The Second Coming of Jesus

Outline

Big Idea: The Battle of Armageddon is about the glory, authority, and victory of the King of kings.

The Coming of the King—Revelation 19:11-16

The Victory of the King—Revelation 19:17-21

Introduction

The Battle of Armageddon can get a lot of press and attention. The coming blood bath is known by many and anticipated by the faithful of God as reason to celebration the end of evil and the righteous judgement of the wicked.

As we move into into the text today that addresses that moment, I want to be clear…

Big Idea: The Battle of Armageddon is about the glory, authority, and victory of the King of kings.

In truth—the battle of Armageddon is NOT the emphasis of this text.

God is.

Christ is.

The King of kings and Lord of lords is.

In fact, let me put this context for you.

In chapter 18 we considered the fall of Babylon, the fall of her triple sins…

Self-Glorification

Self-Gratification

Self-Sufficiency

Chapter 19 RESPONDS to that triple judgement with a triple praise. The triple hallelujah that we see emphasizes the coming King of kings…

Hallelujah—Salvation and glory and power belong to God! (Rev 19:1)

Hallelujah—Judgement is meted out! (Rev 19:3)

Hallelujah—Praise our God! (Rev 19:4)

It is in THAT context that we read these words…

Revelation 19:11–21 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. 20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. 21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

The focus of this text is NOT judgement (though it is an act of judgment).

The focus is on The King of kings and HIS second—and rightful—coming.

Celebration at His coming, not judgement, is the intended purpose of these verses.

In theses pages, these verses, we see CHRIST.

This is, after all, the REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST.

As John’s visions transitions once more, we come face to face with the coming King.

The Coming of the King—Revelation 19:11-16

In verses 11-16, we are given a bold and beautiful description of Him.

The King - Faithful and True - Revelation 19:11

Revelation 19:11 ESV

11 Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.

Then - another marker of transition

THEN…Heaven opened - To let Jesus out - Mt 24:29-31

Matthew 24:29–31 ESV

29 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, 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. 31 And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

AFTER the tribulation, God gathers ALL the saints to Himself, from everywhere. And they return with Him.

Heaven opens and through that opening, we come…Him at the lead.

In my mind, I see a hole in the clouds with sun streaming through like a spotlight and coming through that hole, Jesus and the army behind him, light radiating around. May not be exactly what it will look like but it is how my mind pictures what these texts are describing.

Interestingly enough…

John, who once saw Jesus GO UP, now gets to see Him come DOWN. My only be in vision, but He gets to see both sides of His ascent and descent. Acts 1:9-11

Acts 1:9–11 ESV

9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

When He comes again, he will be riding a white horse

No longer a foal or donkey

Horse - The choice steed of Roman generals in their triumphant procession through Rome after returning form victory in war.

Pure white (symbolic of his righteousness and holiness)

Some maintain that this horse is symbolic and not literal.

Other maintain it is a literal horse.

Truthfully, it could be either probably, but I personally so no reason why it would not be literal.

This is the second time we are seeing a white horse - Rev 6:2.

Revelation 6:2 ESV

2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse! And its rider had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he came out conquering, and to conquer.

In this instance, the rider was believed to be the antichrist bringing a false peace—but it clearly did not refer to Christ.

Here in chapter 19, on this white horse, however, is Christ. The descriptions in this passage leave no doubt WHO the rider is.

He is named…

FAITHFUL AND TRUE—Rev 3:7, 14; 19:11

Descriptions we have seen before…

Revelation 3:7 ESV

7 “And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.

Revelation 3:14 ESV

14 “And to the angel of the church in Laodicea write: ‘The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s creation.

The faithful and True one is none other than Jesus Christ.

Who is worthy of our belief and trust.

Christ is faithful.

2 Cor 1:20 tell us that He is faithful to fulfill every promise He has ever made. He will keep His word.

2 Corinthians 1:20 ESV

20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

Christ is faithful. He will never fail to honor His word or do as He has said.

For Good

or bad

He will do JUST as He said.

Because, besides being faithful, he is also TRUE.

