Father in heaven,
00:00:21.08\00:00:23.28
we thank You so much
for Your multiple blessings,
00:00:23.32\00:00:26.29
especially we
thank You for Your Word,
00:00:26.32\00:00:28.89
a sure guide in a
world that is so confused.
00:00:28.92\00:00:32.76
I ask that as we study Your Word
00:00:32.79\00:00:34.50
that You will help us
to handle it reverently,
00:00:34.53\00:00:38.23
and respectfully,
00:00:38.27\00:00:39.93
that we will hear
Your voice speaking,
00:00:39.97\00:00:42.44
and not impose on
Scripture our own ideas.
00:00:42.47\00:00:45.31
So please be with us
00:00:45.34\00:00:46.68
through the
ministry of Your Holy Spirit.
00:00:46.71\00:00:48.98
Bless those who
watch this program,
00:00:49.01\00:00:51.51
open their hearts
that they might receive,
00:00:51.55\00:00:54.32
we pray, in Jesus' name, amen.
00:00:54.35\00:01:00.32
After Jesus gave the
signs of His soon coming,
00:01:00.36\00:01:05.09
He went on to warn His people
00:01:05.13\00:01:08.26
that they needed to watch,
00:01:08.30\00:01:10.20
to pray, and to work
00:01:10.23\00:01:13.17
while they were
waiting for Him to come.
00:01:13.20\00:01:16.77
When Jesus said
that no one knew the day
00:01:16.81\00:01:19.47
or hour of His coming,
00:01:19.51\00:01:21.88
was He referring
to the Second Coming?
00:01:21.91\00:01:24.75
Or perhaps is
there a deeper truth
00:01:24.78\00:01:28.02
to this expression,
00:01:28.05\00:01:29.48
no one knows
the day or the hour?
00:01:29.52\00:01:32.95
Let's read Matthew 24:36-44
00:01:32.99\00:01:36.59
which is the next
passage in the chapter
00:01:36.62\00:01:39.39
that we are studying.
00:01:39.43\00:01:40.96
It says there in verse 36,
00:01:41.00\00:01:43.63
"But of that day
and hour no one knows,
00:01:43.67\00:01:48.14
not even the angels of heaven,
00:01:48.17\00:01:50.94
but My Father only."
00:01:50.97\00:01:54.68
This is Jesus speaking.
00:01:54.71\00:01:56.91
"As the days of Noah were,
00:01:56.95\00:01:59.25
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be.
00:01:59.28\00:02:02.75
For as in the
days before the flood,
00:02:02.78\00:02:05.42
they were eating and drinking,
00:02:05.45\00:02:06.86
marrying and giving in marriage,
00:02:06.89\00:02:09.02
until the day that
Noah entered the ark,
00:02:09.06\00:02:12.29
and did not know
until the flood came
00:02:12.33\00:02:16.00
and took them all away,
00:02:16.03\00:02:18.57
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be.
00:02:18.60\00:02:22.60
Then two men
will be in the field,
00:02:22.64\00:02:24.11
one will be taken
and the other left.
00:02:24.14\00:02:28.44
Two women will be
grinding at the mill,
00:02:28.48\00:02:32.38
one will be taken
and the other left.
00:02:32.41\00:02:35.68
Watch therefore,
for you do not know
00:02:35.72\00:02:38.39
what hour your Lord is coming.
00:02:38.42\00:02:41.79
But know this that if
the master of the house
00:02:41.82\00:02:44.86
had known at what
hour the thief would come,
00:02:44.89\00:02:49.43
he would have watched
and not allowed his house
00:02:49.46\00:02:51.73
to be broken into.
00:02:51.77\00:02:53.37
Therefore you also be ready,
00:02:53.40\00:02:56.50
for the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect."
00:02:56.54\00:03:01.91
So the question is,
is this coming of Jesus
00:03:01.94\00:03:05.38
as a thief referring to
the Second Coming of Christ?
00:03:05.41\00:03:08.62
Or is that
referring to something
00:03:08.65\00:03:09.98
that will happen just
00:03:10.02\00:03:11.69
before the
Second Coming of Christ?
00:03:11.72\00:03:14.92
Now the formula
that you have here
00:03:14.96\00:03:17.26
as it was in the days
of Noah so also will be
00:03:17.29\00:03:20.46
at the coming of the Son of Man,
00:03:20.50\00:03:22.06
is what
theologians call typology.
00:03:22.10\00:03:25.80
In other words, the
flood story is the type.
00:03:25.83\00:03:28.80
And what happens
at the end of time
00:03:28.84\00:03:31.04
is the antitype
or the fulfillment.
00:03:31.07\00:03:34.84
So in order to
understand the antitype,
00:03:34.88\00:03:37.05
we must understand the type,
00:03:37.08\00:03:38.41
we must go back
to the flood story
00:03:38.45\00:03:40.98
in the Old Testament.
00:03:41.02\00:03:42.35
And that is found in
Genesis Chapters 6-9.
00:03:42.38\00:03:48.22
I want you to notice
four key points of time
00:03:48.26\00:03:52.59
in the flood story.
00:03:52.63\00:03:54.40
First, we have the preaching
and the building period.
00:03:54.43\00:03:59.73
This is a probationary
period for everyone on earth.
00:03:59.77\00:04:04.14
In other words,
during this time,
00:04:04.17\00:04:05.51
the door of probation is
open for a period of 120 years.
00:04:05.54\00:04:11.75
During this time,
00:04:11.78\00:04:13.45
Noah preached
empowered by the Holy Spirit.
00:04:13.48\00:04:17.19
In fact, he did not
preach a smooth message,
00:04:17.22\00:04:20.86
a politically correct message
00:04:20.89\00:04:23.22
he denounced the
sins of the antediluvians
00:04:23.26\00:04:26.53
and called them to repent
00:04:26.56\00:04:28.83
and to
straighten out their ways.
00:04:28.86\00:04:31.30
During this time, the spirit
00:04:31.33\00:04:33.20
strove with the
antediluvian race,
00:04:33.23\00:04:36.54
attempting to lead
them to repentance.
00:04:36.57\00:04:39.71
This is what were said
what is said in Genesis 6:3.
00:04:39.74\00:04:43.81
"And the Lord said,
00:04:43.85\00:04:45.85
'My Spirit shall not
strive with man forever,
00:04:45.88\00:04:49.42
for he is indeed flesh,
00:04:49.45\00:04:51.62
yet his days shall be one
hundred and twenty years.'"
00:04:51.65\00:04:55.69
So God says My
Spirit is not going to
00:04:55.72\00:04:57.43
strive forever
with human beings.
00:04:57.46\00:04:59.06
I'm giving them 120
years of opportunity or grace,
00:04:59.09\00:05:03.30
to repent,
00:05:03.33\00:05:04.67
and to
straighten out their ways.
00:05:04.70\00:05:07.10
The word that is
used here strive,
00:05:07.14\00:05:09.87
actually is
translated most of the time
00:05:09.90\00:05:12.01
in the Old
Testament as to plead a cause,
00:05:12.04\00:05:15.98
to contend, or to judge.
00:05:16.01\00:05:19.01
In other words,
the message of Noah
00:05:19.05\00:05:20.92
was a message of judgment.
00:05:20.95\00:05:22.82
His message
would divide the world
00:05:22.85\00:05:24.75
into two groups,
00:05:24.79\00:05:26.45
those who are inside the ark,
00:05:26.49\00:05:29.02
and those who
are outside the ark.
00:05:29.06\00:05:31.56
So he preached a
judgment hour message
00:05:31.59\00:05:34.56
under the power
of the Holy Spirit.
00:05:34.60\00:05:38.03
Actually, the flood
story doesn't tell us
00:05:38.07\00:05:40.17
that Noah preached,
but the New Testament does.
00:05:40.20\00:05:43.64
In 2 Peter 2:5, we find that,
00:05:43.67\00:05:47.51
"God did not
spare the ancient world,
00:05:47.54\00:05:51.45
but saved Noah,
one of eight people,
00:05:51.48\00:05:55.22
a preacher of righteousness,
00:05:55.25\00:05:58.49
bringing in the flood on
the world of the ungodly."
00:05:58.52\00:06:02.39
So Noah was a
preacher of righteousness.
00:06:02.42\00:06:05.56
He called the world to repent
00:06:05.59\00:06:07.96
and to live righteous lives.
00:06:08.00\00:06:11.97
But Noah not only preached,
he also worked, he built.
00:06:12.00\00:06:16.97
In Hebrews 11:7,
we find these words,
00:06:17.01\00:06:20.44
"By faith Noah,
00:06:20.48\00:06:22.14
being divinely warned
of things not yet seen,
00:06:22.18\00:06:26.15
moved with godly fear,
00:06:26.18\00:06:28.92
prepared an ark for the
saving of his household,
00:06:28.95\00:06:32.45
by which he condemned the world
00:06:32.49\00:06:34.59
and became heir
of the righteousness
00:06:34.62\00:06:37.33
which is according to faith."
00:06:37.36\00:06:40.33
Noah backed up his
words by his actions.
00:06:40.36\00:06:44.47
He had a faith that worked.
00:06:44.50\00:06:47.47
He invested all his time,
00:06:47.50\00:06:49.54
his efforts, his strength,
his talents, his resources
00:06:49.57\00:06:54.44
into the building of the ark.
00:06:54.48\00:06:57.75
Everybody else was
saving for a rainy day.
00:06:57.78\00:07:02.02
Building the ark for Noah
00:07:02.05\00:07:03.55
was not one priority among many,
00:07:03.59\00:07:06.45
it was the top priority.
00:07:06.49\00:07:10.09
And I would say
the only priority.
00:07:10.13\00:07:14.60
Hebrews tells us that
Noah condemned the world,
00:07:14.63\00:07:17.43
not by his
preaching, but by his building.
00:07:17.47\00:07:21.57
His actions proved that
he believed his message.
00:07:21.60\00:07:25.87
You see building a
gigantic ship on dry ground,
00:07:25.91\00:07:30.05
when it had never
rained, took great faith.
00:07:30.08\00:07:34.62
It shows that Noah believed God,
00:07:34.65\00:07:37.15
he trusted God's Word
even though every evidence
00:07:37.19\00:07:41.12
showed that there
could not be a flood.
00:07:41.16\00:07:44.69
Faith simply means trusting
God enough to do what God says.
00:07:44.73\00:07:50.60
However, you cannot
trust God unless you love Him.
00:07:50.63\00:07:54.97
And you cannot love
Him unless you know Him.
00:07:55.00\00:07:58.44
And you cannot know Him
unless you spend time with Him.
00:07:58.47\00:08:04.05
So Noah preached,
00:08:04.08\00:08:05.95
and Noah showed that he
believed what he preached
00:08:05.98\00:08:08.42
because he built
a ship on dry land.
