The Glorious Return of Jesus Christ, Part 1

I can give a resounding yes you will the world get better but that yes is directly associated with the second coming of Jesus Christ. That and that alone is what is going to bring peace instead of war justice instead of inequity, righteousness instead of wickedness.

Perhaps you wonder why God allows so much evil one when he's going to end it. Well today on grace to you. John MacArthur shows you when Jesus will judge the earth, and how you can prepare in a study titled when Jesus comes now John you're about to wade into some theological waters that are treacherous for a lot of people.

And for that reason many Christians don't talk much about biblical prophecy. Instead, they focus on things that are thought to be more practical. But I know that you'd say there are great benefits and profound blessings for today in studying what God's word says about future events. Absolutely. In fact, the book of Revelation starts out I'm saying the book of Revelation, which some pastors want to completely avoid as being inscrutable. Beyond understanding, but the book of Revelation begins with this promise.

Blessed is the one who hears and understands the words of this book. The assumption is less than it is.

Revelation it is not obvious station. The point of the book is not to confuse.

It's to clarify and I think you can just read it, apply the same principles of interpretation that you would any other book in the Bible and the meaning of Revelation completely unfolds in a clear way. I preach on Revelation around the world in places where they were exposed to all different views and all they had was the Bible. Amazingly, they came to the same conclusions that I did even weigh in central Asia and eastern parts of Russia so the Bible is clear even about the end and by the way, the end matters the end of the story matters just like the beginning matters going to dive in a series titled when Jesus comes were going right to Revelation 19 and 20.

It's not so much a study of the fact that he is coming we know that, but a thorough examination of what's going to take place when he does come to talk about his return. The battle of Armageddon.

The difference between the rapture and Christ's return. Who are the armies in heaven, so many fascinating subjects, you'll want to know what happens when Jesus comes in for the next couple of weeks were going to be showing you from Scripture.

Don't miss a day. That's right, and friend. If you've got questions about the end times. Or perhaps you put off studying the book of Revelation, because it seems so difficult.

Will I would encourage you to be here each day of this study. The title again when Jesus comes in here now is John MacArthur with today's lesson will be looking Revelation chapter 19 verses 11 to 16 where it says 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 makes war. And his eyes are a flame of fire, and upon his head are many diet dams and he has a name written upon him 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 way that he may smite the nations. He will rule them with a rod of iron and he treads the winepress 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 that tremendously graphic, powerful description of Jesus Christ portrays him in this vision to the apostle John in the glory of his second coming. So often I am asked the question. I guess people know that I'm a preacher or pastor of one who study Scripture, and teaches the Bible and they often will say to me, will things in our troubled world ever get any better is it just going to continue to get worse and worse, or will there be an end to all the war to the hostility and the inequity in the crime and the chaos and I always answer the question by saying it's going to get better.

It's going to be better is no question about it.

I can give a resounding yes to will the world get better but that yes is directly associated with the second coming of Jesus Christ. That and that alone is what is going to remedy the problems of our world, that and that alone is what is going to bring peace instead of war justice instead of inequity righteousness instead of wickedness. Jesus Christ will come and he will rule this world.

Someday he will return to be the king and to establish his kingdom.

This particular passage which we just read prophesies that greatest of all moments in human history and in the saga of redemption prior to the return of Jesus Christ. There will be worldwide hast hostility generated by Satan and demons and wicked men, as well as worldwide hostilities generated by God himself. As he pours out his wrath forces of heaven and the forces of hell will meet in final fury involving the nations of the world in a battle that we know is Armageddon as the darkness endeavors to stop the king of light from establishing his glorious kingdom on the earth at the head of the unified forces of the world army will be the beast or the Antichrist to marches in hostility with the power of Satan against God and his anointed, we find down in verse 19 it says I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies, assembled to make war against him who sat upon the horse, and against his army. We also remember from the 16th chapter of the book of Revelation. In verse 16 that the great focal point of that battle will be in a place called in the Hebrew language. Armageddon. So it is not without a tremendous amount of hostility far beyond what we have seen yet in our world. So when we are asked the question, are things going to get better. The answer is absolutely, assuredly, they will get better and they will get better in an instantaneous fashion of the coming of Jesus Christ in one great cataclysmic moment of redemptive history, but before they get better. They're going to get worse a lot worse. The world hasn't even begun to understand how bad life can be. How terrifyingly inequitable it can be how unjust it can be how criminal it can be how chaotic it can be how devastating and deadly, it can be. If you want to understand that understand the book of Revelation, starting in chapter 6 the unfolding of seven seal judgments and seven trumpet judgments and seven bowls of the wrath of God, culminating in that which is called the day of wrath itself described for us how bad it is going to become before the world gets any better in the return of Jesus Christ.

