What do the mysterious images of
Daniel and Revelation mean? When
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will the anti-Christ appear and
make his final moves. How can I
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be ready for final events
of earth's history. You'll be
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amazed and encouraged by what
the Bible reveals. Join us as
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Pastor Brian McMahon
leads out in Prophecy Unsealed.
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Welcome again everyone. Thank
you for joining us here today.
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Our subject for tonight is A
Thief in the Night. The Federal
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Bureau of Engraving holds
seminars a number of times every
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year for a specific purpose.
They want to help people
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identify counterfeit money.
The vast majority of counterfeit
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American money actually exists
outside of the United States.
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But the purpose of the seminar
is to enable bank tellers, law
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enforcement officials and other
professionals how to discern or
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detect what counterfeit
money looks like. But here's the
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interesting thing. For however
long the seminar goes they focus
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primarily on the genuine money.
Because they know if they really
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understand what genuine money
looks like and feels like and
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maybe even smells like. If
anything other than the genuine
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comes along they would instantly
be able to recognize it as a
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fake or a counterfeit. Now that
very principle is helping us
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with our subject tonight. There
are a lot of false ideas about
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the second coming. So tonight
we're going to study primarily
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what the genuine second coming
is all about. And therefore if
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anything other than that is
before us we're going to know it
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to be a counterfeit. Most
often when people talk about the
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second coming today they use the
word rapture. Now I must tell
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right off the bat, the Bible
doesn't use the word rapture.
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It's similar to the word
millennium. The principle is in
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the Bible but the word itself
is not in the Bible. Long ago in
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heaven highest ranking
angel known as Lucifer who later
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became known as Satan wanted
to try and rule as only God can
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rule. He wanted to be like
God and reign over others. He
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wouldn't submit to God's
authority anymore. Now there can
only be one God and so
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war broke out in heaven and the
angels that joined him in that
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rebellion were cast out
of heaven along with Lucifer.
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Unfortunately that rebellion
spread down here on earth. When
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Lucifer came to Eve in the form
of a serpent he fooled her into
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thinking that she could obey
her own authority and not God's
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anymore. And so he offers a
counterfeit happiness. Satan
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offers us a counterfeit
salvation, a counterfeit worship
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and counterfeit Messiahs.
Everything that God has ever
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created Satan tries to
counterfeit it for us. But his
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masterpiece counterfeit lies
still ahead when Satan tries to
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duplicate or fool us on the
second coming of Jesus. He will
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masquerade as Jesus himself
before the Lord's true return.
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And Jesus realized that when he
came to this earth and therefore
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when his disciples asked him
Lord what will be the sign of
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thy coming and the end of the
world the first thing Jesus said
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was Take heed that no man
deceive you. Now that's good
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advice for us today friends. The
modern day paraphrase of that
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would be let's be sure that no
man fools us. Let's be sure that
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what we believe comes right
from the word of God. In John
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chapter 14 and verse 1 we read
these words: Let not your heart
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be troubled: ye believe in
God, believe also in me. In my
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Father's house are many mansions
If it were not so, I would have
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told you. I go to prepare a
place for you. And if I go and
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prepare a place for you, I will
come again, and receive you unto
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myself; that where I am, there
ye may be also. Did you know
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friends that in over 1500 places
in the Bible it speaks about the
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second coming of Jesus. In fact,
it is said that on average one
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out of every 25 verses in the
New Testament also speaks about
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the great return of Jesus making
it therefore one of the most
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important topics we could ever
study in the Bible. Maybe you
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came in here discouraged tonight
I want you to know that God
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loves you very much and not only
did he send his Son to die for
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you but to give us a promise
that he's coming back for us.
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That's the blessed hope that
we hold as Christians. So if you
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look at this passage friends, it
doesn't say that Jesus is going
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to go up and make a mansion for
us and have us join him up there
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He's saying no, he will return
and he will come and get us here
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Now keep that in mind as we
go into this topic. Two thousand
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years ago the vast majority of
people in Jesus' day had access
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to the same Old Testament
scriptures that we have access
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to tonight and in those
scriptures there's a lot of
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information about the Messiah.
There's information about when
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the Messiah would come and
where the Messiah would come,
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and what work Messiah would do
when he came and yet with all of
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that information they missed
recognizing in Jesus the Christ
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or the Savior of the world. Now
how could they miss it? There
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are two basic answers to that
question friends. Number 1: The
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religious people of the day the
average person of the day was
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not reading the scriptures for
themself. They were relying on
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the religious leadership to tell
them what the scriptures said.
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So there's a great danger there.
And then number 2: The religious
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leadership had taken certain
texts out of their proper
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context and they developed a
certain theory or belief that
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basically went like this. They
said when the Messiah comes he's
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going to come as a great
conquering king. He's going to
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do away with those hated
Romans that are ruling over us.
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Israel's going to be set free
and everything's going to be
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wonderful. Now it sounded good
but the problem was it wasn't
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according to scripture. They
had taken certain texts out of
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their proper context and had
made a theory that fit their own
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pet belief. When they expected
the Messiah to come as a great
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conquering king or as a rod of
iron with warlike authority. He
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came as what? A sacrificial
Lamb When they wanted to be free
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from the Romans, he came to set
them free from their sins. Satan
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was so successful at deceiving
the people in Jesus' day because
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they weren't reading the
scriptures for themself. And so
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when a false theory is brought
in by the religious leadership
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the people accepted it. Jesus
said unto them at the time, You
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do ere not knowing the
scriptures or the power of God.
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Let's be sure we get our
teaching right from the Bible
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tonight. Folks that's why I say
over and over, I don't want you
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to believe it because I say it.
I want you to believe it because
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the Bible teaches it. We're
going to get a lot of verses
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tonight. Revelation chapter 12
says the devil has great anger
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because he knows that he has but
a short time. Now think about it
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with me friends. If the devil
tried so hard to get people to
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be deceived about the first
coming of Jesus, don't you think
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he's going to try and try again
to get people to be deceived
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about the second coming of Jesus
Why would he attempt it so hard?
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Because every time there is
falsehood it leads people away
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from Jesus. When it's truth
it leads us toward Jesus. So he
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wants to get us to believe
something that is not biblical.
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So Jesus gave us a very solemn
warning here about his second
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coming. We find it in Matthew
chapter 24 and in verse 24.
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Here's what the Bible says: For
there shall arise false Christs,
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and false prophets, and shall
shew great signs and wonders;
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insomuch that, if it were
possible, they shall deceive the
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very elect. So we know there's
danger here don't we, of the
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very elect being deceived, and
then Jesus spells out two things
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to be careful and to watch out
for. He says in verse 25: Behold
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I have told you before. What
that means is I'm telling you
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ahead of time so you do not
have to be deceived by these
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falsehoods. And then in verse
Wherefore if they shall say
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unto you, Behold, he is in the
desert; go not forth: now that's
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the first great deception that's
going to be in the world, that
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the Messiah is already here,
you can go out and see him. That
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somehow he is walking the earth
and he has already come. What
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if you had a spouse that was
very ill and even threatening
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death and you heard that this
person called the Messiah was
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working miracles. Then would you
be tempted to go out? There are
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many, many people that have said
that they were the Messiah. Some
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hit the news and maybe become
more famous. This one of course
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was from the Heaven's Gate cult
back in 1997. Led many people to
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their death. Revelation 16 and
verse 14 says this to us: For
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they are the spirits of devils,
working (what folks?) miracles,
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which go forth unto the king of
the earth and of the whole world
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So someone will say well if they
are working miracles I want to
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go because the devil can't
work miracles. Don't be deceived
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friends. The devils can work
certain kinds of miracles. Now
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of course, God works miracles
too doesn't he? But certain kind
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of counterfeit miracles are
achievable through the demonic
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spirits and of course they
deceive. Jesus said when they're
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talking about my coming and they
say I'm coming again and they
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say there's a secrecy aspect to
it he's saying don't you believe
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it. Now are you listening,
friends? One deception is for
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those outside of the Christian
church and the devil has another
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deception for those inside the
Christian church. And of course
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Jesus, being divine, he knew
what to alert us to didn't he?
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And so two great deceptions.
Now that tells us something,
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Jesus was warning his disciples
Let me ask you, friends, are
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there people out there today
that are teaching that there's
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something kind of secrecy
involved in the second coming.
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There are. Maybe you have
even believed it. Maybe you have
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taught it but what I want you
to see tonight is what the Bible
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actually says. What will
prevent the righteous from being
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deceived? The Bible gives clear
information about the second
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coming event and just as people
studied genuine money so they
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know what the counterfeit was,
we're going to study the genuine
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second coming right now. Let's
go to our first text about how
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Jesus is going to come by going
to Acts chapter 1. Jesus has
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risen from the grave. He spent
some time with his disciples and
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now he's going to leave them
and ascend back to heaven and we
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pick it up in Acts 1 and verse
9 And here it says: And when he
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had spoken these things, while
they beheld, he was taken up;
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and a cloud received him out
of their sight. And while they
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looked steadfastly toward heaven
as he went up, behold, two men
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stood by them in white apparel;
Now these are actually angels
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friends the Bible speaks about
them as men but really they are
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angels who have held back
to give these words to the
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disciples. Which also said,
ye men of Galilee, why stand ye
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gazing up into heaven? this same
Jesus, which is taken up from
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you into heaven shall so come
in like manner as ye have seen
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him go into heaven. So notice
the phraseology here friends. It
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says as they beheld him he
was taken up out of their sight.
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This was an actual real event.
Now why is that so important?
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Because there are people today
that will tell you that the
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second coming is not an actual
real event but it's just a
00:10:32.86\00:10:36.63
spiritual event where Jesus
manifested himself around the
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world in a symbolic way and
it happened back in 1914 and you
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know it's a fairly large group
of people but that's what they
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tell you, folks, the creation of
this world was an actual literal
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event and Jesus' coming born
in Bethlehem was an actually
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literal event and Jesus' second
coming is going to be an actual
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literal event. So it's literal
and it's personal. The Bible
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says this same Jesus, not a
different Jesus, aren't you glad
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for that? Aren't you glad it's
the same Jesus that's going to
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be coming back for us? I
am. More than just a warm loving
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feeling in the heart. Jesus'
coming is personal, he is going
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to return to this earth. And
so our third fact is number 3,
00:11:14.90\00:11:20.91
Jesus' coming is visible.
