Thinking on Scripture with Dr. Steven R. Cook

Revelation 15 reveals that God is righteous to judge those who oppose Him and to reward His saints for being faithful to death. The chapter opens with a scene in heaven, where seven angels are given the final seven plagues of God’s wrath, which are yet to be poured out on the earth (Rev. 15:1). John was shown “a sea of glass mixed with fire” in connection with believers “who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name” (Rev. 15:2). These victorious believers will sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb (Rev. 15:3a). The song of Moses was sung by the Israelites after the Lord had delivered them from Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea (Ex. 15:1-21). Apparently the song of the Lamb will be sung by believers who are strengthened by Christ to endure the Tribulation and not to yield to the pressures of the Antichrist, which pressures will be political, social, religious, and economic. These will praise God for His works and attributes, saying, “Great and marvelous are Thy works, O Lord God, the Almighty; righteous and true are Thy ways, Thou King of the nations. Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify Thy name? For Thou alone art holy; for all the nations will come and worship before Thee, for Thy righteous acts have been revealed” (Rev. 15:3b-4). After the song of praise, John sees seven angels who come out of the heavenly temple (Rev. 15:5-6), and these are clothed in white linen (symbolizing purity), and golden girdles wrapped around their breasts (the clothing of a judge). One of the four living creatures mentioned earlier (Rev. 4:6) gives seven bowls of God’s wrath to the seven angels so they can execute His judgment upon the earth (Rev. 15:7). The scene then closes, “And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter the temple until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished” (Rev. 15:8). In this short chapter, John reveals seven of God’s attributes, which include:

Sovereignty – “Lord God” & “King of the nations”

Omnipotence – “the Almighty”

Righteousness – “Righteous”

Veracity – “true”

Justice – “the wrath of God”

Eternal nature – “who lives forever and ever”

Holiness – “Thou alone art holy”

Revelation chapters 14 & 15 preview the judgments in Revelation chapters 16 through 19. In Revelation chapter 14 God is preserving the righteous for blessing and preparing judgment for the wicked at Jesus’ Second Coming. The chapter opens with a scene that pictures Jesus as a Lamb standing in Zion (i.e. Jerusalem; cf. 2 Sam. 5:7), and with Him are one hundred and forty-four thousand (Rev. 14:1; cf. 7:4-8), and these faithful believers sing a new song to God (Rev. 14:2-5). John saw an angel with an eternal gospel, calling people to praise God and to worship Him as creator, pronouncing His time of judgment upon the earth has come (Rev. 14:6-7). A second angel appears, pronouncing judgment upon Babylon (Rev. 14:8), and a third angel announcing eternal judgment upon all who receive the mark of the beast (Rev. 14:9-11). John then reveals that martyred saints who die during the Tribulation will be blessed with rewards that follow their works (Rev. 14:12-13). The scene then shifts to the Second Coming of Jesus and the judgments that follow (Rev. 14:14), which judgments are aided with the help of angels who reap the earth of rebellious people who will face the wrath of God at the appearance of Jesus (Rev. 14:15-20; cf. Matt. 13:41-42, 49-50).

A leader is one who influences the thoughts and actions of others in order to achieve a specific outcome. The Bible differentiates between good and bad leaders, between the righteous and the wicked. Bad leaders exclude God from their daily thoughts and activities and selfishly pursue their own desires, even if it means harming others. Below are some qualities that describe bad leaders:

They trust in human resources rather than God. “Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but they do not look to the Holy One of Israel, nor seek the LORD!” (Isa. 31:1).

They are open to lies. “If a ruler pays attention to falsehood [i.e. intentionally listens to lies], all his ministers become wicked” (Pro. 29:12).

They make people groan. “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when a wicked man rules, people groan” (Pro. 29:2).

They oppress others. “Like a roaring lion and a rushing bear is a wicked ruler over a poor people. A leader who is a great oppressor lacks understanding, but he who hates unjust gain will prolong his days” (Pro. 28:15-16).

They are sometimes described as beasts that are empowered by Satan. “Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea…and the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority” (Rev. 13:1-2; cf. 7:1-8).

They openly attack God and His people. “And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God…It was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” (Rev. 13:6-7).

They demand to be worshipped (Rev. 13:12), practice deception (Rev. 13:14), and rob others of their economic choices (Rev. 13:16-17).

