Author: Art Davison

A SONG OF ADMIRATION–PSALM 8:1-9

Art Davison PSALM 0 Comment
A SONG OF ADMIRATION
PSALM 8:1-9

INTRODUCTION:

CHRIST is the principal subject of this Psalm, and it is interpreted of him, both by our LORD himself in MATTHEW 21:16, And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise?” And by the Apostle Paul in 1 CORINTHIANS 15:27, “For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.” And in HEBREWS 2:6, 7, “But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?  7- Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:”

I. GOD’S GLORY IS MAGNIFIED BY HIS WORKS, AND BY HIS LOVE FOR MAN
(REFERENCE CONT. PSALM 8:1-9)

A. UNABLE TO express the glory of God, the Psalmist utters a note of exclamation, vs. 1, 9.
1. ‘O Lord, OUR Lord,’ Psalm 63:1, “O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”

a. David addresses God by His PERSONAL NAME Yahweh or Jehovah (“LORD”), EXODUS 6:3, “And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty, but by my name JEHOVAH was I not known to them.”

b. David then identified Him as “OUR LORD” (Adonay), the SOVEREIGN or Master, JOHN 13:13, “Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.”

2. “ How Excellent is thy name in all the earth!” v.1.

a. Our God does WONDROUS things, PSALM 72:18, “Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.”

b. His name ALONE is EXCELLENT, PSALM 148:13, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.”

B. God’s name is exalted ABOVE ALL creation, PHILLIPPIANS 2:9, “Let them praise the name of the LORD: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

1. God has HIGHLY EXALTED the LORD JESUS, V. 5, HEBREWS 2:9,10, “But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.  10- For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.”

2. He has given Him a NAME that is ABOVE EVERY NAME, HEBREWS 1:4, Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.”

a. It is the ONLY NAME whereby we must be saved, ACTS 4:12, “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

b. His name is HIGHER than the kings of the earth, PSALM 89:27, “Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.”

c. His name is far ABOVE EVERY NAME that is named, EPHESIANS 1:20-23, “Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,  21- Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:  22- And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, 23- Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all.”

II. WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM?
(REFERENCE CONT. PSALM 8:1-9)

A. When I consider your creation, vs. 3-4; PSALM 33:6, “By the word of the LORD were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth.”

1. God SPOKE and it was done, PSALM 33:9, “For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.”

2. Through FAITH we UNDERSTAND creation, HEBREWS 11:3,” Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.”

B. What is man to God? V. 4; JOB 7:17,18, “What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him? 18- And that thou shouldest visit him every morning, and try him every moment?”

1. The questions in verse 4 emphasize that man is an INSIGNIFICANT creature in the universe, PSALM 144:3, “LORD, what is man, that thou takest knowledge of him! or the son of man, that thou makest account of him!”

2. Man is like a VAPOR that vanishes away, PSALM 39:5, “Behold, thou hast made my days as an handbreadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.”

CONCLUSION

DAVID MAGNIFIED HIS SAVIOR 900 YEARS BEFORE CHRIST WAS BORN!

WHAT IS MAN THAT THOU ART MINDFUL OF HIM?
(REFERENCE CONT. PSALM 8:1-9) FINISHED HERE!

THE THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST –(THE MILLENIUM)–Revelation 20:4-10

Art Davison PROPHECY 0 Comment
THE THOUSAND YEAR REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST

(THE MILLENIUM)
Revelation 20:4-10
Introduction:

The word “millenium” comes from two Latin words: mille, meaning 1,000, and annum meaning years, thus one thousand years.

The millenium reign of Christ is the seventh dispensation of time, which will end in failure as did the other six. These seven dispensations have been a divine trial of sinful man on this earth before the earth is destroyed. These trials began in the Garden of Eden and close with the Millenium and man is a failure in every dispensation. The seven dispensations are:

(1) Innocence: Creation to the fall of man – man a failure.

(2) Conscience: ends in the flood – man a failure.

(3) Human Government: ends with the Tower of Babel – man a failure.

(4) Family or Patriarchal: ends “in a coffin in Egypt” Genesis 50:26, “So Joseph died, being an hundred and ten years old: and they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.” – man a failure.

(5) National Israel, sometimes mistakenly called the “dispensation of the Law;” ends with the Cross of Calvary – man a failure.

(6) The Church dispensation sometimes mistakenly called the “dispensation of grace;” ends in apostasy – man a failure.

(7) Millenium reign: ends in revolt – man a failure.

