Isaiah Lesson 32

John, would you open us in prayer? Lord, we come to you with anticipation as we look at what's going on around us in the world.

We see tribulation and trials, but we also know, Lord God, that you are sovereign.

And from before the creation of the world, you had a sovereign plan to bring your people back to you.

We do know that there's going to be a period of time, it's called the tribulation, the 70th week of Daniel.

And as we're in Isaiah right now, we actually will get to pull the curtain back and look at this future day of the

Lord, this time of tribulation. Give us, Lord, your teaching that this is more than information.

This is encouragement for us to be actually involved in giving your word to a lost world.

Give Jeff your special measure of your Holy Spirit as he teaches us today, we pray in Jesus' name, amen.

Amen. There has been, in recent years, a resurgence of post -millennialism in the church.

Does anybody know what a post -millennial is? What is it,

Rich? A post -millennial is that Jesus will come after the church sets up the millennium. Okay. The idea that Jesus is going to come back after the church sets up and is in the millennium, then

Christ comes back once the church has made the world ready for him. If you look at Matthew 24, verse 14, we see the expectation that the gospel will be preached to the ends of the earth, and then the end will come.

And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

So the idea that the church will infiltrate, like salt, the meat of the world, it will preserve the world, it will be light to the world, has some precedent in the

Bible. The idea that the gospel will run from Jerusalem to Erie and Jireh, as the book title is biblical, the gospel will go from place to place.

But as we trace what has happened in the progress of the gospel, what we actually see is the conquering through the gospel, but then a falling away, an apostasy.

If you see where the gospel started, it starts in Jerusalem, and it doesn't take but the first generation until much of the

Roman Empire receives the light of the gospel. And then for centuries, the gospel does not make profound progress in Asia and Australia and Sub -Saharan

Africa, or indeed even to the new world, until later in church history.

It's not until 1492 that Columbus sails the ocean blue, right? When the new world is reached by Christians, for the most part, some of them are

Roman Catholics, some believing, some not, you have an expectation that the new world will be the kingdom of God.

Post -millennialism dominates the Puritan thinking. There is a famous sermon preached on the

Mirabella called City on a Hill. And the idea is that the

Puritans are traveling to the new world to set up a city on a hill, a light to the nations.

In the United States of America, many of the founders see the new country being formed, the

United States, as the kingdom of God. However, in the early 1900s, much of that hope is squelched.

Because rather than seeing progress, we see World War I, followed by World War II, and then

Korea, and then Vietnam, and the Cold War, and Afghanistan. And here we are today, in the state of the world, even though there's this renewing hope of a post -millennial eschatology, what we see is that what once was the stronghold of Christianity, the

Roman Empire, is now only about 1 % evangelical. And the

United States of America, which used to be kind of the city on a hill, is departing or apostatizing away from the faith.

However, wherever you see this rampant apostasy, there is always a remnant.

And we don't know how big that remnant will be in any given location. And, as certain areas apostatize, the gospel still makes progress.

So as much as we as a church have been losing ground in Europe and in the United States of America, we've been taking ground in sub -Saharan

Africa. I don't say the seat of the Reformation is no longer in Geneva, Switzerland.

It's in Africa, in places like Wodibakam Seminary in Zambia. A reformed seminary that's teaching and growing and extending the kingdom of God.

Also in places like India, China, and South America, Brazil, and other places, you see a growth of the evangelical faith.

Now, why would somebody hold a post -millennial view? Well, I think it's an optimistic spirit.

I think it's a desire to take ground and not to have a victim mentality, but a conquering kind of, we are more than conquerors, sort of attitude.

The problem with it is that it's not biblical. Do you believe in dominion theology?

Dominion theology tends to come more from the charismatic circles. There's really more of an evangelical, reformed movement back towards post -mill theology that I've seen.

But you still see that in the dominionist kind of view, the seven mountain mandate and conquering.

The work of conquering. Yeah. If you spend enough time in the book of Isaiah, and Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, and Daniel, all the way through Malachi, you will see a constant teaching that appears again and again, and we're going to see it right now in Isaiah 24, that there is coming a time of great distress on the whole world.

And it is not going to be a mere local judgment, it is going to be worldwide.

In the previous chapters, beginning in chapter 13 and going through chapter 23, we have seen judgment on particular nations.

And it traces, I think, the conquest of the known world by the

Assyrian Empire. They conquer Babylon, and then they head west, conquering every nation that stands in their way.