The rider—Christ—is true. (real, genuine, authentic, trustworthy) (Jn 8:45-46; Titus 1:2)

John 8:45–46 ESV

45 But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me. 46 Which one of you convicts me of sin? If I tell the truth, why do you not believe me?

Christ IS truth. He never speaks anything other than the truth.

Titus 1:2 ESV

2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began

Christ never utters lies. It is an impossibility for Him.

Christ cannot act in any way that would contradict His nature, which is true and faithful.

This stands in stark contrast to the antichrist’s lies (Rev 12:9), his evil empire (Rev 18:23), and the wicked people (2 Tim 3:13).

Christ is faithful and True.

GOD is faithful and true.

Church—this ought to profoundly affect your relationship with Him.

God is the only person who will never seek to manipulate you for his own selfish and self serving ends.

God is the only person who will never lie to you.

God is the only person whose word never has an error in it, intentional or not.

God IS A REFUGE of truth.

He is protection from falsehood.

He is a safe haven from deception and error.

Now, that same truth can be terrifying and difficult at times; especially when it exposes and reveals wrong in us—but even that is good when responded to rightly.

Christ is a haven and refuge of truth.

And truth protects.

Truth saves.

Truth heals.

And He is faithful with that truth.

THUS, when it goes on and says, that “in righteousness he judges and makes war,” we know that he does so in TRUTH..faithful to do what is right and good.

He judges.

He makes a determination based on fact, with complete knowledge and understanding AND Thus he issues the just and right verdict and judgment.

This judgement is true. It is faithful. It is just. It is holy.

THIS is the CONFIDENCE we can have in Him. We never have to question it or doubt it.

Church, this coming, though different than His first time, is no less a wonder and a joy.

Listen—

1st time via a young virgin woman. He lived a perfect life and died an innocent death. He came as a Savior. Not a king, not a judge.

2nd time He comes via a white stead, sword in mouth, as THE RIGHTFUL King and Judge to bring swift and terrible judgment upon unrepentant rebellion.

BOTH comings move towards accomplishing one goal—establishing a kingdom of worshippers who receive the greatest good in the universe and who surrender themselves fully to it, for the glory of that good AS WELL as for the best good for themselves.

God’s pursuit of His own glory IS His pursuit for our greatest good. They are one in the same.

The kingdom—is about granting both.

The combined effect of His first and second comings will make this an eternal reality.

Judgment ushers in redemptions final glorious state that was secured by Christ’s work on the cross.

Listen, it is critical to remember that the right to judge ultimately belongs to Christ alone.

Certainly, we are called to confront sin, rebuke, admonish, warn, and exercise biblical discernment. Scripture commands us to do those things. But when we do, we are never acting on our own authority. We are simply declaring His standard, His commands, His law, and His holiness. We are stewards of His truth, calling others to live in a manner worthy of the God who made them and redeemed them.

What we are not called to do is assume God’s place as Judge.

Ultimate judgment belongs to God alone. He alone has the perfect knowledge, wisdom, righteousness, and authority to determine guilt, render a perfectly just verdict, and execute the sentence that justice requires.

God has certainly established human government and entrusted it with the administration of civil justice. Law enforcement, judges, and governing authorities have a God-given responsibility to punish evil, protect the innocent, and uphold justice according to the limits He has established. That is not the kind of judgment we are talking about here.

Rather, in our personal relationships, we are never given the right to become the final arbiter of another person’s destiny or to take vengeance into our own hands.

Why?

First, because we do not know perfectly. We do not see every motive, every circumstance, or every detail. Our knowledge is always partial and our judgments are always capable of error.

Second, because God has called us to be vessels of grace and mercy, entrusting perfect justice and righteous vengeance to Him.

That is why Revelation 19 is so comforting. The One who comes is not merely powerful—He is perfectly righteous. He judges in righteousness because only He can.

And in righteousness, He will make war.

Only here and in Revelation 2:16 do we see Christ making war.

That alone ought to show us something. War is not something Christ jumps to quickly or often. He is slow and patient and war only happens in the face of stubborn and unrepentant evil.

But when He comes in war, he comes with eyes a flame of fire.

