Let's pray together. Dear Lord, 00:01:04.78\00:01:07.91 we are here tonight because we want to 00:01:07.94\00:01:10.23 once again open your word and hear your voice 00:01:10.26\00:01:13.61 speaking to us of that beautiful promise 00:01:13.64\00:01:17.25 that Jesus made, I'm coming soon. 00:01:17.28\00:01:21.05 Lord help us to understand the return of Christ. 00:01:22.39\00:01:26.68 We ask in Jesus name, Amen. 00:01:27.55\00:01:31.09 About 4 or 5 years ago, but I can still see 00:01:40.53\00:01:44.55 it clear and plain, as it was when it happened 00:01:44.58\00:01:49.74 I was standing in the Water at a beach 00:01:50.68\00:01:55.02 Called Playa De Amarilla, the yellow beach, 00:01:55.05\00:02:00.09 just on the outskirts of Havana, Cuba. 00:02:00.12\00:02:02.73 We were there to baptize about 300 people 00:02:02.76\00:02:03.73 that day and there were a number of us in 00:02:08.19\00:02:12.50 the water baptizing people, but I'll never forget 00:02:12.53\00:02:17.65 a little Cuban lady, short and elderly came 00:02:17.68\00:02:22.34 up to me and it was her turn to be baptized 00:02:22.37\00:02:26.25 and I showed her how to, to put her hand on my arm 00:02:26.28\00:02:31.46 and to hold tight when I was baptizing her 00:02:31.49\00:02:35.06 and she just kind laid her arm across my arm 00:02:35.09\00:02:40.67 and I said no you need to open your hand 00:02:40.70\00:02:45.52 and hold tight, and she just put her arm 00:02:45.55\00:02:50.64 across my arm and I told her once again, 00:02:50.67\00:02:54.21 I said open your hand and hold on tight, 00:02:54.24\00:02:58.01 and she looked up at me with tears streaming down 00:03:00.59\00:03:05.11 her cheek and she said Pastor I can't, 00:03:05.14\00:03:13.70 I can't open my hand. 00:03:14.99\00:03:17.06 I said, you know, one day Jesus is gonna come 00:03:22.34\00:03:27.03 soon and you're gonna have a new hand, 00:03:27.06\00:03:31.16 you're gonna have a new body, 00:03:31.92\00:03:34.18 and you're gonna be with him forever. 00:03:35.95\00:03:37.56 She said, do you think he is gonna come to Cuba, 00:03:40.47\00:03:45.16 did you know, I think this might be 00:03:47.08\00:03:50.08 the first place that he comes, where his people 00:03:50.11\00:03:54.96 have been hurting and oppressed for so long. 00:03:54.99\00:03:57.57 You ever been discouraged, ever seemed like 00:03:59.34\00:04:03.75 everything is just going wrong, 00:04:03.78\00:04:05.22 your life is falling apart, my favorite promise, 00:04:06.12\00:04:09.94 one of my favorite promises, I've a lot of favorites, 00:04:09.97\00:04:13.00 John 14:1, don't let your heart be troubled, 00:04:13.03\00:04:18.67 trust in God, trust also in me 00:04:19.57\00:04:23.39 Jesus said, in my father's house are many rooms. 00:04:23.42\00:04:27.67 Now, the King James Says mansions, 00:04:27.70\00:04:29.83 I like that better, in my father's house 00:04:29.86\00:04:33.34 there are many mansions and if they were not 00:04:33.40\00:04:36.51 so I would have told you, I'm going there to prepare 00:04:36.54\00:04:43.02 a place for you. And, if I go 00:04:43.05\00:04:47.12 I will come back to take you to be with me, 00:04:47.95\00:04:51.42 so that you maybe where I'm. 00:04:51.45\00:04:54.19 I don't know anyway to understand 00:04:55.26\00:04:56.99 that except that Jesus is promising you and Jesus 00:04:57.02\00:05:00.80 is promising me that he has gone to heaven, 00:05:00.83\00:05:04.30 to his father's house to prepare a place for us 00:05:04.33\00:05:07.62 and just as surely as he went 00:05:07.65\00:05:10.05 we can know that he is going to come back 00:05:10.08\00:05:12.79 again to take us to be with him there, 00:05:12.82\00:05:16.36 that's the good news. Amen. 00:05:16.39\00:05:18.81 The good news is Jesus is coming again, 00:05:19.23\00:05:22.43 no matter how bad it gets, 00:05:22.46\00:05:24.08 no matter how difficult it is for you? 00:05:24.11\00:05:26.39 you can always rest in the promise 00:05:26.42\00:05:28.92 that Jesus is coming again. That's the good news, 00:05:28.95\00:05:34.22 the bad news, Matthew, chapter 5 or Matthew 24, 00:05:36.34\00:05:42.42 verse 5. Jesus said, watch out that no one deceives 00:05:42.45\00:05:50.76 you, for many will come in my name claiming 00:05:50.79\00:05:55.50 I am the Christ and they'll deceive many. 00:05:55.53\00:05:59.38 The good news, Jesus is coming again. 00:06:01.77\00:06:04.43 The bad news is many are going to be deceived 00:06:04.93\00:06:09.91 concerning the return of Christ. 00:06:10.80\00:06:13.69 Many will be deceived and I want you to 00:06:13.72\00:06:19.14 notice carefully, the deception is not over 00:06:19.17\00:06:24.37 the question of whether or not Jesus is gonna come, 00:06:24.40\00:06:28.80 that isn't the deception. They're expecting Jesus 00:06:29.61\00:06:35.66 to come, they're waiting for Jesus to come, 00:06:35.69\00:06:38.15 many come in his name claiming I'm the Christ 00:06:38.18\00:06:41.00 and they're deceived, they're deceived 00:06:41.03\00:06:42.88 not in whether or not Jesus is coming 00:06:42.91\00:06:45.37 the deception is the manner of the return of Christ. 00:06:45.40\00:06:49.10 The manner of the return of Christ leads them to go 00:06:49.13\00:06:52.57 after the wrong Christ. That's the deception 00:06:52.60\00:06:57.05 and today the stage is set, the world is being setup 00:06:57.73\00:07:02.49 for the greatest deception concerning the 00:07:02.52\00:07:04.76 return of Jesus Christ. You've read it in the books, 00:07:04.81\00:07:09.48 you've seen the movies, Left Behind. 00:07:09.51\00:07:12.39 In the Left Behind books over the last time 00:07:12.82\00:07:16.43 I saw it was like 80 million copies have been sold. 00:07:16.46\00:07:19.62 And, in the book Rayford Steele airline 00:07:19.65\00:07:23.20 pilot is plotting in his mind, 00:07:23.23\00:07:24.91 how to take the first steps to initiate an affair with his 00:07:24.94\00:07:28.05 drop dead gorgeous airline stewardess Hattie Durham 00:07:28.08\00:07:30.93 when just when he is ready 00:07:30.96\00:07:32.14 to try to take that first step, 00:07:32.17\00:07:33.83 she comes dashing into the cockpit with the news 00:07:33.86\00:07:36.32 that half the people in the airplane have disappeared 00:07:36.35\00:07:39.23 and the cameras sweep down the aisle and 00:07:39.26\00:07:41.00 there are seats with close folded, 00:07:41.03\00:07:43.41 neatly on the seat, there is hearing aids 00:07:43.44\00:07:47.01 and eyeglasses and wedding rings 00:07:47.04\00:07:48.62 and pacemakers sitting there and the person has 00:07:48.65\00:07:50.86 just gone disappeared and everybody is wondering, 00:07:50.89\00:07:52.96 where did they all go. 00:07:52.99\00:07:54.61 Left Behind, it's just a novel 00:07:58.35\00:08:02.39 that's what it says on the back cover. 00:08:02.42\00:08:06.62 The problem is how can you tell 00:08:07.90\00:08:10.67 when the novel ends and the truth begins. 00:08:10.70\00:08:14.31 Many will come in my name claiming I am the Christ 00:08:19.40\00:08:23.02 And they'll deceive many, we're having a Revelation 00:08:23.05\00:08:25.05 Now meeting in the Southern part of Virginia. 00:08:25.08\00:08:28.24 And, on a Friday evening 00:08:29.06\00:08:30.98 we just had Wednesday and Thursday off. 00:08:31.01\00:08:32.57 Friday evening, a man came back 00:08:32.60\00:08:33.87 and he said, hey how did your days go. 00:08:33.90\00:08:35.65 How did your day off go, I said, Oh! Just fine, 00:08:35.68\00:08:37.55 how about yours, he said, you would never believe 00:08:37.58\00:08:39.12 what happened. I said tell me about it 00:08:39.15\00:08:40.82 what happened, said I went to some little town, 00:08:40.85\00:08:43.02 I can't remember where it was in North Carolina 00:08:43.05\00:08:44.77 and he said I saw Jesus there. 00:08:45.63\00:08:47.51 I said, you did, you said yeah, 00:08:48.73\00:08:50.12 it was wonderful man, he was working miracles, 00:08:50.15\00:08:53.02 he was healing people and 00:08:53.05\00:08:54.55 he was just So filled with love, 00:08:54.58\00:08:56.63 it just flowed out to everyone Oh! 00:08:56.66\00:08:59.30 You need to go and see him. 00:08:59.33\00:09:00.60 I said, no I don't think so, I'm not gonna go. 00:09:00.63\00:09:06.55 Why not? Because it isn't Jesus. 00:09:06.58\00:09:11.60 Oh! Yes, it is, yes it is, 00:09:11.63\00:09:14.17 if you went you would know that it's Jesus. 00:09:14.20\00:09:16.91 I said, that's why I'm not gonna go. 00:09:18.29\00:09:23.33 I'm not gonna put my foot on the devil's ground. 00:09:25.42\00:09:29.66 And, how do I know it wasn't Jesus. 00:09:33.39\00:09:35.56 Because the Bible tells me. 00:09:37.44\00:09:39.07 Matthew chapter 24, verse 23, at that time 00:09:39.81\00:09:43.33 if anyone says to you look here is the Christ 00:09:43.36\00:09:46.18 or there he is then don't believe it. 00:09:46.21\00:09:48.68 Now, that's not hard to understand is it? 00:09:49.75\00:09:51.90 If somebody comes to you and says 00:09:52.36\00:09:53.72 Jesus is in North Carolina, don't believe it, 00:09:53.75\00:09:56.60 don't go where the devil is. If someone says to you 00:09:59.41\00:10:05.01 Jesus is in a temple in Jerusalem don't believe it, 00:10:05.04\00:10:08.45 if someone says he is in the inner room 00:10:09.81\00:10:11.25 in a secret chamber, don't listen. 