In preparation for the revelation of the false Christ, the image of the true Christ is broken down in an effort to render Him an ordinary human being whose claims to deity are rejected. Negative reactions to Jesus Christ first give rise to a weakened relationship with Him, then a broken relationship, and ultimately open hostility towards Him. The Antichrist and his followers will be among the most outspoken enemies of Jesus, and use every opportunity to make blasphemous statements about Him.
In Revelation 22, the Bible is concluded with a graphic description of who the Lord Jesus is, of the wonderful things that He has done (and is still doing) for His bridal congregation, but also of the judgements that await those who despised Him and disregarded the integrity of His Word. It is the choice of every person whether he wants to appear before Jesus as Saviour and Heavenly Bridegroom who will invite him into His kingdom, or before Jesus as the Judge who will condemn him because of his sin and spiritual deception.
Hostility against the true Jesus will not be left unpunished, and during the time of “the wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16-17) His adversaries will discover that “it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31; Rev. 19:19-21). For a more comprehensive knowledge of Jesus Christ one should not only study His work of salvation but also His judgements. Various judgements will occur during the coming tribulation period, and also after that. Christ is not only Saviour but also Judge and King.
The world is under strong pressure to turn their backs on the true Christ of the Bible in order to advance a multireligious receptiveness to the appearance of the false Christ of all faiths. The coming Messiah-King of the deceived world will be the Antichrist, the great adversary of the true Christ. An increasing number of people are positively inclined towards his coming, and are completely ignorant of the fact that they were deceived by the devil to engage in paving the way for the appearance of a false Prince of Peace for all of humanity.
It is inevitable that there should first be a large-scale defection from the truth before the lies of a false Christ can be instilled in people’s hearts. That is exactly what is happening today. A wide spectrum of believers – including a large number of theologians and pastors – are involved in the process of apostatising which leads from truth to error. Many of those who were formerly followers of the exclusive and unique Christian faith in which Jesus is the only Saviour of the world, have made a transition to an inclusive, interfaith approach, thus becoming protagonists of another Jesus, the Antichrist.
How could such a radical mind shift occur among people who have free access to the Bible and should have known better? Deception is always the consequence of ignorance, unbelief, or exposure to false teachings. Such people are ignorant of the full extent of divine truth. They either do not read the Bible or don’t believe what they have read and therefore do not have strong spiritual convictions and a clear Christian frame of reference. The Lord Jesus has warned us with particular reference to the end-time: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and will deceive many” (Matt. 24:4-5). When enough doubt on the true Christ has been sown in a person’s heart, he will start backsliding and easily become a follower of false prophets and false christs (Matt. 24:24).
According to the Bible, this process of falling away from the truth will take on unprecedented proportions in the end-time since this is the prophesied time for the revelation of the false Christ. The rejection of the true Christ occurs during the following three stages:
Initially, an intimate walk with Christ is weakened when people start drifting away from Him. That happens when they no longer love Him above everything else, do not stay in contact with Him through prayer and Bible study, and wilfully allow sin and negative experiences to draw them away from Him. There are various causes of this process of alienation:
· “And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). While the world is becoming more wicked in preparing for the revelation of “the man of sin” (2 Thess. 2:3), many Christians are also lured into a permissive lifestyle which carries them away from the Lord Jesus. A true walk with Christ demands a commitment towards self-denial, sanctification, and the filling of the Holy Spirit. When believers fail to strive after these noble objectives they are drawn away from the Lord by indulging in sin, pride and other fleshly lusts.
· Paul says that, already in the first century, many of the “brethren in Christ” had openly backslidden from Christ into a life of sin, and emphasised that carelessness of this nature exposed them to the possibility of becoming completely apostatised: “Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily ... lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Heb. 3:12-13). We should not give place to the devil in our lives (Eph. 4:27) as that would harm our relationship with Jesus and ultimately destroy it.
· Excessive materialism also has devastating consequences as it causes people to grow cold spiritually by first becoming lukewarm, which is repulsive to Christ: “So then, because you are lukewarm ... I will spew you out of My mouth. Because you say, I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing – and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked” (Rev. 3:16-17). Such people are led away from the spiritual riches of the Lord by their own achievements and prosperity: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness” (1 Tim. 6:10).
· Another important reason for the spiritual cooling down towards Jesus Christ is deception. False teachers often misrepresent Jesus by offering a biased and distorted image of Him in which some of His divine attributes are either ignored or openly denied, thus proclaiming a false Jesus. Paul said to a deceived and backslidden congregation: “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus ... you put up with it well” (2 Cor. 11:3-4). Believers are doctrinally carried away from the true Christ. If this process is not checked, complete alienation from the truth may soon follow.
Believers who continue to grow cold in their relationship towards Christ are in danger of completely straying from Him and ending up in a spiritual wilderness where they will wither away. It is a tragic fact that not all Christians abide in Jesus Christ and persevere on the way of holiness. The Saviour said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. ... If anyone does not abide in Me [which is a distinct possibility], he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire” (John 15:4-6). The number of former believers whose names now appear on the list of defectors is growing by the day.
Someone who no longer truly loves the Lord Jesus makes room for other kinds of love in his life – love for himself, for sin, for earthly riches and even (at the cost of Christ) for his church and his pastor. Jesus Christ reprimanded a church of this nature as follows: “I have this against you, that you have left you first love. Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place – unless you repent” (Rev. 2:4-5). This was not the first warning against apostatising that the church in Ephesus had received. Paul earlier warned them that after his departure they would be deceived by false teachers and drawn away from Christ (Acts 20:29-30). None of these warnings were heeded.
