THE KEY TO PROPHECY

Our text:

Revelation:

Chapters 4:1-4; 6:1-4; 13:17,18; 16:16; 19:11-15; 20:1-6

Intro:

Just as you need keys to drive your car or to lock your house, you also need some keys to understand the prophecy of the Bible.

The return of the Lord Jesus Christ will happen in two phases.

1.) He will come to get His Bride, His Church.

1Th 4:13  But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17  [Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds], to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

He will not come all the way to the ground at this time. It is called the “Rapture of the Church”.

2.) He will come to end the tribulation period and begin the Millennial Kingdom.

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
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.
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Act 1:11  Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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.
Act 1:12  Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day’s journey.

I.) Post Millennialism:

This is the false view of the last things that teaches that we are now in the period before the Millennium. These that teach this say that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit. That the world will eventually be Christianized. The term “postmillennialism” means Christ will return AFTER the Millennium.

They have adopted an optimistic view with respect to this present age, envisioning a golden age of progress in the church age that affects every aspect of life: economic, social, cultural, and political. This falsely teaches that the Church will be triumphant, spreading the gospel to the ends of the earth resulting in the eradication of evil. That Christian principles will rule and Christ will return to a Christianized Earth.

a.) They teach that Jesus will return literally and bodily.
b.) They teach that Christ will not come till after the Kingdom Age.
c.) They are attuned to the teaching of Charles Hodge, William Shedd, B. B. Warfield, A. A. Hodge, A. H. Strong and Daniel Whitbe a Unitarian.

They are ultra, ultra, ultra liberal.

d.) All of Whitbe’s other teachings have been discarded for their falseness.

e.) He was known world wide as a heretic. Which is to say A Nut, A Fruitcake.

f.) This one teaching is all that is left of his teachings, yet many still believe or follow this teaching because it fits there own false beliefs.

II.) A Millennialism

The “A” before millennial negates the term. This is a false belief that says there will be no future Millennium. These people do not deny the literal return of Christ but they reject a literal one thousand year reign of Christ on this earth.

According to them Revelation 20:4-6 refers to “the present reign souls of the dead believers with Christ in Heaven.

They have their own explanation for the Book of Revelation. They believe the second coming of Christ will be one single event. This event being at the end of the world the day of consummation.

They believe the resurrection of the believer will be fundamentally in this our present bodies.

They believe that Heaven will be on this earth.

a.) They teach there will be no Millennial Kingdom.
b.) They substitute the world kingdom from the world church (such as the Kingdom Hall).
c.) They teach that it is an invisible kingdom and we are living in it now. (a metaphor)
d.) Oswald Alice is behind most of this falseness.
e.) They reject the “rapture of the Church” and “the second coming of Christ to this earth”.

There are many atheist jumping on this bandwagon so they can say “I Now believe”.

III.) Pre Millennialism

There are two basic features of this belief.

1.) There is a distinction between God’s program for Israel and God’s program for the Church.
2.) That the Bible must be accepted as literal.
A.) Literal interpretation refers to understanding words and statements in their normal customary way. Because prophecies concerning Christ first coming were fulfilled, it just makes good sense to expect the prophecies concerning His second coming to be fulfilled.
B.) The term Israel always refers to the physical posterity of Jacob, nowhere does it refer to the Church. There is no new Israel, just that same nation whom God made the covenant promises.

a.) “Pre” means before, (coming before the one thousand year reign).
b.) Rapture means:

Rev 4:1  After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.
Rev 4:2  And immediately I was in the spirit: and, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and one sat on the throne.

c.) Tribulation means:

Rev 6:1  And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
Rev 6:2  And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

Rev 13:7  And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.
Rev 13:8  And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

Rev 16:16  And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

d.) The Second coming means:

Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
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.
Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
Rev 19:14  And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
Rev 19:15  And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

e.) The Millennial Kingdom means:

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
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.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

f.) Eternity means:

Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Rev 21:1  And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
Rev 21:2  And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
Rev 21:3  And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.
Rev 21:4  And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.

C.) There are two Rapture beliefs:

1.) Pre-tribulation
2.) Mid-tribulation

(I believe in the Pre-Tribulation)

The Apostles believed just as I do that the Rapture was eminent and could happen at anytime. They thought it could happen in their lifetime. (Study the Epistles)

Josephus and Justin Martyr, Neither one writers of the Bible but historical writers at the time of Jesus through 100 AD, wrote the same belief that the Apostles and all disciples had at that time.

IV.) I REJECT A MILLENNIALISM BECAUSE:

A.) I Reject the Doctrine of Rome.
B.) It denies the Coming Kingdom Promises to Israel.
C.) It is a hot bed for LIBERALISM.

V.) I REJECT POST MILLENNIALISM BECAUSE:

A.) IT TAKES BIBLICAL EVENTS OUT OF ORDER.
B.) IT GIVES REDEMPTIVE POWER TO MAN RATHER THAN GOD
C.) THIS DOCTRINE IS ON THE WAY OUT

The Bible says:

2Ti 3:16  [All scripture is given by inspiration of God], and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
2Ti 3:17  That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

1Jn 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

The Bible does not give us leeway to go against what it says.

God says what He means and God means what He says.

Are you a true believer?

Isa 44:5  One shall say, I am the LORD’S; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob; and another shall subscribe with his hand unto the LORD, and surname himself by the name of Israel.
Isa 44:6  Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.
Isa 44:7  And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
Isa 44:8  Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any.

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

You will never understand prophecy without this Key!

Let’s Pray!