Revelation: Jesus Is The King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords
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PREACHING CHRIST THROUGH THE BIBLE |
Revelation: Jesus Is The King Of Kings And Lord Of Lords
Revelation-1:8 (ESV)
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John,
2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.
3 Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
4 John to the seven churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne,
5 and from Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood
6 and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
7 Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
Covid-19 Pandemic, natural calamities, economic inflation, and now, the war in Ukraine, what is next? Will the rapture happen anytime soon? Since the war between Russia and Ukraine broke out, these were the typical questions among many believers. At the outset, allow me to explain that there are no direct signs related to the rapture in the New Testament. The signs that Jesus gave in Matthew 24:3-8 were all the signs for the Revelation of Jesus Christ after the seven years tribulation here on earth. Here is the text:
3 As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
4 And Jesus answered them, "See that no one leads you astray.
5 For many will come in my name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and they will lead many astray.
6 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
8 All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
To understand why I said that this passage is not related to the rapture but the Revelation of Jesus, we need to go back to the disciples' question (v. 3). Notice that what the disciples had in mind was already the end of the world. Let me show you our simple End Times Diagram.
From this diagram, we need to know that the church age was never revealed to the Old Testament prophets. This truth was a "mystery" in the New Testament.
Ephesians 5:31-32 (ESV)
31 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh."
32 This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.
Whenever we find the word "mystery" in the New Testament, it simply means that this truth was hidden in the Old Testament but revealed in the New Testament. Since the Church Age was not revealed in the Old Testament, its end was also hidden, which is the rapture of believers. Two significant New Testament passages teach this doctrine – 1 Corinthians 15:51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17. Unfortunately, we don't have time to open these verses and talk about the rapture of the church this morning. But I need to establish this before moving to the Book of Revelation.
This morning, we will cover our last book of the Bible and the last book in our sermon series, Preaching Christ Through the Bible. I trust you will take the time to read through all our manuscripts for this series in the coming days, especially on those books you are not very familiar with. For the Book of Revelation, the portrayal of Jesus Christ is that He is the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. In other words, with all the kings and rulers the world has ever known throughout history, no one can compare to Jesus Christ. He is the greatest and highest King this universe will ever know. The best part is that if you are a believer of Jesus Christ, you will have the privilege of reigning with Him.
As we study the Book of Revelation, we will have a much better understanding of the end times – all the events that will happen after the rapture leading up to our eternal destiny in the New Heaven and the New Earth. It is the only prophetical book in the New Testament.
For some quick background of the book, Bible scholars believe that the apostle John wrote this book while in exile on the Island of Patmos during the latter part of Emperor Domitian's reign over the Roman Empire around 95-96 AD. In our study, I would like us to discover four fundamental elements of the book of Revelation:
I THE AUTHOR OF REVELATION (vs.1-2)
When you read verses 1-2, you will find these words, "The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw." These words are truly significant because they immediately establish the primary author. Although John wrote it, it is pretty evident that he got all his information from Jesus Christ. The process of writing was Jesus gave the revelation to an angel. And then, the angel passed it to John. It is very assuring on our part to know that John did not make up everything written in this book. He got them directly from Jesus Christ, the author, and finisher of our faith.
I also would like to highlight the phrase, "The revelation of Jesus Christ." It is also essential to notice that the word is "revelation," not "revelations." Do you know why? "Revelation" was taken from the Greek word "apokalupsis." It is a combination of two Greek words. The first word is a preposition apo, which could be translated from. The next word is kalupto, which means to cover or to conceal. So, the simple idea of “Revelation” is "to take the cover off" or "to unveil." So, the word "revelation" refers to something or someone, once hidden or unknown but now fully known. So, the Book of Revelation is not so much about uncovering things that will happen in the future; it is the uncovering or unveiling of Jesus Christ. For sure, the future events are exciting to know, but we need to see them according to how they will line up with Jesus Christ. The future is not exciting if you do not Jesus Christ as your Savior.
If you are still uncertain who Jesus is and not sure what will be His place in the coming days, you need to read the Book of Revelation. Here, you will find Him as the person who will be the culmination of everything. He would be the ultimate deliver, the restorer, the Judge, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords who will reign forever and ever! I love what Pastor Adrian Rogers said:
"When the world begins to wind down, we will not be for something to happen; we will be looking for someone to come. And His name is Jesus."
II THE AIM OF REVELATION (v. 1)
Going back to verse 1, you will find the aim of Jesus Christ in giving the revelation about Him – "to show to his servants the things that must soon take place." In other words, the primary intention is to show His servants the things that will happen in the future.
