Eschatology Is About Jesus (Part 2)

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry coming to you from Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. No Compromise Radio is a program dedicated to the ongoing proclamation of Jesus Christ, based on the theme in Galatians 2, verse 5, where the Apostle Paul said, �But we did not yield in subjection to them for even an hour, so that the truth of the gospel would remain with you.

In short, if you like smooth, watered-down words to make you simply feel good, this show isn�t for you. By purpose, we are first biblical, but we can also be controversial. Stay tuned for the next 25 minutes as we�re called by the Divine Trumpet to summon the troops for the honor and glory of her King.

Here�s our host, Pastor Mike Abendroth.

Eschatology as the Study of Jesus and the Revelation of Christ

Welcome to No Compromise Radio, a ministry. My name is Mike Abendroth, and my guess is this is about show 1550. I don�t know why we didn�t have a big celebration for show 1500, because we recorded them three months ago, forgot to celebrate that day, didn�t put it in the tickler file, didn�t have it in my iCal.

I wonder, you know, I�ve never asked the question before, if no co-radio listeners are more Mac-driven or PC. I wonder. I made the switch to Mac, I don�t know, eight years ago or so. I didn�t want to, and I think it was because a lot of Bible software was not Mac, but now a lot of it is, so off we go.

Who needs Bible software? I have both BibleWorks for Mac and Logos, so we�ll talk about that another time. Now, eschatology, the study of end times. Last time we, in between my yawning, it�s not a yawning subject, but I was trying to say and trying to drive home the point that Jesus is the study of eschatology.

Maybe put more clearly, Jesus should be the focus of your study of eschatology. After all, even the book of Revelation, the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants the things which must soon take place.

And so, when you even look at the book of Revelation, we ended the show with all the different descriptions of Jesus in the book of Revelation, from faithful witness, first born from the dead, omega, alpha, beginning and first, last, son of man, son of God, beginning of the creation of God, lion, lamb, and all the other ones.

Revelation is first and foremost a revelation or unveiling of Jesus Christ, to uncover this person, so that you can see him, so that he becomes visible, so that he becomes manifest. 20 -20 vision, clear vision, the revelation of Jesus is a disclosure.

Now remember, Daniel was a book that was sealed up until the end of time, Daniel 12. But here we have an uncovering, the book of Revelation isn�t sealed, actually at the end of Revelation chapter 22, it says, �Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.

You have Jesus first coming, and you could describe it with one word maybe, �humiliation. And if you want to describe the second coming of Jesus, you could describe it with �exaltation. Those would be two good words.

And Jesus, the Lord Jesus, to use 2 Thessalonians 1, will be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire. And so, the Father gives the Son the information about the unveiling to show to his servants.

And so, as John MacArthur says, �Readers eavesdrop on the gift of this book from the Father to his Son. And it�s going to shortly take place, soon take place, the BSV says. And it�s got the feel where once it starts, it�s going to go fast, hold on.

It�s like when you take your shade in your window, and you pull it down a little bit. Is that the shade of the blind? I don�t know. Blind shade, blindside, I just read the other day that the football player that was featured in the movie Blindside said the movie pretty much ruined his life, ruined his career.

See, one more reason Hollywood bad. You pull it down a little bit, and then you let it go, and it just is rapidly cascading upward. Do things cascade upward? They just cascade downward. Does cascade work both ways?

There�s a blessing in Revelation 1, verse 3,. �Blessed is he who reads, and those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time is near. The time, the era, is near.

And you have this greeting from the Trinity at the book of Revelation�s front. You have grace and peace in Revelation 1, verse 4,. �From him who is and who was and who is to come, the Father, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne.

A description of who the Spirit of God is, �And now the Son, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness of the firstborn from the dead. And so you have the Father, the Spirit, and the Son. And this is the Son that loves us, �to him who loves us.

It�s present tense. I don�t know if there�s another present tense love in the epistles. There might be, but I think this might be the only one, if I remember Mias Lewis-Johnson quotes correctly. But he has loved us, he loves us, present tense.

