Jesus Comes as King of Kings

Mark Finley: You're either saved or lost. Either you're in the city with Christ or you're outside that city. I appeal to you today: Give your life to Jesus Christ. If there's anything between you and Jesus, say, "Jesus, my life is yours."
Guest (Male): This is HopeLives365 with Pastor Mark Finley. Today's message: "Jesus Comes as King of Kings." Enjoy, and remember you can always catch up with past messages and stay up-to-date with HopeLives365 and Pastor Mark by going to HopeLives365.com. Stay with us for a free Bible study offer later in this program. And now, Pastor Mark Finley.
Mark Finley: During the Second World War, an American combat vessel was shot down in the Pacific. A number of men were trapped alive deep in the bowels of the ocean. As the rescuers came looking at the debris of that ship, they immediately discovered that there were some people alive. Divers went down to see what might be done to get those men out alive. They were confined with a small pocket of air, but yet soon their oxygen supply would run out, and soon they would die. As the rescuers were there, they heard a strange tapping. They said, "What is that? What is that?" Then they said, "Wait a minute, it's Morse code." They began to spell it out. I-S-T-H-E-R-E-H-O-P-E. "Is there hope?" That's what the trapped sailors in the terrifying silence below wanted to know more than anything else. Is there hope? As we look out on the uncertainty of our world, we see conflict and strife. We see natural disasters. We see war on every hand. We see famine. We ask ourselves in the midst of our crime-riddled streets, in the midst of our terroristic society, we say, "God, is there hope?" Echoing and re-echoing from the pages of Scripture, we hear the words of Christ in John 14:1–3: "Let not your heart be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you," Jesus said, "I will come again." What a promise! What hope! We're not left alone on a spinning globe of ash that will be soon consumed by some thermonuclear war. In the book of Revelation, the great theme is the coming of Jesus Christ. Each of the prophecies of Revelation begin and end with Jesus and his return. The book of Revelation comes to a glorious climax. The beast will not have the last word; Jesus will. Jesus will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords. Starting with Revelation 19:11: "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. And he who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." Notice it says, "I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse." Why the white horse symbolism? This, of course, is symbolic language. When a Roman general conquered the armies of the enemy, he would ride back into Rome on a white horse symbolizing victory. His soldiers would be behind him, and then all the spoils of war would be there. So, in language that individuals in the first century would understand, Jesus is pictured as coming on a white horse. He is victorious. He's triumphed over the principalities and powers of hell. He has defeated the enemy. "He who sat on him was called Faithful and True." Why those words? Because in Revelation 18, you've got Babylon that was unfaithful. It drifted from its true lover, Jesus. Jesus always has been faithful—faithful to the word of God, faithful to his Father, always obedient to the Father's commands. He's faithful and he's true. True in opposition to error, true in opposition to lies, true in opposition to the errors that have come into the church through Babylon. He's faithful and true. In righteousness, he judges and makes war. So his judgments are always righteous. Notice, his eyes as the flame of fire, on his head many crowns. He is King of kings. He's Lord of lords. He had a name written that no one knew but himself. He was clothed with a white robe dipped in blood. That's a very interesting expression—a white robe dipped in blood. White represents the righteousness of Christ, dipped in blood. This could represent the blood of Christ that was shed for us to achieve righteousness for us. And his name is called the Word of God. The Bible has been always the foundation. It's been always the very source of truth for God's people. It says, "Clothed in fine... armies in heaven followed him clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword." What's that? The word of God. And that's going to be the base of judgment, that he should strike the nations. "And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron." Notice a rod. What do we think about? We think of Moses' rod, where he lifts it and the Red Sea opens. The rod that creates water to come out of the rock. The rod that Moses throws on the ground and snakes come and eat up the snakes of the Pharaoh. So a rod is a sense of authority. Iron is a sense of unbreakable authority. So Christ comes with the word of God. He comes with unbreakable authority. He comes with the sharp sword of the word. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. The wrath of God is his judgments upon sin. Sin and sinners are destroyed. Sin and sinners will be no more. He has on his robe and on his thigh a name written: King of kings and Lord of lords. So Revelation 19 pictures the destruction of the wicked. It depicts the destruction of evil. Throughout Revelation 19, when you come to the end of that chapter, it says in verse 19, "And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse, against his army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire." One of the ways that the devil tries to deceive us in the last days is through signs, wonders, miracles. They're false, of course. So here you have a church-state union just before the coming of Jesus. The economic powers unite, so you have this triumvirate of error: church, fallen religion, confused religion, state powers, and you have the economic powers. Eventually, laws are passed so that God's people cannot buy or sell. Laws are passed so that eventually they will be imprisoned or, according to Revelation 13, have a death decree hanging over their heads. At this time, God will have a group of people that are faithful to him. Revelation 12:17 says that the dragon, Satan, was wroth with the woman, angry with the church. He goes to make war. Here in Revelation 19, we have this same expression, "make war." Make war with whom? The remnant. Who are the remnant? Those that remain faithful to God. The remnant of her seed, they keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. So God has an end-time people who, in Earth's last war, stand faithful to Christ. They are not deceived by the false miracles, neither are they deceived by the pressure or the coercion. They stand firm for Christ. They're ultimately destroyed when Jesus comes. The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 1, for example, notice what the Bible says here. We're looking there at 2 Thessalonians. The Bible describes the coming of Jesus and it points out the fact that the wicked will ultimately, totally be destroyed by the brightness of Christ's coming. When Christ comes in glory, there's no second chance. 2 Thessalonians 1, it says, starting with verse 6, "Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels." Now notice verse 8. So this is when Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels. We read about that in Revelation 19. "In flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power, when he comes in that day to be glorified in his saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." So when Christ comes to be glorified in his saints, when he comes to be admired among all those who believed, the wicked will be destroyed with the brightness of his coming according to this Bible passage. This leads us from the victory in Revelation 19, the triumph of Christ in Revelation 19, this leads us to Revelation 20. Revelation 20 is called the great millennium chapter. The word millennium is not in the Bible, but it comes from two Latin words: *mille* meaning 1,000 and *annum* meaning a year. So 1,000 years. It says in Revelation 20, starting with verse 1. Let's go over this chapter. It's an amazing chapter, an incredible chapter. It says, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand." So what's the bottomless pit? The Greek word for bottomless pit is *abussos*, *abyss*. It's interesting that that same word is used in Genesis 1. Genesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. God looks out over the earth. It's a desolate place full of darkness. So the earth filled with darkness is like that bottomless pit. What about this chain in his hand? It is a chain of circumstances, not some iron chain that binds Satan. The chain of circumstances is that the wicked have been destroyed. We just read that, Revelation 19, didn't we? And it says that Satan is bound on this desolate earth. He lays hold of the dragon, that serpent of old—that's the angel that comes down. So the devil is the dragon because he destroys, the serpent because he deceives. The dragon and serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, bound him for a thousand years, cast him into the bottomless pit, shut him up, set a seal on him, so he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things, he must be released for a little while. According to the Bible, the devil is shut up, the devil is sealed for a thousand years. He is bound in this bottomless pit. Is there anybody on earth alive? If the wicked are destroyed with the brightness of Christ's coming, if the righteous are caught up to meet Jesus in the air—which they are according to 1 Thessalonians 4:16 and 17. The Bible says, "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God. And the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air." So if the righteous are caught up to meet Christ in the air when Jesus comes—his feet don't touch the earth; the Bible says we'll meet him in the air—if the wicked are destroyed with the brightness of his coming, is there anybody left on earth? Let's go to Jeremiah 4. Who is on earth during this time? Certainly Satan is here, bound with his evil angels. But let's let the Bible speak for