My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 19:16

My Sheep Hear My Voice- Rev. 19:16

Before Jesus was crucified He told the disciples to watch and pray, something so simple, but they let their physical bodies take over and they fell back asleep. In these last hours of time you need to hear His voice. When He tells you something, it is very important, but most ignore my voice or just discuss it and go on with what they were doing. You will see many things start to happen shortly and if you do not hear and obey His voice,... it will mean death for some of you....Jesus has only your best interest in mind. Christ knows you heart, and if you are truly His you will hear His voice. He awakes many of you at 3am on the dot, but most will roll over and go back to sleep. There are a few who will get up and pray. Your day is filled with so many things and Jesus is the last thing many of you give your time to. But Christ needs to talk to you,... to fellowship with you and only when you are still and quite (3am) can you hear Him,... the rest of your day is so busy you do not have time for Him,... but you need to make time, for time is short and the Lord has instructions for you.

The Second Coming of Christ

Following The Rider on a White Horse

And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” Rev. 19:16

on his thigh... Jesus will wear a banner across His robe and down His thigh with a title emblazoned on it that emphasizes His absolute sovereignty over all human rulers (see 17:14).

KING OF KINGS,... Christ has universal sovereignty. This expresses His sovereign triumph over all foes and His absolute rule in His soon to be established Kingdom. (17:14; Deut. 10:17; Dan. 2:47; 1 Tim. 6:15).

There are approximately ninety-seven names throughout the Bible that the personage that we know as Jesus is used. The name He was called at the time had to do with the circumstance at hand. Here He is coming to the earth to take over as Supreme Ruler, so He is called by the name "KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS".

The scene on earth is the final stage of the great world war that will be under way for many weeks. With armies battling up and down the Holy Land for victory, on the very day of the return of Christ there will be house-to-house fighting in Jerusalem itself (Zec. 14:2). Combatants will have been lured to the battle site by demons sent by Satan to assemble the armies of the world to fight the armies of heaven (cf. Rev. 16:12-16).

The second coming of Christ is the chief theme of Revelation. We shall briefly state here the facts on the subject as found in the passage:

He is coming from heaven, Rev. 19:11, 14. Cf. Mt. 24:29-31; 2 Thess. 1:7; Dan. 7:13,14.

He is coming on a white horse, Rev. 19:11.

His appearance will be somewhat similar to that in the first vision, Rev. 1:12-18. Five of the eight characteristics of Christ dealt with in Rev. 1:12-18, 20 are enumerated here again in , Rev. 19:12,13.

His titles and names are “Faithful,” “True,” “The Word of God,” and “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS,” besides a name no man knows, but He Himself, Rev. 19:11-16.

He is coming with authority and for the purpose of judging and making war upon the nations (Isa. 11:4; 49:2), of treading them in the fierceness of the winepress of the wrath of Almighty God (Isa. 63:3; Rev. 14:17-20; 19:15), and of ruling (shepherding) them with a rod of iron, Psm. 2:9. Cf. Rev. 2:27; 12:5; Psm. 149:7-9.

He will command the armies of heaven who will follow Him on white horses, clothed in linen white and clean, which is the righteousness of the saints, Rev.19:14.

These six points sum up the glorious coming of Christ with His saints and angels to defeat the dragon, the beast and the false prophet with their armies, and to deliver Israel and establish a reign of righteousness on earth. Never will there be a more glorious event or a more beautiful sight than this spectacle of all the hosts of heaven, clothed in spotless white and in perfect order and rank, following Christ on white horses, anxious for the fray, to take vengeance on the enemies of God.

The Time of His Second Coming

Although we cannot know the day nor the hour of His second coming, we can know and should realize that it is to be a pre-millennial, and not a post millennial coming. That is, He is coming before and not after the 1,000 years reign of Christ on earth, Rev. 20:1-7.

Reasons for a Pre-Millennial Second Coming

The Antichrist, who is confessed on all sides to be pre-millennial, is destroyed with the brightness of Christ's coming (Rev. 19:11-21; 2 Thess. 2:8). This fixes His coming as pre-millennial.

The coming of Christ is "immediately after the tribulation," Mt. 24:27-31. The tribulation is just before the Millennium, Mt. 24:15-31; Zech. 14.

When Christ comes He will separate the tares from the wheat, but, as the Millennium is after this, He must come before the Millennium, Mt. 13:40-43.

The same conditions existing in the days of Lot and Noah will be in existent when Christ comes, Mt. 24:37-51; Lk. 17:22-37; 2 Tim. 3; 4:1-3; 2 Pet. 3:2-5.

When Christ comes, Satan will be bound, and since he is to be bound during the Millennium, there can be no Millennium until Christ comes (Rev. 20:1-7).

