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- [00:02]
Tim Moore
Welcome to Christ in Prophecy Radio. I'm Tim Moore, director and senior Evangelist for Lamb and Lion Ministries. And here with me, as always, is Nathan Jones, our Internet evangelist. Let me begin today with a question for our listeners. What do you think about when someone mentions the Book of Revelation? What's your first reaction? For many Christians, it's a vague sense of dread. Locusts and death tolls, beast empires and bowls of wrath. Pastors sometimes skip over it entirely. But what if we told you that Revelation is one of the most hope filled books in all of Scripture? That's what we're going to explore today.
- [00:35]
Nathan Jones
Although there are many terrible end time events described in Revelation, there's also hope woven throughout every chapter. At Christ in Prophecy, we take God at His word. And that means we interpret Scripture with what our founder, Dr. David Reagan, called the plain sense principle. I love it. It's the golden rule of interpretation. If the plain sense makes sense, look for no other sense, lest you end up with nonsense. And nowhere is that principle more important or more rewarding than in the book of Revelation.
- [01:04]
Tim Moore
That's exactly right. Throughout our prophecy chart series, we've been digging into the mysteries of God's prophetic word because we believe that Jesus Christ is the key to understanding them all. In him, every prophetic promise finds its fulfillment. So today we want to set aside the doom and gloom and fix our eyes on the hope and the blessed hope that is ours in Christ.
- [01:25]
Nathan Jones
Deuteronomy 29:29 reminds us the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever. God has chosen to reveal these things to us, so let us receive them with faith and gratitude. We'll get underway in just a moment. In the meantime, I'd like to encourage you to go to our website@christinprophecy.org and get your copy of our prophecy chart. Our overview of the End times chart will help you understand the book of Revelation. We've got a large wall they could use for teaching classes or a smaller bifold for personal studies. But this will help make Revelation understandable to you. It applies that golden rule of interpretation. We'll be back in just a moment. Stay tuned.
- [02:09]
Narrator/Announcer
Swipe away the endless bad news and open up our Lamplighter magazine to discover your blessed hope. Our BI monthly magazine sheds God's light on today's headlines through powerful articles written by men and women who love God and His Word. Find out what's really happening and how you can have hope in Christ. The Lamplighter magazine is Available in print, email and downloadable formats. Request your copy when you go to
- [02:35]
Tim Moore
christinprophecy.org well, in recent weeks, we've examined the Seal judgments, the Trumpet judgments, and the bowl judgments. So where is the hope in Revelation? As you'll see, the Lord intentionally inserts what we might call flash forwards or interludes of heaven that remind us who who wins throughout the Book of Revelation. So, Nathan, let's talk about the first two great hopes of Revelation.
- [02:58]
Nathan Jones
Well, the first hope is Jesus Christ himself. He's our blessed hope, folks. He's the central figure of the Book of Revelation. He is depicted as triumphant, glorified. He's not the Antichrist or Satan. All the signs of the end times that he gives us in Matthew 24 and Luke 21 point to his glorious return. All of Revelation points to that same climax, folks. You know, we can get this idea of Jesus. We keep him at Christmas as a perpetual baby or at Easter. He's a continual sufferer who never leaves the cross, but he is our risen returned king. You read Revelation 1 or 19. The glory and majesty of Christ divine, coming in all his power, will just blow you away. That's the Jesus of the Book of Revelation. That's our Jesus. Our hope isn't not a wish or a feeling. It's in a person. Our hope is only in Jesus Christ.
