Dedicated To The Men of God
Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are
"Preach The Word"
THE RETURN OF CHRIST- STUDY #1
The first and second comings of our Lord can be contrasted. As far as this World was concerned not much affention was paid to His birth, however some 33 years later He came to Jerusalem and they proclaimed Him King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The next time He comes the World will be busy and not expecting His arrival. However 7 years later the world will be stirred by His coming. (Rev. 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 DIGNITY OF THE RIDER (Revelation 19)
A. He comes as a white horse rider. His first coming finds Him being born where horses were kept for the night, then 33 years later riding on a donkey, but now He comes on a great war horse.
I. Someone asks: Do you believe horses can walk on air? If God can make them to walk on land He can make them to walk on air!
2. Horses and chariots were seen in the Heavens in the days of Elijah and Elisha. (II
- And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven.)
3. People are going to hell searching the Bible with a magnif~ing glass trying to figure out and reason away the Word of God.
B. The Faithful and True (Revelation 19:11)
1. The White Horse rider of chapter six was faithless and untrue.
2. As He has spoken so shall He do. (Heb. 10:23 - Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; [for he is faithful that promised.J)
3. His word forever remains the same. (Matt. 5:18 - For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.)
C. The Righteous Judge (Revelation 19:11)
1. When He came the first time, men judged Him and did it unjustly but He will judge the world in righteousness. (Acts 17:31 - Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.)
2. His Father has determined that He is worthy to judge. (John 5:22 - For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:)
3. This world will be convinced that His judgment is just. (Jude 1 4& 15 - And Enoch, also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.)
D. HE COMES AS KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS (Revelation 19:16)
1. At His first coming He was crowned with thorns but he wears the crowns of a potentate.
(Rev. 19:12 - His 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.)
2. He will wear the crown of a king.
E. HE IS THE ETERNAL WORD (Revelation 19:13)
1. John described Him as such. (John 1:1 - In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.)
2. He was manifested as such. (John 1:14 - And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, [and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,] full of grace and truth.)
II. THE PLACE OF BATTLE
A. It is called Armageddon--the Mount of Slaughter. (Rev. 16:16 - And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon.)
B. Many notable battles have been fought there. Napoleon said of this area, "It is the most natural battleground of the earth." Here, Gideon fought the Midianites.
C. It is also called Megiddo and is in central Palestine, ten miles south of Nazareth, fifleen miles inland from the Mediterranean Sea. The campaign will extend to the valley of Jehoshaphat (Joel 3:2 - I will also gather all nations, and will them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.), east of Jerusalem and south to Edom some 200 miles. (Isaiah 63:1-6 - Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the winefat? I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people there was none with me; for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold: therefore mine own arm brought salvation unto me; and my fliry, it upheld me. And I will tread down the people in mine anger, and make them drunk in my fury, and I will bring down their strength to the earth.)
III. THE VICTOR OF THE BATTLE
A. Through the power of the Devil all the armies of the world will come to destroy Jerusalem and annihilate the Jew. (Rev. 16:1 3& 14 - And I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.)
B. The winepress will be full: (Rev. 14:1 9&20 - And the Angel thrust in his side into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city and blood came out of the winepress even unto the horse bridles by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.)
C. In chapter 6 the question was asked: How long 0 Lord, now they rejoice because they see the end in view. (Rev. 19:1 - And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:)
D. The sign of Christ will be seen in Heaven. (Matt. 24:30 - And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.)
E. The question was asked in 13:4. Who is able to make war with him, however the devil has now met his match.
F. The Birds of the air are summoned.
1. Rev. 19:17&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; 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 great and small.
2. Matt. 24:28 - For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
G. Seven months will be required to bury the dead. (Ezek. 39:12 - And seven months shall the house of Israel be burying of them, that they may cleanse the land.)
H. Seven years will be required to remove the implements of War: (Ezek. 39:9 - And they that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth, and shall set on fire and burn the weapons, both the shields and the bucklers, the bows and the arrows, and the handstaves, and the spears, and they shall burn them with fire seven years:)
I. The Devil with his imps, the anti-christ, beast, false prophet, will be cast into hell fire.
1. Rev. 19:20 - 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.
2. Rev. 20:3 - 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.
J. The outcome of the battle will never be in doubt. (II Thes. 2:8 - And then shall the Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:)
IV. DEAR FRIEND ON THAT DAY WHERE WILL YOU BE?
A. Will you come back with Him or will you be trampled under Him?
B. What you do with Christ determines what He will do with you! (John 3:18 - He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.)
SERMON BY DR. RON BAITY--PASTOR BEREAN BAPTIST CHURCH- WINSTON-SALEM, NC- USA
