The Most Dramatic Event In History - [Malachi 3]

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People love the study of end times They love it. You probably love the study of end times.
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My question this morning is why do you like to study end times? What about it makes it fascinating to you?
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Finding out when the Lord will return. Well, we don't know exactly of course Studying the details of how it will all happen what precipitates the
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Lord's return. Maybe you just study it because you're curious But if you had to boil down the study of end times the study of eschatology
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Into one topic into one focus What would that focus be?
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I love to study end times, but the main reason you should study end times is this That it puts the focus on the
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Lord Jesus Christ if you get caught up in all the charts and the graphs and the
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Dispensations and all these other things you might lose the fact that end times is about Jesus Returning.
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Can you imagine Jesus is physically going to return to this earth? It's amazing.
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Jesus will come back Sinclair Ferguson said when we think about the last things we must never allow our minds to be diverted from this principle
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That the last things like the first things are the things of Jesus Christ You study the end times you study eschatology
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The last things because they focus on the Lord Jesus Christ Even the ancient creeds they knew that The Apostles Creed said from fence.
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He shall come to judge the living in the dead Jesus is coming back to judge the
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Nicene Creed. Jesus shall come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead the
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Athanasius Creed from thence He shall come Jesus to judge the living and the dead at whose coming all
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Men must rise with their bodies and are to render an account for their deeds Everything about eschatology should have its centerpiece in the person and work of the
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Lord Jesus Christ Well, let's take our Bibles and turn to the book of Malachi as we continue to work through this minor prophet that has a major thrust
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The book of Malachi talks about the Lord's return and then we'll look specifically about Christ Regarding Christ coming in the book of Revelation for the end of the message
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What will Jesus do on this earth? What will he accomplish? Why is it important for him to return?
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Now as you know Malachi loves to ask questions And then give answers and the questions tend to come from people who have the wrong attitude and then
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God through Malachi answers appropriately Remember what's going on in Malachi?
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They're back in the land. The Israelites are but not anything good is happening Economically not too much happening socially not too much happening religiously not too much happening
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And and they feel like you know what God's just not blessing us. We're doing the right things.
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We're going through the motions He calls for sacrifices. We give them he calls for Giving and we give he calls for all kinds of things, but we'll just put in the least amount of effort the minimal amount will do for the
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Lord and God rises up as a witness against that and And remember in chapter 2 verse 17
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Which should be really the new chapter 3 that's the best chapter break But it's in our English Bibles chapter 2 verse 17.
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You have wearied Yahweh with your words Figure of speech, of course, the
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Lord doesn't get tired, but you say how have we wearied him? by saying
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Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord after all they're getting all the blessings and he delights in them
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Or by asking where is the God of justice? I mean when
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I watch Malachi when I hear Malachi when I even read it myself I think do you know what it's so easy to see what other people do wrongly but it's kind of hard to see in my own life what
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I do wrongly and The grumbling against the Lord and the bitterness against the Lord I mean, it's obvious to me that's wrong.
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And then I think in my own life. What do I do? How do I? Fight against spiritual discouragement and apathy
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Where is the God of justice? Do you see that there at the end of verse 17? Where's the God of justice?
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Where's the God of justice? They're so mesmerized so transfixed with other people and themselves
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They forgot to think about the Lord's return It's like they've been hypnotized and you stared yourself long enough.
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You're going to be Spellbound and transfixed with yourself versus thinking about the
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Lord What about these other people Lord instead of well, what about me that's a that's a trap
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And so God answers in chapter 3 verse 1 and we saw this two weeks ago that there is going to be a judgment
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First the forerunner then the Lord will return chapter 3 verse 1 behold
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I send my messenger. We course, of course, we know that's John the Baptist and he will prepare the way before me preaching repentance and preaching
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Smooth out the the rough places in your life. The Lord's coming back and The Lord whom you seek, where's the
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Lord? Where's the God of justice? Where is the God of justice that God of justice?
