Revelation 12:5 (The King and His Kingdom)

Thank you for subscribing to the Shepherds Church podcast. This is our Lord's Day Sermon. We pray that as we declare the Word of God that you would be encouraged Strengthened in your faith and that you would catch a greater vision of who Christ is.

May you be blessed in the hearing of God's Word and may the Lord be with you. So far we've been going through Revelation chapter 12 and only verses 1 through 5. But what we've been seeing is this cosmic war that's been waged in the heavens that's really teaching us something more about what Christmas is more than the lights and the trees and the and the Dusty Christmas trees that you pull out of the attic or maybe you have a fresh tree.

We never did that growing up. So so ours always smells of dust not of not of real pine.

But.

Revelation 12 and the Cosmic War Behind Christmas

We've been seeing over the last few weeks this war wage. In week one We talked about how to actually interpret the book of Revelation. It was really important I think that we that we talked about that first because we're diving right into the middle of This great book one of the most difficult books in the Bible.

And if you don't understand how to interpret Revelation signs, then you're gonna get disoriented and lost. Which is where most people get when they read Revelation. We talked about how a sign is for the time period in which it was given not in our time.

We don't look at Revelation signs and say what do these mean for me? That would be like asking a first century Jewish Christian to look at uncle Sam and say well, what does this figure mean for me? It would make no sense.

It'd be nonsense to them so we we had to understand that signs are interpreted in their own time and The code book that we use to interpret most of the biblical signs in Revelation is the Bible. It's the Old Testament's the Bible which that church had now there are also times where we look at the Historic history and that's our source book for what these images are like the dragon.

Why does it have seven heads? Well, because it's Rome the city that sits on seven hills. How also do we know that Daniel seven? There's a seven headed monster in Daniel seven so we've Tried to work through these things together in week two.

We tried to figure out who is the woman and we saw that she is the manifold people of God past present and future. She's the one who's clothed like the Old Testament Israelites. She's the one who is crowned like Old Testament Judah and she's the one who gives birth to the Messiah.

Just like Judah did and she's also the one who is persecuted by the first century Jews. Like the early church so in that sense she's true Israel past present and future. In week three We saw the war unfold and week three We looked at how that war is unfolding in the heavens and the dragon Satan the serpent of old is the one who was waging war with God in the heavens and how he was cast down to the earth and Just after Jesus's resurrection and ascension to heaven.

We talked about something that we often don't speak about is that the final war in heaven happened. Then when Jesus told his disciples to wait in the upper room until the Spirit of God would come Jesus returned to heaven to make war and He waged war in heaven and so the serpent of old was thrown down for the final time.

That was week three and We learned from that. That Satan no longer has access to heaven which means that when your name is uttered in heaven There is no more slander. There is no more accusation. The only thing that is uttered when your name is mentioned in heaven is what Christ says about you to God the Father in that beautiful The slanderer has been thrown down in week four.

We talked about the dragons war on earth. We broke this into two sermons because I couldn't get it all in one. The dragons war on earth began in Eden and it was finished in Jerusalem and we talked about last week how as soon as Jesus won the war in heaven after his ascension He threw Satan down and the Bible specifically says Revelation specifically says that Satan was thrown down for a short Time and what we talked about is that short in Revelation is one of the only things that you can take literally when it says behold I'm coming quickly.

These take the time is near. I'm coming shortly. Those things are all in Revelation timeframe references that you can take literally so when Satan has a short period of time left what we saw is Not that Satan is continuing to prowl the earth like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.

He was defeated. And he was defeated by Christ in the downfall of Jerusalem.

Christ's Kingdom Replaces Satan's War

Now.

Today.

We're gonna be looking at what was replaced. Okay, you've got the the dragons war that lasted for thousands of years. Well what replaced that and what we're gonna argue today is that Christ and his kingdom Replaced that that now Christ has built a kingdom that will never end.

