Mesa Hills Bible Church

Pastor Tim Dane: Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 to 16, is arguably my favorite passage of the Bible. I say that about a lot of passages in the Bible, but this one is very special. I call it the return of the King. For those of you that are movie geeks, maybe if you're not even a geek like me, you know that the Oxford scholar, J.R.R. Tolkien, who was close friends with C.S. Lewis, and they were both buddies in literature there at Oxford, wrote a series of books. The most famous ones are *The Hobbit* and then *The Lord of the Rings*.

*The Lord of the Rings* had three parts to it: *The Fellowship of the Ring*, *The Two Towers*, and then the last book was called *The Return of the King*. All of these books have distinct biblical themes that drive them. In this book, *The Return of the King*, what happens is the final account of how there's a restoration of the fallen creation. As you study what Tolkien wrote, there was a creation, there was a fall, there are massive ages of massive evil and corruption and war.

Just as things are coming to the point where evil is going to take over and completely engulf all of the creation, there's a huge battle. Through these battles, the rightful king returns to lead the victories over evil. Then the king is now enthroned and the kingdom is restored and there's an end of evil. You say, "Wow, that sounds just like the Bible." That's exactly where J.R.R. Tolkien got it. This is all what the Bible talks about.

Jesus Christ is going to return at a time when evil is full-blown at work and ready to take over. The Bible says that Jesus Christ is going to return. He's going to wage war on an evil world and he's going to destroy this evil force and all of those who refuse to repent. He's going to bring a final restoration to this world in what is called the Kingdom of God. Jesus Christ is going to bring God's kingdom to this world. He returns and he brings the kingdom.

The term that we use to describe this is called premillennialism. This is what we call the Bible. Now, there are people who say, "I don't believe in premillennialism. I think that this is the Kingdom of God right now." I saw yesterday's news. No, we're not in the Kingdom of God. We are not in the Kingdom of God. That is a mistaken idea that really is Roman Catholic theology. As you look at what happened throughout medieval times, medieval Christianity, they abandoned the Bible and they began to say, "We're the Kingdom of God right now. This is Rome. We're the kingdom. The church is the kingdom." That's not biblical.

Some people say, "The church creates the kingdom. God works through the church and we, the church, are going to Christianize the world. We're going to bring a victory where all the world is going to come under God's word and Christianize the world." That's called post-millennialism. People who hold to that view say that we, the church, God, they'll say, well, God is the one doing it. But in the end, what they're saying is that we're going to succeed in Christianizing the world. When we have brought the world under submission to all of God and Jesus Christ, Jesus can return and receive his kingdom after the millennium, post-millennialism. That is extremely unbiblical.

The Bible says that there is going to be a massive conflict happen at the end of the age in that time period that we call the Day of the Lord, the Great Tribulation. It's going to bring massive conflict and war to the world. Israel, in particular, is going to be sitting on the edge of annihilation because of invasions. The Islamic world would love to do this right now. Islam would do this right now if it were not for two reasons. Number one, Israel has a huge portion of nuclear weapons and they can turn some of these places into parking lots.

Secondly, the United States has been an ally up to this point standing behind Israel and so Islam cannot really do a full-scale attack. But they're going to do that in the tribulation period. Whatever the circumstances are, the nations of the world are going to invade and they're going to be looking for Israel's destruction. But the Bible says that God is going to not let that happen. Jesus Christ is going to return at the end of that seven-year tribulation period. This is what we see in the book of Revelation. This is what Revelation 19, verses 11 to 21, are all about: the return of the King.

Premillennialism, biblically driven eschatology. MacArthur comments on the fact that about a hundred years ago, if you go back to the 1700s, 1800s, late 1800s, when America was starting to spread out, there were a lot of people that said, "Ah, the New World. This is it. This is the Kingdom of God. We're going to be bringing the Kingdom of God into this world and look how America is this place, this Christian new world. Look at all of the developments in science and technology. Surely this is the Kingdom of God."

Then along came the 20th century. MacArthur says a century ago, most people believed that history was progressing inexorably toward a man-made utopia. The Industrial Revolution, the march of scientific discovery, the increasing pace of social reform seemed to augur nothing but brighter days ahead. Today, however, two world wars, innumerable regional, civil, and national wars, countless acts of terrorism and senseless violence, and the nearly complete collapse of moral values make such rosy optimism seem quaintly naive.

