What does the future hold?
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Where can we find certainty
in a world of uncertainty?
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The book of Revelation provides
helpful answers for today,
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tomorrow, and forever.
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Join Mark Finley, author,
and world renowned speaker on a
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journey into the future with
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Welcome, and thank you for
joining us for this journey
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through the book of Revelation.
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Revelation is the last book
in the Bible, and it focuses
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especially on Jesus Christ.
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Many people when they think
about the book of Revelation,
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think about mystic symbols.
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They think about cryptic images.
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They think about prophecy that
they really can't understand.
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But the book of Revelation,
more than any other book in the
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Bible, focuses on Jesus.
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Our topic in this presentation
is Revelation's Final Events.
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Let's pray together and
ask the Spirit of God to come
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and to touch our hearts, to
encourage us with the hopeful
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message of the
book of Revelation.
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Father in Heaven, we thank You
for the last book in the Bible,
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the book of Revelation.
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A book written by John on
the island of Patmos to prepare
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a people for the
soon return of Jesus.
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As we open the pages of
that book, speak to our hearts,
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bring us deep conviction,
stir us within, and enable us
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to sense the glory
of Your soon return.
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In Christ's name, Amen.
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There's something really
fascinating, something really
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amazing about space travel.
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When we think about
travel through space
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we are awe stricken.
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Which ones of us wouldn't
like to take a space journey
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that was pretty safe?
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You know, some of us, when
we think about space journey's,
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think about nervous;
that we get a little nervous.
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We are a little anxious.
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We say, I don't know if I want
to step onto some space shuttle.
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But there is a space
journey that's coming
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that is absolutely safe.
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You know, some time ago
America was quite stunned as the
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spacecraft Columbia blasted off.
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There was a slight
problem, nothing major.
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Our eyes were glued to
the television screens.
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Thousands and thousands of
people were watching as that
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spacecraft
hurtled through space.
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Seven of our brightest,
seven of our best astronauts,
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some of the most talented,
some of the most intelligent
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people were there;
bright smiles, bright eyes.
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But yet as that spacecraft began
to re-enter Earth's atmosphere,
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a minor problem that took place
when the spacecraft Columbia
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blasted off,
became a great problem.
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The gasses entered in
through a crack, evidentially,
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in the craft, and the
entire space shuttle blew apart.
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In fact the
headlines in the newspaper
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were, Shuttle Breaks Up!
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Time magazine quoted George
Bush, President at the time,
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on February 1, 2003, as
saying, The Columbia is lost.
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And then he said,
America is saddened today.
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There are no survivors.
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This space
journey began fairly well,
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but it ended with no survivors.
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The space journey that you
and I are preparing for is one
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that's not going
to only begin well,
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it's one that's
going to end well.
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The space journey that we
are preparing for is the space
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journey of the ages.
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We can have absolute certainty
that as we begin this space
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journey from earth, when
Jesus Christ returns again,
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that Jesus will get us home.
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We will travel. We'll
travel beyond the moon,
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our nearest neighbor
at 250,000 miles in space.
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We'll travel beyond
the stars, and the planets,
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travel beyond the sun,
93 million miles from here,
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travel beyond Pluto,
and Jupiter, and Saturn.
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We'll travel through the sky,
up through that open space in
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Orion, and travel
millions of miles in space
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to our eternal home where there
is no sickness, where there's no
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sorrow, where
there's no suffering,
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where there is no death.
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There is one thing that
I'm certain about, many things
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I'm certain about,
but one thing for sure,
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this world is not our home.
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When I read the newspaper, and
I see the gruesome details of
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war, I know this
world is not our home.
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When I read about children
with distended bellies that are
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starving to death, whose
mothers milk has run out,
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I know that this
world is not our home.
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When I read about terrorist
acts, and innocent people being
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killed, I know that
this world is not our home.
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When I read of car accidents,
and young adults being killed
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instantly, I know that
this world is not our home.
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When I read about drunk men
coming home and beating their
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wives, breaking their noses,
blood running down their face,
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I know that this
world is not our home.
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One day we're going to
travel, travel beyond the stars,
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travel beyond the sun, travel
through that open space in
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Orion to the very throne of God.
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The promise of God is
that Jesus will soon return.
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1500 times in the
Bible, the Bible discusses
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the return of Jesus.
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For every one prophecy
in the Old Testament on the
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first coming of Christ, there
are eight prophecies on the
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second coming of Christ.
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Once in every twenty-five
verses in the New Testament,
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it talks about the
second coming of our Lord.
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There are many people that
are quite confused about the
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second coming of Christ.
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You read books, and one book
says this thing, and the next
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book says that thing
about the return of Christ.
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Christianity is
quite confused about it.
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Some people have the
idea of a secret rapture.
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They have the idea of
a seven year tribulation.
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Other people believe Jesus is
coming in glory, power, majesty.
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Some people believe
Christ is coming to set up
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His Kingdom on Earth.
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Some people believe that
the second coming of Christ
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is kind of a Spiritual
coming where there's peace,
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Nirvana, love on earth.
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So many confusing ideas!
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I love that old
poem, What Says the Bible,
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the Blessed Bible to Me?
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This my only question
be, what says the Bible,
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the blessed Bible to me?
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Wouldn't you agree that
this is the book of books?
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Other books written by men
pale into insignificance in the
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light of the book of books.
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The Word of God gives us
certainty about the events
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of the second coming of Christ.
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Now when we look at
the book of Revelation
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In fact, Revelation 1:1
says, The Revelation of who?
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The Revelation of
who? Jesus Christ.
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So the book of Revelation
is not a confusing book.
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In fact the Bible says, in
Revelation 22, that the book of
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Revelation is not sealed.
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The book of
Revelation is an open book.
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The theme of
Revelation is Jesus.
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And there are two great
mountain peaks in Revelation:
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1. The lamb of God, mentioned
27 times in Revelation,
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speaks of the
first coming of Christ.
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2. And then Jesus, pictured
as a king, speaks of the
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second coming of Christ.
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Revelation 14:14,
describes this glorious event
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of Christ's coming. It says,
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The Son of God became the
Son of man, so sons of men could
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become the sons of God.
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Jesus, the Divine Son of
God, tabernackled in human flesh
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to show us what God was like,
and to share with us the keys
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to victory over
temptation, and sin.
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So it is the Son of
man that comes back,
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the One that walked the dusty
streets of Galilee, the One that
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walked the cobblestone
streets of Jerusalem.
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He is Jesus, our friend!
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He's coming to take us home.
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We need not fear His
coming. The Bible says,
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Golden crown
indicating His kingly authority.
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Sharp sickle indicating the
end, the harvest of this world.
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The book of Revelation
speaks about the glory,
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the beauty of the
second coming of Jesus.
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Jesus came once as a
babe in Bethlehem's manger.
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When He came that time did
many people recognize Jesus?
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Did they? When He came once just
a few recognized Him as Messiah.
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Very, very few. The wise men
came, shepherds gathered there
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around Jesus' birthplace.
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But very few recognized Him.
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So we could say that once
He came, in a sense, secretly.
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But when He comes the second
time, the Bible teaches that
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He'll come in glory,
He'll come in splendor.
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The Bible teaches that this
will be no secret event at all.
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He came once to enter
in the kingdom of grace.
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He is coming again
to enter in, to bring in
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the kingdom of glory.
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Jesus is
faithful to His promise.
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He promised He would come again.
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He is faithful.
Jesus' promises are true.
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Many people make
promises, and they don't
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follow through on them.
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But Jesus said, Let
not your heart be troubled.
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You believe in
God, believe also in Me.
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In My Father's house
are what? many mansions.
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If it were not so,
I would have told you.
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And if I go to prepare a place
for you, I might come again.
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I, it's possible
that I'll come again.
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Maybe I'll come again.
00:11:04.16\00:11:05.49
What does Jesus say?
00:11:05.53\00:11:06.86
I, what? will come again.
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And the One who returns,
is the One who is faithful,
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and the One who is true, the
One whose promises never fail.
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Jesus promised to
return, and He will be
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faithful to His promise.
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And in righteousness;
there is a lot in this world
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that is not righteous.
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It's unfair, it's unjust.
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But Christ is coming
with all of the glory
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of His righteousness.
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He judges sin, He makes war on
evil, and He triumphs over it.
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This is all the angels who
come with Him, white and clean,
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followed Him on white horses.
