Lovers of Truth: Being a Faithful Witness
I. THE END-TIME CONFLICT OVER THE TRUTH OF WHO JESUS IS
A. In the End-Times there will be a battle for the truth about Jesus. Jesus stood firm on speaking the truth in His generation,
thus He understands the challenge.
5 From Jesus Christ the faithful witness… (Rev. 1:5)
B. Jesus is the faithful witness (Rev 1:5; 3:14). Other examples of witnesses are: the two Witnesses (Rev. 11:3, 7);
John (Rev 1:2, 9); the End-Time martyrs (Rev. 6:9; 12:11, 17; 19:10; 20:4); and the Tabernacle of the Testimony
(Rev. 15:5).
2 John bore witness to the word of God, and to the testimony of Jesus, to all things that he saw…9 John…was on Patmos
for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus… (Rev 1:2-9)
10 For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. (Rev. 19:10)
3 My two witnesses…will prophesy 1,260 days…7 Now when they finish their testimony, the Beast (Antichrist)…will make
war against them, overcome them, and kill them. (Rev. 11:3, 7)
11 They overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives
to the death…17 The dragon…went to make war with… (those) who keep the commandments of God and have the
testimony of Jesus… (Rev. 12:11, 17)
6 I saw the woman, drunk with the blood of the saints…the martyrs of Jesus. (Rev. 17:6)
C. In the End-Times some believers will give heed to doctrines that lie about the person of Jesus.
1 The Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and
doctrines of demons…2 having their conscience seared… (1 Tim. 4:1-2)
D. The conflict in the End-Times will center upon defining who Jesus is and how we love Him. We must love God on
His terms. Love for God is loyalty to His truth as seen in Jesus. Our love must be expressed in alliance with the Jesus of
the Bible, not the Jesus of humanistic sentiment.
E. Jesus’ final exhortation to the Church was to be faithful witnesses to His Word.
7 I (Jesus) am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book …9 I (angel) am your
fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book…10 He said to me, "Do
not seal the words of the prophecy of this book…16 I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things…" 17 The
Spirit and the Bride say, "Come!"…18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone
adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the
words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life…20 Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
(Rev. 22:6-20)
F. Three truths about Jesus that offend humanists include; first, His deity and thus His right to establish absolute standards
for which the nations are accountable to Him. Jesus does NOT accept humanistic views of righteousness and love.
Second, the only way of salvation is through Jesus. Third, He possesses the wisdom and love to judge sin for all time and
eternity.
G. Love of the truth is more than adherence to it. This love takes a firm stand for truth regardless of the cost. Loving
truth requires that we commit to accept any new ideas as long as they are substantiated in the Scripture regardless of
how different they are from our religious background.
7 The mystery of lawlessness is already at work…9 The coming of the lawless one (Antichrist) is according to the working
of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all
unrighteous deception…because they did not receive the love of the truth… (2 Thes. 2:7-10)
H. The mystery of lawlessness includes man’s “surprising” capacity to hate Jesus and love sin. Humanists believe
man is basically good and innocent, thus they hate God’s judgments.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer. 17:9)
9 They will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake. 10 Many will…
betray one another, and will hate one another. (Mt. 24:9-10)
I. Some are naïve about the depth of sin that many walk out in the End-Times. The fullness of man’s sin will be seen
in the actions of evil people against one another (Rev. 9:21).
21 They did not repent of their murders...sorceries...sexual immorality or thefts. (Rev. 9:21)
1. Murder: the primary sin on earth (Rev. 6:9-11; 7:13-14; 13:7; 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2)
2. Sorceries: occult and demon worship will fill the earth (Rev. 13:3-15; 14:11; 16:13-14)
3. Immorality: demon energized perversion (Rev. 9:20-21; 16:13; 17:2; 18:3; 19:2)
4. Theft: legislation and persecution motivated by theft (i.e., the Nazi’s anti-Semitism)
J. Sin will reach the greatest heights ever in all history in the generation in which the Lord returns.
23 In the latter time…when the transgressors have reached their fullness… (Dan. 8:23)
K. Sin will escalate to such a degree that it will surpass the violence of the days of Noah.
5 The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was
only evil continually…11 The earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence… (Gen. 6:5-11)
L. The Antichrist will be worshipped in every nation (Rev. 13:4, 8). The nations will hate Jesus and rage against
His love and truth (Ps. 2:1-3).