And the idea of it culminates in their conquest of Judea. However, we'll learn later in the book of Isaiah, they will not finally conquer

Jerusalem. Hezekiah will turn his face to the wall and pray and repent. He will call on God, and God will deliver

Jerusalem from that. However, it leads up to chapter 24, which does envision a final conquering of the world.

This period of time is pictured in the book of Revelation. It is not a picture of a triumphant church in this world.

It is a picture where the church is not mentioned from Revelation chapter 4 all the way through Revelation 19.

It is a period of great and terrible distress on earth. That's the biblical view.

There will be seven seals of judgment, and with the breaking of each seal, there will be devastation on the earth.

It will be described as the wrath of God and of the

Lamb, Revelation 617. In the opening of the seventh seal, we have the unleashing of seven trumpets, and with each trumpet of judgment, there will be devastation on the earth.

With the seventh trumpet, there will be seven bowls of wrath. This is the wrath of God.

In the sixth of those bowl judgments, we have something called the battle of Armageddon, and all the nations stumble in darkness and in hatred towards Jerusalem to destroy the remnant people of God.

However, God judges at the battle of Armageddon, and soon we then see the second coming of Christ.

And He is the one that sets up a millennial kingdom of righteousness on earth.

Without Him, we will fail to do it, although it is right to strive to be salt and light in a culture, to preserve a culture.

That's a good ambition. In fact, in the history of the world, we don't know how periods of revival and then falling away will ultimately play out.

We might be the terminal generation, or it could be that there are still yet hundreds or thousands of years left in church history.

There was a great reformation after it looked that the church had descended into man -made tradition and had departed from the gospel.

When the gospel was shut off from the people of God, only priests could read, and they perverted the message of justification by faith.

And yet, in 1517, God sent a revival, and the gospel spread through Europe.

And then the United States of America was born out of that reformation tradition. So there are times of refreshing.

So from the post -millennial, we don't want to condemn their hope as just vain superstition and wrong -headedness.

It's not entirely that. There is a hope of revival. There is a hope that God could send times of refreshing.

And we don't know when the end will come. But what we do know from Isaiah chapter 24 is there's coming a great period of distress on the whole earth, a seven -year period of tribulation.

John, would you read, first of all, the first three verses of Isaiah 24? Behold, the

Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest, as with the slave, so with his master, as with the maid, so with her mistress, as with the buyer, so with the seller, as with the lender, so with the borrower, as with the creditor, so with the debtor.

The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.

Amen. What's striking in this passage is that we've been looking at particular judgments that are always against a nation, a particular nation.

In contrast to chapters 13 to 23, the 24th chapter opens with a statement of judgment on what?

The earth. The earth. Look at verse 1. Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate.

This is the culmination of the judgment narrative. Many interpreters of the book of Isaiah will section off different parts.

So the first 11 chapters are one sermon, and the 12th chapter is a song where Isaiah is celebrating the deliverance and righteousness of God, and then 13 to 23 is demarcated as a section of judgment, and then 24 to 27 is seen as another sermon by Isaiah.

I think there is wisdom in that. Isaiah did preach multiple sermons which are compiled into the book.

And I do see even chapters 1 to 39 having a rough parallel with the 39 books of the

Old Testament, and chapters 40 to 66 parallel the 27 books. But don't miss the continuity of the flow of thought here, okay?

So you do have 10 or 11 chapters from 13 to 23, which then flow into the 24th chapter.

You don't want to break this apart entirely, okay? There's no indication between the end of chapter 23 and the beginning of 24 that there's an absolute separation.

That's imposed by the interpreter, okay? The 24th chapter relates to the previous 11 chapters.

The difference is now the author is applying God's judgment not just to particular nations but to the earth.

He's going to empty the earth and make it desolate. Now in the second part of verse 1, it says he will twist its surface and scatter its inhabitants.

Where have we seen in the book of Revelation the twisting of the surface of the earth?

It's in your notes. Somebody read for me Revelation 16 20. And every island fled away and no mountains were to be found.

Thank you, Bob. Every island fled away. No mountains were to be found. Revelation 16 20.

And earlier in the book of Isaiah, there was also a comment about in the end times the change of topography on earth.

Rich, would you read for me Isaiah 2 2? Isaiah 2 2.

Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the

Lord's house shall be established on the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills and all the nations shall flit away.

