What Makes Jesus Unique? No one else made the claims that He did, He is alive...............
All the great religious leaders of history have one thing in common: they are dead. Only one man has risen from a grave never again to taste death. Jesus Christ died, was buried, remained in the grave for 3 days, then was raised to life again.
Jesus is unique. He is the only one proven to be the Son of God because God validated His Kingship and accepted His payment for our sins all with one incredible stroke: He raised Jesus from the dead!
Paul opens his letter to the Romans with this evidence about who Jesus is:
Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, which He had promised before by His prophets in the holy scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was made of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead. Romans 1:1-4
Because Jesus Christ is very much alive, five things are true right now that wouldn’t be true if He were just another dead religious leader like Confucius, Mohammed or Buddha.
Because Jesus was raised from the dead and is alive…Prayers are answered, We can talk to Jesus 24/7
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Everybody would notice this and word would get to the bride, who would then gather her friends and begin getting herself ready for the wedding. The bride wouldn't know what day of the week it would happen, but she would pretty much know. She wouldn't know what day it would happen, but she would pretty much know what week it would happen. Based on the progress of the construction, she had to keep herself ready and her bridesmaids would help her do that. It was a bit of a game because the bridegroom would make it his goal to surprise her.
We don't really do that today. I think if the groom tried to surprise the bride with a ending, he would probably get murdered and the wedding wouldn't go on as planned. The groom, however, would only leave to get his bride when his father said, It's time, go get her. When that time arrived, the groom would wait for nightfall, suit up, and begin his processional toward his bride's house, accompanied by his friends and family, who would be blowing trumpets, shouting and cheering and rejoicing. When the bride heard the trumpets and the shouting, she would rise, receive a blessing from her father, and go out to meet her groom accompanied by her bridesmaids.
Now, culturally, if you were in the village and you saw this, you would stop what you were doing and join the procession cheering it along. So as the procession traveled through the village, it would get larger and larger. The groom would finally arrive at his bride's house to collect her and take her back to his father's house for the ending ceremony. That ceremony wouldn't be where promises were made, but rather where the agreement, the contract, the Covenant that had been agreed to earlier would simply be read again and a blessing pronounced over the couple. The wedding feast would immediately begin and would last for seven days.
During those seven days, the newlyweds would do no work. They would simply enjoy the festivities and spend time together in their room. They would be dressed and treated like royalty, and if the father was wealthy enough, he would even provide special clothing for all the guests. The ending feast, as I said, would last for seven days, but the marriage supper was a specific event that took place at the end of the seven days. This also allowed time for guests from further away to receive word that the wedding festivities had commenced and make the journey to join the celebration now, if you've been around the Bible for more than a year or so, the prophetic parallels should stick out pretty clearly.
By the way he loved her. He loved us all the way, from death to life, from wickedness to righteousness and sinfulness to spotless beauty. We are now sanctified. We are set apart as the soon-to-be Bride of Christ. We have the contract, the word of God that assures us he is coming for us.
Jesus has returned to His Father's house, heaven to prepare a place for us. One Peter. One describes our longing and our expectation over the arrival of our groom, Jesus Christ. It says in this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold, that perishes though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ. Now listen to this, whom, having not seen you love, though now you do not see Him yet believing you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory.
While Jesus prepares a place for us, it's our job to be ready for his imminent return. So, we watch for the signs that he has revealed in His Word. We watch and we see that construction, so to speak, is almost finished. Everything is in place, and we recognize that he could come for us at any moment. When he comes for us, he's going to take us back to His Father's house to be with Him.
How long did the wedding feast last? Seven days. How long will the Church be tucked away in heaven with Jesus while the Tribulation unfolds on the Earth? Seven years. That is why the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place at the end of the seven-year Tribulation and not at the beginning of the seven-year Tribulation.
Jesus told his disciples, "In my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am there you may be also." Make a note of this: The groom is Jesus, and his bride is the Church. The groom is Jesus, and his bride is you and me.
The Church While some believe the marriage supper of the Lamb takes place in heaven, I believe it takes place on the Earth following the Second Coming Armageddon, the spiritual eyes of Israel being opened by Jesus and the wicked being removed from the Earth. I hold this view because there will still be some believers on the Earth when Jesus returns. Additionally, Israel will be reconciled to God.
Are these two groups going to be excluded from the marriage supper of the Lamb even as guests? That doesn't seem like a reasonable assumption to me. Verse ten, John says, And I fell at his feet to worship him. So, John fell at the feet of this angel. "But he said to me, See that you do not do that. I am your fellow servant and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus worship God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." This is standard operating procedure for Angels in the Bible. Whenever anyone tries to worship them, they always tell them to stop and worship God. Instead, they know that they are simply messengers and only the Lord is deserving of worship. To point out the obvious, the Bible makes it clear that we don't worship Angels.
We don't worship Angels. However, people regularly responded to Jesus in like manner, falling at his feet, kneeling before him, et cetera. And not one time did he respond by saying something like, don't worship me, I'm not God. So, when Mormons or Jehovah's Witnesses tell you that Jesus was just an angel, the only problem with that is the Bible, because Jesus accepted worship that belonged to God. And that is something Angels never do.
When the angel says the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, he's saying that everything Jesus says, everything he testifies to, is destined to happen. It's a given. If Jesus prophesied it, it will happen. You can bet your life on it. If life is difficult right now, if you're in a season of tribulation, if there seems to be no answers or explanation from God, would you make Amen Hallelujah your prayer in this season?
Take some time to worship the Lord today, tomorrow, and in the coming days and weeks, and speak out in faith prayers that say, Amen, Hallelujah. I trust you, Lord, because I recognize the pattern of your faithfulness in my life. I recognize it. I see it. I take note of it.
Make some time to take Communion and be reminded that God's love for you was proven with his own blood. So you need not doubt his compassion and his care for you. If you'll do that, I believe you'll find your burden less. You will find your burden lightened. You'll experience a peace coming over your mind.
Not because you suddenly understand everything or why everything is happening, but because you suddenly remember that you don't need to understand why everything is happening. You understand enough. You understand that God is good. Your Heavenly Father knows what you need, and he loves you. My goodness, he loves you so.
Amen. Hallelujah. So be it. Praise God, let's pray together. Would you bow your head and close your eyes?
Lord, thank you as always for Your word and thank you for the promise of what is to come that time when your Church will be joined together with you and it will just be celebration and joy to a degree in a measure that we cannot even fathom. But Lord, as we find ourselves on the Earth here and now dealing with the trials and the difficulties of life. Lord, would we say the same thing now that we will say when we are in Your presence? Amen. And Hallelujah, so be it.
Praise God. Not because we understand everything yet, but because we know one day we will. And because we know that right now we can understand your goodness. We can understand that you are gracious and loving and kind and you love us with the love of a perfect father who wants nothing but the best for his children. So, Lord, may we not be quick to forget your faithfulness in our lives.
Rather, may we be quick to remember all the times in the past we've doubted and ended up putting our foot in our mouths. Because you proved yourself once again to be faithful. Lord, I pray for anyone who's listening to or watching this who is in that cycle of doubt, fear, anxiety. And then you come through and prove yourself faithful yet again. Lord, I pray that they would take note that they would recognize the pattern that they would understand they've seen enough of you to have faith.
Lord, would you just fill every mind with your peace right now? Not a peace that comes from knowing what's going to happen next but a peace that comes from knowing you Father would you lift every trace of anxiety, every burden, every worry, every person wrestling with a decision or a situation where they don't know what to do. Lord, you're with us and that is enough. That is enough So Lord, we bless you and we love you we confess that you are good only ever and always we love you it's in Your name we pray. Amen.
Passage: Revelation 19:11-21 Speaker: Jeff Thompson
The moment of Jesus’ return has finally arrived! This study sees Jesus return to the earth with His saints at the Second Coming, to rule and reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem and usher in the thousand years of the Millennial Kingdom.
Well, can you believe it? There are still those who are saying that the book of Revelation is hard to understand. But codswallops say, we for you see the word itself. Revelation means that something has been revealed. And the first words of this amazing book tell us exactly who it is that's being revealed.
It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. And God wanted us to read this book so much that he promised anyone who would take the time to read and respond to it a special blessing. And we find that blessing in Revelation chapter one, verse three. Let's claim it together as we always do. It says, Blessed is he or she who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near, but God knew they would still be those who would claim Revelation is hard to understand.
So to make it easy to understand, he also included a simple and easy to follow outline. And we find that in Revelation chapter one, verse 19, it says, Write the things which you have seen. Jesus says, John, I want you to write about the resurrected and glorified version of me that you saw in chapter one. Then Jesus says, John, I want you to write about the things which are that refers to the Church age, which began around 32 ad continues to the present day and is prophesied in chronological order in chapters two and three, and then third. And lastly, Jesus says, John, I want you to write about the things which will take place after this, after the Church age comes to a close.
And when does the Church age end? That happens in Revelation, chapter four, verse one. Let me read it to you. John says, after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard, that was the voice of Jesus in chapter one was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. And up John goes, serving as a picture of the Church who will be raptured to be with the Lord.
And Jesus takes all of chapters four and five to make sure that we don't miss the fact that the Church is with Him in heaven before his wrath is poured out on the Earth that has rejected Him.
And as the wrath is being poured out, Revelation 616 reveals that those on the Earth will know and understand the source of their judgment, identifying it as the wrath of the Lamb. And who is the Lamb? In Scripture, it's Jesus. So chapter one introduces the focus of Revelation Jesus Christ, chapters two and three take us through the Church age up to the present day.
The Church goes up in chapter four, verses one. We see her safe and secure with the Lord in heaven. For chapters four and five before wrath comes down in chapter six, that wrath will continue for seven years, the course of which is known as the Tribulation, and it's documented in chapter 619, after which Jesus returns to the Earth with His Saints in the event known as the Second Coming, which we will be studying today. And the good news is that if you love Jesus, then I can tell you this. Your story will end with the words and they live happily ever after.
Thank you for that, Lord. We are back in chapter 19 this week for part two of the Second Coming, where we will witness Jesus returning to the Earth with us to rule and reign for the thousand years of the millennial Kingdom. There are five things that I mentioned last time to keep in mind that will take place at the Second Coming. First, Jesus will defeat all forces of evil, freeing the Earth of Satan's influence.,
Third, Jesus will remove everyone on the Earth who has rejected Him. Fourth, Jesus will host the marriage supper of the Lamb, where he will be joined to his bride, the Church. And fifth, Jesus will inaugurate the millennial Kingdom and begin his reign over the Earth from Jerusalem. Let's jump back into the text. In Revelation chapter 19, verse eleven, John says, Now I saw heaven opened underlined I saw heaven opened.
