Being Lovers of the Truth
2 Thessalonians 2:10
I. THE END-TIME CONFLICT: WHO IS JESUS?
A. At the heart of the End-Time conflict is a battle for the truth about Jesus. The Holy Spirit was sent to glorify and exalt Jesus by
guiding us into all truth.
13 The Spirit of truth…will guide you into all truth…He will tell you things to come. 14 He will glorify Me, for He will take of
what is Mine and declare it to you. (Jn. 16:13-14)
7 For 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, that they might be saved. 11 For this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they
should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in
unrighteousness. (2 Thes. 2:9-12)
B. Jesus will honor man’s free will allowing them to fully pursue what they long for. Truth is a gift of God. God
hardens the heart by turning people over to the sin they have chosen (Rom. 1:24, 26, 28) allowing them to experience
the consequence of loving sin.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies...26 God gave them up to
vile passions...exchanging the natural use for what is against nature....28 Even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting… (Rom. 1:24-28).
C. One of the greatest challenges for the Church in the End-Times is the falling away from the faith. (Mt. 24:9-13;
2 Thes. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Tim. 3:1-7; 4:3-5; 2 Pet. 2:1-3).
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… (1 Tim. 4:1-2)
D. The question in this hour is the question about who Jesus really is. Jesus has called His people to intimate
partnership with Himself in destroying the works of Satan. The Book of Revelation is a “prayer manual” to equip the
Church to partner with Jesus in confronting Satan’s authority.
13 He asked His disciples, saying, "Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?" 14 They said, "Some say John the
Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah..." 15 He said, "But who do you say that I am?" 16 Peter answered…, "You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus answered…, "Blessed are you…for flesh and blood has not revealed
this to you, but My Father…18 On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19
I will give you the keys of the kingdom…and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you
loose on earth will be loosed in heaven." (Mt. 16:13-19)
E. The miracles of Exodus and Acts combined and multiplied on a global level. This “Jn. 14:12 prayer anointing” will
loose revival and the Tribulation and will bind the works of Satan.
12 Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,
because I go to My Father. (Jn. 14:12)
F. The OT picture of Jesus: to comfort those who receive Him and to confront all that hates Him.
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 to the captives…2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD,
and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, 3 to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them…
the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness… (Isa. 61:1-3)
G. On the cross, Jesus provided acceptance (salvation) to any who will repent and freely receive it.
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be
comforted. (Mt. 5:3-4)
5 I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. (Lk. 13:5)
H. The day of vengeance (Great Tribulation) prepares for the year of redemption (Millennium) in which Jesus’ rule
of righteousness, peace and joy is openly manifest across the whole earth.
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)
I. God’s love is expressed and promoted by His redemptive judgments that confront those who aggressively oppose
and even hate His love and leadership. The conflict is about “loving God” on our terms or on His terms. Our love must be
expressed in alliance with the Jesus of the Bible, not the Jesus of humanist sentiment. Love for God is loyalty to His truth
as seen in Jesus.
23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would
have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father. 25…They hated Me without a cause.
(Jn. 15:23-25)
J. 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)
K. Revelation reveals the plans of Jesus as Bridegroom King who judges all that hinders 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 take 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 deep hatred of God and the truth in order to
establish love across the whole earth (Rev. 15:3; 16:5-7; 19:2).
L. The Great Tribulation is released by the praying End-Time prophetic church under Jesus’ leadership in the way
that Moses released the plagues on Egypt and the how early apostles established the Church in the Book of Acts. The
Book of Revelation is an “eschatological Book of Acts” of the End-Time apostles and prophets. The Tribulation
redemptive judgments will be released by the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8; 6:9-11; 8:3-5; 9:13; 10:6; 14:18; 16:7; 19:2).
M. The End-Time prayer movement under Jesus’ leadership will both bind and release judgment.
4 The prayers of the saints, ascended before God…5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar,
and threw it to the earth… (Rev. 8:4-5)
N. The principle of God’s love in judgment: God uses the least severe means to reach the greatest number of people
at the deepest level of love without violating anyone’s free will in training the future rulers of the earth. Jesus’ End-Time
judgments will remove all that hinders love.
O. We see Jesus as our Bridegroom King who judges all that opposes love 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 openly
confronts all resistance to 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…19 I saw the beast (Antichrist), the kings of the
earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him…20 The beast was captured, and with him the false
prophet...these two were cast alive into the lake of fire…21 The rest were killed with the sword…from the mouth of Him…
(Rev. 19:11-21)
II. HOW ARE WE TO VIEW GOD’S JUDGMENTS IN THE TRIBULATION?
A. All in heaven will rejoice at as Jesus through His Church releases judgment against that which hates God and His
truth and salvation. What do they understand about God’s judgments?
1 A great multitude in heaven, saying, "Alleluia…2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the
great harlot..." 3 Again they said, "Alleluia!" (Rev. 19:1-3)
20 Rejoice over her…you holy apostles and prophets, for God has avenged you on her…21 Thus with violence the great city Babylon
shall be thrown down… (Rev. 18:20-21)
3 Saying: "Great and marvelous are Your works…just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints…4 For Your judgments have been
manifested." (Rev. 15:3-4)
17 Saying: "We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty…because You have taken Your great power and reigned. 18 The
nations were angry, and Your wrath has come… (Rev. 11:17-18)
7 He is coming with clouds…all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. (Rev. 1:7)
III. UNDERSTANDING GOD’S END-TIME JUDGMENTS
A. God’s love is promoted by His redemptive judgments that confront all who hate His love. Those in heaven clearly
understand this and therefore, rejoice in God’s desire to save all.
9 The Lord…is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 10 The day of the Lord will
come…the earth and the works…in it will be burned. (2 Pet. 3:9-10)
B. The combination of the dignity of man’s free will, with the eternal nature of the human spirit and the depths in
which some hate God’s love create the context in which judgment is necessary.
C. The dignity of man’s free will: our choices really matter and they really affect others. Our freedom to act in love or hatred has real
consequences. It is an issue of life and death.
D. Reality of eternity: the benefit of man cannot be measured accurately by only seeing what happens to us in this life. God’s
judgments wake people up to how temporal this life is.
E. The depth of man’s sin: the antichrist humanist spirit says man is basically good and is innocent.
9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it? (Jer. 17:9)
7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work… (2 Thes. 2:7)
F. God allows circumstances for man’s sin to come to the surface. Examples of this have are manifest in history.
Germany as one of the most cultured nations embraced Nazism.
21 They did not repent of their murders…sorceries…immorality or their thefts. (Rev. 9:21)
G. The Great Tribulation stops the escalating sin by stopping those who promote it. The premise is that the
momentum of sin will escalate to such a degree that it will surpass 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… 7 So the LORD said, "I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth…for
I am sorry that I have made them."…11 The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence…
13 God said" …the earth is filled with violence through them; and I will destroy them… (Gen. 6:5-13)