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Why this white horse
symbol in Revelation?
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What does the
symbol of a white horse?
00:11:48.70\00:11:51.71
Why would God use that
symbol of a white horse?
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The book of Revelation was
written in the 1st century,
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and it was written in
the days of the Roman Empire.
00:12:07.16\00:12:09.49
And when the Roman
armies conquered a new nation,
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when the Roman General came
back to Rome, he always led a
00:12:15.43\00:12:20.54
procession on a white horse.
00:12:20.57\00:12:23.67
So he always would ride on
a white horse, indicating the
00:12:23.71\00:12:28.11
strength, indicating the
authority of the Roman Empire,
00:12:28.14\00:12:32.51
and indicating the
victory, and the triumph
00:12:32.55\00:12:35.65
for the Roman Empire.
00:12:35.68\00:12:37.02
So when the Bible pictures
Christ coming on a white horse,
00:12:37.05\00:12:41.49
it is describing Jesus Christ
triumphing over all the powers
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of evil, triumphing over
all the powers of wickedness,
00:12:46.36\00:12:49.66
Jesus as the victorious Lord.
00:12:49.70\00:12:52.60
Revelation 11:15, notice
again, and again, and again
00:12:52.63\00:12:57.41
in Revelation, we have
this great theme of the
00:12:57.44\00:13:01.08
coming of Jesus Christ.
00:13:01.11\00:13:02.71
The kingdoms of this world
will fade into insignificance.
00:13:15.59\00:13:19.59
The buildings of this
world will come crumbling down.
00:13:19.66\00:13:23.63
But Jesus will
reign forever, and ever.
00:13:23.67\00:13:27.34
Do you see why the book of
Revelation is the most hopeful
00:13:27.37\00:13:31.14
book in all the Bible?
00:13:31.17\00:13:32.51
Because human beings are looking
for solutions to problems
00:13:32.54\00:13:36.54
that defy those solutions.
00:13:36.58\00:13:38.38
Human beings are looking
for solutions to the pollution
00:13:38.41\00:13:42.05
of the world, to the
global warming of the world,
00:13:42.08\00:13:45.09
to the war of the world,
to the famine of the world.
00:13:45.12\00:13:48.02
But yet, as hard as they try,
and as Christians, we applaud
00:13:48.06\00:13:54.20
all efforts for peace.
00:13:54.23\00:13:56.67
We applaud all
efforts to feed the hungry.
00:13:56.70\00:13:59.93
We applaud all
efforts to treat disease.
00:13:59.97\00:14:03.17
But here's what we
know: no human solution,
00:14:03.20\00:14:07.14
no human solution can solve
the problems of this world.
00:14:07.18\00:14:13.25
There is only One that
can solve those problems.
00:14:13.28\00:14:16.89
And there is only one event
that can bring that solution.
00:14:16.92\00:14:20.79
The kingdoms of
men rise and fall.
00:14:25.09\00:14:28.23
Nations have their place
on the stage of human history,
00:14:28.26\00:14:32.87
but they rise and fall.
00:14:32.90\00:14:35.00
But Jesus' kingdom will reign.
00:14:35.07\00:14:37.97
He shall reign! What
does it say? forever,
00:14:38.01\00:14:41.64
and ever, and ever.
00:14:41.68\00:14:43.48
His kingdom will
last through all eternity.
00:14:43.51\00:14:47.18
Many people have
different ideas about how
00:14:55.26\00:14:58.16
Jesus is going to come,
but the Bible is very clear.
00:14:58.19\00:15:01.86
The first thing that we want to
notice is this: that there will
00:15:01.90\00:15:05.20
be those that claim
that Christ has returned.
00:15:05.23\00:15:09.20
In other words, there will
be those that see in what they
00:15:18.91\00:15:24.02
believe a being of
dazzling brightness.
00:15:24.05\00:15:27.36
There will be those that
see in that being, one that they
00:15:27.39\00:15:30.93
believe is the Messiah.
00:15:30.96\00:15:33.40
What if a Messiah like
being of dazzling brightness
00:15:33.43\00:15:38.03
appeared in Los Angeles?
00:15:38.07\00:15:39.67
What if He appeared
there in the great Coliseum,
00:15:39.70\00:15:42.37
spoke to thousands,
and they were being healed?
00:15:42.40\00:15:45.01
What if a Christ-like being,
being of dazzling brightness,
00:15:45.07\00:15:50.28
angelic being appeared?
00:15:50.31\00:15:52.48
What indeed if he appeared
in a place like Chicago,
00:15:52.51\00:15:57.59
in Grant Park, and
spoke to thousands?
00:15:57.62\00:15:59.32
What if he
appeared in St. Louis?
00:15:59.35\00:16:00.96
What if he appeared in New
York City, in Times Square?
00:16:00.99\00:16:04.53
What if he appeared
in Paris, or London,
00:16:04.56\00:16:07.70
England, or Beijing China?
00:16:07.73\00:16:09.26
What if thousands
were being healed?
00:16:09.30\00:16:11.27
Would you go to see him?
00:16:11.30\00:16:12.90
What does Jesus say?
00:16:12.93\00:16:14.47
there. Why not?
Because the Bible says,
00:16:15.60\00:16:19.54
Jesus Christ is not
coming as some cosmic master,
00:16:31.15\00:16:35.82
some being of dazzling
brightness to walk on the
00:16:35.86\00:16:39.16
earth at this time.
00:16:39.19\00:16:40.53
Christ is coming in
the clouds of heaven.
00:16:40.56\00:16:43.40
Our Jesus is coming
in the clouds of heaven.
00:16:49.50\00:16:52.94
Now Satan can appear as a
being of dazzling brightness.
00:16:52.97\00:16:57.15
Satan can masquerade,
and appear as Christ.
00:16:57.18\00:17:02.15
Satan could walk up
and down on this earth.
00:17:02.18\00:17:05.49
But Satan does not have
the power to come in the clouds
00:17:05.52\00:17:09.59
of heaven like a glorious
being and raise the dead.
00:17:09.62\00:17:13.66
Only Jesus Christ can do that.
00:17:13.70\00:17:17.07
Satan has a plan to
deceive the multitudes.
00:17:17.13\00:17:21.00
Wouldn't the Devil try to
counterfeit, and impersonate,
00:17:21.04\00:17:26.47
the second coming of Christ,
when all humanity is looking
00:17:26.51\00:17:30.95
for solutions to their problems?
00:17:30.98\00:17:32.81
Wouldn't that be something that
you think the Devil might do?
00:17:32.85\00:17:37.65
Now, five facts about
the coming of Christ: 1.
00:17:37.69\00:17:40.69
It's not some Spiritual coming.
00:17:43.09\00:17:46.56
Jesus is not some Cosmic master
that's going to come in some
00:17:46.59\00:17:51.07
vague vapory way, and
bring peace, Nirvana on earth.
00:17:51.10\00:17:54.97
Jesus ascended up
in the sky literally;
00:17:59.17\00:18:01.78
He'll return
literally. The Bible says,
00:18:01.81\00:18:04.41
The disciples were looking
up, straining their eyes to see
00:18:12.45\00:18:17.53
Jesus as He
ascended into heaven.
00:18:17.59\00:18:20.66
Man steps off a
mountain and goes down.
00:18:20.70\00:18:23.80
God steps off a
mountain and goes up.
00:18:23.83\00:18:26.87
Because the law of
gravity cannot keep down the
00:18:26.90\00:18:30.87
Creator of gravity.
00:18:30.91\00:18:32.34
The disciples looked.
00:18:35.88\00:18:37.21
The angels come and
they say to the disciples,
00:18:37.25\00:18:40.02
in these very words,
00:18:40.08\00:18:42.98
Jesus ascended into heaven in
glory, He will return in glory.
00:18:48.12\00:18:52.49
He ascended into heaven, He will
return the same way He went up.
00:18:52.53\00:18:58.07
We look at Scripture,
and recognize that this is no
00:19:04.07\00:19:10.18
supposed Cosmic master,
who is going to walk on earth.
00:19:10.21\00:19:14.15
He is coming down
from the sky in glory.
00:19:14.18\00:19:19.09
Now Christ's coming will
not only be a literal event,
00:19:19.12\00:19:22.02
it will be a visible event,
not only seen by the righteous,
00:19:22.06\00:19:25.99
but also seen by all humanity.