The Bible teaches it's not only
00:11:20.94\00:11:23.08
going to be literal but
it's going to be visible. Every
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person is going be able to see
it take place. Let's go here to
00:11:25.58\00:11:29.02
Revelation chapter 1 and verse
7. It says: Behold, he comes
00:11:29.05\00:11:32.82
with clouds; and every eye shall
see him. Why is it friends that
00:11:32.85\00:11:36.69
you do not have to go out into
the desert? Because every eye is
00:11:36.73\00:11:39.13
going to see him and you're
going to know And they also
00:11:39.16\00:11:42.00
which pierced him: and all
kindreds of the earth shall wail
because of him. Even
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so, Amen. So you can see
that there's going to be the
00:11:44.77\00:11:47.67
righteous and the wicked on the
earth when Jesus comes. So what
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do we know? We know he's going
to come with the clouds. We know
00:11:52.91\00:11:55.41
everyone is going to see him.
Let's get some more verses on
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that, shall we. So we're going
to go to Matthew 24 and verse
00:11:58.08\00:12:01.38
30 here. And it says: And then
shall appear the sign of the Son
00:12:01.42\00:12:04.69
of man in heaven: and then shall
all the tribes of the earth
00:12:04.72\00:12:07.46
mourn (that's the wicked) and
they shall see the Son of man
00:12:07.49\00:12:10.76
coming in the clouds of heaven
with power, and what? Great
00:12:10.79\00:12:14.83
glory. He's not going to say we
can see him in one place and not
00:12:14.86\00:12:17.87
see him in another place when
it comes to the second coming.
00:12:17.90\00:12:21.80
2 Thessalonians 1 and verse
7: And to you who are troubled
00:12:21.84\00:12:24.31
rest with us, when the Lord
Jesus shall be revealed from
00:12:24.34\00:12:27.04
heaven with his mighty angels...
It is a revealing event, it's
00:12:27.08\00:12:30.78
never a concealing event when
it comes to the second coming.
00:12:30.81\00:12:33.35
It goes on: In flaming fire
taking vengeance on them that
00:12:33.38\00:12:37.75
know not God, and that obey
not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
00:12:37.79\00:12:40.52
Christ:...Folks the devil is a
master counterfeiter but here's
00:12:40.56\00:12:45.43
something he cannot counterfeit,
which is the second coming of
00:12:45.46\00:12:47.16
Jesus which is why he has
to come up with these alternate
00:12:47.20\00:12:49.40
viewpoints that one you can go
out and see the Messiah or two
00:12:49.43\00:12:53.27
the secrecy aspect to it.
Certainly, Satan could come as a
00:12:53.30\00:12:58.81
dazzling being in one of the
major cities of the earth, New
00:12:58.84\00:13:01.04
York, Los Angeles, Chicago or
Tokyo or one of these cities but
00:13:01.08\00:13:04.15
he can't manifest himself
all over the world in a way that
00:13:04.18\00:13:06.95
every eye could see him. 2
Corinthians 11 verse 14 says:
00:13:06.98\00:13:10.55
And no marvel for Satan himself
is transformed into an angel of
00:13:10.59\00:13:14.82
light. So Satan will have the
ability to come as a dazzling
00:13:14.86\00:13:18.39
being and people without the
information that we're studying
00:13:18.43\00:13:20.83
tonight they're going to be
fooled by that. We know he's
00:13:20.86\00:13:22.73
coming visibly and our next fact
is he's coming audibly which
00:13:22.76\00:13:26.50
means you're going to be able
to hear it take place. That fact
00:13:26.53\00:13:29.14
is found in our very next verse,
verse 31 of Matthew 24. It says:
00:13:29.17\00:13:34.34
and he shall send his angels
with a great sound of a trumpet
00:13:34.38\00:13:37.95
remember that, and they shall
gather together his elect from
00:13:37.98\00:13:40.65
the four winds from one end
of heaven to the other. The four
00:13:40.68\00:13:44.45
winds friends simply means the
north, the south, the east, the
00:13:44.49\00:13:46.35
west, from all over the world
will God gather in his church.
00:13:46.39\00:13:50.36
Jesus came quietly once didn't
he? Other than some shepherds
00:13:50.39\00:13:54.56
watching over their flock at
night and some Wiseman from the
00:13:54.60\00:13:57.50
east that came to see the birth
of the Messiah, the world missed
00:13:57.53\00:14:01.17
it friends, but the second
coming he's coming in glory and
00:14:01.20\00:14:03.94
the world will not miss it. He's
going to come as lightening from
00:14:03.97\00:14:07.68
one end of the earth to the
other in great glory. Let's go
00:14:07.71\00:14:10.41
to now 1 Thessalonians chapter
4 and in verse 15. For this we
00:14:10.45\00:14:15.25
say unto you by the word of the
Lord, that we which are alive
00:14:15.28\00:14:17.85
and remains unto the coming of
the Lord shall not prevent (that
00:14:17.89\00:14:20.52
word prevent means precede) them
which are asleep. Now the word
00:14:20.56\00:14:23.93
coming there is the word the
Parousia and you don't have to
00:14:23.96\00:14:26.70
be a Greek student but there
are sometimes when I'm going to
00:14:26.73\00:14:29.26
bring out an original word
to help you understand a major
00:14:29.30\00:14:33.20
point and that's going to
be tonight. So this word coming
00:14:33.23\00:14:36.60
that we see in the English
is the word the Parousia in the
00:14:36.64\00:14:39.97
Greek. You're going to see it
again tonight. So verse 16: For
00:14:40.01\00:14:44.01
the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with
00:14:44.05\00:14:47.12
the voice of the archangel, and
with the trump of God: and dead
00:14:47.15\00:14:49.68
in Christ shall rise first: Then
we which are alive and remain
00:14:49.72\00:14:52.72
shall be caught up together with
them in the clouds, to meet the
00:14:52.75\00:14:55.52
Lord in the air: and so shall
we ever be with the Lord. Folks,
00:14:55.56\00:15:00.80
we're meeting him in the air.
We're not meeting him in secret.
00:15:00.83\00:15:05.53
We're not meeting him in the
desert, we're not even meeting
00:15:05.57\00:15:07.90
him in the streets of this city.
We're meeting Jesus where? In
00:15:07.94\00:15:12.01
the air. So what a glorious
truth. I know we just read about
00:15:12.04\00:15:15.01
the gathering up of the church,
the gathering of the redeemed,
00:15:15.04\00:15:18.61
but notice it happens when one
the archangel shouts. When two
00:15:18.65\00:15:21.18
the trumpet blows, three the
dead in Christ are rising. Four,
00:15:21.22\00:15:25.65
we're caught up to meet the
Lord in the air. That is simple
00:15:25.69\00:15:27.19
glorious truth friends,
absolutely beautiful. Now the
00:15:27.22\00:15:32.16
word voice here where it
says the voice of the archangel
00:15:32.19\00:15:34.33
That word voice in the original
Greek is the word phone. It's
00:15:34.36\00:15:37.77
where we get our English word
the telephone from. Now there
00:15:37.80\00:15:41.37
are many that would teach you
that that voice is silent, that
00:15:41.40\00:15:43.77
you're not going to be able to
hear it. Now voices are made and
00:15:43.81\00:15:46.17
phones are made to communicate
sound aren't they? So the idea
00:15:46.21\00:15:49.41
that this voice is silent simply
doesn't make any sense. In fact,
00:15:49.44\00:15:53.72
this whole passage has been
called the noisiest passage in
00:15:53.75\00:15:57.29
all of the Bible. The King James
also uses the word shout and
00:15:57.32\00:16:00.76
other Bibles use the word loud
command. The Bible tells us that
00:16:00.79\00:16:04.89
the shouting is going on,
the command is going on, the
00:16:04.93\00:16:08.03
instruments are playing.
Now folks the trumpet which is
00:16:08.06\00:16:11.40
talked about here, a trumpet is
noisy, let's face it. A trumpet
00:16:11.43\00:16:15.00
is probably got the most
penetrating of all the sounds of
00:16:15.04\00:16:18.11
the musical instruments. I mean
when a trumpet sounds you know
00:16:18.14\00:16:21.54
it, isn't that right? And so
when it says the trumpet there's
00:16:21.58\00:16:25.31
no question friends that it
is going to be a sound that is
00:16:25.35\00:16:29.78
heard. In fact in 1 Corinthians
15 Paul says, and we're going to
00:16:29.82\00:16:34.26
look at this on a night to come,
Paul says the trumpet shall
00:16:34.29\00:16:38.96
sound. So for people to say that
this passage is secret or this
00:16:38.99\00:16:46.13
passage is silent it not only
goes against the Bible, it goes
00:16:46.17\00:16:49.37
against common sense. Truth
is logical. If it doesn't make
00:16:49.40\00:16:53.58
sense it probably is not at
all true. There's going to be a
00:16:53.61\00:16:57.91
worldwide resurrection of the
faithful from every land, from
00:16:57.95\00:17:03.32
every generation. Not only will
the living hear his voice when
00:17:03.35\00:17:06.59
he comes but the dead will hear
his voice, Praise the Lord. If
00:17:06.62\00:17:10.46
someone claims to be Christ take
them out to a local grave yard
00:17:10.49\00:17:14.16
show them how all of those
graves are still sealed shut
00:17:14.20\00:17:16.53
and give them a reality check.
Amen? The Bible says that when
00:17:16.56\00:17:19.90
Jesus comes the dead in Christ
will rise. Satan could never
00:17:19.93\00:17:25.47
duplicate that. Satan can
trick, he can deceive, he can
00:17:25.51\00:17:29.08
impersonate but he cannot bring
life. Only God can bring life.
00:17:29.11\00:17:33.11
So you might ask yourself this
question-How could there be a
00:17:33.15\00:17:36.69
worldwide resurrection if
the dead are already in heaven?
00:17:36.72\00:17:40.16
Right? Many religious teacher
teach that. So how are they
00:17:40.19\00:17:44.59
going to rise if they're already
in heaven? Are they going to
00:17:44.63\00:17:46.33
rise down? Are they going to
rise up? What direction are they
00:17:46.36\00:17:48.16
going to come from? We know
Jesus is coming personally, he's
00:17:48.20\00:17:51.33
coming visibly, he's coming
audibly and there's going to be
00:17:51.37\00:17:55.20
a resurrection and the next fact
is this: That when Jesus comes
00:17:55.24\00:17:58.21
he's going to come gloriously.
