King of the Nations

This is the final sermon in the Authority of Christ series. I preached this sermon October 30, 2011.

Text - Revelation 20:1-6

Introduction - I could not imagine running into a fierce wild animal like this. But then you read Isaiah 11:6-8 ⁶The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.⁷And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.⁸And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den Such a description is hard for us to imagine in a world filled with sin and violence. But the heart of most people long for just such a golden age. Some of looked for a utopia where the world exists in peace and harmony. Some have tried and continue to try to create such a world, but we are failing miserably. A century ago it was called the age of optimism, that science, technology, knowledge would create the world we have longed for, but then ww1 showed us what the heart of sinful man could do with the new science and technology. Back in the 60’s the cultural revolution promised an age of aquarius where we would give peace a chance, but we see the world in an even bigger mess ruled by greed and war. Many government leaders think we can legislate the perfect world, the Soviet Union tried that and we saw it collapse 20 years ago. Why can’t we make the world the place we want it to be? Because the prince of this world is the influence on the hearts of men and of leaders We will never experience the world we long for until the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords is sitting on his throne in Jerusalem. But be assured of this, that day will come! A utopia, a golden age is not just a pipe dream, it is a future reality, but we will never be able to make that a reality by human means. It will be the establishment of God’s Kingdom on this earth. Revelation 20 gives us a brief description of that coming day. In the timeline of future events the rapture of the church will come, at any time, then will come the 7 years of tribulation under the rule of the beast, then will be the 2^nd coming of Christ that ushers in the 1,000 year reign of Christ on the earth.

Lets visualize the day when Christ the King rules the nations from his throne in Jerusalem.

Change in Power

Satan is now the prince of the power of the air Eph 2:2, Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: Eph 6:12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

The King will come back and take away his power Rev 19:11-21 ¹¹And 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.¹²His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.¹³And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.¹⁴And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.¹⁵And 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.¹⁶And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.¹⁷And 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;¹⁸That 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.¹⁹And 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.²⁰And 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.²¹And 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.

-Satan cast into the bottomless pit – a prison, temporary in nature, not eternal hell.

The nations will be judged Matthew 25:31-32 ³¹When 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:³²And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

– Knowing that the change in power is coming, how do we prepare for that coming day? We must make sure that we are prepared for the return of Christ by salvationMatthew 24 Jesus disciples asked when this will be, how will the end take place. Jesus gave a sermon describing those times and ended with what we call the parable of the fig tree. He said this Matthew 24:32-33 ³²Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:³³So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Millennial Reign

-who will reign with Christ for 1,000 years? The tribulation saints, Rev 2:26-27 ²⁶And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: ²⁷And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.-the church – Jude 14 ¹⁴And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, -10 characteristics of the millennial reign of Christ. Mark Hitchcock

1. Peace – 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.

2. Joy – Isaiah 12:3-6 ³Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

⁴And in that day shall ye say, Praise the LORD, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

⁵Sing unto the LORD; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

⁶Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion: for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee

-Joy to the world illustration. Isaac Watts wrote this not as a Christmas Carol, but as a hymn for the second coming

3. Holiness – Isaiah 35:8 And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.

4. Glory – Isaiah 40:5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

5. Justice and Righteousness – Is 9:7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

6. Full Knowledge – Is 11:1-2;9 ¹And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

²And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD; ⁹They 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

7. Absence of Sickness – Isaiah 33:24 And the inhabitant shall not say, I am sick: the people that dwell therein shall be forgiven their iniquity.

8. Universal Worship of God – Zech 14:16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

9. Economic Prosperity – Isaiah 65:21-23 ²¹And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.

²²They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.

²³They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them.

10. The Presence of Christ – Ez 48:35 It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The LORD is there.

Christ has won the decisive victory on the cross, but the final victory will come at that time of the millennial reign.

Christ is the final victor! 1 Cor 15:24-26 ²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.

²⁵For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.

²⁶The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.