The escalation of global
terrorism, crime, immorality
00:00:09.90\00:00:13.03
and natural disasters,
seems to indicate our world
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is spiraling towards it's
ultimate hour with destiny.
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Who, if anyone, will
survive Earth's final events?
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Discover what Bible prophecy
reveals about the rapture,
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the mark of the
beast, and Armageddon.
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Though shrouded in
mystery for centuries,
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the book of Revelation
can be understood today.
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Peer into the future,
and see what wonderful things
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God has planned for His people.
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And now, Pastor Brian
McMahon presents the powerful
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Bible seminar
"Revelation Speaks Hope".
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Our subject for
this evening is entitled
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"The Thief in the Night".
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The very famous Dwight L.
Moody was especially fascinated
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by the topic we're going to
study tonight in our prophecy
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seminar, and one day he
decided he was going to go
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through his Bible from
Genesis to Revelation and count
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the number of times the
Bible mentions the topic
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of the second coming.
When he finished his study
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he found out that over
2000 times, scripture references
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to this great event, making
it obviously one of the greatest
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topics we could ever study.
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As we begin tonight, I'd
like you to think back with me
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some 2000 years, to
the first coming of Jesus,
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as He came as a
lowly babe, born there,
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and laid in Bethlehem's
manger. When you think back
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to that time,
the time of the Jews,
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the Jews of Jesus' day,
they had access to the same
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Old Testament writings that
we hold in our hands tonight,
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and when we look into
those writings we can see texts
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that refer to when the
Messiah was going to come,
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information about
how He was going to come,
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what work He
would do when He came,
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where He would be born and
even what death the Messiah
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would have.
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And yet, with all of that
information, it is said that
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there were some 300 prophecies
that were fulfilled in that
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one man, Jesus Christ, and
yet, with all of that abundance
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of information, the vast
majority of people missed
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recognizing in Jesus
the Messiah, the Saviour
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of the world. So we
might ask the question
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"How could that be?"
Well the answer comes
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in 2 ways, Nr.1:
The majority of people
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were not reading scriptures for
themselves, they were relying
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on the religious leaders
to interpret it for them.
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The second reason goes
right along with the first:
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The religious leaders of
the day had taken several texts
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of scripture out of
their proper context
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and they had misconstrued them
to fit their carnal desires.
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In other words, they
basically made up a theory
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that went like this:
when the Messiah comes,
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He's going to come as
a great conquering king.
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He's going to sit on David's
throne, He's going to do away
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with those hated Romans
that are ruling over us,
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Israel is going to be
set free, and everything's
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going to be wonderful.
Well, it certainly sounded good
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to them, but the problem
was it wasn't scriptural.
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When they were looking
for someone to come with a rod
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of iron, to use a Biblical
expression, Jesus came as a
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lowly lamb. When
they were looking to be
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set free from Roman rule,
Jesus came to set them free
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from their sins. Amen.
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So when Jesus came He understood
that this had occurred
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and He desired to set them
free from their misconceptions.
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When the disciples asked
Jesus "what would be the sign"
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"of Your coming, and
the end of the world?"
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Scripture declares Jesus
gave us a specific warning.
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In Matthew 24:4, here's
what we read: [text on screen]
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When you see those
words "take heed that no man"
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"deceive you", you
can be sure of this thing:
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there's going to be
special deception on that point,
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and there is. So
Jesus telling them
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"take heed that
no man deceive you",
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that's pretty good
advice for us, not only tonight,
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but all through the seminar,
let's be sure that no man
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deceives us, let's be
sure that all the answers
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come right from
God's word, Amen?
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Okay, and I know
that's why you're here.
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Satan was so successful
at deceiving people back then
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in Christ's day because
the people weren't reading
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the scriptures for
themselves, they were relying on
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the religious
leadership of the day.
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Now, this is not to
disparage religious leadership,
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that's not what I'm talking
about, but what I am talking
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about is we have to
check out truth for ourselves;
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it does us no good to
rely on others to give it to us
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if we don't really
read it for ourselves.
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You're going to find
out as we go into this
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important study, if you could
turn to John 14 with me tonight,
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that in the 260
chapters of the New Testament,
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the second coming of Jesus is
referred to 331 times at least.
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In fact, as important as
the first coming of Jesus was,
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there are 8 texts that
mentions the second coming
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for every 1 text that mentions
the first coming of Jesus.
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We go to John 14 and here,
the Bible mentions this great
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event called the second coming.
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John 14:1, this beautiful
promise that He's given us.
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John 14:1, the scripture says:
"Let not your heart be troubled"
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"Ye believe in God,
believe also in Me."
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"In my Father's house are many
mansions, if it were not so"
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"I would have told you.
I go to prepare a place"
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"for You, and if I go
and prepare a place for you,"
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"I will come again and
receive you unto Myself,"
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"that where I am,
there ye may be also."
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Now that's what we
call the blessed hope,
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the hope that Jesus is
going to return to this world.
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Notice the wording here,
He doesn't say He's going
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to come down to this Earth
at the time of the second coming
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to set up His kingdom at
that very time, no He doesn't
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say that, He says "I will
come again and receive you."
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"I'm going to take you
to Me." Well, to do what?
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To go where? To the
places He's prepared.
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So He's saying "I'm going away,
I'm going to prepare dwelling"
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"places, then I will
come back and receive you"
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"and take you to the
place where I have gone",
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and that, of course, is heaven.
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He went to prepare
dwelling places for us there.
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Now, the Bible tells us, and
you don't have to turn here yet,
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but in Revelation 12, the
Bible tells us that the devil
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has great wrath because he knows
he only has a short time left.
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If the devil has tried so
hard to deceive people about
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the first coming, don't
you think he's going to try,
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and double try to
deceive people about the second
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coming of Jesus?
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He wants to get us to believe
something that is non-scriptural
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or unbiblical because in doing
so, it puts us into a position
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where we're less
prepared for that event.
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All truth leads us to be better
prepared for the second coming,
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all error, though we
may not see it immediately,
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somehow leads us out
of a relationship of Jesus
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to be unprepared
for that greatest event,
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Jesus coming again.
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Would you please turn with
me to the book of Matthew now.
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Here we're going to see a
solemn warning that Jesus gives.
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You may want to put a
marker in the book of Matthew
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because we're going to
be here quite a bit tonight.
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If you don't know the
books of your Bible so well,
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put a marker there in
Matthew, it's the first books
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of the New Testament.
We'll get there quite a number
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of times
tonight. Now, Jesus knew
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that there's going to be
a lot of beliefs about His
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second coming, a lot of
different theories going around,
00:07:09.88\00:07:12.45
so He makes sure to warn
His people here in verse 5.
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Matthew 24:5, here
Jesus says: [text on screen]
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So again, that's
talking about multitudes there.
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So this is again, a solemn
warning that God is telling us
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that there are going
to be many false prophets,
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people coming in Christ's name.
Then we go down to Matthew 24:24
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and Jesus is adding
information here, He says:
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"For there shall arise false
Christs and false prophets,"
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"and shall show great signs
and wonders; insomuch that,"
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"if it were possible, they
shall deceive the very elect."
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So again, we must be
careful. There's danger here
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because the devil
wants to deceive us through
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false Christs, false prophets,
people claiming to speak
00:08:03.18\00:08:06.32
in God's name, with
messages that don't really come
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from God. Then
Jesus tells us 2 specific
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things to watch out
for, in verse 25 He says:
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"Behold, I have
told you before."
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So what Jesus is saying is
"I'm telling you ahead of time."
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"I'm telling you ahead of
time so that you can be weary."
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Aren't you glad that
God gives us early warning,
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intelligence information,
"I'm telling you before"
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"so you can be prepared",
and then in verse 26 He says:
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"Wherefore if they
shall say unto you: behold,"
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"He is in the
desert; go not forth."
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Now let me pause there if I
could, that's the first great
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deception! That
there's going to be
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in this world this idea that
you can go out into some place
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and see the
Messiah. You can go here,
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you can go there, you
can see these kind of things
00:08:50.10\00:08:52.53
on magazine covers,
this was one of the leaders
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of the Heaven's Gate cult,
going back about 6 years or so,
00:08:54.97\00:08:57.99
and the idea that
you can actually go out
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and see the Christ, see
the Messiah in some place.
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He says "don't go
because it's not the truth."
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Now, I don't believe
that the Jews of Jesus' day
00:09:07.38\00:09:11.51
had any idea that TV
would one day be invented,
00:09:11.54\00:09:15.64
but if TV was invented in
Jesus' day, I think He would say
00:09:15.85\00:09:19.06
"and don't watch it on
TV." You see, I'm as curious
00:09:19.09\00:09:21.93
as the next person,
I've opened up the newspaper
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and seen advertisements
for TV shows that said
00:09:24.71\00:09:27.19
"The Christ is in
London, turn on channel 63."
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I used to see those kind
of things, but even with my
00:09:29.68\00:09:32.10
curiosity I would not turn it on
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because I want to follow
Jesus' advice and not purposely
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put falsehood in
front of me. Why?
00:09:37.41\00:09:39.09
Because I know that it's
not from the true Messiah.
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I want to ask you a
serious question here,
00:09:43.34\00:09:44.79
what if a cry went out
"The Christ is in London."
00:09:44.83\00:09:49.51
"The Christ is in Tokyo."
"The Christ is in Sacramento."
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"He's walking the
streets, He's speaking words"
00:09:53.50\00:09:55.36
"of scripture, He's a glorious
being," would you go out?
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What if they said
He's working miracles?
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Oh friends, I'm
glad you said no.
00:10:01.32\00:10:03.57
Look what the Bible has
to say in Revelation 16:14,
00:10:03.67\00:10:06.71
it says [text on screen]
00:10:06.88\00:10:08.86
So can the devil work
some forms of miracles? Yeah.
00:10:13.03\00:10:16.18
Counterfeit miracles. Of
course, God works miracles too
00:10:16.22\00:10:19.34
but the devils do have
some powers of deception,
00:10:19.44\00:10:22.05
and they can work things
that we would call miracles
00:10:22.08\00:10:24.66
and they're meant to
deceive us and take us down
00:10:25.93\00:10:27.91
a false road. [text on screen]
00:10:27.94\00:10:30.26
The politicians, the political
nations [continues to read text]
00:10:31.86\00:10:34.16
So believe me friends,
the devil is the deceiver.
