Mm. As Christians, we look forward to the day Jesus Christ returns in triumph over evil. How should his future return influence our lives right now? Today, on Turning Point, Dr. David Jeremiah offers some answers straight from God's Word and shares more detail on Jesus' victory over the Antichrist and false prophet.
To introduce the conclusion of his message, the second coming of Christ. Here's David. And thank you so much for joining us. As we come to the end of this week, we are moving toward the end of this really extended series on the book of Revelation. Many of you have been with me every day, and we have just walked through this book one page at a time, one verse at a time.
And we've learned a lot together about what's going to happen in the future. I hope you will continue your study of the book of Revelation long after we have finished our study here. But we still have a couple of weeks left, and today we're going to finish up what we started yesterday in a discussion of the second coming of Christ.
Next week, we'll talk about the millennium, the great white throne judgment, and the new heaven and the new earth. But we have much to talk about today. And before we do that, let me just tell you that we have a very special resource for the month of July. I've been talking about it now for a few days and very excited about it because it's the first ever fiction book that we have published. And Sam O'Neill, who's a fiction writer and a good friend of mine, we worked together on this project, and the result is this book.
300-plus pages of a story that will capture your attention and an ending that will make you wonder what comes next. And I hope you will get a chance to read this. It's yours for the asking when you send a gift of any size to Turning Point. I also want you to know that the book is now in the major bookstores across the country. It was released July 1st.
So, you can either get it there or you can get it from us. When you send your gift to Turning Point, we're happy to make this available to you when you ask for it. Just say, please send me Vanished, and it'll be on its way to you as soon as we get your request. And thank you for your support of Turning Point because it means everything. It's all that we have.
You are the whole deal. We don't have any major donor who supports this. We are supported completely by the gifts of our friends and listeners. And thank you so much for being a part of that family. Here's part two of the second coming of Christ.
Once again, the purpose of the second advent, apart from the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ, is basically for judgment. Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth to finally, once and for all, put down rebellion and to judge those who have rebelled against Him.
Now, the armies of heaven. Notice it is plural. It isn't the army of heaven, it is the armies of heaven. The Bible says That the armies are coming back. Plural.
And of course, this could be any number of things, but it might be. At least this. It could be the Old Testament saints, the church, the tribulation saints that were taken up to be with the Lord during the period of tribulation. The most significant thing, however, is that they are dressed in a certain way.
Now some of you are military people and I do know that the Navy often dresses in white. But have you ever seen anybody go into combat dressed in white? Notice the scripture says here. That they are going to come back clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Those are strange clothes for the army of the Lord to be wearing if they're going to go to the Battle of Armageddon and fight.
I never realized this before. But I realize it now. It's quite all right for them to be dressed in white, fine linen, clean, because though they're in the army, they don't have to do a blessed thing. All they have to do is watch, and when the Lord speaks, the war is over. I could be in on an army like that, right?
All you have to do is dress up in white. When they come back, the Lord's going to fight the battle. We are not going to be involved in some kind of hand-to-hand combat with the people in Armageddon. If you read the story carefully, you will discover that the reason should not be overlooked that they are dressed in white, not only representing the righteousness which is theirs by virtue of Jesus Christ. But no member of the army of Christ that comes with Him in His glorious appearing will ever do battle.
No one will ever lift a finger, for the battle will be consummated by the spoken word of the Lord. Period. He is going to win the battle. And that really does put meaning into the phrase, the battle is the Lord's, doesn't it? He is going to win the battle.
That brings us thirdly to the authority of Christ, verses 15 and 16. And we read, And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations, and he shall rule them with a rod of iron. And he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of Lords.
Now, this description of Christ. Namely, a sword coming out of his mouth. Was given to us back in the very first chapter again. Back in Revelation chapter 1 and verse 16, we read these words: And he had in his right hand seven stars, and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword. Here again, we see him.
with his sword.
Now, the sharp sword here is sometimes referred to by commentators as the word of God. The sword of the Spirit, which is the word. But I don't think that's what this is at all. In fact, One of the men that I studied on this passage has reported that the word for sword in this passage is a very technical word. It indicates a long Thracian sword, or one which is usually large and longer than most swords.
