A Study of Eschatology

Revelation 19:11-21

 

 

The Greatest News in the Word of God apart from the Good News that Jesus Saves is the Promise that Jesus is Coming Again. At the end of the seven year judgment on the world known to us as the Tribulation, Jesus will return to the earth. He will appear to the remaining world population in His glorified and eternal position as King of kings and LORD of lords. Along with Him will be the saints who lived during the first seven thousand years of physical life. The saints with Jesus will also be in their glorified and eternal position. Some will note that I dated life in time as seven thousand years, my intent is to agree with God and not man. In scripture “seven” is divinely perfect, thus my reference is only to identify that Jesus will return at the appointed time that the Father has placed on His own schedule called the “fullness of time” or the perfect time. Genesis 49:10; Acts 1:8 and Matthew 24:36.

 

1. The Moment that all of Creation is waiting for: Romans 8:22

The fulness of time, is a time determined by God to be when the world that is ruined by man and ruled by Satan is cleaned of it's filth and counterfeit rule. It is a time when Christ will be inaugurated to reign on earth for 1,000 years. This is a literal period of time.

 

The second advent of Christ is a major theme in scripture, there are 1,845 references in the Holy Bible to His second coming. 318 of the references are in the New Testament. There are 39 Old Testament Books, 17 of these books reference the Coming of Christ. Jewish Theology look at these references as the Messiah's first and only coming, but New Testament Saints see these passages as referring to the return of Christ, or more correctly His Second Advent. Also, 7 out of every 10 chapters in the New Testament refer to the Second Coming of Christ. These statistics are important for us. These are important because the world around us today is looking for the end of the world, while we, His saints are looking for His return.

 

There are two important passages for us to consider as we get into this section of Revelation. Zechariah 14:3-4 and Matthew 24:27-31. These scriptures prove that this return of Christ will be a spectacular and a glorious event. Believers and unbelievers will witness this, you and I will be there. It will be so thrilling that it will cause everyone who is alive at this time to believe in Him and this will usher in the Millennium, Christ's 1,000 year reign on this earth. So, while there will be terrible judgments on the earth for seven years as we have studied and it will seem to the peoples of the earth as the end of time. Time will not cease, we have God's Word to comfort us in these matters.

 

2. The Second Advent Christ: Revelation 19:11-13

   There is a lot of confusion about the return of Christ. Many mistake the rapture for His second coming, but these are two separate events. We must be confident in our understanding of this.

   During the rapture Christ comes for His saints, He meets them in the air, He comes to bring blessing on the church. At His second coming, He comes to earth physically with His saints, He places His foot on the Mount of Olives, He comes to complete the judgment of the last seven years. He returns at the time appointed.

 

Only two times in the Book of Revelation does the door of heaven open. Once in Revelation 4:1 it opens to allow the church to go up and enter heaven. The second time is here in Revelation 19:11 it opens to allow the church to return or go back down to earth. Also know that Christ ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives, Acts 1:9-11and He will descend visibly and physically to the same place He left from. The Mount of Olives.

 

• His Titles – Revelation 9:11

  He is given three titles that are specifically designated titles for this second coming. He is called “Faithful and True”; “The Word of God”; and King of kings and LORD of lords. He also has another name. He is said to have this other name that no one knows but Him. Verse 12. This name may have something to do with the church of Pergamos in Revelation 2:17.

   

• His Attributes – Revelation 9:12

  In the second coming of the LORD He will complete the judgment. This final battle will put down all ungodly rebellion, He will be accompanied with armies, armies of heaven. To understand who these armies are we should look at a couple of passages. One is Jude 14-15 and the other is 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10. These are made up of three companies. All of the Old Testament, New Testament and Tribulation saints. We are dressed for combat, but the clothing are not the fatigues that the world will be wearing. We will stand out in the Righteousness of fine white linens. Also we do not have to be concerned about soiling our clothing since Jesus Christ slays all rebels with the Sword of Truth as He speaks judgment upon them.