In contrast, the good leader is first and foremost a follower of God who wears a crown of humility and derives his values and strength from the Lord. Below are some of the qualities of a good leader:

He is a servant to others. When Solomon died, his counselors advised his son, Rehoboam, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever”[1] (1 Kings 12:7; cf. Matt. 20:25-28; John 13:13-17; Phil. 2:3-4).

He seeks God’s righteousness as his rule for judging others. “Give the king Your judgments, O God, and Your righteousness to the king’s son. May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice” (Ps. 72:1-2).

He cares about the poor and needy. “He [the king] will deliver the needy when he cries for help, the afflicted also, and him who has no helper. He will have compassion on the poor and needy, and the lives of the needy he will save. He will rescue their life from oppression and violence, and their blood will be precious in his sight.” (Ps. 72:12-14).

He governs with integrity and skill. Of David, it is written, “So he shepherded them according to the integrity of his heart, and guided them with his skillful hands” (Ps. 78:72).

He rules by wisdom. “By me [biblical wisdom] kings reign, and rulers decree justice. By me princes rule, and nobles, all who judge rightly” (Pro. 8:15-16).

He displays impeccable judgment. “A divine decision is in the lips of the king; his mouth should not err in judgment” (Pro. 16:10; cf. read Deut. 17:18-20).

He brings stability by adhering to justice. “The king gives stability to the land by justice, but a man who takes bribes overthrows it” (Pro. 29:4).

He governs by loyalty and truth. “Loyalty and truth preserve the king, and he upholds his throne by righteousness” (Pro. 20:28).

He governs in righteousness. “It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, for a throne is established on righteousness. Righteous lips are the delight of kings, and he who speaks right is loved” (Pro. 16:12-13).

He should be honest. “Excellent speech is not fitting for a fool, much less are lying lips to a prince” (Pro. 17:7).

He punishes the wicked. “A wise king winnows the wicked, and drives the threshing wheel over them” (Pro. 20:26).

He associates with honest and gracious persons. “He who loves purity of heart [i.e. has honest intentions] and whose speech is gracious [i.e. kind speech], the king is his friend” (Pro. 22:11).

He searches to find the facts of a matter. “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter, but the glory of kings is to search out a matter” (Pro. 25:2; cf. 18:13).

He preserves the rights of others by clear thinking. “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to desire strong drink, for they will drink and forget what is decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted” (Pro. 31:4-5).

He surrounds himself with wise counselors. “Where there is no guidance the people fall, but in abundance of counselors there is victory” (Pro. 11:14).

He educates and delegates responsibility to trusted persons (read Ex. 18:13-26).

As believers, we are always to pray for those in leadership positions. Paul writes, “I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity” (1 Tim. 2:1-2).

 

[1] Unless otherwise stated, all Scripture quotes are from the New American Standard Bible, 1995.

There are two beasts in Revelation 13: 1) the Antichrist (Rev. 13:1-8), and 2) the False Prophet (Rev. 13:13-15). Satan—with the help of the Antichrist and the False Prophet—will seek to control the world politically (Rev. 13:1-2), religiously (Rev. 13:3-6), militarily (Rev. 13:7), and economically (Rev. 13:16-17). John opens with a description of the Antichrist[1], who is described as a wild beast who rises “out of the sea” (Rev. 13:1). The sea is likely a reference to evil and disruption (Isa. 57:20; Dan. 7:3; Jude. 1:13). The Antichrist possesses the qualities of those beastly world rulers described in Daniel (Dan. 7:7-8), and derives his power from Satan (Rev. 13:2). It appears one of the nations under the Antichrist’s control perishes, but he miraculously revives it (Rev. 13:3), and the world worships the dragon and him (Rev. 13:4). “The apparent resurrection of this nation will be so amazing to the world that many people will give their allegiance and their worship to Antichrist (cf. vv. 8, 12; 14:9, 11; 20:4). In so doing they will also submit to Satan who is behind him. Antichrist’s ability to revive this nation will make him appear invincible.”[2] From his arrogance, the Antichrist blasphemes the name of God for forty-two months (Rev. 13:5-6), is permitted to kill God’s people (Rev. 13:7), and is worshipped by unbelievers (Rev. 13:8). John addresses believers living during this time to be assured that God is in control, even over their persecution and death (Rev. 13:9-10). John then witnesses the rising of another beast, who is the False Prophet, who leads a world religion that demands everyone worship the first beast (Rev. 13:11-12). The False Prophet is able to perform great miracles (Rev. 13:13), and deceives the whole world into worshipping an image of the beast (Rev. 13:14). The False Prophet also has the ability to give life to the image (Rev. 13:15a), and the authority to kill those who do not worship it (Rev. 13:15b). He then forces everyone to receive a mark in connection with the beast (Rev. 13:16), which he uses to control people’s economic choices (Rev. 13:17). The mark of the beast is also the number of a man, which is 666 (Rev. 13:18). It is possible the three numbers correspond to letters that have numerical value, thus spelling out Antichrist’s name. It’s also possible that the number six signifies imperfection, and the tripling of the number represents the multiplication of imperfection. Lastly, we must remember that God never relinquishes control over the earth and the affairs of mankind. Though He permits Satan a period of time to have his way, eventually God will disrupt his activities and send Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20; 20:10).

