Louie Giglio - Confident In Christ's Return
«I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain». Now, I don’t wanna stop all the way through, but this key to the Abyss would take us back to chapter 1 of the risen Jesus who said, «I have the keys to death and to Hades». And Hades would be connected to this word, to the Abyss. So, was this angel that he saw, was it coming down, or had he given this power of this key to this angel. «But here comes now an angel with the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan».
It’s like he’s trying to be clear here, who he’s talking about. «And bound him for a thousand years. And He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years,» there it is again, «Were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. I saw thrones on which there were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death,» and we’re gonna see the second death at the end of the chapter, «Has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years». What John is seeing is Christ establishing a thousand-year reign on the earth. And in this thousand-year reign, Satan is bound. And during this time, martyrs who have given their lives through all of the struggle that we have seen against the beast, and they have been faithful to the testimony of Jesus, and faithful to the word of God, and they’ve lost their lives because of it. They’re raised up and they’re reigning with Him in this thousand-year reign. We do don’t is this a literal thousand years.
Is it figuratively a thousands years? Is it something that’s going to happen in the future or is it happening right now? There’s opinions all over the map on this particular section of scripture. But let’s just take it for what it says today. It’s a thousand years in which Christ is reigning on earth and those who have been martyred for Him are raised up in victory and they are reigning with Him. Satan has been thrown into the Abyss and sealed up for a season. But now, verse 7, «When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog or Magog». Now, Gog and Magog are geopolitical forces that are gonna, as it says here, «Gather for a battle».
So, the enemy is released. He goes out among the four corners of the earth. He deceives the nations and gathers them for battle. «In number, they are like the sand on the seashore». This is a massive global force. «And they marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city He loves». Now, again, people will say, «Is this figuratively the city of God or is this actually the city of God»? I would lean that way, and I would learn towards the reality that yes this encompasses the city of God as a whole, but it is a place and it is Jerusalem.
And when you look on the global landscape today you can begin to understand how the enemy would deceive the nations and gather Gog and Magog together against the city that He loves. «But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever». This is not a section of scripture that your enemy wants to hear, but this is the ultimate reality where your fight against evil is done.
«Then I saw a great white throne and Him who was seated on it. The earth and the Heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death».
So, our physical death is the first death. All of us will experience that unless were alive when Christ comes. The second death is an eternal death. And for these people, it was the lake of fire. Who? «Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire». There are books and there is a book. And we’re gonna end today with both the books and the book. So, what is this text telling us? Well, it’s telling us A, that Christ reigns. He has appeared and He is appearing. He’s come riding on a white horse. The armies of Heaven are with Him.
What are we seeing there? We’re seeing the visible bodily return of Jesus to the Earth. That’s what’s on the horizon for all of us, is Christ return. We don’t know the day or the hour, but we are confident that Christ is coming back, visibly, bodily, victoriously. Christ is coming back to Earth and He is going to reign on the Earth and He’s gonna reign eternally. Those who have given their lives for Him are reigning with Him in this millennial reign. But all of us whose names are written in the book of life are gonna enter into the new Heavens we’re about to see and the new Earth that we are about to see in the chapters to come.
We see Christ appearing. We see Christ supreme. We see Christ reigning and ruling. We see ultimately, the enemy has had power and authority, but that power and authority is subject to Christ. And we see at the end of the day, that the timeline of history is Christ’s timeline. Nobody is running history on earth. The only person running history is Jesus Himself and His Father who knows the exact time and the moment that Christ will appear. But we see though, is that ultimately the enemy is defeated.
Now, you can spend as much time as you would like researching the thousand year reign of Christ. There is a lot of opinion all over the place from various theologians, and pastors, and spiritual leaders about the millennial reign of Christ and how all the detail works out. You can dive down into Gog and Magog and you can research that a lot. And a lot of people know exactly what nations this is referring to and how things are gonna get organized and play out for this final battle which is not going to be fought because Christ shows up and wins, and binds the enemy, and finishes all evil. Maybe you’re asking at this point, «So, where are we in the story right now»?
