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I. the foundational question at the end of the age: who is jesus?
A. The most important issue to the early apostles was concerning the truth about Jesus. Their preaching, praying and fellowship all centered around this man; His life, death, resurrection, session, and His return.
B. As Jesus asked in Matthew 16:13-19, “Who do you say that I am?” so He will ask this question again through end-time apostles and prophets to the leadership of both secular governments and shepherds in the Body of Christ. The lack of humility in leaders will lead to much resistance to the true answer to this question.
C. The study of the End Times is the study of the person of Jesus. If you approach eschatology from an intellectual perspective instead of a devotional spirit wanting to know and love Jesus, you will be unable to discern truth from error.
“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” - Philippians 1:9-11
You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. - John 5:39-40
D. The conflict in the End Times there will center around the defining of the Person of Christ. Three truths about Jesus that will offend the humanist and the proud.
1. He has the right to establish absolute standards in which He can hold the nations accountable to.
2. He is the only way of salvation from the judgments of God that will come to those who do not keep those standards.
3. He is the only one who possesses the humility and wisdom and love to be entrusted with the authority to dispense those judgments.
E. The Bible clearly describes a coming hour of unparalleled deception. Our knowledge (spiritual understanding and experience) of Jesus will be what keeps us steady in the face of great tribulation, feeds our hearers with understanding in the midst of great deception, and ultimately saves us in the end. We must know this man. We must be rooted and grounded in the knowledge of Him.
F. 1 John 5:19 tells us that the whole world is under the sway of the wicked one, and the New Testament makes it clear that he is the “ruler of this world” and the “god of this age”. (Jn 12:31;14:30;16:11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 6:12 ) Satan will not relinquish his position and power easily, for a loss of this battle will mean he will be condemned to the bottomless pit and lake of fire forever. As a main part of his strategy to resist the coming and in-breaking Kingdom of Light, he will produce messengers and ideologies that deceive the human race.
I. the olivet discourse
A. The Messiah’s first coming was typified by Israel’s hardness of heart and unbelief in what the prophets had written. It ended with Israel’s rejection and killing of the King of Glory.
B. After seeing all that Jesus had said and done in Jerusalem, the disciples came needing answers to a very important question.
“As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?" – Matthew 24:3
1. Jesus takes the next two chapters to answer this question. He is speaking to His apostles and those who would believe through them, especially to the generation when Jerusalem would be the focus of the whole earth and the class of beliefs and ideas would crescendo into a global conflict.
2. What would precede the Messiah’s Second Coming? Jesus’ first words set the context. “See that no one leads you astray, for many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ’ and they will lead many astray.”
a) Great deception would typify the next coming.
b) In the context of wars, natural disasters, persecution and lawlessness, Satan will raise up messengers and ideologies that will provide seemingly right answers to troubled and cold hearts open to deception. (v. 6-8)
c) False prophets doing false signs and wonders will reinforce these lies. (v. 24)
d) Many professing Christians will be swept away because they were ignorant and unprepared. (v.24; 36-25:30)
e) Three times Jesus warns us of the coming deception and identified the subject matter of the discussion- the person of Christ.
A. With Jesus there is a 4-fold witness of the apostles to this truth.
1. Paul-
a) 2 Corinthians 11:1-15
b) Galatians 1:8-9*
c) Colossians 2:1-4
d) 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12*
2. To the churches in Ephesus and Asia Minor- (Paul’s writings to Timothy)
a) 1 Timothy 4:1-2
b) 2 Timothy 3:13-4:4*
3. Peter-
a) 2 Peter 2:1-3
b) 2 Peter 3:1-4*
4. John –
a) 1 John 2:18
b) 1 John 2:26-27
c) 2 John 1:7-9*
d) The Book of Revelation
5. Jude-
a) Jude v. 3-4; 17-18
B. We must contend for what the early church paid for with blood.
C. The main theme and purpose of the Book of Revelation is to reveal the personality, power and action plan of Jesus.
1. It is primarily the Revelation of Jesus Christ given to John not the “Revelation of End Time events to make the charts so you can know more than the person down the street” given to John.
2. Revelation 1:1- “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants…”
II. the bridegroom king and judge
A. To rightly interpret the dramatic events surrounding the End Times you must view them all through the lens of the revelation of Jesus.
B. He is a bridegroom.
1. Jesus declared Himself a bridegroom.
2. In Matthew 22:1-14 – Jesus sets the context for all that would take place in Jerusalem during Holy Week.
“And Jesus answered and spoke to them again by parables and said: “The kingdom of heaven is like a certain king who arranged a marriage for his son.”
3. John the Baptist testified that the one he was preparing the way for was a Bridegroom.
“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.”
4. Paul interpreted his whole apostolic ministry as that of preparing a bride for the Bridegroom.
“For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”- 1 Corinthians 11:2
5. In Ephesians 5, Paul, instructing on marital relationships, moves into the great mystery of Christ and His Church.
“For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.” - Ephesians 5:30-32
6. John at the end of the book of Revelation understood that the identity of those that had been redeemed would be a bride calling out for her bridegroom.
