For this morning, I
want to share with you
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both the history and the
theology of a secret rapture
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and seven years of
tribulation to follow.
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At the outset, I want to say to
you, the secret of the rapture
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is, there is no secret rapture.
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There are three
basic interpretations
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of Bible prophesy and
I'm going to share them
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for the sake of you who
have an interest in history.
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There is what is known,
theologically, as the preterist
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interpretation
of Bible prophesy.
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And in that word,
you see the word "pre".
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That means the idea of
tribulation and suffering,
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to a great
extent, before the church.
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Before ever the
church was formed.
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Now there are very
few in the world today
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who hold to that view.
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It was originated in
the 16th century by a man
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by the name of Alcazar
whom we'll speak more later.
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The second interpretation
of the prophesies of Daniel and
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Revelation, and Jesus and the
apostle Paul for that matter,
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is called the
futuristic interpretation.
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And that is the one
that is most largely held
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in the Christian world today.
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Certainly in
fundamental Protestantism.
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That idea was originated
also in the 16th century
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by a man by the
name of Ribera, of whom
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we'll also speak further.
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The third interpretation is
not from Alcazar nor is it from
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Ribera, but rather it's from God
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and from the Bible.
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And it's
generally referred to as the
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historical interpretation.
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Now I want you to open
your Bibles, if you will please,
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with me to Revelation chapter 1.
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We've used this
passage many, many times,
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but of necessity, must
do it again this morning.
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Revelation is the last
book, not by an accident,
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but for those who
live in the very last days
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just before Jesus comes.
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And on prior occasions,
we have said that this verse
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from Revelation 1 is
the fulcrum of the whole
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of the rest of the book.
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It's not only the key of
chapter 1, but is the key to
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the understanding of the
entirety of the rest of the
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book of Revelation and also
to a broad understanding of the
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book of Daniel, which many
refer to as the Old Testament
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apocalypse or the
Old Testament revelation.
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If you're ready now,
we're going to read verse 7.
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Revelation chapter
1 and the 7th verse.
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The reference, of
course, is to our Lord Jesus
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as you see in the prior verses.
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"Behold, He comes with clouds,"
and a very few folks are
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going to be able to see Him.
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Quite a few folks are
going to be able to see Him.
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Most folks are going to... No.
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"Every eye shall see
Him, including those also
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who pierced Him.
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And all kindreds of the
earth shall wail because of Him.
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Even so, Amen. "
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Now we're going to turn directly
from here to Matthew chapter 24.
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This is often referred
to as the Olivet Discourse.
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The context, as we have
noticed on prior occasions,
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has to do with the temple.
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You remember, the disciples with
Jesus, sit together on the edge
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of the Mount of Olives and
they're looking now right back
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toward the temple.
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And the disciples say,
"Lord, isn't it beautiful?"
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And Jesus now begins to speak.
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I'm going to take up
the reference at verse 1.
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Matthew chapter 24 verses 1
and following so we can see the
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context of the warnings of
Jesus and the comments of Jesus
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regarding His next coming.
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"They went out of the
temple," verse 1 of chapter 24
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of Matthew, "and the
disciples came to Him and said,
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'Lord, look at those
beautiful buildings. '
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And Jesus said,
'Yes, but I tell you this.
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One day shall come
when there will not be one
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stone left upon another that
shall not be thrown down. '"
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Verse 3, "As He sat upon the
Mount of Olives, the disciples
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came to Him
privately and they said,
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'Lord, tell us
about these things. '"
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Obviously during the
prior verses, there were crowds
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of folks around and I can
suppose that their jaws dropped.
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"Lord, isn't the
temple beautiful?
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Yes, it's one of the
wonders of the world.
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It's been refurbished
with a lot of Roman money.
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Isn't it lovely?"
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And Jesus said, "It is indeed,
but I'm telling you this.
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Not too far into the future,
not one stone will be left
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standing upon another. "
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And that was shock
therapy, you can imagine that.
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And so the disciples
later come to Jesus privately,
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it says in verse 3.
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"While they were on the Mount
of Olives, the disciples came
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to Him privately and said,
'Lord, tell us more about this.
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And what will be the
signs of Your coming and
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of the end of the world?'"
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Now, it's important for us
to note here in the context that
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the disciples are not asking,
"What is it going to be like
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when you come the
3rd or 4th or 5th time?
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What's it going to
be like at the end of
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seven years of tribulation?
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What's is going to be
like during the millennium?
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What is it going to be like?"
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No, they're asking,
"Lord, tell us more about the
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end of the age and when
You come for Your saints.
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Tell us explicitly
about Your second coming
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so that we can be
ready, and so when we write
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for our children and
their children and to the
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terminal generation,
they can know and understand
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what it's all about. "
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The second coming, not
the 3rd or 4th, but the
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next time You come.
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Now I'm going to give you
some verses for reference.
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We don't have time to
read all the verses, but I know
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that you "A"
students will put them down.
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Speaking to the same
event, when Jesus comes on His
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rescue mission for the saints,
David in Psalm 50 verse 3 said
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that Jesus will come
and will not be silent.
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He will not be silent.
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In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4
beginning with the 16th verse,
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we memorized about our
4th night together the words
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of following
verses 16, 17 and 18.
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We said that this was
the passage that would
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save us from antichrist.
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And I'm going to suggest
that this morning as we worship
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we repeat those words together.
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I'll begin them for
you and you take up with me
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as soon as you recognize them.
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1 Thessalonians chapter 4
beginning with the 16th verse.
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"For the Lord Himself
shall descend from heaven
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with a shout, with the
voice of the archangel,
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and the trump of God.
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And the dead in
Christ shall rise first.
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Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up
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together with them to
meet our Lord in the air. "
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The three words that
save us from antichrist.
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We meet Him not in
Rome, not in Salt Lake City.
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But we meet our Lord in the air.
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"And so shall we
ever be with the Lord.
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Wherefore comfort one
another with these words. "
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The Lord descends
from heaven with a shout.
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He's coming for His saints.
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The graves are opened
and the saints come out,
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and the generation that's
alive and ready and waiting
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to meet Him are caught up
together with them to meet
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our Lord in the air.
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And there's nothing,
ladies and gentlemen, wrong
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with the word "rapture".
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It is from the Latin
and also from the French.
00:08:26.32\00:08:28.47
Rapio, to be snatched up.
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Instantly caught up.
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And I long for that day.
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The problem comes when
you try to suggest that when
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Jesus comes back for His
saints, it's going to be a
00:08:38.40\00:08:40.79
secretive sort of a thing.
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Shout, the voice of the
archangel, the trump of God.
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And the blast is so great
and the earthquake that comes
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along with it, that the
graves are broken wide open.
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God tears up the cemeteries.
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In Revelation chapter
20 and verse 4, let's turn
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back there together.
00:09:05.72\00:09:06.81
We've studied, only about
three nights back, about the
00:09:06.84\00:09:11.48
time of the
millennium and the 1000 years.
00:09:11.51\00:09:15.03
And we alluded to this on that
evening but must underline it
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this morning again.
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Revelation chapter
20 reading now verse 4.
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These are the saints that
are alive when Jesus comes
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in His second coming.
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"I saw thrones, the
saints sat upon them.
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Judgment was given unto them.
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I saw those that had been
martyred for the word of God
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and the witness of Jesus
because they would not... "
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Do what, now?
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Why were they martyred?
00:09:41.82\00:09:42.84
Why did the
saints lose their lives?
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"Because they refused to worship
the beast or his image. "
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Now if all I had upon which to
base my faith and to know that
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there was no secret rapture,
this passage would suffice.
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It would be enough.
00:09:56.79\00:09:57.76
It's abundantly clear
in this one verse alone.
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It's clear enough that
the children can understand.
00:10:01.30\00:10:04.05
That those that are taken in the
first resurrection, the saints
00:10:04.08\00:10:07.72
that are sat upon
thrones during the 1000 years
00:10:07.75\00:10:10.07
have already gained victory over
the beast and over the mark.
00:10:10.10\00:10:14.06
That's enough.
00:10:14.09\00:10:15.18
But there's much, much more.
00:10:15.85\00:10:18.50
I want us now to go
to Matthew chapter 13.
00:10:19.43\00:10:23.30
And we'll go back and
forth, and back and forth
00:10:23.33\00:10:26.06
as we put line upon line and
precept upon precept together
00:10:26.09\00:10:29.73
as we look at this
idea, this false notion,
00:10:29.76\00:10:33.20
this theological
untruth about a secret rapture
00:10:33.23\00:10:37.29
and then tribulation to follow.
00:10:37.32\00:10:39.23
Chapter 13 of the
book of Matthew and I shall
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begin to allude to you,
I guess for want of time
00:10:43.69\00:10:48.61
that's the way we'll do it.
00:10:48.64\00:10:49.61
But this is the
parable of the sower.
00:10:49.62\00:10:52.04
And it says that
someone had sown bad seed
00:10:52.07\00:10:57.09
out in the farmers field.
00:10:57.12\00:10:58.58
And at this time of year
and in this part of the country,
00:10:58.61\00:11:01.14
you folks will relate
to that, won't you now.
00:11:01.17\00:11:03.61
And then it goes on to say
that the wheat and the tares
00:11:04.85\00:11:09.13
are going to be
together until when?
00:11:09.16\00:11:11.18
Until the secret rapture
and then suddenly all of the
00:11:11.52\00:11:14.58
wheat is taken away and
seven years later the tares
00:11:14.61\00:11:17.50
will be burning up.
00:11:17.53\00:11:18.50
Is that what it says?
00:11:18.51\00:11:19.48
No, it says the wheat and the
tares are going to be together
00:11:19.49\00:11:23.82
until the very end
time, until the final harvest,
00:11:23.85\00:11:27.50
the wheat and the
tares will be together.
00:11:27.53\00:11:29.69
Now, from here we're going
to go to chapter 24 of Matthew.
00:11:29.72\00:11:34.12
And this again is
the Olivet Discourse.
00:11:34.15\00:11:36.23
And put in your
notes together with it,
00:11:36.26\00:11:38.13
Luke chapter 17 and verse 24.
00:11:38.16\00:11:41.39
And we shall notice again
the emphasis upon the next
00:11:41.42\00:11:45.22
coming of Jesus when
He comes for His saints.
00:11:45.25\00:11:47.39
Matthew chapter 24 and I
shall read firstly at verse 27.
00:11:47.42\00:11:52.59
Matthew 24, reading at verse 27.