Maybe you have heard about the rapture. Anyone heard of the rapture? You’re like, «We haven’t talked about that yet»? And the rapture would be that as this end times is getting more intense, and this time of tribulation that we’re reading about all through these chapters of scripture where all this terrible stuff is happening on earth. That before all this happens, Jesus calls His people, the church, out. Rapture. And they now are with Him while all this terrible is going on. And then, in the second coming of Christ, they return with Christ. So, when He comes riding in, they come riding in with Him.
Does anybody know why we haven’t mentioned rapture and we’re 20 chapters in and just two to go in Revelation? Because it hasn’t mentioned the rapture in Revelation. We’ve read every verse. In fact, the word rapture doesn’t appear anywhere in scripture. That’s right. Huh? In fact, to add to that, the idea of rapture is a relatively new idea in the span of Christian history. So, where do we get rapture? Well, we get rapture from the teachings of Jesus where He talks about two people going about their business and then all of a sudden one is not there. And we get rapture through other teachings of scripture, primarily, 1 Thessalonians 4. And 1 Thessalonians 4 says, «Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind who have no hope. For believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him».
So, when He comes back, He’s bringing back with Him all the people who fallen asleep in death. «According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage one another with these words». And this, «Caught up,» is where the idea of rapture is supported for a lot of people. It’s a Greek word harpazo. And harpazo means to be snatched up, or to be taken up, caught up.
And so, this would be where people would teach, we are out, and all this tribulation happens. And then when the Lord returns, we return with Him. And so, that text is strongly for a lot of people supports rapture. There are other people who… And if I name some of these people you’d be like, «Oh, I’ve read their book,» or, «I listen to their podcast,» or, «I know their sermons,» or, «I really love and respect them». On both sides of this who would say, «No, we’re going through the hard times». Revelation is a manual to help you endure through the hard times. And the Christ is coming. And when Christ comes, we’re gonna be caught up with Him and then we’re gonna return with Him in His second coming.
So, there is gonna be a rapture. There is gonna be a harpazo. But we’re gonna be harpazo up to Him and then we’re gonna come back with Him as He returns. And you’re like, «Well, what text would someone use to support that particular view»? Well, I would send you to 1 Thessalonians 4:13. You’re like, «That’s the one we just used before rapture». I know. «For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so, we will be with the Lord forever».
Now, the word meet here in its Greek connotation in several places as its used, it refers to a meeting that looks like this. The meeting happens where people are going out to meet a party that’s coming in, an official party coming in. And the people go out, maybe out to the end of the street or out to the end of the drive. And they meet the people that are coming and they say, «Welcome, we’re glad you’re here». And then they come back in with the people who were coming. So, to go out to have a meeting as the word would connote or denote, it is to say we’re gonna go out. We’re gonna meet up with the people that are coming, and then we’re gonna come back with them.
So, their teaching would be that we’re gonna go up in rapture, yes, to meet the Lord in the air. We’re gonna meet up with the Lord in the air and then we’re gonna return with Him in His second coming. Same text, a verb and a noun, two different positions, a rapture or we’re going through it all and then we’re gonna go meet the Lord in the air, and we’re gonna come back with Him when He comes back. Out of the same text. This is why there is a lot of opinion across the board as to how some of the details of the end of the ages unfold.
So, I know you’re wanting me today to solve this for you and to help you know whether, it’s number one, over here or it’s number two, over here. And to be able to do that convincingly for everyone in the room, I would be the first person alive to do that. What I’m convinced of is that Christ is coming, and when He comes, I’m coming with Him. And what I’m convinced of is that when He comes, all evil is gonna be put away forever. And what I’m convinced of is that when He comes and puts all evil away forever, that I’m gonna face the great throne of thrones and the one who sits upon it and I’m gonna give an account for my life. The text says, «I saw a great white throne».
