1 Peter 2:9-10

YOU ARE A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
1 Peter 2:9-10 Pastor Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 6-12-11

Key verse 2:9 Inspired by and adapted from a message delivered by Dr John Jun at the recent
UBF 50th Anniversary in Seoul Korea, 5-29-11
"But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
The following was inspired by and is an adaption of a message delivered by Dr John Jun in Seoul Korea at the recent 50th anniversary celebration. It was been modified and adapted to our situation, but essentially I have kept the essence of his message. We could not go to the 50th anniversary celebration, for it would cost too much, but I think it is very important that we review the messages and even the life testimonies, (at our World Mission Night) in order to get catch the spirit of this historical conference. We can catch the vision and the hope that God wants our ministry to have. Last week we studied Mother Sarah Barry’s message concerning Matthew 24, The Signs Of The End Of The Age. This week we are going to learn about our calling and our identity as Christians in this world, from 1 Peter 2:9. Our identity, in a nutshell, is that we are a people chosen by God to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. So let’s sit back and listen to message and renew our identity in the Lord.
About 120 years ago, God spread the gospel across Korea through Western missionaries such as Dr. Underwood. When this country was under Japanese occupation, God used the Pyeong Yang spiritual revival to preach the gospel to every corner of the nation of Korea. We give thanks to God that he established UBF in 1961, and for the last 50 years, sent around 2,000 missionaries out to 93 countries for world campus evangelism.
Today's passage is a letter for the Christians who were scattered in Asia Minor due to the persecution of the Roman Emperor, Nero (AD 54-68). They were treated as criminals, despised, hiding like wanderers under the public order of arrest. They probably wondered who they were in this world and what was their role in the midst of all their hardships. Were they there only to survive, or was their a greater purpose for them in God? We can learn so much from Peter’s encouraging words to them. According to today’s passage, let us ask ourselves, what is our spiritual identity in this world? What is God doing and what is our mission?
Part l: We Have Been Chosen By God To Be Citizens Of His Kingdom (9a,c)
What did Peter say the spiritual identity of the believers, who were scattered like wanderers, was? Look at verse 9a, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God …” The Apostle Peter clearly talked about the spiritual identity and privilege of these believers living in pathetic circumstances. Humanly, they were despised wanderers, considered low class people by the rest of Roman society, scattered in remote foreign countries. Yet, spiritually, they were a chosen people, a holy nation, a people belonging to God chosen to share the blessings of the gospel with the whole world.
Let’s think more about their spiritual identity. First, they are a chosen people, a people belonging to God (9a, b). Isaiah 43:20-21 reads, “The wild animals honor me, the jackals and the owls, because I provide water in the desert and streams in the wasteland, to give drink to my people, my chosen, 21 the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise.” God chose the Israelites as his own people in the time of the Old Testament. They were God’s people…citizens of God chosen nation. They prided themselves in this fact for centuries. But in the time of the Apostle Peter, Israel was a Roman colony. They lost their identity as the Israelite nation. Some may have wanted to become Roman citizens. But it was very difficult for the Israelites, a people of a Roman colony, to receive Roman citizenship. Unless they paid a huge amount of money, or achieved distinguished services for the Empire, to secure a Roman citizenship was practically impossible (Ac 22:28).
But attaining Roman citizenship was not on the agenda for the new believers. Any of them could receive citizenship in the only real kingdom that counted, the kingdom of God. For you see, in the time of the New Testament, we have become the people of God, citizens of the Kingdom of God, through redemption by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross. It comes through faith in Jesus.
We have also become citizens of the Kingdom of God through the gracious calling of our Savior Jesus. Ephesians 2:18-19, reads, “For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household,” God declares that we are a people of God, exclusively chosen by him. This is God’s grace. Therefore, we must be sure of his calling, made possible by the blood of Jesus and determine to live as a people of God.
These days, for many people who live in third world counties, or under oppressive dictatorships, their biggest dream is to escape their country to go to America and receive U.S. citizenship. Yet how much more glorious it is to become God's people and citizens of God’s kingdom more than U.S. citizens! We Christians are the citizens in the kingdom of God. This is the best citizenship to obtain. We must have confidence in our heavenly citizenship and value it each day and live in this world as those who are called to be the people of God.
Part ll: Our Spiritual Identity, A Holy Nation (9c, Ex 19:6b)
What is the character of the spiritual nation that we are part of? Look at verse 9c. "But you are... a holy nation". In this world each nation has its own nature, unique culture, and national philosophy. God's nation also has its own nature and character also. American’s character is patriotic, honest and hard working, and believing that nothing is impossible if we put our minds to it. Korean people’s unique character is diligence, hardworking, and quickness. God’s holy nation also has its own character. In Exodus 19:5-6a God said "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." As we can see from these verses the characteristic of the people in the kingdom of God is holiness and purity. This characteristic is common to all the believers even though they are scattered around the world. It should be the atmosphere that permeates every Christian’s heart, family, church and fellowship. In order to make such a pure and holy character, God's people have been cleansed of their sins by the blood of Jesus. They are enabled to, and must live holy and pure lives, unlike the secular people in the world. This is accomplished by the power of God. Some believers, being tempted by sin, fail to live holy lives and end up being harassed in their hearts and criticized by the people of this world as being hypocrites. Some heavenly citizens live in shame, just as secular people, rather than live in the power and victory that citizens of God’s holy nation should. Most spiritual leaders deplore this compromised lifestyle, lived by some believers, but in most cases they do not know how to effectively tackle the problem. Let us pray that we may be consecrated to Jesus, holy and pure, different from the world. Let us pray to live as a holy nation people.
Part lll: Our Spiritual Identity, A Royal Priesthood (9b)
What does the Lord say is another aspect of our spiritual identity in God? Look at verse 9b. "But you are … a royal priesthood." This verse tells us that our identity is like the identity of a king and a priest, and that is why Peter says, “a royal priesthood”. This is like Melchizedek, the king of Salem (Ge 14:18). Melchizedek was a king and a priest. He is a shadow of Jesus, who is our King of kings and also our faithful High Priest. Through spiritual union with Christ, believers reign over the whole world with Jesus and, at the same time, serve God as priests like Christ (Rev 5:10).
What does the Lord say our spiritual identity is again? Look at verse 9b again. "But you are …. a royal priesthood." In this verse the verb ‘are' is in the present tense. This means we are a chosen people, not later in time after the Tribulation, but right now and we will continue to be so. We are called to be a royal priesthood now. Even though we are sinners and some may even be despised people in this world, from God's point of view, we are all a royal priesthood. Even though we may be rejected or scattered like the early Christians, God appointed us as a royal priests. Do you accept and believe that you are a royal priest of God? This is God’s grace. We must hold onto this identity and live with this identity in our hearts.
The Lord appointed our UBF brothers and sisters, shepherds and missionaries as royal priests. This was not just a flattering title to make us feel good. 1 Peter 2:9 is the certificate that we are appointed by the King of kings and the sovereign God, for those who accept it. At first we may accept this word and this hope only theoretically. There are some who feel like they don’t qualify, and, do you know what? They don’t. But we must remember that it is God who makes any of us qualified. Others may feel like they are on top of the world, flying through the air as one taking a first class flight on a luxurious airplane. Most may find themselves in the middle of these two extremes. Which ever person we may be, the truth is, though we are called, the fact is we do not live as royal priests in our practical lives. We must accept God’s grace and our calling and repent and live up to our high calling very practically. We must renew our spiritual identity every morning and be faithful to the fulfillment of our task as a priest working with Jesus.
What then is the task of a priest? In the time of the Old Testament, priests offered sacrifices for the sin of the people (Lev 1:1-17). Yet in the time of the New Testament, Jesus became the atoning sacrifice once and for all, and therefore, we no longer need any other sacrifice. Their second task was to teach the word (Lev 10:11) and third, was to give an intercessory prayer for the people (1 Sam 7:5-9, Ex 32:11-18). Yet, in the time of the New Testament we can learn about the task of a priest through Jesus who is both King and Priest. The task of a priest in this New Testament era is a little different. And so in this time, what is the task of a priest?
First, the task of a priest is to deliver the gospel of salvation. Look at verse 9c. “…that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." This is the purpose of appointing us as his chosen people, as a royal priesthood. It is to declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once, in the region of the Gerasenes, when Jesus healed a man possessed by an evil spirit, the healed man wanted to follow Jesus. But what did Jesus say to him? At that time Jesus said to him, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis (Ten Cities) how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. (Mk 5:19, 20) We too must declare the praises of him who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light.
As High priest, Jesus taught the word. Therefore another task of a priest is to faithfully spread the life giving gospel. When we were in college, we received the grace of salvation through the gospel. We wonder why young people today don’t accept the Gospel as we accepted it? The people in this generation worship post-modernism and materialism as their gods. This generation ridicules the gospel and despises believers like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did (Ge 19:14). Even though today's situation is spiritually tough, we must actively teach the word of God, one to one, to young students. We must have confidence in the gospel and boldly preach the life giving gospel like Apostle Paul did with faith.
Second, the task of a priest is to make intercessory prayers for the people. (1 Sam 7:5-9, Ex 28:29). 1 Samuel 7:9 reads, "Then Samuel took a suckling lamb and offered it up as a whole burnt offering to the LORD. He cried out to the LORD on Israel's behalf, and the LORD answered him." In this passage, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle while the Israelites were at Mizpah. Samuel, the judge and priest, sacrificing the burnt offering to the Lord made an earnest intercessory prayer for the Israelites. God answered his prayer and routed the Philistines. Throughout Samuel's lifetime, the hand of the LORD was against the Philistines (1 Sam 7:10, 11).
In this 21st century, we can clearly see the signs of the end of the age. This generation worships all kinds of idols: materialism, hedonism, and technology. It is like the time of Sodom and Gomorrah. There are earthquakes and disasters, it seems in increasing frequency. In particular, about three months ago, a tsunami struck Japan devastating a country which was believed to have been fully ready for all kinds of natural disasters. Despite of their claim that they were fully reinforced and protected by their modern technology, Japanese people now wander with fear of nuclear radiation and further earthquakes and tsunamis. This is not just the problem of Japan. It is a warning of God for all people in the world (Mt 11:24). If we do not serve God but continue to worship the idols of science and money we may face the judgment of God. In light of this, what is our task as royal priests? Like Samuel, we must make earnest, intercessory prayers for the campus students of the world. Prayer is the most potent and effective tool.
At the last Middle East directors' new year conference, one missionary said that he felt helpless when he realized that he and his wife could not do anything for the Muslim country he lived in, which has one of the largest populations in the Middle East. But through studying the Bible and writing a testimony on 1 Samuel chapter 7, he learned that he could make an earnest intercessory prayer for the people of his nation every morning. The Lord would surely cause political earthquakes through his prayers and they would be able to preach the gospel very effectively. The Lord says in 1 Corinthian 15:58 "Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." When one missionary in the Middle East continued to make earnest intercessory prayers for the Middle East people, God accepted his prayers and his labor in the Lord was not in vain. There are great spiritual breakthroughs being made in the Middle East even today.
Sometimes we feel that our labor is in vain serving campus mission. There is not much we can do when people may want to listen but don’t want to be disciples. But we are not helpless and our labor is never in vain. We can offer up intercessory prayers, every morning and throughout the week and continue to preach the word and God will surely work. He will surely make many spiritual breakthroughs in us, among us and through us. We must be faithful priests of God. There are breakthroughs among us. Hope is teaching the Bible to Emma. Mark spent time with Isaiah. I am making friends with the Pastor of the Church in DeKalb, Jamie. We are getting ready for two Christian music festivals. Steve is back. The list goes on. We just need to be faithful to our task as a kingdom of priests.
God has used Korea as a royal priesthood for the last 50 years. The founder of UBF, Dr. Samuel C. Lee, sent around 350 missionaries to South East Asia, Germany and to U.S.A. as soon as UBF was born. He gave all the UBF members the direction to make earnest intercessory prayers for Korea and the world. By faith, he sent UBF brothers and sisters as missionaries for world mission. From 1970 to 2010, UBF sent out 3,300 missionaries. God used these missionaries to pioneer and raise disciples in North America, Europe, CIS, South America, Australia, Africa, and the Middle East. God used Korean brothers and sisters as royal priests. And God still does. Our Korean brothers and sisters have worked hard to be used by God as a royal priesthood for 50 years. Now is not the time to retire. But the Lord appoints, not only the Koreans, but all people of all nations, to be a royal priesthood. He does not want anyone to retire from the priestly duty.
I thank and praise the Lord who saved sinners with the Gospel, the word and the Holy Spirit and appointed them as a royal priesthood. I praise the Lord that he has been using UBF and America as a kingdom of priests for the whole world. Through this passage we have tasted the grace of God, that despite of our own sins and our unworthiness and under qualifications, God has chosen us by his grace. When we were orphans in this world, with no place to call home, he has made us into citizens of his heavenly kingdom. And what a privilege and honor that is! It carries with it all kinds of privileges and also all kinds of responsibilities. We are chosen to be two things, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. As a kingdom of priests we must preach the word of God and pray. We must lead others to our only and true High Priest Jesus Christ, who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. As a holy nation we must live holy and pure lives in this world. We must declare the praises of him who called us out of the darkness into his wonderful light. Christians who are called by God, should continue to devote themselves to the task of living as a royal priesthood. Look at 1 Peter 2:9 once again. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." I pray that we may renew this certificate of appointment from the Lord, found in 1 Peter 2:9. In Christ, we are a royal priesthood and so we must faithfully fulfill that responsibility. We can through faith in Jesus and the power of God manifest in his word and in his spirit. Let us read our key verse once again, 1 Peter 2:9, "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Revelations 21:2-22:21

