Christmas Timeline Introduction & Invitation

Posted on December 10, 2022 by dkoop

Christmas Timeline: (Various Old Testament) 3 weeks/4 messages

Description: Christmas is time of anticipation and hope. As followers of Jesus, we celebrate the coming of our Savior and King. The first coming of Jesus Christ was the most significant historical event that had ever occurred.  The “arrival” of the promised Messiah has changed the world forever.  Our series will take us on a journey from the Old Testament prophecies of Jesus Christ that will describe how the King of Kings and “God with Us,” came to “crush” the enemy, would be born of virgin, in the town of Bethlehem through the lineage of David to eventually die for the sins of the world.

 Date             Title                        Scripture                                    Events

Dec. 11 – Once Upon a Time (Gen, Numbers)                      Family Christmas Program

Dec. 18 – A Time to Die (Psalms)                                                    Communion

Dec. 24- It’s the Most Wonderful Time (Isaiah)                                Christmas Eve

Dec. 25 – In the Right Place at the Right Time (Minor Prophets)          Christmas DAY

You’re invited, please join us!  Darrell

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The Final Judgment – Revelation 20:11-15

Posted on December 7, 2022 by dkoop

This passage describes the final sentencing of the lost and is the most serious, sobering, and tragic passage in the entire Bible. Commonly known as the Great White Throne Judgment, it is the last courtroom scene that will ever take place. After this there will never again be a trial, and God will never again need to act as judge. The accused, all the unsaved who have ever lived, will be resurrected to experience a trial like no other that has ever been. There will be no debate over their guilt or innocence. There will be a prosecutor, but no defender; an accuser, but no advocate. There will be an indictment, but no defense mounted by the accused; the convicting evidence will be presented with no rebuttal or cross-examination. There will be an utterly unsympathetic Judge and no jury, and there will be no appeal of the sentence He pronounces. The guilty will be punished eternally with no possibility of parole in a prison from which there is no escape.

The language of this passage is plain, stark, and unembellished. Few details are given, and the description is utterly lacking in the vivid, eloquent modifiers that might be expected. But the scene is frightening enough in its own right that such language would be superfluous. The beloved apostle John, recording this vision in a cave or on a hillside on the island of Patmos, no doubt was shaken as he wrote of the eternal damnation of the wicked.

Ever since the Fall, Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44), has attempted to deceive people about the reality of the coming judgment. He has done his best to convince people that there will be no final tribunal. Satan has deceived sinners into believing that they can live as they please without fear of ultimate accountability or future punishment. Satan said to Eve, “You surely will not die!” (Gen. 3:4), thus voicing his denial of judgment on sin. The primary means the devil uses in his deception are atheism (particularly the godless theory of evolution) and false religion. Atheism’s denial of God’s existence means there is no moral Judge to whom people are accountable after they die. They wrongly believe that they are free to sin as they please and then simply pass out of existence. The gods of most false religions are not holy, requiring inward righteousness and heart obedience, and they are appeased by ritual and ceremony; thus these gods inspire no fear of accountability in their worshipers.

But despite the vain, foolish speculations of men, the true and living God is the Supreme Judge of the universe. His judgment of unbelievers will be just, because He is just. Deuteronomy 32:4 says of God, “His work is perfect, for all His ways are just; a God of faithfulness and without injustice, righteous and upright is He.” Job 37:23-24 declares, “The Almighty—we cannot find Him; He is exalted in power and He will not do violence to justice and abundant righteousness. Therefore men fear Him.” God cannot but be just, because the absolutely holy perfection of His nature will not allow Him to do anything but what is right. God’s will is the supreme standard of justice and equity, and He wills nothing but what is just, right, and true.

The Scene:

20:11 And I saw a great white throne, and I saw the one who was sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide.NLT Next, John saw a great white throne, a large and majestic throne. He saw the one who was sitting on it, but he did not identify the one on the throne. Throughout Revelation, it is God who is pictured as sitting on a throne (see, for example, 4:2; 7:10; 19:4). Daniel had a similar vision:

As I looked, thrones were set in place, and the Ancient of Days took his seat. His clothing was as white as snow; the hair of his head was white like wool. His throne was flaming with fire, and its wheels were all ablaze. A river of fire was flowing, coming out from before him. Thousands upon thousands attended him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him. (Daniel 7:9-10 niv)

Some suggest that the one sitting on the great white throne is Jesus, citing Matthew 25:31, “When the Son of Man comes in his glory . . . he will sit upon his glorious throne” (nlt); John 5:22, “And the Father leaves all judgment to his Son” (nlt); and 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged” (nlt).