- [03:49]
Tim Moore
Yeah, when you say that, Nathan, obviously you're pointing back to what Paul wrote about in Titus 2:11, 13. He said, for the grace of God has appeared that being none other than Jesus Christ, God in flesh, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires, and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We know that his appearing at the Rapture is our hope, but he is the personification of our hope. So he is our blessed hope. And even in the Book of Revelation, the reason why we have spent so much time in that book, and we love to point to the prophecies soon to be fulfilled, is because, as John records in Revelation 19:10, the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. It is about Him. It has been revealed to and from him to us. And therefore it points to the blessed hope we have in Him. Well, hope number two is just that, a personal God who chooses to communicate to us. So we can go back to the opening verses of Revelation, which says the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his bondservants the things which must soon take place. And he sent and communicated it by his angel to his bondservant John. So the Lord was given this revelation by God the Father, and it was intended for us to receive with joy, to know what is to come again, so that we can glory in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
- [05:23]
Nathan Jones
You know, Tim, my wife and I love to watch mysteries. We watch all Cadfeil and Poirot and Agatha Christie and you name it, so many mysteries. But what would it be like if we watched the first 45 minutes of an episode and then turned the TV off or read through a mystery book, but never read the last chapter? Folks, the Book of Revelation is that last chapter. It's the conclusion of the story. It gives us the hope. You want the bad guy? You want the good guys to win? Well, you have to read the Book of Revelation. It's all in there.
- [05:53]
Tim Moore
Yes, it certainly is. And this is a trend throughout Scripture. God reveals what he plans to do to the prophets. Now, there are secret things that are known only by God. We've cited Deuteronomy 29, 29 before, the secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things revealed belong to us. In John 14:29, Jesus said, Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. And Nathan, we also have the great advantage of hindsight regarding so much of what happened at Jesus first advent. I dare say even more than the apostles themselves. They didn't understand what he meant when he said, I must go away. I will be coming back. They didn't even understand that he was to die and would be resurrected. We have hindsight for all that has transpired, but that should give us absolute affirmation that God has communicated what still lies in the future. And we can trust that. So we know that God's entire arc of human history is a redemption story, from the Garden of Eden to the new Jerusalem, where we will be restored to that same intimacy with God who will dwell with us. Even the marriage supper of the lamb In Revelation 19, when Jesus becomes our all in all and in our glorified bodies, we have perfect fellowship with Christ. Man, I can't wait till that day.
- [07:13]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, the fact that the Bible, 31% of it, is prophecy, that God wants us to know how it ends. That's a personal God who chooses to communicate with us his victory. And through his victory, his children have victory as well. You know, compare it to Allah of Islam, a cold, distant, unknowing God. When you get to paradise, you Never see him. He has no connection with you. And he never shares anything about the future, of course, because it's a false religion. But there's very little eschatology that's understood in Islam. But in Christianity, we have a play by play account of God's plan of redemption, of bringing humanity back to salvation in the good grace of God, sacrificed and made possible by the blood of Jesus Christ, that he's going to return and defeat evil. He's going to answer our prayers. Tim, we've been wanting evil to be defeated. Well, he says, yes, it's coming and that we get that in the Book of Revelation.
- [08:04]
Tim Moore
We certainly do. And you think who would want us to not read the Book of Revelation? Who would want us to not trust in the Book of Revelation? It would be Satan. Satan knows that his defeat is pronounced in Revelation, just as it has been throughout all the scriptures, but it is sealed there and revealed in great detail. And so Satan is essentially even asking Christians whispering in ears to say, did God really say? Did he really say and intend to mean this? And so that leads to all sorts of questioning and. And we could go down a rabbit trail with those who have undermined their trust in the clear literal teaching of what God has revealed and come up with all sorts of other, we believe, false understandings or interpretations. But clearly in Revelation 2 and 3, the Lord even wrote letters dictated to John to deliver to seven churches representing both historical congregations and the eras of the church age. And yet, at the end of every one of those letters, and he gives a promise that to each one who overcomes, to each one who puts trust in him, there will be promises that will be fulfilled at the Rapture and beyond.
- [09:10]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, I love one John 5. 5. To the one who believes that Jesus is the Son, God is an overcomer. We've described two great hopes so far. The person of Jesus, our blessed hope, and the assurance of his personal communication with us. But there's more coming up. We're going to look at current events through the lens of Bible prophecy in our next segment called what's really Going On. Stay tuned.