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Will suddenly come to his temple and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight behold
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He is coming says the Lord of hosts The Lord is going to come back
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And you are calling for justice for other people, but you're the one also who is going to receive that justice
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Now God has sent many messengers, hasn't he? Zephaniah Zechariah Haggai Isaiah He sent angels as messengers
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But he's gonna send his son to come back to the earth I don't know about you, but I need in these days, especially when
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I read the news What's gonna happen to all these unjust things what will happen to these unjust people
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Where's the God of justice you read the newspaper? Won't someone do something? Many times in my life.
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I've thought to myself if only my dad were here. He could take care of this He could fix the car he could remember once I was down in in New Bedford and there were some drunk ladies sitting by us and my mom was there and Kim and the kids and and I let him go on and on and they were foul -mouthed and finally
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I just said Then it's like we're gonna get him.
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We're gonna kill you We're gonna do all this stuff and I just was thinking to myself if only my dad were here
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Golden Gloves boxer. I mean if only dad were here he could fix everything Many times here at the church over the last 19 years.
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I've thought to myself boy. How do you get out of this? Predicament I need help. I need wisdom if only
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John McArthur was here. He could figure it out for me I mean, I need some external help and if I need to help sort of the other
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Yet Jesus is personally going to come back and I think what we forget is maybe like these
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Israelites in Malachi mesmerized by current events mesmerized by the wicked Jesus is going to come back.
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He literally is going to come back now the first time of course he comes back as a savior to sinners and he's born and he's put in a in a manger in a stable and He's a humble man.
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He's a son of a carpenter. He rides into Jerusalem on a donkey He's the
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Prince of Peace Savior But Jesus is going to come back another time
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And he's going to come back to rule and to reign and to make sure all Injustice is taken care of and he won't be coming on a donkey next time
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Jude says it this way. I mean, it's just chilling behold the
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Lord comes with 10 ,000 of his Holy Ones To execute judgment on all and to convict all the ungodly of all their deeds of ungodliness that they have committed in such an ungodly way and Of all the harsh things that ungodly sinners have spoken against him
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Did you know the Savior is going to come back as judge? Warren Wearsby has a wonderful way about his
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Writing and he said this describing an evangelist that he heard tell the story In a frontier town a horse bolted away and ran away with the wagon that had a little child in it
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Seen that the child was in danger a young man risked his life to catch the horse and stop it The child who was rescued grew up to be a lawless man
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And one day he stood before a judge to be sentenced for a serious crime The prisoner recognized the judge is the man who years before had saved his life
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So he pled for mercy based on that experience But the words from the bench silenced all pleas young man
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Then I was your Savior Today, I am your judge and I must sentence you to be hanged
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Savior and judge the same person Let's take our Bibles and turn to the book of Revelation Revelation chapter 1, please
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Revelation chapter 1 my main purpose this morning is to show you Jesus Christ and to remind you that the focus of all
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Eschatology. Yes, the focus of the Old Testament. Yes, the focus of the New Testament.
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It's all the same Jesus Christ When Jesus was on the Emmaus Road in Luke 24, and he talked about the
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Old Testament bearing witness to him the Messiah John chapter 5 Jesus says these scriptures bear witness of me
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And so let's not fall off of the theological cliff and say well, but eschatology is all about future events
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And and black hawk helicopters and other kind of things This event that we're gonna read about in the book of Revelation Is what one man called the most dramatic event of all history the most dramatic thing ever
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I'm even Time magazine in the 60s. You know what a magazine is you young people Time magazine
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Said the only thing that could command a larger headline in Time magazine than Neil Armstrong walking on the moon
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Would be the second coming of Christ That's the only thing that's bigger. I mean, it's certainly the most prophesied event of the
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Bible So much divine revelation given to the second coming of Christ Jesus and what
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I love about the book of Revelation It's opposite of how the modern scholars talk about it
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Or even modern writers TS Eliot. This is the way the world ends not with a bang but with a whimper
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And I want to say you should read Revelation Robert Frost Some say the world wind and fire some say ice
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You should read the book of Revelation George Bernard Shaw the book of Revelation a curious record of a drug addicts visions
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You should read the book of Revelation and here's the thing about Revelation Before you start thinking about bowl judgments before you start thinking.
