Time and history began by the sovereign act of God: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit working together in unity created this universe — that which is seen — physical creation, and also that which is unseen — angelic beings and the laws and forces that govern creation.
The Lord Jesus continually sustains all He created through His ongoing, powerful decree. Time and history continue to unfold according to the sovereign purpose of Almighty God through our Lord Jesus Christ who upholds all things by the word of His power (Hebr. 1:3). Indeed, He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Col. 1:17). The eternal God is the unifying force in which this universe consists.
From that moment when life and light exploded into being by the word of God, God has purposefully and providentially directed the movement of time and history. Though the rebellion of unholy angels created the reality of sin and though the rebellion of sinful humanity created the reality of death, disintegration and violence, and though history itself may appear to be an endless generational recycling of chaos and tragedy, the truth is otherwise. The truth is that the living God, the uncreated, Self-existent One, a being of unfathomable intelligence and power, sustains and upholds the universe He created and is moving all of time and history to the fulfilling of His eternal plan. He is the God who works all things after the counsel of His will (Eph. 1:11).
History has a beginning, a Genesis point. History also has an end point which was established by God from the beginning: Remember the former things long past, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things which have not been done, saying, ‘My purpose will be established, and I will accomplish all My good pleasure’ (Isa. 46:9,10).
Concerning the consummation of time and history, the Apostle Paul reveals that the Lord has made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him, regarding His plan of the fullness of the times, to bring all things together in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth (Eph. 1:9,10).
In the fullness of the times, God will bring all things together in Christ — summarize, gather into unity all of this fractured universe — things in the heavens and things on the earth. All of time, history and creation will find fulfillment and unity in Jesus Christ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phlp. 2:10,11).
After Jesus returns, Then comes the end, when He (Jesus) hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet (I Cor. 15:24,25).
God sent His Son into the world to redeem it. Having accomplished the work the Father gave Him to do, having abolished all rule and all authority and power which opposed that work, Jesus will then hand over the kingdom to His Father. Jesus will give to His Father a world redeemed, populated by the redeemed.
The end point of history is simply and profoundly this: God the Father will be glorified in His Son, Jesus Christ. God the Son will glorify His Father. Their glory will be revealed in the righteous judgment of all evil and all who do evil, the fulfilled salvation and resurrection of redeemed sinners, the establishing of God’s just and gracious rule across a restored earth and then the creation of new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Peter 3:13).
God created the universe, created eternity, time and history as a stage on which He would display His glory. The fullest display of His glory was in His Son. When Jesus was incarnate in the womb of Mary, the Holy Spirit overshadowed her, enabling her to conceive (Luke 1:35). God Himself, the sovereign Creator of the universe, overshadowed Mary’s womb with creative power and glory so she could give birth to the revelation of God’s glory in human form.
At the birth of Jesus, shepherds were in the field and an angel of the Lord stood before them and the glory of the Lord shone around them ... and suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest’ (Luke 2:9, 13,14). The glory of the Lord overshadowed the womb of Mary, enveloped the pastures of Bethlehem and the Child who was born is the radiance of God’s glory:
God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance (brightness) of His glory and the exact representation of His nature (Hebrews 1:1-3).
Every time Jesus taught the truth, every time He forgave the guilty and healed the sick, every time He cast demonic presence out of broken personalities, every time He calmed a storm or gave resurrection life to the dead, He was unveiling the glory of God. Jesus prayed to the Father, I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do (1
7:4). Jesus understood His ministry as the continual unveiling of God’s glory.
As the hour of His death approached, Jesus prayed, Father, the hour has come, glorify your Son, that the Son may glorify You … Now Father, glorify Me together with Yourself with the glory which I had with You before the world was (John 17:1,5). For Jesus, His death as the holy sacrificed Lamb was another unveiling of God’s glory.
The Father displayed His glory when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come (Eph. 1:21). In His conception and birth, in His life and in His death, in His resurrection and ascension to the right hand of majesty, Jesus displayed the radiance of the glory of God.