00:19:26.03\00:19:28.46
The Bible makes that very plain.
00:19:28.50\00:19:30.93
The eyes of the young, and the
eyes of the old, the eyes of the
00:19:39.47\00:19:44.61
educated, and the
eyes of the uneducated.
00:19:44.65\00:19:47.18
Chinese eyes will see Him come,
and European eyes will see Him
00:19:47.22\00:19:50.62
come, and Asian eyes will
see Him come, and the eyes of
00:19:50.65\00:19:55.12
Europeans will see Him come,
and the eyes of Americans will
00:19:55.16\00:19:58.46
see Him come, and the eyes of
Australians will see Him come.
00:19:58.49\00:20:00.90
The Bible says what?
every eye will see Him come.
00:20:00.96\00:20:04.20
Now somebody says, Well,
Pastor Mark, I thought only the
00:20:04.23\00:20:06.50
righteous were going to see Him,
and that they were kind of two
00:20:06.53\00:20:09.47
phases of His second coming.
00:20:09.50\00:20:11.24
The Bible does not teach that.
00:20:11.27\00:20:12.94
It teaches that every eye
will see Jesus when He comes.
00:20:12.97\00:20:15.58
Not only literal, or
real Christ, not only visible,
00:20:19.65\00:20:23.25
that we will see Him come,
but it will be an audible event.
00:20:23.28\00:20:28.29
Not only will every eye
see it, but every ear will hear
00:20:28.32\00:20:32.59
Jesus at this event.
00:20:32.63\00:20:34.60
The Bible says in
1 Thessalonians 4:16,
00:20:34.63\00:20:37.80
Now that doesn't
seem very silent, does it?
00:20:43.07\00:20:45.41
With a what? With a
what? a shout! The Bible says
00:20:45.44\00:20:50.15
Have you lost some loved one
by death? a father or a mother?
00:21:00.52\00:21:05.46
You've laid them in some
grassy grave on a hillside.
00:21:05.49\00:21:09.36
You can't wait to
see your Mom again.
00:21:09.40\00:21:12.00
You can't wait to
see your Father again.
00:21:12.03\00:21:14.57
What about that baby
that died in childbirth?
00:21:14.60\00:21:18.04
You long to see them again.
00:21:18.07\00:21:20.78
What about that
son or that grandson?
00:21:20.81\00:21:23.81
What about that friend?
00:21:23.85\00:21:27.12
Tears run down your
face as you hear the
00:21:27.15\00:21:31.05
story of their death.
00:21:31.09\00:21:32.42
But the Bible says, The
Lord Himself shall descend from
00:21:32.45\00:21:35.22
heaven with a shout, with
the voice of the archangel,
00:21:35.26\00:21:39.19
with the trumpet of
God, the trumpet of victory.
00:21:39.23\00:21:42.70
And the dead in Christ shall
do what? they shall rise first.
00:21:42.73\00:21:48.30
One evening I was standing on
the platform of one of the great
00:21:48.34\00:21:52.14
auditoriums in our world,
and I was talking about the
00:21:52.17\00:21:54.98
second coming of Christ.
00:21:55.04\00:21:56.38
I had just talked about this
passage in 1 Thessalonians 4.
00:21:56.41\00:22:00.95
And as I did, I said, How can
I make it real to my audience?
00:22:00.98\00:22:05.55
How can I just describe
the second coming of Christ so
00:22:05.59\00:22:08.99
powerfully that people longed
to be ready for His coming?
00:22:09.02\00:22:12.56
So I described a scene, and I
said, Suppose you had a little
00:22:12.59\00:22:16.10
baby, and let's suppose
that baby's name was Amanda.
00:22:16.13\00:22:20.77
I don't know why
I used that name.
00:22:20.80\00:22:23.54
I had never used
that name before.
00:22:23.57\00:22:26.24
It's a common name, but not
a super common name in America.
00:22:26.27\00:22:29.84
And so I said, Suppose you
had a little baby called Amanda.
00:22:29.91\00:22:33.45
And suppose at six months
Amanda died in a crib death.
00:22:33.52\00:22:40.32
She suffocated in the crib.
00:22:40.36\00:22:43.26
And suppose you buried her,
and your heart was just broken
00:22:43.29\00:22:48.06
over the death of Amanda.
00:22:48.10\00:22:50.37
And imagine you're at her grave.
and there as you're praying,
00:22:50.40\00:22:53.80
And there as you're praying,
longing, with tears coming down
00:22:53.84\00:22:58.14
your face, to see Amanda again.
00:22:58.17\00:23:00.41
The earth shakes,
the sky illuminates
00:23:00.44\00:23:03.08
with the glory of God.
00:23:03.11\00:23:04.45
Christ comes with ten thousand
times ten thousand angels.
00:23:04.48\00:23:08.22
The sky is illuminated with the
glory of God, and Jesus calls,
00:23:08.25\00:23:11.99
Amanda, come forth!
00:23:12.02\00:23:13.36
And that grave opens and
that little baby comes out,
00:23:13.39\00:23:16.06
and the angel puts that
baby in your hands again.
00:23:16.09\00:23:19.23
And those little hands
begin to pat your cheeks.
00:23:19.26\00:23:22.33
And you look into that little
face, and you ascend into heaven
00:23:22.36\00:23:26.03
with Jesus in the sky.
00:23:26.07\00:23:28.90
At the end of the meeting,
a lady came up to me and said,
00:23:28.94\00:23:32.31
Pastor, can I talk
to you? I said, Sure.
00:23:32.34\00:23:33.98
She said, How did you know?
00:23:34.01\00:23:35.54
I said, How did I know what?
00:23:35.58\00:23:37.08
How did you know
I had a little baby?
00:23:37.11\00:23:39.25
A baby that died in
the crib at six months?
00:23:39.28\00:23:43.62
And how did you know that
that baby's name was Amanda?
00:23:43.69\00:23:48.29
I said, I've never used
that name in a sermon before.
00:23:48.32\00:23:53.03
But the Holy Spirit
impressed me to use that name,
00:23:53.06\00:23:57.73
at that moment, just for you.
00:23:57.77\00:24:00.44
Because Jesus loves you so much.
00:24:00.47\00:24:02.84
Jesus wants you in eternity.
00:24:02.87\00:24:05.17
Jesus wants you to be with Him,
and He wants you to know that
00:24:05.21\00:24:09.14
one day He can put that
baby back in your arms again.
00:24:09.18\00:24:12.78
Christ comes with a trumpet
symbolizing the blast that will
00:24:12.81\00:24:18.52
wake the dead,
symbolling victory.
00:24:18.55\00:24:21.02
He comes with a cycle
symbolizing that earth comes
00:24:21.06\00:24:24.53
to an end, and earth's
harvest indeed is over.
00:24:24.59\00:24:28.03
The Bible puts it this way,
00:24:28.06\00:24:29.40
The graves are
opened, the dead come out.
00:24:32.53\00:24:35.24
Then scripture says that
00:24:35.27\00:24:38.41
The Bible says, we shall be
caught up together with them
00:24:47.02\00:24:51.19
to meet the Lord in the air.
00:24:51.25\00:24:53.29
Your mother is going
to be looking for you.
00:24:53.32\00:24:55.69
That mother that was
so faithful to Christ,
00:24:55.72\00:24:58.06
she's going to
be looking for you.
00:24:58.09\00:24:59.79
That friend that you prayed
with, and studied the Bible
00:24:59.86\00:25:02.93
with, they're going
to be looking for you.
00:25:02.96\00:25:04.77
That son, that daughter, Dad's
going to be looking for you.
00:25:04.83\00:25:07.84
Dad, don't walk
away from Christ now!
00:25:07.87\00:25:10.04
Dad, don't turn
your back on Christ now!
00:25:10.07\00:25:12.21
Because what if
your son is saved,
00:25:12.24\00:25:13.71
and he's looking through heaven.
00:25:13.74\00:25:15.18
He says, Where's my father?
00:25:15.21\00:25:16.54
I want him to be here!
00:25:16.58\00:25:17.91
Children, your parents are
going to be looking for you.
00:25:17.95\00:25:20.75
This is no time to
walk away from Christ.
00:25:20.78\00:25:23.62
Your parents are
going to be looking for you.
00:25:23.65\00:25:25.02
What does the Bible say?
00:25:25.05\00:25:26.39
We're caught up
together with them!
