act of cruelty, nor did He ever betray His Son, but rather He was in concert and in full unity with His Son the entire time.
For the love of Christ constrains us; because we judge thus, that one died for all, therefore all died. He died for all, that those who live should no longer live to themselves, but to him who for their sakes died and rose again. Therefore we know no one after the flesh from now on. Even though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now we know him so no more. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old things have passed away. Behold, all things have become new. But all things are of God, who reconciled us to himself through Jesus Christ, and gave to us the ministry of reconciliation; namely, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not reckoning to them their trespasses, and having committed to us the word of reconciliation. We are therefore ambassadors on behalf of Christ, as though God were entreating by us. We beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (2 Corinthians 5:14-20)
The hour of God's judgment in the context of Revelation is the time when everyone is called upon to be settled into their chosen view of His integrity, honesty, trustworthiness, and whether or not they are willing to be conformed to His likeness and reflect and synchronize with His principles that reflect agape love in every aspect of their lives and relationships. The hour of the power of darkness clearly proved the diabolical disposition of the great accuser who has led the revolt against true love for so long. Yet until everyone has come to choose whom they will believe and be aligned with in character, the war over the truth of God's heart continues to rage in each of us. The final resolution to the conflict initiated by Lucifer in heaven will be completed when each person chooses for themselves which system will govern their will, whose design will be allowed to determine their choices in life, and whose image will form their character in the likeness of the god(s) they choose to worship.
Now is the time of salvation, the opportunity to receive healing grace, love and truth before circumstances and ripened maturity of character makes it impossible to alter the destiny for each one of us. Just as a twisted shape of a tree limb can only be corrected during the limited time while it remains flexible and immature, so too is the time limited during which our soul, spirit and character be salvaged back into God's original design for us to live in and reflect His untainted love.
Working together, we entreat also that you not receive the grace of God in vain, for he says, "At an acceptable time I listened to you, in a day of salvation I helped you." Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. (2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
In reality, the hour of God's judgment involves judging love itself as worthy of trust or not.
Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not give false testimony," "You shall not covet," and whatever other commandments there are, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." Love doesn't harm a neighbor. Love therefore is the fulfillment of the law. Do this, knowing the time, that it is already time for you to awaken out of sleep, for salvation is now nearer to us than when we first believed. The night is far gone, and the day is near. Let's therefore throw off the works of darkness, and let's put on the armor of light. (Romans 13:8-12)
Addendum study
Here is one more passage closely linked to this idea of a specific time, a strategic pivotal point in the history of the great conflict between light and darkness, as well as involving the titanic struggle over who will be recognized and authorized as the legitimate representative for all humanity.
But I say that so long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a bondservant, though he is lord of all; but is under guardians and stewards until the day appointed by the father.
So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental principles of the world. But when the fullness of the time came, God sent out his Son, born to a woman, born under the law, that he might redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of children. And because you are children, God sent out the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, "Abba, Father!" So you are no longer a bondservant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.
However at that time, not knowing God, you were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, why do you turn back again to the weak and miserable elemental principles, to which you desire to be in bondage all over again? (Galatians 4:1-9)
What is the core nature of the transition described here?
What are the key elements that need to be identified and understood properly?
Child versus servant.
Identity and authority.
Submission to Father's timing, and patient endurance during preparation time.
What kind of bondage is described here? Did Jesus experience this bondage?
What is the nature of the elemental principles identified here?
What affects the time appointed by the Father?
How does redemption affect the law?
Does becoming a child rather than a servant defy the law?
How does knowing and being known by God relate to children?
How does knowing and being known by God relate to the law?
What is the relationship between the law and elemental principles and bondage?
What language is used here to describe what freedom from bondage involves?