With the appearance of this one on the throne, the earth and sky fled from his presence, but they found no place to hide. This poetic imagery could describe the dissolution of everything material and corrupt in the presence of God as Judge; it could also depict the end of the old earth and old heavens—in preparation for the creation of the new (21:1). No one could “hide” from God, for there is no place from which anything can flee from God’s presence (Psalm 139:7). Other verses picture a disappearance of the heavens and the earth (quoted from niv):

  • “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail” (Isaiah 51:6).
  • “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
  • “But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat” (2 Peter 3:10-12).

The Summons:

20:12-13 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. And the sea gave up the dead that were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and all were judged according to what they had done.NRSV The phrase “dead, great and small” probably refers to all people—believers and nonbelievers. No one will escape God’s scrutiny. Why they are called “the dead” is uncertain. Some suggest that this is only the judgment of unbelievers because they would be the ones still dead who would take part in the second resurrection (20:5). However, it most likely stands for everyone, for God “will judge everyone, both the living and the dead” (1 Peter 4:5 nlt). The throne before which they were standing is the great white throne described in 20:11. The picture that Christ gave of this judgment scene seems to indicate the judgment of all people:

When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left. . . . and they [the unrighteous—the goats] will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous [the sheep] will go into eternal life.” (Matthew 25:31-33, 46 nlt)

This is the great and final judgment, the place where the books will be opened, including another book called  The Book of Life. As noted in 3:5, the Book of Life is the heavenly registry of those who have accepted Christ’s gift of salvation. All believers’ names are written in the Book of Life. All people will be judged according to their works, as recorded in the books. . . according to what they had done. The idea of judgment by works is a theme throughout the Old

and New Testaments (Psalm 62:12; Jeremiah 17:10; Daniel 7:10; Romans 2:6; 14:10-12; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Peter 1:17). No one will be forgotten at this final gathering—those who had drowned in the sea will return, even Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them. In 6:8, Death and Hades were inseparable as riders of the pale horse, representing the realm of the dead. Hell was not prepared for man. God never meant that man would ever go to hell. Hell was prepared for the devil and his angels, but man rebelled against God and followed the devil. . . . Hell is essentially and basically banishment from the presence of God for deliberately rejecting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Billy Graham

 

Believers will be judged—not to see if they merit eternal life, for their names will already be in the Book of Life. This will be a judgment for rewards. Believers’ works cannot save them, but their deeds are important to God. Although “no one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have—Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11 nlt), the deeds with which believers build their lives do matter. “Now anyone who builds on that foundation may use gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But there is going to come a time of testing at the judgment day to see what kind of work each builder has done. Everyone’s work will be put through the fire to see whether or not it keeps its value. If the work survives the fire, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builders themselves will be saved, but like someone escaping through a wall of flames” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15 nlt).

Unbelievers also will be judged according to their works, but, of course, no works, no matter how good, will be able to save them.

LIFE APPLICATION – BY THE BOOK
At the judgment, the books will be opened. These books contain the recorded deeds of everyone, good or evil. Everyone’s life will be reviewed and evaluated. No one is saved by deeds, but deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God. Jesus will look at how we have handled gifts, opportunities, and responsibilities. God’s gracious gift of salvation does not free us from the requirement of faithful obedience and service. Each of us must serve Christ in the best way we know and live each day knowing the books will be opened.

CHART: THE CERTAINTY OF THE RESURRECTION

The resurrection is a certainty based on God’s Word. The following verses are quoted from the NLT.

