10 POINTS IN PONDERING PAYDAY

Today the teaching about the Judgment Seat of Christ is absent from too many evangelical pulpits. Why is it that most evangelical pastors, who are assigned by the Lord to proclaim the whole counsel of God, fail to have serious sermons about this coming payday for the believers in Jesus Christ? This was part of the discussion I had this past week with a good friend. We can’t answer the question with certainty, but we believe that such a subject focuses on our accountability, and accountability is something that many believers don’t particularly like. (This is one of those subjects that usually doesn’t fill the pews of the church). And furthermore, some pastors simply stay away from prophetic subjects, seeing them as too complex or controversial. But our appearing before the Lord Jesus Christ will be an awesome event and it is an event that will profoundly impact our position and privilege in the future, forever kingdom of God. The Apostle Paul succinctly covered the matter for us when he said,

Things which eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him. (1 Cor. 2:9)

There are certain key points about this coming “payday” that would be valuable to remember and to have fixed in our thinking. 

#1 – God’s original purposes related to fellowship and rulership will be restored in the future kingdom of God and the judgment seat of Christ plays a significant part in that.

The future kingdom of God (Rev. 20-22) is best understood by looking at God’s original intentions in the creation account (Gen. 1-3).  The restoration of fellowship through the work of Jesus Christ on the cross is well understood by most believers, but the restoration of rulership through the Son of Man is often overlooked.  Rulership in the coming kingdom is a matter of focus at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  Believers who are faithful in this life will rule in the next one. (2 Tim. 2:11-13). This emphasis on ruling and reigning with Christ is a theme found in the N.T. and is an issue that will be featured at the Judgment Seat. 

#2 – Salvation is a free gift of God that once received cannot be lost, but rewards can be lost.

The New Testament makes a distinction between rewards that are earned by good works and salvation, which is a gift from God with no human works involved.  Salvation is always viewed as a gift freely given by God based on the cross. Believers do not earn salvation, nor can they lose it.  Believers may, however, lose reward depending on whether their works are “good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 3:15). The Apostle is clear that believers at the Judgment Seat will be “recompensed” (given a paycheck). It could be good or not so good. 

#3 – Sin does not affect our POSITION as children of God but it does affect our present FELLOWSHIP as well as our future REWARDING.

All sin was fully paid for on the cross by the Lord Jesus. His work of redemption was complete.  This includes sins we may commit today or in the future.  While our sins as believers will not remove us from our position as God’s children, we are aware that they do have consequences. These sins, if not confessed, will not only hurt present fellowship and the quality of life now, but they will also impact our rewards at the Judgment Seat.  So, it is unwise and unbiblical to say that since Christ paid for all our sins, sin will not affect what transpires at the Judgment Seat.

#4 – In the Bible, rewards are presented as an important motivation for living the Christian life, but not the only motivation.

Many Christians view rewards negatively, suggesting that they are a poor motivation for serving Christ.  It is vital to remember that rewards are presented by Jesus and the Apostles as an important motivation for Christian living.  The Apostle Paul informs us that he was motivated by four realities: (1) by rewards, (2) by the fear of God, (3) by a love for Christ and (4) by the real needs of people (2 Cor. 5:10-16).  If rewards are an inferior motivation, then Jesus and the Apostles got it wrong.

#5 – The criteria used at the Judgment Seat consists of three factors.

We are not left in the dark as to how the Lord will evaluate believers. First, Jesus will use the Word of God, because it is the revealed will of God that a believer is to follow.  Obedience to the commands and principles of the Word is at the core of our evaluation.  Secondly, faithfulness is a key criterion, as each believer will be evaluated by what was given to him by the Master (1 Cor. 4:1-5).  The issue is being faithful, not being famous. High profile Christians are often thought to be ones who will receive great reward, but that might not be the case. All believers, however, can be faithful to Christ. Third, our motivations will also be part of our evaluation.  The question will be why we did what we did as we lived for and served the Lord Jesus.

#6 – Believers who live selfishly have something to be concerned about.

