His Return and Dinner at the Table (Part 2)

Introduction

Good morning all....

I’m very thankful to see you all here today....

In the last 7 days we have experienced the celebrated the Holiday that usually signifies the end of summer, Labor day. Some of you had the joy of celebrating a three day weekend.

If that wasn’t you, well I’m sorry but you were blessed anyway by the Lord.

Now this morning I am going to be looking at many different passages from the Bible, so as I walk through each point I will share them with you

Now this past Friday, we remember the more horrific day our in the history of our nation since Pear Harbor, 9/11 and the destruction of the Twin Towers has forever shaped our lives in this modern age. It changes us in many ways.

And perhaps it is appropriate that we are looking forward to a future time, not sure how far ahead into the future this might be, but what I know the time is coming when the church will be called up… the rapture will happen. We will be at home with the Lord.

But then the evil will increase, the times will be bad, the time of the Great Tribulation will take place in our world. It is a necessary time, for it is part of God’s plan as the course of this world is working its way to His great Kingdom.

The Tribulation is a period of 7 years, the last 3.5 will be significantly worse than the first 3.5.... Satan will be at work and the Antichrist will be revealed… many lives will be lost and without hope, but some will be saved as well during this time.

But at the end of the Tribulation, The Millennium will begin.... and this where my first point begins...

So this morning as we begin this message, I would like for you to find the Old Testament Passage of 2 Samuel, chapter 7, verses 11-16 as our base text

1. The King Returns

The most glorious thought I can share with you this morning is the simple truth that the King of glory, the Lord Jesus will return to this earth to establish His long awaited Kingdom.

And guess what....? We are coming with Him...

But let me take to a Old Testament passage where we first see one of the blessings of this day being pointed to from the past.

So 2 Sam, chapter 7…verses 11-16

2 Samuel 7:11–16 ESV

11 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. 12 When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, 15 but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’ ”

Now we know that David had longed to build a temple for the Lord, but the Lord denied David’s request… and a two fold promise comes out of it… One is David’s son would be allowed to build a physical temple for the Lord.

We know this promise is fulfilled in the life of Solomon, who was a a son of David and was king of Israel after his father David’s death. But there is a future promise here as well.

One is coming whom God himself would establish His Kingdom for ever, He would establish the throne of David forever.

And as the time neared for the Son of God to enter the world as the Savior of all mankind, the angel Gabriel told Mary that her Son Jesus would rule on throne of His Father David

Luke 1:32 ESV

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David,

And finally John the beloved, the Revalator, wrote what God showed in In the book of Revelaiton..

Revelation 19:11–16 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.

All I can say my friends, is glory...

But I want you to notice some important points here… the first is the King Himself

A. King Jesus.....

John tells us that heaven was opened and he saw a magnificent , beautiful white horse.. The White Stallion has always been a symbol of royalty, purity and His presence.

And the rider, was the Lord himself, listen to the description..

He is called faithful and true. He is the faithful and true witness as John has previous identified in chapter 1, verse 4 and chapter 3, verse 14. Unlike the beast who has deceived the nations, the children of God are reminded that His promises are true, He will not desert them. He will not leave them as fatherless.

Verse 12 His eyes were like flames of fire.. The Lord knows all, His eyes can see past all the works of mankind and judge them correctly.

On His Head were many Diadems… which indicate the magnificent rule, the soverignty of His rule over the kingdoms of the earth

His Name is only known to Himself.. Names are important, but this is not revealed, at this time. and the end of verse 13 says He is called the Word of God. That phrase the Word of God takes us back to the gospel of John, 1:1, John 1:1 says In the beginning was the word, the word was with God and was God. ...

And His royal robe was one dipped in Blood… There are to differnet thoughts to the idea of the blood here,

And in dropping to Verse 16, we find another description of our Lord … Out of His mouth came a sharp two edged sword… think of this, just as powerful as the Word of God was to create the Cosmos, so it is powerful to wipe away and defeat the enemies of His Kingdom...

Finally a name is written. Verse 16 at the end. One his robe and Thigh a name was written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords… The one who created and owns the winepress can also tread upon it in victory. The king of all King and the Lord of all Lords.

1.) t was the blood of Jesus that has truly defeated Death, Hell and the Grave, it is His blood that has forever saved the children of God and its by the blood that the victory is won.

2.) Since the matter of judgement has been discussed, it could refer to the blood of those whom the righteous Judge has defeated, the blood of his enemies.

And then look and see who is coming the Lord on that great day....

It’s the church, the armies of heaven… Look at verse 14

Revelation 19:14 ESV

14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.