As we mentioned in that introduction, heaven opened in chapter four, verse one, for the Rapture, the event where Jesus comes for his Church. Let me just read it to you one more time. At that moment, John said, after these things, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. It's obvious that in the event described in that verses, the believer is moving from Earth to heaven.
Remember that Jesus told his disciples, I will come again and receive you to myself. Now here in Revelation 19/11, we see heaven open again for the Second Coming, the event where Jesus comes with his Church and will see that the believer now moves from heaven to Earth. Paul referred to this as the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints and Zechariah prophesied about the Second Coming, writing, Thus the Lord my God will come and all the Saints with you. When you begin to examine the details of these two events, the Rapture and the Second Coming, it quickly becomes apparent that they cannot possibly be the same event. They're so different, they are undeniably mutually exclusive.
At the Rapture, Jesus comes for his Church. At the Second Coming, Jesus comes with his Church. So write this down on your outlines in Revelation four one, heaven opens for the Rapture. In Revelation 1911, heaven opens for the second coveting and the seven year tribulation takes place between those two events, the Rapture and the Second Coming. Continuing in verse is and behold a white horse, and he who sat on him was called Faithful and true.
Underlying faithful and true. And then underline this in righteousness he judges and makes war. Faithful and true is how Jesus referred to Himself back in Revelation 314 in his letter to the Last Church. The Last Day's Church, the Church age. We are living in the Laodiceaan Church.
Just as Jesus was faithful to do His Father's will at his first coming, he will be faithful to do his Father's will at his second Coming. And just as he was true to every promise he made in his word regarding his first Coming, he will be true to every promise he has made in his word regarding his second coveting, he is faithful and true. I also had you line the phrase, in righteousness he judges and makes war, because in light of everything we see in the Book of Revelation, we must never forget that everything God does is righteous. It's right. Have you ever heard somebody post or rock a tattoo that reads, Only God can judge me?
By this point in our study, I hope we all understand that such notions are true and should terrify those who belong to Jesus who do not belong to Jesus. Sorry, because he will judge every man and woman. If you have a tattoo that says Only God can judge me, that should concern you. If you are not right with the Lord because he will judge you. But here's the glorious truth.
If you belong to Jesus, you have already been judged by God. The Father judged Jesus for your sins, in your place, judgment for your sins past, present, and future was rendered to Jesus just outside the city of Jerusalem around 20 years ago. Can you say Amen to that good news? Amen. That is good news.
Everyone who's ever lived it says he had a name written that no one knew except himself. In the Bible, one's name tends to speak of one's nature, and what is suggested here is that there is a side to Jesus that nobody knows except God. And when we see him, when we really see Jesus face to face, we will be absolutely awed by what we behold. Because even the most devoted among us don't know Jesus today the way we will know Him. Then Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:12 that now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face.
Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I am also known. One day we will know Jesus the way he knows us, and we will spend eternity appreciating the infinite nuances and facets of his glory. Verse 13 he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and then underlined this and his name is called the Word of God. The second coming of Jesus is literal. Aspects of it, such as the sword coming out of his mouth, the rod of iron which we'll read about in a moment, and the wine press at Armageddon, are figurative.
The robe of Jesus that is dipped in blood is figurative. And we know that because at this moment Jesus has not yet engaged his enemies on the Earth. It's pointing to what is about to unfold on the Earth as Jesus returns as a conquering warrior. If you saw an image of a soldier holding a knife with blood sprayed on his clothes, you would immediately recognize that this is a warrior, not an ambassador coming to offer terms of peace. That's the idea here.
It's imagery that is foreshadowing the fact that Jesus is returning to the Earth as the lion of Judah, not the Lamb of God. If you ever think we overstate or overemphasize the importance of the Word of God the Bible, please notice. Verses 13 The Word of God is one of Jesus's names. It's who he is. His Word is intimately and inseparably part of his identity.
John, who just told us that Jesus name is the Word of God, began his Gospel with these words. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. Then he goes on in in verses 14 of that same chapter to write, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and truth. Jesus is His Word and His Word is Him. It's a mystical truth that Jesus and His Word are inseparably connected.
And so when we interact with God's, would he interact with God? That's why we approach the Bible so reverently, and it's why we take it so seriously. Would you write this down? The Word of God is part of Jesus identity. The Word of God is part of Jesus identity.
Verses 14 and the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses in heaven, who is clothed in fine linen, white and clean. The Saints, you and me. We saw that in our previous study in verses seven and eight of Revelation 19. Revelation seven verse is told us that white robes will also be given to Tribulation Saints, those who turn to Jesus after the Rapture in the Tribulation. This army will also certainly include the old Covenant Saints who will have just received their resurrected bodies, and the Angels who are prophesied to be with Christ at his return.
We won't be there to fight. Jesus will take care of everything as he always has and does. We will be there. Gas is Hype posse. I don't know how else to say it.
We'll be waving towels, high-fiving each other, singing, and shaking each other by the shoulders as we yell at each other's faces. Did you see that? That's our role in the return of Jesus. And I for one cannot wait to do my part in that verse 15. Now out of his mouth, the mouth of Jesus goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations.
As I mentioned a minute ago, I don't think we should take this literally because the Bible uses a sharp sword as an idiom for the word of God in places like Hebrews 412. And verse 13 of this same chapter just highlighted the fact that one of Jesus Amen is the word of God. All Jesus has to do is speak his will and reality bends to fulfill it. The words of Jesus created mankind, and the words of Jesus will ultimately destroy those on the Earth who reject him. Jesus speaks judgment and his enemies are judged.
Jesus speaks destruction and his enemies are destroyed. That's the idea here. It goes on and it says, and he himself will rule them, the nations with a Rod of iron. Now, this is also figurative. It means that Jesus will be in absolute control of the Earth when he rules from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
His enemies will not rise and overthrow him. He will have the power to enforce righteousness on the Earth. When somebody does something evil, it will be immediately identified and righteously judged. I want to point out real quickly that according to verse 15, the time when Jesus rules the nations comes after his return to the Earth. So, to anyone who would say, we're in the Millennium right now, I would humbly ask, did I miss something?
Because I can't remember the second coming having taken place. Yet the first part of verse 15 reveals that the "them" in question are the nations. Now, why is that important? Well, if there is no Millennium, no 1000-year reign, as some claim, then when does Jesus rule the nation with a Rod of iron? I pray that none of you believe we're in the millennial Kingdom right now, because if this is the Millennium, then I don't know about you, but I'm deeply disappointed because I have much higher expectations.
Because when the Jesus of the Bible rules the nations, it's going to be the greatest age the Earth will ever see. Verse 15 continues. "He himself..." - that's Jesus - "...treads the wine press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God." In the hour when it looks like Israel and Jerusalem are about to be destroyed, Jesus will show up. You may recall that back in chapter 14 we got a preview of Armageddon.
Let me read to you verses 19 and 20 from that chapter again. It says So the angel thrust his sickle into the Earth and gathered the vine of the Earth and threw it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. And the wine press was trampled outside the city and blood came out of the wine press up to the horse's bridles for 1600 furlongs. That's around 176 miles. Armageddon, the Second Coming is no battle, it's no war.
Jesus speaks and his enemies are destroyed. They're crushed. Jesus died for the sins of every man and woman on Earth. He personally paid. He personally received the penalty for the sins of every man and woman who has ever and will ever live.
Therefore, he has every right to pour out fierceness and wrath on those who refuse to accept his sacrifice on their behalf. And he will. Verse 16 and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I used to get real fired up about this because at first reading it seems to be implying that Jesus has a tattoo. However, having a tattoo is actually a violation of Old Testament law, which Jesus kept perfectly as a man on the Earth, and it seems likely has never and will never violate.
The more likely explanation is that King of Kings and Lord of Lords is written on the hem of his garment, the bottom edge where one's family pedigree was traditionally indicated in Hebrew culture, and his robe is simply pulled up to his thigh because he's riding a horse. But what a scene this is going to be. There really is a moment coming when we will be in our resurrected bodies, join the Angels and all the Saints, and return to the Earth with Jesus when he comes in glory as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Verse 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. The original word there is Midheaven, which just means our sky or our atmosphere.
And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, come and gather together for the supper of the great God that you may eat the flesh of Kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses, and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great. Talk about a bad Amen for the armies of Antichrist and all those on the Earth who hate the Lord. This angel tells all meat ending birds to prepare the feast because the enemies of God are about to die. There's an intentional contrast in the verbiage here. Those who don't want to be part of the marriage supper of the Lamb will instead be part of the supper of the great God.
We are talking about people who refuse to repent no matter how bad things got. We are talking about people who took the Mark of the beast and pledged their allegiance to Antichrist despite seeing and hearing an angel warning them that it would result in their eternal damnation. We are talking about people who cheered as those who love Jesus were murdered. But most of all, we are talking about people who will simply be given what they want. They don't want to serve Jesus.
They don't want a relationship with Him. They don't want to be part of his family. They don't want to be under his leadership and authority. And so Jesus will give them what they want an eternity apart from Him. Those who aren't killed at Armageddon will be judged and executed at the so called sheep and goat judgment, which will likely immediately follow.
Stick your bulletin or a bookmark where we are in Revelation 19 and then turn with me to Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25. We're going to jump in verses 31 and we'll read through verse 46. So let me read to you the words of Jesus, Matthew 25/ 31. He says, when the Son of man comes in his glory and all the Holy Angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory in Jerusalem.
All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate them one from another as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats, and he will set the sheep on his right hand but the goats on his left. So at the second coming after Armageddon, everyone alive on the Earth will be gathered before Jesus, and he will separate those who belong to Him from those who do not. He says, Then the King Jesus will say to those on his right hand, the sheep, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit. And then underline this phrase, the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. This is another one of those little clues about our future destiny that we miss because what it's saying is so incredible it doesn't even enter our minds to consider.