Author Quote
Job “I know that my Redeemer lives . . . And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God.” (Job 19:25-26)
David “When I awake, I will be fully satisfied, for I will see you face to face.” (Psalm 17:15)
Descendants of Korah “But as for me, God will redeem my life. He will snatch me from the power of death” (Psalm 49:15)
Isaiah “Yet we have this assurance: Those who belong to God will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy. For God’s light of life will fall like dew on his people in the place of the dead!” (Isaiah 26:19)
Daniel “Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting contempt . . . You will rise again to receive the inheritance set aside for you.” (Daniel 12:2, 13)
Jesus “He will even raise from the dead anyone he wants to, just as the Father does.” (John 5:21)
Jesus “And this is the will of God, that I should not lose even one of all those he has given me, but that I should raise them to eternal life at the last day.” (John 6:39)
Jesus “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.” (John 11:25)
Paul “I have hope in God . . . that he will raise both the righteous and the ungodly” (Acts 24:15)
Paul “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as he raised Christ from the dead, he will give life to your mortal body by this same Spirit living within you.” (Romans 8:11)
Paul “And God will raise our bodies from the dead by his marvelous power, just as he raised our Lord from the dead.” (1 Corinthians 6:14)
Paul “Christ was raised first; then when Christ comes back, all his people will be raised.” (1 Corinthians 15:23)
Paul “When we die and leave these bodies—we will have a home in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself.” (2 Corinthians 5:1)

CHART: THE COMING JUDGMENT

Other places in Scripture describe this judgment (quoted from NLT).

“The Ancient One sat down to judge . . . the court began its session, and the books were opened.” (Daniel 7:9-10)

“For I, the Son of Man, will come in the glory of my Father with his angels and will judge all people according to their deeds.” (Matthew 16:27)

“For there is going to come a day of judgment when God, the just judge of all the world, will judge all people according to what they have done.” (Romans 2:5-6)

“The day will surely come when God, by Jesus Christ, will judge everyone’s secret life.” (Romans 2:16)

“Each of us will stand personally before the judgment seat of God . . . Each of us will have to give a personal account to God.” (Romans 14:10, 12)

“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

“Christ Jesus . . . will someday judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom.” (2 Timothy 4:1)

“It is destined that each person dies only once and after that comes judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

“But just remember that you will have to face God, who will judge everyone, both the living and the dead.” (1 Peter 4:5)

“The Lord knows how to rescue godly people from their trials, even while punishing the wicked right up until the day of judgment.” (2 Peter 2:9)

“And God has also commanded that the heavens and the earth will be consumed by fire on the day of judgment, when ungodly people will perish.” (2 Peter 3:7)

“And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence.” (1 John 4:17)

“Look, the Lord is coming with thousands of his holy ones. He will bring the people of the world to judgment. He will convict the ungodly of all the evil things they have done in rebellion.” (Jude 14-15)

The Sentence:

20:14-15 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.NIV Death and Hades, here personified, were thrown into the lake of fire. God’s judgment was finished. Paul had written, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (1 Corinthians 15:26 niv). John exclaimed that in heaven, “there will be no more death” (21:4 nlt). Isaiah had foreseen this day, “He will swallow up death forever!” (Isaiah 25:8 nlt).

The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked—Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death, Hades, and anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.NLT Those whose names were not found recorded in the Book of Life are those who did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. This is the second death. They died the first time physically; this time their death was spiritual (see also 20:6). John’s vision does not permit any gray areas in God’s judgment. Jesus, when describing this final judgment scene, spoke to unbelievers, “Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons” (Matthew 25:41 nlt). Those who do not, by faith, accept Christ as Savior and confess him as Lord, will find that they have been cast away with no hope, no second chance, no appeal.

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Sources: Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – Revelation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2000), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 237-250.

John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Revelation 12-22, (Chicago: Moody Press, 2000), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 245-247.

 

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The Millennium – Revelation 20: 1-10

Posted on December 7, 2022 by dkoop

Imagine a world dominated by righteousness and goodness, a world where there is no injustice, where no court ever renders an unjust verdict, and where everyone is treated fairly. Imagine a world where what is true, right, and noble marks every aspect of life, including interpersonal relations, commerce, education, and government. Imagine a world where there is complete, total, enforced, and permanent peace, where joy abounds and good health prevails, so much so that people live for hundreds of years. Imagine a world where the curse is removed, where the environment is restored to the pristine purity of the Garden of Eden, where peace reigns even in the animal kingdom, so that “in that day the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them” (Isa. 11:6). Imagine a world ruled by a perfect, glorious Ruler, who instantly and firmly deals with sin.

Humanly speaking, that description may seem far-fetched, a utopian fantasy that could never be reality. Yet it accurately describes conditions during the future earthly kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ. The restored and radically reconstructed earth of the millennial kingdom will constitute paradise regained. The thousand-year reign of the Savior over the earth is the divinely planned and promised culmination of all of redemptive history and the realization of the hope of all the saints of all the ages.

