CUPS (2)

1. The Cup of Consolation

a) The cup of Consolation. In Jeremiah 16:7 Jeremiah was told to continue preaching to the Jews that they would be under terrible persecution by the Gentiles. Jeremiah would be a living example used by God to show the nation their disobedience, even though Jeremiah had done no wrong. He was forbidden to marry and he was forbidden to enter into any burial ceremony whatsoever.

i) 7No one will offer food to comfort those who mourn for the dead—not even for a father or a mother—nor will anyone give them a drink to console them. (Jeremiah 16:7 NIV)

b) The King James says this: "Neither shall men tear themselves for them in mourning, to comfort them for the dead; neither shall men give them the cup of consolation to drink for their father or for their mother."

c) "Tearing themselves" refers to breaking or tearing of bread for themselves for a meal to commemorate the death of a loved one. This is the "cup of consolation" for a dear departed one. This a picture of the Lord's Supper. When He gave the disciples the Lord's Supper, He knew this custom, and that His death was near.

d) We still observe this custom when we have a meal or lunch after a funeral. We have a gathering over a meal after a funeral and commemorate the one who has passed away. Knowing this custom, Jesus used it strictly as an outline for us in our remembrance of Him. He gave it new significance and new truth when he used it in connection with HIS death. The Lord's Supper is connected with the Passover and that was the time it was instituted. The reason it was established at that time was to mark the change from the great feasts of Israel to the new and different feast that we call the "Lord's Supper".

e) All the feasts of the Old Testament have gone by the way. The Feast of Tabernacles will be renewed during the Millennial Reign, but the rest of those are all gone. Now we have the Lord's Supper, and there are some things said about it in 1 Corinthians. 10:16.

i) 16Is not the cup of thanksgiving for which we give thanks a participation in the blood of Christ? And is not the bread that we break a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corinthians 10:16 NIV)

f) Here the cup is spoken of again and it's the one pictured in Jeremiah, the "cup of consolation".

i) 23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, “This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me.” 26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes. (1 Corinthians 11:23-26 NIV)

g) He gave these instructions to the disciples at the last supper between the third and fourth cups. There were four cups taken at the Passover meal, and symbols eaten or observed between each one. The cups of wine for the meal were diluted with water.

2. The Cup of Self Righteousness

a) 25"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean. (Matthew 23:25, 26 NIV)

b) The Lord is talking to the Pharisees. They were self righteous. This is a picture of what the world calls the church today.

c) Many individual Christians are like this, too. They make the externally visible things look good and aren't too concerned about what is inside. Have the best of buildings for a church, talk like a Christian, but don't mention "sin" or "the blood of Jesus". The Pharisees substituted tradition and ritual for God's way. We want to remember that man looks on the outside, that is the cup of self righteousness. But God looks on the inside of us.

3. The Cup of Trembling & Fury

a) There also is a "cup of trembling and fury".

i) 17Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the Lord the cup of his wrath, you who have drained to its dregs the goblet that makes people stagger. (Isaiah 51:17 NIV)

ii) 22This is what your Sovereign Lord says, your God, who defends his people: “See, I have taken out of your hand the cup that made you stagger; from that cup, the goblet of my wrath, you will never drink again. (Isaiah 51:22 NIV)

b) Verse 17 refers to the Babylonian captivity. In verse 22, He has promised them a time when they will be restored, but at present they are still in dire straights. This also foretells the great tribulation period and is a warning to the Jews as well as the Gentiles, not only as nations but as individuals also.

c) Here are some scriptures describing the coming Tribulation Period for this earth.

i) 2“I am going to make Jerusalem a cup that sends all the surrounding peoples reeling. Judah will be besieged as well as Jerusalem. (Zechariah 12:2 NIV)

ii) This prophecies the tribulation period. God has some awful things stored up for His unfaithful people.

iii) 8In the hand of the Lord is a cup full of foaming wine mixed with spices; he pours it out, and all the wicked of the earth drink it down to its very dregs. (Psalm 75:8 NIV)

iv) Notice that is not a diluted cup here. It's full strength.

@1. 6On the wicked he will rain fiery coals and burning sulfur; a scorching wind will be their lot. (Psalm 11:6 NIV)

v) This will be the cup of the unsaved during the tribulation period.

4. The Cup of His Anger

a) 15This is what the Lord , the God of Israel, said to me: “Take from my hand this cup filled with the wine of my wrath and make all the nations to whom I send you drink it. (Jeremiah 25:15 NIV)

b) 7Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord ’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they have now gone mad. (Jeremiah 51:7 NIV)

c) These prophecies all had partial fulfillment in the Babylonian captivity but the total fulfillment is yet to come. If God punishes His chosen people the Jews, first, the Gentile nations can't escape His anger and fury in the tribulation period.

5. The Cup of Judgment (The final Cup)

a) 9A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and its image and receives its mark on their forehead or on their hand, 10they, too, will drink the wine of God’s fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. They will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb. (Revelation 14:9, 10 NIV)

b) This is going to be full strength, the full mixture of God's wrath on the unsaved, those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as their own personal Savior.

c) Now, as to the diluted cup. When we take the cup in remembrance of our Lord's suffering for us, there is no way we can fully enter into the suffering He had, so the cup of communion that we take is diluted. The unsaved, when they reach the Great White Throne, will partake of the cup of full strength of God's wrath.

d) The first four cups mentioned are for the Believer.

e) The last four are for the unsaved. We had the "cup of judgment" given by the Father, for the sins of the world that Christ took.

f) John 18:11. We have the "cup of salvation", that's the one we can avail ourselves of to express thanksgiving.

g) Psalm 116:13. We have the "cup of joy", all the wonderful things He has given us and we can dwell in the house of the Lord forever. The things He promised us exceed abundance, above all we ask or think.

h) Psalm 23 & Ephesians 3. Then we had the "cup of consolation" which I likened to our Lord's Supper.

i) Jeremiah 16:7 & 1 Corinthians 10:16. And then we had the "cup of self righteousness",

j) Matt. 23:25-26, the "cup of trembling and fury",

k) Isaiah 51:17 & 22, the "cup of His anger",

l) Jeremiah 25:15 & 51:7, and the "cup of judgment" to come, (Rev.14:10).

6. Your decision

a) Which of these "cups" have you chosen for your portion, for your Eternity?

b) 6Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6 NIV)

c) Today, He says to you, "Come!"