00:10:11.28\00:10:13.61 In fact he says if someone says there he is 00:10:13.64\00:10:16.46 don't believe it for false Christ and false prophets 00:10:16.49\00:10:18.71 will appear and perform great signs and miracles 00:10:18.74\00:10:21.37 and deceive even the elect if that were possible. 00:10:21.40\00:10:24.52 So if anyone tells you there he is out in the desert. 00:10:24.55\00:10:28.33 Do not go out. 00:10:29.88\00:10:32.22 That's not hard to understand is it? 00:10:33.17\00:10:35.49 Don't go, here he is in the inner room, 00:10:35.64\00:10:38.00 don't believe it, well why not because, 00:10:38.03\00:10:41.93 because he tells us in verse 27, 00:10:41.96\00:10:44.65 as lightening flashes from 00:10:44.68\00:10:46.37 the East and is visible even in the West. 00:10:46.40\00:10:49.91 So, will the coming of the son of man be. 00:10:49.94\00:10:52.75 You can see lightening, did you know that, 00:10:56.89\00:11:01.41 you can see it. You can see lightening 00:11:01.44\00:11:05.28 even with your eyes closed. 00:11:05.31\00:11:07.20 When Jesus comes he is gonna come like lightening, 00:11:08.87\00:11:13.27 flashing from the East to the West. 00:11:13.30\00:11:16.20 You're gonna see Jesus when he comes, 00:11:16.55\00:11:19.07 you won't need somebody to tell you 00:11:19.21\00:11:21.18 he's in North Carolina, South Carolina, 00:11:21.21\00:11:23.44 you won't need somebody to tell you he is in Israel, 00:11:23.47\00:11:25.58 you won't need somebody to tell you 00:11:25.61\00:11:26.60 he is out in the desert, when Jesus comes 00:11:26.63\00:11:29.16 you're gonna see him, in fact he is not coming 00:11:29.19\00:11:32.05 anywhere on this earth at all. 00:11:32.08\00:11:33.97 He comes like lightening 00:11:36.24\00:11:37.27 flashing from the East to the West. 00:11:37.30\00:11:39.10 A visible return of Christ is what Jesus said to look for, 00:11:39.13\00:11:44.80 so once again tonight like we did last night. 00:11:46.52\00:11:50.30 We're going to lineup some fence posts, 00:11:50.53\00:11:53.52 we're gonna look at every text in the Bible 00:11:54.16\00:11:56.00 in the New Testament that talks about 00:11:56.03\00:11:57.50 the return of Christ and you're gonna discover 00:11:57.53\00:12:00.51 that they all point in the same direction. 00:12:00.54\00:12:04.58 Once again it might be helpful for us to forget 00:12:05.00\00:12:07.29 that we ever read the books or anything else about the 00:12:07.32\00:12:12.23 return of Christ and let's just let God speak to us. 00:12:12.26\00:12:16.00 Isn't that the safest way to do it, let God speak. 00:12:16.37\00:12:19.28 So, the first fence post we have is that it's gonna be 00:12:19.31\00:12:22.70 like lightening flashing from the East to the West, 00:12:22.73\00:12:24.73 it's gonna be a visible return of Jesus. 00:12:24.76\00:12:26.87 Revelation chapter 1 verse 4, 00:12:26.90\00:12:29.25 says John to the churches in the province of Asia, 00:12:29.28\00:12:33.19 so who is John actually Jesus, 00:12:33.22\00:12:36.17 John is writing for Jesus 00:12:36.20\00:12:37.72 because this is a letter from Jesus. 00:12:37.75\00:12:39.70 John writes it to the churches in Asia, 00:12:39.73\00:12:42.04 who is it written to, the church, 00:12:42.07\00:12:43.80 who does it apply to, the church, 00:12:43.83\00:12:45.91 so what does he say to the church about his return, 00:12:45.94\00:12:48.83 he says to the church look, verse 7, 00:12:48.86\00:12:51.74 he is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him, 00:12:51.77\00:12:56.03 even those who pierced him 00:12:56.55\00:12:58.95 and all of the people on the earth will mourn 00:12:58.98\00:13:01.51 because of him, So shall it be, Amen. 00:13:01.54\00:13:05.16 Do you know, what Amen means, 00:13:05.66\00:13:07.29 it mean so shall it be, so what he is saying, 00:13:07.93\00:13:10.63 so shall it be, so shall it be, 00:13:10.66\00:13:13.24 doubly be. I don't know 00:13:13.27\00:13:15.89 if that's correct grammatically or not, 00:13:15.92\00:13:17.52 but he is making his point. What's it gonna be like, 00:13:17.55\00:13:20.88 it's gonna be like lightening 00:13:20.91\00:13:22.43 flashing from the East to the West. 00:13:22.46\00:13:24.22 He is going to be visible, every eye sees it, 00:13:24.25\00:13:27.01 even the wicked are gonna see him 00:13:27.04\00:13:28.78 and mourn because of him. 00:13:28.81\00:13:30.47 I don't need anybody to tell me Jesus is in a temple, 00:13:31.07\00:13:35.27 I don't need anybody to tell me Jesus is in the desert, 00:13:35.30\00:13:37.94 I don't need anybody to tell me he is in North Carolina, 00:13:37.97\00:13:40.30 anywhere else, I'm gonna see him when he comes. 00:13:40.33\00:13:43.07 And so will you, somebody asked me, 00:13:44.32\00:13:45.47 how is everybody gonna see him? 00:13:45.50\00:13:46.92 may be the people in China 00:13:46.95\00:13:48.15 are not gonna able to see him 00:13:48.18\00:13:49.31 because they're on the other end of the world. 00:13:49.34\00:13:51.00 Well, I got a feeling that if God can say the word world 00:13:52.36\00:13:57.84 and create the world then he can figure out 00:13:57.87\00:13:59.95 how everybody can see him? when he comes, Amen. 00:13:59.98\00:14:02.71 Someone else said, well blind people 00:14:02.74\00:14:04.88 aren't going to be able to see him, 00:14:04.91\00:14:05.94 hey, if he could heal the blind when he was here, 00:14:05.97\00:14:08.27 I don't think he's forgotten how to do it yet. 00:14:08.30\00:14:10.55 Every eye will see him, what does it mean, 00:14:11.40\00:14:13.85 it means just what it says, every eye will see him 00:14:13.88\00:14:16.74 when he comes a visible return of Christ. 00:14:16.77\00:14:19.10 Let's take a look at another one Acts chapter 1, 00:14:19.13\00:14:21.27 notice our fence posts 00:14:21.30\00:14:22.51 all lining up pointing in the same direction. 00:14:22.54\00:14:24.94 Acts chapter 1, verse 9, after he said this, 00:14:24.97\00:14:27.58 he was taken up before their very eyes 00:14:27.61\00:14:30.02 and a cloud hid him from their side. 00:14:30.05\00:14:31.75 Now, here are the Very last words 00:14:31.78\00:14:34.52 that Jesus spoke to the church 00:14:34.55\00:14:36.40 where the disciples record it by Luke, 00:14:36.43\00:14:38.59 Luke wrote the Book of Acts and 00:14:38.62\00:14:40.96 So, Jesus just finished speaking his last words 00:14:40.99\00:14:43.46 and after he did that, he was taken up before 00:14:43.49\00:14:46.88 their eyes and a cloud hid him from their sight. 00:14:46.91\00:14:49.38 So what happened he goes up, 00:14:49.41\00:14:50.81 they see him go up and you can imagine, 00:14:50.84\00:14:53.57 they're standing around there looking up. 00:14:53.60\00:14:55.12 Wow! What's this? And an angel appears. 00:14:55.15\00:14:59.60 And, the angel says while they were looking 00:14:59.63\00:15:03.24 intently up into the heaven, suddenly two, 00:15:03.27\00:15:05.80 I'm sorry two angels appear, two men dressed in whites 00:15:05.83\00:15:08.97 stood beside them, Men of Galilee, they said, 00:15:09.00\00:15:11.81 why do you stand here? looking up into the sky, 00:15:11.84\00:15:14.22 this same Jesus who has been taken 00:15:14.25\00:15:17.96 from you up into heaven, 00:15:17.99\00:15:19.54 he will come back in the same way 00:15:19.57\00:15:22.80 that you've seen him go into heaven. 00:15:22.83\00:15:25.08 Now, that's pretty plain isn't it? 00:15:26.10\00:15:27.58 How is he gonna go, same way he left, 00:15:27.61\00:15:29.65 how do you leave, he went up into the clouds, 00:15:29.68\00:15:32.91 they saw him go into the clouds, 00:15:33.62\00:15:36.65 so how does he comeback? every eye sees him 00:15:36.68\00:15:39.70 like lightening flashing from the East to the West, 00:15:39.73\00:15:42.06 you'll see Jesus coming on the clouds, 00:15:42.09\00:15:45.15 you won't need anybody to tell you 00:15:45.18\00:15:47.15 that Jesus is some place on this earth 00:15:47.18\00:15:50.30 because he is not coming anyplace on this earth, 00:15:50.33\00:15:53.22 he is coming in the clouds of glory, 00:15:53.25\00:15:56.59 the Bible says. And, again all of our texts 00:15:56.62\00:15:59.48 that are lining up, every fence post 00:15:59.51\00:16:01.24 pointing in exactly the same direction. 00:16:01.27\00:16:03.52 What happens then, he comes on the clouds, 00:16:03.55\00:16:05.76 from the clouds of glory, every eye sees him, 00:16:05.79\00:16:07.73 even though wicked folk see him by the way they mourn 00:16:07.76\00:16:10.08 Oh! Look we missed. 00:16:10.11\00:16:11.08 So, then what, what happens next, 00:16:13.71\00:16:16.49 I think all Bible Scholars would agree with me 00:16:16.72\00:16:19.24 that the clearest sequence of events 00:16:19.27\00:16:22.17 that take place at the Rapture, 00:16:22.20\00:16:23.49 when I use the word Rapture 00:16:23.52\00:16:24.54 understand it is not found in the Bible anywhere, 00:16:24.57\00:16:27.14 it's not there, it's just a phrase 00:16:27.71\00:16:29.70 that we use to talk about the return of Christ. 00:16:29.73\00:16:32.91 And, so I think all scholars would agree with me 00:16:33.35\00:16:36.34 the clearest delineation of the sequence of events 00:16:36.37\00:16:39.04 that take place at the Rapture is found in 00:16:39.07\00:16:41.24 First Thessalonians, the fourth chapter. 