00:11:52.62\00:11:56.18
"As lightening comes
out of the east and shines
00:11:58.10\00:12:00.25
even to the west, so shall the
coming of the Son of Man be. "
00:12:00.28\00:12:04.72
And you read the same thing
over in Luke 17 and verse 24.
00:12:04.75\00:12:08.33
"As lightening. "
00:12:08.36\00:12:10.23
Having been raised in
the Pacific Northwest,
00:12:12.70\00:12:14.43
I had seen some
lightening storms.
00:12:14.46\00:12:16.13
I had gone out to fight fires
that were lightening caused.
00:12:17.22\00:12:20.57
And you folks, of course,
here know about all of that.
00:12:20.60\00:12:23.53
And I thought I understood
fairly well about lightening.
00:12:24.40\00:12:27.43
Oh how wrong I was.
00:12:27.46\00:12:29.35
Peggy and I were called to work
back in the Washington DC area.
00:12:30.47\00:12:34.95
And I shall never forget our
arrival in the Shenandoah Valley
00:12:34.98\00:12:39.04
where we were going to make our
home for the next 3 plus years.
00:12:39.07\00:12:42.23
We'd just picked up a new
travel trailer in which to live
00:12:43.41\00:12:46.98
while we were
out doing evangelism.
00:12:47.01\00:12:49.11
And Peggy, looking into
the western skies, saw some
00:12:49.61\00:12:55.74
really black clouds, some
really threatening clouds.
00:12:55.77\00:12:58.77
She said, "Hon, pull
off at the next rest stop.
00:12:58.80\00:13:01.07
Pull into the next rest area. "
00:13:01.63\00:13:03.11
And there was one a
couple of miles down the road.
00:13:03.14\00:13:04.91
And I pulled in.
00:13:04.94\00:13:06.35
And she said, "I want us all
to go into the trailer and we're
00:13:06.38\00:13:09.27
going to have lunch and we're
going to wait out this storm. "
00:13:09.30\00:13:11.63
And so we did.
00:13:11.66\00:13:13.04
While we were inside
and Peggy making sandwiches,
00:13:13.66\00:13:16.67
the dark clouds rolled
overhead and the lightening
00:13:17.82\00:13:22.04
began to flash.
00:13:22.07\00:13:23.30
And there was no, "one
Mississippi, two Mississippi,
00:13:24.39\00:13:26.60
three Mississippi,"
and then the thunder.
00:13:26.63\00:13:28.12
I mean it would clap right now.
00:13:28.15\00:13:30.24
And Peggy said, "Oh,
I forgot the pickles.
00:13:30.27\00:13:32.60
Would you go into the trunk
of the car and get the pickles?"
00:13:32.63\00:13:34.80
I said, "Are you
out of your mind?"
00:13:34.83\00:13:38.22
I was sure as soon as I stepped
outside I would fry right there.
00:13:38.64\00:13:43.06
It was my first real experience
with an electrical storm.
00:13:43.09\00:13:45.87
A few months
later, I had another.
00:13:45.90\00:13:47.93
I was preaching at Military
Circle over in Virginia Beach,
00:13:47.96\00:13:51.43
messages just like we've
been sharing together here.
00:13:51.46\00:13:54.17
And in the
auditorium, there was a skylight
00:13:54.20\00:13:56.42
right down the center.
00:13:56.45\00:13:57.96
And one night, I was preaching
on the second coming of Jesus
00:13:57.99\00:14:00.79
and I was reading from
Matthew 24 and Luke 17.
00:14:00.82\00:14:03.92
And I was reading, "as
lightening comes from... "
00:14:03.95\00:14:06.71
and instantly, the lightening
ripped across the sky and
00:14:06.74\00:14:10.14
instantly the thunder
clapped and the windows rattled
00:14:10.17\00:14:13.91
and the people jumped.
00:14:13.94\00:14:15.61
And I said, "Look, I'll do
anything for an illustration.
00:14:15.64\00:14:17.68
Just relax. "
00:14:17.71\00:14:18.81
"As lightening. "
00:14:19.81\00:14:20.78
Does that sound like a secretive
sort of a thing to you?
00:14:20.80\00:14:23.02
The next time Jesus comes,
He says it's going to be the
00:14:23.05\00:14:25.19
greatest public display
that the world has ever seen.
00:14:25.22\00:14:27.96
It's not going to be
any secret at all, but a
00:14:27.99\00:14:30.25
great public spectacle.
00:14:30.28\00:14:31.95
In Matthew chapter 16 and
verse 27, it says at that time
00:14:31.98\00:14:35.70
the sky is it going to be
just filled with holy angels.
00:14:35.73\00:14:38.75
And there are going to be
earthquakes, and the islands
00:14:38.78\00:14:41.58
are going to sink back into
the sea, and rocks are going to
00:14:41.61\00:14:43.83
roll off of the mountaintops.
00:14:43.86\00:14:45.49
We're going to meet
our Lord in bad weather.
00:14:45.52\00:14:47.73
And by the way, when
we're having meetings
00:14:51.64\00:14:54.88
and someone says, "I
couldn't come last night
00:14:56.80\00:15:00.50
because it was raining. "
00:15:01.05\00:15:02.43
"Couldn't come last night.
00:15:02.46\00:15:04.09
It looked like it
might snow a little bit. "
00:15:04.12\00:15:06.11
Sometimes I say to them, "Look,
you better practice with me.
00:15:06.14\00:15:09.34
We're going to meet
our Lord in bad weather. "
00:15:09.37\00:15:11.47
Revelation 14.
00:15:14.97\00:15:16.29
Ah say, it gets good now.
00:15:16.32\00:15:18.27
Revelation chapter 14 and we're
going to notice verses 14-16.
00:15:18.30\00:15:24.81
Revelation chapter 14 beginning
to read at the 14th verse.
00:15:24.84\00:15:28.85
And here again
is the description.
00:15:28.88\00:15:30.87
"I looked and behold there
was a cloud, and upon that cloud
00:15:30.90\00:15:34.73
there was One
like the Son of Man.
00:15:34.76\00:15:36.90
And He had on His
head a golden crown
00:15:36.93\00:15:40.13
and he had in His
hand a sharp sickle.
00:15:40.16\00:15:42.81
And then another angel came out
of the temple and he cried with
00:15:43.31\00:15:45.39
a loud voice to He who sat
upon the cloud, and he said,
00:15:45.42\00:15:49.25
'Reap now, for the
time of harvest is come.
00:15:50.32\00:15:53.70
And the harvest is now ripe. '
00:15:53.73\00:15:56.17
And He that sat upon the
cloud then thrust in His sickle
00:15:56.20\00:16:00.12
and the earth was reaped. "
00:16:00.15\00:16:03.24
I want you to put
together there in your notes,
00:16:03.27\00:16:04.98
Zephaniah chapter
1 and verses 14-18
00:16:05.01\00:16:09.25
where it speaks
about the same thing.
00:16:09.28\00:16:10.63
And put also if you will please,
Joel chapter 3 and verse 15
00:16:10.66\00:16:15.04
where it speaks, too,
very plainly about the noise
00:16:15.07\00:16:18.75
and all of the holocaust at
the time of the second coming
00:16:18.78\00:16:21.89
of our Lord Jesus.
00:16:21.92\00:16:23.33
Now let's transition.
00:16:23.36\00:16:24.90
I have seen, and I'm abundantly
sure that the majority of you
00:16:27.00\00:16:29.57
have as well, the
bumper stickers that say
00:16:29.60\00:16:31.64
something to the effect
that in case of the rapture
00:16:31.67\00:16:34.61
this car will be unmanned.
00:16:34.64\00:16:36.81
I was over in Portland,
by the way, at rush hour
00:16:36.84\00:16:39.63
not so very long ago,
driving along one of the roads
00:16:39.66\00:16:42.67
paralleling the freeway,
and I thought for a little bit
00:16:42.70\00:16:45.20
maybe the rapture had happened
the way some folks were driving.
00:16:45.23\00:16:48.24
Swerving in and out.
00:16:48.95\00:16:50.65
"In case of the rapture,
this car will be unmanned. "
00:16:51.98\00:16:54.47
And then there
have been the songs.
00:16:54.50\00:16:56.89
The marketplace is empty,
trains rattle down the track.
00:16:56.92\00:17:01.08
And no one is in
the command chair,
00:17:01.11\00:17:04.43
no engineer is
behind the control.
00:17:04.46\00:17:06.87
Airplanes veer off their courses
because the pilot has been
00:17:06.90\00:17:10.43
suddenly snatched away.
00:17:10.46\00:17:11.76
Now folks, I'm not
the most comfortable flyer
00:17:11.79\00:17:15.16
on any occasion.
00:17:15.19\00:17:16.26
If I thought this was
the remotest possibility,
00:17:16.29\00:17:19.07
I'd never get
aboard a plane again.
00:17:19.10\00:17:21.21
The books, the movies.
00:17:26.26\00:17:27.85
A guy wakes up one
morning and it's unusual.
00:17:28.50\00:17:32.15
There is no aroma of
fried eggs wafting upstairs
00:17:32.18\00:17:35.25
from the kitchen.
00:17:35.28\00:17:36.25
Did she oversleep?
00:17:38.82\00:17:40.25
No, her side of the bed is
empty and the sheets are cool.
00:17:41.73\00:17:47.45
Not there.
00:17:48.57\00:17:49.83
He gets up and goes down stairs
and she's not in the kitchen.
00:17:51.90\00:17:54.05
He looks in the family
room. No, and the TV is off.
00:17:54.08\00:17:56.78
Could she have possibly gone,
maybe she ran out for some milk.
00:17:58.32\00:18:01.77
No, the car is in the garage.
00:18:02.49\00:18:04.18
No, she didn't walk.
00:18:06.63\00:18:08.10
It'd be too much like exercise.
00:18:09.83\00:18:11.64
Well, she's in the
backyard. Maybe not.
00:18:14.64\00:18:16.49
And he goes into the bedroom
and the kids are all gone.
00:18:16.52\00:18:19.26
And suddenly then, it
begins to dawn upon him.
00:18:19.29\00:18:22.21
And so he goes to the
front door and opens it.
00:18:22.24\00:18:24.43
And there on the step
is the morning newspaper
00:18:24.46\00:18:27.13
with headlines bold,
"Jesus came during the night
00:18:27.16\00:18:30.45
and the saints are all gone. "
00:18:30.48\00:18:32.66
And his heart is
heavy for a little while.
00:18:32.69\00:18:35.34
And then he remembers,
"Oh, I heard the preacher
00:18:35.37\00:18:37.17
just a couple of weeks ago
say that if the saints are gone,
00:18:37.20\00:18:40.23
then that means only 7 years.