The Judgment Seat is an event where faithful servants are rewarded by the King.  But it is also a place where the unfaithful, disobedient child of God will be confronted by the Master.  Not everyone will hear “well done, good servant.”  Unfortunately, some will hear “you worthless slave” (Luke 19:11-27).  Believers who live self-indulgent lives and who have not taken seriously living for Jesus Christ will face loss of reward and their time at the Judgment Seat will likely be one of much shame.  These believers may presently wish to ignore living obediently now, but they will not be able to do so in the future.

#7 – Failure and sin in life, when repented of, do not eliminate the possibility of significant reward at the Judgment Seat.

What believer is there who is not chagrined by some past sin and failure in his or her life.  But the believer is to take heart by looking at men who sinned (like David and Peter) and yet will be rewarded greatly.  Since all believers have experienced failure in their lives, we are not to become despondent and give up. Repentance of the sin, followed by living diligently for the Lord Jesus, will bring about reward.  As long as we are alive, the promise in Hebrews 4:1 of entering His rest (reward) remains.

#8 – The Lord is generous and desires to greatly reward His children.

We know that the Lord delights in giving good gifts to His children (Luke 11). He is not stingy nor is He reluctant to give generously to believers.  He does not have a limited supply of rewards that need to be rationed out. That which limits His generosity is the unfaithfulness of believers.  Even our trials are designed to make it possible for Him to reward His children in a greater way. He is the creator of all good and perfect gifts (James 1:17) and His desire to lavish these upon His own children.

#9 – Believers need to carefully evaluate their lives “today” to see if they are truly trusting and obeying.

This emphasis upon “today” being the appropriate time for laboring and evaluating is an emphasis of the book of Hebrews.  Believers really cannot afford to  put off to a future day serious reflection about their own walk with Christ. It is vital to decide to live fully and completely for the Lord Jesus now, and then to daily build on that decision in the power and guidance of the Spirit.

#10 – All toil, suffering and sacrifice will be more than worth it when we see our Lord Jesus.

Being a faithful follower of Jesus in this present evil world is not at all easy.  It requires all diligence (2 Pet. 1:5-12), alertness and sobriety.  Being “in” the world but not “of” the world is the requirement (note John 17:11-16).  Christians are seen as aliens, strangers and those whose citizenship is in heaven (Heb. 11:13-16; 1 Pet. 2:11).  All of this makes the task of being a faithful child of God a difficult one since Satan who is seen as the god of this world is actively opposed to such living.  

But the believer has impressive resources in the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit and fellow believers. There is no doubt that when we see the Lord Jesus, all suffering and sacrifice will be immediately seen as worth it.  In the words of that faithful, diligent man, the Apostle Paul....

“The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Romans 8:18)

“Momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison.”  (2 Corinthians 4:17)

Or to put it in less inspired terms but ones that are still accurate: “only one life, it 

will soon be past; only what’s done for Christ will last.”

As we conclude, we again should reinforce a central truth of the New Testament that our future rewards are determined by our present living.  Whether it is something we deem minor like “the cup of cold water” given to someone in need or that which is seen as highly important like sharing the gospel, the Lord Jesus is aware of what we do or don’t do.  It should be our focus to live well for Him today, avoid the darkness of this world system and be diligent to “abide” (remain in fellowship) with Him. 

It has been said that the Christian life is more like a marathon than a 100-meter sprint. However, it seems that it is more like a marathon with an obstacle course added!  But as hard and as difficult as the Christian life can often be in this unrighteous world, when we remember the finish line we are encouraged to keep on keeping on.  When we are finally with the Savior, it will be worth it.  Seeing Him in His majestic glory will be an unbelievable moment for all of us.  And making our appearance before Him at His Judgment Seat and receiving His approval will be an amazing and enlightening moment for sure. Payday is coming.

THE HOLY SPIRIT, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND SATAN

    There is an explosion of knowledge in our world today. A technically informed person said that

around the time of World War 2, knowledge doubled every 25 years; and now, with all our technology

it doubles every 12 hours. While it is hard to confirm or deny this, it is nevertheless clear to most

everyone in the modern world that knowledge is increasing at a speed so dramatic that the average

person simply cannot keep up with it. Mankind seems to be entering a very new territory. At the end of

his prophetic book, Daniel was informed by a majestic angel that at the end of times “knowledge shall

increase” (Dan. 12:4). The angel did not elaborate on this, but as time has gone by, information is

indeed expanding at an incredible rate.