00:08:08.45\00:08:11.82
Judged by numerical standards,
00:08:11.85\00:08:14.69
Noah's evangelistic
crusade was a tragic failure.
00:08:14.72\00:08:19.69
Just imagine there
were millions of people
00:08:19.73\00:08:21.90
that lived on this
planet before the flood,
00:08:21.93\00:08:24.57
and only eight persons
responded to his message,
00:08:24.60\00:08:27.54
and all were
members of his own family.
00:08:27.57\00:08:30.91
If the story of Noah represents
00:08:30.94\00:08:32.67
what will happen
at the end of time,
00:08:32.71\00:08:35.08
do you suppose that the
majority of human beings
00:08:35.11\00:08:38.18
will be on the Lord side,
00:08:38.21\00:08:40.58
or perhaps it
will be the minority.
00:08:40.62\00:08:43.69
Noah's message was contrary
to historical, empirical,
00:08:43.72\00:08:48.72
sensorial, rational,
and scientific evidence.
00:08:48.76\00:08:54.16
The idea of a universal flood
was absolutely preposterous
00:08:54.20\00:08:59.10
in the minds of those
who live before the flood.
00:08:59.13\00:09:02.24
You see, before creation week,
00:09:02.27\00:09:04.01
we're told that the
earth was filled with water
00:09:04.04\00:09:07.18
that's in Genesis 1:2.
00:09:07.21\00:09:10.38
On the second day of creation,
00:09:10.41\00:09:11.95
God took part of the water
and placed that under the earth
00:09:11.98\00:09:14.68
and took the
other part of the water
00:09:14.72\00:09:16.52
and placed it above the earth,
00:09:16.55\00:09:18.42
kind of like a
canopy to create a climate
00:09:18.45\00:09:23.32
that was uniform
all over the world.
00:09:23.36\00:09:26.59
You say, how was
the earth watered then
00:09:26.63\00:09:28.86
if it wasn't watered by rain?
00:09:28.90\00:09:31.07
Well, Genesis
2:5-6 tells us that
00:09:31.10\00:09:35.54
the earth had kind of an
automatic sprinkler system,
00:09:35.57\00:09:38.94
at certain times of the day,
00:09:38.97\00:09:40.31
a mist rose from the
earth to water the entire earth.
00:09:40.34\00:09:45.41
God did not have to create water
00:09:45.45\00:09:47.48
when He brought the flood.
00:09:47.52\00:09:49.02
All He had to do was
bring the water from above
00:09:49.05\00:09:51.92
and the water from
below to fill the planet
00:09:51.95\00:09:54.66
as it had been
before creation week.
00:09:54.69\00:09:57.99
And so we're told that
00:09:58.03\00:10:00.06
God broke up the
fountains of the great deep,
00:10:00.10\00:10:02.93
and He opened
the windows of heaven
00:10:02.96\00:10:05.00
brought down the water
00:10:05.03\00:10:06.37
that He had placed up
there and brought up the water
00:10:06.40\00:10:09.14
that He had placed beneath.
00:10:09.17\00:10:11.67
Let us just
imagine for a few moments,
00:10:11.71\00:10:14.74
what the experts in
the world must have said
00:10:14.78\00:10:18.05
when they heard Noah
preaching his message
00:10:18.08\00:10:20.62
and building the ark.
00:10:20.65\00:10:23.55
Let's imagine the
Department of Natural Sciences.
00:10:23.59\00:10:28.19
The people probably said
it has never rained before.
00:10:28.22\00:10:32.23
Everything has
continued uniformly
00:10:32.26\00:10:34.83
as from the beginning.
00:10:34.86\00:10:36.67
What Noah is preaching is
contrary to sound science.
00:10:36.70\00:10:41.50
It is
preposterous to believe that
00:10:41.54\00:10:43.91
water could fall from
heaven and rise from the earth.
00:10:43.94\00:10:47.08
It's a scientific impossibility.
00:10:47.11\00:10:50.18
I imagine what the theology
departments were saying.
00:10:50.21\00:10:53.58
Noah focuses too
much on our sins.
00:10:53.62\00:10:56.82
God is a God of loves.
00:10:56.85\00:10:58.92
He loves the world
too much to destroy it.
00:10:58.95\00:11:03.39
Besides rain from
heaven would require a miracle,
00:11:03.43\00:11:06.90
and nature works on
the basis of fixed laws,
00:11:06.93\00:11:10.43
so there can be no
such things as miracles.
00:11:10.47\00:11:13.87
What would the
history department
00:11:13.90\00:11:15.24
have been saying?
00:11:15.27\00:11:16.64
There is no historical
record of any flood in the past.
00:11:16.67\00:11:21.14
So why should we believe
that there could be one now?
00:11:21.18\00:11:24.68
What would the Department
of Behavioral Sciences
00:11:24.71\00:11:27.58
have to say?
00:11:27.62\00:11:29.22
Well, Noah is suffering
an imaginary mental delusion,
00:11:29.25\00:11:33.96
he is confusing
reality with fantasy,
00:11:33.99\00:11:36.86
he is mentally deranged.
00:11:36.89\00:11:39.69
The sociology
department might say,
00:11:39.73\00:11:42.13
"We must not allow
a lunatic like Noah
00:11:42.16\00:11:45.73
to disrupt the
stable order of society."
00:11:45.77\00:11:49.80
And the philosophy
department might have said,
00:11:49.84\00:11:52.31
"Noah is suffering
00:11:52.34\00:11:53.68
because of an
existential void in his life."
00:11:53.71\00:11:57.15
What's truth for Noah
is not necessarily truth
00:11:57.18\00:12:00.82
for everyone else.
00:12:00.85\00:12:02.58
Perhaps arguments
such as these were being
00:12:02.62\00:12:05.35
used to try and prove that
the flood would never come.
00:12:05.39\00:12:11.09
These were the voices
of the experts of that day.
00:12:11.13\00:12:15.43
So the first point
of time is the preaching
00:12:15.46\00:12:18.77
and the building of Noah,
00:12:18.80\00:12:20.60
while the door of
probation is open.
00:12:20.64\00:12:23.54
God is judging the
world by the response that
00:12:23.57\00:12:27.11
people give to the
message that Noah is preaching.
00:12:27.14\00:12:30.85
Now we come to the
second point of time,
00:12:30.88\00:12:34.08
the moment when the door shuts.
00:12:34.12\00:12:37.72
When Noah concluded his
preaching in his building,
00:12:37.75\00:12:40.96
he and his
family entered the ark.
00:12:40.99\00:12:43.96
The Spirit then ceased
to strive with human hearts,
00:12:43.99\00:12:48.46
the Spirit of God was withdrawn,
00:12:48.50\00:12:51.07
preaching had come to an end.
00:12:51.10\00:12:53.74
Everyone's choice was final.
00:12:53.77\00:12:57.04
The world at this
moment had only two groups,
00:12:57.07\00:13:00.14
those who were inside the ark,
00:13:00.18\00:13:03.08
and those who were
outside, the sealed inside,
00:13:03.11\00:13:07.12
and those marked
for destruction outside,
00:13:07.15\00:13:10.85
but before the door was closed,
00:13:10.89\00:13:13.02
God gave one last
spectacular sign to try
00:13:13.05\00:13:16.62
and convince the
people before the flood
00:13:16.66\00:13:18.76
that the flood
was going to come.
00:13:18.79\00:13:21.03
And that is when the animals
00:13:21.06\00:13:23.47
came into the
ark in perfect order.
00:13:23.50\00:13:28.60
It wasn't the case is
in the Hollywood version
00:13:28.64\00:13:30.87
where Noah's sons
are roping the animals
00:13:30.91\00:13:34.08
and pulling them to the ark.
00:13:34.11\00:13:35.44
No, they came and they marched
into the ark in perfect order.
00:13:35.48\00:13:40.32
We find that in Genesis 7:16.
00:13:40.35\00:13:43.55
"So those that entered,
male and female of all flesh,
00:13:43.59\00:13:47.59
went in as God
had commanded him,
00:13:47.62\00:13:50.16
and the Lord shut him in."
00:13:50.19\00:13:53.13
In other words,
the Lord shut the door.
00:13:53.16\00:13:55.50
Ellen White in
Patriarchs and Prophets, page 98
00:13:55.53\00:13:58.60
had this to say about
the shutting of the door.
00:13:58.63\00:14:02.10
"Noah was shut in,
00:14:02.14\00:14:04.61
and the rejecters of God's mercy
00:14:04.64\00:14:06.64
were shut out.
00:14:06.68\00:14:08.48
The seal of
Heaven was on that door,
00:14:08.51\00:14:12.41
God had shut it, and
God alone could open it."
00:14:12.45\00:14:17.49
This reminds us of Matthew 24,
00:14:17.52\00:14:20.36
when the first destruction
of Jerusalem took place.
00:14:20.39\00:14:23.59
There were two groups,
00:14:23.63\00:14:24.99
those that had
stayed and were destroyed,
00:14:25.03\00:14:27.53
and those who fled.
00:14:27.56\00:14:29.13
In the same way
in the days of Noah,
00:14:29.16\00:14:30.70
those who entered the
ark had the seal of God,
00:14:30.73\00:14:33.40
they were saved,
and those who were
00:14:33.44\00:14:36.17
outside the ark were destroyed.
00:14:36.20\00:14:38.51
At the end, the faithful
will have the seal of God
00:14:38.54\00:14:41.71
and the unfaithful
00:14:41.74\00:14:43.08
will have the mark of the beast.
00:14:43.11\00:14:45.45
So when that door
shut, probation closed.
00:14:45.48\00:14:49.98
Why did God shut Noah
and his family in the ark?
00:14:50.02\00:14:53.62
For two reasons.
00:14:53.66\00:14:55.12
First of all, to protect them
00:14:55.16\00:14:57.59
from the rage of the people
of the lost outside the ark,
00:14:57.63\00:15:02.00
and secondly to spare
them from the destruction
00:15:02.03\00:15:05.43
that would come as
a result of the flood.
00:15:05.47\00:15:09.27
Once Noah was
inside with his family
00:15:09.30\00:15:11.97
and the wicked were outside,
there was no changing sides.
00:15:12.01\00:15:16.34
All cases had been decided.
00:15:16.38\00:15:18.71
The judgment
hour message of Noah
00:15:18.75\00:15:21.08
had divided the
world into two groups.
00:15:21.12\00:15:24.52
Now we go on to
point number three.
00:15:24.55\00:15:27.06
After the door of mercy closed,
Noah remained inside the ark
00:15:27.09\00:15:31.69
with his family, and the wicked
00:15:31.73\00:15:33.86
were outside for a
period of seven days.
00:15:33.90\00:15:38.17
Notice Genesis 7:4,
00:15:38.20\00:15:41.14
"For after seven more days
00:15:41.17\00:15:43.54
I will cause it to
rain on the earth forty days
00:15:43.57\00:15:47.24
and forty nights,
00:15:47.28\00:15:48.71
and I will destroy
from the face of the earth
00:15:48.74\00:15:51.25
all living things
that I have made."