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I know what some of you are thinking some of you are already thinking I'm pre mill. I'm post mill
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I'm a mill, you know, and everybody jokes around. Well, you know, I'm pan mill it all pan out
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I've got a better one. How about I'm pro mill who wouldn't be for a millennium?
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But before you think about any of those thoughts and no matter where you come down on that eschatological spectrum today
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You will all agree with me that the focus of end time is Jesus is coming back in the book of Revelation Let me just read to you some of the descriptions of Jesus and then we're gonna look at chapter 1 today and chapter 19
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To answer the question that Malachi's readers had where's the God of justice in the book of Revelation?
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Jesus is described as Faithful witness firstborn from the dead ruler over the kings of the earth
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Alpha Omega Beginning and the one who is the one who was and the was the one who was to come
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The Almighty the first the last the Son of Man the Son of God The one who was dead
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But who is now alive forevermore the one who is holy the one who is true The amen the faithful witness the true witness the beginning of the creation of God the lion of the tribe of Judah The lamb who was slain the lamb on the throne the
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Messiah who reigns forever The Word of God the King of Kings the Lord of Lords the root and offspring of David the bright and morning star
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That's all talking about Jesus the focus of the book of Revelation is Jesus And you see in chapter 1 verse 1 don't you in the book of Revelation?
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the revelation of Jesus Which God gave him to show his servants or bond servants
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The things which must shortly take place and he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bond servant
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John Revelation what's that mean? It just means to uncover it means to disclose it means to unveil
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We get the word apocalypse from it To uncover so everyone can see and it's like we get a little mini peek into the the inner trinitarian workings
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You notice the text says this is a revelation that the father gave the son Look at which
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God the father gave him the son to show his bond servants Now Daniel says you've got to seal this truth up it's sealed truth
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You can't show other people, but these words are not to be sealed up These words don't talk about the humiliation of Jesus in the first coming in his incarnation
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They talk about his exaltation and who he is Jesus returns One commentator says and we get the eavesdrop.
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This is what the father told the son and we get to be in on it It's fascinating and once it starts it goes fast
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Do you see the text must soon take place? Shortly soon.
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It's like a cascade once it starts. You can't stop it and it goes very quickly Verse two who bore witness to the
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Word of God under the testimony of Jesus Christ even to all that he saw And look at the blessing look at the beatitude.
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Are there beatitudes in Revelation? Yes right here Blessed is he who reads? Those who hear the words of the prophecy and heed the things which are written in it for the time is
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Near and now we have a salutation from the
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Trinity John verse 4 to the seven churches that are in Asia Grace to you.
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There's your Greek Benediction and peace there's your Jewish one from him who is and who was and who is to come that's the father the eternal father and From the seven spirits who are before his throne.
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That's a Designation of the Holy Spirit and from the Son and from verse 5 Jesus Christ The faithful witness the firstborn from the dead the ruler of the kings of the earth
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To him who loves us, maybe if memory serves me That's the only time in the New Testament where it's a present tense.
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He loves us and he's loving us right now Of course, he he showed his love at Calvary Demonstrated his love there, but here the word love he loves us and he released us past tense from our sin by his blood
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And when you know that he made you to be a kingdom priest to his God and father you can't help but say to him be glory and dominion forever and ever
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Amen, and Like a good writer you give a preview. So so you're you're drawn in and here's the preview verse 7
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You want to know what the whole theme of the book of Revelation is about? behold he
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Talking about Jesus is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him
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Even those who pierced him and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over him even so Amen Is there anything outside of God's wisdom
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Knowledge discernment. No, I'm the Alpha and the Omega the first letter of the alphabet the last letter full revelation full intelligence says the
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Lord God who is and who was and is to come the Almighty Can you tell me more about the the head of this church who the leader is?