00:10:35.11\00:10:37.59
The second great deception
is not something you can go out
00:10:38.21\00:10:41.25
and see, it's not something
you can go out and listen to,
00:10:41.28\00:10:44.29
it's more a theory, or a belief,
and it's found in the latter
00:10:44.39\00:10:46.50
portion of verse 26,
and that reads as follows:
00:10:46.53\00:10:50.61
[text on screen].
00:10:50.64\00:10:52.33
Listen very carefully to this,
Christ is telling us that when
00:10:59.57\00:11:02.58
they're talking about My second
coming, and they're saying
00:11:02.62\00:11:05.60
there's some secrecy
involved, they're saying somehow
00:11:05.63\00:11:08.98
it's going to be a
secret event, He's saying
00:11:09.14\00:11:11.15
"don't you believe it."
00:11:11.18\00:11:12.25
Are you listening
tonight dear friends?
00:11:12.29\00:11:14.36
Do you know that
it's the, and we shouldn't
00:11:14.41\00:11:15.73
be surprised at this because
Jesus always gets it right,
00:11:15.77\00:11:18.65
it is these 2 very things
that Jesus warned us against
00:11:18.68\00:11:21.53
that is deceiving
the world right now.
00:11:21.56\00:11:23.69
The devil has 1 great deception
to deceive the non-Christian
00:11:23.73\00:11:27.44
world: the idea that you
can go out and see a Messiah
00:11:27.47\00:11:29.54
here, there or some other
place, and then he has another
00:11:29.58\00:11:32.52
great deception: to deceive
those within the Christian realm
00:11:32.55\00:11:35.46
and that is that there's
some kind of secrecy involved
00:11:35.49\00:11:38.27
to Jesus' coming, we'll
talk more about that as we go
00:11:38.59\00:11:41.17
into this
subject further tonight.
00:11:41.20\00:11:43.51
I'm so thankful that
Jesus warned us about it,
00:11:45.04\00:11:47.46
and you might as the
question, "Well, Pastor Brian,"
00:11:47.50\00:11:50.19
"how can we be sure that
we will not be deceived?"
00:11:50.22\00:11:52.71
"The devil's out there
working miracles of deception,"
00:11:52.75\00:11:55.21
"there will be false
Christs and false prophets,"
00:11:55.24\00:11:56.87
"how do we know we
can not be deceived?"
00:11:56.90\00:11:59.60
Well, I'm grateful that God
has put a lot of information
00:11:59.64\00:12:04.04
about His coming
in the scriptures.
00:12:04.07\00:12:05.97
By going to the Bible,
by drawing out very plain
00:12:06.01\00:12:08.90
and simple texts of
how Jesus will return
00:12:08.93\00:12:11.23
you can know the facts
of it, you can know what you
00:12:11.27\00:12:13.88
believe and why
you believe it, amen?
00:12:13.91\00:12:16.29
And by knowing that, there's
no way you can be deceived.
00:12:16.33\00:12:19.77
If you know the truth,
the truth will set you free.
00:12:19.80\00:12:22.30
You see, you'll hear me
say this more than once,
00:12:22.47\00:12:24.96
when you know the genuine,
the counterfeit will become
00:12:25.16\00:12:28.58
obvious to you.
00:12:28.61\00:12:29.77
Let's go to the
book of Acts, chapter 1.
00:12:29.81\00:12:32.86
Starting in the New Testament,
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John,
00:12:34.22\00:12:37.29
then the book of Acts,
we're going to the 1st chapter
00:12:37.49\00:12:40.64
of the book of Acts,
and here we see this event
00:12:40.67\00:12:44.36
of Jesus
ascending back to heaven.
00:12:44.39\00:12:46.47
Jesus ascending back to
heaven after spending some days
00:12:47.20\00:12:50.55
on the Earth after His
resurrection, and as we pick up
00:12:50.59\00:12:54.88
in verse 9 of Acts 1,
the scriptures read this way:
00:12:54.92\00:12:59.18
"And when He had spoken these
things, while they beheld,"
00:12:59.49\00:13:01.95
"He was taken up."
That's Jesus ascending to heaven
00:13:01.98\00:13:04.64
"and a cloud received
Him out of their sight."
00:13:04.67\00:13:06.84
"And while they looked
steadfastly towards heaven"
00:13:06.88\00:13:08.98
"as He went up, behold, 2 men
stood by them in white apparel."
00:13:09.02\00:13:12.06
Now, those are angels, although
they're referred to here as men,
00:13:12.10\00:13:15.11
"which also said: ye men
of Galilee, why stand ye"
00:13:15.14\00:13:17.97
"gazing up into heaven?
This same Jesus which is"
00:13:18.01\00:13:20.77
"taken up from you into heaven,
shall so come in like manner"
00:13:20.81\00:13:26.30
"as you have seen
Him go into heaven."
00:13:26.33\00:13:27.85
Now, notice the phraseology
in Acts 1:9-11, it says
00:13:27.89\00:13:31.64
"they beheld Him, they
were gazing up into heaven."
00:13:31.67\00:13:34.63
"They saw Him go out of
their sight", in other words,
00:13:34.66\00:13:37.59
there's no question
this was a literal event.
00:13:37.62\00:13:40.53
It actually took place
exactly as we read it here
00:13:40.56\00:13:43.40
in the scriptures, and it's not
just literal, but it's personal.
00:13:43.44\00:13:46.29
Notice it says: this same
Jesus, it's the same Jesus
00:13:46.32\00:13:51.31
that's going to come
back as left this Earth.
00:13:51.34\00:13:54.83
There's no question about
it. Now why do I bring out
00:13:54.93\00:13:56.34
these facts, that it's a literal
event and it's a personal event?
00:13:56.38\00:13:59.36
The reason we start with this
is because there is a belief,
00:13:59.46\00:14:02.48
and it's held by a good number
of people, that the second
00:14:02.52\00:14:05.47
coming of Jesus is not actually
a literal event, it's not an
00:14:05.51\00:14:08.70
event where He's actually
going to personally return.
00:14:08.73\00:14:11.04
They'll say it's rather
a spiritual event where His
00:14:11.07\00:14:13.62
presence was spiritually
manifested around the world,
00:14:13.66\00:14:16.18
and they said that
happened back in 1914.
00:14:16.21\00:14:18.72
Friends, that is
incorrect, it is a falsehood.
00:14:18.93\00:14:22.66
The Bible does not say
that Jesus' second coming
00:14:22.77\00:14:25.47
is some kind of spiritual
event that is intangible,
00:14:25.50\00:14:29.19
that you can't put your
feelings on, or your finger on
00:14:29.22\00:14:32.62
in any way, it's talking
about an event that will occur
00:14:32.66\00:14:36.03
at precise moment in time,
it'll be the event of the ages,
00:14:36.23\00:14:39.79
it'll be the event that
will stop time for this world.
00:14:39.83\00:14:43.36
So no, Jesus' coming
is literal, it's personal.
00:14:44.11\00:14:47.80
We're going to go to the
next point and that is found
00:14:48.42\00:14:51.22
in Revelation 1, if you could
turn to Revelation 1 with me,
00:14:51.26\00:14:54.08
and that is that Jesus' second
coming is going to be visible,
00:14:54.27\00:14:58.77
that means that you're
going to be able to see it
00:14:58.80\00:15:00.62
with the naked eye, absolutely,
Revelation 1:7 is where I'd
00:15:00.66\00:15:05.20
like you to turn now, and
let's pick up this great text.
00:15:05.24\00:15:09.75
Revelation 1:7,
scripture says: [text on screen]
00:15:10.19\00:15:12.97
Isn't that what we read
over there in the book of Acts?
00:15:18.97\00:15:20.59
It said a cloud
received Him out of their sight,
00:15:20.62\00:15:22.73
then the angel said the
same way He went, He's going
00:15:22.77\00:15:24.85
to come back, Revelation
perfectly agrees with that,
00:15:24.89\00:15:26.94
and then it says, continuing
it says: [text on screen]
00:15:27.24\00:15:29.76
"and they also that
pierced Him: and all kindreds"
00:15:33.31\00:15:35.55
"of the earth shall wail
because of Him. Even so, Amen."
00:15:35.59\00:15:38.41
Now that is clear, the
Bible says that every eye
00:15:38.44\00:15:40.72
is going to be able to
see it, it's not secret,
00:15:40.75\00:15:43.00
it's not invisible,
everyone is going to witness it,
00:15:43.10\00:15:45.65
the righteous and
the wicked, it says:
00:15:45.68\00:15:47.25
"they also which pierced
Him", so there's no question
00:15:47.29\00:15:49.46
that it's going to be an event
that's witnessed by everybody,
00:15:49.50\00:15:52.47
those who are alive on
the Earth during that time.
00:15:52.57\00:15:55.61
Then let's go to
Matthew 24, I told you to stay,
00:15:55.65\00:15:58.66
put a marker there in the book
of Matthew so you can find it
00:15:58.93\00:16:00.80
quickly, go to Matthew
again if you would please,
00:16:00.83\00:16:03.44
chapter 24, and let's pick
up another text that talks about
00:16:03.48\00:16:06.90
the visibility of Jesus' coming.
00:16:06.93\00:16:09.12
We're going to go rather
quickly here, so if you have
00:16:10.79\00:16:13.06
a neighbor that's not
quite as fast in the scriptures,
00:16:13.09\00:16:15.33
you might help them
out, that's a nice gesture
00:16:15.36\00:16:17.76
that you can do for the
one sitting next to you.
00:16:17.80\00:16:20.50
Matthew 24:30,
scripture says: [text on screen]
00:16:20.53\00:16:23.20
In the book of 2
Thessalonians 1:7 we read:
00:16:41.52\00:16:47.25
[text on screen]
00:16:47.28\00:16:49.18
Again, it's talking
about the revealing,
00:16:54.16\00:16:56.49
"in flaming fire" - you
think that's pretty visible,
00:16:56.65\00:17:00.43
[continues to read text]
00:17:00.46\00:17:02.20
Again, no question, it's
an incredibly visible event.