Our text for that is Psalm 50
00:17:58.24\00:18:02.64
and verse 3. And here is says:
Our God shall come, and shall
00:18:02.68\00:18:07.18
not keep silence: it says, a
fire shall devour before him,
00:18:07.22\00:18:10.82
and it shall be very tempestuous
round about him. Another verse
00:18:10.85\00:18:14.22
here from 2 Thessalonians 2
and verse 8: And then shall that
00:18:14.26\00:18:17.09
Wicked be revealed, whom
the Lord shall consume with the
00:18:17.13\00:18:20.96
spirit of his mouth, and shall
destroy with the brightness of
00:18:21.00\00:18:25.57
his coming. Folks when Jesus
came the first time he veiled
00:18:25.60\00:18:27.80
his glory so he could live
among men and we would not be
00:18:27.84\00:18:30.71
destroyed. The second time it's
glory unveiled. A wicked person
00:18:30.74\00:18:33.94
whose sins are not covered by
the blood of Jesus cannot stand
00:18:33.98\00:18:36.78
in the presence of an almighty
God. And so when Jesus comes
00:18:36.81\00:18:42.02
it says that the wicked will be
destroyed with the brightness of
00:18:42.05\00:18:44.69
his coming. Matthew 25 verse 31
says this to us: When the Son of
00:18:44.72\00:18:48.56
man shall come in his glory,
and how many of the holy angels?
00:18:48.59\00:18:53.66
All the holy angels with
him, then shall he sit upon the
00:18:53.70\00:18:57.00
throne of his glory. The Bible
tells us Jesus is going to come
00:18:57.03\00:19:00.70
in all his glory and the glory
of all the angels. In Revelation
00:19:00.74\00:19:04.94
5 and verse 11 it says there are
10 thousand times 10 thousand
00:19:04.97\00:19:08.31
and thousands and thousands of
angels. Now multiply that out,
00:19:08.34\00:19:11.98
that means there's over a 100
million angels. The Bible tells
00:19:12.01\00:19:15.52
us that when Jesus resurrected
from the grave, an angel came
00:19:15.55\00:19:18.85
from heaven with so much glory
that the Roman soldiers fell
00:19:18.89\00:19:21.79
over like dead men. They could
not stand in the presence of
00:19:21.82\00:19:24.89
one holy angel. There's another
story in the Bible in 2 Kings
00:19:24.93\00:19:28.53
chapter 19 where God sent
an angel from heaven and in one
00:19:28.56\00:19:32.43
night a 185,000 wicked Assyrian
soldiers were slain. Now folks
00:19:32.47\00:19:38.14
think about it with me. If one
angel had that much power and
00:19:38.17\00:19:42.21
that much glory what is it going
to be like when Jesus returns
00:19:42.24\00:19:46.15
with over 100 million of them.
I have read that there's going
00:19:46.18\00:19:49.72
be a secret coming or a secret
rapture. Have you ever heard
00:19:49.75\00:19:53.66
that? When Jesus comes
the archangel is shouting, the
00:19:53.69\00:19:57.69
trumpet is blowing. It says the
dead in Christ are rising and
00:19:57.73\00:20:00.20
we're caught up to meet the
Lord in the air. Does that sound
00:20:00.23\00:20:03.16
secret? Now people will say
doesn't the Bible say that we're
00:20:03.20\00:20:07.10
changed in the moment, in the
twinkling of an eye. Yes it does
00:20:07.14\00:20:10.11
mention that 1 Corinthians
chapter 15: We're going to be
00:20:10.14\00:20:11.67
looking at that text as well.
But that means our change from
00:20:11.71\00:20:16.28
the mortal body to the immortal
body, from the corruptible body
00:20:16.31\00:20:19.11
to the incorruptible body. That
change will occur in a moment
00:20:19.15\00:20:22.12
in the twinkling of an eye but
not the overall second coming.
00:20:22.15\00:20:24.45
Folks, there's an old saying: If
the plain sense makes good sense
00:20:24.49\00:20:28.49
then seek no other sense lest
you follow nonsense. It is not
00:20:28.52\00:20:33.03
good sense to look at these
passages and think that somehow
00:20:33.06\00:20:36.40
all of that is going to
happen secretly, silently, and
00:20:36.43\00:20:39.97
invisibly Now let me remind you
of something right? Remember the
00:20:40.00\00:20:43.51
word rapture is not found in
the Bible. It simply means to be
00:20:43.54\00:20:47.01
carried away, but a secret,
silent, invisible carrying away
00:20:47.04\00:20:51.15
is absolutely, positively
nowhere found in the Bible.
00:20:51.18\00:20:56.15
You remember what Jesus said?
If they say he's in the secret
00:20:56.18\00:21:00.19
chambers, believe it what?
Not. English evolves like all
00:21:00.22\00:21:04.29
languages do and after a while
they just dropped off the word
00:21:04.33\00:21:06.53
secret and they just started
calling it the rapture. So when
00:21:06.56\00:21:09.26
someone uses the word rapture
you have to ask them, what do
00:21:09.30\00:21:12.03
you mean by that? What is
the teaching that you use behind
00:21:12.07\00:21:14.97
that word. So let's discuss this
tonight because the idea of a
00:21:15.00\00:21:19.24
secret rapture theory is that
Jesus is going to come invisibly
00:21:19.27\00:21:23.14
and silently take his church off
the earth. Then there's going to
00:21:23.18\00:21:27.02
be seven more years of
tribulation and then Jesus will
00:21:27.05\00:21:29.62
come in power and glory and then
the millennium will follow. Now
00:21:29.65\00:21:33.32
again folks just because
something is taught doesn't mean
00:21:33.36\00:21:35.86
that it's true. If a billion
people believe a lie, it's still
00:21:35.89\00:21:39.79
a lie. Jesus warned us to make
sure that no man deceives us
00:21:39.83\00:21:43.37
and it's especially important
when it come to the second
00:21:43.40\00:21:46.90
coming of Jesus. People
are believing things and even
00:21:46.94\00:21:49.50
teaching things that are
just nothing more than pleasing
00:21:49.54\00:21:52.97
theories that come from
religious leaders and they are
00:21:53.01\00:21:55.08
not found anywhere in the Bible.
And many fine Christians believe
00:21:55.11\00:21:59.01
these theories and they find
comfort in the fact that many
00:21:59.05\00:22:02.62
other people believe it so they
say well their safe. But folks
00:22:02.65\00:22:05.85
again if a billion people
believe a lie it's still a lie
00:22:05.89\00:22:08.72
and the sad things seems to
be that so many people want to
00:22:08.76\00:22:11.69
believe it regardless of what
the Bible has to say. And folks
00:22:11.73\00:22:14.73
if you believed any other way
friend of mine, I'm not trying
00:22:14.76\00:22:17.53
to anger you but I'm simply
trying to share with you what
00:22:17.57\00:22:20.70
the truth is when it comes to
this subject. It's not hard to
00:22:20.74\00:22:25.51
learn truth from the Bible but
what can be hard is to unlearn
00:22:25.54\00:22:28.08
error that we've been brought
up with and programmed with. So,
00:22:28.11\00:22:32.41
how did this false theory of a
secret silent rapture come into
00:22:32.45\00:22:38.62
the church? There are
several men that are primarily
00:22:38.65\00:22:41.36
responsible for this. One was
a man named John Nelson Darby.
00:22:41.39\00:22:46.09
He had an associate named Cyrus
Ingerson Scofield and Darby
00:22:46.13\00:22:51.27
began to preach this theory and
then his minister, his associate
00:22:51.30\00:22:54.07
Scofield began to take of
Darby's words, write them into
00:22:54.10\00:22:56.91
certain notes that became
published along with the Bible
00:22:56.94\00:22:58.77
in a very famous Scofield
Reference Bible. But more
00:22:58.81\00:23:03.48
recently in the last 50 years
there was a man who authored a
00:23:03.51\00:23:04.91
book entitle The Late
Great Planet Earth which really
00:23:04.95\00:23:07.78
brought this idea into modern
day Christianity popularized it
00:23:07.82\00:23:13.99
Many people read this book. It
sold by the millions and people
00:23:14.02\00:23:15.76
often have said, that was
my first Bible. I read The Late
00:23:15.79\00:23:18.83
Great Planet Earth and now I
knew what was going to go on.
00:23:18.86\00:23:20.56
So they used a novel or a man's
theory to try to understand
00:23:20.60\00:23:26.13
scripture. Since that book was
written, many others have been
00:23:26.17\00:23:28.04
written. Here's one: 88 Reasons
Why the Rapture Could Be in 1988
00:23:28.07\00:23:31.67
We know that didn't happen. Are
you Ready for the Rapture? Jesus
00:23:31.71\00:23:33.81
is coming on October 28, 1992.
All these falsehoods came in.
00:23:33.84\00:23:37.45
And then here's one from 1994,
same thing, predicting the day.
00:23:37.48\00:23:41.88
Same man put up billboards all
across America. I found these
00:23:41.92\00:23:45.69
when I was driving in the
year 2011. Judgment Day May 21.
00:23:45.72\00:23:49.92
When it didn't happen then he
predicted October. But the Left
00:23:49.96\00:23:53.53
Behind Series came on and then
they made a movie of course of
00:23:53.56\00:23:57.57
it and that really sent
this theory into orbit. It was
00:23:57.60\00:24:01.30
promoted in Christian book
stores as the great biblical
00:24:01.34\00:24:04.81
epic of Revelation. And that
title can easily mislead sincere
00:24:04.84\00:24:10.01
Christians into thinking that
those novels are an accurate
00:24:10.05\00:24:14.48
representations of the events
of Revelation. But folks those
00:24:14.52\00:24:19.85
novels are in the fiction
section of the book store.
00:24:19.89\00:24:22.72
What section did I say? The
fiction section. In other words,
00:24:22.76\00:24:26.56
it is not true. The problem with
the Left Behind Series they talk
00:24:26.59\00:24:31.27
about fiction as if it was true
and because they use certain
00:24:31.30\00:24:34.74
Bible terminology many innocent
sincere Christians think that
00:24:34.77\00:24:39.37
this is really what the Bible
has to say. So of course movies
00:24:39.41\00:24:43.04
have been made on it and here's
one Left Behind The Movie. This
00:24:43.08\00:24:45.41
was the first one. Then another
one came along just recently.
00:24:45.45\00:24:48.05
They remade it, Nicholas Cage.
These movies only continue to
00:24:48.08\00:24:51.45
promote this fallacious
teaching. The Late Great Planet
00:24:51.49\00:24:55.62
Earth book now keep in mind
I am not judging any author's
00:24:55.66\00:24:59.83
personal walk with Jesus or
their experience with the Lord.
