Revelation Study Series 16b - God’s Mysterious Plan Fulfilled (Chapter 11)
02.27.22
Message…
Matthew 4:1-11
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
2 For forty days and forty nights He fasted and became very hungry.
3 During that time the devil came and said to Him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took Him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,
6 and said, “If You are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say,
‘He will order His angels to protect You.
And they will hold You up with their hands
so You won’t even hurt Your foot on a stone.’”
7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord Your God.’”
8 Next the devil took Him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 “I will give it all to You,” he said, “if You will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only Him.’”
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
God has always been in control! Yet, both man and satan have lived/moved/operated against God.
The Lord is the Creator of everything! However, He has not ruled everything but, has given mankind freewill to choose whom to believe and follow (how to live, move, and operate).
Since the fall of satan, and the fall of mankind in the Garden of Eden…satan has been the ruler and evil influencer of this world.
(We are seeing satan’s evil influence played out on the world stage with the events in the Ukraine that are currently unfolding. It is clear that Putin is choosing to move and operate under an evil influence.)
Jesus had a discussion with His disciples before His betrayal and crucifixion…
John 14:27-31a
27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.
28 Remember what I told you: I am going away, but I will come back to you again. If you really loved Me, you would be happy that I am going to the Father, who is greater than I am.
29 I have told you these things before they happen so that when they do happen, you will believe.
30 “I don’t have much more time to talk to you, because the ruler of this world approaches. He has no power over Me,
31a but I will do what the Father requires of Me, so that the world will know that I love the Father. …
Jesus said…
John 16:19; 11
9 The world’s sin is that it refuses to believe in Me.
…
11 Judgment will come because the ruler of this world has already been judged.
2 Corinthians 4:4
4 satan, who is the god of this world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News. They don’t understand this message about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
satan’s rule of this world, his evil influence will come to an end!
>>>>>>>
Revelation 11:15
15 Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices shouting in heaven:
“The world has now become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He will reign forever and ever.”
This seventh trumpet declares the transition of a world under the rule and influence of satan, along with sinful mankind. There will be a rightful transition to the rule and reign of it’s Creator!
All of the Bible has been moving towards this moment since the beginning! What has been prophesied to happen and declared as future events, now becomes “immediate” in it’s fulfillment and timing.
There are still some things within the Great Tribulation that take place before Jesus’ Second Coming and His total reign on earth begins…but, this is the announcement of the long awaited fulfillment of His rule.
Revelation 11:16-18
16 The twenty-four elders sitting on their thrones before God fell with their faces to the ground and worshiped Him.
17 And they said,
“We give thanks to You, Lord God, the Almighty,
the One who is and who always was,
for now You have assumed Your great power
and have begun to reign.
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of Your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward Your servants the prophets,
as well as Your holy people,
and all who fear Your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
What has caused the nations to be “filled with wrath”?
Why are the nations so angry?
Psalms 2:1-3
1 Why are the nations so angry? Why do they waste their time with futile plans?
2 The kings of the earth prepare for battle; the rulers plot together against the LORD and against His Anointed One.
3 “Let us break their chains,” they cry, “and free ourselves from slavery to God.”
(Isn’t it interesting that Putin, a tool of satan, is going after a country whose President is a Jew?!)
Think how messed up the world is and their thinking. They see God as a slave master!
God is not a slave master! God is not a God who wants to stifle nor rob you of your freedom! God wants to give you freedom and protect you from destruction!
People don’t need to break free from God!
They need to turn to God in order to be free!!!
John 8:34-36
34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave of sin.
35 A slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever.
36 So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.
Romans 8:2
And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.
2 Corinthians 3:17
For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
Galatians 5:1
So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law.
You cannot know freedom apart from knowing God!
Back in Psalm 2…
Psalm 2:4-9
4 But the One who rules in heaven laughs. The Lord scoffs at them. *(angry nations, kings and rulers who plot futile plans against God and His Son.)
5 Then in anger He rebukes them, terrifying them with His fierce fury.
6 For the Lord declares, “I have placed My chosen King on the throne in Jerusalem, on My holy mountain.”
7 The king proclaims the LORD’s decree: “The LORD said to Me, ‘You are My Son. Today I have become Your Father.
*(David - “king” declares this about the King of Kings)
8 Only ask, and I will give You the nations as Your inheritance, the whole earth as Your possession.
9 You will break them with an iron rod and smash them like clay pots.’”
This seventh trumpet and the events that will unfold from it’s blast is Jesus asking for His inheritance and the whole earth His possession!!!
I opened with scripture describing satan’s attempt to tempt Jesus…to question His authority, to thwart God’s plan, to dethrone the Son of God, to overthrow His reign!
What satan tried to tempt Jesus with was never satan’s to give but, always Jesus’ to inherit!!!!
Matthew 4:9-10
9 “I will give it all to You,” [satan]... said, “if You will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God
and serve only Him.’”
Don’t be confused…there is only one throne…and that throne is His!!!!!!!
Revelation 11:18
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of Your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward Your servants the prophets,
as well as Your holy people,
and all who fear Your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
The dead will be judged.
All people who have lived on this earth and loved evil, caused evil, chosen evil…chosen to be a slave to sin and satan will be destroyed!!!
Revelation 10:11-15
11 And I saw a great white throne and the One sitting on it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide.
12 I saw the dead, both great and small, standing before God’s throne. And the books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to what they had done, as recorded in the books.
13 The sea gave up its dead, and death and the grave gave up their dead. And all were judged according to their deeds.
14 Then death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This lake of fire is the second death.
15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
The King’s servants rewarded.
Just as it is time to “judge the dead”...so it is time to…
Revelation 11:18
18 The nations were filled with wrath,
but now the time of Your wrath has come.
It is time to judge the dead
and reward Your servants the prophets,
as well as Your holy people,
and all who fear Your name,
from the least to the greatest.
It is time to destroy
all who have caused destruction on the earth.”
Anyone who has chosen to be free, live free because they have been freed by King Jesus will be greatly rewarded!
2 Corinthians 5:9-11
9 So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him.
10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body.
11a Because we understand our fearful responsibility to the Lord, we work hard to persuade others. …
… “our goal is to please Him.”
“...whether we are here in this body or away from this body…”
On this earth, in this body…or in heaven with our eternal body…the goal is to be the same… “please Him”!
It is in this body here that you make the choice for both now and forever!
Can you honestly say that is your life’s goal to please Him?
My actions, my speech, my faith, my thoughts, my motivation, my marriage, my finances, my relationships, my testimony, my everything reflects me choosing to please Him!
Can you say that?
Your eternal reward is based upon your choosing to please Him!
Life Application…
If you choose to make “pleasing Him” your goal…
If you choose to make that your heart's desire…
You will have nothing to fear the day you stand before Him and His throne!
You will not be destroyed, but will receive great reward!
How do you “please Him”?
Hebrews 11:16
"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him".
You please Him when you choose to trust Him! (Believe He exists!)
You please Him when you choose to follow His Word, His will, and His ways!
You please Him when you call out to Him in praise, worship, need/want/help, direction/instruction!
You please Him by hearing/obeying Him as you seek Him!
You please Him by submitting to His rule, His reign, His authority, His power, His throne, His kingdom!
Psalm 37:4
Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Will you make your heart’s desire His?
Do you/Will you choose to please Him!