• Adam and Eve and Science. Human beings alone were created in the image of God, and they alone can be truly educated, and grow in knowledge beyond the previous generation. Human beings were not only given dominion over the creatures of the earth but were commanded by God to “subdue” the earth (Gen. 1:28). Dr. John J. Davis observed that this word “subdue” “implies a degree of sovereignty, control, and direction over nature. This call to rule is a call to advance civilization and regulate natural forces” (Davis, “Paradise to Prison”, p. 81). God was giving Adam and Eve the open door to scientific investigation. 

• The Holy Spirit and Knowledge. Jesus referred to the Holy Spirit as the “Spirit of truth” (John 15:26; 16:13). One of the Spirit’s ministries is to convince the world that it needs a savior (John 16:8-11), and another is to help believers understand the Word of God (1 Cor. 2:6-13). Only believers can fully understand the Scriptures. However, all people can learn and (as given to mankind originally) can increase knowledge and build upon the knowledge of preceding generations.  

• Missional AI 2025. In April, 2025, some 500 people from over 100 organizations met in Plano, Texas to discuss how Artificial Intelligence (AI) might be used by the Church of Jesus Christ. How might AI be used to expand missionary activity, Bible translation and other aspects of the church’s ministry? Along with addressing these issues were questions related to the place of the Holy Spirit and the danger of people being replaced by technology.

• Artificial Intelligence—Amazing and Frightening. AI is seen today as a great boon to mankind, but warnings are also being heard from those who understand AI. The warning is that there is a very real danger with this amazing technology. AI has been around for decades, and its presence is widely experienced. Today, AI can think far faster than people can and are able to “learn”, coming up with things that humans never thought of. Mankind benefits today with AI changing business approaches, making medical breakthroughs, processing language, countering cyber-crime, making self-driving vehicles, advancing image recognition and so many more innovations. But numerous individuals, such as Dr. Geoffrey Hinton (the “godfather of AI”), are now issuing warnings about AI. They point out that digital intelligence is rapidly becoming better than our biological intelligence, and the potential is there that it will soon pass and take over human intelligence. The concern is that there is no present solution to steer or control AI if a system goes rogue. Some say that mankind has just a few years (with 2030 as the outside limit) to figure this out. The fear is that AI will begin to control human society through such things as disinformation, controlling access to resources and opportunities, falsely replicating voices and pictures as well as powerful new weapons. And while it might be nice to have our AI coffee maker brew our coffee consistently the way we like it; the reality is that in the future AI may become far more malevolent. It is said that the one who will control AI, will control the world. What is clear is that the world is going to change dramatically in the very near future. Apparently, man won’t have to wait too long for this. 

• A Lesson from the Internet. One clear lesson from the Internet is that it can be used for good or bad. It does make our lives much easier in many ways and can enrich our lives. However, the Internet has contributed immensely to evil in our world as it regularly promotes a myriad of sinful things. It is used to seduce people with its ever-present pornography. Untold thousands have had their bank accounts drained dry by unscrupulous Internet thieves. Many lives have been deeply harmed by their “meetings” on the Internet. While it is true that many have had a wonderful exposure to the Gospel, it is also true that false philosophies and religions have sprung up everywhere on the Internet. While the Internet can be used for good or evil, given the fallen nature of mankind, it seems that evil has the upper hand these days. The same will likely be true of AI.

• Satan’s Coming Wonders and Deceptions. Will AI impact the future as laid out in the Scriptures? Satan’s miraculous demonstrations and breathtaking deceptions during the Tribulation are beyond dispute. Jesus declared that “false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matt. 24:24). In this succinct statement, two basic facts are given. First, these signs and wonders are “great”. Jesus was indicating that these supernatural acts are far beyond Satan’s usual activities. It will be a unique time. The second fact is that they will be very deceptive, so that even God’s elect would be fooled by them (if they were not protected by the Lord). 