00:25:26.42\00:25:27.76
Think of the joy of celebration.
00:25:27.79\00:25:29.52
Think of the jubilation.
00:25:29.56\00:25:31.26
Think of the thrill of being
caught up together in the air.
00:25:31.29\00:25:35.53
You don't want to miss
that for some of the cheap
00:25:35.56\00:25:38.00
pleasures of this life.
00:25:38.03\00:25:40.40
The Bible is clear, we
will be caught up together.
00:25:40.44\00:25:44.01
I love the word together.
00:25:44.04\00:25:45.51
Families holding hands,
husbands, wives, parents,
00:25:45.54\00:25:48.81
children with them in the clouds
to do what? to meet the Lord.
00:25:48.84\00:25:53.92
Where? We going
to meet Him on earth?
00:25:53.95\00:25:55.62
Meet the Lord where? in the air.
00:25:55.65\00:25:58.05
The Devil can
never counterfeit that.
00:25:58.09\00:25:59.89
Christ is coming literally.
00:25:59.92\00:26:01.56
Christ is coming, so
every eye will see Him.
00:26:01.59\00:26:04.66
Christ is coming, so
every ear will hear it.
00:26:04.69\00:26:07.76
Christ is coming
to raise the dead.
00:26:07.80\00:26:11.73
Christ is coming to give
immortality to the living.
00:26:11.80\00:26:15.20
And we ascend
through the sky with Jesus.
00:26:15.24\00:26:18.47
So shall we ever... Not
temporarily, not momentarily.
00:26:18.51\00:26:23.81
So shall we what? ever be
with the Lord in eternity.
00:26:23.85\00:26:29.08
Life is short. We
appear here momentarily,
00:26:29.12\00:26:34.46
and then we're off
the scene's history.
00:26:34.49\00:26:36.93
But Jesus is coming, and
we can ever be with the Lord.
00:26:36.96\00:26:41.23
Notice Matthew 24:26.
00:26:41.26\00:26:43.73
or look, He's in
New York, or Chicago,
00:26:48.00\00:26:50.97
or Los Angeles; wherever.
00:26:51.01\00:26:52.41
Why not? Because
our Christ is coming in
00:26:54.74\00:26:57.45
glory to raise the dead. Now
00:26:57.48\00:26:59.71
It is the event of the ages.
00:27:04.35\00:27:07.66
So this is no secret event.
00:27:18.97\00:27:20.57
It's like lightening shining
from the east to the west.
00:27:20.60\00:27:23.94
He's coming to
redeem His people.
00:27:28.01\00:27:31.28
He's coming to
resurrect the dead.
00:27:31.31\00:27:34.58
He's coming down through
the corridor of Orion in glory,
00:27:34.62\00:27:39.52
and power, and
majesty. He is coming soon.
00:27:39.55\00:27:43.69
Now, the Bible says in
00:27:43.73\00:27:45.53
This is a key verse.
00:27:49.73\00:27:51.17
Now notice, it does not say
that only the righteous will
00:27:55.10\00:27:59.97
see Him when He comes.
00:28:00.01\00:28:01.98
It does not say that He is
coming to rapture His saints.
00:28:02.01\00:28:06.65
Not at all; He's coming
literally, He's coming visibly
00:28:06.68\00:28:09.95
so that every eye sees it.
00:28:09.98\00:28:11.32
He's coming audibly,
so every ear hears it.
00:28:11.35\00:28:14.06
He's coming to raise the dead.
00:28:14.09\00:28:16.09
But notice, it does not
say in the text, that only the
00:28:16.12\00:28:21.36
righteous will see Him. It says,
00:28:21.40\00:28:23.37
Remember Revelation 1:7 said,
00:28:27.70\00:28:30.11
Does that mean the unrighteous
will see Him as He comes?
00:28:32.77\00:28:36.44
Let's let the
Bible speak for itself.
00:28:36.48\00:28:38.35
What does the
Scripture say? And they
00:28:38.38\00:28:41.38
That is the tribes of the earth.
00:28:41.42\00:28:43.49
That is the unrighteous.
00:28:43.52\00:28:45.25
That is the unsaved.
00:28:45.29\00:28:46.72
So when Jesus comes, there are
not two phases of His coming,
00:28:52.69\00:28:58.00
divided by a
seven year tribulation.
00:28:58.03\00:29:00.20
When Jesus comes, the
second time to return,
00:29:00.24\00:29:03.30
every eye sees Him.
00:29:03.34\00:29:04.87
The righteous see Him,
and the wicked see Him.
00:29:04.91\00:29:07.71
The saved see Him,
and the unsaved see Him.
00:29:07.74\00:29:11.21
The holy see Him,
and the unholy see Him.
00:29:11.25\00:29:14.12
When Jesus comes
there is a great divide.
00:29:14.15\00:29:18.92
When Jesus comes the righteous
look up, and they are just
00:29:18.95\00:29:24.43
delighted, and thrilled.
00:29:24.46\00:29:25.99
And they're filled with joy and
jubilation when Christ comes.
00:29:26.03\00:29:29.93
When the unrighteous see
Him, they run for the rocks and
00:29:29.96\00:29:33.74
mountains to fall upon them.
00:29:33.77\00:29:35.10
They are
frightened at His coming.
00:29:35.14\00:29:37.41
Really, Christ's coming is
the climax of human history.
00:29:40.48\00:29:44.68
When Jesus Christ
comes, all of history comes
00:29:44.71\00:29:48.32
to one focal point.
00:29:48.35\00:29:49.68
When Jesus Christ
comes, all of history comes
00:29:49.72\00:29:52.89
to an end as we know it.
00:29:52.92\00:29:54.32
History is not circular, going
around in circle, after circle,
00:29:54.36\00:29:59.39
after circle with no end point.
00:29:59.43\00:30:01.90
History had a beginning point.
00:30:01.93\00:30:03.87
God created this
world in six literal days,
00:30:03.90\00:30:07.80
and rested on the seventh.
00:30:07.84\00:30:09.47
Six twenty-four hour periods,
and the seventh twenty-four
00:30:09.50\00:30:13.01
hour period, the Sabbath.
00:30:13.04\00:30:14.38
History had a beginning point.
00:30:14.41\00:30:16.18
This world had a
beginning point, and this world
00:30:16.21\00:30:19.11
will have an end point.
00:30:19.15\00:30:20.75
Jesus came in history
once when He died on the cross.
00:30:20.78\00:30:24.62
He will come at a point
in history a second time,
00:30:24.65\00:30:28.46
in a glorious,
climatic event. The Bible says,
00:30:28.49\00:30:32.99
The trumpet of
victory, the trumpet of triumph,
00:30:49.01\00:30:52.21
at the last trumpet.
00:30:52.25\00:30:53.58
The Bible then goes on to say,
00:30:53.62\00:30:54.95
We have corruptible bodies.
00:31:00.32\00:31:01.99
We have mortal bodies.
00:31:02.02\00:31:03.59
Our bodies are
subject to disease.
00:31:03.63\00:31:06.19
They're subject to pain.
00:31:06.23\00:31:07.56
They're subject to suffering.
00:31:07.60\00:31:09.40
They're subject to death.
00:31:09.43\00:31:10.80
But one day
Jesus is going to come.
00:31:10.83\00:31:13.03
The trumpet's going to sound,
and these bodies of ours are
00:31:13.07\00:31:16.54
going to be raised
what? incorruptible.
00:31:16.57\00:31:19.54
No more suffering, no
more sickness, no more disease,
00:31:19.57\00:31:22.58
no more
heartache, no more cancer.
00:31:22.61\00:31:24.65
Mortal means subject to
disease, and death, and decay.
00:31:30.85\00:31:34.42
Immortality, living forever,
and ever, and ever with Jesus
00:31:34.46\00:31:39.89
Christ through the
ceaseless ages of eternity.
00:31:39.93\00:31:42.56
Christ comes and we are ushered
through the carter of the sky,
00:31:42.60\00:31:47.14
to live with Him
forever, and ever, and ever,
00:31:47.17\00:31:51.37
in eternal glory where there is
no worry, no fear, no anxiety.
00:31:51.41\00:31:55.74
Sometimes does your
stomach get tightened,
00:31:55.78\00:31:59.65
and you get a little worried?
00:31:59.68\00:32:01.02
Sometimes do you get
headaches because you're
00:32:01.05\00:32:03.79
under such tension?
