How Should We Respond to Revelation 19?

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Hello, I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis and you are listening to Truth Matters. I want to talk of how our response should be to chapter 19. I think we should refrain from judging others. There are some scripture references to these. First Corinthians, chapter four, verse five, and first Corinthians 11, verse 26. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death till he comes.

We are to remain steadfast. I think sometimes we can get weary and well-doing as we get exhausted in doing things that are not fulfilling, which gets back to our works going to accompany us in heaven as we talked about before. Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and the latter rain.

You also be patient. Establish your hearts for the coming of the Lord is at hand. We need to renounce sin in our own lives. I want to turn to First John, chapter two, verse 28 through 29. And now little children abide in him that when he appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before him at his coming.

If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who practice righteousness is born of him. And lastly, you know, in addition to having a compassion for the lost, we are to reach the lost. And that is why the church is here. So I hope in reading those verses that you'll, you know, in understanding chapter 19 as being the climax of the revelation of Christ in the Book of Revelation, that this will move you to answer the question, one, how are my righteous acts going to clothe me at the judgment seat of Christ? How are my present works that I'm doing? In the name of the Lord or that the ministry that I'm doing in the name of the Lord going to make it through the fire when the heavens and the earth melt with fervent heat, and I'm standing before the judgment seat of Christ, just me and my own righteous acts.

You know, what am I going to be left with? How am I going to be close? Secondly, we talked about comparing and contrasting the rapture and the revelation of Christ. Are we really preparing ourselves? Are we girding ourselves? Are we living like the rapture is going to come as a thief in the night and that it's close on the horizon? I feel impressed by the Lord just to sound the alarm that how we're living and the ways that we're living and what we're prioritizing. Does God prioritize those things the same way?

Are they really affecting the kingdom as recently? Are the things that we're doing just in the last two years of living through a pandemic? Do we have an excuse to do less because of fear? And lastly, do we have a true compassion for the lost? Or are we sitting in our churches looking at ourselves as long as our families are saved, saying that we're satisfied with that, and I'm not worried about anyone outside of my own family, knowing that what we have inside of us can reach those that are lost and can help them come into a peace in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

I want to get you to thinking about the things that we do today. How are they going to last into heaven and will they accompany us? Looking at our works and at the second coming of Christ and the judgment seat of Christ, how are our works going to fare out in the fire? I also talked about our need to have a compassion for the lost.

How much are we doing that is really working for Christ? In chapter 20, we are going to cover two more very significant events with the climax of the revelation of Jesus Christ when he comes the second time in his glory and executes judgment on the ungodly of the earth. Today in chapter 20, we're going to begin going over the significant events of the millennium and the great white throne judgment.

And we will discuss these differently as they are very different. But first, let's talk about the millennium in Revelation chapter 20 verses 1 through 10. He laid hold of the dragon, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. And he cast him into the bottomless pit, shut him up and set a seal on him so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.

But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshipped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such, the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. Now when the thousand years had expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as of the sand of the sea.

They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And the fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night, forever and ever.

Here we see Satan bound. In Revelation chapter 20 contains the only reference to the thousand year reign of Christ found in the New Testament, the millennium. Verse 4 says that they that lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. This chapter begins by the dragon, Satan, being bound and being cast into the bottomless pit, and being sealed that he should deceive the nations no more for one thousand years.

But after this he will be released. So this sets up the millennial kingdom. The first resurrection. Let's read verse 4 again, as I think this is very interesting.

And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or the image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands, and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. John saw the first resurrection, which occurs just before the millennium begins. This is the raising to life of those martyred for the Lord during the tribulation and who are resurrected and live during the millennium.

The unsaved dead are brought back to life in a second resurrection at the end of the millennium when they are judged at the great white throne judgment. So again, I like to go over the timeline whenever we add particular events. The next event on the prophetic timeline is the rapture. It begins a sequence of events that end with the great white throne judgment. So first is the rapture, is the departure of the church along with the Holy Spirit. At that point is the beginning of the tribulation, which lasts seven years.

