Reading …
- John 14:14
Introduction …
- For the past few months we have been going thru our statement of faith and giving teaching on why this church holds to those truths.
- It started with …
- The Glorious Triune God that we worship …
- Stuart spoke on God the Father
- His person and purposes
- Andrew on God the Son … The Lord Jesus
- His person and purposes
- Then David spoke on the third person … The Holy Spirit
- His person and purposes.
- Stuart spoke on God the Father
- Heaven and hell …
- Ali spoke on the reality of both heaven and hell
- Can’t have the one without the other
- The church of God
- Pete Smuts addressed that topic.
- The Glorious Triune God that we worship …
- It started with …
- All of these are what we term essential doctrines …
- Which I believe all bible believing churches would in the main agree on.
- Today we are going to delve into a topic that is at least equally important but to a large degree is no longer taught with any authority in many churches.
- The topic is the return of Jesus to this earth.
- There are different views on the subject but I will endeavour to teach the interpretation that this church has adopted since its inception 70 years ago.
- It is a view that we share with many churches and universities world wide
- It is not a cultish philosophy that we hold to…it is based in history
- It is a view that we share with many churches and universities world wide
How important is the doctrine …
- Just this week I was speaking to a christian friend who thought the subject of the return of Jesus was not that important.
- But here are a few stats for you to consider …
- New Testament books … 23 of 27 make explicit comment on Jesus return
- More than 300 references in 260 chapters…
- One in every 30 verses.
- More than 300 references in 260 chapters…
- Old Testament books …17 books deal with the topic.
- Including Enoch the 7th from Adam … Jude 14
- There are more references to Jesus' return than His first coming … 8 to 1
- Now that's a shocker … surely His first coming is more important.?
- New Testament books … 23 of 27 make explicit comment on Jesus return
- Paul in his writings frequently uses the return of Christ as a form of encouragement in the face of trials…
- Our present sufferings are not worth comparing to the glory that will be revealed in us (when Jesus returns) … Rom 8;18
- Therefore encourage one another with these words … 1 Thess 4;18
- Therefore encourage one another and build each other up … 1 Thess 5;11
- The entire point of the plan of salvation is found in the return of Jesus for His people.
- Let's consider this for a moment …
The purpose of His coming.
- Now I know that some of you know what's coming but some do not and Stuart, as a teacher , assures me that if you do not reinforce what you have taught, within 3 days it is lost.
- So here goes …
- Jesus Christ who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ . For He chose us in Him before the foundation (Creation) of the world … Eph 1;3-4
- God's plan and purpose is …
- Let us make man in our own image …Gen 1;26
- And bless them with every spiritual blessing.
- When was that decision taken …
- Before creation …
- But God is omniscient …
- And knows that Satan will attempt to disrupt the plan
- So all those blessings were subject to his plan of salvation
- So Jesus confirms with his disciples the purposes of God and he says …
- I’m going away to prepare a place for you so that where I am there you may be also… John 14;1-4
- Do you get it …
- The ultimate goal of God's purpose is so that we can be with Him for all eternity.
- So He says “I’m going away … but I am coming back” …
- Why … to take you to be with me
- So we need to understand that there is no purpose to salvation if there is no return to take us to Himself… Right?
- That is how important his return is…
- Frequent mention and the Purpose
Progressive revelation …
- But how can the Infinite God of the Ages communicate His intentions to finite little mankind.
- That is what the bible is all about… it is there that He reveals Himself and His purposes to us …
- But because we are finite He has to do it progressively …
- Just as we teach our children progressively in school.
- So God puts the plan in place …by creating a world for us to live in …Gen 1
- Do you really think it is a coincidence that the earth is the only place in the vast reaches of the cosmic world that's perfectly suited to the existence of mankind.
- There is no other form of life that we know of anywhere… just earth.
- Do you really think it is a coincidence that the earth is the only place in the vast reaches of the cosmic world that's perfectly suited to the existence of mankind.
- Then He creates man and reveals Himself to man in different ways at different times …
- So as we track the history of mankind from Adam to Daniel we see God revealing himself …
- To Adam he is the holy creator of all things…
- To Noah he is the judge of all mankind who saves the faithful few.
