Direct your attention to the book of Revelation, chapter 11. Today's message will be the tenth in the series of messages on the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And today we begin to examine the Lordship of Christ and his coming kingdom of glory, his coming future kingdom of glory. We have just completed a three-part series on the Lordship of Christ and his present kingdom of grace. Now then, we want to go from the present to what yet lies ahead in his coming kingdom of glory. And I believe the eleventh chapter of the book of Revelation is one of those passages which takes us up to the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and what transpires in that great event. So follow with me as we read, beginning in verse 15. And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces and worshipped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and was and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged. that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name, small and great, and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament, and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail." In this series on the Lordship of Christ, we have defined Lordship from three passages of scripture. First, in Mark 10, verse 42, our Lord defined there that the Lordship is the authority to rule over others. The Gentiles which rule exercise Lordship. Lordship means the right to rule, to govern. John 17, verse 2, the second passage, We define lordship as the right to use one's own power as their wisdom sees best. There Jesus prays that God would give authority over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him. Christ has the right to rule, and he exercises his sovereign options to rule as he sees best, not how men think that he ought to rule. Thirdly, in John 19, verse 10, we saw the clash between Jesus and Pilate, and Pilate demanded that Jesus speak up and answer his accusations. Pilate informed Jesus, don't you know that you're speaking to one who has either the authority to either release you or the authority to put you to death? You'd better speak up. And Jesus replied to that Gentile ruler, you have no authority over me except it be given you from above. Meaning that there was one who was ruling over Pilate and that would determine what Pilate would do with Jesus. So that here we have the ultimate Lordship of Christ. Pilate said, I'm the Lord, I hold the options to do with you, Jesus, as I see best. Jesus said, no, there's one over you and he holds the option of what he'll do with you. He's the ultimate Lord. And thus lordship is the one who holds the option to exercise his rights or to withhold his rights as he sees best. Now in our messages on the present kingdom of grace, we set forth these propositions, and I hope that we were able to establish them. First, that Christ is presently reigning as a king on a throne. I do not believe that that can be questioned, although there are some systems of eschatology which would yet question it. Secondly, that Christ was promised a throne by the Godhead in Psalm 110, and that's an eternal promise. That was given before the world ever began, that Christ was to sit upon a throne and to rule and to reign. that Christ was also foretold by the Old Testament prophets that he would come to his kingdom, his throne, by way of a suffering cross and of an empty tomb. That is, the Old Testament prophets foretold of Messiah who would suffer and who would also be raised from the dead, and he would sit on his throne, the throne which God had promised him. Isaiah 53 describes his suffering, Psalm 16, his resurrection, and Mark 16, verse 19, we see there that Jesus is now set down on the right hand of the throne of God. So we present to you this proposition that Jesus is presently fulfilling the kingdom which the prophets saw, and that he was to rule at the Father's right hand. We saw in the previous messages upon this subject that this was God's proposed method of conquering sin and his enemies was through Genesis 3.15, the seed of the woman, through the seed of Abraham, through the seed of David. Then we also looked in those messages that the kingdom which the prophets saw was to come as they looked out into the future, that that kingdom was to be set up before the saints were resurrected. While David's body slept in the earth, the Messiah would come and he would assume the rights of the kingdom. Hence, the kingdom is now, it is not later. It was, as Peter said on the day of Pentecost, already established there. David was still sleeping, his body had not been raised from the dead, and the Messiah had entered his kingdom at the right hand of God. So the kingdom which the prophets saw to the Messiah is established. He is now ruling upon a throne of grace and mercy, and now then he is Lord of lords and King of kings. Not that he will one day be one day, he already is. And thus, as somebody would say in modern terminology in exhorting others, make Jesus your Lord. And my reply is, God's already beat you to it. He made Jesus Lord when he raised him from the dead, and he is now on a kingdom, in a kingdom, exercising throne rights to do with men as he sees best in accordance with the decrees of the eternal God. And that ought to be a sobering thought to every sinner outside of Christ. But you're dealing with an enthroned king who has the keys of death and hell. in his hands. Now then, today we're going to look at the second aspect of the kingdom which the prophets saw that Messiah would inherit. And that is what we're calling the kingdom of glory. There are two aspects of the kingdom which the prophets saw. They saw a kingdom in which Messiah would be established in his kingdom. and he would rule in that kingdom, but he would be ruling while his enemies