- [09:32]
Narrator/Announcer
Studying Bible prophecy is an important practice for Christians who want to mature in their faith. At Lamb and Lion, we've compiled the best resources to help you explore and explain Bible prophecy. Our online store is stocked with insightful books and charts from authors such as Dr. David Reagan, Tim Moore, Nathan Jones, and more. So why not add a good Christian book to your library today or order one for a friend? Understand Bible prophecy better when you visit christinprophecy.org
- [10:06]
Tim Moore
well, Nathan, as we just talked about, to each one who overcomes Jesus made a series of promises in Revelation 2 and 3. And as you define from 1 John 5:5, an overcomer is merely one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. So what does it look like to live as an overcomer right now in this cultural moment when so many people are straying from the truth, rejecting the truth, so much heresy and apostasy even within the church, so much pressure from the world for us to be silent? How do we continue to serve as salt and light, speaking the truth of Christ in this growing darkness?
- [10:43]
Nathan Jones
Well, one of the things that we need to remember as Christians is that we're here to serve God. We're here to be his ambassador, so to speak, to share our testimony. What we've seen is what testimony means and be a restraining force. We read in prophecy that one day the Lord is going to remove his restraining force off this earth. In other words, the work that the Holy Spirit is doing through us. And you can read in 2nd Thessalonians 2 how when this restraining influence is removed, all the great passions and lusts and desires and evil will just break out in the world. And so, folks, you may not realize it, but if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if you're an overcomer, then the Lord through you, is using you to hold back this great tide of evil that's in the world. The way you live your life as a Christian is a testimony to those around you. The way you vote, the way you interact with people, the way you praise God. Everything is a testimony that holds that tide of evil back until the Lord releases us by calling us home.
- [11:42]
Tim Moore
That's a great point, and I love the word you use. We are ambassadors for Christ. Where do you send an ambassador? You send an ambassador to a foreign land, to a pagan land, to serve as an intercessor or an intermediary. And so that's exactly what we are in this world. I am reminded of the Jewish exiles in Babylon. Babylon was a pagan kingdom, and yet the Lord called Daniel and others to live such godly lives, such exemplary lives, that they were even praised by the pagans that they lived among. Obviously, Daniel achieved great power and prominence, as did Joseph back in the days of Egypt. But in Jeremiah 29, we think of Jeremiah as being the prophet of doom. And yet, even as he pronounced that the Jewish people would be taken into exile in Babylon, he gave this message of encouragement and hope. He said, take sons, become the fathers of sons and daughters. Even as you're living there. In other words, continue to multiply, build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce. But in verse 7 he said this. Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will have welfare. Nathan, right now we should be seeking the welfare of the communities of the cities, the states, the nation in which we live, because in its welfare we will have welfare. And we can be a conduit of blessing and not just for physical welfare and prosperity, but but for eternal prosperity in the gospel, the truth of Jesus Christ, so that many others would be drawn to him. They will see us, our living testimony, and be drawn to the Lord who has saved us.
- [13:19]
Nathan Jones
Well said. I mean, God's marching orders before Christ ascended up to heaven in Acts 18 is the great Commission to go out into the world and preach the gospel. And we do that waiting for the end of the church age, which is the rapture of the church. So in the meantime, we are primarily God's vessels to. You know, Tim, you recently interviewed Doug Cobb on our Christ in Prophecy television show. And I got to tell you, that really encouraged me because Doug Cobb's finishing fund is working to bring the gospel to those remaining tribes and tongues and people who haven't yet reached the gospel. And folks, we know that when the Great Commission is fulfilled, when every tribe and tongue gets the gospel message, that's the end of the church age. Not necessarily every person, that's for the Tribulation era, but for every tribe and tongue. And what did Doug say, Tim? How close are we to that goal?
- [14:04]
Tim Moore
We are within a handful of people groups, as he described them, all over the world. So literally within a matter of months or very few years, that achievement will have been attained. And we know that in God's providence, he could have made it happen very quickly 1,000 years ago or 100 years ago. But we are living in a day and age when it is about to be completed. And so that is another reason we know that Jesus is coming soon. And just think about the technology. Nathan. We're reaching people through the airwaves, through radio today. Many of our listeners may be a part of an online Bible study or chat group where you can provide encouragement and truth to friends and family and others scattered all across the nation and even the world. What a time we live in.