- To Abraham he is the promise giver who blesses all mankind
- Who takes a people (Israel) for himself
- To Moses he is the deliverer, and the giver of the holy law
- To David he is the king of kings eternal
- To Daniel he is the sovereign God who dictates the days of every man and the course of world history.
- So as we track the history of mankind from Adam to Daniel we see God revealing himself …
- But in all this history sin is always present causing men to live as they please and denying God his rightful place…
- And each time he comes in judgement …
- Noah and the flood
- Abraham -Jacob it is slavery in Egypt
- Moses in the desert for 40 years
- All the evil kings of Israel and Judah lead the people into paganism and apostasy …
- And so we find Daniel in Babylon for 70 years.
- Both Jerusalem and the temple destroyed.
- And so we find Daniel in Babylon for 70 years.
- And each time he comes in judgement …
- But throughout history the process has been the same …
- Sin followed by judgement of God followed by restoration thru the grace and mercy of a loving God who will always keep his promises to Abraham,
- And it is all working towards the focal point …
- That where I am there you may be also… John 14;1-4
- And it is all working towards the focal point …
- Sin followed by judgement of God followed by restoration thru the grace and mercy of a loving God who will always keep his promises to Abraham,
- Finally we get to the writings of Daniel …
- Which are so important for us to study and know …
- Because in the prophecies of Daniel we have the backbone of all prophecy with regard to the return of Jesus to this earth …
- Daniel reveals to us the God of gods and the King of kings who is sovereign over all the affairs of man.
- And that God of gods reveals to Daniel the future history of mankind right up to the day of His return to earth and beyond.
- So we look and see the chaos that is developing so quickly in this world of ours ..
- But as believers we know where it will all end up …
- Where I am there you will be also.
- But as believers we know where it will all end up …
- That is how important teaching on the coming of Jesus is.
The importance of prophecy …
- You may be thinking …But how do we know it is all true …
- Because there are so many very highly educated people saying it is nonsense.
- I mean how could Daniel who lived in 600b.c. know what will happen 2000 -3000 years later …
- In fact Encyclopedia Britannica says Daniel was not written around 540B.C. but in 164B.C.
- They claim that long range predictive prophecy like this is not possible.
- Well that can't be true because even in 164B.C. a number of the prophecies had not been fulfilled.
- But surely the sovereign God who created the worlds by the word of his mouth and is working inexorably towards His purposes knows the beginning from the end …
- So if you say it is not possible you are saying you are atheist.
- And that is where Daniel comes in …
- He was up against Babylonian kings and Medo Persian kings who were polytheistic.
- And yet they turned to Daniel to interpret their dreams …Dan 2, 4
- He was up against Babylonian kings and Medo Persian kings who were polytheistic.
- One thing you need to remember is that if you were a prophet of God you had to be 100% correct 100% of the time… or you would be put to death …Deut 18;20
- So we need to examine prophecy against history …
- Because true prophecy will always become history …
- That's how important biblical prophecy is
Nebuchadnezzar's dreams…
- This king had 2 dreams that disturbed him …
- In the first one he refuses to give the details of the dream.
- The wise men must give him the details and interpretation
- Of course they tell him that that is an impossible request … Ch 2;10
- In the second dream he tells them the dream but they are still unable to interpret the dream … Ch 4;7
- In the first one he refuses to give the details of the dream.
- In both cases Daniel is able to meet the king's demands and interpret the dreams
- Nebuchadnezzar is so impressed that he bows down to worship Daniel …and orders that an offering and incense be presented to him …ch 2;46
- But Daniel knows it is the God of Heaven that is the revealer of dreams … ch 2;28
- Nebuchadnezzar is so impressed that he bows down to worship Daniel …and orders that an offering and incense be presented to him …ch 2;46
- According to the first dream there would be 4 great empires to come.
- If you look into secular history you will read of the Babylonian empire followed by the Medo Persian empire and Greek empire and the Roman empire…. 1000 years
- The details of these prophecies are all fulfilled to the letter …
- For the sake of time we can look only at one of them … the Grecian empire of Alexander the Great .