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Yes verse 14 head and his hair were like white wool
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He's holy Like snow and his eyes were like a flame of fire
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He could see through everything. He's omniscient His feet were like burnished bronze
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Talked about judgment. The brazen altar was where judgment Happened for sin. It's like stamping out all sin
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There's been caused to glow in a furnace and his voice was like the sound of many waters. He has authority his right hand
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He held seven stars sovereign over all the church and out of his mouth came a sharp two -edged sword
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His face was like the Sun shining in its strength and when I saw him I fell at his feet as a dead man
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He laid his right hand upon me saying do not be afraid The first and the last and the living one and I was dead and behold
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I'm alive forevermore and I have the keys of death and Hades What a great compassionate assurance from Jesus to John And then the outline of the book given in verse 19
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Right there for the things which you have seen The things which are and the things which shall take place after these things
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If you think eschatology is about charts and graphs and reading the newspaper
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Hoping to find hints of every little detail You've missed it end times is about Jesus returns
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Now, let's go to the return of Christ in Revelation chapter 19 Revelation chapter 19
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Remember the theme here this morning is all of eschatology focuses on the person and work of Christ Jesus Well, I know there's more
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I know there are other details But you've got to get the big picture before you get the details and the big picture is it's a revelation of Jesus Christ it's all about who
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Jesus is if I could be pastoral for a second and I was playing with Noah Mercedes the other day and I thought
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I can tell I'm getting old because I feel like a grandpa I feel like I just want to my kids.
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I'd be saying no don't touch that Don't do that. And you know, then you're around other people's kids and 55 years old. It's like, okay, whatever
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Break that glass orb. What do I care? but anyway I just I feel more like of a grandfather now and and pastoral and some of you are thinking
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Mike if that's pastoral and grandfatherly I Have grown over the last 18 years slow, but sure
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I believe in progressive sanctification pastoral speaking though if you love eschatology,
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I just hope instead of having me eavesdrop and hear you argue about a mill and pre mill and dispensational pre mill and Historic pre mill and you can feel the the hair on the back of your neck go up because your friends don't agree
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I hope at the end of the day the focus is I hear you talking about Jesus Where's the talk about Jesus you get the young energetic?
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Bucks and and and the ladies as well and it's all this intense argument over the
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Millennium Okay, I mean, I guess we could go to Revelation chapter 20 It's worth talking about but my point is this as you talk about it
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May it lend itself to talk about Jesus and all my amil friends said amen, right?
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a pre mill friend said amen It's a revelation about Jesus that the father gives to the son and we get to see behind the curtains
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And if you remember who Jesus is and that he's coming back Then the right things start to happen.
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You'll say well in the light of my Lord soon return I don't have to worry about the current events so I can be concerned and pray but Jesus will take care of that I can worry about my own sanctification
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So instead of saying look at all these other people look at how they prosper No, no, he's coming back and he saved me and he's redeemed me
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He loves me as Revelation 1 says and I want to be at my post when he returns I don't want to be off sleeping in a wall.
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I want to make sure that when Jesus returns I'm doing the right thing. And so the book of Revelation chapter 19
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It starts off with the real hallelujah chorus and then moves into the second coming of Christ Jesus What's happened between chapter 1 and chapter 19 is?
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Basically the letters to the churches in chapters 2 and 3 that Jesus writes to them the focus of those letters is
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Jesus is writing them you get taken up into heaven in chapter 4 and chapter 5 of Revelation and Things are gonna be so bad on the earth that you're gonna go is
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God just is he kind is he holy? Those are answered there and then the tribulation starts 6 to 18 and we come to this
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Chapter chapter 19, but before the second coming it's what I call the real hallelujah chorus for hallelujahs
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Praising God for who he is or what he's done chapter 19 verse 1
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And after this I heard what Seemed to be like the loud voice of a great multitude in heaven crying out
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It's a megaphone is the Greek word loud voice crying out hallelujah
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Salvation and glory and power belong to our God Just before the second coming you hear this this bellowing out
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God is a God who saves Hallelujah number two He's also to be praised for his justice
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Because his judgments are true and righteous for he has judged the great harlot who is corrupting the earth with his with their immorality
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He's avenged the blood of his bond servants on her And the second time they said hallelujah
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Her smoke rises up forever and ever Hallelujah number one. God's a savior. Hallelujah.