00:16:41.27\00:16:43.17 Now, we read this one last night, 00:16:44.87\00:16:46.41 we are gonna read it again, this time from just 00:16:46.44\00:16:48.65 a little different perspective, this time 00:16:48.68\00:16:51.30 from the point of view of the return of Christ. 00:16:51.33\00:16:53.58 So, let's read it. Verse 13, First Corinthians 4, 00:16:53.61\00:16:57.38 verse 13, brothers we do not 00:16:57.41\00:16:59.70 want you to be ignorant about those 00:16:59.73\00:17:01.77 who fall asleep or to grieve 00:17:01.80\00:17:03.94 like the rest of men. 00:17:03.97\00:17:05.38 Now, we learned that last Night 00:17:06.11\00:17:07.71 that when people die, they are asleep in the grave 00:17:07.74\00:17:11.89 the Bible says and then Jesus comes back and 00:17:11.92\00:17:14.86 raises us up and that's what we're about to read, 00:17:14.89\00:17:17.36 you know, by the way 00:17:17.39\00:17:18.36 I just thought of something, I should have said to you 00:17:18.37\00:17:20.00 last night is that, if as most people teach 00:17:20.03\00:17:24.61 that when you die, you go right 00:17:24.64\00:17:26.00 straight to heaven to be with Jesus, 00:17:26.03\00:17:27.23 if that were true then Paul really blew it, 00:17:28.28\00:17:31.63 he missed his chance 00:17:32.80\00:17:34.24 because here these people grieving over their lost ones, 00:17:34.27\00:17:38.43 grieving over the ones that are dead 00:17:38.46\00:17:40.25 and he says hey, you don't need to grieve 00:17:40.28\00:17:42.62 like the rest of the men. Well, he should have said, 00:17:42.65\00:17:45.08 they're not really dead, 00:17:45.11\00:17:46.08 they are in heaven with Jesus now, 00:17:46.09\00:17:47.12 you should be celebrating, but he didn't, did he, 00:17:47.15\00:17:49.33 he said no that, he said no 00:17:49.36\00:17:51.99 according to Lord's own words I tell you 00:17:52.02\00:17:53.83 that we were still alive and are left until 00:17:53.86\00:17:55.74 the coming of the Lord will not perceive 00:17:55.77\00:17:58.08 those who have fallen asleep, 00:17:58.11\00:17:59.29 we're not gonna go to heaven before they do, 00:17:59.32\00:18:01.27 and they not gonna go to heaven before we do, 00:18:01.30\00:18:02.93 why not? Verse 16, here it is, 00:18:02.96\00:18:05.13 for the Lord himself will come down from heaven 00:18:05.16\00:18:08.64 with a loud command with the voice of the Archangel, 00:18:08.67\00:18:12.38 with the trumpet call of God, it's gonna be loud 00:18:12.41\00:18:15.75 when Jesus comes. Not only visible 00:18:15.78\00:18:18.84 Like lightening, it's gonna be loud, 00:18:18.87\00:18:21.36 it's gonna be audible, a loud command, 00:18:21.39\00:18:23.69 trumpet call of God, 00:18:23.72\00:18:24.99 and then the dead in Christ will rise first, 00:18:25.02\00:18:28.97 there will be a resurrection of the death, 00:18:29.00\00:18:31.93 there is life after death through the resurrection. 00:18:31.96\00:18:36.00 So, the dead in Christ rise first 00:18:36.93\00:18:39.19 After that we who are still alive and left will be caught 00:18:39.22\00:18:43.39 up together with them to meet the Lord in the air, 00:18:43.42\00:18:46.82 in the clouds, that is the Rapture of the church, 00:18:46.85\00:18:49.99 that's when Jesus comes. First he raises the death, 00:18:50.02\00:18:53.21 but first loud command, trumpet call of God, 00:18:53.24\00:18:55.92 then the dead in Christ are raised 00:18:55.95\00:18:58.11 and then we are caught up together, 00:18:58.14\00:19:00.01 sounds like a lot of commotion going on, 00:19:00.04\00:19:02.55 on this planet when Jesus comes and it is visible, 00:19:02.58\00:19:08.53 glorious, audible return of Jesus Christ. 00:19:09.35\00:19:14.85 The dead are awakened, rise out of their dusty beds. 00:19:15.83\00:19:20.72 I've often thought, it would be a kind of fun 00:19:22.48\00:19:24.91 to be near cemetery 00:19:24.94\00:19:27.32 when Jesus comes, watch the saints spring forth 00:19:27.98\00:19:32.34 from their dusty beds, imagine. 00:19:32.37\00:19:35.66 I love to think of that day and to, you know, 00:19:36.63\00:19:40.16 I was in a cemetery every once in a while, 00:19:40.19\00:19:44.04 I will just kind of walk through one, 00:19:44.07\00:19:46.16 you look there and you wonder what, 00:19:46.19\00:19:48.24 what happened in the lives of these people 00:19:48.51\00:19:51.68 and then, this one particular time, 00:19:51.71\00:19:54.58 there was just a little tiny grave, 00:19:54.61\00:19:56.08 little tiny grave and you know that 00:19:57.23\00:20:00.87 it was an infant there because of the sign 00:20:01.25\00:20:02.76 showed that it wasn't even alive for a day, 00:20:03.47\00:20:05.86 wouldn't you love to be there 00:20:07.48\00:20:09.00 and watch an angel take that little baby out 00:20:09.50\00:20:13.29 of his sleeping bed and put him in the arms 00:20:13.60\00:20:16.44 of his mother to send up to me, Oh! 00:20:16.47\00:20:18.59 What a great day when Jesus comes. 00:20:20.66\00:20:22.78 Don't you just long for that day, 00:20:22.81\00:20:24.78 comes with a loud command, trumpet call of God, 00:20:26.35\00:20:29.07 you won't need anybody to tell you 00:20:29.10\00:20:31.11 Jesus is in the secret place, he is not coming 00:20:31.14\00:20:35.08 anywhere on this earth, he comes in the clouds and 00:20:35.12\00:20:37.01 we're caught up to meet him. He won't be walking 00:20:37.78\00:20:41.27 in the streets of Jerusalem, he won't be out 00:20:41.84\00:20:43.34 in the desert, he won't be in the inner chamber, 00:20:43.50\00:20:44.89 he's gonna be on the clouds of the glory 00:20:45.76\00:20:47.56 and we are going up to meet him, 00:20:47.59\00:20:49.02 we are going on a space trip with him 00:20:49.05\00:20:52.25 and no shuttle is gonna blow up on that trip, 00:20:52.28\00:20:54.94 we're gonna make it. 00:20:54.97\00:20:57.11 The problem is that most people today are being 00:21:04.84\00:21:07.17 taught something entirely different from what 00:21:07.59\00:21:09.19 we've just read. 00:21:09.22\00:21:10.41 Most people are being taught that when Jesus comes 00:21:12.03\00:21:17.80 Church is going to be snatched away, 00:21:17.83\00:21:19.67 just vanish into midair, leaving behind their cloths 00:21:20.13\00:21:24.48 and their hearing aids and their pacemakers 00:21:24.63\00:21:26.85 and their wedding bands 00:21:26.90\00:21:28.54 and the wicked, well, they are gonna just be running 00:21:29.00\00:21:33.39 around wondering where did they go and then 00:21:33.42\00:21:36.24 they left, he tells us in the novel to do battle 00:21:36.27\00:21:43.46 during the great tribulation against the Antichrist. 00:21:43.49\00:21:47.12 Where did this come from just casually reading the Bible, 00:21:50.77\00:21:54.83 it's as plain as it can be, where did it come from, 00:21:54.86\00:21:57.75 you'll be surprised to know where it came from. 00:21:58.58\00:22:01.46 During the reformation, our good friend 00:22:03.53\00:22:06.16 Martin Luther was a Roman Catholic priest 00:22:07.47\00:22:09.01 teaching that the Bible is the only rule of faith 00:22:09.04\00:22:11.38 and practice for the Christian and the church said 00:22:11.41\00:22:13.85 no remember Bible plus the traditions of the church, 00:22:14.17\00:22:16.99 Luther said not me, it's the Bible and the Bible 00:22:17.29\00:22:19.30 alone and many began to protest Rome's stand 00:22:19.43\00:22:22.79 on tradition, leaving the church, protesting Rome 00:22:22.82\00:22:26.04 and they were called Protestants because 00:22:26.07\00:22:28.11 they believed that all truth found in scripture alone 00:22:28.72\00:22:31.97 So many were leaving that the chruch met at the council 00:22:32.00\00:22:35.25 of Trent for over 18 years trying to deliberate, 00:22:35.28\00:22:38.31 how can we stop this massive outflow from the church 00:22:38.34\00:22:41.58 and they came up with several different kinds of tactics, 00:22:41.61\00:22:45.28 but one of them was developed by a Jesuit scholar 00:22:45.31\00:22:49.18 called Francisco Ribera and Ribera had developed 00:22:49.21\00:22:52.61 a whole new system for for interpreting prophecy 00:22:56.34\00:22:57.31 that put the Book of Revelation all off into 00:22:57.32\00:22:59.77 into the future, everything in Revelation 00:23:00.03\00:23:02.81 is way off ahead in the distant future 00:23:02.84\00:23:05.73 then we the church have been here for 1500 years, 00:23:06.07\00:23:09.06 so, if the Antichrist comes off in the future 00:23:09.15\00:23:12.20 then how can we be the Antichrist. 00:23:12.23\00:23:15.19 You see because Luther and all the others were calling 00:23:16.12\00:23:18.80 church of Rome the Antichrist, well if the antichrist 00:23:18.92\00:23:22.80 doesn't come to way off in the distant future, 00:23:22.83\00:23:25.28 we have been here 1500 years, 00:23:25.36\00:23:27.37 how can we be Antichrist, you see it was a device 00:23:27.52\00:23:31.47 designed to deflect the blow of the reformation 00:23:32.18\00:23:36.77 to divert people's minds away from Luther 00:23:36.80\00:23:40.38 and from the Wesley's and Calvin, and all 00:23:40.41\00:23:44.32 the others that were pointing to Rome saying 00:23:44.35\00:23:46.02 you're the Antichrist. 