Okay, a picture of course of the end times because it says in verse 2, the latter days.

What happens? The ESV reads this way. The mountain of the house of the

Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains. The world's topography changes during the tribulation.

So drastic are the judgments. The shaking of everything that Mount Everest is no longer the tallest mountain on earth land to sky.

The highest mountain on earth will be Zion. The mountain of God with Jerusalem, the center of earth, the focal point and the nations will shrink to it.

Prior to this exalting of Jerusalem, where the king comes and is enthroned on high.

You have a rebellious opposition to Jerusalem. So in the battle of Armageddon turned with me there,

Revelation 16 20. Remember the context of God's judgment.

When God pours out judgment, the people harden their hearts. Rather than repenting, they gnaw their tongues and they curse the

God who is putting these curses upon them. The sixth angel pulling at pouring out a bowl of wrath in Revelation 16 12.

John, would you read just 16 12 through 16 and the sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the

Great River, the Euphrates and its water was dried up and that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east.

And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet.

Three unclean spirits like frogs. For they were spirits of demons performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the

Almighty. Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame and they gather them together to the place, which in Hebrew is called

Armageddon. The Plains of Megiddo outside of Jerusalem. How is it that the whole world is able to gather there to fight against the

King of Kings? Well, even the Euphrates River mentioned in Genesis chapter 2, the

Tigris and Euphrates, even that Great River, which is world -renowned will be dried up.

A change in topography, the way the world is laid out to make access for all the peoples to come in opposition against the king.

They're gathered for battle to be destroyed. So this is this is wow.

This is earth shattering. In literal terms, they come.

It's dark because the fifth bull says that darkness now covers the land. They're deceived by demonic frog spirits that tell them that they can do it.

They're filled with rage against the king. They want to go fight Jerusalem.

And so they come up against Zion and fight in the Battle of Armageddon.

Of course, that battle ends with Christ himself coming in glory with the sword of his mouth, the breath of his lips.

He'll slay the wicked. That's actually that's Isaiah 11 language with the breath of his lips.

He'll slay the wicked. But notice now back to Isaiah chapter 24.

You see a parallel to the Revelation language in the second half of verse 1. He will twist the surface of the earth and scatter its inhabitants.

The whole earth topography is changed. People will now scatter from where they're located.

And demons in the darkness are pointing them to go fight. God frog spirits.

This is a leading up to the Battle of Armageddon verse 2.

It shall be as with the people. So with the priest as with the slaves. So with his master, we've noticed in the book of Revelation that the economic system of the world has collapsed

Babylon the great and the chapters after 16 of Armageddon 17 and 18 refer to the collapse of religious

Babylon and economic Babylon this world one world system one world religion is now collapsed and we see in verse 2 of Isaiah like slave like master like made like mistress as with the buyer.

So with the seller as with the lender. So with the borrower as with the creditor. So with the debtor the distinctions between people have been eliminated.

There are no rich and poor. Everybody is destitute. They have nothing. They're gnawing their teeth.

There are hailstones falling from heaven crushing every one of them hundred -pound hailstones.

Everything is laid waste. There's no hope any longer in the things of this world.

God has taken away the prophets of the seller. He's reducing the world to emptiness.

Look at verse 3. The earth shall be utterly empty and see notice this word utterly you see pre -millennialists take these words very seriously utterly means utterly completely.

This is laying waste the entire earth. We're very literal with these words every Island fled away.

No Mountain were to be found. It says in verse 3 for the Lord has spoken this will happen.

It's a future day of tribulation and the big word in my notes here is unmistakable.

You'll know it. You can't mistake. Well, I was witnessing to it three guys yesterday.

They were playing basketball and they were starting to walk home and I was jogging by so I merged up with him and shared the gospel and this young guy basketball player.

He was telling me that hell is this earth this earth is hell and I tried to explain to him.

No hell is far worse than you can imagine. And even the coming tribulation period will be unmistakable.

This world is marked by common grace. You guys see the rain falling. What did

Jesus say about the rain? He makes the rain to fall on the good and evil the just and the unjust alike.

That's common grace. He sustains us with breath as the wind blows across the earth refreshing us and blowing out the heat and the earth is refreshed with water and snow.

He is keeping us under his common grace, but that will be lifted in the tribulation.

You begin to see his restraint taken back the full evilness of man is expressed and his common grace begins to be withdrawn.

