Joy to the World

Notes
Transcript
Introduction:
The definition of peace is “Freedom from disturbance or tranquility; a state or period in which there is no war.” At its best, peace in our world, is elusive. It is like water in our hands; here for a little while then gone. Most historians agree that throughout recorded history, there has never been a time when the entire world was completely free from the conflict of war. A study was completed by The New York Times, about a decade ago, concerning war. Over the past 3400 years, the world has only known 268 years of peace. That is 8% of the past 3400 years, we have had peace – that is a low percentage. During this period there have been 14,351 wars in which 3.64 billion people have been killed. Since 650 B.C. there have been 1656 arms races with only 16 ending without war.
Peace is something every beauty contestant speaks of, politicians promise, and Christians pray for. But peace on earth will not come until Jesus reigns on earth. Listen to a well-known Christmas song:
He rules the world with truth and grace
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders of His love
A day is coming when Jesus reigns an imperfect world with such authority, perfection, and strength that the world will know peace.
This morning let’s look together at one of the most mysterious section of scripture in all the Bible, Revelation 20:1-10
1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. 7 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. 9 They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. 10 The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
As I mentioned earlier this text is the most difficult in the book of Revelation, and one of the most debated in all of scripture. There are so many mysteries! This morning I don’t want to focus on the mysterious, but the apparent. In fact, I want us to look at three apparent occasions in Revelation 20.
Occasion 1: An Incredible Peace.
Occasion 1: An Incredible Peace.
Six times within the text 1,000 years is mentioned. This may be the most debate number in scripture besides the meaning of 666.
Is it a literal 1,000 years? Is it symbolic of a long, long, long, time? Is it spiritual in nature or physical?
I believe because of the repetition of the number that it could very well be a literal 1,000 years, but for me that is not a hill to die on. If you believe it is a very long time that is okay with me.
Patterson had this to say about the repeated mention of 1,000 years: “However, while numbers do have symbolic significance, the repeated numbers such as 42 months, 1260 days, time and times and half a time, and the 1,000 year period emphasized here suggest that these periods are to be taken literally.”
It is true that the number 1,000 was symbolic of infinity and this reign of Christ on earth is only the beginning of His reign forever and ever amen!
Don’t be distracted by your millennial view, the point is Jesus reign visibly and infinitely. Notice some occurences in 19 and 20.
In Revelation 19:20
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 worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.
The beast and the false prophet are cast alive into the lake of fire. Then in Revelation 20:2-3 the Devil captured, bound, and locked away. He will join the beast and false prophet after the reign of Christ.
2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.
Can you imagine with me for a minute the peace that earth will experience without the tempter, accuser, lying, murdering, devil on the loose?
What will that period be like? I want us to look at a few passages in the Old Testament:
2 Now it shall come to pass in the latter days That the mountain of the Lord’s house Shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And all nations shall flow to it. 3 Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He shall judge between the nations, And rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, And their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, Neither shall they learn war anymore.
1 There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. 2 The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. 3 His delight is in the fear of the Lord, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears; 4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, And decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. 5 Righteousness shall be the belt of His loins, And faithfulness the belt of His waist. 6 “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. 9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord As the waters cover the sea.
This period of time is the season that the disciples sought as Jesus’ ascension in Acts 1:6
6 Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”
Occasion 1 is an incredible peace that we scarce can comprehend now.
Occasion 2: The Beatitudes of Believers.
Occasion 2: The Beatitudes of Believers.
John saw thrones and people sitting upon the thrones.
These upon the throne were resurrected saints along with Christ reigning with Him.
I’m not sure my mind can even begin to understand what it means to be in Christ.
We have been reconciled in Him.
We have been forgiven in Him.
We have become sons and daughters in Him.
We will be with Him since we are in Him.
The text says we will reign with Him and we shall be priest of God.
The greatest blessing however is that we will share in the first resurrection. Listen to John 5:26-29
26 For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, 27 and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man. 28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
Two different kinds of resurrection and we learn here two different times. One at Christ coming and one at the end of His earthly reign.
The first resurrection appears that those who share it do not at any time die. They exist in some form perpetually because of Jesus.
The second group die and then rise to be judged and condemned at the Great White Throne judgment.
The beatitude spoken in this section is blessed are those who participate in the First Resurrection.
Occasion 2: The Last Rebellion.
Occasion 2: The Last Rebellion.
I want to ask those leading the music to come as we conclude with this point. Please stand with me.
Satan is released and leads a rebellion after this wonderful, peaceful, long reign of Christ. Why?
It demonstrates two things:
One, salvation is through faith in the works of Jesus Christ alone. It takes more than mere survival to be reconciled to God. It takes more than morals and good behavior. God is looking for those who trust Him, embrace Him, and worship Him. We must willing surrender to His Lordship and surrender more than His power.
We must surrender our hearts, minds, soul, and strength to Him and put our absolute faith in Him.
Second, God doesn’t have any grandchildren, only children. Being a recipient of God’s goodness doesn’t make us part of God’s family. We must be born again.