211226 Revelation: The Second Coming of Christ

OPENING SLIDE

By way of an introduction, I invite you to open your Bibles to the book of Acts. Acts chapter 1.

In Acts Chapter 1 verses 4-8, the risen Lord, Jesus Christ gathered the disciples together, prepared them to receive His Holy Spirit and commissioned them to carry the Gospel to all the earth but then once He had communicated His orders, He left…

I will pick it up in chapter 1 verse 9...

Acts 1:9-11 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? VERSE SLIDE This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.””

PAUSE

SLOW This Jesus, whom you have seen, whom you love, whom you miss already, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go… He will come in the clouds…

PAUSE

Since that time, as the centuries have ticked by, we have waited and worked and wondered when He will return. The kingdom of God has grown during that time, slowly, sometimes imperceptibly but always waiting for the One whom we love.

He is coming again, and when He comes again, He will not return as a humble baby, a lowly carpenter, but as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the jealous Bridegroom who will judge those who have hated and harmed His bride. Someday, our beloved will return, in the clouds and demonstrate His glory, power and sovereignty over all and the day of salvation will have passed.

PAUSE

Today, we are going to be in the book of Revelation - also called the Ἀποκάλυψις of Jesus Christ. This book is all about the coming return of Christ and it is a fitting end to our one year blitz through the Bible as we sought to find Christ in every book of the Bible.

Interestingly, Revelation 1:1 tells us that this book was actually given as a gift.

INTRODUCTION SLIDE

The Revelation to John was a gift that God gave to Christ to show His Church to encourage them.

It reveals how Christ will return and ultimately prove victorious over all His enemies.

PAUSE

Today, we are going to focus on Christ’s Second Coming. We are going to whet our appetite for His return in glory to demonstrate His power and set all things right before He rules over the earth for 1,000 years.

I hope you had an opportunity this week to read through the book of Revelation. For some, myself included, the book can be quite intimidating but also encouraging.

Sorting through this last book of Scripture can be quite the challenge and because of that many believers do themselves a tremendous disservice of avoiding it… despite the carnage despite the incredible imagery the main things can be definitively known - human history will end with Christ victorious and all things set right.

If you have not read Revelation recently, I would encourage you to prayerfully wrestle with it until you come to the realization that God has things fully under control. We can gain assurance through this book that God’s great plan of redemption is fully on schedule and our Beloved is coming again.

PAUSE

This leads to my main point, which I have taken from Revelation 19 verse 1 which says...

Main Point:

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

PAUSE

Ultimately, this book - like all the others in the Bible - as we have seen this year - are all about Christ, His glory, His power and His salvation and for that reason we will praise Him, singing Hallelujah to Him forever.

It is my prayer that we will understand that clearly today - let’s pray

BLANK

PRAYER

Father, I thank You that You gave the revelation of this book to Christ to show to His church, to comfort them and encourage them as the day of His return draws near. Father, some elements of this book are hard to understand, I pray that You would give us faith to believe Your Word even when it is difficult, help us not to minimize it or add to it but to accept it - help us to trust Your promises and to wait expectantly on Your Son’s return. It is in Christ’s name I pray, amen.

SERMON

WALVOORD SLIDE 1:

On the back of your handout is a timeline of an end times schedule that I have found to be particularly helpful.

Currently, we are right here:

WALVOORD SLIDE 2:

Today, we are going to be studying right here.

WALVOORD SLIDE 2:

We will be studying Christ’s second coming.

Christ’s Second Coming, as you see on the schedule, is different than the Rapture. The Rapture is the next event that we are waiting on, where those that who believe are joined with Christ in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. The Rapture is deeply anticipated but it is not the Lord’s Second Advent.

After the Rapture, a period of 7 years of tribulation will take place, where apostacy explodes in the vacuum left by the Church. Great and awful signs will take place as the seven seals are broken, then the seven trumpets sound and the bowls of wrath are poured out. That is when the Second Coming of Christ will take place and which will initiate His Millennial reign.

PAUSE

Today, we are going to be in Acts 19 and just briefly, here is some context.

Context 1:

John is writing from exile as an old man and last surviving apostle and it was likely written around AD 95 (Rev 1:9)

Context 2:

He was commanded to communicate things which he had seen, the things which are and the things that will soon take place (Rev 1:19)

PAUSE

Again, the revelation here is a gift, a gift given by God to Christ to show His Church. For those that belong to Christ, this book should be an encouragement.