00:32:03.82\00:32:05.15
Sometimes does
fear grip your soul?
00:32:05.19\00:32:09.16
Just think of what it's going
to be like to live in a world
00:32:09.19\00:32:12.39
where there is no worry.
00:32:12.43\00:32:13.90
You never worry
about anything again.
00:32:13.93\00:32:17.30
Think about what it's going
to be like to live in a world
00:32:17.33\00:32:19.73
where there is no
fear. You never fear.
00:32:19.77\00:32:22.20
Think of what it's going
to be like to live in a world
00:32:22.24\00:32:25.11
where there is no evil, no
sickness, no war, no heartache,
00:32:25.14\00:32:30.08
no suffering, no death.
00:32:30.11\00:32:31.88
That's going to be an
amazing world, isn't it?
00:32:31.91\00:32:34.78
I don't want to miss it, do you?
00:32:34.82\00:32:36.25
Jesus is coming
to usher in eternity.
00:32:36.28\00:32:40.72
And one day we, with the whole
Universe, will sing from the
00:32:40.76\00:32:44.46
depths of our soul:
00:32:44.49\00:32:45.83
We will see that the way
God dealt with the controversy
00:32:53.34\00:32:57.64
between good and evil,
this controversy between Christ
00:32:57.67\00:33:01.11
and Satan, this great
controversy in the Universe,
00:33:01.14\00:33:04.51
we will see that in the way
God dealt with that controversy
00:33:04.55\00:33:09.55
has been fair,
and just, and right.
00:33:09.58\00:33:12.35
It has
demonstrated His love forever.
00:33:12.39\00:33:15.36
And that's why sin will
never rise a second time.
00:33:15.39\00:33:19.39
Because Jesus has dealt
with the controversy in a way
00:33:19.43\00:33:24.63
to reveal, before a
waiting world, before a watching
00:33:24.67\00:33:28.80
Universe the
majesty, the greatness,
00:33:28.84\00:33:31.37
and the beauty of His love.
00:33:31.41\00:33:33.44
Just think of what it's
going to be like when He comes!
00:33:33.48\00:33:37.01
Husbands embracing their
wives, and saying, It's over!
00:33:37.05\00:33:40.72
It's over! It's over!
00:33:40.75\00:33:42.65
No, honey, it's not
over, it's just beginning!
00:33:42.68\00:33:45.95
And we ascend to heaven.
00:33:45.99\00:33:47.96
Think of what it's going to
be like for mothers to grasp
00:33:47.99\00:33:51.83
the hands of
those children again.
00:33:51.86\00:33:54.00
Think of what it's going to
be like in that glorious day
00:33:54.03\00:33:56.60
to ascend through the sky.
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.33
You say, Pastor,
that's too good to be true!
00:33:58.37\00:34:01.10
It's too good not to be true.
00:34:01.14\00:34:04.01
In your heart you
know that you were created
00:34:04.04\00:34:06.91
for something better.
00:34:06.94\00:34:08.28
In your heart you long for
that something better in Jesus.
00:34:08.31\00:34:12.68
We will look up,
Isaiah 25:9, we'll cry out,
00:34:12.71\00:34:16.32
Now underline, circle, we've
waited, and He will save us.
00:34:22.22\00:34:25.23
We've waited for Him.
00:34:25.26\00:34:26.59
We've not
surrendered to the cheap,
00:34:26.63\00:34:29.83
tawdry pleasures of this world.
00:34:29.86\00:34:32.07
We've waited for Him.
00:34:32.10\00:34:33.60
We've not sold out like Judas
did for a few pieces of silver.
00:34:33.64\00:34:38.37
In this life we have done
what? we've waited for Him.
00:34:38.41\00:34:41.24
We've not
accepted the false Christ.
00:34:41.28\00:34:43.85
We've not been
deceived by the false Messiah.
00:34:43.88\00:34:46.88
We've not accepted the
one that's come this earth
00:34:46.92\00:34:49.88
as a being of
dazzling brightness,
00:34:49.95\00:34:51.65
and walked on the earth
and claimed he could heal.
00:34:51.72\00:34:54.62
We have waited for
Christ; He will save us. Notice:
00:34:54.66\00:34:57.56
We are rejoicing, but
there is another class.
00:35:04.17\00:35:09.00
You know, the Bible says,
00:35:09.07\00:35:10.41
When is the accepted time?
00:35:14.48\00:35:15.84
The only way to be ready
for Christ is to get ready
00:35:15.88\00:35:18.71
today, and stay ready.
00:35:18.75\00:35:20.08
Christ appeals to us
not to get ready tomorrow.
00:35:26.15\00:35:30.36
If you're watching
this broadcast, here in this
00:35:30.93\00:35:33.93
auditorium, and
you said, You know,
00:35:33.96\00:35:36.03
I feel a stirring in my heart.
00:35:36.06\00:35:38.70
I sense that this world
doesn't have much to offer.
00:35:38.73\00:35:42.04
But I'm hesitating.
00:35:42.10\00:35:44.51
There's something that
I don't want to let go.
00:35:44.54\00:35:46.94
I just haven't come
to the place of a full
00:35:46.98\00:35:49.34
commitment to Christ yet.
00:35:49.38\00:35:50.71
The longer you wait the
harder it's going to become.
00:35:52.58\00:35:56.12
Now is the day of salvation.
00:35:56.15\00:35:59.09
You didn't turn in to
this broadcast by accident.
00:35:59.12\00:36:02.19
You're not in this
auditorium by accident.
00:36:02.22\00:36:04.36
Christ brought you here.
00:36:04.39\00:36:06.56
If there's something in your
heart, something in your life,
00:36:06.59\00:36:09.56
Christ wants you to
get that settled now.
00:36:09.63\00:36:12.03
Because now is
the accepted time,
00:36:12.07\00:36:15.20
now is the day of salvation.
00:36:15.24\00:36:17.91
The choices that we make today
either tie us, and bind us,
00:36:24.28\00:36:29.58
and lock us in sin, or the
choice to accept His grace,
00:36:29.65\00:36:34.89
the choice to accept His pardon,
the choice to accept His power.
00:36:34.92\00:36:38.39
That's a life
changing choice that frees
00:36:38.43\00:36:42.26
us, that liberates us.
00:36:42.30\00:36:44.33
As some people say,
Well, Pastor, summarize it.
00:36:44.37\00:36:47.64
Summarize all the events
that happen when Jesus comes.
00:36:47.67\00:36:50.37
Here they are: First
00:36:50.41\00:36:52.31
The Bible says every mountain
and every island will be
00:36:55.28\00:36:57.58
moved out of its place.
00:36:57.65\00:36:59.05
on the righteous dead and
living, and they will ascend
00:37:12.36\00:37:15.13
into heaven with Christ.
00:37:15.16\00:37:17.47
by the
brightness of Jesus' coming.
00:37:19.73\00:37:22.24
They will not live on earth.
00:37:22.27\00:37:25.04
as they ascend
to heaven together.
00:37:28.14\00:37:30.75
Those are the events that
surround the coming of Christ.
00:37:35.65\00:37:38.35
But somebody says,
Pastor Mark, I really still
00:37:38.42\00:37:42.42
have some questions.
00:37:42.46\00:37:43.79
And I've heard a lot
about something called
00:37:43.83\00:37:46.13
the secret rapture.
00:37:46.16\00:37:47.53
And what about this
idea of the secret rapture?
00:37:47.56\00:37:51.90
Where does that come from?
00:37:51.93\00:37:53.27
And, you know, I'm a little
confused because doesn't the
00:37:53.30\00:37:56.17
Bible say that Christ is
going to come as a thief?
00:37:56.20\00:37:59.27
Isn't that implying secretly?
00:37:59.31\00:38:01.14
And doesn't the Bible say
there'll be two in the field,
00:38:01.18\00:38:03.51
one will be
taken, one will be left?
00:38:03.55\00:38:05.01
Doesn't that kind of imply that
Jesus' coming is kind of secret?
00:38:05.05\00:38:10.52
I see all those texts
in the Bible that you read,
00:38:10.55\00:38:12.82
and they're pretty clear,
but help me with these texts:
00:38:12.85\00:38:15.36
I'm so glad you
asked that question.
00:38:15.39\00:38:17.66
Let's go to the secret rapture,
and take a little look about it.