- [14:47]
Nathan Jones
Yeah, the technology we have is unbelievable. Truly, God is trying to get us to get the gospel out to his every nation, tribe and tongue like never before. Folks, Engage in that technology. Get the gospel out. The time is short. Jesus Christ is coming soon.
- [15:04]
Narrator/Announcer
With all the uncertainty in the world today, it's good to know that God's promises never fail. As you listen to Christ in Prophecy each week, we'll explain what God has revealed in his prophetic word. Join us as together we look forward to his imminent return. To listen to more programs and to hear more help Future, go to christinprophecy.org.
- [15:32]
Tim Moore
Welcome back to Christ in Prophecy Radio. Our focus today has been on the hope that is contained in Revelation. Yes, this book that so many people think is full of doom and gloom contains hope and promise for those who have put their trust in Jesus Christ. So we've talked about two of those hopes, Nathan. Let's go forward in three more remarkable hopes interspersed throughout the judgments of Revelation. In other words, divine interludes that prove that God never stops pursuing the lost, never abandons his people, and will ultimately triumph over every enemy.
- [16:03]
Nathan Jones
Well, the third hope is there's flash forwards to Christ's victory scattered throughout the Tribulation account in the book of revelation, in chapter 7, verse 9, it says, after these things I looked and behold a great multitude which no one could count from every nation, on all the tribes and peoples and tongues, and standing before the throne and before the Lamb clothed in white robes. You know, Tim, these are what we call the Tribulation saints. These are the people who will be led to Jesus Christ after the rapture either by the 144 Jewish evangelists. Excuse me, the 144,000 Jewish evangelists, the two witnesses who will preach from Jerusalem the first three and a half years. There's the gospel angel who will spread the gospel. Revelation 14:6 says, I saw another angel flying in midheaven, having eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, to every nation and tribe, tongue and people, so that by the end of the Tribulation, no one will be without excuse. So God has his witnesses. All throughout the Tribulation, people are getting saved. As we've said many times on this program, we believe more people will be saved during the Tribulation than in the last 2,000 years of church history.
- [17:11]
Tim Moore
Well, hope number four is another scene in heaven that John records. He records in Revelation 15:3, the song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb, which read, great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God the Almighty, Righteous and true are your ways, King of the nations. And what we see here is even as wrath is being poured out on the earth, heaven is erupting in Praise. Now, let's be very clear. The praise is not because of people's suffering on the earth, although there is a righteous indignation that is justified. In other words, even now we want to see those who are guilty of certain crimes receive their just rewards. So there is an element of that. But in this case, what we are seeing is as earth is suffering, heaven is rejoicing because God is exercising his dominion and he is gaining glory for himself. And we should always be eager for God to be glorified, even through our lives.
- [18:06]
Nathan Jones
Great point. Well, the hope number five, folks, is it. This is the climax of the entire Bible. You have to read the book of Revelation to get it in all its glory. It's the glorious return and eternal reign of King Jesus. We read in Revelation 19:11, I saw heaven open, behold a white horse, and him who sat on it was called faithful and True. His name on his robe and thigh is King of kings and Lord of Lords. You know, this is where Jesus, when the earth is at its worst and all of the evil of humanity the worst of the worst, where every kind of demonic creature and everything is running amok on the earth, King Jesus breaks from the sky in all his radiant glory. He returns to this earth. Tim we who are in our glorified bodies, we follow behind him. We watch Jesus single handedly defeat the Antichrist and false prophet. He cast them into hell and Satan into a pit, and the demons, I believe, into hell as well. And he will then restore the earth and set up his millennial kingdom and where Satan will be bound for a thousand years. And for a thousand years the Lord will reign on this earth and then usher in the new heavens and the new earth. And Revelation 21:22 says He, Jesus will wipe away every tear from their eyes and there will be no longer any death. There will be no longer any mourning or crying or pain. And we have this assurance because three times Jesus said in Revelation 22, Yes, I am coming quickly.