In His first appearance on earth, only a few recognized Him: He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him (Jn. 1:11). When He returns, Every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him (Rev. 1:7 ).
In His first appearance, a star blazed brightly in the heavens. When He returns, The stars of the sky (will fall) to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind (Rev. 6:13).
In His first appearance, He was born as a helpless baby. In His second, He will be King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
In His first appearance, He was ridiculed, beaten, crucified. In His second appearance, He will sit on His glorious throne and judge the living and the dead.
The word revelation means unveiling and in the last book of the Bible, the Revelation, Jesus is unveiled as, The faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5).
Jesus is the faithful witness — His testimony is truthful, He is faithful to the truth. He said, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away (Matt. 24:35). The Psalmist reminds us, Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven (Psalm. 119:89).
Jesus said to the Roman governor, For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice (John 18:37). Jesus was born into this world to testify to the truth, to show us truth in human form: And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (Jn. 1:14). All that Jesus says and does is in perfect harmony with the truth. Jesus is the faithful witness and we who are redeemed by trusting in Him are able to comprehend His truth.
He is also the firstborn of the dead (Rev. 1:5). The word first born, prototokos, can refer to first in time but when used of Jesus, it refers to preeminence. There were others who were raised from the dead before Him but of all who have risen or will rise from the dead, Jesus is the preeminent One. This is true because Jesus is the first to rise from death into eternal life. All who rose from the dead before Him eventually succumbed to death. But Jesus is the One who conquered death, who rose never to die again. Because Jesus is the Source of all life and all resurrection, we who are united with Him by faith also share in His life and His resurrection. Therefore He says, Because I live, you also will live (Jn. 14:19).
Jesus is also the ruler of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5). This refers to Christ’s position of sovereignty as King of kings and Lord of lords, His Lordship over every nation, empire and ruler. He sets the boundaries of the nations (Acts 17:26) and nullifies their plans when their purpose is contrary to His (Psalm 33:10). Though many tyrant kings shake their fists at Jesus and though evil sinners and fallen angels rebel against Him, Jesus is still sovereign.
It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings (Dan. 2:21). By Me kings reign, and rulers decree justice (Prov. 8:15). All governments derive their authority from Jesus (Rom. 13:1) and He holds them accountable to His standard of justice. When rulers violate God’s standards, the Lord overthrows their kingdom: He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, who makes the judges of the earth meaningless (Isa. 40:23).
Jesus testifies, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18). Jesus, by virtue of His universal authority, is the Ruler of the kings of the earth.
The devil offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world (Matthew 4:8-10), if Christ would worship him. Jesus refused and received the kingdoms of the world from His Father through faithful obedience and sacrifice unto death. He will someday be acknowledged by all the universe as King of kings and Lord of lords. Indeed, the Father has bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phlpn. 2:9-11).
Jesus is also the One who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood (Rev. 1:5). The verb tense indicates that He loves us unceasingly. As a demonstration of His love, He is the One who released us (some translations say washed us) by or in His blood. We were slaves to sin and death and subject to the judgment of God but we have been redeemed, released from the guilt, power and penalty of sin. The means for our release was the blood of Jesus, the holy, sacrificed Lamb of God. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13) and in the sacrifice of His life, Jesus reveals His unceasing love.
And He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father — to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Rev. 1:6). Jesus instituted a New Covenant by the shedding of His blood and under this covenant, all who confess Him as Lord are brought into the kingdom of God. As members of this kingdom, we are a holy priesthood (I Peter 2:5). As priests, we have direct access to God, Creator of the universe, we are priests to His (Christ’s) God and Father. Priests minister to God with the sacrifices of prayer, praise and thanksgiving, coming directly into His holy presence through the new and living way which Jesus opened for us. Priests also minister to people as instruments of Christ’s grace, truth and mercy.
