PROPHETICALLY CORRECT

…ABOUT The COMING & KINGDOM

of JESUS CHRIST

Revelation 19 & 20

"Peace on earth, good will toward men" is the song of the season. We associate peace with the coming of Jesus because of the announcement of the angels to the shepherds at His birth. What many fail to realize is that there are two kinds of peace and two comings of Christ:

1. Personal peace with God was made possible by the first coming of Jesus Christ.
2. Political peace on earth will result only after His Second Coming.

Jesus will return a second time to establish the kingdom of God on the earth. The world will experience political peace for a millennium. Millennium is Latin for thousand years.

Jesus Christ’s coming and His kingdom are capsulized in chapters nineteen and twenty of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. We’ll take an overview of them, organizing our thoughts around two points: #1 You Will Return With Jesus When He Comes To End The Kingdoms Of Men, and #2 You Will Reign With Jesus When He Comes To Establish The Kingdom Of God.

#1 You Will Return With Jesus

When He Comes To End The Kingdoms Of Men

(Chapter 19)

Revelation is an extremely organized book. It follows an outline given to the apostle John by Jesus in chapter one, verse nineteen, where you read,

The letters Jesus dictated to the seven churches in chapters two and three have at least four levels of application:

1. They have a provincial application: These seven were actual churches existing in John’s day which Jesus wrote to for correction and/or commendation.
2. The letters have a present application: These seven were representative of characteristics in all churches in the first century and every subsequent century. At the end of each letter is the exhortation to hear what the Spirit says "to the churches" - - notice the plural. Though each letter is written to a church, each is to all the churches.
3. The letters have personal application to every Christian in every age. They each say, "he that hath an ear…"
4. Finally, the letters have a prophetic application: These seven, taken in the order Jesus put them, are representative of successive periods of church history. They lay out the entire history of the church, from the first century until the Second Coming of Jesus.

Something interesting happens after you read the last of these seven letters. Chapters four and five begin a new section. John sees "a door standing open in heaven," and he hears "a voice… saying, ‘Come up here.’" He is raptured to heaven. It is a type of all the saints from the Church Age being resurrected or Raptured to heaven. Then, and only then, does Revelation begin to describe the seven-years of the Tribulation, from chapter six through chapter eighteen.

Seven seals are opened; seven trumpets are blown; seven bowls are poured out. If you follow the seals, trumpets, and bowls, you discover the chronology of the seven-year Tribulation on the earth that follows after the Rapture of the Church.

As chapter nineteen opens the catastrophic judgments of the Tribulation have ended. All heaven worships the Lord and He is poised to return.

Revelation 19:1 After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!

Revelation 19:2 "For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her."

Revelation 19:3 Again they said, "Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!"

Revelation 19:4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, "Amen! Alleluia!"

Revelation 19:5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!"

Revelation 19:6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, "Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

"After these things" looks back over the first eighteen chapters. After the vision of the risen Lord Jesus in chapter one… After the revealing of the church age in chapters two and three… After the rapture and reward of the church in chapters four and five… After the wrath of the seven year Great Tribulation on earth… Jesus Christ will come!

Jesus is not coming alone. He is coming with His bride:

Revelation 19:7 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready."

Revelation 19:8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

Revelation 19:9 Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God."

The picture of a wedding should not surprise you. The Bible often describes your relationship with Jesus as that of a bride awaiting the return of her Bridegroom. Believers are described as engaged to Jesus; the entire church age between the Day of Pentecost and the Rapture of the church is an engagement period.

The wedding gown is the most important single item to the bride. Your spiritual wedding gown is both given to you and adorned by you:

1. You were "granted," or given, a spiritual robe of righteousness when you received Jesus as your Savior.
2. You have the privilege of adorning your robe by your "righteous acts" as His "saint." You don’t earn or add to your salvation; you simply earn rewards which will adorn your robe.

You can compare this to the Roman garments, the tunic and the toga.