Christ has built a kingdom that will put all of his enemies under his feet. Christ has built a kingdom that will bring blessings to His people but it will also Crush his enemies. What we're going to see is that Revelation 12 is central to the narrative of human history in that Jesus at a certain time came and set up a kingdom that you and I are a part of and we are not waiting for the World to continue to get worse and worse and worse as many believe we are in Jesus's reign and Jesus's reign Will be successful to the very ends of the earth.

So what we're going to show today what we're gonna talk about today is a lot of passages. I'm gonna I'm gonna be in half of verse 5 in Revelation 12. But I'm gonna buttress that with a bunch of passages that what my prayer is is when you see all of them together.

You're going to say what an incredible kingdom that we're living in and what you're going to see is Not that we should despair But that we should be hopeful. That we should have great hope. So that is my goal for today.

If you will turn with me to Revelation 12 5 as we close out this series With one final message and it is about the kingdom of Jesus Christ Revelation 12 5 and She gave birth to a son a male child Who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron and her child was caught up to God into his throne.

Let us pray Lord we thank you That you have brought us into a kingdom. Lord, we thank you that you ascended to heaven not to twiddle your thumbs, but to sit down on your throne and reign. You send it to heaven to make war with the serpent cast him down to earth and In your victory you sat down to reign over a kingdom that will never end.

Lord, I pray that as we see these passages today. I Pray that it would give us Comfort joy and hope Lord. I pray that it would encourage us to be a part of the building of your kingdom. Lord, I pray that it would cause us to get into the fight to get into the game Lord I pray that it would cause us to recognize the difference between ownership and Dominion and Lord, I pray that as we see these things that more than anything our hearts would be filled with great joy and that we would praise you as The one who is worthy of all glory and all honor.

It's in Jesus name. We pray. Amen. Revelation 12 as we've seen is the center point of human history it connects the battle that God has been waging against Satan from the very beginning and It connects the victory of Christ to his never-ending kingdom.

So you have all of the past Crescendoing in Revelation 12 5 and and sort of dying and then you have all of the future Rising out of Revelation 12 5 so you have one world that's collapsing in one world that is rising both here in the very same passage.

It says she gave birth to a son. That's not Mary as we've talked about. That is the people of God. God's people brought forth the Messiah and that Messiah is a male child Jesus who is to rule all the nations.

The Meaning of “All the Nations” in Revelation 12:5

Now one thing you need to understand right away right off the top is that some words in Greek are very complex. Some words in Greek are complicated. You can talk about participles. Participles are Notoriously difficult for seminary students.

I thought I was gonna lose most of my hair on my head when we were studying participles until I finally figured them out. There's one type of word called a genitive so if you say Kendall Lankford Lankford would be a genitive.

There's like 37 different types of genitives in Greek and They're notoriously difficult to diagnose. I say all that to say that the word all is not a complicated word. Out of all the complicated words in the Greek language that take a lot of study and a lot of a lot of real Elbow grease and effort all is not one of them all means what it means.

It means all so when it says that he is to rule all the nations We can take that exactly for what it is. It doesn't mean he's to rule some of the nations. It doesn't mean that he is to rule in some spiritual way.

Where his kingdom is only spiritual and he only reigns in the church. But the secular governments there are doing their own thing in this sort of two kingdom schema. No, he is to rule all the nations.

He is to rule all the nations from the top of them to the bottom of them from the president to the pauper. From the top to the bottom every nation on earth is going to come under the reign of Christ. This is what it's saying.

He is to rule all the nations. His arrival is not a footnote in human history it is the turning point from a world under the reign and tyranny of Satan to a world under the rule and Supremacy of Jesus Christ.

It is not just a spiritual kingdom. It is a kingdom that conquers material reality. And it will continue to conquer material reality until all of it bows the knee to Jesus. Now we see this in Colossians 117.

Where it says he Jesus is before all things and in him all things hold together. So what we're seeing here is this his kingship is going to bring about material cosmic renewal. If everything holds together in Jesus then every atom on planet earth is being held together by his supremacy and Under his lordship are going to come under his healing.

He is going to accomplish cosmic victory. It is not symbolic it is actual. His ascension began a process by which the old broken world was going to be Reunited back to heaven again to where heaven and earth one day will completely overlap.