We are also a royal priesthood (I Peter 2:9), a kingdom of priests, priests invested with the authority of the King. When Jesus sent His disciples out, He said, Behold, I have given you authority (exousia, delegated jurisdiction) to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19). When He commissioned the church, He said, All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore (Matt. 28:18,19). We are priests to whom Jesus has delegated jurisdiction so that we can exercise kingdom authority in His name and for His glory. We exercise authority in prayer, in worship and in witness.
Jesus has expressed His love for us by releasing us from our sins and making us to be a kingdom of priests to His God and Father. Therefore we are called to worship our Lord, To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen (Rev. 1:6).
John then says, Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him; and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen (Rev. 1:7). The imminency of the return of Christ is emphasized, He is the One who is coming again. Notice the present tense verb — is coming — as if He is on the way.
John combines two Old Testament prophetic images. With the prophet Daniel, John sees the vision of one like the Son of Man who is, Coming with the clouds of heaven (Daniel 7:13). Jesus Himself used those words in reference to His second coming (Matthew 24:30) and no doubt John remembered Jesus saying that. The prophet Zechariah said that as the Lord pours out the spirit of grace on the people of Jerusalem, they will look on (Him) whom they have pierced ... and they will mourn for Him (Zechariah 12:10). John included these words in his gospel (John 19:37).
Jesus says that He is coming on the clouds (Matt. 24:30). He ascended in a cloud, which was the Shekinah glory of God, and will return in the same cloud of glory, as the angels testified to the apostles, Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven (Acts 1:11). Jesus was conceived in glory, born in glory, revealed glory throughout His ministry, departed in glory and will return in glory.
This will not be a hidden event. Every eye will see Him (Rev. 1:7), and all the earth will mourn over Him. For some, this will be the mourning of repentance. For many it will be grief over the revelation of God’s final judgment of unrepented sin.
This Jesus who is returning, whom every eye will see, is today enthroned in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and made Him head over all things to the church (Eph. 1:20-22).
The authority of Jesus transcends every worldly empire and all bounds of time. The hand that holds all authority in this universe is not the clenched fist of the hateful tyrant but the nail pierced hand of the loving Savior. This is the One to whom the Father said, Sit at My right hand until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet … Rule in the midst of Your enemies (Ps. 110:1,2).
Jesus is not only the exalted Christ but, by virtue of His position at the right hand of God, He is also the triumphant Christ. All things have been placed in subjection to Him, as Paul said, For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet (I Cor. 15:25).
This is the One whom Daniel saw in a vision: With the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed (Dan. 7:13,14).
The eternally pre-existent Son of God who humbled Himself in taking human form, who as a baby was laid in a feeding trough, who was crucified on a common cross and buried in a borrowed grave, this Christ is also King of all kings, Lord of lords and Ruler of the universe. Though demonic powers of darkness still war against Him and though sinful, rebellious humanity still blasphemes His name, Jesus is King of all kings and Lord of all lords.
Through His humble sacrifice and triumphant resurrection, He is now head over all things (Eph. 1:22). Headship denotes rulership. Though Christ’s authority is not yet visible over all things, it is still true authority. Though wicked people and fallen angels are in rebellion against the royal Headship of Christ, He is still Head over all. Though sinful men and women exercise authority with no thought of accountability to Christ, they are in fact accountable to Him. Their authority is from Christ and He can remove it when and if He chooses.
This Jesus who is returning is the Alpha and the Omega … who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty (Rev. 1:8). Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. You can take the letters of any alphabet and express all the truth and wisdom contained in that society. In calling Himself Alpha and Omega, Jesus is emphasizing His omniscience, His knowledge of all truth from the beginning to the end.
Alpha and the Omega also represent the beginning and the end of time, history and creation. He is the One who is and who was and who is to come (Rev. 1:8), the everlasting God, existing before time, beyond time and within time. He is the beginning and end of all life, truth, authority, and kingdoms. He is the timeless God who exists before and beyond history and creation yet who also meets us in time and creation. Time has no influence on Him, does not impinge on Him, does not bind or limit Him.
He is the Almighty, possessing all power, all authority, might, strength and dominion. All power flows from Him. Nothing and no one can ultimately resist or limit or overcome Him.