00:17:05.05\00:17:09.30
The devil is a master
counterfeiter, isn't he?
00:17:09.33\00:17:11.84
The Bible tells us that
he is, but here is something
00:17:11.88\00:17:13.81
that Satan can't counterfeit,
the second coming of Jesus,
00:17:13.85\00:17:16.81
the glory that's going to
come with it, Satan can never
00:17:16.84\00:17:19.77
duplicate that, that's
why he comes up with these
00:17:19.80\00:17:22.01
alternate theories.
Certainly, Satan can appear
00:17:22.04\00:17:24.18
as a being of dazzling
brightness in one location here,
00:17:24.22\00:17:27.00
Chicago, and LA, here in
Sacramento if he wanted to,
00:17:27.29\00:17:31.07
the Bible tells us
in 2 Corinthians 11:14
00:17:31.10\00:17:34.58
that even Satan himself
is transformed into an angel
00:17:34.68\00:17:38.24
of light, so the devil has
the ability to make himself
00:17:38.28\00:17:41.81
into a glorious
being if he wanted to.
00:17:41.84\00:17:43.78
That's why we get this
information ahead of time
00:17:43.82\00:17:45.72
so that that kind
of thing won't fool us,
00:17:45.75\00:17:47.59
not the Bible student. So
he doesn't have the ability
00:17:47.63\00:17:50.26
to be seen everywhere, as the
Bible tells us Jesus will be,
00:17:50.30\00:17:54.00
scripture tells us in
Revelation 6:14, that when
00:17:54.03\00:17:56.68
Jesus comes the heaven
will depart as a scroll when
00:17:56.71\00:17:59.33
it is rolled
together. In other words,
00:17:59.36\00:18:00.87
this tremendous manifestation
of God's power is going to
00:18:00.91\00:18:03.62
accompany Jesus' return.
So what do we know so far?
00:18:03.65\00:18:07.42
[text on screen]
00:18:07.45\00:18:09.31
The next point is: it's
going to be an audible event.
00:18:11.50\00:18:14.47
That means you're
going to be able to hear it.
00:18:14.51\00:18:16.07
Where do we get
that information?
00:18:16.10\00:18:17.25
You're in Matthew
24:30, just look at verse 31,
00:18:17.29\00:18:21.85
this is powerful friends,
it says: [text on screen]
00:18:23.91\00:18:26.65
Notice carefully something here,
it says the trumpet is sounding,
00:18:37.52\00:18:43.41
don't miss this, when
the gathering takes place.
00:18:43.44\00:18:47.12
So this gathering that
Matthew 24:31 is talking about,
00:18:47.16\00:18:50.21
it's talking about the
gathering of the church.
00:18:50.24\00:18:52.89
It says He's going to
gather them from the 4 winds,
00:18:52.92\00:18:55.54
that means the 4
directions of the compass,
00:18:55.57\00:18:57.07
the North, the South, the
East, the West, from all over
00:18:57.11\00:18:59.28
the world God is
going to gather His church,
00:18:59.31\00:19:00.99
but again, don't miss it,
when God gathers His people,
00:19:01.03\00:19:04.22
it says the trumpet
is going to be sounding
00:19:04.25\00:19:07.10
and the angels come at
that time, if that's clear
00:19:07.14\00:19:09.28
say amen out there.
[Audience replies] Amen.
00:19:09.31\00:19:10.93
That's what we
read from the Bible.
00:19:10.96\00:19:13.08
Jesus came quietly
once, born there in Bethlehem,
00:19:13.28\00:19:18.16
and other than a few shepherds
that were out keeping watch
00:19:18.20\00:19:20.60
over their flock at night,
basically, the world missed it.
00:19:20.64\00:19:23.01
But the second time,
dear friends, the world is not
00:19:23.04\00:19:24.99
going to miss it.
Jesus' is going to come
00:19:25.02\00:19:26.36
in all the glory of omnipotence,
and everyone is going to know
00:19:26.40\00:19:30.26
that the Messiah has returned.
00:19:30.29\00:19:32.00
In 1 Thessalonians
4:15, here's what we read:
00:19:32.04\00:19:34.91
"For this we say unto
you by the word of the Lord,"
00:19:35.01\00:19:37.05
"that we which are alive
and remain unto the coming"
00:19:37.09\00:19:39.18
"of the Lord shall not
prevent them which are asleep."
00:19:39.22\00:19:41.28
That word "prevent" is
an archaic word, it means
00:19:41.31\00:19:43.44
"precede" or "go
before" those who are asleep.
00:19:43.48\00:19:45.58
[text on screen]
00:19:45.61\00:19:47.31
Oh, I love this passage folks.
00:19:54.39\00:19:56.26
[text on screen]
00:19:56.29\00:19:58.15
You're going to see why
we meet the Lord in the air
00:20:04.29\00:20:05.91
as we go a little bit
deeper in the seminar,
00:20:05.94\00:20:07.94
[continues to read text]
00:20:07.97\00:20:09.73
"wherefore comfort one
another with these words."
00:20:10.38\00:20:13.98
This is glorious
truth here, isn't it?
00:20:14.01\00:20:16.05
Absolutely glorious,
a lot of information.
00:20:16.08\00:20:18.05
Notice, we're reading
again about the gathering
00:20:18.09\00:20:19.55
of the church, just like
in Matthew 24:30, the church
00:20:19.59\00:20:22.12
is gathered, here we
read another passage where God
00:20:22.15\00:20:24.61
gathers His people, we're caught
up to meet Jesus in the air,
00:20:24.65\00:20:27.35
but notice the order in
which things are happening.
00:20:27.38\00:20:29.92
It says the
archangel is shouting,
00:20:29.95\00:20:31.57
[text on screen]
00:20:31.60\00:20:33.26
That is clear, simple,
harmonious Bible teaching.
00:20:37.72\00:20:41.65
That's what the scriptures
say, you can't get around it.
00:20:42.40\00:20:44.99
Now, furthermore, Satan couldn't
possibly duplicate this,
00:20:45.91\00:20:49.64
but the word "voice" in this
passage is from the Greek word
00:20:49.68\00:20:53.25
"fone", it's from where we get
our English word "telephone".
00:20:53.29\00:20:56.83
Now, there are some who try
to tell you that this voice,
00:20:56.97\00:20:59.76
this "fone" is silent, that
only certain people are going
00:20:59.79\00:21:02.55
to be able to hear it,
but voices, phones, are meant
00:21:02.58\00:21:06.24
to communicate
sound, aren't they?
00:21:06.27\00:21:08.51
They're meant to communicate
sound, so there is no question
00:21:08.55\00:21:12.04
that this voice is going to
communicate sound as it comes.
00:21:12.24\00:21:15.67
In fact, in the King
James it uses the word "shout",
00:21:15.70\00:21:19.45
other Bible versions use
the phrase "loud command".
00:21:19.49\00:21:23.21
As you go through it you've
got a command, a shout, a voice,
00:21:23.71\00:21:26.15
you've got the trumpet blowing,
you've got the dead in Christ
00:21:26.19\00:21:28.87
arising, this passage has
been called the noisiest passage
00:21:28.90\00:21:31.55
in the Bible. Let's
go to another one in
00:21:31.58\00:21:34.49
Jeremiah 25:30: [text on screen]
00:21:34.52\00:21:37.15
So, speaking of the second
coming, the Bible is clear
00:21:46.56\00:21:49.31
that the Lord is going to give
a mighty shout when He comes.
00:21:49.35\00:21:52.70
So what do we know
now? We know that His coming
00:21:52.73\00:21:54.64
is literal, personal,
visible, audible and it's going
00:21:54.68\00:21:59.25
to bring a resurrection. Why?
00:21:59.28\00:22:00.92
Because in 1 Thessalonians
4:16 it says the dead in Christ
00:22:00.96\00:22:04.43
are going to rise.
00:22:04.46\00:22:07.29
Now let me pause
here for a minute.
00:22:07.39\00:22:08.87
There's a lot of
people that get very confused,
00:22:09.64\00:22:13.08
or at least
perplexed when they read this.
00:22:13.11\00:22:16.09
They say "you mean when
Jesus comes the dead are going"
00:22:16.13\00:22:18.37
"to rise? I thought the
dead were already in heaven"
00:22:18.41\00:22:20.59
"with Jesus, and they're
going to return with Him."
00:22:20.62\00:22:22.77
"So, which is it?
Are they coming down with
00:22:23.15\00:22:26.61
Jesus," "are they coming up?
Down? Up? What is it?" they say.
00:22:26.64\00:22:30.07
Have you ever
wondered about that?
00:22:30.17\00:22:31.68
Have you ever thought
how, if they're in heaven,
00:22:31.72\00:22:33.46
are they going to come
down when the Bible says
00:22:33.50\00:22:35.17
they're going to be coming up.
Has anyone ever wondered that?
00:22:35.21\00:22:38.05
Would you like to
know the answer to that?
00:22:38.08\00:22:40.60
How many say they would
like to know the answer, amen?
00:22:40.92\00:22:43.31
[Audience replies] Amen
[Brian] Come Tuesday night.
00:22:43.34\00:22:45.70
[Audience laughs]
00:22:45.73\00:22:47.54
You've got to
forgive the commercial folks,
00:22:48.53\00:22:50.97
you know I really want you to
be here, but I will promise you,
00:22:52.05\00:22:55.31
you come Tuesday night, you will
get the clearest explanation,
00:22:55.34\00:22:58.57
we will go through it
folks, and you will love it,
00:22:58.92\00:23:01.22
if you won't shout "Hallelujah"
at the end of Tuesday night
00:23:01.32\00:23:03.58
I'm going to be
disappointed, so just know that,
00:23:03.61\00:23:05.92
it's going to be great.
00:23:05.95\00:23:06.92
But we know that there's going
to be a world wide resurrection
00:23:06.93\00:23:10.05
of the faithful at the second
coming, that's what the Bible
00:23:10.15\00:23:12.69
says, if you're perplexed
by it, we'll certainly get you
00:23:12.72\00:23:15.23
unperplexed when
you come Tuesday night.