The New Jerusalem
(A Glimpse Of The Kingdom Of God)
Revelation 21:1- 22:21
Key verse: 21:2 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 5-28-11 delivered at DuPage UBF

“I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”

Have you even wandered what paradise is like? In this passage we will catch a glimpse of the only true paradise of the Kingdom of God. It is such a beautiful place. We will see the new Jerusalem; the dwelling place of God and his people. Here, God himself will wipe away all tears and there will be no death, sorrow or pain. But the most wonderful thing about it is that God and the Lamb are its temple. There is no need for any light, for God gives it light and the Lamb is its lamp. All nations will walk by its light. We will also see the tree of life which is for the healing of nations. All whose robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb may enter and eat its fruit, and quench their thirst at the river of life. It sounds beautiful doesn’t it? Do you want to be there? Well you can. You can behold the Kingdom of God with the eyes of your hearts, even now. You can get a taste of the Kingdom of God even now! When our robes are washed clean through faith in Jesus’ blood, then we can enter into it. Through our study of this passage may our hearts long to dwell with Jesus in his holy city. May our hearts resound with the prayer, “Come quickly Lord Jesus!”

Part l: The Renewal Of All Things (21:1-3)

In the vision we are told of a new heavens and new earth. Look at verse 1, “Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”
There was a need for a replacement. The first heaven and the first earth served a great purpose…to lead us back to God. Originally the Garden of Eden was a perfect paradise where God and people lived in perfect harmony. They were given everything. They had no sin and they had eternal life. There was true hope, meaning and purpose. But because of mankind’s sin, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the garden to dwell in a world under a curse. The history of disobedience began and plunged the whole human race into rebellion against God. Living in this old earth, we are subjected to endless sufferings and hardships as we struggle to survive and find meaning in life. Mankind has tried again and again to elevate itself above this fallen world and attain utopia, but we have failed repeatedly.

God understands our suffering and since the creation of the world, God had in mind to make all things new. It was always God’s desire that his wonderful creation once again live in perfect harmony with him forever. That is why he sent Jesus into this world. Jesus came down from heaven to earth as a baby in a manger to start this process of restoring the world back to God. (Ro 8:21) In Jesus, God’s redemptive plan was completed. For those who have accepted Jesus and are born again, this world suddenly seems new. But at the renewal of all things there will be a new heavens and a new earth where sin will never be able to separate us from our God. We will love and worship and praise God while walking with him in perfect paradise, the great and glorious kingdom of God! Let’s think about John’s vision in more detail to discover some of the characteristics of this kingdom of God.
Part ll: The New Jerusalem (21:1-27)

First, it is the “New Jerusalem” Look at verse 2a, “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,...” It was always God’s plan to bring about this new heaven and new earth. It was foretold 800 years before Jesus was born. Isaiah 65:17, reads, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” Our hearts long for something new. We get stuck in the same ruts, the same routines, the same recurrent sin problems and we wonder if anything is every going to change. But God is oh so eager to bring about something new and fresh into our lives. All we have to do is come to him in humility, repentance and faith and you will become a new creation. Your old life will never be the same. Ultimately he will bring about the new heaven and the new earth in its fullness.

Next, this new Jerusalem came down from God. Look at verse 2a. “I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,…” Mankind could never create or discover paradise on earth. The Tibetan Buddhists failed to create Shagri la. The Soviets failed to create a communist utopia. Democracy has failed to make America a Utopia. Young people fail to find paradise in other people. Older people fail to create our own utopias full of comfort, security and a comfortable retirement filled with world travel. Usually our sins scuttle these plans. It is impossible to make paradise on earth on our own. It must come down from God. That is the only way.

In the midst of our helplessness God came down to this world to meet us. God became man, in the form of a tiny baby and lived among us. (Jn 1:14) He took the initiative and dwell among his people. During the 3 ½ years of his earthly ministry Jesus taught about the kingdom of God. Through his suffering, death and resurrection he opened the way to the kingdom of God for all who believe. After his ascension into heaven, he is dwells in believer’s hearts through his spirit. He is among us even now for Jesus said, “For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.” (Matt 18:20) But that is not all. Look at verse 3. “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.’” One day the new Jerusalem will descend from the heavens. There we will see Jesus face to face and walk with him in the streets of shining gold. Only Jesus can make this happen because he is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the eternal God. (5) With God all things are possible. (Matt 19:26)

