END OF TIME PROPHECIES 213

The consummation of the purposes of God                         Revelation 19v11-22v21.

It all begins with the return of Christ to the earth "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him.............."

This is the climax of the ages; the most dramatic scene in all history is about to be enacted.   We will be considering momentous events such as:

• Revelation 19v11-21      -     The beast and the false prophet banished.
• Revelation 20v 1-10       -     Satan bound for a thousand years and finally cast out.
• Revelation 20v11-15      -     The wicked dead judged and dismissed from God's presence.
• Revelation 21v 1-8       -      All things new.... the eternal state.
• Revelation 21v 9-27     -      The millennium city.
• Revelation 22v 1-5       -      Paradise restored.
• Revelation 22v 6-21     -      Final blessings.

It should be obvious to everyone that all is not right with this world.   Mankind is trying to improve things but with their own ideas.   We have just learned that in the future Satan will send his man to bring in ideal world conditions, but without God.   All this will come to the sad end we have just witnessed, and now the stage is set for God's man, God's answer to the problems in the world.   The section begins with the tremendous words  "I saw heaven opened."   When all man's efforts have crumbled in the dust being symbolised by the destruction of Babylon,  God steps in and opens heaven to reveal the coming One.   This is the One who has been expected and longed for throughout the ages of time.   John the Baptist reflected the aspirations of religious Israel when he says  "are you the coming One?"   The book of the Revelation begins and ends with the declaration with the second coming of Christ (chapter 1v7; chapter 3v11; chapter 22v7; chapter 22v12; chapter 22v20).   All these were the predictions of His coming; what we have here in Revelation 19v11 is the event of His coming and it will be the most spectacular event in all of history.

He has been before, and this has been termed the first advent of Christ.   He is coming again and this is termed His second advent and the contrast between the two advents could not be more pronounced.

• He first came in weakness, He will return in power.
• He first came in poverty, His return will be in vast riches as He takes control of the earth
• He first came unseen and largely unheard.  His second coming will be seen by everyone without exception.
• In His first advent He was mocked by men, in His second advent He will be revered by all.
• He first came with a natural body, He will come again with a glorified body.
• He first came alone, in this second advent he will come with the armies of heaven.
• He first came to save the world, in this He will come to judge the world.
• He first came to a lowly manger in a cattle shed, He is coming again to the throne on Mount Zion from which He will rule the world.  

He is the "seed of the woman" of Genesis 3v15 who would crush the serpent's head.   This opening expression  "heaven opened" is quite unique in the whole of scripture and we shall see its significance as we proceed. The word of the angels at His ascension are certain in Acts 1v11 "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven". This is the record of that glorious event.   

Amazon bookshelf   George Neilly