Scripture: Luke 1:31-33
Sermon Series: Son of David, Son of God – Sermon 05
Think back over 2023. By the time we reach 11:59:59 p.m. tonight you will have lived almost 9,000 hours and over half a million minutes. Yet for most of us, 2023 will be remembered by just a few minutes, the one or two big things that happened: a birth, a loss, a milestone event, a key memory that will be remembered after the rest of the year has been forgotten.
You and I have collectively lived a lot of years but only a few moments really matter. A few bubble to the top as more significant than all the rest.
That’s how it is in history too. Some events, some milestones matter more than others. We’ve talked about the key one found in 2 Samuel 7, when God made a covenant with King David to always have one of his descendants on the throne. In Luke 1, the angel shares the fulfillment of that promise to Mary: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:31-33).
Jesus is the King whose kingdom has “no end.” At His first coming, He was born as a King, worshipped as a King, accused as a King, mocked as a King and then crucified as a King. Wonderfully, Jesus was raised from the dead as a King and will return as the King of Kings.
We’re concluding our series, Son of David…Son of God (logo) with The Return of the King. The angel promised Mary that Jesus would sit on the throne of David. It didn’t happen with His first coming. At Christmas we think of Jesus as our Savior yet not as King. But He was the Messiah. He’s the King and He’s coming back to take His throne. If you’re taking notes…
1.Jesus will reign on the throne of David. Throughout the Old Testament we’re told the Messiah will be the Son of David. God promised David that his throne would endure forever. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise.
Currently, Jesus is reigning in heaven but He’s coming back to take His earthly throne. Unlike earthly rulers, He’s a King who knows everything. He’s perfectly just and can never be deceived. He transforms men and women by His grace. He’s the King who laid down His life for this world before being raised in victory. It’s the biggest hyperlink in the Christmas narrative: the promised King has come. The next part of God’s promise will be fulfilled. The King will return. It’s why we as believers have hope.
The worst time in this world, the most horrible time for the people of God is coming during what the Bible calls “the Great Tribulation. Even then, there’s hope! At the darkest point in time, King Jesus is still reigning. If there’s hope during hell on earth, the evil of our world today is miniscule in comparison.
A wonderful reality of knowing God’s Word is we know the outcome and final score. We’re on the winning side. Good will triumph over evil, truth will win over the lie, love conquers hate and Jesus Christ will reign. There’s hope! Jesus is coming back. When the King returns, He’s coming to conquer!
In the 19th chapter of the book of Revelation we’re told of His second coming. Revelation 19:11-16 (p. 976): “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The One sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on His head are many diadems, and He has a name written that no one knows but Himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On His robe and on His thigh He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.”
It’s the greatest event the world will ever experience, and one which Christians should long for. The Bible calls it the “blessed hope.” Jesus Christ’s second coming is our great hope.
The most significant event in Bible prophecy is the 2nd Coming of Christ. There are over 300 prophecies about the 2nd coming, making it one of the most important doctrines in Scripture. For every prophecy in the Bible about the first coming of Jesus, there are eight concerning His Second Coming. All the roads of history and prophecy converge at this point.
Jesus’ return is the climax of human history. He’ll return at the end of the Tribulation, at what’s known as the 70th week of Daniel, to conquer His enemies and usher in a thousand-year millennial kingdom. Before Jesus reigns, He must war and conquer. Revelation 19 describes the last gasp of Satan’s rebellion and his devastating defeat at the Battle of Armageddon.
2. There is coming the Mother of all wars. OnSeptember 2, 1945, General Douglas MacArthur (picture) stood on the deck of the USS Missouri in Tokyo harbor. MacArthur, who’d commanded America’s hard-fought victory in the Pacific, had just witnessed the signatures of Japan’s leaders ending World War II. On that day MacArthur, uttered a profound warning that he later repeated in his famous farewell address before Congress: “We have had our last chance…If we do not now devise some greater and more equitable system, Armageddon will be at our door.”
Armageddon. The very word chills the soul. Here’s a map (picture) of Armageddon.It’s also known as Megiddo. When Napoleon (picture) looked over the plains of Megiddo, he observed that it was “the most natural battlefield of the whole earth.” God’s Word tells us another world war is coming. Armageddon will make all other wars look like minor skirmishes.
While the word Armageddon is mentioned only once in the Bible, the mountain of Megiddo has a rich biblical history. Megiddo means “mountain of slaughter.” It was at Megiddo that Deborah and Barak defeated the Canaanites (Judges 4-5). It was there that Gideon defeated the Midianites (Judges 7). King Saul was killed in battle there by the Philistines (1 Samuel 31) and King Josiah was killed there by the invading Egyptians (2 Kings 23).
