From His Heart

Speaker 1

John says, and I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it is called faithful and true. And in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire. He comes back with vengeance and victory.

He's riding a white horse into battle. The generals didn't do that. They would wait till the battle was finished, and when they came home for the big victory parade, they would ride a white horse.

Jesus rides a white horse into battle because victory is certain. And he comes back and he's got fire in his eyes. In righteousness, he judges and wages war.

Speaker 2

Welcome to From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve. Today, as we study the return of Jesus as prophesied by Jesus, it's found in our study of Matthew, chapter 24 and 25. In it, He details the signs and the promise of His coming. Are you ready for that most awesome moment in history?

The message today is entitled "The Power and Glory of His Return," and it's from Pastor Jeff's new nine-message series. We're in most of this month called "When the Son of Man," a study of Matthew 24 and 25. It's our gift of thanks for your support this month, and I'll tell you more later. You can visit us at promisheart.org to get your copy in the format of your choice.

But do that after we hear how the promise of His coming gives us hope, urgency, and confidence, awaiting His glorious appearance. Open your Bible to Matthew, chapter 24. Here again is Pastor Jeff Shreve.

Speaker 1

Are you ready for the most awesome moment in history? The second coming, the return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Three truths for today. As we think about this awesome event, truth number one: Jesus will return with full visibility. Full visibility. Every eye is going to see him, he says. Just as lightning comes from the east, verse 27, and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. You're not going to need somebody to tell you, "Oh, don't miss it. It's over here in this corner." It's going to be visible to all.

So the question is, well, when is this return? Well, it says in verse 29, he comes back at the end of the tribulation period, but immediately after the tribulation of those days. That's when the sun is darkened. That's when the moon will not give its light. That's when the stars will fall from the sky and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. That's when you'll see the sign of the Son of Man that will appear in the sky. It comes at the end of the tribulation period, and he comes back in full view of every person. It says in Revelation, chapter 1, verse 7, quoting from Daniel, "Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him." Every eye is going to see him.

This is not the rapture. This is the return of Jesus. At the rapture, it's that fast, and we're gone. Jesus is gone in the clouds. He doesn't come back to the earth, but now he comes back to the earth, and every eye will see him. He comes back with his bride. The Church is the bride of Christ. You have to understand that the rapture of the Church and the return of Christ are two separate phases of his return. Matthew is talking about the actual return of Christ, and every eye will see him. He will return with full visibility.

Secondly, he will return with power and great glory. Let's look at verse 30 again. "And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky. And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power." Dunamis. We get our English word dynamite from that. And great glory, abundant glory. It is going to be amazing.

Now, how do people respond to the return of Christ? Interestingly, the Jews will weep bitterly. The Jews who are living at that time will weep bitterly. They'll mourn over him. That's what the prophet Zechariah said: "I will pour out on the house of David" (Zechariah, chapter 12, verse 10) "and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on me whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son. And they will weep bitterly over him, like the bitter weeping over a firstborn."

To mourn means literally to beat your chest in lamentation. It's the deepest kind of grief and wailing. But not only will the Jews weep bitterly, the unbelievers will fear greatly. Proverbs 21, verse 15 says that the execution of justice is joy to the righteous, but it is terror to the workers of iniquity. The Bible says during the tribulation period, men long to die. They blaspheme God (Revelation 16). Because of the severity of the plagues, they don't give him glory; they blaspheme him. But in Revelation 6, we hear that they're hiding in the caves and in the rocks. They're calling out to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb. For the day of their wrath is coming. Who is able to stand?" They're afraid.

Then the elect will be gathered to Jerusalem, verse 31. "And he will send forth his angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together his elect, probably the Jewish elect there, from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." Now, people read verse 31 and they say, "See, that's the Rapture." That's what you pre-tribulation rapture people want—to get out of here and not have to go through all the difficulties of the tribulation. You should read the words of Jesus, because verse 31 very clearly is speaking of the Rapture. And when does that happen? That happens at the end of the tribulation, based on verses 29 through 31. But verse 31 is not a rapture; it's a gathering. It's not God calling us into the clouds; it's a gathering. He sends out his angels to gather all the Jews that have been scattered because the Antichrist is trying to kill them, and they're running for the hills. He gathers them together back to Jerusalem. So it's not a rapture of the Church, and he's going to bring all his people together.

So he returns with power and great glory, and truth number three: He will return with vengeance and victory. Revelation 19, as I told you, is the classic, most explained passage on the return of Christ. In one passage of Scripture, John says, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. And in righteousness he judges and wages war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems. He has a name written on him which no one knows except himself. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and his name is called the Word of God."

Right after that, it says that the armies following after him were also riding on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. That's us following with the Lord. He comes back with vengeance and victory. He's riding a white horse into battle. The generals didn't do that; they would wait till the battle was finished, and when they came home for the big victory parade, they would ride a white horse. Jesus rides a white horse into battle because victory is assured. He comes back, and he's got fire in his eyes. In righteousness, he judges and wages war.

