Sennacherib and the Siege of Jerusalem #6: Eschatology

I. Introduction
A. Today, we’re going to take a little bit of a rabbit trail. We’re going to talk about something some preachers talk about all the time, but I hardly ever do. We’re going to talk about what the Bible says is going to happen in the future, what is called eschatology.
B. For a few weeks we’ve been talking about the OT story of Sennacherib and his siege of Jerusalem, when it looked like God’s people were going to be snuffed out. But God intervened to save them.
C. Well, it turns out that this story is a very good backdrop for a discussion about the end times.
II. Revelation 20:7–10 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
A. Rev.20:7-10 is the second half of a story. Revelation 20:1–3 tells us the first half. Here we learn of John’s vision of an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And the angel seized the devil, and bound him for a thousand years, throwing him into the pit, shutting and sealing it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
1. I believe that this thousand year period is the period we’re in now. It is the period between Christ’s first coming and His second coming. Satan has been bound, as it says, in the sense that he’s being prevented from deceiving the nations. You see, before Christ all the nations were in the grip of Satan’s deceptions. But Christ is now preventing Satan from having this lock-grip of deception over the nations, so that people from every nation, tribe and language can be gathered into the kingdom. (FYI, my view is known as amillennialism, which I think is the majority view in the PCA).
B. But then Rev.20:7-10 tells us that when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and come out to deceive the nations and to gather them for battle, surrounding the city of God’s people. But before they can bring down the hammer, God sends fire down from heaven and consumes them, and throws the devil into the lake of fire where he and his cronies will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
C. Does this remind you of the Sennacherib story? It’s very similar, isn’t it? They are in the holy city surrounded by the enemy nations who are ready for battle. But before they can bring the hammer down on God’s people, God sends His angel to slay them, and forces their leaders to flee back to Assyria. Cf. Isaiah 31:4b-5
D. I would suggest that this story is a part of a chain of stories which ends at Rev.20. Here we are at the very end of the Bible. And this image in Rev.20:7-10 does not just come appear out of the blue. This image is based on a definite pattern in Scripture of God’s people in a confined area surrounded by the nations seeking to devour them, with God then coming to the rescue on behalf of His people.
1. The theme begins at the exodus when God’s people were pinned against the Red Sea, and then God split the sea through which His people escaped, but brought judgment down upon their enemies. All looked lost until the last minute when God brought a very impressive deliverance.
2. Listen to what Dr. Greg Beale says about Rev.20: “John’s language of the nations being ‘gathered together’ is derived from Ezek. 38:2–8 and 39:2, together with Zechariah 12–14 and Zephaniah 3, which also stand behind the parallel phrases in Rev. 16:14 and 19:19. All these OT texts foretell that God will gather the nations together in Israel for the final war of history (see further on 16:14 and 19:19).” — Beale, G. K. (1999). The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text (p. 1022). Grand Rapids, MI; Carlisle, Cumbria: W.B. Eerdmans; Paternoster Press.
3. Next, consider Zechariah 14:1–13 (near the end of the OT, after the return from the Babylonian exile). It is a description of the day of the LORD, when God will gather all the nations against Jerusalem to battle, and though many houses are plundered and women raped, the LORD will go out and fight against those nations. And then the Lord will come and His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives (just like the angel said at Jesus’ ascension — Acts 1:9-12), and split the mountain in two (just like Moses parted the Red Sea) so that God’s trapped people could escape out of the city (Mt.Olives is a barrier). And living waters shall flow out from Jerusalem (just as it says in Psalm 46:4). And the LORD will strike the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem with a ghastly plague and a great panic from the LORD shall fall on them.
E. The life of Jesus reflects this same pattern, of dominion over Satan until one day he’s released.
1. At first, there was effective ministry and dominion over evil powers demonstrated in the casting out of demons.
2. But then near the end of His life there came a day of evil when Satan was unleashed:
a. Luke 22:53 (Jesus speaking to those who came to arrest Him) “This is your hour, and the power of darkness.”
b. John 16:2–4 (Jesus speaking to His disciples at the Last Supper) “They will put you out of the synagogues. Indeed, the hour is coming when whoever kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do these things because they have not known the Father, nor me. But I have said these things to you, that when their hour comes you may remember that I told them to you.”
c. The language of being surrounded by enemies is used in several messianic psalms. E.g.
(1) “Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion...For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me.” -Ps.22:11–13, 16
d. All this culminates in the cross, of course, when the sky even turned dark.
3. Then there was divine intervention and final triumph (in our Lord’s resurrection and ascension).
F. This pattern which culminates in Rev.20 is consistent with the rest of Biblical prophecy. E.g.
1. 2Thessalonians 2:1–8, which talks about how the Lord Jesus will not return until first a great day of evil comes, a rebellion, when the man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, who proclaims himself to be God, comes, a short time before Christ’s glorious return, when he will be slain by the breath of His mouth. Cf. Daniel 12:1-2; Joel 3:2–18; Matthew 24:29–31; Revelation 16:14–21; Zech.12:3.
