The Second Coming of Christ - Part A

This is the church in heaven. The church from Pentecost all the way to the raptor betrothed to Jesus we been waiting for him to come and literally sweep us off our feet were we would be with Jesus second coming is the culmination of redemptive history today on connect with Skip Skip shares when you can look forward to when Christ returns for the year. Did you know that Skip has important updates and biblical encouragement on social media.

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Now we're in Revelation chapter 19. As we dive into today's teaching with Skip in the newspaper industry. There is a font that is used a typeface in newspaper printing known as second coming type and that is really big headlines for really major events.

For example, December 7, 1941. We were bombed in Hawaii.

It it merited second coming type. That was a big announcement when Israel became a nation in 1948 state of Israel is born once again second coming type of Pres. JFK November 1963 when he was assassinated. Of course I was major news around the world second coming type another assassination. When we got bin Laden a little bit smaller but still big news. But now, imagine a headline that read this. Yeah, now that now that's a headline and that really does merit second coming type right because the second coming of Christ is headline news is the biggest event ever. It is the culmination of all of the hopes of all believers. For the last 2000 years. It it it will be when our prayers are finally answered. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven because he is going to bring his kingdom to the earth. Time magazine a while back did little poll called future pole were they they pulled 800 Americans to see what they think, and according to this poll, a 22% 22% of Americans predict the earth will be under the rule of a one world government by the end of the 21st century were in the 21st century.

Not only that 11% think there will be a single worldwide religion and more than half in this poll, 53% expect the return of Jesus Christ with in this millennium were talking about the second coming of Christ. The world knows about the first coming and the world's okay with that. You know that's Christmas time right that's that's when you get presents and stuff. I like the first coming of Christ.

We get gifts with no solder birthday. We get gifts but the world is is knowledgeable of the fact that Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. They know about the shepherds know about the angel making the announcement. They know about the Magi and the world is really comfortable with baby Jesus in a manger problem is they don't want them to grow up. One author put it this way the world likes a complacent reasonable religion. And so it is always ready to revere some pale Galilean image of Jesus some meager anemic Messiah, and to give him a moderate rational homage problem with all that as we get to Revelation 19 in Revelation 19 shows us a Jesus you can control shows us a Jesus who leaves the manger and grows up, and in this chapter demands our attention and demands our submission because he is the King of Kings and the Lord of lords. That's how he gets introduced what we been doing just for refreshment.

A series on truth on Bible doctrine and we've covered theology and Christology in new mythology and all theologies right and of the last few weeks we've been looking at last things eschatology, so 32 weeks ago we did the last days we talked about are we in the last days and showed you marks of that last week we looked at the rapture of the church's event were looking for is believers and today we look at the second coming of Christ. But as we get into this study. I just want you to know that we as New Testament believers, the church were not looking for immediately to come. The second coming of Christ. We are looking for his coming that we talked about last week. What's called the blessed hope. Paul said looking for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

That's what were looking for is a great little story. I have a friend who wrote a book and in the book he talks about that.

He was visiting a an institution for mentally handicapped children and it broke his heart as he was touring this facility and what he notices he was going from hallway to hallway and room to room. Is that all of the windows that face outside had little handprints on fingerprints and so he wanted to know what's up with that and the director said the children here love Jesus and they are so eager for him to return that the lien against the windows as they look up to the sky. I read that and I said if that's what it means to be mentally handicapped.

Let me be so afflicted because here you have these kids eagerly waiting for Jesus Christ to return, but now we come to the second coming. Now we fast forward from the event. We looked at last week to the end of a period of time, typically known as the tribulation. What Jesus described as the worst time ever on planet Earth. It will make the pandemic look like a cakewalk.

It and we talk about judgment of biblical proportions. The world can assent a whole new standard of biblical proportions when it comes to the last part of that coming. Her breath called the great tribulation. I had you turn to the end of that Revelation chapter 19.

And I want to show you the event as described by John in the vision that I will show you four facets of the second coming of Jesus Christ to the year and here's the first facet were just about to read it the second coming of Christ will be preceded by a supper very particular event verse one of Revelation 19. After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying hallelujah, salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God, for true and righteous are his judgments because he has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication. It's a reference to Babylon though. The last world government will be done babbling the economic side is seen in chapter 18 the religious side is seen in Revelation 17. All that's passed.

That's over and it says he has avenged on her the blood of his servants shed by her again. They said hallelujah her smoke rises up forever and ever. And the 24 elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne saying amen hallelujah me to get Pentecostal now is there and do it.