00:23:46.09\00:23:47.30 Then in the year 1812, another Jesuit scholar 00:23:48.66\00:23:52.25 in South America named Manuel Lacunza wrote a 00:23:52.71\00:23:56.71 a book on prophecy and he took Ribera's principles, 00:23:56.74\00:23:59.99 he wrote a big book on Revelation and there 00:24:00.02\00:24:02.63 he projected the Antichrist off into the future 00:24:02.66\00:24:06.47 but he couldn't get around that text, 00:24:06.50\00:24:08.67 he couldn't get around that text, 00:24:08.70\00:24:10.29 in Second Thessalonians said the Antichrist would 00:24:10.32\00:24:13.29 set himself up in God's temple 00:24:13.74\00:24:15.46 proclaiming himself to be God, because every good 00:24:15.49\00:24:18.34 Catholic taught that the temple was the church. 00:24:18.37\00:24:20.98 So here is the Antichrist setting himself 00:24:21.01\00:24:22.67 up in the church, Lacunza couldn't get around that, 00:24:22.70\00:24:23.67 so, he said at sometime in the distant future 00:24:25.87\00:24:28.42 using Ribera's futuristic approach, 00:24:28.45\00:24:30.73 said in the distant future there will be a falling away 00:24:30.76\00:24:33.76 of the papacy and just to be sure he was protected, 00:24:33.79\00:24:37.07 he signed it, Rabbi Ben Ezra. 00:24:37.10\00:24:41.01 Now what does that sound like to you? 00:24:43.92\00:24:45.58 Edward Irving, protestant scholar in England got a hold 00:24:48.29\00:24:55.59 of Lacunza's book and translated it from Spanish 00:24:55.68\00:24:59.49 into English, he was so impressed 00:24:59.93\00:25:01.03 because he saw Rabbi Ben Ezra, 00:25:01.60\00:25:02.57 he thought he was a converted Jew not realizing 00:25:03.70\00:25:08.07 he was translating the works of a Roman Catholic 00:25:08.10\00:25:10.31 Jesuit scholar and he began to teach the futuristic 00:25:10.34\00:25:14.93 approach of the Antichrist being off in the distant. 00:25:14.96\00:25:19.47 Edward Irving was also called the Father of 00:25:19.50\00:25:21.64 Modern Pentecostal movement because his main interest 00:25:21.67\00:25:25.24 was in the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and 00:25:25.27\00:25:26.24 the prophesy described in the Bible as the Latter Rain, 00:25:28.12\00:25:31.05 the great massive outpouring of the last days and he would 00:25:31.16\00:25:35.52 study the HolySpirit along with the prophecies, 00:25:35.55\00:25:38.36 trying to put it all together. 00:25:38.39\00:25:39.39 And one of the things that he did, 00:25:40.43\00:25:41.88 he started little cottage meetings 00:25:41.91\00:25:43.92 people meetings in various places all around in their 00:25:43.95\00:25:47.14 own homes praying for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit 00:25:47.17\00:25:50.41 and one of the rules in their cottage prayer meeting 00:25:50.44\00:25:52.90 was no Bible study, just prayer for the Holy Spirit. 00:25:52.93\00:25:57.01 Now folks we need to pray for the Holy Spirit, 00:25:58.14\00:26:01.04 we should be praying for the Holy Spirit everyday. Amen. 00:26:01.07\00:26:04.52 But it is dangerous to pray 00:26:04.55\00:26:07.35 that the Holy Spirit leads you apart from the word of God 00:26:07.38\00:26:08.35 and in one of these meetings, where they were praying for 00:26:15.67\00:26:16.64 the Holy Spirit with no Bible study 00:26:16.65\00:26:17.86 a Margaret MacDonald had a vision 00:26:17.89\00:26:20.06 and an ecstatic utterance in tongues 00:26:20.09\00:26:22.30 and she spoke for the very first time that 00:26:22.33\00:26:25.86 the Antichrist would appear in the distant future 00:26:25.89\00:26:29.67 after the Rapture of the church 00:26:29.70\00:26:31.78 and that's where the whole idea came from. 00:26:33.02\00:26:36.18 So Edward Irving and John Darby who later formed 00:26:36.21\00:26:43.06 the Plymouth Brethren were at a Bible conference meeting at 00:26:43.09\00:26:45.88 the time in 1831 and they heard this discussion 00:26:46.15\00:26:49.73 and they heard about Margaret MacDonald's utterance 00:26:49.96\00:26:52.41 and visions that the Rapture would come first 00:26:52.44\00:26:54.97 and then the Antichrist after the Rapture 00:26:55.00\00:26:57.22 and they began to teach it, 00:26:57.25\00:26:58.82 John Darby brought it to America with the Plymouth Brethren 00:26:58.85\00:27:01.86 which he established here and Scofield took it 00:27:01.89\00:27:05.54 and began to publish it in his Scofield 00:27:05.57\00:27:07.63 Reference Bible and all the footnotes, 00:27:07.66\00:27:09.53 the futuristic approach to the Rapture first and then 00:27:09.56\00:27:13.17 the Antichrist and then John Walvoord became a believer 00:27:13.20\00:27:16.98 and he taught it at his Dallas Baptist Theological Seminary, 00:27:17.01\00:27:20.61 one of his star students was none other than Hal Lindsey, 00:27:20.64\00:27:24.76 who published it and made it popular 00:27:25.45\00:27:27.19 in the Late Great Planet Earth in 1970 00:27:27.22\00:27:29.98 and then they were others like The Dake Study Bible, 00:27:30.01\00:27:33.61 the Ryrie Study Bible and finally in the last few years 00:27:33.64\00:27:37.01 we find the Left Behind series with Tim LaHaye 00:27:37.04\00:27:40.49 and Jerry Jenkins over 80 million people have read 00:27:40.52\00:27:43.47 about this approach to prophecy that was developed 00:27:43.50\00:27:47.08 by a Jesuit scholar trying to deflect the blow 00:27:47.11\00:27:51.28 of the Protestants pointing to Rome 00:27:51.31\00:27:53.43 saying that they were the Antichrist 00:27:53.46\00:27:55.77 and now the Protestant churches have 00:27:57.46\00:27:59.13 pretty well bought it hook, 00:27:59.16\00:28:01.01 line and sinker, and that's where the idea came from. 00:28:01.04\00:28:05.95 But the Bible's clear to visible return, 00:28:07.49\00:28:11.47 glorious return of Jesus Christ, 00:28:11.50\00:28:14.15 every eye sees him, even the wicked, 00:28:14.18\00:28:16.64 then what about the text in the Bible that says he 00:28:21.21\00:28:24.62 comes like a thief in the night. 00:28:24.65\00:28:26.26 You've seen the Gospel movie, 00:28:26.29\00:28:29.63 my wife and I saw it, its entitled 00:28:29.66\00:28:31.41 the thief in the night, any of you seen that movie, 00:28:31.44\00:28:34.25 sure some hands are going up and it starts off with a lady 00:28:34.28\00:28:37.42 talking to her husband, who was in the bathroom shaving, 00:28:37.45\00:28:39.30 she was in the bedroom talking through the door 00:28:39.33\00:28:40.89 and he is shaving with his electric razor 00:28:40.92\00:28:42.32 and then he doesn't answer her, 00:28:42.35\00:28:43.32 and she says why don't you answer me 00:28:43.78\00:28:46.83 and she goes and looks in there, 00:28:48.75\00:28:49.72 there is a razor just bouncing up and down 00:28:49.73\00:28:50.70 on the counter top and he's gone. 00:28:50.71\00:28:51.68 Turns on the television set. 00:28:51.69\00:28:53.09 And oh! Millions of people have just mysteriously 00:28:53.12\00:28:55.79 vanished and nobody knows where they went, 00:28:55.82\00:28:58.02 she calls her friend, hey my husband is missing, 00:28:58.05\00:29:00.29 yeah my wife is missing, what's going around here, 00:29:00.32\00:29:03.15 he came like a thief in the night and the ideas 00:29:03.18\00:29:10.12 that a thief comes silently and secretly and 00:29:10.15\00:29:11.73 you wake up in the morning and everything is gone 00:29:11.76\00:29:14.95 and you don't know where it went. 00:29:14.98\00:29:16.61 Well may be that's one way a thief can come, 00:29:16.64\00:29:19.97 but you see that's the danger of taking one text and 00:29:20.00\00:29:22.47 like putting one fence post in the floor you can 00:29:22.50\00:29:25.85 make it point anywhere you want it to point. 00:29:25.88\00:29:27.92 Let's look at that text that talks about 00:29:27.95\00:29:31.13 the thief in the night, because there is 00:29:31.16\00:29:33.30 another way that Jesus can come as a thief. 00:29:33.33\00:29:35.23 Look chapter 5, verse 1, 00:29:35.26\00:29:37.30 brothers about the times and days, 00:29:37.33\00:29:39.09 we don't need to write to you, 00:29:39.12\00:29:40.40 I'm in 1st Thessalonians still right after the Rapture. 00:29:40.43\00:29:42.97 The very next verse in fact you remember the bible was 00:29:43.43\00:29:45.83 written in Greek not in English, and they were no 00:29:46.20\00:29:47.60 chapters and verses, it all ran together. 00:29:47.63\00:29:50.34 So, right after that, here we are brothers 00:29:50.78\00:29:54.47 about time and days we don't need to write to you, 00:29:54.50\00:29:56.68 for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come 00:29:56.71\00:29:59.26 like a thief in the night you see there it is, 00:29:59.29\00:30:01.46 comes like a thief, he steals them away 00:30:01.49\00:30:03.18 and they don't know where he went, 00:30:03.21\00:30:04.43 you wake up in the morning, 00:30:04.46\00:30:05.43 you are down your television set's gone 00:30:05.44\00:30:06.96 and everything else, and you don't know where it went, 00:30:06.99\00:30:08.43 see it came like a thief, 00:30:08.46\00:30:10.47 but read on, the Lord will come, 00:30:12.36\00:30:16.15 the day of the Lord will come like a thief 00:30:16.18\00:30:17.58 in the night while people are saying peace and safety, 00:30:17.61\00:30:20.98 destruction comes on them, 00:30:21.01\00:30:23.18 suddenly as labor pains on a pregnant 00:30:24.04\00:30:26.46 woman and they will not escape. 