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Are You Drinking of the Master's Cup?
Article by StaffThe cup of God's wrath contains divine punishments being inflicted. Numerous references in the Bible describe how Babylon and other nations will drink from the cup of God's wrath. Drinking of the cup of God's wrath means participating in whatever that cup contains. Revelation 14:10 speaks of drinking of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. The whole world drinks of Babylon's cup full of the wine of her fornications and abominations. All who drink of Babylon's cup will share in her future. God will not mix the contents of the cup of God's wrath and the cup of salvation. Those whom God is calling out of Babylon are asked to drink of another cup.
Do You See God? (Part Two)
'Personal' from John W. RitenbaughThe theme of the Cup of God's Wrath appears in the discussion of Jeremiah 25:15-38, where God subjects Jeremiah to a severe test that requires him to demonstrate faith by seeing God's hand in an overwhelming task. God commands Jeremiah to take a cup of wine, symbolic of God's wrath, to the nations surrounding Judah. Although the wine itself was merely symbolic, the assignment Jeremiah had to carry out was entirely real and demanding. By God's explicit command, Jeremiah was required to travel from nation to nation, confronting all the enemies of Judah, presenting each of their rulers with this cup of wine, and compelling them to drink it. God even tells Jeremiah directly that if the rulers refused, he himself would make them drink it, indicating that God must have equipped him with whatever strength of personality or divine backing was necessary to accomplish such an imposing and dangerous task. The final nation to receive the cup was the king of Sheshach, a coded reference to Babylon. This episode is presented as a parallel to the work entrusted to the end-time church, raising the question of whether a similar pattern was seen in the work of Herbert W. Armstrong, who is described as having gone from nation to nation declaring what would occur in the future. The material poses the question of whether the church, like Jeremiah, will ultimately be called to go to Babylon and make its rulers drink from that same cup of wrath. This account of the Cup of God's Wrath is used to reinforce the broader message that throughout Scripture, individuals have been called to see God clearly and trust Him even in seemingly impossible or overwhelming circumstances. Just as Jeremiah had to include God in his thinking and view his mission from God's perspective despite the enormity of the task, every potential child of God is called to build strength, confidence, and faith over time so that God becomes visible in every aspect of life. Jeremiah's test, carried out in obedience to a difficult divine command, stands alongside other biblical examples—such as David facing Goliath, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego before the fiery furnace, and Job's eventual recognition of God's greatness—as demonstrations of how spiritual insight and faith allow a person to perceive God's active involvement even in circumstances that appear humanly impossible.
Do You See God?
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe reference to the "cup of God's wrath" appears in the discussion of Jeremiah's commission as recorded in Jeremiah 25:15, offered as one of several biblical examples of individuals who saw God clearly and acted on that vision even in seemingly impossible situations. Jeremiah was commanded by God to take the wine of God's wrath, which was symbolic, though the task itself was not symbolic at all. He was required to travel from nation to nation, visiting all the enemies of Judah, and to make each king drink from this cup. If any king refused, Jeremiah was told that he would nonetheless make them drink it, implying that God supplied him with the force of personality or authority necessary to compel obedience from these powerful rulers. Significantly, the last nation to receive this cup was called Sheshach, a code name for Babylon. This account is connected to the broader message of the sermon by raising the question of whether a parallel exists between Jeremiah's mission and the work associated with Herbert W. Armstrong. The question posed is whether that end-time work similarly moves from nation to nation, in a sense delivering the cup of God's wrath by declaring what will occur among the nations of the earth, and whether, in the end, Babylon itself will likewise be required to drink from that same cup. This example is presented alongside other instances of individuals such as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, and David facing Goliath, all of whom demonstrated the capacity to see God at work despite overwhelming physical circumstances that would naturally obscure such spiritual perception. The larger point being illustrated through Jeremiah's experience is that seeing God is not a matter of physical sight but of spiritual conviction, one that grows through a lifetime of building faith, confidence, and strength through God's calling. Just as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego were not overwhelmed by Nebuchadnezzar's threats because their conviction had been built through prior experience with God, Jeremiah's willingness to carry out such a severe and dangerous task reflects a settled trust that God's purposes and power stand behind His commands. This ties directly into the sermon's central theme that every believer is called to include God in every aspect of life, to see Him actively working even in the most difficult or seemingly impossible circumstances, and thereby to grow steadily in faith throughout life until one can, like Job, ultimately declare with full conviction that one's eye truly sees God.
Baruch's Complaint (Part One)
'Prophecy Watch' by Charles WhitakerThe situation that faced God's prophet, Jeremiah, and his scribe, Baruch, in the last days of Judah's monarchy was one of depravity and despair.
Psalms: Book Three (Part Three)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPsalm 75 reveals that God both promotes and removes individuals from positions of power and He has the final say as to how power will be administrated.
Habakkuk: A Prophet of Faith (Part Three)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsHabakkuk was frustrated that God would use an evil people to punish Israel, yet he resolved to cease fretting and to become a responsible watcher.
The Sixth Century Axial Period (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Prophets, even though they may bring new messages, stay consistent with existing Scripture and doctrine as they speak on behalf of God.
Lamentations (Part Seven)
Sermon byThe people suffering under the Babylonians had basked in the privilege of being God's chosen people while also trashing the terms of the Covenant.
Psalms: Book Four: He Is Coming!
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe Feast of Trumpets is like the opening salvo of the fall feasts, beginning with a blast of the trumpet or shofar, reminiscent of the event on Mount Sinai.
Slavery and Babylon
'Prophecy Watch' by Martin G. CollinsWe are all affected by the enslaving system of Babylon, as servitude comes in many forms: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, economic, and political.
Shouting Gleanings and Singing Olives (Part One)
Sermon by Charles Whitaker (1944-2021)Isaiah 24 prophesies that God will preserve a remnant made up of grape gleanings (the His Church) and of olives (national Israelites) who will sing together.
Final Words of Jesus on the Cross
Sermon by Clyde FinkleaThe seven last sayings of Christ were all determined well before the creation of the earth.
Jesus Christ's Trial (Part One)
Sermon by Martin G. CollinsJesus Christ was in control of the arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane, sacrificing Himself willingly to fulfill His destiny as the world's Redeemer.