   

• His Authority – Revelation 19:13-15

  This will be a time when He is enthroned as King of kings and LORD of lords. This will certainly be a sight to see, since as He spoke creation into Divine Order and the beginning of creation, He will speak destruction on the remaining pockets of resistance that have arranged themselves against His return.

   

  As we read earlier in Zachariah 14:3-4 the Mount of Olives will be split in two by His return and the major battle will take place at this site. His spoken word will, with one powerful blow destroy them. At the conclusion of this brief battle, Jesus fulfills the prophesy of Isaiah 9:6-7.

 

 

 

 

 

3. The Avenging of Christ – Revelation 16-21

    

• The fowls of heaven

Finally and firmly Christ is avenged. The birds of the air are mentioned in these verses as well as in Revelation 18:2 and they have been personally invited to this feast in verses 17-18.

• The foes of heaven

The foes are those described in the final verses.

 

There are two suppers revealed in Revelation 19, the first is the marriage supper of the Lamb, the second is the supper of God in which all of the mighty men of the world will attend. However these folks will not be feasting of turkey a la king, chicken enchilada, pheasant under glass or any other bird dish commonly known to man. These great men and women who desired to fight against the LORD will be the meal. Carcass a la cart

 

The is a special destiny reserved for the Beast and the False Prophet, these two do not get a meal, nor do they become a meal for the birds. Their condemnation is swift and quick and they are cast immediately into the lake of fire without ever appearing at the Great White Throne judgment of Revelation 20:7-10 They will be there for the 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth. Now this sets into our minds and interesting thought. Is Satan in hell during this time? Scripture does not say that he is. In Revelation 20:7-10 it is said that he is in prison. He is released after 1,000 years and he is able to travel the entire globe collecting those who he is able to deceive. This is the final rebellion of the devil and those who have not accepted the Lordship of Jesus Christ during this 1,000 year period. Here it is explained to us that Satan at this time will be cast into the lake of fire where the beast and false profit have been for the last 1,000 years.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Revelation 19:1-9

 

The Ceremony: Revelation 19:7-9

All through the gospels and epistles the LORD has swooned us with His love. In pursuit of our soul, He has sought an intimate connection between Himself and the Church. He is:

• The Shepherd; we are the sheep (John 10:1-5)

• The Vine; we are the branches (John 15:1-5)

• The Cornerstone; we are the building stones (Ephesians 2:19-22)

• The High Priest; we are kingdom priests (1 Peter 2:4-10)

 

There are other connections too, but these help us to understand that the LORD Jesus loves us and has made us His Bride and from the passages here in Revelation we can see that we are purely happy to be married to Him. The picture of this Church wedding with Christ will be revealed more and more as we travel through the rest of Revelation.

 

 

• A Wedding Most Holy – Revelation 19:7-9 It is easy for us to forget that in ancient Oriental marriage customs, the bridegroom was the focus of attention. In our western world we focus on the bride. But in biblical Israel it is the bridegroom who takes center stage. Thus if we choose as some theologies do here in the West to focus on the bride we will miss the wedding feast. This is not about us, to focus on us is sinful and selfish. So we will avoid the misunderstandings of the marriage of the Lamb to His Bride, the church.

 

As students of the Word of God we know from past studies that we were legally redeemed to become the Bride of Christ and that this purchase was completed by God Himself when we were included in the ranks of the universal church of God, the Lamb's Book of Life reveals our membership. It is not about us but about Christ. Luke 20:10.

 

The phases of this marriage began when we were saved, the next phase for us is when we meet the LORD in the air, the rapture as we read earlier in John 14. The final stage is when we return with the LORD to the earth in a glorious bridal procession, as the Marriage supper of the LAMB is consummated.

 

Even the judgment seat of Christ is pictured here in verse 8 explaining that we will be dressed in fine linen. When we are saved we are given the white robe of the Righteousness of Christ to wear. Here at the Feast we are given a new set of clothing. These are the righteous acts of the saints.1 Corinthians 3:10-15 and 2 Corinthians 5:9-11

 

• A Supper Most Sacred – Revelation 19:10 Are you ready, one way to know is if you are focused on religion, you are not ready. If your focus is on the Risen Christ, you are ready.