The millennial kingdom is called by many names in Scripture. In Matthew 19:28 Jesus calls it “the regeneration.” Acts 3:19 describes the kingdom as “times of refreshing,” while verse 21 of that chapter calls it “the period of restoration of all things.” The apostle Paul refers to it in Ephesians 1:10 as “an administration suitable to the fullness of the times.”

The Bible’s teaching on the kingdom is not confined to the New Testament. The kingdom is an important theme throughout Scripture; it is the goal toward which all of redemptive history progresses. In the words of John Bright, “The Bible is one book. Had we to give that book a title, we might with justice call it ‘The Book of the Coming Kingdom of God'” (The Kingdom of God [Nashville: Abingdon, 1953], 197; italics in original). Among the many Old Testament passages that speak of the earthly kingdom are Deuteronomy 30:1-5; 2 Samuel 7:12-16; Psalm 2:6-12; Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:1-10; 12:1-6; 24:23; 32:15-20; 35:1-2; 60:10-18; 65:20-22; Jeremiah 3:14-18; 23:5-6; 30:3; 31:35-40; 33:14-18; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 36:16-38; 37:15-28; Daniel 2:44-45; Hosea 3:4-5; Joel 3:18-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:1-8; Zephaniah 3:14-20; and Zechariah 14:9-11.

God’s kingdom may be broadly defined as the sphere in which He reigns. In its universal, eternal sense, God’s kingdom encompasses everything that exists, because God is the sovereign ruler over all of His creation. David declared that truth in Psalm 103:19: “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” Historically, God has mediated His rule on earth through His people, first through Adam and Eve, then Abel, Seth, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, the judges of Israel (including Samuel), and the kings of Israel and Judah. In the present era, God mediates His rule politically through human governments (Rom. 13:1-7) and spiritually through the church (Acts 20:25; Rom. 14:17; Col. 1:13). In the millennial kingdom, the political and religious elements of God’s temporal, earthly rule will be reunited in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ.

*Taking the text of Revelation 20 (and the numerous other biblical passages that speak of the earthly kingdom) at face value leads to a “Premillennial” view of eschatology. That is, Christ will return, and then establish a literal kingdom on earth, which will last for a thousand years.

There are two other major views of the Millennium in addition to a Premillennial view: Postmillennial and Amillennial

  1. A Postmillennial view is in some ways the opposite of Premillennial view. A Premillennial believes that Christ will return before the Millennium; A Postmillennial teaches that He will return at the end of the Millennium. Premillennialism teaches that the period immediately before Christ’s return will be the worst in human history; postmillennialism teaches that before His return will come the best period in history, so that Christ will return at the end of a long golden age of peace and harmony. (Most Postmillennial believers deny that the Millennium will last for one thousand actual years; they arbitrarily view that number as symbolic of a long period of time.) “The millennium to which the Postmillennial looks forward is thus a golden age of prosperity during this present dispensation, that is, during the Church Age” (Loraine Boettner, “Postmillennialism,” in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views Robert G. Clouse, ed. [Downers Grove, Ill: InterVarsity, 1977], 117). That golden age, according to Postmillennial, will result from the spread of the gospel throughout the world and the conversion of a majority of the human race to Christianity. Thus “Christ will return to a truly Christianized world” (Boettner, “Postmillennialism,” 118). The millennial kingdom, according to a Postmillennial, will be established by the church, not by the personal intervention of Jesus Christ. Nor will Christ reign personally on earth during the Millennium, but rather through His church.

In keeping with the generally optimistic views of those eras, Postmillennial beliefs flourished in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The impact of the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, the rapid pace of scientific discovery, and Darwin’s theory of evolution convinced many that society was progressing inevitably toward a utopia. That optimistic view was in harmony with postmillennialism, which also teaches that the world is going to get better and better (though by different means). But the numbing horror of the First World War, the moral decadence of the Roaring Twenties, the hard times of the Great Depression, the madness of the Nazi’s slaughter of the Jews, and the worldwide catastrophe of the Second World War brought an end to the naive optimism that had prevailed before World War I. Postmillennialism accordingly also declined in popularity. In recent years, however, there has been a resurgence of postmillennialism in such movements as Liberation Theology, Kingdom Theology, and Theonomy.