With the passage of time, the congregation gradually discontinued their true fellowship with Christ and subsequently only used His name as a mere symbol of a vague and far-away Deity. Instead of maintaining an active relationship with Him they pursued other loves and selfish objectives. They did not rearrange their priorities by returning to their almost forgotten first love, but preferred to persist with their unbiblical loves and dead form of godliness.
The church in Ephesus had an unteachable spirit and was stubbornly committed to the proclaiming of their typical form of deception. Even after having received a letter of admonishment from the risen Christ Himself, through the ministry of the Apostle John (Rev. 2:1-7), they failed to repent from their error and the Lord ultimately withdrew His Spirit from them. Subsequently, the empty, humanistic sermons on good works and loving your neighbour that were preached by their pastors, but without regeneration and a vital relationship with Christ, became irrelevant and boring to most of the deceived and self-centred members. They started leaving the church in large numbers, the congregation dissolved, the church building fell into disuse and later became dilapidated. Throughout the centuries, only a forsaken ruin was the quiet testimony of a once vibrant congregation of Christ that existed in Ephesus during the distant past. Intense spiritual darkness enfolded this entire country (the present Turkey) and it became a stronghold of a major non-Christian religion to this very day.
Many people find themselves in the same situation today. Despite various admonitions and warnings they continue to stray from the Lord Jesus and ultimately sever their relationship with Him altogether. Paul even warned Timothy against such a possibility: “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am chief. ... Wage the good warfare, having faith and a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck, of whom are Hymenaeus and Alexander” (1 Tim. 1:15, 18-20).
In his second pastoral letter to Timothy, Paul again refers to these defectors from a former life of faith: “[They] have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some” (2 Tim. 2:18). Today, the situation is much worse as there are scores of apostate theologians who claim that there was no resurrection of Christ – neither will believers in Him rise from the dead at the first resurrection before the millennium (cf. Luke 14:14; Rev. 20:6).
The faith of many modern believers is overthrown in the uncharted waters of rational postmodernism because of their rejection of scientifically inexplicable miracles and other supernatural interventions by God. They have left their first love and became shipwrecked in their spiritual lives since, among others, they no longer believe in the resurrection of Christ and those who belong to Him (1 Cor. 15:17-23). Such people do not heed biblical counsel on how to remain anchored to biblical truth, and also fail to nurture their spiritual lives by growing in the grace and knowledge of Christ. Neither do they know how to remain spiritually standing against the incessant attacks and deception of the Evil One (Eph. 6:10-13; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; 2 Pet. 3:17; 1 Tim. 4:1).
It is evident to true disciples of Christ that apostatised “Christians” are only nominal believers as they no longer maintain a living relationship with Jesus Christ. Some are doctrinally deceived and do not believe in the true gospel message. Others are morally entangled in sin. They are, like the lost son, completely caught up in a worldly lifestyle of materialism, unbridled humanistic liberties, extravagant parties, double standards and other sins. They are also called upon to repent from their waywardness and return to the Father’s house. If they don’t, they will die in their sins and bear the consequences of their rebellion.
At the extreme end of apostatising there is a group of backsliders who are committing spiritual treason against Christ by deliberately rendering themselves adversaries and even enemies of the biblical Son of God. They oppose and blaspheme Him as far as possible and use every vain argument to question, distort and falsely portray the Bible, which is the written testimony of Jesus Christ (He is the Word that became flesh). Such people harbour the spirit of the Antichrist – he will “open his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven” (Rev. 13:6; cf. 1 John 2:22).
Verbal blaspheming is only one form of the dishonouring of God’s Name. Many people are engaging in such persistent blasphemy that they cannot even utter two sentences without taking the name of God in vain in all its forms. There are many other ways in which God is insulted, blasphemed and belittled by His adversaries. Spiritual treason against Him is particularly common. Blasphemers relentlessly attack the Triune God in an effort to negatively present the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit by distorting and ridiculing their divine image and attributes, equating them with idols, and even denying their existence.
Among the group of blasphemers there is also a large number of theologians who do everything possible to deprive Jesus of His deity and depicting Him as an ordinary human prophet. They deny His supernatural conception by the Holy Spirit, His oneness with the Father, the redemptive significance of His crucifixion, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension, and the promise of His second coming from heaven. Modern science is their “god” and they do not accept any deity, person of phenomenon that is believed to have supernatural qualities.
Humanistic theologians regard the biblical Jesus who is worshipped by evangelical, Bible-believing Christians as the “cultic Jesus”. To them, He is a fictional deity who originated from the idealistic thinking of the apostles and early church fathers. They were allegedly envious of the gods worshipped by the heathen nations and subsequently created their own god by subjectively declaring Jesus to be God. To them He is the human manifestation of the Triune God (Col. 1:15; 2:9).
According to rationalistic theologians, the biblical Jesus who originated from heaven as the Son of God and God Himself, never existed. They offer their own, humanly conceptualised Jesus, i.e. the “historical Jesus”, as a substitute for the “biblical Jesus of faith.” This Jesus is not the supernatural God-Man, his crucifixion is not related to the forgiveness of sins, and he merely came to teach us the virtues of love, humility, tolerance, and compassion towards marginalised people in society, thereby giving rise to a social gospel. The main emphasis of their ministry is the rendering of assistance to poor and oppressed people. Furthermore, they apply Christian tolerance to our relationship with other faiths to justify interfaith relations and multireligious ecumenical ties.