Listen, we are not going to conquer this world. Jesus Christ is going to conquer ultimately and perfectly in the end, but not until he returns and brings his kingdom. Our calling is to go and take the gospel into the world. Our calling is to bring the message of Jesus Christ into the world. God is going to save people from all the nations. Our job is not to Christianize the nations. Now, I'm all for having better politicians. Now, evil hates the idea of losing any kind of a battle. I think that's why we saw the attempted assassination last night.

This is not to say that Donald Trump is a paragon of moral superiority. I'll tell you what, as you look at liberal America, as you look at American liberalism, which basically is the Democrat Party, it has an evil, a very, very wicked agenda. We see this happening all the time with the policies that they push and support. Personally, I look at the Republicans and I think they're next to worthless. They don't get anything done. But what's happening is they're looking at losing the White House and they're looking at losing political power.

They are fighting tooth and nail and you got to understand something. There are spiritual powers at work behind all of these things. You have the puppets in politics, but this is a spiritual war. It indeed is a spiritual war. But for somebody to think that we're going to gain control of the world, we're going to Christianize it, well, number one, it is absolutely, directly antithetical to what the Bible says. Secondly, it's extremely naive. We are not going to conquer this world. We're not going to Christianize it.

The Bible teaches, says MacArthur, that things will get wonderfully better, but only after they become unimaginably worse. There's only one solution for the world's problems: the return of the true King, the Lord Jesus Christ, to establish absolute monarchy and unilateral authority in his earthly kingdom. Only under his rule will there be peace instead of war. Only under his rule will there be justice instead of inequity, righteousness instead of wickedness. Dear friends, this is the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is what you and I need because we're not going to fix this world.

What happens here in Revelation 19, verses 11 and following, God brings us to the final portion of his revelation about what's going to happen in the future. Starting in chapter 6, it shows us the unfolding of these seven seal judgments, which are the beginning of the tribulation period. Then that unfolds into seven trumpet blasts that continue God's judgment on evil. Then the seventh trumpet gives forth seven bowls of his wrath. All of this is the wrath of God bringing judgment on evil.

We have now come to the time of the seventh bowl. The seventh bowl actually began back in chapter 16. If you go back to chapter 16, verse 17, is where the seventh bowl begins. But the seventh bowl doesn't end in Revelation chapter 16. Really, the unfolding of God's future redemption and the outpouring and execution of his wrath really doesn't come to a complete end until Revelation chapter 22, verse 5.

Because what's going to happen in the unfolding of that seventh seal, we're going to have the second coming of Jesus Christ, our passage this morning. You're going to have the Kingdom of God, the millennial kingdom. When Jesus Christ returns, it says that he establishes his kingdom on this earth for a thousand years. It says so in Revelation chapter 20. Six times in six verses, it says that he establishes his kingdom on this earth for a thousand years. The Latin word for a thousand years is millennium.

So if you want to believe the truth, you believe in millennialism. You're going to believe in premillennialism because the second coming of Jesus Christ is Revelation chapter 19. That's before chapter 20. He returns pre-millennial. That's the pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ. It's really not that complicated unless you've come from some kind of background that just compels you to say, "Well, it says that, but I don't believe it. It doesn't mean that." No, it says that and it means that.

Now, as you come to the continued unfolding of this seventh bowl, it's going to ultimately include the fact that God is going to bring in a new heavens and a new earth. That's chapter 21. Brand new recreated universe. It says that all of God's redeemed saints from every age are going to be in that new Jerusalem, shining in resurrection glory, the glory of Christ radiating through his saints. You see this reflected in the New Jerusalem, radiating the glory of Christ.

We're going to be shining in nice bright white dresses and nice bright white suits. Shining like the sun, the Bible says. But guess what? It says that the unsaved are excluded from that New Jerusalem. So the final unfolding of this seventh bowl of wrath shows us the exclusion of those that would not repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Then that final unfolding of this New Jerusalem comes all the way to 22:5. The last portion of Revelation, verses 6 through 21, are an epilogue that brings the whole thing to a point of culmination and closure.

