The Centrality of Christ in Eternity Future

Please turn with me to the book of Ephesians in chapter 1. We are actually coming to our very last message in this series on the centrality of Christ and we do welcome you and all those online as well. We pray constantly for those that listen to us in other countries and other lands. We take that very seriously, not just that the right thing is taught but that we pray for those that hear the Word of God. We need God to speak in this hour and we're so grateful for so many in other places praying for us in this hour. But go into Ephesians chapter 1 in this last message of our series and I believe it's the right way to finish this series. The centrality of Christ in eternity future. The centrality of Christ in eternity future. We're reading from Ephesians chapter 1 in verse 7 through to verse 14 and it says, In whom, speaking of Christ, in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of his grace wherein he has abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on the earth, even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will, that we should be to the praise of his glory who first trusted in Christ and whom ye also trusted after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. Wow, what scriptures here this morning. Let's pray together. Father, we do thank you for the power of your word. This scripture is dynamic. Nor God, we can never merely learn it academically and think we understand it. We come here with this word of God. Will you open it up? Will you speak to us? Will you minister of holy things even in this room this morning? Will you allow your Holy Spirit to move on every life, every man, every woman, every child? Lord God, I pray for divine revelation that the eyes of our understanding, our inward eyes of the heart would be open that we might see the Lord Jesus Christ. My God, we want to see him central in eternity future, not in time, not on this earth alone. Lord God, not only in our lives, but oh God, that we would see him high and exalted and lifted up outside of time into the future when this old earth of ours has been wrapped up and put away. Lord God, when time is no more, the Christ will be central in eternity future. Lord God, when sin has been put away, when all of our failures and frailty are long behind us, all that we're going to enjoy and benefit in is worshipping the Lamb, following the Lamb, adoring the Lamb, looking upon the Lamb, serving the Lamb of God, and he will be central in eternity. I pray that you'd help us this morning to make him that in our lives this morning, and Lord God, to see afar off that he'll be central in all things. In Jesus' mighty name, Amen. Amen. Here this morning, Ephesians chapter 1, our message, the centrality of Christ in eternity future. Ten messages ago, we started with the centrality of Christ in eternity past. We have now done this complete series looking at Christ in creation, in the church, in the Bible, in Bible prophecy, at the cross, his centrality in all of these things, in the family, in our own Christian life. But we're finishing where we began in eternity. Remember how ten messages ago, we took a look right back into eternity before time was created, and time is a created thing. That means one day it's going to pass away. We look back beyond there. There was a cosmos, a creation before there was a heaven, before the whole cosmos was created, or there was an earth, or man, or even sin, or even failure. All the way back to the Lord Jesus Christ. He was central in eternity. It was in eternity before time, before creation, that actually God chose us in Christ, loved us in Christ, predestinated us. In other words, he had an entire plan that he put in Christ, and he didn't start anything. You know, we're so restricted to our lifetime, and if you're really amazing, you see all of history. You have that expanse. But do you know what? That is very, very restricted. If you cannot see into eternity past, and then into eternity future. And this is what we're finalizing here this morning. Read with me again in verse 10, where we have just read, as we begin to look at the centrality of Christ in eternity future. It says in verse 10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he, that is Christ, might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are in the earth, even in him. I want you to notice here, as we come to this verse, this term dispensation of the fullness of times. There is times restricted within a boundary of time. It's not speaking about eternity, but it is speaking about a dispensation of the fullness of times. Time has a beginning. Time has fullness when it's going to come to an end. But outside of time, there is eternity. It says in Psalm 90 verse 2, before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou has formed the earth and the world, even from, and notice this, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Notice in Psalm 90 verse 2, it's speaking about these two times, from everlasting to everlasting. What do you have in between? You have time. You have creation. You have all that we know. But before that, you have everlasting. After that, you have everlasting. And if you have no history in everlasting, eternity past, you do not have a future. I want to show you all of my life, all that happened with me began in eternity, not at the cross, not at creation. It goes way back when Christ was central before there was anything. God the Father made him central. But let us turn our view now to eternity future. And again, we're going to see Christ is central. There is nothing future if it is not Christ. Everything that we look forward to, there is Christ right at the center. It says also in Psalm 103 verse 17, but the mercy of the Lord, do you want his mercy this morning? But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them. Who is it upon? Upon them that fear him. Do you want his mercy? Then fear him. If you have no fear of God, don't think the mercy of God is upon you. We're living in a generation to say, I want the mercy of God, but live like a rebel. But I want to show you, unless you fear God, his everlasting mercy cannot rest upon you. His mercy is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him. In other words, if I fear God, mercy coming out of eternity past and mercy coming out of eternity future is actually blessing me. The mercy of God is coming