Jesus: The Subject of Prophecy

What comes into your mind when you picture Jesus Christ? Millions of people imagine He is exactly like Jonathan Roumie. Jonathan isn’t originally from heaven but from hell—that is Hell’s Kitchen, New York. He was born there in 1974. As a child, he dreamed of being an astronaut, but in high school, he decided to produce films. 

Arriving in Hollywood, he tried acting and appeared in a few shows but, like many aspiring stars, he couldn’t get a real break. One day, with only 20 dollars, scant food, and a stack of bills, Jonathan sank to his knees and cast his burdens on the Lord. That same day, unexpected checks landed in his mailbox, taking care of his needs. Two months later, he was offered a new role in a major television series, The Chosen, in which he would play Jesus.

For multitudes, Roumie is now the face of Jesus. “Jesus is the only character who I would hope to stay in character as all the time,” he recently said. But some people approach him in search of a spiritual encounter. They truly identify him with Jesus, and he said, “That can be hard to live up to. I’m not Jesus.”

Jesus of Nazareth is the most portrayed person in human history. No one can calculate how many books have described Him, how many paintings have depicted Him, or how many actors have portrayed Him. 

All of these have shaped humanity’s image of who He was when He came 2,000 years ago as the Suffering Servant. But what about now? How should we think of Him as He is currently, in heaven, seated at the right hand of His Father? And what about when He returns? How will we view Him? That’s the focus of this series of messages, “Jesus Revealed In The End Times.”

You haven’t seen or grasped the reality of the Lord Jesus until you consider how He is revealed in the Bible and, specifically, how He is revealed in the End Times. In the end, it’s all about Him—and He is no longer the beaten, scourged, suffering Savior. 

He’s the glorious and coming King. Only as we begin to grasp His eternal glory can we find the answers to the big questions of life, such as: What is my purpose? How do I find relief from the guilt of my past? How can I have a relationship with God? What does the future hold for me? 

This last question is important because we’re all concerned deeply about what’s going to happen to us. Time seems to be accelerating; world conditions are worsening; pandemics and wars are threatening. What will become of us? For the followers of Christ, Jesus will come for us. That’s what will become of us. And we shall see Him as He is! Our Lord Himself said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end” (Revelation 22:13).

The Apostle Paul declared in Colossians 1:15-16, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him.” He is demonstrably the primary subject of the Bible. 

He was the object of every Biblical writer’s pen, whether they knew His name or not. It was Jesus the prophets had in mind when they wrote about the Messiah’s first coming and His second coming as King. As Paul explained in Colossians, Jesus is the primary agent for the creation of the world. He is also the focus of the end of the world, as John explained in the Book of Revelation. To put it simply, the world begins and ends with Jesus Christ—and so do you and I!

1. The Focus of Prophecy is a Person Rather Than an Event

Most books about Bible prophecy focus on the events more than on the participants in those events. They are filled with timelines and charts outlining specific details about various events that the Bible indicates will occur in the end times. Now, it is important for us to understand what the Bible tells us about the future, and I encourage every Christian to study biblical prophecy, especially since I believe we are living in the last days. However, in studying the timelines and prophetic charts, perhaps some of us have lost sight of the One who is the central figure of the future: Jesus.

The purpose of the book of Revelation is to reveal Jesus Christ.

1. It begins and ends with Jesus (Revelation 1:1-2; 22:20-21).
2. Every chapter of John’s apocalyptic letter shows us more of our Savior as we see Him fulfilling God’s promises and establishing His long-awaited kingdom.

I believe a fresh approach is needed to encourage believers who dread the future and feel anxious about things to come.

If Jesus is the answer to our questions and the focus of our future, then:

1. What does biblical prophecy reveal to us about who He is? 
2. What roles does Jesus play in the end times? 
3. How do the end times help us know Him better? 

By the time we finish this series, you will:

1. Have a greater understanding of God’s plan for the future.
2. Have a greater sense of calm and courage in the face of what is to come.

2. The Purpose of Prophecy

There is a heady aspect to prophecy. 

• Paul wrote, “We do not want you to be uninformed, brethren,” in his first letter to the Thessalonian believers, who thought they had missed the rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13). But don’t forget, there’s an equally heartfelt aspect to prophecy that we often miss.

While much is known about the end times, much of it remains a mystery. That means God has revealed His purposes not only to fill our heads but to thrill our hearts. He wants to thrill you to overflowing with personal hope and growing holiness.

• Hope—Jesus Christ is hope personified. Hope has to do with the future. Hope does not look backward but forward.

• Holiness—The heartfelt study of biblical prophecy motivates us toward greater personal holiness. After we see who Jesus really is, then we respond to that understanding and deeper knowledge of the person of Jesus by holy living.

3. Understanding the Last Days and the End Times

1. Defining the “Last Days”
   • In the Bible, the “last days” refer to the time between Jesus’s arrival in Bethlehem and His snatching away the church into heaven at the rapture. 
2. The End Times
   • In the Bible, the “end times” refers to a specific period in the future the Bible calls “a time of distress” (Daniel 12:1).
   • I think the phrase describes the time between the rapture and the second coming of Christ.

4. Jesus Revealed in the End Times

This series will begin with Jesus’s first coming in the first century AD. It is imperative to understand Christ’s first coming before we can understand His second coming.

Jesus is always Messiah, King, Lord, and every other title used to describe His “roles” in the end times.

What we will cover in this series:

1. Jesus as Messiah
2. Jesus as Prophet
3. Jesus as Lamb
4. Jesus as Conqueror
5. Jesus as King
6. Jesus as Judge
7. Jesus as Lord
8. Jesus as Friend

5.  Seeing the Future from the Present

Looking through the Bible will allow you to see the key events of the future, although it will not tell you how far away you are from those events. 

But those events you see when you look into the Bible are in the background. When you look into your spiritual binoculars, the figure you see clearly looming over all of those events is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

He is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is Lord over your past, your present, and your future. And that should fill each of us with hope.