God doesn't want us to be ignorant about the future. And we need to acknowledge that only He alone knows the future. Therefore, He takes the time to show His servants the future. It is evident that there is an emphasis on the word "servants" in this statement. Meaning, the revelation will not be comprehended by everyone, but only those who are His servants.
In the New Testament, "servants" (bondslaves) are people who surrendered their will to Jesus and are actively serving Him. The reality is that they are the ones who will genuinely care about His coming and will appreciate all the information from this book. Of course, when you read the phrase in verse 4, "John to the seven churches that are in Asia," this word "servants" would be identified as the seven churches in Asia – Churches found in Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea.
Are you afraid or excited about the future? If you are a child of God, there's really nothing to be afraid of. Remember the disciples, when Jesus started telling them that He would leave them to prepare a place for them. He promised them that He would return to take them. Here are His words in John 14:1 (ESV)
1 "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.
Take note. We don't have to be afraid! Instead, if we keep believing in Him, we can rest in the truth that our future is beautiful and wonderful because God made sure we will receive His best.
III THE ADVANTAGES OF REVELATION (v. 3)
With Jesus' intention to show us what will happen in the future, He also motivates us by plainly conveying to us in verse 3 that it is to our advantage if we study this book of Revelation. Listen to these words – "Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near."
God guarantees special blessings to those who will take the prophecies recorded in this book seriously. So let's try to examine what it means to treat this book seriously:
A. Read it aloud
This phrase suggests that God intends to have this book be read publicly in the church. Please know that public reading of God's Word is clearly commanded to the church of Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 4:13 (ESV)
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
So, we should also expect the public reading of God's Word in our church because it can bring blessings to us.
B. Hear it
Reading is essential, but we should not stop there. We should also pay attention when His Word is being read. Is it possible for this book to be read and not heard it? Absolutely! This possibility is the reason why you would find this exhortation in Revelation 13:9 (ESV):
9 If anyone has an ear, let him hear:
Many Christians have developed the habit of selective hearing. We should always be prepared to listen to what God has said to us.
C. Keep it
Once you become familiar with the future, you should heed and prepare because it will indeed happen. Many Christians are interested in Biblical prophecies, but like the Jews during Christ's first coming, many have missed Him.
I hope and pray that we won't miss the tremendous blessings that God prepared for all of us who will read, hear, and keep what has been given in this book of prophecies.
IV THE ACTIVITIES OF REVELATION
With the limited time we have, I won't be able to deal with the activities or events mentioned in the Book of Revelation exhaustively. But allow me to at least give you some significant events that we should anticipate to happen:
A. Events in Heaven:
After the rapture of the church, all the believers will proceed to heaven and go through two special events:
1. Judgment Seat of Christ
While the people on earth will experience the most difficult time for seven years, up in heaven, Jesus will give rewards to the believers based on their faithfulness while they were alive on earth (2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15).
2. Marriage Supper of the Lamb
After the rewarding time will come the great banquet as described in Revelation 19:6-10. The church that had been betrothed (engaged) to be married to Christ will now celebrate their actual wedding. This incredible dinner will occur before Jesus Christ finally returns to earth together with His holy angels and saints. This return is described in Revelation 1: 7-8: "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen. "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
Reading these words, we should not miss the phrase, "every eye will see him." People in the past had used these words to discredit the prophecy about Christ's return. They were saying how this is not possible with the different time zones in the world. Today, with mobile phones as mini-computers, breaking news in Israel can be easily be seen by everyone in the world. This second coming of Jesus Christ on earth will usher His millennial reign on earth.
B. Events on Earth:
While the believers are enjoying their time in heaven, the Book of Revelation also presents the activities that will take place on earth after the church's rapture.
