The Second Coming: Part 2 - Part B

I hope by now you can see there's a huge contrast between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ.

That we're talking about two distinct comings separated by a period of time. At the rapture, Jesus comes for his church. At the second coming, Jesus comes with his church. Today on Connect with Skip Heiting, Pastor Skip concludes his message, The Second Coming Part 2, and reveals that Jesus will come back twice.

Stay tuned for that encouraging message. But first, we want to tell you about a resource to give you a clear picture of God's plan for Israel. How have conflicts and wars in the Middle East set the stage for a future apocalypse? That's the question Ron Rhodes takes head on in his new book.

Listen to this. What do you see coming in the next five or six years that might do injury to the church? And without hesitation, I said, I really feel like we're going to see an explosion of subjectivism, experientialism, and mysticism, along with occultism and some paganism. How conflicts and wars in the Middle East have set the stage for the end times. This new book by Ron Rhodes addresses issues such as understanding Islam, rebuilding the temple, and the annihilation campaign from the Antichrist.

Here's Ron Rhodes commenting on Middle East events. Did you know that in Revelation 2 and 3, we read about the church 19 times, and then in the discussion on the tribulation in chapters 4 through 18, you don't see the church a single time. It is gone. In 1 Thessalonians 1 verse 10, we are told that the church is to be delivered from the wrath to come. That word delivered literally means snatched, snatched away from.

We are to be snatched away from the wrath to come, which is a reference to the tribulation period. With your gift of $50 or more to Connect with Skip Heitzig, you'll receive a copy of this new book from Ron Rhodes. Your gift will support the production and expansion of the Connect with Skip broadcast. Call 1-800-922-1888 or go online to connectwithskip.com with your donation, and we'll thank you with a copy of Ron Rhodes' new book, How Conflicts and Wars in the Middle East Have Set the Stage for the End Times.

That's 1-800-922-1888 or connectwithskip.com. Okay, let's get started. We're in Revelation 19 as Skip begins. Let me remind you of what we're dealing with earlier in Revelation in chapter 9. It happens just before what we're reading about, this judgment. It says this, but the rest of mankind who was not killed by these plagues did not repent of the works of their hands. Now, wouldn't you think that judgment comes somebody's way and the rest of the people go, okay, I see what's happening. Not going to go down that path, going to turn now to God.

Doesn't happen. It says, they did not repent of the works of their hands that they should not worship demons and idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk, and they did not repent of their murders, of their sorceries, or of their sexual immorality, or of their thefts. Then a couple chapters later, chapter 16, same tribulation period, the fifth angel poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. His kingdom became full of darkness. They gnawed their tongues because of the pain, and they blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds.

So I want you to get this picture. We're talking about people who have rejected the testimony of two witnesses during this period. They've rejected the testimony of 144,000 who get saved, Jewish evangelists. They reject the testimony of an angel flying through heaven, preaching the everlasting gospel over and over and over.

They just hardened their hearts. So on that day, I was your Savior. On this day, I'm your judge.

On this day, I'm your judge. And the reason I bring this up is also because, though I'm hoping that is not happening here, I'm guessing that there may be a few who sit here week after month after year. They've heard. They've listened. They say, no, no, no, no, no to you, God, taking over my life.

Not going to happen. Just know, today He'll be your Savior. There's coming a day when He must be your judge. And you say, well, I thought God was a God of love.

He is. Part of His love is His holiness. He's a God of love. He's also a God of truth. And some say, well, God is too good to punish sin.

Now, listen, listen. God is too good not to punish sin. That's not a God of love. I don't want Adolf Hitler skating into the gates of heaven. I'm not going to rub shoulders with him. Oh, you know what?

He met well. No, I want justice. And there will be that day. Today, I will be your judge. So it will be seen universally. Universally?

It won't be seen in a university, probably. It will end all hostility. And now, number three, it will include an assembly. Okay, this is where you come in. You'll be interested in this.

Verse 14, and the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Who do you think that is? You think it's us? How many of you think it's us?

Raise your hand. Yeah, so do I. I think it's us. And what are we wearing? We're wearing white garments. Wow.

Here's why I think it's us. Go back to verse 8 or verse 7. Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. We know the church is called the Bride of Christ. And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. It has to be the church.

These are New Testament saints. This is the Bride of Christ, and we're wearing white garments. You know what that symbolizes?

Your purity. You don't deserve that. Say to your neighbor, you don't deserve that.

No, you don't have to do that. But it's true. You don't deserve that.

I don't deserve that. But the reason we have white garments isn't because we're so awesome and holy, and God just has to let us in because of that. It's because of the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses a man, a woman from all sin. Come now, let us reason together, though your sins are as scarlet, I'll make them white as wool.

That's why we have white garments. So this has to be the church. Colossians chapter 3 verse 4, Paul said, When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then we shall appear with him in glory.

