Covenant Protestant Reformed Church
83 Clarence Street, Ballymena BT43 5DR
Rev. Angus Stewart
Lord’s Day, 26 October, 2025
“If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36)
Morning Service – 11:00 AM
Scripture Reading: Revelation 19
Text: Revelation 19:11-16
I. The Glorious Vision
II. The Victorious Warrior
III. The Heavenly Armies
Psalms: 94:1-8; 146:1-8; 149:4-9; 2:1-9
Evening Service – 6:00 PM
The Last Battle (II) [youtube]
Scripture Reading: Revelation 19
Text: Revelation 19:17-21
I. The Great Supper
II. The Parallel Passages
III. The Eschatological Events
Psalms: 98:1-9; 146:5-10; 10:13-18; 50:1-6
For CDs of the sermons and DVDs of the worship services, contact Stephen Murray
If you desire a pastoral visit, please contact Rev. Stewart or the elders
CPRC Website: www.cprc.co.uk • Live Webcast: www.cprc.co.uk/live-streaming
CPRC YouTube: www.youtube.com/cprcni
CPRC Facebook: www.facebook.com/CovenantPRC
Quotes to Consider
Herman Hoeksema on Revelation 19: “[God’s people] must know the times … They must above all watch, and keep the testimony of Jesus and the Word of God; and they must steadfastly refuse to worship the beast and the image of the beast. For blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments! And let us be of good cheer! For our King is given us of Israel’s God. He has all power in heaven and on earth He has a Name above all names. The victory, therefore, is His, and ours through Him” (Behold He Cometh, p. 653).
Heidelberg Catechism, Q. 52. What comfort is it to thee that “Christ shall come again to judge the quick and the dead”?
A. That in all my sorrows and persecutions, with uplifted head I look for the very same person who before offered Himself for my sake to the tribunal of God, and has removed all curse from me, to come as judge from heaven; who shall cast all His and my enemies into everlasting condemnation, but shall translate me with all His chosen ones to Himself, into heavenly joys and glory.
Announcements (subject to God’s will)
Monday night catechism classes:
5:00 PM: Felicity & Sophie (Juniors NT)
5:45 PM: Grace, Jonas, Liam & Sammy (Beginners NT)
6:30 PM: Eleanora, Hannah, Jorja, Penelope & Xander (Seniors NT)
7:15 PM: Jason, Maisie & Sebastian (Heidelberg Catechism – Book 2)
8:00 PM: Abbie, Jack, Josh, Samuel & Taylor (Essentials)
Tuesday Bible study will meet this week at 11 AM to treat the conclusion to Paul’s first recorded sermon in Acts 13.
The Belgic Confession class on Wednesday at 7:30 PM will consider more elements of the amazing return of Jesus Christ.
The Reformed Witness Hour broadcast next Lord’s day (Gospel 846 MW at 8:30 AM) by Rev. Haak is entitled “Enduring in a Lawless Age” (Matt. 24:12-13).
Offerings: £1,576.60.
Translation Additions: 2 Spanish and 4 Urdu.
PRC News: Rev. McGeown declined the call to be minister-on-loan to Provident PRC in the Philippines, so the new trio is Revs. Barnhill, Brummel and Maatman. Grace PRC called Rev. Spronk. Grandville PRC called Rev. Barnhill. Rev. J. Engelsma declined the call to Hope PRC (Redlands, CA). Rev. Maatman declined the call to Hudsonville PRC. Lynden PRC will call from a trio of Revs. Brummel, Kleyn and Barnhill.
Murmuring, Strife and Contention Against Church Office-Bearers (1)
The third article in a series written in 2021 by Rev. Angus Stewart for the Salt Shakers
In what period of Bible history do we have the most narratives about the church’s foolish dishonouring of those whom God has placed in authority over her? During Israel’s wilderness wanderings, which are recorded especially in two Old Testament books: Exodus and Numbers, not the third and fifth books of the Bible. After all, Leviticus contains laws that God gave when His people were camped at Mount Sinai and Deuteronomy consists of sermons delivered by Moses on the plains of Moab, as he retells the events, and applies the lessons, of the previous 40 years.
At the end of Belgic Confession 31, Guido de Brès has his eye on Israel’s wilderness wanderings. After outlining the scriptural teaching on church officers, the article states that we must “be at peace with them without murmuring, strife or contention, as much as possible.”