The time of Christ's second coming to earth, then, is immediately after Daniel's Seventieth Week and at the beginning of the Millennium (Rev. 19:11-21; Zech. 14; Mt. 24:27-31). It takes place at the beginning of "the day of the Lord," as is clear in all the passages in which this expression is found.

Signs of the Second Coming of Christ

There are many events as signs to come to pass and many prophecies to be fulfilled yet before Christ can come back to the earth. The following are some but not all to show us to know that we are even now only a few years from His coming to the earth, and, if this is near, how much nearer is the rapture of the Church? We are to expect in the future:

The Revised Roman Empire and the Revived Grecian Empire, Dan. 2:38-44; 7:23,24; 8:20-25; 11:35-45.

The revelation of the Antichrist after the Revised Roman Empire, and after the rapture of the Church, but before the revival of the Grecian Empire, which will be Antichrist's kingdom, Dan. 7:7,8, 24; 8:20-25; 9:27; 11:35-45; 2 Thess. 2:3-9; Rev. 6:1,2

The Seventieth Week or the seven-years covenant between the Antichrist and the "many" Jews (Dan. 9:27), during which time all of Rev. 6:1-19:21 will be fulfilled.

      Cry of peace and safety by the unbelieving world, 1 Thess. 5:1-       9

The Manner of His the Second Coming

There are four Greek words concerning the manner of His second coming which we will consider, together with the main passages in which each occurs.

Parousia means "personal coming, immediate presence, arrival, advent or return." The word is used in this connection in Mt. 24:3, 27, 37, 39; 2 Thess. 2:8; 2 Pet. 3:4. It is translated "coming" in every one of these passages and refers to the personal appearance of Christ to the earth.

Phaneros means "to shine, be apparent, to appear publicly, be manifest and seen." It is only used in this connection in Mt. 24:30.

Erchomai means "to go or come." It is used generally relative to the second coming of Christ, as in Mt. 24:30, 42,43, 48; 25:13, 19, 27, 31; Jhn. 21:23; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 5:2; Jude 14; Rev. 1:7; etc.

       Epiphaneia means "advent, appearing, brightness, to give light        or become visible." It is used in 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 4:1, 8;              Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28.

The Battle of Armageddon or Supper of the Great God

The last part of Rev. 19 is devoted to the Battle of Armageddon or "the supper of the Great God." The idea that Armageddon must be fought between nations as any common war is wrong. When the last two world wars broke out some of the news papers printed flaming headlines reading "Armageddon!," or "Is it Armageddon?"

The Place Where Armageddon Will be Fought

The word "Armageddon" occurs only once in Scripture. It is the name of a place where the greatest battle of all time will be fought. The battle itself is mentioned many times in Scripture. The place, as we have seen, is where the three unclean spirits will gather the nations together to battle, Rev. 16:13-16. Armageddon is called "the valley of Jehoshaphat" in other places, which identifies the location of the battle from Mount Carmel southeast to Jerusalem, Joel 3.

The word "Armageddon" is from two Hebrew words, har, meaning "a mountain or range of hills, hill country," and megiddo, meaning "rendezvous," The two words put together (Har-Megiddon) refer to the Hill of Megiddo on the south side of the valley of Megiddo or Esdraelon (2 Chron. 35:22; Zech. 12:11) southeast of Mount Carmel. "Megiddo" was the capitol of a portion of Canaan that fell to Joshua (Josh. 12:21; 17:11; Judg. 1:27). It is at the entrance to a pass across the Carmel mountain range, on the main highway between Asia and Africa, and the key position between Euphrates and the Nile. It was the battle field of many ages and peoples.

This place will no doubt be the headquarters of Antichrist when he comes down from the north, after having conquered Russia and the countries of the north and east of the old Roman Empire. Revelation 16:13-16 says, "And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon." There he will await the return of Christ who is expected to come from heaven to set His feet on the Mount of Olives and deliver Israel when half of the city of Jerusalem is taken, Zech. 14:1-5. The Devil "knoweth that he hath but a short time" (Rev. 12:12) and it will be common knowledge to the Antichrist and others that Christ is expected at the end of the 1,260 days of Rev. 12:6, 14; 13:5.

By some means, the Antichrist will have lost out in his control of Jerusalem toward the last part of the Week. He will have been personally directing his armies against the countries of the north and east and the Jews will get control of Jerusalem again and will be in possession by the time the Antichrist comes down from the north to destroy them. The two witnesses will have a hand in helping the remnant of Israel get control of the city by the use of the miracles they will be able to perform.

Ezekiel 38-39 is also clear that after Antichrist conquers Russia, Germany, and the other countries of the north and east of his empire, that he comes back from the north with these newly conqured countries and the ten kingdoms and other nations that cooperate with him, to destroy Israel and stop Christ from setting up His kingdom. These chapters in Ezekiel show that the Antichrist will come from Russia because he is "the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal," leading Russia and Germany and others down from the north into Palestine, but Dan. 11:44 shows he first conquers these countries of the north and east before he can be their chief prince and lead them down against the Jews.