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You'll lose you number two. He judges sin and sinners Hallelujah three
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Just praise God for who he is for himself Verse four in the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped
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God who sits on the throne saying amen hallelujah Permanently sovereign on that throne voice came from the throne saying give praise to our
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God All you is bond servants you who fear him the small and the great Present tense keep on giving
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God praise don't stop praising God Hallelujah, he's a savior. Hallelujah.
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He's he's a judge. Hallelujah. He is who he is sovereign Verse six and I heard as it were
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The voice of a great multitude and the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty peals of thunder saying
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There it is. Number four. Hallelujah for the Lord God the Almighty reigns
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Ever get a marriage announcement in the mail Here's one. Well, somebody answered the question.
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No, well you will and they expect gifts Registries online now
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I go to some of the registries. I'm like how Some kind of you know, if it's not
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KitchenAid, I don't want it. That's why husbands have biceps
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Right got to see if you knew husband's a man and there's a little bit of discussion about the bride here
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But the real focus is on the groom and it's kind of opposite of normal because for us in our
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Western culture The focus is all on the bride Here comes the bride Everybody looks when the bride comes down the aisle you all stand up and the focus is on the bride
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Well, there's a little notice of the bride, but the focus here is all on the groom But let's take a look at verse 7 first, let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to him
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For the marriage of the Lamb has come and as bride has made herself Ready, you can study
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Hebrew weddings to understand all the different aspects of that and it was given to her verse a to clothe herself in fine linen and bright and clean
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And we get to know what this linen is. It's the righteous acts of the Saints And he said to me verse 9 right blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the
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Lamb and he said to me These are the true words of God and then strangely,
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I mean if we were there, it wouldn't be so strange But we can tell now on this side of the cross that it's strange and I fell at his feet to worship him
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He said do not do that I'm a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus worship
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God for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy and Now comes the description of the groom
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Jesus Christ now remember when Jesus comes the first time babe in a manger
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Sweet and who doesn't like a Christmas card? little baby Jesus and even
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Jesus sees he's a friend of sinners and each with tax collectors and Now this
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Jesus has portrayed in Revelation chapter 19 11 to 16 He's a warrior.
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He's a warrior It's clear language, it's chilling language and he's not coming back on a donkey this time.
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Where's the God of justice? Wilbur Smith said this paragraph has always seemed to me almost too overwhelmingly glorious for exposition
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But we'll give it a try Because it focuses on the
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Lord Jesus Christ now Think like a person would back in those days
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What's the biggest spectacle that existed in those days it was called a triumph
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It was like a victory parade in the Roman days if you killed enough people as a
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Roman general 5 ,000 minimum people and Brought back enough of the spoils and the booty and some of the army that you've captured
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You come back into Rome and the Senate votes whether you get to be praised or not, and it's called a triumph it's it's like a parade and If you were a general back in those days of the
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Roman Army, you would want that that was the that was the best It wasn't I was a four -star general five -star.
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I became the Secretary of State No, you wanted to have a triumph after you named after you to honor you for some extraordinary triumph
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One person said back in those days if you've never seen a triumph you haven't seen anything at all
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But the last triumph was in 350 AD Belisarius until Revelation 19 now sometimes we like to say
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Jesus walks into Jerusalem or he sits on the donkey as it goes into Jerusalem and what do
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We call that before Jesus is crucified. He rides a donkey in and we call that what kind of entry?
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Triumphal entry so bad So wrong because this is the triumphal entry.
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That was the humble entry This is Ezekiel. This is Exodus 15.
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The Lord is a warrior. The Lord is his name son of man coming in Glory and you're gonna notice if I could use
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Paul's words. I Determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ in him crucified.
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It's all about Jesus Revelation eschatology is all about Jesus. Have I said that before this morning?