It seems scandalous. It sounds blasphemous, but Jesus Himself referred to His Kingdom as being prepared for us from the foundation of the world. When the Bible teaches that we have become adopted sons and daughters of the Father, it also teaches that our adoption has made us brothers and sisters of the Father's Son Jesus. He is our Savior, he is our Lord, and he is also our brother through adoption. And one of the things that I just cannot wrap my head around is the reality that Jesus is excited to share everything he has with us.
We didn't earn any of it. He earned it all, and it is given to Him by His Father. And yet, even though Jesus earned it through the worst suffering anyone will ever endure, all he wants to do with His Kingdom is share it with those who love Him, saying, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. As David mused when he pondered the ways of the Lord, Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high.
When did we see you a stranger and take you in or naked and clothe you? Or when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you? And the King will answer and say to them, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. Then he will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from me, you cursed into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and His Angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink.
I was a stranger and you did not take me in naked, and you did not clothe me sick and in prison, and you did not visit me. Then they will also answer him, saying, Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked or sick or in prison, and did not Minister to you? Then he will answer them, saying, Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me, and these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life. Jesus also described this judgment in Matthew 13. If you want to turn there.
Beginning in Matthew 13, verses 24, Jesus shares what is known as the parable of the tears, saying, another parable he put forth to them, saying, The Kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came, and sowed tears among the wheat and went on his way. Tears are a type of weed that looks exactly like wheat until it is harvested. So it's a disastrous thing if you're trying to grow a field of wheat and you get tears in there because you can't discern between the weeds and the wheat. But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tears also appeared.
So the servants of the owner came and said to him, sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tears? He said to them, an enemy has done this. The inerrant said to him, do you want us then to go and gather them up? But he said, no, lest while you gather up the tears, you also uproot the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest. And at the time of the harvest I will say to the Reapers, first gather together the tears and bind them in bundles to burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn. And if we go down to verse 37, Jesus explains the parable. He answered and said to them, he who sows the good seed is the Son of man, that's Jesus, the field is the world, and the good seeds are the sons of the Kingdom.
But the terrors are the sons of the wicked one. The enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the Reapers are the Angels. Therefore, as the tears are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age the Son of man will send out his Angels, and they will gather out of his Kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine forth as the Son in the Kingdom of their father. He who has ears, let them hear. The second coming will be glorious and joyful for those who love the Lord, but it will also be doom and terror for those who hate him. And I'll say it again, there will not be doom and terror and repentance. The phrase gnashing of teeth means they will still be displaying the hostility toward God that marked their lives.
Verse 19 John says, And I saw the beast, the Kings of the Earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. So these armies will be gathered together on the plain of Jesrael in the Valley in Northern Israel, more famously known as Armageddon. Antichrist's plan will be a final attempt to wipe ethnic and political Israel off the face of the Earth, starting with Jerusalem. Revelation 16 tells us that armies from the east will be gathered at Armageddon. According to Daniel Eleven, the south, which includes the Pan African Nations and the Arab States, will band together and head north into this conflict as well as the King of the north, likely Russia.
And as they all meet and converge in and around Armageddon, they will look up and see Jesus returning to the Earth. Their response will be to turn all their weapons upon him in the greatest Fool's errand the world will ever witness. Now notice the extreme amount of detail were given regarding the epic back-and-forth battle between Jesus and Satan. Verse 20. Then the beast was captured and with him the false Prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the Mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image.
These two were cast alive into the Lake of fire, burning with brimstone. It happens like that in an instant. Antichrist, the beast, and the false Prophet are captured and cast into the Lake of fire. And if you're thinking, what about Satan? Well, he gets dealt with first thing in the next chapter.
The Lake of fire is the final destination of Satan, Antichrist, the False Prophet, all supernatural entities opposed to God, and all men and women who reject Jesus as Lord and Savior. Hades is a temporary holding place for the spirits of men and women where they await their final judgment before being cast into the Lake of fire. Verse 21: "The rest of the armies opposing Jesus were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse..." That's Jesus "...and all the birds were filled with their flesh." The voice that calmed the storm, cast out demons, healed the sick, raised the dead, and created the universe, will speak a word, an Antichrist, and the false Prophet will be cast into the Lake of fire. He will speak a word, and physical life will flee from their armies.
He will speak a word, and all those who have hated him will lose their earthly lives and descend into Hades. Jesus' victory will be effortless and instantaneous. The Prophet Zechariah describes God's wrath against the armies of Armageddon. This is a little graphic. This shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem.
Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet. Their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongue shall dissolve in their mouths. It shall come to pass in that day that a great panic from the Lord will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor and raise his hand against his neighbor's hand. Their bodies will rapidly decay where they stand, or they will be killed by their fellow soldiers who will be seized by absolute panic.
Paul writes, The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels inflaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired among all those who believe. Jude tells us that Enoch, the first man to be raptured, was a Prophet, writing Now Enoch the 7th from Adam prophesied about these men Apostates also saying, Behold, the Lord comes with 10,000 of his Saints to 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. Jesus also talked about these events in Matthew 24 saying as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. The idea is that when Jesus returns, everyone on Earth will see it because it will light up the entire sky.
The whole atmosphere will be full of the glory of God and his Saints and his Angels returning with him. And then Jesus says, for wherever the carcasses there the Eagles will be gathered. And I have to share this because whenever I've taught on this previously, I shared I had no idea what it meant and all the scholars I had read said that too. They either didn't know, or they had explanations that clearly didn't make sense. But after more than 15 years, I believe that Jesus has revealed the answer to me this week and it is annoyingly obvious as I'm sure some of you have just figured out.
It's simply an allusion to Revelation 19 verses 17 and 18 where the angel calls the meat-eating birds to feast on the dead bodies of God's enemies. It's Eagles gathering around dead bodies at the second coming that's the illusion mysteries solved. Jesus continues in Matthew 24 and says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the Earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
And he will send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, the elect on heaven and on the Earth. Those who have turned to Jesus in the tribulation along with all of those who are in Heaven will be gathered and invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Church will be there as the bride of Christ. Those who have rejected the Lord will mourn not in repentance, but because their Kingdom has been brought to nothing and Jesus is coming to claim the Earth as his own. However, there will be one group of people who will mourn in repentance at the Second Coming ethnic Israel, all ethnic Jews who are still alive on the Earth at the second coming and have not yet recognized Jesus as Messiah.
When he was on the Earth, Jesus wept over Israel's hard hearts, crying out in Luke 13, "Oh, Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate and assuredly I say to you..." Now get this... "...you shall not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Paul writes about this reality in Romans 11:25, saying, "Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." At the Second Coming, that moment arrives, and the blindness that is currently on Israel is lifted. In the very next verse, Paul tells us that the destiny of Israel is that "all Israel will be saved." Zechariah 12:10 tells us that when they see Jesus at the Second Coming, Israel will instantly be made able to recognize him as the Messiah they've been waiting for. Zechariah prophesies, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplication. Then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only Son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."
Jesus will return to the Earth, deliver Israel from her enemies, and in a moment their blindness will be lifted. They will recognize Jesus as their Messiah, and they will grieve in collective repentance over their 2000 years of rejecting Him and their involvement in his death. And Jesus will forgive them. Just as Jesus has forgiven us, their relationship will be restored and they will enter the millennial Kingdom as part of the family of God. God is not through with the Jew as some claim.
Paul explains all this in detail in Romans 9/10 and eleven three chapters that speak to Israel's past, present, and future. He is a God who remembers all his promises, and he's a God who keeps all his promises. And I'm so thankful for that. I didn't have room on the outline. But for those who want to dig into the Lord's plan and heart for Israel a little bit more, you can check out Isaiah chapter 25, and Isaiah chapter 54, verses five through 17, Isaiah 25, and Isaiah 54, five through 17.
Both passages prophesy regarding the Lord's plans for Israel at the Second Coming and in the Millennium. Well, as I said in the intro, at the Second Coming Jesus will defeat all forces of evil, freeing the Earth of Satan's influence. He will reveal himself to Israel and their relationship will be restored. He will remove everyone on the Earth who has rejected him. He will host the marriage supper of the Lamb, where he will be joined to his bride, the Church, and he will inaugurate the millennial Kingdom and begin his reign over the Earth from Jerusalem.
And I cannot. Wait. I don't know how this chapter feels to you, but to me it feels almost too abrupt. I mean, we've had tribulation and judgments and wrath being detlikailed for what seems like a really long time, and suddenly it's all over. Just like that.
The Book of Revelation desperately wants us to understand how quickly things can change. Jesus, writing through the Apostle John, wants us to grasp the truth that when it looks like everything is collapsing and Satan is winning, there is a greater reality, a greater plan unfolding right on schedule. And because Jesus's victory is certain, we know that our victory is certain too, because, as always, he is our victory. We keep the faith because we know that for all of us, one way or another, everything is going to change in an instant. In the twinkling of an eye, when the moment comes for you, when everything changes in an instant, how will you feel about the way you lived your life?
How will you feel about the things you prioritized in your life? Well, the things you spent your life devoted to, the things you spent your life serving matter. When that moment comes for you, I want to leave you with this exhortation from our brother Paul in Galatians six nine. He writes, Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Do not lose heart. Do not lose heart. Let's pray. Would you bow your head and close your eyes? Jesus is always thank you for Your Word.
Thank you that you are the Word of God. You are all truth. You're the way, the truth, and the life. You are the answer to every question that matters. You are the meaning of life and the universe and all reality.
And you have revealed yourself to us through Your Word. So, Lord, I pray that we would not grow weary in doing good, because when we do, when we live for you wholeheartedly, we are living in light of true reality. The kingdoms of this world are destined for destruction. And so, Lord, would you help us not to give them an ounce more of our time, treasure, resources, devotion or service than is necessary? It's our desire that every bit of everything we have would go to you for the glory of Your name, to serving you, Lord, that we might live profitably for the only things that truly matter in eternity.
And we thank you that that moment is coming for each of us when everything will change in an instant between where we are now and when that moment comes. Help us not to lose heart Lord would you encourage us all right now by the power of your spirit, would you release a gift of faith and fill us up afresh with that right now? Lord would you give us ears to hear eyes to see to live for you with everything we have because you deserve nothing less. You are a good God who is nothing but good and nothing but faithful. We love you for it and thank you that we will enjoy you in the Kingdom that you've prepared for us before the foundations of the world.
You're just so good and we love you for it. We bless you Jesus in your name we pray Amen.