00:15:51.28\00:15:54.58
Have you ever
wondered why God kept Noah
00:15:54.62\00:15:57.49
and his family inside that
ark with all of those animals
00:15:57.52\00:16:01.79
for a period of seven
days before it actually rained?
00:16:01.82\00:16:06.53
Could God have made
it rain immediately?
00:16:06.56\00:16:09.13
Of course, He could have.
00:16:09.16\00:16:10.50
There must be a purpose for
which God let them in the ark
00:16:10.53\00:16:15.50
seven days
before it began to rain.
00:16:15.54\00:16:18.61
Patriarchs and Prophets,
pages 98 and 99 explains.
00:16:18.64\00:16:22.88
"For seven days after Noah
and his family entered the ark,
00:16:22.91\00:16:26.68
there appeared no
sign of the coming storm.
00:16:26.72\00:16:29.75
During this period,"
00:16:29.78\00:16:31.12
listen carefully now,
"their faith was tested."
00:16:31.15\00:16:35.22
Imagine one day passes, two,
three, four, five, six, seven
00:16:35.26\00:16:38.06
because it started
raining on the eighth day,
00:16:38.09\00:16:40.10
and nothing happens.
00:16:40.13\00:16:42.73
The people outside
become more violent.
00:16:42.76\00:16:44.73
Those inside they're wondering,
00:16:44.77\00:16:47.07
perhaps were we wrong
in coming into the ark,
00:16:47.10\00:16:50.77
their faith was tested.
00:16:50.81\00:16:53.07
"It was a time of
triumph to the world without.
00:16:53.11\00:16:57.15
The apparent delay
confirmed them in their belief
00:16:57.18\00:17:00.25
that Noah's
message was a delusion,
00:17:00.28\00:17:02.48
and that the
Flood would never come.
00:17:02.52\00:17:04.65
Notwithstanding
the solemn scenes
00:17:04.69\00:17:06.82
which they had witnessed,
00:17:06.86\00:17:08.29
the beasts and
birds entering the ark,
00:17:08.32\00:17:10.56
and the angel of
God closing the door,
00:17:10.59\00:17:13.19
they still continued
their sport and revelry,
00:17:13.23\00:17:16.73
even making a jest of
these signal manifestations
00:17:16.77\00:17:20.04
of God's power.
00:17:20.07\00:17:21.90
They gathered in
crowds about the ark,
00:17:21.94\00:17:24.71
deriding its inmates
with a daring violence
00:17:24.74\00:17:28.78
which they had never
ventured upon before."
00:17:28.81\00:17:31.75
So they were saved inside
00:17:31.78\00:17:33.21
from the
violence of the multitude,
00:17:33.25\00:17:35.02
and also from the
destruction that would come.
00:17:35.05\00:17:38.52
During this time,
00:17:38.55\00:17:40.16
the faith of
those inside the ark
00:17:40.19\00:17:42.16
was severely tested.
00:17:42.19\00:17:44.76
God would fulfill
His word they believed,
00:17:44.79\00:17:49.30
but they had to
wait for God to act.
00:17:49.33\00:17:52.77
It was a day of victory
for those outside the ark.
00:17:52.80\00:17:56.27
It was a day of
apparent ridicule
00:17:56.30\00:17:58.67
and defeat for those
who were inside the ark.
00:17:58.71\00:18:03.01
Ellen White compared
00:18:03.04\00:18:04.38
the shut door in
the days of Noah,
00:18:04.41\00:18:06.55
with a shut door
when probation closes.
00:18:06.58\00:18:10.49
This quotation is from
Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:18:10.52\00:18:12.72
page 98.
00:18:12.75\00:18:14.56
"Likewise, when Christ
shall cease His intercession
00:18:14.59\00:18:18.63
for guilty men,
before His coming."
00:18:18.66\00:18:21.96
This is important.
00:18:22.00\00:18:23.53
"Likewise, when
Christ shall cease
00:18:23.57\00:18:25.17
His intercession for guilty men,
00:18:25.20\00:18:26.84
before His coming in
the clouds of heaven,
00:18:26.87\00:18:29.30
the door of mercy will be shut.
00:18:29.34\00:18:32.24
Then divine grace
00:18:32.27\00:18:33.68
will no longer
restrain the wicked,
00:18:33.71\00:18:36.44
and Satan will have full control
00:18:36.48\00:18:38.81
of those who
have rejected mercy.
00:18:38.85\00:18:41.95
They will endeavor to
destroy God's people."
00:18:41.98\00:18:45.29
Notice, just like the
wicked outside the ark
00:18:45.32\00:18:47.52
were furious with
those who were inside.
00:18:47.56\00:18:49.59
"But as Noah was
shut into the ark,
00:18:49.62\00:18:53.13
so the
righteous will be shielded
00:18:53.16\00:18:55.53
by divine power."
00:18:55.56\00:18:58.77
You see, probation is going
to close before Jesus comes.
00:18:58.80\00:19:02.04
And after probation closes
comes the time of trouble,
00:19:02.07\00:19:05.11
such as never has been seen.
00:19:05.14\00:19:07.24
God's people will remain
00:19:07.28\00:19:08.98
on the earth during this period.
00:19:09.01\00:19:11.05
Their faith will
be severely tested.
00:19:11.08\00:19:14.32
The wicked will
surround them to try
00:19:14.35\00:19:16.12
and destroy them.
00:19:16.15\00:19:17.79
They will cry out
day and night to God
00:19:17.82\00:19:20.59
for justice and for vengeance,
00:19:20.62\00:19:22.52
as we're told in
the story of the widow,
00:19:22.56\00:19:24.69
the persistent
widow in Luke 18:1-8.
00:19:24.73\00:19:28.86
Let's go to point number four,
00:19:28.90\00:19:31.07
the actual
destruction on the eighth day.
00:19:31.10\00:19:35.24
Genesis 7:11
describes this Cataclysm.
00:19:35.27\00:19:38.81
It says, "In the
six hundredth year
00:19:38.84\00:19:40.44
of Noah's life,
in the second month,
00:19:40.48\00:19:43.35
the seventeenth
day of the month,
00:19:43.38\00:19:45.58
on that day all the fountains
00:19:45.61\00:19:47.75
of the great
deep were broken up,
00:19:47.78\00:19:49.78
and the windows of
heaven were opened."
00:19:49.82\00:19:52.42
In other words, the
water that God placed above
00:19:52.45\00:19:54.29
was brought down
and the water that
00:19:54.32\00:19:56.29
He placed
beneath was brought up.
00:19:56.32\00:19:58.59
Ellen White in
Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:19:58.63\00:20:00.30
page 99 actually saw
this terrible destruction
00:20:00.33\00:20:05.73
while she was envisioned.
00:20:05.77\00:20:07.44
Here's the description.
00:20:07.47\00:20:08.84
"Water appeared to come
00:20:08.87\00:20:10.21
from the clouds
in mighty cataracts.
00:20:10.24\00:20:13.04
Rivers broke away
from their boundaries,
00:20:13.07\00:20:15.41
and overflowed the valleys.
00:20:15.44\00:20:17.05
Jets of water
burst from the earth
00:20:17.08\00:20:19.21
with indescribable force,
00:20:19.25\00:20:21.08
throwing massive rocks
hundreds of feet into the air,
00:20:21.12\00:20:24.69
and these in falling,
00:20:24.72\00:20:26.62
buried themselves
deep in the ground.
00:20:26.65\00:20:29.29
As the violence of
the storm increased,
00:20:29.32\00:20:31.73
trees,
buildings, rocks, and earth
00:20:31.76\00:20:35.23
were hurled in every direction.
00:20:35.26\00:20:37.77
The terror of man and
beast was beyond description.
00:20:37.80\00:20:40.97
Above the roar of the tempest
00:20:41.00\00:20:43.27
was heard the
wailing of a people
00:20:43.30\00:20:45.37
that had despised
the authority of God."
00:20:45.41\00:20:49.28
As I was reading this quotation
had brought to mind the tsunami
00:20:49.31\00:20:53.21
that hit the North
Eastern area of Honshu,
00:20:53.25\00:20:57.69
Japan on March 11, 2011.
00:20:57.72\00:21:01.89
The waves reached
a height of 30 feet
00:21:01.92\00:21:05.33
as they barreled across
the 18 foot restraining wall.
00:21:05.36\00:21:09.73
And the
floodwaters moved England
00:21:09.76\00:21:13.84
as much as six miles.
00:21:13.87\00:21:16.20
The flood, and you
remember seeing this,
00:21:16.24\00:21:19.17
many of you, the
floods swept away buildings,
00:21:19.21\00:21:22.68
houses, cars, animals, people,
00:21:22.71\00:21:26.88
and in a matter of
minutes, 20,000 people perished.
00:21:26.92\00:21:31.92
Now imagine an event like
this, but not on a local scale,
00:21:31.95\00:21:36.73
but on a global scale.
00:21:36.76\00:21:39.69
You know, the normal word
00:21:39.73\00:21:41.06
for flood in the
New Testament is potamos
00:21:41.10\00:21:44.80
where we get the
word hippopotamus.
00:21:44.83\00:21:47.30
Hippopotamus means
that it swims underwater.
00:21:47.34\00:21:51.81
However, Matthew Chapter
24, when it refers to the flood,
00:21:51.84\00:21:55.18
does not use the
common word potamos.
00:21:55.21\00:21:57.81
It uses the word kataklysmos.
00:21:57.85\00:22:02.05
In other words, the
flood was a cataclysm.
00:22:02.08\00:22:05.79
Now the question is
what happened with Satan
00:22:05.82\00:22:08.36
during the flood?
00:22:08.39\00:22:10.06
In Patriarchs and Prophets,
page 99 we find these words,
00:22:10.09\00:22:13.63
"Satan himself,
00:22:13.66\00:22:15.90
who was compelled to remain
00:22:15.93\00:22:18.50
in the midst of
the warring elements,
00:22:18.53\00:22:21.30
feared for his own existence."
00:22:21.34\00:22:23.91
God bound Satan to
this earth during the flood.
00:22:23.94\00:22:27.04
And we're told that
00:22:27.08\00:22:28.41
He actually feared
for His own existence.
00:22:28.44\00:22:32.55
And during the
time of the flood,
00:22:32.58\00:22:35.25
the heavens were dark,
00:22:35.28\00:22:37.69
the earth was totally covered
with water at the beginning,
00:22:37.72\00:22:41.09
and not one human being
was left alive on planet earth.
00:22:41.12\00:22:46.06
So just like before creation,
darkness covered the earth,
00:22:46.09\00:22:50.23
the earth was
totally covered with water,
00:22:50.27\00:22:52.17
and there were
no inhabitants yet.
