EB: 14 God’s Discipline of Christians

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Chapter 14 God’s Discipline of Christians

A) Will God punish Endtime Babylon (America) even if many of His people live there?

B) The promises of no condemnation or wrath for Christians

C) God’s painful discipline for people He loves

Primary Points

Revelation 17-18 clearly predicts that God will cause the death of every single person in a place where Christians will be living. Does the Bible support the claim that God would destroy America even if many of His people are living there?
The Bible does not promise anything that would prohibit God from doing this.
It would not be God’s will for any of His people to suffer the consequences of His punishment of America (Endtime Babylon). This is precisely why He COMMANDS THEM TO LEAVE! (cf. Rev 18:4).
Hebrews provides a NT warning that God may punish His people in a painful way because of their sin.
The history of God’s OT people should make American Christians shudder. Do we think God loves us more than He loved them? God never stopped loving His chosen OT people. But He severely disciplined them for their sin.
God will punish a sinful country even if godly people are living there (cf. Ezek 14).
Christ warned Christians He would make them suffer pain, and even kill them, just because they allowed false teaching in their church. (cf. Rev 2:20-23).
Unfortunately, most American Christians do not understand how idolatrous they are in their daily lives, and how much God HATES idolatry.
1 Corinthians 10 is a warning of severe divine discipline for Christians who habitually practice idolatry, complaining, and sexual immorality.
God may discipline His people simply to protect His reputation and glory.

A) Will God punish Endtime Babylon (America) even if many of His people live there?

The previous chapters of Endtime Babylon have demonstrated this shocking truth: By far the best interpretation of Revelation 17-18 is that God is going to allow the Antichrist to destroy America with nuclear weapons. At the very least, the prophecy clearly predicts that God is going to allow the killing of every single person in a place where Christians will be living. As noted in chapter 12, this brings up difficult questions. Among them is this: Does the Bible support the claim that God would destroy America even if many of His people are living there?

This is a very difficult topic. But we should try to deal honestly with the practical, spiritual, and even very dangerous consequences of the most likely interpretation of Revelation 17-18. This chapter is an attempt to do that. In addition, if God fulfilled this prophecy as suggested, there would seem to be a need to defend God’s character, if indeed many of His people perish in the destruction of America. Why would God allow or even cause such a thing? How could we interpret such an event from a biblical perspective? Again, does the Bible support the claim that God would destroy America even if many of His people are living there?

It will be argued in this chapter that the Bible does not teach or promise anything that would prohibit God from destroying America even if many of His people are living there. Two lines of biblical reasoning will be offered: 1) God’s willingness to severely discipline His people for habitual sin and idolatry; and 2) God’s willingness to allow His people to suffer because of bad spiritual leaders and teachers.

First, the Bible is clear that God may severely discipline His people for habitual sin and idolatry. It will be demonstrated that this divine discipline may even include being killed. It will also be argued that God may view the degree of false teaching, sin, worldliness, sexual immorality, and idolatry in American Christianity to be sufficient for a widespread and severe discipline of His Church in America for His own glory. This will be the topic of sections C and D below.

But what about the many humble, godly, and sincere Christians in America? Would God destroy America even if these people are living there? Including their innocent children? Does such a potential circumstance mean the interpretation of Revelation 17-18 demonstrated in this book cannot be true? Again, that is a really hard question. Let us start answering it with some preliminary thoughts.

First, there is nothing unbiblical about the claim that God would allow His people to suffer greatly, even unfairly. For example, American Christians need to notice what God is allowing in the lives of His people in Ukraine. It is by far the most born-again Christian nation in that area of the world. Yet, Ukrainian Christians and their children are being killed, separated from their families, and having their lives destroyed. Do not think God loves American Christians more than Ukrainian Christians.

American Christians need to study the book of Job to have a deeper understanding of what kind of suffering God will allow for even a holy and righteous man. They can read Foxe’s Book of Martyrs to be reminded of the tortures and death that God has allowed His own people to experience. There simply is no biblical promise that God will protect His people from experiencing even the most painful and horrific tragedies of this world.

Second, it must be stated that it would not be God’s will for any of His people to suffer the consequences of His punishment of America (Endtime Babylon). This is precisely why He COMMANDS THEM TO LEAVE! God intentionally included the following serious command in His warning that He will destroy Endtime Babylon (America):

Then I heard another voice from Heaven say: “Move out from Babylon the Great My people; so that you will not be connected to her sins and so that you will not experience her being struck hard with a sudden and severe disaster. This is because her sins are piled up to Heaven and God has focused His attention on her wrongs” (Rev 18:4-5)

It will be demonstrated in the next chapter that this is a command for Christians to physically leave Endtime Babylon (America) in order to escape its very real and physical destruction. If those God would call My people disobey this command, then there should be no surprise if such Christians suffer the horrific consequences God Himself warned them of. Those who are confident that God would not destroy America (Endtime Babylon) because of the number of Christians living there, are ignoring God’s own warning in the above command. God essentially promises in Revelation 18:4-5 that if My people do not obey this command, they will suffer the same severe disaster as all the unbelievers living there.