 

[1] The Antichrist is mentioned several times throughout Scripture (Dan. 7:7-8; 9:24-27; 11:36-39; Matt. 24:15; 2 Thess. 2:3-12; 1 Jo. 2:18; Rev.13:1-8; 17:3, 7-8, 11-13; 19:19-20; 20:10).

[2] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Re 13:4.

The word angel translates the Hebrew word מַלְאָךְ malak and the Greek word ἄγγελος aggelos, and both words mean messenger. The word angel occurs approximately 275 times throughout Scripture, and appears in 34 books. Angels are created beings (Col. 1:16), were present at the creation of the world (Job 38:4-7), are called spirits (Luke 9:38-39; Heb. 1:13-14), and have volition, emotion, and intelligence (Matt. 8:28-32; cf. 1 Pet 1:12). They are distinct from humans (Mark 1:23-26), do not reproduce after their kind (Mark 12:25), have great power (2 Peter 2:11), and are numerous (Heb. 12:22; Rev. 5:11).

     Angels are classified as either elect (1 Tim. 5:21) or fallen (Isa. 14:12; Rev. 9:1). The former retain their holy state and service to God, whereas the latter have defected from their original place and continue in constant rebellion against the Lord. Angels, both elect and fallen, are organized into different classes, which are called “the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places” (Eph. 3:10; cf. Col. 1:16; 2:15).

     Michael—whose name means “who is like God”—is the only one named as an Archangel (Jude 1:9). Gabriel—whose name means “hero of God”—appears as a special messenger of the Lord who delivered messages to Daniel (Dan. 8:16; 9:21), Zacharias (Luke 1:18-19), and Mary (Luke 1:26-38). Seraphim—who have six wings—are devoted to the worship of God (Isa. 6:1-3), whereas Cherubim—who have four wings—are devoted to protecting the Lord’s holiness (Ezek. 10:19-21). The term “angel of Yahweh” is used only in the Old Testament and refers to appearances by the preincarnate Jesus Christ (Gen. 18:1-19:29; 22:11-12; 31:11-13; 32:24-32; 48:15-16; Josh. 5:13-15; Judg. 13:19-22; 2 Kings 19:35; 1 Chron. 21:12-30; Ps. 34:7).

     Satan is the chief angel who, because of pride, rebelled against God (Isa. 14:12-14; Ezek. 28:11-18). The name Satan is derived from the Hebrew שָׂטָן Satan (Job 1:6) and the Greek Σατανᾶς Satanas (Matt. 4:10), and both words mean adversary. Other names include the shining one, or Lucifer (Isa. 14:12), the evil one (1 John 5:19), the tempter (1 Thess. 3:5), the devil (Matt. 4:1), the god of this world (2 Cor. 4:4), the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10), the prince of the power of the air (Eph. 2:2), the serpent (Rev. 12:9), the great red dragon (Rev. 12:3), and the angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14).

     Satan interacts with God and people (Job 1:6-12; 2:1-13; John 13:27; 1 Pet. 5:8; Rev. 12:10), possesses earthly kingdoms (Luke 4:5-6), is said to have “weakened the nations” (Isa. 14:12), and currently “deceives the whole world” (Rev 12:9). He practices deception (Gen. 3:1-15; 2 Cor. 11:13-15), and has well developed strategies of warfare against Christians (Eph. 6:10-12). As a creature, Satan is confined in his abilities and relies on numerous fallen angels who carry out his will. His demons also lead political and military rebellions (Rev. 16:12-14).

