Grace World Outreach Church
Pastor Daniel K Norris
RETURN OF THE KING The Ultimate Spoiler
Text: Rev 1:7, Rev 22:20-21
The Introduction:
"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" (Rev 1:7-8, ESV).
The Conclusion:
"20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen" (Rev 22:20-21, ESV).
John is writing to seven real churches in Asia Minor that are facing great persecution and intense pressure to turn away from Christ and turn to the gods of Rome and the worship of Caesar. He writes the ultimate spoiler to the story of history. We win! No matter how intense the trails, tests or tribulations, even if it costs your life, remain faithful to your King. You win in the end.
Revelation - (geek apokalypsis) means to uncover or reveal
1. YOUR KING IS COMING SOON!
“Behold, he is coming with the clouds” (vs 7)
This is our BLESSED HOPE
https://ag.org/Beliefs/Our-Core-Doctrines/Second-Coming
The return of Christ along with the resurrection of the saints and the rapture of church is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church.
(1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52).
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words. (1 Th 4:16–18).
* THE IMMINENT RETURN OF CHRIST
Imminent means “likely to happen at any moment; impending.”
Live with your eyes firmly fixed upon the horizon and your hands firmly fixed upon the harvest
* THE RESURRECTION IN CHRIST
* THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST
https://ag.org/Beliefs/Position-Papers/The-Rapture-of-the-Church
Caught up - (greek - harapazo) - snatched, taken, seized, stolen
* 2 Corinthians 12:2 (ESV) I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven
* Revelation 12:5 (ESV) but her child was caught up to God and to his throne
* Acts 8:39 (ESV) And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
2. HIS RETURN WILL COME SUDDENLY BUT NOT SURPRISINGLY
“every eye will see him” (vs7)
At the time of Christ’s ascension two angels came to the group of watching disciples and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
Jesus’s return will be
- LITERAL
- PHYSICAL
- VISIBLE
Any teaching that Jesus’s return has already taken place or is symbolic is not consistent with scripture
Seven signs and signals of soon
The Story Of Israel
1. Israel will be a blessing to the world.
And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” (Genesis 12:2–3, ESV).
1,000 BC - 2022AD
2. Israel will come back into their land.
21 then say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I will take the people of Israel from the nations among which they have gone, and will gather them from all around, and bring them to their own land (Ezekiel 37:21, ESV).
1948
3. Israel will be reborn in one day.
Isaiah 66:8 (ESV)
8Who has heard such a thing? Who has seen such things? Shall a land be born in one day? Shall a nation be brought forth in one moment? For as soon as Zion was in labor she brought forth her children.
May 14, 1948
4. Israel will be a cup of staggering to all the surrounding people
Zechariah 12:2–3 (ESV)
2“Behold, I am about to make Jerusalem a cup of staggering to all the surrounding peoples. The siege of Jerusalem will also be against Judah. 3 On that day I will make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples. All who lift it will surely hurt themselves. And all the nations of the earth will gather against it.
1948-2022
5. Israel will control Jerusalem and the Temple Mount.
Then I was given a measuring rod like a staff, and I was told, “Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar and those who worship there, 2 but do not measure the court outside the temple; leave that out, for it is given over to the nations, and they will trample the holy city for forty-two months Revelation 11:1–2 (ESV).
Jun 10, 1967
6. Israel’s capital, Jerusalem will be returned
They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled (Luke 21:24).
May 14th, 2018 (70 year Anniversary)
7. Israel will restore temple worship
A key detail: https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-717650
Numbers 19:1–4 (ESV) Now the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, 2 “This is the statute of the law that the Lord has commanded: Tell the people of Israel to bring you a red heifer without defect, in which there is no blemish, and on which a yoke has never come.
The closer you get to something, the clearer the details become
3. HIS RETURN WILL BRING SORROW FOR SOME
“even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (vs 7).
John combines Daniel 7:13 with Zechariah 12:10 and notes that the world will see and understand that they crucified the Messiah.
- Some will morn in remorse
- Some will morn in rebellion
And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death (Re 12:11).
Remorse or Rebellion reveals where we need Repentance and Revival
4. HIS RETURN WILL SHOW HIS STRENGTH
“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty” (vs 8)
- The Alpha and the Omega
God’s is omniscience - He knows ALL things
- Who is and who was and who is to come
God is omnipresent & eternal - God is in control of his world, and of all the human activity within it; he is the eternal origin and goal of history in its entirety.
- The Almighty
God is omnipotent - has absolute authority, control, and power of all things
5. HIS STORY MEANS TRUE SALVATION
"20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! 21 The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all. Amen" (Rev 22:20-21, ESV).
1. Don’t be deceived. Matthew 24:11
2. Remain faithful. Matthew 24:13
3. Pray for Revival. 2 Peter 3:9
4. Draw people to Jesus. Acts 1:8
Questions:
1.What would you say is the main theme of the book?
2.What does it mean to have the expectation of the imminent return of Christ? How does this affect the way we live?
3.Verse 8 contains several names for God. What do these names mean for you in your Christian walk? What are some other names for God revealed in Scripture?