Four Passages in Exodus
The first recorded incidence of Israel’s grumbling during the wilderness wanderings occurred just west of the Red Sea. The mighty Egyptian army was fast approaching and the people were hedged in. “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness” (Ex. 14:11-12). What did Almighty God do? He powerfully divided the Red Sea and Israel praised Him in the words of the song of Moses (Ex. 15)!
Later in that same chapter, the people “murmured against Moses,” for they were very thirsty and the waters of Marah were bitter (23-24). What was God’s response? He commanded Moses to cast a tree into the waters, miraculously making them sweet. Israel had failed the test (25).
In the wilderness of Sin, the hungry people (16:3) murmured (2, 7, 8, 9, 12) against Moses and Aaron (2), Scripture’s first reference to Israel’s grumbling against the elder brother after leaving Egypt. Moses explained the real target of their complaints: “the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against him: and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord” (8). The Most High then provided manna and quails for His people.
The next grumble party took place at Rephidim (17:1), later named Massah and Meribah or Tempted and Contention (7). As at Marah, the problem was that the people were thirsty (1-3). As usual, they chided and contended with (2, 7) or murmured against (3) Moses (2, 3). This time it was so bad that they were almost ready to stone him (4)! Jehovah’s solution was to bring forth water out of the rock for the people to drink (5-6).
Seven Passages in Numbers
After these four strife narratives from successive chapters in Exodus (14-17), we will now briefly consider seven passages from Numbers. As soon as Israel left Mount Sinai to journey to Canaan (Num. 10), “the people complained” (11:1). At Taberah, the Lord consumed with fire many of those on the outskirts of the camp (1, 3).
Later in Numbers 11, the issue was not hunger as such, as was the case in Exodus 16, but it was rather a despising of the manna (Num. 11:6) and an intense craving for certain foodstuffs: meat, fish and vegetables (4-5). Though no form of the word “murmurings” or its synonyms are found in the passage, this evil reality certainly was present at Kibroth-hattaavah (4-6, 13, 18, 20). God sent quails for them to eat (31-33) and a “very great plague” to slay them (33).
At Hazeroth (11:35; 12:16), the issue was Moses’ choice of a wife. He had married an Ethiopian woman, not an Israelite. Aaron and especially Miriam wrongly criticised Moses for this (1), and sought to elevate themselves (2). God’s response was twofold. He defended Moses with the highest accolades, as a particularly exalted and faithful prophet (6-9), and struck Miriam with leprosy, expelling her from the camp for a week (10-15).
Next came the crisis at Kadesh (13:26), when Israel refused to enter Canaan. This was a national rebellion against Israel’s highest and most faithful leaders: “all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron” (14:2; cf. 27, 29, 36; Deut. 1:27; Ps. 106:25), and “all the congregation bade stone” Joshua and Caleb (10), the two good spies, who urged them to trust the Lord to give them the promised land (7-9). Jehovah appeared in the glory cloud to cow the crowd and condemned Israel to 38 more years of wilderness wanderings.
We are not told the location of the rebellion in Numbers 16. Many office-bearers in the Old Testament theocracy coveted higher positions and fell into the old sin of murmuring (11). Dathan, Abiram and On of the tribe of Reuben (1) complained against Moses (3), and Korah of the tribe of Levi grumbled against Aaron (3, 11). In His fearful judgment, Jehovah caused the earth to swallow up Dathan and Abiram and their families (31-34; Deut. 11:6; Ps. 106:17), whereas Korah and the other 250 who offered incense were consumed by fire from God (Num. 16:35). How did the people react? With more grumblings: “But on the morrow all the congregation of the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying, Ye have killed the people of the Lord” (41)! Whereupon, God slew 14,700 of them with a plague (49). Next He vindicated the Aaronic priesthood (Num. 17), as He had earlier vindicated His servant Moses (Num. 12). Aaron’s rod that budded was to be brought “before [the ark of] the testimony, to be kept for a token against the rebels; and thou shalt quite take away their murmurings from me, that they die not” (17:10; cf. 5).
Like chapters 13-14, Numbers 20 begins in Kadesh. As in Exodus 15 and 17, there is a shortage of drinking water (Num. 20:2, 5). Again “the people chode with Moses” (3) and “strove with the Lord” (13). God brought forth water from the rock, as He did in Exodus 17. But Moses and Aaron were forbidden to enter the promised land, for failing to sanctify Jehovah before the children of Israel (Num. 20:10-12). (to be continued …)