Then a voice came from heaven, saying, praise our God all you his servants and those who fear him, both small and great, and I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thundering saying hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigns. Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and his wife is made herself ready 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.

Then he said to me right. Blessed are those areas were called to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to me, these are the true sayings of God.

And a lot of times we talk about a marriage made in heaven. This is a marriage in heaven. A marriage feast in heaven for me just give you a quick background, quick in Revelation 19. The camera shifts. The scene is different. Chapter 6 through the end of 18 Takes Pl. on earth. All the focus is on the earth. There's several judgments that take place there are seven seals on the scroll and each one gets busted off judgments. Pour forth after the seven seals, seven trumpets that are blown with each blast of the trumpet more judgments hit the year after that seven more bowl judgments were vials or bowls of judgment are poured out upon the earth.

Each one seems to get worse and worse and worse.

Tell it's finally over and chapter 19 Takes Pl. in heaven and it's an incredible scene.

It's a wedding scene, a wedding that will be bigger and better and more ground. A grander than any Royal wedding that you've ever seen on TV.

Whether it's Charles and Diana, or Megan Merkel and Prince Harry is all right get the right so you know we love Royal weddings what's going to go on in heaven is to make all those Royal weddings look like a cheap Las Vegas presided over by a fake Elvis wedding one of those kind of things. It is the marriage supper of the Lamb and the symbolism is pretty straightforward. If you know your New Testament. The Lamb is Jesus the bride is the church.

The church is called the bride of Christ and this is Jesus with the bridegroom in a celebration in heaven the last week we told you about the rapture of the church and we talked about the coming of the Lord for his saints, and we gave you the outline of the Jewish wedding member that so just overall refresh your memory really quick. This couple has probably been arranged to be married since they were little kids. But the couple grows up and there at the age to be married so the groom or the groom to be, goes to the house where the bride lives.

Her father's house and makes formal arrangements of betrothal and engagement lasts up to about a year several months to a year after that. After the betrothal he goes back to his father's house and builds a room on his father's house where they will live after their marriage. At some point in the future he asked as permission to go get his bride dad gives permission so the groom goes back to the bride's house, she doesn't know when he's coming.

She always has to be ready. If you can't text or 2000 years ago mom away, heads up, so he just shows up and when he comes close somebody with a shofar or trumpet blows it to let everybody know parties about to come down and then when he's close by the house of the bride. He lets out a shout to let her know and let them know inside that he is arrived. Then he takes her with him back to the father's house where they have the formal wedding and a wedding feast. The typically last for about seven days.the background of all of this. This is the church in heaven. The church from Pentecost all the way to the rapture betrothed to Jesus we been waiting for him to come and literally sweep us off our feet. We will be with him.

This is the language that Paul had in mind in second Corinthians 11. He said I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy, for I have betrothed DU.

There's the idea I've engaged you. I have betrothed you to one husband, that I might present you as a chaste virgin to Christ, so we are in the courtship phase there is no physical contact. There is no bodily contact were betrothed and were awaiting the groom to come and take us away. That's the background now? The bridegroom here is referred to first as a lamb. It's interesting to me because of all the titles of Jesus Christ. Why is the groom referred to as the Lamb. Why is Jesus called the Lamb he could he could be called the creator he could be called King could be called lord he could be called master he could be called Prince of peace. But here it's the Lamb and the bride and here's here's my thought, he's presented here is a lamb because it was the Lamb that you fell in love with you and fall in love with the creator God you fell in love with the one who offered to take your sin and mine and wash it all away and that attracted you to him. So you fell in love with the Lamb because that was his. His chief ministry was to come and purge us of our sin, so, so it is the marriage supper of the Lamb. Now you'll notice that it's quite a celebration. It's it's like the party of all parties, others great joy, enthusiasm under celebration there seems to be on wedding guests. We have not only the 24 elders in verse four, which I believe is representative of the church item of time to explain why that is.

I wrote a commentary in the book of Revelation where I did that, but it's a motive from Pat chapter 4 and five of Revelation.

So I believe the 24 elders are representative of the church. Notice also. Therefore, living creatures.

They show up in heaven and also in chapter 4 and five. These are for special angels of God's presence charitable, who were always around the throne of God to give him praise. Then in verse one.

John says I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven.

Probably all those angels that John also told us about in chapters 4 and five and noticed that there using a word of praise here. These are four times the word hallelujah and here's what's interesting about the word hallelujah it's the only time it appears in the entire New Testament. It's an Old Testament word shows up a lot in the book of Psalms general read about it in the New Testament until here the Old Testament is spelled with an H Holly believe it's the same idea means praise the Lord. But four times at the marriage supper of the Lamb hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah is get into it. It's as if they have been restrained until now. And now they let loose something else.