Do you understand what that means? When Jesus comes out of heaven and touches down on the Mount of Olives, you're going to be in that party. You're taking the ride with him. So if you've never been to Israel on a tour, you're going to get the best tour guide ever. Jesus is going to, you're going to get an aerial view of Jerusalem, Mount of Olives.

Awesome, awesome. It's always good, though, to see it first, before all the war and all the carnage and stuff, but if you can do it, do it with us. So it's us. That's us. But we're not the only ones in this entourage, for notice in verse 14, it doesn't say, and an army in heaven. It says the armies, plural, in heaven.

Sounds to me like there's a few other groups in this entourage. It's not just the rapture church included. Also our tribulation saints, those who went through the tribulation, all the mess of the seven-year tribulation period, and they were killed, they were martyred because of their faith in Christ. In Revelation chapter 7 verse 9, this group is clothed with white robes.

So they're there as well. Also, Old Testament believers who get resurrected at the end of the tribulation period, they're going to join the party. Daniel chapter 12, it says, then there will be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation.

What time do you think that is? Tribulation. Time of trouble like never before. At that time, your people, the Jewish people, will be delivered, and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting shame and contempt. So Abraham's going to be there, Joseph's going to be there, David's going to be there, Daniel's going to be there, Obadiah is going to be there. I hope when Obadiah says, hey, did you read my book?

You don't go, oh, you had a book? I hope you kind of know about that. They're going to be there. So we have raptured saints, New Testament saints, we have tribulation saints, we have Old Testament believers, there's a fourth group of the armies of heaven, and that's the holy angels. Holy angels. Matthew 25, 31, Jesus speaking, when the Son of Man comes in His glory, that's here, and all the holy angels with Him.

So just remember, you have a ride scheduled one day from heaven to the Mount of Olives with Old Testament saints, New Testament saints, tribulation saints, and angels. My dad used to play guitar. He actually made guitars, and he would always pick up a guitar, tune it up, and the first song he would play that I remember was, When the Saints Go Marching In. I thought of his little tune this week.

So you remember that song? Oh, when the saints go marching in. Come on. Oh, when the saints go marching in. Y'all know it.

I want to be in that number. Come on. When the saints go marching in. So that song stuck in my head this week. I thought of my dad, and the reason I thought of the song is because I read this verse. I thought of the armies of heaven, so I looked up a little background on the guy who wrote that song written in the 1800s. He wrote it about Revelation 19.

He wrote it about the second coming. So when the saints go marching in, you will be in that number. You will be in that number. You're part of the armies of heaven, and something interesting about this army, they're not holding any weapons, it would seem. They're an unarmed army, which is sort of unheard of, right?

It's like, what, are they defunding the army now? No, here's why there's no weapons. We're not coming to fight. We're coming to reign with Him.

In Revelation 20, it talks about that we will rule and reign with Him for a thousand years. We're not coming to fight. He comes to fight. In fact, really, there is no fight.

There is no battle of Armageddon. They come to fight. They start it. He'll just come and it's over. He ends it. He stops it. And He does it by the word of His mouth.

The word of His mouth. Ever heard of a song called, raise your hand if you know this song, A Mighty Fortress is Our God? It's a great hymn of the church.

You know who wrote that song? Martin Luther. Martin Luther, one of the stanzas of the song goes like this, did we in our own strength confide our striving would be losing?

We're not the right man on our side, the man of God's own choosing. You ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He. Lord Sabaoth is His name from age to age the same. He must win the battle. And though this world with devils filled should threaten to undo us, we will not fear for God has willed His truth to triumph through us. The prince of darkness grim, we tremble not for Him. His rage we can't endure for lo, His doom is sure. One little word shall fill Him. Jesus will just come back, speak a word, battle over. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, Paul writes about the Antichrist. He says, the lawless one, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth.

Doesn't even have to say a word. He comes back, boom. That's it. That's it.

That's it. Okay, now, I hope by now you can see there's a huge contrast between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. That we're talking about two distinct comings separated by a period of time. At the rapture, Jesus comes for His church. At the second coming, Jesus comes with His church. At the rapture, Jesus comes in the air and we meet Him in the air. We who are alive and remain will meet the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with Him, 1 Thessalonians 4. But at the second coming, He comes from heaven through the air all the way down to the earth. At the rapture, only His own will see Him.

At the second coming, every eye shall see Him. The rapture is a time of blessing and after the rapture is the tribulation. The second coming is a time of cursing and after that event will come judgment and then the millennial kingdom. At the rapture, the focus is Jesus and the church. The second coming, the focus is Israel and the kingdom. The rapture is sudden, unannounced, unpredictable, signless. There are no signs preceding the rapture. It could happen at any moment.

Paul said, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. But the second coming is very predictable. It's after seven-year tribulation period. In fact, precisely three and a half years after an event in that period called the abomination of desolation, exactly 1,260 days after will be the second coming of Christ. It is preceded by signs, cataclysmic signs.

So we're talking about two different events, two different timings, two different targets. Rapture, second coming. I hope by now it's crystal clear. So it'll be seen universally. It will end all hostility.