In the USA, the proponents of theological rationalism established the Jesus Seminar in 1985, through which an alternative “historical Jesus” is offered to the world under the inspiration of the devil himself (cf. 2 Cor. 11:3-4; Gal. 1:6-8). Leaders of this movement were also invited to South Africa, and here they openly scoffed at the alleged supernatural attributes of Jesus. According to them, His crucifixion was a mere political act (the execution of criminals) with no atoning value, He was never buried, His body was probably eaten by dogs, and He never rose from the dead. They also branded His Father as a vindictive God for surrendering His Son to such severe suffering and cruel death on the cross.
The acceptance of this extreme heresy of the historical Jesus led to a growing movement which deeply penetrated many of the theological faculties. People who have adopted a mindset in favour of “another Jesus” are forerunners of the Antichrist. Already in the first century, the Lord Jesus has warned agnostic Jewish leaders that if they rejected Him they would, through their own ignorance and unbelief, throw in their lot with the false Messiah (John 5:43). They will embrace this impostor with open arms when he comes.
Every person on earth should investigate exactly where he stands with Jesus Christ, as the nature of this relationship determines our future here on earth and in eternity: “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Prove yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? – unless indeed you are disqualified” (2 Cor. 13:5). The question is not whether we are only intellectually informed about Jesus, but whether He really lives in our hearts through faith and has fundamentally changed our lives: “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 John 5:12).
If we are sure about our salvation we should strive after a pure heart and the filling of the Holy Spirit. We should perfect holiness in the fear of God (2 Cor. 7:1), as then alone Christ would be fully seen in us. He must increase in our lives while we keep on decreasing (John 3:30). We should develop spiritually to ensure that we grow up “to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine” (Eph. 4:13-14). That is our only guarantee against backsliding.
When Christians do not grow up in the Lord, spiritual stagnation will follow which is highly conducive to backsliding. The sliding track of apostatising is a serious and dangerous place to be in as it leads to death if a person does not turn around in time. James says, “... and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (Jas. 1:15).
It is therefore very important that the signs of backsliding are detected at an early stage and that appropriate steps are taken to check it. Firstly, a person grows cold in his love towards Jesus Christ. The reasons for this situation will be obvious as it is always caused by sin or spiritual deception of one or other kind. If a person fails to address the problem he will wander away further from Christ and eventually lose his first love. Should he still not come to his senses and repent he will end up among the mockers (Ps. 1:1). Here he will associate with agnostics and other people who ridicule the Christian faith.
In an advanced stage of apostatising, the power of delusion will be working so strongly in the backslider that he will believe the lies of the great adversary of Jesus (2 Thess. 2:11). Under the influence of satanic deception he will then be prepared to enter into a covenant with the Antichrist, oblivious of the fact that it will lead to his final and everlasting ruin (Rev. 14:9-11).
The Bible is an immensely important book because it contains unique information on God and His kingdom, the war against the opposing kingdom of darkness, the origin of humanity, their fall into sin, their spiritual restoration and eternal future, God’s work of renewal, as well as His final objective with creation. In Genesis, the Bible begins with a clear statement on the origin of all things, and it ends in Revelation with the execution of God’s judgements on the kingdom of darkness, and the creation of a new heaven and earth. Believers of all time will forever share in the blessings of the new creation.
In the last twelve verses of Revelation 22, twelve basic statements are made on Jesus Christ, the integrity of His Word, our relationship with Him, the absolute certainty of His second coming, as well as eternal punishment which awaits all sinners. In the light of everything that is said in the Book of Revelation as well as other parts of the Bible, certain very important matters are again emphasised in the last part of the Bible’s last chapter:
10. “And he said to me, Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand.
11. He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still.
12. And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work.
13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.
14. Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city.
15. But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie.
16. I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.
17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.
18. For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book;
19. and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
20. He who testifies to these things says, Surely I am coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” (Rev. 22:10-21).
The twelve important statements in this passage are the following:
“Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is at hand” (v. 10). The Book of Revelation, as well as all other biblical prophecies, should not be avoided and regarded as incomprehensible imagery, as that would seal its message to people. Ignorance on the prophetic word would rob believers of a frame of reference for explaining the fulfilment of the signs of the times, and consequently deprive them of a biblical future expectation. These deficiencies in their spiritual orientation will lead to a situation in which people will easily lose sight of heaven, and then fix all their attention on the pursuing of short term, earthly objectives. This predominantly secular outlook on life will impoverish them spiritually as it will keep them from laying up treasures in heaven by doing things that have value for eternity.
Furthermore, people without an expectation on the second coming, do not have a biblical perspective on world events, and do not know where these events are leading to. As a result, they easily lapse into despair when things on earth are taking a turn for the worst, instead of watching and praying to be worthy to escape the divine wrath that will be poured out upon the world (Luke 21:36; 1 Thess. 1:10). There are good reasons why we should proclaim the second coming of Jesus Christ and to live in the light of His coming. It is important to know that He will come again to receive us to Himself.
“He who is unjust, let him be unjust still; he who is filthy, let him be filthy still; he who is righteous, let him be righteous still; he who is holy, let him be holy still” (v. 11). The Lord expects from all of us to make definite choices in life. The first choice on the way of our spiritual awakening refers to a decision to receive Jesus Christ as our Saviour. Subsequently, we must make progress on the way of sanctification by continuously making choices to become more just and more holy in all our conduct. According to the Bible, the majority of people will not make the right choices and will consequently persevere on the way of sin (Matt. 7:13-14; John 3:19). In the end-time, these divergent reactions will give rise to a process of increased spiritual polarisation in the world, which will take on greater extremes as evil proliferates (1 Tim. 4:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5).
