"King of Kings, and Lord of Lords"

Summer is over.  Fall has officially arrived.  And all those funny first-day-of-school feelings are now slipping into the past.  Our Goshen ministries that parallel the school year are now running full-speed.

But as we turn this corner in our church life, let me encourage you not to forget how God met us in the Book of Revelation earlier this year.  We con­cluded a seven-month sermon series in early August.

I don’t know about you, but for me it was both exhilarating and sobering to explore the visions and warnings and promises of the Bible’s last book.  I’m especially struck by the truth that this world is not some cosmic merry-go-round that will just go on and on, but it’s on a path toward a grand finale with the appearing of Christ the King.

The book begins with the promise, “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him,…” (1:7).  And it ends with the prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus!” (22:20).  This is our longing today.  And yet there is that crucial question for all of us—for you:  are you ready to meet the Lord?  I’m not asking if you’re somehow “good enough” (no one is), but if you’re trusting in his grace to save sinners!

How has the momentous message of Revelation touched your life?  Cindy Maxwell was moved to use her artistic energies and create a cut-paper collage based on the vision of Christ’s appearing in Revelation 19.  Take a look—it’s on display in the lobby (copies can be ordered).

Surely the final, magnificent, victorious appearing of Jesus Christ is the grand future fact to which the whole Book of Revelation is pointing.  Consider the powerful description from Revelation 19:11-16:

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse!  The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.  His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.  He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses.  From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron.  He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.  On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.