Passage: Revelation 20:1-6...Speaker: Jeff Thompson
As Jesus inaugurates the thousand years of His reign, we learn more about what life on the earth will be like in the Millennium.
Well, I know by now you've heard the rumour, but it's still out there. There are still people claiming that the book of Revelation is hard to understand. But as say we for you see, the word revelation means that something has been revealed and you should know this by now. The first words of the book tell us exactly who it is that's being revealed. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ.
And God wanted us to read this book so much that he promised anyone who would take the time to read and respond to it a special blessing. And we find that blessing in Revelation chapter one, verse three. Let's claim it together as always. It says, Blessed is he or she who reads. And those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near.
But God knew there would still be those who would say, It's just too hard to understand. So, to make it easy to understand, he also included a simple outline. And we find that in Revelation chapter one, verse 19, Jesus tells John, Write the things which you have seen. That was the resurrected and glorified Jesus in chapter one. Then Jesus says, Secondly, John, I want you to write about the things which are that relates to the Church age which began on Pentecost in Acts chapter two around 32.
Ad continues to the present day and is prophesied in chronological order in chapters two and three. And then Jesus said, third. And lastly, John, I want you to write about the things which will take place after this events that will unfold after the Church age comes to an end. Now, when does the Church age end? That happens in Revelation, chapter four, verse one.
Let me read it to you. John says, after these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard, that was the voice of Jesus in chapter one was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. And up John goes, serving as a picture of the Church who will be raptured to be with the Lord. And the Lord takes all of chapters four and five to make sure we understand that the Church is with Him in heaven before he begins pouring out his wrath on the Earth that has rejected Him.
And that begins to unfold in Revelation chapter six. In fact, in Revelation chapter six, verse 16, it reveals that everyone on the Earth during that time will understand the source of their judgment because they will identify it as the wrath of the Lamb. And then Scripture, the Lamb is who it's Jesus. So chapter one introduces the focus of Revelation Jesus Christ, chapters two and three take us through the Church age up to the present day. Then the Church goes up in chapter four, verse one, we see her safe and secure with the Lord in heaven for chapters four and five before wrath comes down in chapter six.
That wrath continues for a period of seven years, known as the tribulation that is documented in chapter six through 19, after which Jesus returns to the Earth with his Saints in the event known as the Second coming. And we studied that over our past two Bible studies together, and then we looked at some things that Jesus is going to do on the Earth when he returns. And today we're going to sort of continue that same theme. And though you may not understand or fully grasp all the details yet, I can tell you this. If you love Jesus, then your story will end with the words and they lived happily ever after.
Paul writes, The Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty Angels inflaming fire, taking vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power when he comes in that day to be glorified in his Saints and to be admired among all those who believe. Jude tells us that Enoch, the first man to be raptured, was a Prophet, writing Now Enoch the 7th from Adam prophesied about these men Apostates also saying, Behold, the Lord comes with 10,000 of his Saints to 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. Jesus also talked about these events in Matthew 24 saying as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of man be. The idea is that when Jesus returns, everyone on Earth will see it because it will light up the entire sky.
The whole atmosphere will be full of the glory of God and his Saints and his Angels returning with him. And then Jesus says, for wherever the carcasses there the Eagles will be gathered. And I have to share this because whenever I've taught on this previously, I shared I had no idea what it meant and all the scholars I had read said that too. They either didn't know, or they had explanations that clearly didn't make sense. But after more than 15 years, I believe that Jesus has revealed the answer to me this week and it is annoyingly obvious as I'm sure some of you have just figured out.
It's simply an allusion to Revelation 19 verses 17 and 18 where the angel calls the meat-eating birds to feast on the dead bodies of God's enemies. It's Eagles gathering around dead bodies at the second coming that's the illusion mysteries solved. Jesus continues in Matthew 24 and says, "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the Earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
And he will send his Angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, the elect on heaven and on the Earth. Those who have turned to Jesus in the tribulation along with all of those who are in Heaven will be gathered and invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. The Church will be there as the bride of Christ. Those who have rejected the Lord will mourn not in repentance, but because their Kingdom has been brought to nothing and Jesus is coming to claim the Earth as his own. However, there will be one group of people who will mourn in repentance at the Second Coming ethnic Israel, all ethnic Jews who are still alive on the Earth at the second coming and have not yet recognized Jesus as Messiah.
When he was on the Earth, Jesus wept over Israel's hard hearts, crying out in Luke 13, "Oh, Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing. See, your house is left to you desolate and assuredly I say to you..." Now get this... "...you shall not see me until the time comes when you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'" Paul writes about this reality in Romans 11:25, saying, "Blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in." At the Second Coming, that moment arrives, and the blindness that is currently on Israel is lifted. In the very next verse, Paul tells us that the destiny of Israel is that "all Israel will be saved." Zechariah 12:10 tells us that when they see Jesus at the Second Coming, Israel will instantly be made able to recognize him as the Messiah they've been waiting for. Zechariah prophesies, "And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of Grace and supplication. Then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for him as one mourns for his only Son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn."
Jesus will return to the Earth, deliver Israel from her enemies, and in a moment their blindness will be lifted. They will recognize Jesus as their Messiah, and they will grieve in collective repentance over their 2000 years of rejecting Him and their involvement in his death. And Jesus will forgive them. Just as Jesus has forgiven us, their relationship will be restored and they will enter the millennial Kingdom as part of the family of God. God is not through with the Jew as some claim.
Paul explains all this in detail in Romans 910 and eleven three chapters that speak to Israel's past, present, and future. He is a God who remembers all his promises, and he's a God who keeps all his promises. And I'm so thankful for that. I didn't have room on the outline. But for those who want to dig into the Lord's plan and heart for Israel a little bit more, you can check out Isaiah chapter 25, and Isaiah chapter 54, verses five through 17, Isaiah 25, and Isaiah 54, five through 17.
Both passages prophesy regarding the Lord's plans for Israel at the Second Coming and in the Millennium. Well, as I said in the intro, at the Second Coming Jesus will defeat all forces of evil, freeing the Earth of Satan's influence. He will reveal himself to Israel and their relationship will be restored. He will remove everyone on the Earth who has rejected him. He will host the marriage supper of the Lamb, where he will be joined to his bride, the Church, and he will inaugurate the millennial Kingdom and begin his reign over the Earth from Jerusalem.
And I cannot. Wait. I don't know how this chapter feels to you, but to me it feels almost too abrupt. I mean, we've had tribulation and judgments and wrath being detailed for what seems like a really long time, and suddenly it's all over. Just like that?
Yes, just like that. It's as instantaneous as your Salvation. One moment you're dead, the next you are alive in Christ. It's as instantaneous as eternity with Jesus. One moment you're in this body of death, and the next you are clothed in white robes in heaven with the Lord.
The Book of Revelation desperately wants us to understand how quickly things can change. Jesus, writing through the Apostle John, wants us to grasp the truth that when it looks like everything is collapsing and Satan is winning, there is a greater reality, a greater plan unfolding right on schedule. And because Jesus's victory is certain, we know that our victory is certain too, because, as always, he is our victory. We keep the faith because we know that for all of us, one way or another, everything is going to change in an instant. In the twinkling of an eye, when the moment comes for you, when everything changes in an instant, how will you feel about the way you lived your life?
How will you feel about the things you prioritized in your life? Well, the things you spent your life devoted to, the things you spent your life serving matter. When that moment comes for you, I want to leave you with this exhortation from our brother Paul in Galatians six nine. He writes, Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.
Do not lose heart. Do not lose heart. Let's pray. Would you bow your head and close your eyes? Jesus is always thank you for Your Word.
Thank you that you are the Word of God. You are all truth. You're the way, the truth, and the life. You are the answer to every question that matters. You are the meaning of life and the universe and all reality.
And you have revealed yourself to us through Your Word. So, Lord, I pray that we would not grow weary in doing good, because when we do, when we live for you wholeheartedly, we are living in light of true reality. The kingdoms of this world are destined for destruction. And so, Lord, would you help us not to give them an ounce more of our time, treasure, resources, devotion or service than is necessary? It's our desire that every bit of everything we have would go to you for the glory of Your name, to serving you, Lord, that we might live profitably for the only things that truly matter in eternity.
And we thank you that that moment is coming for each of us when everything will change in an instant between where we are now and when that moment comes. Help us not to lose heart Lord would you encourage us all right now by the power of your spirit, would you release a gift of faith and fill us up afresh with that right now? Lord would you give us ears to hear eyes to see to live for you with everything we have because you deserve nothing less. You are a good God who is nothing but good and nothing but faithful. We love you for it and thank you that we will enjoy you in the Kingdom that you've prepared for us before the foundations of the world.
You're just so good and we love you for it. We bless you Jesus in your name we pray Amen.
Date:4/10/22...Series: Revelation
Passage: Revelation 20:7-15...Speaker: Jeff Thompson
At the end of the Millennium, the universe ceases to exist and unbelievers are gathered together in the heavenly realms for the Great White Throne Judgment…
Well, with everything going on in the world, the rumor just won't die. There are still those who are claiming that the book of Revelation is hard to understand. But daftness say we! For you see the word itself. Revelation means that something has been revealed. And the first verse of this incredible book tells us exactly who it is that's being revealed. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. And God wanted us to read this book so much that he promised anyone who would take the time to read and respond to it a special blessing. And we find that blessing in Revelation chapter one verse three. Let's claim it together. It says, "Blessed is he (or she) who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near." But God knew they would still be those who would say, "It's just too hard to understand." So, to make it easy to understand, he also included a simple and easy-to-follow outline. And we find that in Revelation chapter, in verse 19, Jesus tells John, Write the things which you have seen. That was the resurrected and glorified Jesus in chapter one.
Then Jesus tells John to write "the things which are". That refers to the Church age which began around 32 A.D. on Pentecost in Acts chapter two, continues up to the present day, and is prophesied in Revelation chapters two and three in chronological order. And then thirdly, Jesus said, "John, I want you to write the things which will take place after this" - after the Church Age comes to an end. Now, when does that happen? The Church Age comes to an end in chapter four, verse one, and Jesus says, John, I want you to write about those events. And John says in chapter four, verse one, after these things, I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard speaking with me, that was the voice of Jesus in chapter one was like a trumpet saying, Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. And up John goes, serving as a picture of the Church who will be raptured to be with the Lord. And Jesus takes all of chapters four and five to make sure we don't miss the fact that the Church is with Him in heaven before he begins pouring out his wrath on the Earth in chapter six.