In the postmodern world there is greater pressure towards unity with and conformity to the prevailing humanistic worldview. This pressure is mainly exerted upon the minority of evangelical Christians, in the hopeful expectation that they will relinquish their biblical principles and adapt to the views of the majority. Unfortunately, there are Christians who yield to this pressure and then grow cold in their love for the Lord Jesus when evil increases (Matt. 24:12). Instead of becoming more holy, they become more like the depraved, materialistic world. But we should not succumb to these pressures, and rather see the process of polarisation as inevitable. It is impossible to build a bridge of reconciliation between the narrow and the broad way.
We must remember that to become more righteous and holy, demands an increase in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). Many Christians are perpetually busy pursuing secular interests, and in the process become so enriched with wealth and worldly knowledge, that they do not at all increase in the knowledge of Christ. If they neglect this important duty they will not be able to take a clear stand against the evil world but will instead start conforming to the world.
“And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (v. 12). People should realise that all the works which they do during their lifetime are recorded in heaven, and that their eternal destiny will be determined in accordance with these works. As far as the Christians are concerned, all the sins which they have committed, and which they have confessed and forsaken, have been forgiven, blotted out, and are no longer on record (1 John 1:9; Jer. 31:34). But the quality of their Christian lives will be determined in accordance with the works which they have done after repentance (1 Cor. 3:11-15). Works which have no value for eternity will not endure the fiery test of Christ’s judgement seat, and for this reason it is possible that many Christians will, as failed disciples, appear before the Lord empty-handed. They did not, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, do works that are worthy of repentance, because they did not pursue sanctification as a matter of urgency.
As far as the wicked are concerned, they will be judged in terms of their evil works and cast into the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-15). Al their sins, including those that were committed secretly, will be revealed and witness against them. They never went to the cross where their sins could be forgiven and blotted out, so these sins will eventually drag them to hell.
“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last” (v. 13). We should never make the mistake of regarding Christ as only a mortal man who was confined to a limited, earthly existence. He is the beginning of the creation of God, He sustains it and will eventually make all things new. Paul says, “He is the image of the invisible God, first-born over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth. ... He is before all things, and in Him all things consist” (Col. 1:15-17). Jesus Christ has eternal self-existence and is not subject to the transience of creation. He created the earth, He re-created it from a formless and desolate state, He still sustains it and will one day again re-create it in a perfect state.
If we belong to Christ, we become members of His immortal body (1 Cor. 12:27). We have a clear command to abide in Him (John 15:4) and never to contemplate or conduct any part of our life outside of Him. He called us from darkness to His marvellous light when He saved our souls (1 Pet. 2:9). Since that moment, He abides in us through the Holy Spirit (John 14:23). He will give us immortal new bodies at the resurrection of the just, and we will forever live in His glorious presence (1 Thess. 4:16-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-53).
As the Alpha and Omega, Jesus Christ is the beginning, the centre and the final consummation of everything. He is the determining norm and separates those who are for Him from those who are against Him (Luke 9:50). Everything which is inherently good emanates from Him and His righteousness, while all evil is in opposition to Him and will be punished by Him – that is why the Bible says: “For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev. 19:10). The believers who are in Him are blessed, but outside of Him are all the unbelievers who will be judged. Spiritually and morally we are living in a world which is either Christian or anti-Christian. People’s fall into a life of sin, or their resurrection into a new life, are the practical manifestations of whether or not they have a relationship with Christ (cf. Luke 2:34). To all people He is the Alpha and the Omega, and for that reason the final words of blessings or condemnation at the end of the human dispensation will come from Him.
“Blessed are those who do His commandments” (v. 14). In various other translations this scripture is translated as follows: “Blessed are those who wash their robes” (NIV, RSV, AB). This command is closely related to what is said of the martyrs in Revelation 7:14: They “… washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” When the word “commandments” is used it should be interpreted in a New Testament context with a view to doing God’s will with regard to Jesus Christ (Matt. 7:21). We should be reconciled with Christ and obtain cleansing by His blood (Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
This verse contains the last of the seven beatitudes of Revelation, which should all be accepted together: “Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near” (1:3). “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on ... and their works follow them” (14:13). “Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments” (16:15). “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (19:9). “Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection” (20:6). “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (22:7). “Blessed are those who do His commandments [who wash their robes]” (22:14). These beatitudes oblige us to honour their demands if we wish to share in their blessings. All of them apply to our relationship with Christ, since this last book of the Bible is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ” (Rev. 1:1).
“But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie” (v. 15). While great blessings await the faithful disciples of Christ, great judgements will be poured out upon the wicked. Their biggest sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus as Saviour, because they never bowed the knee before Him to confess their sins to Him and to receive from Him full forgiveness, as well as eternal life. Since Old Testament times, the divine judgement that awaits al sinners is described as “shame and everlasting contempt” (Dan. 2:2).
Revelation 20:5 describes the second resurrection, which will lead to the judgement of sinners before the great white throne: “And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15). Among the lost souls will also be the millions of nominal believers who belonged to churches that were Christian only in name – they had an outward form of godliness without being spiritually reborn. Such people will in vain put their trust in church membership and “good lives” as that, without rebirth, cannot save any person’s soul (Matt. 7:21-23; John 3:3). We must bow the knee to the Lord Jesus in prayer, confess our sin and lost state before Him, and receive Him as our personal Saviour – then only will we receive the testimony of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we are children of God (Rom. 8:16).
“I am the Root and the Offspring of David” (v. 16a). We should not only see Christ as the biological Son of David – He is also David’s Lord who exists from all eternity. The ‘Root’ of David confirms His deity – He is the origin and Lord of David! By the ‘Offspring’ of David his human nature is indicated – He is the Son of David. The Jewish leaders could not comprehend this great truth, therefore, the Lord Jesus asked them: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He? They said to Him, The Son of David. He said to them, How then does David in the Spirit call Him Lord? ... If David then calls Him Lord, how is He his Son? And no one was able to answer Him a word” (Matt. 22:41-46).
Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah who was born in the house of David from the tribe of Judah, the seed of Abraham, through whom all nations would be blessed (Gen. 22:18). But at the same time He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who said to the Jewish leaders: “... before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). Paul says that, to the flesh, Christ was born from Israel, He “... who is over all, the eternally blessed God” (Rom. 9:4-5). He is perfectly God and perfectly Man, because He is both the Son of God and the Son of David. The angel said to Mary: “You will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David” (Luke 1:31-32).
The Lord Jesus also says: “I am ... the Bright and Morning Star” (v. 16b). He Himself is the promise of a bright new day that will dawn upon this dark world. Peter adds to this: “We also have the prophetic word made more sure, which you do well to heed as to a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts” (2 Pet. 1:19). The morning star is especially the symbol of hope – the expectation of a new day which will soon dawn. In Jesus Christ we have a hopeful future. We can look beyond the distress of the present life to the rays of a bright new day which will be introduced with the second coming of Christ. Through the signs of the times we can even discern His approaching footsteps in the disruptive circumstances of the present time.
Those without a Christian future expectation are not able to spiritually interpret world events, and are easily driven to despair by all the bad news and dark prospects. But if the Morning Star is in your heart, you will not become the victim of dark thoughts. You will know for sure what your destination is and purposefully prepare yourself for it. We should, in our spirit, soul and body, endeavour to be found blameless before the Lord Jesus Christ at His second coming (1 Thess. 5:23-24).
“The Spirit and the bride say, Come! And let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely” (v. 17). The Lord Jesus is the only water of life to a spiritually dying world, and invites us to partake of this water. He says, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (John 7:37). “I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts” (Rev. 21:6). He also said, “Whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst” (John 4:14).
All people should be lead to the Lord Jesus for salvation as there is no possibility for redemption outside of Him (Acts 4:12). The invitation towards salvation should be made very clearly and convincingly, since every person has a free will and can decline the offer if he or she does not clearly understand what it is all about. The Lord forces nobody; neither did He elect only certain people for salvation, and therefore says: “Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely.” People who do not make use of this friendly and free offer, are facing a dark future.
During the first century, Christ said to the inhabitants of Jerusalem: “I wanted to gather your children together ... but you were not willing” (Matt. 23:37). Apart from their continued spiritual deception and ignorance, the destruction of Jerusalem and the international dispersion of the Jews were the direct results of rejecting their Messiah – they preferred a spiritual drought above the fountain of living water.
It is critically important that this life-giving message be proclaimed to all people on earth. A call to repentance goes out from the bride. The Holy Spirit speaks through the Bible, and also through the messages, personal conversations and writings of all true believers. We Christians, who are members of the bridal congregation, have been empowered by the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel message to all people on earth (Acts 1:8). The responsibility is on the recipients to react to this message. It is not only in their own spiritual interest, but also to the glory of the Lord, to ensure that they are disciples of Christ and not His enemies.
The very final and most solemn warning contained in the Bible is against tampering with the Word of God: “If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life” (v. 18-19). The whole counsel of God to humanity has been recorded in the Bible (cf. Acts 20:27), and Revelation was the last literally inspired message of God directed at all people on earth.
We are not allowed to add anything to God’s Word by way of extra-biblical messages, and for that reason it is utterly presumptuous and highly deceptive when people allege that the Lord has given them additional messages through dreams, visions, foreign tongues, audible voices, consultations with deceased people, or discussions with angels. The Lord did in fact use some of these methods of communication before the Bible was fully written (cf. Heb. 1:1), but now that we have the full New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ we are not allowed to add anything to it.
Furthermore, we are not allowed to take anything away from the Bible by, for instance, denying certain aspects of the biblical account. There are many people who do not believe in the virgin birth of the Lord Jesus, neither in His deity, resurrection from the dead, ascension, or His promised return to the earth at the end of the church dispensation. Such people also deny the literal fulfilment of other end-time prophecies such as the rapture, the full restoration of Israel as a Messianic people, the rise of the Antichrist to a position of world domination, and the outpouring of God’s wrath during the seven years of tribulation. These events have been graphically described in the Book of Revelation and other prophetic books of the Bible, but are not seriously considered by sceptics and agnostics.
What will happen to people who become guilty of the sin of unbelief by rejecting God’s Word and continuously finding reasons why they do not have to believe the Bible? God’s judgements will come upon them. Even if they were saved at a certain stage and subsequently fell victim to serious deception, their names will be blotted out from the book of life. Such former believers completely fall from grace, like the Galatians who preferred the law above the message of the cross and tried to intermingle the two (Gal. 5:4; Rom. 10:4), those Hebrew believers who lapsed into unbelief because of reverting to a life of sin which is contrary to the righteousness of Christ (Heb. 3:12), as well as all deceived believers who listen to deceptive presentations of God’s Word and then fully endorse them (1 Tim. 4:1).
But if we persevere on the way of truth and do not become guilty of these sins our names will never be blotted out from the book of life (Rev. 3:5); but then it should be said of us: “... for you have ... kept My Word, and have not denied My name” (Rev. 3:8). The Bible in its original languages is the only reliable source of information on God and humanity, as well as the salvation and sanctification of spiritually lost people. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
The various translations of the Bible must be carefully evaluated as many have weaknesses and mistakes in them. Do a comparative study and use a variety of lexicons. Attention should also be paid to the interpretation of Scripture in sermons and Christian books. Many of the preachers and authors distort the Word and deviate from the sound doctrine of the Bible in order to present a message which is socially more acceptable (2 Tim. 4:3-4). They are also engaged in adding or taking away from the inspired Word, and will be judged by the same Word which they have changed and distorted.