itself. You remember our theme poem: "What says the Bible, the blessed Bible to me? The teachings of men so often mislead me, but what says the Bible, the blessed Bible to me?" Jeremiah 4:23 and onward: "I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form and void." That's the *abussos*, *abyss*, just like the beginning, without form and void, the Bible says. That's the desolate earth. And the heavens, they had no light. Is this creation? Certainly not. Verse 24: "I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man." How many people are here according to verse 25? No man. "And all the birds of the heavens had fled. I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness." See, this is the destruction that comes at the second coming of Christ. "All its cities were broken down." When? When Jesus comes. At the presence of the Lord, it's clear, by his fierce anger. So Jesus comes. Righteous dead are resurrected. Righteous living receive immortality. That's what it says in 1 Corinthians 15:51–54: "This mortal shall put on immortality." So we receive immortality, the righteous, those in Christ, along with our dead loved ones who've believed in Jesus, who are saved at last. We're caught up to meet Christ in the sky. According to 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9, the wicked are destroyed with the brightness of Christ's coming. The cities of earth, according to Jeremiah 4, are broken down. There's nobody that lives on earth. If you look, for example, at Jeremiah 25:33, the Scripture puts it this way: "And at that day," Jeremiah 25:33, "at that day the slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered, or buried; they shall become refuse on the ground." So here, what do we find? Beginning of the millennium, beginning of the thousand years, the second coming of Christ takes place. The wicked are slain. The righteous are resurrected. The righteous are taken to heaven. Satan is bound. The earth is desolate, and the wicked lie on the earth. Why would God do that? Why would God have this for a thousand years? God is dealing with the great controversy between good and evil in a way that evil will never rise again. Because had Jesus not stepped in, the earth would have destroyed itself. So he steps in, redeems the righteous, resurrects the righteous dead. And all echoing and re-echoing through the universe are the words: "The wages of sin are death. The wages of sin are death." What is happening in heaven during this time? "And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. And then I saw the souls, the lives of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark in his forehead or in his hand. They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years." So the righteous are enthroned with Christ. What does that mean? Throne implies kingly authority or judgment. So before the wicked are finally destroyed, the books are opened during that thousand-year period, and the righteous are able to determine why certain people are saved or lost. Because let's suppose you're in heaven, you say, "Oh, what about Uncle John? He's not here. Why not? What about my neighbor? They're not here." God reveals to us during that time that he was righteous, that he was just, that Jesus did everything he could to save every possible being. What about the rest of the dead, though? So during the thousand years, we see God's fairness. We see God's justice. We see God's righteousness. We sing, "True and righteous are thy ways, O God." But what about the rest of the dead, the wicked? What happens to them? "But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished." Then it goes back to the first resurrection. What about the first resurrection? Not those that are the rest of the dead that live at the end of the thousand years, but those that were resurrected at the beginning of the thousand years. What happens to them? "This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death," that's the eternal death, "has no power, but they shall be priests of God and reign with him a thousand years." At the end of the thousand years, when the thousand years are finished, when the thousand years have expired, what happens? Revelation 20:7: "Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog." What's Gog and Magog? Gog has to do with—it's another name for Satan. Magog is *matra Gog*, that is the followers of Satan. So the devil and his followers are gathered together to battle. Their number is as the sand of the sea. So there are millions and millions of the lost. They're there. And what happens? "They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and," did what? "devoured them." So picture this scene: The holy city is descending, New Jerusalem out of heaven. God's people are in that city. As that city is descending, the wicked, guided by Satan, see that holy city coming down. Satan said, "This is our last chance! Look, we have our armies! Look, we are millions! We can take that city! Let's go out and take it!" This drama is more exciting than any Hollywood drama because this is no