00:38:17.69\00:38:21.93
First we need to
keep clear on this.
00:38:21.96\00:38:24.40
Mathew 24:36. When the
Bible talks about the second
00:38:24.43\00:38:27.84
coming of Christ it says:
00:38:27.87\00:38:29.20
Well, the first thing we notice
is this: When somebody comes
00:38:34.34\00:38:37.25
to you with a time
chart and says, This is when
00:38:37.28\00:38:39.31
Christ is going to come.
00:38:39.35\00:38:40.68
I've got all this figured out.
00:38:40.72\00:38:42.05
Beware, because Jesus says,
But of that day and hour what?
00:38:42.08\00:38:44.49
nobody knows. So what
then does Jesus say after that?
00:38:44.52\00:38:50.73
What's another
expression for one hour?
00:38:55.66\00:38:57.73
What is that? What
time the thief would come
00:38:57.77\00:39:02.00
So in other words the references
in the Bible to Jesus coming as
00:39:06.37\00:39:12.25
a thief are not speaking
about the manner of His coming,
00:39:12.28\00:39:16.85
but the time of His coming.
00:39:16.89\00:39:18.65
The references in the Bible that
speak about Jesus coming as a
00:39:18.69\00:39:22.12
thief don't deal
with the time at all.
00:39:22.16\00:39:24.33
They deal with the manner.
00:39:24.39\00:39:25.73
Rather they don't deal
with the manner at all,
00:39:25.79\00:39:28.33
they deal with the time.
00:39:28.36\00:39:29.70
It's the time that
these prophecies deal with,
00:39:29.73\00:39:32.40
not the manner
of Christ's coming.
00:39:32.43\00:39:34.40
If a thief comes to your house,
does the thief say, Get ready!
00:39:34.44\00:39:42.91
I'm coming at one
o'clock in the morning!
00:39:42.94\00:39:45.41
Is that what the thief says?
00:39:45.48\00:39:47.05
Is that the way the
thieves do it here around 3ABN?
00:39:47.12\00:39:51.32
No, you don't
have any thieves here.
00:39:51.35\00:39:52.69
This is paradise! Ah, no,
is that what the thieves do?
00:39:52.72\00:39:55.62
Do they say, Here I come!
00:39:55.66\00:39:57.13
I'm coming now! No.
00:39:57.16\00:39:59.63
So when the Bible talks
about Christ coming as a thief,
00:39:59.69\00:40:02.80
it's not talking about manner.
00:40:02.83\00:40:04.40
He's coming so that
every eye can see Him.
00:40:04.43\00:40:06.30
That's the manner of His coming.
00:40:06.33\00:40:07.67
He's coming so
every ear can hear it.
00:40:07.70\00:40:09.04
That's the manner of His coming.
00:40:09.07\00:40:10.41
He's coming to raise the
dead; lightening in heaven.
00:40:10.44\00:40:13.24
But we do not know the
time, so He's coming quickly.
00:40:13.27\00:40:16.44
He's coming
unexpectedly like a thief.
00:40:16.48\00:40:19.88
Just like in the days of Noah.
00:40:23.99\00:40:25.59
Did they expect the flood to
take place in the days of Noah?
00:40:25.62\00:40:28.22
Not at all. Just
like in the days of Lot.
00:40:28.26\00:40:30.49
Did they expect fire
to come down and burn
00:40:30.53\00:40:32.69
Sodom and Gomorrah? Not at all.
00:40:32.73\00:40:34.93
Now here is one of the clearest
references that the Bible
00:40:39.80\00:40:43.64
says to explain that.
00:40:43.67\00:40:45.34
Verse 43 says He's coming
as a thief. Verse 44 says:
00:40:45.37\00:40:49.68
So the thief imagery in the
Bible does not speak about the
00:40:57.02\00:41:01.16
manner of Christ's coming.
00:41:01.19\00:41:02.52
It speaks about
the time of His coming.
00:41:02.59\00:41:05.79
He comes
quickly. He comes rapidly.
00:41:05.86\00:41:09.43
He comes
unexpectedly, like a thief.
00:41:09.46\00:41:13.03
Now Peter makes this plain.
00:41:13.07\00:41:16.07
2 Peter 3:10, and this
should really answer the rapture
00:41:16.10\00:41:20.08
question about Christ coming
as a thief, and the idea that
00:41:20.11\00:41:23.04
He's coming
secretly. Look what it says.
00:41:23.11\00:41:24.95
You know, there was a
movie about called the
00:41:29.58\00:41:31.65
Thief In the Night,
about the rapture that said
00:41:31.69\00:41:33.76
that He's coming secretly.
00:41:33.79\00:41:35.29
Totally contrary to this text.
00:41:35.32\00:41:36.83
And what happens when He
comes as a thief in the night?
00:41:39.66\00:41:42.10
That's not very secret.
00:41:45.83\00:41:47.44
And then it says,
00:41:47.47\00:41:48.80
So this whole thief imagery has
to do with the second coming of
00:41:53.98\00:41:57.68
Christ, and subsequently, the
millennial period after that,
00:41:57.71\00:42:02.42
and the coming of Jesus.
00:42:02.48\00:42:03.82
When Jesus comes the second
time the earth is destroyed.
00:42:03.85\00:42:08.66
It's left desolate, and
that eventually it's burned up.
00:42:08.72\00:42:12.43
This whole thief imagery has
to do with He's coming quickly,
00:42:12.46\00:42:16.00
and this world will
be a thing of the past.
00:42:16.03\00:42:21.04
He comes as a
thief to the unprepared.
00:42:25.17\00:42:28.11
He comes quickly,
unexpectedly, rapidly.
00:42:28.14\00:42:31.05
You know, somebody says,
00:42:31.08\00:42:32.41
That expression is
found in Matthew 24,
00:42:36.35\00:42:40.29
and it's also found in Luke 17.
00:42:40.32\00:42:43.29
Now some people have this idea,
Well, you know, we are going be
00:42:43.32\00:42:47.93
taken away in the rapture,
and then other people are going
00:42:47.96\00:42:51.17
to be left alive on earth.
00:42:51.23\00:42:52.87
It's rather fascinating.
00:42:52.90\00:42:54.47
Let me just take my Bible
momentarily, and take it and
00:42:54.50\00:42:58.21
turn to Matthew
the 24th chapter.
00:42:58.27\00:43:00.04
Matthew 24. And I want to
surprise you with this text.
00:43:00.08\00:43:05.48
What's the popular idea of
those who teach the rapture?
00:43:05.51\00:43:08.05
Oh, those people are
taken away in the rapture,
00:43:08.08\00:43:10.55
and the others are left alive.
00:43:10.59\00:43:11.92
Well, this is rather
fascinating, Matthew 24,
00:43:11.95\00:43:15.69
Jesus says, Verse 36, But of
that day and hour no one knows,
00:43:15.72\00:43:20.23
no, not even the angels
of heaven, but my Father.
00:43:20.26\00:43:23.63
Then notice what it says, Verse
37, But as the days of Noah;
00:43:23.67\00:43:27.67
as the days of
what everybody? Noah.
00:43:27.70\00:43:29.90
As the days of Noah,
so also will the coming
00:43:29.94\00:43:33.44
of the Son of man be.
00:43:33.48\00:43:34.81
What's it going to be
like? the days of Noah?
00:43:34.84\00:43:37.38
For as in the days before
the flood, they were eating and
00:43:37.41\00:43:40.72
drinking, marrying, and giving
in marriage, until the day that
00:43:40.75\00:43:44.25
Noah entered the ark, and did
not know until the flood came
00:43:44.29\00:43:49.22
and took them all away.
00:43:49.26\00:43:51.46
What happened to those who
were taken away by the flood?
00:43:51.49\00:43:57.00
What happened to them?
00:43:57.03\00:43:58.37
They died! Well, the idea
of the rapture is we're taken
00:43:58.40\00:44:01.90
away in the rapture.
00:44:01.94\00:44:03.27
The Bible doesn't say that.
00:44:03.30\00:44:04.64
When these people were
taken away, they were taken away
00:44:04.67\00:44:07.58
into the flood and died.
00:44:07.64\00:44:09.11
Now when you come to Luke
17th chapter, you have something
00:44:09.14\00:44:14.85
very interesting here.
00:44:14.88\00:44:16.35
Now here it
reverses the symbolism.