The same word is sometimes used to describe a javelin. a sword sufficiently light and long to be thrown as a spear. Here, the word is used symbolically to represent a sharp instrument of war with which Christ will smite the nations and establish his absolute rule. The expression ruling with a rod of iron is also found in Psalm 2, it's found back in Revelation 2, and it has to do with the absolute sovereignty of the Lord when He puts down this rebellion at the end of the tribulation period. As Jesus Christ leads his armies forth, John perceives that upon his garment, in the region of the thigh, he had his name written.
King of kings and lord of lords. That is the name of the Lord when he comes back to judge the earth. He is the king of all kings, he's the Lord of all lords. Every king will bow, every lord will bow when Jesus comes back to put down the rebellion. He will be the sovereign and sole ruler of the earth.
He is presented as such. When you see him. And when he comes back, Truly, he will fulfill the prophecy of Isaiah. A prophecy that we study often at Christmastime: Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Truly, the government will be upon his shoulder when he comes back.
and sets up his rule upon this earth. That is the advent of Christ and the armies of Christ and the authority of Christ. Notice the avenging of Christ. We have said from the very beginning that there are three stanzas in the book of Revelation. At the beginning, we see the world.
ruined by men. And then, as we move into the latter half of the tribulation period, we see the world ruled by Satan as the beast and the false prophet become prominent in the story. But now, as we come to the end of the tribulation, we are going to see this world reclaimed by Christ. And in order to do that, he has to purge out all rebellion and put down every claim to this earth that has been mounted by the false. Christ and by Satan himself.
It is a strange way that this truth is presented to us in verses 17 through 21. And I saw an angel standing in the sun. And he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven. Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God, that ye may eat of the flesh of kings, and of the flesh of captains, and of the flesh of mighty men. And the flesh of horses, and of all them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.
Now, there are two things that are mentioned in these verses. First of all, the fowls of heaven. And secondly, the foes of heaven. Notice, first of all, the fowls or the birds of heaven. When John reports this particular part of his vision of the second coming of Christ, he does not actually see the angel who stands in the sun, stationed in glory.
He doesn't see this thing happening. He just sees all of this taking place in his vision. He sees the angel standing there, but he doesn't see the actual carnage itself. What he sees is that there is something awful going to happen. This is a terrible, awful announcement.
The fowls of heaven. The vultures of the earth come when this earth is bathed in blood at the Battle of Armageddon. And if you study the New Testament, you will discover that this word for fowls only comes up three times in the Bible. It is found once here. It is found in chapter 18 and verse 2, and it is in 17 and in verse 21.
It is the Greek word arnin, and it really is a special kind of bird, literally translated by the word vulture. These are the vultures of the earth. And the angel Calls all the vultures of the earth to come. And to come to the battle of Armageddon, to come to this great judgment, where the sword which has come out of the mouth of the Lord has slain all of those who have been in rebellion against the Lord. And the angel invites all of these birds to come.
and they have a feast. On the fallen Carcasses of the enemies of the Lord. Notice. It is the mighty men and the captains and the kings. It is both great and small, both bond and free.
Every single person is included in the carnage.
Now It is an interesting thing that in this chapter. There are two suppers. In chapter 19. Did you notice that? There's the marriage supper of the lamb.
And there's the supper of God. The marriage supper of the Lamb is a time of joy which follows the wedding. And the supper of God is a time of judgment which follows the war.
Somebody has said you get to take your choice which of those you want to attend. The marriage supper of the Lamb, the time of joy, is for all of those who have put their trust in Christ. Those who have been raptured have gone to be with the Lord. But if you should reject the Lord and not respond to his invitation of grace and of love, and the tribulation started today and you were to have survived into this period of time, you would go to the supper of God as an uninvited, unwilling guest. You would be part of that carnage, and the scripture says instead of eating the food, you would be the food.
And the birds would come. And they would have the supper of God. And you would be a part. of the meal.
So it's a pretty important choice to make, isn't it? Which supper are you going to attend? The marriage supper of the Lamb or the supper of God? I've already made my choice. And I've got a reservation.
Confirmed. I hope you have too. But notice, secondly, not only the fowls of heaven, but the foes of heaven. We observe in verses 19 through 21 that there are some enemies. Here are all of those who have gathered themselves together to make war against him, according to verse 19.