00:30:26.49\00:30:27.46 See there are two ways to come like a thief 00:30:27.95\00:30:31.77 in the night one is to silently, secretly, 00:30:31.80\00:30:34.19 steal away your stuff, you wake up in the morning 00:30:34.22\00:30:35.19 it's all gone, the other way is to come unexpectedly 00:30:35.82\00:30:38.12 and that's what he is talking about here. 00:30:38.15\00:30:41.94 By the way if when he comes like a thief in the night, 00:30:41.97\00:30:45.50 the people are saying peace and safety, 00:30:45.53\00:30:47.66 you see they are not expecting him to come. 00:30:47.69\00:30:49.39 Oh! everything is going, but we haves big homes, 00:30:49.42\00:30:51.35 we have big cars, we got boats, we got money in the 00:30:51.38\00:30:53.83 bank, we have everything and here comes peace 00:30:53.86\00:31:00.93 and safety, destruction comes on them suddenly. 00:31:00.96\00:31:03.69 Now if the wicked are destroyed when Jesus comes 00:31:04.89\00:31:09.31 like a thief in the night then you tell me 00:31:09.34\00:31:12.38 how many wicked people are going to be running 00:31:12.41\00:31:14.50 around this earth wondering where did they go. 00:31:14.53\00:31:16.55 In fact in the next chapter, another fence post lined up 00:31:21.19\00:31:25.16 here, in second, the next, 00:31:25.19\00:31:27.22 in Second Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 6, 00:31:27.25\00:31:31.54 God is just, God is fair, You can always trust God 00:31:31.99\00:31:37.63 to do the right thing. Amen! 00:31:37.66\00:31:39.25 Now listen to this, he will payback trouble 00:31:39.28\00:31:43.74 to those who trouble you and give relief to you 00:31:44.39\00:31:49.12 who are troubled and to us as well 00:31:49.15\00:31:51.15 have you ever had somebody do you wrong 00:31:51.76\00:31:54.16 and you thought, well, wait till I get my hands on him. 00:31:55.58\00:32:00.26 Have you ever thought naughty thoughts like that 00:32:01.53\00:32:03.56 and then later found out that, 00:32:04.20\00:32:06.09 that wasn't the person did you wrong to began with, 00:32:06.12\00:32:08.86 has it ever happened to you. Look, God is just and 00:32:08.89\00:32:15.99 he will payback trouble to those trouble you, 00:32:16.02\00:32:18.62 it's not your job, it's His 00:32:18.65\00:32:20.85 and he will give relief to you 00:32:21.82\00:32:23.02 who are troubled and to us as well. 00:32:23.05\00:32:24.73 When is he gonna do it then, when? 00:32:24.76\00:32:28.67 Look at the Next verse, 00:32:28.70\00:32:29.98 this will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed 00:32:30.01\00:32:34.73 from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels, 00:32:34.76\00:32:38.93 so that's another look at Jesus coming 00:32:39.79\00:32:42.69 visibly in blazing fire with his powerful angels. 00:32:42.72\00:32:46.10 Verse 8, he will punish those who do not know God 00:32:46.13\00:32:50.50 and do not obey the Gospel of our Lord Jesus, 00:32:50.53\00:32:53.34 they will be punished with everlasting destruction 00:32:53.37\00:32:57.52 and shut out from the presence of the Lord 00:32:57.55\00:33:00.51 and from the majesty of his power, 00:33:01.38\00:33:03.49 when? On the day that he comes 00:33:03.52\00:33:05.97 to be glorified in his holy people and to be 00:33:06.00\00:33:08.82 marveled at among all those 00:33:08.85\00:33:10.19 who have believed and that includes you. 00:33:10.22\00:33:12.40 Because you have believed, so here he is telling 00:33:12.43\00:33:15.87 the church, hang on, I know that 00:33:15.90\00:33:18.37 bad things happen to good people 00:33:18.40\00:33:20.46 and I know that you are getting battered around 00:33:20.49\00:33:23.11 and I know that you're starting to feel like 00:33:23.14\00:33:25.14 you can't take anymore. Hang on 00:33:25.17\00:33:27.49 because God is gonna make it right, 00:33:27.52\00:33:29.68 when? When he comes 00:33:29.81\00:33:31.72 in blazing fire to be glorified in his people, 00:33:31.75\00:33:36.52 so at the same time he comes to take us, 00:33:36.55\00:33:39.36 the wicked will be punished, 00:33:39.39\00:33:41.26 the Bible says with everlasting destruction 00:33:41.29\00:33:43.87 and God makes no mistakes, leave it up to him not you, 00:33:43.90\00:33:48.64 but the point is that when Jesus comes 00:33:49.16\00:33:52.75 to take his church and to be glorified in his church, 00:33:53.48\00:33:57.22 which means you at that time, 00:33:57.25\00:33:59.67 the wicked are going to be destroyed. 00:34:00.19\00:34:03.71 So, how many wicked people are gonna be 00:34:06.42\00:34:08.32 running around on the airplanes 00:34:08.35\00:34:09.57 and driving their cars wondering 00:34:09.60\00:34:10.81 where did they go, none. 00:34:10.84\00:34:13.83 Because they are destroyed now folks. 00:34:14.56\00:34:16.47 And I'm gonna say something, 00:34:18.38\00:34:19.42 I know some of you don't want to hear 00:34:19.45\00:34:20.83 but the truth will set you free. Amen! 00:34:20.86\00:34:24.32 And it's better to know the truth then not to know it. 00:34:24.35\00:34:26.44 If the wicked are destroyed when Jesus comes 00:34:27.97\00:34:30.78 and we are caught up to meet him in heaven, 00:34:30.81\00:34:32.70 in the clouds and go to heaven with him, 00:34:32.73\00:34:35.02 then we are gonna be on this earth 00:34:35.54\00:34:38.51 all the way through until the end 00:34:38.54\00:34:41.86 and it means that the church is going 00:34:42.60\00:34:44.54 to be here for the great tribulation. 00:34:44.57\00:34:47.09 Now you say, well I've just heard 00:34:47.64\00:34:49.08 all my life that's not true, 00:34:49.11\00:34:50.34 I know we're not gonna be here, 00:34:50.37\00:34:51.64 I read it right here in the books, 00:34:51.67\00:34:53.37 but this is a novel and this is the word of God 00:34:54.51\00:34:58.22 and the truth that was left behind 00:34:59.34\00:35:01.88 in these books is the fact that after chapter 1 00:35:01.91\00:35:06.74 when Jesus comes for his church, 00:35:06.77\00:35:08.81 the rest of the whole thing is a novel 00:35:08.84\00:35:11.84 because no one is gonna be left on this earth 00:35:11.87\00:35:13.97 to join the tribulation force after Jesus comes. 00:35:14.00\00:35:17.42 Well, don't he love me enough 00:35:20.55\00:35:23.09 to keep me from the tribulation, 00:35:23.12\00:35:24.65 he promised he'd keep us from the tribulation, 00:35:24.68\00:35:26.81 but he didn't promise he take us away 00:35:26.84\00:35:29.12 before the tribulation, he doesn't have to take us 00:35:29.15\00:35:33.51 out of the world to protect us through the tribulation. 00:35:33.54\00:35:36.18 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego 00:35:36.40\00:35:38.33 were thrown into the fiery furnace, 00:35:38.36\00:35:40.63 God could have struck them all dead 00:35:40.66\00:35:42.46 before they threw them in, but he 00:35:42.49\00:35:44.24 let them throw them in and he protected them 00:35:44.27\00:35:46.56 within the mist of their fiery trail. 00:35:46.59\00:35:49.61 That's why you better know God and trust Him. 00:35:50.47\00:35:52.80 In Psalms, the Book of Psalms 00:35:53.12\00:35:54.48 we'll see 10,000 fall at our right, 10,000 at our left, 00:35:54.51\00:35:58.55 we will see the wicked and the plagues falling upon 00:35:58.58\00:36:01.03 them, but it won't come near you. 00:36:01.06\00:36:02.75 He doesn't have to take us out to protect us from it, 00:36:04.11\00:36:06.67 but we better have faith in God to be able to do that. 00:36:06.70\00:36:10.45 Well then, the second danger, 00:36:11.40\00:36:14.58 even worse danger of the Left Behind series and 00:36:15.23\00:36:22.30 the futuristic approach to the Rapture is that there is, 00:36:22.33\00:36:27.47 if the wicked are destroyed when we are caught up to meet 00:36:27.50\00:36:30.77 Jesus then there is no second chance after the Rapture. 00:36:30.80\00:36:34.17 If you gonna get right with God you need to do it now, 00:36:35.50\00:36:38.14 don't wait until the Rapture. 00:36:39.15\00:36:41.89 Well, what about that verses, 00:36:42.59\00:36:43.94 that says two people be in the field 00:36:43.97\00:36:45.26 and one will be taken and other left, 00:36:45.29\00:36:46.91 I mean there it is as plain as you can read it, 00:36:47.25\00:36:49.05 there are two grinding at the mill 00:36:49.08\00:36:51.13 one taken Raptured up, the other left. 00:36:51.16\00:36:53.01 Well, why don't you help me grind? 00:36:53.04\00:36:54.59 Well, it does say two would be taken, 00:36:57.84\00:37:01.43 one will be taken and the other left. 00:37:01.46\00:37:02.90 Matthew Chapter 24, turn with me back to 00:37:02.93\00:37:05.91 Matthew, chapter 24, so now we got 00:37:05.94\00:37:08.62 a fence post out of line, one taken 00:37:08.65\00:37:11.50 Raptured away, the other one left. 00:37:11.53\00:37:13.49 Oh! Man, I'm having to do all this by myself not fair; 00:37:13.52\00:37:16.31 Is that what he's saying Here? Read it with me. 00:37:17.76\00:37:20.21 Verse 30, well I don't want to read that one first, 00:37:22.42\00:37:26.47 that's not the one I intended to read, 00:37:26.50\00:37:27.75 but let me read it for you right now because 00:37:27.78\00:37:29.23 I missed one of our fence posts here, 00:37:29.26\00:37:30.90 it's a good one in Matthew chapter 24 verse 30, 00:37:30.93\00:37:34.06 'at that time sign of the son of man will appear in 00:37:34.09\00:37:37.00 the sky and all the nations of the earth will mourn, 00:37:37.03\00:37:39.61 they will see the son of man coming on the clouds 00:37:39.64\00:37:41.73 of the sky with great power and great glory, 00:37:41.76\00:37:43.76 and he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call 00:37:43.79\00:37:46.34 and they will gather his elect from the four winds.' 