00:23:15.26\00:23:16.81
But this is something
that Satan can never duplicate,
00:23:16.85\00:23:19.27
you see, Satan can
deceive, Satan can trick,
00:23:19.30\00:23:21.61
Satan can impersonate,
but Satan can't give life.
00:23:21.65\00:23:25.47
Only God is the life giver,
only God can raise the dead.
00:23:25.88\00:23:29.23
So we're going to see
God's power at the resurrection.
00:23:29.27\00:23:32.59
There's something else
that I want to show you,
00:23:32.62\00:23:34.01
and that is that when
Jesus comes, He's going to come
00:23:34.05\00:23:37.34
gloriously, look at Psalm
50:3, it says: [text on screen]
00:23:37.37\00:23:40.63
So again, there's going to
be a lot of things going on
00:23:49.81\00:23:52.69
at the second coming of Jesus,
and He's not going, at all,
00:23:52.72\00:23:55.57
to be silent. We're
going to go to another one
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.32
in Thessalonians.
00:23:57.35\00:23:59.99
2 Thessalonians 2:8,
it says: [text on screen]
00:24:02.07\00:24:04.77
Is Jesus' coming
going to be bright?
00:24:11.41\00:24:12.82
Oh friends, listen,
it's going to be very bright.
00:24:12.86\00:24:16.73
Matthew 25:31 says
this, another great verse.
00:24:16.77\00:24:20.57
It says "When the Son of
Man shall come in His glory"
00:24:20.61\00:24:23.89
and how many of the
holy angels with Him?
00:24:23.92\00:24:26.16
"All the holy angels with
Him, then shall He sit upon"
00:24:26.35\00:24:29.61
"the throne of His glory."
00:24:29.64\00:24:30.70
The Bible tells us in
Revelation 5:11 that there are
00:24:30.74\00:24:33.90
10,000x10,000 and
thousands and thousands
00:24:33.93\00:24:36.71
of angels - now you
multiply that out, that's over
00:24:36.75\00:24:39.03
100 million angels. Do
you know that the Bible
00:24:39.07\00:24:42.17
tells us that at the
resurrection of Jesus
00:24:42.21\00:24:45.28
that an angel came
down and had so much glory
00:24:45.56\00:24:48.56
that the Roman
soldiers fell over as dead men.
00:24:48.59\00:24:51.56
Those wicked men could
not stand before the glory
00:24:52.18\00:24:54.52
of 1 angel, now we go
back into the Old Testament,
00:24:54.56\00:24:58.94
there's a story in 2
Kings 19 where God commissioned
00:24:58.97\00:25:03.32
an angel to go out, and it says
that in 1 night 185,000 wicked
00:25:04.34\00:25:12.39
Assyrian soldiers
were slain - in 1 night.
00:25:12.42\00:25:16.11
Now, if angels have that
kind of power, and that kind
00:25:16.76\00:25:19.90
of glory, what do
you think it'll be like
00:25:19.93\00:25:22.13
when Jesus returns with
over 100 million of them?
00:25:22.17\00:25:25.03
Can you just imagine
that in your minds for a bit?
00:25:25.90\00:25:28.50
It's going to be the
glorious event of all the ages,
00:25:28.54\00:25:31.11
no question about it.
00:25:31.14\00:25:33.04
People will always say
"oh, but doesn't the Bible say"
00:25:33.34\00:25:35.60
"that He's going to come
in a moment, in the twinkling"
00:25:35.64\00:25:37.87
"of an eye?" Oh friends, listen,
00:25:37.90\00:25:39.96
that's in 1 Corinthians 15,
and we're going to look at that
00:25:40.00\00:25:43.05
verse on Tuesday night
in the context on death
00:25:43.08\00:25:45.73
and the resurrection,
but friends, it doesn't say
00:25:45.76\00:25:48.38
that the second coming
is going to be in the moment
00:25:48.62\00:25:50.76
of the twinkling of an
eye, it says our mortal body
00:25:50.79\00:25:52.90
will be changed into
immortal, our corruptible
00:25:52.93\00:25:54.84
will be changed into
incorruptible, it says
00:25:54.87\00:25:56.71
that change occurs in a moment,
in a twinkling of an eye,
00:25:56.75\00:25:59.95
but not the
entire second coming.
00:25:59.98\00:26:01.76
Friends, there are over
2,000 verses in the Bible
00:26:01.80\00:26:04.10
that talk about the
second coming, this is an event
00:26:04.13\00:26:06.96
that thousands of years
have waited for, and billions
00:26:06.99\00:26:09.75
of people have looked towards.
Friends, are we going to wait
00:26:09.79\00:26:13.09
all this time, and
all of a sudden it's gone?
00:26:13.12\00:26:15.41
It's happened? That's it?
00:26:15.44\00:26:17.69
Friends, no! It's
just not that way.
00:26:17.73\00:26:20.62
The Bible teaches, and
the scriptures will give us
00:26:21.40\00:26:27.74
an abundance of evidence, that
this whole idea of a secret,
00:26:28.07\00:26:31.58
silent, invisible
rapture, is totally incorrect.
00:26:31.61\00:26:36.45
Let me give you just a little
bit of background on where
00:26:36.49\00:26:39.54
this idea came from. Do
you know that there wasn't
00:26:39.57\00:26:43.02
a single Christian
church teaching this for around
00:26:43.06\00:26:46.48
1800 years? In
other words, no church has
00:26:46.51\00:26:50.96
taught it, it wasn't believed
by the Christian church,
00:26:51.00\00:26:54.30
but what happened was
in the counter reformation
00:26:54.98\00:26:59.45
of the 16th century, when
the Medieval church was trying
00:26:59.49\00:27:03.76
to develop ideas to get the
attention off of themselves,
00:27:03.79\00:27:07.21
they commissioned 2 men to
come up with alternate views
00:27:07.24\00:27:10.59
of prophecy, one man who was
a Jesuit priest called Alcazar,
00:27:10.63\00:27:15.37
developed a theory
that put the last day events
00:27:15.40\00:27:18.38
in the past, that's
what developed into the [?]
00:27:18.42\00:27:21.33
view of interpretation. In
other words, it all happened
00:27:21.37\00:27:24.88
even before the time of
Jesus with Antiochus Epiphanes,
00:27:24.91\00:27:28.39
and so on;
basically, it was all done with.
00:27:28.42\00:27:31.57
There are people today
that still believe that.
00:27:31.76\00:27:33.66
But there was another
man, Francisco Ribera,
00:27:33.93\00:27:36.69
who developed an understanding
that it was all going to happen
00:27:36.86\00:27:39.99
in the very end of
time, all of these events
00:27:40.19\00:27:43.58
of Revelation, and we
need not worry because it was
00:27:43.62\00:27:46.53
all going to happen after the
church was taken off the earth.
00:27:46.57\00:27:49.82
Of course, this idea
went through some revisions
00:27:50.16\00:27:52.21
through time, and there
were certain things added to it
00:27:52.25\00:27:55.97
and around the 1830's they
added the 7 year tribulation,
00:27:56.00\00:27:59.69
and some other alterations to
it, and it's basically developed
00:27:59.88\00:28:02.69
into the modern day theory
that is very popular today,
00:28:02.72\00:28:05.51
but even then, at the
turn of the last century
00:28:05.67\00:28:08.86
hardly any churches taught it.
00:28:09.10\00:28:11.18
But along came a
Plymouth Brethren preacher named
00:28:11.22\00:28:14.45
John Nelson Darby from
England, he began to preach it.
00:28:14.49\00:28:18.18
He resurrected it off of
the shelf, where it lay there
00:28:18.59\00:28:21.16
for a couple hundred years,
and he began to preach it,
00:28:21.20\00:28:23.53
and then he came over to
America, that teaching came
00:28:23.57\00:28:26.38
to this land, and again,
it began to be taught by some,
00:28:26.41\00:28:29.19
still very, very few,
and then a man came along
00:28:29.22\00:28:33.29
by the name of
Cyrus Ingerson Scofield,
00:28:33.50\00:28:35.83
this man wrote about
it in his extensive notes,
00:28:35.87\00:28:38.43
which then became to
be published along with
00:28:38.47\00:28:40.96
the scripture; you've heard
of the Scofield Reference Bible?
00:28:41.00\00:28:43.87
Well, people began to read
what the scripture had to say
00:28:44.19\00:28:46.75
and then Scofield's notes,
which were teaching this theory,
00:28:46.79\00:28:49.32
were published along
with it and they looked
00:28:49.35\00:28:51.05
at the scriptures, they looked
at his notes, and began to
00:28:51.09\00:28:53.30
interpret the
scripture by his notes,
00:28:53.33\00:28:55.21
and because this
Bible sold by the millions,
00:28:55.25\00:28:57.49
especially
throughout the South of the US,
00:28:57.52\00:28:59.69
people began to believe
it. And then, it still was not
00:28:59.73\00:29:04.71
the majority view
until recent years
00:29:04.74\00:29:07.38
when books began to be
published, such as this one,
00:29:07.42\00:29:11.38
"The Late Great Planet Earth".
00:29:11.48\00:29:13.56
The Late Great Planet Earth
was a big seller, wasn't it?
00:29:13.87\00:29:17.13
Many people tell me
"that was my first Bible",
00:29:17.16\00:29:19.79
in other words, that was my
first introduction to anything
00:29:19.83\00:29:22.04
that had to do with
the Christian faith.
00:29:22.07\00:29:24.12
I remember
people talking about it,
00:29:25.34\00:29:26.77
and I'm not here
tonight to try to, in any way,
00:29:26.81\00:29:32.44
judge any man's character,
or any author's character,
00:29:33.50\00:29:36.57
we are here to judge
truth versus error, amen?
00:29:36.60\00:29:39.41
We have the right to do
that. Along with this book
00:29:39.44\00:29:42.22
it's spread this idea
of the secret, silent,
00:29:42.25\00:29:44.26
invisible rapture
throughout the churches and into
00:29:44.30\00:29:46.78
the seminaries, and they
began to graduate pastors
00:29:46.81\00:29:49.84
that taught this, and it
became, over very few years,
00:29:49.87\00:29:53.30
the dominant view, and
yet it has absolutely no roots
00:29:53.33\00:29:56.73
in the scripture.