Now, as you come here to Revelation 19, verse 11, going up through 22, verse 5, what we have are a series of statements that are part of a single vision. But there are eight different scenes that make up this final unfolding of the seventh bowl. Eight times where in Greek, John says *kai idon*, and I saw. The first of these comes in verses 11 through 16, our passage this morning. This would be the return of Jesus Christ. Verses 17 to 18, the second scene, and I saw. Verses 19 to 21, the third scene. Chapter 20, verses 1 to 3, the fourth scene. Verses 4 to 10, the fifth scene.

Verse 11, the sixth scene. Verses 12 to 15, the seventh scene. Then lastly, chapter 21, verse 1 and following. Now some people would end it at verse 8, but really it embraces everything that includes 21:1 through 22:5, the final description of the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is God's dwelling place of Jesus Christ, of all his ages. But those who would not believe are excluded. This morning, we're going to come here to 19:11 through 16, the first scene of those eight scenes.

This, my friends, is the time that all creation has been waiting for: Jesus Christ, the King of kings, to return. Because when he comes, he's going to right all the wrongs. There's all kinds of wrongs every day. We hear a little bit about it. Greg is able to share with us just a little fraction of what's happening in this world. But this happens 24/7 all across the world every day. We live in this bubble. I like my bubble. I like being able to get nice tasty Mexican food. We had some Mexican food the other night up at Fiesta Mexicana. Amazing.

Now, I know people, I have friends in other places of the world that virtually they've eaten nothing their whole life but rice and beans. So we live in a bubble. That's just the way that God has worked to favor our country and give us this kind of blessing. We're accountable for that as well. We're responsible to be part of helping to bless other people who don't have as much. But listen, this is not going to last forever either. We're living in a sin-cursed world. Jesus Christ is going to return.

This is arguably the biggest or one of the biggest themes of all the Bible. When you study the Bible, you just go through from Genesis to Revelation, the return of the King to make things right. This is what God announced to Adam and Eve in the garden. One day, I'm going to bring somebody into the world who's going to crush the head of my enemy, the serpent. I'm going to destroy Satan. This is repeated over and over again all throughout Scripture. What's it going to look like? Well, God has shown us here.

Here in chapter 19, verses 11 to 16, we're going to get descriptions of the second coming. Matter of fact, eight descriptions. This is not the eight scenes that go all the way, but eight descriptions of the second coming of Jesus Christ. Let's read this portion together. Revelation 19, verse 11:

"And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war. And His eyes are a flame of fire, and upon His head are many diadems; and He has a name written upon Himself which no one knows except Himself. And He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. And from His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, 'KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.'"

This is God's Holy Spirit-inspired word. Amen. Father, we thank you for telling us that you are going to bring a final victory over evil. Your Son will bring this victory when he comes. This is our hope, Oh God. We know that you're going to fulfill your promise. So we thank you for telling us that there is going to be an end to the reign of terror. Encourage us, give us hope, fill us with zeal for the name of Christ and the gospel. Use this in every way that your Spirit wants to use it in our hearts, and we pray it in Jesus' name. Amen.

There are eight descriptions of the second coming, and first of all, in verse 11, I would call it the perfect character of our Savior. Because when Christ returns to this world, the judgment that he brings is going to be perfect because of who he is. Look at verse 11. I saw heaven open and behold, a white horse, and he who sat upon it is called Faithful and True. Now, back in chapter 4, John said that he saw heaven opened where God allowed him to gain a glimpse of God sitting on the throne. Right here, though, is a different content. He sees heaven open, but it's Jesus Christ returning on a white horse from heaven to earth.

Back in chapter 6 of Revelation, we saw a white horse coming out. That white horse is not the same white horse you have right here. This white horse is Jesus Christ. The one in chapter 6, verse 1, was the Antichrist bringing false peace to the world and very soon unfolding world war is going to come from the Antichrist. But this is Jesus Christ, the rider on the white horse, returning from heaven to earth. Now, when we go back into the book of Acts, you remember that Jesus was with his disciples for how long until he went back to heaven? That's right, 40 days.

Forty days with his disciples. Then on that 40th day, he was on the Mount of Olives and tells us in Acts chapter 1 that he was with there with his disciples saying, "Guys, I'm going away. I'm going to return again." As Jesus was talking with them, he began ascending on the Mount of Olives into heaven and the disciples are just standing there watching. Then the angel spoke up. An angel said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will come in just the same way as you have watched him go into heaven."