00:37:46.37\00:37:48.57 So, there is another one, isn't it? 00:37:48.60\00:37:50.00 Visible glorious return of Christ. 00:37:50.03\00:37:52.02 Now, what about these two in the field? 00:37:52.05\00:37:54.12 Matthew chapter 24, this time verse 40, 00:37:54.15\00:37:57.58 two men will be in the field 00:37:57.61\00:37:58.68 one would be taken and the other left, 00:37:58.71\00:38:00.37 two women would be grinding grain 00:38:00.89\00:38:02.79 with a hand mill, one will be taken and other left. 00:38:02.82\00:38:05.15 You see, we're told that taken off to heaven, 00:38:05.18\00:38:07.79 Raptured away and the other one's left there 00:38:07.82\00:38:09.22 grinding and working in the field. 00:38:09.25\00:38:10.70 Let's look at what it really says 00:38:11.72\00:38:15.51 and look in the context of the passage, 00:38:15.54\00:38:17.71 follow with me, I'm gonna start in verse, 00:38:17.74\00:38:19.83 well look at verse 36, that's important, 00:38:19.86\00:38:21.94 nobody knows the day or hour, not even the angels in 00:38:22.15\00:38:24.60 heaven nor the son, only the father, don't let anybody 00:38:24.63\00:38:27.34 tell you when Jesus is coming, nobody knows. 00:38:27.37\00:38:30.27 But, then he goes on to say, as it was in the days of Noah, 00:38:30.52\00:38:34.71 so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 00:38:34.74\00:38:36.70 So, what is it gonna be like when Jesus comes. 00:38:37.39\00:38:40.58 how will it be? It's gonna be like 00:38:40.61\00:38:43.20 it was in the days of Noah, right, 00:38:43.23\00:38:45.54 everybody with me so far, as it wasn't the days of Noah, 00:38:45.81\00:38:49.24 that's the way it's gonna be. 00:38:49.27\00:38:50.38 So, it's gonna be just like it was in the days of Noah. 00:38:50.69\00:38:53.21 Well, what was it like in the days of Noah? 00:38:53.24\00:38:55.30 Verse 38, for in the days before the flood 00:38:56.23\00:38:59.78 people were eating, drinking, marrying, 00:38:59.81\00:39:02.83 giving in marriage up until the day Noah entered the Ark 00:39:02.86\00:39:07.00 and they knew nothing about what were to happen 00:39:07.53\00:39:10.29 until the flood came and took them all away. 00:39:10.32\00:39:16.64 That is how it will be at the coming 00:39:19.77\00:39:22.50 of the son of man, how it's gonna be? 00:39:22.53\00:39:25.38 Like it was in the days of Noah. 00:39:25.41\00:39:26.64 What was it like in the days? 00:39:26.67\00:39:27.64 Oh! They were eating, drinking, marrying, 00:39:27.65\00:39:28.74 giving in marriage, nobody knew anything 00:39:28.77\00:39:30.26 about what was gonna happen until 00:39:30.29\00:39:33.03 the flood came and took them all away 00:39:33.72\00:39:39.79 that's exactly what Paul said while they're 00:39:39.82\00:39:41.66 saying peace and safety, what happened? 00:39:41.69\00:39:44.66 Destruction will come on them suddenly. 00:39:44.98\00:39:47.33 Now, like it was in Noah, they were eating, drinking, 00:39:48.00\00:39:50.23 oh! peace, safety, man we got everything and 00:39:50.26\00:39:52.39 then what? The flood came and took them all away, 00:39:52.42\00:39:55.89 that is how it would be at the coming 00:39:55.92\00:39:57.30 of the son of man, two men will be working 00:39:57.33\00:39:58.88 in the field, one will be taken and the other left. 00:39:58.91\00:40:02.72 Now tell me in the days of Noah, 00:40:02.75\00:40:04.73 the flood came and took them all away, 00:40:04.76\00:40:07.15 Where were they taken to? 00:40:07.22\00:40:08.69 To their destruction, right! 00:40:11.01\00:40:13.47 They were taken to their destruction, 00:40:14.56\00:40:15.61 everybody with me on that, raise your hand, 00:40:15.64\00:40:16.87 nod your head, say Amen or something so I'll know. 00:40:16.90\00:40:18.84 They were taken to their destruction 00:40:18.87\00:40:20.79 that is how it will be at the coming of 00:40:21.77\00:40:23.90 the son of man, two men will be working 00:40:23.93\00:40:25.34 in the field, one will be taken, where? 00:40:25.37\00:40:28.44 Same place they were taken 00:40:28.95\00:40:29.92 in the days in Noah. Where was that? 00:40:29.95\00:40:31.91 To their destruction and one will be left. 00:40:31.94\00:40:34.85 He is not talking about Rapturing us 00:40:36.44\00:40:39.05 up to heaven at all, of course we get caught 00:40:39.08\00:40:42.14 up to heaven, we have already seen that, 00:40:42.17\00:40:43.83 but that's not what he is talking about in Matthew. 00:40:43.86\00:40:46.16 In Matthew, he is simply saying 00:40:46.19\00:40:48.55 on that day there are going to be 00:40:48.58\00:40:50.24 two groups of people when Jesus comes, 00:40:50.27\00:40:52.80 the wicked are going to be taken away to their 00:40:52.83\00:40:55.02 destruction, those who are alive are going to be left. 00:40:55.05\00:40:58.49 And those who are righteous are going to be left, 00:40:59.28\00:41:01.19 that's why Paul said, notice and this is important 00:41:01.62\00:41:05.14 Paul said in the passage that we read just a few 00:41:05.17\00:41:07.67 minutes ago in First Thessalonians, chapter 4. 00:41:07.70\00:41:12.01 Come on Paul, I found you a minute ago. 00:41:14.66\00:41:16.52 First Thessalonians, chapter 4, 00:41:17.19\00:41:18.82 look, for the Lord Himself will come down from heaven 00:41:18.85\00:41:21.69 with a loud command, voice of the Archangel, 00:41:21.72\00:41:23.72 trumpet call of God and the dead in Christ 00:41:23.75\00:41:26.08 will rise first, after that we who are still alive 00:41:26.11\00:41:29.73 and are left will be caught up together with them. 00:41:29.76\00:41:33.51 That's the way its gonna be 00:41:33.74\00:41:34.71 at the coming of the son of man. 00:41:34.72\00:41:35.69 Two men will be working in the field, 00:41:35.70\00:41:36.82 one will be taken away to his destruction and 00:41:36.85\00:41:39.48 the other is left alive to be Raptured up to meet Jesus 00:41:39.51\00:41:43.02 in the clouds and all our fence posts line up again. 00:41:43.05\00:41:46.99 This verse says just the opposite of what they 00:41:47.66\00:41:53.14 tried to tell you it really means. 00:41:53.17\00:41:55.13 Now, just in case somebody's being a 00:41:55.39\00:41:57.57 little skeptical out there and it's okay, 00:41:57.60\00:41:59.17 you shouldn't believe everything I say 00:41:59.20\00:42:01.20 just 'cause I say it, you need to 00:42:01.23\00:42:02.24 believe what he says. Amen. 00:42:02.27\00:42:03.83 So, while we are really getting this right? 00:42:03.86\00:42:06.13 Well, let's double check. 00:42:07.06\00:42:08.40 In Luke chapter 17, in Luke the 17th chapter, 00:42:08.72\00:42:12.95 Jesus tells the same story. 00:42:13.95\00:42:15.69 Now, I'm not going to read the whole thing, 00:42:15.72\00:42:17.03 let's just start with verse 34, 00:42:17.06\00:42:18.64 'I tell you on that night two people will be in one bed, 00:42:18.67\00:42:20.87 one will be taken and the other left. 00:42:20.90\00:42:22.87 Two women will be grinding grain together 00:42:22.90\00:42:24.88 and one will be taken and the other left.' 00:42:24.91\00:42:26.99 Verse 37, where Lord they asked, 00:42:27.02\00:42:29.80 now tell me he just said that two men, two women 00:42:30.37\00:42:33.93 will be grinding grain, one will be taken 00:42:33.96\00:42:36.92 and the other left and they say, where? 00:42:36.95\00:42:39.60 Which one are they asking about? 00:42:40.89\00:42:42.46 The one that's left; no they know where that one is. 00:42:42.88\00:42:46.49 The one that's taken, where are you 00:42:48.08\00:42:51.73 taking them Lord? Isn't that right? 00:42:51.76\00:42:54.98 And what's the answer Jesus gave, where there is 00:42:55.91\00:42:58.79 a dead body there the vultures will gather. 00:42:58.82\00:43:02.12 They are taken to their destruction folks, 00:43:03.68\00:43:05.26 there is no second chance after the Rapture, 00:43:05.29\00:43:08.21 now is the time, today is the day 00:43:08.24\00:43:11.41 to respond to Jesus Christ. 00:43:11.44\00:43:14.21 Well then, if the wicked are destroyed 00:43:15.82\00:43:17.70 and we are caught up to meet Jesus then 00:43:17.73\00:43:20.01 what's here, what's going on in the earth? 00:43:20.48\00:43:23.03 And now we are ready to put it all together in the 00:43:23.62\00:43:26.02 20th Chapter of Revelation, but actually I am going 00:43:26.05\00:43:28.44 to start, we will start in Revelation chapter 19 00:43:28.47\00:43:31.87 to make sure we got those fence posts lined-up 00:43:31.90\00:43:34.24 and we are not taking anything out of context. 00:43:34.27\00:43:36.04 So, in Revelation chapter 19 verse 11, 00:43:36.57\00:43:38.89 I saw heaven standing open and there before me 00:43:38.92\00:43:42.13 was a white horse whose rider is called faithful 00:43:42.16\00:43:45.23 and true with justice he judges and makes war. 00:43:45.26\00:43:48.45 Now, who is the rider on the white horse? 00:43:48.48\00:43:49.99 Verse 16 says on his robe and on his thigh 00:43:51.81\00:43:53.76 he has his name written, King of Kings and 00:43:53.79\00:43:55.99 Lord of Lords, that's Jesus, Amen. 00:43:56.02\00:43:58.29 Now watch this, verse 15, 00:43:58.75\00:44:00.94 out of his mouth comes a sharp sword 00:44:00.97\00:44:04.41 with which to strike down the nations 00:44:04.44\00:44:07.08 and he will rule them with an iron scepter. 