 Paul, in speaking of the Antichrist, says that his satanic connection is clear and that he will execute Satan’s program, “with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness” (2 Thess. 2:9-10). “All power” being granted to the Antichrist strongly suggests that God is going to allow certain unprecedented satanic miracles to take place, and that these are miracles that will lead into that which is false.

  Another apostle, John, declared that “the dragon (Satan) gave him (Antichrist) his power and his throne and great authority” (Rev, 13:2). Whatever God is going to allow Satan to do, will be passed along to Satan’s two key minions, the Antichrist and the False Prophet. John is the first and only one to reveal the end time individual known as the “false prophet” (Rev. 13:11-18; 20:10). He is a religious figure that will receive miraculous powers. 

“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth because of the signs which it was given him to perform in the presence of the beast (Antichrist), telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who had the wound of the sword and has come to life. And there was given to him to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast might even speak and cause as many as do not worship the image of the beast to be killed.” (Rev. 13:14-15).

This unique portion of scripture unveils an end of days phenomenon; that of an animated “image” of the Antichrist. Clearly demonic deception and empowerment is seen. Ten times in this final section of Revelation, this strange, but deadly, image is mentioned, which will plague the world during the second half of the Tribulation. The image can know who does not worship the Antichrist and will put them to death. It is the False Prophet that brings the image to life. How he does this is not detailed by John. However, the kind of worldwide activity and control that is described opens the possibility of the use and involvement of Artificial Intelligence. This sounds so “science fiction”, but AI is very real.

Revelation 13 also reveals that the False Prophet is the one who will institute the well-known “666”, the mark of the beast. It will be placed on individuals which will control many of their activities. It does seem that Satan, the Antichrist and the False Prophet could well use technology for their deceptive and evil purposes. And it may turn out that future technology will go far beyond things presently known.

God’s Tribulation Activity. At this point, there needs to be some clarity given. God will not need to employ advanced technology to accomplish His purposes in the Tribulation period. One of the major challenges for those who interpret biblical prophecy is to keep separate “what” God is going to do, from “how” He is going to do it. The interpreter must always keep in mind that the emphasis of scripture is on what God will do. And the interpreter must remember that God’s primary purpose of this end time of Tribulation is to bring Israel, and then many gentiles, to faith in Himself. To do that, it is His hand that must be clearly seen. Remember, if God had chosen to bring this age to an end in 1725 or 1825, when modern technology did not exist, He somehow would have managed to exactly fulfill all that Revelation talks about. And the interpreter ought to be aware that should the Lord put off the end times for another 50 years, we probably cannot imagine where man’s technology will be. Therefore, we need to take care about saying “this is how God will do it.” God does not need AI, computer chips, the Internet or any other technology to accomplish His goals of saving multitudes of people and judging sinful men and nations. When the end times come, mankind will curse God (cf. Rev. 16:9, 11, 21) but it is clear that mankind will be fully aware that the Sovereign God controls this universe. 

Our Response. We can be sure that the Lord will accomplish everything He said He would. He will save multitudes of people, and He will judge those who refuse His grace. He who is far greater than AI can be counted on to fulfill every promise to His own.

Like the Internet, AI can probably be used to advance the Lord’s work in the world. However, one of the ongoing dangers for believers is becoming too enamored with technology, including AI, so that focus shifts subtly from an active dependence on the Holy Spirit to the latest technologies. It is often said that the church must update its methods while not changing its message. Sounds good, but the church has constantly failed in this regard. Changing methods has often altered the message. And AI, along with other evolving technologies, must be carefully dealt with; using it but with that constant question: “am I really depending on the leading of the Spirit of God in His ministry?” For example, is the preacher going to forgo the hard work of study, personally wrestling with the Scriptures, with AI doing the “heavy lifting” for him. To be effective the Word must flow through the mind and heart of the one proclaiming God’s truth. Long ago, Moses said the truth must be “on your heart” (Deut. 6:6) before it is given forth. Anything less than this personal involvement produces deficient teaching. There is a real danger that the Holy Spirit will be put in a secondary role.

