From the MLJ Archive

In this sermon on postmillennialism and the spiritual view, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones continues his series on Great Biblical Doctrines by preaching on the other possible interpretations of Revelation and the end times. The postmillennial view, once popular in mainstream evangelical circles, holds that Christ will not return until after the millennium, which its supporters hold as a period during which the earth will experience a long period of immense blessing and knowledge of the Lord. However, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out, the difficulty with this view is that Scripture says the earth will go through an absolutely devastating time before the end. If the postmillennial view isn’t correct, what is? In place of this and the other perspectives discussed in this mini-series, Dr. Lloyd-Jones proposes what he calls the “Spiritual View.” He argues that this section in Revelation and the parallel passages in the gospels point to Satan having been bound and cast out at the time of Christ’s death on the cross. What about the 1,000 reign that Scripture references? Dr. Lloyd-Jones presents why he thinks that it is occurring now and why it is not going to be a future, literal 1,000 year period.

In this sermon on the premillennial view of Revelation, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones identifies several errors with the premillennial interpretation of eschatology. First, no other passages in the New Testament reference an earthly kingdom with Jesus literally reigning on earth for 1,000 years. Second, this view makes the kingdom earthly, whereas Jesus’s emphasis is on a spiritual kingdom. Third, it postpones the idea of the kingdom to the future, but this is contrary to what Dr. Lloyd-Jones sees in the New Testament. Fourth, it reintroduces the distinction between Jews and Gentiles that Paul so clearly wrote had been abolished. Fifth, Lloyd-Jones says, it proposes that there are three comings of Jesus, whereas Scripture says that there are two. Sixth, this view says that glorified saints and the Lord Jesus in His glory are on earth together with those who haven’t been glorified yet, but this, too, seems contrary to what Scripture teaches. Finally, it is inconceivable that if Christ reigns for 1,000 years that Satan will be able to produce an army large enough to wage war against Christ, even though they will be defeated. Listen to this sermon as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expands on these points and helps the listener understand the flaws with a premillennial view of the end times.

The spiritual conflict Christians experience is much deeper than merely a battle against people. In this sermon titled “God’s Enemies Destroyed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches on this spiritual warfare as it is written about in this last book of the New Testament. Who are the antagonists behind the opposition of men and women? Dr. Lloyd-Jones identifies these as the devil, the secular powers and governments of the earth, false religion, and the seductive power of worldliness. Over and over throughout Scripture, Christians are warned against being lured by the pleasures and promises of the world. Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that when all attempts fail, Satan leans heavily on this to cause Christians to fall. However, even though God gives descriptions of these enemies, how marvelous it is that in Revelation He shows the details of the Christian triumphs. The essence of comfort is that Christians ultimately have no need to fear. God promises that these antagonists will be judged and that this judgment is final and emphatic.

What do the trumpets in Revelation stand for? Why are they in the book? How can their teaching be applied today? In this sermon on the trumpets, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones teaches more about these symbols from the book of Revelation. He notes that the trumpets afflict only one-third of their objects. This is contrary to the seals of Revelation, which afflict things as a whole. What do the trumpets represent? They represent what happens to those who persecute God’s people. Many times when people are punished for their sin, it is easy to think that it is all a coincidence, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds the listener that these calamities in Revelation are sent by God Himself. This is important to remember because it is a reminder that God will judge those who have afflicted His people. Just like the plagues of Egypt, the trumpets in Revelation serve as a warning that God sees the trouble of His people and will seek justice for them. Finally, are these trumpets meant to be taken and understood literally? Dr. Lloyd-Jones shows why this is not the case and how to best interpret these symbols of Revelation.