00:22:52.20\00:22:55.30
Now why have I
told all this story,
00:22:55.34\00:22:57.61
because we're
dealing with the typology
00:22:57.64\00:22:59.47
as it was in the days
of Noah so also will be
00:22:59.51\00:23:02.54
at the coming of the Son of Man.
00:23:02.58\00:23:04.91
In Matthew 24:36-39, we
noticed that Jesus applied
00:23:04.95\00:23:10.49
what happened at the
flood to the end of time.
00:23:10.52\00:23:13.59
Let's read Matthew 24:36-41,
00:23:13.62\00:23:19.09
"But of that day
and hour no one knows,
00:23:19.13\00:23:22.43
not even the
angels, but My Father only.
00:23:22.46\00:23:26.53
But as the days of Noah were,
00:23:26.57\00:23:28.70
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be.
00:23:28.74\00:23:31.67
For as in the
days before the flood,"
00:23:31.71\00:23:34.54
notice, "as in the
days before the flood,
00:23:34.58\00:23:37.28
they were eating and drinking,
00:23:37.31\00:23:39.21
marrying and giving in marriage,
00:23:39.25\00:23:41.25
until the day that
Noah entered the ark."
00:23:41.28\00:23:45.29
Very important, verse 39,
00:23:45.32\00:23:47.69
"And did not know," that
is those outside the ark,
00:23:47.72\00:23:50.59
"did not know
until the flood came
00:23:50.63\00:23:53.93
and took them all away,
00:23:53.96\00:23:55.56
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be.
00:23:55.60\00:24:00.30
Then two men
will be in the field,
00:24:00.34\00:24:02.90
one will be taken
and the other left.
00:24:02.94\00:24:05.54
Two women will be
grinding at the mill,
00:24:05.57\00:24:08.84
one will be taken
and the other left."
00:24:08.88\00:24:12.35
Did you notice
that in these verses
00:24:12.38\00:24:14.62
the word until appears twice.
00:24:14.65\00:24:19.29
Once again, I review,
00:24:19.32\00:24:20.79
it says that they
were carrying on business
00:24:20.82\00:24:24.39
as usual before the flood.
00:24:24.43\00:24:26.23
They were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage
00:24:26.26\00:24:29.06
until the day that
Noah entered the ark.
00:24:29.10\00:24:31.87
There's the first
until, until the day that Noah
00:24:31.90\00:24:34.17
entered the ark
and they did not know
00:24:34.20\00:24:37.44
until the flood came
and took them all away.
00:24:37.47\00:24:40.41
Two points of time
00:24:40.44\00:24:41.78
just like we notice in the story
00:24:41.81\00:24:43.61
in the Old Testament.
00:24:43.65\00:24:45.65
You see, at the end of time
00:24:45.68\00:24:47.92
the door of
probation is going to close
00:24:47.95\00:24:50.82
before the destruction comes,
00:24:50.85\00:24:53.15
just like happened at
the time of the flood.
00:24:53.19\00:24:57.19
Now let's notice the way that
00:24:57.23\00:25:00.60
Jesus referred to
this particular experience.
00:25:00.63\00:25:05.33
Let's go to Matthew Chapter 24,
00:25:05.37\00:25:07.87
and we'll read
verses 42 through 44.
00:25:07.90\00:25:11.91
Jesus said, "Watch
therefore, for you do not know
00:25:11.94\00:25:16.04
what hour you Lord is coming."
00:25:16.08\00:25:17.88
So the question is,
00:25:17.91\00:25:19.25
is that talking
about the Second Coming?
00:25:19.28\00:25:20.82
We don't know the
hour of the Second Coming.
00:25:20.85\00:25:23.22
That's true. But
there's a deeper truth.
00:25:23.25\00:25:25.92
We don't know when
the door of probation
00:25:25.95\00:25:28.22
is going to close either.
00:25:28.26\00:25:29.66
Like those before the
flood, the door closed,
00:25:29.69\00:25:32.33
they didn't
realize they were lost
00:25:32.36\00:25:33.73
until it started to rain.
00:25:33.76\00:25:35.86
So Jesus says, Watch therefore,
00:25:35.90\00:25:38.27
for you to not know what
hour your Lord is coming.
00:25:38.30\00:25:41.44
But know this that
00:25:41.47\00:25:43.17
if the master of
the house had known
00:25:43.20\00:25:45.74
what hour the thief would come,
00:25:45.77\00:25:48.21
he would have watched
00:25:48.24\00:25:49.64
and not allowed his
house to be broken into.
00:25:49.68\00:25:53.55
Therefore, you also be ready,
00:25:53.58\00:25:55.92
for the Son of Man is coming
at an hour you do not expect."
00:25:55.95\00:25:59.45
So here Jesus is
comparing His coming
00:25:59.49\00:26:02.66
with the coming
of a thief at night,
00:26:02.69\00:26:04.93
when everybody is
sleeping in the house,
00:26:04.96\00:26:06.83
they're not watching.
00:26:06.86\00:26:08.73
What is the point here?
00:26:08.76\00:26:10.67
Once again, the
coming of the thief
00:26:10.70\00:26:13.07
has two points of time.
00:26:13.10\00:26:15.20
You say what do you
mean two points of time?
00:26:15.24\00:26:17.17
Well, imagine everybody's
sleeping in the house.
00:26:17.21\00:26:21.58
And deep in sleep, I might say.
00:26:21.61\00:26:24.91
And so the thief comes,
00:26:24.95\00:26:26.92
and he finds the
door of the house open.
00:26:26.95\00:26:31.02
And he comes into the house
and steals all of the valuables
00:26:31.05\00:26:35.62
that he finds in the house.
00:26:35.66\00:26:37.43
He goes out the
front door quietly,
00:26:37.46\00:26:40.90
everybody in the house
is totally unaware that
00:26:40.93\00:26:43.50
the thief has come.
00:26:43.53\00:26:45.27
When do they discovered that
00:26:45.30\00:26:46.87
the thief has visited them.
00:26:46.90\00:26:49.17
It's the next
morning when they wake up,
00:26:49.20\00:26:51.34
but it's too late.
00:26:51.37\00:26:53.14
So it is with
the coming of Jesus.
00:26:53.17\00:26:56.28
First of all the
door of probation closes,
00:26:56.31\00:27:00.05
the world will be unaware that
00:27:00.08\00:27:02.15
the door of
probation has closed.
00:27:02.18\00:27:04.62
And then we have a
period of tribulation during
00:27:04.65\00:27:06.96
which the wicked will be
totally oblivious to the idea
00:27:06.99\00:27:11.19
that the door of
probation has closed
00:27:11.23\00:27:12.69
because they weren't watching.
00:27:12.73\00:27:14.53
They will only realize that
00:27:14.56\00:27:17.57
they were lost
when the destruction
00:27:17.60\00:27:20.84
comes upon the world.
00:27:20.87\00:27:23.67
Let me read you
00:27:23.71\00:27:25.04
from the book
Patriarchs and Prophets,
00:27:25.07\00:27:26.54
pages 98 and 99
00:27:26.57\00:27:29.14
about the antitype
of the closed door.
00:27:29.18\00:27:33.08
Ellen White wrote, and she's now
00:27:33.11\00:27:35.68
applying the experience
00:27:35.72\00:27:37.25
before the flood
to the end of time.
00:27:37.29\00:27:40.26
"So when Christ shall
00:27:40.29\00:27:41.62
cease His
intercession for guilty men,
00:27:41.66\00:27:44.63
before His coming in
the clouds of heaven,
00:27:44.66\00:27:47.60
the door of mercy will be shut.
00:27:47.63\00:27:50.83
Then divine grace
00:27:50.87\00:27:52.20
will no longer
restrain the wicked,
00:27:52.23\00:27:54.20
and Satan will have full control
00:27:54.24\00:27:56.67
of those who have
rejected His mercy.
00:27:56.71\00:27:59.64
They will endeavor
to destroy God's people,
00:27:59.67\00:28:01.71
but as Noah was
shut into the ark,
00:28:01.74\00:28:04.31
so the righteous will be
shielded by divine power."
00:28:04.35\00:28:07.62
She continues.
00:28:07.65\00:28:08.98
"For seven days after Noah
and his family entered the ark,
00:28:09.02\00:28:12.35
there appeared no
sign of the coming storm.
00:28:12.39\00:28:15.42
During this period
their faith was tested.
00:28:15.46\00:28:18.26
It was a time of
triumph to the world without.
00:28:18.29\00:28:21.33
The apparent
delay confirmed them
00:28:21.36\00:28:23.70
in the belief that
Noah's message was a delusion,
00:28:23.73\00:28:26.94
and the Flood would never come."
00:28:26.97\00:28:31.94
Now it's very
interesting to notice that
00:28:31.97\00:28:34.28
the order of
events in Matthew 24
00:28:34.31\00:28:37.55
and the order of
events in the flood story
00:28:37.58\00:28:40.85
run parallel.
00:28:40.88\00:28:42.58
Let me just go
through this quickly.
00:28:42.62\00:28:45.02
First of all, Matthew 24:14,
00:28:45.05\00:28:48.02
you have the preaching of
the gospel to all the world,
00:28:48.06\00:28:50.89
and then the end will come.
00:28:50.93\00:28:52.59
That's parallel to
Noah preaching the message
00:28:52.63\00:28:56.67
before the closing of the door,
00:28:56.70\00:28:58.63
and before the
destruction of the flood came.
00:28:58.67\00:29:02.70
In Revelation,
00:29:02.74\00:29:04.07
we find also a parallel
in the Book of Revelation,
00:29:04.11\00:29:07.18
we are told that
the everlasting gospel
00:29:07.21\00:29:09.68
will be preached
by the first angel
00:29:09.71\00:29:11.58
to every nation,
kindred, tongue, and people.
00:29:11.61\00:29:14.58
So there's a
parallel between Matthew 24,
00:29:14.62\00:29:17.62
Revelation Chapter 14,
00:29:17.65\00:29:19.89
and the flood in
the days of Noah.
00:29:19.92\00:29:22.76
Let's notice another parallel.
00:29:22.79\00:29:25.79
You have in Matthew 24:15.
00:29:25.83\00:29:29.00
After the
preaching of the gospel,
00:29:29.03\00:29:31.03
you have the abomination
of desolation set up.
00:29:31.07\00:29:34.17
This divides the inhabitants
of Jerusalem into two groups,
00:29:34.20\00:29:38.37
those who are saved
and those who are lost,
00:29:38.41\00:29:42.78
those who flee the
city and those who stay.
00:29:42.81\00:29:46.25
In other words, the
abomination of desolation,
00:29:46.28\00:29:48.62
the sign divides the
world into two groups.
00:29:48.65\00:29:52.72
If this happened in the days
of Noah, it most certainly did.
00:29:52.75\00:29:56.79
In the days of Noah,
when the door closed,
00:29:56.83\00:29:59.66
you had two groups.