I love the picture here, arrayed in fine linen, so many of the saints of God went without the basic necessities of life at times, many lived in caves, were hungry and naked, tortured and abused for the sake of the gospel,

White and pure because they have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, no longer are our sins as scarlet, but they have been made white as snow, and we are returning with Him to inhabit this world once again.

Now as men and women bound by this world, no we have been set free, children of the Kingdom....

Oh my friends the one who was once despised and neglected, ridiculed and scorned is now returning as King

Are you ready, is your heart right...

Now the returning King leads us to my second thought this morning..

2. The Millennium Kingdom....

With the return of Jesus to this world we will be a part of the Millennium kingdom.

You see just a s we talked about Jesus return to gather His church, one point that we talked about last week was that His return was in the air only… only as He comes to establish His Kingdom do we see His return visibly and physically to this world.

Listen to the prophet Zechariah , chapter 14 verse 4

Zechariah 14:4 ESV

4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward.

So he will return to this world, and when Jesus comes, there is come house cleaning to do my friends.

Look with me at Revelation chapter 20, verses 1-3

Revelation 20:1–3 ESV

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

So right off the bat and Angel descends from heaven, now we are not told the name of the angel, but I suspect it is Michael, for all through church history, Michael has been portrayed as that great warrior angel.

But we are really uncertain as to who the angel is, but he descends from heaven who is sent to deal with Satan, the old Dragon.

He seizes him, having the key to the bottomless pit, the abyss and a great chain, He binds and seals Satan there for a 1000 years...

And there is a little side note, verse 3, in a little while (1000 years), he will be released for a little while.

But for 1000 years the redeemed of Jesus will be with Him and rule and reign with Him..

Look at verses 4-6

Revelation 20:4–6 ESV

4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Here is what I want you to see right off the bat here in this passage… Verse 6, Blessed are those who have part in the first resurrection. For they are alive and the second death has no power over them.

The second death is a death of condemnation, it is the sentence of hell for all those who have rejected God in their life, past, present and future.

And believers have two roles Verse 6 says that they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a 1000 years.

A.Priest of God and of Christ… a couple things are happening here. Remember His kingdom is being established in a world that is not yet redeemed, His Kingdom is established as as priests will will represent God before the nations. Serving working and yes even being a part that rules with Him.

But secondly, we as the redeemed and as priests will have the joy of entering his presence.

As the former priests served in the presence of the Lord so we will be physically in the presence of God.

Now as we finish up this point, I want to take you back to those who suffered during the Tribulation, These are those who followed the Lord but have come to believe and follow Jesus. Yes, there are some who come to faith in Christ during this time… why do we know this...

Look at verse 4b

“....Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. “

These dear saints are in His presence, they resisted fought back and even were martyred for their testimony of Jesus, they resisted and would not be counted with the evil ones...

Praise God for such faith… for they are rewarded with life.

You see the greatest crown we will enjoy is the Crown of Life James 1:12, it is the crown whereby we will forever be with Jesus and in His Kingdom...

Do you have that crown? Are you certain you will gain that crown? today is the day to make sure...

And this takes me to my third thought for today and my last for today...

3. Judgement Awaits All Who Have Rejected Him...

Now I know I have bypassed one thought in Chapter 20, and it is the defeat of Satan… but I think everyone knows we win! Like they do at Wrigley Field, they fly the “W”. It’s a win! But you can read that for yourself in verses 7-11

But right now I want us to focus on humanity, you see this is important.Verse 11 to 15 are those who failed to believe, those who were not reached, many of those are the ones we failed to reach..

When I think about the Great Commission, I am reminded we are to reach the world so they do not have to stand here on this day. Instead they should stand with us.

Lets look at our text, verses 11-15

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The dead of all ages, of all peoples, of all classes and types who failed to know God, to know the Savior are standing before the Great White throne.

You see the dead are raised, verse 13 said the sea gave up its dead, the death and hell gave up their dead…

And verse 12 tells us./..books were opened… and the another book, the book of life was opened.

So one book that details the lives, the works of man and the book of life, that book which records those who have trusted Christ as their Savior.

Yet sadly, no matter the works, no matter the life and their place, if they missed Jesus they missed it all…

Sadly they are thrown into the lake of fire.

They are damned, condemned and without hope… oh my friends, there are many who should not be there, but they are there because we failed, other believers have failed.

That is why we must push forward, we must do all we can in our world, with no respect to borders or people. we must do out best to tell the story so that people miss that terrible day..

When the lost are condemned to hell...

When we think about our future, it is bright and wonderful, but we must be faithful. we cannot rest on our laurels, we cannot say it is someone else job.

I want to stand before Jesus and said I did my best, I worked the hardest, I did it all to see Jesus and to bring others with me.

Praise be to our God

The Final Judgement

New Kingdom