Lot’s son in-laws in Sodom were a biblical example. Lot warned them, “Hurry and get out of this place, because the LORD is about to destroy the city!” But his sons-in-law thought he was joking (Gen 19:14 NIV). As a result, they were unnecessarily killed.

Third, it is possible that God will ensure that every single Christian living in Endtime Babylon (America) will obey this command. The example of Lot in Sodom also provides us an example of Angels physically warning and even removing God’s people from a place He is going to punish and destroy (cf. Gen 19:16). Likewise, God may do something supernatural to ensure none of His people suffer what He warns of in the commandment above. If the conclusions of this book, Endtime Babylon, are correct, God may help all Christians to accurately understand Revelation 17-18 and help them obey the command in 18:4.

This is possible, but does not seem probable. For the above to be true, we would expect a promise in this prophecy of this very thing. Instead, God gave His people a command that He expects them to obey. And again, He specifically warns of, and even promises, the consequences of not doing so.

So, apart from severe divine discipline, why would God allow even godly Christians to be killed in His punishment of America? One possible answer is the sobering fact of what God is willing for even His godly people to suffer under bad spiritual leaders and teachers. This would be the primary reason His people would even be ignorant of the warning and command in Revelation 17:16 and 18:4. Therefore, bad spiritual leaders and teachers in the American Church may ultimately be responsible for the actual death of many American Christians and their families. Section E of this chapter will offer biblical support for this.

But first, an immediate objection to the claim that Christians could be swept up in God’s punishment of a nation will be addressed in the next section.

B) The promises of no condemnation or wrath for Christians

As argued in previous chapters, most Christians recognize how sinful America is. Many might even admit that someday God is going to punish America. But again, it is easy to believe there are still too many Christians in America for God to punish it now. Surely there are even promises in Scripture that would tell us God would not allow Christians to suffer in this way. But that is not true.

Some might think of the wonderful promise in Romans 8:1. Paul writes:

Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to [eternal] death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! …

Therefore, there is now no condemnation [katakrima] for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives [eternal] life has set you free from the law of sin and [eternal] death. (Rom 7:24-25; 8:1-2 NIV).

Some claim the promise of no condemnation means God’s people will never suffer any consequences for their sin. But the verse says there is no condemnation for the Christian specifically because they have been set … free from eternal death. Romans 8:1 is the result of the need and solution described 2 verses earlier in 7:24-25 to be delivered from our body that is subject to [eternal] death. Therefore, the wonderful promise of no eternal condemnation of death does not mean God will not severely discipline His people for their sin. Accordingly, MacArthur notes:

It is important to realize that deliverance from divine condemnation does not mean deliverance from divine discipline. “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives” (Heb. 12:6). Nor does deliverance from God’s condemnation mean escape from our accountability to Him: “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap” (Gal. 6:7). ^{^[1]}

Some might dismiss the NT warning of divine discipline, like what we see in the OT, because the NT says Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law (Gal 3:13 NIV). Does this mean God would never discipline Christians as severely as He did His OT people? Not at all. The curse Paul referred to was for the one who relies on the law to be justified before God (v. 11), thus proving they were not saved. Christ has certainly redeemed us from such a curse. But this does not mean that God will not discipline His NT people just as He did His OT people. In fact, as discussed below, Paul warns of this very thing in 1 Corinthians 10.

Some might argue that God has promised we will never experience His wrath. But these promises refer to being rescued from a specific time of God’s wrath, including the wrath of Hell (cf. Rom 5:9), the wrath of the Day of the Lord after Christ’s Return (cf. 1 Thess 1:9-10), or both of these (cf. 1 Thess 5:9).

This is not to suggest that God ever feels wrath toward His NT people. There is nothing in the NT that would suggest this. But if our goal is to please him (2 Cor 5:9), then we can certainly displease God. Christ can have something against us (Rev 2:4, 14, 20), and our sin can grieve the Holy Spirit of God (Eph 4:30). As explained in the next section, this can lead to painful divine discipline. But there is no need to believe that God disciplines His NT people in anger. The Lord disciplines the one he loves (Heb 12:6 NIV).

Likewise, there are several wonderful promises about Christians standing before God blameless and holy (cf. 1 Cor 1:8-9; Eph 1:4; Col 1:22; 2:13-14; Jude 1:24). But a careful study of these reveals that they seem to primarily refer to when we will stand before Christ to have our lives evaluated. Such verses do not seem to imply that we are always blameless before God now. Eternally forgiven, absolutely. Blameless? Not always.

Finally, it should be noted that it is possible that God may use natural disasters, disease, or wars to punish unbelievers for their sin. It is also possible that some of God’s people living in the same place may be effected by these things.