Look at verse six and hers were the voice of a great multitude. There they are again but listen to how loud as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings. Does that sound quiet to you. That sounds pretty boisterous right sounds loud so shows me that heaven is is a place of lots of activity and pretty noisy. I say that smiling see this is me smiling as I think back to when I was a kid going to church and my mom always said I'd say what she said it's church like okay church so should be quiet. Scott's house doesn't like noise, you may want earplugs and when you get to have because because it sounds and looks and reads like it's a very active alive and loud place so so that's the first aspect that's the first facet of this second coming. It is preceded by supper. Second thing I want you to note is that it is predicted by the Scripture to take you to verse 10 where that's highlighted, says, and I fell at his feet to worship him.

This is the angelic being the John sees and bows down to worship. I just think John is overcome with emotion. He's just reflexively doing this is not really thinking about how you should be worshiping angels. He just doesn't 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. But here's the here's the key phrase for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. Let that phrase to sort asleep into your mind and soul for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

Listen to it in the new living translation for the essence of prophecy is to give a clear witness for Jesus. See the central theme of all prophetic literature. The central focus is none other than Jesus Christ and what's more, they had a lot to say about his second coming.

Listen to this next to the subject of faith. There is no subject discussed more in the Bible than the second coming of Christ. Next to the subject of faith.

There is no subject covered as much as the second coming of Christ the second coming is dealt with 1845 times. Some dudes out there account and that that's a lot of times 1527 times in the Old Testament, 318 in the New Testament.

For every time the first coming is mentioned the Bethlehem event, the second coming is mentioned eight times so it's a factor of 8 to 1. Also, for every time the atonement is mentioned the second coming is mentioned twice.

Jesus personally referred to his return 21 times and 50 times or over 50 times. We are told to be ready for so Jesus is the star on the stage of Bible prophecy and the second coming takes a lot of that attention. When the Bible makes prophecies when the prophets were predicting the were predicting principally one of two things. Either his first coming, or his second coming. And as we mentioned, we talk about the scarlet thread of redemption right we we talked about that before that the sacrifice of Christ is seen through the pages of Scripture.

I wrote a book called bloodline on that theme, but more than that, more than the scarlet thread of redemption is the golden thread of his righteous rule at the second coming now. The Jewish people, all Jewish people. Orthodox Jewish people have looked for a Messiah for 3500 years, most of them don't believe he's calm yet so there's still waiting but Orthodox Jewish people for 3500 years have said a prayer like this. I believe in the coming of Messiah, and even though he Terry I shall wait for him every coming day. I believe in the coming of Messiah, and even though he Terry I shall wait for him every coming day spin their prayer that's been there anticipation well. The prophets predicted that he would come. That's why that there waiting, but Jesus fulfilled those prophecies. We know that we've seen that we looked at that but when the prophets were looking into the future. They anticipated not only his coming but his coming in glory, terrain and and some of those we are familiar with. We are familiar with Isaiah's prophecy when he said unto us a child is born member that prophecy unto us a son is given in it. When we usually quote that Christmas time.

Listen to the whole prophecy, unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given here is, and that government will be on his shoulder. That hasn't happened yet. And his name will be called wonderful Counselor, mighty God, everlasting Father, Prince of peace. Here is the increase of his government. There will be no end, upon the throne of David to order and establish it from this time forth, even for evermore. Even though the Lord of hosts will perform this.

The seal of the Lord of her supposed will perform that is about this event, the second coming of Christ that Skip the message from the series 22 sheer receptors and enduring faith every season of you in a more fruitful walk with Jesus and how four prominent women in the Bible think they are struck with any new teaching theories from my income Queens of the Bible on the Queen of Sheba hearing is the first step toward spiritual right now, hearing, staff has faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God hear more from ring she exploits the faith in the feelings of four different queens in Scripture. The Bible collection of teaching is only saying thank you $35 or more to support this type of teaching ministry following Christ is to go wherever healing your copy of these unique teachings when you come hundred 98 were given online securely connectwithskip.com/offer connectwithskip.com/offer tuning tomorrow Skip Heitzig six years about the startling appearance Jesus will have when he returns to judge the world.

It's far from what he looked like as he died on the cross became the first time to save is not coming the second time to save his coming the second time is just came to say still invite you to be saved, you will come the second time, not as the Lamb is the lion King of the Lord of Lord one