     Satan was judged at the cross (John 12:31; 16:11; Col. 2:14-15), and awaits his future punishment. His judgment is very near when he is cast out of heaven to the earth during the Tribulation (Rev. 12:7-12). At this time his wrath is greatest against God’s people. After the return of Christ (Rev. 19:11-16) and the establishment of His kingdom on earth (Rev. 20:1-6), Satan will be confined to the abyss for a thousand years (Rev. 20:1-3). After the thousand years, Satan is released for a brief time and will again deceive the nations and lead a rebellion against God (Rev. 20:7-8), but will be quickly defeated (Rev. 20:9), and cast into the Lake of Fire, where he will be forever, with his demons and all unbelievers (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10-15).

     Fallen angels are commonly referred to in Scripture as demons. These creatures are hostile, implacable, and irreconcilable; and they regularly wage war against elect angels and God’s people. Some are imprisoned (Jude 6; Rev. 9:1-16), and others are free. During the time of Christ, they were able to identify Him as the Son of God (Matt. 8:29a), and they knew their future fate (Matt. 8:29b). Satan and demons attempt to frustrate the purpose of God (Matt. 4:1-11; cf. Dan. 10:10-14; Rev. 16:13-16). Demons can possess the bodies of men (Luke 11:24-26), and cause physical disease (Matt. 9:32-33). 

     The activity of Satan and demons is always under God’s sovereign control. There are times when God permits Satan and demons to have their way, such as when Satan inflicted Job (Job 2:7), and sifted Peter as wheat (Luke 22:31), or when Jesus permitted demons to enter a herd of swine (Matt. 8:31-32). And, there are times when God uses evil spirits as disciplinary agents against believers, either to punish (1 Sam. 16:14-16), or humble (2 Cor. 12:7-10).

     Some fallen angels are called chief princes who rule over specific geographical regions of the world (Dan. 10:13, 20). The apostle Paul communicates this idea when he wrote to the church at Ephesus, revealing, “Our struggle is not against flesh and blood [i.e. other people], but against the rulers [ἀρχή arche - rulers], against the powers [ἐξουσία exousia – power to act, authority], against the world forces [κοσμοκράτωρ kosmokrator – a ruler of this world] of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” [τὰ πνευματικὰ τῆς πονηρίας ἐν τοῖς ἐπουρανίοις] (Eph. 6:12). There are spiritual battles in heavenly places where angels war against each other, and their activity directly affects mankind (Dan. 10:1-21; Rev. 12:7-9; cf. Job 1:6; 2:1; 1 Ki. 22:1-38; 2 Thess. 2:9; Rev. 9:1-19; 16:12-14). Though we cannot see our enemy, spiritual victory is obtained through the blood of Christ (Rev. 12:10-11), and through the knowledge of God’s Word and living daily by faith (Eph. 6:12-18; 2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17; cf. 2 Cor. 5:17).

Revelation 12 opens with a sign that pictures ancient Israel as a woman (Rev. 12:1-2; cf. Gen. 37:9-11). Satan is described as a dragon that wages war against God’s people, and he is said to have seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 12:3). “His seven heads and ten horns probably represent seven nations and ten rulers (17:12). Ten kings will rule under his authority, but when Antichrist rises to preeminence among them he will subdue three of them leaving only seven (Dan. 7:7–8, 20, 24; Rev. 13:1)” (Tom Constable, Expository Notes on the Bible; Rev. 12:3). Satan was thwarted when he tried to destroy Jesus at His birth (Rev. 12:4; Matt. 2:13-16), but after Jesus’ ministry and victory at the cross, He was caught up to heaven where Satan cannot harm Him (Rev. 12:5; cf. Acts 1:9). Unable to defeat Christ, Satan will seek to persecute and destroy Israel, but God will protect her throughout the latter part of the Tribulation (Rev. 12:6). John then tells us about a “war in heaven” (Rev. 12:7), in which Satan is cast out (Rev. 12:8). Here we are given a glimpse into the angelic conflict that wages in unseen realms, in which God directs His holy angels to battle against the forces of darkness that are set against Him and His plan for men. Satan is regarded as the greatest enemy of God’s people, and his power is sufficient to deceive “the whole world” (Rev. 12:9; cf. 13:14; 20:3, 8). John records another proleptic statement concerning the kingdom of God (Rev. 12:10), and states that believers overcome Satan: 1) by the blood the Lamb—that is, the work of the cross applied to those who trust in Jesus for salvation, 2) by the word of their testimony—that is, their faithful adherence to God’s promises and commands, and 3) by loving God more than their own life (Rev. 12:11). This is followed by a command for heaven to rejoice because Satan is cast out, but there is woe to the earth because he is thrown down to them and is full of wrath, knowing he has only a short time (Rev. 12:12). Satan will begin a campaign to destroy Israel (Rev. 12:13), but God will protect her from his attacks (Rev. 12:14-16). Being unsuccessful in his efforts, he will “make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus” (Rev. 12:17). God provides strength for the battle to those who tenaciously hold to their faith and continue in obedience to Him.