He comes back at the Battle of Armageddon. The Battle of Armageddon is the culmination of the Antichrist and his forces getting ready to destroy Israel and wipe them out. It looks like he's going to win. Why is that so important for the devil and his man of sin, the Antichrist, who is the devil in the flesh? Why is it so important that he destroys the Jews and destroys Israel? It's important for this reason: God has made promises to Israel. God has made promises to the Jews. He said that his son is going to sit on the throne of David. If you destroy Israel, Jesus can't sit on the throne of David because there is no throne of David. All the promises that he's made to the Jews, if those come to naught, then the Lord is a promise breaker. The Lord can't keep his promises. That's never going to happen. It's impossible. Hebrews 6:18 states, "It's impossible for God to lie." When God makes a promise, you can take it to the bank. That is going to come true at just the right time.

So he does battle on behalf of Israel. He comes to rescue his people. Zechariah 12 can be difficult, but it has a lot to say about the return of the Lord. It says in Zechariah 12:8-9, "In that day, the Lord will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And in that day I will set about to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem." Now, we call the battle the Battle of Armageddon, but it's really focused on Jerusalem. If you've ever been to Jerusalem, you know it's a little bit of a distance from the Valley of Jezreel, which is known as Armageddon or the Valley of Megiddo. That's probably the staging area for the battle. Napoleon called that flat piece of ground there known as Megiddo the world's most natural battlefield.

There is going to be some death, no doubt, taking place there. But the main battle is going to be in Jerusalem. The Lord comes back at the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is just east of Jerusalem. He comes back there; the mount splits, giving a place for his people to evacuate to, and he's going to do battle with the Antichrist and his forces. There's a sharp sword that comes out of his mouth. Obviously, John is speaking figuratively when he says that, because the word of God is a sword. The Bible says in Ephesians chapter six, when we put on the armor of God and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, the Lord speaks, and he speaks them into oblivion. The same word that spoke them into creation will speak them into defeat, and he will utterly destroy his enemies.

Speaker 2

What a sobering and profound truth to know that God's enemies will be destroyed, but God's children will be raised to be with him forever in heaven. Pastor Jeff will elaborate a bit more on this in just a moment.

But first, this month Pastor Jeff is in his nine-message series, "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew 24. He's answering questions like how are we to live until the Son of Man comes? Well, first we must be wise stewards of the time and resources God has given us, while also being spiritually alert, obedient, and committed to following Him.

In this compelling message, Pastor Jeff shares three essentials for living watchful and wise as we anticipate the return of Christ. It's nine messages that will help you get ready. Request "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew 24:25. That's our gift of thanks to you for your support this month of any amount to From His Heart.

To get yours, call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-24253) or go online to fromhisheart.org to request your copy on a USB flash drive, on CDs, DVDs, or an immediate MP3 digital download. Don't delay, get this teaching and be ready when Christ returns.

Here again is Pastor Jeff with the conclusion to the message, "The Power and Glory of His Return."

Speaker 1

So the Lord speaks, and he speaks them into oblivion, and he will utterly destroy his enemies. Zechariah has something to say about this in chapter 14. Now this will be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the peoples who have gone to war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet, and their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongue will rot in their mouth. And it will come about in that day that a great panic from the Lord will fall on them, and they will seize one another's hand, and the hand of one will be lifted against the hand of another. The carnage is great.

The Bible says in Revelation 19, at the return of Christ, that he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of Almighty God. If you've ever seen a person stomping on grapes to make wine, the grapes are in the vat, and they're just stepping all over them, and the juice is coming out. That's the picture he gives us. As he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of Almighty God, the blood splashes to the horses' bridles to a distance of 200 miles. The carnage is so great. Remember what? And then he whistles for the birds. The angel says, "Hey, birds that fly in mid-heaven, come and feast on kings and commanders," because there's a great supper that God has for you with all the dead. The dead will be plenteous, all those who came up against the Lord.

You know, it says that Jesus comes clothed in a robe dipped in blood. That's not talking about the blood of Christ; that's not talking about his blood. That's talking about the blood of his enemies. This isn't his first rodeo, you know. Jesus, the angel of the Lord, as we read in the Old Testament, is a pre-incarnate appearance of the Lord Jesus, the angel of the Lord. When Sennacherib had his armies surrounding God's people, they thought their goose was cooked and that they were going to be destroyed. The angel of the Lord went out in one night and killed 185,000 Assyrians. When they woke up the next morning, I love how the scripture says it: "And they awoke the next morning, and they were all dead."