You know what that means? Physically, visibly, bodily. You have people say, "Oh, well, the second coming of Jesus happened in the first century when Rome invaded Jerusalem and destroyed Jerusalem. That was the second coming of Jesus Christ." No, it wasn't. You say, "Who in the world would believe something like that?" Well, R.C. Sproul and others. They are not getting their theology from the Bible. They've got systems that people have thought up, but it's not biblical. Now, R.C. Sproul's a good guy. He is a premillennialist now. He's a dispensational premillennialist.

But you know, there are people that say, "Well, the second coming of Jesus was in the first century when God destroyed Jerusalem." No, no, that is absolutely unbiblical theology. When people say that God destroyed Israel in the first century by the Romans and then he took all of the promises he made to Israel and he says, "Now it's for the church," that is extremely unbiblical because it says the exact opposite of what the Bible really says. This is, as Carl Laney puts it in the Tyndale commentary, this is the second coming of Jesus Christ that we see here in Revelation.

Jesus the Messiah returns with his heavenly armies to execute judgment on his enemies and establish his kingdom. This is the major theme of the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 1, verse 7, says, "Behold, He is coming with the clouds and every eye will see Him." Back in chapter 19, verses 7 to 10, we saw a vision where John is looking at the marriage supper of the Lamb where the church is in resurrection glory in the presence of Christ. It says the marriage of the Lamb has come and his bride has made herself ready. It was granted to her, the church, to be clothed in fine linen, bright, clean.

Here in chapter 19, verse 11, we see the bridegroom. But he's not being symbolized here as the bridegroom on his wedding day. He's the warrior king who has come to wage war on sin. You see, God is a man of war. That's what it says in Exodus chapter 15, verse 3. When God wiped out the armies of Egypt and brought Israel out freedom from the Egyptian bondage, it says, "Yahweh is a man of war." Often times we think of Jesus, meek, mild, gentle Jesus. I mean, he would never say anything to offend anybody. Oh, no.

He speaks the truth, and when he returns, he's coming as a man of war. Jesus Christ is the warrior king coming to judge evil. When he does, it will be a perfect judgment because of his perfect character. He is called Faithful and True. Absolute, complete faithfulness to God. Absolute trueness in his character and in all of his judgments. Because of his perfect character, it says in verse 11, "in righteousness He judges and wages war." I cannot see any kind of righteousness in what Russia has been doing to Ukraine for the last two and a half years.

Vladimir Putin wants to rebuild a Russian empire. He says that's his goal. Ukraine, I'll tell you what. Now, you know what, we can look at Ukraine and say, "Oh, yeah, but Ukraine has corrupt politicians." Who doesn't? You don't have to look any further than Washington D.C. to see corrupt politicians. But I'll tell you what, I've been there, I don't know how many times, 35, 40 times. These are just people wanting to live their life. Have their kids, like Greg and I went out yesterday, took Damien and Ronan and Kieran to the park, played soccer, kicking a soccer ball around.

You want to live your life. You want to have peace. The people of Ukraine are just trying to survive. Russia began this invasion in 2014. I mean, they invaded 10 years ago and started the war. But my point is that here's people that are just basically trying to struggle and survive in an economy that's being trashed. Next thing you know, you've got one of the strongest military operations in the world attacking you. I think it's extremely unrighteous. I think it is thoroughly uncalled for, in my opinion. I think it is wicked when they struck the children's hospital in Kyiv last week. Indiscriminate. Send a hypersonic missile.

They knew what they're doing. That's a very, very pointed kind of weapon. This is wicked. But even if you could find some kind of way to complain about Ukraine and say, "Well, okay, look at..." when Jesus Christ returns, in righteousness he judges and wages war. Absolutely no trace of being wrong when he returns. It is going to be fierce when he returns. Now, as you know, very much of the book of Revelation goes back and uses imagery and language out of the Old Testament. In this passage right here, it tells us in Isaiah chapter 11, verse 3, "When the Messiah comes, he will delight in the fear of the Lord."

Isaiah 11, verse 3: "He will not judge by what His eyes see nor make a decision by what His ears hear." He doesn't have to depend upon doing an investigation. He's God. He knows everything. It says in verse 4, "But with righteousness He will judge the poor, He will decide with fairness for the afflicted of the earth, and He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth," which means the execution of his will, his word, his will. "He will strike the earth with the rod of His mouth and with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be the belt around His loins and in faithfulness the belt around His waist."