00:29:59.69\00:30:01.16
You have those who
were inside the ark,
00:30:01.20\00:30:03.06
and those who
were outside the ark
00:30:03.10\00:30:05.17
when the preaching ceased.
00:30:05.20\00:30:07.17
What about in the
Book of Revelation?
00:30:07.20\00:30:09.17
Do you also have
the saved and the lost?
00:30:09.20\00:30:13.51
Yes, we have the seal of God,
which the righteous will have,
00:30:13.54\00:30:17.71
which by the way
00:30:17.75\00:30:19.08
is the observance
of God's Holy Sabbath.
00:30:19.11\00:30:21.98
And then the lost
had the mark of the beast
00:30:22.02\00:30:24.85
when the door of
probation closes.
00:30:24.89\00:30:26.86
So you have the two groups also.
00:30:26.89\00:30:29.72
Do you also have the
tribulation symbolized
00:30:29.76\00:30:33.56
in all three
sources in Matthew 24,
00:30:33.60\00:30:36.40
in the days of Noah, and
in the Book of Revelation?
00:30:36.43\00:30:39.23
Absolutely.
00:30:39.27\00:30:40.60
You'll notice
in Matthew 24:16-21
00:30:40.64\00:30:44.61
that God's people flee,
00:30:44.64\00:30:46.51
and they go through
the Great Tribulation.
00:30:46.54\00:30:49.41
What about in the days of Noah?
00:30:49.44\00:30:51.21
They're inside
the ark, seven days,
00:30:51.25\00:30:53.15
the wicked outside
00:30:53.18\00:30:54.58
are ever more violent every day,
00:30:54.62\00:30:57.22
and then what about
the Book of Revelation?
00:30:57.25\00:30:59.45
Yes, God's people
are going to go through
00:30:59.49\00:31:01.32
the time of trouble,
00:31:01.36\00:31:02.69
the wicked will surround them,
and intend to destroy them,
00:31:02.72\00:31:05.93
but they will be
shielded by divine power,
00:31:05.96\00:31:08.63
just like those who fled
from Jerusalem, just like Noah
00:31:08.66\00:31:12.33
and his family were
protected inside the ark.
00:31:12.37\00:31:16.10
And then, of course,
00:31:16.14\00:31:17.47
you have the
destruction of the wicked
00:31:17.51\00:31:19.67
at the Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:31:19.71\00:31:22.51
And you have also the
destruction of the world
00:31:22.54\00:31:26.58
where the wicked are destroyed,
and the saved are spared.
00:31:26.61\00:31:30.49
And at the days of Noah,
00:31:30.52\00:31:32.25
you have also
those who survived,
00:31:32.29\00:31:34.99
Noah and as family and
those who were destroyed
00:31:35.02\00:31:37.83
those who were outside.
00:31:37.86\00:31:39.96
So you'll notice
that there's a parallel
00:31:40.00\00:31:41.70
between these three
events, Matthew Chapter 24,
00:31:41.73\00:31:46.37
and the days of Noah,
and the Book of Revelation.
00:31:46.40\00:31:51.67
Now this story is
given as a warning to us.
00:31:51.71\00:31:55.61
I want you to notice
this rather lengthy statement
00:31:55.64\00:31:58.31
that we find in
00:31:58.35\00:31:59.68
the Book Great
Controversy, page 491.
00:31:59.71\00:32:03.62
It's lengthy.
00:32:03.65\00:32:04.99
And I hate to read
because people get distracted,
00:32:05.02\00:32:07.42
but this is a
powerful statement.
00:32:07.46\00:32:09.62
So I'm going to
take the time to read it.
00:32:09.66\00:32:12.59
"When the work of
00:32:12.63\00:32:13.96
the
investigative judgment closes,
00:32:14.00\00:32:16.60
the destiny of all
will have been decided
00:32:16.63\00:32:20.04
for life or death.
00:32:20.07\00:32:23.04
Probation ends a short time
00:32:23.07\00:32:26.07
before the appearing of the Lord
00:32:26.11\00:32:27.91
in the clouds of heaven.
00:32:27.94\00:32:29.74
Christ in the Revelation,
looking forward to that time,
00:32:29.78\00:32:33.35
declares, 'He that is
unjust, let him be unjust still,
00:32:33.38\00:32:37.82
he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still,
00:32:37.85\00:32:40.76
and he that is righteous
let him be righteous still,
00:32:40.79\00:32:43.76
and he that is holy,
let him be holy still."
00:32:43.79\00:32:47.20
And then we have
the Second Coming.
00:32:47.23\00:32:49.26
"And, behold, I come quickly,
and My reward is with Me,
00:32:49.30\00:32:52.33
to give every man according
as his work shall be.'"
00:32:52.37\00:32:56.44
And then she comments.
00:32:56.47\00:32:58.07
"The righteous and
the wicked will still be
00:32:58.11\00:33:00.48
living upon the earth
in their mortal state,
00:33:00.51\00:33:04.01
men will be
planting and building,
00:33:04.05\00:33:06.11
eating and drinking,
00:33:06.15\00:33:07.72
all unconscious that the
final irrevocable decision
00:33:07.75\00:33:12.62
has been pronounced
in the sanctuary above."
00:33:12.65\00:33:15.99
So they're unaware that
00:33:16.02\00:33:17.36
probation is closed
in the sanctuary above.
00:33:17.39\00:33:20.13
Just like those outside the ark
00:33:20.16\00:33:21.90
were unaware that
probation had closed
00:33:21.93\00:33:24.23
when the door closed.
00:33:24.27\00:33:25.60
They thought that those inside
were wrong in their belief.
00:33:25.63\00:33:29.77
So she continues.
00:33:29.80\00:33:31.81
"Before the Flood,
after Noah entered the ark,
00:33:31.84\00:33:35.48
God shut him in and
shut the ungodly out,
00:33:35.51\00:33:40.38
but for seven days the people,
00:33:40.42\00:33:42.88
not knowing that their doom
00:33:42.92\00:33:46.32
was fixed,
continued their careless,
00:33:46.35\00:33:49.59
pleasure-loving life and mocked
00:33:49.62\00:33:51.83
the warnings of
impending judgment.
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.46
'So," says the Savior,
00:33:54.50\00:33:56.70
'shall also the
coming of the Son of man be.'
00:33:56.73\00:34:00.20
Silently, unnoticed
as the midnight thief,
00:34:00.24\00:34:05.54
will come the decisive hour
00:34:05.57\00:34:07.68
that marks the fixing
of every man's destiny,
00:34:07.71\00:34:11.85
the final withdrawal of
mercy's offered to guilty men."
00:34:11.88\00:34:15.58
So notice, silently
unnoticed as the midnight thief,
00:34:15.62\00:34:19.89
probation will close.
00:34:19.92\00:34:22.02
And the lost will be
00:34:22.06\00:34:23.83
totally
oblivious to the fact that
00:34:23.86\00:34:26.49
the door of mercy
is no longer open.
00:34:26.53\00:34:30.20
The quotation continues,
00:34:30.23\00:34:31.80
now she's going to
quote from Mark 13:35-36.
00:34:31.83\00:34:36.24
"Watch ye therefore,
00:34:36.27\00:34:37.97
lest coming suddenly
He find you sleeping."
00:34:38.01\00:34:40.21
People think, well,
00:34:40.24\00:34:41.58
this is the
Second Coming of Christ.
00:34:41.61\00:34:43.08
No, it's not.
00:34:43.11\00:34:44.45
You see, it's when Jesus
00:34:44.48\00:34:45.81
comes to the Father
to change His garments
00:34:45.85\00:34:49.12
to return to the earth
00:34:49.15\00:34:50.79
as King of kings
and Lord of lords
00:34:50.82\00:34:52.79
because He's no longer a
priest to intercede for people.
00:34:52.82\00:34:57.89
She continues.
00:34:57.93\00:34:59.26
"Perilous is the
condition of those who,
00:34:59.29\00:35:02.36
growing weary of their watch,
00:35:02.40\00:35:04.90
turn to the
attractions of the world.
00:35:04.93\00:35:07.54
While the man of
business is absorbed
00:35:07.57\00:35:09.54
in the pursuit of gain,
00:35:09.57\00:35:12.11
while the pleasure
lover is seeking indulgence,
00:35:12.14\00:35:14.88
while the daughter of fashion
00:35:14.91\00:35:16.48
is arranging her adornments,
00:35:16.51\00:35:18.58
it may be in that hour
00:35:18.61\00:35:21.08
the Judge of all the earth
will pronounce the sentence,
00:35:21.12\00:35:24.85
'Thou art
weighed in the balances,
00:35:24.89\00:35:27.22
and art found wanting.'"
00:35:27.26\00:35:30.46
Now I want to read
the parallel passage
00:35:30.49\00:35:32.76
that we find in Mark 13:33-37,
00:35:32.79\00:35:37.47
parallel to the passage that
00:35:37.50\00:35:39.07
we began with in our study today
00:35:39.10\00:35:41.57
from Matthew 24.
00:35:41.60\00:35:43.30
This is how it reads.
00:35:43.34\00:35:44.67
Mark 13:33-37,
00:35:44.71\00:35:48.04
"Take heed, watch and pray,
00:35:48.08\00:35:50.55
for you do not
know when the time is.
00:35:50.58\00:35:53.85
It is like a man
going to a far country,
00:35:53.88\00:35:57.09
who left his house
00:35:57.12\00:35:58.79
and gave
authority to his servants,
00:35:58.82\00:36:00.96
and to each his work,
00:36:00.99\00:36:03.06
and commanded the
doorkeeper to watch.
00:36:03.09\00:36:06.16
Watch therefore, Jesus
says, for you do not know
00:36:06.19\00:36:09.40
when the master of
the house is coming."
00:36:09.43\00:36:11.20
You say well, we don't know
the hour of the Second Coming.
00:36:11.23\00:36:13.84
Yeah, we don't know the
hour of the Second Coming,
00:36:13.87\00:36:15.70
but we also don't know
00:36:15.74\00:36:17.07
when the door of
probation is closing.
00:36:17.11\00:36:18.44
And this is talking
about the close of probation.
00:36:18.47\00:36:20.74
I'm going to
show you in a moment.
00:36:20.78\00:36:22.11
Verse 35 again,
"Watch therefore,
00:36:22.14\00:36:24.68
for you do not know
when the master of the house
00:36:24.71\00:36:26.58
is coming in the evening,
00:36:26.61\00:36:28.95
at midnight, at the
crowing of the rooster,
00:36:28.98\00:36:32.05
or in the morning,
00:36:32.09\00:36:33.42
lest coming
suddenly, he find you sleeping.
00:36:33.46\00:36:36.79
And what I say to
you, I say to all: Watch!"
00:36:36.83\00:36:40.20
So in other words, watch,
00:36:40.23\00:36:41.83
so that when He comes suddenly
He doesn't find you sleeping.