In the new Jerusalem, the power death will be completely vanquished. Look at verse 4, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” We know that wherever Jesus reigns, there is peace, security, comfort and love. Those who are in Christ have tasted this truth, for prior to meeting Jesus our hearts were full of tears and sorrow. We cried, sometimes not knowing why. In June 1986, I cried, “Oh God!” in my pillow over my loneliness and meaninglessness of life. I was suffering unimaginably while living under the old order of things. God heard that pray and saw my tears and started a process to help me accept Jesus into my heart as my own Lord and Savior. After one month of Bible study, and receiving the love and prayers of servants of God, I accepted Jesus. He wiped all my tears from my eyes. Sure there are times when I sucome to tears and sorrow and I feel pain, but these times are temporary. For I can always turn to Jesus and be set free once again to experience newness of life. I have a sure hope that in the Kingdom of God that every tear will be wiped from my eyes and there will be no more mourning, crying or pain at all. Praise God! No matter what we are going through, it is not the end. The great news is that Jesus came to save us from our sins. Come to him and receive his comfort and get a taste of what heaven will be like, even now.
Who gets to dwell in the new Jerusalem? Look at verses 6-8, “He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life. 7 He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.’” It is those who overcome this world which is full of sin and temptation. The only way to be an over comer is to drink from the water of life, Jesus Christ. There was once a very thirsty women. She was not overcoming this world very well. In fact this world was dragging her down into the quagmire of sin. She was thirsty for love and in the process of trying to find love, she was divorced five times and had a live in boyfriend. Jesus came to her, in the midst of her thirstiness and offered her living water. He said to her in John 4:13-14, “…Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” This woman accepted Jesus’ invitation. She repented of her sin and believed in Jesus. In doing so, she drank the Springs of living water, Jesus Christ. Her soul was quenched. She left her water jar behind and told her whole village that she had found the Messiah. For the first time in her life, she overcame the world. She became part of the bride of Christ and a citizen in the new Jerusalem. There is more than enough of this living water in the new Jerusalem. Look at 22:1-2a, “Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city….”. There is more than enough for all to drink and quench our thirsty souls forever and ever.
The new Jerusalem is very beautiful. Look at verses 9-21. The gates are of a giant single pearl. There are twelve of them. There are precious jewels everywhere. The streets are shining gold. The beauty of this celestial city is reflected throughout the Bible. First it is reflected in the beautiful Garden of Eden. It is reflected in the temple worship. The temple was adorned with gold and the diadem worn by Aaron appeared to be a symbol of the new Jerusalem. You can read its description in Exodus 28:15-21. The beauty of the new Jerusalem is reflected in the Christian church itself. God wanted us to know throughout history that the kingdom of God is very beautiful and desirable. It is so beautiful that it makes this world look like we are living in a garbage can in comparison.
The new Jerusalem is huge. Look at verse 15-17, “The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. 16 The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia[a] in length, and as wide and high as it is long.” Consider it’s dimensions. 1,400 miles in length! That is like from here to Los Angeles. There is room for millions upon millions of believers. This new Jerusalem is the father’s house. Jesus once told his disciples that in the father’s house there are many room and that he is going on ahead to prepare a place for us. (Jn 14:2). Do you have your reservation?
The new Jerusalem is built on a solid foundation. Look at verses 14 and 19. “The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb….and “19 The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone…” Our faith is a reflection of this foundation. Christians do not believe something with no foundation. Ephesians 2:19-21 reads, “ Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.” Our faith in the Gospel is rooted in history, fulfilled prophecy, the Scriptures and the lives of faith of many great servants of God. You can entrust your lives to Jesus and his Gospel. The New Jerusalem reflects this fact. This city is solid. It is secure. It is everlasting. Nothing can ever bring it down. Ever!
There are many other things about this new Jerusalem. Look at verses 22-27. Verse 22 reads, “I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple.” We will dwell with Jesus intimately, just as he was with us in the Garden of Eden so will he be in heaven. Look at at verse 23, “The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.” The glory of God will shine so brightly that it will even outshine the sun. Millions of people will walk by the light of God, no longer by false ideologies our corrupt political philosophies or false human standards. “The kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. “ and “The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it” This means that even the greatest among people will dedicate all they have and do for the glory of God. How happy it is to take the focus off of ourselves and give all the glory and honor and praise to Jesus. Look at verse 25, “On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there.” We lock our doors for security reasons. But in the Kingdom of God there will be everlasting peace and security…24/7 forever.
The new Jerusalem will be a place of healing and eternal life. Listen to verses 22:2b, “…On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.” We spend billions on healthcare in this nation and it doesn’t make us live much longer. Health insurance is only a dream for millions of America. We beat our bodies in the gym. We overdose on antioxidants. But in the kingdom of God, there is the fruit of the tree of life which we will eat. We will have imperishable, glorious, powerful and spiritual heavenly bodies. (1 Cor 15:42-43) We will be in the prime of health. All of our weaknesses will disappear. All of our wounds and scars that have been caused by our sins will be healed. All of the world’s conflicts will be resolved. Believing Arabs and believing Jews will love each other. Believing Republicans and Democrats will vote together. Relationships will be healed. All people in the new Jerusalem will co-operate, and love and serve each other. There will be healing in abundance in God’s kingdom and that healing begins the moment we come to Jesus.
But there is only one way to get into this city. Look at verse 27, “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” People can not just enter into the new Jerusalem illegally. We can not become pure or get into the Lamb’s book of life through our own goodness. At the judgment, the Book of Life will be opened. In these books are recorded the deeds of everyone, good or evil. 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” This simply means, that while you are in the body,…in this life…, if you have done things that invite Christ’s salvation in your life, then you will have your name written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. You will pass through the judgment, and into the gates of the celestial city. These things are confessing and repenting of your sins. Listening to what Jesus has to say through his word and deciding to believe it from the heart. It means placing all of your hope and trust in Jesus and deciding to live for his glory and serving his purposes alone. These are things that will get you praise from Jesus at the final judgment. 22:14 makes this a little clearer.“ Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.” When you do these things, you are essentially washing your robes and may enter the new Jerusalem.

What will we be doing in the new Jerusalem? Some people think that heaven is like a Club Med, an eternal Caribbean vacation, where we laze around on the beach and sip Tahiti treats. Bt this is not so. Revelation 22:3 reads, “No longer will there be any curse. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.” In the past we only worked hard for three meals a day, only to barely survive and then die. But in the new Jerusalem we will be serving Jesus. This work will be joyful and fruitful because there will be no more curse. Look at verse 5, “There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.” We will be walking by the light of the Lord and we will reign with him. We will be co-working with Jesus as part of his team. What a great privilege that is!

Part lll: “Behold I Am Coming Soon!” (22:7-21)

We are going to enter the new Jerusalem sooner than we think. Let’s read verse 7, “ ‘Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book.” We tend to think that all of this talk about the kingdom of God is about about some far off place in some distant time. But not so. Jesus once said, the kingdom of God is near. (Lk 10:9) It is near to your soul. Also, Jesus Christ could come anytime. We don’t know the time, but the signs of the end of the age are clearly being set into place. But practically speaking, for all of us, the time when we see Jesus is when we take our fleeting breath. We do not know when this time comes. But we need to be ready and live as if Jesus is coming today.. “Behold! I am coming soon!” Jesus says.
Does all of this talk about Jesus and his kingdom move your heart? It sure did move John’s heart. Look at 22:8, “I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me.” John felt compelled to worship. This is the right response. So often we are “ho hum” about the kingdom of God, thinking we have heard it all before. For some it is an interesting story. But we need to see what John saw, with the eyes of our hearts and renew our sincere worship of Jesus.
Jesus will bring his reward. Let’s read verses 12 & 14, “ Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done…14 ‘Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city.’” There definitely will be a reward for all those who have remained faithful to Jesus. We will be ushered into eternal life where we will see our Savior, Jesus, face to face. We will behold the beautiful and glorious new Jerusalem, the kingdom of God. We will receive praise from Jesus in proportion to how we have lived our lives for him. Hopefully, he will hug us and say, “Well, done my good and faithful servant.” and not, “Wow! You just barely made it through the flames, my child.” Let’s be full of spiritual deeds, like repentance and faith and simple obedience to the words of God and receive Jesus’ reward when he comes.
There are many descriptions of Jesus in this passage. Jesus is the bridegroom. He is the one to whom we, the bride, must give our hearts. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End. He is the eternal God who was here in the beginning and who will be with us throughout eternity. He is the Root and the Offspring of David. That is he is the Promised Messiah, who will reign over the Kingdom of God forever. Jesus is the bright Morning Star, meaning he is the brightest star in the sky. The bright morning star always brought hope and direction to lost, seafaring mariners. Likewise Jesus gives hope and direction to wayfaring pilgrims like ourselves who are making our way through this troubled world to the new Jerusalem.
The angel gives John, and all believers a mission. Look at verse 17, “ The Spirit and the bride say, ‘Come!’ And let him who hears say, ‘Come!’ Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life.” The word of God, the spirit of God and the Christian church, have one united beckon call to give to the whole world. It is a message for all people of every tribe and nation to come to Jesus and have their robes washed clean through faith in Jesus and receive the right to enter the gates of the new Jerusalem. Jesus himself gives this invitation in Matthew 11:28-29. He says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” When we know who Jesus is we are happy to invite people to come to him.
There are other aspects of placing our hope in the new Jerusalem. We need to trust God. Look at verse 11, “Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.” We can try to do many things for God and change many things but there is a time when we deeply realize that all things are in God’s hands and we simply have to trust God and receive what God gives. Look at verses 18-20. These words show that God is very serious about his word. There are so many unrelenting forces tearing us away from the word of God. But we must uphold the word of God, never changing it, but preaching it as it is. The salvation of millions depend on it. Part of placing your hope in the new Jerusalem is praying for Jesus to come again…soon. Look at verse 20, “ He who testifies to these things says, ‘Yes, I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” Sometimes we want Jesus to come later on, after we have accomplished all that we want to accomplish in this world. But when we have the vision of the new Jerusalem our spontaneous pray will be, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus.” We are ready to go anytime.
In this passage we discovered the only true and lasting paradise. It is the new Jerusalem in the eternal kingdom of God. When Jesus began his earthly ministry he proclaimed the words, “The time has come,…the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news.” (Mk 1:15) This kingdom is beautiful beyond description. It is a place where there is healing, love, peace, light and eternal life and so much more. It the place where we will dwell with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all eternity. It is the place that our hearts yearn for. It is not just a pipe dream. It is real! This new Jerusalem can be our eternal home when we wash our robes through faith in the blood of Jesus…through faith in his Gospel. Let’s take hold of this kingdom. Let us invite the whole world to come to Jesus and receive the right to enter into his glorious celestial city, starting at COD and NIU campus’. May our daily prayer be, “Amen. Come Lord Jesus.”