It is a time of wrath. So versus 4 to 13 John the earth mourns and withers the world languishes and withers the highest people of the earth languish.

The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants for they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.

Therefore, a curse devours the earth and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt. Therefore, the inhabitants of the earth are scorched and few men are left.

The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry hearted sigh.

The mirth of the tambourines is still. The noise of the jubilant has ceased.

The mirth of the lyre is still. No more do they drink wine with singing. Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.

The wasted city is broken down. Every house is shut up so that none can enter. There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine.

All joy has grown dark. The gladness of the earth is banished. Desolation is left in the city.

The gates are battered into ruins for thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations as when an olive tree is beaten as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.

Okay, again, to prove the point, look at verse 4. What is the locus of this judgment?

The earth, the world, the highest people of the earth.

Verse 5, it's the earth that lies defiled. Verse 6, a curse devours the earth.

Part B, therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched and few men are left.

I don't know how anybody can be a post -millennialist. They don't see a coming judgment but an ushering in of the kingdom of God because many of them are preterists.

They think that the judgments spoken of in the book of Revelation were particular to 70

AD and thereabouts, the judgments that happened in history with the

Roman Empire. They try to make parallels to Matthew 24 in the book of Revelation, but it doesn't fit and it doesn't correspond to Isaiah's picture of final judgment.

There is coming a final wrath, a seven -year period of wrath, which corresponds to Daniel 70th week,

Daniel 9, 24 to 27, and here you can't miss the language. And sadly,

I just think people don't spend enough time in the Old Testament prophets. These words are equally valuable to us as the

New Testament. It is all God's Word, all of Scripture. For the preterists to take that position that happened in 70

AD, so much of the tribulation is described in Revelation and John didn't write that until 95 at least.

Revelation wasn't even given until later. There is a view of an earlier writing of Revelation in the 60s, but that doesn't at all correspond to the evidence in my view.

So again, it says in verse 13, for thus it shall be in the midst of the earth, among who?

The nations. This is not one particular nation as we saw in the previous 11 chapters.

This is worldwide globalist judgment, the crushing of the globalist empire really.

As when an olive tree is beaten as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.

Verse 13. So there's just nothing left after the grape harvest. There's just nothing left.

It's picked clean. So the earth and everything the word languishes recurs here withers repeats devoured more and sigh.

This is not a picture of joy. What comes of singing? Verse 9. No more do they drink wine with singing.

There's no joy yet. This is utter devastation of the earth. I don't know how else to say it or to add to it.

Reinforce the point here. Common grace, as we just quoted from, is it?

Yeah. Matthew 545. He makes his son rise on the evil and on the good.

Common grace is an important doctrine. Common grace is different than particular grace or the grace unto salvation.

Common grace is given commonly to all people on earth. It is the fact that mothers have a built -in instinct to protect their own children.

You could go to the most heathen country on earth and still find a maternal instinct in the women.

Arab women who have been trained under the deceitful and hateful doctrines of Islam.

They will still protect their children from a coming car. They will still make sure their children are fed.

Why is that? Common grace. A common grace over all the earth.

God sends rain. He feeds the world. He sends the beauty of the sun that runs its course.

Psalm 19. For all of us to see. Even unbelievers can stand on the edge of the

Grand Canyon and feel a sense of wonder. It's all common grace that people are able to see through natural revelation.

That's what Romans 1 .20 tells us. They're without excuses because they can see. They can see it.

His eternal power and divine nature are clearly seen through the things that are made. Alright, so there's common grace.

But there's coming a period where this common grace gets rolled back.

Now, there's not even natural affection. There's hatred.

There's gnawing of the tongue. There's a desire to do nothing. Why are they going to Jerusalem in Revelation 16?

To make war against the Lamb. They're after the Jewish remnant. 144 ,000.

Those who have come from their ministry. The remaining Jewish people who are believers in the Lamb. They just want to kill those who belong to the

Lamb because they hate the Lamb. It's the Lamb's wrath that they're under. Instead of being chastised by it to come to repentance.

Instead, they hate the God who punishes. They hate the

God of judgment. Or is the common grace part of their conscience? Yeah, conscience.

That God would quicken the conscience is common grace. Yeah, their consciences are hardened.

And it's part of being made in the image of God to have a conscience. But sin hardens it.

And God in his common grace will keep it to a certain level of softness. You're a random neighbor next door who doesn't know

Christ. Will probably call an ambulance for you if they see you fall in your yard. There's just a common compassion.