18 The nations were angry and Your wrath has come… (Rev. 11:18)
M. Judgment is necessary because God has created the human spirit with the great dignity of free will. Many use
their free will to hate God’s love, truth and people. Our freedom to act in love or hatred has real consequences. Our
choices really matter to God and really affect others.
II. THE PROPHETIC PICTURE OF JESUS IN THE SCRIPTURES
A. The true picture of Jesus is to comfort those who receive Him and to confront those who do not.
1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent
Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty…2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of
vengeance of our God… (Isa. 61:1-2)
B. The day of vengeance (Great Tribulation) is in Jesus’ heart. It is dear to Him and rooted in love. It prepares for the
year of redemption (Millennium) in which His love is manifest worldwide.
2 Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 3 "I have trodden the winepress…I
have trodden them (nations) in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I
have stained all My robes. 4 For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come…6 I have
trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury…" (Isa. 63:2-6)
C. Revelation gives us the most complete picture of Jesus in the Scripture emphasizing Him as Bridegroom, King and
Judge who manifests His power to win the Harvest and cleanse the earth.
1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him (Jesus) to show His servants. (Rev. 1:1)
D. Revelation reveals the plans of Jesus as the Bridegroom King who judges all that hinders love. God’s love is
expressed and promoted by His redemptive judgments to remove all that hinders love in confronting those who
aggressively oppose and hate His love and leadership. God will use the least severe means to reach the greatest number
of people at the deepest level of love.
1. Jesus is a passionate Bridegroom who is filled with tender and jealous love.
2. Jesus is a King who will intervene to save the earth by taking over the nations for the glory of God and the good
of His people forever.
3. Jesus is a wise and just judge, who will redemptively confront the deep hatred of God and the truth in order to establish
love across the whole earth (Rev. 15:3; 16:5-7; 19:2).
E. The clearest picture of Jesus as our Bridegroom King who judges all that opposes love is found in Rev. 19:11-21.
There is no contradiction in the “Jesus of Christmas” who brings peace and goodwill to all men who receive Him and the
“Jesus of Armageddon” who confronts all who refuse His love.
11 He…was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…13 He was clothed with a robe
dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God…15 Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should
strike the nations. He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of
Almighty God. 16 He has on His robe…a name written: KING OF KINGS… (Rev. 19:11-21)
III. HOW ARE WE TO VIEW GOD’S JUDGMENTS IN THE TRIBULATION?
A. All in heaven will rejoice as Jesus, through His Church, releases judgment against those who hate God, His truth,
and His salvation. What do they understand about God’s judgments?
2 I saw…those who have the victory over the Beast…3 They sing the song of Moses…and the song of the Lamb, saying:
"Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways…4 For Your judgments have
been manifested." (Rev. 15:2-4)
B. All the saints will rejoice when they see the full fruit of Jesus’ leadership in releasing judgment. Jesus does
everything with love. He is zealous to remove all that hinders love. We must not falsely judge Him, the great Judge but
rather hold to what the testimony of Scripture says.
1 A great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia…2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged
the great harlot... (Rev. 19:1-3)
IV. JESUS’ WARNS THE CHURCH ABOUT DECEPTION IN THE END-TIMES
4 Take heed that no one deceives you. 5 Many will come in My name…and will deceive many…11 Many false prophets will
rise up and deceive many…24 False christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if
possible, even the elect. (Mt. 24:4-5, 11, 24-25)
A. A humanistic belief system is growing in the Church today that esteems temporal comfort far more than God’s
holiness and eternity. Jesus is Bridegroom, King and Judge. Many are embarrassed by Jesus as the Judge as if His
judgments are lacking love and are too extreme.
B. One aspect of false prophecy is to promise peace and prosperity in a time of coming judgment.
16 Do not listen to the words of the prophets…they speak a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the LORD.
17 They continually say to those who despise Me, 'The LORD has said, "You shall have peace’"; and to everyone who
walks according to the dictates of his own heart, they say, 'No evil shall come upon you.'" 18 For who has stood in the
counsel of the LORD, and has perceived and heard His word?...20 The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has
executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it perfectly. 21 I have not sent
these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in My counsel,
and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way… (Jer. 23:16-22)
C. The truth is politically incorrect. It exposes our core humanism and fear of man.
12 They have lied about the LORD, and said, "It is not He. Neither will evil come upon us, nor shall we see sword or
famine. (Jer. 5:12)
10 They have seduced My people, saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace… (Ezek. 13:10)
12 I will search Jerusalem with lamps, and punish the men who are settled in complacency, who say in their heart,
'The LORD will not do good, nor will He do evil. (Zeph. 1:12)