In Revelation 11 John is given a measuring rod and told to measure the temple, the altar, and those who worship in it (Rev. 11:1).[1] “The measuring itself seems to be an act of knowing, claiming, or staking out. In this act of John's, God is giving assurance that He will take note of those who faithfully worship Him in the first half of the Tribulation.”[2] John is told not to measure the court outside the temple, for that is given to unbelievers who will trample Jerusalem for forty two months (Rev. 11:2). John is then informed about two witnesses who—though unidentified—prophecy and serve in the power and character of Elijah and Moses (Rev. 11:3-6). After “they have finished their testimony” and completed their ministry, “the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them” (Rev 11:7). There are three beasts mentioned in Revelation: 1) Satan is the beast that comes out of the Abyss (Rev. 11:7), 2) the Antichrist is the beast that comes out of the sea (Rev. 13:1), and 3) the false prophet is the beast that comes out of the earth (Rev. 13:11). God permits the bodies of His witnesses to lie in the streets for three days while their enemies celebrate (Rev. 11:8-10), but then God strikes fear in their hearts after He raises His two witnesses back to life and calls them to heaven (Rev. 11:11-12). Following their departure, the Lord sends an earthquake on Jerusalem that destroys a tenth of the city and kills seven thousand people (Rev. 11:13). The seventh woe is past (Rev. 11:14), which is followed by the sounding of seventh trumpet, and the proleptic statement that the kingdom of God and Christ has arrived on earth. The judgment of the seventh trumpet runs from Revelation 11:15 to the end of revelation 16, culminating in the seven Bowl Judgments.

 

[1] There are six temples mentioned in Scripture: 1) Solomon’s Temple (1 Chron. 22:9-10, 953 BC), 2) Zerubbabel’s Temple (Hag. 2:3-9; 515 BC), 3) Herod’s Temple (John 2:20; AD 63), 4) the Tribulation Temple (Rev. 11:1-2; future), 5) the Millennial Temple (Ezek. 40-48; future), and the Heavenly Temple (Rev. 11:19; present). 

[2] Charles C. Ryrie, Revelation, Everyman’s Bible Commentary (Chicago, Ill. Moody Press, 1996), 83.