00:29:56.76\00:29:57.73
Then of course, with the author
of the "Left Behind" series,
00:29:57.85\00:30:02.14
more books have come, this
one here "No fear of the storm"
00:30:02.17\00:30:06.43
it's called. This
author makes a very
00:30:06.46\00:30:09.05
fascinating admission
here. He says [text on screen].
00:30:09.27\00:30:13.16
They say this is
going to take place,
00:30:21.22\00:30:22.39
there's going to be a secret
rapture, 7 years of tribulation,
00:30:22.43\00:30:25.87
then the glorious coming,
He says that what we teach,
00:30:25.90\00:30:27.96
but there's no verse in
the Bible that teaches that
00:30:28.00\00:30:30.03
specifically. He
goes on: [text on screen]
00:30:30.06\00:30:33.22
You know why? Because He won't.
00:30:36.40\00:30:39.44
[Audience laughs]
00:30:39.47\00:30:41.87
So, that's why
it doesn't teach it,
00:30:41.91\00:30:43.54
but we're going to go
on, I'm going to give you
00:30:43.58\00:30:45.83
a little bit of
background on where this theory
00:30:45.87\00:30:48.09
came from.
00:30:48.12\00:30:49.89
This is taken from the
book [on bottom of screen]
00:30:51.60\00:30:54.54
[text on screen]
00:30:54.57\00:30:56.22
This was a prevailing
view and now they're trying
00:31:03.74\00:31:05.82
to come up with alternate views.
00:31:05.85\00:31:07.70
Ribera applied all of the
Revelation but the earliest
00:31:08.82\00:31:11.41
chapters to the end time,
rather than to the history
00:31:11.44\00:31:14.00
of the church,
let me pause there.
00:31:14.03\00:31:16.21
That's what he said, what
is the prevailing view today?
00:31:16.69\00:31:19.36
That all the book of Revelation
but the earliest chapters
00:31:19.39\00:31:22.03
apply to the end time
rather than to the history
00:31:22.06\00:31:24.10
of the church. In other words,
00:31:24.13\00:31:25.10
what is believed today
among "Left Behind" series,
00:31:25.11\00:31:28.16
it's exactly what this
Jesuit priest concocted
00:31:28.20\00:31:31.23
in the 16th century. It
goes on [text on screen].
00:31:31.27\00:31:34.27
What is the common view today?
00:31:39.49\00:31:41.24
[reads text on screen again]
00:31:41.27\00:31:42.99
It's right off the
shelf of this concocted theory
00:31:45.31\00:31:49.28
of the dark ages.
00:31:49.31\00:31:50.88
Taken from
"Champions of Christianity"
00:31:51.30\00:31:53.54
"in Search of the
Truth", [text on screen]
00:31:53.58\00:31:55.79
What is the
prevailing view today?
00:32:07.77\00:32:09.22
That the Antichrist
is an infidel Antichrist
00:32:09.26\00:32:11.93
outside the of
the church of God.
00:32:11.96\00:32:13.28
In other words, this
theory has come down through
00:32:13.32\00:32:16.90
the years right into the church
and now, because it's been
00:32:16.94\00:32:20.61
bought into the seminaries
and passed on to graduating
00:32:20.64\00:32:24.28
pastors, and
published in books and movies,
00:32:24.31\00:32:26.77
now people have bought
it, "lock, stock and barrel"
00:32:26.81\00:32:29.72
as they would say;
it's really, really sad.
00:32:29.75\00:32:31.87
I want to say this: there
are many beautiful, wonderful,
00:32:31.90\00:32:37.62
loving Christians
that believe that.
00:32:37.66\00:32:40.45
Doesn't mean they're
not beautiful people,
00:32:40.49\00:32:41.98
doesn't mean they don't love
Jesus, it just means that we
00:32:42.02\00:32:43.93
need to show what the
Bible says on this topic.
00:32:43.96\00:32:46.58
Taken from the
book "Seventy Weeks:"
00:32:46.61\00:32:48.10
"the Historical Alternative",
it says [text on screen].
00:32:48.14\00:32:51.19
In other words, he twisted
what the Bible said to come up
00:32:57.25\00:33:00.03
with his own theory. I
find one of the saddest things
00:33:00.07\00:33:02.82
is people today
insist on holding on to it
00:33:03.50\00:33:08.10
even if the Bible
plainly says something else.
00:33:08.20\00:33:10.47
See, it's one thing if
we're brought up with it,
00:33:10.50\00:33:12.70
it's another if we simply want
it so badly we'll hold on to it
00:33:12.74\00:33:15.76
no matter what.
00:33:15.79\00:33:16.92
Truth is not difficult
to learn, did you know that?
00:33:18.43\00:33:21.20
God never made truth difficult
to learn, what can be difficult
00:33:21.24\00:33:24.53
is to unlearn error that
we've been brought up with.
00:33:24.56\00:33:27.69
To unlearn what we've been
taught, that can be difficult
00:33:27.73\00:33:30.83
for many.
00:33:30.86\00:33:31.83
People will have an
understanding in their mind
00:33:31.84\00:33:34.93
and they'll read what the
Bible says and because the Bible
00:33:34.97\00:33:37.52
doesn't agree with what they
believe, they'll say the Bible's
00:33:37.56\00:33:40.08
confusing, but the
Bible's not confusing.
00:33:40.11\00:33:43.02
What was confused was what they
used to believe, and that's why
00:33:43.06\00:33:45.58
we talked about "prove
all things, hold fast that"
00:33:45.61\00:33:47.67
"which is good, let go what
isn't good, so you can take"
00:33:47.71\00:33:50.25
"that which is good."
00:33:50.28\00:33:52.07
I found that there are 2
basic passages that people use
00:33:53.12\00:33:56.81
from the scriptures to
try to show a secret, silent,
00:33:56.84\00:34:00.50
invisible coming. The
first one is this idea
00:34:00.53\00:34:03.66
that Jesus is going to
come as a thief in the night.
00:34:03.70\00:34:05.91
You'll hear pastors say that:
"there's going to be a secret"
00:34:06.01\00:34:08.15
"rapture because Jesus
said that He's going to come"
00:34:08.18\00:34:10.10
"as a thief in the night."
00:34:10.13\00:34:12.29
I find it amazing that
people would quote that.
00:34:12.80\00:34:15.64
I don't think they know
where that is in the Bible
00:34:15.87\00:34:18.16
because if they looked it
up in the Bible they would see
00:34:18.20\00:34:20.99
immediately that Jesus'
coming as a thief in the night
00:34:21.02\00:34:23.52
has nothing to do with being
secret, silent and invisible,
00:34:23.56\00:34:26.03
nothing at all. Let's
go take a look at some
00:34:26.06\00:34:28.12
of them, if you would.
If you would go with me
00:34:28.15\00:34:30.18
to Matthew 24 again.
00:34:30.21\00:34:32.32
Every time that Bible talks
about Jesus coming as a thief,
00:34:34.22\00:34:40.28
it's talking not
about the overall manner
00:34:41.32\00:34:45.25
of His coming, but the timing
of it, the suddenness of it,
00:34:45.29\00:34:49.88
the unexpectedness of
it. Not the overall manner.
00:34:49.91\00:34:52.74
We're going to go into
this a little bit further,
00:34:52.78\00:34:55.58
Matthew 24:42, Jesus
says: [text on screen]
00:34:55.61\00:35:01.17
What does hour refer
to? The timing of it.
00:35:03.82\00:35:07.07
"Watch" refers to time.
00:35:10.59\00:35:12.10
"broken up", that means allowed.
00:35:15.43\00:35:18.17
Here it is, so
plain and so simple.
00:35:24.06\00:35:26.26
If you knew that a
thief was going to come
00:35:26.44\00:35:28.29
to your house and break
in, and steal a bunch of stuff,
00:35:28.33\00:35:32.38
wouldn't you
want to be prepared?
00:35:32.94\00:35:34.42
Wouldn't you want
to be looking for it?
00:35:34.46\00:35:35.64
Wouldn't you want to be
watching ever so earnestly
00:35:35.68\00:35:37.78
to make sure it didn't happen?
00:35:37.81\00:35:39.36
Well, Jesus is telling us
that that's to be the attitude
00:35:39.40\00:35:42.30
of the church, we are to
know that His coming is soon,
00:35:42.34\00:35:44.89
we are to be prepared for
it, we are to be in a state
00:35:44.92\00:35:48.06
of prayer and witnessing,
and all of things that are good
00:35:48.09\00:35:51.20
for the Christian life, but
for those who are unprepared,
00:35:51.44\00:35:54.35
Jesus' coming for them
will be upon them as a thief.
00:35:54.38\00:35:56.76
But I will guarantee you this,
though He will come upon them
00:35:57.59\00:35:59.87
as a thief, it won't be
secret, it won't be silent,
00:35:59.90\00:36:01.60
and it won't be invisible.
00:36:01.63\00:36:03.74
Let's go to 2 Peter
3:10: [text on screen]
00:36:03.93\00:36:08.01
Pause there; people say
"see, He's coming as a thief"
00:36:15.10\00:36:17.18
"He's coming secretly, silently,
invisibly, to snatch all His"
00:36:17.22\00:36:19.27
"people away", but
friends, it doesn't say that.
00:36:19.30\00:36:22.59
You see, they don't read
the last part of the verse.
00:36:22.84\00:36:25.90
They stop right there
and they don't keep reading,
00:36:25.94\00:36:28.93
but we're going to keep reading,
it says [text on screen].
00:36:28.97\00:36:31.99
That means the
atmospheric heavens.
00:36:34.23\00:36:36.12
Now can you see why don't
reach the last part of the text?
00:36:38.62\00:36:41.07
Because if they read
the last part of the text
00:36:41.10\00:36:42.43
it would contradict what
they say about the first part
00:36:42.47\00:36:43.84
of the text, so
they leave that out.
00:36:43.87\00:36:46.35
It shows you that they're
not always being intellectually
00:36:46.39\00:36:48.31
honest about it.
Does that sound secret:
00:36:48.34\00:36:50.77
the heavens passing
away with a great noise?
00:36:50.80\00:36:53.16
You see, the thief part
has nothing to do with secrecy
00:36:53.20\00:36:56.56
because how could the heavens
pass away with a great noise
00:36:56.60\00:36:59.93
and nobody know about it?