were yet present. That is, men were going to be mad at him, and were going to be opposing the teachings of Christianity. So get that in your thinking, if you will. The prophets foresaw a Messiah who would rule in the midst of his enemies. That is, he would be on a throne and he would be exercising lordship, but there would be a time of opposition to his rule. But then they also saw a time in which that every enemy of Messiah would be brought to bow at his footstool, and when that event occurred, it would usher in a glorious day of immortality. So if you can liken it like this to those of you that play tennis, you know that the tennis court is divided into two sections, and there is a net in the middle. and you have a player on one side and a player on the other. If we can liken this unto the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ, in the first half of the court there is his kingdom of grace which is presently going on. And on the other side of the court there is his coming kingdom of glory which is yet to come. And the net, or that which divides the two kingdoms, is the second coming of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. That is, what is it that must take place before the kingdom of glorification is ushered in? The Lord must return and the resurrection of the dead must take place. And when that takes place, Brother James, there will be no more harping against the king. The wicked will be removed as tares from the wheat, and the kingdom shall be established in immortality and glorious eternality." That is, we shall be with him forever and forever. But now that event has not yet occurred, and for the next two or three weeks we want to now spend time examining what lies ahead for the child of God in the future coming kingdom of glorification. Now, what are some things from our text which we've read in the book of Revelation which will take place when the second coming of Christ occurs? Revelation 11, verses 15 through 19. I ask you to have your Bibles open there. And we'll give you just a brief outline of that section of scripture. The overall passage allows us to draw this statement from it. When the Lord Jesus Christ assumes his ultimate kingdom wherein all of his enemies are overthrown, then we can say that his permissive will is completed and his commanded will is enforced to perfection. No longer will men be allowed to sin against the Lord Jesus Christ and mock and make fun of Christianity and of the King. I tell you, there is coming a day in which men are going to have to bow down to the Lord Jesus Christ, and there will be no more mocking of him. Christ now allows men to sin against his preceptive will. But that doesn't mean he's not king. That doesn't mean that at all. Do you realize that Jesus Christ was absolute Lord and in absolute control of everything that was going on at Calvary when he was being nailed to the cross? Do you believe that? Do you believe that Jesus was in absolute control of the people that were nailing him to the cross? The Bible makes it adamantly clear. He could have called for legions of angels at any time to have released him from that event. And there was a man who was a sinner, a man who was a thief, on either his right or his left hand, maybe his right, I forget whether the Bible describes which one of the thieves repented. But before he died, that thief saw the Lordship of Jesus Christ. For he said, Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Now, I tell you, that took some insight to see a man humiliated mocked, spit upon, his beard plucked out, and from some passages described that he was so beaten and humiliated that he no longer bore the resemblance of a human being, to look upon that broken body of the Lord Jesus Christ, and another man says, you're in control of all of this. I tell you, that took insight and faith. The kingdom was established at Calvary. It was there that God long ago had promised he would overthrow the effects of Satan, sin, and the curse. That out of a destroyed creature, man, would come someone from the womb of a woman, and that being would overthrow the power of sin and Satan and death. And that person was Jesus Christ. And while he was suffering, he was also bringing about God's method of conquering sin. That's lordship. He exercises his authority. God could, at this very moment, in the person of Jesus Christ, end this whole thing. Is that right? Why doesn't he do it? Does it mean he can't do it? Can God, if he so purposed, put down all sin and rebellion right here this moment? He certainly can, for he is the absolute God. Then why doesn't he do it? Is it because he can't do it? No. It's because his plans and his purposes are not yet ready. In the fullness of time he sent forth his Son, and in the fullness of time he'll send his Son back again. But until that time, his plans and his purposes are not yet completed. But we must not deduct that because he delays his coming, that there must be something that's hindering God from accomplishing his plans and his purposes. When those plans and purposes are fulfilled, my friend, the trump will sound, the dead in Christ shall rise first, and the Lord shall come, and those which are in Christ shall be raised first, and those which are alive and in Christ shall be changed to be with the Lord, and meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words," according to 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 13-17. Our Lord has the power, but he has not yet exercised his king rights to put down all enemies. Now notice in our text, verse 15, The seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign how long? Forever and ever. That's eternity. That's eternity. He shall reign eternally. And the four and the twenty elders which sat before God on their seats fell