Since He is the timeless, omniscient, Almighty Lord,
nothing can prevent or destroy the outworking of His purpose.
He is before and beyond time, Uncreated, Self Existent Being,
independent of all space, time, energy, matter,
above, beyond and within, present and coming,
transcendent and closer than our own being,
by whom the universe was created, in whom all things are upheld and consist.
History will unfold according to the will and purpose of our Lord
for there is no one in the universe greater, no one who can impose his will
over the will of this Almighty, everliving Savior.
These words which Jesus spoke to John are to all of the redeemed, Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:17,18).
He is the first and the last, before the beginning and beyond the end. He is the great I Am, the Self-existent, uncreated God, the Lord who transcends and encompasses all of time and creation. He is the One by whom, for whom and through whom all things were created (Col. 1:16), in whom all things hold together (Col 1:17), by whose continuing Word of power the universe is sustained (Hebr. 1:3). Our lives are lived in the hands of this glorious, eternal Lord of might and power and mercy and kindness.
He is the Living One as opposed to the dead idols of the God-rejecting nations, the Self-existent, uncreated Creator of all that exists. Jesus said, For just as the Father has life in Himself, even so He gave to the Son to have life in Himself (John 5:26). Life proceeds from Him. He was dead but is alive forevermore. He not only rose from the dead, He rose to never again die. He is the Resurrection and the life, the source of resurrection and life. Resurrection and life flow from Him. He is the One of whom Peter testified, But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power (Acts 2:24).
He holds the keys of death and of Hades (Rev. 1:17,18). Death is the condition of the unredeemed who have died; Hades is the temporary abode and hell is the final destiny of those who die apart from Christ. But Jesus holds the keys of death and Hades — keys signify authority. He has authority over the condition and the destiny of all who die.
Jesus holds authority over the strategies and destructive powers of the demonic realm which purpose death and hell. He will someday cast the very reality of death and hell into the lake of fire, abolishing their very existence (Rev. 20:14). Only the Living One, the first and last, the everlasting God, can hold and exercise this kind of authority but He invites His church to share His authority on earth — to declare, release and bind on earth that which is declared, released and bound in heaven.
Jesus sets the boundaries of nations, empires rise and fall according to His sovereign purpose. He has right, authority and power to perfectly fulfill all He purposed and all He purposed was purposed before time began, from eternity.
False gods will fall before Him.
False philosophies will shatter before Him.
The empires of man will crumble before Him.
In His first advent, He humbled himself to the power of sinners.
When he returns He will destroy the kingdoms of sinful man
with the breath of His mouth, with His truth.
He will establish His kingdom on earth and, There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore (Isa. 9:7).
Jesus will return for His redeemed and the Lord uses marriage imagery to describe the union of the Bride Groom Messiah with His saints, His holy Bride. The angel said to John, Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:9). Blessed indeed, and what an explosion of unrestrained joy and celebration there will be on that day!
Isaiah speaks of the great Millennial feast, the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, In Jerusalem, the Lord of Hosts will spread a wonderful feast for all the people of the world. It will be a delicious banquet with clear, well-aged wine and choice meat. There He will remove the cloud of gloom, the shadow of death that hangs over the earth. He will swallow up death forever! The Sovereign Lord will wipe away all tears. He will remove forever all insults and mockery against His land and people. The Lord has spoken! In that day the people will proclaim, ‘This is our God! We trusted in Him, and He saved us! This is the Lord, in whom we trusted. Let us rejoice in the salvation He brings!’ (Isa. 25:6-9).
The earth will be restored to its original Edenic beauty. Fertility and harvest will be so bountiful that the plowman will overtake the reaper and the treader of grapes him who sows seed; when the mountains will drip sweet wine and all the hills will be dissolved (Amos 9:13).
There will be peace on earth The perfect harmony that existed in Eden will be restored among God’s creatures: And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little boy will lead them (Isaiah 11:6). A little boy will lead them — not fearing the creatures but playing with them.