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I have So see I want you to study study eschatology because you're gonna be talking about the conqueror
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Here Revelation chapter 19 verses 11 through 16, what does it mean where Jesus is described as the lion of the tribe of Judah?
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Answer this passage look at back at verse 10.
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I fell at his feet to worship him. He said don't do that If this angel isn't the right one to worship who is the right one to worship?
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Is there anybody deserving worship and the answer is yes verses 11 through 16 Jesus prophesied of in Zechariah The Lord will go forth and fight against those natures nations as when he fights on a day of battle and in that day
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He will stand on the Mount of Olives Which is in front of Jerusalem on the east the Mount of Olives will be split in its middle from the east to west by a large valley and look at the introduction chapter 19 verse 11 and I saw heaven
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Opened it's like behold. I don't know where I saw heaven open and the text is in the Greek It's open and it just stays open.
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No need to close it anymore. Jesus is gonna come through the heaven Disclosure of Jesus You know you walk out of you walk up to door and somebody opens it for you
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So you can go through and it's just language of here. He comes heaven opens and here comes Jesus Now if you like to take notes and you like to have an outline
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Let me give you an outline Describing Jesus here in verses 11 through 16 10 brushstrokes of the portrait of the triumphant Messiah It's all about Jesus 10 descriptions of Jesus upon his promised
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Return did not Jesus promise. He would come back and here's his second coming
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Number one he rides on a triumphant horse
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That's the first brushstroke is all about Jesus and what kind of horse does he come back on riding on a what a white horse
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Hey back in those. Did I just say hey, I just said hey, hey Like when
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I asked pastor Steve, have you ever met a demon -possessed person? He said I don't know if he was even possessed or not, but he was eating his arm
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In jail, I said eating his arm figuratively. No, he was eating his arm. Literally. I said, what'd you say to him?
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We're doing a radio show and I said, what'd you say he said? Hey you that's that's how you cast out demons
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I guess hey you He stopped So I just said hey to you,
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I'm not exactly sure why but back in those days
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The general had a white horse. It's the victory horse Brown horses might be fine black horses
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Appalachian horses. You get the white one if you're the general who's Holy and victorious
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Who's royal? Homer said White horses are the best horse.
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It's a sign of triumph. He comes to do battle He's not the meek and lowly one anymore.
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And by the way, he's not waving a white flag. He's on a white horse
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He's coming with the clouds. Remember Revelation chapter 1 says that Secondly the second brushstroke that make you think
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Jesus is returning. It's all about Jesus. Where's the God of justice
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Well, he's described here as faithful and true. We're learning all about the groom Jesus. He's faithful and true.
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Jesus fulfills his promises Because his character demands that he triumph
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Notice the text verse 11. He's faithful and true Faithful to shelter his own of course
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It's faithful to obey his father's Commission and die on behalf of the bride, of course
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But here it's faithful to judge and to make war Jesus will return
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And you can count on it. He's absolutely trustworthy Present tense again.
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He's always faithful. He's always just so you'd expect him to come back He is not like the deceiving dragon, he is not like the false prophet
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He is not like the false worshippers. I'm going to come back it reminds me of the dad who used to put his kid up on a ledge and say jump to me and The kid would finally get enough gumption at two or three years old or five years old to jump and at the last second
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The dad would pull his hands away to let the children Fall onto the ground and cry and the dad would say the lesson is you can't trust anybody
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Happy Father's Day He's always faithful.
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And when he said I will come again. He's going to return, you know, like yeah, but it sure been a long time
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He's trustworthy and faithful the world seems like it's so chaotic who could ever do anything.
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He's faithful. He's true Matter of fact, his mercies are new every morning great is his what faithfulness
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Psalm 89 God's faithfulness surrounds him Psalm 36 his 36 his faithfulness reaches to the skies all language of don't forget
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God is faithful in an unfaithful world. God's faithful and he said I'm coming back in this particular case.
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He's coming back to judge sin sinners thirdly He rides on a white horse he fulfills his promises third his triumph is righteous his victory is righteous a
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Description of who Jesus is as as John describes him in righteousness verse 11
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He judges and wages war. I Have a book that's four views of the rapture four views of the
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Millennium four views of hell Five views of the law you have all these books and I have one on the war
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And some people don't believe in just war. Do you believe there's a just war? Is there ever a just war?