upon their faces and worshiped God, saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art and was, and art to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. God had it all along. Then he exercises it, and when he exercises his power in that ultimate kingdom of glorification, here are some things that are going to happen. First, verse 18, the wrath of the Lord Jesus Christ destroys the wicked who are living at his coming. Verse 18, the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged. When the Lord Jesus Christ returns the second time, the wicked shall be destroyed." Now note that. They will not be given a second chance. If a person is outside of Christ when the Lord returns to exercise his kingdom of glorification, the wicked will be destroyed. No second chance. And that goes for Jews as well as Gentiles. No classes, no distinctions. The second thing that will happen, verse 18, is the resurrection will occur. The nations were angry, thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that thou shouldest be judged." There is a resurrection of men associated with the return of the Lord Jesus Christ when he assumes his ultimate kingdom. Thirdly, verse 18, the judgment will take place. The nations were angry, thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead that they should be judged. Do you see the wicked destroyed? The resurrection of the bodies of men, the final judgment, then what else is going to occur when Christ takes his rights and he ultimately reigns and puts down all enemies? Verse 18, the saints are going to be rewarded. And that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants, the prophets, and to the saints, and to them that fear thy name. So now here we have a very simple thing. going to take place at the coming of Christ. The wicked are destroyed, the resurrection of the bodies takes place, the final judgment of men, and the saints are rewarded. Now, this same outline is given to us in 2 Thessalonians. Would you turn over there? 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. I'm sorry, 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. Now every time I speak today on this aspect, I recognize that my hearers have been exposed to a diversity of views regarding what's going to happen at the second coming of Christ. And so I have to penetrate those views in your thinking. I ask that you let the text speak for itself in verses 5 through 10. And we're going to try to answer some questions. What's going to happen when Jesus returns, and to whom is it going to occur to? 2 Thessalonians 1, verse 5, which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer. Were these people suffering? Yes. What was it on account of? A kingdom. Jesus is presently in a kingdom, known as the kingdom of God. Seeing it is a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you. And to you who are troubled, rest with us. When the Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, Now what's going to accompany the coming of Christ? Who's going to accompany him? His mighty angels. In flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. That is, his enemies are going to be overthrown when he comes with his holy angels. What's going to happen to the wicked? at the coming of Christ, verse 9, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power." What's going to happen to all of those who know not God and that have rejected the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? What's going to happen to them if the Lord should come today according to this passage of Scripture? They're going to be destroyed and assigned to their eternal destiny, which is separation from God forever in the lake of fire, which burneth with fire and brimstone. Now then, what's going to happen to the saints at the coming of the Lord when the wicked are destroyed? Verse 10. When he shall come to be glorified in his saints. When are the saints going to be glorified? at his coming. What's going to happen to the wicked at his coming? They're going to be destroyed and assigned to their eternal destiny. What's going to happen to the saints of God? They're going to be glorified and given their final destiny in heaven and the world to come, to look in verse 10 on, and to be admired in all them that believe. Because our testimony among you was believed in that day. What's going to happen to the saints at the coming of Christ? They're going to be resurrected and glorified. What's going to happen to the wicked at the coming of Christ? They're going to be eternally destroyed. When is this going to occur? When the Lord comes with his mighty angels. Now I present to you, what's going to take place after this? And here is where your different systems of eschatology end are in. I was talking to some of our people last week, and some have come and said, Wait a minute, Brother Gales, I was taught this in Bible college. They began to explain. I said, Yes, that's exactly what I was taught in Bible college. The question was raised, You know, but I had all these questions that I asked my teachers, but they were not really explained. And I asked it in Bible college. I asked my professor, I said, what's going to happen when Jesus comes and the wicked are going to be destroyed and the saints are going to be resurrected and glorified? Who's going to be left alive to get through all that? Well, there was a whole bunch of explanations. He said, well, this is not all going to happen at one time. It's going to be drawn out over a long period of time. That's not what our text is saying here. Our text is saying, when the Lord comes, the saints are going to be glorified. And when the Lord comes, the wicked are going to be destroyed. I submit to you, whatever your view of eschatology is, you have no possibility of anybody surviving