The description/name given to us of the King who comes is The Word of God.

The King - The Word of God - Revelation 19:12-13

Revelation 19:12–13 ESV

12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God.

Eyes a flame of fire…

Where have we seen this before?

Revelation 1:14; 2:18 (Thyatira)

Revelation 1:14 ESV

14 The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire,

Revelation 2:18 ESV

18 “And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: ‘The words of the Son of God, who has eyes like a flame of fire, and whose feet are like burnished bronze.

You may remember that these flaming eyes of fire depict the intensity of the one behind the eyes.

They depict wrath, might, authority, justice.

Fire burns.

Fire consumes.

Fire cleanses.

These eyes, Christ’s eyes, all aflame of fire—see everything perfectly—Heb 4:13

Hebrews 4:13 ESV

13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

His eyes, aflame in holy wrath and justice, will leave none unaffected.

The wicked will cower before them and will face judgment from their all knowing gaze.

The righteous will behold in wonder, awe, reverent fear, rejoicing, and ultimately—worship.

On his head were many diadems (crowns)

“Many” is intended to depict his claiming them from the false kings of earth that have attempted to set themselves up in places of power and authority that they have no right to hold.

David, in similar fashion took the crown of the Ammonite king that he defeated and placed it on his own head displaying that he was claiming the kingdom of the defeated Ammonites (2 Sam 12:30)

Christ’s wearing of the crowns probably depicts the same thing.

Or to simply show that He is KING of kings. The CHIEF king.

This is stunning contrast the another crown that Christ wore - Mt 27:27-31; Mk 15:16-20; John 19:1-3

Matthew 27:27–31 ESV

27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

In contrast to the crown of sin, punishment, suffering, and death—Jesus now comes as KING—as conqueror—as LORD.

He has a name inscribed on Himself that none but Him know.

Perhaps illegible. Perhaps incomprehensible. Perhaps the meaning not known. Perhaps all of this.

Point is—as much as God has revealed to us about Himself—there is still mystery and unknown elements of Him. I question whether we will ever fully be able to exhaust the depths of Him and/or comprehend the depths of Him.

But the names we do know…say a lot…

FAITHFUL AND TRUE

WORD OF GOD (vs 13), a throwback to John 1:1, 14.

John 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

John 1:14 ESV

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This identification makes a CLEAR and UNMISTAKABLE link to John 1, to Christ. He IS the LIVING Word.

And we will see in moments, when it comes to the defeat of His enemies, it is the Word that does. His word.

His word IS and WILL be powerful and mighty—Indeed it is faithful and true! He is the faithful and true witness.

It is also noted that He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood

This is NOT a picture of His work on the cross—NOT a picture of salvation.

Instead—Imagine the garments of a man having gone to war, splattered with blood from that war and perhaps them hem of which has dipped in blood pooling from slain enemies.

That is what this is.

This is judgement blood - Isaiah 63:2-3

Isaiah 63:2–3 ESV

2 Why is your apparel red, and your garments like his who treads in the winepress? 3 “I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with me; I trod them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood spattered on my garments, and stained all my apparel.

Saw this same imagery in Revelation 14:20

Revelation 14:20 ESV

20 And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.

Revelation 19:15 repeats it…

Revelation 19:15 ESV

15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.

This blood on the rope is from treading on the wicked. The hem of His robe becomes drenched and stained with it.

That is the origin of this blood—Judgment.

The question you might ask: Why is He already covered in blood and the events of the war have not even taken place yet? They won’t happen until verse 17…after His descent.

Well, first off…this is not his first battle, is it?

The tribulation has been about one act of judgement (of war) after another. Blood has already been spilt.

Secondly, it is almost certainly a foreshadowing of the ultimate and final reality. Though not explicitly stated as a sign or symbol of His assured victory, the outcome of Revelation 19 strongly suggests that it is just that.

Is the Faithful and True One, the Word of God coming as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

The King - King of kings and Lord of lords - Revelation 19:14-16

Revelation 19:14–16 ESV

14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

On his thigh, he has a name written—King of kings and Lord of lords.

The name, the title, the description seems so simple and yet, it is so deeply profound.