00:44:07.11\00:44:09.45 So, what happens to the wicked nations 00:44:09.48\00:44:11.66 when Jesus comes riding on a white horse 00:44:11.69\00:44:14.02 to make war against them. 00:44:14.05\00:44:15.40 They're slain with a sword coming out of his mouth, 00:44:17.05\00:44:19.62 the iron rode he smashes them to 00:44:19.65\00:44:21.97 pieces, we have already read. 00:44:22.00\00:44:23.73 Verse 19, I saw the beast 00:44:24.14\00:44:25.96 and the armies and the Kings of the Earth 00:44:25.99\00:44:27.86 and their armies gathered together 00:44:27.89\00:44:29.53 to make war against the rider on the horse 00:44:29.56\00:44:31.50 and his army, but the beast was captured 00:44:31.53\00:44:33.60 with him the false prophet who had performed 00:44:33.63\00:44:35.87 the miraculous signs on his behalf 00:44:35.90\00:44:37.81 and with these signs he diluted those who had 00:44:38.15\00:44:40.24 taken the mark of the beast that two of them 00:44:40.27\00:44:42.14 were thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, 00:44:42.17\00:44:44.66 the rest of them were killed with the sword 00:44:44.69\00:44:47.16 that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse. 00:44:47.19\00:44:50.59 And all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh. 00:44:51.08\00:44:54.48 When Jesus comes, he comes to make war 00:44:57.06\00:45:00.35 against the wicked, but to deliver the righteous, why? 00:45:00.80\00:45:05.33 Because the wicked are persecuting his people when 00:45:05.36\00:45:07.91 he comes to make things right and to deliver us. 00:45:07.94\00:45:11.43 Now what happens next and here you go, follow 00:45:12.10\00:45:14.34 carefully, what happens next when Jesus comes? 00:45:14.37\00:45:17.71 I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, 00:45:19.13\00:45:21.56 having the key to the abyss, 00:45:21.59\00:45:23.25 now the King James says bottomless pit and 00:45:23.92\00:45:27.62 holding in his hand a great chain 00:45:27.65\00:45:28.83 he seized the dragon, an ancient serpent, 00:45:28.86\00:45:30.48 who is the devil or Satan and bound him for a 1000 years. 00:45:30.51\00:45:33.53 He threw him into the bottomless pit, 00:45:33.56\00:45:35.99 locked and sealed it over him to keep him 00:45:36.02\00:45:38.37 from deceiving the nations anymore 00:45:38.40\00:45:40.37 until the 1000 years were ended after that 00:45:40.40\00:45:43.06 he would be set free for a short time. 00:45:43.09\00:45:44.85 So, 1000 years he is in that bottomless pit. 00:45:45.66\00:45:49.08 Now that's not folks, that's not really a 00:45:49.11\00:45:51.63 a good translation of the word. 00:45:51.66\00:45:53.49 My translation says that abyss and that's better. 00:45:54.04\00:45:57.58 The Greek there is Abussos and the interesting 00:45:58.51\00:46:00.78 thing to me is if the Greek word Abussos is the word 00:46:00.81\00:46:04.30 that's used in the Greek Old Testament. 00:46:04.33\00:46:07.85 Now the Old Testament was written in Hebrew, 00:46:07.88\00:46:09.38 but by the time Jesus came it had been translated 00:46:09.41\00:46:12.37 into Greek and he was using the Greek Old Testament. 00:46:12.40\00:46:15.27 And in Genesis chapter 1 verse 1, 00:46:15.53\00:46:18.72 in the Greek Bible where it says 00:46:18.75\00:46:20.66 'in the beginning God created the heavens 00:46:20.69\00:46:21.95 and the earth and the earth was without form 00:46:21.98\00:46:23.42 and void and darkness was on the surface of the deep.' 00:46:23.45\00:46:26.92 The Greek word for deep is Abussos, 00:46:26.97\00:46:31.24 In other words, the abyss or the wild chaotic 00:46:32.45\00:46:36.48 nothing that this earth was before 00:46:36.51\00:46:38.64 God began to bring order and that's the way 00:46:38.67\00:46:43.12 it's going to be and that's exactly 00:46:43.15\00:46:44.75 what we have seen so far, 00:46:44.78\00:46:46.48 because when Jesus comes, we are caught 00:46:46.66\00:46:48.84 up to meet him in the air, the died in Christ 00:46:48.87\00:46:50.67 are raised up, together we go to meet him. 00:46:50.70\00:46:52.63 The wicked are destroyed, 00:46:52.66\00:46:54.02 who is left here? The beast is gone, 00:46:54.05\00:46:56.53 the false prophet gone, only the devil left 00:46:56.56\00:46:59.13 on this earth nothing, wild, chaotic nothing, 00:47:00.04\00:47:03.82 a wilderness of nothing. 00:47:03.85\00:47:05.43 There are no nations for him to tempt for a 1000 years, 00:47:07.88\00:47:12.62 that's why he is bound in this pit, 00:47:13.77\00:47:15.56 it is not a bottomless pit, if it was he'd get out 00:47:15.59\00:47:18.46 down in China somewhere. 00:47:18.49\00:47:20.08 No, it's the world with nothing on it, 00:47:21.41\00:47:23.61 he can't deceive the nations for a 1000 years 00:47:24.01\00:47:26.19 because there are no nations, 00:47:26.22\00:47:28.00 but after that he would be set free for short time. 00:47:28.66\00:47:31.72 So, when is this 1000 years and how does it all unfold. 00:47:33.06\00:47:36.82 That's the millennium, even though the Bible 00:47:36.85\00:47:38.65 doesn't use the word millennium, 00:47:38.68\00:47:40.10 1000 years means a millennium 00:47:40.13\00:47:42.32 and a millennium means a 1000 year period, 00:47:42.35\00:47:44.33 so when is this? Alright, let's take a look 00:47:44.36\00:47:46.71 in the middle of verse 4, we'll comeback to the 00:47:46.74\00:47:48.87 first part in a minute and I saw the souls of those 00:47:48.90\00:47:51.89 who had been beheaded because of their testimony 00:47:51.92\00:47:53.85 to Jesus and the word of God they had not worshiped 00:47:53.88\00:47:56.61 the beast or his image, they had not received 00:47:56.64\00:47:58.55 his mark on their foreheads or their hands. 00:47:58.58\00:48:00.63 They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 00:48:00.66\00:48:05.12 So, there is a resurrection. 00:48:06.50\00:48:07.78 Now tell me who is resurrected here, 00:48:08.90\00:48:10.68 the righteous or the wicked? 00:48:10.71\00:48:11.88 The righteous right, that's the righteous, 00:48:13.03\00:48:15.25 so if we can figure out when the righteous are 00:48:15.28\00:48:17.73 raised up then we will know when the 1000 years begins. 00:48:17.76\00:48:21.01 Well, we have already seen the resurrection 00:48:21.74\00:48:24.11 of the righteous takes place, when Jesus comes to 00:48:24.14\00:48:26.86 Rapture the church because they're raised up, 00:48:26.89\00:48:29.43 we are changed and then together we are caught 00:48:29.46\00:48:31.97 up to meet Jesus in the clouds, 00:48:32.00\00:48:34.04 so the dead in Christ rise and that's the point 00:48:34.70\00:48:37.99 that the 1000 years begins. 00:48:38.02\00:48:40.44 So here it says, let's just look out it again. 00:48:41.26\00:48:43.62 I saw a resurrection he said those who had not, 00:48:44.51\00:48:47.36 those who refused the words of beast, 00:48:47.39\00:48:48.44 this is the righteous, they are resurrected, 00:48:48.47\00:48:50.18 they came to life and they reigned 00:48:50.21\00:48:52.25 with Christ a 1000 years. 00:48:52.28\00:48:53.61 Verse 5, the rest of the dead, whose that? 00:48:53.64\00:48:56.54 It's got to be the wicked. 00:48:57.51\00:48:58.56 The righteous are raised up, 00:48:58.59\00:48:59.79 it has to be the wicked, right? 00:48:59.82\00:49:01.11 So, the rest of the dead did not come to the life 00:49:01.28\00:49:03.99 until the 1000 years were ended. 00:49:04.02\00:49:06.58 So, now we have the 1000 years that 00:49:09.46\00:49:11.11 are separated by two resurrections. 00:49:11.14\00:49:12.91 Look, verse 6, blessed and holy are 00:49:12.94\00:49:14.73 those who have a part in the first resurrection. 00:49:14.76\00:49:16.96 Now understand, this is not the first resurrection ever. 00:49:16.99\00:49:20.00 Jesus was resurrected, Lazarus was resurrected, 00:49:21.42\00:49:24.45 many were resurrected when Jesus came forth. 00:49:24.48\00:49:26.55 So, it's not the first resurrection ever, 00:49:26.58\00:49:28.26 but in the terms of these two resurrections 00:49:28.29\00:49:30.68 it's the first one that takes place 00:49:30.71\00:49:32.51 when Jesus comes, he says blessed are 00:49:32.54\00:49:34.75 those who have a part in the first resurrection, 00:49:34.78\00:49:36.61 second death has no power over them, 00:49:36.64\00:49:38.75 but they will be priests of God in Christ 00:49:38.78\00:49:40.52 and reign with him a thousand years. 00:49:40.55\00:49:42.41 So, we're raised up, we go to heaven with Jesus 00:49:42.44\00:49:45.34 and we reign with him for a thousand years 00:49:45.37\00:49:47.83 and what we are going to be 00:49:50.22\00:49:51.19 doing up there for a thousand years? 00:49:51.20\00:49:52.40 Says, we will be priests of God, 00:49:52.76\00:49:54.08 we're going to be missionaries, 00:49:56.25\00:49:57.38 we're going to be the only people 00:49:58.07\00:49:59.04 in this whole universe that ever sinned 00:49:59.05\00:50:00.96 and we're restored and brought back to God. 00:50:00.99\00:50:03.43 We can have a story to tell, but there is more 00:50:04.17\00:50:06.89 because verse, chapter 4, the first part says 00:50:06.92\00:50:09.71 they were thrones in which were seated 00:50:09.74\00:50:11.32 those who have been given authority to judge. 