A soft heartedness. That's not owed to goodness in man. This is where most people misunderstand depravity.

They think, well, people are generally good. People love each other. They care for each other. That's God's common grace restraining the evil of their nature.

And maintaining a good love for all the world. When God so loved the world, he gave his only son.

It shows his kind disposition toward the whole world. He is a gracious God.

Sending rain despite the wickedness of the people of earth. So we should have a God -centered worldview.

That explains the goodness in the world as grace. Common grace. And the evil in the world as the nature of man.

And the consequence of sin. Responsibility of sinners. That's how the world came to be what it is.

It's only a miracle that the world is as beautiful. And as glorious.

And as loving. And so much wonderful opportunity. And all of this is owed to God's grace toward a wicked people.

Common grace. And he'll show that for seven years. This is what the world is like as common grace is withdrawn.

Okay, so 14 to 16. And again, what I'm teaching here is a God -centered worldview.

We got into this a little bit last week. But now we'll double down on it. 14 to 16. They lift up their voices.

They sing for joy over the majesty of the Lord. For they shout from the west. Therefore, in the east, give glory to the

Lord. In the coastlands of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel.

From the ends of the earth, we hear songs of praise, of glory to the righteous one.

But I say, waste away. I waste away. Woe is me. For the traitors have betrayed with betrayal.

The traitors have betrayed. What's so striking about these verses is it's an abrupt change from verse 13 to 14.

Notice what we just read about the coming tribulation. 1 through 13. It is a devastating passage, isn't it?

But look at the response in verse 14. It's the same response we see in Revelation 18 to the conquering in the

Battle of Armageddon. The saints celebrate. This is only possible when

God is the center of your worldview. If you're a humanist, a secular humanist, there can never be delight in the judgment of God.

The display of God's power can only be a delight if God is the center of the universe.

That he is justified in his judgment. It's not ours. Now, mark this. God is the judge of all the earth.

I don't celebrate over human vengeance. I don't say, well, they got what was coming to them.

I'm glad that that sinner got murdered. That would be wickedness. We're even to love our enemies.

We're not God. But in the final eschaton, when God, in the end times, judges the world and vindicates his own righteousness, the saints celebrate.

That's what's so striking about verse 14. They lift up their voices. They sing for joy.

Do you see the contrast between the preceding verses? Now you have the redeemed are delighting in the full display of the glory of God.

The salvation of a particular people, a remnant, an elect that he has chosen by grace to rescue.

Of which we're part of that number. And the judgment of the wicked.

This is Romans nine. Yeah, his justice. Yeah, that's what

I'm speaking of. So in Romans nine, you see that display of both that he hardens Pharaoh's heart.

And he does it. He hates Esau, but he chooses his brother. So a couple of verses here that someone could read.

Psalm 50 verse 21. Who would like to read that? Who hasn't had a chance yet?

Psalm 50 21. Thank you.

I was right here on paper. You can read on paper. These things you have done and I have been silent.

You thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you.

One of the terrifying things about the judgment of God is that it is delayed. God delays his judgment for a coming tribulation period.

And then for eternal punishment of the wicked. These things you have done and I have been silent.

This is God speaking. You thought that I was one like yourself.

But now I rebuke you and lay the charge before you. God is long -suffering with the world.

And he doesn't judge and give sinners what they deserve. The moment they deserve it.

He delays judgment. And so many sinners figure that God is just like us.

He is very tolerant of all sin. He does not mind LGBTQ behavior.

Because look, all of my LGBTQ friends seem to be happy and prospering. He has no problem with looking at pornography.

Because look, most people do it. He has no problem with these things.

He's like us. But Psalm 5021 says these things you have done and I have been silent.

You thought that I was one like yourself. But now I rebuke you. This is the coming of judgment.

Praise God that he's been gracious towards us. To show us these things. It's by special revelation that we learn what he's actually like.

He is a judge. But he's a merciful judge. Toward us. If we'll trust in Christ and flee to Christ, we'll escape wrath.

No matter what sins we've committed. Look at Habakkuk 2 .14. And before you read that, notice again in Isaiah 24, verse 15.

Therefore in the east give glory to the Lord. In the coastlands of the sea give glory to the name of the

Lord, the God of Israel. From the east, from Asia, all the way out to the

Mediterranean Sea. So this is the known world as Isaiah writes these words. This is a global vision of God's glory.