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. -Revelation 22:17
7. He is jealous to have the spotless bride. He made her for Himself; she was led astray; he came and purchased her with His own blood and made the way for her come near; He asked his Father for her to be with Him forever; He continues to ask; He gave all those who said yes to Him His Spirit as a down payment that He will come back and have them forever; He will return to glorify her like Himself.
8. He will remove everything that stands in the way of Him having a remnant of the human race that is wholly in love to be with Him forever.
9. For six-thousand years the enemy has unleashing his onslaught on God’s prized possession – the image bearers. He will come to finally set her free from Satan’s oppression and the persecution of wicked men. He will repay with affliction those who have afflicted you. You have no need to defend yourself for He Himself will defend you fully. (2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; Hebrews 10:30)
10. He will come to the rescue of all those who are eagerly waiting for Him. (Hebrews 9:28)
11. He will answer every cry for justice coming from those who believed in His salvation. We see in Revelation 6 that He is responding to the cries of the martyrs throughout history. Every prayer for justice from a heart of love will be fully vindicated by a jealous husband. (Luke 18:1-6)
C. He is a conquering King and a Priest Forever.
1. Contributing greatly to Israel’s rejection of Jesus at His first coming was the hopeful expectation of the Messiah that would come as a conquering King and would deliver Israel from all of her enemies and establish her above all the nations.
2. Those who had given themselves to the ardent study of the Scriptures and the searching out the coming King could not recognize the suffering servant and reconcile the inclusion of Gentiles and never foresaw two separate comings of the promised One.
3. Yet the expected King is coming and every prophetic promise in the Old Testament concerning His kingdom will come to pass with astonishing accuracy and piercing clarity.
4. From Genesis 3:15 the Lord prophecies of a coming King who would crush the head of Satan and reverse the curse and every effect of the fall, restoring the earth under the dominion of One King.
“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He will [crush] your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” – Genesis 3:15
5. By Genesis 49:10, Jacob prophecies that this King would come from Judah. He would come like a lion upon the whole earth would establish and He would bring worldwide peace.
“Judah is a lion’s whelp;
From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He bows down, he lies down as a lion; And as a lion, who shall rouse him? The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people.” – Genesis 49:9-10
6. The Lord speaks to David through Nathan the prophet after he had established the tabernacle and had it in His heart to build the temple in 1 Chronicles 17:11-15 and gives Him this promise:
“And it shall be, when your days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish his throne forever. I will be his Father, and he shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from him, as I took it from him who was before you. And I will establish him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and his throne shall be established forever.”
a) Because God found David to be “man after God’s own heart who would do all the will of God” (Acts 13:23), God used him as a witness and his throne as a standard of the King that would come. The coming King would be in the linage of David and would establish for the Lord a sure house and His kingdom would be forever.
b) This King that is coming would execute justice and righteousness over all the earth in perfect wisdom. Under His leadership the earth will flourish and be fully restored. He will sit on David’s throne (Jerusalem) and over David’s kingdom (Israel), which will spread all over the earth.
“Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David's throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.” – Isaiah 9:7
“The days are coming," declares the LORD, "when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The LORD Our Righteousness.”- Jeremiah 23:5-6
1) Isaiah 11
2) Zechariah 14:9
7. Not only would the Messiah sit on the throne of David as a King but He would also rule over His kingdom as a Priest.
a) David heard two Trinitarian dialogues about the human reign of the Messiah (Ps. 2; Ps. 110). In Ps. 110, God showed him that one of his future descendants would be his Lord. This refers to Jesus in His humanity as the Son of David being exalted to God’s right hand.
b) In Psalm 2, the Father sets forth an eternal decree. This is the way that God has sovereignly chosen to give His Son his inheritance and the context in which He will establish his government on the earth.
“I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession.”- Psalm 2:7-8
c) Jesus ever lives to make intercession. This is the way he will establish His government and administer His kingdom.
d) Now He releases His kingdom on the earth in partnership with the prayers of the saints. The essence of intercession is agreement with Christ as he asks for His inheritance.
e) Jesus will not only sit on the throne of David and over David’s kingdom but also in the Tabernacle of David.
“In mercy the throne will be established; And One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, Judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness.” -Isaiah 16:5
f) In Psalm 110 we hear Father make an oath concerning the coming King that will rule over the earth.
The LORD (Yahweh; the Father) said to my Lord (Jesus), "Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool." The LORD (the Father) shall send the rod of Your (Jesus’) strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth. The LORD (the Father) has sworn and will not relent, "You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek." The Lord (Jesus) is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; therefore He shall lift up the head.- Ps. 110:1-7
1) In verse 4 God makes an eternal oath that the king who is coming to reign would also be a priest. This was also prophesied by the prophet Zechariah in Zechariah 6:13
2) He is qualified to administer the justice and wrath of God because He was and is faithful as a priest.
3) To also who receive His kindness as their High Priest will join Him forever. To all who rejected and despised His priestly ministry have become His enemies.
g) “You are a priest forever…” not only describes the identity of Jesus but the way in which He will establish His coming kingdom.