- [19:29]
Tim Moore
You know, I get so excited about this particular passage. And I read it every time I go to Israel, standing on the Mount of Olives, looking down at the eastern gate, looking at the Temple Mount and recognizing that's where Jesus will return to set foot on the earth when he comes to reign in his glory. And so he will come as King of kings and Lord of Lords. And I just get a chill every time I say that phrase. Because in the Old Testament, the prophets were looking forward to the Messiah. They didn't know him by name, they knew him by title. We know not only his title, but his name. And he tells us to call him brother and friend if we are his. And so yes, he will wipe away every tear. Nathan, we don't have to wait. He can wipe away all of our tears now. We can have this kind of blessed hope and blessed assurance now in this life and that will motivate us to reach out to others to share this glorious good news that he has come, that he forgives sins, and yes, he is coming again. So the hope just resonates in my heart and my spirit. I don't know why anybody would be overwhelmed by doom and gloom as you've described in Revelation, when it is so filled with hope and can be the impetus to us doing exactly what we're called to do, to be conduits of his blessing, sharing the good news as he declared in the Great Commission.
- [20:49]
Nathan Jones
Absolutely. Like we've been saying, too many Christians look at Revelation. They say, well, it's too scary or it's too hard to understand. But folks, if you put your faith in Jesus Christ, there's nothing in the book but affirmation of this hope that it can be yours. It's about Jesus victory. And why would you never want to speak about that? Well, stay with us. Tim's going to come back and he's going to keep on with these words of encouragement.
- [21:13]
Narrator/Announcer
Understanding Bible prophecy prepares God's people for what's to come. Are you ready to find out what the Bible has revealed and to stay updated about unfolding events? Keep listening to Christ in Prophecy and explore our resources online. In addition to radio, Christ in Prophecy offers a weekly TV program, a podcast, and our Lamplighter magazine. It's a perspective you won't find anywhere else. You can also search our website to discover reliable biblical insight without speculation into fascinating topics such as the end times, Middle Eastern politics, archaeology, the Rapture, and so much more. Friends, God wants us to be prepared. Find out what the Bible has to say when you go to christinprophecy.org get informed and get ready@christinprophecy.org
- [22:10]
Tim Moore
well, today we've focused on the blessed hope that can be ours right now through faith in Jesus Christ. Folks, if this program, Christ in Prophecy Radio has been an encouragement and a blessing to you, we hope that you'll help us expand that outreach and that impact to people all across this nation and around the world. Partner with us here at Christ in prophecy. Just call 972-736-3567 or visit us at christinprophecy.org and join us as a prophecy partner this June. On June 12th and 13th, we're going to have an annual Bible prophecy conference here in McKinney, Texas. You would be welcome to join us for another dose of encouragement. Or perhaps better yet, if you can't make it to Dallas, call us. We'd be delighted to come and bring the conference to you to share the blessed hope of the good news that Jesus Christ has come, that he has overcome sin, and that he is coming again in your hometown. All we need is an invitation and a venue and we will bring the conference to you. Well, you know, there's an old African American spiritual that captures the hope of Revelation in a way that theology textbooks sometimes can't. It says, in the morning when I rise, give me Jesus. Dark midnight was my cry, Give me Jesus. And when I want to sing Give me Jesus. You may have all the rest, but give me Jesus. That's it, folks. That is the heart of the Book of Revelation. Strip away every seal, every trumpet, every bowl, and what you find at the center is Jesus Christ triumphant, glorified and coming again. Each of us has ups and downs in this life. Jesus himself promised that as his followers we would have trouble little t tribulation in this world. But he followed that promise with these. Take courage. I have overcome the world. The troubles described in Revelation are real and they are coming. The world will suffer as never before. But none of that is the final word. The final word belongs to Jesus. Horatio Spafford was a successful lawyer and a church elder who tragically lost four daughters at sea when their ship was struck. From the depths of his personal tragedy, he wrote the Christian hymn. It is well with my soul. Though Satan should buffet, though trial should come, Let this blessed assurance control that Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed his own blood for my soul. O Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight, the clouds be rolled back as a scroll, the trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend. Even so, it is well with my soul. Friends, if you have placed your trust in Jesus Christ, you have nothing to fear. From the Book of Revelation, you have everything to look forward to. And if you haven't yet made that decision, today is the day until he comes. And while we wait, let's cry out together. Maranatha. Come, Lord Jesus, Godspeed.