down on me. What is the mercy of God? Do you remember what grace is? Grace is God giving you what you do not deserve. What is mercy? Mercy is God holding back what you do deserve. And I want to show you from everlasting to everlasting, you sit in this room, you deserve an awful lot. You deserve the wrath of God. You deserve the anger of God. You deserve eternal punishment. And yet his mercy holds all that back and dismisses it, dissolves it because of the Lord Jesus Christ. And so he says, and upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto children's children. Do you realize this mercy coming from everlasting to everlasting? It even begins to affect your children. If you fear God, it'll not only affect you, but your children's children down to the third generation. Oh, that we had raised up a holy household, that we had raised up children upon whom God is going to work. When we come to Ephesians chapter one, we see God's not only his past plan, his present plan, but we say that God has a final plan or a final purpose. It is greater than personal salvation. It is more than being washed in the blood of the lamb. And you know how much I believe in being washed in the blood, but this is far greater than that. It's actually about world unity, a term I never use. But when you go to Ephesians one, you know what I see? I see world unity, no bigger than that. I see cosmic unity, reconciliation in its ultimate form. I see the ultimate plan of God. I see God's plan that came out of eternity that is going to carry us into eternity after time is no more, after this world is no more. There is an actual plan, but it's only in the Lord Jesus Christ. It is an everlasting plan and it's in him. If you find Christ, you find this plan. And all of a sudden, when you come into Christ, as you grow, you find out that you've got a part in eternity past. And then you begin to realize how much you've got in eternity future. This plan is in the Lord Jesus Christ. In verse 10 it says that in the dispensation of the fullness of time, notice something's going to happen here. In the dispensation of the fullness of times, when a dispensation comes to its fullness or its climax or its end, something is going to happen. It's predicting something future that is going to happen at a certain set time in the future that we have not yet experienced. This term dispensation, and I know there's a lot of teachings on dispensation. It's best you don't go there or you could get very, very confused. I'm mature in my studies. And believe me, when I try to study what men teach on seven dispensations, it's so confused you may never get out of that desert. I assure you, you'll walk in circles for a long time. But the Bible does talk about dispensations. It uses it here. What does the word dispensation mean? It means a administration of the fullness of the appointed seasons. In other words, when it talks about the dispensation of the fullness of times, it means that God has a plan. He has an administration or a way of disposing of all of the times, what he does, when he does it, how he does it. There is an actual plan. And so when he talks about the dispensation of the fullness of times, he's talking about an entire plan in which he has a way to operate. Now this word dispensation, Paul uses it three times in the book of Ephesians. He uses it here, and he also used it in chapter three, verse two, speaking about the dispensation of grace. Then in verse nine, in chapter three, he speaks about the fellowship of the mystery. In other words, there's a great mystery, and this time he calls it the fellowship or the dispensation, or you enter into this mystery. So you're getting brought out of time into eternity. You're getting lifted out of your little limerick ideology or your Irish vision and only seeing as far as your nose. And as you walk in Christ, if you mature and go on, you suddenly have a perspective that is absolutely dynamic. It is remarkable. This is the dispensation of the fullness of time. How did God operate in time? He laid out a way. The fullness of times is the end of something. There was the beginning of times. In Galatians four, verse four, it talks about Christ being born of a woman. And how time divided the coming of Christ. That Christ came into the world at the fullness of time. You have two things, the first coming of Christ, the second coming of Christ. When he come the first time, it was the fullness of time. It came under this dispensation. There's a dispensation that came from the time of Christ all the way through until Jesus Christ comes again for the second time. You see, this plan is in the Lord Jesus Christ. It came out of eternity. It was in him in eternity. When you come into Christ and are found redeemed by the blood, you enter into a plan where you're a part of an eternal, everlasting plan. It goes further. What is going to happen at the fullness of time? This is what I want you to notice here. At the fullness of time, what is going to happen? That he, that is God, might gather together in one. There is something going to happen in the future that has never yet happened. This gathering together is going to happen in the future, but it's only in Christ. Nothing outside of Christ is going to be gathered. But it says that in Jesus Christ, this dispensation of the fullness of time, there's a certain time in world history where Christ, everything is going to be gathered together in him and for him. It means to unite in him. The word again is used there. They're going to be gathered together again. In other words, things are going to be reunited that have been split for a long time. He's going to bring together everything in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is going to restore everything in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, let me warn you of a false teaching. It's called universalism. They take a verse like this and they say, oh, that includes Judas, who's now in hell. That includes the devil. All things are going to be reconciled. That is dangerous heresy, and it actually denies the Bible. I'm not saying that, but I'm saying here at a certain point in the future, all things, all things are going to be regathered, reunited, restored, and actually brought back again to a perfect unity. When do we see a perfect unity in creation of man? You need to go back to the book of Genesis at the beginning. You see man in his