And Revelation 616 reveals that those on the Earth will understand that this is the wrath of God being poured out upon them because they will refer to it as the wrath of the Lamb who's the Lamb. In Scripture, it's Jesus. So chapter one gives us the focus of this amazing book, Jesus Christ. Chapters two and three take us through the Church age up to the present day. The Church goes up in chapter four, verse one, we see her safe and secure with the Lord in heaven for chapters four and five before wrath comes down on the Earth in chapter six. That wrath continues for seven years in a time period referred to as the Tribulation. It's chapter six through 19 in the Book of Revelation that are taken up with God's judgment of the Earth before Jesus returns to the Earth in the event known as the Second Coming. Jesus will then rule and reign on the Earth for a thousand years, known as the Millennial Kingdom, a golden age when the Earth will be restored to an Eden like state and everything wrong with the world will be undone. And though you may not understand all the details just yet, I can tell you this.
If you love Jesus, then the story of your life is going to end with the words and they lived happily ever after.
The first thing you need to know is that if you belong to Jesus, you will not be deceived by Satan at the end of the Millennium. In fact, no man or woman who belongs to Jesus will ever be deceived or rebel against him again. We will be in resurrected bodies free from sin, and so we will have a spirit and a body that loves Jesus. We will also have knowledge and experience with the devastating consequences of sin, so nobody will be able to convince us that sin is somehow better. If you're wondering who exactly Satan will deceive, remember that there will be many born during the Millennium. All they will know is life on a redeemed Earth under the good and righteous reign of Jesus. Yet even under those ideal conditions, some will live begrudgingly. Under his reign, Satan will be bound and unable to tempt them. But something in their free will nature will still entice them with the desire to be their own God. The most obvious parallel is the emergence of Lucifer's pride and covetousness when all he had ever known was the glory, beauty and goodness of heaven. And so, sadly, there will be those who will live in the greatest age the world will ever see submitted to Christ's reign only because there will be no other choice.
For this reason, at the end of the Millennium, Jesus will give them a choice. You and I have already made our choice. If we belong to Jesus, we've already chosen to be chosen. We've already selected to be elected, so we have nothing to worry about. If you're wondering why the Lord would choose to do this, I believe there are three main reasons. Firstly, God doesn't want anyone in His Kingdom who doesn't want to be there. Love cannot exist apart from free will. God desires a relationship of love with his people. Therefore, our love must be based on the mutual choice of God to love us and us to love Him. God doesn't want to take anybody into eternity with him who doesn't want to go. The second reason I believe the Lord does this at the end of the Millennium is to destroy the argument of those who claim if it weren't for my parents, if it weren't for my flawed upbringing and the corrupt environment that I was raised in, I wouldn't have any issues. I would be perfectly good. Those who claim their sins are merely the result of being set up to fail won't have a leg to stand on.
After being raised in the abundant goodness of the millennial Kingdom, it will be clear that our sin is what went wrong with humanity and the Earth. The third reason I believe the Lord will release Satan for this short time at the end of the Millennium is that it will prove that there is truly nothing that satisfies and fulfills except knowing Jesus and being known by Him. Those who say I'd have peace and joy and fulfillment if I had a billion dollars, or I'd have peace and joy and fulfillment, if I just had blank, or if I just didn't have blank, or if all my problems went away.
We were made to know God. We were made in such a way that nothing can fill the space in our souls that was made for Him. And yet, even under his reign in the millennial Kingdom, there will be those who will refuse to submit beyond what is required. They will not have a relationship with Jesus, and so fulfillment and joy will elude them even in the Millennium. So, get this Church - it's your first fill-in. Make a note of it. We will be satisfied in the Millennium the same way we're satisfied now in Christ. The only way that you'll be satisfied in the Millennium is the same way you'll be satisfied right now in Christ. Yes, it will be easier for us to be satisfied in Christ in the Millennium because we'll be in resurrected, righteous bodies. But we do not have to wait for the Millennium to experience God's satisfaction, peace, and joy. Those things are available through Jesus right now. He will fulfill us then, and he can fulfill us now. Here's what I know with certainty right now. The Holy Spirit is working on the heart of every person who loves Jesus, and one of the lessons he's trying to teach us is that our contentment and joy do not have to be connected in any way to our circumstances.
David wrote this in Psalm 144, verse 15. Happy are the people whose bank balance is full. Happy are the people whose relationships are all perfect. Happy are the people who never have to deal with any sickness or difficulty. No, none of those things. David said, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." God's plan is not that we would be miserable in this life and say, at least I'll be happy in the Millennium. God's plan is that we would find our joy in him now. He wants the Millennium to be gravy for you and me. Our hope is not the Millennium. Our hope is Jesus, and he's available to us right now. We can say, It is well with my soul right now for the same reason we'll be able to say it in the Millennium because God is with us. It's not a perfect world that satisfies. It's Jesus that satisfies. Incredibly, there will be those in the Millennium who will honor Jesus only to the degree that is legally required. They will not worship him as Lord. They will give into the part of themselves that desires to be their own God, just as Lucifer did.
And as the men of Jerusalem cried out during Jesus first coming, so too will some cry out at the end of the Millennium. We will not have this man to reign over us. Write this down. God will give the man and woman of Earth a choice at the end of the Millennium. God will give the Amen and women of Earth a choice at the end of the Millennium. There will be ethnic Jews and believers who survive the tribulation who will enter the Millennium in their earthly bodies for those thousand years. People will generally live for at least centuries, and they'll have kids. And if you have 1000 years of good health where you're aging, slowly, and pregnancy and childbirth aren't even uncomfortable. You're going to have a lot of kids and they will. And from those multitudes will arise a group who will sadly side with Satan at the end of the Millennium when he is released. The text then tells us that Satan will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the Earth GOG and may GOG to gather them together to battle whose number is as the sand of the sea.
Yes, we have. But maybe there'll be a more epic battle this time around. Let's keep reading. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. Never mind. Just like that, it's over. Verses Ten The devil who deceived them was cast into the Lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false Prophet are. Satan's purpose in God's plan has been fulfilled, and so he's cast into the Lake of fire forever to join his compadre's Antichrist and the false Prophet who have already been in there for 1000 years. Remember that they were cast in the Lake of fire at the second Coming. Then it says, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. They're not destroyed, they're tormented forever. Now we reach the great White Throne judgment, and it's no exaggeration to call this the most tragic and coveting passage in all of scripture. For in it those who hate and reject Jesus are brought face to face with him for their first and final audience with the God of the universe. Verse Eleven Then I saw a great white throne and him who sat on it, from whose face the Earth and the heaven fled away, and there was found no place for them.
God doesn't leave anything unfinished, having given us 10 years to observe and experience the paradise of Earth. Under his governance. Jesus will say, Point made, time for the next order of business, and with that, the Earth and the entire universe will cease to exist. Two Peter 310 I put it on your outlines tells us about this moment, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat. Both the Earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. The creative process that birthed the universe will be reversed. The universe will be uncreated in the same manner it was created by the Word of God. So write this down. At the end of the Millennium, the universe is destroyed, the universe is destroyed, and it seems that our location now leaves the Earth and moves to the heavenly realms where the one who judges perfectly and righteously has assembled a cosmic courtroom. Jesus is seated on a white throne which speaks of his sinless perfection. Verse twelve says, And I saw the dead underline the dead, small and great, standing before God.
Jesus explained it this way, saying, Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears my word and believes in Him who sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he is granted the Son to have life in Himself and has given him authority to execute judgment. Also, because he is the Son of man. Do not Marvel at this, for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice and come forth those who have done good to the resurrection of life. That's the first resurrection and those who have done evil to the resurrection of condemnation. That's the second resurrection. The first resurrection spoken of in verse, is of Revelation 20 is a resurrection to eternal life. The second resurrection takes place at the Great White Throne Judgment and is a resurrection to eternal death. The term resurrection refers to receiving a new body that is fit for the ages to come, a body that will last for eternity.
When Jesus was resurrected, he received a new eternal body. Paul spoke of the first resurrection in one Corinthians 15 and wrote, Now Christ is risen from the dead and has become the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam, all die. Even so, in Christ, all shall be made alive, but each one in his order. Christ the first fruits afterward. Those who are Christ's at his coming at the second coming. When the Bible speaks of resurrection, it is not referring to simply being conscious. Nobody in the Bible is referred to as being resurrected while in a disembodied state. In Scripture, resurrection always includes a physical body. And remember that in Revelation six nine, John saw the disembodied souls of tribulation martyrs under the altar in heaven. But it was only at the first resurrection in Revelation 20, verses four that John says, Those same tribulation martyrs lived, they came to life. What did John mean? He meant that at that time in Revelation 20, verses four, they received their new physical bodies. Now where am I going with this?
I'm going somewhere heavy. Here's the bottom line. The first resurrection sees new eternal bodies given to all who belong to Jesus because our current bodies could not endure the weight of glory that awaits us in eternity. The second resurrection sees eternal bodies given to all who reject Jesus because their current bodies could not endure the torment that awaits them in eternity. Those who belong to Jesus will be equipped to enjoy an eternity of pleasure. Those who reject Jesus will be equipped to endure an eternity of torment.
These scriptures are in the Bible because God does not want any of us to be confused about the gravity of our decision, and it is our decision. God's heart for us is made clear in the Bible over and over again. Two Peter 39 says The Lord is not willing that any should perish. He doesn't want anyone to perish, but that all should come to repentance. God wants everyone to repent and be saved and spend eternity ending the glories of his presence in eternity. But it's our decision. God will not force us to love Him. If he did, it would not be love and he will not force us to spend eternity with Him. We must choose for ourselves. Those who advocate for a posttribulation Rapture face a logical problem because it seems flat out silly to suggest that the Church will be raptured at the end of the tribulation, only to immediately turn around and return to the Earth with Jesus. Those who advocate for annihilationism, the belief that there is no eternal torment for unbelievers, only an absolute end to their existence, face a similar logical problem because it doesn't make sense that God would give unbelievers a new body at the second resurrection only to immediately execute them.