It's going to get far worse than it is today.

And sometimes we ask ourselves if it can get any worse, and the answer is, it can and it will. And then in a great moment of redemptive culmination Jesus will come in the world will immediately become a paradise regained now as we come to Revelation chapter 19 in verse 11 where the return of Jesus Christ is described for us. We want to remember that in the prior passage.

There was some presentation of the great event called in verse nine, the marriage supper of the Lamb time when the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ will join together with his redeemed people and they will participate in this wonderful marriage supper that in its fullness will be enjoyed in the time of the millennial kingdom. The thousand year reign, Jesus establishes on the earth is the first phase of his eternal rule, but the marriage supper of the Lamb is wonderful as it is when the Lamb gathers his bride and they enter into the glory of the kingdom and participate in that wonderful time of celebration. Before that marriage supper can come to pass. The warrior king must win the final battle you cannot take his bride into the kingdom.

We cannot establish that great event of the marriage supper that great and permanent celebration, he cannot enter into that promised marriage and that promised culmination until he returns from victory in the greatest battlefield of all time and so in anticipation of the great event of the marriage supper of the great event of the kingdom.

The warrior king goes to battle one final time, and it is at this time that the greatest the greatest amassing of enemies comes against the Lord Jesus Christ were now you have demons that have been loose and you have demons that have been bound and now are loosed, you have 200 million demons who have been released of been held captive for a long period of time you have the pit of hell opened up and demons belching out of that who have been incarcerated in chains until the hour of the time of tribulation, so the hosts of hell are more formidable now than they have been you have what is left of the humanity of the earth that which hasn't been destroyed under the power of Antichrist are destroyed by the furious judgments of God and they gather together and great armies and are led into the fields of Megiddo, as it were, and stretching all the way there and to the south past the city of Jerusalem. They become really fuel for the fires of the returning King this greatest of all human holocausts is commonly known, and rightfully so, is the great Holocaust of Armageddon and before the king to take his bride to her supper and celebration. He has to make a final triumph daring challenge of the Antichrist is accepted by heaven itself is accepted by the king. The warrior king and his holy angels and he comes in flaming fire to take his vengeance as we come to this event.

In chapter 19 in verse 11, Babylon the great capital city of the Empire of Antichrist is already been destroyed the world economic and religious system has been devastated, the empire of the Antichrist is in shambles the seven seal judgments have been opened and fulfilled the seven trumpets have been blown in their furious judgments unfolded the seven bowls of wrath have been poured out man's day is about to end the great tribulation to be over Satan's time, as well as ended as Jesus Christ comes in glorious triumph. It wouldn't do justice to the intent of Scripture under the anticipation of all of the redemptive literature that is before us in the Bible. If we didn't say at this point this is the culmination of God's plan that his people have been waiting for.

Throughout all of redemptive history this is that which has been anticipated since the very beginning. This is the time when fully the serpent's head is bruised and that takes us back to Genesis chapter 3 in verse 15. This is the time when the scepter is given to the true king, and that takes us back to Genesis chapter 49. This is the time.

Also, for example that was anticipated in the great prophecy given in second Samuel chapter 7 in that great chapter in which David is told that there is going to come a king.

There is going to come a king greater than any other king, and that king who will be a son of David will establish a kingdom that will last forever. It will be a kingdom that will never end. Second Samuel seven then is anticipating the very event described for us here in Revelation chapter 19 is the very anticipation of this day in this moment, there was certainly in the heart of Isaiah when he talked about the fact that there was going to come a great servant king great one who would establish the throne and the kingdom.

