Criswell on Apocalyptic Preaching

Apocalyptic

An unveiling of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Watchman, cries the world, what of the night? What of the night? What of the grave and what of the judgment, what of eternity and what of the night? We who believe in the inspiration of this book, and we who believe in the great apocalypsis--the great unveiling of Jesus Christ--we have a message for this world. The same Lord God who n the beginning revealed to us the creation of the universe and the earth on which we stand. The same Lord God revealed the great consummation of the age that no man can see without the unveiling of Jesus Christ.

And when a man stands with an apocalyptic message, he stands with solace for the sorrowing heart. God wipes away our tears and we live in infinite faith and the hope and conquest and triumph. Some day, by the word of the Lord, Satan shall be bound. Some day, these asleep in the dust of the earth shall be raised from among the dead. Some day God's people shall be raptured from this earth of judgment and live in the presence of our Lord.

Oh glorious apocalyptic and final day when the righteous are vindicated, when the kingdom shall come and when Christ shall reign over the earth and all creation--our blessed Savior! Oh, the day that is coming in the promise and in the word of the Lord. It may be at mid day, it may be at twilight, it may be perchance that the blackness of midnight shall burst into light in the blaze of his glory when Jesus comes for his own. Oh joy, oh delight, shall we go without dying? No sickness, no sadness.

My brother, in the pulpit I can tell you this: after 47 years of experience, the man who stands in that sacred place, and deliver to his people an apocalyptic message shall victory and triumph in the word that he brings!

God speed us as we stand there with God's message, as God's messenger

Authentic, this is it!
Authoritarian, this is it!
Absolute, this is it!
Apocalyptic, this is it!