C) God’s painful discipline for people He loves

C.1) God’s painful discipline Heb 12

The next two sections will discuss the theologically and emotionally difficult topic of God’s discipline of His people for sin. Before doing so, it is important to be reminded that the great majority of biblical revelation, and the personal experience of Christians, reveals and reflects a God who is gracious and compassionate toward our sin (cf. Ps 103:1-18). However, in Hebrews we read what God spoke to both his children in the OT and NT:

“My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline … For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.” (12:5-6 NLT; cf. Prov 3:12; Rev 3:19)

The Greek word for discipline in this passage (paideuei) means: “mostly of divine discipline with punishment.” ^{^[2]} The Greek word for punishes (mastigoi) means “to beat with a whip or lash, whip, flog, scourge.” ^{^[3]} Which is why the text adds that such divine discipline is painful! (v. 11). Therefore, Hebrews provides a NT warning that God may punish His people in a painful way because of their sin.

As explained further elsewhere, God is very slow to resort to painful discipline in the lives of His children. It seems the pain of our conscience is sufficient to help most Christians repent of their sin. But if they persist in sin, God will allow discipline that is even more painful because He loves His children and does not want them to experience the destructive consequences of their sin. Hebrews 12 confronts us all with the need to reconcile on one hand that God loves and forgives Christians for all of their sin, but still may painfully discipline them for habitual and controlling sin.

C.2) God disciplined the OT people He loved Jer 12:7

The history of God’s OT people should make American Christians shudder. Do we think God loves us more than He loved them? No. God loved His OT people just as much as His NT people. God repeatedly told His OT people:

You … belong to the LORD your God. Of all the people on earth, the LORD your God has chosen you to be his own special treasure. (Deut 7:6 NLT; cf. Gen 17:7; Exod 6:7; Deut 14:2; Isa 41:9; Ezek 20:5; Rom 9:4)

Christians are chosen to belong to God (cf. Eph 1:4-5; Col 3:12; 2 Thess 2:13). So were His OT people. Accordingly, He loved them with the same love that He loves Christians. We read in Jeremiah:

Long ago the LORD said to Israel: “I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love. With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.” (31:3 NLT; cf. Deut 10:15; Hos 11:1; Mal 1:2)

God never stopped loving His chosen OT people. But He severely disciplined them for their sin. God said to His people Israel:

“I, the LORD, once called them a thriving olive tree, beautiful to see and full of good fruit.

But now I have sent the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire, leaving them charred and broken. “I, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, who planted this olive tree, have ordered it destroyed.

For the people of Israel and Judah have done evil … by burning incense to Baal…

I have abandoned my people, my special possession. I have surrendered my dearest ones [the one I love NIV] to their enemies. (Jer 11:16-17; 12:7 NLT)

God allowed even those He loved to experience the fury of their enemies to burn them with fire. This sounds remarkably similar to the disaster predicted for Endtime Babylon (America).

Were these OT people that God so severely disciplined still saved? That is a very difficult question to answer. Accordingly, we must be careful about how we apply God’s relationship to His OT people, to His NT people. Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises (Heb 8:6 NLT). What is clear is that He promised even His OT people that He loved them with an everlasting love (Jer 31:3). Therefore, at the very least, the OT is a reminder to Christians that God is willing to severely discipline even people He dearly loves.

Unfortunately, such consequences for sin may occur in a nation even where godly people live. Examples include Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego who were all holy and godly men (cf. Dan 1:7). But they experienced the same exile as the rest of Israel when God punished the nation. Again, even godly people can be caught up in God’s punishment of a wicked nation and people.

Along these lines, we read this sobering statement from God in Ezekiel concerning His punishment of His OT people:

The word of the LORD came to me: “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to … bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, even if these three men [Noah, Daniel and Job, v. 14] were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. (Ezek 14:12-13, 17-18 NIV)

The presence of people even as godly as Noah, Daniel and Job will not deter God from punishing a country if it sins against Him. That should get the attention of American Christians. God will punish a sinful country even if godly people are living there.

Why did God so severely discipline the people He loved in Israel? In Jeremiah above, God said: “Because the people of Israel and Judah have done evil … by burning incense to Baal” (v. 17). Baal was a popular false god. Therefore, it was because of idolatry that God punished the OT people He loved. This is a repeated occurrence in the OT.

For example, Psalm 106 describes the sad history of God’s beloved OT people. What sins did they commit, and how did God discipline them? They gave in to their cravings … so he … sent a wasting disease among them (vs. 14-15 NIV). They worshiped an idol … So he said he would destroy them and a plague broke out among them (vs. 19, 23, 29). They mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them (vs. 35-36). As a result, He handed them over to pagan nations, to those who hated them and their enemies crushed them (vs. 41-42 NLT).

Again, this is similar language to how God will destroy Endtime Babylon (America). Unfortunately, most American Christians do not understand how idolatrous they are in their daily lives, and how much God HATES idolatry. It will be demonstrated below that sinful idolatry is an epidemic among American Christians. If so, they should notice the biblical record of how God disciplined people He loved because of their idolatry.

