From the MLJ Archive

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.

The soul will live forever, but what about the body? Is there Scriptural evidence upholding a physical raising of the body? In this sermon titled “The Resurrection of the Body,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones expounds on a difficult topic by surveying the teaching of the Old and New Testament on the subject. As he demonstrates, the New Testament is clearer in its teaching regarding the resurrection. Nonetheless, the doctrine is present in the Old Testament as well. Some modern-day Christians are skeptical regarding the literal physical raising of bodies, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones draws attention to the hope that the writers of Scripture portrayed through their writings regarding the resurrection. While human bodies were sown in sin and weakness, he says, Christians will be raised in glory and power on the last day as they partake in the glories of Jesus. Indeed, the resurrection and redemption of the body is a part of salvation. This marks a distinction between Christianity and other religions; Christianity says the body will not be obliterated, but will be redeemed into glorious, incorruptible bodies that follow the nature of the resurrected Christ. And with these incorruptible bodies, they will glorify God as they worship Him without the marks of sin, disease, and death.

Is the secret rapture of the church a true biblical teaching? In this sermon, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones focuses on Daniel 9 as a passage frequently used in the discussion of the end-times, yet the language it employs is often mysterious and open to debate over its meaning. At the center of the debates are verses 24–27 which refer to various weeks that the events will fall on. Some interpret these events as still awaiting fulfillment, but Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes his case for why he believes the events to have been fulfilled with the life of Jesus Christ, the destruction of the temple, and defeat of the Jewish people in 70 A.D. Dr. Lloyd-Jones also provides a commentary on a topic that has been steadily gaining traction in evangelical circles: the rapture of Christians. He posits that many people are surprised to learn that this theological idea is not commonly found until after the 1800s. How should Christians approach this topic? Listen to this sermon as Dr. Lloyd-Jones provides an alternative view of Daniel 9, and a biblical foundation for understanding the idea of an end-times rapture of the global church.

When will Jesus return? Daniel 9 is vital to the Christian understanding of events. However, due to its difficult nature, many Christians interpret it incorrectly or stay away from it all-together. Yet, God placed it in His word for a reason. In this sermon titled “The Interpretation of Daniel 9,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones begins with a reminder of the godly people who have disagreed widely on interpretation regarding passages like Daniel 9, encouraging the listener to avoid being overly dogmatic regarding the subject. Regardless of opinion, Daniel 9 is about what God has determined regarding a chosen people. One of the most well-known sections in this chapter refers to “70 weeks,” a timeline regarding when the events at the end of time will happen. Are these literal weeks? If not, what do they represent? Why are they divided up, and will Christians leave in the midst of them? Dr. Lloyd-Jones makes his argument for which period he believes the listeners are living in, as well as identifying the purposes these “weeks” serve.

The world will end one day. It is more than a movie plot; it is God’s plan. But what happens? Will all of Israel be saved? Will Jesus come at any time, or are there signs that will precede His coming? In this sermon on God’s plan for the Jews, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones begins with a warning against being overly-dogmatic on views of the end times since Scripture itself is so vague about what specifically will happen. Many of the passages and books in the Bible regarding the end times and the second coming of Jesus can be confusing, and Paul’s statement in Romans 11:26 that “all Israel will be saved” falls into such a category. How should Christians approach this verse and God’s plan for the Jews? Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes the listener through three main views regarding this verse and gracefully demonstrates from Scripture which view is the closest aligned to biblical teaching, centering his argument around another of Paul’s verses where he writes that there is a spiritual Israel distinct from those who are Israelites by blood. In other words, God’s promises here are referring to His spiritual Israel, those who are God’s people and thus Israelites by heart. Dr. Lloyd-Jones tackles this subject and more in this helpful sermon regarding the Jews and the promises made to them.

Predictions of when Christ will return seem to take place every year, but what are the biblical signs of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ? Does Scripture even allow the opportunity of discerning precisely when He will return again? In this sermon on the timing of Christ's return, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones answers these questions and more, contending that it is useless for Christians to debate the exact date and time of His coming since Jesus promised that only God the Father knew. Dr. Lloyd-Jones takes the listener through a helpful history of these questions that begins with the apostles since many have argued that they expected Jesus to return again in their lifetime. In addition to this view of the apostles, Dr. Lloyd-Jones also gives a brief overview of several other alternate stances on this subject. According to Scripture, Dr. Lloyd-Jones teaches, there are two signs that precede the second coming of Christ—the calling of the Gentiles and the gathering in of the fullness of Israel. He skillfully explains from a biblical standpoint what these mean, providing the listener with clarity that is often missing when studying this topic. This is a helpful sermon for anyone currently confused about how to interpret the biblical prophecies regarding the Lord’s second coming.