The Time Armageddon Will Be Fought

At the time Israel will be safe in the wilderness and "Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof (called Edom, Moab, chief of the children of Ammon, including all the Arabian chiefs of the Arabian peninsula, Dan. 11:41; Rev. 12:614-17), shall say to thee, Art thou come to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?" Ezek. 38:1-16

At the time Antichrist has completed his conquest of Russia, Germany, and the other countries of the north and east of his ten-kingdom empire, Dan. 11:44; Ezek. 38:1-16.

At the second coming of Christ to deliver the Jews and Jerusalem from the armies of the Antichrist, Joel 3; Zech. 14; Isa. 63:1-6; Jude 14; 2 Thess. 1:7-10 

The Combatants at Armageddon

The battle of Armageddon will not be an ordinary battle between two sets of earthly nations, as some teach. It will be a battle between the armies of heaven under Christ and the armies of earth under the dragon, the beast and false prophet. On the side of Christ there will be earthly Israel (Zech. 14:1-15), the angels of God (Mt. 25:31-45; 2 Thess. 1:7-10), and the resurrected saints of all ages (Zech. 14:1-5; Jude 14; Rev. 19:11-21). On the side of the Antichrist there will be the Devil and his angels and demons (Rev. 12:7-12; 16:13-16; 20:1-3), the ten kings (Rev. 17:14-17; Dan. 2:44; 7:19-27), the countries of the north and east of the ten kingdoms who will have been recently conquered by Antichrist (Dan. 11:44; Ezek. 38-39; Rev. 16:12), and many other nations that will cooperate with the Antichrist through the ministry of the three unclean frogs (Rev. 16:13-16; Zech. 14:1-5, 16; Ezek. 38-39).

The Purpose of Armageddon

The purpose of God will be to deliver Israel from total destruction by the Antichrist and the many nations under him (Zech. 14; Isa. 63:1-10), to punish the nation for their persecution of the Jews (Mt. 25:31-46), to set up a kingdom on earth with Christ as its head (Dan. 7:13,14; Lk. 1:32), to rid the earth of all rebellion and restore God's dominion on earth as before the fall (1 Cor. 15:24-29; Eph. 1:10), and to give man one more dispensational test before destroying every rebel on earth and establishing the eternal perfect state (Eph. 1:10; Rev. 20:1-10; 21:1-22:5; 2 Pet. 3:10-13). The purpose of man and Satan will be to stop God's plan in taking over the earthly governments, and to avert their own impending doom, should they be defeated (Rev. 12:12; 19:19-21; 20:1-10; Zech. 14:1-5.

The Length of Armageddon

According to Zech.14:1-14, the battle will only be one day long: “The Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark: but it shall be one day which shall be known to the Lord, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.”

The Results of Armageddon

There will be total defeat to the armies of the earth and the spirit forces under Satan, Isa. 63:1-6; Rev. 19:19-20:3, Ezek. 38-39.

All the vast armies of the nations will be destroyed but “the sixth part,” Ezek. 39:2; Rev. 19:19-21; Zech. 14:1-15; Joel 3.

These armies will make carcasses for the fowls of the heavens to eat for seven long months, Ezek. 39:4-24; Rev. 19:17-21; Mt. 24:27,28, 40-42; Lk. 17:34-37; Job 39:27-30.

The beast and the false prophet will be consigned to the Lake of Fire, Rev. 19:20; Dan. 7:11; 8:25; 11:45; 2 Thess. 2:8,9.

The Devil and angels will be consigned to the bottomless pit, Rev. 20:1-7.

Blood will flow up to the horses' bridles, Rev. 14:14-20; Ezek. 39:17-24.

Israel will be delivered and vindicated and God's eternal kingdom will be set up, Mt. 25:31-46; Dan. 2:44; 7:18, 23-27; Rev. 11:15; 20:1-10; 21:2-22:5

Ways Antichrist's Armies are Destroyed

By the brightness of Christ's coming, 2 Thess. 2:8.

By the angels, Mt. 24:27-31; 2 Thess. 1:7-10.

By the saints, Zech. 14:5; Jude 14; Rev. 17:14; 19:11-21.

By hail and rain from heaven, Ezek. 38:22; Rev. 16:21.

By the Jews, Zech. 14:14.

          By the beast's army slaying each other, Ezek. 38:21; Zech.               14:13.

By fire, brimstone, and pestilence falling from heaven, Ezek. 38:22; 2 Thess. 1:7-10.

By consumption of their own flesh, Zech. 14:12.

       By the rod and sword of Christ's own mouth, Isa. 11:4; Rev.           19:15.