00:36:59.96\00:37:01.41
Then they teach that
after the silent rapture,
00:37:04.63\00:37:07.07
7 years go by, that can
hard for 7 years to go by
00:37:07.11\00:37:09.52
with no atmosphere,
right? [Audience laughs]
00:37:09.55\00:37:12.45
Clear contradiction.
Let's keep reading.
00:37:13.21\00:37:15.32
It says [text on screen]
00:37:15.35\00:37:17.45
Once again, you can see why
they don't read you the last
00:37:21.27\00:37:22.92
part of the text.
What Jesus is saying here
00:37:22.95\00:37:25.38
is that when He comes
as the thief in the night,
00:37:25.42\00:37:27.42
He's going to come
when you least expect it.
00:37:27.46\00:37:29.43
That is to the wicked.
00:37:30.65\00:37:32.19
To the wicked He's
going to come as a surprise.
00:37:32.23\00:37:33.99
That's why He says: "For in
such an hour as you think not,"
00:37:34.03\00:37:36.57
"the Son of Man comes."
It doesn't say anything about
00:37:36.60\00:37:39.47
being silent, what
Jesus is saying is "be ready!"
00:37:39.50\00:37:42.34
What do you say
church? [Audience] Amen.
00:37:42.37\00:37:44.85
The thief in the night
illustration is basically
00:37:44.89\00:37:46.90
used in 5 places in the Bible;
it's used in Matthew 24:42,44,
00:37:46.94\00:37:51.32
it's used in 1 Thessalonians
5, it's used in 2 Peter 3:10,
00:37:51.35\00:37:55.70
Revelation 3:3
and Revelation 16:15,
00:37:55.73\00:37:57.43
it's used in all those 5 places.
In every place you have to ask
00:37:57.47\00:38:00.92
yourself the question
"what is the context?"
00:38:00.95\00:38:03.52
"What is the basic
message that Jesus"
00:38:03.55\00:38:05.19
"is trying to get across?"
00:38:05.22\00:38:06.49
Once again, it has nothing
to do with being silent, secret
00:38:06.53\00:38:08.62
or invisible,
it's just not there.
00:38:08.65\00:38:09.85
People have to read into
it because that's what they've
00:38:09.89\00:38:11.81
been taught, but the scriptures
don't say it, they just don't.
00:38:11.85\00:38:15.09
Let's go to another
one, I love this one,
00:38:15.80\00:38:17.10
let's go to 1 Thessalonians
5:1 [text on screen]
00:38:17.14\00:38:20.34
So notice, the Bible is
equating "sudden destruction"
00:38:38.06\00:38:40.88
with "the thief in
the night" experience.
00:38:40.91\00:38:42.90
Verse 4: [text on screen]
00:38:42.93\00:38:44.80
Now who's he
talking to? The church.
00:38:47.12\00:38:49.76
"that that day" - what
day? The day of the Lord
00:38:51.71\00:38:53.66
coming as a thief in the
night, [continues to read].
00:38:53.70\00:38:56.53
Did you catch it? In
other words He's saying:
00:38:57.02\00:38:58.97
"You church, you're not
in darkness like the others"
00:38:59.01\00:39:01.66
"that that day will
overtake you like a thief."
00:39:01.69\00:39:04.64
He's saying "No, that
thief in the night experience,"
00:39:04.72\00:39:06.50
"that won't come upon you." Why?
00:39:06.53\00:39:08.74
He goes on, verse
5: [text on screen]
00:39:08.78\00:39:10.84
"Therefore, let us not
sleep as do others, but let us"
00:39:15.36\00:39:17.99
"watch and be sober."
Friends, can you see it?
00:39:18.02\00:39:20.76
The thief in the
night experience is not for
00:39:20.79\00:39:23.46
the church, He's going to
come as a thief to the wicked
00:39:23.50\00:39:26.24
who are not making preparation.
Now let's compare these 2
00:39:26.28\00:39:28.99
right here, look
at the parallels:
00:39:29.02\00:39:30.94
both these
chapters, 1 Corinthians 15
00:39:30.97\00:39:32.82
and 1 Thessalonians 4,5, they
both talk about Jesus' coming.
00:39:32.86\00:39:35.69
They both talk about those
that are asleep, they both talk
00:39:35.72\00:39:38.46
about the trumpet that's
going to sound, and they both
00:39:38.49\00:39:42.01
talk about the dead in Christ
that're going to be raised.
00:39:42.04\00:39:45.23
So noticed how they're both
paralleling all the way down.
00:39:45.27\00:39:48.43
It's talking
about the same thing,
00:39:48.46\00:39:50.09
there's no question about
it. Now let's go to Matthew 24,
00:39:50.13\00:39:53.41
whom some say that it's
talking about a different event,
00:39:53.45\00:39:56.70
they're saying this
is the glorious coming,
00:39:56.73\00:39:58.61
where as these others are
talking about the secret coming.
00:39:58.65\00:40:01.04
Let's put it up here,
Matthew 24 compared with
00:40:01.17\00:40:04.22
1 Thessalonians 4,5, notice
now, they're both talking about
00:40:04.26\00:40:07.39
the coming, and it's the
same word in the Greek language,
00:40:07.42\00:40:10.52
"the Parousia". And
they both talk about
00:40:10.55\00:40:13.19
coming in the clouds, they
both talk about the trumpet,
00:40:13.23\00:40:15.40
and the gathering together,
the catching of the church.
00:40:15.43\00:40:17.57
In Matthew 24 it says
"no man knows the day"
00:40:17.60\00:40:19.65
"or the hour", Paul talks
about the times and the seasons,
00:40:19.69\00:40:21.58
they both talk about the
thief in the night experience,
00:40:21.61\00:40:23.47
one says the flood
came and took them all away,
00:40:23.50\00:40:25.27
one says sudden
destruction comes upon them,
00:40:25.30\00:40:27.00
and then they end by
saying "watch" or be prepared.
00:40:27.04\00:40:30.90
Folks, there's no doubt
about it, it's the same event.
00:40:31.07\00:40:35.47
Not only are they
paralleling the events,
00:40:35.95\00:40:37.92
but they're in the same
order, they go all the way down,
00:40:37.96\00:40:41.64
they're not 2
different things, it's the exact
00:40:41.67\00:40:43.78
same event. There's
not 2 different aspects
00:40:43.82\00:40:46.46
to Jesus' coming,
it's 1 second coming.
00:40:46.49\00:40:49.10
1 Corinthians, 1
Thessalonians 4 and Matthew 24,
00:40:51.87\00:40:55.07
just parallel them all the way
down, the coming, the trumpet,
00:40:55.11\00:40:57.12
the dead being raised,
friends, it's so plain.
00:40:57.15\00:40:59.95
In Matthew 24 it talks
about Jesus' sending His angels
00:40:59.99\00:41:03.92
with the great sound
of a trumpet, so there's
00:41:03.95\00:41:05.86
the trumpet talked about, then
in 1 Corinthians 15 it says that
00:41:05.90\00:41:09.13
that trumpet that blows
at that time is going to be
00:41:09.16\00:41:11.16
the last trump,
keep that in mind,
00:41:11.19\00:41:15.86
now let's go to the next one.
00:41:15.89\00:41:17.74
In Revelation 8:2 it
says [text on screen]
00:41:18.23\00:41:20.51
Now follow me,
in Revelation 11:15,
00:41:23.42\00:41:26.36
the first angel sounds his
trumpet, and the second angel
00:41:26.67\00:41:28.56
sounds his trumpet, and
so on, then we come down to
00:41:28.59\00:41:30.39
the 7th angel: [text on screen]
00:41:30.42\00:41:32.35
So what we're trying to show
here folks, and Bible students,
00:41:40.60\00:41:43.11
is that when the 7th
angel sounds his trumpet,
00:41:43.14\00:41:46.11
the earthly kingdoms
are finished, they're done,
00:41:46.55\00:41:49.26
they're over. So when
the 1 Corinthians says
00:41:49.29\00:41:51.93
that that trumpet that sounds at
Jesus' coming is the last trump,
00:41:51.97\00:41:56.17
what we're seeing here is
that all the earthly kingdoms
00:41:56.37\00:41:59.56
have to have come to their
end because it's the last one.
00:41:59.60\00:42:02.76
Now what's the
conclusion? [text on screen]
00:42:03.05\00:42:05.32
Let's go on, there's another
passage, and that's this one
00:42:13.06\00:42:16.06
about "1 shall be
taken and 1 shall be left,"
00:42:16.09\00:42:18.12
that's very, very common.
They'll say "when He comes"
00:42:18.16\00:42:20.83
"secretly, silently, invisibly,
one will be taken away,"
00:42:20.87\00:42:23.51
"1 will be left to
go on for 7 years."
00:42:23.54\00:42:25.06
They read that into it,
the Bible doesn't say it,
00:42:25.10\00:42:26.98
but they read into it.
Let's go take a look and see
00:42:27.02\00:42:28.87
what the scripture does
have to say in Matthew 24.
00:42:28.91\00:42:31.28
It says [text on screen]
00:42:31.31\00:42:32.95
So here he's talking
about the "1 shall be taken,"
00:42:51.59\00:42:53.96
"1 shall be left" event,
now let's go down to verse 50
00:42:53.99\00:42:56.64
and find out what happens
to those that are not saved
00:42:56.67\00:42:59.50
in this experience; it says
in verse 50 [text on screen]
00:42:59.54\00:43:02.34
Notice the suddenness,
the surprise aspect to it.
00:43:10.68\00:43:13.77
"And shall cut him asunder" does
that sound like 7 more years?
00:43:14.39\00:43:19.39
No! [continues reading]
00:43:19.84\00:43:21.63
That's clear.
Those who are not saved
00:43:25.09\00:43:27.01
at this event, at "1 shall
be taken, 1 shall be left",
00:43:27.33\00:43:29.60
they're not going to go
on for 7 more years, you can
00:43:29.63\00:43:31.94
guarantee that, but
notice how Christ is drawing
00:43:31.98\00:43:34.22
the parallels here, starting
in verse 26 [text on screen]
00:43:34.26\00:43:38.50
What's He doing?