Creation presently groans under the curse but all of nature will praise its Creator when He returns, For you will go out with joy and be led forth with peace; the mountains and the hills will break forth into shouts of joy before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands (Isa. 55:12). The wilderness and the desert will rejoice, and the desert will shout for joy and blossom like a rose (Isaiah. 35:1). Let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing together for joy (Ps. 98:8).
I believe the humble creatures of the earth will join the redeemed in praising their Creator in whatever way they are able, will find a voice to sing the praise of our Lord and God, Praise the Lord from the earth, sea monsters and all deeps … mountains and all hills; fruit trees and all cedars; beasts and all cattle; creeping things and winged fowl (Ps. 148:7,9,10).
Most wonderful of all, the redeemed will be raised and clothed with resurrection bodies and so we shall always be with the Lord (I Thes. 4:17).
The outcome is so certain, John heard this shout in heaven 2,000 years ago: The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever (Rev. 11:15). So it shall be.
The outcome is so certain, Paul says, These whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified (Rom. 8:30). Glorified refers to the perfection of God’s redeeming purpose as we stand in His presence with resurrection bodies. That has not yet happened but it is so certain, Paul uses a present tense verb, These whom He justified, He also glorified. So it shall be.
All of time, since the resurrection of Jesus is the end times. During this long season, this Age of Grace, the Church Age, Almighty God is working out His salvation purpose on earth. But there is an end to the end times and that is simply and profoundly this: Jesus Christ will return and establish His kingdom on earth.
Then comes the end, when He hands over the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power (I Cor. 15:24). The word end is telos and refers to more than that which is final. It refers to the fulfillment of something. When all of God’s kingdom purpose has been fulfilled, when all rule and all authority and power which was in opposition to God has been not merely overcome but abolished, Jesus will deliver the kingdom to God the Father. Then the Father will be glorified in the Son, the Son will be glorified in the Father and God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit will reign together over a restored, redeemed universe. And we His saints will reign with Him.
Though we will not know the exact hour of Christ’s return, we may be discerning of the signs of the time. The Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, indwells each redeemed follower of Christ. We can trust the shepherding care of our Lord mediated through the Holy Spirit. Though the darkness multiplies, the Lord will explode His light in the midst of the darkness. Though the frail institutions of God-rejecting nations will disintegrate, even as heaven shouts, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great (Rev. 14:8), even in the midst of Babylon’s fall the Lord will establish His kingdom and pour out His saving grace with signs and wonders following.
Salvation flows from the heart of the Father through the blood of His Son and no arrogant, ignorant, fist shaking tyrant can prevent or overcome the mercy of God from being outpoured. The greatest harvest of souls in the history of humanity lies before us. The greatest release of the power and kindness of God lies before us. Even as the Lord pours out His judgment on an idol worshiping world, so will He also pour out His saving grace through His holy church with signs and wonders following.
Referring to Jesus in His incarnation, Paul reveals, For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form (Col. 2:9). All the attributes and essence of God, all the glorious totality of divine being, all the fulness of Deity was incarnate in human form in Jesus.
Then Paul says, And in Him you have been made complete (Col 2:10). John adds, For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace (Jn. 1:16)
Because we have been brought into union with Jesus in our new birth — buried with Him, raised with Him, seated spiritually with Him in the heavenlies — therefore He is able to pour out of His fulness into our lives. We share the fulness of His life and we grow progressively toward the fulness which God purposed for human beings. And because our Lord is infinite in all that He is, we will never exhaust His resource of fulness. The Holy Spirit who indwells us will continually energize and empower us as vessels for the outpouring of the fulness of Jesus into our generation.
In this season of challenge, of trial and tribulation, as human institutions crumble and fall,
as the golden idols of fallen man shatter into dust, the greatest anointing we have ever known, the greatest empowerment we have ever experienced, will be poured out on the redeemed.
As darkness multiplies, the Lord will explode His light from the midst of it. An unprecedented harvest of souls will be gathered across the earth as the Lord shows His mercy and His power.
Therefore we will not fear the times.
For such a time as this we were born.