2. The name “Amillennial” is somewhat misleading, since it implies that amillennialists do not believe in a millennium. While it is true that they reject the concept of an earthly millennium, and especially one that is actually a Millennium (one thousand years in duration), Amillennialists do believe in a kingdom. They believe the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s kingdom are being fulfilled now, either by the saints reigning with Christ in heaven, or (spiritually, not literally) by the church on earth. (Amillennialists would also apply some of those Old Testament prophecies to the eternal state.) Far from disbelieving in the Millennium, Amillennialists believe we are in it now: “As far as the thousand years of Revelation 20 are concerned, we are in the millennium now” (Anthony A. Hoekema, “Amillennialism,” in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, ed. Clouse, 181).

John MacArthur states, “There is absolutely no exegetical reason or source for this conclusion and no warrant for abandoning the historical, grammatical hermeneutic when interpreting prophecy. Such is purely an arbitrary act on the part of the interpreter, based on his presuppositions. Furthermore, there is no reason to deny a literal one thousand years as the duration of the kingdom of Christ on earth.

It is highly doubtful that any symbolic number would be repeated six times in a text, as “one thousand” is here.

For the first century and a half after the close of the New Testament era, the church was largely Premillennial. Among the church fathers of that period who believed in a literal thousand-year earthly Millennium were Papias (a disciple of the apostle John), Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, Tertullian, and the author of the Epistle of Barnabas. That premillennial consensus was challenged by the members of the Alexandrian school (most notably Origen), who advocated an allegorical approach to interpreting Scripture. The famous church historian Eusebius also rejected a literal, earthly Millennium, as did the noted Bible scholar Jerome. But it was the influence of Augustine, the greatest theologian of the early church, that ensured that amillennialism would dominate the church for centuries. Amillennialism was the view of the Reformers, and today most scholars in the Reformed tradition are amillennialists.

At the heart of the debate over millennial views is the issue of hermeneutics. All sides in the debate agree that interpreting Old Testament prophecy literally leads naturally to premillennialism. Amillennialist Floyd E. Hamilton candidly acknowledges that truth: “Now we must frankly admit that a literal interpretation of the Old Testament prophecies gives us just such a picture of an earthly reign of the Messiah as the premillennialist pictures” (The Basis of Millennial Faith [Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1942], 38). Postmillennialist Loraine Boettner agrees with Hamilton’s assessment: “It is generally agreed that if the prophecies are taken literally, they do foretell a restoration of the nation of Israel in the land of Palestine with the Jews having a prominent place in that kingdom and ruling over the other nations” (“A Postmillennial Response [to Dispensational Premillennialism],” in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, ed. Clouse, 95).

In light of the above admissions, the question that naturally arises is “Why not take the Old Testament prophecies of the Millennium literally?” Those who reject a literal interpretation argue that the New Testament appears to interpret some Old Testament prophecies nonliterally. But in most cases, the New Testament is not interpreting those prophecies, but merely applying principles found in them. In fact, scores of Old Testament prophecies relating to Christ’s first coming were literally fulfilled.

There are several compelling reasons for interpreting Old Testament prophecies literally.

  1. First, if the literal sense of a passage is rejected, who is to determine what the nonliteral or spiritual sense is, since the normal rules of interpretation do not apply? Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., poses the dilemma:

Who or what will arbitrate among the various [nonliteral] meanings suggested and decide which are to be accepted as authoritative and which are spurious? Short of saying that every person’s fancy is his or her own rule, there does not appear to be any final court of appeal… There simply are no justifiable criteria for setting boundaries once the interpreter departs from the normal usage of language. (Back Toward the Future [Grand Rapids: Baker, 1989], 129-30)

2. Second, adopting a nonliteral view of the Old Testament kingdom prophecies raises some disturbing questions: What did those prophecies mean to those to whom they were addressed? If prophecies seemingly addressed to Israel really apply to the church (which did not exist at that time), did God give revelation that failed to reveal? And if those prophecies were meant to apply symbolically to the church, why were they addressed to Israel? What meaning could such prophecies have in their historical settings? Ironically, many who spiritualize Old Testament prophecies reject the futurist interpretation of Revelation because it allegedly robs the book of its meaning for those to whom it was written. Yet they do the very same thing with the Old Testament kingdom prophecies.