A TESTIMONY TO ALL NATIONS
Matthew 24:1-35 (51) Message delivered by Sarah Barry at the Missionary Conference 5/30/11
Key Verse: 24:14, (30-31) Forward by Kevin Jesmer of NIU UBF
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.”
“At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Forward by Shp Kevin Jesmer (NIU UBF)
The following is the message delivered by Mother Sarah Barry at the Missionary/Shepherd conference in Seoul Korea (May 30th to June 1st 2011). This was the site of the celebration of the 50th Anniversary of our UBF ministry. I feel that it is important to hear this message because it is a message that is heard by all of our UBF members worldwide. Through the hearing of this message may our hearts be filled with the same hope and vision that filled the hearts of all attendants to the missionary/shepherd conference. Our ministry was founded on September 1, 1961, in South Korea, in the midst of national turmoil following a military coup d'etat. At the time, Korean college students fell into deep despair due to the social instability and the deteriorating value systems of the times. At that time, Dr. Samuel Lee (1931-2002) was ministering to college students after graduating from a Presbyterian seminary. He was translating Bible material for the “Navigators.” Dr. Lee met Missionary Sarah Barry who volunteered to come to Korea to help this war-devastated country. She was sent by the Board of World Missions of the Presbyterian Church. They shared a common belief that the best way to help Korea and the world was to plant faith and hope for the future in the hearts of college students with a life-giving, Gospel spirit, so that they would grow to be future leaders of the Korea and the world. To this end, they began to pray with the prayer topic, "Bible Korea, World Mission," and studied the Bible with college students. This was the beginning of the University Bible Fellowship. Since then God has established over 1800 full time missionaries in over 92 countries. In the 1980’s, Julie and I came to Jesus through the love and the prayers of such Korean missionaries. Julie in LA and I in Winnipeg Canada. It is through the lives of faith of these missionaries that we have found our own mission and calling in life and the calling and mission of our family. Maybe it is your calling and mission too? You will eventually find out. And so God has been working and using our ministry to touch the hearts of college students world wide, over the last 50 years. This year we wanted to celebrate this fact and find some clear direction for our ministry as a whole for the next 50 years. That should cover the rest of my earthy life and half of my kids’ lives, if everything goes as planned. And so now is the time to sit back and relax and image that you are an attendee at the Missionary/shepherd conference at Seoul Korea and imaging that I am Mother Sarah Barry who is in her eighties. God bless you all. …..Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we give thanks to God. We are here to praise God for his gracious work in and among us. We are here to worship him. We are here to pray for one another and encourage one another. Through the blood of Jesus and by God’s grace alone we have forgiveness of sin. Through his resurrection, we have life and hope in the kingdom of God. We are ready to welcome and worship our King when he comes. God has made our calling, to take the gospel to the campuses of the world, a sure calling. It is a privilege for me to be here among you who have served God sacrificially in the mission fields of the world. We thank him for his presence with us during the past 50 years. As we look forward toward the future, we want to think, not about what we must do, but about what God is doing.
Through earthquakes, famines, a tsunami that devastated Japan, through wars and revolutions in Africa and the Middle East, God has reminded us that he is in control of nature and history. He reminds us that Jesus is coming again. We don’t know when. But his coming is sure. Let’s read verses 30-31. “At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
What is God doing in these end times, and what can be our response? Let’s read Mt 24:14. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.” This is God’s promise. God keeps his promises. There is no failure in world mission. The gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world..
Part 1: Jesus’ Sorrow –Jerusalem Destroyed
In Matthew 21, Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble king, riding a donkey. He went first to the temple. He cleansed it. He drove out all those who were doing worldly business there. He rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. He wept over Jerusalem because it rejected God’s love and blessing. He wept because of the suffering that would come to Jerusalem. Let’s read Mt 24:1-3. Jesus and his disciples walked away from the temple and climbed up the Mount of Olives. They sat down, overlooking the beautiful temple which King Herod had built. Jesus’ disciples were moved as they looked at the beautiful buildings. The disciples revealed a value system focused on wealth and power, on material things. Jesus was still weeping in his heart because of God’s people who rejected God’s love (23:37). His heart was full of sorrow when he responded, “I tell you the truth. This temple will be demolished. Not one stone will be left standing on another. Every stone will be thrown down.”
The destruction of Jerusalem happened just as Jesus prophesied: In 70 A.D. a Roman army under General Titus entered Jerusalem. He was bent on destroying the Jews and their religion. Someone set fire to the temple and it burned to the ground. He killed all the Jews he could find. The streets of the city ran with blood. A few people sought refuge in the Masada fortress, but they were discovered and before they could be massacred, they committed mass suicide. The Jewish people were killed or driven out of Palestine. Those who escaped scattered throughout the world. Jews would not return to reclaim Jerusalem for nearly 2000 years–until after WWII in 1948, when the State of Israel was established. When they began to return, they could not rebuild the temple, because a Mosque was sitting on the temple mount. This was God’s sovereign wisdom. There is still no temple; no animal sacrifices. There is no need for the temple, for Jesus is the temple; he is the perfect sacrifice. The destruction of Jerusalem and the attempted annihilation of the Jews is an event comparable to the holocaust of modern times.
To the disciples, the destruction of the temple was tantamount to the end of the world. Indeed, the destruction of the temple foreshadowed the end of the age and Jesus’ second coming. Jesus had these two events in his heart.
Part ll: The End Of The Age And Jesus’ Second Coming.
The disciples asked Jesus two questions about the end of the age: When will you come again? And, what will be the sign of your coming?
Jesus begins his answer to the question about signs with a warning: “Do not be deceived.” People who only look for signs are frequently deceived. Watch out that no one deceives you–false Messiah’s will come. In a world that does not care about truth, lies prevail. False Messiahs take advantage of this. God’s people must watch out and not be deceived. God’s word is truth. We must be equipped with the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (35)
In the time leading up to the end there will be great suffering. There will be natural disasters and man-made disasters. Jesus says, “Don’t be alarmed, the end has not come. It is the beginning of birth pains.” We should not give in to fear. God is in control. He tells us that this is the beginning of birth pains. What does he mean by “birth pains”? A woman giving birth to a baby suffers excruciating pain. But it is not pain and suffering that leads to death; it is pain that results in a new life coming into the world. The birth pains herald a new and glorious age, the coming of the Risen Christ, King Jesus, and his kingdom.
What then is the sign of his coming? Read verses 30-31. “At that time, the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. He will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” The sun will be darkened. The moon will not give its light. God will shake the heavens and the stars will fall from the sky. Jesus’ coming is a cosmic event. His elect are those who have accepted the gospel of his kingdom. The mourners are those who have not. The elect will come with the Risen Christ to join him in establishing his glorious kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
The disciples did not fully understand, but they believed. We also do not understand everything, but we believe that Jesus is coming again. It was promised to the first witnesses that Jesus who was taken into heaven would come back in the same way they saw him leave. (Ac 1:11). The Risen Christ will come, bringing God’s kingdom to earth. He will come with his elect. His coming marks the end of this present age. His coming ushers in a new heaven and a new earth. Jerusalem had been cruelly destroyed. But the Apostle John had a vision of a new and glorious Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. (Rev 21:1,2) The kingdom of the Risen Christ will be full of love and joy.
The next question is, “When?” –What is the time of his coming? Jesus’ answer is, “No one knows when; Be ready; keep watch.” “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, or the Son, but only the Father.” (36) If we knew the time of Jesus’ coming, we could think, “I’ll get ready later.” People were like this in the days of Noah (24:37-39). Only Noah was ready. The rest of the people went about business as usual, eating, drinking, partying, getting married. They paid much attention to their flesh lives and no attention to their spiritual lives. Noah also lived an ordinary life, but he was different. He was ready. He made time to walk with God, and listen to him. He believed that God meant what he said. So, when God told him to build a boat, he built it. He believed and obeyed God’s word. He was saved, but everyone else drowned. In the same way, we should be ready. Like Noah, we should walk with God in prayer, listen to his word and be ready. Jesus will come like a thief in the night. He will come at a time when we do not expect him. Therefore, we should keep watch.
Part lll. What Is God Doing In These Times And What Will He Do?
What is God doing? First, He is working to help his elect stand firm. Look at verses 12-13. “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Second, He is working now through his elect to bring his love and mercy and forgiveness to the world. Third, He will gather his elect from everywhere. “When the Son of Man comes with power and glory he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.” Who, then are the elect?
God’s elect are those who have accepted Jesus as Savior and Lord. They are those who inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the Creation. (25:31-40) The elect love God because God first loved them. They are the “sheep” in Chapter 25 who care for the vulnerable people of society—they feed the hungry, visit the prisoners, minister to the sick, clothe the naked, love the unlovable. They don’t even realize that they are serving God and spreading the gospel of his kingdom. They inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the creation. But, on the other hand, wickedness will increase. God’s people will be persecuted, hated, put to death. Some will fail. They will turn from the faith and betray each other. Most men’s love will grow cold. But these, the worst of times, are also the best of times. It is the time of opportunity. It is the time for love to challenge hate, the time to make God’s saving grace known.
Tass Saada was a PLO sniper. He murdered Jews in Israel; he killed Christians in Jordan. He was born in a refugee camp in Gaza. When the Jewish state was formed in 1948, many Palestinians became homeless immigrants, Tass Saada’s family included. He was raised in a world of radical Islam and violent Palestinian nationalism. By his teenage years he was a cauldron of hatred. Especially, he hated Jews. He had no homeland, so he wanted to immigrate to America. Someone told him that the best way to get a green card was to marry an American. So he did. But in his heart, he was a jihadist and he hated America. One day a friend tried to evangelize him and he got mad. Then his friend offered him a Bible. He shouted, “Don’t get near me—that’s God’s book.” So his friend said, ‘You believe this is God’s book? Then listen to what God’s Book says about Jesus.” And he read John 1:14—“the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.” It hit Tass that the Bible teaches plainly that Jesus is God and he trembled. He heard a voice, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.” He didn’t know that these words were from the Bible. Jesus was speaking to him personally. Jihad is not the way; Jesus is the Way. He prayed, “Jesus, come into my life.” He repented of his sins. And this violent radical Muslim was transformed by the power of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. The killer became a man of peace and compassion. Once he called his friend. “Was Jesus a Jew?” “Yes, Jesus was a Jew.” So Tass Saada could love Jews. He could love his wife. He became a powerful and bold preacher of the gospel of the kingdom. He founded an organization called “Hope for Ishmael” dedicated to reconciling Arabs and Jews. He and his wife moved to a refugee camp in Gaza, where he was born, to share Jesus’ love with poverty-stricken children there. Tass Saada is one of God’s elect. God is working through his elect to bring his gospel to the world. This is the time to challenge hatred with God’s love. In these times God refines and purifies the hearts of his people through suffering. Through broken dreams, sickness, seeming failure God purifies our hearts. God’s mission to the world will not fail.
God is spreading his gospel to all nations through his elect. Look at verse 14. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” God’s Son, the Christ, was born into a Roman world, according to God’s set time and foreknowledge. Roman laws, Roman soldiers, Roman roads and a common language unified the world in a way that it had never been unified before. Paul and the apostles could travel anywhere without visas. The gospel was spread to the whole Roman world.
We have “Roman roads” in our time, too. We live in the world of the internet, satellite T.V. and radio; in the world of facebook and Twitter and Youtube. Through these modern roads of communication, our world has become one community. In Egypt, Whael Ghonim, a Google executive and Asmaa Mahofouz, a 26 year-old woman, made facebook entries that sparked a revolution. Mubarak’s government fell. News travels. Revolution sparks revolution. The Muslim Radicals want to use the opportunities of our times to destabilize the world so that they can step into a power vacuum and rule. We don’t know which way the revolutions happening in Libya, Syria, Yemen, and other parts of the world are going. But this is a time of unprecedented opportunity for the gospel of the kingdom to be preached in the whole world. Wayne Pederson of Radio station HCJB continues to beam the message of the Prince of Peace into Libya and North Africa, and people are listening. Jesus promised that “the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.” (14) Jesus keeps his promise. His coming is our glorious hope.
Part lV: How Can We Respond To What God Is Doing?
We can love God and love one another. Even though people’s love grows cold, God’s love does not grow cold. God is merciful and compassionate. God is love. He is working in and through you and me to bring the gospel of the kingdom to the ends of the earth. He is working in us to share his love in a world where love has grown cold. By his grace alone, we can stand firm to the end. Let us put our trust in Jesus and give him our hearts.
Again, We can love God and love one another. When we accepted God’s grace of forgiveness, we welcomed Jesus into our hearts. It is no longer I who live. It is Christ who lives in me. We cannot tell about a person’s inner life from his outward appearance. But God looks at the heart. When the Son of Man comes, two men will be working together in a field. They are doing the same thing. But their hearts are different. One knows God; Jesus is in his heart. God’s Spirit rules him. God does not know the other one. One will be taken; the other will be left. Two women will be working together, grinding grain with a hand mill. They are dressed alike and they are doing the same thing. But one has a heart that is ruled by Jesus and the other’s heart is full of greed and lust. One will be taken; the other left. (40-41) The heart cleansed by Jesus’ blood and ruled by the Holy Spirit is a heart that is ready to meet King Jesus. Let us forgive one another. Let us love one another and build up one another.
Paul says, “As we wait for Jesus to come again, ‘(Let us) put on faith and love as a breastplate and the hope of salvation as a helmet..let us encourage one another and build up each other, just as in fact you are doing...’” (I Th 5:8-11) Jesus’ blood has cleansed us. We are ready to welcome King Jesus. “He died for us so that we may live together with him.”
We can be faithful and wise servants. We should keep on living the life God called us to live. In verses 45-51, Jesus talks about the faithful and wise servant whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to feed them…He says, “It will be good for that servant whose master finds him doing so when he returns.” As we wait for the coming of our King Jesus, the indwelling Jesus helps us to be faithful and wise servants. He helps each of us to feed God’s sheep, overcome our selfishness, to be mindful of all of God’s family. He enables my life and your life to be a testimony to the nations.
We can participate in his work of making disciples of all nations. He promises that this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations. This is what God is doing. He invites us to participate. In the last verses of Matthew’s gospel, he sends his disciples forth to share in what he is doing. Go and make disciples of all nations. He gives us another promise: And surely I am with you always to the very end of the age. We are in Christ and he is in us. We can stand firm. May God use our lives as a testimony to the nations. “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations and then the end will come.”
1. Read verses 1-3. How was Jesus' view of the temple different from that of the disciples? (Cf.
Mark 13:1) To what future events was Jesus probably referring? What was the disciples'
response? (3)