00:24:59.86\00:25:03.70
We're only judging truth versus
error here. And he says in this
00:25:03.73\00:25:07.30
book Jesus said that this,
meaning Israel becoming a nation
00:25:07.34\00:25:10.81
in 1948 would indicate that
He was "at the door," ready to
00:25:10.84\00:25:14.38
return. Then He said, "Truly
I say unto you, this generation
00:25:14.41\00:25:17.78
will not pass away till all
these things take place." What
00:25:17.81\00:25:21.02
generation? Obviously, in
context, the generation that
00:25:21.05\00:25:23.22
would see the signs-chief among
them the rebirth of Israel. A
00:25:23.25\00:25:26.55
generation in the Bible is
like forty years If this is the
00:25:26.59\00:25:29.92
correct deduction then within
forty years or so of 1948, all
00:25:29.96\00:25:33.29
these things could take place.
Many scholars who have studied
00:25:33.33\00:25:35.80
the Bible prophecy all their
lives believe that this is so."
Folks you know that
00:25:35.83\00:25:40.14
the predictions of the
Late Great Planet Earth have
00:25:40.17\00:25:44.41
completely flopped. I think God
is trying to say something to
00:25:44.44\00:25:48.21
all of us Christians and that is
let's get our eyes off of man's
00:25:48.24\00:25:52.95
opinion. Let's go back to
the Bible. Now friends I believe
00:25:52.98\00:25:56.62
that God has allowed these
things to happen for a reason.
00:25:56.65\00:25:59.05
And that is, let's get our eyes
off of man's opinion. Let's get
00:25:59.09\00:26:03.39
it back on the Bible. Let's use
the Bible as our final analysis
00:26:03.43\00:26:07.90
for truth and let's stop
believing in these predictions
00:26:07.93\00:26:10.97
of people that have no idea of
what the scriptures really say.
00:26:11.00\00:26:14.84
Let's go back to the Bible.
Let's make sure that the word of
00:26:14.87\00:26:18.91
God is giving us our information
And may I say friends that any
00:26:18.94\00:26:21.78
sincere-hearted Christian,
man or woman, with the Bible in
00:26:21.81\00:26:25.28
their hand could kneel down in
all humanity and say Dear God,
00:26:25.31\00:26:28.98
show me the truth of this
subject and in one hour you
00:26:29.02\00:26:32.62
could know it for yourself.
So what happens when your
00:26:32.65\00:26:34.56
prophecies fail a second time?
You write another book. One of
00:26:34.59\00:26:39.33
the authors of The Left Behind
Series named Tim LaHaye, in this
00:26:39.36\00:26:44.60
book No Fear of the Storm he
says this: "One objection to the
00:26:44.63\00:26:48.10
pre-tribulation rapture is
that no one passage of scripture
00:26:48.14\00:26:51.17
teaches the two aspects of His
Second Coming separated by the
00:26:51.21\00:26:54.64
tribulation." Also in the
book he says: "No single verse
00:26:54.68\00:26:57.88
specifically states 'Christ will
come before the tribulation.'"
00:26:57.91\00:27:01.15
Now this is a very candid
admission. Here's a man that
00:27:01.18\00:27:03.95
teaches there's two aspects
and he teaches Christ will come
00:27:03.99\00:27:07.36
before the tribulation but he
says no single verse teaches it.
00:27:07.39\00:27:10.76
Wow! Time Magazine the Left
Behind books were really big.
00:27:10.79\00:27:14.83
They wrote their own article,
"The End: How it Got That Way"
00:27:14.86\00:27:17.20
How did we get with this
prominent understanding of the
00:27:17.23\00:27:19.33
Christian churches today? Not
all of them, but many of them.
00:27:19.37\00:27:21.87
They say: "The man with the plan
was an Anglican priest turned
00:27:21.90\00:27:26.04
traveling evangelical preacher
named John Nelson Darby...now
00:27:26.07\00:27:28.61
remember that name, we're going
to see it several times...who
00:27:28.64\00:27:31.01
arrived in the United States
in 1862 for the first of seven
00:27:31.05\00:27:34.88
visits, bearing a radical new
eschatology. Eschatology means
00:27:34.92\00:27:39.12
the study of end-time events.
Most theologians understood it,
00:27:39.15\00:27:43.29
speaking of the rapture, as part
of the resurrection at time's
00:27:43.32\00:27:45.76
very end. Darby repositioned
it at the apocalypse's very
00:27:45.79\00:27:50.07
beginning, a small shift with
large implications.(The Scofield
00:27:50.10\00:27:56.04
Bible can still be found in
churches across the country.)
00:27:56.07\00:27:57.41
"Darby and minister Cyrus
Scofield, who would expand the
00:27:57.44\00:28:01.44
evangelist's idea in the vastly
influential Scofield Reference
00:28:01.48\00:28:04.75
Bible..." So they're
simply saying that Scofield took
00:28:04.78\00:28:07.68
Darby's, he wrote it as notes
which were published along with
00:28:07.72\00:28:13.12
scripture and people read it and
began to read the Bible and the
00:28:13.15\00:28:16.59
Scofield notes and began to
think that what the notes were
00:28:16.62\00:28:18.33
just as inspired as what the
Bible said and they just took it
00:28:18.36\00:28:21.96
as truth, and nothing could
be further from the truth. Now
00:28:22.00\00:28:25.23
Newsweek did their own article
two years later, 2004, and
00:28:25.27\00:28:28.60
notice what they had to say. The
Title is "Visionaries: Changing
00:28:28.64\00:28:31.61
the Forecast" meaning that
they changed what was commonly
00:28:31.64\00:28:35.04
understood about the second
coming. Speaking of John Nelson
00:28:35.08\00:28:38.11
Darby: It said: the English
evangelist arrived in America
00:28:38.15\00:28:40.85
and began preaching his own
brand of End Times prophecy...
00:28:40.88\00:28:44.25
Darby's interpretations-such
as the rapture-were disseminated
00:28:44.29\00:28:47.79
through Bible conferences
and later by the influential
00:28:47.82\00:28:49.99
Scofield Reference Bible."
Now they said "His (meaning the
00:28:50.03\00:28:54.33
co-author of Tim LaHaye's, Jerry
Jenkins) his favorite novelist
00:28:54.36\00:28:57.83
is Stephen King, whom some
evangelicals refuse to read
00:28:57.87\00:29:00.94
because of his demonic
supernaturalism." And I would
00:29:00.97\00:29:03.27
refuse to read it too and I hope
you refuse to read it. If I was
00:29:03.30\00:29:06.84
going to be writing on Christian
themes, the last thing I'd want
00:29:06.88\00:29:09.48
to do is to be feeding on
Stephen King's horror movies for
00:29:09.51\00:29:12.71
inspiration, right? Well I
wouldn't want to go near it.
00:29:12.75\00:29:16.35
They go on. "The other principal
critique comes from some of
00:29:16.38\00:29:20.79
Jenkin's and LaHaye's fellow
Christians, who find the books
00:29:20.82\00:29:23.36
more interested in God's
wrath than God's love-as well as
00:29:23.39\00:29:26.36
scripturally questionable."
00:29:26.39\00:29:29.13
You know what another way of
saying scripturally questionable
00:29:29.16\00:29:30.63
is. It doesn't go by the Bible.
"It's pulp fiction, based on a
00:29:30.67\00:29:36.07
particular reading of the
Bible," says Randall Balmer,
00:29:36.10\00:29:39.01
chair of the religion department
at Barnard College."...According
00:29:39.04\00:29:41.88
to Tyndale's research, more Jews
agnostics and atheists read the
00:29:41.91\00:29:45.55
series than mainline Protestants
and back in 2000 even the
00:29:45.58\00:29:49.12
president of the Lutheran
church's conservative Missouri
00:29:49.15\00:29:52.79
Synod denounced the "Left
Behind" series as "an unbiblical
00:29:52.82\00:29:56.12
flight of fancy." It goes on.
He even stands up for the Harry
00:29:56.16\00:30:00.36
Potter books, which much of
the evangelical world-including
00:30:00.40\00:30:03.40
LaHaye-calls propaganda for
black magic." Again if you're
00:30:03.43\00:30:09.17
going to be writing on Christian
themes and saying this is what
00:30:09.20\00:30:12.31
the Bible says I wouldn't
be wanting to read Harry Potter
00:30:12.34\00:30:14.31
which is sorcery. Now here's an
article that came out from CNN
00:30:14.34\00:30:18.11
It says, "Can you speak
Christian?" Each religion and
00:30:18.15\00:30:23.65
even each church has their
own language. But they go on and
00:30:23.69\00:30:25.02
they say "...People who speak
Christian aren't just mangling
00:30:25.05\00:30:28.42
religious terminology, he
says, They're also inventing
00:30:28.46\00:30:30.99
counterfeit Christian terms such
as 'the rapture' as if they were
00:30:31.03\00:30:34.93
a part of essential church
teaching. The rapture, a phrase
00:30:34.96\00:30:38.90
used to describe the sudden
transport of true Christians to
00:30:38.93\00:30:41.30
heaven while the rest of
humanity is left behind (That's
00:30:41.34\00:30:44.44
where you get the term left
behind from) to suffer, actually
00:30:44.47\00:30:47.64
contradicts historic Christian
teaching, Borg says. The rapture
00:30:47.68\00:30:52.28
is a recent invention." Stop
right there. The rapture is what
00:30:52.31\00:30:56.15
friends? It is a recent
invention. Keep that in mind.
00:30:56.18\00:30:59.35
It goes on: "Nobody had thought
of what is now known as the
00:30:59.39\00:31:02.82
Rapture until about 1850,"
says Borg, canon theologian at
00:31:02.86\00:31:04.73
Trinity Episcopal Cathedral
in Portland, Oregon...And when
00:31:04.76\00:31:09.60
Christians forget what their
faith means, they get duped by
00:31:09.63\00:31:11.90
trendy terms such as the rapture
that have little to do with
00:31:11.93\00:31:14.47
historical Christianity, he
says The rapture has become an
00:31:14.50\00:31:17.01
accepted part of the Christian
vocabulary with the publication
00:31:17.04\00:31:20.08
of the mega-selling "Left
Behind" novels and a heavily
00:31:20.11\00:31:23.61
publicized prediction earlier
this year by a Christian radio
00:31:23.65\00:31:26.58
broadcaster that the rapture
would occur in May. But the
00:31:26.61\00:31:29.98
notion that Christians will
abandon the earth to meet Jesus
00:31:30.02\00:31:31.85
in the clouds while others
are left behind to suffer is not
00:31:31.89\00:31:35.42
traditional Christian teaching,
Borg says. He says it was first
00:31:35.46\00:31:39.39
proclaimed by John Nelson
Darby, a 19th century British
00:31:39.43\00:31:43.30
evangelist, who thought of
it after reading a New Testament
00:31:43.33\00:31:45.93
passage in the first book
of Thessalonians that described
00:31:45.97\00:31:50.37
true believers being "caught
up in the clouds together" with
00:31:50.41\00:31:52.34
Jesus" Now again, Here's
one from CNN. Here it says even
00:31:52.37\00:31:57.85
Jesus wouldn't buy 'the rapture'
Quite a title isn't it? It says:
00:31:57.88\00:32:01.18
"...The famous 'Left Behind'
series by Tim LaHaye and Jerry
00:32:01.22\00:32:03.39
B. Jenkins was already out there
It consisted of 16 best-selling
00:32:03.42\00:32:06.72
novels on the same premise, and
it's about to come to the big
00:32:06.76\00:32:09.46
screen again, in a film starring
Nicholas Cage. But what about
00:32:09.49\00:32:13.76
the theology behind this
industry? The rapture notion
00:32:13.80\00:32:17.00
goes like this: Jesus is coming
back, and when he does, he will
00:32:17.03\00:32:20.64
first return before a time
of so-called tribulation begins,
00:32:20.67\00:32:24.44
calling up into the clouds
with him those who are 'saved.'