00:36:41.86\00:36:46.23
Is that talking about the moment
00:36:46.27\00:36:47.97
when the people discovered
that the thief has come?
00:36:48.00\00:36:51.07
No, it's talking about
the time when the thief comes.
00:36:51.11\00:36:54.58
And nobody knows
it until the morning
00:36:54.61\00:36:56.81
when they realize
that everything has been
00:36:56.85\00:36:59.41
stolen by the thief.
00:36:59.45\00:37:02.18
Now I've read this passage,
00:37:02.22\00:37:03.55
let me read you a
statement from Ellen White,
00:37:03.59\00:37:06.02
she understood this.
00:37:06.05\00:37:07.42
You see people many
times read Scripture,
00:37:07.46\00:37:09.49
and they're not
careful in their reading.
00:37:09.52\00:37:11.73
They simply say, "Oh, well,
00:37:11.76\00:37:13.09
nobody knows the
hour and day of His coming
00:37:13.13\00:37:15.06
so that's the
Second Coming of Christ."
00:37:15.10\00:37:17.53
But they don't realize that
00:37:17.57\00:37:18.90
this is talking about
the coming of the thief.
00:37:18.93\00:37:21.80
When the thief comes
those who are not watching,
00:37:21.84\00:37:25.51
they're caught off guard.
00:37:25.54\00:37:26.88
They don't know
the thief has come.
00:37:26.91\00:37:28.61
They find out later
00:37:28.64\00:37:30.31
when they wake up in the morning
00:37:30.35\00:37:32.01
and the thief has
taken all of their goods.
00:37:32.05\00:37:34.92
This is a remarkable
statement from Ellen White.
00:37:34.95\00:37:37.12
She understood that probation
00:37:37.15\00:37:38.49
closes before the
Second Coming of Christ.
00:37:38.52\00:37:41.82
This is a rather
lengthy statement also,
00:37:41.86\00:37:44.26
it's found in Volume
Two of the Testimonies,
00:37:44.29\00:37:46.23
page 190 and 191.
00:37:46.26\00:37:49.00
She is going to
quote the passage
00:37:49.03\00:37:50.43
that we just read from Mark 13.
00:37:50.47\00:37:53.13
"Jesus has left us word."
00:37:53.17\00:37:55.20
Now she quotes,
"Watch ye therefore,
00:37:55.24\00:37:57.91
for ye do not know
00:37:57.94\00:37:59.34
when the Master
of the house cometh,
00:37:59.37\00:38:01.51
at even, or at midnight,
00:38:01.54\00:38:03.55
or the cockcrowing, or
in the morning, lest coming
00:38:03.58\00:38:07.12
suddenly He find you sleeping.
00:38:07.15\00:38:09.58
And what I say unto
you, I say unto all, Watch."
00:38:09.62\00:38:13.19
She's quoting
Mark 13 where it says,
00:38:13.22\00:38:16.56
"Lest coming suddenly
He find you sleeping."
00:38:16.59\00:38:19.89
She continues, "We
are waiting and watching
00:38:19.93\00:38:22.60
for the return of the Master,
00:38:22.63\00:38:24.53
who is to bring the morning,
00:38:24.57\00:38:26.30
lest coming suddenly
He find us sleeping."
00:38:26.33\00:38:29.74
And then she
asked this question.
00:38:29.77\00:38:31.94
"What time is here referred to?"
00:38:31.97\00:38:34.58
That is when the
return of the Master is?
00:38:34.61\00:38:37.25
What time is referred to here?
00:38:37.28\00:38:39.75
"Not to the revelation of
Christ in the clouds of heaven
00:38:39.78\00:38:43.05
to find a people asleep.
00:38:43.08\00:38:45.49
No, but to His
return from His ministration
00:38:45.52\00:38:49.16
in the most holy place
of the heavenly sanctuary,
00:38:49.19\00:38:52.13
when He lays off
His priestly attire
00:38:52.16\00:38:54.83
and clothes Himself
with garments of vengeance,
00:38:54.86\00:38:57.97
and when the mandate goes forth,
00:38:58.00\00:39:00.34
'He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still,
00:39:00.37\00:39:02.90
and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still,
00:39:02.94\00:39:05.77
and he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still,
00:39:05.81\00:39:08.41
and he that is holy,
let him be holy still.'
00:39:08.44\00:39:11.25
When Jesus
ceases to plead for man,
00:39:11.28\00:39:13.92
the cases of all
are forever decided.
00:39:13.95\00:39:17.62
This is the time of
reckoning with His servants.
00:39:17.65\00:39:20.42
To those..."
00:39:20.46\00:39:21.79
Now I want you to
notice the key words
00:39:21.82\00:39:23.36
that I'm going
to read following.
00:39:23.39\00:39:25.93
"To those who have
neglected, not rejected,
00:39:25.96\00:39:30.00
neglected the preparation
of purity and holiness,
00:39:30.03\00:39:34.60
which fits them to be waiting
ones to welcome their Lord,
00:39:34.64\00:39:38.91
the sun sets in
gloom and darkness,
00:39:38.94\00:39:41.71
and rises not again.
00:39:41.74\00:39:43.55
Probation closes,
00:39:43.58\00:39:45.58
Christ's
intercessions cease in heaven.
00:39:45.61\00:39:49.58
This time finally
comes suddenly upon all,
00:39:49.62\00:39:53.59
and those who have
neglected to purify their souls
00:39:53.62\00:39:56.36
by obeying the
truth are found sleeping.
00:39:56.39\00:39:59.53
They become weary of
waiting and watching,
00:39:59.56\00:40:03.37
they became indifferent
00:40:03.40\00:40:05.63
in regard to the
coming of their Master.
00:40:05.67\00:40:07.74
They longed not
for His appearing,
00:40:07.77\00:40:11.54
and thought there was no need of
00:40:11.57\00:40:13.38
such continued
persevering watching.
00:40:13.41\00:40:16.75
They had been disappointed
in their expectations
00:40:16.78\00:40:19.11
and might be again.
00:40:19.15\00:40:20.92
They concluded that
00:40:20.95\00:40:22.28
there was time
enough yet to arouse.
00:40:22.32\00:40:24.92
They would be sure not to lose
00:40:24.95\00:40:26.32
the opportunity of
securing an earthly treasure.
00:40:26.35\00:40:29.29
It would be safe to
get all of this world
00:40:29.32\00:40:31.26
they could and in
securing this object,
00:40:31.29\00:40:34.23
they lost all anxiety and
interest in the appearance
00:40:34.26\00:40:38.57
of the
appearing of their Master.
00:40:38.60\00:40:40.60
They became
indifferent and careless,
00:40:40.64\00:40:43.47
as though His coming
were yet in the distance.
00:40:43.51\00:40:46.37
But while their interest was
buried in their worldly gains,
00:40:46.41\00:40:50.95
the work closed in
the heavenly sanctuary,
00:40:50.98\00:40:53.45
and they were unprepared."
00:40:53.48\00:40:55.15
What a magnificent
description that Ellen White
00:40:55.18\00:40:58.82
gives here based firmly on
00:40:58.85\00:41:01.62
what we have
studied from Scripture.
00:41:01.66\00:41:04.59
Now let me ask you
what is going to happen
00:41:04.63\00:41:06.26
after the Second
Coming of Christ?
00:41:06.29\00:41:08.70
What is going to happen
00:41:08.73\00:41:10.07
with Satan
during the 1,000 years?
00:41:10.10\00:41:12.83
You can read it
in Revelation 20,
00:41:12.87\00:41:14.77
we're told that Revelation
00:41:14.80\00:41:16.14
that Satan will be
bound to planet earth,
00:41:16.17\00:41:18.77
just like at the flood.
00:41:18.81\00:41:20.98
You remember Patriarchs
and Prophets, page 99,
00:41:21.01\00:41:24.05
"Satan himself, who
was compelled to remain
00:41:24.08\00:41:26.72
in the midst of
the warring elements,
00:41:26.75\00:41:28.58
feared for his own existence."
00:41:28.62\00:41:30.95
So after the
Second Coming as Satan
00:41:30.99\00:41:33.29
was bound to this
earth at the flood,
00:41:33.32\00:41:35.62
Satan will be bound to
this world for 1,000 years.
00:41:35.66\00:41:39.59
During this period, according
00:41:39.63\00:41:41.06
to the Prophet Jeremiah 4:19-23,
00:41:41.10\00:41:45.20
the earth will be
without form and void,
00:41:45.23\00:41:47.90
like it was before creation,
00:41:47.94\00:41:50.04
and the planet
will be in darkness,
00:41:50.07\00:41:52.57
all of the wicked
will also be dead.
00:41:52.61\00:41:55.18
We find that in
Revelation Chapter 20,
00:41:55.21\00:41:57.38
Satan has lost
all of his followers.
00:41:57.41\00:42:00.82
So basically,
you have a repetition
00:42:00.85\00:42:03.08
of what the world was
in before creation week.
00:42:03.12\00:42:08.39
Now is it
possible to be notified,
00:42:08.42\00:42:12.89
but surprised?
00:42:12.93\00:42:15.06
I want to talk to you now
about an event that occurred
00:42:15.10\00:42:18.73
in the country of
Colombia many years ago.
00:42:18.77\00:42:22.34
On Wednesday, November 13, 1985,
00:42:22.37\00:42:26.78
the eruption of the
volcano, Nevado del Ruiz
00:42:26.81\00:42:30.58
caused an avalanche of mud
00:42:30.61\00:42:33.05
that buried the city
of Armero in Colombia.
00:42:33.08\00:42:36.69
Some 22,000 souls
perished in one night.
00:42:36.72\00:42:42.46
One wonders
whether this devastating
00:42:42.49\00:42:44.89
loss of life could
have been prevented.
00:42:44.93\00:42:47.80
Were there no signs that
indicated that the volcano
00:42:47.83\00:42:52.33
was going to explode,
00:42:52.37\00:42:53.97
and that there was going
to be an avalanche of mud?
00:42:54.00\00:42:57.01
The answer to this
question is a resounding yes.
00:42:57.04\00:43:01.54
There were warnings.
00:43:01.58\00:43:03.71
In fact, the day
after the disaster,
00:43:03.75\00:43:06.15
I read an article
in one of the main
00:43:06.18\00:43:09.02
newspapers El Espectador,
00:43:09.05\00:43:11.45
published by
Rodolfo Rodriguez Calderon.
00:43:11.49\00:43:14.36
The title of the article
was on un desastre anunciado,
00:43:14.39\00:43:18.76
in other words,
unannounced disaster.
00:43:18.79\00:43:21.83
The disaster was announced
ahead of time in other words.
00:43:21.86\00:43:24.73
The article makes it clear that
00:43:24.77\00:43:26.23
every single person
in the city of Armero
00:43:26.27\00:43:29.77
could have saved their
lives if they had paid attention
00:43:29.80\00:43:33.27
to the signs of impending doom,
00:43:33.31\00:43:35.74
but they chose
to ignore the signs.