Why else did Jesus pray? Your will be done on earth as It already is in heaven if he had no intention on reuniting heaven and earth back together again. So Colossians 1 7 tells us one aspect of his reign and that is he's going to reunite the physical and the spiritual back.

Together again, he's going to heal the cosmos. What else about his reign? Well Revelation 12 5 describes his inauguration. He is going to rule the nations with a rod of iron. This talks about the beginning of his reign where he where he conquers the dragon and the dragons layer is put down.

Where his kingdom rises where his ascension to glory and power is going to bring his rule to the nations. And this rod of iron is a very fascinating feature of his reign. It is both a weapon to crush his enemies as we'll see in a moment, but it's also a Rod that heals his people it brings judgment and it brings salvation.

It brings punishment and it brings blessing. Revelation 12 5 talks about the inauguration of his reign. Psalm 2 6 3 8 talks about his inheritance. What is Jesus inherit for his faithfulness? What does Jesus gain for his going to the cross?

What does Jesus get from God as the reward for his obedience. Psalm 2 6 3 8 tells us. But as for me I this is God the father. I have installed my king upon Zion my holy mountain. Ask of me. This is God speaking to Jesus.

In this passage David is writing a conversation between the Father and the Son and the father says ask of me Jesus and I will surely give the nations to you as Your inheritance and the very ends of the earth as your possession.

Jesus was told by the father to ask for the nations and Jesus did ask for the nations. How do we know that because as soon as he resurrected from the dead? He told his disciples all authority in heaven and on earth now belongs to me as a reward for Jesus's obedience.

He asked God for his inheritance and his inheritance was the nation's the very ends of the earth. How much more earth is there outside of the ends of the earth there isn't?

God's.

He owns it all. From his ascension until now every atom on earth belongs to Jesus. This is why this passage and others why I Get so frustrated.

In a.

And hopefully in a righteous way with the phrase the sacred secular divide. There is no such thing. Secular space doesn't exist because every.

Quark.

On earth belongs to Jesus and it's under his authority. There is no such thing as secular space. The white house belongs to Jesus. The senate chamber belongs to Jesus. The judiciary belongs to Jesus. The public library where we read a story hour first pastor story hour belongs to Jesus.

There is no place on earth that doesn't belong to him. He owns it all. They are his inheritance for his obedience. Try taking something out of the hands of Christ you can't. Psalm 72 8 tells us the scope of Jesus's reign.

How far will his reign go? Well, this is what it says. May he also rule from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. We might not be hebrew scholars. But when we see that from sea to sea.

From the river to the ends of the earth. We are talking about Jesus not only owning the entire world But reigning over the entire world. And this is put in the conditional may he also rule. Why? Because the moment that this was written God the father owned the world.

But the whole world was not under his dominion yet. So david is saying this is a prayer that under jesus christ. That the world will come under the reign the dominion the sovereignty the rule of jesus.

Revelation 12 5 tells us that jesus stepped into this rule 2 000 years ago and he will not quit. Until the entire world is under his dominion. What do I mean? I mean that when bad things happen don't pack your eschatological suitcase.

I mean that when the wrong person gets elected don't start staring at the clouds and looking for your heavenly Wonka vader to take you out of here. I mean that This world will increasingly come under the dominion of jesus until there is no more rebellion left.

May he rule. From the sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. And he will.

Rule.

Revelation 12 5 begins this reign. Psalm 78 imagines the moment when it's finally completed. Isaiah 9 6 through 7 talks about the expansion of his rule. For unto us a child is born. A son is given and the government will rest upon his shoulders and there will be no end To the increase of his government.

Let's do a thought experiment. His government began in judaah 2 000 years ago. And god said that it was going to expand. Okay, so it takes samaria and then it takes uh the outer regions. What kind of a government do you have if it expands until it can't expand anymore?

Total global universal. Jesus will reign over this earth. He will establish his kingdom. He will uphold it with justice and righteousness. And it even says in this passage that the zeal of the lord Will make sure this happens.