Isaiah anticipates that the 11th chapter and again in the 42nd chapter. This was anticipated by Ezekiel and chapters 38 and 39 was anticipated by Joel in chapter 3 of his prophecy, and by Zechariah chapter 14 and certainly did Isaiah had in mind. In chapter 9, when he said the government will be upon his shoulders talked about a child who would come.

Who would reign and rule the Old Testament also pointed out very clearly that the center of this kingdom which the Messiah would establish would be in the city of Jerusalem. Clearly, the prophet Zechariah. Let it be known that Jerusalem was to be the place in Zechariah chapter 12 in verse three it shall come about in that day I'll make Jerusalem a heavy stone for all the peoples, although lifted will be severely injured in all the nations of the earth will be gathered against it in the battle of Armageddon. There is a focal point as well. At Jerusalem, and Jerusalem is going to be a place of courseware Antichrist establishes his rule.

After desecrating the Temple you remember during the tribulation, he sets up himself as the one to be worshiped. He sets up the center of his worship in that sense, in the city of Jerusalem and so the conflict will hit that city as well. Zechariah talked about it even Isaiah talks about in chapter 9 and verse seven, so the prophets were anticipating what was going to happen that there would come a day when Jerusalem would be a place of judgment would come a day when God would send his great king to establish his eternal kingdom. And though they didn't fully have the revelation of course they had to wait until the New Testament even gave a greater revelation that which came in the Olivet discourse, that which comes in the book of Revelation. They understood how human history would finally reach its culmination, there would come one from heaven, the anointed son of David, the promised king who would dethrone the kings of the world and establish a kingdom of righteousness in which the people of God would be lifted up and exalted peace, justice would prevail in the world, certainly Isaiah as well as the other prophets knew and understood as much as they were told about this great event. So the conflict is set. We understand that we've learned about it from the book of Revelation, but so is the anticipation set in. Christians have long for this great day to come. And now we are reading about. It's coming. I think back to Matthew chapter 13 and how the Lord early on in his ministry even began to talk about what was going to happen in the future.

You remember, in the 13th chapter of Matthew versus 41 and 42.

He says the Son of Man will send forth his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and cast them into the furnace of fire in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. But the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father. Here is Jesus saying there is coming a day of judgment. There's coming a day when the Angels are going to be the agents of judgment, and the reapers in the harvest but it's also going to be a day of blessing and the righteous are going to shine like the sun in the kingdom of their father and that great Olivet discourse where Jesus preached a sermon on his own second coming. He reminds again of what's going to happen. In Matthew 25, 41, he will say to those on his left. Apart from the accursed ones, and of the eternal fire which is been prepared for the devil and his angels, but on the other hand, he will say to those who know and love him enter into my kingdom, you who are blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you. And so, that day is a day of tremendous judgment but also a day of tremendous blessing tremendous joy, tremendous anticipation in Romans chapter 2.

As you remember the apostle Paul talks about the fact that there is coming a day of wrath and the day of Revelation of the righteous judgment of God and that they will render to every man according to his deeds to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality will come, eternal life to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. So again, this event signals judgment and it signals blessing and believers throughout the ages have anticipated this monumental moment in second Thessalonians chapter 1 in verse seven, it tells us about a day when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven. It's the very day we're looking at in Revelation 19 when he comes with his mighty angels in flaming fire, dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus, and these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, but on the other hand, he will come to be glorified in his saints on that day and to be marveled at among all who have believed. Again we hear the same rehearsing is a day of terrible judgment on the ungodly and a day of immense joy for those who know and love the Lord so it is the anticipated day of saints in the Old Testament anticipated day of saints in the New Testament day of judgment. It's the very day which caused John to know sweetness and bitterness sweetness because Christ was coming bitterness because it meant the damnation of the ungodly was sealed so our tax than is monumental in the history of redemption is the culminating event is the final grade event. It is the end of the whole saga really the rest. That happens in the kingdom and the end of the kingdom. The satanic rebellion at the end of the thousand years is really a sort of a final mop up operation. This is that which establishes the permanent end of man's day and establishes the eternal beginning of the day of God, the day of Christ, when he will reign forever and ever. This then is the culmination of all of the Scripture of all of Christian hope of all of the hope of all the saints of all the ages. This is the final culminating battle for sovereignty in the universe.