It is finished, remember, when Jesus said that on the cross, and so the text says in Revelation 1, �released us from our sins. That�s accomplished. And we have the theme of the whole book then in verse 7, �Behold, he is coming with the clouds.

You know, you have a sneak peek, like a good drama or a good article is written. �And every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him, even so.

Amen. So the book of Revelation is about Jesus, the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega, and he is the one who is the Almighty. Ten times in the New Testament, that word Almighty is used, nine of them here in the book of Revelation.

Jesus is the head of the church, and he�s described with eyes of flaming fire, hair like white wool, I mean, he is holy, he is omniscient, he is a judge, feet were like burnished bronze. Now when you first start reading the book of Revelation, you should ask yourself the question, was it meant to just be read straight through, or heard read straight through, if you want to go back to chapter 1 verse 3.

And so you would always have this introduction in chapter 1 in your mind, if you just heard the thing read straight through, you wouldn�t just parachute in or plop yourself right in a bowl judgment or a trumpet judgment.

This is a book about Jesus. And so if you want my outline of Revelation, it�s pretty simple. Chapter 1 is this intro, chapters 2 and 3, everyone would agree, we have the letters to the churches, seven churches on that postal route in Asia, that�d be a good trip, a no-compromise trip.

I�m always surprised, I think we would, I would always imagine we would get more no-compromise listeners when we go to Israel or, I was thinking about the European tour in 2017, that is the Reformation tour, London, Zurich, Geneva, Wittenberg, but that�s going to be a tough year because it�ll be Luther 500, remember, thesis nailed, 1517, add 500 years, 2017, and I think it�s May 15th, May 12th, something like that, 2017, there�s a big conference that held by Christian Andreessen and the European Bible Training Center, and I might even be there.

I think MacArthur, Lawson, James White, I won�t be a main speaker, I�ll be carrying their bags, I�ll be carrying their theses, but I may, I think I�m invited, well I have been invited, but my role is probably a breakout session, which I�ll take, I don�t deserve a breakout session, but back on point, that means if everybody�s going, not even to that, but you know, the liberals will have their Luther 500s as well, the Lutherans will have it, it�s going to be hard to plan a trip then, so it might be Reformation Tour 2018, that�s what we might do, so start saving your Euros, you don�t have to save as many dollars to get Euros now, do you?

The Throne Room, the Tribulation, and the Hallelujah Chorus of Revelation 19

So we come to chapters 4 and 5 in the book of Revelation, and it�s basically a view from heaven, a view from the throne room of God, and I personally think it�s there because, and of course others agree, I try not to have any of my own ideas, things are going to get so bad on the earth in chapter 6 through 18 that you�re going to wonder, is God just?

And so you get a preview right up in chapter 4 and chapter 5, yes God is just and righteous and whatever he does is therefore just and righteous. So that�s 6 to 18 is the tribulation, and then we have chapter 19, so that�s what we�re going to pick up today.

In the book of Revelation, let�s not call it Revelations, that�s right it�s the book of Psalms, and then you read Psalm 1, you don�t read Psalms 1, you read Psalm 1 in the book of Psalms, right? Is that how we�ve got it figured out?

Just trying to be precise. There�s accuracy and then there�s precision. What�s the difference? If you listened to Abner Chow you would find out. What�s the difference between sense and reference? Reference and senses.

That would be Abner Chow. I love that guy. I learn a lot. I like learning from 32-year-olds. It�s crazy, super crazy. Revelation chapter 1, we have the hallelujah chorus. The hallelujah choir. Four times in the New Testament, all in Revelation 19.

Hallelujah, number 1. Verse 1, �After these things I heard, as it were, a loud voice, a megaphone, literally, of a great multitude in heaven, saying, �Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God.

God is a Savior. Verse 2, here�s another hallelujah, �Because his judgments are true and righteous, for he has judged the great harlot who is corrupting the earth with her immorality, and he has avenged the blood of his bond-servants on her.

And the second time they said hallelujah, her smoke rises up forever and ever. It�s going to be retribution. Hallelujah 3, �And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sits on the throne, saying, �Amen, hallelujah.