00:18:40.26\00:18:42.12
Some tough times in between,
but I believe I can stand it.
00:18:42.15\00:18:44.89
About 7 years and
I'll jump onboard.
00:18:44.92\00:18:46.93
We'll all be
together again in 7 years. "
00:18:46.96\00:18:49.89
David Wilkerson,
I admire greatly.
00:18:53.62\00:18:55.60
He was a pastor down in
the Carolinas who felt the
00:18:55.63\00:18:58.31
call of God to go to New
York City and begin a ministry
00:18:58.34\00:19:02.72
to prostitutes and drug addicts
and gangs and gang leaders.
00:19:02.75\00:19:07.47
And he wrote a book that
was an instant best seller,
00:19:08.53\00:19:10.59
"The Cross and the Switchblade"
and the sequel entitled,
00:19:10.62\00:19:13.36
"Beyond the Cross
and the Switchblade. "
00:19:13.39\00:19:15.26
And I want to read to you
folks, one little scenario from
00:19:15.29\00:19:18.46
the second book, "Beyond
the Cross and the Switchblade. "
00:19:18.49\00:19:21.88
It's called, "The
Letter to Bobby. "
00:19:21.91\00:19:24.59
Now listen carefully.
00:19:24.62\00:19:25.70
"What about those of us
who are not dead but are alive
00:19:26.97\00:19:29.17
during the second coming?
00:19:29.20\00:19:30.41
Well, we'll go through
a separation too, Bobby.
00:19:30.44\00:19:32.84
Some are going to be
singled out for a very special
00:19:32.87\00:19:34.83
and favorable treatment,
while others are going to be
00:19:34.86\00:19:36.91
left behind to go
through the worst tribulation
00:19:36.94\00:19:39.24
the world has ever seen.
00:19:39.27\00:19:40.57
The Bible puts this vividly. "
00:19:40.60\00:19:42.15
Now I want you to notice
the scripture that he uses.
00:19:42.18\00:19:44.81
It's Matthew chapter
24, verses 40 and 41.
00:19:44.84\00:19:48.61
"The Bible puts this vividly.
00:19:49.60\00:19:51.42
'Two will be in a field;
one taken, the other left.
00:19:52.60\00:19:54.68
Two grinding at the mill;
one taken and the other left. '"
00:19:54.71\00:19:57.01
And then he goes on.
00:19:57.58\00:19:58.97
"Where will the
fortunate one be taken?
00:19:59.40\00:20:01.24
Well, the real Christian
with Christ in the heart
00:20:01.27\00:20:03.40
will suddenly be caught up
to meet the Lord in the air. "
00:20:03.43\00:20:05.60
Now, the prior verses
about one taken and one left,
00:20:06.17\00:20:08.72
he has put in entirety in
his script, but when it comes to
00:20:08.75\00:20:13.72
this verse from 1
Thessalonians 4:16,
00:20:13.75\00:20:16.71
he only puts the
verse in brackets.
00:20:16.74\00:20:18.43
He doesn't put the
full text there at all.
00:20:18.46\00:20:20.49
Just kind of an illusion.
00:20:20.52\00:20:21.87
And I think we know why.
00:20:21.90\00:20:23.46
Because those verses we just
repeated are abundantly clear
00:20:23.49\00:20:25.96
that Jesus is coming personally
and He's coming visibly
00:20:25.99\00:20:29.88
and He's coming
audibly and He's coming noisily
00:20:29.91\00:20:33.73
and He's coming
with every eye watching.
00:20:33.76\00:20:37.61
Every eye of those alive.
00:20:39.77\00:20:41.38
And then he on, after
putting that verse in brackets.
00:20:41.41\00:20:44.21
"Fantastic?", he asks.
00:20:44.24\00:20:45.60
"I should think so, Bobby.
00:20:45.63\00:20:47.02
Think of the
chaos that'll be caused.
00:20:47.05\00:20:48.74
Many cars are going
to be without drivers.
00:20:48.77\00:20:51.00
Some announcers on the radios
are suddenly going to disappear.
00:20:51.03\00:20:53.84
And some pilots on the jetliners
are going to be snatched away. "
00:20:53.87\00:20:59.53
Now you, by the way, will
find that very same theology
00:20:59.56\00:21:02.51
from nearly every televangelist
that's out there today.
00:21:02.54\00:21:05.93
You'll hear it from Hal Lindsey,
you'll hear it if you read or
00:21:05.96\00:21:08.87
listen to Tim LaHay,
you'll hear it from John Hagee,
00:21:08.90\00:21:11.52
you'll hear it
from Pat Robertson,
00:21:11.55\00:21:12.93
and you'll hear it from
Jerry Falwell's university.
00:21:12.96\00:21:16.09
You'll hear it everywhere
that fundamental Protestantism
00:21:16.12\00:21:19.84
is taught today
with very few exceptions.
00:21:19.87\00:21:22.68
You'll hear it
almost everywhere.
00:21:22.71\00:21:24.82
Now let me again go on record.
00:21:24.85\00:21:26.62
Here we don't believe that.
00:21:26.65\00:21:28.24
Here, we've not
bought into that idea.
00:21:29.12\00:21:31.67
Now follow this
thought too because it's vital.
00:21:31.70\00:21:34.50
Everything from
here on depends upon our
00:21:34.53\00:21:37.86
grasping this next idea.
00:21:37.89\00:21:39.94
The idea of a secret rapture
and 7 years of tribulation
00:21:39.97\00:21:45.23
to follow passes or fails,
stands or falls, lives or dies,
00:21:45.26\00:21:53.55
on one question.
00:21:53.58\00:21:55.10
What happens to
that one left behind?
00:21:55.63\00:21:58.61
Two at the mill; one
taken and the other left.
00:21:59.44\00:22:01.00
Two ladies grinding at the
mill; one taken the other left.
00:22:01.03\00:22:02.78
Two in the field; one
taken and the other left.
00:22:02.81\00:22:04.30
This question, in what condition
is the one left behind?
00:22:04.33\00:22:08.92
In what shape is he left?
00:22:08.95\00:22:11.01
Is he left behind
to be ministered to
00:22:11.04\00:22:13.71
by converted
Jews 3.5 years later?
00:22:13.74\00:22:15.86
Is he left behind 7
years later to be met by Jesus
00:22:15.89\00:22:21.45
coming back with the saints?
00:22:21.48\00:22:23.28
The whole idea of a
secret rapture, of course,
00:22:23.31\00:22:25.16
teaches two second comings.
00:22:25.19\00:22:27.67
If you can imagine, some are
willing to go so far as to say,
00:22:27.70\00:22:31.41
"Well, the other
is the third coming. "
00:22:31.44\00:22:33.84
The original coming,
the first advent, of course,
00:22:35.33\00:22:37.48
was when Jesus came as a baby.
00:22:37.51\00:22:40.02
And then the second coming is
when the skies are filled with
00:22:41.12\00:22:43.75
holy angels and Jesus
comes riding down the skies.
00:22:43.78\00:22:46.89
Not a lamb to the slaughter but
King of Kings and Lord or Lords.
00:22:46.92\00:22:49.56
Crown on His head
and scepter in His hand,
00:22:49.59\00:22:51.79
He comes to redeem His saints.
00:22:51.82\00:22:54.06
But then in this idea
of a secret snatching away,
00:22:54.09\00:22:58.32
there begins tribulation after
the saints are snatched off.
00:22:58.35\00:23:01.76
And 3.5 years in, Jews who
ought to have done their job
00:23:01.79\00:23:05.96
back in the day of
Jesus or shortly there after
00:23:05.99\00:23:08.17
are suddenly converted.
00:23:08.20\00:23:09.50
They rebuild a temple over
in Jerusalem and then from there
00:23:09.53\00:23:12.92
they go out to do a mission
job that ought to have been done
00:23:12.95\00:23:17.75
hundreds of years before.
00:23:17.78\00:23:19.30
And everybody gets a
second chance to be saved.
00:23:19.33\00:23:21.66
How many, many men I've had
derisively say to me as I've
00:23:22.07\00:23:26.40
appealed to them to follow
Jesus and do what's right now,
00:23:26.43\00:23:29.64
"Well look, if I
happen to miss it this time,
00:23:29.67\00:23:32.25
I'll jump on board
during the, at the third coming
00:23:32.28\00:23:36.33
or at the end of the
seven years of tribulation. "
00:23:36.36\00:23:39.04
That idea, ladies and gentlemen,
is a theology born in the
00:23:39.07\00:23:43.33
mind of the devil
himself to get folks to put off
00:23:43.36\00:23:47.30
their eternal security,
their eternal salvation.
00:23:47.33\00:23:50.19
One is taken, the other left.
00:23:51.24\00:23:52.58
What happens to that
one that's left behind?
00:23:52.61\00:23:55.04
In what condition is
he left when Jesus comes
00:23:55.07\00:23:57.65
in His second coming?
00:23:57.68\00:23:59.27
Now, let me make a statement
that I've made many times before
00:23:59.30\00:24:02.86
but there's the
possibility someone is here
00:24:02.89\00:24:04.40
for the first time.
00:24:04.43\00:24:05.54
Lyle believes that God has His
children in all denominations,
00:24:05.57\00:24:10.08
in all churches.
00:24:10.11\00:24:11.51
Here, we never
sit in judgment upon
00:24:11.54\00:24:12.99
anyone's relation with Jesus.
00:24:13.02\00:24:14.55
Here, we believe that Jesus has
as many of His Christian people
00:24:14.58\00:24:18.05
in the Catholic church as in
the Baptist or in some other.
00:24:18.08\00:24:21.47
We believe that there are as
many saved in the Baptist church
00:24:21.50\00:24:25.12
as there in the
Adventist church or any other.
00:24:25.15\00:24:28.11
And so, there is no
malice here this morning.
00:24:28.14\00:24:30.99
There is no prejudice.
00:24:31.02\00:24:32.62
There is no superiority.
00:24:32.65\00:24:34.48
Having said all of that, I
want to take your minds again
00:24:34.51\00:24:37.80
to the Reformation.
00:24:37.83\00:24:39.39
Some have the mistaken notion
that the Reformation was a
00:24:40.30\00:24:42.47
simple matter of semantics.
00:24:42.50\00:24:44.35
"Well, we just don't understand
these words the same. "
00:24:44.38\00:24:46.93
No, the Reformation was
not a question of semantics.