Is there biblical support for the claim that God will depopulate America in judgment even if that includes millions of Christians perishing as well? The OT tells us that God wiped out an entire generation of His chosen people that He loved and even said to them, “I have forgiven them” (Num 14:20 NIV). Nevertheless He told them, “You will all drop dead in this wilderness!” (Num 14:29 NLT). Why? Because they disobeyed His command to enter the Promised Land (cf. Num 14:20-23). Likewise, God may allow millions of Christians in Endtime Babylon to die because they disobey His command to leave there (cf. Rev 18:4).

C.3) OT examples for NT people 1 Cor 10

[Stop and read 1 Corinthians 10:1-14 ^{^[4]}]

Many Christians assume that God’s practice of severely disciplining His people for their sin was just for His OT people. But in 1 Corinthians 10 the Apostle was using the example of God’s OT people to warn His NT people that they could experience the same things. As noted above, God’s OT people were saved in the covenant He made to them. Accordingly, Paul says, They were all baptized into Moses and drank from the spiritual rock that … was Christ (vs. 2, 4). They belonged to God. They were His spiritual children. They were saved under the Old Covenant through Moses.

But what did God do to them? Their bodies were scattered in the wilderness (v. 5 NIV), in one day twenty-three thousand of them died (v. 8), some of them … were killed by snakes (v. 9), and some of them … were killed by the destroying angel (v. 10).

Why did God do this to His people? Because God was not pleased with them (v. 5), they committed sexual immorality (v. 8), they tested Christ (v. 9), they grumbled against God (v. 10), and they were idolaters (v. 7). Again, God punishes the people He loves for idolatry which is why Paul tells these Christians: flee from idolatry (v. 14).

What was the Apostle’s point?:

These things occurred as examples to keep us [Christians whom God loves and are eternally forgiven] from setting our hearts on evil things as they did… These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us [Christians] (vs. 6, 11).

Therefore, contrary to what many believe, the Apostle said the examples of God disciplining His OT people for sin were written down as warnings for us NT people of God. The Apostle made it clear that God’s NT people could be subject to the same painful and even deadly consequences for sin that God’s OT people experienced.

Notice again the specific sins that Paul warned of. Sexual immorality (v. 8), grumbling against God and being discontent (v. 10), and idolatry (vs. 7, 14). Accordingly, the commentary of Ciampa and Rosner on the sins of the Corinthian Christians is important. First, regarding grumbling they write:

Paul warns that we should not test Christ, as some of them did – and were killed by snakes. This is how some of the Israelites experienced divine judgment during the wilderness experience. Paul is alluding to Numbers 21:5-6 where the Israelites spoke against God, criticizing him and his provision, complaining, in particular, about a lack of food and water (ironically mentioning that they detested the food they had). Elsewhere in the OT such complaining is described as “testing the Lord” (Exod. 17:2-3, 7) or “testing God” (Ps. 78:18). ^[5]

We might be surprised at how harshly God responded to the grumbling and complaining of His people. But we should not ignore this repeated OT warning. And what other sins would such complaining and ingratitude reflect or lead to? Discontentment and depression, things that are frequently experienced by American Christians.

Likewise, the commentary addresses idolatry:

First on the list is idolatry, one of the two key themes of this letter and the key issue of chapters 8—10. That this is the primary concern here will be indicated again in v. 14 [Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry]…

It would probably come as a surprise to certain Corinthians [and American Christians] that they would need to worry about being guilty of idolatry. They had expressed their complete rejection of the very notion of other gods (cf. 8:1, 4). Paul’s argument in the following verses will clarify that even those who explicitly and consciously reject the existence of other gods may yet be condemned as idolaters. While subjectively they reject the notion, objectively their actual behavior implicates them as participants in idolatrous activities…

Modern people do not tend to give idols any more credence than some of the Corinthians did. That does not exempt them or us from the dangers of behaving in idolatrous ways. We are not innocent simply because we ourselves would not conceive our relationship to those other things in our society that fascinate us and compete for our loyalties and our priorities as idolatry.

As Martin Luther affirmed, reflecting on the first commandment in his larger catechism, “Whatever your heart clings to and relies upon, that is your God; trust and faith of the heart alone make both God and idol.” We may broaden Luther’s definition to include the biblical themes of love and service: a god is that which one loves, trusts and serves above all else…

The Old Testament and ancient Judaism considered idolatry the most common and fundamental temptation of humanity (with sexual immorality as a related sign of human corruption and greed a particular manifestation of idolatry…

The Corinthians may not have realized it, but they are tempted to participate in idolatrous activities. That temptation is not irresistible or insurmountable, and they must resist it, take the way out, or suffer destruction as did the Israelites mentioned in the previous verses. ^[6]

Paul’s conclusion seems especially appropriate to Christians living in Endtime Babylon (America): These things happened to them as examples for us. They were written down to warn us who live at the end of the age (v. 11). Campia & Rosner comment:

Since God has begun the process of wrapping up history, it is of utmost urgency to learn from Israel’s example in order to assure that the devastating judgment that fell on the nation does not end up being repeated in our own experience. ^[7]

Again, 1 Corinthians 10 is a warning of severe divine discipline for Christians who habitually practice idolatry, complaining, and sexual immorality. Unfortunately, it will be demonstrated below that these sins are an epidemic in American Christianity. All of which would give some biblical justification if God severely punishes America, even while many of His people would be living there, disobeying His command to leave (cf. Rev 18:4).