This determines who will rule forever and ever and ever, and it will be none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. We should be loving this event.

We should be anticipating this event. The apostle Paul spoke when he was writing the very end of his life to Timothy and he spoke some very, very important practical words he said in second Timothy 48 in the future.

There is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing in so saying he defines a Christian is someone who loves Christ's appearing someone who loves his appearing. When we think about it when we contemplated.

Of course we do as Christians, but certainly we don't demonstrate that kind of affection because we get so caught up in this world so satisfied with this world, but I think of for the most part, all of us if we were honest and looked into our hearts and the question were asked would you rather leave this world and be taken to glory.

Would you rather the Jesus, or would you rather keep enjoying life that we would be hard-pressed to honestly say it is clear-cut. I would in one split-second give up everything in this world for the presence of Jesus Christ. We don't love his appearing as we should be become comfortable and enamored by things in this world and I think maybe more so in this kind of culture than in many other cultures that are much more difficult and much harder much more depressing and much less satisfying than our culture may be maybe the fact that our society is rapidly changing that the golden era of American history is over at the glory days of the this country in our society are in the past. Maybe the fact that things are going to get worse and worse is going to cause us to have a greater and greater love for the appearing of Jesus Christ and so be it. If indeed that is the case, and if we in our condition today can love his appearing. Imagine how the saints are going to feel who live in the time of the tribulation. Imagine what it's going to be like for them to anticipate the coming of Jesus Christ when they're having to experience all that is going on Antichrist will be operating in full power openly blaspheming and blatantly define God in Christ. The whole world will be worshiping Satan and the son of perdition. Those who refuse to do that who belong to the Lord will pay with their life. There will be a massive martyrdom of believers.

All men and women on the face of the earth will be enduring unbelievable and unimaginable carnage remaining believers from Israel who have survived the wrath of God will of come to the truth of Jesus Christ and will be in the last extremities of their persecution, they will no doubt be crying out with the psalmist who said keep down, not silent, O God, do not remain quiet. Do not be still for behold on enemies make an uproar, and those who hate the of exalted themselves. They make strong plans against thy people, and conspire together against thy treasured ones. They have said, let us wipe them out as a nation that the new visitor be remembered no more, for they have conspired together with one mind against the and they do make a covenant no doubt that the redeemed Jews.

The tribulation will find their way into Psalm 83 in those first six verses and be crying out to God, keep out, not silent know God and living believing Gentiles will join in that cry, those who believe during that period and were still alive and haven't been martyred. And then the martyred saints who are in heaven will also be crying. How long will Lord, holy and true will doubt refrain from judging and avenging our blood as they do in chapter 6 of Revelation. In verse 10, so saints on earth, both Jew and Gentile and saints in heaven under the altar will be crying out for Christ to come and they will be anxiously loving his appearing because life will be so horrifying. They want the king to come back and set up his kingdom and be honored and glorified. They will be of course saddened by their own experiences, but even more so by the defamation of the character of God in the name of Christ, and they wanted all to come to an end and the time will come in the prayers of the saints will be answered in the cries of those under the altar in heaven will be answered as well and we see the answer to it right here in chapter 19, the day will come as Jude put it in his little epistle in verse 14 when behold, the Lord comes with many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. It's going to come.

It's going to happen this great event. Disease, grace to you with John MacArthur.

Thanks for being with us today. John began a series about a day. That's closer now than ever it's called when Jesus comes. Now maybe you thought that what Scripture says about Christ's return is too difficult to understand something that's best left to Bible scholars, but there's no need to be confused about this next event in the prophetic timeline is John's book called the second coming will show you, you can order your copy today dial toll-free 855 grace.

You can also go online to GT Y.org the second coming isn't a book about how today's headlines fit into the narrative of Scripture. Instead, this book looks past the news of the day and focuses on what the Bible says about the return of Christ and how you can be ready the title.

Again, the second coming order when you call us at 855 grace or go to our website@gty.org also encourage you to visit our website.

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Thanks for making this broadcast part of your day and be here tomorrow same time when John continues his study of Christ's future return and how you can prepare for its another half hour of unleashing God's truth one verse at a time on grace to you