fictitious tale. This is reality. It says in verse 10: "The devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." Now some people wonder about that phrase "forever and ever." It's *aion toutous aionion*. It's really literally translated "until the end of the age." So they are completely consumed. They are burned up. Somebody said to me once, "Well, Pastor Mark, you don't believe in hell." And I said, "My friend, I believe in a hell that is much hotter than the hell you believe in." They said, "What do you mean by that?" I said, "You believe in a hell that simply torments people forever and ever and ever. I believe in a hell that's so hot it burns them up, consumes them. They're gone forever and ever." What does the Bible teach about this? I mean, can you imagine a loving God burning people forever and ever? Can you imagine people screaming from hell? And as they're screaming from hell, we fly over in heaven and we say, "Wait a minute now, what's going on down there?" "Oh, that's where God is punishing all those people." You see, the memory of evil is going to be totally eradicated. The fires of hell are real. We believe in a real hell, but a hell that totally consumes. This is what the Bible says, and many evangelical Christians are coming to this conclusion. Let me just read what the Bible says. Malachi 4: "For behold, the day is coming," that's in the future, "that'll burn like an oven. And all the proud, yes, and all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," so they'll be burned up, they'll be burned forever, that is they're gone forever, "says the Lord of hosts, that'll leave them neither root nor branch." Can it be any plainer than that? Notice what it says: "You shall trample the wicked," verse 3, "for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this, says the Lord of hosts." We find the same thing outlined in the book of Psalms. Again, let me emphasize, the Bible teaches hell, but a loving God is not going to torment people endlessly through the ceaseless ages of eternity. Before they were born, they did not exist. After they are burned up and consumed and suffer for their sin, they indeed will not exist. They will be burned up; they will be consumed. Psalm 37:10 says: "For a little while and the wicked shall be," what? "no more; indeed, you look carefully for his place, but it shall be no more." So again, the Scripture is very plain: "The wicked shall be no more." Verse 20 of Psalm 37: "The wicked shall perish; and the enemies of the Lord like the splendor of the meadows shall vanish. Into smoke they shall vanish away." So the Bible is plain. Somebody says, "But doesn't the Bible say there'll be an eternal fire?" If you go back to Jeremiah 17, it says that Jerusalem was burned with an eternal fire. But is the fire burning today? No, not at all. When Jerusalem was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, it was burned with an eternal fire. In other words, the effects of that fire never needed to be repeated. At the end of the thousand years, you're either saved or lost. Either you're in the city with Christ or you're outside that city—consumed, burned up, gone forever. I appeal to you today: Give your life to Jesus Christ. If there's anything between you and Jesus, say, "Jesus, my life is yours." Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you with all of our hearts for Jesus. We thank you for his grace, his goodness, his power. We thank you that we can live with him forever and ever. We thank you that every provision has been made for us to be saved in your kingdom. So, Lord, guide us, direct us. Enable us to have hearts open to be sensitive to your Spirit and to be totally committed to you. Thank you for the grace of God. Thank you for the redemption in Christ. Thank you for the cross of Calvary. In Jesus' name, amen.
Guest (Male): You've been listening to Pastor Mark Finley. We hope you enjoyed today's message and that it increased your faith in God and his word. If you'd like to learn more, Pastor Mark invites you to visit GlobalBibleSchool.org for an inspiring, interactive Bible study experience. That's GlobalBibleSchool.org. Discover answers to your deepest questions straight from God's word. And now, a final thought from Pastor Mark.
Mark Finley: At the end of the thousand years, you're either saved or lost. Either you're in the city with Christ or you're outside that city—consumed, burned up, gone forever. I appeal to you today: Give your life to Jesus Christ. If there's anything between you and Jesus, say, "Jesus, my life is yours." Let's pray. Father in heaven, we thank you with all of our hearts for Jesus. We thank you for his grace, his goodness, his power. We thank you that we can live with him forever and ever. We thank you that every provision has been made for us to be saved in your kingdom. So, Lord, guide us, direct us. Enable us to have hearts open to be sensitive to your Spirit and to be totally committed to you. Thank you for the grace of God. Thank you for the redemption in Christ. Thank you for the cross of Calvary. In Jesus' name, amen.