Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The text for today’s meditation is Revelation 14:6-7

Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. ⁷ And he said with a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come, and worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water."

The world is full of things that make us feel like it is us against them. As children we choose teams to play sports in our neighborhood. No one likes to be the last person chosen, do they? The game is definitely us against them. Think about the political climate these days. No matter what side of the isle you support it is definitely us against them. The fact that we separate the congress by party on either side an isle kind of naturally sets us up for an "us against them" mentality. We even declare a winner and loser in our presidential debates. I thought the idea was to flush out the candidate’s ideas and stances so we could be better informed voters. I thought the voter, America, was supposed to be the winner. Elections are a different kind of sport where the candidates are trying to get you on their team. They want you to be strong supporters and promote the "us against them" mentality. In the end there is a clear winner. In the end one candidate will be elected. What do you do with the "us against them" when the election is over? This mentality does not stop and it flows into the senate and house chambers. What is interesting to me is no one seems to like it, nothing seems to get done, and it divides our country. Even though we don’t like it, it is a reality. It would be better if we could unite but the opposing views and opinions are too different.

John’s vision in revelation chapter 14 is about a world that is also divided. They are divided by the gospel. That sounds like a strange thing to be divided about doesn’t it. After all, the gospel is truth. Unlike some things our candidates say, the gospel is the truth. The gospel is "good news" to the world, right? The angel declares the gospel to the whole world. He declares in verse 7; "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come." This is the first of three announcements of judgment in this chapter; and this is where the two teams, sides, or views come in. This message can be heard two ways. You could hear this as joyous "good news" because you know you are saved by grace through faith and your eternal time in the presence of Christ is near. Or you could hear this as impending destruction knowing your time for repentance has run out and you are facing the wrath of God because you rejected God. John describes the two groups of people as the "saints" "on Mt. Zion" who "keep the faith." The other group as those "on the earth" who have polluted themselves with wickedness and worshiped what is not God. For the latter group the gospel is not "good news."

So, everyone is in one of the two groups, there is no middle ground. There is no wiggle room. There is no third category of people. This sounds a lot like the sheep and the goats. There wasn’t a third animal was there, no third option for those that are "good people." The gospel is and will either be ‘good news" or not "good news." It will either be a comfort or a pronouncement of a verdict.

This is not an easy thing to hear. You are either "on Mt. Zion" or have polluted yourself "on the earth." This sounds harsh, judgmental, and unnecessarily divisive. Some people look at this as "us against them." They think there must be a way for everyone to make it to "Mt. Zion." We have a strange sense of fair play. We declare winners and losers in political debates yet we have a hard time giving trophies to just the winners of youth sports. We say everyone is a winner, when in reality only one team wins. People tend to think this way about the judgment of the gospel. Not everyone makes it to "Mt. Zion" but we think everyone is a winner. God wants everyone to be "on Mt. Zion." There is a way for everyone to make it to "Mt. Zion" and that is through Christ alone. Martin Luther and other 16^th century reformers cried out Solus Christus! Jesus said in John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." Martin searched the scripture to find the way of salvation. He found Ephesians 2:8-9: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast." That gift is the way for everyone as Paul says about Christ in Romans 6:10 "For the death he died he died to sin, once for all." Unfortunately not all have heard God’s call and those that do not hear His call and reject Him are under condemnation.

In chapter 14 of Revelation, John is in the time of judgment, there is no time left for repentance. In verse 6 & 7 the vision recounts an earlier time where there is still time, it is not too late. The night has not yet come. Some say the angel represents those on earth that proclaim the gospel to all the earth. Some even include Martin Luther as one represented by the angel. Martin certainly proclaimed the gospel to the world through preaching and translating the bible into the language of the people. As such he could be included among those who fulfill the prophetic vision.

What about us today? It’s not too late for repentance, judgment day in not here yet. This passage brings several thoughts and questions to mind. Who will rescue you and me from this body of death? Where is our confidence? Solus Christus, Christ alone! He suffered and died to pay for your sins. He rose from the dead to claim victory over His death and your death. When I think of the approaching end of the age, I feel that pull from Christ to turn from my sins. Repent and turn. Romans 13 says; "The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. ¹³ Let us walk properly as in the daytime, … put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." Walk in the light!

Another thought comes to mind, where is our focus? Do you feel an urgency to bring as many as you can to "Mt. Zion"? We are to make Christ known to the nations while it is still day, while there is still time. Christ is the light of the world and He is the only one that can deliver it from the coming wrath. One last question comes to mind. Where is justice? How can a merciful God do these terrible things? The justice is placed on Christ; the wrath has been poured out on Him. The mercy of God is to be found in Christ alone. Solus Christus! We along with the 16^th century reformers have this as our cry to a world lost in itself. Christ alone!

Amen.