Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13

Revelation 19:1
Nov 14th, 2010
Exploring RevelationArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Prophecy;Book Study

 “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,” Verse 1.

The tribulation period is now coming to an end. Christ is about to return to the earth and the battle of Armageddon is about to conclude. The judgment of the sheep and goats will follow. Then the marriage supper of the Lamb will take place on earth as the millennial kingdom begins.

“After these things,” that is, after the events of chapters 17 and 18. In chapter 17 the harlot church was destroyed. Verse 16, “And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.” This destruction had taken place at the mid tribulation point.

In chapter 18, the destruction of the kingdom of Antichrist has taken place at the end of the tribulation period. The two Babylon’s have now been destroyed. Revelation 18:24 tells us what was found in the two Babylon’s, “And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth.”

All through the dark ages the mystery Babylon, the Roman Catholic Church, has shed the blood of countless saints of Christ. During the tribulation period the harlot church and kingdom of Antichrist will slay multiplied millions of tribulation saints.

In Revelation 6:9-11, the fifth seal is opened and the martyrs are seen in heaven crying to God to avenge their blood. They are told to rest a little while until the other believing martyrs should join them. In chapters 17-18 the avenging of the blood of those martyrs takes place. This is the setting for chapter 19.

As we come to chapter 19 there is a great celebration in heaven.  “I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia...” 

The scene in heaven is one of rejoicing, we are given the reason in Revelation 18:20, “Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her.”

There is a drastic change in the tone of the book of Revelation at this point. The end of the tribulation has come. The great judgments of the beast and Babylon are now about to be consummated. The darkness now turns to light. Judgment now turns to blessing. The greatest event for the earth is now ushered in, the second coming of Christ to establish His millennial reign. Revelation 19 forms a bridge between the great tribulation and the millennium.

The two major events of Revelation 19 are;

1 – The Marriage of the Lamb.

2 – The Second coming of Christ.

There are two great suppers.

1 – The Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

2 – The Cannibalistic Feast of the Birds after Armageddon.

No wonder there is rejoicing in heaven. We read about the waiting time for this in Romans 8:19-22, “For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God.
For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,
Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.
For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.”

We are today still in that waiting time. Believers of the present church age will receive the redemption of their bodies at the rapture. The Old Testament saints, including the tribulation martyrs, will receive the redemption of their bodies at the end of the tribulation, therefore we see great jubilation in heaven because of that.

So we have, at this point in heaven, the church saints in their glorified bodies. We have also in heaven, at this point, the Old Testament saints in their disembodied spirits.

All heaven rejoices at the prospect of the Old Testament saints being resurrected. All heaven rejoices at the prospect of earth being renewed to its former glory. All heaven rejoices at the prospect of Christ coming to rule the earth.

Matthew 4:18-22 Pt 2
Nov 14th, 2010
Weekly Bible StudyArt Sadlier
Categories: Commentary;Exhortation;Book Study

3- The Qualities of a Good Fisherman

A – He must be patient

It takes time to find a school of fish. He needs to wait for the right time of day or night. He must learn to be patient. Likewise with soul winning, it is rare to see quick results. Motives may be misunderstood; reaction at first may be negative.

B – He must persevere

If he doesn’t catch a fish in the morning he must try again in the afternoon and the evening. If one place is not productive he must try somewhere else. The soul winner must keep scattering the seed. The more seed we sow the greater the harvest; that is the law of sowing and reaping. The heart that is barren today may be open and hungry tomorrow.

C – He must have courage

The fisherman must go out on the sea. Sometimes the winds blow and the waves rise up, but he must go anyway. The soul winner must go out on the sea of life. There is always danger in telling men the truth. The soul winner is willing to risk all to sow the seed.

D – He must use the right tackle

Conditions dictate to the fisherman the right tackle and method he must use. He must know how to fish. The soul winner must be prepared. He must know how to approach people. He must know how to present the gospel simply and effectively.

E – He must keep himself out of sight

The fisherman must attract the fish to the bait or to the net. If he is seen he will drive the fish away. The soul winner is to hold out Jesus Christ and let men see how attractive Christ is. If he is seen himself he will drive men away.

Jesus is about to launch these disciples into an intensive three year soul winning program. It was a study course. “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth,” 2 Timothy 2:15.

Let me ask you, Could you quietly and effectively lead someone to Christ right now? Some researchers say that as many as 95% of all Christians have never led a soul to Christ. If that is true 95% of the world’s violins have never been played. There is in the heart of every true believer a desire to share Christ with others. I challenge you to begin to share Christ.

Illustration

The hymn, “let the lower lights be burning” is based on a story told by D.L. Moody. A ship was coming into the harbour on Lake Erie. It was a very stormy night. The harbour had two sets of lights, one on the bluffs above the harbour that could be seen for miles. The other set was down on the channel that led to the harbour. The lower lights were placed to guide the ship through the rocks safely into the harbour. On that particular night the lower lights had not been turned on. The pilot suggested that the ship stay out in the lake until daybreak. The captain was afraid the ship could not withstand the storm all night. He decided to risk making the harbour. However, without the lower lights to guide it, the ship was wrecked on the rocks and many of the crew drowned.

Mr. Moody said, “The upper lights in heaven are burning brightly, but what about the lower lights? The lower lights are the testimonies of the believers.”

Are your lights burning brightly? Can lost men and women around you see the light of the gospel as they live near you?

A hundred thousand souls a day; are passing one by one away, in Christ less guilt and gloom, without one ray of hope or light, with future dark as endless night. They are passing to their doom.

They’re passing, passing fast away, a hundred thousand souls a day, In Christ less guilt and gloom, O church of Christ, what will you say when the awful judgment day, they charge you with their doom?