right order. You see the family in its right order. You see nature in its right order. You see all of creation in the right order. You see the entire universe in its right order. You see everything in its right place, functioning according to the will of God. You know what the Bible says? In Christ, and I'm preaching the centrality of Christ in eternity future. Do you realize we've yet to experience this? That it's going to be in the future, beyond time, outside of time. That Christ himself is going to gather everything. He's going to restore everything. He is going to bring it back. You see, when we read the Bible, there was a revolt, a rebellion in heaven. Satan, Lucifer got cast out with a third of the angels. Then in the garden of Eden, there was a fall when Adam and Eve rebelled against God and disobeyed him and sinned and got cast out of the garden. You know what that was? That was paradise lost. But what I'm talking about this morning is paradise regained. It will not be at this hour or in this lifetime. I assure you we're living in a fallen world. And yet in Christ, we have a glorious promise. It says in Colossians 1 verse 20. And having made peace through the blood of the cross, by him that is Christ. Listen to this. By the blood to reconcile all things, all things unto himself. By him, I say, whether they be things in heaven or things in the earth. Do you see here there's a plan in the blood not only to save you and to reconcile you personally and to deal with your sin, but there is a plan in Christ in the future to reconcile and to restore all things, to restore this world, to restore the universe, to restore the animal kingdom, to restore this earth that we are a part of here. It also says over in the book of Romans and chapter 8 verse 21. Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption. When is that going to happen? At the fullness of times. Do you see in Romans 8, he's talking about our world has been corrupted. Our world is fallen. Our world is decaying. And yet he said there's an hour, a time coming where the world, nature itself, creation itself is going to be delivered from the bondage into the glorious liberty that God has planned a purpose. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly by the reason of him who subjected the same in hope. We are told in verse 22, for we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. Do you realize all of creation is groaning? It's actually travailing, waiting for a day when it's going to be redeemed, restored and brought back into God's plan and God's purpose. You see, it's talking about a certain time when everything is going to be reconciled in Christ. When all the saints who have died and are in heaven and all the saints on the earth and all the saints in every nation and generation are going to be reconciled and dwell in the same place. God is going to bring all of it back together. And on the earth, he's going to restore the earth and he's going to regather and restart again. It says in chapter 1 and verse 14 here, which is the earnest of our inheritance. You have the Holy Spirit in you if you're born again. The Holy Spirit is the earnest or he is the seal. He has sealed you until the day of redemption. And it says there, which is the earnest of our inheritance. You've got an inheritance. Do you realize you've got a wonderful inheritance none of you have seen yet? Oh, you've heard about it. You've read about it. It's even been preached about in this church. But sitting here, none of you have seen the inheritance. If you're in Christ, if you're born again, if you're saved by his grace, you have the most remarkable inheritance. You know, I thank God for the day my great aunt Jenny died. And I got a phone call from my mom and said, guess what? She's left you a thousand pounds. I thought I was the richest man that ever lived. I went, thank you, great aunt Jenny. What a blessing and what a timing. It was the perfect time. I needed that money at that time. Well, you know what? That was an inheritance left to me. You, if you're born again, have the most remarkable inheritance. You'll never touch it in this lifetime. You'll never touch it while you're in this mortal flesh. And yet it is left to you. It is written about in the Bible. It is explicitly stated here that the Holy Spirit is given as an earnest of our inheritance. In other words, he keeps saying, you've got a future. You've got an inheritance. Don't get tired. Don't leave where you are. Don't get tempted by this world. Stay here. But I'm not enjoying it. Of course not. You're only getting a little touch, a little taste of all. Do you realize none of you have even begun this journey? Do you realize you haven't even begun to enjoy the joy of the Lord or the peace of God or fellowship with God? You've only had a small, tiny taste of that. And since this is so good, if this is only a little taste of it, what's it going to be like on that day? But how long do I have to wait? Listen, verse 14, until the redemption of the purchased possession unto the praise of his glory. When do I get this inheritance? When do I enter into fullness, unhindered by my body, my mind, temptation, the devil, sin, the world, until the redemption of the purchased possession? There is a day of redemption when your body is redeemed. In Ephesians 4, verse 30, it says, Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. I'm already born again. I'm already sealed by the Holy Spirit, but I'm sealed until the day of redemption. There is a future day of redemption when all my battles are over. It says in Romans 8, 23, And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption to wit, the redemption of our body. Do you begin to see that in all of this, he's speaking about something future, outside of time, beyond your small lifetime? There is something massive here. Most Christians live in time. They don't have any vision of the centrality of Christ in eternity. Do you realize how small this is in your Christian life? Do you realize how short the time is? Do you realize how brief it is that you've got to live your life, then it's all over? And then you enter into eternity, non-ending ages, no end to it. Absolutely no end. Well, that's only a foundation. Now I begin my message, okay? Don't get worried. Don't run out. I told Candice this morning, I said, Uh-oh, I think I've got an entire series here. I don't know what to do, but I'm going