It's going to include an assembly, including you and I. And fourth and finally, or eighth in the whole list, it will result in tranquility, peace, peace. Verse 15, out of his mouth goes a sharp sword with it he should strike the nations. And he himself, here's the verse, he himself will rule them with a rod of iron.

The rule will take place after the mop-up of this event mentioned in chapter 20. It will last a thousand years. That is the kingdom age.

That is the millennial reign of Christ. Now, what does it mean? It says, he'll rule them with a rod of iron. That's an idiom. That's a saying.

That's an expression. It speaks of a firm, unbendable rule of a strong leader. During the millennium, and I'm setting you up for the future studies on this, during the millennium, everyone will be required to conform to his rule or face immediate consequence.

There won't be like, well, your court date is set for two years. Uh-uh, it's happening now. Today, we're going to do this thing now. So he will put down all rebellion instantly. It'll be like the Pax Romana on steroids.

The Pax Romana, the Roman peace, an enforced worldwide peace. He will rule them with a rod of iron, and there will be tranquility, peace on earth. You know, I follow these polls. I'm very interested in what people think about God. Several polls that have asked people, if you could ask God one question, what would it be? So one poll said, if you could ask God one question, and you knew God would give you the answer, what would you ask him? And, you know, there's the predictable, you know, why is there evil in the world or suffering?

But in the top one, two, or three is usually this question. Will there ever be world peace? Will there ever be world peace? You answer that. Will there? Yeah.

But it is only tied to this event. The second, it's not like, well, things are getting better. If we elect this person, it'll, no, it won't get better. Until the Prince of Peace, the Savior, who is also the judge, comes back, rules with a rod of iron, then there will be peace on earth. There will be. It is coming.

It is coming. So Revelation 19 ends with the beast and the false prophet being incarcerated into the lake of fire for a thousand years. At that point, history we know is over. Post-history begins.

There's a mop-up of the battle of Armageddon, a thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. Now let me remind you of the last words of Paul the Apostle. You know, his last letter was 2 Timothy, and he says in chapter 4, toward the very end, he says, I've fought the good fight.

I've run the race. I've kept the faith. Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord of glory will give me on that day, and not only to me, but to all those who have loved his appearing. He describes Christians in that verse as people who have loved his appearing. If you're a Christian today, you love his appearing. If you're a believer today, your handprints are on the windows.

You're looking up. People think you're crazy. Let them. We don't study eschatology because we have some morbid desire to read about and think about people getting what they deserve and all the carnage.

Yeah, we don't like that. We do it because we know after that is this, that the world has always longed for what Jesus said to pray for. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Hadn't been answered yet, that prayer will be answered on that day.

Okay, real quick. Verse 9, this is where we close. Verse 9, and he said to me, write, blessed are those who are called, you could put the word invited, to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God. What an honor to get an invitation from God. What do you do with an invitation from God?

Well, yeah, you accept it. In 1953, Queen Elizabeth became queen. Now, she recently died, so that's a long time ago.

She reigned a long time. In 1953, she sent out invitations to her coronation. I say invitation because though an invitation sounds like a request, you're going to read it with me.

It's more like a requirement. So she sent this out to certain people, and this is what it read. We greet you well, whereas we have appointed the second day of June 1953 for the solemnity of our coronation. These are therefore to will and to command all excuses set apart that you make your personal attendance upon us at the time above mentioned, there to do and to perform such services as will be required of you. Does that sound like an invitation? Sort of.

Yeah, technically, but it sounds like she's saying, be there. Okay, so when the King of Kings and Lord of Lords issues an invitation, you go, I'll think about it. Here's the thing. He gives you that option. He won't force you. He'll never force anybody to go to heaven.

That's the thing about Him. He does respect our choice. And so if you go, I don't want anything to do with God. He's not going to rule my life. I don't want to accept crime. I'm not going to follow Him.

I don't want anybody ruling over me. He'll let you do that. He will not make you go to heaven. You know, it's funny. He's not going to make you go to heaven.

You know, it's funny. Some people will live their lives apart from God, never think about heaven, curse God. Then they die, and some preacher at their funeral pushes them into heaven. Well, he's in heaven now.

What? Why on earth would he be in heaven? He never wanted to go there.

Being around God would be like his worst nightmare. He's not there. You can be there. An invitation for you to come. He's always inviting. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If you open the door, I'll come in.

He'll come in. So the King of Kings and Lord of Lords is giving out an invitation. And the invitation is this.

Let me save you. Let me make your life meaningful. That concludes Skip Heitzig's message from the series The End is Near. Find the full message as well as books, booklets, and full teaching series at connectwithskip.com. Now, here's Skip to share how you can connect you and many others with the truth of God's Word with a gift to keep these messages going out around the world through Connect with Skip Heitzig. All believers are called to help others encounter the God who is seeking them out. And our goal is to come alongside friends like you to encourage you to help others connect with God through his Word.

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