C.4) God will severely discipline Christians Rev 2

Christ’s interaction with local churches in Revelation 2 illustrates what the divine discipline described in Hebrews 12 may look like. To the church in Ephesus He warned:

You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken the love you had at first. Consider how far you have [morally] fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place. (Rev 2:3-5 NIV)

The people in this Church were real Christians. They had endured hardships for Christ’s name. It’s doubtful fake Christians would do that (cf. Matt 13:20-22). What was their sin? A lack of love for Christ and fellow Christians. What would be the result if they did not repent? Their lampstand, which refers to their local church (cf. 1:20), would cease to exist.

When would this occur? Jesus warned ca. A.D. 90 I will come. Obviously, this is not referring to the Second Coming of Christ in the Endtimes. Otherwise, the warning would have little meaning for a 1st century church. Jesus could not promise a church over 2,000 years ago that they would experience Christ’s Return. Jesus was promising them that His action against them would occur rather quickly if you don’t repent.

Accordingly, MacArthur writes: “The coming to which Christ refers is not His second coming, but His coming to them in local judgment on that church.” ^{^[8]} Likewise, the “comings” Jesus promised to other local churches in Revelation 2 refer to the same imminent action (cf. Rev 2:5, 16, 22).

Christ’s warning to the church in Ephesus tells us that God may end the life of a church if it lacks love. Likewise, if God deemed the American Church in general lacked love, it seems possible He may end its existence as well through the destruction of America predicted in Revelation 17:16.

To the church in Pergamum Jesus said:

I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent; or else I am coming to you quickly, and I will make war against them with the sword of My mouth. (Rev 2:14-16 NASB)

It is again suggested that Christ’s warning here was directed to real Christians. Jesus said of them: “you remain true to my name” and “did not renounce your faith in me” (v. 13). Yet, some of these Christians were guilty of three things which unfortunately Christians can fall into. ^[9] They were: 1) following false teaching; 2) engaged in idolatry; and 3) even sexual sin (v. 14 NLT).

What did Jesus warn He would do to the sinful Christians in this church if they did not repent? ^[10] He would make war against them with the sword of His mouth. It’s possible this is merely an allusion to something like raising up a leader in their midst to verbally oppose and perhaps excommunicate them. But the language implies something stronger than that. As Osborne comments:

To fail to [repent] would … invite divine judgment… The verb [polemēsō; make war] carries a strong meaning, “to wage war,” and is used five times (the noun occurs another nine times) in Revelation, both of the dragon’s (and beast’s) “war” against the saints (11:7; 12:17; 13:7)… and God’s war against the forces of evil (12:7; 19:11) [referring to when] God goes to war with his enemies. ^{^[11]}

All of these cases in Revelation refer to physical and painful experiences. The biblical idea of pronouncing and executing a physical punishment through words from God’s mouth is reflected in Hosea 6:5 where God says: “Therefore I cut you in pieces with my prophets, I killed you with the words of my mouth.” K&D comment here: “’Slain by the words of my mouth,’ which the prophets had spoken … caused death and destruction.” ^[12] Accordingly, Thomas adds regarding Revelation 2:16:

To strengthen his plea for immediate action, He [Christ] appends a threat of punishment… A special coming in the form of some pestilence or physical calamity could have taken place a short time later… This was the way Balaam met his punishment. ^{^[13]}

Indeed, Balaam was killed … with the sword (Num 31:8 NIV; cf. Josh 13:22) and it seems obvious Christ intended this connection to be understood by those who were following the teaching of Balaam (v. 14) in this church. Therefore, it is suggested that these Christians were warned of some kind of physical discipline, perhaps including death. ^[14]

Jesus said to the church in Thyatira:

Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols. I have given her time to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.

So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. I will strike her children dead.

Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds. (Rev 2:20-23 NIV)

Again, the warnings here are directed to people Christ called my servants who were real Christians. Still, horrible sin was being practiced and tolerated in this church. Similar to Pergamum, these included: 1) sexual immorality; 2) worshipping idols (v. 20); 3) adultery (v. 22); and 4) following false teaching (v. 24). ^{^[15]}

What did Christ say would be the result if they did not repent? Those who commit adultery with her would suffer intensely. ^{^[16]} This surely included those who were led into sexual immorality and idolatry. Most likely the warning referred to painful sickness. ^[17] But MacArthur’s view is worth consideration when he writes:

Since these were the sinning Christians who had believed her [the false prophetess’] lies … He promises to bring them severe chastening–possibly even physical death. ^[18]

This may be supported when Christ warned regarding the children of the false prophetess: “I will strike her children dead.” (v. 23). The fact that divine discipline may include physical death is supported by Paul’s implied warning of the same thing in 1 Corinthians 10 discussed above.