00:32:24.47\00:32:26.27
Before John Nelson Darby
imagined this scenario in the
00:32:26.31\00:32:29.81
clouds, no Christian had ever
heard of the rapture. The idea
00:32:29.84\00:32:33.85
was popularized by Cyrus I
Scofield, an American minister
00:32:33.88\00:32:38.09
published a famous reference
Bible in 1908, one that
00:32:38.12\00:32:41.72
developed the idea of an
elaborate series of final
00:32:41.76\00:32:44.53
periods in history known as
dispensations...It's a problem,
00:32:44.56\00:32:47.50
however, for rapture-minded
Christians that the word
00:32:47.53\00:32:49.70
"rapture" doesn't appear
anywhere in the Bible, unless
00:32:49.73\00:32:51.83
you're willing to think in
broadly metaphorical terms...
00:32:51.87\00:32:54.94
Yet it's amazing how scriptures
get misused, and relatively new
00:32:54.97\00:32:59.57
theological ideas-such as
the rapture-get deeply embedded
00:32:59.61\00:33:03.41
in certain circles. The rapture
is really a plot device for
00:33:03.45\00:33:08.28
popular entertainment and a
bizarre theological teaching
00:33:08.32\00:33:11.25
in fundamentalist circles, where
it functions in a variety of
00:33:11.29\00:33:14.76
ways. But it's bad theology,(bad
theology means it doesn't go
00:33:14.79\00:33:18.66
by the Bible) and Jesus himself
would have been astonished to
00:33:18.69\00:33:21.70
learn that thousands of
years after him there were such
00:33:21.73\00:33:24.37
notions afloat." Wow. In 2
Thessalonians 1 and verse 9
00:33:24.40\00:33:29.44
we read this: Who shall
be punished with everlasting
00:33:29.47\00:33:31.84
destruction from the presence of
the Lord. (The word presence is
00:33:31.87\00:33:34.44
the Parousia again. You'll see
why that's important) and from
00:33:34.48\00:33:37.18
the glory of his power. Oswald
Smith wrote: Tribulation or
00:33:37.21\00:33:40.32
Rapture-Which? He says I have
been taught that the Greek word
00:33:40.35\00:33:43.75
'Parousia' always referred to
the rapture and that other words
00:33:43.79\00:33:47.66
were used for the coming of
Christ in glory...but I found
00:33:47.69\00:33:49.79
that this is not true...We might
go through all the writers of
00:33:49.82\00:33:52.86
the New Testament and we would
fail to discover any indication
00:33:52.89\00:33:56.26
of the so-called 'two stages' of
our Lord's coming...That theory
00:33:56.30\00:33:59.97
had to be invented by man.
Search and see. There is no
00:34:00.00\00:34:05.07
verse in the Bible that even
mentions it." Wow. Quite the
00:34:05.11\00:34:09.44
condemnation. Now I have found
that when it comes to talking
00:34:09.48\00:34:13.95
with people that believe
the rapture there are always two
00:34:13.98\00:34:17.09
verses or two passages that they
bring up. So we're going to take
00:34:17.12\00:34:21.09
those two passages now. What
about Christ's coming as a thief
00:34:21.12\00:34:24.69
This whole secret rapture theory
they talk about it over and over
00:34:24.73\00:34:28.40
Jesus says he's coming as a
thief in the night. So have you
00:34:28.43\00:34:32.10
every heard that? Have you
ever wondered what that passage
00:34:32.13\00:34:34.14
really means. You know why
I think that most people that
00:34:34.17\00:34:36.81
quote that people don't even
know where it is in the Bible.
00:34:36.84\00:34:39.01
Because if they knew where it
was in the Bible they would know
00:34:39.04\00:34:43.04
that when they read it in
context totally contradicts what
00:34:43.08\00:34:46.25
they're saying about that
passage. So let's go look it up
00:34:46.28\00:34:48.75
For ourselves today. What about
Christ's coming as a thief? When
00:34:48.78\00:34:51.65
Christ says he's coming as a
thief, he's not talking about
00:34:51.69\00:34:56.56
how he comes, he's talking about
when he comes. He's saying his
00:34:56.59\00:35:00.13
coming is going to be unexpected
It's a surprise to those that
00:35:00.16\00:35:03.80
are unprepared for his coming.
The fact is that Jesus himself
00:35:03.83\00:35:07.87
clearly explained what it means
for his coming as a thief. Let's
00:35:07.90\00:35:11.67
go to Matthew chapter 24
and verse 42. It says: Watch
00:35:11.71\00:35:16.01
therefore: for you now not what
hour your Lord does come. But
00:35:16.04\00:35:19.98
know this, that if the good
man of the house had known what
00:35:20.02\00:35:22.42
watch the thief would come, he
would have watched. He would not
00:35:22.45\00:35:24.92
have suffered his house to
be (suffered-that means allowed)
00:35:24.95\00:35:28.69
broken up. Therefore be ye also
ready: for in such an hour as
00:35:28.72\00:35:32.19
you think not the Son of
man comes. Now here it is folks.
00:35:32.23\00:35:36.10
So plain and so simple we cannot
miss it. If a thief came to your
00:35:36.13\00:35:40.74
home he would want to come when
you're not ready for him, isn't
00:35:40.77\00:35:43.00
that right? But he won't come
necessarily secretly, silently
00:35:43.04\00:35:47.04
and invisibly. Sometimes
thieves do their work with great
00:35:47.08\00:35:50.68
violence. Sometimes they do
their work with great noise.
00:35:50.71\00:35:52.71
But if you want to get a really
good understanding here it is in
00:35:52.75\00:35:56.35
2 Peter 3 verse 10. Here's how
many pastors read this passage.
00:35:56.38\00:36:00.89
They'll say: But the day of the
Lord will come as a thief in the
00:36:00.92\00:36:05.23
night; and then they'll turn
to their church and they'll say
00:36:05.26\00:36:08.20
see Jesus is coming secretly,
silently and invisible and he's
00:36:08.23\00:36:11.40
going to snatch all these
people out of here. Now folks it
00:36:11.43\00:36:13.77
doesn't say that. They don't
keep reading. They cut off the
00:36:13.80\00:36:17.31
passage and they don't read the
latter part of the verse because
00:36:17.34\00:36:19.91
what the latter part of the
verse says contradicts what they
00:36:19.94\00:36:21.94
say about the first part of the
verse. So we're going to keep
00:36:21.98\00:36:24.75
reading here. It says: the day
of the Lord will come as a thief
00:36:24.78\00:36:27.55
in the night; in the which the
heavens (that's the atmospheric
00:36:27.58\00:36:30.22
heaven) shall pass away with
a great what folks? Noise. Yes.
00:36:30.25\00:36:35.16
So how can the coming as a thief
be secretly and silent, how can
00:36:35.19\00:36:41.66
the coming of thief be secret,
silent and invisible when the
00:36:41.70\00:36:44.60
heavens are passing away with
a great noise? Obviously, that's
00:36:44.63\00:36:47.54
why they don't read the last
half of the text. What Jesus is
00:36:47.57\00:36:52.87
saying here when he says he's
coming as a thief in the night
00:36:52.91\00:36:54.68
is he's coming to the wicked
as a great surprise. But it says
00:36:54.71\00:36:58.11
nothing here about it being
secret but he does emphasize be
00:36:58.15\00:37:01.72
ready. Now the thief in the
night illustration is used five
00:37:01.75\00:37:05.52
times. It's used in Matthew
24, it's used in 1 Thessalonians
00:37:05.55\00:37:08.89
chapter 5, it's used in 2
Peter chapter 3, Revelation 3:3,
00:37:08.92\00:37:13.19
and Revelation 16:15 and
in every case you should ask
00:37:13.23\00:37:16.90
yourself what is the context
of this? What are these verses
00:37:16.93\00:37:20.24
talking about both before and
afterward? So let's go take a
00:37:20.27\00:37:24.61
look at another one here in
1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and
00:37:24.64\00:37:30.88
verse 1. I'm going to ask you to
follow along with me closely on
00:37:30.91\00:37:34.25
this. Many times it is said that
Jesus is coming as a thief in
00:37:34.28\00:37:38.42
the night for his church. Well
let's read this passage together
00:37:38.45\00:37:42.69
and we'll as ourself the
question who does Jesus come as
00:37:42.72\00:37:46.09
a thief in the night too? We
start in verse 1. It says: But
00:37:46.13\00:37:50.67
of the times and the seasons,
brethren, you have no need that
00:37:50.70\00:37:53.03
I write unto you. For yourselves
know perfectly that the day of
00:37:53.07\00:37:55.77
the Lord shall come as a
thief in the night. (There's the
00:37:55.80\00:37:58.67
expression) For when they shall
say, (That's the wicked) Peace
00:37:58.71\00:38:01.51
and safety; then sudden
destruction comes upon them, as
00:38:01.54\00:38:07.52
travail upon a woman with child;
and they shall not escape.
00:38:07.55\00:38:09.32
Notice folks, it doesn't say
seven more years of probation
00:38:09.35\00:38:12.75
comes upon them, which is
what they teach. It says sudden
00:38:12.79\00:38:16.02
destruction comes upon them and
then he says in verse 4: But ye,
00:38:16.06\00:38:20.43
brethren are not in darkness,
(Now who's he talking to? He's
00:38:20.46\00:38:22.96
talking to the church) are
not in darkness, that that day
00:38:23.00\00:38:26.27
should overtake you as a thief.
