Preached By Bobby D. GaytonSunday AM12-30-2012
PREMILLENNIALISM #5
Armageddon And The Reign Of Christ
INTRODUCTION
A.We have seen that God works out His will – EP 1:11-12.
B.We have also seen that God had/has an eternal plan. EP 3:9-12.
C.All of the promises that were given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob have been fulfilled.
Cf. Joshua 21:43-45; 23:14-16.
D.Chart.
E.Premillennialism: Jesus failed to establish his kingdom in the first century.
1.Could not by persuasion, but will by force.
2.Jesus said he could the first time, but did not.
a.More than 12 legions of angels, MT 26:53.
b.One angel killed 185,000, 2 KI 19:35.
F.Bible: kingdom established 1st century, co 1:13
1.Christ is king of kings, 1 TI 6:15.
2.We are citizens of the kingdom, 1 PT 2:9.
3.Kingdom will stand until the judgment, 1 CO15:23, 24.
4.We enter it in the new birth, JN 3:3-5:35.
DISCUSSION
I.ARMAGEDDON.
A.Premillennialism teaches: J. Dwight Pentecost in his book, Things To Come states:
1.“The ‘kings of the earth and of the whole world’ are to be gathered together through the activity of the trinity from hell to what is called ‘the battle of that great day of God Almighty’ (RE 16:14).”
2.“This confluence of the nations of the earth is in a place called Armageddon (RE 16:16). There God deals in judgment with the nations because of their persecution of Israel... because of their sinfulness ...and because of their godlessness... ”
B. The Bible teaches:
1.Mentioned in one chapter RE 16:12-16.
2.If literal then it follows that the River Euphrates will dry and that they will have frogs” for generals!
3.Symbolic language, RE 1:1; 5:6-7. Armageddon symbolic of a battle with a decisive victory, JD 5:19.
4.The Lord’s kingdom is not of this world,JN 18:33-36.
a.Weapons are not carnal, 2 CO 10:3-5.
b.Spiritual battle, 1 TI 6:12; Acts 26:18.
5.Notes on RE 16:12.
a.This is the sixth bowl and is like the 6th trumpet and affects the river Euphrates. Remember that with the 6th trumpet the border guards were removed. Now, the waters are dried up.
b.By removing the border guards, Titus, the Roman general, left the eastern border of the empire open for the Parthians and Jews who lived beyond the river to intervene in the war. Josephus stated this in Preface, 2; cf. 7, 4, 2-3, “the Jews had hoped that all their nation which were beyond Euphrates would have raised an insurrection together with them.”
c.With the removal of the border guard the way was opened for them to come, but they did not come.
6.Notes on RE 16:13-14.
a.the “three unclean spirits like frogs” = the united effort of Satan, the empire, and paganism in the conflict.
b.Satan’s interest is to destroy the woman by a great flood, 12:14-16. By destroying the nation of Israel, Satan hoped to destroy the church.
c.The empire’s interest is to bring the Jews into submission to Rome.
d.The paganism’s interest is much the same as that of the empire and also they were seeking to destroy the only organized religion of strength in the world that opposed their right to exist.
e.Judaism was a thorn in the flesh to all pagan religions.
f.Upon Vespasian’s ascension to the throne of Rome, Titus, his son, was ordered to Palestine to gather an army to march against Jerusalem. Cf. Josephus’ Wars 5, 1, 6; 5, 2, 1.
7.Notes on RE 16:15.
a.Here the Lord speaks.
b.Warning had been given about the destruction of Jerusalem in MT 24; MK 13; LK 21. But the day and hour was not told to them, MT 24:36.
c.This is a reminder for them to watch and to keep.
8.Notes on RE 16:16.
a.The development of the 6th bowl of wrath continues as we are shown the place for the gathering of the forces to be used by Satan in the battle.
b.Remember that three unclean spirits went forth to gather these armies. Each had special unclean interests to serve. But notice, it is HE who gathers them. Three went forth to gather them, but it is HE who gathered them. Who is this person? It is Titus, the Roman General, who has been selected by his father and entrusted with the task. He gathers them into a place called Armageddon, which means in the Hebrew “mountain of Megiddo.”
c.Josephus’ Wars, 4, 11, 5; 5, 1, 1; 5, 1, 6. Here Josephus tells us that when Titus left Egypt with orders from his father to subdue the Jews that he returned, “to Caesarea, having taken a resolution to gather all his other forces together at that place.”
d.One needs to remember that Caesarea was within sight of Mt. Carmel, the mountain of Megiddo, and that those armed forces coming from the northern regions must pass through Megiddo before reaching the appointed place of gathering. Titus stayed in the regions around Caesarea until most of the forces from the north arrived, and then moved onto Jerusalem for the “battle of the great day of God Almighty.”
e.Remember that from their standpoint this battle is against God, but from God’s standpoint it is His battle against His rebellious people, Israel.
f.Note the text – 16:16 – within its context. It says only that the kings of the earth and the world were to be gathered for the battle of that great day of God Almighty and the place where they were to be gathered was called Armageddon. It says nothing a battle being fought there.
II.THE REGIN OF CHRIST.
A.Premillennialism teaches: J. Dwight Pentecost in his book, Things To Come states:
“It is evident that there can and will be no earthly theocratic kingdom apart from the personal manifested presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. This whole age depends upon His return to the earth as promised. All that exists in the millennium has its origin in the King who is revealed.”
B.The Bible teaches:
1.RE 20:1-6.
a.If a literal 1000 year reign, then – Actual a bottomless pit; Satan is a dragon; and Satan can be bound with a chain.
b.Meaning of the passageSatan is limited in his power,JA. 4:7; 1 CO 10:13
Satan is a diabolical being1,000 years: a complete time.
2.Christ reigns now.
a.On the throne of David, Acts 2:25-36.
b.Began after resurrection, HE 10:10-13.
c.Continues until last day, 1 CO 15:20-28.
3.Why Christ will not sit on an earthly throne.
a.No descendent of Coniah to sit on the throne of David, JE 22:28-30; MT 1:11.
b.Christ refused it already, JN 6:15.
3.If Christ is not now on the throne of David, then:
a.The apostles have no authority,MT 16:18, 19.
b.There is no communing in the Lord’s blood, MT 26:26-29.
c.There is no need for the mew birth, JN 3:3-5.
CONCLUSION
A.Jesus came to sit up a spiritual kingdom.
B.Jesus came to die so that we could have the forgiveness of our sins and live in the spiritual kingdom.
C.MT 7:21-27.