(8) New creation: eternity – the man and the new creation.

The first seven dispensations deal with the old Adam under covenant relationships; the eighth deals with the New Adam and man under the new covenant, but also in the family of God.

These trials show that man does not desire God’s righteous rule and that man did not achieve this righteous rule himself. At the close of the Millennial Reign millions of men will demonstrate their hatred of God’s rule by entering into open rebellion and revolt under Satan at his being loosed for this purpose.

I. MAN AND THE MILLENIUM.

A. This is God’s final trial of man before the destruction of the earth, 2 Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

B. There are three millennial viewpoints:

1. Amillennialism or Non-millennialism – “The a- in amillennialism negates the term; hence, amillennialism means there will not be a literal, future millennium. Amillennialists do not deny the literal return of Christ, but they reject a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. According to amillennialism, the kingdom of God is present in the church age, and at the consummation of the present age, the eternal state is inaugurated without any intervening millennium.” Enns, Paul, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 1996. Fundamental Christians consider this view liberal and modernistic.

2. Postmillennialism — Postmillennialism may be defined as “that view of the last things which holds that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals, that the world eventually is to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the ‘Millennium.’” Enns, Paul, The Moody Handbook of Theology, 1996. World wars I & II just about did away with this theory about the Millennial Reign of Christ. Fundamental Christians consider this view liberal and modernistic.

3. Premillennialism — The term premillennialism means that Christ will return before the Millennium to establish His earthly reign of one thousand years. Fundamental Christians hold to this view of the Millenium. This view is considered to be the Scriptural interpretation.

C. The millennial reign is the direct administration of divine government on earth.

1. The period is for one thousand years.

2. The administration will be by the LORD and His saints.

a. God will publicly honor His Son in the very city where men dishonored Him by rejecting and crucifying Him.

b. Then Philippians 2:6-11 will literally be fulfilled, “Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: 7-But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: 8-And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. 9-Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: 10-That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; 11-And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

c. God will also fulfill His promise to give the Son “the throne of his father David.” Luke 1:32. Other promises, Psalms 2 & 10.

3. The words “thousand years” are mentioned six times in this chapter: 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Some argue that the word “millenium” is not mention in the Scriptures. The Greek word chilia is the equivalent for the Latin word “millennium” and is translated “a thousand years.”

D. The importance of the phrase “a thousand years” is seen in that it is connected with a distinct idea each time.

1. Satan is bound for a thousand years, v. 2, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.”

2. The nations will be not deceived for a thousand years, v. 3, “And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”

3. The saints will reign with Christ for a thousand years, v. 4, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” Romans 8:17, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

4. The rest of the dead live not again for a thousand years, v. 5, “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.”

5. All who have part in the first resurrection will be priests of God and reign with Christ a thousand years, v. 6, “Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.”

6. Satan will be loosed after the thousand years, v. 7, “And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.”

II. CHRIST AND THE MILLENIUM.

A. Christ will be here in person to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords, Revelations 11:15, “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” Daniel 7:27, “And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

B. Christ is the King in His own right – a three-fold right:

1. As the Son of Man, Daniel 7:13, “I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him.”

2. As the Son of David, Luke 1:31-32, “And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 32-He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”

3. As the Son of God, Jeremiah 30:9, “But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.” Zechariah 14:9, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.”

C. Christ as King, not as He came the first time, Zechariah 9:9, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.” But this time on a WHITE HORSE, Revelation 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

1. He sits today as the rejected King, Acts 2:33-36, “Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. 34-For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35-Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36-Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

2. In Revelation we see Him crowned King of kings and Lord of lords, but this time on a white horse, Revelation 19:11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

D. Christ will reign on David’s throne, Luke 1:32, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:”

1. David’s throne was in Jerusalem, 1 Kings 2:11, “And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.”

2. The Bible says that the Lord’s throne will be in Jerusalem, Jeremiah 3:17, “At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart.”

III. THE MILLENIUM ITSELF.

A. Only the saved will inherit the Kingdom, Daniel 7:18, 22, 27, “But the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever. 22-Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 27-And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.”

B. The believing remnant of Israel will constitute the blessed once again in possession of all her promised blessings, but only after they have gone through a judgment from God, Ezekiel 20:33-38, “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out, will I rule over you: 34-And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35-And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36-Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord GOD. 37-And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38-And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.”