What day does he mean? He means
00:38:26.30\00:38:30.27
that day of Jesus coming as
a thief. He says that day won't
00:38:30.31\00:38:33.38
take you as a thief. Did you
catch it? So he's saying that
00:38:33.41\00:38:37.65
to the wicked, he will come upon
them as a thief but not unto the
00:38:37.68\00:38:40.98
righteous. So the whole secret
rapture theory friends that is
00:38:41.02\00:38:45.85
common today doesn't teach
as the Bible says, that sudden
00:38:45.89\00:38:49.32
destruction comes upon the
wicked but rather that they have
00:38:49.36\00:38:52.23
a second chance of salvation.
They go on for seven more years.
00:38:52.26\00:38:54.33
Again, very inconsistent and
very unscriptural. So here's the
00:38:54.36\00:39:00.24
question folks. Does Jesus come
as a thief in the night to some?
00:39:00.27\00:39:03.20
Yes. Does he come as a thief in
the night to everyone. No. When
00:39:03.24\00:39:07.88
Jesus comes it says the elements
are going to melt. It says the
00:39:07.91\00:39:10.65
trumpet of victory is going to
sound, the dead are going to be
00:39:10.68\00:39:13.28
raised who believe in Jesus.
It's obvious that the event is
00:39:13.31\00:39:17.09
not going to be secret to
everyone so why does Jesus call
00:39:17.12\00:39:20.82
it a thief in the night? Because
a thief does not tell you when
00:39:20.86\00:39:26.23
he's coming. Is anyone going to
call you up or send you an email
00:39:26.26\00:39:30.87
and say hey I noticed you're
coming out of Walmart the other
00:39:30.90\00:39:33.77
day with that brand new 84 inch
beautiful television and I just
00:39:33.80\00:39:39.07
want you to know that when
you're at work tomorrow I'm
00:39:39.11\00:39:41.08
going to come over to your house
and steal it. Did anyone tell
00:39:41.11\00:39:43.38
you that? Well of course not.
Of course not. In fact Jesus
00:39:43.41\00:39:48.38
himself says in Revelation
exactly what he means by that
00:39:48.42\00:39:52.02
passage. Revelation 3:3 It says:
Remember therefore how thou
00:39:52.05\00:39:55.26
hast received and heard,
and hold fast, and repent. If
00:39:55.29\00:39:57.86
therefore thou shalt not watch,
(That means be in a state of
00:39:57.89\00:40:02.13
preparation) I will come upon
thee as a thief, (there's the
00:40:02.16\00:40:04.90
expression and notice) and thou
shalt not know what hour I will
00:40:04.93\00:40:11.34
come upon thee. Now that is
about as plain as you can get it
00:40:11.37\00:40:14.48
friends. From Jesus himself
saying if you're not prepared
00:40:14.51\00:40:18.58
I will come upon you as a thief
and you will not discern the
00:40:18.61\00:40:23.02
time. Now the final time that
that expression is used is in
00:40:23.05\00:40:25.62
Revelation 16:15 and here it
says: Behold, I come as a thief.
00:40:25.65\00:40:28.69
Blessed is he that watches, and
keeps his garments, lest he walk
00:40:28.72\00:40:32.26
naked, and they see his shame.
This is in the passage of the
00:40:32.29\00:40:35.00
seven last plagues and this is
mentioned after six plagues are
00:40:35.03\00:40:38.93
poured out, which is a lot of
tribulation. We're going to get
00:40:38.97\00:40:40.80
to that on an upcoming session.
But folks, it says nothing here
00:40:40.84\00:40:44.57
about it being secret, silent
and invisible. Let's do a little
00:40:44.61\00:40:48.08
comparison shall we? 1
Corinthians 15 was written by
00:40:48.11\00:40:51.55
Paul and so was 1 Thessalonians
chapter 4 and 5. Notice both
00:40:51.58\00:40:55.55
passages talk about Jesus'
coming, and they both talk about
00:40:55.58\00:40:58.09
the dead being asleep which
we'll talk about at our very
00:40:58.12\00:41:00.52
next study together. They both
talk about the trumpet sounding
00:41:00.56\00:41:03.32
when Jesus comes and the dead
being raised. They not only talk
00:41:03.36\00:41:06.76
about the same thing, they talk
about it in the exact same order
00:41:06.80\00:41:09.53
The here is another chapter,
chapter 24 of Matthew. Now
00:41:09.56\00:41:13.80
Jesus is speaking in Matthew.
But notice whether it's Jesus
00:41:13.84\00:41:17.11
speaking in Matthew or Paul
speaking in 1 Thessalonians,
00:41:17.14\00:41:19.81
they're talking about the same
thing. But here is why this is
00:41:19.84\00:41:23.51
so important. Because those
who believe in a secret, silent,
00:41:23.55\00:41:26.08
invisible rapture they agree
that Matthew chapter 24 is the
00:41:26.11\00:41:29.95
glorious coming of Jesus. They
can't get around it. But they'll
00:41:29.98\00:41:32.55
say, Oh but 1 Thessalonians 4
and 5, that's talking about the
00:41:32.59\00:41:35.82
secret coming, right? Well let's
see if they're different. They
00:41:35.86\00:41:39.83
both talk about the coming of
Jesus and the word is the same
00:41:39.86\00:41:42.40
in the original language, the
Parousia. They both talk about
00:41:42.43\00:41:44.93
Jesus coming in the clouds.
They both talk about the trumpet
00:41:44.97\00:41:47.27
blowing. They both talk about
the church being gathered up
00:41:47.30\00:41:49.64
together. Jesus said no man
knows the day or the hour. Paul
00:41:49.67\00:41:52.97
talks about the times and the
seasons. They both talk about
00:41:53.01\00:41:55.14
the thief in the night
experience, the wicked being not
00:41:55.18\00:41:58.68
ready. Jesus said to the wicked
the flood came and took them all
00:41:58.71\00:42:01.22
away. Paul said sudden
destruction is going to come
00:42:01.25\00:42:03.05
upon the wicked and they both
end with saying watch and be
00:42:03.08\00:42:06.49
ready. Not only, friends, again
how they talk about the same
00:42:06.52\00:42:10.56
thing, they're talking about it
in the exact same order. You can
00:42:10.59\00:42:14.20
put these three chapters
together, 1 Corinthians 15,
00:42:14.23\00:42:16.46
1 Thessalonians 4 and 5, Matthew
chapter 24. There's no question
00:42:16.50\00:42:20.47
it is the same event. Amen?
They're not different events.
00:42:20.50\00:42:25.04
Now here's another expression.
What about one shall be taken
00:42:25.07\00:42:29.04
and the other left? Have you
ever heard that? That's one of
00:42:29.08\00:42:31.55
the most used passages in these
Left Behind books. Let's go take
00:42:31.58\00:42:34.42
a look at it in Matthew 24 and
in verse 40. It says: Then shall
00:42:34.45\00:42:38.62
two be in the field; the one
shall be taken, and the other
00:42:38.65\00:42:40.82
left. Two women shall be
grinding at the mill; the one
00:42:40.86\00:42:43.32
shall be taken and the other
left. Watch, therefore: for you
00:42:43.36\00:42:46.03
know not what hour your Lord
does come. Verse 50. The Lord
00:42:46.06\00:42:49.86
of that servant shall come in
a day when he looks not for him,
00:42:49.90\00:42:52.53
and in an hour that he is
not aware of, and shall cut him
00:42:52.57\00:42:55.00
asunder. Wow that doesn't
sound like seven more years of
00:42:55.04\00:42:57.91
probation does it? And
appoint him his portion with the
00:42:57.94\00:43:00.28
hypocrites. There shall be
weeping and gnashing of teeth.
00:43:00.31\00:43:03.24
Now that is clear. Those that
are not saved, those that are
00:43:03.28\00:43:05.85
not taken to heaven in the
coming up of the church it says
00:43:05.88\00:43:09.95
they will be cut down and
destroyed. Now Luke comments on
00:43:09.98\00:43:12.35
this passage. He makes it
even more plain. Here in Luke 17
00:43:12.39\00:43:17.33
verse 34 he said: I tell you,
in that night there shall be two
00:43:17.36\00:43:20.06
men in one bed; the one shall
be taken, and the other left.
00:43:20.10\00:43:21.80
Plain expression. Two women
shall be grinding together; the
00:43:21.83\00:43:24.70
one shall be taken, and the
other left. Two men shall be in
00:43:24.73\00:43:26.97
the field; the one shall
be taken, and the other left.
00:43:27.00\00:43:29.70
Now it's amazing what people
do in the Bible. Because they
00:43:29.74\00:43:31.44
read it this way. They say one
shall and the other left alive
00:43:31.47\00:43:34.58
for seven more years. Now again
it doesn't say that but they're
00:43:34.61\00:43:36.64
imposing upon the text what they
want it to say. So it goes on
00:43:37.05\00:43:42.42
verse 37: Where are those that
are left. It says they answered
00:43:42.45\00:43:45.12
and said unto him where
Lord and he said unto them,
00:43:45.15\00:43:48.06
wheresoever the body is,
thither will the eagles be
00:43:48.09\00:43:50.93
gathered together. Now here
in Luke, he says body. Over in
00:43:50.96\00:43:54.86
Matthew it says carcass, right?
In the other Bible translations
00:43:54.90\00:43:58.23
many of them, they don't say
body, they say a carcass, and
00:43:58.27\00:44:01.24
rather than eagles they use the
word vultures. So the picture
00:44:01.27\00:44:03.81
the Bible is describing is a
bunch of vultures circulating
00:44:03.84\00:44:07.18
over a bunch of dead people. Not
very pretty, but this is what's
00:44:07.21\00:44:10.95
described to us. Verse 26: And
as it was in the days of Noah
00:44:10.98\00:44:16.25
so shall it be also in the days
of the Son of man. They did eat,
00:44:16.28\00:44:19.89
they drank, they married wives,
they were given in marriage
00:44:19.92\00:44:21.86
until the day that Noah entered
the ark and the flood came, and
00:44:21.89\00:44:24.53
destroyed them all. So in the
flood did God rapture Noah off
00:44:24.56\00:44:29.63
the earth? No, he put him in an
ark of safety and Noah was there
00:44:29.66\00:44:32.33
during the time of tribulation
but God faithfully preserved
00:44:32.37\00:44:35.27
the life of his servant and
his family while the earth was
00:44:35.30\00:44:39.37
destroyed. Noah wasn't raptured
away to some secret place. But
00:44:39.41\00:44:42.58
the Lord's deliverance was
there for all to see. Verse 28:
00:44:42.61\00:44:46.21
Likewise also as it was in the
days of Lot; they did eat, they
00:44:46.25\00:44:49.75
drank, they bought, they sold,
they planted, they buildeth; but
00:44:49.78\00:44:51.92
the same day that Lot went
out of Sodom, it rained fire and
00:44:51.95\00:44:55.42
brimstone from heaven,
and what did it do, friend?
