The Book of Revelation reveals many things, which must come to pass. The prophecies of this Book are matters of absolute certainty. All that is revealed in these twenty-two chapters is fixed by God's immutable, unalterable decree. We look upon the promises and prophecies of Holy Scripture as matters of certainty because we know that they are matters of divine predestination. Were God not totally sovereign, both in predestination and in providence, no promise of God could be believed with confidence, and prophecy of Scripture could be looked upon as that which must come to pass. But this Book is the Revelation of one who is sovereign in all things and over all things. And the prophecies of this Book are certain. The Church of God will be triumphant at last. The gospel of Christ shall be victorious. God's elect shall all be saved. The enemies of Christ and his people shall be put to open and endless shame. And the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, into whose hands all things have been committed shall be glorified in all things.
The most prominent and glorious prophecy that is yet to be fulfilled is the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. And that is the subject of our text tonight. "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Proposition:The Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior, will come again, as he has promised.
Divisions:Our text reveals three things about the glorious second advent of our Savior.
1. The Second Coming of Christ Is Certain.It is the Lord Jesus himself who speaks first in our text. He says, "He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come." I make no effort to prove that Christ is coming a second time to this earth with power and great glory. Scoffers and infidels do not bother me. And I will not bother them. I refuse to mar the beauty of the gospel by lowering it to speculation, investigation, and argument. We simply proclaim the naked truth of God and demand that all men believe that which God has revealed. Any who refuse to believe God's revelation upon its own merits shall perish forever under the wrath of God.
However, in our text, the Lord Jesus Christ does emphasize the certainty of his second coming. He says, "Surely," in spite of all the mockery of scoffing infidels, "I come." And in that declaration our Savior is graciously assuring us of his glorious advent. Knowing the weakness of our flesh, knowing our tendency to forget his promise and see only our present trouble, our dear Savior condescends to our need and gives this word to drive away doubt and unbelief – "Surely I come!"
It has been almost two thousand years now since our Lord died for us and ascended back into heaven. Men everywhere say, "Where is the promise of his coming?" God forbid that we should be among them. There is a day and an hour appointed by God from eternity when Jesus Christ our Lord shall come again to bring in the fulness of that everlasting covenant of grace, ordered in all things and sure. Christ who loved us and gave himself for us will come to gather us unto himself. As he ransomed our souls from the curse of the law and delivered our hearts from the bondage of sin, the Son of God will yet retrieve our bodies from the power of the grave. "He shall see of the travail of his soul and shall be satisfied."
The second coming of Christ is promised repeatedly throughout the Scriptures. In fact, the Bible, is so full of promises regarding the second coming of our Lord that it cannot be denied without denouncing the Word of God as a mere religious myth that is full of lies.
A. The Patriarchs Of Old, Those Fathers Of The Church Who Were Examples Of Faith, Spoke Plainly Of Our Lord's Second Coming.I do not know how much those ancient believers knew, or how clear their knowledge was. But they knew more than most religious people in these "enlightened" times. They knew that God would come in the flesh to redeem his elect by substitutionary atonement (Gen. 22:8). And they knew that God-man Redeemer would come again in glory to reign forever.
1. Enoch, who lived before the flood, gave a full description of Christ's coming in power and great glory (Jude 14-15).
2. Job, who probably lived in the days of Abraham, lived in hope and expectation of Christ's second coming (Job 19:25-29).
3. And David, the sweet singer of Israel, spoke with joy of the Lord's coming to judge the world (Ps. 96: 13; 98:9).
To those men of God in the Old Testament, Christ's second coming was no more vague or uncertain than his first coming. They anticipated his coming in glory as much as they did his coming in humiliation.
I cannot now give you all that our Lord taught about his second coming. But he did speak of that day when he would personally come again frequently, plainly, and positively.
D. Even The Angels of God Have Been Employed By Our Lord To Assure Us Of His Glorious Second Advent (Acts 1:11).
E. Throughout The Book Of Acts The Apostles Went Everywhere Preaching The Lordship Of Christ And His Second Coming In Glory.
They constantly declared Christ's sovereign dominion as Lord and the certainty of his coming again to judgment.
F. Throughout The Epistles Of The New Testament The Apostles Of Christ Teach Us To Watch For Our Lord's Return.
G. And, Of Course, The Book Of Revelation Declares The Promise Of Our Lord's Return Repeatedly.
If this Book which I hold before you is truly the Word of God, if there is a God in heaven, if there is any hope for fallen men, then it is certain that Jesus Christ will come again. This is his testimony – "Surely, I come!"
II. Christ Will Come Quickly.Our Savior says, "Surely I come quickly." And he means quickly. Time, in our very limited view of things, seems to be very, very long. But with God one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years is as one day. When our Lord was upon the earth, he spoke of his second coming as being at hand. Paul wrote of Christ's coming in the language of immediate anticipation. And we should look for our Lord to return quickly. The word "quickly" means two things.
A. Our Lord Jesus Christ Will Soon Appear.There are no signs to be given, or prophecies to be fulfilled. Christ Jesus may come at any moment!
B. Christ Will Come Suddenly, Without Warning!
1. Let us live here in Patience.
2. Let us live in the Immediate Prospect of Eternity.
3. Let us seek to be found in Him!
III. The Second Coming Of Christ Is Greatly Desired By His People – (Tit. 2:11-14).
"The Spirit and the Bride say, Come." And when John heard the Savior say, "Surely I come quickly," his heart's immediate response was, "Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus." He said, "That's it! That's what I want! So be it. Come, my Lord and my Savior."
How is it possible for sinful men and women to love Christ's appearing and anxiously desire it?
A. Because We Look To Christ Only, We Look For Christ Anxiously.
B. Because We Have The Earnest Of The Spirit, We Groan For Our Heavenly Inheritance (Eph. 1:14; II Cor. 5:5; Rom. 8:16-23).
C. Because We Have A Good Hope Through Grace, We Anxiously Await The Fulfillment Of Our Hope (Rom. 8:24-25; I John 3:1-2).
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