Rev. 10:1-6
Today is the 10th anniversary of 9/11. I confess to you this morning that I am not up to the task of giving you words that will proficiently address the horror of 9/11 in any way that is consoling or convincing. However lets drift in our minds to a time of yesterday.
That morning started as any other morning with people participating in normal activities of the day. In fact the sounds that we first hear of the first attack was recorded by a news crew conducting an interview in the streets of NYC. Out of the blue with no warning came the sound of the whining jet engines straining against the sharp turns they were being put through to line up on one of the twin towers. Echoing off the other skyscrapers were the sounds of what seemed to be an aircraft in distress and it ended with the horrifying sound of crashing metal against metal as it slammed into the tower, spewing glass and concrete hurling down all around the base of that structure.
Somewhere down deep inside us still feels that scene as if it had just happened. It causes your eyes to immediately to well up with tears.
Within the next few hours over 2000 souls, who thought this to be just another normal day of activity, would be cast out into eternity.
As horrific as that scene was and as shocked as a nation could be it pales in resemblance to the catastrophic significance of the event we’ll discuss today.
I. God Created Time For Man
Gen. 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. In what we know as the beginning, because God has no beginning. He dwells in eternity and not time. Time has no effect upon God. In V. 4-5 God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day The record of the creation of Time is recorded for us here in Genesis. Time is a unique concept outside of eternity that was designed just for God’s crowning work….Man. This concept of time that God created puts limits on everything that we know. It governs our awaking and sleeping. It limits our existence on the earth. It even puts boundaries on the longsuffering of God. Nothing that we can conceive fails to be affected by this thing called “time.” If an event takes place it is either in the Past, the Present, or The Future. Theologians believe by the signs of the Times and what we understand about Bible prophesy that we’re living in the last days. The “Last Days” speaks of the Second coming of Christ. I Thess. 4:16-17 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: 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.
This will mark the end of the world as we now know it. These events will note something else that is quite significant…. The End of Time.
II. God Will Do Away With Time
When we are in Heaven and all the End-of-Time events have taken place, we will also live in Eternity which will last forever with no end.
John 6:54 Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. Not only does the Lord speak of eternal life but to the fact there is coming a “last day.”
Time will be no more. This concept of time that God created for man will have served it’s purpose and will be done away. There will be no limits or restrictions on us such as time. There will be no day nor night. There will be no old age or the wrinkles of aging taking it’s toll on our bodies. As shocking as that may be to you, it is still not as shocking as our text today.
III. God’s Great Declaration
A. The identity of the Angel - He has some characteristics that belong especially to the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. The rainbow around the throne of God (Rev. 4:3) sits like a crown on the head of this messenger. Whoever this angel is he has the authority of God’s throne given to him.
2. God is often identified with clouds. A cloud received Jesus as he ascended to heaven and when He returns it will be with clouds.
3. The face that the angels face is “as the sun” corresponds to the description of Jesus Christ in Rev. 1:15.
4. His voice like a lion suggests Rev. 5:5 the Lion of the tribe of Judah
5. God’s voice is often compared to thunder .. Ps 29, Job 26, John 12
B. The declaration fills us with awe. What strikes us to the greatest degree is the phrase declared here… “there should be time no longer:” The word translated “time” here actually means “delay.” God has been delaying His judgments so that lost sinners would have time to repent. 2 Pet 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But now He will accelerate His judgments and accomplish His purposes.
Literally He will cause time to stand still. For thousands of years with grace and mercy God has dealt with mankind. He has extended the opportunity to trust Christ as Savior and willing to save to the uttermost all who would come to Him by the blood of Jesus. Now time stands still…. NO more opportunity…. Judgment is coming. We have heard it would one day come. The cry from them that were slain for the Word of God saying …How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? It is coming… and it will affect billions.
It will not just be one nation or a group of nations who ally together. It will affect all the lost, no matter what color, no matter what nationality, no matter what language they speak, no matter what social standing they have… if they are lost… Time stands still for them. We had no warning for Sept 11, 2001. You have been warned over and over again of this event. We felt that the terror attack was a strike against an innocent people who did not deserve that kind of destruction. Those who are affected by this event will readily deserve the judgment of God.
The songwriter says, “What were you doing on the Sept morn when the world stopped turning?” Let me ask, “What are you doing now knowing of an event when Time will stand still?”
We often are slack concerning telling our friends and loved ones about the judgment of God. When time stands still it will be too late. Jew or Gentile… it will be too late.
I have in no way today tried to give you a sequence of events of eschatology (last things). I have not mentioned the rapture, the millennial reign, Armageddon, or any such thing. I simply am issuing the warning that TIME WILL STAND STILL… GOD’S JUDGMENT WILL COME…. Grace and Mercy will come to an end…. God’s wrath will be full and His fury will be loosed.
What are we doing about it?
If you are lost…. Today is the day of salvation; BEFORE TIME STANDS STILL
If you are slack in telling others … Tell them while it is day.. While there is time… before TIME STANDS STILL.