3. Third, spiritualizing those prophecies leads to some glaring inconsistencies. It is inconsistent to argue that the cursings they pronounce apply literally to Israel, while the blessings they promise apply symbolically and spiritually to the church. An example of inconsistency in the spiritualizing method of interpreting prophecy comes from the angel Gabriel’s words to Mary in Luke 1:31-33: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” If, as all conservative scholars agree, Jesus was literally conceived in Mary’s womb, literally named “Jesus,” literally became great, was literally “the Son of the Most High,” will He not also literally reign on David’s throne over Israel? Can the same passage be interpreted both literally and nonliterally? Further, both Amillennialists and Postmillennialists interpret some prophetic events literally, such as Christ’s second coming, the Great White Throne judgment, and the new heavens and the new earth. Why not interpret the millennial kingdom literally?

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Sources: John MacArthur, MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Revelation 12-22, (Chicago: Moody Press, 2000), WORD search CROSS e-book, 228-229.

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The Second Coming of Jesus in Victory – Revelation 19:11-21

Posted on December 6, 2022 by dkoop

As we read the book of Revelation, it’s important to not get overly bogged down, confused or argumentative about all the details of the spectacular visions; we need to remember that the overarching theme in all the visions is the ultimate victory of Jesus Christ over evil.

John’s vision shifts again. Heaven opened and Jesus appeared, this time not as a Lamb but as a warrior on a white horse (symbolizing victory). Jesus had come first as a Lamb to be a sacrifice for sin, but he will return as a Conqueror and King to execute judgment (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). Jesus’ first coming brought forgiveness; his second will bring judgment. The battle lines had been drawn between God and evil, and the world was waiting for the King to ride onto the field.

19:11-12 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.NIV This verse describes the second coming of Christ—the moment God’s people had been waiting for:

  • Christ said, “You will see me, the Son of Man, sitting at God’s right hand in the place of power and coming back on the clouds of heaven” (Mark 14:62 nlt).
  • Christ said, “The Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory” (Luke 24:30 niv).
  • An angel told the disciples, “Jesus has been taken away from you into heaven. And someday, just as you saw him go, he will return!” (Acts 1:11 nlt).
  • Paul wrote, “God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with everlasting destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power when he comes to receive glory and praise from his holy people” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 nlt).

Christ’s return will be unmistakable. Heaven will be standing open, as Christ, the rider on a white horse, makes his entrance. The white horse symbolizes victory. (Some think this is the same rider as mentioned in 6:2, who was also on a white horse. They suggest that the rider symbolized Christ and the spread of the Good News across the world.  This rider is called Faithful and True, in contrast with the faithless and deceitful Babylon described in chapter 18 (see also 3:14). Christ, the great warrior, comes with justice, and with that justice he judges and makes war. The order of words indicates that the warfare is a result of God’s judgment on the inhabitants of the earth who have completely rejected him. Although Jesus is called “Faithful and True,” “Word of God” (19:13), and “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16), these verses imply that no name can do him justice. He is greater than any description or expression the human mind can devise.

His eyes are like blazing fire (see also 1:14; 2:18). Christ’s many crowns symbolize his ultimate authority (contrast this with the seven crowns on the dragon in 12:3 and the ten crowns on the Beast in 13:1). He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. Although many possibilities have been proposed, most likely this is a name that the believers were not meant to know, at least not yet.

When Christ returns as the rider on the white horse, is this the point where he “raptures” the church, or has that already happened? There is much discussion regarding the Rapture of the and the Second Coming of Christ.  John is describing the Second Coming here. The “Rapture” is described in other places in Scripture.

  • “No one knows the day or the hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows. When the Son of Man returns, it will be like it was in Noah’s day . . . People didn’t realize what was going to happen until the Flood came and swept them all away. That is the way it will be when the Son of Man comes. Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left. So be prepared, because you don’t know what day your Lord is coming” (Matthew 24:36-37, 40-42 nlt).
  • “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52 niv).
  • “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the call of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, all the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and remain with him forever” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 nlt).

At the Rapture, Christ will bring his people to be with him. The Rapture is separate event from the Second Coming.

The Rapture and the Second Coming differ:

  1. The Rapture can occur at any time and will affect only true believers, while the Second Coming will affect the entire world.
  2. At the Rapture Christ won’t completely descend to earth; instead, believers will meet the Lord in the air. At the Second Coming, Christ will descend to earth.
  3. The Rapture will remove believers from the earth; the Second Coming will remove the wicked from the earth so that only believers enter the millennial kingdom.