It doesn't make any sense. Continuing in verses twelve we read and books were opened and another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and death in Hades delivered up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one according to his works. Books are opened and some of these books seem to contain a record of everything each person has done, neglected to do, spoken, and thought over the course of their lifetime. Solomon prophesied that God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. Also among the books will be the Scriptures. In John 12/48, Jesus said, he who rejects me and does not receive my words has that which judges Him. The word that I have spoken will judge Him in the last day. Another book that sits open is the Book of Life. This book contains the names of everyone who is a citizen of heaven. If you belong to Jesus, then your name is in there.
My name is in there. But the names of all who reject Jesus are not. And because they declined Jesus offer of Salvation, Jesus is offered to be judged in their place. They will now stand before God and have their life judged according to his standards. One of the most foolish spiritual beliefs that we often embrace sounds something like this. I'm just going to do my best to live my life as a good person. Then whatever is on the other side, I'll be ready. That is so foolish because it makes a massive assumption.
It assumes that whatever is on the other side shares our definition of what is good.
And we do this because we seem to believe that all we must do to pass whatever test follows death is be able to point out a handful of people who are worse than us.
By our definition, I'm not as bad as Hitler. I'm not as bad as that jerk that I work with. We don't consider the possibility that perhaps one of the things that makes God God is that he's not exactly like us. The Bible teaches that God is perfect without sin or flaw, and he intends to judge us according to his standards, not ours. God spoke this through the Prophet Isaiah. My thoughts are not your thoughts nor your ways. My ways, says the Lord, for as the heavens are higher than the Earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. The bottom line is this. Nobody can live up to God's standards. That's why we need Jesus, and it's why the Great White Throne judgment won't be a trial. It'll be a sentencing. Scripture also implies that under the umbrella of the term, works will also be included the amount of revelation each person received. The greater the revelation, the greater the evil of rejecting God, and the worse the eternal torment will be. In Luke Ten, Jesus sends out 70 of his disciples and pairs to preach the gospel. And in his instructions, he says this: "But whatever city you enter and they do not receive you, go out into the streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us, we wipe off against you. Nevertheless, know this, that the Kingdom of God has come near to you.' But I say to you that it will be more tolerable in that day for Sodom than for that city." The idea is that because these cities received greater revelation than Sodom did and then rejected that revelation, their eternal punishment would be worse. Jesus continues and addresses cities that had apparently already rejected him. He says, Woe to you, Corazon. Woe to you beside. For if the mighty works which were done in you had been done entire and ending, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and Ashes. But it will be more tolerable for tire and ending at the judgment than for you. Because Jesus did greater works in Corazan and Bethsaeda, thereby giving greater revelation, their citizens would be judged by a higher standard than Tyre and Satan. Two chapters later in Luke Twelve, Jesus shares this observation as part of his explanation of a parable. That servant who knew his master's will and did not prepare himself or do according to his will shall be beaten with many stripes, but he who did not know yet committed things deserving of stripes shall be beaten with few.
For everyone to whom much is given from him, much will be required, and to whom much has been committed of him they will ask the more. And you could make the case that at a certain point in his Ministry, Jesus switched to teaching publicly only in parables, so that those who chose to reject Him would not be able to understand what he was saying and thereby not be accountable for ejecting even greater revelation. It was an act of mercy on the part of Jesus. Make a note of this on your outline. Every nonbeliever will be judged according to their works, which includes the amount of revelation they received.
In that parable, Jesus teaches that Hades is a place of torment for those who have rejected God. Hades is where unbelievers will wait before being judged at the Great White Throne judgment. Jesus also teaches that time in Hades runs parallel to time on the Earth. That means that right now there are people in Hades in torment who have been there for thousands of years. When Hades is emptied for the Great White Throne judgment, there will be people who were in there for only days, having died just days before the end of the Millennium. My point is this. Even though Hades is a place of torment, God is not concerned about the fact that people are spending different lengths of time there before the Great White Throne judgment. That doesn't make sense. If God intends to use time for differing levels of punishment in the Lake of Fire, why would God consider time a justice issue in the Lake of Fire but not in Hades? It only makes sense for God to disregard the issue of time in Hades. If the nature of the unbelievers ultimate punishment is indeed eternal. If anyone judged, objects and says, I'm not perfect, but I certainly don't deserve to go to the Lake of fire.
The Lord will simply say, Open the books and everything will be laid bare. Every good deed that was done with an ulterior and selfish motive, every moment of envy, every time evil was wished upon another person, every lustful and covetous thought, every moment of sinful stubbornness, every unnecessary conflict due to pride, every single sin. And if that happens, I believe God won't get anywhere close to the end of that person's chapter before they cry out, Stop it's true, I'm guilty. When the books are opened, nobody will be able to argue their innocence and remember that ultimately people go to the Lake of fire for one reason. They reject Jesus. They spit in the face of their Maker and reject Him. The matter of guilt was determined long ago. As Jesus Himself said in John 318, he who believes in him is not condemned, but he who does not believe is condemned already because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. Verse 14. Then death and Hades were cast into the Lake of fire. This is the death of death. Satan, his Kingdom, and death itself will be cast into the Lake of fire.
God is going to create a new heaven and a new Earth, and we'll see that in the next chapter. As part of that process, sin must be dealt with definitively, and the Great White Throne judgment is necessary as part of the final judgment of sin and death. Verse 14 goes on and says, this is the second death. We talked about this last week. Those who are born once will die twice. Those who are born twice will die once. Verse 15 and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the Lake of fire. Sobering stuff, to say the least. When it's all said and done, Satan and death itself are cast into the Lake of fire, and Jesus leads His Saints into overwhelming, eternal victory. I want to read you a little more of what Peter wrote, including what we read earlier. This is on your outline as well. We read this earlier, but the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat.
Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in Holy conduct and Godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new Earth in which righteousness dwells. Every single one of us needs to regularly ask ourselves the question Peter poses. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in Holy conduct and Godliness? Jesus has told us how this universe will end. He has told us that this is not our home. In light of that, how should we live? What does living wisely look like? I've said it a lot in this verse is I'll say it again, don't waste your life. Don't waste your life. Don't spend your life on things that are destined to dissolve. Spend your life on Jesus. Live for him radically, not recreationally, and do not get caught up in the cares of this world. Last week, like many of you, I read through the first 26 chapters of Deuteronomy for Home Group.
Moses is ending Israel of their history, what God has done for them, and he's reminding them of the things they most need to remember in the future. I was struck by how often Moses says things like Remember and do not forget. I looked it up and Moses says, remember 14 times over the first 26 chapters of Deuteronomy. One of the warnings Moses gives Israel is to watch out for spiritual complacency when the struggles are over, when the battles are done, when life starts getting good, that's when we're especially vulnerable. In Deuteronomy chapter eight, Moses says this to Israel, beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His Commandments, his judgments and his statutes, which I command you today, lest when you have eaten and are full and have built beautiful houses and dwelling them, and when your herds and your flocks multiply and your silver and your gold are multiplied, and all that you have is multiplied, when your heart is lifted up and you forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage, who led you through that great and terrible wilderness in which were fiery serpents and Scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water, who brought water for you out of the flinty rock, who fed you in the wilderness with Manna which your fathers did not know, that he might humble you and that he might test you to do you good in the end.
Then you say in your heart My power and the might of my hand have gained me this wealth, and you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth. If you're a Christian who's been around the Church for a while, then you've seen this type of thing play out. Unfortunately, people get something they've longed for. They reach a life stage or a goal they've been investing in for ages, and they just tune out. They shift into cruise control. In their walk with Jesus, they become complacent and lose spiritual hunger and zeal. I've seen it happen when people get into a romantic relationship that they've been longing for. I've seen it happen when people start having kids. I've seen it happen when a person's career or business finally starts really taking off. I've seen it happen when people reach retirement. We get distracted, we get complacent, and God just slips down the priority list. And if we allow ourselves to fall into that type of spiritual malaise, we can end up wasting years of our lives living for things that are meaningless. We can waste entire seasons of our lives.
Jesus will be our source then, and he is our source now. Even a perfect world won't satisfy many in the Millennium because nothing satisfies apart from knowing Jesus. If you're all holding on to the hope that something changing in your life will magically make everything better, you're in for disappointment. That thing may make your life easier. It may make your life more enjoyable, but it won't fill you. It won't bring you true peace. It won't satisfy. Only Jesus can do that, and he's available to you today. If you've been chasing fulfillment anywhere other than in Jesus, would you take some time to repent as we pray and tell the Lord, I'm so sorry for placing my hope in something other than you. Forgive me, God. What I really need is you. More and more of you. Please give me you. The new heavens and new Earth are going to come up in next week's study, so don't miss that. We're going to be talking about the time when God makes all things new in a truer way than we could ever dare to even hope for. Is your name written in the book of life?
Do you know for sure? I don't want to make anybody doubt unnecessarily, but you need to be sure. In eternity, everyone will be given what they truly desire. The sick man who declines the help of a doctor is choosing sickness. So too, the man who declines the invitation to step into the light is choosing darkness. The man who says, I don't want God is choosing an eternity without him. Jesus, on the other hand, said, I am choosing you, even though it will cost me my life. Jesus died for you so that if you want to know Him, you can. If you want to be part of his family, you can. If you want to know love, peace, and joy, you can. But it's your choice, because genuine love always involves a choice. Everybody will get what they want in eternity. The only catch is that you must make your choice now. This is the only chance you'll get, and you have all the information you need to make the right choice right now. And for those of us who belong to Jesus, my goodness, the lost need Him. They are perishing and destined for destruction unless they repent and turn to Jesus.
That's the reality. Pray for the loss that God has put in your life. Don't lose heart. Keep praying for them faithfully. Ask the Holy Spirit for opportunities to share Jesus with them. Ask the Holy Spirit to make a way. And if you've grown cold or callous to the fate of those who don't know Jesus, ask Him to give you his heart for them. Once again, ask Him to stir your spirit with his love for them. Let's pray. Jesus, thank you so much, as always, for the truth of your word. And thank you for telling us the truth, even when it is difficult, even when it is dark, even when it is sobering. Father, I pray for anyone listening to this or watching this who does not know you.
Lord, just stir our hearts once more. Give us the faith and the energy to continue praying steadfastly for them. Lord, grip us again with the urgency and importance of the issue of Salvation. Give us your heart for the lost. And Lord, if there's any way we can be used to lead any of them to you, please use us. Lord. We want to be available to you every moment of every day to be used for your purposes. And Jesus, if we've been looking for life or fulfillment or satisfaction or peace or hope, or joy somewhere other than you, Lord we just confess that that search is futile apart from you we need you, Jesus give us you, Lord give us more of you help us not to waste our lives. Not even a day, not even an hour, not even a minute. Help us to be great at loving you. Help us to be greater at loving you than anything else we accomplish in life. You're the only thing that matters for all eternity. So empower us and fill us up with your spirit to live for you and to live profitably we love you, Jesus we bless you can't wait to be with you it's in your name we pray.