He is the King ABOVE all kings

He is the Lord ABOVE all lords.

He is the KING to rule all kings.

He is the Lord who rules all lords.

Reminds me of the Chronicles of Narnia…

HIGH King Peter—The king over all kings of Narnia…

And in position of authority over even Peter—Aslan.

Even Peter bows to Aslan.

In an infinitely greater way, every king, every ruler, every leader who has ever lived or who ever will live stands beneath Jesus.

All authority given to man to rule is temporary. Borrowed.

Christ is the rightful ruler.

His name is written on His thigh.

It is plain, visible—Like a banner—clear for all to see.

There will be no mistaking who is victorious. Christ is. And always will be.

Church, God leaves no room for confusion as to who is God. He leaves no room for doubt.

And when Christ comes victorious, He does not come alone.

The armies of heaven follow Him.

Arrayed in fine linen

White and pure

Righteous, pure, clean, cleansed, and holy.

On white horses

Some again take this symbolically, some literally.

Does not matter which it is honestly.

They come with Christ—Victorious—the true King, having overcome.

Who is this army of heaven?

Rev 19:7-8 shows the bride garbed in white, fine linen. Easy to make a connection here.

Rev 7:9 shows the tribulation saints garbed the same way. Another easy connection.

Dan 12:1-2 shows the OT saints, whose names are also written in the book of life, being victorious with Him in the end.

Matt 25:31 shows angels coming with the Son of Man when He comes in glory

Thus..the army behind Him? Probably all of the above.

Truth is, the army behind Christ is made up of ALL God’s worshippers.

Of whom we will be numbered among.

You may also notice that there is no reference to the army carrying weapons.

We won’t be.

The only weapon mentioned is the sword from Christ’s mouth.

He will deal all the death—all the judgement.

From his mouth comes the sword which will slaughter

He will strike down the rebellious nations

He will then RULE THEM WITH A ROD OF IRON - unbending, unyielding, in perfect rule, authority, and justice. Rev 12:15; Ps 2:8-9

He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God over their sin, wickedness, and rebellion.

None other have blood on their robes. Vengeance is His. Justice is His.

This is why it is fitting that Lewis depicted ASLAN as the one who defeated the witch in the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe—Not Peter. Not Edmond. Aslan. He is the one who brings justice.

He is God the Almighty (omnipotent, all-powerful)—and His hand will be the instrument of justice.

The saints simply come to reign with Him, not to war with Him. Rev 2:26-27; 20:4-6; 1 Cor 6:2

The second coming of Jesus here in Revelation 19, at the end of the tribulation is the fulfillment of Isaiah 11:1-4.

Isaiah 11:1–4 ESV

1 There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. 2 And 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 the fear of the Lord. 3 And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, 4 but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked.

Jesus comes…

with the Spirit of God resting on Him

with the Spirit of wisdom and understanding

with the Spirit of counsel and might

with the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord

He will fear and love His Father

He will judge with perfect clarity even that which is hidden to human eye

He will judge perfect understanding even that which is not understood to the human ear.

In perfect righteousness he will judge

In perfect equity He will deal

He will strike with the rod of His mouth

With his breath, He will kill the wicked

OUT OF THE PERFECTION and RIGHTEOUSNESS of His being.

Notice, even here in Isaiah, the emphasis is NOT on his work of judgment, but on the nature of His being.

Church, all of this is described to us before we even get mention of the “battle.”

This text is about….

Big Idea: …the glory, authority, and victory of the King of kings.

When we do come to the “battle,” is not about the war itself but making clear the victory belongs to the king.

The Victory of the King—Revelation 19:17-21

A Feast for Birds - Revelation 19:17-19

Revelation 19:17–19 ESV

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” 19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.

Angel standing in the sun…

In close proximity to the sun—probably in front it, similar to an eclipse.

It would appear that the curse on the sun shining has been lifted. If John (and the world) could notice him standing in front of it, then it must be giving off light again.

Thus, when the angel stands “in the sun,” the world will look up to take note.

Then the angel issues a call to the birds and carrion of the planet—come to the supper I have prepared for you. Come and feast.