Our response today must be to serve Him faithfully. We don’t know the exact future of all this technology, but we do know that “everything pertaining to life and godliness” is found in the Scriptures (2 Pet. 1:3). The Word of God and the Spirit of God are ours and those are the essentials for godly living and ministry.

GLOBALISM: THE EVIL AND THE EXCELLENT

    We have been living in a very divided country and this is especially so with Donald Trump being elected president of the United States. His emphasis on America first and on America exceptionalism has deepened the divide. In Washington DC there are those who promote globalism, the idea that individual nations should fade away and a one-world government takes control. On the other hand, others are focused on American nationalism. Globalists, often led by people with political power and considerable wealth, do not like people who promote the greatness of America or any other nation. Globalists often use socialist and communist ideas as they work towards a one-world structure. In their view equality, peace and prosperity for all can be reached only if the world would rid itself of the focus on individual nations and center authority in one place. 

Those “Progressives” push for a centralized world government, understanding that nationalism needs to be dealt with and diminished. So, if anyone wonders why we have people in places of authority who appear to be bent on diminishing or weakening the United States, it is because they want to lessen America’s power and position. This is necessary for a “new world order.” Their unrighteous policies and purposeful attacks on God’s standards of morality, family and life itself should be resisted. We sometimes hear that the Trump administration is simply following “common sense.” Yet, behind the “common sense” are often biblical ideas. And while we can be thankful for this, we must not forget that the Scriptures do tell us that an evil globalization is surely coming. There are actually two different forms of globalism coming according to the Bible. The first one is Satan’s one-world order, and the second one is the one-world government of King Jesus.

THE COMING GLOBALISM OF THE EVIL ONE

The first form of globalism that will come is the one created by the Devil and his minions; demons and evil people. The Scriptures set forth a number of key points about this coming control of the world by Satan and his forces.

1. Satan is the “god of this world” who has power over the nations of the world.  

When Adam and Eve sinned back there in Eden, they lost their exalted position of king and queen of the planet. Satan then became the “god of this world.” The Apostle John declared that “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (1 John 5:19. In his temptations of the Lord Jesus, Satan offered to give Jesus the kingdoms of the world in exchange for bowing down to him (Luke 4:5-7). It should be noted that Jesus not only did not bow down, but also that He did not deny that Satan had such authority. It is, therefore, clear that the Devil is going to be the force behind the future globalism, through which he plans to be worshipped and exalted. This is a matter of major concern to the Devil. It is the direction he passionately desires the world to go. And he has many with power and money who are on board with this goal, which he will achieve.

2. Satan’s future globalization is centered in a man. Most people, who have some knowledge of the Bible, know about the Antichrist. Satan gives to him great power and authority which will extend to all nations (Rev. 13:7). For the first time ever, a man will actually be a dictator of the whole world. This, of course, means he will do what Jesus did not do, and that is worship Satan. And Antichrist will have another individual (named the False Prophet) who will exercise religious and economic authority (under the Antichrist) over the whole earth (Rev. 13:14). The emphasis of scripture is on the whole earth being dominated by these. It will be a one-world government controlling all aspects of human life (though not for the better).

3. There are stages in this Satanic globalization.  While there can be interpretive differences at this point, normal, grammatical interpretation appears to lead to the following understanding. The Antichrist will become the ruler of one western nation and will be identified and established as “the Antichrist” when he signs a treaty with Israel’s leaders. As the ruler of this one nation, he will “subdue” (Dan. 7:8, 24) three western nations, probably militarily. Apparently, seven other nations simply submit to Antichrist (Rev. 17:17) so that Antichrist will rule over an eleven-nation western empire. This takes place in the first half of the seven-year period of the Tribulation. Antichrist is declared to be a “man of war” because he is very skilled at warfare (Dan. 11:41-45; Matt. 24:6; Rev. 6:4). Then, at the mid-point of the Tribulation several game-changing events take place and he is catapulted into his role as world ruler (under Satan). Revelation declares that “the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast (Antichrist)”, and “authority to act for forty-two months (second half of the Tribulation) was given to him” and he was given “authority over every tribe and people and tongue and nation” (13:3, 5, 7). This takes place after he is assassinated but returns to life (Rev. 13). Then in the second half of the Tribulation Satan will be the closest he ever gets to his goal of being like God and worshipped. And, though many have desired it, this will be the closest any man ever gets to be dictator of the entire world.