“Surely I am coming quickly” (v. 20). It is important to know that all Christians of all time should have a short term expectation on the coming of Christ, thereby entertaining a clear perspective on eternity. It will help them to correctly determine their priorities and thus be better prepared for eternal life. Without this perspective they will be poorly motivated to do works that are worthy of repentance, thereby laying up treasures in heaven (Matt. 6:20).
We should also be mindful of the fact that the Lord often talks to us within the framework of the larger picture of human history on earth. In this context, one thousand years as we experience them, are like one day to the Lord (cf. 2 Pet. 3:8). The divine history of humanity since Adam clearly follows its course through a “week” of millennia in which each day represents about a thousand years: two days from Adam to Abraham, two days from Abraham to Christ, two days of church history between the first and second comings of Christ, followed by the seventh day of Christ’s millennial reign of peace. The dispensation of the church started early on the fifth day of this week, and should be concluded early on the seventh day, which is any time now.
According to Hosea 6:1-2, Israel would be dispersed from the Lord for a period of two days (of about 2 000 years), and then on the third day (the Messiah’s reign of peace) they will be reconciled with Him and live in His sight. The entire remnant of Israel will be saved at the end of the coming tribulation period (Jer. 30:7; 31:31-38; Ezek. 36:22-28; Zech. 12:10–13:1; Rom. 11:25-26). The Lord Jesus also refers to the “two days” of the church dispensation when people will be delivered from Satan’s power and their spiritual wounds will be healed (Luke 13:32), followed by the third day when He will be revealed in His perfect glory and reign as King.
“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all” (v. 21). We must, by faith, accept the promise that the Lord Jesus wishes to supply our every need according to the riches of His grace (Eph. 2:7; Phil. 4:19). But we are not yet in His millennial reign of peace, and therefore not destined to reign as kings during this dispensation. We are sojourners and pilgrims in a world which lies in the sway of the Evil One (1 Pet. 2:11; 1 John 5:19), and should be content if our basic needs are met (1 Tim. 6:8). Anything more than this amounts to greed. The basic needs of all people are not the same, and for that reason we should not follow the example of other people but only consider our own situation when praying for blessings.
Hold firm to the promise that the Lord will never leave or forsake you (Heb. 13:5). However, there is a possibility that you may backslide and become estranged from Him (John 15:6; Rev. 2:4-5). Guard against apostatising and commit yourself to emerge from the struggle of life as an overcomer. If you draw near to the Lord, He will draw near to you (Jas. 4:8). Kneel down before His throne of grace in prayer in the privacy of your room, and experience How He will strengthen you in public life among the sinners (Matt. 6:6).
Pray for the grace of the Lord Jesus on your whole life, and also on the lives of those for whom you intercede. Believe that His grace will be sufficient for you under all circumstances, also when you are ill (2 Cor. 12:7-10). Even in a world where sin and lawlessness are increasing daily, the grace of the Lord is always more abundant than all the problems, and you will never have to succumb to the attacks of sin (Rom. 5:20). “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all!”
The church dispensation is rapidly drawing to a close, which means that the great end-time revelation of Jesus Christ is at hand. In a relatively short period He will be revealed in different capacities to different groups of people, depending on their relationship with Him. These large groups of people are, firstly, the true believers of all time, secondly, the unsaved world, and thirdly, the people of Israel who survived the tribulation.
The very first end-time revelation of Jesus Christ will be to the body of true believers of all time. That includes the entire New Testament church, as well as Old Testament believers who pleased God and waited on the promise of the Messiah (cf. Heb. 11:24-26, 39-40). Those who have already died will be raised up at the resurrection of the just, receive glorified bodies, and be caught up together with the living saints who will be changed and glorified in the twinkling of an eye (cf. 1 Cor. 15:51-53). Paul described this event as follows:
“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16-17). This meeting and union with Christ will not occur on earth but somewhere in space. After that, He will take us to our heavenly homes as promised: “I go to prepare a place for you. ... [Then] I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3).
As part of the glorification of believers the Lord Jesus will award crowns to the overcomers before His judgement seat, according to each one’s works (cf. Matt. 25:14-27; 1 Cor. 3:8-15; 2 Cor. 5:10). Firstly, Jesus Christ will be the Judge of true believers – not to condemn them because they will all have been saved by grace, but to judge their works. Not all the disciples of Christ are serving Him with the same degree of dedication, and there will even be those among them who will appear before Him empty-handed.
Following the meeting before the judgement seat of Christ, the heavenly Bridegroom will be united with His earthly bride. After this, the church is no longer called the bride of Christ (cf. Matt. 25:1-13; 2 Cor. 11:2) but the wife of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7). The glorified church is also referred to as “elders” who are gathered around the throne of Christ, and will praise the Lamb: “And they sang a new song, saying, You are worthy to take the scroll, and to open the seals; for You were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation” (Rev. 5:9).
It is important to note that, in Revelation 4 and 5, the glorified church is described as 24 elders from all peoples, tribes and tongues on earth, who will be in heaven before the first seals of God’s judgements are broken in Revelation 6. Why 24 elders? In 1 Chronicles 24, the entire priestly order in Israel is divided into 24 groups, each serving in the temple for two weeks per year. The entire number of the Lord’s “priests” (servants or elders) in the New Testament are here represented as 24, which symbolically refers to the large group of disciples from all nations.