1. 7 Years Tribulation
The Book of Revelation will vividly describe the events that will happen to the unbelievers who were left behind after the rapture. Beginning in Revelation 6, God will pour His wrath on sin by allowing three sets of seven plagues. Through these plagues, people who rejected Jesus Christ will experience terrible suffering that the human race had never experienced before. Jesus talked about this Matthew 24:21 (ESV):
21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
This tribulation period will last for seven years, as indicated in Daniel 9:24-27. The book of Revelation described the specific plagues as the following:
Ø 7 Seals (Revelation 6)
The Antichrist
Wars, Threats, and Terrorism
Famine and Economic Ruin
Death, Hades, and World Population Reduced by ¼
Martyred Christians and More Persecution
Physical Disturbances and Earthquake
Silence, the Worst is Yet to Come (Rev. 8:1-2)
Ø 7 Trumpets (Revelation 8-9)
1/3 of Earth on Fire (1/3 of Trees and 1/3 of Grass)
1/3 of Sea becomes Blood (1/3 of Ships Sunk, 1/3 of Fish Dead)
A falling star poisons 1/3 of River and 1/3 fountain
1/3 Sun, Moon, and Sun Darkened
Demonized Locusts Torture Humans for 5 Months
1/3 of Humanity Killed by Satan's Army
Shocking Combination of Lightning, Thundering, and earthquake (Rev. 11:15-19)
Ø 7 Bowls (Revelation 16)
Boils on the Followers of the Antichrist
All the Sea Becomes Blood and All Fish Dead
All Rivers Becomes Blood
Sun Scorches All Humans on Earth
Total Darkness on Earth
The Euphrates Dries Up
Strongest Earthquake and Battle of Armageddon
Thank God because the church will not go through this tribulation period. Why? This time is designed to be the outpouring of God's wrath towards the sins of the world. The Bible is quite clear that believers will not experience God's condemnation:
Romans 8:1 (ESV)
1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
2. The Revelation Of Jesus Christ
While the Antichrist and his army march towards Jerusalem to conquer and destroy Israel, Jesus Christ will return to earth riding a white horse. You will read the triumphant return of Jesus Christ in Revelation 19:11-21. Jesus talked about this also in Matthew 24:29-30 (ESV):
29 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
30 Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
3. The Imprisonment of Satan and His Demons (Rev. 20:13)
When Jesus returns and defeats the Antichrist, Satan and all the fallen angels will be seized and imprisoned at the bottomless pit for 1,000 years.
4. The Millennial Reign of Christ (Rev. 20:4-6)
With the imprisonment of Satan and all the demonic spirits, Jesus Christ will be able to reign on earth without the presence of sin and evil. As a result, the earth will experience the peace and prosperity that no one has ever known before. To have a fuller understanding of the millennial reign of Jesus, you will have to check the descriptions in many Old Testament Scriptures like Isa. 32; Isa. 35; Isa. 61; etc.)
5. The Gog and Magog Battle (Rev. 20:7-10)
This war is Satan's final attempt to dethrone Jesus Christ. The titles Gog and Magog are used here to refer to Satan and his army as God's enemies. After Satan's imprisonment for a thousand years, he and his demons will be allowed to tempt and deceive many human beings to join him in his last battle against God. But they would easily be defeated by the fire that God would send from heaven to destroy all of them. Jesus did not even have to engage them in a battle. Satan is definitely no match against Jesus Christ!
6. The White Throne Judgment (Rev. 20:11-15)
After Satan's defeat, all the unbelievers beginning from Adam's time until the end of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, will be resurrected to stand in the White Throne Judgment. Jesus Christ will be the Judge, and every person who stands before Him will be judged according to the two books that will be opened – First, the Book of Life, which has the record of all the names of people who received Jesus as their savior. If your name was not found in the Book of Life, then the second book will be opened. This book holds the record of all the sins and evil works committed by people while they live on earth. Once they are found guilty, they will be sent to hell for their eternal condemnation.
7. The New Heaven and New Earth (Rev. 21)
The final event in the Book of Revelation is the coming down of the new heaven and the new earth from God. These places will be the eternal destination of all believers who will enjoy everything Jesus Christ has prepared for them. There are not enough words to describe the beauty of these places. It has already taken the Lord Jesus more than two thousand years to set up all of these for us. Remember, it took Him only six days to create the whole universe, and it's already very beautiful. How much more are these places that He has been preparing for more than two thousand years.
To conclude this sermon, allow me to quote Dr. David Jeremiah's words in his study Bible about the Book of Revelation:
"Regardless of what happens in this life – no matter how depressing the world news or how difficult or dark the season we might be enduring – life in Christ has a happy ending . . . and nothing in earth, heaven, or hell can ever take that away. When the heartache of this present world weighs heavily on us, we only have to look and look ahead at the radiant end of one story and the joyous beginning of a news story that will never end. An eternal story with one central theme: "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain" (Rev. 5:12).
Let's be guided by everything that God has shared with us in this book. Let's not allow fear to rule our hearts. Instead, let's continue to live faithfully in walking and serving the Lord, especially knowing that Jesus is coming very, very soon!
-Bishop Jeremiah Lepasana