4. This move towards globalization will not go smoothly because of the inherent sinful and rebellious nature of man.  The delusional socialists of our day believe in the inherent goodness of man. They think that man is good at his core, but is corrupted by society, capitalists, injustices, racism and other things. But man is not good. He is sinful and born that way. This reality will be manifested in the seemingly constant conflicts and resistance to the Antichrist (and Satan) in his rise to power (Matt. 24:7). Antichrist is constantly at war. And even as the Tribulation draws to its end, “the kings of the whole world” rally to war in the campaign of Armageddon (Rev. 14:19; 16:14). While it is true that they all unite against Christ when the “sign of the Son of Man” appears in the heavens (Matt. 24:30), it is highly unlikely that they originally came with their armed forces to do battle with the Lord Jesus (They would have had no clue that He was coming very shortly). More probable is that their sinful, rebellious nature propelled them into the “winepress of the wrath of God” to unseat the Antichrist. It appears that the future globalization of the Evil One will be an ongoing struggle and not some utopia. Universal peace, prosperity and bliss can never happen because of the evil, sinful nature of mankind. This is a point lost on today’s globalists. They have no understanding of the disaster that awaits them in the coming evil globalization.

THE COMING GLOBALISM OF THE LORD GOD ALMIGHTY

As would be expected, God’s future globalization is in stark contrast to what the counterfeiter Satan will produce. There are several basic truths about this.

1. God’s future globalization is centered in the God-Man, Christ Jesus.  The Bible is clear that the Lord Jesus is the One who will fulfill the great covenants of the Old Testament. As the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus will rule on a refurbished earth for one thousand years (Rev. 20:1-10). People of the Book have longingly looked ahead to this time and to His coming. He is the focus of this coming age. God, on oath, has declared that this will take place (Ps. 89:3-4, 27-37). And in fact, God the Father has already established Messiah’s rule on Mt. Zion (Ps. 2:6) and has declared that the nations of the earth are the inheritance of the Son (Ps. 2:8).

2. There are no stages in God’s globalization. It will come suddenly, dramatically, fully, and powerfully as Jesus returns to earth in power and great glory (Rev. 19:11-21). It is at His Second Coming that He sits on His throne and rules in His kingdom (Matt. 25:31). This globalization does not come because Jesus was voted in as King by the United Nations. Mankind has no part in bringing in the rule and reign of the Lord Jesus. Daniel 7:14 adds that “to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him.” Hebrews 2:5 teaches that God the Father has given ruling authority, not to angels, but to the Son who will rule over the “inhabited earth” (that is, Jesus’ rule is not in heaven but on the earth where people live). Jesus Messiah ruling over all the nations is God’s idea of globalization.

3. This globalization of God will be all that God intended for mankind to enjoy. The prophets are abundantly clear that righteousness is what will characterize the kingdom of Messiah (Isa. 11:4-5). The world will live according to God’s righteous standards. There will be no challenge of Christ’s righteous rule. Those born in the kingdom age will still have a sin nature and should they externally sin and rebel, they will experience immediate judgment. Psalm 2:9 states that He will “rule with a rod of iron.”  The “rod of iron” is found in the book of Revelation (2:26, 27; 12:5; 19:15). There will be no outward sinning and challenging of King Jesus. There is zero tolerance for rebellion and blasphemy by criminals. (Won’t that be a refreshing change!)

Some Final Thoughts

The Bible is quite clear on the issue of globalization. Evil globalization will come first even though the election of President Trump might cause a delay in its arrival. The evil globalization will briefly flourish, and then be swept away forever by the grand and glorious globalization of the Almighty One. This is what the promised future will be.