8. The book of Psalms again prophesies the coming King who will make war against His enemies and trample them in His justice. He will take over every government that opposes Him and will fight on behalf of the poor and afflicted.
a) Psalm 2
b) Psalm 10:16-18
c) Psalm 45
d) Psalm 48
e) Psalm 68
f) Psalm 72
g) Psalm 110
9. The promise of this King who would restore Israel and raise it up nation above all the nations of the earth was greatly anticipated by an Israel living under foreign governments and occupied by foreign forces.
a) Isaiah 2
b) Isaiah 11
c) Isaiah 25
d) Isaiah 60
e) Jeremiah 30:18-24
f) Joel 3:17-21
g) Micah 4
h) Zephaniah 3:1-20
i) Zechariah 9-10
j) Zechariah 14
10. Isaiah sees this aspect of Jesus in Isaiah 63. His reaction to the revelation of Jesus as a judge and Jesus’ response to Isaiah are significant to understand the heart the coming judge.
D. He is a (the) Judge.
1. The generation of the Lord’s return will see the full manifestation of God’s justice on the earth both in mighty power, signs and wonders and in the destruction of all that oppresses, transgresses and rebels.
2. One of the most glorious attributes of God is His justice. The beauty of Jesus the Judge should cause our hearts to fall madly in love with Him and draw ever so near to Him.
3. Because Jesus has been appointed the “Judge of the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom” (2 Timothy 4:1b), there is therefore an appointed end to sin and wickedness. His fiery passion towards the saints as a bridegroom also makes Him a fierce judge against the world, unrighteousness, the flesh, and Satan. The same fire that burns in His eyes with love for you will also destroy all that oppresses, afflicts, and hinders you from fully being His; every government system, person, and demonic power.
Behold, the Lord GOD shall come with a strong hand, And His arm shall rule for Him; Behold, His reward is with Him, And His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, And carry them in His bosom, And gently lead those who are with young. – Isaiah 40:10-11
Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him. – Jude 14-15
Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead. - Acts 17:30-31
4. The mystery of iniquity: Unpopular to secular humanistic western society today, we must stare at and boldly declare a truth that condemns us forever apart from the severe mercy of Jesus. Humanity has its core an incurable stubborn refusal to submit to God’s laws and their active aggression to cast off all of God’s restraints. (Psalm 2) Even as He returns and His beauty and power is fully manifest they will still resist God and violently oppose Jesus’ rule.
But the rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, 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 or their sorceries or their sexual immorality or their thefts. – Revelation 9:20-21
These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful.” – Revelation 17:14
5. Jesus has been made the administrator of the wrath of God and His judgments. He has been entrusted as the human judge who will bring the dominion of God fully onto the earth and call to account every nation and government that did not rule in truth, righteousness, and meekness. Because He bore the wrath of God for all the earth, He is able to dispense the full potency of the wrath of God against all who said and will say “no” to Him.
If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates Me hates My Father also. If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without cause.’ - John 15:22-25
And Jesus said, “For judgment I have come into the world, that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may be made blind.” – John 9:39
For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him… For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself, and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man… I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and my judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me. – John 5:22-30
“I came to send fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished! - Luke 12:49-50
And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that it is He [Jesus] who was ordained by God to be Judge of the living and the dead.
6. This revelation releases the fear of the Lord on the church and purifies her; making her ready for that Day. God hates sin! He is actively opposing it and will forever remove it from the human experience at His coming because He is a judge. Darkness and rebellion will not be apart of His economy and neither those who love them. This produces diligence in the heart of the believer to be found holy and pleasing to Him; faithful to pursue a life worthy of His calling and not perverting the grace of Jesus. And violence to purify ourselves as He is pure.
Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ… – 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming… Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. – 1 John 2:28; 3:2-3
According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Christ Jesus. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear, for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire: and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, yet as through a fire. - 1 Corinthians 3:10-15
But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness-indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. For as many as sin without the law will also perish without law, and as many have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when the Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do things in the law, these although not having a law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel. - Romans 2:5-16
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know, that no fornicator, unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. – Ephesians 5:3-6
Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. – 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord. – Jude 4
So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. - 2 Peter 3:14
7. The understanding of the heart of Jesus as a Judge will empower our proclamation in the days ahead as we appeal to men every to repent in light of the coming wrath of God.
8. Knowing and loving the fury and justice of Jesus as a Judge gives us power to endure persecution. Not only does is give us power to endure but it gives us grace to show mercy and compassion on those who are persecuting us.
God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels. He will punish those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. – 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Therefore, “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head. – Romans 12:19-20
The revelation of Jesus as the Bridegroom, King and Judge gives us more than just faith to endure. It causes our hearts to expand in love, sets us on fire, transforms us into His image, and fills us with great joy. Great might enters our inner man when the knowledge of what He accomplished at the Cross will be fully completed at the Second Coming. He will remove sickness and disease and triumph over all the powers of darkness! HE is our blessed hope! As we meditate upon these things great power fills our lives and our prayers and prepares us to live victoriously in the days ahead, staying faithful as He is faithful.
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