Those aren’t the only battles that have been fought on this bloody ground. There has been a long succession of battles waged at Armageddon as great armies marched across it one after the other—the Crusaders, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Turks, and Arabs. During World War I, British General Edmund Allenby (picture) led his army against the Turks in a fierce battle on the plains of Armageddon. According to scholar Alan Johnson, “More than 200 battles have been fought at or near there.” Megiddo has earned its awful name: it’s indeed a Mount of Slaughter.
It’s here the evil trio: Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet will gather their massive armies for a last stand against God. It’s where the end of the world as we know it will culminate. It will be the greatest battle ever fought, the most decisive victory ever achieved, and greatest defeat ever suffered.
The armies of the world will converge at Armageddon on a collision course with one another, but their intent will change when Jesus appears. Instead of battling each other, the armies of the earth will unite to fight King Jesus and the armies of heaven. This isn’t the rapture. Jesus comes for His own in the clouds at the rapture. This is Jesus’ 2nd Coming at the end of the Tribulation.
While the phrase “the battle of Armageddon” is a familiar one, it’s somewhat misleading. It’s not a single battle. It’s a whole series of conflicts that culminate with the Second Coming. The Greek word polemos, translated battle in Revelation 16:14, signifies a war or campaign. Armageddon is really a campaign of numerous battles among a number of nations over a period of time near the end of the Tribulation.
The battle of Armageddon isn’t geographically isolated to the region around the plain of Megiddo. Revelation 14 tells us that the land involved in this end time campaign is about 180 miles in length. Several other locations are mentioned in the Bible other than Megiddo – Jerusalem, the valley of Jehoshaphat, and Edom. The armies that gather and the hundreds of millions of combatants are apparently spread out over a much larger area than the plain of Megiddo. John calls this area of land the “winepress” of God’s wrath.
It’s a Satanic motivated battle. This is a battle inspired by the anti-God trinity (Satan, the beast and false prophet) to overthrow God’s true Trinity. The demons who call the kings to battle come from the members of this unholy trio. It’s a desperate war against King Jesus. Armageddon is the climax of the angelic conflict that began in heaven, was transferred to earth, and now has come full circle as Satan tries to defeat God.
Armageddon is the world’s final response to God’s plea for repentance. Throughout the Tribulation, God will call people to repent. Most refuse and align themselves with the Antichrist. In the end God will allow Satan to gather his armies to face defeat and God’s swift judgment. In Joel 3 the place of this battle is called “the valley of decision.” It’s where unbelievers will make their decision to join Satan in waging war against God.
It’s a politically motivated battle. The Antichrist promotes himself from a European leader to a world leader, to a tyrannical global dictator, and finally to a god. But his grip on global power won’t last long. The world will become increasingly discontented with the leadership of this diabolical dictator, who violates every promise he made. Major segments of the world will assemble their own military forces to rebel against him.
The king of the south and his armies will be the first to come after the Antichrist, followed by the armies of the north (Daniel 11:40). A great army from Africa, including not only Egypt but other countries of that continent will come to fight the Antichrist. This army, probably numbering in the millions, will attack the Middle East from the south. At the same time Russia and other armies from the north will mobilize another powerful military force to descend on the Holy Land, challenging this world dictator. Although Russia had a severe setback four years earlier in the prophetic sequence of events, she apparently has been able to recoup her losses enough to put another army on the battlefield. The Antichrist will put down some of these first attempts at rebellion against him, but before he can celebrate and move forward in his goal of destroying Israel, something will happen…Revelation 16:12, “The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river Euphrates, and its water was dried up, to prepare the way for the kings from the east.”
The Euphrates is one of the world’s greatest rivers. Flowing from Turkey, through Syria, it continues through Iraq, not far from Baghdad, and finally empties, into the Persian Gulf. What’s the significance of the drying up of the Euphrates River and why will that event have such a disturbing effect on the Antichrist? The drying-up of the Euphrates is a prelude to the final act of this worldwide conflict; the kings of the east are entering into this conflict.
Is it any wonder this world dictator is so disturbed? Just when it appears he’s about to gain total control, he receives word that the Euphrates has dried up and massive armies from the east are crossing it to attack him. He thought he was safe, as no army could cross this barrier and come into the Israeli arena where he fought. Now that the barrier is down, an army of unprecedented numbers is marching toward him.