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The answer has to be yes, because Jesus is coming back for the just war There may be more but this one certainly is just in righteousness
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He judges and wages war there's gonna be No person who would say well, we can't really judge these people because our prisons are full
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Can't really judge these other people because the jury's hung Juries have agendas they've been purchased by the
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Mafia. No He's coming back because his judgments are righteous and true the angels knew it in Revelation 16 for they poured out the blood of the saints and the prophets that you have given them blood to Drink and the angels all said of God's judgment.
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They deserve it They deserve it he judges and wages war
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Isaiah 42 the Lord will go forth like a warrior. He will arouse his zeal like a man of war
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He will utter a shout. He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against his enemies
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Fourth the fourth brushstroke painting Jesus as the triumphant Messiah His eyes demand triumph verse 12 his eyes demand triumph
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Did you notice all eschatology is focused on Jesus? Verse 12 his eyes are a flame a fire
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Piercing penetrating X -ray like he can see through all the sham.
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That's the idea Can anything escape his notice? Proverbs 15 the eyes of the
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Lord are in every place watching the evil and the good nobody's gonna fake him out Nobody's gonna say well what
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I really meant by this was such -and -such. He sees through fraud He sees through deception One pastor wrote when he first came as I sparkled with tenderness and joy as he gathered a little children to himself
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As he expressed his love to the poor and needy his eyes glowed with compassion as when a single look on guilty
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Peter Melted Peter's heart and made him weep bitterly his eyes were filled with tears as he looked over the city of Jerusalem and wept and He shed tears from those same eyes at the grave of Lazarus But the day is coming when those eyes flash with fire when they are penetratingly burning eyes probing the darkest recesses of every human soul and purifying with judgment number five his crowns demonstrate
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Triumph his crowns demonstrate Triumph verse 12 upon his head are many diadems
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What's it? What's it? What's a diadem symbolized? sovereignty and while Dragon might have a diadem.
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The Beast might have a diadem. He has diadems How do we
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Understand that when David conquered the Ammonites He said give me the crown of the king and put it on my head
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Because I'm sovereign no sovereign now over that nation He took the crown of the king from his head and his weight was a talon of gold and it was placed on David's head.
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I Vanquished you and now I'm king over you and Jesus has not one diadem, but many diadems.
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I Accumulate all the crowns of all the world powers Every rule and every authority and power first Corinthians 15 language number six
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Number six in the middle of all this You stop and think for a second.
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What am I not thinking about? well, I'm not thinking about a Variety of my physical troubles financial troubles world
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Troubles current events because my eyes are focused by faith through God's revealed scripture.
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Jesus is coming back Number six the sixth brushstroke.
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We've seen that he comes back on a horse. He fulfills his promise He's righteous his eyes demand triumph.
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He's got the crowns and his name reveals his authority to triumph His name reveals his authority to triumph verse 12.
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Oh, this is good He has a name written upon him Which no one knows except himself
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It's indescribable nobody knows and please whatever you do don't go up to one of the elders and ask what's that name after the service?
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I don't know Did you know? That back in those days whoever was superior
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Had the option of telling the inferior person in rank of society I can decide to tell you my name or I don't have to if I want to tell you my name
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I can But I'm over you. I'm above you I'm superior to you and I don't have to tell you my name
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Now some people think if you knew someone's name back in those days, you could have a magic power over them
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So Jesus doesn't want to get any kind of magic power over him. You think that's a good translation? That's about as good as taking a black orb
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That's got a white eight on it and say should I take my dad out for Father's Day today? Maybe next year number seven found in verse 13 his robe displays triumph
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His robe displays triumph verse 13 and he is clothed
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Literally with a robe baptized in blood it's anticipating the bloodshed that's coming and you know you go over to some grapes back in those days and you have bare feet and you slosh around and and you get some stains on your robe why because Got a stamp pretty hard to get all those
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Skins off those grapes and all those seeds out of those grapes and it's just splashes up and that's the language except it's not grape juice
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It's blood the Messiah slaughtering his enemies and there's blood everywhere You've got the white horse the white
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Saints the white clouds and blood everywhere This is language of Isaiah 63
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For the day of vengeance was in my heart and my year of redemption has come and I looked there was no one to help
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They made them drunk in my wrath and I poured out their lifeblood on the earth. I have trodden the wine trough and Their lifeblood is sprinkled on my garments and I stained all my raiment
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He's coming back to judge. Where's the God of justice? Number eight his name creates triumph his name creates triumph.
