April 18, 2010
Sermon #832
Part 3
The Mystery of the Four Cups
Introduction: On Easter Sunday, I presented a table upon which were four cups. They are symbolical of the cups of the Jewish Passover and of the Jewish Wedding. I stated that they corresponded to the four expressions of redemption in Exodus 6:6-7.
Exodus 6:6 - 7 (NKJV) 6Therefore say to the children of Israel: 'I am the Lord; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.
7I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
- I will bring you out (Jesus became sin for us in the garden)
- I will deliver (Jesus bought us on the cross)
- I will redeem (Jesus takes the Church with Him)
- I will take you (The Church becomes His wife)
- 1st Cup – He becomes sin
- 2nd Cup – He pays the price for our redemption – the Cross
- 3rd Cup – He takes us to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb
- 4th Cup – The cup of consummation (or the cup of witness)
- 1st Cup – He becomes sin
The upside-down cup
Psalm 75:1 - 8 (NKJV) 1We give thanks to You, O God, we give thanks! For Your wondrous works declare that Your name is near.
2"When I choose the proper time,
I will judge uprightly.
3The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolved;
I set up its pillars firmly.
Selah
4"I said to the boastful, 'Do not deal boastfully,' And to the wicked, 'Do not lift up the horn.
5Do not lift up your horn on high;
Do not speak with a stiff neck.'"
6For exaltation comes neither from the east
Nor from the west nor from the south.
7But God is the Judge:
He puts down one,
And exalts another.
8For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup,
And the wine is red;
It is fully mixed, and He pours it out;
Surely its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth drain and drink down.
Where are the Bride and Bridegroom?
1st Illustrated scene: Bride and Bridegroom are seen under the Chuppah with wedding guests seated at a table.
Psalm 27:3 - 6 (NKJV) 3Though an army may encamp against me, My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
4One thing I have desired of the Lord,
That will I seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord
All the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord,
And to inquire in His temple.
5For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in His pavilion;
In the secret place of His tabernacle
He shall hide me;
He shall set me high upon a rock.
6And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
- The couple enters the chuppah for seven days
- They have a marriage feast
- The guests are called the children of the Bride chamber
Revelation 19:9 (NKJV) 9Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!'" And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."
The Witnesses on earth and in heaven
Deuteronomy 19:15 - 16 (NKJV) 5"One witness shall not rise against a man concerning any iniquity or any sin that he commits; by the mouth of two or three witnesses the matter shall be established.
16If a false witness rises against any man to testify against him of wrongdoing,Revelation 11:3-13 (NKJV
3And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy one thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth."
4These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands standing before the God of the earth. 5And if anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from their mouth and devours their enemies. And if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this manner. 6These have power to shut heaven, so that no rain falls in the days of their prophecy; and they have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to strike the earth with all plagues, as often as they desire.
7When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. 12And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. 13In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
2nd Illustrated scene – Two men walk through the congregation shouting "Repent, I say repent for the judgment of the Lamb has come!" One man is dressed as a Jew, the other like a Gentile.
ILL: Who are the two witnesses?
Genesis 5:23 - 24 (NKJV) 23So all the days of Enoch were three hundred and sixty-five years. 24And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.
2 Kings 2:11 - 12 (NKJV) 11Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
ILL: Elijah, like Enoch, must die – Elijah is a Jewish witness.
Pastor points to the two men who are still walking around in the aisles. 2 Kings
2:11 - 12 (NKJV) 11Then it happened, as they continued on and talked, that suddenly a chariot of fire appeared with horses of fire, and separated the two of them; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.
12And Elisha saw it, and he cried out, "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and its horsemen!" So he saw him no more. And he took hold of his own clothes and tore them into two pieces.
3rd Illustrated scene – Two men stand up in the wedding party under the chuppah.
John 3:28 - 30 (NKJV) 28You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'
29He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.
30He must increase, but I must decrease.
2 Corinthians 11:1 - 2 (NKJV) 1Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. 2For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
C. Jesus drinks the cup of consummation
Matthew 26:26 - 30 (NKJV) 26And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is My body."
27Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, "Drink from it, all of you.
28For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
29But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom."
30And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
ILL: I know that many say the Church will go through the tribulation judgment.
Daniel 9:26 - 27 (NKJV) 26"And after the sixty-two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself;
And the people of the prince who is to come
Shall destroy the city and the sanctuary.
The end of it shall be with a flood,
And till the end of the war desolations are determined.
27Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week;
But in the middle of the week
He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering.
And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate,
Even until the consummation, which is
determined,
Is poured out on the desolate."
ILL: How long is Daniel's week?
Seven Years!
Daniel 12:1 - 3 (NKJV) 1"At that time Michael shall stand up,
The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people;
And there shall be a time of trouble,
Such as never was since there was a nation,
Even to that time.
And at that time your people shall be delivered,
Everyone who is found written in the book.
2And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
3Those who are wise shall shine
Like the brightness of the firmament,
And those who turn many to righteousness
Like the stars forever and ever.
Jeremiah 30:6 - 7 (NKJV) 6Ask now, and see,
Whether a man is ever in labor with child?
So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins
Like a woman in labor,
And all faces turned pale?
7Alas! For that day is great,
So that none is like it;
And it is the time of Jacob's trouble,
But he shall be saved out of it.
Isaiah 35:4 (NKJV) 4Say to those who are fearful-hearted,
"Be strong, do not fear!
Behold, your God will come with vengeance,
With the recompense of God;
He will come and save you."
Matthew 24:21 - 25 (NKJV) 21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be.
22And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
23"Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it.
24For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.
25See, I have told you beforehand.
Revelation 6:12-17 12I looked when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. 13And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. 14Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. 15And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, 16and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?"
Do you really think you can live through it? Pray that you might escape it!
Conclusion: The Lord Comes out of the chuppah after 7 years with His Saints!
Jude 1:14 - 15 (NKJV) 14Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, "Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints,
15to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him."
Revelation 19:11-16 11Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. 12His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. 13He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. 15Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:
KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
4th Illustration, - Jesus leads Bride from Chuppah wedding with guests - are joined by parade of flags and people
Zechariah 14:3 - 9 (NKJV) 3Then the Lord will go forth
And fight against those nations,
As He fights in the day of battle.
4And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives,
Which faces Jerusalem on the east.
And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two,
From east to west,
Making a very large valley;
Half of the mountain shall move toward the north
And half of it toward the south.
5Then you shall flee through My mountain valley,
For the mountain valley shall reach to azal.
Yes, you shall flee
As you fled from the earthquake
In the days of Uzziah king of Judah.
Thus the Lord my God will come,
And all the saints with You.
6It shall come to pass in that day
That there will be no light;
The lights will diminish.
7It shall be one day
Which is known to the Lord—
Neither day nor night.
But at evening time it shall happen
That it will be light.
8And in that day it shall be
That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem,
Half of them toward the eastern sea
And half of them toward the western sea;
In both summer and winter it shall occur.
9And the Lord shall be King over all the earth.
In that day it shall be—
"The Lord is one,"
And His name one.