This is the perfect character of our Lord Jesus Christ. So when we look at the carnage that is going to happen when Jesus Christ returns, it is going to be a bloodbath like the world has never seen. "I don't know, is that really fair?" It can't be anything but fair. It's the perfect righteous character of Jesus Christ. Verse 12 gives us a second description of the return of Jesus Christ. It's his perfect knowledge. It says that his eyes are a flame of fire. This verse conveys the idea of the perfect omniscience of Jesus Christ and his holy zeal against sin.

Nothing escapes his notice. Nothing escapes his notice. He sees it all. Again, I couldn't help but think about this this past week with some of these attacks on Ukraine. Now, this is not the first. This is just one. When I was there last December, November-December, I thought there was a thunderstorm happening. I found out the next morning that there were 71 missile strikes that night. What I kept hearing, that wasn't thunder. Those were missiles being knocked out by the Patriot missile system that we've given them, the Iron Dome.

This is the only reason Kyiv is not in complete ruins is that we've helped to protect them. Listen, this is wicked stuff. We need Jesus Christ. When Jesus Christ returns, nothing is going to escape him because his eyes are a flame of fire. Here's a third description in verse 12. This one here would be his perfect power and authority. Notice what it says: "on His head were many diadems." In the New Testament, we have two words for crown. One word is *stephanos*. This is typically the kind of crown that you would give to the victor, for example, if they win the games, you give them the crown.

This word right here is *diadema*, diadem. This is a crown of royal authority. It says that he has many crowns, which is the idea of perfect power and authority. Back in 2nd Samuel chapter 12, when David was fighting against the Ammonites, an enemy country that kept attacking them, and David killed the king of the Ammonites, David took the crown from the Ammonite king and he placed it on his own head. What does that symbolize? "I am the king right now with the authority, not your former king."

Jesus Christ has many diadems. Ultimate authority. Robert Thomas says his multiple emblems of royalty are appropriate because he is the King of kings. The right to rule the world, not just Asia, Egypt, and Europe, has now passed to the Messiah. Again, when you go back to some of these false theological systems, like post-millennialism, they'll say, "Oh, well, Jesus said in Matthew chapter 28, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and earth.'" Then they falsely interpret that to mean, therefore, the church is going to go out and conquer the world and Christianize the world.

That's exactly where they go with that. Jesus said, "I have all authority in heaven and earth, so go and make disciples." They interpret that to mean we're going to go Christianize the world. That's a false theological conclusion. Jesus Christ is the Lord of lords. He is the King of kings. He is the sovereign of the whole universe. But he's not exercising that kingdom in this world at this present time. That's a false conclusion. If you go that direction, you have to completely trash everything that the Bible actually says about the end of the age.

They have this theological idea and this is how they work. They have a theological idea: "Oh no, we're the kingdom right now. We're going to conquer it. We're going to Christianize it." But then you say, "Wait a minute. That goes against everything that I see actually in the Bible: Old Testament prophets, New Testament prophets, Jesus, the book of Revelation." Listen, we're not going to have a kingdom on this earth until Jesus Christ returns and brings it. His war on sin will be perfect when he comes because he is Lord of lords, he is King of kings.

What does that mean for you and me right now? Our marching orders is to take the gospel into the world. Go make disciples of all the nations. That doesn't mean conquering political structures. That means that we're trying to see God's elect from every tribe, tongue, people, and nation hear about Jesus Christ, believe in Jesus Christ, and become a follower of Jesus Christ. That is the Great Commission, okay? Don't listen to those false ideas.

Something else that happens in those systems, especially the post-millennials, they'll say, "Oh, well, you premillennials, you have a negative eschatology. We have a positive eschatology because we believe that we're going to Christianize the world. We have a positive eschatology, but you guys are so negative." Oh, no, I'm very positive. But I know why I'm positive. It's because Jesus Christ is going to come back and do what the Bible says. And right now, as Jesus said in John 6, verse 37, "All that the Father has given to Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will not cast out. I will raise him up on the last day."

God has his people. He's saving his people. But he saves his people through the Word of God, the message of Christ, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Oh, I'm extremely positive. It's just that I'm not naive about what's going to happen in this present age. Here's the fourth description of Christ at his second coming. It would be his perfect person. Notice what it says here in verse 12: "He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself."