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It's all about Jesus eschatology is about the Lord Jesus Christ What's he called here verse 13 and his name is called the
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Word of God You can study this on your own. But when you think of the
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Word of God many things should come through your mind including in the beginning was the
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Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God and All things came into being by him
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The Word creates he creates with the Word He himself Jesus is the final authority the final revelation the perfect revelation of Jesus His creative word can take care of Satan enemies and everyone else
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Number nine two more number nine his sword
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Wields triumph verse 15 and from his mouth
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You can see the symbolic language here. Can't you comes a sharp sword? Sickle -like sharp so that with it he might smite the nation's to kill
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Dealing out retribution who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus second
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Thessalonians 1 and then finally verse 15 number 10 his iron scepter
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Gives triumph he will rule them with the rod of iron
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He himself is the emphatic Intensive pronoun he himself treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the
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Almighty and What's the summary verse 16? Here's the summary and on his robe and on his thigh.
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He has a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords Now, please don't begin to tell me you know
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Especially you young kids dad. I want to get a tattoo because Jesus had a tattoo What would
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Jesus do and some people use this verse to justify tattoos You know what?
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I think about tattoos I'm not a legalist or anything like that, but I also don't like to wear bell -bottomed jeans the rest of my life
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But there's another discussion for another day If a man is as a general is up on a white horse
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His robe just naturally opens and what you would see eye level is the thigh It's obvious for everyone to see he's the king of King and Lord of Lords The garment just falls open right at the thigh and you see his thigh that's what your eye level would would come across It's obvious who he is.
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He's the universal sovereign warrior. And when you double the name, it's emphatic He's not just the king but of all
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Kings. He's the king of Kings. He's not just the Lord but of all Lords He's the Lord Paul says that in first Timothy 6 as well sovereign
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King of Kings and Lord of Lords This is all triumphant language
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And what are we doing? Well, if you look for us, I did skip a verse didn't I the armies of heaven arrayed in fine linen white and pure We're following him on white horses
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He's the one that does the judging. He's the one that has a sword. He's the warrior language Messiah So I have a question when you read
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Eschatology, do you focus on the Lord Jesus Christ? When you read the newspaper
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Our CNN are the drudge report. Do you think of the Lord Jesus Christ? And by the way, if you're not born again, he's coming back for you
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And he's going to judge you and he's going to damn you and he will execute victory over you unless You've been covered by the blood of the
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Lamb in faith in Christ Jesus where he would in his compassion and love Receive the punishment you deserved at Calvary.
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He was raised from the dead Jesus is coming again for the sinner That's the worst news ever because his long suffering is over but for the
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Saint Lord Jesus, please come back So next time you read eschatology
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Think of Jesus and the next time you read the newspaper think of Jesus as return
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Father I thank you for our time in your Word today. I thank you that The day of the
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Lord will come like a thief and The heavens are going to pass away. There's going to be a roar intense heat and the earth is going to be burned up But we want that day to come in the sense that we want your son to make everything, right?
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But we have loved ones who aren't Christians and we we grieve and so father. Would you do a mighty work?
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In the hearts of people maybe our own children or spouses parents
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Because it's going to be a day of Jesus. Jesus is triumphant and we want them to be friends not enemies
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Your son said he would come back and we're trusting that he will We don't know when but he know we know he will
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So help us to fix our hope on him his return and we thank you for this in Jesus name