00:24:46.97\00:24:50.29
The things that brought on the
Reformation was the preaching
00:24:50.32\00:24:52.59
of the books of
Daniel, Revelation, and the
00:24:52.62\00:24:54.43
antichrist
passages of Paul and Jesus
00:24:54.73\00:24:57.02
exactly like you have
been hearing them here.
00:24:57.05\00:24:59.04
Martin Luther, John
Calvin, John Knox, John Huss,
00:24:59.34\00:25:01.52
and a score of others
began to preach with great power
00:25:01.55\00:25:04.01
that the church of Rome was the
little horn power of Daniel 7,
00:25:04.04\00:25:07.42
the beast power of
Revelation 13 and 14,
00:25:07.45\00:25:10.11
the harlot of
Revelation chapter 17 and 18,
00:25:10.14\00:25:13.20
and the antichrist
spoken of by Paul and Jesus.
00:25:13.23\00:25:15.97
And they had, not only powerful
voices, they had the scripture
00:25:16.00\00:25:20.02
to back them up.
00:25:20.05\00:25:21.07
And they began to
preach with great power and
00:25:21.10\00:25:23.99
with great conviction.
00:25:24.02\00:25:25.28
And I want to read you their
theology so that you can see
00:25:25.31\00:25:28.65
that Lyle is not setting up
some straw man this morning.
00:25:28.68\00:25:32.07
I want to read you a little
bit about the belief and the
00:25:32.10\00:25:35.40
the preaching of Martin Luther.
00:25:35.43\00:25:36.47
And by the way, let me further
say that not only did Luther
00:25:36.50\00:25:39.45
and Calvin and Knox believe
this, but so also did the
00:25:39.48\00:25:42.42
Waldensians and the
Lollards and the Bohemians,
00:25:42.45\00:25:45.82
and John Wycliffe who
died long time before Luther.
00:25:45.85\00:25:48.95
And many say he died simply
because he translated the Bible
00:25:48.98\00:25:51.69
into the English language.
00:25:51.72\00:25:52.69
Oh no, it was a far
bigger deal than that.
00:25:52.70\00:25:55.57
He wrote a book entitled,
"Of Antichrist and his Meynee"
00:25:55.60\00:25:59.52
And he pointed to the
church of Rome as the antichrist
00:25:59.55\00:26:01.99
and the beast power.
00:26:02.02\00:26:03.07
Tyndall, Cranmer, Latimer,
Ridley; all of the Reformers,
00:26:06.38\00:26:11.84
while they disagreed about
the meaning of the Lord's table
00:26:11.87\00:26:14.10
and certain other matters,
were in agreement that the
00:26:14.13\00:26:17.03
beast of Revelation and
the little horn of Daniel 7
00:26:17.06\00:26:19.10
was the church of Rome.
00:26:19.13\00:26:20.55
Now let me quote
from Martin Luther.
00:26:20.58\00:26:22.99
He's, by the way,
making a reference to
00:26:24.27\00:26:25.99
2 Thessalonians chapter
2 verses 4 and following;
00:26:26.02\00:26:29.36
the man of sin who sits in
the temple and claims to be God.
00:26:29.39\00:26:33.07
Alright, and this he says, "The
Papacy is the true antichrist
00:26:33.10\00:26:38.60
of which it is written that
he sits in the temple of God
00:26:38.63\00:26:43.90
among the people where
Christ is worshipped. "
00:26:43.93\00:26:46.21
Now listen very carefully.
00:26:46.24\00:26:47.91
I'm continuing to
quote from Martin Luther.
00:26:47.94\00:26:50.52
"The Papists want to divert
this passage from themselves.
00:26:50.55\00:26:53.94
They say that Christ and
Paul are speaking about a temple
00:26:53.97\00:26:57.05
to be later
built in Jerusalem. "
00:26:57.08\00:26:58.54
Did you catch on there?
00:26:58.57\00:26:59.80
By the time of Martin Luther,
he said the church of Rome
00:27:00.20\00:27:03.19
is suggesting that the
temple that is being spoken of
00:27:03.22\00:27:07.26
by the apostle
Paul in 2 Thessalonians
00:27:07.29\00:27:09.50
is going to be rebuilt
over in Jerusalem someday.
00:27:09.53\00:27:12.45
Then he goes on.
00:27:13.24\00:27:15.18
"The antichrist will sit
there and he'll rule there.
00:27:16.15\00:27:18.53
This will not do.
00:27:18.56\00:27:19.75
It cannot be understood
otherwise than it is speaking
00:27:19.78\00:27:23.12
of the spiritual
temple which we all are.
00:27:23.15\00:27:25.96
It is there that the Papacy
shall sit and she'll be honored,
00:27:25.99\00:27:28.56
not above God, but even
above all that is called God.
00:27:28.59\00:27:32.08
And so we see
before our very eyes.
00:27:32.11\00:27:34.32
And many princes and the world
regard the law of the Papacy
00:27:35.02\00:27:38.17
more important than
the commandments of God.
00:27:38.27\00:27:40.56
Can't this be rightly termed
exalting and honoring antichrist
00:27:40.59\00:27:44.34
above God Himself?"
00:27:44.37\00:27:45.92
And this is from Martin
Luther's Church Postil and from
00:27:45.95\00:27:49.09
the 28th Sunday after Trinity
from paragraph 24 and 25.
00:27:49.12\00:27:56.75
And so when I say to you that
the Reformation was the result
00:27:56.78\00:28:01.11
of the belief that the
Papacy was the beast and
00:28:01.14\00:28:04.33
the antichrist, it's not Lyle's
idea nor an Adventist notion.
00:28:04.36\00:28:07.92
But rather, it was the teaching
of every single Reformer.
00:28:07.95\00:28:12.25
I have one more
that of necessity I must
00:28:12.28\00:28:15.12
share this morning.
00:28:15.15\00:28:16.31
Martin Luther had a
theological cohort and a buddy.
00:28:17.20\00:28:20.35
And often times, they
disagreed in certain areas.
00:28:20.38\00:28:23.07
His name was Philip Melanchthon.
00:28:23.79\00:28:26.47
And by the way, this professor,
this scholar particularly of the
00:28:26.50\00:28:30.51
Greek and the New
Testament, before his death said
00:28:30.54\00:28:33.38
that the seventh
day was the Sabbath.
00:28:35.09\00:28:37.65
And Martin
Luther in response said,
00:28:38.59\00:28:41.62
"If this guy doesn't hush up,
00:28:43.76\00:28:46.30
we're all going
to be obliged.. "
00:28:48.46\00:28:50.20
And he was talking
about the theologian
00:28:50.23\00:28:52.81
Philip Melanchthon, his buddy.
00:28:52.84\00:28:54.90
He said, "If he doesn't hush
up about the importance of the
00:28:54.93\00:28:57.99
Saturday Sabbath, we'll
all be obliged to keep it. "
00:28:58.02\00:29:01.05
Now let me read to you from
Professor Philip Melanchthon.
00:29:02.80\00:29:07.19
He's referring to Daniel
7:25, about the power that would
00:29:09.68\00:29:14.46
think to change time and law.
00:29:14.49\00:29:16.81
And there's only one of
God's ten commandments that has
00:29:17.51\00:29:19.44
to do with time, and
that is the 4th that says,
00:29:19.47\00:29:22.10
"Remember the
Sabbath day to keep it holy.
00:29:22.13\00:29:23.65
Six days you may labor, but
the seventh is the Sabbath. "
00:29:23.68\00:29:26.75
Now listen to this
scholar from the Reformation.
00:29:26.78\00:29:30.60
"He changes times and laws
so that any of the six workdays
00:29:31.48\00:29:34.79
commanded of God,
he'll make them unholy
00:29:34.82\00:29:36.56
or idle if he wishes.
00:29:36.59\00:29:37.80
Moreover, he will
abolish and make unnecessary
00:29:38.87\00:29:43.65
the Saturday Sabbath,
or change it into Sunday.
00:29:43.68\00:29:46.37
Herein, they've changed
God's laws and turned them into
00:29:46.40\00:29:50.19
their own traditions to be
kept above God's own precepts. "
00:29:50.22\00:29:56.00
And that was at the
root, ladies and gentlemen,
00:29:56.03\00:29:58.35
of the Reformation.
00:29:58.38\00:30:00.27
Now, under this kind of
preaching, under this powerful
00:30:00.30\00:30:05.53
Biblical backed preaching,
people began to leave the
00:30:05.56\00:30:08.21
church of Rome en masse.
00:30:08.24\00:30:09.70
Not just one or two
who kind of got discouraged
00:30:09.73\00:30:12.32
or disappointed with
their pastor, but by the
00:30:12.35\00:30:14.71
tens of thousands,
and then by the millions,
00:30:14.74\00:30:18.15
the folks began to
leave the church of Rome.
00:30:18.18\00:30:20.48
They were jumping off like
rats vacating a sinking ship.
00:30:20.51\00:30:24.89
They got out because they could
no longer give their loyalties
00:30:24.92\00:30:27.63
and their allegiances to
the woman that sat on the
00:30:27.66\00:30:30.09
seven hills, the woman dressed
in purple and scarlet color,
00:30:30.12\00:30:32.87
the beast power of Revelation,
the little horn of Daniel 7,
00:30:32.90\00:30:35.78
the antichrist of
Jesus and the apostle Paul.
00:30:35.81\00:30:38.53
And they got out.
00:30:38.56\00:30:39.53
And it looked for certain
as if the Catholic church
00:30:39.55\00:30:41.87
was going to die.
00:30:41.90\00:30:42.92
And do you remember the
prophecy that we studied
00:30:42.95\00:30:44.56
last night from Revelation
13 that there would come
00:30:44.59\00:30:47.01
a deadly would.
00:30:47.04\00:30:48.01
And it was inflicted by
these preachers and it grew and
00:30:48.02\00:30:50.58
festered until the time
that the Pope was taken captive
00:30:50.61\00:30:54.53
by Napoleon Bonaparte.
00:30:54.56\00:30:56.27
And so, as the church began to
show more and more the signs of
00:30:57.05\00:31:02.54
death and decimation, the Pope
decided to become proactive.
00:31:02.57\00:31:09.49
His name was Pope Paul III
and he sent out an encyclical
00:31:10.29\00:31:15.45
to all of the church
leaders around the world.
00:31:15.48\00:31:17.89
Now this was a long
time before the internet,
00:31:17.92\00:31:19.93
this was a long time before
UPS would deliver your mail
00:31:19.96\00:31:22.89
the next day for $25.
00:31:22.92\00:31:24.90
This was a long time before
you could get on the telephone
00:31:24.93\00:31:27.72
and be in contact with a pastor
on the other side of the earth.
00:31:27.75\00:31:30.70
At this time, it took months and
months and months for a letter
00:31:30.73\00:31:34.76
to get to the
opposite of the world.
00:31:34.79\00:31:36.81
And so months would be
involved, but Pope Paul III
00:31:36.84\00:31:41.00
sent out his
encyclical months in advance.
00:31:41.03\00:31:43.72
He said, "We're going
to meet together in a great
00:31:43.75\00:31:45.62
church conclave
on December 13, 1545
00:31:45.65\00:31:50.00
and we're going
to meet in Trent. "
00:31:50.03\00:31:52.43
At this time, it was a part of
Austria but the borders changed
00:31:52.46\00:31:55.89
during World War II, and
today it is Trento, Italy.
00:31:55.92\00:31:59.31
"We're going to meet at Trent. "
00:31:59.34\00:32:01.47
When the fathers convened
and the majority were present
00:32:03.01\00:32:06.17
in Trent, the key note
address was given by the Pope.
00:32:06.20\00:32:10.82
And he said this, "We must have
two things out of this congress.
00:32:10.85\00:32:15.01
Number one, we must
have preachers as able,
00:32:15.04\00:32:17.72
as articulate, as
powerful, as persuasive,
00:32:17.75\00:32:19.84
as Luther and Calvin and
Knox and Huss and the others.
00:32:19.87\00:32:22.58
And number two, we must
have a reinterpretation of the
00:32:22.61\00:32:25.35
prophecies of Daniel and
Revelation that point to the
00:32:25.38\00:32:27.96
church of Rome as the
little horn and the beast. "
00:32:27.99\00:32:30.26
And he said, "Furthermore,
we are going to stay here
00:32:30.29\00:32:33.37
until we get the job done.
00:32:33.40\00:32:36.05
We must have a reinterpretation
that lifts the stigma
00:32:36.08\00:32:40.08
from the church of Rome. "
00:32:40.11\00:32:42.17
There's a book that's entitled,
00:32:43.33\00:32:45.74
"Catholic Doctrine as
Defined by the Council of Trent"
00:32:45.77\00:32:48.89
and its author,
for you historians, is
00:32:48.92\00:32:51.04
Reverend F. Nampon.
00:32:51.07\00:32:55.21
And behind his
name, you find "S.J."
00:32:55.24\00:32:57.59
And what does that mean?
00:32:57.62\00:32:58.75
"The Society of Jesus"
00:32:59.51\00:33:00.68
Oh by the way, could
any of you folks guess
00:33:00.71\00:33:02.99
where the nearest
Jesuit University is?
00:33:03.02\00:33:06.02
Where is it?
00:33:06.05\00:33:07.02
Gonzaga over in Spokane.
00:33:07.91\00:33:09.40
And if you haven't been
there to go through that
00:33:09.43\00:33:11.36
beautiful
cathedral, you ought to do it.
00:33:11.39\00:33:13.07
It's worth the days trip just
to walk through the cathedral.
00:33:13.10\00:33:16.33
I did it again only
just a short while back.
00:33:16.36\00:33:19.87
I want to read to you
now, if you'll allow me please,
00:33:19.90\00:33:22.61
from Reverend Nampon's book,
00:33:22.64\00:33:24.92
"Roman Catholic Doctrine
Defined at the Council of Trent"
00:33:24.95\00:33:27.87
from page 103.
00:33:27.90\00:33:29.87
Now listen.
00:33:29.90\00:33:30.87
"At the time the fathers of
Trent assembled, there was a
00:33:31.53\00:33:33.92
bitter obstinate war
declared against the authority,
00:33:33.95\00:33:36.73
the institutions,
the sacramental dogmas,
00:33:36.76\00:33:39.01
and the discipline
of the church of Rome.
00:33:39.04\00:33:40.97
All of this in
the name of scripture.
00:33:41.00\00:33:42.78
These innovators, the reformers,
found in our sacred book,
00:33:42.81\00:33:45.55
the Bible, that the
Papacy was antichrist,
00:33:45.59\00:33:48.05
that the church of Rome
was the harlot of Babylon,
00:33:48.08\00:33:50.17
and that her
traditions were old wives tales.
00:33:50.20\00:33:52.77
The priesthood, moreover,
was the common property
00:33:52.80\00:33:55.32
of all Christians.
00:33:55.35\00:33:56.32
The church, therefore, a
desolate mother forsaken by
00:33:56.35\00:33:59.36
so many of her own
children seemed to be repudiated
00:33:59.39\00:34:02.46
by the divine word. "
00:34:02.49\00:34:03.95
And for this reason, my
dears, the Council of Trent
00:34:04.30\00:34:07.36
was convened.
00:34:07.39\00:34:08.72
How long would the
council last? Eighteen years.
00:34:09.02\00:34:13.65
Eighteen years.
00:34:13.68\00:34:16.80
There had to be, for reasons of
illness and other necessities,
00:34:16.83\00:34:21.50
certain interruptions.
00:34:21.53\00:34:22.99
Though it would require some
to go back to the home place,
00:34:23.65\00:34:26.34
some to go here, but
there was a group that was
00:34:26.37\00:34:30.42
required to stay.
00:34:30.45\00:34:32.12
And one of the main issues
was this one lifting the stigma
00:34:32.15\00:34:35.45
from the church as regards
as being the beast power.
00:34:35.48\00:34:37.95
Other issues that would
be dealt with at this time
00:34:37.98\00:34:40.62
included the Lord's Supper.
00:34:40.65\00:34:42.12
And we talked this morning
in our question answer session
00:34:42.15\00:34:44.67
about the conflict
between transubstantiation,
00:34:44.70\00:34:47.71
the magic of the mass, as
opposed to consubstantiation.
00:34:47.74\00:34:51.74
Jesus, His Holy Spirit
with the substance rather than
00:34:51.77\00:34:55.38
magically transforming this
substance in the very literal
00:34:55.41\00:34:58.88
body of Jesus Christ.
00:34:58.91\00:35:00.37
Moreover, they
discussed and voted about the
00:35:00.40\00:35:02.76
validity of baptizing babies.
00:35:02.79\00:35:05.34
They discussed and voted to
keep the doctrine of purgatory.
00:35:05.37\00:35:09.22
They discussed and voted
to continue to adhere to the
00:35:09.25\00:35:12.29
idea of saints and sainthood,
and having inside the church
00:35:12.32\00:35:16.55
relics and images.
00:35:16.58\00:35:18.12
They voted to keep indulgences;
the forgiveness of sin
00:35:18.15\00:35:21.70
past, present, and future.
00:35:21.73\00:35:23.00
And they voted at
this time, the index;
00:35:23.03\00:35:26.79
a list of books that Christian
people were forbidden to read.
00:35:26.82\00:35:30.75
And at that time, the Bible was
placed at the head of the list.
00:35:30.78\00:35:35.36
Christian people
could not read the Bible.
00:35:35.39\00:35:37.75
Do you know why?
00:35:37.78\00:35:38.87
Because the majority of
them would fall to the notion
00:35:38.90\00:35:42.04
that the beast power,
the woman that sat on the
00:35:42.07\00:35:44.45
seven hills still dressed
in purple and scarlet color,
00:35:44.48\00:35:47.54
was the church of Rome.
00:35:47.57\00:35:48.74
And so they were forbidden
to read from the Bible.
00:35:48.77\00:35:51.81
Two necessities;
reinterpretation and
00:35:52.82\00:35:55.14
powerful preachers.
00:35:55.17\00:35:56.50
At this time, the
Jesuit order was formed
00:35:56.53\00:35:59.54
and founded by a Spaniard by
the name of Ignatius of Loyola.
00:35:59.57\00:36:03.87
He's known today
as Saint Ignatius.
00:36:03.90\00:36:06.51
And it's interesting to my
mind as I look at the thing
00:36:06.54\00:36:08.69
historically, that
almost all of the theology
00:36:08.72\00:36:12.05
that came out of the Council
of Trent came from Spain.
00:36:12.08\00:36:14.85
The Roman Catholic Council
of Trent came from Spain,
00:36:14.88\00:36:17.77
from Spaniards.
00:36:17.80\00:36:19.17
And so, the problem was
given out to the people,
00:36:20.17\00:36:23.08
the leadership of the
church from around the world.
00:36:23.11\00:36:25.32
"What shall we do,
to whom shall we turn,
00:36:25.35\00:36:27.64
to whom shall we look for
reinterpretation of prophecy?"
00:36:27.67\00:36:30.28
And small groups broke up and
little think tanks were formed.
00:36:30.31\00:36:33.79
And then they met again on
the floor in a general session
00:36:33.82\00:36:38.20
and suggestions were
passed down and then voted.
00:36:38.23\00:36:40.85
And the vote originally
was that they turn to a man
00:36:40.88\00:36:44.36
by the name of Alcazar to bring
to them a reinterpretation of
00:36:44.39\00:36:47.61
prophecies of
Daniel and Revelation.
00:36:47.64\00:36:49.24
And the Pope said
to Father Alcazar,
00:36:51.31\00:36:53.25
"Go to the libraries of
the church and the world and
00:36:53.28\00:36:55.13
stay as long as necessary.
00:36:55.16\00:36:56.43
Don't come back until
you have a reinterpretation
00:36:56.46\00:36:59.04
of those prophecies. "
00:36:59.07\00:37:00.07
And Alcazar left and he
was gone for four years.
00:37:00.10\00:37:04.18
And in the
meantime, the fathers stayed.
00:37:04.21\00:37:06.41
And back home, parents were
dying and they were disallowed
00:37:06.44\00:37:09.86
to go back to
bury their own parents.
00:37:09.89\00:37:12.35
They stayed on.
00:37:12.38\00:37:13.40
And after four years, Alcazar
came back and he read his
00:37:13.43\00:37:16.92
dissertation and
it went like this.
00:37:16.95\00:37:18.82
The church of Rome could
not possibly be the beast power,
00:37:18.85\00:37:21.69
the little horn
power, because the beast came
00:37:21.72\00:37:24.19
before the church.
00:37:24.22\00:37:25.66
And he looked back to the
wicked persecutions of Nero
00:37:25.69\00:37:28.59
and Roman Emperor
Hadrian and Diocletian.
00:37:28.62\00:37:32.57
And he looked back to the
time of Antiochus Epiphanes
00:37:32.60\00:37:37.25
who, in Jerusalem,
took a pig and sacrificed it
00:37:37.28\00:37:40.30
upon the sacred altar.