Symbolism is a regular part of life. Symbolism and pictures are used in language every day in order to help people better understand what they are trying to say. In this sermon titled “The Suffering and the Safety of the Redeemed,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones helps the listener better understand symbolism and the general themes of Revelation. This type of poetic language is everywhere in the book of Revelation, and it can sometimes be difficult to understand. Many of the symbols in this book are repeated, and Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out that this is a type of parallelism. He sees the book as divided into two main divisions with various subsections. The first division is about the struggle of Christ and the church against unbelievers, while the second is regarding the struggle of Christ and the church against the devil. The battle between God and Satan, says Dr. Lloyd-Jones, is the ultimate battle, and this battle is most clearly represented through Scripture in Revelation. The purpose of this book is to unfold the glory of the Lord’s triumph. Through its symbolism, this book serves as a beautiful reminder to the believer of the joys to come at the end of time, but also a solemn warning to those who do not believe in Christ.

How should one read the book of Revelation? Many do not even attempt to read it because it is confusing. In this sermon on the spiritual, historicist view, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones contends that the book of Revelation is not meant to confuse the reader, but just the opposite. Revelation is meant to unveil what was once hidden. It is intended to make something clear. Before he demonstrates how the book should be read, Dr. Lloyd-Jones addresses what he believes to be the ways people can misread Revelation. Examining various views, it is discovered that there are many problems with many modern approaches to the book. Dr. Lloyd-Jones proceeds to explain that Revelation is intentionally symbolic and that once the symbols are understood, the meaning of the book becomes clear. The book of Revelation is a telling of the story of redemption. The attack of the evil one, the final judgement, the overcoming of God’s people, and the conquering of Christ create the storyline. The story of God’s people is then told seven times throughout the book in seven different ways. It highlights one main point: since the coming of Jesus into the world, terrible forces have been attacking His people, but they will not prevail. The church will continue until final victory.

Is the book of Revelation a mere record of what happened in time-past or is it an account of events which will one day take place? In this sermon on the preterist view and futurist views, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones examines two views of Revelation. First, he briefly examines what is called the “preterist view” which understands Revelation as referring to events that happened in the past. Spending the bulk of his attention on the “futurist view,” he explains that both of these should be rejected. According to the futurist view, the reader is to understand most of Revelation’s application as that which applies to a future generation. According to this view, little of the book’s meaning applies to the lives of the vast majority of Christians who have lived. Dr. Lloyd-Jones first gives the futurist view and then critiques it by showing textual and theological problems. The author of Revelation doesn’t seem to believe that only a portion of the book’s material is about current realities, while other things will only happen in two thousand years. On the contrary, the book is united, complete, and whole. It’s relevant for every age of the church and God’s people have always found strength in these words. Listen and discover the transcendent hope of the book of Revelation.

The book of Revelation can leave its readers with more questions than answers. The deep symbolism and imagery makes it seem impossible to understand exactly what the author was trying to say. In this sermon on Revelation, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones takes the listener through a brief overview of the main schools of interpretation. The preterist view, made popular by a Catholic priest, holds that everything prophesied in Revelation has already taken place. The futurist view, also made popular by a Catholic priest, holds an opposite view that the periods written about in Revelation are periods in the life of the church from the end of the first century and extending to the end of time. Thus, it views the events in Revelation as being fulfilled after the book was written. Another view is the historicist view, and this perspective understands Revelation as being fulfilled between the first and second comings of Christ. With all these ideas about how to interpret Revelation, it can be difficult to determine which one is correct. In this sermon, Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides helpful background for understanding these perspectives while also reminding the listener that the important thing is to understand the overall themes and progress of the book.

All people have thought about the end of time and what will happen at that point. What does Scripture teach? In this sermon on the final judgment, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones explains the final judgment as the final solution to the world’s trials, yet many people run to temporary fixes while ignoring this key doctrine. Some reject the idea of this judgment because they cannot reconcile it with the truth of God being loving. Others, however, reject it because they don’t see the need for it since their fate will already have been determined on earth. However, Scripture is clear that it is the day when the verdict will be announced, not determined. It will be a very public event. What is its purpose? Dr. Lloyd-Jones says that it is ultimately about the glory of God. Many people wonder about who the judge will be, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones demonstrates from Scripture that it will be the Lord Jesus Christ. He will judge not only humans, but also the angels who rejected Him in the beginning. What about verses that refer to other judgments? Listen as Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers these questions and more, using the topic of the final judgment as a means to help the listener grow in their appreciation of the glory of the Lord.