1. It belongs to Israel by divine covenant, Genesis 15:18, “In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:”

2. Israel will be converted as they accept Jesus Christ as their Messiah, Jeremiah 23:3-8; Romans 11:26-29, “And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: 27-For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. 28-As concerning the gospel, they are enemies for your sakes: but as touching the election, they are beloved for the fathers’ sakes. 29-For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance.”

3. God will keep all of His promises to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Daniel for they were not conditional. Man may change and forget but not God.

C. Jerusalem is to be the capital of the Kingdom, Psalm 48:2, “Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.”

D. The Gentiles that will be converted during the Tribulation period, Matthew 25:31-40, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32-And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33-And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34-Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35-For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36-Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37-Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38- When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39- Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40-And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

1. The word “nations” is used, however, this refers to individuals who have heard the Witnesses preach, Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

2. They have believed their message, Revelation 7:9-17.

3. These show compassion on the converted Jews, Matthew 25:34-40.

a. The converted Jews do not receive the mark of the Beast.

b. The Jews suffer for lack of food, clothing, etc.

4. This gives opportunity for these individuals to help supplying the necessities of life and showing kindness, Matthew 25:32, “And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:”

E. The human conditions on the earth will continue.

1. The nations are not in a glorified state, Isaiah 60:11-12, “Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 12-For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted.”

2. Marriage will continue and children will be born, Zechariah 8:1-8; Isaiah 11:8-9, “And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den. 9-They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

a. The earth will be populated as never before.

b. Billions of people will inhabit the earth and they will come into existence through natural generation.

c. Wars will be unknown, Isaiah 2:4, “And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

d. Earthquakes, pestilence and famine will no longer kill their thousands.

e. Disease will be banished and physical death will no longer be the universal rule but rather the exception, Isaiah 65:20-23.

f. Plenty of food and water, Isaiah 35:1, “The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose.”

g. Longevity is restored, but death, the last enemy (1 Corinthians 15:26), will not be destroyed until after Satan’s rebellion at the end of the thousand years, Revelation 20:7-14.

3. The Children born will still be conceived and born in sin, and they will have to be born again.

a. They will live under the best conditions and see the glory of the Lord, but they will still have to believe the Gospel and trust Christ as Savior.

b. However, in many a case it will be a feigned obedience to the Gospel. Three prophetic Psalms speak of these millennial conditions: Psalm 18:44, “As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me: the strangers shall submit themselves unto me.” 66:3, “Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.” 81:15, “The haters of the LORD should have submitted themselves unto him: but their time should have endured forever.”

4. The Lord will rule with a rod of iron, Revelation 19:15, And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

F. Spiritual conditions during the Millennium.

1. Only the truth will be preached in that time, Isaiah 11:9, “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

2. Inspite of all this some will not believe, Isaiah 11:4, “But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.”

3. These thousand years will be the transition age between this and that perfect age.

CONCLUSION

“Some 250 years ago, Isaac Watts wrote a hymn based on the truths found in Psalm 98. The name of this world-famous hymn is Joy to the World! At Christmas it is sung all across the world by millions of Christians and non-Christians alike. But a close study of the words of this hymn reveal that Watts did not have in mind the Bethlehem coming of Christ, but rather the millennial coming of our Lord! Observe his words:”

Joy to the world! The Lord is come!

Let earth receive her King.

Let every heart prepare him room,

And heaven and nature sing.

No more let sins and sorrows grow,

Nor thorns infest the ground;

He comes to make his blessings flow,

Far as the curse is found.

He rules the world with truth and grace,

And makes the nations prove

The glories of his righteousness,

And wonders of his love.

Without doubt we will be singing “Joy to the Word” at that time. While some only sing this in the Christmas season, the believer should be thinking and singing this the year around as the Coming of Jesus Christ approaches.

THE SEVEN YEARS TRIBULATION PERIOD–ZEPHANIAH 1:14-18

Art Davison PROPHECY 0 Comment
THE SEVEN YEARS TRIBULATION PERIOD
ZEPHANIAH 1:14-18
Introduction:

Job said, “Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. 2-He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not.” (14:1-2). Job does not paint a pretty picture of man. His description is tragically true of unsaved man.

Throughout history man has been subject to calamities, disasters, and plagues:

? The Black Death (BUBONIC PLAGUE) killed 75 million people in Europe from 1340 to 1350.

? Typhus killed over 250,000 in Cuba in 1545.

? A massive earthquake killed 830,000 in China on January 24, 1556. The average death toll in the 20th century has been 20,000 people annually.

? Three million died of smallpox in Brazil in 1560.