Now, we know from verse 13, it says that his name is called The Word of God. We know from verse 16 that he's the King of kings and Lord of lords. But when it speaks here about the fact that he has a name written that no one knows except himself, interpretively, probably the right and best understanding of this is talking about his divine glory that is going to be revealed when he returns. When Jesus was here 2,000 years ago, you look at him and you say, "Hmm, ordinary bloke." Yeah, look at that. Got a big scratch on his hand. Got a big scratch on his leg.

He bled. He was a human being. He got tired. He got everything because he's a real human being. He's God in flesh. But when you look at Jesus Christ 2,000 years ago, he did not come in his divine glory. Turn with me to two passages. Look with me at Matthew chapter 16. Notice what happens here. Matthew 16, Jesus gave a sneak preview to three of his disciples. Now, what happens here, if you go back here to Matthew chapter 16, notice verse 26:

"What will a man be profited if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? What will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will recompense to every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of you who are standing here right now who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man as He comes in His kingdom."

Verse 17, chapter 17: "Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John his brother and brought them up to a high mountain them by themselves. And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, His garments became as white as light. Moses and Elijah appeared there." Jesus Christ took three of his disciples, Peter, James, and John onto the mount of transfiguration and he began to shine in blazing glory like the sun. Jesus had said six days earlier, by the way, all three synoptic gospels say the same thing.

Six days later, he takes Peter, James, and John. Jesus said, "There's some of you that are not going to die until you see Me in My glory, the glory that is going to be Mine when I come in the kingdom." That doesn't mean that the kingdom came in the first century. The kingdom is yet to come. When Jesus Christ returns, he's going to come in that glory and it says every eye will see him. There'll be no mistaking it. It also says that when he comes, it says that all the angels are going to come with him.

Go with me to chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25, you see the same thing. Chapter 25, verse 31: "When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will take His seat on His glorious throne. And all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He'll put the sheep on His right, the goats on His left. Verse 34, the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom that has been prepared for you from the foundation of the world.'"

Guess what? Believers will be allowed to stay alive and enter into his kingdom. He brings the kingdom, believers remain alive and enter the kingdom. What's going to happen to the unbelievers? Look at verse 41: "But to those on His left, He says, 'Depart from Me, you accursed ones into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels.'" Jesus Christ returns. He returns in glory. He casts out all unbelievers. Beloved, this did not happen 2,000 years ago in the first century.

The reason why is because it's still future. Jesus Christ will come in that glory. This is probably what it means when it says he has this name written. It's talking about his character, the divine glory. Because the world has never seen Christ in that divine glory. He gave a sneak preview to three guys, Peter, James, and John. Then he told them, "Uh, don't talk about this situation, this event until after the resurrection." They're like, "What do you mean?" He says, "Don't tell anybody until after I have come back from the dead." Then they're like, "Oh, we don't get it." But three guys got to see it, but the world is going to see it when he returns.

Here's a fifth description of Jesus Christ. Verse 13, it is his perfect and thorough judgment. Look at verse 13. He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood. Now, some people say, "Well, that blood is probably the blood of the cross." No, it's not. Some people say, "Well, maybe it's the blood of the martyrs." No, it's not. This blood is the blood of sinners when Christ brings his judgment on this world. The imagery goes back to Isaiah chapter 63. If you look with me at Isaiah 63, this is one of the messianic passages that tell us what Christ is going to do when he returns.

Isaiah 63, verse 1: "Who is this that comes from Edom," which is modern day Jordan. Jesus is going to have some business to take care of with Jordan, apparently. "Who is this that comes from Edom with garments of glowing colors from Bozrah? This one who is majestic in his apparel, marching in the greatness of his strength? It is I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Why is your apparel red? Why are your garments like the one who treads the wine press?"

And Christ response: "I have trodden the wine trough alone and from the peoples there was no man with Me. I trod them in My anger and trampled them in My wrath and their lifeblood is sprinkled on My garments and I stained all of My raiment. For the day of vengeance was in My heart. My year of redemption has come." This is what we see: the perfect judgment that Jesus Christ is going to bring. By the way, this idea of God bringing a judgment on an unsaved world, this is just repeated all over the place.