00:50:11.35\00:50:13.08 The Bible even says we are going to judge 00:50:13.46\00:50:14.75 the angels, well what do we need a judge for, 00:50:14.78\00:50:18.05 you know, there can be a lot of surprises on that day. 00:50:18.33\00:50:20.74 Did you know that? There are going to be 00:50:20.77\00:50:22.92 a lot of surprises, I know, 00:50:22.95\00:50:24.03 just the other day somebody told me a friend of mine 00:50:24.36\00:50:27.91 that I had gone to college with years and years ago. 00:50:27.94\00:50:30.04 And when they told him what I was doing, 00:50:30.48\00:50:33.49 I was a pastor, you now doing Revelation Now 00:50:33.52\00:50:36.23 meetings, Jac Colon! No way. 00:50:36.26\00:50:39.25 I can't wait to get to heaven. 00:50:39.28\00:50:41.21 I am going to see people there 00:50:41.24\00:50:42.60 and they are going to say Colon, 00:50:42.63\00:50:43.88 how did you get here? 00:50:43.91\00:50:45.19 Boy, I am going to be the biggest surprise 00:50:45.22\00:50:46.90 they ever saw, they are going to be surprised, 00:50:46.93\00:50:49.42 people we thought would never make 00:50:49.45\00:50:50.99 are going to be walking those streets of gold. 00:50:51.02\00:50:52.87 Surprised. Amen. Good news, 00:50:52.90\00:50:56.04 but there are also going to be some people 00:50:56.48\00:50:59.02 missing that we thought surely they should be there. 00:50:59.05\00:51:04.01 My favorite Pastor, where is he? 00:51:05.18\00:51:07.75 my favorite Evangelist, not here, 00:51:08.24\00:51:10.46 my favorite Bible school teacher is gone, 00:51:10.49\00:51:13.56 my favorite deacon, my favorite next door neighbor, 00:51:13.59\00:51:16.45 they just prayed all the time and worshiped God; 00:51:16.48\00:51:18.94 Are not here? What's wrong. 00:51:18.97\00:51:20.66 An angel comes walking by, 00:51:20.69\00:51:22.44 angel, tell me why aren't they here? 00:51:22.47\00:51:27.48 And the angel says shut up, 00:51:27.99\00:51:30.59 we don't ask questions up here. 00:51:31.00\00:51:32.94 Think, is it going to be like that? 00:51:35.09\00:51:36.55 No. The angel says here the books, 00:51:37.11\00:51:41.69 the books are opened, his whole life, 00:51:42.38\00:51:45.49 here it is and you say, wow! I didn't know, 00:51:45.86\00:51:50.16 what's he doing here? Next page, 00:51:51.32\00:51:54.13 wow! I didn't know. 00:51:54.94\00:51:56.97 You see every question is going to be answered. 00:51:57.86\00:52:00.93 God leaves no stone unturned when the wicked 00:52:01.69\00:52:05.46 are finally destroyed, everybody knows that 00:52:05.49\00:52:09.96 as hard as it is for God to even allow this to happen, 00:52:09.99\00:52:13.21 he has done the right thing. 00:52:13.24\00:52:15.89 Well then, why does he resurrect 00:52:18.10\00:52:20.79 the wicked at the end of the the 1000 years? 00:52:20.82\00:52:22.90 Verse 7, when the 1000 years were over, 00:52:22.93\00:52:25.06 Satan will be released from his prison, 00:52:26.11\00:52:28.26 how's he released? Because, the wicked 00:52:28.29\00:52:30.92 are raised up again. 00:52:30.95\00:52:31.92 Now, he's got nations to deceive 00:52:31.96\00:52:34.34 and he'll go out to deceive the nations 00:52:34.37\00:52:36.30 in the four corners of the earth, 00:52:36.33\00:52:37.52 they were gone, now they're here. 00:52:37.55\00:52:39.19 He says to gather them for battle, 00:52:40.38\00:52:41.82 in number they're like sand 00:52:41.85\00:52:43.00 on the sea shore and they march across 00:52:43.03\00:52:45.13 the breath of the earth, surround the camp of God, 00:52:45.16\00:52:48.15 the camp of God's people, the city that he loves. 00:52:48.70\00:52:51.57 So, at the end of the resurrection, 00:52:51.60\00:52:53.24 I mean at the end of the 1000 years, 00:52:53.27\00:52:54.67 we've been in heaven with Jesus a 1000 years, 00:52:54.70\00:52:56.79 what happens after that? 00:52:56.82\00:52:58.09 We come back down in the city, 00:52:58.12\00:53:01.00 another space trip, that shall won't blow either. 00:53:01.67\00:53:05.56 We come back down to this earth 00:53:05.89\00:53:08.16 and the wicked are raised up 00:53:08.70\00:53:10.44 and Satan deceives them one more time. 00:53:10.47\00:53:12.90 Look at how many, we're like sand on the sea. 00:53:12.93\00:53:14.75 Oh! look out just a handful in there, 00:53:14.78\00:53:16.62 let's go take the city and then we will have it 00:53:16.65\00:53:19.08 forever and will be over with this battle, 00:53:19.11\00:53:21.63 so they go to surround the city and to capture the city, 00:53:21.66\00:53:24.97 but fire comes down from heaven. 00:53:25.00\00:53:27.71 Fire comes down from heaven 00:53:30.95\00:53:32.74 and the devil who deceived them 00:53:33.77\00:53:35.26 was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, 00:53:35.29\00:53:37.18 where the beast and false prophet had been thrown 00:53:37.24\00:53:39.59 and they will be tormented 00:53:39.62\00:53:40.59 day and night, forever and ever. 00:53:40.60\00:53:41.73 We will talk about that on another night. 00:53:41.76\00:53:43.50 Verse 11, why does God raise them up? 00:53:46.15\00:53:48.99 Why has He raised them up and let them attack the city 00:53:50.32\00:53:54.39 and then destroys them with the fire from heaven. 00:53:54.42\00:53:57.89 Why didn't he just let them stay dead 00:53:59.05\00:54:00.22 and let us get on with life here? 00:54:00.25\00:54:02.24 Good question and here is the answer. 00:54:03.83\00:54:05.96 Verse 11, I saw the great white throne 00:54:05.99\00:54:08.18 and him who was seated on it, 00:54:08.21\00:54:09.18 earth and sky fled from his presence, 00:54:09.19\00:54:10.76 there was no place for them. 00:54:10.79\00:54:12.10 I saw the dead, great and small standing before 00:54:12.13\00:54:14.35 the throne and the books were opened, 00:54:14.38\00:54:16.19 and then another book was opened, 00:54:16.22\00:54:17.39 which is the book of life and the dead were judged 00:54:17.42\00:54:19.65 according to what they have done as recorded in the books. 00:54:19.68\00:54:22.71 The sea gave up the dead that were in it, 00:54:22.91\00:54:24.73 death and Hades gave up the dead 00:54:24.76\00:54:26.29 that were in them and each person 00:54:26.32\00:54:28.22 was judged according to what he has done 00:54:28.25\00:54:30.71 and then death and Hades were thrown into the lake 00:54:30.74\00:54:34.32 of fire and the lake of fire is the second death. 00:54:34.35\00:54:37.17 If anyone's name was not found written 00:54:37.20\00:54:38.91 in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. 00:54:38.94\00:54:41.49 Another judgment, the great white throne judgment. 00:54:42.54\00:54:45.05 Why? Why didn't God just let them stay dead? 00:54:45.86\00:54:48.99 Why does He raise them up to judge them again 00:54:49.02\00:54:50.79 and then cast them into the lake of fire. 00:54:50.82\00:54:52.82 Because the Bible says that the time is coming 00:54:53.91\00:54:57.73 when every knee will bow and every tongue 00:54:57.76\00:55:02.57 confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, even the wicked, 00:55:02.60\00:55:08.61 even the old devil before they're destroyed 00:55:09.56\00:55:13.12 not out of repentance, not because they want 00:55:13.80\00:55:17.09 to live a Godly life with God forever, 00:55:17.12\00:55:20.35 but out of the realization that they were wrong 00:55:21.35\00:55:23.75 and that the punishment that's about to be poured out 00:55:24.68\00:55:27.26 upon them is just and fair and they deserve it. 00:55:27.29\00:55:30.64 And that's how the final question is answered and 00:55:30.67\00:55:33.92 God can finally destroy sin and because they have 00:55:33.95\00:55:38.23 chosen to sin they'll be destroyed along with it 00:55:38.26\00:55:41.18 and everyone will know that it was an act of love. 00:55:41.21\00:55:44.98 God's strange act, the Bible says, 00:55:48.61\00:55:50.79 with tears streaming down his cheek, 00:55:50.82\00:55:53.47 but he can't let the wicked go on forever 00:55:54.67\00:55:58.43 beating up on his people somewhere he has to say 00:55:58.46\00:56:02.33 I have done everything that I can do, 00:56:02.36\00:56:04.71 it is over and I am coming soon. 00:56:04.74\00:56:07.29 It's an infinite heart of infinite love, 00:56:10.16\00:56:12.44 besides that there will be the most 00:56:13.44\00:56:14.98 miserable people in eternity because 00:56:15.01\00:56:17.24 sinners would not have one thing to do forever. 00:56:17.27\00:56:20.00 So, it's a gracious thing that God does. 00:56:22.31\00:56:25.56 Now, listen on that day every living soul that has 00:56:25.59\00:56:30.55 ever walked on this planet is going to be there. 00:56:30.58\00:56:33.02 You and I, we are going to be there. 00:56:34.89\00:56:37.48 You have no choice in that matter, everyone 00:56:38.89\00:56:42.61 is going to be there, you do have a choice 00:56:42.64\00:56:45.49 as to where you will be, inside the city with the lamb 00:56:46.51\00:56:52.06 or on the outside wishing you were on the inside. 00:56:53.01\00:56:57.65 But, you are going to be there, 00:56:59.09\00:57:00.06 I'm going to be there, everyone will be there 00:57:00.99\00:57:04.68 from Adam to the last baby born, everyone will be there. 00:57:04.71\00:57:09.62 Where will you be? Follow the lamb 00:57:10.76\00:57:16.16 and join me inside the city. 00:57:18.32\00:57:20.44