? In 1792 almost one million perished in Egypt of the Black plague.

? In 1802 yellow fever killed 30,000 of Napoleon’s army in Santo Domingo.

? 900,000 died of Cholera in 1827 in Europe.

? 1 million died of starvation in Northern China in the year 1887.

? 200,000 died in China because of a landslide.

? In 1918 some 30 million died during a worldwide epidemic of Influenza.

? On Nov. 12, 1970, over 500,000 fell victim to a waterstorm in Bangladesh.

That is a total of 1,127,100,000 deaths during those years. The Bible says that there is coming a period of destruction unlike anything man has seen thus far. It will take place during a period of seven years called… THE GREAT TRIBULATION.

I. AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME

A. It will be a great day, unlike any other day, Jeremiah 30:7, “Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”

B. There shall be a time of trouble, such as never was before, Daniel 12:1, “And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.”

C. A great tribulation that will be incomparable, Matthew 24:21, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.”

II. AN UNGODLY ENVIRONMENT

A. The Believers are no longer on the earth, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

1. The First resurrection (that of the believing dead) has taken place, v. 16, “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:”

2. The Rapture of all believers has taken place, v. 17, “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

B. The Spirit of God is taken out of the world, 2 Thessalonians 2:6-7, “And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7-For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way.”

C. The Antichrist will be revealed, 2 Thessalonians 2:8-9, “And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9-Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders.”

III. AN UNMERCIFUL JUDGMENT

A. The Tribulation Period will not suffer under the wrath of men or of Satan, but under that of God Almighty.

1. Men seem to think that suffering in this life is all of the Hell that they will suffer.

2. Men do suffer great difficulties in this life, but they have not experienced the wrath of God and can not even imagine its terror.

B. The Tribulation Period will be the WRATH OF GOD.

1. The Bible says that there is none like it, Revelation 6:17, “For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

2. Even the great and rich will fear, Revelation 6:15, “And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains;”

C. The Wrath of God is experienced:

1. War, Revelation 6:3-4.

2. World famine, Revelation 6:5-6.

a. A day’s wages are spent just for food.

b. The pair of balances suggests strict rationing due to lack of food.

3. Large numbers die, Revelation 6:7-8.

a. 25% of earth’s population will die.

b. 33% of remaining population is killed in war, Revelation 9:15, “And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.”

1) The size of the army is 200 million.

2) In the space of a few months the population of the earth is reduced to one half. WWII killed 1 in 40. The Tribulation will kill 1 in 2.

D. God SHORTENS those days in order to preserve life, Matthew 24:22, “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

IV. AN UNCHANGED HEART

A. Men will desire to die, but cannot, Revelation 6:16-17, “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17-For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?” Revelation 9:6, “And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them.”

B. There will be no repentance by man of his deeds.

1. No repentance of their IDOLATRY, Revelation 9:20, “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk.”

2. No repentance of their crimes, Revelation 9:21, “Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”

C. Men blasphemed the name of God rather than repent, Revelation 16:9, 11, “And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give him glory. 11-And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.”
CONCLUSION

2 Thessalonians 2:7-12. Note vs. 11-12, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12-That they all might be damned who believed not the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” God’s wrath is not something to play around with.

If you don’t believe the truth now, why do you think you will believe it later? 2 Corinthians 6:2, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”

God’s people will not feel the wrath of God.

1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10-Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.” Romans 5:9, “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST–(THE ADVENT)–Revelation 19:11-16

Art Davison PROPHECY 0 Comment
THE SECOND COMING OF JESUS CHRIST
(THE ADVENT)
Revelation 19:11-16
Introduction:

Jesus is coming again, Titus 2:3, “Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;”

We have already considered the Rapture or the First Phase of the coming of the Lord. The Rapture is the Coming of the Lord Jesus as a thief in the night, 1 Thessalonians 5:2, “For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.” Only the believer shall see Him. On the other hand, the ADVENT or the Second Coming of Christ to the earth shall be seen by all men, Revelation 1:7, “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”

I. THE COMING OF JESUS CHRIST, Revelation 19:11-16.

A. His Coming this time will be DIFFERENT.

1. He is no longer riding a donkey, but now a white horse, v. 11, “And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.”

2. His eyes are NOT filled with tears as when He beheld Jerusalem, v.12, “His eyes were as a flame of fire,”

3. He is not wearing a mocker’s crown, but a diadem, v. 12, “and on his head were many crowns;”

4. He will not be stripped by His enemies, but will be robed in a garment dipped in blood, v.13, “And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood:”

5. He is not abandoned by His followers, but is accompanied by the armies of Heaven, v. 14, “And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.”