In Psalm 110, a messianic Psalm, this is when David hears the Spirit giving him a message about Christ and the Father. In Psalm 110, it says, "The Lord says to my Lord," so this is God the Father speaking to God the Son, "Sit at My right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. The Lord will stretch forth your strong scepter from Zion saying, 'Rule in the midst of your enemies.'" It says, "He will shatter kings in the day of His wrath. He will judge among the nations, He'll fill them with corpses."

That's not some symbolic metaphorical idea. This is what Christ is going to do when he comes back to a wicked, God-hating world that refuses to bow the knee and say, "I'm a sinner. I need Your gracious forgiveness." You reject Jesus Christ and you have one thing that's left, and that is justice. This is a perfect execution of divine justice. The reason why is because it says here in this verse, His name is called the Word of God. He's God in flesh. In Colossians chapter 2, verse 9, Paul says this: "In Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form. All the fullness of deity dwells in Him in bodily form."

God in a body. That's John chapter 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him. Nothing has been made that has been made without Him. In Him was life. That life is the light of men. Then in verse 14, it says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory like an only Son gets from his Father." God in flesh. That's Jesus. So when he comes at the second coming, it's going to be a perfectly just judgment. It's going to be a bloodbath and it's going to be harsh, but it's perfect.

Verse 14, the sixth description of Jesus, his perfect warriors. He comes, but he doesn't come alone. Look at verse 14. "The armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses." Guess what? He has his own group of special forces. Now, there are two groups of special forces, so to speak, that return with him. First of all, in verse 14, it's called "the armies that are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses."

Who in the world is that? The answer comes six verses earlier. Look at Revelation chapter 19, verses 7 and 8. It says, "Let us rejoice and be glad and give glory to Him for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready. And it was given to her, the bride of Christ, to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." We saw this last week. This is the resurrected glorified church of Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ returns from heaven to earth, the church in resurrection glory is going to return with Christ and be part of his army. These armies are in a perfected state of glory, no more trace of sin, impurity. The armies return with Christ to wage war with him. Jesus told us back in chapter 2, verse 26 of Revelation: "As for the believer, the one who overcomes and keeps My deeds to the end, I will give him authority over the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron." We are returning with Christ.

In Revelation chapter 5, verse 10, it says that Christ is going to, we're going to reign with him on the earth. Revelation 5:10, we will reign with him on the earth. It's not a heavenly kingdom. It's Christ bringing heaven to earth. His kingdom on this earth. Now, this is not a unique statement right here. I showed you Revelation 2. It says that we're going to reign with him, Revelation chapter 5. Look with me at Revelation 17. Go back here to chapter 17, verse 12. When you look at the tribulation period, here's the Antichrist and all of the nations, the 10 nations that he has control over.

Look at verse 12: "The 10 horns that you saw, these are 10 kings, 10 nations who have not yet received a kingdom, but they receive authority as kings with the Antichrist, the beast, for one hour. These 10 nations have one purpose. They give all of their power and authority to the beast." You know, it's really is funny the way that you see people give complete submission to wicked rulers, right? "How could you follow these people?" Well, there's spiritual dynamics at work. In the tribulation period, the Antichrist is going to have 10 nations that come under his control and they say, "Hey, we give you 100%."

But what's going to happen? Look at verse 14: "These 10 nations and the Antichrist will wage war against the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them because He is Lord of lords and King of kings and those who are with Him are," what? "The called, the chosen, the faithful." Those are expressions that relate to the church, individual believers: the called, the chosen, the faithful. This is the glorified church. But there's a second group of warriors who returns with Christ and wages war, and we've already seen this. It is the angels of heaven.

We saw this in Matthew 16, verse 27: "the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels and then He will repay to every man according to his deeds." Matthew 25:31: "the Son of Man will come in His glory and all the angels with Him, then He will take His seat on His glorious throne." So you've got the glorified resurrected church returning with Christ, but you also have all of the holy angels. And you know what's interesting? There are several passages in Matthew where it says that when the angels come and all of these battles of Armageddon have come to an end, dust is starting to settle.

It says that the angels take of all of those people that were still remaining, if they were still unsaved, says that the angels come and take those unsaved people out of the world and cast them directly into hell. Matthew 13, verse 40: "Just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so it will be at the end of the age. The Son of Man will send forth His angels and they will gather out of His kingdom all those stumbling blocks, those who commit lawlessness and will throw them into the furnace of fire where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. But the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father."