00:43:35.78\00:43:39.58
What were the signs?
00:43:39.61\00:43:41.25
Eleven months
before the disaster,
00:43:41.28\00:43:43.52
the mountain had begun
spewing out smoke and ash.
00:43:43.55\00:43:48.42
The fluffy snow at
the top of the mountain
00:43:48.46\00:43:51.83
became a solid sheet of
ice due to the intense heat
00:43:51.86\00:43:56.10
within the mountain.
00:43:56.13\00:43:57.63
The water level of the
rivers increased significantly
00:43:57.67\00:44:01.60
due to the melting snow.
00:44:01.64\00:44:03.64
The cloud of ash and gases
00:44:03.67\00:44:06.11
which rose 15
feet high the first day
00:44:06.14\00:44:09.38
increased to 750
feet the second day,
00:44:09.41\00:44:13.11
and the day before the eruption,
00:44:13.15\00:44:15.22
the cloud of ash
and gases had reached
00:44:15.25\00:44:18.22
a height of 16,000 feet.
00:44:18.25\00:44:22.02
On September 11,
00:44:22.06\00:44:23.83
the earth tremors
reached an intensity of III
00:44:23.86\00:44:27.00
other Mercalli scale.
00:44:27.03\00:44:29.00
On occasion, people could hear
the mountain roar from inside.
00:44:29.03\00:44:33.64
The authorities had
to close the access roads
00:44:33.67\00:44:36.20
to the mountain ski resort
00:44:36.24\00:44:38.01
because of the mudslides
that totally covered them.
00:44:38.04\00:44:41.28
It was impossible for people
to keep their houses clean
00:44:41.31\00:44:44.55
because of the volcanic ash
00:44:44.58\00:44:46.61
that blew into
town day in and day out.
00:44:46.65\00:44:50.49
The people could
smell sulfur in the air.
00:44:50.52\00:44:54.22
The evening when
the volcano exploded,
00:44:54.26\00:44:57.43
there was a torrential rain
00:44:57.46\00:44:59.13
according to those who survived
00:44:59.16\00:45:00.96
with wind of
hurricane proportions
00:45:01.00\00:45:03.73
that began around 9 pm.
00:45:03.77\00:45:06.74
According to the
handful of survivors,
00:45:06.77\00:45:09.40
the darkness was unusual
00:45:09.44\00:45:12.01
in some eyewitnesses
that survived said that
00:45:12.04\00:45:14.94
the darkness was
virtually supernatural.
00:45:14.98\00:45:18.85
Were there enough signs
00:45:18.88\00:45:20.85
that a disaster was
going to take place?
00:45:20.88\00:45:23.35
Absolutely.
00:45:23.39\00:45:25.12
So why didn't people flee
00:45:25.15\00:45:27.26
when they saw all these signs
00:45:27.29\00:45:28.62
move to some other place?
00:45:28.66\00:45:31.49
This is the sad
part of the story.
00:45:31.53\00:45:34.26
In spite of the
multiple signs 22,000 people
00:45:34.30\00:45:40.17
perished on that fateful night.
00:45:40.20\00:45:42.94
One wonders
whether something similar
00:45:42.97\00:45:45.07
can happen with regards to
the Second Coming of Christ.
00:45:45.11\00:45:49.24
Could the Second
Coming catch people
00:45:49.28\00:45:51.61
by surprise in spite
of all of the signs that
00:45:51.65\00:45:54.85
there are that
Jesus is coming soon?
00:45:54.88\00:45:58.15
Why did the
city of Armero choose
00:45:58.19\00:46:01.12
to ignore these signs?
00:46:01.16\00:46:05.06
Well, in the same article that
00:46:05.09\00:46:06.96
I mentioned from the
newspaper El Espectador,
00:46:07.00\00:46:11.33
we have the
following information
00:46:11.37\00:46:14.14
about the reason why the people
00:46:14.17\00:46:16.40
decided to stay within the city.
00:46:16.44\00:46:19.64
A priest in the
city, Edgar Efren Torres,
00:46:19.67\00:46:24.18
came over the radio
at 7 pm that evening,
00:46:24.21\00:46:27.68
and told the people
there is no reason to panic.
00:46:27.72\00:46:31.49
Please stay calm.
00:46:31.52\00:46:34.16
The Civil Defense
00:46:34.19\00:46:35.92
in an official
radio release affirmed,
00:46:35.96\00:46:38.49
there is no
reason to be concerned.
00:46:38.53\00:46:41.86
The bishop of a town,
00:46:41.90\00:46:43.26
Augusto Osorio
warned against fanatics
00:46:43.30\00:46:47.64
who were announcing
gloom and doom for the city.
00:46:47.67\00:46:51.17
The mayor of the
town said, "Don't worry."
00:46:51.21\00:46:55.81
The governor of
the state of Tolima,
00:46:55.84\00:46:58.21
where Armero was
found, said later,
00:46:58.25\00:47:01.18
"The disaster
could not have been
00:47:01.22\00:47:02.95
predicted in advance."
00:47:02.98\00:47:05.42
Colombian scientist
Jaime Vega Velasquez
00:47:05.45\00:47:09.52
confidently predicted,
00:47:09.56\00:47:11.33
this volcano is
not going to erupt,
00:47:11.36\00:47:13.96
nothing is going to happen.
00:47:14.00\00:47:16.30
Beware of
speculations and exaggerations.
00:47:16.33\00:47:20.97
The Secretary of Mines,
00:47:21.00\00:47:23.00
Ivan Duque Escobar asserted
that nothing will happen.
00:47:23.04\00:47:27.54
Even United States
geologist Darrell Hurd said
00:47:27.58\00:47:31.35
that it was very unlikely that
00:47:31.38\00:47:33.31
the cities could be
buried by rocks, lava, or mud.
00:47:33.35\00:47:37.39
The Regional
Emergency Committee,
00:47:37.42\00:47:39.62
that very evening
sent out a message,
00:47:39.65\00:47:41.89
don't expect your
windows to shatter,
00:47:41.92\00:47:44.03
don't expect darkness,
00:47:44.06\00:47:45.66
don't expect lava to
run down the mountain,
00:47:45.69\00:47:48.16
don't expect
large layers of ash,
00:47:48.20\00:47:50.50
among other things.
00:47:50.53\00:47:52.10
The people did not know that
00:47:52.13\00:47:54.24
probation had closed and
destruction was on the way.
00:47:54.27\00:47:59.77
And very few of those who
lived in the city were left.
00:47:59.81\00:48:05.51
Now this is
something very interesting,
00:48:05.55\00:48:07.18
we need to talk briefly
about those who are left
00:48:07.22\00:48:11.62
and those who are taken.
00:48:11.65\00:48:12.99
You remember that
in Matthew Chapter 24,
00:48:13.02\00:48:15.22
Jesus says, one will be taken
and the other will be left.
00:48:15.26\00:48:19.09
Now many, many scholars say that
00:48:19.13\00:48:21.33
the ones that are
left are the ones that
00:48:21.36\00:48:24.17
stay on earth
during the 1,000 years,
00:48:24.20\00:48:28.14
the lost.
00:48:28.17\00:48:29.60
And that those who are taken
00:48:29.64\00:48:31.17
are the ones who
are taken to heaven
00:48:31.21\00:48:32.77
in the rapture at
the Second Coming,
00:48:32.81\00:48:35.48
but I believe if you
study Scripture carefully,
00:48:35.51\00:48:39.08
the ones who are left
are the ones who survive.
00:48:39.11\00:48:43.22
The ones who are taken are
the ones who are destroyed.
00:48:43.25\00:48:47.42
You know, for example,
if there's a flood today,
00:48:47.46\00:48:50.63
and the flood
takes away a whole town,
00:48:50.66\00:48:53.40
we say did the
flood take everyone away,
00:48:53.43\00:48:56.40
wasn't anyone left?
00:48:56.43\00:48:58.80
You see, we don't have
the time to go through this,
00:48:58.83\00:49:00.97
but the word left
in the Old Testament
00:49:01.00\00:49:04.31
is a remnant word.
00:49:04.34\00:49:06.68
It's referring to
those who are left
00:49:06.71\00:49:08.64
after a great calamity,
after a great destruction.
00:49:08.68\00:49:13.25
You know, being that
00:49:13.28\00:49:14.62
this is talking about the Flood,
00:49:14.65\00:49:16.32
we need to go to
Genesis Chapter 7
00:49:16.35\00:49:19.52
and notice
something very interesting.
00:49:19.55\00:49:21.62
Who is that was left
at the time of the Flood?
00:49:21.66\00:49:25.13
And who was taken at
the time of the Flood?
00:49:25.16\00:49:27.90
Notice Genesis Chapter 7
00:49:27.93\00:49:30.13
and I want to read verses 23
00:49:30.17\00:49:32.90
and actually 22 and 23.
00:49:32.93\00:49:36.74
It says there,
"All in whose nostrils
00:49:36.77\00:49:40.31
was the breath of
the spirit of life,
00:49:40.34\00:49:42.61
all that was on
the dry land, died."
00:49:42.64\00:49:47.12
So you have one group that dies.
00:49:47.15\00:49:49.92
Verse 23, "So He
destroyed all living things
00:49:49.95\00:49:53.79
which were on the
face of the ground,
00:49:53.82\00:49:56.32
both man and cattle,
00:49:56.36\00:49:58.36
creeping thing
and bird of the air.
00:49:58.39\00:50:00.96
They were
destroyed from the earth."
00:50:01.00\00:50:04.33
And now notice this.
00:50:04.37\00:50:05.87
"Only Noah and
those who were with him
00:50:05.90\00:50:09.44
in the ark remained alive."
00:50:09.47\00:50:11.87
This is the New
King James Version.
00:50:11.91\00:50:13.84
But if you read
many other versions,
00:50:13.88\00:50:15.94
it actually says there
in verse 23 at the end,
00:50:15.98\00:50:19.38
"Only Noah, and
those who are with him
00:50:19.41\00:50:23.08
in the ark were left."
00:50:23.12\00:50:26.29
Jesus Himself said that
00:50:26.32\00:50:28.32
the flood took
away all of the wicked."
00:50:28.36\00:50:31.86
So those who are left
were Noah and his family.
00:50:31.89\00:50:36.87
This is a remnant word.
00:50:36.90\00:50:39.23
Let me just go
to one other verse,
00:50:39.27\00:50:41.64
or couple of verses that
use this very same word left
00:50:41.67\00:50:46.27
to show you that the left
are the remnant that are saved,
00:50:46.31\00:50:50.38
the left are not
those that are left behind,
00:50:50.41\00:50:53.11
according to the famous
series of books, you know,
00:50:53.15\00:50:56.35
they're not the ones
that are left behind,
00:50:56.38\00:50:58.02
while the ones that
are taken out are the ones
00:50:58.05\00:50:59.55
that taken to
heaven in the rapture.