That one who is always on the throne, hallelujah. Praising God for not here retribution, not that he�s just a Savior, but for God himself. A voice came from the throne saying, �Give praise to our God, all you his bond-servants, you who fear him, the small and the great.

Keep on praising. And then the fourth hallelujah chorus is found in verse 6 of Revelation 19, �And I heard, as it were. Why do I think of Johnny Cash when that happens? �A voice of great multitude, and of the sound of many waters, and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder, saying, �Hallelujah for the Lord our God, the Almighty reigns.

We give a hallelujah for the fact that God is a Savior, that God gives retribution, and that he himself is to be praised, and hear that he reigns. And now we come to this marriage announcement. You know, typically in weddings, in our culture, the Western culture, who's the focus?

The bride or the groom? Who's the focus of attention? Who does everybody look at? Ooh, ah, well, of course it's the bride. Well, here in this wedding, the groom is the focus of attention. �Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready, and it was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Oh, she's described, but I don't think she's going to be the center of attention, is she? �And he said to me, �Write, Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, �These are true words of God.

And I fell at his feet to worship him, and he said to me, �Do not do that. I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Well, if you aren't supposed to worship him, this angel, this fellow servant, who are you supposed to worship? Who receives the worship? And now we see the groom. And this description of Jesus in Revelation chapter 19 is the exact opposite of the description of Jesus in the early gospels of his birth, his first coming.

This is language of the warrior, of a warrior. It's clearly warrior language. It's chilling. It's victorious language. It's not language of humility. It's language of exaltation, if I can go back to that from the beginning of the show.

Victory. Jesus accomplished victory, of course, at Calvary, and now he's going to execute that victory. And this language in Revelation chapter 19 is language of triumph. Yes, triumph that he wins, but the triumph back in the day of Rome.

Rome, triumphus. This is the solemn procession where the general enters the city in a chariot drawn by horses passing along the Via Sacra on his way to Jupiter, the temple of Jupiter. And this is what every Roman general wanted.

This was the parade of all parades. I've been to two large parades in my life. I've been to lots of smaller parades, Fourth of July parades and memorial day parades and Veterans Day parades. But the two largest parades I've been to would be the Los Angeles Lakers mid -80s world championships.

And I just went downtown to just be part of it. Just thankful that they won. The procession, the triumphal procession back in those days, that this is reflecting. You celebrate the general who was a hero, who did extraordinarily brave things.

And Rome wanted to say, we commend you. You're worthy of praise. You're a hero. One person said, if you hadn't seen a triumph, you hadn't seen anything at all. Well, of course, Rome fell. The empire of Rome wasn't around for very long.

And the last triumph recorded that I could find, Belisarius in 350 AD. But the one you get to see is Revelation chapter 19, pomp and circumstance beyond your wildest dreams. We think God is a God only of love, and that would be a God of your own imagination.

He doesn't exist. God is love, but he's more than that. And here the Lord is a warrior. The Lord is his name. Exodus 15, 3. This is the real triumphal entry. Not Jesus riding in to Jerusalem on a donkey.

This is Jesus, the Son of Man, coming with all his glory. Right? That's what this is. This is the Prince of Peace, the Warrior King, with vision of warrior language. Wilbur Smith said, this paragraph has always seemed to me almost too overwhelmingly glorious for exposition.

But I'm going to go ahead and try to do some exposition. Now let's go back on point here on No Compromise Radio. Don't forget you can write us, info at nocompromiseradio .com. If it's a simple question that can be answered, you know, where can I get Fundamentals of the Faith?

Spencer will probably answer that for you. If it is, you want some more information, most likely he'll forward it to me and I'll be responding back. So email me. Now, what was I just talking about? Oh, back to point.

Remember what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 2? I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And that's what's happening here in the book of Revelation. You have the focus as Jesus.

And so when you focus on eschatology, I hope your focus ultimately is not charts, graphs, future snooping where you're trying to figure out every current event, prophecy today type of thing, what's going on in the Middle East.