Angels are going to come, take them out. You can't be in the Kingdom of God if you haven't trusted in the King. That's why in Matthew chapter 24, remember that passage: between two women, one will be taken, one will be left? That is not the rapture of the church. That's the unsaved being taken away out of this world at the second coming when Jesus Christ brings his kingdom. Angels are going to come wage war with Christ. Here's a seventh description, almost done here. His perfect and decisive judgment on evil. Look at verse 15. Notice what it says right here, Revelation 19, verse 15:

"From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may smite the nations." It doesn't say that he's going to destroy Israel. This is kind of what the post-millennial people and the preterists say: "Oh, well, God destroyed Israel. That was the second coming." No, no, no, that's unbiblical, anti-biblical teaching. When Christ returns, he takes all of the unsaved of all the nations. He smites the nations, he strikes the nations and then he rules them with an iron rod and he treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty.

An unsaved world is going to fall under his judgment. There are two images that you have right here in this passage. It talks about this sword coming out of his sharp mouth. That one the imagery, as I showed you a minute ago, goes back to Isaiah chapter 11, verse 4. But it also says here that he rules them with an iron rod. That comes right out of Psalm 2. But there's a third image as well. It says that he treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty.

We already looked at this one as well back there in Isaiah 63. It also that same imagery comes out in Joel chapter 3, a passage I've been working on for about six months. All of this here is talking about God's judgment on a Christ-hating world that refuses to bow the knee and say, "I'm a sinner, I need Your gracious forgiveness." You reject Jesus Christ and you have one thing that's left, and that is justice. This is a perfect execution of divine justice. The reason why is because it says here in this verse his name is called the Word of God.

He's God in flesh. In Colossians chapter 2, verse 9, Paul says this: "In Him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form." All the fullness of deity dwells in him in bodily form. God in a body. That's John chapter 1. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him. Nothing has been made that has been made without Him. In Him was life and that life is the light of men.

Then in verse 14, it says, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory, glory like an only Son gets from his Father." God in flesh. That's Jesus. So when he comes at the second coming, it's going to be a perfectly just judgment. It's going to be a bloodbath and it's going to be harsh, but it's perfect. Verse 16, we come to a final and eighth and final description of Christ. It's what I would call his perfect fulfillment of all the promises of old. Look at verse 16:

"On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS." God announced a promised Savior in Genesis chapter 3. "I'm going to bring somebody into the world who's going to crush the head of the serpent." Over the course of the ages, God said, "David, this promised one, he's going to be one of your descendants. He is going to be the Son of God. He is going to be My King that is come through your family. He is the King of kings. He is the Lord of lords."

This day is coming, as we close, brothers and sisters. And we need to take the truth of God's word and gain genuine hope and genuine peace because right now we look around and we see that this world is a mess, has been for a long time. Here's what God says about the future. He's going to rapture his church. It says that. It really says that. And it indicates it's going to be a pre-tribulation rapture. He's going to bring his church out of this world before the Day of the Lord starts.

It explicitly says that. He says that when the Antichrist rises up after the rapture, he's going to make a seven-year peace agreement involving Israel. This is what launches the seven-year tribulation period, the seven-year Day of the Lord. It tells us that during that seven-year time period, all hell is going to break loose with war, famine, persecution, death. But it all ends right here in Revelation 19, verse 11, when God says, "Son, time to take your kingdom and bring it to the world."

I believe it's going to happen and do you know why? Bible says so. This is a true hope, okay? It's a real hope. In the meantime, we pray for one another, we love one another. We pray for the salvation of his people wherever they are. Doesn't matter what ethnic group they are. We pray for the salvation of God's people wherever they are. Amen. Father, help us to be faithful in this great commission that you have commanded us to be faithful in following Christ and preaching Christ to the world.

So help us individually and as a collective body here to be faithful. We pray for Greg and Fushan. I pray, O God, for all these brothers over there, very, very special friends. For Maksim and Ruslan, for Igor, for Oleg Colin, and so many others, Lord, for Slavic and for just other brothers that are there laboring to minister your truth, Lord. I pray that you would encourage them. I do pray that you'd bring an end to that war. But as long as it's here, use it for your glory. We know that you're working, O God, you're working in a powerful way. We ask you all this in Jesus' name. Amen.