Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith. The drama of redemption began in Eden and ends with new heavens and a new earth.
Here, the redeemed find themselves on streets of gold in the New Jerusalem. Today, the finale to the grand plan, God, set in motion before the world began. From the Moody Church in Chicago, this is Running to Win with Dr. Erwin Lutzer, whose clear teaching helps us make it across the finish line. Haster Lutzer, in a great symphony, the finale sums up all the themes that make up its design. Will we see the finale of Revelation today? Well, Dave, yes, as we open the Bible, we discover that there is a grand finale, as you put it. The book of Revelation has a great deal of symbolism, but nonetheless, it is a reminder that God is going to wrap up history. History is going somewhere. And in the end, it's all going to be about the triumph of God and the triumph of Christ and justice.
God does have a plan that spans all of the aspects of history. It's also a reminder that we should actually be living for eternity and not just time. I believe that this series of messages can be a continual blessing to you. You know, for a gift of any amount, you can have this series either as a CD or a DVD. And along with it, we send a colorful chart that will help you put all the books of the Bible in perspective and in relationship. So for a gift of any amount, this can be yours. Here's what you do.
Go to rtwoffer.com, rtwoffer.com, or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now let's open our Bibles and let us describe and to better understand that grand finale. Chapter 12, what an interesting chapter. Satan pursues Israel. Satan has always hated Israel, the Jews. And the woman who gives birth to the child, and the child is obviously Jesus, is Israel, and Satan pursues it. Satan is cast out of heaven.
You say, well, what in the world is he doing there? Well, the Bible says that he accuses the saints day and night. You look at the book of Job where Satan comes and begins to talk to God about Job. There's that kind of dialogue taking place in the heavens. And Satan is so angry. It says that when he was thrown down to earth, he was so angry. I love it there in verse 12. He has come down to you in great wrath because he knows that his time is short. I can hardly wait for Satan's time to be very, very short.
Do we have any takers out there today? Chapter 13 is all about Antichrist. And it takes your breath away when you realize that God gives them authority. You'll notice it says in verse 7, he was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given to it, that is to the beast, over every tribe and people and language and nation. You think, oh my, Jesus has surrendered his authority. It's given to Antichrist. All who dwell upon the earth will worship him. Well, wait till you read the end of the book. And that's where you have the mark of the beast and so forth.
In chapter 14, you have a vision of these 144,000. They have remained chaste. They were not involved in sexual immorality. That's the idea of the text throughout all this. And they get a brand new song.
Listen to this. It says, verse 3, and they were singing a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and before the elders. And this was a song that Tim cannot sing and not even Scott Griffin can play on the piano.
I'm serious. It says no one could learn that song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. So they get a special song.
They belong to a special choir. The last part of the chapter is terrifying. I will not read it to you.
I'll comment on that at the end of the message. Chapter 15 introduces now the bowls. And it says, you'll notice that the wrath of God is finished in 15, verse 1. And as I indicated, chapter 16 are now the seven judgments of the bowls.
And these judgments also take your breath away. You'll notice that the Bible says that there is an earthquake, the likes of which has never yet happened upon the earth. We think Haiti's bad. This is going to be an earthquake throughout the whole earth, the Bible says. And it says in verse 21, and great hail stones, about 100 pounds each, fell from heaven on people. And they cursed God for the plague of hail because the plague was so severe.
But you know what? The people do not repent. On and on, it goes on to say that even though they were gnawing their tongues in pain, they would not repent. Judgment usually hardens hearts.
One time, my wife and I had someone at home who was doing some work for us. And of course, I was witnessing to him. And he was basically an atheist. And he says, if there's a hell, let God send me there. And I'm going to spend all of eternity defying him.
That has got to go down in history as the most stupid, foolish comment that I have ever heard. You are defying God forever when all that you would need to do is to repent of your sin and acknowledge your need of a savior and be ready for heaven. And your defiance of God is going to add to his own justice and glory.
It'll be to your hurt and no one else's. But the human heart is wicked. There are all kinds of passages that tell us that. That they even say mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb. But they will not repent of their sins. Some do.
Many do not. Now when we come to chapter 17, what can be said about this? There is a prostitute that is riding a beast. And you'll notice it says in verse 5, on her forehead, 17, 5, was written a name of mystery, Babylon the great mother of prostitutes and the earth's abominations.
This is false religion. And she rides the beast to his Antichrist. And Antichrist uses her, but in the end, he hates her, throws her off, destroys her.
What's going on there? Antichrist is going to use false religion. He's going to use false religion, but ultimately he's going to destroy all the religions, put himself up as God, and ask all people to worship him. That's why this probably relates to earlier in the sequence when Antichrist is gaining power at the beginning of the tribulation period.