Revelation 12 5 again inaugurates this kind of kingdom. Now the question that I run into when I tell people this that this this is in the bible. I'm just reading your bible verses the question that I run into is Is how could that possibly be look at how evil the world is?

The question you have to wrestle with there Is do you have enough faith to believe what the bible says? Or are you going to walk by sight and believe what your eyes are telling you? I could argue with you that 2 000 years of history have produced a world that is far better off than what it was 2 000 Years ago when people left babies out in the street to die when christians were thrown to lions where rulers Like nero were ruling the earth.

I can make arguments that poverty has been reduced education has been increased. I can make arguments that that the whole world is under a kind of affluence that even the caesars of rome Could not even imagine and that's even in third world countries.

I can make argument after argument after argument that the world's gotten better. The question is will you die? To your Addiction and my addiction to seeing the world with these brown stained glasses.

And will you see and choose to see what the scriptures say that he will rule To the ends of the earth. And his government will continue to expand until it has conquered everything. So has it conquered america yet?

No, will it whether it's america or whether it's some other country. The geography We're living on right now will be conquered fully and totally by jesus christ because his government will continue to expand Until it cannot expand any further.

And he will do this until it's finished. He will not return until it's finished. Because why god is not a miser and god is not a liar. If he said it, he will do it, which means that instead of being dispy downers.

He will do it.

Just.

Instead of being that May we be optimistic and hopeful and looking for ways that we can join in the mission to help Accomplish this and see this happen in our lifetime. Daniel talks about the universal nature of his rule in daniel chapter 7 as well.

Remember.

Revelation 12 5 says that he ascended into heaven. He defeated satan there and then he's going to rule all the nations. This is exactly what daniel chapter 7 says. Listen. And to him who is him? Sunday school answers are appropriate here.

Jesus and to him was given dominion Glory and a kingdom that all the peoples nations and men of every language might serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which will not pass away and his kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.

So.

There's not a lot of options here. We're not talking about something that's going to collapse. We're talking about something that's continually being strengthened built and sustained forever. Everlasting kingdom.

We're talking about a kingdom that will have dominion that covers the entire earth. Think about the great commission one of the things we've missed in the great commission Jesus says all authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth.

There is no authority outside jesus's every authority that we have is borrowed authority. And then what does he say? Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations. Why would jesus tell us to disciple the nations if he thought that the mission wasn't going to complete be completed?

Why would he tell us to disciple nations governments presidents cabinets senates parliaments? Why would he tell us to bring them under his authority and to teach them how to obey his commands? If he thought that it wasn't possible.

So.

Let's ask a question. Does jesus ever give a command that's arbitrary? Does jesus ever give a command that he anticipates that we will not accomplish through his spirit? Jesus Told us to take dominion of the world and to spread his kingdom Instead of wasting our time being discouraged.

And and I want to be sensitive. Discouragement is real. I feel it. I've dealt with discouragement and depression my whole life. It's easy to think kendall's just an optimistic pollyanna post mill guy.

And he thinks that the world's just going to keep getting better and better and better. I go through days where i'm down. I go through days where i'm depressed and discouraged. The question is Will you?

Will you live in your depression or will you repent of your depression? Will you. Will you sit down in it and suffer in it? And continue to choose to view the world a certain way. Or will you view the world according to what scripture says?

Will you take hold of your heart and will you start speaking to your heart instead of letting your heart speak to you? How often do we listen to the chatterbox inside of us that says all of these negative things instead?

Will we take our heart and say no, no, no you listen to me. Scripture says that christ is going to reign from sea to shining sea from the river to the ends of the earth. I refuse to be discouraged. And keep speaking truth over yourself until you believe it.

That's what christians do. Will we be christians in the way that we view?

The world.

Christ Will Crush His Enemies

Psalm 22 27 through 28 we can go through so many. Psalm 22 27 through 28. This is the passage that jesus proclaimed on the cross. Psalm 22 1. Do you know what that is? My god, my god, why have you forsaken me?