We have to figure it all out in light of the prophetic word. The focus is on Jesus. Harry Ironside said of this chapter here, this passage in Revelation 19 verses 11 to 16, how the heart thrills and pulses bound as we read this description of the descending Christ of God and His saints.

It is a great section. Jesus comes as conquer. What must it be like for Jesus to be the lion of the tribe of Judah? And we get the answer. This is reminiscent of Zechariah 14. Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations as He fights on a day of battle.

And in that day, He will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east and the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from east to west by a very large valley so that half of the mountain will move toward the north and the other half toward the south.

Climactic. If you're not supposed to worship the angel John falling at his feet, Revelation 19 .10, who are you supposed to worship? The proper object of worship is here. Revelation 19 .11, and I saw heaven opened and behold.

Stop right there. I saw heaven opened. It's a perfect participle. It's opened and it stays open. It's opened and it stays open. Pretty amazing to think about. Jesus will really return. The heavens open up so Jesus can exit.

I mean, it's pretty startling. It's pretty much given without a warning. This is drama. This is well, when people read the Bible and say, or they don't really read it. They're like, the Bible's boring.

Okay. This is not the boring Jesus right here. This is not the boring section of the Bible. This is even if you stand up and read it in a church, you don't have to make a comment because it just, you get the idea, right?

The difference between the first coming and the second coming. Jesus, the first time comes as savior. Now he comes as the judge. Remember those ancient creeds? Judge the living and the dead. He shall come again to judge.

He shall come to execute judgment. And all this in my own study was spiraling out of the Malachi situation where the people of God were saying, why do wicked people prosper? Well, lots of reasons. Some of them you don't get to know, but ultimately know that the son will go come back.

Rather not go come back, but go come back now fast. He ain't no God. I knew that. A verbal editor probably costs a lot of money. I have all kinds of buttons here, right? This one over here says mute. Okay.

Let me show you. Let me show you these buttons with my voice. Level, mute, pan. I've got EQ, MD, low. I've got aux, not OX, but AUX. I got some gains. I've got line ins. I've got main mix, tape, alt, pre, return.

Oh man. You're like, well, would you get back to studying the Bible? Hey, this is a radio show. Remember? Well, I guess is it even a radio show anymore since we're not on WV &E? Did I tell you that James McDonald has taken our place there?

There's an elephant in the room. Man, I'm going vertical, but it seems apropos, doesn't it? It seems karma-like, right? If I was one of Job's friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, if I was Zopharian, I'd be thinking, you know, DR, divine retribution.

It's a divine retribution principle. What comes around goes around. I mean, if I was Radiohead, the band, I'd be singing what? What kind of police would I be singing right now? Not the police with sting, but I'd be singing Karma Police.

I like that song. Maybe that'll be the new theme song. I'm trying to get the new intro and outro for No Compromise Radio. Hope to have it later this year, but you know, just don't have the ability yet.

I'm stalling because I don't want to get in the description of Jesus because that's for next show. But I will say that the new No Compromise media book should be out soon. You can look forward to it. Maybe there'll be a teaser chapter.

It's called Sexual Fidelity, No Compromise. So, 30 chapters. Read one a day to kind of cleanse your mind and think biblically about the topic of sex. There's no bad words. It's not some kind of grunge book.

It's spiraled out of me teaching my son about the topic. Has chapters on pornography, about forgiveness, about husbands and wives, all kinds of things. And I think it'll be helpful for the kingdom. So you can look for that soon.

God bless you.

No Compromise Radio with Pastor Mike Abendroth is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church in West Boylston. Bethlehem Bible Church is a Bible teaching church firmly committed to unleashing the life-transforming power of God's Word through verse-by-verse exposition of the sacred text.

Please come and join us. Our service times are Sunday morning at 1015 and in the evening at 6. We're right on Route 110 in West Boylston. You can check us out online at bbchurch .org or by phone at 508 -835 -3400.

The thoughts and opinions expressed on No Compromise Radio do not necessarily reflect those of WVNE, its staff or management. No Compromise Radio is a production of Bethlehem Bible Church.