00:44:55.46\00:44:57.19
Destroyed them all. And then
he says to us in verse 30: Even
00:44:57.23\00:45:03.70
thus, now what does even thus
mean? Even thus means in the
00:45:03.73\00:45:07.47
same way. It goes on. Shall
it be in the day when the Son of
00:45:07.50\00:45:11.37
man is, what's that last word?
Revealed. Notice then, it's
00:45:11.41\00:45:16.51
never a concealing event.
It's always a revealing event.
00:45:16.54\00:45:19.35
Nothing here's secret, nothing
here's silent, nothing here
00:45:19.38\00:45:23.15
invisible about it. You know
that Jesus prayed in John 17 and
00:45:23.18\00:45:27.96
verse 15, Jesus said to his
disciples: I pray not that thou
00:45:27.99\00:45:31.86
shouldest out of the world
but rather that thou should keep
00:45:31.89\00:45:35.16
them from the evil. The word
keep them is to guard over, to
00:45:35.20\00:45:37.93
watch over and make sure they're
safe. So it wasn't Jesus' desire
00:45:37.97\00:45:42.70
that his church is going to
be raptured away but rather that
00:45:42.74\00:45:46.07
they would be kept from injury
and loss. It's the same word
00:45:46.11\00:45:49.11
there, keep, that's used in
Revelation 3 verse 10. So what
00:45:49.14\00:45:53.28
about two shall be in the field
and one shall be taken and the
00:45:53.31\00:45:57.09
other left. In the Bible context
Jesus is simply saying that one
00:45:57.12\00:46:00.22
is going to be saved and the
other person is going to be lost
00:46:00.26\00:46:03.26
or left for destruction. Just as
it was in Noah's day, just as it
00:46:03.29\00:46:07.03
was in Lot's day so it will
be when Jesus returns. You know
00:46:07.06\00:46:10.87
strange as it may seem friends
this whole counterfeit rapture
00:46:10.90\00:46:14.57
theory is built on a few phrases
and repeated over and over again
00:46:14.60\00:46:19.41
to people by those that are
popular enough or influential
00:46:19.44\00:46:23.95
enough that innocent Christians
start to believe that that's all
00:46:23.98\00:46:26.68
the Bible has to say on it. When
they talk about this whole Left
00:46:26.72\00:46:29.98
Behind series, very little Bible
is used and when it is used it's
00:46:30.02\00:46:34.72
taken out of context in every
case. So people start to read
00:46:34.76\00:46:38.86
into passages this idea of a two
phase coming. There's nothing to
00:46:38.89\00:46:44.17
suggest such an idea. And that
leads us to this point. What
00:46:44.20\00:46:46.43
about the idea of a seven-year
tribulation. Where are they
00:46:46.47\00:46:50.51
getting that idea from. They're
taking a passage from the book
00:46:50.54\00:46:55.61
of Daniel chapter 9, removing it
from its proper context, we are
00:46:55.64\00:46:59.58
going to study that passage
on a later topic in the seminar.
00:46:59.61\00:47:02.85
They're removing it from the
passage and they're tossing it
00:47:02.88\00:47:05.99
2000 years into the future
and they're saying that the last
00:47:06.02\00:47:10.53
week of years, prophetic week,
which means seven years, applies
00:47:10.56\00:47:13.56
to the end-time rule or reign of
the antichrist. Now again when
00:47:13.60\00:47:18.67
we get to that we're going to
let you decide whether they're
00:47:18.70\00:47:20.64
using it correctly. But folks
let me just tell you something
00:47:20.67\00:47:23.00
about the word tribulation.
In the New Testament the word
00:47:23.04\00:47:26.61
tribulation is used 22 times.
The word tribulations, plural,
00:47:26.64\00:47:31.35
is used four times. So whether
you've got tribulation or
00:47:31.38\00:47:35.02
tribulations, that's 26 times.
Of those 26 times not once does
00:47:35.05\00:47:39.52
it say seven years of
tribulation. You would think
00:47:39.55\00:47:41.89
that if there's going to be
seven years of tribulation that
00:47:41.92\00:47:44.99
at least once in the 26 times
it would say that, right? But it
00:47:45.03\00:47:48.30
doesn't friends. We ought to be
sure of what we believe. Only if
00:47:48.33\00:47:52.17
you try to assume something or
predetermine something can you
00:47:52.20\00:47:56.60
possibly read into these texts
such an idea of a two-phase
00:47:56.64\00:47:59.97
second coming. Now let's go back
to the Bible. We're been here a
00:48:00.01\00:48:02.74
lot tonight. Let's keep going.
1 Peter 1 verse 13. Now Peter
00:48:02.78\00:48:06.55
says: Wherefore gird up the
loins of your mind, be sober,
00:48:06.58\00:48:10.49
and hope to the end for the
grace that is to be brought unto
00:48:10.52\00:48:14.16
you at the revelation of
Jesus Christ. Why would Peter be
00:48:14.19\00:48:17.03
encouraging his church to look
for the revelation if they were
00:48:17.06\00:48:19.69
to watch for the rapture?
Doesn't make any sense. Paul
00:48:19.73\00:48:22.23
says to Titus: Looking for
that blessed hope, the glorious
00:48:22.26\00:48:25.53
appearing of the great God and
our Savior Jesus Christ. Why did
00:48:25.57\00:48:29.50
Peter not speak about it?
Why did Paul not speak about it?
00:48:29.54\00:48:33.04
Because it isn't true. It isn't
true and to show you this look
00:48:33.07\00:48:35.94
at what Jesus had to say in
Luke 21 and verse 26 and onward.
00:48:35.98\00:48:40.18
Jesus describes a time; he says:
when: Men's hearts are going to
00:48:40.22\00:48:42.92
fail them for fear, and for
looking after those things which
00:48:42.95\00:48:46.02
are coming on the earth:
Friends, I believe that that
00:48:46.05\00:48:47.82
time has come.
00:48:47.86\00:48:49.19
When you look at the news today
and some of these major cities
00:48:49.22\00:48:52.19
and they got iron bars on
the windows and iron bars on the
00:48:52.23\00:48:55.10
doors and all kinds of multiple
locks and they got burglar alarm
00:48:55.13\00:48:57.97
systems and they got guard dogs
Most people are walking these
00:48:58.00\00:49:01.00
streets and even their homes,
they're fearful. But it goes on
00:49:01.04\00:49:03.91
and it says for the powers of
heaven shall be shaken. And then
00:49:03.94\00:49:07.01
shall they see the Son of man
coming in a cloud with power and
00:49:07.04\00:49:11.95
great glory. Why would Jesus say
the very next thing that's going
00:49:11.98\00:49:16.02
to happen is they're going to
see him coming in glory if there
00:49:16.05\00:49:18.95
was going to be some kind of
secret, silent, invisible coming
00:49:18.99\00:49:21.46
taking away the church seven
years before the glorious coming
00:49:21.49\00:49:24.33
Certain if that was true, Jesus
would mention it. But Jesus
00:49:24.36\00:49:28.43
doesn't mention it. And the
reason friends Jesus doesn't
00:49:28.46\00:49:30.47
mention it is because it's
not true. It's not in the Bible.
00:49:30.50\00:49:34.10
Now if that wasn't enough look
at verse 28. And here it says:
00:49:34.14\00:49:38.54
And when these things begin to
come to pass, then look up, and
00:49:38.57\00:49:41.41
lift up your heads; for your
what? Redemption draweth nigh.
00:49:41.44\00:49:46.68
Now think about it friends. If
people were taken away in some
00:49:46.72\00:49:49.05
kind of invisible rapture and
they were in heaven certainly
00:49:49.08\00:49:51.65
that would be redemption,
right? Their redemption would be
00:49:51.69\00:49:54.26
complete in the final sense; but
no. Jesus is saying that he ties
00:49:54.29\00:49:59.69
in the redemption with his
coming in power and glory. You
00:49:59.73\00:50:03.57
say when that event happens then
your redemption is there. So
00:50:03.60\00:50:07.77
very, very clearly that sweeps
away these preconceived ideas
00:50:07.80\00:50:12.27
that there's some kind of
invisible taking away of the
00:50:12.31\00:50:15.04
church. It says in Matthew
24 and verse 27: For as the
00:50:15.08\00:50:18.11
lightning cometh out of the east
and shineth even unto the west;
00:50:18.15\00:50:21.65
so shall also the coming of the
Son of man be. I grew up in the
00:50:21.68\00:50:26.32
west part of British Columbia.
We had thunder and lightning,
00:50:26.35\00:50:28.12
it was really no big deal. But
then I moved to Maryland and in
00:50:28.16\00:50:31.46
Maryland, they had lightning
that forked across the sky in
00:50:31.49\00:50:33.86
all different directions and you
knew the thunderclap was coming
00:50:33.90\00:50:36.53
It would go kaboom and when
it did it would shake the house.
00:50:36.56\00:50:39.70
You know you could go out in the
lightning storm and take your
00:50:39.73\00:50:42.24
fingers and put them over your
eyes like this and the lightning
00:50:42.27\00:50:44.64
is so bright you can see the
light through the cracks of your
00:50:44.67\00:50:47.54
fingers. Scientists say that the
tip of a lightning bolt is about
00:50:47.58\00:50:50.45
three to six times hotter than
the surface of the sun. I don't
00:50:50.48\00:50:52.71
know how they arrive at such
figures but let me tell that is
00:50:52.75\00:50:56.65
hot and that is bright.
And Jesus understanding what
00:50:56.69\00:51:00.32
lightning is he draws the
analogy of the lightning and
00:51:00.36\00:51:05.29
then he says here in the New
Century Version of the Bible, a
00:51:05.33\00:51:10.07
little more up-to-date version
of it, or more paraphrased
00:51:10.10\00:51:12.90
version. It says here: When the
Son of man comes, (the word in
00:51:12.93\00:51:16.07
the original Greek is the
Parousia, now this is the word
00:51:16.10\00:51:18.17
that people say is secret, right
So watch this now. It says:
00:51:18.21\00:51:22.08
He'll be seen by everyone. It
will be like lightning flashing
00:51:22.11\00:51:24.65
in the sky that can be seen
everywhere. Nothing here about
00:51:24.68\00:51:28.92
secrecy and certainly nothing
here about it being invisible.
00:51:28.95\00:51:31.42
It's just the opposite. It says
everybody's going to see it.
00:51:31.45\00:51:33.99
So Jesus, as we go through this
whole series of texts, let's
00:51:34.02\00:51:38.56
follow the thinking through.