Amen.
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Series: Revelation...Passage: Revelation 21:1-5..................Speaker: Jeff Thompson
Jesus reveals to John His incredible plan to once again create an earth and heavens from nothing, as we look to the Scriptures and dream together about the wonders of Heaven and the ages to come.
Well, can you believe it? We are 21 chapters deep into the Book of Revelation and there are still those who are out there trying to claim that the Book of Revelation is hard to understand. Stand, but bunk, say we for you see the word itself. Revelation means that something has been revealed. And the first words of this amazing book tell us exactly who it is that's being revealed. It's the revelation of Jesus Christ. And God wanted us to read this book so much that he promised anyone who would take the time to read and respond to it a special blessing. And we find that in Revelation chapter one, verse three, let's claim it together. It says, Blessed is he or she who reads, and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it for the time is near. But God knew there would still be those who would say, this book is hard to understand. So, to make it simple to understand, he included an easy-to-follow outline. And we find that in Revelation chapter in verses 19, Jesus tells John to write about three different things.
Firstly, he says, "John, write the things which you have seen." That was the resurrected and glorified Jesus in chapter one. Secondly, he says, "John, write about the things which are." That refers to the Church age which began around 32 A.D. and is documented in the Book of Acts. In chapter two, it happened on the day of Pentecost and that Church age has continued all the way up to the present day. And in fact, it's prophesied in chronological order in Revelation chapters two and three. Then finally, Jesus says, John, I want you to write about the things which will take place after this - after the Church age comes to an end. Now, when does that happen? It happens in Revelation chapter four verse is where John writes this. After these things I looked and behold a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard, that was the voice of Jesus in chapter one was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this. And up John goes, serving as a picture of the Church who will be raptured to be with the Lord.
And Jesus takes all of chapters four and five to make sure we do not miss the fact that the Church is with Him in heaven before he begins pouring out his wrath in chapter six. And as he's pouring out his wrath on the Earth, the Bible makes it clear that those on the Earth will know exactly what is happening. Because Revelation 616 tells us they will identify the source of their judgment as the wrath of the Lamb. And in the Scriptures, who is the Lamb? It's Jesus. So chapter one introduces the focus of Revelation. Jesus Christ, chapters two and three take us through the Church age up to the present day. The Church goes up in chapter four, verse one. We see her safe and secure with the Lord for chapters four and five before wrath comes down in chapter six. That wrath will continue for seven years. It's a time period known as the Tribulation, and it's documented in chapter six through 19, after which Jesus returns to the Earth with his Saints in the event known as the Second Coming. Jesus will then rule and reign on the Earth for 10 years known as the Millennial Kingdom, a golden age when the Earth will be returned to an Eden like state and everything wrong with the world will be undone.
Today's study finds us in chapter 21 of the Book of Revelation, the second last chapter of the book. Can you believe it? I know some of you are like, yes, I can, because I can't even remember a time before we were studying the Book of Revelation. Jeff, it's been that long. Chapters 21 and 22 are a travel brochure for heaven. These final chapters are intended to make our imaginations run wild with thoughts of the Lord and eternity in his presence. And so today we're going to meditate on and we're going to dream about heaven together. The scriptures provide only a few small snippets of information about heaven. There's a lot of mystery and a lot we simply don't know. And I can think of two reasons why that's the case. Firstly, we currently lack the capacity and ability to even fathom all that heaven is going to be. Can you imagine trying to describe a new color to someone if that color had no relationship to any color they had ever seen before. If it wasn't a lighter or darker version of anything that currently exists, it would be impossible. What frame of reference could you use?
So I think that we simply lack the capacity and ability to understand all that heaven is going to be from our current vantage point. The second reason I think the Bible might not have too much to say about heaven is because if you're a parent, then you know or will soon know the special joy of surprising your children with something wonderful. Be it a Christmas or birthday gift or something completely out of the blue, there's not much better than surprising your children with something they love their reaction. Blesses your heart as a mom or dad on a deep level. And in that moment where they are overwhelmed with joy, the cost of that gift does not compare to the joy you feel because their joy is priceless to you. We get that from being made in the image of God, because that's how he feels about you. Do you know what is greater than the suffering Jesus endured on the cross? The joy he experiences when sinners repent and are adopted into his family? God delights in blessing you. He delights in blessing you. I remember the Christmas when our family was living in South Florida, and we got our whole family annual passes to Disney World.
And the kids opened these Christmas cards on Christmas morning and there was just dancing and jumping and screaming and they were going nuts. And it was the best. It was so much fun. I remember when it had been two or three years since we started New Hope and our family hadn't had a vacation for several years. We didn't have any money for a vacation.
Well, God said yes, and we're going on vacation today. That's right. I waited till the actual day, pulled up the RV and told them, and we're going today. And then I said, not only that, but we're going on vacation for one day. Two days, three days. And I counted all the way up to eleven days, one at a time. And then I told them all the places we were going and the places we were going were just awesome. We went all the way down the West Coast as far as San Francisco almost. It was fantastic. And their eyes just got bigger and their smiles just got bigger and bigger as I revealed all the details of this amazing trip we were going to do that just blessed me as a dad on that deep, deep level. I believe that God cannot wait to surprise us with the wonders of heaven and the ages to come. He can't wait to experience our joy with us. And so I suspect he's saving the best parts for when we get there. I don't know what your expectations of heaven are. They've been a lot of funky and terrible descriptions of what heaven is going to be like.
And I can tell you this with absolute certainty. You will not be transformed into a naked harp playing baby for all eternity. I can tell you that. Here's another terrible description of heaven that I've heard before. It's going to be like a Church service that never ends. And I know some of you are thinking I've already experienced that several times in my life. Jeff, listen, I love Church services and I love our Church, but even I would not want to go to a Church service that never ends. I have never once said to someone, I'm thinking of just switching our Sunday services to 6 hours long because they're just so great. I just never want to leave. I've never said that. I've never had that thought. Even though I love our Church now, why is that? It's because even though I love our Church and I love our Church services, they are not heaven. They are not heaven. So let's find out. What is Heaven? In our previous study, we learned that at the end of the millennial Kingdom, our universe will be destroyed. Jesus told his disciples, Heaven and Earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away.
In biblical cosmology, there is a difference between heaven and the heaven leaves, also known as the heavens or the heavenly realm. Heaven is the dwelling place of God. It's where his throne resides. The heavens, the heavenly or the heavenly realm refers to the supernatural dimension that exists between Earth and heaven. It's the realm where Angels and fallen Angels currently wage war, and it's the location of the divine Council where Yahweh meets with Satan as depicted in Job chapter one. It's where he meets with the gods of the nations and the powerful Angels like the watchers mentioned in Daniel chapter four, verses 17. At the end of the millennial Kingdom, our physical universe, the heavenly realm, and even death in Hades will be destroyed. Heaven, the dwelling place of God, will not be destroyed. Verse. One then tells us what happens next. Now I saw a new heaven and a new Earth underline that for the first heaven and the first Earth had passed away, God will create a brand new Earth and new heavenly realm.
It's your first fill in. Both our universe and the current heavenly realm have a history of sin. Our universe is unclean because of Earth's history of sin that traces back to Adam and Eve's rebellion in Eden. The heavenly realm is unclean because it was the location of Lucifer's rebellion, and it's where he has been accusing us before God day and night in the divine counsel. Job 1515 tells us that currently the heavens are not pure in his sight. The Lord intends to give sin and death no place in his new creation. They shall be stricken from the record in every sense of the phrase. Things will not simply be refurbished. For Isaiah tells us that the Lord declares, Behold, I create new heavens and a new Earth, and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. The word used by Isaiah for create is the Hebrew word Bara. It's the same word used in Genesis One one. And it means to create from nothing. It's the phrase ex Nahilo in the Latin. Unlike everything that our minds can conceive of, God does not need raw materials to create. He can create from absolutely nothing.
Whatever raw materials you're thinking of, he created them. God doesn't need to refurbish the heavens and the Earth because he's not limited to working with what already exists. And so once again, he will create a new reality from absolutely nothing. Then we read also, there was no more sea. What, no beaches in the new heaven or on the new Earth? Well, not necessarily. It says no more sea, not no more water. We'll soon learn that there's a river, so we know there's water in this new creation. All this means is that whatever there is instead of the sea is better. Whatever there is doesn't leave sand in your cracks and crevices when you're done swimming in it. Whatever there is doesn't divide people from each other. Whatever there is doesn't sanitize the world's waste as part of the water cycle because there's nothing impure to sanitize in eternity. Whatever there is doesn't pose any type of danger. Whatever is in heaven is better. And hopefully by this point in our study we can all just trust the Lord with the details when it comes to things like this. And remember, those who belong to Jesus will have 10 years to enjoy the best beaches on Earth during the Millennium.
Nobody's going to be missing out on anything. What this sentence is really addressing is what the sea represented in the Hebrew mind. The Jews were not a seafaring people. They didn't spread out across the Middle East by navigating the seas. They viewed seas and oceans as representations of chaos and death, places where dark powers exercised great power. The Jewish man or woman reading the sentence would interpret it as another way of God, saying that in his new creation there will be no more chaos, no more death, no more fear. Additionally, both the Hebrew and surrounding cultures at this time viewed the sea as a place where things are buried, concealed, hidden, and where things disappear, never to be seen again. As we'll see in later verses of this chapter, one of the defining traits of God's new creation is its transparency, literally and figuratively. There will be no secrets in it because there will be no sin and therefore no shame. And shame is the only reason we keep secrets, really, in the new heaven and new Earth, there will be no reason for anyone or anything to ever be hidden. Verse Two Then I John saw the Holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
So make a note of that. We, the Church, will live in the New Jerusalem. We will live in the new Jerusalem, the city of God, the city of his Saints. And as John looks at this beautiful city filled with people made beautiful by the Lord, he compares what he sees to the moment a bride is revealed to the guests at a wedding. You ladies who are married are beautiful today, but you looked unbelievably beautiful on your wedding day. Many of you husbands remember, as I do, the moment when she walked in the back of the room at your ending and you thought, man, how did I pull this off? How did I trick her into marrying me. You can see that moment in your mind, the way the room gasps when the beauty of the bride is revealed is the way John describes the revealing of the New Jerusalem, full of the Saints of God. Her beauty takes his breath away. We don't know how exactly it happened, but Hebrews tells us that Abraham got a glimpse, a revelation of the New Jerusalem. This is what it says. By faith, he dwelt in the land of promise.