Jesus is is saying that this passage applies to me. That this passage applies to my death my burial my resurrection. Listen, if I say the first word of a song today. Then you know what i'm talking about.

If I say what is love you're automatically going to start singing it because you know it i'm i'm appealing to the whole song. In those days if you quoted the first line of a psalm, which was a song. Then you were appealing to the entire song.

Jesus on the cross is not saying god. Why have you abandoned me? He's quoting david and he's saying that this passage is about me and if you read psalm 22 And it says that they've pierced me. That that they gave me vinegar to drink.

You start realizing that jesus was prophesying on the cross. That this passage is about me. So what is verse 22 and or 27 through 28 say? This is jesus. Saying this to us all the ends of the earth Will remember and turn to the lord and all of the families of the nations will worship before you for the kingdom.

Is the lord's and he rules over the nations? What this is saying is before jesus Returns to this earth all the families on earth will worship him. What else can it mean but that? What else can it mean but that all the families of the nations will worship before you?

Listen.

This is I. I had to go through a process with these passages. Um a few years ago. I've been post mill for about 10 years. But I was post mill of the variety that said I think jesus is going to win 51 of the world.

And the other 49 of the world. He's not going to win. So therefore yay. He won the majority. That that was my optimism, but when I read passages like this. That all the families of the nations are going to worship before him.

That all of the nations are going to obey him. My 51 doesn't actually align with what scripture says. It's more like.

All.

It takes faith to say that especially given the world that we live in but I think all means all. And I would rather look foolish in front of you. I'd rather you think to yourself. Well kendall the whole world isn't going to worship.

Jesus. Every person on earth isn't going to worship. Jesus. I'd rather look foolish in front of you. And be in alignment with all. Than for me to try to make it seem palatable to us or for me to try to make it seem.

Like easy to understand. I get that. It's not easy to understand. I'm, just saying that jesus is so powerful and so good and so wonderful that he will eventually accomplish what he said he will. That's all i'm saying.

And that's what we ought to believe. Reverend hebrews One two through three talks about that. He has supremacy over all things after making purification for sins. He sat down to reign. And he will have supremacy over all things.

Philippians 2 9 through 11. I've heard preachers preach this passage. Where it says that every knee will bow in heaven and on earth and even under the earth every knee will bow and every tongue Will confess that jesus christ is lord.

What if that doesn't mean? That 51 percent of the earth will bow in worship and 49 percent of the earth will bow. Because they've been obligated because jesus puts his sandal on the back of their neck and makes them bow.

What if this actually means that before the world is finished? Every knee will actually bow. What if that's what it means? Revelation 11 15 says the kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our lord and of his christ and he will reign forever and ever.

We can go through more there's more there are little hidden beautiful nuggets that are hidden in the scriptures. That tell us what kind of rain he's going to have. Genesis 49 10 says all the nations are going to obey him.

Genesis 12 3 all the families on earth are going to come under his blessing. The question is will we believe it and I'm going to press this even further. Because I know how hard this is to believe because I wrestled with it for years.

The passages I just read to you are mostly concerning his ownership of the world. But now i'm going to focus on passages that are specifically talking about his dominion over the world. There is a difference.

Do you know what the difference between ownership and dominion is? Ownership is. You have a great grandmother who leaves you a million dollars and you buy a dilapidated building. You own it. That's what you use your inheritance for.

But the dilapidated building still has broken windows. It still has plumbing issues. It still has electrical panels that need to be upgraded. You own it, but it's not yet Conformed to your will and your pleasure in your image.

So after you purchase it. Then you take the time the long time that it's going to take to fix it. To repair it to heal it to mend it to make it obey your will. Jesus christ 2 ,000 years ago on the cross bought and paid for the world.

And for the last 2 ,000 years, he's been mending it and fixing it hammering nailing cutting sawing. And bringing it under his dominion until. However long that takes it fully aligns with his vision. How does he do that?

Well, there's two ways that jesus extends his dominion in the bible. Number one. He extends his dominion by crushing his enemies. Number two, he extends his dominion by blessing his people. That is the left hand and the right hand of jesus's war for the world.