the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in a mortal body. Some of you looking at me say, So what? Well, it simply means this, that if you start coming to me and asking me, well, when's the tribulation period going to be? When's the millennium going to get here? When's all this work end? And I reply to you, what tribulation? The passage here says that the saints of God were already in the tribulation for the kingdom of God. John said the same thing in Revelation 1. He was on the Isle of Patmos in tribulation and in the kingdom for the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some say, when is the tribulation going to come? And I maintain it has already been present. All of those who identify with the Lord Jesus Christ in this world, you shall what? Suffer tribulation. And others say, well, when is the kingdom going to get here? I say, it's already here in the person of the King. You say, well, what about Revelation 20? You'll have to wait two more Sundays for that. You'll have to wait until we get there. But I'm presenting to you some problems which I have not been able to solve unless we take this simple outline, the coming of Christ is going to be accompanied by his holy angels. The wicked are going to be destroyed, the righteous are going to be glorified, and that's it. Then cometh the end, when he delivers up his kingdom of grace unto the kingdom of glory. I never could, and an individual asked me last week, she never could find the answer. How is anybody going to be left alive to repopulate and have babies and establish a so-called thousand-year reign of Christ here on earth? Where are all these people going to come from that escaped the second coming? My friend, you get glorified as a Christian, you're no longer going to have children. Your childbearing days are over at the coming of Christ. Some of you say, mine's already over. I'm talking about those who can still reproduce children. When the Lord comes and you're a Christian, you're not going to have any more children, because you're neither going to marry nor give your kids in marriage, but you're going to be like the angels in heaven. Now, it doesn't mean you're going to become an angel, but an angel does not repropagate. The angels were all created at one time. There's no such thing as baby angels. Baby human beings, yes. So Christians are not going to be left alive after the second coming of Christ to repopulate a period here on earth, and neither are non-Christians. They're going to be eternally destroyed at his coming. My friend, if you don't know God I maintain today, don't you hold out any hope, whether it's a Jehovah Witness or a Baptist preacher, that you can remain outside of Christ and have another chance after the Lord returns. Somebody says, well, what about the rapture? What about this thing of God taking the Christians out and leaving the others behind to repopulate? That's not what the text says here. When the Christians are glorified, the wicked are destroyed. You say, but wait a minute, our Lord taught something about in the book of Matthew as it was in the days of Noah and as it was in the days of Solomon and Gomorrah, so shall it be in the days of the coming of the Son of Man. When there'll be two in the field and one will be taken, one left, be two in the bed and one will be taken, one left, is that not talking about that God's going to come back and take the Christians out and leave the wicked behind to go through seven years' tribulation and then a thousand-year period here on earth? Is that not what that's talking about faster? Well, look at your comparison. What happened in the days of Noah? What happened in the days of Sodom? When God took Noah out, the wicked were left to what? They were destroyed in the flood, and they were destroyed in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah. They didn't have a second chance, James. And it will be just like that in the coming of the days of the Son of Man. We shall be taken out to meet the Lord in the air as God's people, but the wicked are not going to be left behind to have a second chance. They're going to be destroyed at his coming. Now then, this hope of the resurrection is that which ushers in the glorification. If you would, turn to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, and we'll see these two aspects of the kingdom. two aspects of the kingdom. Incidentally, while you're turning there, let me explain to you those that maybe are unfamiliar with views of the prophecy and the Second Coming. There are basically three approaches, four with some modifications. The first view of prophecy is known as premillennialism, and it holds that the Lord shall return, the dead in Christ shall be raised, And then Christ will establish his kingdom here on earth, primarily in Jerusalem, and there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ here on the earth. That is known as premillennialism. And so it looks for a future aspect of the kingdom to be set up, and it will be on this present earth where there will be glorified people and mortal people mixing and mingling with each other. That is, if you are resurrected as a child of God, you will be left here on the earth, and there will be other people that will be mortal people that are not yet glorified, and you will mix and mingle with them for a thousand years. The second view of prophecy is called postmillennialism, and it sees a future aspect of the kingdom yet to come of glory Only it views that before the second coming of Christ there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit and almost the entire world will be converted, and they refer to this as the latter-day glory. Premillennialism sees the glory aspect of the kingdom after the return of Christ on a thousand-year reign on this