First, the disciples came to
00:51:38.59\00:51:41.50
Jesus and they said Lord what
will be the sign of your coming
00:51:41.53\00:51:43.16
and the end of the world.
And Jesus...said unto them, take
00:51:43.20\00:51:46.50
heed that no man deceive you.
That means watch out. When you
00:51:46.53\00:51:49.37
hear those words take heed that
no man deceive you, you know
00:51:49.40\00:51:53.58
that there's going to be special
deception on that point. So he
00:51:53.61\00:51:56.34
says: Take heed that no man
deceive you...and then he says
00:51:56.38\00:51:59.61
in verse 24, it says: There'll
be false Christs, there'll be
00:51:59.65\00:52:03.35
false prophets. They'll
show great signs and wonders;
00:52:03.39\00:52:05.79
inasmuch that if it were
possible they'll deceive the
00:52:05.82\00:52:07.66
very elect. I mean don't be
surprised if miracles are even
00:52:07.69\00:52:10.59
performed. And then he says in
verse 25: I am telling you ahead
00:52:10.63\00:52:14.06
of time, meaning you're getting
this information so you don't
00:52:14.10\00:52:16.67
have to be fooled. And then in
verse 26 he's saying two things
00:52:16.70\00:52:21.47
to watch out for. He's saying
it's not going to be like this
00:52:21.50\00:52:24.37
You can go out in the desert
in order to see him, It's not
00:52:24.41\00:52:27.31
going to be like that, there's
somehow secrecy attached to my
00:52:27.34\00:52:29.84
second coming. But he says it's
going to be like the lightning
00:52:29.88\00:52:34.35
which comes from the east and
shines even unto the west. He
00:52:34.38\00:52:37.25
says that is how I'm going to
return. Folks that is so crystal
00:52:37.29\00:52:41.72
clear we cannot miss it. So
we go back and review. We find
00:52:41.76\00:52:45.76
Jesus' coming is literal,
personal, visible, you'll be
00:52:45.79\00:52:48.50
able to hear it, it's audible.
It'll bring a resurrection,
00:52:48.53\00:52:50.10
that's in our very next
study together. It's going to be
00:52:50.13\00:52:53.07
glorious. It's going to be as
climactic as the lightning and
00:52:53.10\00:52:56.44
the our last point here. We find
it in Revelation 22 verse 11. It
00:52:56.47\00:53:00.74
says: He that is unjust, let him
be unjust still: and he which is
00:53:00.78\00:53:03.48
filthy still, let him be filthy
still: and he that is righteous,
00:53:03.51\00:53:06.35
let him be righteous still: and
he that is holy, let him be holy
00:53:06.38\00:53:09.68
still. And the word still
carries the meaning friends for
00:53:09.72\00:53:12.72
eternity, and there's not going
to be any changing sides. Verse
00:53:12.75\00:53:16.06
And, behold I come quickly;
and my reward is with me, to
00:53:16.09\00:53:20.33
give every man according as his
work shall be. In other words
00:53:20.36\00:53:23.16
when Jesus comes, it's going
to be decisive friend. In other
00:53:23.20\00:53:27.27
words by that time there'll
be no switching sides, no more
00:53:27.30\00:53:30.77
probation. You see this whole
theory about a second chance
00:53:30.81\00:53:33.84
it is nowhere taught in
the Bible but it's a terrible
00:53:33.88\00:53:39.05
deception friends. Because human
nature being what it is, people
00:53:39.08\00:53:41.02
will say well, I might not make
it at the first coming of Jesus
00:53:41.05\00:53:44.59
or his second coming but I bet
if he comes, I know the Bible
00:53:44.62\00:53:50.96
is true and I know I should get
ready and I got seven more years
00:53:50.99\00:53:54.13
to do that. Folks a terrible
terrible deception. The Bible
00:53:54.16\00:53:57.73
teaches no such thing. Matthew
24 verse 36: Jesus said: But of
00:53:57.77\00:54:02.64
that day and hour, speaking
about his coming, knows no man,
00:54:02.67\00:54:06.71
no, not the angels of heaven,
but my Father only. And then
00:54:06.74\00:54:10.65
this one 2 Corinthians 6
and verse 2: Behold now is the
00:54:10.68\00:54:14.12
accepted time; behold, now is
the day of salvation. Folks in
00:54:14.15\00:54:19.85
this life God gives us many
times to get ready, doesn't he?
00:54:19.89\00:54:23.32
Every time we get up in
the morning, every time we take
00:54:23.36\00:54:26.66
breath in our lungs is another
time to say Lord I want to serve
00:54:26.70\00:54:29.26
you. Lord I want to give my
heart to you. I want to live a
00:54:29.30\00:54:33.67
pure life by your grace and that
is friends how we are to get
00:54:33.70\00:54:37.84
ready for Jesus' coming.
Because Jesus' coming is to be
00:54:37.87\00:54:40.14
the happiest event that we
are to look forward to. And the
00:54:40.18\00:54:43.31
purpose of the book of
Revelation is to prepare a
00:54:43.35\00:54:45.91
people for that great event
folks. In a world that is madly
00:54:45.95\00:54:49.68
rushing along the road of
destruction God wants a few more
00:54:49.72\00:54:52.85
for his kingdom. He's looking
for people that are open-hearted
00:54:52.89\00:54:56.42
to Bible truth. And speaking of
that friends, do you know that
00:54:56.46\00:54:59.43
many people who are about
to give up on God have got a
00:54:59.46\00:55:04.03
brochure for this seminar in the
mail and they've come out and
00:55:04.07\00:55:06.27
they've said, oh no, this is the
kind of God I could love. Well
00:55:06.30\00:55:08.14
we praise the Lord for that.
Many people who are about to
00:55:08.17\00:55:10.57
give up on church, they've gone
from church to church to church
00:55:10.61\00:55:12.44
and they think you know I'm
just getting nothing out of it
00:55:12.47\00:55:15.08
because I'm not being taught the
Bible. They come to this seminar
00:55:15.11\00:55:18.41
A friend will invite them and
they'll say finally I'm learning
00:55:18.45\00:55:20.42
something, right? And sad as it
is many people who are about to
00:55:20.45\00:55:23.52
give up on their life even.
You know just when they think
00:55:23.55\00:55:26.45
there's no hope, they'll get an
invitation, God will send them
00:55:26.49\00:55:31.19
something and they'll say you
know what, let me give it one
00:55:31.23\00:55:34.50
more try and they come and
they find out there's a God that
00:55:34.53\00:55:37.53
loves them deeply. I don't know
how you got here tonight and I
00:55:37.57\00:55:42.40
don't know how you are watching
at home or found out about this
00:55:42.44\00:55:45.71
seminar or how you managed to
sit down and you're watching it
00:55:45.74\00:55:48.54
right now, but I do know that if
you're watching this right now
00:55:48.58\00:55:51.71
it's not by coincidence. The God
of heaven has arranged that you
00:55:51.75\00:55:55.48
would know these things for this
time. Folks we're studying about
00:55:55.52\00:55:59.82
going to heaven together,
families getting united, no more
00:55:59.85\00:56:04.13
death and no more sorrow. Oh
what an amazing time it's going
00:56:04.16\00:56:07.40
to be. Can you imagine when all
the graveyards around the world
00:56:07.43\00:56:09.96
thousands upon thousands of them
open up and the righteous come
00:56:10.00\00:56:13.87
forth. What a tremendous joy
that's going to be. Folks we're
00:56:13.90\00:56:18.21
going to go to heaven together.
Now if you're not excited about
00:56:18.24\00:56:22.21
that there's probably a reason
for it. And that reason might be
00:56:22.24\00:56:25.35
because you don't feel in
your heart, you're ready to meet
00:56:25.38\00:56:27.02
Jesus There are many that I know
have already made a decision to
00:56:27.05\00:56:31.95
give your life to him and it's
a wonderful thing that you have.
00:56:31.99\00:56:33.42
But if you're watching here
tonight, if you are watching
00:56:33.46\00:56:37.33
here today either those of
you who are present here in this
00:56:37.36\00:56:41.00
auditorium or those of you who
are watching at home, I'd like
00:56:41.03\00:56:42.86
to do something special for you.
I'd like to end with a prayer
00:56:42.90\00:56:45.57
and this is a prayer of
acceptance of Jesus and the
00:56:45.60\00:56:49.07
reason it's so important is
because if you haven't accepted
00:56:49.10\00:56:52.04
Jesus into your heart you not
only won't be ready for him but
00:56:52.07\00:56:56.21
you won't be looking forward to
him. So those of you who would
00:56:56.24\00:56:58.91
like I'm going to ask you to
join me in prayer. Just bow your
00:56:58.95\00:57:02.38
heads right where you're at
and just pray along this prayer
00:57:02.42\00:57:04.85
right in your heart as we ask
Jesus to come into our souls and
00:57:04.89\00:57:08.72
come into our lives. Heavenly
Father, the great hope of the
00:57:08.76\00:57:14.06
world tonight is your coming.
This world has little hope
00:57:14.10\00:57:18.13
unless you come. In this
audience today either here or
00:57:18.17\00:57:21.30
watching at home we know there
are many who have already given
00:57:21.34\00:57:24.61
their lives to you. But for
those that are watching and have
00:57:24.64\00:57:27.48
not already given their hearts
away will you please touch their
00:57:27.51\00:57:30.85
hearts and help them to
surrender right now. Jesus is
00:57:30.88\00:57:35.12
knocking on the door of their
mind. Help them to open the
00:57:35.15\00:57:37.09
door and to let him in. We
believe that you sent your Son
00:57:37.12\00:57:40.86
to die on Calvary. We believe,
dear God, that he died for the
00:57:40.89\00:57:45.36
sins of the world and for our
personal sins. We believe that
00:57:45.39\00:57:48.16
he is the Savior, the Messiah
that the Old Testament speaks
00:57:48.20\00:57:51.43
about and the New Testament
proclaims. But we need help
00:57:51.47\00:57:54.50
dear Lord, we need the Holy
Spirit. We need power in our
00:57:54.54\00:57:58.37
life to live right. We're asking
for that new birth experience
00:57:58.41\00:58:01.91
conversion experience to be ours
right now. And we thank you by
00:58:01.94\00:58:07.58
faith for what you are doing.
We praise your name for your
00:58:07.62\00:58:12.39
goodness and your mercy to us.
Thank you for giving us a new
00:58:12.42\00:58:14.82
start and a new beginning
tonight. And we do look forward
00:58:14.86\00:58:18.33
to your coming and we do have
joy and peace right now by faith
00:58:18.36\00:58:21.10
and we look forward to
it. In Jesus' name Amen.
00:58:21.13\00:58:26.10