He's making comparisons.
00:43:43.04\00:43:45.23
In the flood, the ones that were
not washed away with the water,
00:43:54.21\00:43:59.82
were they
raptured off the earth?
00:43:59.85\00:44:02.08
No, they weren't.
God placed them in an ark
00:44:02.12\00:44:03.96
of safety and did they go
in there secretly and silently?
00:44:04.00\00:44:07.92
No one knew about it?
No, they walked right in,
00:44:07.95\00:44:09.98
in front of
everybody, didn't they?
00:44:10.01\00:44:12.17
The earth was destroyed.
Let's go down to verse 28
00:44:12.20\00:44:15.29
[text on screen]
00:44:15.32\00:44:16.77
Was Lot raptured away?
No, God took him out in front
00:44:42.00\00:44:45.70
of everybody, didn't He?
00:44:45.73\00:44:47.70
Jesus prayed in John 17:15,
this is a beautiful prayer,
00:44:48.10\00:44:57.22
He said "I pray not that
Thou shouldest take them",
00:44:57.62\00:45:00.95
"them" meaning the
church, "out of the world,"
00:45:00.98\00:45:03.43
"but that Thou shouldest
keep them from the evil."
00:45:03.47\00:45:06.34
So Jesus' prayer was not
that His church be raptured
00:45:06.38\00:45:09.18
off of the earth, but rather,
Jesus prayed that His people
00:45:09.22\00:45:12.26
would be kept among the
temptation, in the safety
00:45:12.29\00:45:18.03
of God's presence, amen?
00:45:18.06\00:45:20.25
Their relationship with
God would be so close, that God
00:45:20.77\00:45:22.88
would envelope them in
His presence and they would be
00:45:22.92\00:45:25.00
kept safe.
00:45:25.03\00:45:26.25
So again, we can see clearly
that in it's proper context,
00:45:26.29\00:45:30.39
some will be taken, some will
be left, but those who are not
00:45:30.42\00:45:34.49
going to be in heaven
are not going to live on for
00:45:35.53\00:45:36.90
7 more years.
This is just showing
00:45:36.93\00:45:39.23
what happens at the second
coming, what happens after that
00:45:39.27\00:45:42.58
with the dead, and the wicked
dead, all of that we are going
00:45:42.62\00:45:45.90
to cover in a later night,
that would be on Wednesday
00:45:45.93\00:45:48.76
night, on the
night of the Millennium.
00:45:48.79\00:45:50.67
Folks, strange as it
may seem to you tonight,
00:45:50.71\00:45:54.06
the whole idea of the
secret, silent, invisible
00:45:54.26\00:45:57.23
rapture theory, this counterfeit
theory, is based on certain
00:45:57.27\00:46:01.26
phraseology of
scripture: "1 should be taken,"
00:46:01.29\00:46:03.60
"1 should be left",
"thief in the night",
00:46:03.63\00:46:06.08
and simply repeating it
so often, the people get used
00:46:06.20\00:46:09.67
to the terminology, and
they assume that it's Biblically
00:46:09.70\00:46:13.14
right, they assume that
it must be a quick theory
00:46:13.17\00:46:16.23
because they're
using Biblical terminology.
00:46:16.26\00:46:18.82
And yet again, it's twisted
and taken out of it's context
00:46:18.91\00:46:21.36
in every case. Someone
will ask me the question
00:46:21.39\00:46:23.36
"what about the 7
years of tribulation then?"
00:46:23.40\00:46:25.30
"Where does that come
in?" Do you know that the Bible
00:46:25.34\00:46:28.07
uses the word "tribulation"
or "tribulations" 26 times?
00:46:28.10\00:46:30.80
22 times it uses the
word "tribulation", singular,
00:46:30.83\00:46:34.49
4 times it uses "tribulations",
plural, 26 all together,
00:46:34.53\00:46:39.44
but of those 26, not 1 of
them says 7 years tribulation.
00:46:39.47\00:46:44.35
Where do they get the idea
of a 7 years tribulation then?
00:46:45.62\00:46:48.32
Well, it comes from
a passage of scripture
00:46:48.35\00:46:51.70
grossly taken
out of it's context,
00:46:54.15\00:46:56.34
and totally misused.
The reason I'm not going to
00:46:56.38\00:46:58.72
direct you towards it tonight
is because we have another night
00:46:58.76\00:47:00.63
in the seminar when I'm
going to show you that passage.
00:47:00.66\00:47:02.73
I'm going to show you
where they get it from,
00:47:02.81\00:47:04.56
and I'll leave it up to
you to see whether or not
00:47:04.59\00:47:06.27
they're using it properly.
When you see it in it's proper
00:47:06.31\00:47:08.36
context, you'll know
that they've been misusing it
00:47:08.39\00:47:11.04
because it'll be so clear.
00:47:11.07\00:47:12.91
Once again, I
want to share with you
00:47:13.10\00:47:14.50
a little bit deeper study
before we go home tonight,
00:47:14.54\00:47:17.24
and that is that when the Bible
talks about the second coming,
00:47:17.28\00:47:22.23
it uses 3 basic words in
the original Greek language.
00:47:22.26\00:47:25.34
[Text on screen]
00:47:25.37\00:47:26.95
Just as we would use different
words in the English language,
00:47:32.96\00:47:35.37
we don't always have
to use the same words,
00:47:35.40\00:47:37.15
we have a variety
of words to chose from,
00:47:37.19\00:47:38.87
they had a variety of words
to chose from in the Greek,
00:47:38.91\00:47:41.28
but there are some that will
say that the word "Parousia",
00:47:41.32\00:47:43.69
they'll say that that's
the secret coming, and then the
00:47:43.73\00:47:46.07
"Epiphanieia" and
the "Apokalupsis",
00:47:46.10\00:47:47.32
that's the revealing;
well they can't get around it
00:47:47.36\00:47:49.59
because that's what
the words really mean,
00:47:49.62\00:47:51.14
but the one that talks about
the presence of the coming,
00:47:51.18\00:47:53.07
they'll say that's
the secret silent coming.
00:47:53.10\00:47:55.02
They make it 2 events.
00:47:55.05\00:47:57.06
Can you show using these words
that it's all the same event?
00:47:57.10\00:48:00.58
Yes, of course you can, I love
Bible study for this reason.
00:48:00.61\00:48:04.06
In Matthew 24:37 it
says [text on screen]
00:48:04.24\00:48:07.53
Then the parallel
passage in Luke, speaking of
00:48:13.46\00:48:16.77
the same thing, it ends
by saying [text on screen]
00:48:16.80\00:48:20.08
It uses a different word
that's the word "apokalupsis"
00:48:21.28\00:48:25.04
- the revealed, but it's talking
about the exact same event.
00:48:25.08\00:48:29.47
So it's the same event,
different Greek words are used,
00:48:29.50\00:48:32.06
it's not talking about 2
different kinds of events.
00:48:32.09\00:48:34.62
In 1 Thessalonians 4:15, that
very common passage that I read
00:48:34.71\00:48:38.39
to you just a little while
ago, it says [text on screen]
00:48:38.42\00:48:41.33
Now look at this
passage in 2 Thessalonians 2:8
00:48:51.84\00:48:56.01
[text on screen]
00:48:56.04\00:48:57.61
That word is Parousia,
it's the same word that's used
00:49:04.73\00:49:08.59
in 1 Thessalonians 4.
00:49:08.79\00:49:10.24
I can't possibly be
referring to a secret, silent,
00:49:10.28\00:49:12.47
invisible coming when it
talks about all the destruction.
00:49:12.51\00:49:14.96
Here's another one,
2 Thessalonians 1:8-9,
00:49:14.99\00:49:17.62
[text on screen].
00:49:17.65\00:49:19.34
That's the same
word, the Parousia.
00:49:21.00\00:49:23.50
This is talking about
the Antichrist power here.
00:49:24.32\00:49:26.95
If you're thinking that
there's going to be a Parousia
00:49:27.39\00:49:30.56
followed by 7 years
of the Antichrist rule,
00:49:30.59\00:49:33.10
I don't want to disappoint
you tonight, but the Bible
00:49:33.25\00:49:35.71
doesn't say that the Antichrist
is going to be following
00:49:35.75\00:49:38.38
the Parousia, the Bible
says the Antichrist is destroyed
00:49:38.41\00:49:41.01
by the Parousia.
00:49:41.04\00:49:42.64
In 1 Peter 1:13 the
Bible says [text on screen]
00:49:42.74\00:49:46.93
Here's my question to
you as Bible students:
00:49:52.87\00:49:55.92
why is the church
instructed to hope to the end
00:49:55.96\00:49:58.94
for the revelation of Jesus,
if the real hope of the church
00:49:58.98\00:50:02.52
was to be a secret,
silent, invisible coming 7 years
00:50:02.55\00:50:04.76
before the
revelation? Did you follow that?
00:50:04.79\00:50:07.22
Why would we be instructed
to pray for the revelation
00:50:07.38\00:50:09.74
if the church was going to
be taken away 7 years before
00:50:09.77\00:50:12.10
the revelation? It
doesn't make sense.
00:50:12.13\00:50:13.58
Remember, truth is
logical, error is not.
00:50:13.62\00:50:16.36
Let's go to the
next one, Titus 2:13,
00:50:16.39\00:50:19.10
this is the words of
Paul, [text on screen]
00:50:20.51\00:50:22.48
Why would Paul be telling us to
look for the glorious appearing
00:50:26.34\00:50:29.44
if we were really to
be hoping for the rapture,
00:50:29.47\00:50:31.99
the secret rapture?
Paul never encouraged
00:50:32.02\00:50:35.55
his church to
be looking to that.
00:50:35.58\00:50:37.82
We keep going,
here's another one,
00:50:37.86\00:50:40.07
1 Timothy 6:13-14,
Paul says [text on screen]
00:50:40.17\00:50:42.73
Why would Paul be saying
"keep it unto the appearing"
00:50:52.91\00:50:55.86
if the church wasn't
really going to have to wait
00:50:55.90\00:50:58.36
for the appearing, they
were going to be taken away
00:50:58.39\00:51:00.78
7 years before the appearing.
Friends, we could go on and on.