6. His mouth does not speak words of grace, but rather the Word of victory and justice, v. 15a, “And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations:”

7. He comes with a rod of iron, Psalm 2:9, “Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

8. He comes, not to bear the wrath of God on the cross, but to tread down the winepress of the wrath of God at the battle of Armageddon, v. 15b, “and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”

B. His Coming will be Premillennial.

1. His coming is at the end of the Tribulation period.

2. His coming is to establish His reign as King of kings and Lord of lords on the earth for a thousand years, v. 16, “And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

II. THE CONFLICT WITH THE ANTICHRIST, Revelation 19:17-18.

A. The Apostle John’s vision:

1. He sees an unimaginable catastrophe.

a. Death and carnage on every hand.

b. The whole earth is bathed in blood.

2. World history ends in war and desolation.

B. Armageddon, Revelation 16:16, “And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

1. The valley of Megiddo has been a battle ground many times:

a. Barak and Deborah fought against Sisera there, Judges 4.

b. Gideon fought against the Midianites there, Judges 7.

c. Saul was slain by the Philistines there, 1 Samuel 31.

d. Pharaoh Necho slew good King Josiah there, 2 Chronicles 35.

e. Jeremiah lamented over the armies of Josiah there, 2 Chronicles 35:25.

2. All of those were just a dress rehearsal for the greatest conflict of all time.

C. With Almighty Power God invites the carnivorous beast to come to the assured destruction of God’s enemies, vs. 17-18, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; 18-That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.”

III. THE CRUSHING OF THE ANTICHRIST, Revelation 19:19-21.

A. The Antichrist gathers his armies against the Lord, v. 19, “And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.”

B. The battle is over in an instant, vs. 20-21, “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21-And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.”

1. There is no power against the Word of God, Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

2. The Antichrist and the False Prophet are cast into the Lake of fire, v. 20, “And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.”

CONCLUSION

When those who have rejected Jesus Christ stand before God, their judgment will be over in an instant. They will have no excuse and nothing to say because the Lord has the evidence before Him. Just as this war was over in an instant through the power of the Word of God the judgment will be over as well. It will be decisive and final.

THE RAPTURE–REVELATION 4:1

Art Davison PROPHECY 0 Comment
THE RAPTURE
REVELATION 4:1
Introduction:

There are three doors mentioned in the Revelation:

(1) The open door, Rev. 3:8, “I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.”

(2) The church door, picturing the Lord on the outside knocking and asking entrance, Rev. 3:20, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.”

(3) The open door of heaven. This open door indicated the Rapture as shown in these words “come up hither.” Rev. 4:1, “After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”

I. THE RAPTURE — “COME UP HITHER.”

A. Definition: Rapture –“to transport with joy, act of seizing and carrying away; carrying away to sublime happiness.” (Webster)

B. Phrase “rapture of the church.”

1. This is not a scriptural phrase. It makes the church and the family of God identical, which they are not.

2. The Family of God is composed of all the saved from the time of Adam.

3. The Church is a New Testament institution with requirements for membership.

a. Old Testament saints were not and are not members of the church.

b. Requirements for church membership, Acts 2:41-42, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. 42-And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.”

1) Salvation and scriptural baptism.

2) Only those who are saved and have scriptural baptism are members of the Lord’s churches.

C. There are many that are saved but have never been scripturally baptized and therefore are not members of the Lord’s churches.

D. All the saved, both baptized and unbaptized are to be raptured, not just the churches.

E. The Rapture is the complete removal of all of God’s children from the earth, both bodily and spiritually, of both the living and the dead, 1 Thess. 4:13-17, “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. 14-For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 15-For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16-For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17-Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.

1. And the dead in Christ shall rise first, v. 16.

2. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, v. 17.

II. THE TIME OF THE RAPTURE.

A. The Exact Time.

1. Only the Father knows, Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

2. Only within the power of the Father, Acts 1:7, “And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.”

B. The Seasons.

1. Paul felt that the brethren knew to expect the Lord’s coming soon, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2, “But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2-For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

2. Jesus gave us some insight about the seasons:

a. As in the days of Noah, Matthew 24:37, “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38-For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,”

b. Paul implied that it would be a time of “peace” and prosperity, 1 Thessalonians 5:3, “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

III. THE EVENTS OF THE RAPTURE
CONTINUED