The calling of the carrion can mean only one thing—death is coming. Mt 24:27-28; Lk 17:37

And if death is coming, that means Christ’s victory is also coming.

Victory is being declared before the “war” has even begun.

God calls upon his carrion fowl to come clean up the mess that is about to be.

Even after they fast, it will take a full 7 months to clean up.

Having one’s body left to be eaten by wild animals is the ultimate disgrace and offense. A fitting judgment for man’s continued rebellion. Zeph 1:14-18

Judgment comes. The final judgement of the tribulation.

Before God deals with the world, he singles out two.

Lake of Fire for Two - Revelation 19:20

Revelation 19:20 ESV

20 And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

We have seen, and thus know, that the fire and sulfur depict judgment.

The Lake of Fire, with its sulfur, is a place of judgment for evil.

In this verse, we see two getting first privilege to taste it.

The beast (antichrist) and the false prophet (beast 2).

They are captured and thrown alive into the lake of fire.

I want you to see just how anticlimatic this “war” is.

So often the war gets the focus of this passage. BUT as you can see, after having taken so long to consider these verses, you can see that the focus is not on the battle. Rather, it is on the King.

The beast and false prophet are the first of many who will be thrown into the lake of fire. Rev 20:15; Mt 25:41; Mk 9:48; Mt 13:42; Rev 14:11

Revelation 20:15 ESV

15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

An important detail to note, which may seem minor but is not, is that they will STILL be there in Rev 20:10, after the millennium, when Satan is tossed in to join them.

The reason this little detail is so vital is because some have tried to argue that after death or a period of judgment, man is annihilated. Some try to argue that it is not eternal.

But the fact that they are still here after 1000 years suggests otherwise.

Punishment will be eternal. A reality the text of scripture clearly reveals—Rev 14:10-11; Mt 13:40-42; 25:41; Mk 9:43-48; Lk 3:17; 12:47-48.

Beast and prophet—tossed unceremoniously into the Lake of Fire.

Boom. Done.

No fanfare.

No extended warfare.

Just simply - YOU and YOU - Lake of Fire NOW. Done.

Period.

The “war” is over without so much as word.

The rest?

Death or the Rebellious - Revelation 19:21

Revelation 19:21 ESV

21 And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

And the rest were slain.

That is all the description their demise gets.

Just simply—slain by the sword.

Dead.

Simply.

Again, without fanfare or extended conflict.

They were slain the sword that came out of His mouth…

Christ is the WORD OF GOD.

His word is his weapon.

Truth is His weapon. Ephesians 6:17

God’s word is death to evil.

God’s word is life to the repentant.

He puts down rebellion, not with selfish pride, arrogant vendetta’s—but with the simple truth.

**Read Big Idea**

Conclusion

Big Idea: The Battle of Armageddon is about the glory, authority, and victory of the King of kings.

How are we, His saints, in this age to respond to the truth’s Revelation 19:11-21 reveal?

2 Peter 3

2 Peter 3 ESV

1 This is now the second letter that I am writing to you, beloved. In both of them I am stirring up your sincere mind by way of reminder, 2 that you should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, 3 knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. 4 They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, 6 and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. 7 But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. 8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. 14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.

Unbelievers—be warned. If you fail to repent, all the horrors of God’s good and holy wrath will descend upon you, and you will not survive it.

Church—Seeing His holiness, pursue it. Live with zero toleration of your own sin. GROW in grace and knowledge of our Lord.

To Him Be The Glory—Forever and ever

Pray

Application

What does the description of Christ as 'Faithful and True' mean for our trust in Him during difficult times?

How should the assurance of Christ's righteous judgment influence our own judgments in personal relationships?

What does it mean for you to follow 'The King of kings and Lord of lords' in your daily life?

How can the reality of Christ's return empower you to resist peer pressure and sin?

In what ways do you see God's glory revealed in your life and in the world around you?

How can you share the message of Christ's coming victory with your friends who may not know Him?

How does knowing that God is the ultimate judge help us deal with personal grievances?

What practical steps can we take to grow in our knowledge of Christ as the ‘Word of God’?