Scholars are divided on who her children referred to. Are they the same Christians that Jesus referred to when He said: By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality? This is possible and even argued by a scholar as rightly respected as Thomas. ^[19] This then would be another warning of physical death for unrepentant Christians. But it is more likely that Jezebel’s children were a different group than Jesus’ servants. First, by calling them children of the false prophetess, Christ was saying that was their spiritual identity, and they were not children of God. Second, the discipline warned for His servants was to suffer intensely, not be killed. But again, physical death is not an unbiblical form of divine discipline for God’s people.

Therefore, notice that Christ warned these Christians He would make them suffer intensely, experience sickness, and possibly even death because they practiced sexual immorality, idolatry, and followed false teaching in their church. It will be argued in the next section that these very same things are an epidemic in American Christianity today. Therefore, these warnings to the Christians in Revelation chapter 2 should be taken seriously by Christians in America.

Jesus ended His warning to this local church by saying the reason He would discipline them so severely was so that, then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches out the thoughts and intentions of every person. And I will give to each of you whatever you deserve (v. 23 NLT). Christ wanted all the Christians in these churches to know that He was closely monitoring and evaluating not only the sinfulness of their actions, but also of their thoughts, attitudes, and emotions. And He was not going to indefinitely tolerate their sin, but would severely discipline them if He thought they deserved it.

Why is this? For Christ to allow sin in His churches would not reflect God’s holiness, nor glorify Him. God wants His people to know that because of His holiness and desire to be glorified, He will severely discipline His people. Accordingly, MacArthur says, “Christ would receive glory when He judged Jezebel and her followers.” ^{^[20]}

This would seem to be the same reason Christ would destroy the church in Ephesus (2:1). It was not representing the love and character of Christ. Therefore, this church was not glorifying Christ, and instead giving Him and Christianity a bad name. Because of Christ’s zeal for God’s glory He was not going to tolerate that.

Indeed, Christians and their churches represent God on Earth. Their primary purpose is to increase God’s glorification on this Earth. When they are failing to do that, it should not surprise us that He would severely discipline them, or even end them.

Therefore, it is important to recognize that God may discipline His people simply to protect His reputation and glory. That would seem to be a primary reason He would exercise discipline for sin in the case of Christians perishing in His destruction of America. Accordingly, God may deem the sinfulness, worldliness, idolatry, sexual immorality, and acceptance of false teaching among many American Christians to be an unacceptable reflection of Him in both the spiritual and earthly realms. In such a case, we should not be surprised that God might severely discipline His own people.

The book of Job demonstrates that God’s glorification, even in the sight of Satan, was more important to God than treating even His blameless servant Job fairly (Job 1:1). It was also more important than protecting His possessions, health, and even the life of Job’s innocent children. Christians less blameless than Job may be in danger of similar catastrophes, not so much to test them, but to discipline them for His glory.

Do not be deceived: God is not mocked (Gal 6:7). Not even by Christians. He may very well choose to discipline His people in Endtime Babylon for His own glory. And this may happen through the physical destruction predicted in Revelation 17:16 because these Christians disobey Revelation 18:4.

Unfortunately, as demonstrated in the next chapter, American Christians do seem to be mocking God.

MacArthur, MNTC, Romans, loc. 8059. MacArthur adds regarding Rom 8:1:

As Paul has already declared, the penalty, or condemnation, for sin is death (6:23)… That is the heart and soul of the gospel—that Jesus completely and permanently paid the debt of sin and the penalty of the law (which is condemnation to death)… The truth that there can never be the eternal death penalty for believers is the foundation of the eighth chapter of Romans. (loc. 8043-59)

Likewise, Moo supports the fact that the overall context of Rom 8:1 is a promise of exemption from eternal death:

In this first paragraph of Rom. 8, Paul reasserts the triumphant conclusion of 5:12-21: that for those who are “in Christ” eternal life replaces the condemnation and death that were the lot of everybody in Adam…

“Condemnation” designates the state of “lostness,” of estrangement from God that, apart from Christ, every person will experience for eternity. Those “in Christ Jesus” are removed from this state—and removed forever from it. (471, 473)

Osborne notes: “The work katakrima [condemnation] is a forensic term (as in 5:16, 18), denoting the removal of the curse (cf. Gal. 3:10) from those who are descendants of Adam” (399). Osborne adds that: “In seeking to understand the logical relationship between 8:1 and what precedes, we should not ignore 7:24-25a, especially since it is so close contextually to 8:1” (398; contra MacArthur, loc. 8028, Cranfield, 2536). ↑
BDAG #2b. ↑
BDAG #1. ↑
Several things can be noted regarding the warnings in 1 Cor 10. First, it should be noted that the context is believers. The for (gar) in v. 1 indicates there is a connection between 1 Cor 9:24-27 and 1 Cor 10. In the previous verses, Paul warned that Christians may lose eternal rewards (not salvation) for a lack of holiness. Accordingly, Wiersbe writes of the Apostle’s meaning in 1 Cor 9:24-27:

He was concerned lest he get so busy trying to help others in the race that he ignore himself and find himself disqualified. Again, it was not a matter of losing personal salvation. (The disqualified Greek athlete did not lose his citizenship, only his opportunity to win a prize.) The whole emphasis is on rewards, and Paul did not want to lose his reward.