to keep this very brief. But I want you to hear this. I want you to see this. I've got three points concerning the centrality of Christ in eternity. But two of them are in the realm of time. But you're going to understand why I have to cover them. The centrality of Christ at the second coming, then in the millennium, and then third of all, in the new heaven and earth, outside of time. I want to put these together because they're all future. They're all knock-on effects, one of the other. We are looking forward to them. And I assure you, I'm not going to enjoy all three of those things in this mortal body. Thank God it's not going to be in this body. You know, when Jesus comes, says in the twinkling of an eye, we're going to be changed. I'm going to be like him. I'll be caught up to be where he is since what a glorious day and an hour where the world has fallen apart. Politics, health, everything. It's disaster what's happening. They're destroying the education system. They are destroying the fabric of society. Can I tell you, we need to look beyond this. We need to look outside of time. Number one, the centrality of Christ at his second coming. When you go to the Bible, there are more than 1800 references to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. You actually have his second coming referred to in 17 books of the Old Testament, 23 books of the New Testament. And when you come to the New Testament, the second coming of Christ is mentioned more than 300 times. The apostle Paul, in his letters, mentions the coming of Christ the second time about 50 times. And in fact, the scholars say one out of every 30 verses mentions the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus himself in his ministry mentioned his second coming 21 distinct times. And remember, the Bible's condensed. Everything is condensed down. So when he mentions it 21 times, it is fundamental that you understand that. And in fact, most scholars say that the second coming is mentioned eight times more than his first coming. Just notice here for a minute, we do have a prophecy of the second coming way before the first coming. I mean, millennia before his first coming. There are prophecies about his second coming. We read this in the New Testament in Jude verse 14. Enoch also, the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied of these things saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with 10,000 of his saints to execute judgment upon all and to convince all that are ungodly among them of their ungodly deeds, which they have ungodly committed, and of all of their hard speeches, which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. Jude, seven generations from Adam, is prophesying about the end of all things, that the Lord is going to come with 10,000 of his saints to bring an end to ungodliness in the world. I think Enoch was praying for this. I think in a wicked generation, in a wicked hour, he was saying, Come Lord, I'm looking for your coming. Again, in Daniel's prophecy, chapter seven, Daniel had a vision. I saw in the night visions and behold, one like the son of man came with the clouds of heaven and came the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom that all people, all nations and languages should serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away. And his kingdom, that which shall not be destroyed. Saints, I want to tell you, take your eyes off the news here this morning. Take your ears away from what you're hearing. Every single day, Jesus Christ is coming. When I see all of these things, lift up your eyes. Why? Behold, your redemption draws nigh. What is your redemption? He's going to lift you up out of time. We're going to be caught up to meet the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the greatest event in world history, is the second coming. Not his birth, not his birth, but this second coming. It dominates the Bible. He's coming again. And you know what? He's coming soon. And in fact, Jesus taught all the signs that I'm coming very soon. I want to tell you, we're very close. It's at the door. It's so close you could reach out and touch the second coming of Jesus. In Matthew 24, Jesus speaking about Bible prophecy. He gave all the signs that were at the end in the last generation. Then listen what he says. For as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so also shall the Son of Man be. He's talking about his second coming. It will be public, visible. Every eye is going to see it. Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. And they shall see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. This is my first point here this morning. The centrality of Christ in the second coming. I am tired of the church debating about things. They don't know what they're saying. Where is the centrality of Christ? You know what? I'm in awe that he is coming. I am in awe that I'm living in this hour. I'm in awe that all the prophecies for thousands of years. It's here saints of God. You are the people and generation that are seeing all of these things come to pass. Christ actually spends much time in Matthew 24, Mark chapter 13, and Luke 21. He actually devotes three chapters to teaching you to know the hour of his second coming. He gives you all the signs that are happening politically, socially, nationally. And then do you know what he says? You know why I'm telling you all of this? I'm about to come. I am going to come in all of my glory and majesty. When you go to 1 and 2 Thessalonians, the second coming of Christ is mentioned in every chapter, bar one, in two letters to a young church. They're only saved about two years. You know what Paul's message is? Get ready saints, he's coming. Jesus is coming again. And he begins to explain what the second coming is. When you go to the book of Revelation, again, you read about the seven seals that the lamb of God is going to begin to open. Let me just explain something here. The fifth seal is the great tribulation. In Matthew 24, Jesus talks about the great tribulation. He says when you get to the end of the tribulation, there's going to be a cosmic blackout. The sun is going to stop shining. The moon and the stars. Do you know why at the end of the tribulation, right at the end of three and a half years, do you know why there's a cosmic blackout? While all the lights in the universe go out. Why this earth is shrouded in darkness, do