Whenever the Rapture of the church occurs, it is already certain that the rider on the white horse will come in victory and that believers will be with him in heaven. While the various views on these topics can be difficult to understand, it is far more important that every believer knows on which side of the battle he or she is on. Those who remain faithful to Christ, no matter what, will receive all that God has promised.

19:13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.NIV The believers who had come out of the Great Tribulation had “washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white” (7:14 nlt). Christ himself, when he rides to the earth on the white horse, will be dressed in a robe dipped in blood. Some suggest that this is the blood of the martyrs; some think it is the blood of Christ’s enemies (referring to a similar passage in Isaiah 63:1-6); others think that this is the Lamb’s own blood which, ultimately, brings about this final day of victory.

Another name is given for Christ, the Word of God. In Greek, the word for “Word” is logos, also used in John’s Gospel, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1 niv; see also John 1:14; 1 John 1:1). Jesus is the final word of God, the voice of God himself, the revealer of God.

19:14 And the armies of heaven, wearing fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.NRSV Accompanying Christ are the armies of heaven, referring to all believers who have been taken to heaven (in the Rapture, which will have occurred at some point prior to this although believers are divided as to when this will happen). Here the believers will be returning to earth with Christ as part of his vast army. They will be wearing fine linen, white and pure, as noted also in 19:8. Some suggest that this army will be angels because Christ had spoken of returning with his angels (Matthew 24:30-31). Most likely, however, this army will be believers because 17:14 says, “They [the Beast and the false prophet] will make war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will overcome them . . . and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers” (niv).

The believers will come with Christ on white horses. They will not come to fight, however, for there will not need to be a battle. Christ will conquer with his potent word (19:15).

19:15 From his mouth came a sharp sword, and with it he struck down the nations. He ruled them with an iron rod, and he trod the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God.NLT Christ is described as having a sharp sword coming from his mouth. This is also seen in 1:16 and 2:12. The word for “sword” used here, however, is not the small two-edged sword but a mighty sword that is four or five feet long. This was the sword used by cavalry soldiers. Christ’s words of judgment are as sharp as swords. With that sword, he struck down the nations. Isaiah had prophesied of Christ, “He will rule against the wicked and destroy them with the breath of his mouth” (Isaiah 11:4 nlt).

The picture of Christ ruling with an iron rod (or scepter) describes him beating down the nations (see also 2:27). This is not a king’s scepter that is merely symbolic of power; instead, it is a club with which he will destroy them. The psalmist had written of the Messiah, “You will break [the nations] with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots” (Psalm 2:9 nlt).

Lastly, Christ is pictured as treading the winepress of the fierce wrath of almighty God. The winepress image appeared in 14:19-20; it describes God’s great wrath against those who had rejected him. Here, God’s fierce anger is directed at all of sin personified. At this point, God will totally destroy sin and evil. A winepress is a large vat where grapes are collected and then crushed. It is often used in the Bible to symbolize judgment (Isaiah 63:3-6; Lamentations 1:15; Joel 3:12-13).

 LIFE APPLICATION – MERCY . . . AND JUDGMENT
This scene provides a graphic display of the wrath of God. It shows God’s anger and judgment against sin and against those who have constantly rejected Christ as the means of forgiveness and reconciliation. God’s wrath exists alongside his mercy. In each generation, there must be balanced preaching and teaching about God’s grace and his anger against sin. In Martin Luther’s day, God had been presented as so wrathful that grace and forgiveness needed to be reemphasized and taught to the people.
In our day, however, teaching about God’s love and tolerance have become so predominant that God’s anger seems to be mythical. Such a portrayal of God hardly warns people away from sin. Teaching about God’s wrath may be watered down by some, but it is nevertheless real and will be terrible for those who have steadfastly refused him (1 Thessalonians 1:10). In your study and teaching, do not emphasize God’s mercy to the exclusion of his wrath.

19:16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name inscribed, “King of kings and Lord of lords.”NRSV Most of the world will be worshiping the Beast, the Antichrist, whom they believe has all power and authority. Then suddenly out of heaven Christ and his army will appear. On his robe and on his thigh (easily seen, for he is on a horse), he has a name inscribed. This title indicates God’s sovereignty—King of kings and Lord of lords. This title is used elsewhere in Scripture, always indicating God’s absolute sovereignty over all other kings and lords (see 17:14; Deuteronomy 10:17; Daniel 2:47; 1 Timothy 6:15).