Our chapter today, chapter 19, follows chapters 17 and 18, where the great harlot “Babylon,” which is both a city and a religion has been destroyed. After chapter 18 ends, the vision changes. John sees the heavenly response to the destruction of Babylon and it is one of intense and escalating praise… Verse 1 - Praise to our sovereign God and His justice

SLIDE:

I. Four Praises To Our God (v1-6)

A. Praise to our sovereign God and His justice (v1-2)

Revelation 19 | 1 After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God; 2 because His judgments are true and righteous; for He has judged the great harlot who was corrupting the earth with her immorality, and He has avenged the blood of His bond-servants on her.”

As I mentioned earlier, verse 1 is where the main point of the passage comes from. Not only is it the main point of the chapter but it is also the main point of the book.

Hallelujah means, “praise God!” Verses 1-6 contain the only New Testament uses of this word and it comes with incredible emphasis.

This vast multitude in heaven is comprised of all Old Testament saints, all Christians and all who have been killed during the Tribulation and they know what God has done in judging the false religion of Babylon and what comes next for all who remain as they shout, “Praise God! Hallelujah for His salvation and glory and power!”

Believer, today, we are going to see today an end of injustice, we are going to seen an avenging of wrongs by the only Righteous Judge and this vast multitude, of which you and I will be a part, cannot wait to see God’s Christ put all things right... verse 3.

SLIDE:

B. Praise to God for destroying all apostasy (v3)

3 And a second time they said, “Hallelujah! Her smoke rises up forever and ever.”

A second time they praise God... Praise Him for destroying the false prophets, the false religion, the ones that abused those who came to Christ after the church was raptured. It is not hard to see why they praise God, because His judgment is true, it is righteous altogether and this vast multitude has a truly heavenly perspective… verse 4

SLIDE:

C. Highest praise to God confirmed (v4)

4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne saying, “Amen. Hallelujah!”

These twenty four elders and four living creatures are often seen together in Revelation, always around the throne. The four living creatures are described as being full of eyes in front and behind and within. Constantly, before the throne - observing everything.

VERSE SLIDE:

Revelation 4:8 tells us that at all times they are constantly declaring that the eternal God is three times holy and they show up here in the vision to confirm the loud praises of the multitude by saying “amen” which means, “truly.” Adding their agreement to the praise before adding their own.

SLIDE:

Then in verses 5-7, a voice commands praise from the throne and the already deafening sound of the multitude’s praise reaches an even higher Crescendo as all of heaven reverberates with the loudest praise of All of God’s servants.

D. Loudest praise from all of God's Holy Ones (v5-7)

5 And a voice came from the throne, saying, “Give praise to our God, all you His bond-servants, you who fear Him, the small and the great.” 6 Then I heard something like the voice of a great multitude and like the sound of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns. 7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.”

Loudest praise, loudest adoration and joy because the Lord, He is God and He is the One that has saved His bond-servants, from the judgment to come on all who rejected Him.

He has ransomed for Himself a people from every tribe and tongue, a beautiful Bride - pure and clean - His church. This Bride, is without spot or wrinkle, beautiful and ready for her Groom. Verse 8

SLIDE:

II. The Beauty of Christ's Bride (v8-10)

A. Her purity a gift (v8)

8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

I just want to emphasize one thing just briefly here, catch the beginning of verse 8, the words “It was given to her.”

When Christ’s Church is presented it will not come in its own merit. The righteous acts of the saints are not self originating. Any righteousness originates only from Christ and His work in our lives.

PAUSE

WONDER How deep is Christ’s love for us that He would foreknow us, love us, die for us, come into us through His Holy Spirit and empower us to live He desires. His grace is matchless and wonderful!

It is no wonder why the people here are described as blessed, the Bride has been given all things...

Verse 9

SLIDE:

B. The blessing and the warning (v9-10)

1. An exhortation to receive the invitation (v9)

9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’ ” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.”

John is seeing these things, and it is almost as if he is stunned… the angel here has to command him to document the blessing and confirms that this is from God.

Can I give us a key takeaway… Just as the multitudes in heaven could not contain their joy, neither should we. Our salvation is from Him alone, if we understand that we will praise Him.

Key Takeaway:

(v9) Praise God! Salvation is from Him alone!

Praise God, because He has not left us alone but has saved us, adopted us, brought us in to the family of God and not we ourselves...