00:37:40.33\00:37:41.51
And he said, "There is
the desolation spoken of
00:37:41.54\00:37:44.11
by Jesus and Daniel. "
00:37:44.14\00:37:46.40
Matthew 24 with Jesus
and a referencing to Daniel.
00:37:46.43\00:37:49.68
"There it is.
00:37:49.71\00:37:50.83
The beast, the
antichrist, before the church. "
00:37:50.86\00:37:54.83
And the fathers of
Trent voted on this idea
00:37:54.86\00:37:58.10
and they
overwhelmingly rejected it.
00:37:58.13\00:38:00.31
And it is today know as
the preterist interpretation
00:38:00.34\00:38:03.34
of Bible prophecy.
00:38:03.37\00:38:04.50
The beast power pre-church.
00:38:04.53\00:38:07.20
It was rejected.
00:38:07.23\00:38:08.25
The fathers said
it will never fly.
00:38:08.85\00:38:11.31
It won't play in Peoria because
Jesus said and Paul said,
00:38:11.34\00:38:15.76
"Of your own selves
shall men arise teaching
00:38:15.79\00:38:17.77
perverse doctrines. "
00:38:17.80\00:38:19.37
This won't happen because of
some pagan outside the church.
00:38:19.40\00:38:22.43
This is going to
happen, this false doctrine,
00:38:22.46\00:38:24.51
this false
teaching, inside the church.
00:38:24.54\00:38:26.37
And so it was rejected.
00:38:26.40\00:38:27.42
And then it was asked,
"To whom should we now turn?"
00:38:27.45\00:38:29.95
And the fathers came to
the floor and they voted
00:38:29.98\00:38:33.37
and they said Father Ribera.
00:38:33.40\00:38:35.23
Now both Alcazar and
Ribera were Spaniards.
00:38:35.26\00:38:38.73
And so the leadership
said, "Alright Father Ribera,
00:38:40.36\00:38:42.37
you go to the libraries
of the church and the world
00:38:42.40\00:38:44.40
and don't come back until
you have a reinterpretation. "
00:38:44.43\00:38:46.45
And Ribera left and he
was gone for nearly 18 years.
00:38:46.48\00:38:49.94
And when he came back,
he read his dissertation.
00:38:49.97\00:38:52.29
And it's going to
begin to ring some bells.
00:38:52.32\00:38:54.39
He said the church could
not possibly be the beast power,
00:38:55.08\00:38:57.45
the little horn power,
for that is all in the future.
00:38:57.48\00:38:59.81
Jesus will come
suddenly, it may even be today.
00:38:59.84\00:39:02.55
He'll snatch away
quietly and privately His people
00:39:02.58\00:39:05.45
and that will be the beginning
of 3.5 years of tribulation.
00:39:05.48\00:39:09.36
And then at the end of
those 3.5 years, the Jews will
00:39:09.39\00:39:13.46
rebuild a temple
and go out to the world.
00:39:13.49\00:39:15.58
And 3.5 years after
rebuilding the temple,
00:39:15.61\00:39:17.62
then Jesus will come back.
00:39:17.65\00:39:19.74
Seven years of tribulation
in the midst of which Jews
00:39:19.77\00:39:23.50
will become wonderful,
wonderful missionaries.
00:39:23.53\00:39:26.32
Now I don't have time to
turn and read and give you
00:39:26.94\00:39:30.41
all of the theology
that it ought require.
00:39:30.44\00:39:33.19
But I can give you some
references if you want to
00:39:33.22\00:39:35.17
come to me later or whatever.
00:39:35.20\00:39:36.55
And I might even
share 1 or 2 as we go along.
00:39:36.58\00:39:39.32
But let me now give you a
thumbnail sketch of exactly
00:39:39.35\00:39:42.21
what Father Ribera had done.
00:39:42.24\00:39:44.01
He had gone back to a prophecy
in Daniel chapters 8 and 9.
00:39:44.04\00:39:48.89
A prophecy that has to
do with 2300 literal years.
00:39:49.39\00:39:54.05
And within that, the
longest of all time prophecies
00:39:54.08\00:39:56.63
in the Bible, there
was a shorter time prophecy
00:39:56.66\00:39:59.83
called the 70 weeks.
00:39:59.86\00:40:02.02
And Ribera knew and used the
prophetic tool of interpretation
00:40:02.05\00:40:06.20
that when you're
studying a Bible prophecy
00:40:06.23\00:40:08.66
and it speaks of a day,
you interpret that to mean
00:40:08.69\00:40:10.98
and understand it
to be a literal year.
00:40:11.01\00:40:13.91
Seventy weeks.
00:40:13.94\00:40:16.25
And he did the multiplication
and he said that means
00:40:18.04\00:40:21.68
490 literal years.
00:40:21.71\00:40:25.46
Now, this prophecy
from Daniel chapters 8 and 9
00:40:26.16\00:40:31.94
is in response to a prayer
of Daniel who's in captivity.
00:40:31.97\00:40:37.79
And every night
from his bedroom,
00:40:37.82\00:40:39.44
he prays, "How long, Lord?
00:40:39.47\00:40:40.72
How long will your
children be held in captivity?
00:40:40.75\00:40:42.98
How long until
Jerusalem is restored?
00:40:43.01\00:40:45.02
How long until
the temple is rebuilt?
00:40:45.05\00:40:47.08
How long until your
truth is again lifted up from
00:40:47.11\00:40:50.75
the center of your people?
00:40:50.78\00:40:52.13
How long?"
00:40:52.16\00:40:53.31
And the Bible says while
he was still praying, an angel
00:40:53.34\00:40:55.37
by the name of Gabriel came
down and gave him the answer.
00:40:55.40\00:40:57.71
"Seventy weeks are
determine upon thy people. "
00:40:57.74\00:41:00.16
490 years, 70
weeks. A day for a year.
00:41:00.19\00:41:05.17
490 years of probation
upon the Jewish people.
00:41:05.20\00:41:09.08
490 years.
00:41:09.11\00:41:11.18
How long?
00:41:11.21\00:41:12.25
I suppose that
Daniel was a bit discouraged
00:41:12.28\00:41:15.09
when the thing
was explained to him.
00:41:15.12\00:41:16.82
70 weeks, 490 literal years.
00:41:17.71\00:41:23.54
These 490 years would
share a common beginning date
00:41:23.57\00:41:28.94
with the 2300 years.
00:41:28.97\00:41:30.62
And that would be at
the command to go forth
00:41:30.65\00:41:33.00
and restore and
rebuild Jerusalem.
00:41:33.03\00:41:35.71
And history is abundantly clear
that this command was given
00:41:35.74\00:41:39.21
by a man by the name
of Artaxerxes 457 years
00:41:39.24\00:41:42.55
before Jesus Christ.
00:41:42.58\00:41:44.08
Now, in Daniel chapter 9
verse 25, it speaks about
00:41:45.99\00:41:53.18
the final week of
this probationary period.
00:41:53.21\00:41:58.02
And tragically, what
Ribera had done was to say,
00:41:59.12\00:42:02.40
"Well 69 weeks,
that's history past.
00:42:02.43\00:42:04.94
That's prophecy fulfilled.
00:42:04.97\00:42:06.34
But the 70th week,
that's off in the future.
00:42:06.37\00:42:08.45
And it'll begin when Jesus comes
secretly in His second coming.
00:42:08.48\00:42:11.77
And then 7 years later,
He'll come back with the church.
00:42:11.80\00:42:14.78
He'll come back at the
beginning of that 70th week
00:42:14.81\00:42:17.88
for the saints, and then 7
years later He'll come back
00:42:17.91\00:42:21.03
with the saints.
00:42:21.06\00:42:22.92
When you study the prophecies,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:42:22.95\00:42:25.52
it is abundantly clear
even to a casual theologian
00:42:25.55\00:42:28.37
that those 70 weeks,
those 490 literal years,
00:42:28.40\00:42:32.66
once begun were never to be
interrupted, never truncated,
00:42:32.69\00:42:35.78
never cutoff, never
stopped for anything at all.
00:42:35.81\00:42:39.99
And this theory today, is
known as the "gap theory".
00:42:40.02\00:42:42.68
The 69 weeks, that's
already prophecy fulfilled.
00:42:42.71\00:42:45.12
That's all in the past.
00:42:45.15\00:42:46.12
But the 70th,
that's off in the future.
00:42:46.13\00:42:48.23
God said to Daniel,
the final week of probation
00:42:51.84\00:42:56.85
for the Jewish
children will be at the
00:42:56.88\00:43:00.95
anointing of the Messiah.
00:43:00.98\00:43:03.00
Now right on
time, exactly on time,
00:43:04.76\00:43:08.54
Jesus went to the
water and was baptized
00:43:08.57\00:43:13.45
by John the Baptist.
00:43:13.48\00:43:14.69
And the dove came down and he
was anointed for His ministry.
00:43:14.72\00:43:19.12
And God said,
"This is My beloved Son,
00:43:19.15\00:43:22.07
please listen to Him. "
00:43:22.10\00:43:24.63
Now, from the time of
the dedication of Jesus
00:43:26.16\00:43:28.92
and His ministry, there
were going to be 7 years
00:43:28.95\00:43:33.83
of final probation
for the Jewish children.
00:43:33.86\00:43:37.19
God says, "My mercy is
going to be unbelievable.
00:43:37.89\00:43:40.81
My patience really are unending.
00:43:40.84\00:43:43.26
I'll show you how far
I'm willing to go with you. "
00:43:43.29\00:43:46.53
The Beck Bible, Daniel
chapters 9 and following, says
00:43:48.45\00:43:52.40
that after the
anointing of Messiah, 3.5 years,
00:43:52.43\00:43:58.98
Messiah would be cut off.
00:43:59.01\00:44:02.47
Not for Himself,
but for His people.
00:44:02.50\00:44:05.97
What happened 3.5 years
after the baptism of Jesus?
00:44:07.76\00:44:11.60
He was crucified on a cross.
00:44:12.39\00:44:14.34
And the Jews encouraged
His death and the Jews
00:44:14.37\00:44:17.63
turned Him over to
Pilate, and the Jews shouted,
00:44:17.66\00:44:20.34
"Crucify Him, crucify Him.
00:44:20.37\00:44:21.42
Release
Barabbas, give us anyone. "
00:44:21.45\00:44:23.40
And God said, "I'm not
going to give up on you yet.
00:44:23.43\00:44:26.45
I'll show you
how much I love you.
00:44:29.13\00:44:31.27
I'll show you how
special you are to Me.
