Christ - The Victor!
Notes
Transcript
Joe Biden was projected the winner of this election by the media. Let us pray for the country’s next four years under the one who will be inaugurated on January 20. I believe God is going to do something wonderful for America.
There is still some uncertainty in the aftermath of this election, I think of the days after November 3 when people were still waiting for the outcome..
Don’t you wish you had a glimpse of who the winner would be that would save you from all the waiting and anxiety?
You see, when it comes to the battle between good and evil, we have already been shown the final outcome from the Word of God.
There is one Who is the real winner and will remain to be the victor no matter what.
Jesus Christ will return soon and emerge victorious!
You belong to the winning team if you belong to Jesus!
We have studied on the subject of the end times for several weeks and I want to wrap up the Book of Revelation.
I have said before that the Bible prophecies that things are going to get worse before they get better. Jesus told us about the signs of the end of the age and He described them as birth pains. The pandemic of 2020 is definitely one huge sign of the times that we live in.
Jesus said however from Luke 21:28:
28 Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
The Book of Revelation talk of judgements before the coming of the Lord
These judgements are spread throughout the 7-year tribulation period. The first half of the Tribulation, the middle of the tribulation and the last half of the tribulation period or what is called the Great Tribulation.
The judgement in the first half of the tribulation is repented by the scroll and the seven seals.
The Seven Seals.
1 Then I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. 2 And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” 3 And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it, 4 and I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. 5 And one of the elders said to me, “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”
Chart of the Seal Judgements here
The Seal Judgments (Revelation 6) - the first half of the Tribulation
First Seal (1,2) White Horse - Antichrist comest to conquer
Second Seal (3,4) Red Horse - Open warfare breaks out
Third Seal (5,6) Black Horse - World famine
Fourth Seal (7,8) Pale Horse - Death to 1/4 of the Earth
Fifth Seal (9-11) Martyrdom - Believers call for vengeance
Sixth Seal (12-17) Physical Disturbances - earthquake, sun blacked out, moon became blood etc.
Seventh Seal (8:1) Initiates the Trumpet Judgments
Chart of the Middle of Tribulation Here
Middle of the Tribulation The Antichrist is killed (Revelation 13:3)
Satan is cast down to Earth From Heaven (revelation 12:7-9)
The Resurrection of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:3,4)
The worship of the Antichrist (Revelation 13:3,4, 8)
666: The Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:16-18)
Seven Year Covenant of Peace with Israel broken (Isaiah 28:18; Daniel 11:41)
Persecution of the Jews (Revelation 12:1-6)
Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24:15-16; 2 Thessalonians 2:4)
Trumpet Judgements (start at the second half of the Tribulation or what is called The Great Tribulation)
Image of the Trumpet Judgements here.
Trumpet Judgments (Revelation 8 - 9)
First Trumpet (8:7) 1/3 of vegetation burned up
Second Trumpet (8:8-9) 1/3 of sea turned to blood
Third Trumpet (8:10-11) 1/3 of fresh water contaminated
Fourth Trumpet (8:12-13) 1/3 of Sun, Moon and Stars darkened
Fifth Trumpet (9:1-11) Locust loosed to torment, but not kill for 5 months
Sixth Trumpet (9:13-21) Army of 200 million destroy 1/3 of mankind
Seventh Trumpet (11:15-19) Introduces the Bowl Judgments
Image of the Bowl Judgements here.
Bowl Judgments - Targets those marked (Revelation 15-16)
First Bowl (16:1-2) Terrible sores on all followers of the Antichrist
Second Bowl (16:3) Turns all of the sea to blood, killing everything in it
Third Bowl (16:4-7) Turns all of the fresh water to blood
Fourth Bowl (16:8-9) People scorched by intense sunshine (people curse God)
Fifth Bowl (16:10-11) Complete darkness over the kingdom of the Antichrist
Sixth Bowl (16:12-15) Euphrates river dried up (Battle of Armageddon is set)
Seventh Bowl (16:17-21) Greatest earthquake ever, Babylon destroyed, Earth is pounded by 100 pound hailstones
Chapter 18 of Revelation is about the Fall of Babylon.
What is Babylon?
Some say it is the literal historical Babylon which is present day Iraq. Which is doubtful.
Others say it is a religious system that have existed for centuries.
Some say it is a powerful country that dominated the entire world - possibly America. (talk a bit, decline,
Whichever Babylon the Great is, its greatest sin is the killing or martyrdom of followers of Jesus.
In Revelation 17, Babylon is represented by a Great Prostitute and John saw her like this;
5 And on her forehead was written a name of mystery: “Babylon the great, mother of prostitutes and of earth’s abominations.” 6 And I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of the martyrs of Jesus. When I saw her, I marveled greatly.
To get a real study on the end times we need to cover an overview of the book of Revelation.
Now what happens at the end of the Tribulation?
We are now coming to the most exciting part of the book, there is a marriage supper that will take place and the marriage will be between the Lamb of God, Jesus and His bride, the church.
6 Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. 7 Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; 8 it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure”— for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints. 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.” 10 Then I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers who hold to the testimony of Jesus. Worship God.” For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
Let us look at the fine linen mentioned here. The bride of Christ will be clothed with fine linen, bright and pure. And the fine linen symbolizes the righteous deeds of the saints.
This is the church that is pure and has overcome. It is a church that is filled with righteous deeds. Note that the passage does not mention that our righteous deeds save us. An integral part of our righteous deeds is taking the gospel to the lost here where the church is established through evangelism and abroad in the nations where churches have not been started.
This is a global church that does not compromise and is above reproach, a church that stands strong in faith for what is right. A church that continues to stand in the gap and intercedes for the world.
Now, are you excited to see hear the main event? the return of Jesus?
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.
Battle of Armageddon
Jesus the King of Kings and Lord of Lords will come to finally destroy the AntiChrist and the the false prophet and everyone who followed the Antichrist.
There is a spirit of the Antichrist that prevails in this land, that moves this nation away from God, towards a totally secular one-world government. But take heart, let not your heart be troubled, the ultimate victor is the Lord Jesus Christ. All of God’s enemies will be slain by the sword that comes out of His mouth they will be finally brought to justice.
You would wonder, however, if Jesus is coming as a fearsome rider with the armies of heaven coming with him.. (image) why would these lowly creatures even fight him?
Image of the rider and army here
The answer is in the last chapter of this book:
10 And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. 11 Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.”
Embrace of evil, open rebellion and defiance of God, hardening of hearts will characterize the last days and these will prevent these people from repenting and coming to God.
Jesus said lawlessness will abound.
So tired of the evil and injustice that you see around you?
In face of all this evil.
Do not fear.
Do not lose heart.
Rejoice with the hope you have.
Continue to Preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Jesus the King of Kings will put a final end to all forms of evil and in the final chapters of the book of Revelation, He will usher in the millennial Kingdom and then the Final Kingdom, the New Jerusalem which I preached a few Sundays ago.
While there is hope in Jesus’ final victory, note that that hope belongs only to those that have been redeemed by the blood of the lamb of God Jesus Christ.
From verse 9: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the lamb.
How do you get an invitation to this wedding?
Gospel presentation and prayer of repentance.