And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse and against his army. Can you imagine anything so absolutely ridiculous and stupid? As to getting armies together for the purpose of fighting against the God who created the whole world. But in the stupidity of their stubborn rebellion, Under the leadership of the beast and the false prophet, They will make people believe that they have a fighting chance against Jesus Christ and his armies when he returns to that battle. In that army will be the revived Roman Empire, including the monarchs of the Ten Kingdoms.
There will be all of those who are part of the false prophet and the beast, and they will assemble together in daring audacity. The Antichrist as their leader. To defy the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the ultimate in rebellion against God. This is the zenith of all the rebellion, of all the years that have transpired since the beginning of time.
Now it has come full circle, and this is the greatest. Evidence of the rebellious heart of man that will ever be known in the history of humanity. And that's why the judgment Which is so terrible and so awful, is fitting.
Now the scripture says that the battle is going to be consummated. In verse 20, And it's going to be consummated with two people being taken out totally. And I want you to notice carefully that the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast. The word was taken in the text is very interesting. It conjures up in your mind, if you read it in the language of the New Testament, the picture of the Lord just snatching them.
He just took 'em. I mean he'd had enough of it. He'd watched this rebellion long enough, and the scripture just says he just kind of grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and just took him out. And then he took them over, and there was a place for them, and he dropped them. Notice what it says.
Okay. These both were cast alive into the lake of fire, burning with brimstone. Did you know? that the beast and the false prophet Are the first two inhabitants? of hell.
Did you know that? Every person who dies Rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ in this particular age does not go to hell, the final abode of all those who deny the Lord. He goes to Hades. which is hell, but it is not the final hell. But the beast and the false prophet actually get to hell before Satan.
Thousand years later, Satan is put into hell, but the beast and the false prophet, Satan's puppets, At the end of this period of time, at the time of our Lord's revelation, they are taken to the lake of fire, which burneth forever and ever, and they are dropped into hell. I remember saying to you some time ago because of a question that came in the mail. That you need to understand that just as the believer is going to be given a resurrection body, which will have Properties and possibilities, which these bodies that we have now do not. possess So it is true that the unbeliever is going to get a resurrection body too. He is going to be given a body that will enable him to endure torment forever and ever without being consumed.
And that is an awesome thought. At least these bodies burn up and it's over. But in that day, Those who are cast alive into the lake of fire are going to burn forever and ever, and they are going to know all the torture of fire without ever being relieved of it. through death.
Now, those are not my words. I didn't make up that story. That's not something out of the late-night television schedule. That's from the Word of God. And God has not tried to fool us about it.
When the Lord Jesus Christ comes back, the second coming, the revelation, is not really the good news coming. The good news coming is what's going to happen at any moment when he comes back for us, and we're raptured out of here, taken away from the tribulation, and go to be with the Lord. But when he comes the second time, and every eye shall see him, it's a time of judgment. And men and women, he's going to come. The Bible says that.
And as you study the fulfilled prophecies of the past, you will discover that just as they have literally been fulfilled, So, the prophecies that are yet to be fulfilled will also come to pass. Liberals and skeptics will try to explain it away. They will try to take away the meaning of it. They will say that he has come in the person of the church, which is his body. Therefore, we should not expect anything more.
They will say that he came in the Reformation. That he came in the Holy Spirit when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost. But men and women, this same Jesus, which was taken up from us, shall so come in like manner, just as he was taken, he's coming back. visibly, personally, to this very place. In the days that lie just ahead.
in the future.
Now the question that we ask when we preach on prophecy is so what?
So he's coming back.
So what? I went back to the very beginning of the series on the book of Revelation and in the very first message on prophecy. I remember trying to do it. trying to help us. Not get lost in the sea of uncertainty.
and speculation. But I reminded you that whenever the word of prophecy is found in the Bible, it is always attached to a practical admonition. Let me just remind you briefly that the second coming of Jesus Christ is set forward in the Bible as an incentive to holy living. It is bound up with every practical exhortation to obligation and service and attainment. It is given to us to produce in us purity and watchfulness and holiness.