19:17-18 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly in midheaven, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and their riders—flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.”NRSV John saw another angel; this one described as standing in the sun and calling out to all the birds that fly in midheaven—referring to the eagles and the vultures, birds of carrion. This will be the most gruesome single act of carnage ever in the history of mankind; the entire army will come to do battle and, with the word of Christ, they will be totally annihilated. Their flesh will be left for the birds to eat, for there will be no one left to bury the dead. A previous description of this battle included how “the blood flowed from the winepress in a stream about 180 miles long and as high as a horse’s bridle” (14:20 nlt). This great supper of God is a grim contrast to the wedding supper of the Lamb (19:9). Both will be provided by God—but one will be a celebration, the other will be devastation.

The angel called the birds together before the battle. Again, the picture is clear of the certainty of the final outcome. Ezekiel had written God’s words to him in a prophecy of this final battle, “‘And now, son of man, call all the birds and wild animals,’ says the Sovereign Lord. ‘Say to them, “Gather together for my great sacrificial feast. Come from far and near to the mountains of Israel, and there eat the flesh and drink the blood. . . . Feast at my banquet table—feast on horses, riders, and valiant warriors” (Ezekiel 39:17, 20 nlt).

19:19 Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse and against his army.NRSV This beast  or antichrist is the same one that had risen out of the sea (chapter 13; see the post here). The phrase “kings of the earth” refers to the “ten horns” that John had seen on the Beast (see 13:1), and, most likely, their number symbolizes all the kings of the earth who pledge allegiance to the Antichrist. At the pouring out of the sixth bowl of God’s wrath, “miracle-working demons caused all the rulers of the world to gather for battle against the Lord . . . to a place called Armageddon” (16:14-16 nlt). Chapter 16 gave a preview of what was to come and how; chapter 19 describes the event itself. Here, verse 19 tells of the assembly for the battle of Armageddon.

The Beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered to make war against the rider on the horse (Christ) and against his army (the redeemed). The battle lines had been drawn, and the greatest confrontation in the history of the world was about to begin. The enemy armies believed they had come of their own volition; in reality, God had summoned them to battle in order to defeat them. That they would even presume to fight against God shows how pride and rebellion had perverted their thinking.

19:20 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.NIV The two armies sat facing each other—the Beast and all the kings of the earth versus the rider on the white horse and his redeemed people. Suddenly, the battle was over. There was no fight, for, in a second, the end had come. There was no need for a battle because the victory had been won centuries earlier when the rider on the white horse, Christ, had died on a cross. At that time, Satan had been defeated; here at Armageddon, he is finally stripped of all his power. Satan’s beast (the Antichrist, described in 13:1-10) was captured. In addition, his false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf was also captured, for he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. This is described in 13:11-18 and discussed in this post.

The Beast and the false prophet were captured and thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the final destination of all evil. At this point, however, only these two evil beings received this punishment. This lake is different from the Abyss (bottomless pit) referred to in 9:1; it is the Gehenna of 14:10-11 and 19:3 (see commentary there). There are several statements concerning both spiritual powers and people being thrown into the lake of fire. Here, the Antichrist and the false prophet were thrown into the fiery lake. Next, their leader, Satan himself, will be thrown into that lake (20:10), and finally death and Hades (20:14). Afterward, everyone whose name is not recorded in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire (20:15).

 LIFE APPLICATION – THE END OF EVIL
Evil’s final destination will be a fiery lake. Throughout Scripture, fire portrays God’s searing holiness, and burning sulfur reflects his awful judgment as he exacts retribution for evil (Genesis 19:24; Ezekiel 38:22; Hebrews 10:30). Hell is a horrible reality, a place of endless torment, but hell was designed for Satan and his demons. The people sent there will be those who viciously attack God and join Satan in his rebellion against God. In The Problem of Pain, C. S. Lewis wrote that “the doors to hell are locked on the inside” to keep God and goodness out. The warnings of Revelation were given to keep believers faithful to Christ and active in his service. Keep your trust in him strong, and be vigilant in withstanding evil.

 

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Source:  Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary – Revelation, (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale, 2000), WORDsearch CROSS e-book, 225-235.

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