2. Read verses 4-8. What did Jesus teach about the climate of the world and of the end of the
age? What warnings did he give his disciples? What was Jesus' attitude toward these things?
Why? (6,8)

3. Read verses 9-14. What other things will happen in the last days? How will people react
under such pressure? What should Jesus' people do? What did Jesus promise?

4. Read verses 15-22. What does this "abomination" refer to? (cf. Daniel 9:27; 11:31) When
abominable things happen, what must God's people do? Why might worldly attachments
ensnare people? (16,17,18) How will God help his own?

5. Read verses 23-35. How will false prophets try to deceive God's people? How can we
not be deceived? Who will mourn and who will rejoice when the Son of Man comes?
What lesson can we learn from the fig tree?

6. Read verses 36-51. What does it mean to be ready? What can we learn from the
faithful steward? What happens to the unfaithful steward? (45-51)

Whatever Happened to Melchizedek?

What Ever Happened to Melchizedek?

Genesis 14:17-24
Key verse 14:18 Shp Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought bread and wine. He was Priest of God Most High.”



Do you like mystery novels? If you do then you will like this one. One of the most mysterious people in the Bible is the king of peace, Melchizedek. Melchizedek is the first priest/king in the Bible. He was a city-state leader whose heart was tuned into God. He was good at encouraging others to acknowledge God and serve God wholeheartedly. He was a man whose character reflected his love for God. He appeared one day in the life of Abram and then was gone. What happened on that day was to be remembered throughout history and eventually became a subject of a New Testament letter, Hebrews. There are many lessons we can learn from him. In today’s lesson we will learn about God who sends his servants at the crucial moments in our walk with Jesus to encourage us and point us in the right way. We will also learn what made Melchizedek great and how we can emulate his life, becoming a blessing to others. May God bless you to grow as a servant of God like Melchizedek.

Part 1: Abram Was At A “Cross Roads” Moment (Gen 14:1-16)

In Chapter 14 we find Abram, despaired of life because Lot had left him in order to pursue his own dream. (As you know, Lot went to live in the city of Sodom, where people were sinning greatly against the Lord.) Sodom, the city where his nephew Lot went to, had just been conquered by King Kedorlaomer. Thousands were no doubt killed. All the goods of Sodom and all of the survivors had just been taken captive. His nephew Lot, and some family members were among them. They were to become slaves in the some far off land.