How large will that army be? Revelation 9:16, “The number of mounted troops was twice ten thousand times ten thousand; I heard their number” It’s an army of two hundred million and they’ll all meet on Israel’s front porch. When this unprecedented army crosses the Euphrates against the Antichrist, the greatest war of all history, involving hundreds of millions of combatants will be set in motion. It all happens at what is known as Armageddon.
The reason behind the reason for Armageddon. Armageddon will begin with a conflict between the armies of the world but will end with all of these armies uniting against the armies of heaven coming with King Jesus at His 2nd Coming, “I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against Him who was sitting on the horse and against His army” (Revelation 19:19). The Bible doesn’t tell us how the opposing armies unite to fight against Jesus. It simply states that they do and it’s Satan’s influence that draws them together.
2. God always keeps His promises: The King of Kings is coming back. This isn’t the Lamb of God of His 1st coming. It’s the Lion of the tribe of Judah. The King of Kings is coming from heaven to battle His enemies.
Twice in Revelation we’re told that the door to heaven is opened. It’s first opened to receive the Church into heaven at the rapture. Now the door opens a second time for Jesus Christ and the armies of heaven to come back to conquer Satan and establish Christ’s rule here on earth. The first opening is for the rapture of the Church; the second is for the return of Christ!
When Jesus arrives, the moment His feet touch the Mount of Olives, the mountain will split apart, creating a broad passageway from Jerusalem to Jericho. It will be an unprecedented geological cataclysm. Describing it, Tim LaHaye (picture) wrote: “There will be a Stellar Event. Celestial. Cosmic. Greater than earth. Greater than the heavens. And it will suck the air out of humanity’s lungs and send men and women and kings and presidents and tyrants to their knees. It will have no need of spotlights, fog machines, amplified music, synthesizers, or special effects. It will be real.”
Christ’s return will be amplified by a devastating spectacle that makes Hollywood disaster movies look like Saturday morning cartoons. The world will finally recognize its rightful King. Jesus came the first time in humility and simplicity, this time His might and majesty will be spectacularly displayed for all to see.
Satan and his allies will try to fight King Jesus. Could there be anything more futile than creatures fighting against their Creator? Yet futility is typical of hearts hardened against God. Somehow the beast and false prophet persuade the armies of the earth to go to war against Christ and the armies of heaven. It’s like convincing mice to declare war against lions. This final war will be the culmination of all the rebellion that men have leveled against God from the Fall in Eden! There’s no doubt about the outcome. King Jesus is returning to conquer and claim His throne. What a return it will be!
John said that “every eye will see Him” (Rev. 1:7). Some believe Christ and His heavenly armies will travel around the globe, passing in front of the sun during daylight hours so every person on earth will witness this incredible sight. The return of Christ will be unlike anything ever seen or experienced before. Notice what Scripture says about Christ as He rides out of heaven.
The Garments He Wears. At His return Jesus will wear “many crowns.” These crowns are symbols of His conquest. He’s coming to put down rebellion and rule the world. He also wears “a robe dipped in blood.” because He’s coming for judgment. There will be no question about Jesus’ authority or purpose when He returns.
The Armies He Commands. But Jesus isn’t coming back alone. “The armies of heaven were following Him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean” (Revelation. 19:14). These are the angels and all the saints in heaven, including the Church which was raptured before the Tribulation. It means we’re in His army. These saints are dressed in white linen, which is symbolic of righteousness—in this case, the “righteous deeds of the saints” (Revelation. 19:8). Why are we in righteous dress? After the rapture, we’ll go through the Judgment Seat of Christ where our unworthy acts will all be burned up. Only the good remains so when we return with Christ to reign with Him in His kingdom, we’ll appear in righteous clothing.
The Sword He Wields. I’ve always loved swords. One of my favorite swords is not very big but it’s very special to me. My son, Aaron, brought it back for me after his mission trip to China. Revelation 19:15 says, “Coming out of His mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron scepter. He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty.” The sharp sword in Jesus’ mouth is God’s Word. It’s a sign of judgment…so is the imagery of the “winepress” of God’s wrath.
When He returns, Jesus Christ will judge the nations. So certain is this judgment, so sure is the outcome that even before Armageddon begins, an angel appears to announce the outcome and invite the birds to “the great supper of God” (Revelation 19:17) at which they will feed on the carcasses of all of God’s enemies. Remember the movie The Birds (picture)? That’s a little of the scene that awaits the enemies of King Jesus.
Those gathered against Jesus at Armageddon are those who refused to repent during the Tribulation. When you refuse to repent, judgment is all that awaits you. It’s why this concludes with a chilling description, “And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small” (Revelation 19:17-18).