Chapter 18, read it and weep. This is now commercial Babylon. Some people think Babylon might be rebuilt. I don't know if that's true, but whether it is or not, whether this is symbolic, this is the end of commerce as we know it. When I read it, I think of New York City.
I think of Wall Street. For example, chapter 18, it says in verse 11, and the merchants of the earth weep and mourn for her since no one buys their cargo anymore, cargos of gold, and on and on it goes. And then it says in verse 15, the merchants of these wares who gained wealth from her will stand afar off in fear of her torment, weeping and mourning aloud.
Alas, for the great city that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet adorned with gold with jewels and pearls, for a single hour all of this wealth has been laid waste. That's what the judgments will do. It will end commerce as we know it.
When you get a new car and you are so concerned as to whether or not it's going to get a scratch, relax, relax. In the end, it'll totally be destroyed. And the person parking next to you only begins what's going to be an ultimate promise.
Wow. No wonder Peter says what manner of people ought we to be in all conversation and godliness, knowing that all these things are going to be destroyed. Now chapter 19, 19, 20, 21 and 22 are in sequence.
You'll be glad to know we finally have a sequence. Chapter 19 opens with the marriage supper of the lamb, and that's where we will be if we are raptured, as many of us believe we will be, and we will be having the marriage supper of the lamb. You all have to admit that there is no relationship with such ecstasy and joy as the marital relationship between a man and a woman in a good marriage. And God dares to use that as an example of our relationship with him. This is a time of breathtaking, breathtaking fellowship and beauty and purity. Jesus meeting with his saints. And then there is another description of the return of Christ throughout the book of Revelation, as I mentioned, because the chronology is not what we perhaps might wish it to have been.
There are many descriptions of the return, but I suppose there is none like this one that includes us in the glorious return of Christ. Verse 11 of chapter 19. Then I saw heaven open and behold a white horse. This now is Jesus. The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and has the name which is called the Word of God. And the armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. That's us folks, if we've trusted Jesus. From his mouth, yes, we can clap after I'm finished.
Let's do that, okay. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with it to strike down the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the wine press of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written.
Let's hear it now for him, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. And then the judgment is described. Chapter 20 talks about a period of peace for a thousand years. You know, where do theologians get this idea of the millennium? If you take your chart and turn it on the other side, you'll notice that it says the church age, tribulation seven years, millennium a thousand years.
Where did they pull that out? Well, in the Old Testament this period of peace was predicted. In the New Testament here in chapter 20, six times you have a reference to a thousand years.
And by the way, have you been scared to be beheaded for the faith? You'll notice it says those who die in the tribulation who are beheaded, it says they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This is verse four. Everything is a thousand years. And then at the end of the thousand years, Satan is bound during the thousand years and at the end of the thousand years, what you have is the final judgment. And now it is time for you to simply catch your breath.
I hadn't planned on quoting it, but I'll see how I do. I beheld a great white throne and him that sat on it before whose face the earth and the heavens fled away and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the books were opened and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged out of those things which were written on the book. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it and death and Hades delivered up the dead which were in them. And they were judged every man according to what was in the books. And death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Wow. All of the people who appear at this judgment are unbelievers. They have one thing in common. They are kings, they are paupers, they are rich, they are poor, they are from every nation and every religion, but they share one thing and that is they don't have the righteousness that God requires to enter into heaven because they didn't receive the gift of Jesus. I promise you that if God gives me health and if I'm still around for a few months and maybe even years, who knows? I promise you that I will preach an entire message on chapters 21 and 22. The beauty of heaven is overwhelming. John sees this new heaven and new earth come down from God out of heaven as a bride adorned for her husband. And he hears a great voice saying, behold, all things are new and lots of things won't be there.
No more crying or death. But the most beautiful thing about it is it says, behold, the dwelling place of God is with men. He will dwell with them. They will be his people. God himself will be with them and be their God.
He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There shall be no more death nor pain for the former things are passed away. All the way from the beginning, beginning in Leviticus and Exodus, God says, I want to dwell with my people. I want to dwell with them. And God can't dwell with them like he'd like to because of sin. It is true that God dwells with us as his people, but his dwelling always has to be mediated because sin keeps getting in the way.
Imagine a time, nothing but purity, nothing but holiness, and we dwell directly unmediated with God. What does the book of Revelation teach us? What is the bottom line?
Let me give you three very quickly. First of all, the great divide. It's the great divide. I read this book and I wish that, you know, I read it and I say, where are all the people who aren't quite good enough to go to heaven, but they're not bad enough for hell either? Where are they? Nowhere. It's either hell or heaven. The book of Revelation is really the tale of two cities, Babylon and Jerusalem, or the tale of two women, if you wish, the prostitute and the bride of Christ.