00:44:31.30\00:44:33.53
I'm going to give
you 3.5 more years
00:44:33.93\00:44:36.76
even beyond the time
you reject My Lord. "
00:44:36.79\00:44:39.64
Now by the way,
ladies and gentlemen,
00:44:39.67\00:44:41.15
during those 3.5 years
after the crucifixion of Jesus,
00:44:41.18\00:44:45.60
the disciples were
allowed to go almost without any
00:44:45.63\00:44:50.87
reluctance
throughout the city of Jerusalem
00:44:50.90\00:44:52.85
and its surround environs,
preaching the gospel of Jesus.
00:44:52.88\00:44:56.35
For 3.5 more years,
they were allowed to operate
00:44:56.93\00:45:00.48
in that sort of a way.
00:45:00.51\00:45:01.56
But in the midst of the week,
the sacrifice and the oblation
00:45:01.59\00:45:05.17
would cease, it
said in Daniel chapter 9.
00:45:05.20\00:45:07.38
And just when Jesus died
on the cross, he shouted out,
00:45:07.41\00:45:10.47
"It is finished. "
00:45:10.50\00:45:13.33
And it was at the time
of the evening sacrifice.
00:45:13.36\00:45:15.87
And the priest, says the
historian, had the little lamb
00:45:15.90\00:45:18.45
on the altar and
had the knife raised.
00:45:18.48\00:45:20.55
And there came an earthquake
and the altar was shaken down
00:45:20.58\00:45:23.28
and the lamb ran away.
00:45:23.31\00:45:24.77
And the temple that
separated Holy from Most Holy
00:45:24.80\00:45:27.67
was ripped in half.
00:45:27.70\00:45:29.17
"It is finished. "
00:45:31.86\00:45:34.15
And the sacrifice and the
oblation was to cease, cut off.
00:45:34.53\00:45:42.24
If you want a further scripture,
Genesis chapter 9 verse 11
00:45:42.27\00:45:45.61
where it says
they're clearly cut off.
00:45:45.64\00:45:48.05
That means, to be killed.
00:45:48.08\00:45:49.22
The disciples went on
to preach now in and around
00:45:50.58\00:45:53.10
and throughout Jerusalem
for the next 3.5 years.
00:45:53.13\00:45:55.70
Now I want to read to
you folks a brief statement
00:45:55.73\00:45:58.51
from a very careful historian,
a very Godly person, I think.
00:45:58.54\00:46:01.73
"For 3.5 years, the authorities
of Jerusalem tolerated the
00:46:01.76\00:46:04.70
preaching of the apostles
until the stoning of Stephen,
00:46:04.73\00:46:08.53
the first of the
Christian martyrs. "
00:46:08.56\00:46:10.50
Then the gospel
went outside Jerusalem
00:46:10.53\00:46:17.11
to the non-Jew, to the Gentiles.
00:46:17.14\00:46:18.91
The apostle Paul
would call himself,
00:46:18.94\00:46:20.60
"the apostle to the Gentiles. "
00:46:20.63\00:46:24.54
And the probationary
period for the Jews as a nation,
00:46:26.34\00:46:29.45
as special, as
chosen, came to an end.
00:46:29.48\00:46:33.60
And from that time on, and
the apostle Paul, by the way,
00:46:33.63\00:46:36.37
is abundantly clear, from
that time they would be saved
00:46:36.40\00:46:39.68
in the same way you
and I would be saved.
00:46:39.71\00:46:41.86
He says in Romans chapter
11 that the Jewish nation was
00:46:41.89\00:46:44.43
cut off from the branch, and
if they were going to be saved
00:46:44.46\00:46:47.22
they would have to be grafted
in just like we Gentiles.
00:46:47.25\00:46:50.04
The same Apostle Paul would say,
"In Christ there is neither Jew
00:46:50.07\00:46:52.96
or Greek, male or female.
00:46:52.99\00:46:53.96
But we're all one,
we're all the same. "
00:46:53.97\00:46:56.31
Now, we're going to finalize
by looking at the context
00:46:56.71\00:47:01.51
of Matthew chapter 24
together with Luke 21.
00:47:01.54\00:47:04.84
So let's go there
together, finally.
00:47:04.87\00:47:06.61
Alright.
00:47:08.22\00:47:09.40
Matthew chapter 24.
00:47:09.96\00:47:11.63
And I don't want anyone
falling out of the windows here.
00:47:14.64\00:47:17.12
I don't want to experience
the Eutychus syndrome.
00:47:17.15\00:47:21.07
I know some of you are
dozing now, it's been a while.
00:47:21.10\00:47:23.97
And I noticed that
about 5 minutes until noon
00:47:24.00\00:47:27.22
about half of the congregation
gets that nervous tick
00:47:27.25\00:47:30.25
of the left arm.
00:47:30.28\00:47:31.25
Well I have a watch too and
I've been looking at it here.
00:47:35.00\00:47:37.63
And by the way, it
keeps really good time.
00:47:38.46\00:47:41.96
It is a Timex knock-off.
00:47:41.99\00:47:44.49
Matthew chapter 24.
00:47:48.01\00:47:49.60
And I shall take up the reading
then down at about verse 20.
00:47:50.30\00:47:56.41
The disciples ask Him,
"Lord, what will be the signs?"
00:47:56.44\00:47:59.25
Jesus said, this
and this and this.
00:47:59.28\00:48:00.35
Verse 14, this gospel
has to go to the whole world.
00:48:00.38\00:48:02.57
And then verse 20,
"Pray that your flight
00:48:02.60\00:48:04.79
be neither in the winter
time or upon the Sabbath day. "
00:48:04.82\00:48:07.50
It's another sermon but
I'm going to dovetail it here.
00:48:07.53\00:48:10.49
I've had so many folks
say to me, "Well I can find
00:48:10.52\00:48:12.27
all of the other commandments
of the 10 in the New Testament
00:48:12.30\00:48:15.03
except for the
Sabbath commandment.
00:48:15.06\00:48:16.53
God left that out
as we came into the
00:48:16.56\00:48:18.77
new covenant after Jesus died. "
00:48:18.80\00:48:20.34
And I said, "No, no.
00:48:20.37\00:48:21.40
This is the only one of
all of the 10 that Jesus,
00:48:21.43\00:48:23.91
looking down at the very
last days said we ought to
00:48:23.94\00:48:25.83
pray about keeping. "
00:48:25.86\00:48:27.36
Now certainly He wouldn't
ask us to pray about keeping the
00:48:27.76\00:48:30.74
Sabbath in the last
days if it were unimportant,
00:48:30.77\00:48:33.21
if we couldn't tell which
day of the week it was, huh.
00:48:33.24\00:48:35.01
"Pray that your flight
be not in the winter time or
00:48:37.13\00:48:39.36
upon the Sabbath day.
00:48:39.39\00:48:40.55
There will be great tribulation
such as never was from the
00:48:40.58\00:48:43.66
beginning of the
world, or shall be.
00:48:43.69\00:48:45.48
Except those days be shortened,
there would be no flesh saved. "
00:48:45.51\00:48:48.60
But for the sake of the Jews who
built the temple in Jerusalem
00:48:48.63\00:48:52.11
I'm going to shorten those days.
00:48:52.14\00:48:53.73
No?
00:48:53.76\00:48:54.82
What does it say then?
00:48:55.12\00:48:56.09
For who's sake are the
days of tribulation shortened?
00:48:56.10\00:48:59.07
For who's sake? Come on now.
00:48:59.10\00:49:01.46
For the sake of the saints.
00:49:02.13\00:49:03.68
It's abundantly clear even in
this verse that the saints are
00:49:03.71\00:49:06.61
here during the tribulation.
00:49:06.64\00:49:08.65
"I'm going to shorten
the tribulation for the
00:49:08.68\00:49:10.50
sake of My saints.
00:49:10.53\00:49:11.69
If any man says to you, 'Christ
is there or over there. '
00:49:11.72\00:49:14.70
don't you believe it.
00:49:14.73\00:49:15.70
For there will be false
christs and false prophets.
00:49:15.72\00:49:17.34
They'll show great signs and
wonders, so much, if possible
00:49:17.37\00:49:20.84
they will deceive the... "
00:49:20.87\00:49:22.49
There they are,
the saints are there.
00:49:22.52\00:49:24.60
The very elect.
00:49:24.63\00:49:26.32
"Look, I've told you before. "
00:49:27.21\00:49:28.60
Now this isn't a knee
jerk reaction Jesus is having.
00:49:28.63\00:49:31.27
This isn't a flash in the
pan notion that crosses His mind
00:49:31.30\00:49:34.04
as He gives this Olivet
discourse on end time events.
00:49:34.07\00:49:37.03
He says, "I warned
you about this before. "
00:49:37.06\00:49:39.15
The context is about false
christs and false teachings
00:49:39.18\00:49:42.42
regarding His second coming.
00:49:42.45\00:49:43.95
"I've told you before. "
00:49:44.36\00:49:45.67
Now watch carefully. Verse 26.
00:49:45.70\00:49:49.00
"Wherefore then, if they
say, 'Go out in the desert. '
00:49:49.60\00:49:52.88
Don't you go out there.
00:49:52.91\00:49:54.30
If they say to you, 'Behold,
he's in the secret chamber. '"
00:49:54.33\00:49:57.07
Do what now?
00:49:57.10\00:49:58.47
Jesus is saying to His disciples
and all of their followers
00:49:58.50\00:50:01.79
down through the ages,
"If anyone tries to tell you
00:50:01.82\00:50:04.30
that I'm coming secretly,
don't you buy into it. "
00:50:04.33\00:50:07.70
And then He goes on to
explain, it'll be the greatest
00:50:07.73\00:50:09.81
public spectacle the
universe has ever known.
00:50:09.84\00:50:12.21
"As lightening flashes
from the east to the west,
00:50:12.24\00:50:14.23
so shall it be in the day that
the Son of Man is revealed. "
00:50:14.26\00:50:16.87
Now we're going to go to the
continuation in Luke chapter 17.
00:50:16.90\00:50:20.53
Luke chapters 17 and 21
are really a continuation.
00:50:21.68\00:50:26.08
And here we again find
Jesus instructing the disciples
00:50:26.11\00:50:29.04
about the end time.
00:50:29.07\00:50:30.12
And He says beginning in
verse 26, "As it was in the
00:50:30.15\00:50:33.42
day of Noah, so shall it also be
in the day of the Son of Man. "
00:50:33.45\00:50:36.51
What was it like back there?
00:50:36.54\00:50:38.39
What was going to back there?