Satan has always counterfeited God’s perfect plans and ideas. The original ideas do not come from the Evil One. Undoubtedly, the Devil’s idea of globalization is stolen from what will be true when the Lord Jesus Christ reigns over all the earth. His will be a magnificent kingdom, which will be characterized by peace, joy, and meaningful, abundant living. This is our future, thanks to the work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. In the meantime, as we realize that the Evil globalization is going to come, we ought to heed the Scriptures which challenge us to use our present time to do God’s work in this world, spreading the gospel and making disciples. 

THE REVEALING OF JESUS

The Book of Revelation begins by saying that it is a “revelation of Jesus Christ.” The word “revelation” is the Greek word apokalupsis and means it is an unveiling, or revealing of Jesus Christ. (From the Greek words “apo”, a taking away; and “kalypsis”, a cover---an uncovering, or exposing). Readers are, therefore, to learn truths about the Lord Jesus since this is a revealing of truth, not a concealing. It is also communicating that these are truths that come from Jesus Christ.

WHAT IS IT THAT IS REVEALED ABOUT JESUS IN REVELATION?

In the four gospels, there is an abundance of truth about Jesus. So, what might the Book of Revelation be revealing about Him? In the gospels, the focus is on His first coming with an emphasis on His humanity, humility, suffering and sacrifice. He is the Lamb who came to be “pierced through for our transgressions” and be “crushed for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5).  In contrast, Revelation is about His second coming in power and glory. In John 5:22, Jesus declared, “For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son.” Revelation reveals detailed information about Jesus as the judge of all. What is hinted at in the prophets of the Old Testament and the gospels is detailed in Revelation. When Jesus receives the scroll from the One on the throne (Rev. 5:1-7), He then executes judgments on the earth. These many judgments have a two-fold purpose: (1) to awaken people to reality and their need for a savior, and (2) to judge wicked men and nations. His powerful, unprecedented judgments will bring people to the place where they no longer hold on to their atheism or agnosticism. Their religions will be seen as fraudulent and their philosophies as empty. In the Tribulation, millions will choose to believe in Jesus (Rev. 7:9-14) and reject following the Antichrist and Satan. After the Tribulation is underway, people will finally come to realize that these judgments are not bad karma or a terrible set of circumstances, but that they are the “wrath of the Lamb” (Rev. 6:16-17). National Israel will come to faith in Jesus during that terrible period, and then in turn be a light to the gentiles. Many will be saved. In fact, there will be millions who are saved. But the judgments from Judge Jesus will also harden the devoted followers of Antichrist and Satan and they will be eternally lost. Even though they know the judgments are from Jesus Christ, they curse Him and refuse to repent (Rev. 16:9, 11, 21). Revelation, therefore, unveils Jesus as the judge of all and His judgments are unlike any ever seen before.

Linked to Jesus’ role as judge is the unveiling of truth about His role as the warrior-Messiah. The imagery shifts from Jesus being “the Lamb” to that of being a great warrior. In 19:11, He is identified as One who is “Faithful and True” (19:11) in that He will fulfill all of the messianic prophecies. In many places, the Old Testament does see Messiah as the conqueror (e.g. Zech. 9:10; 14:14). And Revelation 14 and 19 add graphic details to His conquering. He will come mounted on a white horse (symbolic of victory) and He comes militarily as the King who is a warrior. He will totally crush His enemies. The slaughter will be real and it will be complete. Using hyperbole (hypothetic exaggeration), it is declared that the shed blood of His enemies will reach the “horses’ bridles” (Rev. 14:20). The Antichrist and the False Prophet are King Jesus’ great foes and they will be seized by Him and dispatched to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:19-20). Although it is said that Jesus has “His army” with Him (Rev. 19:19), it is the warrior-King who will unilaterally destroy the enemies. When the warrior-King is finished with His enemies, they will be totally vanquished and He will then begin His marvelous thousand-year reign on the earth. It is important to observe that the Apostle John speaks of Jesus Messiah smiting the nations and using the “rod of iron” as being in the future. The use of the future tense speaks against the views of Amillennialism and Postmillennialism which have Jesus beginning His reign at His first coming. These verses clearly place the battles of the warrior-King as something still in the future at His second coming.