We are exhorted to love his appearing and to live in the light of it. We should look for his return and be optimist, even though there is prevailing pessimism all around. Though we are in the midst of perilous times. There are more glorious days just ahead and we should look for those days. And I wrote down ten things that we should do.
Listen carefully. Because the Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to this earth. We are to refrain from judging others first. Corinthians 4, 5 says, Judge nothing until that day. Because he's coming back, we don't have to sit in judgment on every little thing that happens.
When Jesus Christ comes back, he'll set all that straight. We're to judge nothing. Until the day he returns. Secondly, were to remember the Lord's table. 1 Corinthians 11:26 says, We are to do this till the Lord comes.
There again, a practical admonition. Thirdly, we're to respond to life spiritually. Seeking those things which are above, not the things which are below. Colossians 3:1-4. We are to relate to one another in love, 1 Thessalonians 3, 12 and 13.
We are to restore the bereaved. 1 Thessalonians 4. Wherefore comfort ye one another with these words. Remember that? We are to recommit ourselves to ministry.
Second Timothy four, one and two. Here's a good one. We are to refuse to neglect church, Hebrews 10:25. Seeing that these things, so much the more as you see the day approaching, you are to not forsake the assembling of yourselves together. Why?
Because as the day draws nearer, we're to meet more often and more intensely and with more excitement than ever before. Isn't that kind of in reverse proportion to what we observe today? Notice number seven. We are to remain steadfast. James 5.8.
Next, we are to renounce sin in our lives. And last but not least, we are to reach the lost for Jesus Christ. Turn with me to Jude. And I want you to read one other passage in Jude. Here in this passage, which speaks of the coming again of our Lord.
We read these words in verse 20. But ye beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
Now watch carefully. And Of some have compassion, making a difference, and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire. hating even the garment spotted by the flesh. Isn't it interesting that this is a reminder to us that in light of that which is just ahead, we believe on the prophetic calendar, the rapture, the tribulation, and the second coming of Christ. Our admonition is that we're to reach out to others, have compassion on them, pull them out of the fire.
I made a comment offhand that one of our tasks. As Christians, was to help Keep the population of hell. at its lowest possible point. to depopulate hell. Here's where that came from.
pulling them out of the fire. I wonder how many of us have even taken time to pray for one person. That we ought to be praying about and thinking about and asking God about. to help do the part we can play. in getting them before the gospel.
so that they have a chance to hear. that God loves them and Christ died for them. If we believe all this stuff we've been studying, It will have that kind of a practical response in our hearts. And we will not be satisfied just to to know more. We will only be satisfied when, having learned what we have learned, it builds a fire in our heart and sends us out there where the lost folks are.
to try to do everything we can to rescue the perishing. While the time is still here. And surely that message comes home to all of us if we have any sensibility at all. toward the needs that people have. I remember in the early days of ministry, Some decades ago, it wasn't so hard to talk about this with people because they had some knowledge and some interest.
Over the years, the hearts of many people have been deadened. Like someone said recently, I don't want to know anything about heaven. I haven't been to Hawaii yet, you know. The whole issue is you have to know the understanding of the Bible, and the understanding of the Bible is without Christ you're lost. And if you don't come to Christ before he returns for his people, it will be too late.
So, best make your decision and put your trust in Him and you can do that by simply praying and asking the Lord to come and live within you and be your Savior. Let us know if you've done that. We'll send you some things that will help you grow, and it'll be our joy to do it. It's Friday. Be sure to get to church on Sunday.
We'll see you back here on Monday for the next edition of Turning Point. Our message today originated from Shadow Mountain Community Church and Dr. David Jeremiah, the senior pastor. Turning Point is also on radio and TV this weekend. To learn where to find it, visit our website davidjeremiah.org slash radio.
That's davidjeremiah.org slash radio or call 800-947-1993. Ask for your copy of David's exciting new novel, Set in the End Times, Vanished. It's yours for a gift of any amount. You can also purchase the Jeremiah Study Bible in the English Standard, New International and New King James Versions. available in several handsome and resilient cover options.
If this ministry is an encouragement to you, let us know by writing to TurningPoint PO Box 3838 San Diego, California 92163. This is David Michael Jeremiah. Join us Monday as we continue the series Escape the Coming Night on Turning Point with Dr. David Jeremiah.