When Abram heard of this terrible situation, his heart stirred into action. Even though Lot had abandoned Abram and had chosen to compromise with the world, Abram still loved him and hoped that he would repent and change his ways. Adrenaline rushed through his aged veins. He rallied his strength and called together 318 of his militarily trained men who were in his tent village. These men, along with the men of two other tribal leaders, pursued Kedorlaomer’s army for a couple of hundred miles. It was his shepherd’s heart and love for Lot that gave him strength to press forward and never give up. God gave him wisdom to divide his forces and defeat Kedorlaomer. And God blessed him. Abram recovered all the goods of Sodom and all the people, including Lot and his family. God was with Abram and gave him this great victory when he cared about the flock of God and was willing to sacrifice his own life in order to rescue them from slavery. May God stir in us the same courage and compassion for lost souls in our day.
Abram’s victory placed him in a spiritually vulnerable position. Look at Verse 17b, “…the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).” Kings came to him to seek an audience. They offered him, not only recognition, but great wealth. Suddenly Abram was a political and military force to be reckoned with. Look at verse 21, “The king of Sodom said to Abram, ‘Give me the people and keep the goods for yourself.’" Abram was tempted with great wealth. He was also tempted to think that, through military victory, political intrigue and worldly wealth, God was going to give him the Promised Land,. Why not seized the land now by these human means?
Abram was also despaired. He once had placed his hope in Lot, that through Lot, he would become a great nation. He poured out all of his energies to raise his nephew through the teenage years. But Lot abandoned his uncle and took half the flocks and herds and left the Promised Land without a second thought. Lot took the best without even a care about his uncles’ feelings, nor God’s hope for him. Abram sacrificed so much to rescue Lot, even risking his own life. And do you know what Lot did after he was rescued? You would think that he would repent and come to his senses and return to the life of faith alongside his uncle Abram. But no! He went back to Sodom. As a dog returns to it’s vomit. (2 Peter 2:20-22) Lot did not learn his lesson. He was so selfish. Abram despaired that all of his efforts were in vain.
Abram’s heart could have went several ways. He could have become a worldly tribal chief and ruled over the area with military might. He could have despaired and spent most of his time, curled up in a ball, sleeping in his tent and giving up on living a life of faith. He could have packed his bags and returned to the Ur of the Chaldeans where he had a lot of relatives to visit and grow old with. I would feel like giving up if I were him. He could have been paralyzed by fear wondering if Kedorlaomer would come back to exact revenge on him the next spring. He could have remained bitter to God forever asking God, “Why is this happening to me?” Can you see why this was a very tempting time for Abram? This was indeed a “crossroads” monent in the Abram’s life.
Part ll: Melchizedek, The Great Encourager! (Gen 14:17-24)
There is one thing, that all people who know God personally, come to realize…God never abandons his people at these crucial moments in their lives. He always sends someone to their them in order to give them wise words of counsel in order to help them on their spiritual journey. That is exactly what God did for Abram. Look at Verse 18a, “Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine.” God sent his servant, Melchizedek.
We must always give credit to God for intervening at the crucial moments in our spiritual lives when we could have gone one way or the other. We must also thank God for his servants who have obeyed God and entered into our lives to shepherd us. It was clearly the hand of God in sending his servant to Abram. But what if Abram did not recognize Melchizedek as a priest of God sent by God himself? He could have told his servants, “Send that old man away. I am too tired and I don’t feel like talking to anyone.” He would have been the looser. But thank God that Abram had spiritual eyes to recognize the true identity of this great servant of God. Let us reflect on how God has been faithful to send someone into our lives to help us, by giving us the life giving words of God and showing us the way, when the way was not clear. In other words, who has been a Melchizedek to you? If you can not recognize the times when people were brought into your life to give you counsel, then ask God to open your eyes. There have been many! You must thank God for sending them. Maybe send them an e-mail. It will be much appreciated.
Who was this Melchizedek? Look at Hebrews 7:1-3, “ This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, his name means ‘king of righteousness’; then also, ‘king of Salem’ means ‘king of peace.’ 3 Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” The Bible says that he was the king of Salem. The city of Salem means the “city of Peace.” It is the name of ancient Jerusalem. The oldest part of the city was settled in the 4th millennium BCE, making Jerusalem one of the oldest cities in the world. A city called the “Foundation of Shalem” appears in ancient Egyptian records as the first two references to Jerusalem. In c. 2000 BC and c. 1330 BC a city was founded by a Northwest Semitic people, descendents of Shem, with organized settlements from around 2600 BC. (Wikipedia) They were a people who worshipped the God of Noah and had their own unique religious practices.
Melchizedek ruled over a theocracy. He was the king and also a priest. Apparently in those days there was no separation of church and state. Cities could be ruled by a person that was a political leader and also a spiritual leader. We can see glimpses of this in today’s world. For example who is the symbolic head of the Anglican Church? Not the Archbishop of Canterbury. It is the Queen of England. In the eighties, who was the leader of Iran? It was the Ayatollah Khomeini, a dual spiritual and political leader. One day we may have a Pastor/president.
He is a priest of God Most high. Some of us tend to think that Abram was the first person to believe in one God. But there were other people groups who worshipped God Most High, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. Think of Noah and his descendants. They were believers in God Most High. Archeologists believe that the people who pioneered Jerusalem were Semites, decedents of Shem. Melchizedek simply did not worship God as Abram did. Abram is a pioneer of sorts for he pioneered a certain expression of faith. Abram’s faith tells us to believe in God’s promises and decide to live by faith; following God’s leading in our lives, ways that are tough and filled with faith building events. Melchizedek was a spiritual leader of a religion that worshiped the God of Noah and Abraham. But it did not involve living by faith as Abram was doing. Yet, he was a sincere servant of God and God was working though him.
There are times when we don’t respect other followers of Christ, if they do not worship like our own congregation or denomination. But Abram recognized Melchizedek as a servant of God and learned from him and submitted to him. We need to realize that God is not just working through evangelical, non-denominational Protestants. He is working through many denominations and expressions of faith. I am not saying that God is working through all world religions or purveyors of false gospels, but if there are Christians out there that are not like us and who worship differently in their churches we need to respect them as servants of Jesus Christ and acknowledge that God is working through them.
Melchizedek was a great man and yet very humble. He was a king. He was also a priest. He had great power and authority. And yet he came to meet old Abram, out in the desert. He came and brought the bread and wine. He came to encourage and bless and share spiriitual fellowship. This is very humble. He reminds me of Jesus. The attitude of Christ Jesus, was, in a word, humbleness. Philippians 2:6-7 reads, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.” Jesus is the Creator God, through whom all things were made (Jn 1:1-3). But he did not clutch the power and glory of his equality with God. It was his. Yet, he divested himself of it and became flesh to dwell among us (Jn 1:14), even being born in a stable.
In our sinful nature, we want to be recognized, and honored. We want people to come to us. But Jesus’ attitude was humility, not self-glory seeking. He made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant. In the world, no one ever gives up his or her position of authority and power, whether it is deserved or not. We would rather be served by others, and lord it over them. Jesus had all authority in heaven and on earth, but he used his power to serve the weak. Instead of demanding people to come up to his standard, Jesus reached down to us, serving our needs. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk 10:45) Melchizedek reflected the heart of Jesus.
The fact that he came to have spiritual fellowship is also very significant. We like to socialize and hang out with our friends. But do we intend to have spiritual fellowship with them? When we have spiritual fellowship with people, we pray with them, we discuss spiritual things, we examine the scriptures, we are mutually encouraged by each other’s faith. Having spiritual fellowship is very intentional. It does not come easy. It is a sign of spiritual maturity when we seek this type of fellowship out.
Part lll: Melchizedek, The Blesser (Gen 14:18-20)
Melchizedek came to bless Abram. Look at verse 14:19a, “and he blessed Abram, saying, ….” What does it mean to bless someone? Does it mean to give endless charity? No, in fact, Abram is the one who gave money away to Melchizedek, not the other way around. Then what does it mean to “bless” someone? Look at how Melchizedek did it in verses 19b-20, ““…’Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.’ Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” Let’s think a little more about blessing others.
First, he turned Abram’s eyes to the God Most High. He knew that Abram was struggling spiritually and he knew that the only solution was to take his eyes off of himself and his present situation and place them squarely on God instead. God is Most High. He is more powerful than the armies of worldly kings. He can give the whole Promised Land to Abram with one swipe of his hand. Nothing is impossible with God Most High. One day John the Baptist saw Jesus coming towards him and he said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (Jn 1:29) Moses told the people to take their eyes off the poisonous snakes, repenting of their fears and vainly trying to save themselves, and look to the bronze snake on pole. (Nu 21:4-9) Those who look to the Son of Man, Jesus, high and exalted on the cross, will be saved. There is one hymn, “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus.” Verse 1 reads, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus…look full into his wonderful face and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.” To bless someone is to remind them of who God is and encourage them to fix their eyes on Jesus, the Creator God.
Second, he encouraged Abram to give God the credit for gaining a great victory over his enemies. Look at verse 20a, “And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand." Abram had indeed accomplished a great task. He defeated an army many more times the size of his own. He was an old man, but he did something that even young men could not accomplish. It was easy for him to think that in his wisdom, his strength, his leadership, and his stick-to-itiveness, he got himself the victory. To think this way is pride itself. There is a danger of thinking that we can do it all because of our own power. But the Bible says that God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. (Ja 4:6) What have we got that we have not been given? Paul knew that his great spiritual successes were not from him but from God. He says in 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us.” If we become proud we are in a real danger of loosing the blessings that God has brought into our lives. I thank God for Bethany Erickson. She is the girl who got her arm bitten off by a shark and became a surf champion with one arm. She stated again and again that her strength comes from Jesus Christ.

Now is the time to think about all the victories that God has brought forth. What about school? sports? relationships? jobs? career? and family? These are outward things, but what about spiritual things? Is it not a victory that you are standing as a believer in God when the whole western world seems to be falling away from Christ? What about the fact that you are growing stronger as a servant of God and his word? What about taking away fear, judgment, criticism, and despair from your heart? Did you take them away on your own? No. It is all because of Jesus and his Gospel. Today, it is time to be blessed and give all glory and honor and credit to Jesus. Part of blessing others is helping them to give all the credit and glory to God for every victory in their lives.