Revelation chapter 10 is about a strong angel that John describes as “coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire” (Rev. 10:1). Unlike the fallen angels that came from abyss (Rev. 9:2), this angel originates from heaven and is clothed with a cloud, which signifies power and judgment (Dan. 7:13-14; Mark 13:26; Rev. 14:14-16), and a rainbow upon his head which signifies mercy and faithfulness (Gen. 9:13-16), and he radiated God’s glory like the sun, and his feet were like pillars of fire, which picture purity and judgment. The angel had a “little book” in his hand, and he is seen placing one foot on land and the other on the sea, which is a picture of conquest and control. After the angel cried out with a loud voice, John says, “the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices” (Rev. 10:3). John was about to record what he heard, when suddenly a voice from heaven commanded, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them” (Rev. 10:4). John recorded that he could not record the revelation he’d heard from heaven. “While Revelation is primarily designed to reveal and not to conceal God’s purpose and future events, some revelation was kept hidden as illustrated by God’s prohibiting John to write what ‘the voices’ of the seven thunders said.”[1] In wisdom, God does not tell us everything He’s doing, but shares only what we need to know; and by faith we trust Him. The angel then raised his right hand to heaven and swore to God (Rev. 10:5), who is described as the creator of heaven and earth, stating there will not be any further delay in the execution of His judgments (Rev. 10:6). John reveals the time of judgment will occur when the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, and then tells us, “then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets” (Rev. 10:7). “The reference, therefore, is not to hidden truth but to the fulfillment of many Old Testament passages which refer to the glorious return of the Son of God and the establishment of His kingdom of righteousness and peace on the earth.”[2] John was commanded to take the little book from the angel (Rev. 10:8-9a), who told him, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey” (Rev 10:9b). John’s experience was exactly as the angel had described (Rev. 10:10). John experienced real exposure to God’s Word, which is both sweet and bitter in its own way, depending on what God is saying or doing. John was then commanded, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings” (Rev. 10:11). Perhaps the little book John consumed contained the content of his prophetic message.

 

[1] John F. Walvoord, “Revelation,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary, 954.

[2] Ibid., 954.

The Doctrine of Idolatry

     There is only one God (Isa 46:9; 1 Cor. 8:4), who is worthy of praise (Ps. 148:13), and He does not share His glory with others (Isa 42:8). God forbids the manufacture and worship of idols (Ex. 20:4-6), and declares every man stupid who puts his/her trust in them (Jer. 10:14-15). Idolatry is the substitutionary worship of anything/anyone other than the one true God of Scripture. Crafted idols, which start as a concept in the mind, are often fashioned into some form of man or beast using earthly materials (Isa. 37:18-19; 40:18-20; 44:6-19; Jer. 10:1-15). Idols have no life in them (Ps. 115:1-8; Jer. 51:17; Hab. 2:18-20), nor can they deliver in times of trouble (Isa. 46:5-7), and a curse is pronounced upon those who worship them (Deut. 27:15). Idolatry among God’s people is tantamount to spiritual adultery (Ezek. 23:37; Hos. 4:12-13), and in some cases even included human sacrifice (2 Chron. 33:1-7; 2 Ki. 16:3; 17:17; 21:6; Jer. 32:35; Ezek. 16:21). Scripture teaches us the worship of idols is actually the worship of demons (1 Cor. 10:19-20; cf. 1 Tim. 4:1), who seek to steal God’s glory and wreck our relationship with Him. Because the human heart is sinful, our natural proclivity is to worship at the altar of self-interest, and all God’s children—even the wisest—are susceptible to the snares of idolatry. For example, Aaron led Israel to worship a golden calf (Ex. 32:1-6), and Solomon, by the end of his life, bowed down the pagan idols of Ashtoreth and Milcom. Solomon even built places of worship for Chemosh and Molech, that God’s people might be led astray to serve them (1 Ki. 11:6-10). Idolatry was a concern for the Christians at Corinth (1 Cor. 8:1-13; 10:14-33; 2 Cor. 6:16), and the apostle John twice bowed down and worshiped an angel and was rebuked for it (Rev. 19:10; 22:8-9). I believe John knew the sinful inclination of all Christians and this is why he warns us, “Little children, guard yourselves from idols” (1 John 5:21). 

     There’s no place for idolatry in the life of any Christian who is devoted to God (Rom 12:1-2), who seeks to know Him, and His will, through Scripture (2 Tim. 2:15; 3:16-17), who is surrounded with growing believers (1 Cor. 15:33; Heb. 10:24-25), who makes time to worship the Lord daily, singing to Him and praising Him for all His blessings (Ps. 95:2; 105:2; Eph. 5:18-21; Phil. 4:6; Col. 3:16-17; 1 Thess. 5:18), and who are satisfied with what the Lord provides. This last point is emphasized by the apostle Paul, who reveals that idolatry is born out of a covetous heart (Col. 3:5) that leads us to desire more than what God gives, and to trust something or someone lesser than Him to satisfy our wants and needs. The believer who is satisfied with God is content with what He provides, whether little or much (Phil. 4:11-13; 1 Tim. 6:7-11; Heb. 13:5); but the covetous believer is never content and always seeks more (i.e. money, success, friends, etc.) in order to feel secure or to please the flesh.