Second Coming Ushers in Eternity

In this part of the sermon: Pastor Martin introduces the sermon as part of a verse-by-verse study of 1 Thessalonians, specifically addressing chapter 5, verse 4, which deals with the Second Coming of Christ…

Martin recounts how visitors to his church sometimes arrived during specific sermon series (e.g., 15 messages on God's sovereignty, or Psalm 51 on repentance) and mistakenly concluded that was all the church ever preached. This illustrates the immaturity of judging a ministry based on limited exposure and defends his current focus on eschatology as part of teaching the 'whole counsel of God'.

Just like some people happened to come when I was bringing a series of 15 messages on the sovereignty of God, and they came during those few weeks. That's all you hear, sovereignty of God. Someone else happened to be here during my preaching through Psalm 51, and the comment was made to me, all you get at that church is repentance. That's all you get is repentance, repentance, repentance.

3:08 - 3:28 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In the evangelists and epistles, the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked is spoken of as contemporaneous. And since their separation in time is nowhere else revealed, the only proper inference is that th…

Martin quotes Charles Hodge's commentary on Corinthians, which argues that Scripture consistently presents the resurrection of the righteous and wicked as contemporaneous, and that separation in time should not be assumed unless explicitly taught. This quotation provides theological support for Martin's argument against a multi-phased Second Coming.

There is a wonderful statement on this matter in Hodge's commentary on Corinthians that I think expresses most lucidly my own thoughts. It is clearly taught in the gospels and epistles that the resurrection of the righteous and of the wicked is to be contemporaneous. At least that is the mode in which the subject is always presented. The element of time may indeed in these representations be omitted, as is so often the case.

7:36 - 8:06 Read in full sermon

Driving home: In the evangelists and epistles, the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked is spoken of as contemporaneous. And since their separation in time is nowhere else revealed, the only proper inference is that th…

Hodge's analogy of not seeing the 'valleys between the mountains' in Old Testament prophecy is used to explain that while history might reveal gaps, one should not assume them in didactic passages unless Scripture explicitly teaches such separation. This supports the idea of a unified Second Coming.

In the prophecies of the Old Testament, we may not see the valleys between the mountains. Granted, the author says, but unless it can be proved from other sources that events which are foretold as being together or as following one another are in fact separated by indefinite periods of time, no such separation may be assumed. In the evangelists and epistles, the resurrection of the righteous and that of the wicked is spoken of as contemporaneous. And since their separation in time is nowhere else revealed, the only proper inference is that they are to occur together.

8:07 - 8:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The sermon's main argument begins by examining Matthew 25, demonstrating that the judgment of the nations at Christ's return results in immediate everlasting punishment or eternal…

Martin quotes Eric Sauer's 'From Eternity to Eternity' to accurately represent the dispensational view that the judgment of living nations in Matthew 25 leads to entrance into a temporal millennium, at the end of which people rebel and are destroyed. This quotation sets up the specific interpretation Martin intends to refute.

Now, this is not a caricature. I'm reading now from one of the classic books that takes this approach from eternity to eternity by Eric Sauer, and as he deals with this passage he says, the place of this judgment of the nations, Matthew 25, 31 and 32, will be the valley of Jehoshaphat, the point to be decided which will be, which of those will find entrance into the visible kingdom of God. Then he goes on to say, those who pass this judgment will enter the millennium for a thousand years, but now listen what will happen. At the end of this period, the devil will be loosed, and what will be the...

15:12 - 15:56 Read in full sermon

Driving home: No, no, beloved. A great day of judgment is coming at the return of Christ, and the issue involved is heaven and hell for eternity.

Martin shares his personal testimony of struggling with the Matthew 25 passage when he held a different eschatological view, and how he was forced to conclude that the passage would not allow for a temporal interpretation of the judgment. This adds a personal, experiential dimension to his exegetical argument.

Now, I'm not asking have you believed it that way. I'm asking, does the passage warrant it? I think every candid observer will say absolutely not. Just by way of personal testimony, back when I was taught this other view and had problems with it, I remember asking preachers, I'd say, what about this passage in Matthew 25?

19:02 - 19:22 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The psychological predisposition for this idea that when things get hot, the Lord will take us out. But is it warranted by scripture? That's the issue. That's the question, beloved, that we must continually press.

Martin contrasts the 'soft, affluent, American Christians' desire to avoid tribulation with the early church believers who 'had to be restrained from running to the lion pits,' counting it a privilege to suffer for Christ. This example highlights a different perspective on suffering and challenges the psychological predisposition for a pre-tribulation rapture.

We soft, affluent, American Christians should grow white at the thought that we might have to let out our blood for the sake of Christ. And in the early days of the history of the church, believers had to be restrained from running to the lion pits. They counted it such a privilege in Christ with their life's blood. What a different perspective.

38:01 - 38:33 Read in full sermon

Driving home: The psychological predisposition for this idea that when things get hot, the Lord will take us out. But is it warranted by scripture? That's the issue. That's the question, beloved, that we must continually press.

Martin recounts a story of a man who taught a pre-tribulation rapture theory to Chinese Christians who had endured the Boxer Uprising. Their response, 'What tribulation are you talking about? We've been through two or three of them in our lifetime,' powerfully illustrates the disconnect between Western comfort and global Christian experience, challenging the idea that the church will be spared tribulation.

Don't trouble me anymore, I bear in my body the marks of Christ. He boasted in the marks received. I heard a man speaking one time who went to a place in the Orient that has been through some deep persecutions. He went to China.

38:36 - 38:53 Read in full sermon

The point: Renew the diligent study of the Scriptures to verify teachings about the Second Coming, rather than simply accepting what has been taught.

Martin tells the story of a young man who, wanting to know what Scripture truly taught about Christ's coming, meticulously charted all relevant passages and terms, concluding there was one glorious Second Coming. This serves as an example of diligent, independent Bible study and a challenge to listeners to do the same.

Taken your concordance? Looked up all the references to the coming of Christ to see if this be so? Mr. Clark, who's not with us this morning, he's not well, was telling me what happened to a young, heard of a young man who had been in a background where they taught this.

40:33 - 40:48 Read in full sermon

The point: Fear God and find refuge in the Lord Jesus, calling upon Him while He is near and His promises of mercy are sure.

Martin uses the terrifying prospect of ballistic missiles striking America as an analogy for human-made horror, but immediately declares it 'kid stuff' compared to the words Jesus will utter from the throne of judgment: 'Depart from me, ye cursed.' This vivid comparison emphasizes the ultimate and eternal horror of God's wrath.

If we were to go home today and turn on our radios and hear the signal that ballistic missiles were already on their way from Russia and that inside of 30 minutes, 40 or 50 or 70 million Americans would be blown to pieces, those words would strike horror to us, wouldn't they? But I submit those words are kid stuff.

48:41 - 49:02 Read in full sermon