Melchizedek blessed Abram by helping Abram to obey God. Melchizedek’s spiritual influence was great. Look at Verse 20b, “…Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.” and also Hebrews 7:4, “Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder” It was not easy for Abram to give a tenth to Melchizedek. He had the equivalent of millions of dollars. A tenth of this was tens of thousands of dollars. Most people don’t want to offer anything to God. They hold onto their last dollar as if they were on a white knuckle roller coaster ride. As if that last dollar is going to make any difference anyways! It is not just money. People do this when they need to tithe their time, effort, and passion to Jesus. But Melchizedek had spiritual influence and power to help Abram obey God and offer. This is a great work of God. I don’t even have the authority and influence to help people to obey God in this way. I pray that all of us can offer God our tithe, but also grow in spiritual power and influence to bless people by helping them to obey what is right before God.
Melchizedek blessed Abram by helping him to accept the word of God with conviction of heart. Look at Verses 22-24, “But Abram said to the king of Sodom, ‘I have raised my hand to the LORD, God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth, and have taken an oath that I will accept nothing belonging to you, not even a thread or the thong of a sandal, so that you will never be able to say, 'I made Abram rich.' I will accept nothing but what my men have eaten and the share that belongs to the men who went with me—to Aner, Eshcol and Mamre. Let them have their share." Abram was not this vague old man who was just lingering, fearful and tired. No way! He had conviction of heart to do the right thing and walk the right path, the path that is pleasing to God. The devil was using the king of Sodom to come and tempt Abram to act like an ordinary king and keep the plunder for himself. This would have been devastating to the work of God. All of the surrounding peoples and the recorders of Biblical history, could say that Abram was blessed because of the generosity of the king of a wicked city. They could say that Abram’s heart was swayed by money. It would have ruined his witness. It would be like receiving money from an abortion clinic to open up a church. But through the shepherding and mentoring of Melchizedek, Abram could be very strong spiritually. He told the king of Sodom clearly the truth that he learned from Melchizedek. He stood firmly and boldly on the side of truth with a loud voice. Blessing others means to help them have a clear conviction of heart based on God’s word and declare their faith to an unbelieving world.
Melchizedek served the Lord with integrity of heart. After Abram gave him a tenth of everything, Melchizedek just leaves. He took the offering back to Salem and used it for propogating the knowledge of God Most High, the Creator. Abram did not demand an audit of how the offering was used. He gave it and never tried to micromange it from afar. He trusted God and he trusted Melchizedek because he was a trustworthy servant of God.

Melchizedek was selfless. After he interacted with Abram you don’t hear anything else about him. He went home and carried on with his mission to be a king and a priest. He did not want bring glory to himself, but bring all the glory to God. He was not competing with Abram. He was like John the Baptist who was a small light leading others to the true light Jesus Christ. John became less so that Jesus can become greater. And when his Jesus’ ministry grew he was more than willing to fade into the shadows and let Jesus take over. How often we want to stick around to gain more glory for ourselves. We want to compete with other ministries that are up and rising, feeling threatened by them. But we need to learn Melchizedek’s humility and support what God is doing and if it is God’s will, then simply disappear.

Part lV: Jesus Is Identified With Melchizedek (Heb 7:1-28)
Melchizedek was a Christ figure. The author of the book of Hebrews compares Jesus to Melchizedek. Hebrews 7:11, “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron?” Jesus is so many things. But he also Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. What does that mean, “in the order of Melchizedek”? Hebrews 7:7-17 explains this a little bit. I would like to include it but it is all very theological and the subject of another message. Let’s think of some highlights. Melchizedek, who blessed Abraham, was greater than he, and thereby, greater than Levi, Abraham's descendant, for Levi was still in Abraham’s DNA. (To be born some 400 years later.) Under the Law, priests must be descendants of Levi. Through the priesthood, established by the descendants of Levi, God made a way for salvation through the blood of animals. In this way sinners could come to God. But this sacrificial system was inadequate. Melchizedek was a priest, but he was not a descendant of Levi. Jesus is not one also. Jesus came from the house and line of Judah. Concerning Melchizedek’s lineage, Hebrews 7:3 reads, “Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever.” The priesthood of Levi could not bring lasting and complete forgiveness of sins. This inadequate system looked forward to a better priest and a perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God. Jesus is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is the Son of God, without beginning of days or end of life. Psalm 110 speaks of a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Jesus is that priest--not because of his human ancestry, but by the power of his sinless and indestructible life. Through him we may draw near to God. That is the connection between Melchizedek and Jesus.
In this passage we learned about God who sees our need and knows our situation and always sends someone to help us along on our spiritual journey. We also learned how to be a blessing to others through Melchizedek’s blessing of Abram. We learn how to have spiritual fellowship with people encourage them. May God help you to be a person of abundant blessings and may you turn many hearts to the the Most High God, Jesus Christ.
Part 1: Abram Was At A “Cross Roads” Moment (Gen 14:1-16)

1. What event had Abram just been through? What was the outcome of the battle? (17a) What did the king Sodom offer Abram? (17b, 21) What was the temptation for Abram at this time?

Part ll: Melchizedek, The Great Encourager! (Gen 14:17-18)

2. Who came to Abram at this crucial moment in his life? (18) What was his dual occupation? Which city was he the king of? What did he bring? What does this mean? What is it important for us to bless others? What does this teach us about God?
Part lll: Melchizedek, The Blesser (Gen 14:19-20)
3. What did he do to Abram? (19a) What did he say to Abram? (19b-20) What God did Melchizedek worship and serve? What can we learn about our attitude towards others believers who worship the God of the Bible?

4. Who is the giver of every victory in life? How is our God able to give us victory upon victory? What enemies are delivered into our hands nowadays? How can we bring glory to God through our victories in life? What affect did Melchizedek’s counsel have on Abram’s spirit? (22-24)

5. What did Abram give to Melchizedek? Why? How does this reveal the greatness of Melchizedek? (Heb 7:4) What do you think Melchizedek did with the offering?

Part lV: Jesus Is Identified With Melchizedek (Heb 7:1-28)

6. What observation did the author of Hebrews make concerning Melchizedek? (Heb 7:3) How is this like Jesus?

7. What are the limitations of the Levitical priesthood? (Heb 7:11) How is Jesus’
priesthood like that of Melchizedek and not like that of Levi? On what basis was
Melchizedek and Jesus made priests? (Heb 7:7-17) What is Jesus identified with
Melchizedek and not with Levi? (Heb 7:18-28; Psalm 110)

Revelation 20:1-15

The Final Judgment
Revelation 20:1-15 Shp Kevin Jesmer 5/14/11
Key verse 20:6

“Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”


Today we want to examine the final judgment of God. There seem to be three stages of the final judgment. First, Satan is locked in the Abyss for a thousand years. Those who do not have the mark of the beast will reign with Christ. After a thousand years, Satan will be released for a short time to deceive many people, then he will be cast into the lake of burning sulfur to dwell forever. On the final day of judgment the living and the dead will stand before the throne of God. The books will be opened and every person will be judged according to what they have done. Those whose names are not written in the book of life will be cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. This all sounds very ominous and foreboding. But those who are in Christ have nothing to fear. In fact, the blood of Jesus will enable them to pass through the judgment all the way to the kingdom of heaven. Through a study of this passage, may you not just be scared, but may you thank God for his grace given us through the blood of Jesus that put our names in the book of life. Also may we stand firm in faith, to the end, holding onto the grace of Jesus and knowing that our final victory is assured. We are true victors when we hold onto the Gospel. Let’s see.
Part l: The Thousand Years (20:1-6)

It has always been a controversy about the 1000 years, also known as the millennium. By the controversy is not an issue. It does not demand an absolute view. What is important is that we Christians believe exactly what the Bible tells us to believe. About the 1,000 years, we believe that Jesus will return according to his promise. He will also bind the devil for 1,000 and Jesus Christ will rule. After the 1,000 year, Christ will release the devil from his prison and he will do so for a short time. The devil will make his final stand against Christ and his people. It is really an amazing story. There are things that we don’t understand. For example, why would God bind the devil and then set him loose for a short time and then send him to his final judgment which is the lake of burning sulfur. There are things that we don’t understand, but we will try to understand.
Just how and when this 1,000 years takes place is understood differently among Christian scholars. The three major positions on this issue are referred to as postmillennialism, pre-millennialism and amillennialism. I began to ponder these different views after a rousing discussion at Maggie Burke’s house a few weeks ago. Briefly, postmillennialism looks for a literal 1,000 year period of peace on earth ushered in by the church. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan will be unleashed once more, but then Christ will return to defeat him and reign forever. Christ’s coming will not occur until after the 1,000 year period. Pre-millennialism, also views the 1,000 years as a literal time period, but holds that Christ’s second coming initiates his 1,000 year reign and that his reign occurs before the final removal of Satan. Finally, amillennialism understands the 1,000 year period to be symbolic of the time between Christ’s accession and his return. Thus millennium is the reign of Christ in the hearts of believers and in his church now. This it is another way of referring to the church age. This period will end with the second coming of Christ. What viewpoint do you hold? Do you know? If you don’t that’s O.K. It took me 25 years to even begin to start asking the question.

These different views about the millennium need not cause divisions and controversy among believers, because each view acknowledges what is crucial to Christianity. Do you know what it is? Yes! That Jesus Christ shall return one day. Christ will return, defeat Satan, and reign forever! Whatever and whenever the Millennium is, Jesus Christ will unite all believers. Therefore we shall not let this issue divide us. And since we are not divided then let’s continue to look closely at the text…

God and his powerful angels are much more powerful than the devil. Let’s read verses 20:1-3, “ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 3 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.” Look how a powerful angel of God dealt with the devil in verses 1 & 2, ““ And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.” He seized the devil decisively. There doesn’t seem to be much of a struggle. The devil is bound in chains. When one is bound in chains, they cannot get free. He will surely be held securely until the final day of judgment.
Now, in this age, the power of the devil over the lives of believers is dramatically weakened. The Bible says that at the beginning, “The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Rev 12:9) Satan roams throughout the earth and leads the whole world astray. One look at the news shows that he is very busy. Before meeting Jesus personally, we were all prey to the devil and his whiles. We spent our entire days being deceived and led astray into the paths of sin. There was nothing stopping us from sinning. In fact there seemed to be some mysterious force at work in our hearts making us sin more. When I was not a Christian, I really felt that giving into my sinful desires and gratifying them was actually healthy for me. How blind I was! I was becoming more and more estranged from God and bearing the bad fruit in my life. I was being driven into the depths of depression and despair, when I was being led astray my the devil. But then Jesus came to this world to save sinners like me. Hebrews 2:14 reads, “ 14 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—“ Through Jesus’ suffering death and resurrection, the head of Satan has been crushed. (Gen 3:15) We are set free from his deceptive clutches. But still we seem to he harassed from time to time by our sinful nature. We do what we do not want to do. We fall into the trap of sin and bear the fruit of the sinful nature, even if we are Christians. What is happening to us? !!
Sure we are harassed by the devil from time to time. But picture this. The devil’s head is crushed but the devil’s tail is flailing back and forth causing some mischief. But the good news is that we are no longer enslaved by the devil. Believers can repent and decide by faith to follow the word of God. They can come out of the darkness of sin and walk in the light of God. They can actually grow stronger, spiritually, through their struggle with evil. But in the final judgment the devil will be bound in chains for a time. His tail will not be flailing around to torment anyone anymore. In the Millennium believers will not be harassed by him and his angels even one iota. The time of oppression and misrule ends. The time of toil ends in rest and reward. The time of suffering ends in glory. The time of Israel’s blindness ends in restoration and conversion. The time of creation’s bondage ends in the deliverance at the manifestation of the sons of God.