earth. Postmillennialism sees the glorious aspect of the reign of Christ taking place prior to his return in which he exercises his power and nearly the whole world is converted. Now, I don't fit into either one of those camps. The third camp of prophecy has some modifications on, and I call the gospel kingdom. It is known in some camps as amillennialism. It holds that the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ was established at the cross, and it will be completed at the second coming of Christ, not begun. So that when our Lord returns the second time, the last enemy will be destroyed, and then his work as mediator shall be finished. Let us see which one of these systems fits into 1 Corinthians 15, verse 20. But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. As in Adam all die. Even so, in Christ shall all be made alive, every man in his own order." Now, what's the order of the resurrection? Here it is. Christ, the firstfruits. Is that in your Bible? All right. Notice there is no comma between Christ and the firstfruits. Why are you saying that, Pastor? Because Christ is the firstfruits. You say, well, that doesn't mean that, that seems so obvious. Yes, but there is a system of interpretation which says that the first fruits are the Christians in the rapture. That first you have Christ, then you have the Christians taken out, and then at a later time you have non-Christians raised from the dead. But that's not what the passage says. It says Christ was the first one to come forth from the dead. He's the sheaves. He is the one who rose from the dead first. Now, what's the rest of the order? Afterward, they that are Christ at his coming. Now, when Christ comes, what's that going to usher in? Verse 24. Then cometh what? The end. When Christ comes and the saints are resurrected, then cometh the end. That's it. Time is no more. Revelation 11 has brought that out. 2 Thessalonians 2 has brought that out. When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God. I submit to you, Christ is not going to establish a kingdom at his coming, he is going to complete a kingdom at his coming. When he comes again, he will have completed everything given to him as a mediator. He was the announced one whom God would use as the instrument of overthrowing the effects of the fall. And thus through his kingdom of grace he is now justified, sanctified, and when he comes again he will glorify all of his people. He has conquered all of his enemies, and he gives up his people. Those whom had been given to him by the Father, those to whom he had power to give eternal life to, he gives them all as his sheep. And he says not a one of them will be lost. Everyone's here. Then cometh the end, when he delivers up the kingdom at his coming. May I run that verse again? At his coming he completes his kingdom, he doesn't begin it. Now then look on. When he shall have put down all rule and all authority and all power, for he must reign till he hath put what? all enemies under his feet. He doesn't start to reign when he comes. He is reigning now, and when he comes again, his reign will be completed for all of his enemies are put under his feet. The last enemy, verse 26, that shall be destroyed is what? Is death. And when is death destroyed, and by what means? Death is destroyed by the means of the resurrection. Because he lives, we shall live also. When is the resurrection? At the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. So at his coming he inherits a kingdom of perfected glorification. Justified, sanctified, glorified saints are now given from the hands of the mediator to the Godhead to where he can say with great satisfaction, I have accomplished the work which you gave me to do. My outlook and my hope is in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, because I shall be resurrected. And my hope is not in an earthly, temporal kingdom. My hope is Christ in you, the hope of glory. My hope is in a world to come, a city which Abraham saw, which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God. not on something temporal in this life. And thus, to my good Christian brethren who disagree with our outlook on what the future holds, I say to my premillennial friends who say, Oh, but the glorious aspect of Christ's kingdom will be a thousand-year reign on this earth. I say, you can have your thousand-year reign on this earth. I want heaven. I want heaven. I want heaven. That was the hope of David, that was the hope of Abraham, that was the hope of Paul, as we saw last week, and that's the hope of a believer is not a temporal, earthly existence, but an eternal state of glorified immortality where there shall be no sin, suffering, or death. I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to having neighbors like that. And the very concept that I'm going to be resurrected and put back here to live with sinful people for another thousand years just doesn't appeal to me. I want neighbors who are sinless, for I want to be sinless. And the idea that I'm going to be raised from the dead and put back here on the earth for another thousand years to live with sinful people, even though they're not as sinful as they are now, doesn't appeal to me. I want a home in heaven. where immortality dwells. Now to my postmillennial brethren who look that before the Lord comes there is going to be a great latter-day glory, in which there is going to be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit, and Christ's glorious aspect of his kingdom will be established, I say to you, my brethren, don't postpone my hope. For if that has to take place, then I'm not going to be glorified until that event takes place. And if my glorification occurs at the second coming of Christ, then the second coming of Christ can't come today, Brother