Truth Matters - Weekend, 16

Hello, this is Will Hardy with ManTalk Radio.

We are all about breaking down the walls of race and denomination. Your chosen Truth Network Podcast is starting in just a few minutes. Enjoy it, share it, but most of all, thank you for listening to the Truth Podcast Network. This is the Truth Network. Welcome to the weekend edition of Truth Matters with Dr. Cheryl Davis.

Heard daily on this station at 8 20 a.m. and 5 20 p.m. Truth Matters is a ministry of the Truth Project, whose mission is to empower men and women in the Christian faith to teach biblical truth in the culture and marketplace of ideas, using the Bible as a sacred trust of truth and sharing the message of Jesus. Learn more about the ministry of the Truth Project at www.projecttruthmatters.com. Coming up, information on the marriage supper of the Lamb, plus other events leading up to the second coming of Christ and more.

Let's join this week's extended edition of Truth Matters. We will be clothed in bright and clean linen, which is the righteous acts of the saints. So how will you be dressed at the judgment seat of Christ? If your righteous acts determine your clothing, how will you be dressed at the judgment seat of Christ?

You know, and I think there are probably two categories. You're going to look kind of shabby, or you're going to be dressed lavishly, and only you know that. You know, only you know what you do and why you do it, and we are saved for works. Not that our works get us salvation, I'm not saying that, but we are saved for works, and after we're saved our works matter.

So I think we should all look at how busy we are, and really are we busy just to be busy, and are we busy doing vain things, but are the things that we're doing truly authentic and glorifying God. Let's move on to the supper meal in verse 9. The marriage supper is mentioned in verse 9. The marriage ceremony appears to take place in heaven, but the marriage supper seems to be held on earth. After the wedding ceremony, the Lord returns to earth with his bride at the second coming. In verse 9 it says, blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper, more than just the bride, which is the church and the bridegroom. So I want to read, and so we're thinking, oh you know there's a marriage ceremony in heaven with the church and Christ, but it appears that there are more people at the marriage supper of the lamb. So blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the lamb.

So who else is there? You know, if it's the church and Christ, who else is there? So I think John tells us in chapter 3 as to who that's going to be. So let's turn to John chapter 3 verse 29. He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.

Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled. John the Baptist here is speaking, and he's speaking of a friend of the groom, who in that passage really has to be Israel. Therefore it would appear that the marriage supper of the lamb is held on earth, so that the redeemed of Israel, who have gone through the tribulation and survived the persecutions of the antichrist, may attend and rejoice at the marriage supper of the lamb. The Old Testament story of Abraham's preparation of a bride for Isaac really is illustrative of the marriage supper, or is illustrative of the marriage ceremony of the lamb. If you look at Abraham, who in this case could represent God, Isaac, who we've known as a type of Christ, he would represent Christ, and how Abraham sent out Eleazar to go and find him a bride. Eleazar represents the Holy Spirit. And Rebekah, who is the bride for Isaac, we are the bride for the modern day church for Christ.

The Holy Spirit has been moving throughout the earth seeking out the bride of Christ, just as Eleazar went out seeking a bride for Isaac. So those are some very interesting verses. I don't think that the marriage supper of the lamb is on the top of mind for a lot of Christians, basically. I think the average Christian is saying, you know, am I going to make it to heaven? And when I get to heaven, I worry about it when I get there. But we can learn a lot about heaven in the book of Revelation.

And maybe, just maybe, it would motivate us to live our lives differently. So if you learn anything from what I just said, our works can accompany us into heaven. The works that we do here on earth can accompany us into heaven.