It's either one or the other. Either you have enough righteousness to enter into heaven or you don't. Last week I was speaking in Palm Springs and the man who took us to the airport said, you know that Frank Sinatra is just buried in the cemetery just across from us. And I said, well, pick us up early on the way to the airport tomorrow and let's go see Frank's grave. What do you think was on Frank Sinatra's grave? I know you're thinking I did it my way, but that isn't what was on his grave. It was a different song entitled The Best is Yet to Come. Out of the tree of life, I just picked me a plum.
You came along and everything started to hum. Still it's a real good bet. The best is yet to come. It's about a romance.
I don't want to judge Frank Sinatra. Let God be his judge. But look at what it says in the book of Revelation.
Now we're in chapter 22. This is the last beatitude in the book, by the way, of the seven, verse 14 of chapter 22. Blessed are those who wash their robes so that they might have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter into the city by the gates. God is Frank Sinatra's judge. But if he did not wash his robes, that he would have the right to enter into the city by the gates.
For him, the best was not to come. I see this great divide. That's the first thing. I have to ask you today, have you washed your robes? I mean, have you been cleansed by the blood of Christ?
See, there is no other way. Don't tell me that you think another religion is as good. It can't be because it doesn't have a savior. Teachers may be, but no savior able to cleanse you from sin, that you might be washed and enter into the city. It says outside of the city are dogs, that is perverse people, sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. And the way you get from verse 15 to 14 is you have your robes washed. Many people will be in heaven who were sorcerers, sexually immoral, murderers, and idolaters. They're going to be there in heaven.
Why? Because of verse 14, they wash their robes by receiving Christ as savior. Apart from that, I'm just reading the text. So first of all, the great divide. Secondly, the length of eternity. Time is short. Eternity is long. You know that little phrase forever and ever occurs 13 times in the book of Revelation. It talks about hell, the smoke of their torment. I didn't read this in chapter 14 because it's too terrifying. But it says the smoke of their torment goes on forever and ever. And then regarding us, it says we will reign forever and ever. I don't have time to tell you how long eternity is.
I guess it would take me an eternity. Really? Read it and weep. Finally, I marvel at the absolute total unquestioned triumph of Jesus. Look at this.
Chapter 13, okay? Chapter 13, Antichrist has given power over people that he can even have power over the saints and kill them and all the world worships him. Now listen to this, chapter 15. And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire and them that had gotten the victory over the beast and over his number and over his mark. And they stand on the sea of glass having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, O Lord God Almighty. Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? Who comes out triumphant? Jesus, King of kings, Lord of lords.
Things are not as they appear to be in chapter 13 because chapter 15 is coming. And then you think of the chaos in the world and you think of the beauty of heaven. And I beheld a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal proceeding from the throne and from the lamb.
And in the midst of the street of it and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which gives its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse. For the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it. And his servants shall worship him. And they shall see his face. And his name shall be on their foreheads. And there is no need of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign with him forever and ever.
Wow. He that testified these things saith, Behold, I come quickly. Even so come, Lord Jesus.
I don't know about you, my friend, but I can hardly wait. You know, sometimes we get so bogged down in life, we forget that eternity is coming. We forget the beauty of heaven.
We forget the fact that we should be living for eternity and not just time. What a glorious description we have been given in God's word as to how it's all going to end. And just to think you and I are a part of that drama. This ends the series of messages entitled The Drama of Redemption. I think that it can be a great blessing to you as you listen to it again and again. And it is available to you either as a DVD or a CD. And along with it, we send a chart, a colorful chart that puts all the books of the Bible in relationship.
It helps you see the divine drama. For a gift of any amount, this can be yours. Here's what you do. Go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Now I'm going to be giving you that contact information once again, because remember, this is the last day that we are making this resource available. It's titled The Drama of Redemption begins in the book of Genesis. It ends in the book of Revelation.
For a gift of any amount, it can be yours. Once again, go to rtwoffer.com. That's rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Thanks in advance for standing with us. Running to win exists to help you make it across the finish line.
And because of people like you, it is now heard in 20 different countries. And you, my friend, are a part of this ministry. Give us a call 1-888-218-9337. You can write to us at Running to Win, 1635 North LaSalle Boulevard, Chicago, Illinois, 60614. Running to Win is all about helping you understand God's roadmap for your race of life. For most of us, that race is run with a partner, the wife or husband we committed to so long ago. What keeps a couple together for 76 years?
Surviving war, emigration, deprivation and material want. Next time on Running to Win, you'll hear about the parents of Dr. Erwin Lutzer and why their marriage lasted so long. This is how we'll begin a series on Till Death Do Us Part, Keys to Success in Marriage. Plan to join us for Building a Lasting Marriage, the story of Gustav and Wanda Lutzer. This is Dave McAllister. Running to Win is sponsored by the Moody Church.
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