1. The tunic was an inner garment worn under the toga. The righteousness of Jesus that is given to you when you receive Christ is like a tunic.
2. The righteous works that you perform throughout your life as a believer comprise your toga.

Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, "See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy."

John knows better than this! The angel quickly corrects him. "Worship" is reserved for "God." Jesus received worship on several occasions. Jesus was, and is, God.

The imagery shifts from that of a banquet to one of a battle. The closing months of the Great Tribulation will feature great military activity on earth. There will be a series of battles in the Middle East. Jesus will return in the midst of a great battle on earth, what we call the Battle of Armageddon. The armies of the world will be engaged against one another, but as Jesus returns, they will join forces to fight against Him.

Revelation 19:11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

Revelation 19:12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

Revelation 19:13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.

Revelation 19:14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.

We are now called His "army." We’re not really dressed for battle, though, and we have no real participation in the fighting except as observers of His glory and power.

Jesus will strike the nations gathered against Him. His weapon is the Word He speaks. His Word will overcome His enemies.

Revelation 19:17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, "Come and gather together for the supper of the great God,

Revelation 19:18 "that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great."

Revelation 19:19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

Revelation 19:20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

Revelation 19:21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

The Battle of Armageddon is easily won. "Kings, captains, and mighty men" of the earth are overthrown. "The beast," whom we know as the antiChrist, along with his false prophet, are overthrown and thrown into "the lake burning with fire." The kingdoms of men upon this earth are thus ended once-for-all. The kingdom of God has come.

You’re told that Jesus will rule with a "rod of iron." The word "rod" is a shepherd’s staff. Jesus Christ will hold a special judgment at His coming. In Matthew twenty-five He is pictured as a Shepherd separating the sheep from the goats. Believers in Christ (the sheep) will be allowed to remain on the earth; unbelievers (the goats) will die and await the great white throne judgment.

At this point the kingdoms of men will have been abolished. The only human beings left on the earth in their mortal bodies are believing Jews and believing Gentiles. It’s time for the Millennium to begin.

#2 You Will Reign With Jesus

When He Comes To Establish The Kingdom Of God

(Chapter 20)

The word millennium is not found in the Bible, but its Greek equivalent appears six times in chapter twenty of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The millennium of chapter twenty is the one thousand year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth that follows His Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation.

The Kingdom of God on earth is a major topic in the Old Testament. It was promised to the Jews and they were constantly looking for it to be established. We saw it prophesied in our first study, in Daniel’s seventy-week prophecy. The disciples were always wondering when Jesus would establish it, always asking Him questions about its timing. At His ascension into heaven they had this exchange:

Acts 1:6 …they asked Him, saying, "Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?"

After Jesus ascended two witnesses appeared and told the disciples,

Acts 1:11 …"Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven."

Jesus is coming again to establish the Kingdom of God on earth just as was promised.

You don’t get a complete description of the Kingdom in this chapter. In fact, you get very little description of it. The chapter concentrates on important events which occur at the beginning and at the end of Jesus Christ’s thousand year reign. Descriptions of the Kingdom abound in Old Testament passages. We’ll look at the beginning of the Kingdom in Revelation 20:1-4, then at some of its descriptions from select Old Testament portions.

Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

Revelation 20:2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years;

Revelation 20:3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

Four different names of Satan describe four aspects of his strategies over the centuries:

1. As the "dragon" he has sought to interfere with God’s promise to send a Savior into the world…
2. As the "serpent of old" he has sought to tempt mankind with his subtle lies…
3. As the "devil" he is a liar and slanderer, accusing God before men…
4. As "Satan" he is at the throne of God, accusing men before God…

The "bottomless pit" seems to be a sphere located in the heart of the earth. It is a place of incarceration for demons. Satan will be bound there for one thousand years and, presumably, so will all his demons. The "chain" and the "seal" communicate the certainty that he cannot and will not escape.

He "must" be released at the end; you will see why in verses seven through ten. Mankind will enjoy a perfect world with no temptation from the devil. Still, at the end of the thousand-years, they will rebel against Jesus! It will prove once and for all that the problem with the human race is not from without; it is from within – from the heart of man.

Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

Two distinct groups are being described. The second group is martyrs from the Great Tribulation. The other group is sitting on thrones performing the work of judges. Who are they? Jesus promised His disciples that they would sit on thrones as judges in His kingdom. Paul told all believers - - including you - - that they would one day judge the world and even judge angels. You will work as a judge in the one thousand year reign of Jesus!

To understand your duties in the Kingdom you should have a description of its conditions and characteristics. There will be physical renewal, political righteousness, and personal revival.

The earth was wasted during the Tribulation, but Jesus and those who rule with Him will see to its physical renewal. There is a good summary of the physical renewal in Isaiah 35:1-7.

Isaiah 35:1 The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose;

Isaiah 35:2 It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the LORD, the excellency of our God.

Isaiah 35:3 Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.

Isaiah 35:4 Say to those who are fearful-hearted, "Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God; He will come and save you."

Isaiah 35:5 Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

Isaiah 35:6 Then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, and streams in the desert.

Isaiah 35:7 The parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water; in the habitation of jackals, where each lay, there shall be grass with reeds and rushes.

The physical renewal will be both upon the land and upon the people. As to the land, in other places you read there will be an abundance of rainfall which leads to agricultural success all over the planet. There will be unprecedented prosperity.

The animal kingdom will be renewed:

Isaiah 11:6 "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

Isaiah 11:7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Isaiah 11:8 The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.

Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

As for people, health and healing from sickness will be part of the physical renewal. Isaiah writes, "And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick…" (33:24). We saw the healing of blindness, dumbness, deafness, and physical infirmities and deformities in the Isaiah thirty-five passage. People will live longer; Isaiah compares the death of a person at one hundred years old as if they were just a child. Not only will people live longer, but there will be a multiplication of the birth rate.

Emotional healing will also characterize the renewal. Isaiah says that Jesus will "…comfort all who mourn… console those who mourn in Zion… give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness..." (Isaiah 61:2-3).

Political righteousness will characterize the Millennium. In Isaiah 11:4 and 11:9 you read,

Isaiah 11:4 But with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked.

Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.

The fact that Jesus Christ will reign over the earth is in practically every prophecy concerning the Millennial kingdom.

1. He will rule over the entire earth; in Daniel 7:14 you read, "And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him: His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
2. He will rule over the entire earth with absolute authority and power. Every knee shall bow and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.
3. He will rule over the entire earth with absolute power and authority in righteousness and justice. Isaiah 2:4 says, "He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." The wicked will feel His wrath; no open sin or injustice will go unpunished.

Our duties will thus include the administration of righteousness.

Personal revival will characterize the Millennium. With Jesus ruling the world, the truth of God is widespread. In Jeremiah 31:33-34 you read,

Jeremiah 31:33 But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Jeremiah 31:34 No more shall every man teach his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them, says the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more."

Isaiah says, "And it shall come to pass… shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the Lord." People will come from all over the earth to worship God in Jerusalem at His Temple.

The people on earth at the beginning of the Millennium are all saved human beings in their mortal, earthly bodies. As the Millennium continues, children are born to them and children are born to their children, and so on for a thousand years. You and I will have returned to earth from heaven with Jesus. We will be in our immortal glorified bodies. We will rule and reign with Jesus as He assigns us to various posts all over the earth.

Your post and position in the future Millennium will be determined by your present activities. There are a few passages in the New Testament that discuss your rewards as a Christian. At some point after your resurrection or Rapture you will stand before Jesus and be rewarded. If you think in terms of the rewards you have a tendency to minimize their significance. After all, you’re in heaven with Jesus; does it really matter how much adorns your garment?

The rewards are a tangible representation of your faithfulness. Faithfulness is what you ought to concentrate on.

"Peace on earth, good will toward men" is the song of the season. Just be sure you realize that the peace announced by the heavenly host of angels to the shepherds looked far beyond the first coming of Jesus to His Second Coming to end the kingdoms of men and establish the Kingdom of God.