00:50:38.42\00:50:39.79
Well, they ate and they
drank and they married wives
00:50:39.82\00:50:42.17
and they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noah went
00:50:42.20\00:50:44.35
inside the ark and then
everybody that didn't get
00:50:44.38\00:50:46.39
inside the ark with them
got a second chance to be
00:50:46.42\00:50:48.08
saved 3.5 years later, huh.
00:50:48.11\00:50:49.67
No, what happened to the folks
that didn't get inside the ark?
00:50:49.70\00:50:52.36
The flood came and
destroyed them all.
00:50:52.39\00:50:55.00
And I can imagine the
disciples jaw dropping,
00:50:55.03\00:50:57.21
"Lord, really, is that it?"
00:50:57.24\00:50:58.63
And Jesus said, "Yes, and
furthermore, as it was in the
00:50:58.66\00:51:01.22
in the day of Lot. "
00:51:01.25\00:51:02.22
And then He goes
through the same scenario.
00:51:02.23\00:51:03.93
And He said the day that
Lot left Sodom, fire came down
00:51:03.96\00:51:08.10
and destroyed them all.
00:51:08.13\00:51:09.14
And then He concludes,
"Even thus shall it be
00:51:09.17\00:51:11.55
in the day that the
Son of Man is revealed.
00:51:11.58\00:51:14.49
He that is in the housetop,"
verse 31, "let him not
00:51:14.52\00:51:17.69
go back to get this things.
00:51:17.72\00:51:19.45
He that is out in the
field, let him not return.
00:51:19.48\00:51:22.20
Remember Lot's wife.
00:51:22.23\00:51:23.49
Whosoever will seek to
save his life will lose it,
00:51:23.52\00:51:25.87
whosoever shall loose his life,
for My sake, shall preserve it.
00:51:25.90\00:51:28.78
I tell you, in that night there
will be two men in one bed;
00:51:28.81\00:51:31.05
one taken and the other left.
00:51:31.08\00:51:32.25
Two women grinding; one
taken and the other left.
00:51:32.28\00:51:34.36
Two out in the field; one
taken and the other left. "
00:51:34.39\00:51:36.35
Now ever preacher, every
televangelist, that teaches
00:51:37.58\00:51:40.84
the secret rapture and 7
years of tribulation to follow
00:51:40.87\00:51:43.80
stops right there.
00:51:43.83\00:51:45.54
And David Wilkerson,
in his letter to Bobby
00:51:45.57\00:51:47.61
stopped right there.
00:51:47.64\00:51:50.03
That's the end of it.
00:51:50.06\00:51:51.21
But we're not
going to stop there.
00:51:51.24\00:51:52.83
You remember, we said at
the outset that this whole thing
00:51:52.86\00:51:55.19
lives or dies on the
question of what happens to the
00:51:55.22\00:51:58.69
one left behind.
00:51:58.72\00:51:59.79
Is he left behind to go
through tribulation, get a
00:51:59.82\00:52:01.61
second chance at salvation?
00:52:01.64\00:52:02.95
In what shape is he left behind?
00:52:02.98\00:52:05.22
"Two men in the field; one
taken and one left," verse 36.
00:52:05.25\00:52:08.02
"Two grinding;
one taken, one left. "
00:52:08.05\00:52:09.67
Verse 37, "And the
disciples asked Him,
00:52:09.70\00:52:11.84
'Where Lord?
Where? Tell us once more.
00:52:12.04\00:52:14.94
Could You make it more clear?'"
00:52:14.97\00:52:15.94
Now they're not asking
where the one is taken.
00:52:15.97\00:52:19.81
They know that.
00:52:19.84\00:52:21.07
"In My Father's
house are many mansions.
00:52:21.10\00:52:23.11
If it were not so I
would have told you.
00:52:23.14\00:52:24.19
I go to prepare a
place. I will come again. "
00:52:24.22\00:52:26.35
They're not asking
where the one is taken.
00:52:26.38\00:52:28.55
They're asking
for more affirmation.
00:52:28.58\00:52:31.35
In what condition
is the one left behind?
00:52:31.38\00:52:33.50
And Jesus here
answered in verse 37.
00:52:33.53\00:52:36.43
"He answered and said unto
them, 'Wherever the bodies are,
00:52:36.46\00:52:40.44
there will the
vultures be gathered. '"
00:52:40.47\00:52:42.58
Left how?
00:52:42.61\00:52:43.83
Left to be saved?
Left in what condition?
00:52:43.86\00:52:45.76
Get a second chance?
00:52:45.79\00:52:46.76
Left dead on the earth.
00:52:46.79\00:52:48.18
Destroyed by the brightness
of His coming, as we studied
00:52:48.21\00:52:50.34
on another evening.
00:52:50.37\00:52:51.34
Just as it was
in the day of Noah,
00:52:51.35\00:52:52.50
as it was in the day of Lot.
00:52:52.53\00:52:53.60
They're left dead on the earth.
00:52:53.63\00:52:55.85
"I've told you before. "
00:52:56.68\00:52:58.01
Today is the day of salvation.
00:53:01.62\00:53:03.59
Revelation 22, just
before He stands up to return.
00:53:03.62\00:53:06.55
Verse 11 chapter
22 of Revelation.
00:53:06.58\00:53:08.65
"He that is filthy,
let him stay filthy still.
00:53:08.68\00:53:11.47
He that is unholy stays unholy.
00:53:11.50\00:53:13.10
But he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still. "
00:53:13.13\00:53:15.86
And probation closes
the day Jesus stands up
00:53:15.89\00:53:18.74
in the heavenly
court, and a few hours later
00:53:18.77\00:53:21.21
comes on His rescue mission.
00:53:21.25\00:53:23.57
Now listen to me
ladies and gentlemen.
00:53:23.60\00:53:25.41
Protestantism today
has lost its protest.
00:53:25.44\00:53:28.31
Protestantism today is
divided into two camps.
00:53:28.34\00:53:31.11
There are the liberals.
00:53:31.14\00:53:33.08
Those over on the extreme
left, I suppose we can say.
00:53:33.11\00:53:36.77
And they're demythologizers,
they don't believe the Bible
00:53:36.80\00:53:40.54
in a literal sense anyway.
00:53:40.57\00:53:42.06
Take the idea of the
second coming, hell fire,
00:53:42.26\00:53:44.91
walking on
water, water into wine.
00:53:44.94\00:53:46.46
It's all just a myth.
00:53:46.49\00:53:47.76
And they are not protesting.
00:53:47.79\00:53:49.68
And then we move to
the fundamentalist camp
00:53:50.43\00:53:52.36
of Protestantism.
00:53:52.39\00:53:53.59
And there, we have
the Southern Baptist.
00:53:53.99\00:53:55.90
About half only now, tragically.
00:53:55.93\00:53:57.66
And we have the Nazarenes and
others that you could mention.
00:53:57.69\00:54:01.32
And almost without
exception, they're all teaching,
00:54:01.35\00:54:04.55
"No, it couldn't be
church of Rome; the beast power,
00:54:04.58\00:54:06.97
the little horn power, for
that is all in the future. "
00:54:07.00\00:54:10.01
And they are not protesting.
00:54:10.04\00:54:11.88
Now, what is Lyle's main concern
regarding this whole idea.
00:54:16.47\00:54:21.55
Is it that folks
aren't going to be ready?
00:54:21.58\00:54:23.44
No, that's a great
concern but not my main concern.
00:54:23.47\00:54:27.07
This is the thing
that bothers me most
00:54:27.10\00:54:28.95
about the idea that
folks are teaching that Jesus
00:54:28.98\00:54:31.89
will snatch away the
saints and then 3.5 years later
00:54:31.92\00:54:34.96
there's going to
be a temple rebuilt,
00:54:34.99\00:54:36.56
and 3.5 years later antichrist
comes, the antichrist will come.
00:54:36.59\00:54:40.63
And what they have done,
my dears, is taken the beauty
00:54:40.66\00:54:43.98
of the gospel of Jesus,
His ministry, His baptism,
00:54:44.01\00:54:49.41
and His death on the
cross, and given it over to
00:54:49.44\00:54:52.09
antichrist in the future.
00:54:52.12\00:54:53.50
I want to say to you
this morning, that is not
00:54:53.53\00:54:55.92
another gospel,
that is not another idea
00:54:55.95\00:54:59.48
about the grace of God.
00:54:59.51\00:55:00.67
That is a disgrace.
00:55:00.70\00:55:02.23
Given to antichrist.
00:55:07.84\00:55:09.54
The beautiful atonement
and the death of My Jesus.
00:55:10.50\00:55:15.08
And I want to say to you today,
the reformation is not dead.
00:55:20.53\00:55:26.64
And that torch that was
lighted by Luther and handed
00:55:29.32\00:55:36.54
on over to Calvin
and passed to John Huss
00:55:36.57\00:55:40.91
and John Knox, still burns.
00:55:41.91\00:55:46.19
And while we'll never
protest against people
00:55:47.93\00:55:49.96
or sit in judgment upon
individuals, we must continue
00:55:49.99\00:55:53.76
to carry the protest
against false doctrines
00:55:53.79\00:55:56.86
regardless of where
they have originated.
00:55:56.89\00:55:59.03
We must continue to
lift high the gospel light
00:55:59.06\00:56:02.59
and go marching
toward the kingdom,
00:56:02.62\00:56:04.65
holding high the lamp of light.
00:56:04.68\00:56:07.84
"Thy word is a
light unto my feet,
00:56:07.87\00:56:10.38
a lamp for my path. "
00:56:10.41\00:56:11.78
And sing while we march,
"This little light of mine,
00:56:11.81\00:56:15.21
I'm going to let is
shine until Jesus comes. "
00:56:15.24\00:56:17.81
Let's pray.
00:56:22.46\00:56:23.54
Thank you, Lord Jesus,
for the clarity of Your word.
00:56:24.31\00:56:26.88
You love us so very
much that you, long ago,
00:56:30.22\00:56:32.54
made provision for our
frailties and our faults.
00:56:32.57\00:56:36.28
Because our parents
slipped and fell, You came and
00:56:38.43\00:56:41.96
lived the perfect
life in our place.
00:56:41.99\00:56:44.19
On a life we never
lived, on a death we never died,
00:56:45.37\00:56:47.84
on a resurrection
that we did not deserve,
00:56:47.87\00:56:49.82
we hang our only
hope of eternity.
00:56:49.85\00:56:52.26
Thank You, dear Jesus.
00:56:53.10\00:56:55.42
In Your name, amen.
00:56:56.64\00:56:59.85