So the Lord has a garment; it's the blood of his enemies, those who are foolish enough to go up against God. He will defeat them and set up his millennial Kingdom, his 1000-year reign on the earth. In the Lord's Prayer, which is really the model prayer, but we call it the Lord's Prayer, in Matthew chapter six, he says, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." When is that going to happen? When Jesus sets up his kingdom, that's when his kingdom is going to come to the earth. That's when his will is done on earth as it is in heaven.

That's when Jesus rules and reigns from Jerusalem. That's when the curse is removed from the earth, and the desert blooms like a rose. The lion lays down with the lamb, and the little child plays at the den of the cobra. The Lord says, "They will not hurt in all my holy mountains." The knowledge of the Lord is going to cover the earth, the Bible says, as the waters cover the sea.

Here's something that's so cool: when we go up, I just came across this last night. When we are raptured up at the beginning of the tribulation, what happens on our way up? We're changed. This mortal will put on immortality, and this perishable body will put on the imperishable, as John says in First John, chapter three, verse one. We don't know what we're going to be like, but we know that we're going to be like him because we're going to see him as he is. Paul says in Philippians, chapter three, we eagerly wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of his glory through the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to himself. We become just like Jesus; we get a glorified body like he has.

Then we have the judgment seat of Christ. As someone pointed out, you know, how long does it take to go through everything? Well, his eyes are a flame of fire. He can just look at you, look at me, and burn out everything that's wood, hay, and straw—anything that was done in the flesh. Whatever remains is a crown to throw at his feet. So that can be very, very rapid. It's not like he goes through, "This is your life. Well, on this day, you did this. And on this day." It doesn't have to be like that.

On our way up, he can burn away all those things that are of the flesh and glorify us. But then what does he do? He takes us to the Father's house. What happens at the Father's house? We're married to the Lamb. The marriage of the Lamb takes place. It's just like it happened in the days of the first century. What would happen? You'd have a betrothal. In the physical realm, you'd have a betrothal. Mary was betrothed to Joseph.

What happens in the betrothal? That's stronger than just an engagement; that's a marriage because to break that, you have to divorce. You haven't consummated anything yet, but you are together. You're going to be married. The bridegroom goes back and builds onto the Father's house. When the time is right, the father says to the son, the bridegroom-to-be, "Go get your bride." He'll go back to get his bride. Sometimes it can be in the middle of the night; he comes back, and that bride just has to be ready. He comes back to get his bride.

What happens when he gets his bride? There's a private ceremony that marries them, and then they consummate the marriage. Once the marriage is consummated, they come out, and there's a celebration. The more wealthy the father was, the longer the celebration would last. Sometimes the celebration would last for seven days—a seven-day marriage feast. My father is very, very wealthy; he has a 1000-year feast for his son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says, "Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb," who get to go into the millennial kingdom.

Now, the bride gets an invite to her own wedding, right? So we're not just invited guests to the marriage supper of the Lamb; we're the guests of honor there with the Lord. We are raptured, and there's some conjecture about this, but Old Testament saints may not be raptured. When we're raptured, they may come later. They may come at the beginning of the millennial kingdom, where the Lord raises them up. Daniel chapter 12 talks about that, and there's a resurrection of Old Testament saints so that they can enjoy the thousand-year reign of Christ. We are glorified there with Jesus. It's awesome.

What is coming down the pike? Now, I want you to think, as we close out, about the words of Revelation 19. It says, "And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it is called faithful and true." He's called faithful and true. Everything he says is true. "Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth." (John 17:17). Everything God promises will come to pass. It says in Second Timothy, "Even when we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny himself." Our God is faithful and true.

Hey, will you trust the God who is faithful and true and go his way?

Speaker 2

Maybe you're asking in your heart, how do I do that? Well, A, acknowledge that you're a sinner. B, believe in your heart that Christ sacrificed for your sin and was raised from the dead. And C, confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Then you will be his for now and for eternity. Through the Holy Spirit that has come to live in your heart, your desires will change and you'll want to serve him each and every day.

To discover more about what a decision like this means, go to fromisheart.org and click the why Jesus link on our homepage. There you'll find all kinds of free materials for you to study, read, hear, and download to help you get started in your Christian journey. We're thrilled for you, and if you can, would you reach out to us and let us know about your decision? Go to fromisheart.org and click the Contact Us link.

By the way, there are some powerful free downloads for you on our website. Three free booklets: How can you be sure that you're going to heaven? How to receive a not guilty verdict from God, and How to understand the mystery of prayer. You can get them online. Go to fromisheart.org under the free Stuff section. God bless you.

Well, thank you for being with us today on From His Heart. I'm Larry Nobles, and we heard part two of the message "The Power and Glory of His Return" today. It's from the series "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew, chapter 24 and 25. And remember to be here tomorrow for the next lesson called "A Fig Tree and a Flood." That's on Wednesday when Pastor Jeff Shreve opens God's Word and shares real truth, real love, and real hope from God's heart here on From His Heart.