Return Of The King Series

WHO IS THIS CHILD – RETURN OF THE KING (REVELATION 19-22)

It’s with great awe and humility that I’m going to speak to you today on Revelation 19-22 – the climax of Scripture, the return of Christ the king. That’s not least because plagues and death are promised to those who add or take away from it! It’s the end of Essential 100, and as we’ll see it wraps up the whole Bible; it foresees a return to the paradise we saw in Genesis, an intimate relation again of mankind with God, a restored creation and no shadow of evil or a curse on mankind.

Furthermore, today we shall find out finally and eternally the answer to the question “Who is this child” we’ve been asking in this Christmas series on Revelation, as we trace his second coming. Have you ever thought that Jesus’s return will also be Christmas, which means festival or celebration of Christ? But there’s another question we shall have to answer “Whose is this Lord?” “Whose is this Lord”. Bear it in mind as I speak.

Simon told us last week that he turns to Narnia when his imagination fails. I turn to Lord of the Rings. There’s a scene in “The Two Towers” when the hordes of evil goblins have been attacking the last stronghold of the men of Rohan all night. Many brave men have fallen, the wall is taken, the castle is threatened…...just like the church under siege from Satan in Revelation. Aragorn and King Theoden rally their men for a last hopeless charge….if only the wizard Gandalf could return to resolve the situation….

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So we saw that Gandalf returned on his white horse and evil was conquered. Listen to the return of Christ as the warrior in 19:11-16 and you’ll see the parallels.

“I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”

It’s Jesus’s own blood that stains his robe, the blood he shed on the cross that saves all who trust in him; it’s his word of truth which is his sword, that dispels darkness and defeats evil. His might, as King of Kings makes laughable the pomp and pride of earthly rulers. And see how Satan is defeated in the wake of his return! After a time, Satan gathers a vast army in a desperate last attempt to defeat Christ and the church (20:8-10):

“In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulphur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”

So Jesus crushes Satan’s evil power, finally and forever as God promised to Eve in Genesis, the only one who could. What can anyone say to this mighty warrior but Jesus is Lord? Let’s say it JESUS IS LORD. Evil is defeated forever and even the demons, the atheists, must bow to him.

So this child is a warrior. And then after his final victory, there is Jesus as judge of all mankind in 20:11-15. Picture now to this awesome scene!

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”