A. In the End-Times there will be a battle for the truth about Jesus. Jesus stood firm on speaking the truth in His generation, thus He understands the challenge.

B. Jesus is the faithful witness (Rev 1:5; 3:14). Other examples of witnesses are: the two Witnesses (Rev. 11:3, 7); John (Rev 1:2, 9); the End-Time martyrs (Rev. 6:9; 12:11, 17; 19:10; 20:4); and the Tabernacle of the Testimony (Rev. 15:5).

 

 

 

 

C. In the End-Times some believers will give heed to doctrines that lie about the person of Jesus.

D. The conflict in the End-Times will center upon defining who Jesus is and how we love Him. We must love God on His terms. Love for God is loyalty to His truth as seen in Jesus. Our love must be expressed in alliance with the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of humanistic sentiment.

E. Jesus’ final exhortation to the Church was to be faithful witnesses to His Word.

F. Three truths about Jesus that offend humanists include; first, His deity and thus His right to establish absolute standards for which the nations are accountable to Him. Jesus does NOT accept humanistic views of righteousness and love. Second, the only way of salvation is through Jesus. Third, He possesses the wisdom and love to judge sin for all time and eternity.

G. Love of the truth is more than adherence to it. This love takes a firm stand for truth regardless of the cost. Loving truth requires that we commit to accept any new ideas as long as they are substantiated in the Scripture regardless of how different they are from our religious background.

H. The mystery of lawlessness includes man’s “surprising” capacity to hate Jesus and love sin. Humanists believe man is basically good and innocent, thus they hate God’s judgments.

 

I. Some are naïve about the depth of sin that many walk out in the End-Times. The fullness of man’s sinwill be seen in the actions of evil people against one another (Rev. 9:21).

1. Murder: the primary sin on earth (Rev. 6:9-11; 7:13-14; 13:7; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2)
2. Sorceries: occult and demon worship will fill the earth (Rev. 13:3-15; 14:11; 16:13-14)
3. Immorality: demon energized perversion (Rev. 9:20-21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:3; 19:2)
4. Theft: legislation and persecution motivated by theft (i.e., the Nazi’s anti-Semitism)

J. Sin will reach the greatest heights ever in all history in the generation in which the Lord returns.

K. Sin will escalate to such a degree that it will surpass the violence of the days of Noah.

L. The Antichrist will be worshipped in every nation (Rev. 13:4, 8). The nations will hate Jesus and rage against His love and truth (Ps. 2:1-3).

M. Judgment is necessary because God has created the human spirit with the great dignity of free will. Many use their free will to hate God’s love, truth and people. Our freedom to act in love or hatred has real consequences. Our choices really matter to God and really affect others.

A. The true picture of Jesus is to comfort those who receive Him and to confront those who do not.

B. The day of vengeance (Great Tribulation) is in Jesus’ heart. It is dear to Him and rooted in love. It prepares for the year of redemption (Millennium) in which His love is manifest worldwide.

C. Revelation gives us the most complete picture of Jesus in the Scripture emphasizing Him as Bridegroom, King and Judge who manifests His power to win the Harvest and cleanse the earth.

D. Revelation reveals the plans of Jesus as the Bridegroom King who judges all that hinders love. God’s love is expressed and promoted by His redemptive judgments to remove all that hinders love in confronting those who aggressively oppose and hate His love and leadership. God will use the least severe means to reach the greatest number of people at the deepest level of love.

1. Jesus is a passionate Bridegroom who is filled with tender and jealous love.

2. Jesus is a King who will intervene to save the earth by taking over the nations for the glory of God and the good of His people forever.

3. Jesus is a wise and just judge, who will redemptively confront the deep hatred of God and the truth in order to establish love across the whole earth (Rev. 15:3; 16:5-7; 19:2).

E. The clearest picture of Jesus as our Bridegroom King who judges all that opposes love is found in Rev. 19:11-21. There is no contradiction in the “Jesus of Christmas” who brings peace and goodwill to all men who receive Him and the “Jesus of Armageddon” who confronts all who refuse His love.

 

 

A. All in heaven will rejoice as Jesus, through His Church, releases judgment against those who hate God, His truth, and His salvation. What do they understand about God’s judgments?

B. All the saints will rejoice when they see the full fruit of Jesus’ leadership in releasing judgment. Jesus does everything with love. He is zealous to remove all that hinders love. We must not falsely judge Him, the great Judge but rather hold to what the testimony of Scripture says.

 

A. A humanistic belief system is growing in the Church today that esteems temporal comfort far more than God’s holiness and eternity. Jesus is Bridegroom, King and Judge. Many are embarrassed by Jesus as the Judge as if His judgments are lacking love and are too extreme.

B. One aspect of false prophecy is to promise peace and prosperity in a time of coming judgment.

C. The truth is politically incorrect. It exposes our core humanism and fear of man.