00:51:00.82\00:51:04.37
I'll give you 1
more; in Luke 21:26-27
00:51:04.40\00:51:08.07
Jesus said there'll be a
time when "men's hearts are"
00:51:08.11\00:51:11.01
"failing them for fear and
for looking after those things"
00:51:11.05\00:51:13.68
"which are coming on the earth."
00:51:13.71\00:51:14.79
Now look at this
carefully, [text on screen]
00:51:14.83\00:51:17.33
After Jesus talks
about the signs of the times
00:51:22.57\00:51:25.63
and the fear that is
going on, what is the next thing
00:51:25.67\00:51:28.40
that Jesus points to?
Not some kind of invisible
00:51:28.43\00:51:31.11
taking away of the church,
but the powerful coming of Him,
00:51:31.15\00:51:34.46
in power and glory.
Then it's talking about that,
00:51:34.49\00:51:37.51
look what comes next,
He says [text on screen]
00:51:37.54\00:51:40.53
Jesus ties in the redemption
of the church with the coming
00:51:45.87\00:51:49.72
in power and
glory, can you say amen?
00:51:49.75\00:51:52.27
If someone was taken
away in the secret, silent,
00:51:52.31\00:51:54.32
invisible rapture 7 years
before, that would definitely
00:51:54.36\00:51:57.00
be redemption, but Jesus doesn't
say that because the Bible
00:51:57.03\00:51:59.64
doesn't teach it to us.
He says the redemption comes
00:51:59.67\00:52:03.52
when Jesus comes
in power and glory.
00:52:03.55\00:52:05.26
Friends, it's so
beautiful, it's so clear.
00:52:05.30\00:52:07.26
Let me go back to Matthew
24:27, take a close look folks.
00:52:07.30\00:52:14.86
I read you verse 24, I
read you verse 25 and 26,
00:52:14.89\00:52:18.50
I'm going to come back
now, for verse 27, it says
00:52:18.54\00:52:22.12
[text on screen].
00:52:22.15\00:52:24.02
I grew up in British
Columbia, west coast.
00:52:31.61\00:52:34.41
Thunder and
lightning? Sure, but no big deal
00:52:34.92\00:52:36.85
when it came, no
big storms really.
00:52:36.88\00:52:39.29
Then I moved to Marilyn,
and let me tell you something.
00:52:39.33\00:52:43.75
They had storms in
Marilyn that I thought the roof
00:52:44.16\00:52:46.19
was going to come in.
00:52:46.22\00:52:47.88
There would be
lightning that would fork
00:52:48.00\00:52:50.86
right across the sky and
then if that storm was near,
00:52:50.90\00:52:54.18
you knew the thunder was
coming and it would be "kaboom",
00:52:54.21\00:52:57.46
and the house would
shake, it was unbelievable.
00:52:57.49\00:52:59.92
I thought "what is
this?" I just wasn't used to it.
00:52:59.95\00:53:02.35
You can go out in a lightning
storm and you can actually
00:53:02.78\00:53:06.10
cover your eyes and if
the lightning goes off,
00:53:06.13\00:53:07.97
it's so bright you can see
the glow through your fingers,
00:53:08.01\00:53:10.38
it's amazing.
It's hard to miss it.
00:53:10.41\00:53:12.93
Jesus is saying
folks, it's like that.
00:53:13.74\00:53:17.44
He compares it to
the lightning that forks
00:53:17.75\00:53:19.96
across the sky, He's saying
this is an impossible event
00:53:20.00\00:53:22.78
to miss.
00:53:22.81\00:53:24.48
I'm reading to you
from the King James,
00:53:26.00\00:53:27.52
if you go to one of the more
modern versions of scripture
00:53:27.56\00:53:30.47
it goes to this passage and
gives it to us in a little bit
00:53:30.51\00:53:33.64
more updated language. It
says, this is the New Century
00:53:33.67\00:53:36.77
version of the
Bible, [text on screen]
00:53:36.80\00:53:39.30
Friends, is that plain?
00:53:50.49\00:53:52.25
How can people ever say
that people aren't going to see?
00:53:52.53\00:53:54.93
You see, we go
to verse 27 again,
00:53:55.51\00:53:58.38
Jesus is setting it
up for us like this:
00:53:59.22\00:54:01.39
He says there'll be false
Christs and false prophets
00:54:01.43\00:54:05.36
They will show great
signs and wonders and deceive.
00:54:05.55\00:54:08.25
Then in verse 25 He says
"I'm telling you ahead of time",
00:54:08.29\00:54:10.40
telling you before,
verse 26 He says "It will not"
00:54:10.43\00:54:13.22
"be like this... and it
will not be like that..."
00:54:13.26\00:54:16.02
and then He says
"this is how I will come:"
00:54:16.12\00:54:18.15
"it will be like the lightning
that comes from the east"
00:54:18.19\00:54:20.54
"and shines even unto the west."
00:54:20.57\00:54:22.74
"That's how I'm
going to come back."
00:54:22.77\00:54:24.87
Can you all say amen?
[Audience replies] Amen.
00:54:24.91\00:54:26.99
Has Jesus set it up
for us so beautifully?
00:54:27.03\00:54:29.08
We can't miss it.
00:54:29.11\00:54:31.96
I want to review
for you, once again.
00:54:32.36\00:54:36.31
His coming literal,
personal, visible, audible,
00:54:36.63\00:54:38.93
brings a resurrection,
it's glorious, climactic as
00:54:38.97\00:54:41.20
the lightning, there's 1
more we've got to add to this.
00:54:41.24\00:54:43.83
Go to Revelation 22:11.
00:54:43.86\00:54:51.29
It says here [text on screen]
00:54:51.65\00:54:53.90
That means "for eternity",
it's settled, it will not
00:55:01.73\00:55:03.89
be undone, and then
it says [text on screen].
00:55:03.92\00:55:06.79
So Jesus is saying when He
comes every case is decided.
00:55:10.98\00:55:14.88
He that is holy,
let him stay that way,
00:55:15.73\00:55:17.68
he that is filthy,
let him stay that way,
00:55:17.71\00:55:19.59
it's not going to be changed.
What I'm trying to share
00:55:19.63\00:55:22.50
with you before we go
home tonight is that Jesus'
00:55:22.53\00:55:24.69
second coming is decisive.
00:55:24.72\00:55:28.05
There's not going to be a
second chance to get ready
00:55:28.25\00:55:31.01
after the second coming.
The whole secret, silent,
00:55:31.04\00:55:33.73
invisible rapture theory
is a great and awful deception
00:55:33.77\00:55:37.40
to lure people into a false
security, so that they think
00:55:37.87\00:55:41.57
that "if I don't
make it the first time,"
00:55:41.60\00:55:44.01
"I might have to go
through some tribulation,"
00:55:44.22\00:55:45.97
"but I'll certainly
have another chance."
00:55:46.00\00:55:47.86
"Then I'll know the Bible's
true, then I'll know that"
00:55:47.90\00:55:50.04
"Jesus is the
Messiah, then I'll get ready."
00:55:50.07\00:55:52.42
That's exactly what the
devil would like you to think,
00:55:52.87\00:55:55.87
that somehow you could kick
back and either take it easy,
00:55:55.90\00:55:58.87
or play church, or
whatever, but you don't really
00:55:58.90\00:56:00.93
have to be ready the
first time, because you've got
00:56:00.97\00:56:03.58
another chance, can
you see how deadly that is?
00:56:03.61\00:56:06.19
The Bible tells us
in 2 Corinthians 6:2,
00:56:06.38\00:56:09.95
It says [text on screen]
00:56:09.98\00:56:12.10
Dear friends, now is
the time to get ready
00:56:23.22\00:56:26.55
for Jesus' coming,
now is the time to study,
00:56:26.58\00:56:29.88
now is the time to pray,
now is the time to watch.
00:56:30.22\00:56:33.11
Truth leads us to be
prepared, falsehood leads us
00:56:33.98\00:56:36.60
to be unprepared. In
Matthew 24, Jesus said
00:56:36.63\00:56:40.62
in verse 36, speaking of
His coming: [text on screen]
00:56:40.66\00:56:44.18
He says "even though you
won't know the exact time",
00:56:48.66\00:56:51.47
He did say this in
verse 33 [text on screen].
00:56:51.50\00:56:54.42
So Jesus said: "you won't
know exactly when I'm here,"
00:56:59.22\00:57:02.23
"you won't know that
ahead of time, but you can know"
00:57:02.26\00:57:06.87
"when I'm near." Jesus
is telling us to be ready.
00:57:06.91\00:57:11.49
Do you know, dear
friends, Jesus didn't say
00:57:12.05\00:57:14.67
"I might come again",
He didn't say "maybe".
00:57:14.70\00:57:17.29
He didn't say there's a high
mathematical probability of it.
00:57:17.39\00:57:19.83
He says "I will come again."
00:57:20.00\00:57:22.28
The whole purpose of
the book of Revelation,
00:57:22.44\00:57:24.46
the whole purpose of the
Bible is that God wants more
00:57:24.70\00:57:27.97
for heaven, doesn't He?
00:57:28.00\00:57:29.37
God wants more people to
be saved, God wants as many
00:57:29.41\00:57:31.68
to be saved as is possible,
so He lays it out for us here,
00:57:31.72\00:57:35.80
and He gives us this message.
00:57:36.02\00:57:37.60
Do you know that you could
take this book and this an open
00:57:37.64\00:57:40.89
heart and an open mind,
you could kneel down and say
00:57:40.92\00:57:43.43
"Dear Lord, give me the truth
of this topic" and in 1 hour
00:57:43.47\00:57:46.08
you could know the
truth, it's that plain.
00:57:46.11\00:57:48.20
It's not difficult, God never
made truth to be difficult.
00:57:48.30\00:57:51.73
Can you imagine that
day of Jesus' coming back?
00:57:52.87\00:57:55.44
Can you imagine the
glory of that event?
00:57:55.47\00:57:58.06
Oh, what a day it's going to be!
00:57:58.23\00:57:59.93
What do you say church?
00:57:59.96\00:58:01.19
When Jesus comes
with all of the angels,
00:58:01.23\00:58:02.74
I'm looking forward
to that time, aren't you?
00:58:02.78\00:58:05.69