By the way, there may be some varying opinions about how all these pieces play out in part, but in whole, most people agree. And there will be a tremendous amount of agreement around this text. «And I was Him who was seated on it. The earth and the Heavens fled from His presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead,» I think this is important to underscore today, «Both great dead and small dead». The most famous person who ever walked on the earth and the least known person who ever walked on earth. The wealthiest person who ever walked on the earth and the poorest person who ever walked on the earth. «The great and the small, were standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life».
So, we have books, and we have a book. «The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done». Now, if you’re tracking along with us at Passion City Church, we are a radical grace centered church. We are a gospel driven church. We preach consistently that we could do nothing to save ourselves because we were dead and not bad. Christ came to live a perfect life and to give His life for us so that by faith and the finished work of the cross, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ, we come to life by faith in Him, we are saved.
And now, we’re coming to the end of our journey, and we are being evaluated on our works. And I want you to know that in the gospel, both of these things harmonize because we are saved by faith, but faith, true faith, true, genuine repentance and new life in Christ bear fruit. And we’re known by our fruit. We are not known by the day we prayed a prayer. We’re not known by the day we became a Christian. We’re not known by the day on a piece of paper. We went through a confirmation class or through some other exercise. We are known not by a moment in time. We’re known by our lifestyle, by our fruit. By the way that we live. And this is what the scripture is bringing us to today.
None of us can sit back and rest on a decision that we made somewhere in the by and by. What we’re resting on today, what I’m resting on today. It’s not that I put my faith in Jesus as an 11-year-old in Downtown, Atlanta, although I did and believe I was saved that day. Got baptized on the same day, by the way. They didn’t mess around back then, so it all happened really fast. But I am not resting on that today. You understand? If you asked me right now, «Do you know that you’re saved»? I would say, «100%». «How»? «Well, when I was 11, I walked down and put my faith in Christ». No. If you asked me, «How do you know that you are saved today»? I would say, «Because I am trusting Jesus Christ to be my Lord and savior. All of my hope is in Him».
And this is important for us to see today that just because we are covered by the atoning sacrificial work of the lamb of God, doesn’t mean that we aren’t going to give an account for the way we lived our lives, and be rewarded or have recompense based not on an act of faith, but on a life lived. So, the books are coming. And in the books, there is an accounting to be given for all the thoughts, the attitudes, the emotions, the good, the bad, the ugly of our lives. And this throne is a great white throne. What does that mean? It means it’s a throne of justice, a throne of holiness. And before this throne, nobody has any rationalizing to do. But He also says, «There is a book».
So, there is books, that should wake us all up today. We should start writing new books today. Amen. Or, maybe you don’t need to start writing new books. But we should be wanting to fill books with faithfulness because of the fact that we are alive in Christ. But then it says down to the end, «There is also a book and that was the book of life». So, we are judged on the books, but we are ultimately saved because of the book. «Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire». This book of life is referred to several times in scripture, most notably in chapter 13 of Revelation 8. It says, «All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast». So, ultimately, everybody is running to the beast. Why? «All whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world».
So, who’s worshiping the beast? People whose names are not written in the lamb’s book of life. So, again, you see the tension here. If you’re running after the world, and running after the things of the world, you’re really just broadcasting that your name is not written in the book of life. Because having your name written in the book of life transforms you to a new way of life. And that’s what God is inviting all of us to today. Because every one of us today, great and small, in this gathering, every single one of us is on a collision course with the one seated on the throne. And what we know about Him from this unfolding apocalypse and revelation of Jesus Christ is that He is holy, holy, holy.
We are on a collision course with a holy God. And if that doesn’t wake us up, that is a good sign, that our names may not be written in the lamb’s book of life. Because to have your name written by the blood shed before the creation of the world, is to have a heart that is bent in submission and surrender and in service to the great King who gave Himself for you. You can’t just have cheap grace and be confident of the outcome that the great white throne judgement of God. You wanna know today. My name is written in the book of life. Everyone. And so, how can you come to the end of revelation 20 where God in His gracious mercy is showing us, He’s showing us that you reap what you sow He’s showing us that nothing gets swept under the rug before a Holy God. But He’s inviting us through faith to find our names written in the book of life.