At the end of the tribulation is the second coming of Christ, where church comes back with Christ, and this is the revelation of Jesus Christ. After that is the first resurrection. Martyrs from the tribulation are resurrected, as well as Old Testament saints are resurrected at this point. After the first resurrection is the timeframe of the millennium, which is 1000 years. Satan is bound, and people are asking who is living in the millennium? It is those that are in resurrected bodies, which is the church, the martyrs from the tribulation, as well as the Old Testament saints, and also those that made it through the tribulation that go into the millennium in physical bodies. After the millennium is over, Satan is released for a short period to lead a short rebellion, and then the second resurrection occurs, which is the center at the great white throne judgment. So let's talk about the millennium, as I'm sure a lot of you have heard a lot about it, but there's not a lot that we like to talk about as far as the main views of the millennium.

I'm just really going to focus on one. I will touch on other views of the millennium, but I'm really going to talk about one particular view. So there are three views of the millennium that you're going to find out there, and just for the sake of time, I'm just going to list those and then summarize them. There's postmillennialism, amillennialism, and premillennialism. Postmillennialism believes that the church will expand and cover the earth and set up God's kingdom, but the Bible teaches the opposite, that the church in the last days, that there's going to be a great falling away.

So I don't necessarily believe in this viewpoint. The other viewpoint about the millennium is amillennialism, which they don't necessarily believe in a literal millennium. They believe that the church is the fulfillment of the millennium right now. There are some Christians that are saved that have different viewpoints of the millennium.

This is not something to judge others over. But I think there's more biblical evidence for a premillennial rapture. Premillennialism, in my opinion, is the correct biblical view. It teaches that the return of Christ will occur pre, before, a literal earthly thousand year period of peace on earth. Christ will reign from the throne of his forefather David. It is important to take the Bible literally in this case, but let's review why the millennium is necessary.

Because I think that's a really good question. Why is the millennium even necessary? Why don't God just establish his kingdom and take us to heaven and it all be over? The Bible says that God intends to reward the faithful for their commitment, and the millennium is one of those rewards. Believers will co-reign with Jesus Christ over all the world. Matthew 5, verse 12, Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Matthew 16 and verse 27, For the Son of man will come in the glory of his Father with his angels, then he will reward each according to his works. Matthew 25 and 34, Then the king will say to those on his right hand, Come, you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Colossians 3 and 24, Knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance, for you serve the Lord Christ. And Revelation 22, verse 12, And behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with me to give to each one according to his work. One of the rewards of faithfulness to God during this life is the reward of rulership and authority during the millennial kingdom. So just to re-emphasize that, the millennial kingdom is necessary to reward the people of God. Next, the millennial kingdom is to respond to the disciples' prayer. I talked about this before in Luke 11 as well as Matthew chapter 6. We have a record of Jesus teaching the disciples to pray that the kingdom would come, that his will will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And has that prayer been answered yet? I would say no, because Satan is still prince of the air, and overall the Lord's will is not being done on earth as it is in heaven.

And I think this will happen and be fulfilled in the millennium. And next, the kingdom is necessary to redeem creation. In Genesis 3, God cursed creation because of Adam's sin, but from that point on, earth has grown under the weight of that curse. And let's go to Romans 8, 19-22. As I look at my notes in my Bible, I say that even though creation was subjected to a curse, it was subjected in hope. And that hope is fulfilled in the millennial kingdom. The millennial kingdom is necessary to re-emphasize man's depravity. All throughout scripture, man has demonstrated that even in the best of circumstances, he cannot keep his depravity under control. And I know this is not exciting, I know it's not lifting you up, but it's true. The Bible says there is no one that is good, no not one.

Remember that. Romans 3, 10. The fallen nature of man will not be eliminated until the end of the millennial kingdom. Even though Jesus Christ is ruling and reigning on earth, the depravity of man will still manifest itself, and you'll see that at the rebellion at the end. Those faithful tribulation saints who survived the tribulation period will be in their natural bodies.

They will be fruitful and multiply over the earth for a thousand years. So according to Revelation 20, 7-10, Satan will lead a rebellion of deceived human beings at the end of the millennium. This final revolt will demonstrate that apart from the intervention of God, man is totally incapable of righteousness on his own. That is a very central tenet of the Christian faith, is that apart from the intervention of God, man is totally incapable of righteousness on his own.

So let's talk about the characteristics of the millennium. It will be a time of peace. And I think all of us look forward to that, but the Old Testament has predicted this. If you go to Micah chapter 4 verses 2-3, Many nations shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion the law shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off. And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks.

Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. I pray today that you are encouraged in your walk with Christ. I'm Dr. Cheryl Davis. 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 projecttruthmatters.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 projecttruthmatters.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 820 a.m. and 520 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.