Though a gruesome description, it reveals an important insight: the angel proclaims victory and invites the vultures to this supper, even before Jesus has slain anyone by the word of His mouth. The armies are massed together for what they think is a great battle during which they’ll overthrow God, but what they’re really gathering for is a great judgment in which they’ll become bird food when Christ simply speaks the Word from His mouth. The angel knows Jesus’ victory is certain.
It all ends with the Beast and the false prophet being thrown into the lake of fire. History as we know it is over. A new chapter is commencing. The millennial kingdom is about to be established. At last, the promises given to King David are fulfilled. Jesus, His descendant, will rule and administer justice and righteousness throughout the earth.
Conclusion: In1 Thessalonians 4, Paul shares that the purpose of all that he’s written about the return of Christ is to comfort us, “Therefore encourage one another with these words.” Before Jesus comes back to take His throne, He’s coming back for us, His Bride, the Church. We’re all going to get Home before dark. We’re to use this fact to encourage one another! But we must be ready! We’re only ready if Jesus is our King now!
So, let me ask the most important question that can ever be asked: Is Jesus your King? But before Jesus can be your King, before you can be a Christian, you must first know that you were His enemy. Before coming to Christ, though you may not have realized it, you hated God. You didn’t want Him to rule over your life or command you. Christians know that prior to surrendering to Christ, they were His enemies. Romans 5:10, “For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life.”
Now some may be thinking, “That’s silly. The average person doesn’t hate God.” Michael Kinsley (picture) in an editorial for The New Republic said, “That to say more and more Americans are hostile to God is bull. Over 95% of Americans believe in God. Is it easier to get up in public and say that I don’t believe in God or is it easier to get in public and say that I do believe in God?” His point was that it’s still popular to believe in God.
But he’s wrong. Actually, he’s defined things wrong. The Bible doesn’t say that people don’t believe in the concept of God or are hostile to the idea of God. What people hate is the biblical God. The biblical God is the one who thunders from Mount Sinai, “Be holy for I am holy.” The biblical God holds us accountable for every sin. The biblical God judges us if we don’t come to the Cross and surrender our lives to Christ. That’s the God of the Bible.
Let me ask that question again: Is Jesus your King? If He’s your King, three things will be true in your life.
You obey Him. Some of you think that you’re obeying but you’re not. For example, the Bible says we’re to always tell the truth. Do you seek to tell the truth? The Bible teaches it’s wrong to hate others or be bitter. Do you seek to be loving and forgiving? The Bibles teaches that sex is to be a permanent covenant to one person. In other words, you’re either married and faithful or celibate if you’re obeying God.
It’s not that you’re perfect but by God’s grace, you’re committed to obeying God. Many profess that Jesus is King but He’s really only a consultant for them. When Jesus is King of your life, you obey Him.
You submit to Him. You accept the way that He is ordering your life. Some obey as long as things are going their way BUT if trials or pain happen, they get angry or bitter and won’t trust Him or submit to Him. Submitting to Him means that we say, “not my will but your will King Jesus.” It’s not that it doesn’t hurt, or you don’t struggle, but you trust Him.
You rely on Him. That simply means that if you add anything to Jesus as a requirement for being happy, your “happiness requirement” is your real king not Jesus. If you come to Jesus and say, “I’ll be happy to become a Christian as long as these things happen.” Many times, we come to Jesus because things are unraveling in our lives and if they don’t straighten out, then we’re ready to throw out Christianity. If you need anything else to make you happy besides your relationship with Jesus Christ, then He’s not your King.
Jesus is coming back. Are you ready? Have you heard of the Drake Hotel (picture) in Chicago. It’s an old, 1st class hotel that overlooks Lake Michigan. In 1959, the Queen of England visited Chicago. Elaborate preparations were made. The waterfront was prepared for docking her yacht. Trash cans were repainted. The red carpet was rolled out. Hotels were alerted to be ready, but when they contacted the Drake, the manager said, “We are making no plans for the Queen; our rooms are always ready for royalty.”
Is your life ready for divine royalty? Don’t let Christ’s return catch you unprepared! The Return of the King will happen. He could come today! The shout and the trumpet call could come at any moment and believers would be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Are you ready? So, how should that motivate us as believers? 1 Corinthians 15:58. “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
But if He’s not your King, it should be frightening. If you don’t know King Jesus, as your personal Savior, if you haven’t been born again, you’ll be left behind. Please don’t let that happen. Come to Jesus today! Accept Him as your Savior and King!