Joel. I've got to wait for a great revival to take place. Don't delay my hope. In my Father's house are many mansions, I go to prepare a place for you, that where I am, there ye may be." Also, that's where my hope is, not to be left here to spend a great time of revival, although that would be great, but it's still not perfect. Don't delay my hope. Christ in you is the hope of my glorification, not a great revival. Not him coming back and letting me live with sinful people even though I'm perfected. My hope is to live in a world where there's no sin, suffering, disease, or death. Is that your hope? That's the ultimate hope of all Christians. We may disagree on what's going to happen between now and that hope, but I tell you, if you're a post-millennial, And even if God sends out his Spirit and he's converting people all over this world, you're still going to be praying for heaven. Your hope is yet future. And if you're premillennial and you're living here on a thousand-year reign with Christ in Jerusalem, you're still going to be looking for eternity to come. Still going to be praying. So if either of you, some of you, are in those camps, I'll let you stay here, I'm going on to glory. I hope that you understand that there is a room for openness in the understanding of our eschatological position. But it is my understanding here that when the Lord returns, the wicked are going to be destroyed, there's going to be a resurrection of the dead, there's going to be the judgment of men, and the saints are going to be rewarded for their service to him. I look over in Acts 26. Now, while you're turning there, when Paul says, The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death, if that's destroyed in the resurrection, how many more enemies are going to have to be? That's the end of it. Acts 26, Paul and his apostolic preaching. verse 22 of Acts chapter 26. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue to this day witnessing both the small and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer, and that he should be the first that should rise from the dead. There's the first fruits. And show light unto the people, that is the Hebrews, and to the Gentiles. Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead. Paul says, I'm not preaching anything new. I'm preaching this because Moses and the prophets said he was going to be raised from the dead. So you may stone me, you may persecute me, he would say. But I am going by the Bible. I'm not teaching something that's totally new. I'm teaching what the Old Testament prophets and Moses said was going to happen to the Messiah. He's going to suffer, and he did that on the cross. He's going to rise from the dead, and he's going to be the first one from the dead, and he's going to give life and understanding unto men. So the resurrection is the hope. of God's people. Look also in Acts chapter 24, verses 14 and 15. But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets, and have hope toward God which they themselves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust." What was Paul's hope? The resurrection. The resurrection. The resurrection. And he said this is not anything new that's just introduced into the Christian faith. The Christian faith is that which is based on the Old Testament. that which the prophets and Moses said was to come. Now, what's your hope today? Where does it lie at? Is it that of David, as we've seen in the previous messages, that David went into the grave knowing that his body was going to go back to the dust of the earth, but he could go there with a hope? knowing that while he's in the grave, Messiah is going to come, suffer, be raised from the dead as the firstfruits, and sit on a throne in a kingdom of gracious redemption. David had that hope. Abraham had that hope. All the Old Testament believers had that hope. Paul, after his conversion from Judaism, had that hope. Now that he says that's what the hope of Christianity is, that God is going to raise the dead. Believest thou this? Jesus would say, Mary, Martha, do you believe this? And they would say, Master, if you'd have been here, our brother wouldn't have died. Speaking of Lazarus. And he said, no, no, that's not the case. There is coming a day in which all those that are in the grave shall come forth. That's my hope. Is it your hope? You don't have that hope unless you're presently in a kingdom of grace that is being ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ. You can't have it. You must know Christ if you're to have a hope for the future. Oh, if I'm speaking to any person here today, and this is the last message I ever preach, my exhortation is this. If you're going to see God in glory, in a state of perfection, in which that you are without sin and that you are enabled to live in his eternal world to come, you must be in the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't embrace any other hope outside of the present kingdom of Christ to get you the glory. My hope is what? Built, how does the song say, on nothing less then Jesus' blood and his righteousness, all of the ground is sinking sand. I want you to have that kind of a hope, a hope that has a sure foundation, that's not built on quicksand, that's going to deceive you at the day of judgment. When God asks for you that day, what right do you have to enter into my kingdom? Don't you pull out your baptismal card. Don't pull out your church membership card. Don't pull out your paper of good deeds. Don't start pulling out all those things that won't do a bit of good. Say, I'm here because your son died in my stead, and if I have any hope, it's in him. He paid my price. He paid the price due for my sin debt. Trust him this morning. Look to Him this day, Christ in you, the hope of glory. Let's stand together.