This is something that we can look forward to. Can you imagine a time when you don’t have to struggle with the sinful desires that creep up in our hearts, or the sinful thoughts that flood our minds, robbing us of the peace of God and that keep us separated from God and one another? What a great time that will be! That time is coming.
Next we learn about the first resurrection. Look at revelation 20:4-6, “I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.” Who is involved in the first resurrection? Look at verses 4-5a again, ““I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands….” These are sincere believers who have given their hearts and lives over to Jesus. Peter once asked Jesus, “We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?”28 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother[a] or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.” (Matt 19:27-29) Jesus also said to his disciples in Luke 22:27-31, “28 You are those who have stood by me in my trials. 29 And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, 30 so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 31 “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift you[a] as wheat.”
We not despair, thinking that we can never be holy enough to be part of the first ressurrection. We can not be holy enough on our own. We also do not have any authority in ourselves to reign over our own households. But because Jesus died for us and is pleased to give us his spirit, we are made holy by grace. We are made his sons and daughters with authority to reign. Believe and accept these basic facts of the Gospel.
Will there will be people to reign over and govern. Yes! There will be millions of people living at the time of the Millennium. There was not complete destruction of the earth during the time of tribulation. The majority of the populace perished because of their unrepentant hearts. But millions survived in the rubble and the wastelands. They are the ones who will come to Jesus and live under his kingship. During the 1,000 year they will have a chance to hear the word of God. They will not have eternal life, but each will have their own lifetime. They will be discipled. They will have a chance to submit to Jesus and live under his lordship. They will also multiply until their numbers become vast.
Part ll: Satan’s Doom (20:7-10)
At the end of the thousand year reign, the devil will be released. Look at Rev 20:7-8a. It reads,” When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle….” John doesn’t say why God once again sets Satan free, but it is God’s plan for judging the world. Those living in the millennium will have been given ample opportunity to accept Jesus and his lordship. No one, not even the devil himself, could accuse Jesus as being unfair and not giving people enough time. The devil’s release would sift people, exposing those who are prone to rebel against God in their hearts and confirm those who are faithful to God. Ultimately, Satan’s release results in the final destruction of all evil and the revelation of those who will spend eternity with Christ.

In this life there are circumstances that God allows that serve to sift us. Their origins may be from the devil. How we react to different events shows what is in our hearts. In some ways these are tests. I pray that we may have the strength and the grace to stand up under any test the devil may throw at us. The best way to pass the test is to always respond in humility, repentance and faith. The you will pass.

Apparently there were lots of people, at the end of the Millenium, who were not given over completely to Jesus. Look at verses 8-9a, “and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves.” How could this be, even after 1,000 years of Jesus’ reign and careful shepherding? This shows us that our hearts have to be made right by the gospel before we can enter into heaven. If our hearts are not right there will battle lines drawn in heaven, against God over and over again. Only those who repent and accept Jesus and believe now will be able to dwell with Jesus forever with no chance of rebellion, ever, just pure joy and gratitude and love in their hearts for the savior who loves them.

This really amazes me how people just don’t get it! Maybe having Jesus reigning and teaching in Jerusalem for 1,000 years made them “home blind” to God. They could have said, “Oh I know Jesus is God, but I don’t care about his presence and I think we have chance to over throw him if we just unite together.” How soon people forget! How indifferent we become to God! How desensitized! How we are ready to commit past mistakes over and over again! May God help each of us to return to our first love!

We know the outcome of this battle. Look at verses 9b-10, “But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” – the beast and his forces are captured and thrown into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. (19:20-21), and fire from heaven devours Satan and his attacking armies. (20:9-10) For God is as easy as that. There should be no doubt, no worry, no second thoughts for believers about whether they have chosen the right side or not. When we are on Jesus side, we are on the winning side!

Part lll: The Great White Throne (11-15)

John then gives us a vision of the final judgment. Look at verse 11-15, “Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. 14 Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. 15 If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.” This is the resurrection of all people, billions of them. Some of them have not accepted Jesus as their own personal Lord and Savior. Some them have, but they were not the ones involved in the first resurrection.

At this judgment, the Book of Life was opened. These books represented God’s judgment, and in them are recorded the deeds of everyone, good or evil. People want to live as if there is on God. They think that they will get away with all the sins they have committed. But that is not true. 2 Corinthians 5:10 reads, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” No body will get away with anything. They will all answer to God one day. Therefore we should live with a fear of God in our hearts.

Does this mean that some of our deeds will save us? For instance, if you volunteer at “Feed ‘Em Soup” 100 times then you can go to heaven? Does it mean that if you are always nice to people and never say anything that is prejudice or judgmental and never “rock the boat”, and never hurt anyone, then you are going to heaven? No. It means, that while you are in the body, now…in this life…, if you have done things that invite Christ’s salvation in your life, then you will pass through the judgment, all the way to the kingdom of heaven. Doing things like confessing and repenting of your sins. Doing things like listening to what Jesus has to say through his word and deciding to believe it from the heart. It means placing all of your hope and trust in Jesus and deciding to live for his glory and serving his purposes. These are things that will be in your credit at the final judgment. We are not saved by our deeds. We are saved by our personal relationship with Jesus, through faith in his Gospel. But deeds are seen as clear evidence of a person’s actual relationship with God.

The sad reality is that most people will not make it through this judgment. The lake of fire is the ultimate destination of everything wicked – Satan, the beast, the false prophet, the demons, death, Hades, and all those whose names are not recorded in the book of life because they did not place their faith in Jesus Christ. They will have to face an eternity, separated from their Creator and their Savior. Their eternal reality is nothing to be desired. In fact it should be dreaded, for it is hell where their inner torment never dies. John’s vision does not permit any gray areas in God’s judgment. If, by faith we are not identified with Jesus, confessing him as Lord, there will be no hope, no second chance, no other appeal.

But this reality is not for those who take head of Jesus’ words and repent and accept the life giving Gospel. This is how our names get written in the Lamb’s Book of life. Place your reservations today. Right now! Come to Jesus and know that your name will be there. Why put it off?
Unbelieving people are not the last to be thrown into the lake of fire, Death and Hades will also be. Look at verse 14, “Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death.” Hades is the abode of the dead, where the dead await their final judgment. When Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, God’s judgment is finished. Paul talks about this great and glorious time, in 1 Corinthians 15:25-28, “For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For he “has put everything under his feet.”[a] Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. 28 When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” Paul also says in 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, “54 When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” 55 “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”[b] 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Praise the Lord, that there will be no more death!” Praise God that in Jesus’ kingdom, there is no more death, there is only life, love and peace everylasting! Jesus will bring all of this about in his time and in his way. Since we have this faith, how shall we live? 1 Corinthains 15:58 reads, “ 58 Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”
In today’s passage, we learned that through faith in Jesus we can be part of the first resurrection and reign with Jesus in the Millenium. We can be part of Christ’s complete victory over all evil and death. We can also look forward to one day when we will not be harassed by the devil any longer but live in Christ’s peace. We also learned that it is through faith in the blood of Jesus that we can know with certainty that our names will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. Don’t you want your name written there? I sure do. Come to Jesus and renew your relationship with him. And in then give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord. It is not in vain.
Part l: The Thousand Years (20:1-6)

1. Read verses 20:1-3. How did an angel seize the devil and throw him into the Abyss? (2) Why was Satan bound in chains? (3) What does it symbolize? (12:9, Mk3:27, Heb2:14, Lk10:18) What is the purpose of rendering the devil powerless? What happens after the Millennium? What is God’s plan about his future release? (3, 17:8;13:1,7,13;16:13)

2. What happens in the first resurrection? (5-6) How are the believers given authority to reign with Christ a thousand years? (6b,1:6)

Part ll: Satan’s Doom (20:7-10)

3. What happens when the thousand years has ended? (7) How has the devil work against the Lord after his release from the Abyss? (7,13:2,7;16:14)

4. Describe the last battle with evil in verses 8-10. What is the sphere of his battle campaign? (8,9) What will finally happen to all the forces of evil? (10) How does the Lord destroy him and throw him into the lake of burning sulfur? (9,10) Think about how the Lord has destroyed all his enemies.

Part lll: The Great White Throne (11-15)

5. What happens at the final judgment when the books are opened? (11-15) How does the
Lord judge after having defeated the devil and his agents? (11) How will people be
judged? (11-14) Who stands before the judgment seat of Christ? (12,13, 2Cor5:10) How
are they judged? What are the books and the book of life, and what are recorded in
them?

6. Who was thrown into the lake of fire? (14) What is the last enemy to be destroyed?
(14,1Cor15:26) Why do we need Jesus?