Habakkuk 2 .14. Who would like to read that for me? It's in the notes. Thank you. For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the

Lord as the waters cover the sea. This is God's desire. That the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the

Lord as the waters cover the sea. This is why we bring the gospel to the ends of the earth.

That those believing would glorify Him in salvation. That they would be saved and rescued and they would praise

Him and glorify His name. And those that reject or apostatize and turn away, they will glorify

Him in judgment. Yeah, Rich. This is

Romans 2 .4. Do you despise the riches of His goodness and forbearance and long -suffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads to repentance, but in accordance with the hardness of your heart and your impenitent heart, with your hardness and your impertinent heart, you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.

Yeah, it's true. John, would you read for us finally 24 .17 -23.

Tear the pit and the snare are upon you, O inhabitant of the earth.

He who flees at the sound of the tear shall fall into the pit, and he who climbs out of the pit shall be caught in the snare.

For the windows of heaven are opened and the foundations of the earth tremble. The earth is utterly broken.

The earth is split apart. The earth is violently shaken. The earth staggers like a drunken man.

It sways like a hut. Its transgression lies heavy upon it, and it falls and will not rise again.

On that day the Lord will punish the host of heaven in heaven and the kings of earth on the earth.

They will be gathered together as prisoners in a pit. They will be shut up in a prison, and after many days they will be punished.

Then the moon will be confounded and the sun ashamed. For the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, and His glory will be before His elders.

So, focusing then on the last verse, 23, again we see from 17 -22 this picture of a final tribulation.

Horror on the earth, a snare. But in verse 23, and again here's language from Revelation, the sun and the moon, remember that?

When the sun is dark and doesn't give its light. The moon will be confounded, the sun ashamed.

For the Lord of hosts reigns on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem.

And we take that literally, that when Christ comes, His foot will be planted on Mount Zion, and He'll split that mountain from east to west, creating a river that flows from both ends of that one

Pangea, that one continent, that flows from east to west, and that river for the healings of the nations, when during the millennial kingdom

He reigns from Jerusalem. A physical reign of the King on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, verse 23.

And His glory will be before His elders. Those who are serving as vice -regents under Him, of which

I think the church belongs. There are some that think that the church being raptured out doesn't really come back until after the millennium.

I'm of the view that when Christ comes, Revelation chapter 19, He's riding on a white horse, behind Him are the saints dressed in robes of white.

And we return with our King, us behind Him, not us ahead of Him, leading in the kingdom.

He brings the kingdom in at His coming, and we will reign with Him. Isn't that amazing?

And so the glory will be before His elders. We will see Him ride out, we will come with Him, and we will reign for a thousand years on this earth, with Christ Himself in Jerusalem for the millennial reign.

It's consistent with what we read if we follow a literal progression through the book of Revelation, but it's also what the prophets had been saying all along.

That's why we're premillennialists. That's why we look for a coming kingdom that cannot be shaken, with Christ Himself on this earth, making it as described in Isaiah chapter 11, where the lion can lay down next to the lamb, and a little child can play with the cobra.

If you get frustrated with this world, well, you probably should. It's a dark and sinful place.

God's common grace is still here. It's still good because of God's grace.

But there's coming a kingdom. There's coming a millennium. He is going to make all things right.

That's why we're not afraid as the world departs in apostasy. He's going to rescue

His church. He will pour out judgment on the wicked, and then He will come back and set up a kingdom that can never be shaken.

And we will rule and reign with Him. And we will rule and reign with Him. It's in Revelation that we'll be preached a kingdom of kings. We'll be glorified kings under the king, under the king of kings.

If we are faithless, He remains faithful. If we endure, we will reign with Him.

As we endure until the end, we're going to reign with Him as kings and priests during this millennial kingdom that's coming.

His glory will be before His elders. John, would you close us in prayer? Lord God, our hope is in You.

Our hope is not in even our own selves, definitely not in the things of this world.

Our hope is in You. You proclaimed it from the old, from the prophets of old, and You affirmed it through Your Scriptures and even in the book of Revelation.

We know that You are a sovereign God and that You have a purpose.

And at the end, Your reign will be established on earth and we will be there with You.

That is our hope. And as we read in these words here, the devastation that will come, let our hearts be heavy that we reach a lost world with this true message.

Even like those three young lads that Jeff met outside the basketball court, that need to hear.