Gas is a foreign country, dwelling, intense with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. Why did he dwell in tents? For he waited for the city, which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. Abraham lived to 175 and spent most of those years as one of the wealthiest, if not the wealthiest, men on Earth. But because of this glimpse of the New Jerusalem, he never built himself a house on the Earth. He could have built a palace. But after seeing what God had in store for him, his attitude became, what's the point? Any home I could build here would be a shack compared to what the Lord has prepared for me in heaven. Verse three, and I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men underline the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them underline he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God Himself will be with them underline that and be their God. Notice that God says twice that he will be with his people. He will dwell with them, and God Himself will be with them.
God wants us to know that he will literally be among us. We will see Him, speak with Him, behold Him, hear Him fellowship with Him, worship Him, and serve Him. In John 114, it says, The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of Grace and truth. Obviously that's speaking of Jesus, the phrase dwelt among us is actually the phrase tabernacled among us in the original language, as accessible as Jesus was to his disciples in his earthly Ministry, he will be accessible to us in eternity only he won't be in a human body. He'll be fully glorified. Do you realize the day is coming when even faith will be fulfilled?
But in eternity, God will be revealed to us to such a degree that even faith will no longer be required because we will see Him and be with Him. The Tabernacle of God is with men. We will know the Lord as he knows us. I love that it says with men because here's what that means. It means even in heaven, even in eternity, we're still ourselves, but we're the fully redeemed version of ourselves. It's my personal belief that in heaven, our God given passions are still intact because they're part of who God made us to be. I don't know anybody who has fulfilled all their passions. Everybody I know deep down wishes they could have devoted more time and energy to their passions or accomplished more around their passions. Or maybe you feel like there's a song, a book, a business, something inside of you that you just can't seem to get out. For nearly all of us, the limitations of time got in the way. The fact that we have to work, we have to raise children, we have to do all the things that come along with life. You know, when you're young, the word potential is exciting.
When you're older, the word potential stings a little bit because it reminds you of all the things you could have done in your life, the things that deep down, you'd love to do that just didn't happen for good, bad, or neutral reasons. Why would God put those desires and ambitions in us if he knew we couldn't fulfill them? I believe it's because in the ages to come, we will. It's part of who we were created to be in the Millennium and the new creation that follows it. I believe all those unfulfilled God given desires are going to be loosed. Time won't be an issue. Resources won't be an issue. Distractions won't be an issue. In fully redeemed reality, God's fully redeemed people will create and design and build in an atmosphere that is somehow stimulating, an electric, yet simultaneously serene and restful. There are desires and dreams that God has built into your spirit so that they can be freed and fulfilled in his presence. In the ages to come in heaven, we will recognize our loved ones who love the Lord. After the death of his infant son, David said, I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
Not only that, but it seems we will intrinsically know who everybody is. At the Transfiguration, Peter said to Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, let us make here three Tabernacles. One for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. Even though Moses and Elijah weren't in their resurrected bodies yet, and even though they had never met them, Peter, James and John recognized them. This brings me great comfort because I am terrible with names and faces, and it is awful being a pastor who wants to make people feel loved and valued but cannot remember names and faces. Great to meet you. How did you find out about the Church. I've been here for three years and you've been a blessing for three years. Excuse me, I think I hear my wife calling. In heaven, you will intrinsically know who everybody is. There won't be any awkwardness for people like me. I'll never have someone say, hey, Jeff, only for me to respond, hey, brother, in heaven, we're going to recognize everybody. So make a note of that. In heaven, we will recognize everybody. In fact, I want to suggest to you that we don't really know anyone and we won't really know anyone until we get to heaven.
I'm not saying there's always a justification. I'm saying there's always an explanation. There are negative factors that have impacted and shaped our lives. There were or are positive factors that are missing from our lives. But in eternity with Jesus, all that baggage is going to be removed. All the junk is simply going to fall away. And when those who love Jesus are freed from all that, we will become the people Jesus created us to be. We will be our true selves. For the first time in heaven, everyone will be beautiful in every sense of the word. And I promise you won't have to avoid anybody in eternity. There'll be no guilt, no shame, no awkwardness, no weirdos. Just amazing people redeemed and glorified by the Grace of God in heaven, we'll bump into those people who bugged us on Earth, and we'll say, wow, look at what the Lord has done. You're no longer a giant pain in the well, there's no cussing in heaven, but you get the idea. And again, I'm sure people will have the same experience with us. The Apostle Paul wrote about the effect the cross of Christ should have on how we view people now.
And he said, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, meaning that those who love Jesus are not to view their Christian brothers and sisters based solely on who they are now, but rather who they are in Christ and who they are destined to become in eternity. I wish I were better at doing that, but I know the Holy Spirit is changing me bit by bit, day by day. Take a look at verse three again. Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. I want you to notice that the emphasis is on God being with us and us being with God. We will recognize and know our loved ones in heaven, but our focus will be on Jesus. It's okay to long for heaven so that you can be reunited with loved ones who love the Lord. It's okay. It's a great thing to hope for. But hear me on this, please. It's not okay to long for them more than you long for Jesus. The presence of those loved ones in heaven will be wonderful, but our hope and joy shouldn't be solely based on the fact that we will see them again.
Rather, our joy should be that we will behold Jesus together. And I really say this because I love you. If you're longing for heaven so that you can be reunited with your loved ones, just be sure that you don't allow your longing to be with them, to exceed your longing to be with the Lord. Because if you do, you've turned that covet one into an idol. And if they love Jesus, that is the last thing they would want you to do with their memory.
My husband has gone through many lies too, are yours similar? I don't know. You tell me please....jenny.....
I'm not saying there's always a justification. I'm saying there's always an explanation. There are negative factors that have impacted and shaped our lives. There were or are positive factors that are missing from our lives. But in eternity with Jesus, all that baggage is going to be removed. All the junk is simply going to fall away. And when those who love Jesus are freed from all that, we will become the people Jesus created us to be. We will be our true selves. For the first time in heaven, everyone will be beautiful in every sense of the word. And I promise you won't have to avoid anybody in eternity. There'll be no guilt, no shame, no awkwardness, no weirdos. Just amazing people redeemed and glorified by the Grace of God in heaven, we'll bump into those people who bugged us on Earth, and we'll say, wow, look at what the Lord has done. You're no longer a giant pain in the well, there's no cussing in heaven, but you get the idea. And again, I'm sure people will have the same experience with us. The Apostle Paul wrote about the effect the cross of Christ should have on how we view people now.
And he said, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh, meaning that those who love Jesus are not to view their Christian brothers and sisters based solely on who they are now, but rather who they are in Christ and who they are destined to become in eternity. I wish I were better at doing that, but I know the Holy Spirit is changing me bit by bit, day by day. Take a look at verse three again. Behold, the Tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. I want you to notice that the emphasis is on God being with us and us being with God. We will recognize and know our loved ones in heaven, but our focus will be on Jesus. It's okay to long for heaven so that you can be reunited with loved ones who love the Lord. It's okay. It's a great thing to hope for. But hear me on this, please. It's not okay to long for them more than you long for Jesus. The presence of those loved ones in heaven will be wonderful, but our hope and joy shouldn't be solely based on the fact that we will see them again.
Rather, our joy should be that we will behold Jesus together. And I really say this because I love you. If you're longing for heaven so that you can be reunited with your loved ones, just be sure that you don't allow your longing to be with them, to exceed your longing to be with the Lord. Because if you do, you've turned that covet one into an idol. And if they love Jesus, that is the last thing they would want you to do with their memory.
But that's really not what this verse is saying. This verse is saying that because the former things have passed away, nothing will exist that can cause death, sorrow or tears or crying. Those things all died. They all ceased to exist. They all passed away with the old Earth and old heavens. Write this down. Every source of sorrow is destroyed with the old Earth and old heavens. Every source of sorrow is destroyed with the old Earth and old heavens. Someone I follow on Twitter posted this earlier this week. All the sadness believers feel when leaving dear friends, all the nostalgia for days gone by, that God blessed all the pain that rocks you when death strikes loved ones. All of it is a call from a distant land where you never part, you never mourn, and most of all, you never die. No more sadness, no more disappointment, no more bitterness, no more depression, no more anxiety, no more fear. Our eternity will be sorrow proof. I have some incredible things to share with you on that point, but I need to save them for next week, so please don't miss next Sunday. It will bless you so much.
I promise we won't remember our sins and our failures in heaven. Neither will we remember those who rejected the Lord, something that's both encouraging and sobering. Remember Isaiah 60 517. The Lord said, Behold, I create new heavens and a new Earth, and the former shall not be remembered nor come into mind. There shall be no more pain for the former. Things have passed away in our earthly lives. There are seemingly endless sources of sorrow that could appear at any given moment. Issues in friendships, marriages and families, addiction, poverty, sickness, death. And on and on the list goes. This will be news to some. But the Bible does not say that everything happens for a reason. If you've been with us for our study through revelation, then you'll know that the Bible teaches that Satan is the God of this age and Jesus has not yet begun to rule the nation. That happens in the Millennium. This is the promise God gives in Scripture. All things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose. That verse doesn't say that everything happens for a reason, nor does it say that only good things will happen to those who love Jesus.
What it says is that whatever happens to those who love him in this life, God will do something good through it. When a loved one dies unnaturally early, when sickness strikes a child, when jobs are lost, when abuse happens, when tragedy strikes, God will pull something good out of all that sorrow, even when it seems hopeless. He'll create a testimony. He'll empower you to Minister to others who have gone through the same thing. He will shake people out of complacency and make them realize the importance of eternity. He will store up treasures in heaven for you. He will humble you and shape your character. He will reveal himself to you in a new way and give you greater understanding. The promise of God is that our hurt and pain is never wasted, and that's a blessing. There is meaning and significance in the trials of a believer. In contrast, the trials of the unbeliever are meaningless.