 OTHER REVEALINGS OF JESUS IN REVELATION.

Towards the end of the Book of Revelation (19:12-16), some names are attributed to Jesus. In the Old Testament, God revealed many things about His attributes and actions through the names He gave Himself. For example, He is ADONAI which communicates He is the Master, having absolute authority. He is EL SHADDAI, the Almighty One. He is YAHWEH which reveals Him to be the active, self-existent One. The names given to Jesus in the Book of Revelation do reveal truths about Him. In Revelation 19:12-16, three names are given.

• 19:12 --- “He had a name written which no one knows except Himself.”  At first, this might seem to be of little value. However, it communicates a great deal. First, it is a reminder to all that He is incomprehensible to us. Much has been revealed to us, but there is so much more that we do not know about Him. Matthew 11:27 records some word of Jesus: “…no one knows the Son except the Father, nor does anyone know the Father except the Son…” This unknown name surely says something about Him being the Eternal Son/the Anointed One and with it the power and glory that accompanies Him. The context in Revelation 19 is one of power, authority, and righteous judgment. We are not told if we will ever learn what this name is, but it tells us there is much about Him that we do not know.

• 19:13 --- “His name is called the Word of God.”  This immediately brings John 1 to mind where Jesus is identified as “the Word”. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, in order that full restoration and reconciliation could take place. As Genesis 3:15 declared, mankind brought the problem of sin into the world and mankind would be the solution to the sin problem. The man Jesus would bring about this restoration. Also, Jesus communicates truth about God as no one else does. Hebrews 1:1-3, the Son is the pinnacle of God’s revelation. He is truth (John 14:6). And, therefore, it is appropriate that this title is given to Him as He comes to fulfill all that was spoken about Him and about doing what the Lord God declared that He would do. At this time, Genesis 3:15, the covenants and the promises will be fulfilled. 

• 19:16--- “He has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” This title was given earlier in the book, though in reverse order (17:14). The use of this phrase, instead of just “king”, is emphasizing the supremacy of the rule of Jesus. It underscores His absolute authority over all who are kings. It is a reminder of Daniel 2:44 which declared that when man’s kingdoms are destroyed, then God’s forever kingdom will be inaugurated and never again will a created being rule unilaterally. It is a reminder of Psalm 2:1-4 where the Anointed One will destroy the rebellious kings of the earth and establish His kingdom on this present earth. King Jesus is supreme over all who are kings and all who rule.

SOME FINAL THOUGHTS.

This unveiling of Jesus as judge and warrior-king, is given to assure us that the rebellion and aggressive sinfulness of mankind will not escape the retribution of God. Daily we see the flagrant immoralities, deceit, and a blatant disregard for God’s righteous standards. We wonder if this is going to go on unchecked. It will not. People unfortunately confuse God’s patience with a lack of seriousness about sin. The book of Revelation is quite clear on that point. When Moses asked to see God up there on Mt. Sinai, God did accommodate Moses. And in that great self-revelation, God was clear that He was very patient with men (Exo. 34:6-7). He told Moses that He is slow to anger and that His love was consistently extended to man. But He also indicated that if man would not respond to His loving kindness and grace, He would step in and judge them. God has indeed been amazingly patient with us sinners. However, the Book of Revelation shows that those who will not respond to His grace and come to Him will receive the full outpouring of His wrath in the coming period of Tribulation. Those who will not accept God’s gracious offer of salvation through Christ will drink of the full, potent wrath of the Lamb. Judgment will be without mercy.

David makes a lot of sense in Psalm 2, when after speaking of the coming of God’s “fury” and “anger”, he encourages kings and people to come and worship the Son and avoid the terrible consequences of His anger (Psa. 2:10-12). His wrath could come at any moment, according to the Scriptures, and how wise it is to be a follower of the Lion-Lamb of Judah and not experience the wrath of the Lamb. And surely, one of the reasons we believers are left here is to help such come to know Jesus who gives life eternal to all who believe.