Pastor Jim Jackson, 11/13/22
God Of The New—pt. 10, God Gives A New Government
Revelation 21:1-27

God gives a new RETURN
At his first coming, was to suffer and die (John 3:16, 17). After he resurrected, he’ll return again—but many believers will die before that time (Luke 21:16-19; John 11:25, 26). At his second coming (Gr. Parousia, ‘coming to be present’—used of a king arriving to a city), Jesus descends on the Mount of Olives with the anti-Christ ruling the earth at the end of the 7-year tribulation (Dan. 9:26, 27; Luke 21:20-28; Acts 1:11; 2 Thess. 2:1-8). Dead believers arrive with Jesus and believers alive on earth will then be caught up or ‘raptured’ (Gr. harpazo, ‘to seize suddenly/snatch away’) to be with Jesus in the air and given their resurrected bodies (Matt. 24:29- 31; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Col. 3:4; 1 John 3:2). In heaven or on earth, believers will become like Jesus! At this time, the world’s armies will have gathered at Armageddon and marched on Jerusalem (Rev. 13:5-10; 16:12-16). From the Mount of Olives, Jesus destroys them all with a word and dissolves soldier and horse like a nuclear holocaust (Zech. 14:1-4, 12-15; Rev. 19:11-21). Millions die as the blood flows for 184 miles (Joel 3:2, 9-16; Rev. 14:20). The return of Jesus isn’t a threat it’s a promise!

God gives a new REIGN
In the Old Testament, the Messiah (‘anointed one’), was expected to deliver God’s people from their enemies and set up his kingdom. Once Jesus defeats the world’s armies and the anti-Christ, resurrected believers and the remaining unsaved on earth will go into 1000 years of peace (the ‘millennium’). During this time, Satan is bound and Jesus rules the world from Jerusalem, fulfilling the OT promises (Ps. 2:6-12; Is. 2:2-4, 9:6, 7; 11:4-10; Zech. 14:16-19; Rev. 20:1-6). God fulfills God’s promises in God’s timing! At the end of the millennium, Satan is released, and he deceives the unregenerate people on earth. When they march to attack the people of God, fire from heaven destroys them (Rev. 20:7-10). Then, everyone who has ever lived is judged at the Great White Throne and receives reward or punishment in either heaven or hell for eternity (Matt. 25:31-33, 46; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-15). A new heaven and earth are created and God dwells on earth with Jesus reigning in peace forever (2 Pet. 3:3-13). The first time, Jesus was a Lamb that was crushed, the second time he returns as a Lion that crushes (Rev. 11:15-18).