III. So, from my perspective, the Bible paints a picture of the future which includes continued progress of the gospel as He restrains Satan’s ability to deceive the nations. But then before Christ returns, there will be an unleashing of Satan’s power and the world will experience a short time of evil during which believers will be attacked and threatened intensely. Then, just when it looks like the church will be completely wiped out by the powers of darkness, Christ will return and vanquish the powers of hell finally and permanently.
A. When will all this happen? I don’t think the Bible tells us. The Bible does say it’s soon, but it’s been saying that for 2000 years. It could be in the next 10 years or it could be in 10,000 years.
IV. But I’d like to address an obvious question: Why does God bring the enemy to attack His people? Why does He release Satan from prison? Why not just wipe Him out and prevent Him from attacking His people?
A. I think we can get an answer to this question in Exod. 9:15-16, where God said to Pharaoh through Moses, “By now I could have stretched out My hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But indeed, for this cause I have allowed you to remain, in order to show My power in you, and in order to proclaim My name through all the earth.”
B. This is quoted in Rom.9:17, the chapter where Paul pulls back the curtain and tells us some of God’s mysterious purposes. “The Scripture says to Pharaoh, ‘For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I might show my power in you, and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.’”
C. A few verses later Paul restates the point in different words: Romans 9:22–23 “What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory.” In other words, God tolerates the continued existence and activity of Pharaohs and Satans because He desires to display His power and glory to those who are the recipients of His mercy. He glorified Himself at the Red Sea in such a majestic way that most of the world today has heard about it. That would not have happened had God wiped out Pharaoh early on in the story.
V. Application
A. All this is very good news for the people of Jesus. In spite of all the terror, brokenness, horror, injustice, corruption, inhumanity and brutality, God will triumph and deliver in the end.
1. This prophecy is a glimpse of the great reversal of fortune on the last day.
2. During this present era we face persecution and trouble with faith, and then Jesus comes and rescues us and begins the next and final era.
3. And the final proof of the fact that God comes through for His people is His sending of Christ.
4. This whole story is the gospel. In it we see people’s need and desperation, and we see God’s gracious provision. He does it. He comes through. He rescues. He saves.
5. In Jesus God intervenes to conquer the foe. And what is the foe? It is not just the devil. It is also the condemnation of God. And Jesus assassinated it in its sleep by taking it upon Himself at the cross.
6. Now we are called to relive Jesus’ life, which has a happy ending. A very happy — and triumphant — ending. But before resurrection comes crucifixion.
B. Some day, the Bible tells us, it will get A LOT worse for a short time.
1. Some day there will be a great unleashing of the devil.
2. I think these words were meant to be taken seriously.
3. Those poor people trapped inside the city in fear are not just some historical people in a far away place: This is us!
4. Somebody is going to live through those days. If it’s not us, it’s our children or grandchildren or future descendants. Every generation needs to be ready.
5. And each generation needs to help future generations prepare by being prepared themselves.
6. If we don’t show our children and grandchildren how to trust God in the face of little trials, how will they learn to trust God in the face of the greater trials to come?
7. We need to build our house on the Rock, knowing that the storm is coming! Matt.7:24-27
8. It is very tempting to pin our hope on the fact that it looks like things in the foreseeable future are going to be ok, on the fact that it doesn’t look like any terrible catastrophes are around the corner.
a. But if our hope is built on this assumption, our hope has no foundation.
9. Let’s not be guilty of the Hezekiah syndrome (2Kings 20:19), when God told the good king that terrible judgment was coming after he was dead and the king said that’s fine because I’m not going to be around to experience it.
C. But in the meantime there are times we are surrounded by those who hate us on account of Christ. In terms of the Christian life this is par for the course.
1. 2Cor.1:8-10 tells us that we will experience deaths frequently.
2. There is no need for panic; no need for claustrophobia.
3. Remember when Elisha was surrounded by the Syrian army (2Kings 6:11-20)?
a. His servant is in a panic. But Elisha sees something his servant is blind to.
b. 16 “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” 17 Then Elisha prayed and said, “O LORD, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the LORD opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha.
D. Some have a different vision of the kingdom in our time: they say we are supposed to be living in constant triumph and ever-increasing glory. They say that if we just have enough faith, we’ll be rich and never get sick.
1. It’s a very tempting message. But it’s not what the Bible says, and it’s harmful and misleading.
2. Heb.12:6 says that the Lord disciplines those whom He loves.. It goes on to say that if we don’t experience suffering then we should question whether or not we’re actually God’s children (Heb.12:8). God sends us suffering because He loves us, because it is good for us. Not only does He use it to fashion us into the image of Christ, but through it we come to experience the fellowship of His sufferings (Phil.3:10). “For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.” (2Corinthians 1:5)