00:44:20.32\00:44:22.72
What happens to the
people that are left?
00:44:22.76\00:44:25.33
Are those that are left
left alive on earth? Not at all.
00:44:25.36\00:44:29.43
What happened in
the days of Noah?
00:44:31.70\00:44:33.57
Two classes: one
went into the ark,
00:44:33.60\00:44:35.47
one did not go into the ark.
00:44:35.50\00:44:37.44
The ones that went
into the ark were saved.
00:44:37.47\00:44:39.07
The ones that did not go
into the ark were destroyed.
00:44:39.11\00:44:42.14
So in the days of Lot.
00:44:47.88\00:44:50.02
What happened
in the days of Lot?
00:44:50.05\00:44:51.75
Two classes: those that
leave the city are what? saved.
00:44:51.79\00:44:58.96
Those that stay in the
city are what? burned. So
00:44:58.99\00:45:03.37
There are two classes.
00:45:06.23\00:45:08.77
Two classes: days of Noah.
00:45:08.80\00:45:11.31
One saved, one lost.
00:45:11.34\00:45:13.48
Days of Lot. One
saved and one lost.
00:45:13.51\00:45:16.41
Two classes: days of Noah.
00:45:16.44\00:45:19.11
Some are alive;
they go into the ark.
00:45:19.15\00:45:21.38
Some are destroyed;
they stay out of the ark.
00:45:21.42\00:45:23.69
Days of Lot.
Some stay in the city.
00:45:23.72\00:45:26.39
They're consumed and burned.
00:45:26.42\00:45:27.76
Some come out of the city, and
they are what? they are saved.
00:45:27.79\00:45:31.96
So when the Bible talks
about one taken, one left, it's
00:45:31.99\00:45:36.23
talking about two classes: one
class are saved, and one class
00:45:36.26\00:45:41.77
are lost. One class are alive,
and one class are destroyed.
00:45:41.80\00:45:46.64
The Bible is very clear.
00:45:46.68\00:45:48.74
What happens when Jesus comes?
00:45:48.78\00:45:50.65
There is no rapture.
00:45:50.68\00:45:52.15
There are two classes to
make their eternal decision
00:45:52.21\00:45:54.82
for or against Christ.
00:45:54.85\00:45:56.38
How horrible it is!
00:46:18.41\00:46:19.91
Jesus created them to
live with Him forever.
00:46:19.94\00:46:23.11
Jesus created them to be
with Him through all eternity.
00:46:23.14\00:46:27.25
Jesus created them to live,
but they run, they hide from
00:46:27.32\00:46:31.39
the face of the Lamb.
00:46:31.42\00:46:32.75
Twenty-seven times in
the book of Revelation
00:46:32.79\00:46:35.22
it talks about the Lamb.
00:46:35.26\00:46:36.59
The Lamb who came,
the Lamb slain from the
00:46:36.62\00:46:39.29
foundation of the world,
the Lamb who provides salvation
00:46:39.33\00:46:42.36
for all mankind, the Lamb
who reaches out with love,
00:46:42.40\00:46:46.74
hangs on Calvary's
cross to save humanity.
00:46:46.77\00:46:49.87
But they're frightened.
00:46:49.90\00:46:51.24
They've never come
to Jesus in this life.
00:46:51.27\00:46:53.88
They've never given Him their
lives, and so they run in fear.
00:46:53.91\00:46:59.48
Two classes: one filled
with joy, one filled with fear.
00:46:59.51\00:47:03.95
Two classes: for one it's
the happiest day of their life.
00:47:03.99\00:47:08.39
For the other it's the
saddest day of their life.
00:47:08.42\00:47:11.29
Two classes: for one it's a
new beginning, for the other
00:47:11.33\00:47:17.37
it's a tragic ending.
00:47:17.40\00:47:19.17
And every single one
of us have that choice.
00:47:19.20\00:47:24.37
What will I do with Jesus?
00:47:24.41\00:47:26.81
Will I accept Him
as my Lord and Savior?
00:47:26.84\00:47:30.01
Will I give Him my life?
00:47:30.05\00:47:32.08
Will I live with Him
forever, or will on that day,
00:47:32.11\00:47:36.58
in horror and agony, I run from
the One who longs to save me?
00:47:36.62\00:47:41.99
You see, Jesus
wants to save every human
00:47:42.02\00:47:44.69
being, but He can't.
00:47:44.76\00:47:46.73
If Jesus brought all of Chicago
to heaven, would it be heaven?
00:47:46.76\00:47:53.37
or would it be Chicago?
00:47:53.40\00:47:55.50
If Jesus brought all of New
York, and all of Los Angeles
00:47:55.54\00:47:58.77
to heaven, would it
be heaven, or would it be
00:47:58.81\00:48:01.54
New York and Los Angeles?
00:48:01.58\00:48:02.91
See, until you
have heaven up there,
00:48:02.94\00:48:05.11
you've got to
have heaven down here.
00:48:05.15\00:48:06.48
Until you can live
in the kingdom up there,
00:48:07.62\00:48:09.88
you have to have the
kingdom right in here.
00:48:09.92\00:48:11.62
And that's what
Jesus is doing right now.
00:48:11.65\00:48:14.12
He's building a people who want
to live in heaven more than they
00:48:14.16\00:48:17.43
want to live on earth.
00:48:17.46\00:48:18.79
Who want to live in
eternity more than they
00:48:18.83\00:48:21.03
want to live in time.
00:48:21.06\00:48:22.40
Who want to live in a land
of glory rather than a land of
00:48:22.43\00:48:26.17
degradation and sickness.
00:48:26.20\00:48:28.00
And they cry out these laws
00:48:28.04\00:48:29.77
And the answer to that question
is those that have been saved
00:48:33.51\00:48:37.98
and redeemed by the
grace of Christ. You see,
00:48:38.01\00:48:41.08
This is no time
for playing around.
00:48:46.76\00:48:49.36
This is no time for fiddling
on the knife edge of eternity.
00:48:49.42\00:48:54.26
his is no time to push
Christ out of your life.
00:48:54.30\00:48:57.77
Remember, Jesus
promised in John 14:2, 3,
00:49:14.38\00:49:18.45
we quoted it earlier.
00:49:18.49\00:49:19.82
Here it is from the screen.
00:49:19.85\00:49:21.19
And Jesus can't wait for
you to be there with Him.
00:49:22.66\00:49:26.36
That's what the second
coming of Christ is all about.
00:49:33.07\00:49:36.91
The second coming of
Christ is not primarily about
00:49:36.94\00:49:40.74
destroying the earth.
00:49:40.78\00:49:42.11
It's not primarily
about destroying wicked people
00:49:42.14\00:49:46.31
who are destroyed
because they turned from
00:49:46.35\00:49:49.08
the claims of His love.
00:49:49.15\00:49:50.49
The primary reason
for the second coming of
00:49:50.52\00:49:52.92
Christ is stated here.
00:49:52.95\00:49:54.29
I am coming to
receive you to Myself.
00:49:54.32\00:49:57.79
Jesus is coming for you.
00:49:57.83\00:49:59.53
He no longer wants you to
live in a world of heartache,
00:49:59.56\00:50:01.90
or sorrow, or disappointment.
00:50:01.93\00:50:03.26
No longer wants you to live in
a world of pain and suffering.
00:50:03.30\00:50:06.13
No longer wants you to
live in a world of tears.
00:50:06.17\00:50:08.14
He cannot stand to be away from
you any longer, so He's coming.
00:50:08.20\00:50:12.17
He's coming for
you. Think of it.
00:50:12.21\00:50:15.18
Think of the promise
that every father has,
00:50:15.78\00:50:19.65
every mother has, every
son has, every daughter has,
00:50:19.68\00:50:24.52
on that day when
their loved one dies.
00:50:24.55\00:50:27.22
Think of the promise.
00:50:27.26\00:50:28.66
Jesus says, I will come again
to receive you unto Myself.
00:50:28.72\00:50:32.56
I will come, and lightening
will flash through the sky.
00:50:32.59\00:50:36.40
I will come, and mothers
will receive their babies
00:50:36.43\00:50:39.97
in their arms again.
00:50:40.00\00:50:41.34
I will come, and friends will
embrace one another once again.
00:50:41.37\00:50:45.07
Jesus says, I will come.
00:50:45.11\00:50:48.11
Sin, and sorrow, and suffering,
and heartache will be over.
