GETTING THE MESSAGE/Certainty of Christ’s return

We have looked at Revelation chapter 10 the last couple of weeks, and this week we are going to examine two important truths connected to what we are taught in this chapter. The first is the eternity of God. The angel in Revelation 10:6, who represents the glory of Christ, swears by “him who lives forever and ever.”

The oath concerned the certainty of the return of Christ in glory when the 7th trumpet will sound. The writer of Hebrews says that God took an oath concerning his unchangeable purpose of Christ being a priest forever, the certain savior of men who believe in him. God does this that his people might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before them in Christ (Hebrews 6).

In Revelation 10:6, the eternity of God is combined with his having created all things to show the significance of the oath. If God always has been, and God made all things, and God swears that Christ is coming, then this is a certain thing. As a Christian, you can withstand evil assaults and tribulations by faith, because God has said you have an everlasting hope in Christ.

Those who have believed the Lord have always placed their ultimate hope and happiness beyond this present world. That hope is to dwell with God forever. So, the coming of Christ is something his people long to see. The goal of their faith is accomplished when he comes. The dwelling place of God will be with his people (Revelation 21). 

In Psalm 90 Moses said, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. From everlasting to everlasting, you are God.” All of God’s people through the ages have experienced trials and temptations in this world. Yet they also sought to walk with God or dwell with God by faith. It was said of Enoch that he walked with God, and then was taken to heaven.

This is a great thing to say of a soul, that he walks with God. This presupposes reconciliation: can two walk together unless they be agreed? Walking with God means habitual communion with him, an abiding sense of his presence and favor. You see the great gift that Christ won for men. Once strangers and alienated from God, now by the grace of God men can have friendship with the everlasting, almighty God and enjoy his company.

This is the great question. Do you walk with God, enjoy communion with God? We read where the apostle John reclined against the chest of Jesus in the upper room. John called himself the disciple whom Jesus loved. Christ has procured everlasting life out of love; he expects his love to be returned. 

The second truth is the mystery of God (Revelation 10:7). When the 7th trumpet sounds, the mystery of God will be fulfilled. The mystery is that the gospel has been revealed to men. That it is fulfilled means that all the promises of God in Christ are perfected, and a blessedness no one has seen, heard, nor imagined will be realized. 

One of the warnings by the Lord Jesus and that we see in Revelation is that of false prophets and deceptive spirits. The Lord says in Matthew 24 that the false signs and delusions will get so bad as to lead astray even the elect, if that was possible. So, it is important we understand and believe the true gospel of Christ, the mystery of God.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The blessings of his kingdom are not of the world - honor, wealth, and power, etc, - but peace with God, adoption into God’s family, and eternal life. The poor Jesus speaks of are not financially poor, but conscious of their spiritual poverty.

They have been humbled to such an extent they listen to the word of the Lord as little children. They have a sense of unworthiness as opposed to a spirit of self-conceit. So long as one doesn’t believe he has sinned in a way that is worthy of death, he has little need of Christ.

The poor in spirit are not deceived by false prophets because they renounce all other grounds of reliance but Christ, and that which he has done and promises to do for them. The cross is the pulpit for his people, and the message is Christ’s dying love.

The Rev. Chris Shelton is pastor of Union’s First Presbyterian Church.