He will crush his enemies and he will bless his people. So let's look at how he crushes his enemies. Excuse me for one second. Revelation 12 5 says that he rules the world with a rod of iron. He rules all the nations with a rod of iron.

That's not a passive rod. Jesus is not toting around a iron rod for no reason. He could have chosen gold. He could have chosen a softer metal. He chose iron as his rod because it is a weapon for crushing.

And his dominion on earth extends as he crushes his enemies. Psalm 2 8 through 9 tells us what jesus is going to do. Ask of me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance in the very ends of the earth as your possession.

We just read that why or how. And you shall break them with a rod of iron. And you shall shatter them like earthenware.

Do you see?

Revelation 12 5 says that jesus has a rod of iron and god commands jesus in psalm 2 to use that rod of iron to smash and to destroy his enemies.

So what are the enemies.

What are jesus's enemies? I think we could think of a few Nations that don't submit to him. Things like abortion which murder god's people. Things like prostitution things like pornography. We can go on and on and on what are the enemies of jesus?

Even one of his enemies is death. Did you know that jesus is going to crush that enemy as well? So he's going to crush his enemies with a rod of iron. And he's going to continue to crush his enemies until what there are no enemies left.

Brothers and sisters I would ask you a question. What does a land look like when all of the enemies have been crushed? It looks like a place of peace. It doesn't necessarily mean that there's a people there.

It just means there are no more enemies there. That's half of jesus's work. He's going to crush all of the enemies. He's going to crush his enemies. Look at another passage. Daniel 2 34 through 35 in verse 44.

This is An apocalyptic passage talking about what jesus is going to do. It that is the stone struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and crushed them. But the stone that struck the statue became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.

In the days of those kings the god of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed. It will crush and put an end to all of these kingdoms, but it will itself Endure forever. We know from daniel chapter 2 that these kingdoms are Persia or babylon persia greece and rome and the final kingdom is rome.

So in the days of rome God is going to set up an everlasting kingdom. What does that mean other than jesus? Who came and who crushed? All of the wicked empires. By his own presence and power. What does that mean?

Well.

After jesus dealt with judah in 80 70. What does he do next? Do you know? It took 300 years 300 and something years and then rome was no more. And how was rome no more because jesus christ was crushing his enemies underneath his feet.

There is no more british empire anymore it was crushed. Now you just have a hollowed out little nation. Called england. If america stays on the side of an enemy of god, guess what will happen to her? She will be crushed.

Because he will crush all his enemies. He will be that little stone that fills the world until there is no more space left. The whole world is filled with his presence. Revelation 19 15 through 16 Tells us how he does this work in the first century.

I can't get into all the different Aspects of why this is a first century fulfillment. You'll have to take my advice. Or just wait, uh, wait a millennium until I get there. Uh in the podcast I wanted to say that last week with revelation 20.

Uh, you can wait for a thousand years before I get there. Revelation 19 15 through 16 says from his mouth comes a sharp sword. So that with it he may strike down the peoples. And he will rule them with a rod of iron.

And on his robe and on his thigh. He has a name written king of kings and lord of lords so here. And you'll have to take my word for it for the moment revelation 19 is about jesus's destruction of his enemy judah.

Isaiah 11 9 through 10 talks about how he's going to extend this Ministry to the ends of the earth and he's going to bring peace to the world through his crushing. It says they will not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain.

For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the lord as the waters covers the sea. Then in that day the nations will resort to the root of jesse who will stand as a signal for the peoples. His resting place will be glorious.

All of the ends of the earth will come under the banner of jesus's kingdom. By him crushing his enemies so that there is no more violence in the kingdom of god. Isn't that a beautiful thing to think. That the kingdom of god is heading in a direction where there will be peace on earth.

No more nuclear wars. I am so tired of climate alarmism and nuclear alarmism and every other kind of alarmism. The whole world is acting like they've bought into dispensationalism. The world is heading towards peace.

The world is heading towards shalom. The world is heading towards christ having more sovereignty more dominion.

More.