you know? There is tribulation, then a cosmic blackout, and then the Lord Jesus Christ comes. Do you realize what God the Father is doing? He's turning the switch off for the greatest event in world history. You know, it bothers me with these blood moons. And people have taught on it, and they've preached it, and they sold a book, and they became famous on teaching on blood moons. I don't ignore blood moons, but they've got nothing to do with what this Bible says in Bible prophecy. Nothing whatsoever. The verses that talk about the sun turning to blood have nothing to do with blood moons whatsoever. It's to indicate the end of the tribulation, when Jesus Christ is going to come physically, and visibly, and literally, in divine glory and power. And you know what the Bible says? Every eye is going to see him. It says that Israel's just about to be annihilated. And when they see him, they begin to mourn the one they crucified, the one they rejected. They're going to behold him. You know all the great kings and leaders of the earth, you know what they start doing? They cry for the mountains to fall on them. They instantly know what they've been doing. They instantly understand that the Lord Jesus Christ has come back. When we go to the seals in the book of Revelation, the fifth seal is the tribulation. Guess what's in the next seal, the sixth seal? The cosmic blackout. Then in the seventh seal, Jesus comes in divine glory. When you look at the book of Revelation, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and then the seven vials, the seventh of each of them, Jesus Christ comes again, physically, literally, to change everything. Saints, this is the centrality of Christ that is coming. Christ is going to be central, I want you to know. Do you realize our entire world, every nation, every government, everyone is going to see him. I assure you, everyone who is alive in that hour in the nations, they're all going to see him. Nobody's going to hide. Nobody's going to escape. He is coming in divine power. They're not going to mock him anymore. They're not going to scourge him. They're not going to reject him. The Bible says every knee is going to bow. When you come to Bible prophecy, it's like a journey from Dublin Airport to LCC in Limerick City. You arrive into the airport, nearly to travel to Limerick to visit a message or a service in LCC. And I'm not encouraging anyone to do that. But you get into the airport and you ask for instructions. How do I get to Limerick? How do I get to that church? Well, let me give you some instructions. First of all, get in your car and I'm going to start giving you a number of bits of information. But once I get you onto the M50, I say, get on the M50, drive until turn of... No, no, 7 or 14. Make sure you get the right one. Don't listen to us, whatever you do. Get your fax right. Get your GPS. I'm giving you much information. Then when I say get onto the M7, drive for two hours. I don't give you one bit of information. Get on the M7 and you stay on that for 200 kilometres. Don't go off. Don't stop unless it's a toilet break. Just stay on that road. Well, you say, I've been driving 30 minutes. What should I do? Give me more information. Just keep driving. You don't need any information. You get an hour down the road and you go, well, where am I? Just keep driving. But I need all the information. No, you don't. No, you don't. Not until you reach Limerick. As soon as you come into Limerick, you're 10 minutes away. Two hours have gone by. I didn't give you any instruction. Not one instruction. But do you know what? You're getting very, very close. It's only down the road. 10 minutes and you're here. Do you know what? All of a sudden, the information begins to build. I give you lots of information. You're trying to keep up with us. Two hours, you didn't give me one instruction. Now that we're here in Limerick, do you realize what I've just told you there? With Bible prophecy, 1900 years, we didn't need much. But all of a sudden, all the prophecies are lining up. We're saying, what is going on? You're getting close. You're getting close. Do you realize how close you are? I can't even preach enough sermons on all of the events that are happening. It's got too quick. There's too much happening. I want to tell you, we're there, saints of God. There's going to be a point of almost total destruction in this world. They're going to destroy this world, I assure you. If the days were not shortened, all men would die. This world would be destroyed. Israel would be annihilated. They're going to destroy the nations. These men of peace who think they know what to do. I want to tell you, if Jesus doesn't come back, we're in serious, serious trouble. That's the first thing. The second thing, the centrality of Christ in his millennial reign. When Jesus Christ comes back, he's central. Saints, I want you to be gripped by this. He is central. This is the dominant event of the future. Don't get sidetracked on anything else. Jesus Christ is going to come back. No nation is going to ignore this. No reporter is going to ignore this. No film crew is going to ignore this. No atheist is going to exist at that point in time, I want to tell you. The second thing, the centrality of Christ in his millennium, his millennial reign. He is central. When Jesus Christ comes back, he is the center of everything. I mean, when he comes back to the earth, to the Mount of Olives, he is going to dominate it. It won't be his church. It won't be Israel. It won't be Jerusalem. It won't be Ezekiel's temple. All of those things are written about in scripture. But if you think that is the center, you're utterly wrong. I want to tell you, in the millennium, we are going to be consumed by the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm going to be there. I hope all of you are going to be there. One thousand years, we're in this world, in the nations we know, Christ is going to be central. It says in Zechariah chapter 9 and 9, listen, he speaks about his first coming, and then immediately his second coming. Is that future or is it past? It is past. It happened 2,000 years ago. Jesus Christ, the King of Jerusalem, cometh riding on the back of a donkey. We know that verse 9 is fulfilled. It was fulfilled literally, physically, visibly. As he rode into Jerusalem, every eye saw him enter into that city. Now go to verse 10. We have the second coming. Will it be fulfilled literally? Is it actually going to happen? It hasn't happened yet. It's in the future. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off. And he, that is the Messiah, the one that rode in on the donkey, the very same one that rode in to Jerusalem on a donkey. He shall speak peace unto the heathen. There's never been peace in 2,000 years. This never happened. And his dominion shall be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. This is a picture of what's going to happen when Jesus Christ comes back. How do I know that's not eternity and it's in the millennium? Because in eternity, there are no seas on the earth. In the new heaven earth, there are no seas. That is only during the millennium. Look at this verse. It says there's a time coming. He's going to bring worldwide peace, and that he's going to bring his dominion over all the earth. In chapter 14 of Zechariah, we have an entire chapter teaching about the millennial reign of Christ. When Jesus comes back, that he is going to reign upon the earth for 1,000 years. In Zechariah 14 and 4, it says, and his feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives. And he goes further to make sure that you don't spiritualize it, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall cleave in two. He is very exact here that the same Christ who came into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey is going to come back and stand on the Mount of Olives and split it literally in two. Zechariah 14 begins when Jerusalem's surrounded by armies and about to be annihilated. Jesus comes back at that time. In Isaiah chapter 2, it speaks about this as well. He shall judge among the nations. He'll rebuke many people and they shall beat their swords in the plowshares and their spears in the pruning hooks. Nations shall not lift up sword against nation. Neither shall they learn war anymore. Do you realize for 1,000 years Christ is going to be the center? He brings world peace. He reigns with a rod of iron. He is going to be the center of history for 1,000 years. It says over in Revelation 11 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 forever and ever. Here you have in Revelation 11, it clearly says Jesus is going to come back. And when he does in that seventh trumpet, the nations of this world become his possession. He takes them as his own. He's going to reign over them. All nations, all languages are going to worship him. You see, I believe the Bible teaches not only his centrality at his second coming, it's a dominating theme of the Bible. But his actual centrality in his 1,000 year reign on the earth. Do you realize for 1,000 years Ireland is going to come under the power and the dominion of the Lord Jesus Christ that he is going to reign? Look at what happens over every area in Zechariah 14. And the Lord shall be king over the earth in the day that there shall be one Lord and his name one. You know what? There's going to be one political party. He is going to rule politically, militarily, economically, educationally, and socially. He's going to change the education system of every school. I believe he's going to use the internet or television and say, I'm changing the whole program and system of your nation. Your health system is going to be changed. I am bringing in my kingdom and my dominion. In Isaiah 11, it also says the wolf shall dwell with the lamb. Have you ever seen a wolf sleeping curled up with a lamb? He goes further. The leopard shall lie down with a little kid, a little lamb. A leopard lying down with it. And the calf and the young lamb and the fattling together. And a little child shall lead them. Since you begin to look at Isaiah 11, it's never happened. You can't spiritualize it. During the millennium, do you realize animals, nature itself is going to be radically changed? Why is that lamb not going to devour a lamb? Because the Lord Jesus Christ is here. Why will nation not go to war with nation? Because Jesus Christ is here. Why is there going to be no famine? Why is there going to be no earthquake? Why is there going to be worldwide prosperity? Because the Lord Jesus Christ is here. He's going to be at the center of our world. The center of world politics. The center of every area of life. Do you remember in Daniel chapter 2 and chapter 7? It speaks about a fifth kingdom coming from heaven. Remember all the world kingdoms right down to the ten twos. Then it says there's going to come a stone from heaven. And that stone is going to fill the entire earth. What is it? It's the kingdom of God on earth. It's going to fill the entire earth. It comes through Christ returning. He's going to destroy all of the world's governments. All of the systems of this world. Jesus is going to come back again. In Daniel chapter 7, we read of a fifth kingdom again. That's going to come in the day of the ten kings. And of the little horn that's going to abuse the world. And almost have to destroy it. When we begin to look at the millennium, Christ is central. Don't argue about theology and doctrine. There is an hour coming to this world. Since I'm taking you into realms of future. I'm taking you out of time. I'm lifting you out of history. I'm saying we ought to look for the coming of the Lord Jesus. We ought to look for his kingdom to come on the earth. But third and finally, let me finish here. The centrality of Christ in the new heaven and the new earth. It says in Isaiah 65, 17. In Isaiah 65. I'm talking about a time at the end of the millennium. Where time comes to an end. The physical is done away with. Everybody is cast in hell who is not born again. If you're not going to be reconciled in Christ. If you're not in him, you're in serious trouble. You'll be cast in the lake of fire for all of eternity. Hell is real. Hell is eternal. There is no escape. No second chance. You're going to get hell filled with many people. That got very close but didn't come in. They didn't put their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. But after that, we're told of a new heaven and a new earth. You won't even remember the former things. You say, how could I enjoy eternity? With Christ. If he or she isn't there. I want to tell you, you won't cry tears over them in eternity. You know what? God put you here for a time. When you go into eternity, if they didn't believe in Christ. You will not cry tears over them. If you prayed for them and witnessed and evangelized. You know why? You're into eternity. The former things shall not be remembered nor come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create for you. I believe eternity future has a glorious hope for you and I. I mean, you can't even imagine it here this morning. No joy you've experienced yet would even touch on this. I mean, it is fullness of joy without measure. It says in Isaiah 66, 22. For as the new heaven and the new earth, which I will make shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain forever. In 2nd Peter chapter 3 verse 13. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness. We begin to see that the Bible teaches a new heaven and a new earth. What is beyond time? It is eternity. I mean realms of eternity, a new heaven and a new earth. And you know what, saints? There is undiluted joy, peace and righteousness because Christ is the center of eternity. It's not doing things. I've heard people say, I get bored. Do you know one thing in lifetime? I don't know what boredom means. I have never once been bored in my life. I can't even remember in my entire lifetime. You know, when I was a kid, 10 years old, 12, 13, you get guys saying, I'm bored. I thought, I don't want to sound stupid, so I won't say it. What do you mean bored? Can you explain it to me? But I thought, I'll sound stupid, so I'll stay quiet and try to look intelligent. So I pretended like I knew what boredom was. I never understood boredom. People who say I'm bored, I don't know what to do. What's wrong with you? I could live a thousand lives. I'm telling you, every week I could live a hundred lives. I can assure you. I go, can I cut myself up here? There's so much to do. I don't even know which direction to go. But saints of God, for someone to say, I'll be bored in heaven. You don't have a clue. You're talking about ecstatically overflowing. I mean, being alive in God. I mean, worshiping the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible speaks in 1 Corinthians 2 and 9. But as it is written, I, your eye, hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither has entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. Do you realize it hasn't entered into your heart? If you love God here this morning, if you love God with all of your heart, it hasn't even entered into your mind. Your eye has not seen it. Your ear has not heard it. You're sitting here, you don't even realize. You can't even imagine what is stored up for you. I mean, saints, you would be jumping, hitting the roost this morning if you even caught a glimpse of this, of what he has prepared for you. But listen to what he says. So you, it hasn't even entered your heart. But the Spirit of God has revealed them unto us by the Spirit who searches all the things of God. You know what that tells me? The Holy Spirit has revealed in this book certain things that are to come. You couldn't imagine this. You cannot even fathom it. But the Holy Spirit is put in here and he's actually showed you certain things about what is to come. I believe this is like a child. And forgive me, it's a poor example, but it's the only one I can find. A child on Christmas morning. They don't know what's in the box. They don't know what you bought. They don't know how much effort. All they do is walk into that living room on Christmas morning. There's a box wrapped up in paper. They can't see anything. And it's got their name on it. They are smiling, shouting, jumping, dancing. I'm sure you haven't seen it yet. You don't even have a clue what's in the box. It could be nothing for all they know. But you know what? That excitement, saints, it's like us. I believe we've been given little tidbits of information, little glimmers into this. But you know what? I believe the Lord is there going, I cannot wait. I have prepared for them. If he prepared paradise for Adam and Eve, if he prepared good things for you as a Christian believer, what has he prepared for us in a perfect state? It must be glorious, absolutely glorious. It says in Matthew 25, Jesus speaking, Then shall the king say unto them at his right hand, Come ye blessed of my father, inherit the kingdom. There is a time where you're going to inherit the kingdom. You haven't got it yet. The kingdom is in you. It's invisible. It's inside you, the kingdom of God. But you haven't inherited the kingdom yet. You're not going to do it in this physical life. You're not going to do it in your lifetime. You're not going to do it in this hour. The inheritance is still ahead and still future. Jesus actually says, Inherit the kingdom, listen to this, prepared for you from the foundation of the world. Do you realize God has been preparing, making ready a kingdom for you? Oh, you're saved now. But he's preparing it and it's in eternity. It's outside of time. You can't enjoy it here. You can't see it here. You're in the kingdom of God spiritually. It's in you spiritually. But there is a real kingdom, physically that you're going to inherit, but not now. It says in 2 Thessalonians 1, When Jesus comes back again, that he shall be glorified in the saints and he will be admired in all of them who believe. In other words, you're going to shine forth. You are not going to look like what you look like at this present time. Daniel says in chapter 12, verse 3, And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament. And they that turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. The saints are going to shine as stars. It's remarkable. It also says in Matthew 13, 43, Jesus speaking, Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their father, whose ears let him hear. Do you realize the righteous are going to shine like the sun? Have you ever tried looking at the sun? Can you comprehend the brightness of the sun, the glory of the sun, the amazing majesty of the sun? And yet he says, If you're born again, if you love me, you are going to shine as the sun in the kingdom. There is going to be a remarkable glory, saints of God. You haven't seen anything yet. I'm talking about eternity, future, what is coming. But let me close on this point, the centrality of Christ in the new heaven and the new earth. We've taught on the new heaven and the new earth. We've detailed what it will look like, what the new Jerusalem will be like. We've gone into entire messages showing you what that is like. But there's a point I want to leave with you. Christ is going to be central in the new heavens and the new earth. He will be central, not you. You're going to shine as a star. You're going to shine as the sun. You're going to manifest the glory of God. You're not going to have a sin nature. You're not going to have any doubts. You're not going to have this natural physical body. You're not going to have any pain, any tiredness, any sickness. You're not going to have any, I can't be bothered, or I feel tempted, or I failed God. You're not going to have any of that. Since all you're going to have is a burning heart for the Lord Jesus Christ, utterly unhindered. You'll never fail again in eternity. You are going to enjoy the things of God. You're going to shine like the sun. But you're not the center of focus here. You're not. It's not the church. It's not Israel. It's not any great preacher. Do you know who is the focus in eternity? When you go to the end of the Bible, Revelation chapter 21 and 22 just shows us the rat box. You get to peek in it. Then the boxes close very quickly. And he says, just love me, obey me, follow me. And you'll get to enjoy all of this in the kingdom of God. When you go there, you begin to see that Christ is going to be central in eternity. In 21-22, I saw the temple. I saw, sorry, no temple therein. For the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple. Do you realize there's no physical building or temple? No place of worship. Jesus is going to be the temple, the place of worship. Then the next verse, and the city had no need of the sun. There's going to be no sun. Some of you are disappointed about that. Neither moon. There's going to be no moon to shine in it. For the glory of God did lighten it. And the Lamb is the light thereof. Do you realize the sun isn't going to be the attraction? Jesus Christ is going to be the light that illuminates the new Jerusalem, the new heaven and the new earth. He is going to be at the very center of it. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it. Listen to what it says in verse 4 of chapter 22. And they shall see his face. What are you going to do in eternity? I'm going to see him. Any of you seen him physically? I certainly haven't. But do you realize for all eternity, I'm going to see him. I'm going to be more intimate with the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross, rode on a donkey, and who's coming back on the throne in glory. I'm going to be more intimate, personal with him than any of you. I'm sorry to break my wife's heart. But I'm actually going to have a greater intimacy in eternity than I will with her. She always keeps asking, Keith, surely not. Surely not. Am I going to be your wife in the millennium? That's a hard question from your wife when you're a Bible teacher. I've told her for 15 years, no. But I think she's worn me out. I have to find a new answer. I used to always say, animals, dogs aren't going to be there. But since getting shallow, I've had some second thoughts about that. I'm just rethinking. But it says in eternity, we shall see his face. There's going to be no tears, no sorrow, no crying, no pain, no curse, no temple, no sun, no moon, nor anything that defile us. There's going to be no abomination. There's going to be no lies. No one who's so fearful that they compromise the word of God. No unbelievers, no murderers, no whoremongers, no sorcerers, no idolaters, no liars. No dogs are going to be in that city. And whosoever loveth to make a lie. Do you notice the Bible is very clear what is going to be there and what isn't going to be there. But can I tell you, in that city, in the new in the heaven earth, Jesus Christ is central. I am going to be worshipping him. And I'm going to be loving him. And I'm going to be serving him. And I'm going to be obeying him. And I'm going to simply be gazing on his face. He will be the attraction on that day. Huxley wrote Brave New World. But I want to tell you, the Bible speaks about a brand new world. A new world in which everlasting righteousness dominates. What men like HG Wells and Huxley and many others, they dream of. What the present day transhumanist says, we're going to cure illness. And we're going to bring world peace. And we're going to stop famine. And we're going to answer all the problems. No, they're not. They're actually going to lead straight into the reign of the Antichrist. They're going to serve him and take his mark. But I'm talking about a brand new world. And it's not some sort of dream. If you know Christ here this morning, if Christ is central in your life, if you've got caught up in this plan of the centrality in Christ and eternity past, I promise you, if he is centre in your life this morning, you are going to get carried into a whole new dominion of unparalleled ecstasy. I can't even, I don't have words. I don't have words. But it's been prepared for you by the Lord Jesus Christ. And he says, when I come, you will receive a kingdom that I've prepared for you. Will you pray with me here as we close? Father, we do thank you. We love you for the word of God. We thank you for the centrality of Christ. We thank you he was central in eternity past. He was central in creation. All things were made by him and for him and through him. We thank you for the centrality of Christ and the nation of Israel. Everything about Israel is about the Lord Jesus Christ. All of history has been about Christ. My God, this Bible is all about the Lord Jesus Christ. Bible prophecy is to point us to the Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you that Christ is to be central in this church, in our preaching, in our worship, in our prayers, in our evangelism. We thank you he's to be central in our families, our homes, our personal lives. And finally, we thank you that he's going to be central in eternity. My God, what an hour awaits us when our eyes either close in death or we're caught up to meet the Lord Jesus in the air. My God, what an hour when we see the Lord Jesus Christ. The Bible says that when we see him, we're going to be changed to be like him. Now we know in part, but then we shall know him even as he knows us. We love you, Lord Jesus, and we believe in you. We love you, although we've never felt you and never seen you. But what an hour when we see you. I am going to fall at your feet, stunned, worshipping, adoring, magnifying your name. Lord God, help us this morning to love the Lord Jesus Christ.