(cf. Morris, 138; Thiselton, 717; Ciampa & Rosner (Pillar NT commentary, hereafter C&R). MacArthur incorrectly applies the entire passage (1 Cor 9-10) to the ability to effectively win people to Christ, ignoring the eternal nature of the language in vs. 24-27. Fee, because of his Pentecostal theology, erroneously interprets it as a warning that Paul could lose his salvation, 440)

The fact that the context of 1 Cor 10 is Christians is confirmed when Paul began this section by addressing it to brothers and sisters (v. 1; cf. Morris, 138-9) and applied its teaching to us (vs. 6, 11), which included himself. Accordingly, the language of being baptized into Moses and having drank from the spiritual rock that was Christ (vs. 3-4 NIV) are clearly intended to reflect a Christian’s experience of salvation (cf. Ciampa & Rosner).

In addition, it is only to believers that Paul would promise, God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear (v. 13 NIV). This helps us understand what he meant by his warning in the previous verse: So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! (v. 12 NIV). The warning is about not falling into sin and being disciplined like the Israelites, it is not a warning that these brothers and sisters would fall from salvation (cf. Wiersbe). Accordingly, MacArthur interprets the fall in v. 12 when he writes:

Christians who become self-confident become less dependent on God’s Word and God’s Spirit and become careless in their living. As carelessness increases, openness to temptation increases and resistance to sin decreases. (cf. Thiselton, 727)

Although it should be admitted that Paul may have intended an implied warning to false Christians in Corinth (cf. Ciampa & Rosner, v. 12). However, this would not mean that his warnings in the passage could not apply to real Christians.

It was noted that Paul’s warnings in 9:24-27 applied to eternal rewards. However, his examples from Israel go far beyond losing rewards, but rather focus on being severely disciplined for sin during this life. Therefore, MacArthur seems to completely miss Paul’s meaning when he writes of 1 Cor 10: “In verses 1-13 Paul shows how misuse of liberty can disqualify us from effective service to Christ.”

C&R are more accurate when they write regarding the Apostle’s intended application in 1 Cor 10:1-13:

The basic understanding that the Church’s experience would correspond to patterns found already in Israel’s experience seems to be required by Paul’s argument. The pattern would not require that believers experience destruction similar to that of the Israelites, but that behavior similar to that of the Israelites would result in a judgment that was also similar to theirs…

Paul is building on an analogy (and typological relationship) between Israel’s experience and that of believers in Christ (as the earlier reference to baptism and the following identification of the rock as Christ make clear)…

Paul’s point is that even after having been fully initiated into the redeemed community many Israelites still fell under God’s judgment through their participation in idolatry and sexual immorality. Like the Corinthians, they had experienced redemption and had committed themselves to adhere to the one true God but behaved in a way that brought the judgment of the one they were committed to honoring. (1 Cor 10:1-4). ↑
C&R, 1 Cor 10:9. ↑
Ibid., 1 Cor 10:7, 13. ↑
Ibid., 1 Cor 10:11. ↑
MacArthur, MNTC, Rev, 64. Cf. Johnson, Revelation (621), and Beale (232), who also believe it is referring to an immediate coming. Mounce (82), and Osborne (118), claim this coming (Rev 2:16) refers to both the Second Coming and a more immediate coming. Thomas presents good arguments for it referring to an immediate coming, although because of the use of erchomai (“coming”) in the Revelation, claims the references to Christ’s coming to these local churches (cf. Rev 2:5, 16, 22) reflects His Second Coming. However, this argument does not sufficiently refute the arguments Thomas gives for the first meaning (cf. 249-51). ↑
As MacArthur notes: “The Bible teaches that true Christians can fall into sexual immorality (cf. 1 Cor. 6:15–20) and idolatry (cf. 1 Cor. 10:21)” (100). ↑
Jesus warned in Rev 2:16 that His judgment would be against them, clearly referring specifically to those committing the three sins noted here. Therefore, many NT scholars are wrong to claim the discipline would affect everyone in this church. For example, MacArthur writes: “The entire church faced the battle sword of Christ’s judgment, the heretics for practicing their heresy and iniquity, and the rest of the church for tolerating it” (90). This is not true, as them (v. 16) did not include “the rest of the church. The same mistake is implied by Thomas (329-30) and Kiddle (87). Beale is correct to note the judgment would be directed to “the compromisers” (251; cf. Osborne, 146). ↑
Osborne, 146. ↑
K&D at Hos 6:5, cf. Isa. 11:4; 49:2; cf. McComiskey, Hosea, 91. ↑
Thomas, 329-30. ↑
Regarding Christ’s warning to make war against them with the sword of His mouth (Rev 2:16), Mounce simply describes Christ’s warning to the unrepentant Christians in Pergamum as, “Coming in judgment” (82). Beale seems unbiblical to interpret it as they will “inherit Gehenna” and go to Hell (251). Osborne makes the obscure comment: “It is generally agreed that this symbolizes the “word of judgment” uttered by Christ” (147). It is unclear what that means. ↑
The sexual immorality and adultery (Rev 2:20, 22) should probably be interpreted literally. Thomas writes:

The literal sense of the same noun in v. 20 argues strongly for a literal sense here. The same sin is referred to by the verb μoιχεω (moicheuō, “I commit adultery”), which must refer to literal sexual sins. (367) ↑
The literal Greek here is megalēn thlipsis (“great tribulation”) leading some to believe it is referring to this period in Endtime events. But as argued in CET (ch. 3), thlipsis in those contexts refers to persecution, not suffering in general. Here however, general suffering is what is meant. Jesus could not promise a 1st century church they would experience the Endtimes. Accordingly, Osborne writes:

This “great tribulation” is hardly technical for the period in chapters 6-16 of the final eschatological war, but rather refers to a terrible time of “affliction” that Christ would visit upon them… [They were] facing a strict judgment of sickness and death. (160; contra Thomas (371), Beale (263). ↑
Osborne suggests the reference to suffer intensely (Rev 2:22) “most likely” means “serious illness” (159; cf. Mounce, 88; Beale, 263). But as Osborne notes regarding Thomas, he interprets this as the “final judgment” at Christ’s 2nd Coming, and perhaps even Hell (Thomas, 367-9). But this is refuted by the probability that the “coming” Christ warns these churches of was to be more immediate (cf. endnote #8 above and the section there). Accordingly, MacArthur writes:

The Lord threatens to cast them into great tribulation–not the eschatological tribulation described in Revelation 4–19, but distress or trouble. Since these were the sinning Christians who had believed her lies, the Lord does not threaten to send them to hell as He did the false prophetess. He promises to bring them severe chastening–possibly even physical death (cf. 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 John 5:16)–unless they repent of her deeds. (102) ↑
MacArthur, 102. Likewise, Osborne writes these Christians would experience: “a terrible time of affliction that Christ would visit upon them… a strict judgment of sickness and death” (159). Again, this is possible. Of course, there are NT promises that none of this can be referring to eternal death or the loss of salvation. However, there are no promises in Scripture that God would not discipline Christians with death.

But it seems the clearest warning of such a thing is 1 Corinthians 10 discussed above where Paul describes the killing of God’s people in the OT and says this is a warning to unrepentant Christians. Contrary to MacArthur (102), other verses used to support divine discipline by death seem best interpreted to refer to false Christians in the early church (cf. Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor. 11:30; 1 John 5:16). ↑
Thomas’ arguments that her children (Rev 2:23) is referring to the same Christians as Christ’s servants is as follows:

Her children must be her spiritual progeny who have wholeheartedly endorsed her sinful practices. How then do they differ from “those who commit adultery with her” (v. 22)? Possibly her children are more ardent in their support of her, and receive a more severe punishment (Alford; Hort; Lee; Moffatt; Charles; Ladd; Sweet). Yet it is doubtful that their punishment is more severe than that of Jezebel herself.

This may be another way of stating the same punishment already stipulated twice in v. 22, that of being cast into the “great tribulation” (cf. 6:7-8). Quite conceivably, this could be the same group described in two different ways, as participating in her sins (v. 22), and as embracing her teachings and ways (v. 23) (Beasley-Murray). (373)

Contrary to Thomas, the text most clearly does say that Jezebel’s “punishment” of being cast on a bed of suffering (v. 22) is “more severe” than her children who would be struck dead. And even if these are the same punishment, this does not support Thomas’ conclusion. In addition, Thomas does not recognize or refute the arguments provided in this section that seem to refute him.

Likewise, Beale writes: “The ‘servants’ of God being led astray by Jezebel (v. 20), ‘those committing adultery with her,’ and ‘her children’ are probably all the same people” (264). His reason is that “v. 23 may serve to emphasize and amplify v. 22.” Again, this is unlikely for the reasons given in this section which Beale does not even address.

MacArthur implies he believes they are a separate group when he distinguishes her children as a “third group facing divine judgment,” distinct from “those who commit adultery with her” (102). Osborne also argues for MacArthur’s view, pointing out that “the adulterers” were given an opportunity to repent (v. 22), but no such opportunity seemed to be given to her children (159). ↑
MacArthur, 102. ↑

Chapter 14

God’s Discipline of Christians

Contents

Primary Points