00:50:48.14\00:50:51.51
I will come, and the
dead will be resurrected.
00:50:51.58\00:50:54.22
I will come, and
children will be placed in their
00:50:54.28\00:50:56.89
mother's arms again.
00:50:56.92\00:50:58.25
I will come, and dad's
will embrace their kids again.
00:50:58.29\00:51:01.39
I will come, and men and
women from all ages will come.
00:51:01.42\00:51:04.59
They'll be resurrected
from the north, to the south,
00:51:04.63\00:51:07.33
to the east, to the west.
00:51:07.36\00:51:08.70
They'll come
out of their graves.
00:51:08.73\00:51:10.13
They'll rise with Me in glory.
00:51:10.17\00:51:11.83
And Jesus says,
I will come again.
00:51:11.87\00:51:13.70
Is there anything, anything,
that would keep you from being
00:51:13.74\00:51:18.91
ready for the coming of Jesus?
00:51:18.94\00:51:21.38
Anything deep within your heart?
00:51:21.41\00:51:23.78
You see, there's only
one thing that can satisfy,
00:51:23.81\00:51:27.82
now and forever,
and that's Jesus.
00:51:27.85\00:51:31.29
And Jesus is
reaching out to you today.
00:51:31.32\00:51:34.99
You know, I was 17
years old, and I didn't know
00:51:35.02\00:51:39.79
anything about the Bible.
00:51:39.83\00:51:41.16
Didn't know
anything about Jesus.
00:51:41.20\00:51:43.03
And my Dad said to me
one Saturday night; He said,
00:51:44.30\00:51:49.54
You're hitch hiking
to the dance, aren't you?
00:51:49.57\00:51:51.64
I said, Yeah Dad, I'm
hitch hiking to the dance.
00:51:51.67\00:51:53.71
He said, You know, it may rain.
00:51:53.74\00:51:55.08
You may get all wet, and you're
not going to look too good
00:51:55.11\00:51:56.88
when you go to that dance.
00:51:56.91\00:51:58.25
What time's the dance start?
00:51:58.28\00:51:59.95
About 9 o'clock, Dad.
00:51:59.98\00:52:01.32
Hey, look, there's a
meeting going on about
00:52:01.35\00:52:04.32
7 o'clock at night.
00:52:04.35\00:52:06.05
It's across from the dance.
00:52:06.09\00:52:07.76
And there's a
preacher that's speaking.
00:52:07.79\00:52:09.92
Why don't you go? I'll take you.
00:52:09.96\00:52:12.09
And then run
across to the dance.
00:52:12.13\00:52:13.60
You see, my Dad was
a Seventh-day Adventist
00:52:13.63\00:52:15.23
believing in the second
coming of Christ, but I wasn't.
00:52:15.26\00:52:17.53
And Dad was very wise.
00:52:17.57\00:52:19.27
I get in the car. I
didn't want to hitch hike,
00:52:19.30\00:52:21.10
and stand on the cold road.
00:52:21.14\00:52:23.04
He took me to that meeting.
00:52:23.07\00:52:24.97
It was kind of
boring the first night.
00:52:25.01\00:52:26.61
At least I thought it was.
00:52:26.64\00:52:28.58
I ran across to the dance.
00:52:28.61\00:52:30.51
But the second night the
preacher talked about the
00:52:30.55\00:52:32.78
second coming of Christ.
00:52:32.81\00:52:34.15
And they sang a song,
Open mine eyes that I may see,
00:52:34.18\00:52:37.79
glimpses of truth illumine me.
00:52:37.82\00:52:41.16
And that second
night I fell on my knees.
00:52:41.19\00:52:44.36
I said, Jesus, open my eyes.
00:52:44.39\00:52:47.13
Help me see the
glory of eternity.
00:52:47.16\00:52:49.70
And, Jesus, get me
ready for Your coming.
00:52:49.73\00:52:52.43
Ask Jesus to open your eyes.
00:52:52.47\00:52:54.60
As Jesus to touch your heart.
00:52:54.64\00:52:56.67
Ask Jesus to speak to you
right now as Celestine sings.
00:52:56.71\00:52:59.57
Open my eyes that I
may see, glimpses of
00:53:13.39\00:53:21.73
truth Thou hast for me.
00:53:21.76\00:53:26.23
Place in my hands the
wonderful key that shall
00:53:26.27\00:53:34.44
unclasp and set me free.
00:53:34.51\00:53:39.71
Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God Thy will to see.
00:53:39.75\00:53:52.23
Open my eyes,
illumine me, Spirit Divine.
00:53:52.26\00:54:06.78
Open my ears that I
may hear, voices of truth
00:54:13.72\00:54:21.79
thou sent is clear.
00:54:21.82\00:54:24.83
And while the wave
notes fall on my ear,
00:54:24.86\00:54:30.83
everything false will disappear.
00:54:30.87\00:54:37.27
Silently now I wait for Thee,
ready my God Thy will to see.
00:54:37.31\00:54:49.68
Open my eyes,
illumine me, Spirit Divine.
00:54:49.72\00:55:04.73
Would you like to say to Jesus
right now, Lord, open my eyes.
00:55:04.77\00:55:10.31
May the things of earth
fade into insignificance.
00:55:10.34\00:55:14.71
May the things of
time fade into eternity.
00:55:14.74\00:55:19.35
Lord, open mine eyes.
00:55:19.38\00:55:21.38
Help me to see You
in all of Your beauty,
00:55:21.45\00:55:24.22
and all of Your glory.
00:55:24.25\00:55:26.22
Lord, open mine eyes.
00:55:26.25\00:55:28.12
Help me not be so entranced
with the things of this world
00:55:28.16\00:55:32.56
that I miss eternity.
00:55:32.59\00:55:34.23
The greatest event in the
history of the ages is the
00:55:34.30\00:55:39.87
second coming of Christ.
00:55:39.93\00:55:41.30
And if you miss it, if
you miss it, you have missed
00:55:41.37\00:55:46.27
everything in life.
00:55:46.31\00:55:47.74
Without the second coming of
Christ, the grave is a dark hole
00:55:47.78\00:55:54.05
in the ground, and death is a
long night without the morning.
00:55:54.08\00:55:57.85
But with the second
coming of Christ there is hope;
00:55:57.89\00:56:01.26
hope to see our loved
ones again, hope to be with our
00:56:01.29\00:56:04.59
children, our families again,
hope that this old world will be
00:56:04.63\00:56:08.76
recreated like the
garden of Eden again.
00:56:08.80\00:56:10.87
As we bow our heads to pray,
would you like to say, Jesus,
00:56:10.90\00:56:14.14
open mine eyes to see
the glory of eternity.
00:56:14.17\00:56:18.07
Let's pray together.
00:56:18.11\00:56:20.61
Oh Father, come, come!
00:56:20.64\00:56:23.04
And as the old song says,
open up mine eyes that I can
00:56:23.08\00:56:25.88
see, glimpses of truth.
00:56:25.91\00:56:28.65
Illumine me, Spirit Divine.
00:56:28.68\00:56:31.09
Father we thank You that
there is hope for this world.
00:56:31.12\00:56:37.19
We thank You that
death is not a dead end.
00:56:37.23\00:56:41.20
We thank You that
we were created for
00:56:41.26\00:56:43.63
a life, and not death.
00:56:43.67\00:56:45.33
We thank You that
You've got a much better world.
00:56:45.37\00:56:49.37
That there's a
world of tomorrow coming.
00:56:49.40\00:56:51.34
That one day we'll be caught
up to meet Christ in the sky,
00:56:51.37\00:56:54.68
and travel beyond the sun, the
moon, and the stars to eternity.
00:56:54.71\00:56:57.85
Oh Jesus, we surrender
our lives to You, to be ready
00:56:57.88\00:57:02.18
for that great event.
00:57:02.22\00:57:03.99
In Christ's name, Amen.
00:57:04.02\00:57:05.72
Thank you for
joining us for Revelation's
00:57:05.75\00:57:09.99
Ancient Discoveries.
00:57:10.03\00:57:12.36
We are going to be probing the
great prophecies of this book,
00:57:12.39\00:57:16.56
and looking more deeply
into each chapter of the
00:57:16.60\00:57:20.70
book of Revelation.
00:57:20.74\00:57:22.10
So stay with us here on
3ABN, and be blessed today.
00:57:22.14\00:57:27.24