The Antichrist will be revealed on earth shortly after the resurrection of believers and their catching away to heaven together with the living believers who will be changed from mortality to immortality in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:50-53). The presence of the church of Christ on earth is withholding the Antichrist from being revealed and taking full control of the world.
Paul says: “For the mystery of lawlessness [the hidden and mysterious working of the spirit of the Antichrist throughout the centuries] is already at work; only he who now restrains [the church of Christ indwelt by the Holy Spirit] will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one [the Antichrist] will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:7-12).
When the true believers – witnesses of Christ through whom His light has been shining in the world – are suddenly taken away, major changes will occur in all spheres of life. During the following seven years, the Lord Jesus will pour out the judgements of “the day of the Lord” (cf. Isa. 13:9-13) upon a world population that has rejected Him as Saviour. They will not be heirs of His heavenly kingdom as they will have rendered themselves enemies of Christ. Among them will also be those who only paid lip-service to the Lord, but whose unregenerate hearts were far from Him (Matt. 15:8).
Three groups of seven judgements each (Rev. 6 to 19) will be poured out upon the earth within a period of seven years when Christ, as Judge, will punish apostate and rebellious humanity. Among them will also be the majority of Jews who will have, up to that stage, refused to recognise and accept Christ as Messiah. Only the (truly saved) Messianic Jews will have been removed together with the true church.
The tribulation is divided into two parts of 3½ years each. These are two clearly demarcated periods of 42 months or 1 260 days each, of which only the second half is described as the “great tribulation”. The tribulation of seven years begins when the Antichrist concludes a seven-year treaty with Israel and the nations (Dan. 9:27), while the great tribulation of the last 3½ years will commence after the Antichrist has declared himself to be God in the rebuilt temple in Jerusalem and ordered an image of himself to be erected in the Most Holy (Matt. 24:15-22; 2 Thess. 2:4; Rev. 13:14-15).
At the beginning of the seven years the first seal of God’s judgements will be broken in heaven, leading to the appearing of a white horse on earth, the rider carrying a bow and wearing a crown. This refers to the Antichrist, who will be a prince of peace with great powers. He is also associated with the subsequent three horses, which will cause the death of a quarter of the world population (Rev. 6:3-8).
It is important to understand that the initial revelation of the Antichrist will be as a popular prince of peace. He will not appear on the scene as a tyrant and mass-murderer but as the “saviour” of humanity who will achieve his goal of at least temporarily establishing peace and unity on earth, also among all religions. All of them will follow him in amazement and openly worship him (Rev. 13:3-4). Initially, everything will appear to be constructive and beneficial.
Spiritual deception will be the main characteristic of the tribulation period. Because lost humanity are not followers of the true Messiah, they will receive strong delusion that they might believe the lies of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:9-12). They will firmly believe that the false messiah is the true messiah, and wholeheartedly worship him. They will all regard him as a divine saviour and peace-maker as he will perform great signs and wonders, avert a threatening third world war, create conditions which are conducive to the restoration of the world economy, bring about peace and unity among the divided nations and religious groups, and take globalisation into its final stage by the institution of a world government with executive powers.
This intense deception will coincide with the process of increased globalisation during the first 3½ years of the tribulation period, and the vast majority of the world population will be highly pleased with their new world order. A considerable number of people, although still a minority within the world population, will realise that the Antichrist is a deceiver from Satan’s kingdom, and warn as many people as possible against him. This movement will arise from a revival in which 144 000 Jews will be saved (Rev. 7:1-8). Through their testimony, many other people from the Gentile world will be saved (Rev. 7:9-17).
These converts will take a stand which is completely in conflict with the ideology, laws, and principles of the new world order. In due course, more severe persecution will be instituted against them, as they will warn people against the disasters and judgements of the day of the Lord, which will afflict the world in full force after 42 months of false peace.
During the middle of the tribulation there will also, from other sources, be opposition to the world government of the Antichrist, and he will be attacked by an assassin. But his wound will miraculously be healed, after which he will be completely possessed by a satanic spirit and become the most brutal tyrant of all time (Rev. 13:11-18). The false prophet will be his co-ruler and they will act mercilessly against all adversaries who refuse to worship the Antichrist and to receive his number.
Then, the Antichrist will no longer be the rider on the white horse of peace, but be revealed as the rider on the red horse of war, the black horse of rationing and famine, and the pale horse of death. During this time, the Lord will pour out unprecedented judgements upon the wicked empire of the beast. Among these will be natural disasters with devastating power. These plagues and judgements will eventually become so severe that fallen humanity will realise that it is God who punishes them and, together with the Antichrist, they will blaspheme Him because of the plagues (Rev. 13:5-6; 16:9-11).
While the wicked persist with their blasphemy and the hardening of their hearts, the plagues and disasters will become more severe. The earthquakes will eventually become so intense and widespread that there will no longer be a safe place for habitation on earth. Buildings will collapse everywhere, and the empire of the beast will be shaken to its very foundations: “... and there was a great earthquake, such a mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on the earth. ... Then every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And great hail from heaven fell upon men, each hailstone about the weight of a talent [about 50 kg.]. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great” (Rev. 16:18-21).
The surviving people will know very well that there is no scientific explanation for these exceptional disasters, as they will quite evidently be the judgements of “the day of the Lord” (cf. Isa. 13:9-13; Joel 2:1-2, 10-11, 31; Zeph. 1:14-15). Buildings will collapse everywhere, massive hailstones will cause devastation, and parts of heavenly bodies (meteorites and asteroids) will fall in many places and destroy everything in their vicinity (Rev. 6:13). Panic-stricken people will flee to the mountains, but the mountains will also be shaken and even flattened. The fugitives will cry out to the mountains and rocks: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Rev. 6:16-17).