Alexander the Great …
- In chapter 7 Daniel has a dream and again it involves the 4 great empires …
- Here they are described as looking like a lion with wings of an eagle.(Babylon) a bear (Medo Persian) a Leopard with 4 wings (Greek) a terrifying beast very powerful with large iron teeth (Rome)
- In chapter 8 Daniel has a vision …
- In that vision you have a Ram and a goat …
- Daniel saw himself near the citadel of Susa …
- Which at the time of writing did not exist …
- He was next to the Ulai canal which was only constructed later to provide water for the citadel of Susa
- The Ram … ch 8;3,4
- It has 2 large horns …
- One shorter than the other
- But it grows longer later …
- One shorter than the other
- He does as he pleases and no one can stand against him …
- It has 2 large horns …
- The goat …ch 8;5
- It has 1 horn protruding from between his eyes …
- He comes from the west
- Crossing the whole earth without touching it …
- He attacks the ram furiously and destroys it completely.
- He becomes very great
- But at the height of his power he dies …
- And his kingdom is split into 4.
- The ram is the Medo Persian empire …
- Initially the Persian empire was smaller than the Medo empire but under Cyrus they became one and Cyrus the Persian reigns as king
- And he was called Cyrus the Great because the kingdom he ruled became even larger in size than Babylon.
- Initially the Persian empire was smaller than the Medo empire but under Cyrus they became one and Cyrus the Persian reigns as king
- Secular history confirms that the goat was Alexander with an army of only 40 000 men coming from the west, then moving down south and finally north devouring all the countries including the Medo Persian empire before going east to the borders of India… 12 years
- His was the greatest empire in terms of size …
- But at the age of just 32 dies an alcoholic with a very deceased body.
- And ultimately his kingdom is divided into 4 and ruled by his 4 generals.
- That is how accurate the prophecies were …
Conclusion …
- All of the above prophecies, along with many others in Daniel, are now historical fact that are supported by secular history.
- Remember biblical prophecy always becomes history
- If that is true what must we conclude about the ones not yet fulfilled.
- Will they in turn become historical fact in time?
- What about Isaiah's prophecies about the birth, life and death of Jesus the Messiah which again were so detailed …
- Or Isaiah's prophecy written 150 years before Cyrus was born naming him to allow them to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city and temple… Is 44;26-28
- You may ask where is this all leading to …
- I home in on prophecy becoming history because in the day and age in which we are living some of the prophecies of Daniel are and have been fulfilled in front of our very eyes and we are not seeing it.
- Ask yourself why small little Israel and small Palestine are occupying the centre stage in the world political scene …
- Surely the Ukraine Russia conflict has greater world importance.
- It’s not about the suffering of innocent people on both sides, some of which are believers I'm sure…
- It’s all about prophecy being fulfilled …
- It’s about the birth pangs of Mathew 24 which precede the coming of the antichrist and the tribulation
- It’s about Jesus coming for His church and ultimately the return of Jesus to this earth.
- Is the subject of the return of Jesus important …
- It is an essential that has been ignored in most churches…
- That I believe is the work of Satan
- Let Medway not make the same mistake.
- It is an essential that has been ignored in most churches…
- Listen to me please…
- King Nebuchadnezzar, Nedonidus, Belshazzar and Darius the Mede all had the opportunity to forsake their polytheistic beliefs.
- They regarded Daniel as a true man of God who believed in the God of gods …
- But there is evidence to suggest that only Nebuchadnezzar recognised the Lord.
- Last week we heard a powerful message about choosing the right leader in your life …
- Today we say with Joshua of only …
- Choose this day whom you will serve.
- And to believers…
- Jesus is coming … fear not … but be encouraged.
- Today we say with Joshua of only …
- King Nebuchadnezzar, Nedonidus, Belshazzar and Darius the Mede all had the opportunity to forsake their polytheistic beliefs.
- Next week we will delve further into the subject and see what Daniel has to say about the end times.