And so I'm asking you, those works that you're doing, will they make it through the fire at the judgment seat of Christ? So let's move on to the last part of Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 through 21. We're going to focus on the second coming of Christ, which is really the great climax of the book of Revelation. So we're moving pretty quickly towards the end of Revelation from here on out. So I'm just going to read verses 11 through 21. Now I saw heaven opened and behold a white horse and he who sat on him was called faithful and true and in righteousness he judges and makes war his eyes were like a flame of fire and on his head were many crowns and he had a name written that no one except himself he was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of god and the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen white and clean followed him on white horses now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron he himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of almighty god and he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written king of kings and lord of lords then i saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven come and gather together for the supper of the great god you may eat the flesh of kings the flesh of captains the flesh of mighty men flesh of horses and those who sit on them and the flesh of all people free enslaved both small and great and i saw the beasts the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image these two were cast alive in the lake of fire burning with brimstone and the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of him who sat on the horse and all the birds were filled with their flesh this is pretty graphic verses and let's really break them down but first let's talk about the second coming of christ so beginning in chapter four of revelation we have seen planet earth ruined by men and ruled by satan but in these set of verses today we see the world reclaimed by jesus christ we don't know the date of the return of christ we just know for certain that it will happen we know the rapture can occur at any moment and the tribulation lasts seven years then the second coming of christ occurs the bible is filled with many references to christ second coming 1845 to be exact it is emphasized in 17 old testament books and 70 percent of the chapters of the new testament make reference to it jesus spoke very plainly about his second coming in luke chapter 21 verses 25 through 36 and there will be signs in the sun in the moon and in the stars and on the earth distress of nations with perplexity the sea and the waves roaring men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth for the powers of the heavens will be shaken then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory now in these things begin to happen look up and lift up your heads because your redemption draws near then he spoke to them a parable look at the fig tree and all the trees when they are already budding you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near so you also when you see these things happening know that the kingdom of god is near assuredly i say to you this generation will by no means pass away to all things take place heaven and earth will pass away but my words will no means pass away the second coming of christ is mentioned by the angels in acts one you may say well that was just jesus speaking of it in the gospels but let's get to acts chapter 1 verses 9 through 11 the angel spoke of this then and when jesus had ascended to heaven now when he had spoken these things while they watched he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up behold two men stood by them in white apparel who also said men of galilee why do you stand gazing up into heaven this same jesus who was taking up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven there is so much evidence there's abundance of evidence of the fact that christ is coming but we do not live our lives this way we do not live our lives as if we're focused on the second coming of christ but the world is saying where is the promise of his coming and second peter talks about that let's go to second peter chapter three beloved i now write to you the second epistle and both of which i stir up your pure minds by way of reminder that you may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets and of the commandment of us the apostles of the lord and savior knowing this first that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lust saying where is the promise of his coming for since the fathers fell asleep all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation for this they willfully forget that by the word of god the heavens were of old and the earth standing out of water and in the water by which the world that then existed perished being flooded with water but the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men but beloved do not forget this one thing that with the day that with the lord one day is a thousand years and a thousand years as one day the lord is not slack concerning his promise as some count slackness but his long suffering toward us not willing that any should perish that all should come to repentance but the day of the lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise and the elements will melt with fervent heat both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up therefore since all these things will be dissolved what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness looking for and hastening the coming of the day of god because of which the heavens will be dissolved being on fire and the elements will melt with fervent heat nevertheless we according to his promise look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells therefore beloved looking forward to these things be diligent to be found by him in peace without spot and blameless and is considered that the long suffering of our lord is salvation as also our beloved brother paul according to the wisdom given to him has written to you as also in all his epistles speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to understand which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction as they do also the rest of the scriptures you therefore beloved since you know this beforehand beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness being led away with the error of the wicked but grow in the grace and in the knowledge of our lord and savior jesus christ to him be the glory both now and forever amen you know every time we read the bible i see new things and i've read this probably 10 times in preparing for this and in the past but i never really realized willful forgetfulness that they have willfully forgotten for this they willfully forget in verse 5 for this they willfully forget the promises of god you know that's pretty powerful that the people in the earth are walking around saying where's the promise of his coming because they've willfully forgotten the word of god but this question is answered in revelation 19 verses 11 through 16 which is what we're focusing on today but if the bible makes anything clear it is that the second coming of christ will be a glorious event which all the world will witness believers and unbelievers alike and we find that in matthew chapter 24 verses 23 through 44 then if anyone says to you look here's the christ and there do not believe it for false christ and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive if possible even the elect see i have told you beforehand therefore if they say to you look he's in the desert do not go out look he's in the inner rooms do not believe it for as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west so also will be the coming of the son of man be for wherever the carcass is the eagles will be gathered together immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens will be shaken then the sign of the son of man will appear in heaven and all the tribes of the earth will mourn and they will see the son of man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together his elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other now learn this prayer from the fig tree we see this again when its branch has already become tender and put forth leaves you know that summer is near so you also know when you see all these things know that is near at the doors surely i say to you this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place heaven and earth will pass away but my words will by no means pass away for as in the days before the flood they were eating and drinking marrying and giving in marriage till the day that noah entered the ark did not know until the flood came and took them all away so also with the coming of the son of man be then two men will be in the field one will be taken the other one left two women will be grinding at the meal one will be taken the other left watch therefore for you do not know what hour your lord is coming but know this that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into therefore you also be ready for the son of man is coming in an hour which you do not expect so this is going to be a great and glorious event but it will be a surprise event it is not anticipated we do not know the time it will come like a thief in the night which behooves us to be prepared knowing all this you know getting back to second peter knowing all this what type of life should we live as far as godliness in our conduct you've been listening to the weekend edition of truth matters with dr cheryl davis truth matters is a ministry of the truth project a north carolina-based ministry dedicated to teaching biblical truth and sound theology to those inside and outside of the church if you'd like to listen to these messages on demand go to project truthmatters.com and click on the podcast link dr davis is also available to speak to your ministry group or church function she can be reached by email at cheryldavis at project truthmatters.com or if you'd like to send a letter the address is project truth matters post office box 159 st paul's north carolina 28384 you can hear truth matters devotionals on weekdays at 8 20 a.m and 5 20 p.m until next time let's all work together to teach a biblical truth to assist equip edify and encourage one another and bring the gospel to the world because truth matters this is the truth network