00:50:59.59\00:51:01.92
You know, this
idea of the rapture
00:51:01.96\00:51:03.83
is not a biblical idea.
00:51:03.86\00:51:05.73
Notice Isaiah Chapter 4
and let's read verse 2 and 3.
00:51:05.76\00:51:11.70
"In that day, the
Branch of the Lord
00:51:11.73\00:51:14.40
shall be beautiful and glorious,
00:51:14.44\00:51:16.64
and the fruit of the
earth shall be excellent
00:51:16.67\00:51:18.84
and appealing
for those of Israel
00:51:18.87\00:51:21.38
who have escaped.
00:51:21.41\00:51:23.14
And it shall come to pass
that he who is left in Zion
00:51:23.18\00:51:27.82
and remains in
Jerusalem will be called holy,
00:51:27.85\00:51:33.15
everyone who is recorded
among the living in Jerusalem."
00:51:33.19\00:51:38.13
So you'll notice
here very clearly,
00:51:38.16\00:51:40.63
that we are told
that those who are left
00:51:40.66\00:51:43.97
in Jerusalem are holy.
00:51:44.00\00:51:47.34
Now let's notice 1
Thessalonians Chapter 4.
00:51:47.37\00:51:50.71
Incidentally, I
wrote a little book,
00:51:50.74\00:51:52.97
and you can get this
book from Secrets Unsealed,
00:51:53.01\00:51:55.94
it's called Taken Or Left?
00:51:55.98\00:51:57.88
Where I deal fully with
this, it's about a small book,
00:51:57.91\00:52:01.05
probably about 20 plus pages,
00:52:01.08\00:52:03.18
and you can get
the full explanation of
00:52:03.22\00:52:05.95
what I'm sharing with you now.
00:52:05.99\00:52:07.69
So let's go.
00:52:07.72\00:52:09.39
Where did I say we were going?
00:52:09.42\00:52:12.49
Let's go in our Bibles to
00:52:12.53\00:52:17.07
1 Thessalonians Chapter 4.
00:52:17.10\00:52:19.10
1 Thessalonians Chapter 4,
we've read before this passage,
00:52:19.13\00:52:22.97
but let's read it
again in this new context.
00:52:23.00\00:52:26.24
4:15, "For this we say to
you by the word of the Lord,
00:52:26.27\00:52:31.61
that we who are alive and remain
00:52:31.65\00:52:35.65
until the coming of the
Lord will by no means precede
00:52:35.68\00:52:38.89
those who are asleep.
00:52:38.92\00:52:40.39
For the Lord Himself
will descend from heaven
00:52:40.42\00:52:42.52
with a shout, with
the voice of an archangel,
00:52:42.56\00:52:44.43
the trumpet of God.
00:52:44.46\00:52:45.79
And the dead in
Christ will rise first."
00:52:45.83\00:52:47.96
Now notice this.
00:52:48.00\00:52:49.33
"Then we who are
alive and," what?
00:52:49.36\00:52:52.77
"And remain or are left shall be
00:52:52.80\00:52:56.20
caught up together with them
00:52:56.24\00:52:57.57
in the clouds to
meet the Lord in the air.
00:52:57.61\00:52:59.37
And thus we shall
always be with the Lord."
00:52:59.41\00:53:03.31
The word left as I
mentioned is a remnant word.
00:53:03.35\00:53:07.65
It's what remains
after a great catastrophe,
00:53:07.68\00:53:11.62
after a great cataclysm,
after a great destruction.
00:53:11.65\00:53:16.16
So when Scripture speaks
about the taken and the left,
00:53:16.19\00:53:20.73
the taken are not
those who go to heaven
00:53:20.76\00:53:22.60
in the rapture seven years
00:53:22.63\00:53:23.97
before the
glorious coming of Christ,
00:53:24.00\00:53:25.63
and the ones who
are left are left here
00:53:25.67\00:53:27.54
behind alive to
suffer the Great Tribulation.
00:53:27.57\00:53:31.84
You say, how do we know that?
00:53:31.87\00:53:33.64
Well, I've shared
several ideas with you.
00:53:33.68\00:53:35.48
Let me share
another one with you.
00:53:35.51\00:53:38.28
In the period of
Noah, before the Flood.
00:53:38.31\00:53:42.68
Let me ask you,
when the Flood came,
00:53:42.72\00:53:44.32
how many groups were there?
00:53:44.35\00:53:46.59
Were there, first of all,
those who survived in the ark,
00:53:46.62\00:53:52.03
then you have
those who were destroyed
00:53:52.06\00:53:54.06
outside the ark.
00:53:54.10\00:53:55.96
And you had some people that
remained alive outside the ark.
00:53:56.00\00:54:00.60
Is that the case? No.
00:54:00.64\00:54:03.91
You have two groups.
00:54:03.94\00:54:05.57
Those who were saved in the ark,
00:54:05.61\00:54:08.04
everyone else was destroyed.
00:54:08.08\00:54:11.21
There was no
third group of survivors
00:54:11.25\00:54:13.75
that were on the
earth during the Flood
00:54:13.78\00:54:16.32
that survived the Flood.
00:54:16.35\00:54:18.32
Now why do I bring this to you?
00:54:18.35\00:54:20.82
Because the rapture
idea basically teaches that
00:54:20.86\00:54:24.16
when Jesus
comes for the rapture,
00:54:24.19\00:54:26.33
He takes His people, His
faithful people to heaven.
00:54:26.36\00:54:31.03
And some on
earth will be destroyed
00:54:31.07\00:54:33.80
when planes crash
and cars crash, etcetera,
00:54:33.84\00:54:36.84
but there will be a third group
that are those who are alive
00:54:36.87\00:54:41.44
and remain on earth
during the Tribulation.
00:54:41.48\00:54:45.38
Futurists call it
the tribulation force.
00:54:45.41\00:54:48.05
So instead of the
two groups at the Flood,
00:54:48.08\00:54:50.65
you have suddenly three groups,
but there are not three groups.
00:54:50.69\00:54:54.59
There are two groups.
00:54:54.62\00:54:55.96
When Jesus comes
in power and glory
00:54:55.99\00:54:58.46
there will only be two groups.
00:54:58.49\00:55:00.30
Those who are saved,
and those who are lost.
00:55:00.33\00:55:03.57
And by the way, I
repeat once again,
00:55:03.60\00:55:06.23
how important this is that
00:55:06.27\00:55:08.20
when the door of
probation closes,
00:55:08.24\00:55:11.04
everybody is saved or lost,
00:55:11.07\00:55:13.54
there is no change in
sides at that particular point.
00:55:13.58\00:55:17.31
Now let me end by
mentioning one more thing.
00:55:17.35\00:55:21.35
There will be a
corporate close of probation
00:55:21.38\00:55:23.99
for the entire world.
00:55:24.02\00:55:26.12
We don't know when that
close of probation will be.
00:55:26.15\00:55:29.42
In other words,
there's a close of probation
00:55:29.46\00:55:31.26
for everyone on planet earth,
00:55:31.29\00:55:32.69
it is a global
close of probation.
00:55:32.73\00:55:35.86
But there's
another close of probation
00:55:35.90\00:55:38.10
that the Bible speaks of.
00:55:38.13\00:55:40.10
And this close of probation
is individual and personal.
00:55:40.14\00:55:44.31
It's not global,
but it's personal.
00:55:44.34\00:55:47.24
And by the way,
this close of probation
00:55:47.28\00:55:50.45
can occur at any time.
00:55:50.48\00:55:53.62
And you say, "What
are you talking about?"
00:55:53.65\00:55:56.58
Well, the fact is that as
long as a person is alive,
00:55:56.62\00:56:01.42
they are able to
choose one of the two sides,
00:56:01.46\00:56:04.79
that is until the
corporate probation
00:56:04.83\00:56:06.80
for the world closes,
00:56:06.83\00:56:08.33
people are able to
choose to be on one side
00:56:08.36\00:56:11.47
or on the other side.
00:56:11.50\00:56:13.74
But when a person dies,
00:56:13.77\00:56:17.51
their case is closed forever.
00:56:17.54\00:56:20.64
Probation has
closed for that person.
00:56:20.68\00:56:24.61
So if you don't reach
into the time of the corporate,
00:56:24.65\00:56:27.98
global close of probation,
and you should die today.
00:56:28.02\00:56:32.32
Your case has been
decided forever and ever.
00:56:32.35\00:56:36.52
That's the reason why
we need to be certain that
00:56:36.56\00:56:39.59
we are connected with
Jesus Christ as our Savior
00:56:39.63\00:56:42.66
and Lord at every
moment of every day.
00:56:42.70\00:56:45.20
We can say, "Oh,
there's still time,
00:56:45.23\00:56:47.30
you know, I can still
give my life to the Lord
00:56:47.34\00:56:49.80
because there's still time."
00:56:49.84\00:56:51.21
There's no guarantee
that there's still time.
00:56:51.24\00:56:53.78
There's no guarantee that
00:56:53.81\00:56:55.18
we're going to be
alive the next instant.
00:56:55.21\00:56:57.38
And so the Bible says,
00:56:57.41\00:56:58.91
"Today is the day of salvation."
00:56:58.95\00:57:01.15
Today, if you hear His
voice, don't harden your heart.
00:57:01.18\00:57:04.39
Today, receive Jesus
Christ as your Savior and Lord.
00:57:04.42\00:57:08.36
Don't be caught by
the close of probation
00:57:08.39\00:57:11.66
of individual personal probation
00:57:11.69\00:57:13.96
without being prepared.
00:57:14.00\00:57:17.07
And so folks,
Jesus in Matthew 24
00:57:17.10\00:57:20.14
tells us in summary
that probation will close,
00:57:20.17\00:57:23.81
the door will close
00:57:23.84\00:57:25.17
that's His coming as
a thief closes the door.
00:57:25.21\00:57:28.24
Most of the
world will be sleeping,
00:57:28.28\00:57:30.15
they won't be watching.
00:57:30.18\00:57:31.51
They're unaware that
probation has closed,
00:57:31.55\00:57:34.08
until Jesus comes
on the clouds of heaven
00:57:34.12\00:57:36.79
to destroy those who
have not committed their lives
00:57:36.82\00:57:40.86
to Jesus Christ
as Savior and Lord.
00:57:40.89\00:57:44.49
My prayer is that we
will take this seriously
00:57:44.53\00:57:48.36
and that we
will commit our lives
00:57:48.40\00:57:51.70
to the Lord and
Savior Jesus Christ
00:57:51.73\00:57:53.77
so that He will save us
both after probation closes
00:57:53.80\00:57:59.24
and at His glorious coming.
00:57:59.27\00:58:01.34
May God bless us and
may that be our experience.
00:58:01.38\00:58:05.08