We were destitute, we were needy, we were in rebellion and sin and the Creator of the Universe took pity on us and saved us. As has been said before, we contributed nothing to our salvation except the sin which made it necessary.

John, here is completely overwhelmed and verse 10 gives a warning we must heed as well… worship God alone.

SLIDE:

2. A warning to worship God alone (v10)

10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

Worship God… PAUSE

You know... everyone will worship God, it is just a matter of whether or not we will do it willingly....

Philippians 2:10-11 “so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Will we worship Him, willingly or unwillingly? PAUSE

I choose willingly

PAUSE

Well, in verse 11 the Righteous Judge arrives, just as promised… The heavens that received Him now split apart and He emerges ready to wage war on all who remain and oppose Him.

SLIDE:

III. The Second Coming of Christ (v11-18)

A. The arrival of the perfect Judge of all the earth (v11-13)

11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself. 13 He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

The Christ emerges in glory, His eyes are a consuming fire, no injustice will escape Him. He is crowned with diadems or crowns, showing His complete dominance and authority. He is the very Word of God and glory is His alone.

PAUSE

Can I give us a second key takeaway?

SLIDE:

Key Takeaway:

(v11) Praise God! Glory is His alone!

We are to praise God because He is the only One who deserves any glory. He is the only One that has consistently shown Himself to be righteous and true. He is the only who can show true graciousness. He is the only One who can save. He is the only One who can judge perfectly, glory is His alone! This story, this Bible is all about God and how He has chosen to be glorified. This book is all about Christ.

When Christ comes again it will not be in humble obscurity. It will not be done in little Bethlehem. He will come in a way that no one will be able to dismiss. When Christ comes again everyone will know and all will see. Verse 14

SLIDE:

B. The Judge's army (v14)

14 And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses.

Who is this army? PAUSE

The army here on white horses, clothed in fine linen, is comprised of those who believe as well as the host of Heaven. But catch this… they do not execute justice, they follow Christ as He brings about total justice. They are there to witness His Justice which He brings by applying the truth, the perfection of God’s word to the world.

SLIDE:

But first the condemned must be summoned to their destruction. Verse 15

C. The summoning to destruction (v15-18)

15 From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. 16 And 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 he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, “Come, assemble for the great supper of God, 18 so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”

All the birds of the earth are summoned. Commanded by an angel standing in the sun to ready themselves to eat those who are struck down by the sword that comes out of the mouth of Christ.

What is this sword?

It is the Word of God!

I don’t think we understand the power of God’s divine revelation of His word but John surely understood its power when he saw all the unrighteous ones struck down with it. Verse 19

SLIDE:

IV. Destruction of the Unrighteous (v19-21)

A. The assembly of all who oppose the Judge (v19)

19 And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

All who remain are brought forward to their destruction, they come willingly, aggressively to make ware against the glorious and all powerful Christ…

Surely it is madness to resist Him is it not?

All who oppose Him will be destroyed and it is not just limited to humans but also the beast and his false prophet. verse 20

SLIDE:

B. The destruction of the beast and the false prophet (v20)

20 And the beast was seized, and with him the false prophet who performed the signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image; these two were thrown alive into the lake of fire which burns with brimstone.

SLIDE:

I have one final takeaway, Power is God’s Alone and for that we ought to praise Him

Key Takeaway:

(v20) Praise God! Power is His alone!

Here in verse 20, the beast is destroyed and so is his prophet and they are the first to be thrown alive into the lake of fire. Power is God’s alone and He uses His power to establish righteousness by destroying those who have deceived and misled the world.

Christ is the only One to whom dominion and judgment and authority were given and God has placed all things in the Christ’s hand. We ought to praise Him because He is the only One worthy of

Verse 21, perfect justice established as the slate is wiped clean.

SLIDE:

C. The slate wiped clean (v21)

21 And the rest were killed with the sword which came from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh.

That’s it… Sin is eradicated from the earth and all the rebels are destroyed....

After thousands of years of sin… all of that ends as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords establishes His thousand year reign.

I know we went through that fairly quickly, but I did that intentionally so that we could get the main points out of the message.

CONCLUSION SLIDE:

Folks, Christ is coming again, don’t get discouraged as we see the world continuing to reject Christ, Justice will be served, all wrongs will be made right. CONCLUSION SLIDE:

Those who are His beloved, purchased with His own blood will spend eternity with Him praising Him and recognizing that He alone brought about our salvation by His power and for His glory!

Let’s pray,