The culmination of the judgements which Christ, as Judge, will pour out upon lost humanity will be during the battle of Armageddon on the day of His second coming. John says: “And I saw the beast [the Antichrist], the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse [Christ] and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Rev. 19:19-21).
Christ will only utter a word, which will cause the immediate annihilation of His enemies. Zechariah expounds further on this event: “Then the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations, as He fights in the day of battle. ... And this shall be the plague with which the Lord will strike all the people who fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh shall dissolve while they stand on their feet, their eyes shall dissolve in their sockets, and their tongues shall dissolve in their mouths” (Zech. 14:3, 12).
After the judgement of Armageddon, Christ will first be reconciled with the remnant of Israel, when all of them will be saved (Zech. 12:10–13:1). After this, the Lord Jesus will summon all the Gentile survivors on earth to appear before His throne of glory to separate the goats from the sheep. The unsaved ones will be judged while the saved ones among the nations will inherit the blessings of Christ’s millennial reign of peace:
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. ... Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. ... Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me. Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:31-41).
The expression “these My brethren” clearly refers to a third group that is neither sheep nor goats. The only possible group would be Jews, the physical brothers of the Lord Jesus. In view of the great distress which awaits Jews during the tribulation period, they will have a very difficult time surviving it as the powers of the Antichrist will try to annihilate them (Matt. 24:15-21). Gentiles going out of their way to assist Jews during this time will clearly show that they do not accept the Antichrist’s instruction to exterminate all Jews, but are instead motivated by the love of the true Christ to lend a helping hand to fugitive Jews. It will be very dangerous to render assistance of this nature as the Antichrist will regard it as treason if Jews who have rejected him are in any way helped to survive.
The works of these Gentile Samaritans will not save them but will render evidence of their salvation. They will rule together with Christ in His kingdom while the lost people who persecuted Jews together with the Antichrist, will be judged.
When the Lord Jesus comes again, He will come as “King of kings” (Rev. 19:16). He will establish a world-wide Messianic kingdom and rule from Jerusalem on the throne of David. The following promise was made to Mary before the birth of Jesus: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of his father David” (Luke 2:31-32).
The Lord Jesus was not accepted as King at His first coming and will only hold this office at His second coming: “After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; so that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the Lord who does all these things” (Acts 15:16-17)
Even before the Lord Jesus will set foot on the Mount of Olives at His second coming His earthly kingdom will be announced in heaven: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15). That will also be the fulfilment of a prophecy in Daniel 2:44-45, which indicates that the earthly empires will be physically destroyed in the end-time and a heavenly kingdom established in their place.
During this time, after the destruction of the Antichrist and his powers (Rev. 19:19-21), the devil, as the deceiver of the nations, will be bound (Rev. 20:1-3). Because of this, warfare and rebellion against the kingdom of God will completely cease. The Lord will be honoured and His spiritually revived people of Israel will be held in high esteem. The following prophecies will all be literally fulfilled:
· “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore” (Isa. 2:2-4).
· “At that time Jerusalem shall be called The Throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts” (Jer. 3:17).
· “Thus says the Lord of hosts: Peoples shall yet come, Inhabitants of many cities; the inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying, Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord, and seek the Lord of hosts. I myself will go also. Yes, many peoples and strong nations shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem, and to pray before the Lord. Thus says the Lord of hosts: In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you” (Zech. 8:20-23).
In our dedication to the Lord Jesus we should consider all the capacities in which He reveals Himself as each of them imposes different demands on us. Our relationship with Him starts on the day when we receive Him as our Saviour. This decision should be followed by a complete surrender in order to be filled with the Holy Spirit and to also fully experience Christ as our Sanctification (1 Cor. 1:30). That will enable us to keep on growing in the knowledge and grace of Christ (Eph. 4:13-14; 2 Pet. 3:18).
We should continuously fix our attention on the capacities in which Christ will reveal Himself to us at His second coming, namely as Bridegroom and Judge. As far as His position as Bridegroom is concerned, we must lead a life now which will ensure that we will be blameless in holiness when we appear before Him as His bride (Eph. 5:25-27; 1 Thess. 3:13; 5:23-24). We must also take care that we will be able to appear before His judgement seat with confidence, to give account of our lives after repentance (Rom. 14:10-12).
If we are found worthy to appear before Jesus Christ as Judge and Bridegroom we will also be worthy to rule with Him as kings in His kingdom (Rom. 8:17; 2 Tim. 2:12; Rev. 5:9-10). The Lord will say to a faithful disciple who earned ten minas with his mina: “Well done, good servant; because you were faithful in a very little, have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17). The mina which he used refers to the power of the Holy Spirit which enables a believer to work for the Lord, and He expects all His servants to do works that are worthy of repentance.
As far as the unsaved world is concerned, they have done nothing to escape the coming wrath (cf. 1 Thess. 1:10). During the tribulation they will discover that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31). Jesus Christ said: “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And if those days had not been shortened, no flesh would be saved” (Matt. 24:21-22). Only those who are spiritually worthy will escape the time of divine wrath (Luke 21:36).
The “great tribulation” specifically refers to the second half of the tribulation period, which will begin after 42 months of antichristian deception and false world peace. That will be followed by the judgement upon those who have survived the tribulation, and thereafter the institution of Christ’s reign of peace. At the end of His millennial rule, all sinners of all time will appear before the great white throne to be judged (Rev. 20:11-15).