Revelation 19:17-20:6

SLIDE 1 Ladies we are so blessed that you could join us tonight. I know some churches have a Maundy Thursday service. We hope you will stay with us through May 7 and hear the end of the story. Find out about our eternal home-heaven brought down to earth. I can wait to share!

SLIDE 2 Good Friday rarely has a religious celebration attached. We rejoice in getting another day of vacation; a long week-end. But before we can celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, He must suffer on the cross and die. Good Friday Jesus was cruelly beaten and brutally crucified at Calvary. His suffering also included the turning away of His Heavenly Father when Jesus took upon Himself all the sin for you and me.

Matthew 27: 46  “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” 

SLIDE 3 Think of Christ death as you plant you seeds for the garden. Before the plants can emerge the seeds must die. John 12:²⁴ Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. That is our challenge every day we are alive, to die to self and be an humble servant of Christ.

SLIDE 4Matthew 28:6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said.

·        "Death is swallowed up in victory."

·        "O death, where is your victory?

·        death, where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:55-57

⁵⁷ But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let us pray.

SLIDE 5 Revelation 19:17- Revelation 20:6

·        Which Supper will you attend? 19:17-18

·        Eliminating the enemies

o   Beast and False Prophet 19:20-21

o   Dragon chained 20:1-2

·        The First Resurrection

Choose your place in the eternal kingdom.

SLIDE 6 I discovered another excellent a pastor and theologian, William Newell who is also the writer of the hymn we sang, At Calvary.

Newell points to four different suppers described in the Bible.

·            The supper of salvation, alluded to in Jesus' parable (Luke 14:16-24)

·            The Lord's supper, a commemoration of Jesus' sacrifice

·            The marriage supper of the Lamb

·             The supper of the great God

SLIDE 7 Luke 14:16-24 Jesus explained-Once a man prepared a great banquet and invitations were sent. His servant announced 'Come, for everything is now ready.' But they all began to make excuses.

Today it may be said: “The Panthers are playing today;” or “Gotta take my new car for a test run;” or “My son is playing soccer in another city.”

 So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.'²² And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.'²³ And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.²⁴ For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.'"

SLIDE 8 Ladies this is our invitation to come to Christ and accept the gift of salvation. To us the cost is nothing but it cost our Savior His very life. Do you have friends and loved one who are too busy for a life in service to Jesus? One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is LORD.

 Choose your place in the supper table.

If you reject the first supper- which is an invitation to salvation, the second supper our remembrance of Jesus’ death will mean nothing to you.

SLIDE 9The last Passover meal Jesus observed with the twelve disciples Luke 22 ¹⁹ Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me."²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.”

SLIDE 10  When we participate in The Lord’s Supper in our churches we are practicing a covenant with the Lord to remember His sacrifice. We should confess our sins to be worthy to join in this Holy Sacrament. The cracker represents Jesus body broken for you and the grape juice represents His blood spilled for our sins.

SLIDE 11 If you reject the first supper- Then you will not be present at the third supper, the elaborate wedding supper of the Lamb in heaven,(we studied last week)but you will be present at the fourth supper of the great God.

Everybody gets to attend at least one of these suppers, but some will eat and others are eaten at the suppers. Choose your place in the eternal kingdom.

SLIDE 12 ¹⁷Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, "Come, gather for the great supper of God,

¹⁸ to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great."

SLIDE 13 Similarly Ezekiel prophesied in 39:17"…..Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, 'Assemble and come, gather from all around to the sacrificial feast that I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast on the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood.

SLIDE 14 Rev. 19:¹⁹ And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army.

It is hardly a competition. The sword of the Lord God is ¹² … the word of God .. living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, ... Hebrews 4:12

SLIDE 15 ²⁰ And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur.

SLIDE 16  Walvoord  “In the Second Coming the saints and angels will accompany Christ in His return will destroy the armies of the world that were gathered to conquer the Holy Land. It is a gruesome picture of the divine judgment upon a wicked world that rejected Christ. The world leader described as the beast and the false prophet associated with him will be cast alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur.” These two will never rise again to torment and deceive the men of earth.  

²¹ And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

SLIDE 16 Our Lord God is omnipotent, all powerful over the deceiver of the brethren. Now is finally coming to lock him up for a time. He has always had the key over hell and Hades, but God in His wisdom has perfect timing I will not challenge.

It is time to choose a side in the battle for in the eternal kingdom.

Revelation 20: ¹Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain.

SLIDE 17  ² And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years,³ and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.

Thank you, Jesus for this reprieve of Satan’s lies for a time of peace and joy. We know a day with the lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years as a day. I’m  trusting Jesus knows best. After that he must be released for a little while.

 SLIDE 18  ⁴Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. The martyred souls who refused to take the mark of the beast.They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

We will have no temptation, aggravation, irritation or imitation for satan is sealed away during this time.

Have you chosen your place in the eternal kingdom?

⁵ The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. (These I think are the unsaved who will be judged at the Great White Throne in our next lesson.)

⁶ Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. Choose your place in the eternal kingdom.

SLIDE 19  Matthew Henry says “Those who suffer with Christ, shall reign with him in his spiritual and heavenly kingdom, in conformity to him in his wisdom, righteousness, and holiness: this is called the first resurrection, with which none but those who serve Christ, and suffer for him, shall be favoured.

Later in Chapter 20 we will study the second death, the lake of fire.¹⁵ And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The second death is much more dreadful; it is the death of the soul, eternal separation from God. Their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  

Click  Will you choose to receive the invitation to Salvation?

SLIDE 20 Sisters please be sure your name is written in the book of life. Receive the invitation to Salvation. We look forward to the Wedding Feast of the Lamb and eternity in the everlasting Kingdom of Jesus Christ our Savior. Have a Happy Easter.