Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: SMTF
Program Code: SMTF000009
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00:35 Shall we bow our heads for prayer?
00:38 Father in heaven, what a joy 00:40 it is to be in Your presence. 00:43 How wonderful it is to have Your word. 00:47 We can't imagine what it would be like 00:49 to be in this world without any guidance 00:51 as to where things are going, where things are moving to. 00:56 We thank You that You've given us 00:58 the sure word of prophecy, 01:00 so that we can know where we are 01:02 and where we're going. 01:04 Father we ask that as we open Your word this afternoon, 01:08 that Your spirit will be with us. 01:10 Give us clear minds and receptive hearts. 01:14 And we thank You for hearing and answering our prayer, 01:17 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus. Amen. 01:23 I'd like to begin in our study today 01:27 by reading the passage that we are going to take 01:30 a look at in the next hour that we will be together. 01:35 Matthew Chapter 24 and I want to read 01:39 all of the verses that we will be dealing with. 01:43 Matthew 24 and beginning with verse, actually 14. 01:52 "And this gospel of the kingdom 01:54 will be preached in all the world 01:55 as a witness to all the nations, 01:58 and then the end will come. 02:02 Therefore when you see the 'abomination of desolation,' 02:05 spoken of by Daniel the prophet, 02:07 standing in the holy place" 02:09 whoever reads, let him understand, 02:12 let them who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 02:16 Let him who is on the housetop 02:18 not go down to take anything out of his house. 02:22 And let him who is in the field 02:24 not go back to get his clothes. 02:27 But woe to those who are pregnant 02:29 and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 02:33 And pray that your flight 02:35 may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 02:39 For then there will be great tribulation, 02:42 such as has not been since the beginning of the world 02:46 until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 02:49 And unless those days were shortened, 02:52 no flesh would be saved, 02:54 but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened. 02:58 Then if anyone says to you, 03:00 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 03:03 For false christs and false prophets will rise 03:06 and show great signs and wonders to deceive, 03:09 if possible, even the elect. 03:12 See, I have told you beforehand. 03:15 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' 03:20 do not go out, or 'Look, 03:22 He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 03:26 For as the lightning comes from the east 03:28 and flashes to the west, 03:29 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 03:33 For wherever the carcass is, 03:35 there the eagles will be gathered together. 03:38 Immediately after the tribulation of those days 03:41 the sun will be darkened, 03:43 and the moon will not give its light, 03:45 and the stars will fall from heaven, 03:47 and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 03:51 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 03:54 and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 03:56 and they will see the Son of Man 03:59 coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 04:02 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, 04:06 and they will gather His elect from the four winds, 04:10 from one end of heaven to the other." 04:16 This is the long passage that we're gonna 04:18 take a look at in our study today. 04:20 There're many things that we need to cover 04:23 and we are going to try and do it 04:25 within the time constraints that we have which is one lecture. 04:29 We could actually dedicate many lectures 04:31 to each one of these topics that we've been studying. 04:35 But unfortunately when you're 04:36 producing programming for television 04:38 you have to stay within strict parameters of time. 04:44 Now the first thing that I would like us to notice 04:46 is the sequence of events that we find here 04:50 in Matthew Chapter 24. 04:53 And I want to compare the sequence 04:55 with the Book of Revelation. 04:57 The first thing that I want us to notice 04:59 is that verse 14 speaks about the preaching of the gospel. 05:05 Remember that, the preaching of the gospel. 05:07 Immediately after that verse, 05:09 in verse 15 we find the setting up 05:12 of the abomination of desolation 05:15 which we have interpreted by our study 05:18 as a National Sunday law. 05:22 We notice however that there is gonna be 05:24 a group of people at this time 05:26 who will be keeping God's Holy Sabbath. 05:29 And so you'll notice, we have the preaching of the gospel, 05:33 then we have the abomination of desolation 05:35 which separates two groups. 05:39 It separates those who leave the city 05:42 from those who stay within the city. 05:45 It separates those who keep the Sabbath, 05:47 who flee and those who stay in the city and are there 05:54 when the abomination of desolation is set up. 05:58 Then I want you to notice that immediately after this, 06:01 you have the great tribulation that we read about. 06:05 Then at the end of the tribulation, 06:08 you have signs in the heavens. 06:10 And then you have the coming of Jesus to pick up His people. 06:16 Now it's interesting to notice 06:17 that this very sequence of events 06:20 we find in the Book of Revelation. 06:21 And you say how is that? 06:24 Allow me to make the parallel. 06:27 speaks about 06:31 the preaching of the everlasting gospel 06:34 to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 06:39 Interestingly enough after the Three Angels' messages 06:43 are proclaimed after the gospel 06:45 in this new context is presented to the world, 06:48 we find at the end of chapter 14 two groups. 06:53 There are those who are sealed with the seal of God 06:56 which is God's Holy Sabbath and we find those 07:00 who are marked with the mark of the beast. 07:03 This is parallel to what we found in Matthew Chapter 24. 07:08 Interestingly enough once God's people have been sealed 07:12 and once the followers of the beast 07:15 have been marked, then in Revelation 15 07:18 you have the close of probation 07:20 and beginning in chapter 16 07:22 you have the falling of the plagues upon the earth. 07:25 A terrible time of trouble and crisis on the planet 07:30 when the plagues are falling upon the earth. 07:34 Then interestingly enough, when you get to chapter 19 07:39 you see Jesus Christ seated on the white horse 07:43 and the angels of heaven are on white horses 07:46 following Jesus to come to this world to pick up His people. 07:52 Now a careful study reveals then 07:55 that the sequence of events of Matthew Chapter 24 07:58 is the same sequence of events of the Book of Revelation. 08:03 Only difference symbols are actually used. 08:06 Now notice Matthew 24 and verse 21. 08:14 It says there, "Then there shall be great tribulation," 08:17 he said, "such as has not 08:20 since the beginning of the world to this time, 08:23 no, nor ever shall be." 08:26 Now before we study this verse 08:28 and the succeeding verses, there's something 08:30 very important that I need to explain. 08:33 And that is that the abomination of desolation, 08:39 the tribulation and the signs in the heavens 08:45 have two fulfillments or actually 08:50 they are fulfilled in two stages. 08:52 You're saying how is this? Well, let me explain it. 08:56 The Book of Revelation speaks about a beast. 09:00 And we're told that this beast rules 42 months. 09:04 But we're told that at the end of the 42 months 09:07 when this beast persecutes the saints of the Most High, 09:10 the beast receives a deadly wound. 09:12 And for a while the beast is out of commission, 09:16 it doesn't function. 09:17 But after a period, we're told 09:20 that his deadly wound is healed. 09:23 And the whole world marvels after the beast 09:26 and once again the beast persecutes. 09:31 So what I'm saying is that this beast power 09:33 has two stages of dominion. 09:36 It has a past stage during the 42 months 09:39 and it will have a future stage 09:42 when the deadly wound of this beast is healed. 09:48 The same could be said of Daniel 7:25. 09:51 It speaks about the little horn. 09:53 The little horn persecutes the saints of the Most High. 09:57 The little horn things, it can change God's law. 10:00 And we know that the Roman Catholic papacy 10:02 attempted to change the Sabbath. 10:04 Now when you get to the Book of Revelation, 10:07 you have a future fulfillment to what the little horn did. 10:10 Once again God's people will be persecuted, 10:14 and we find also that the mark of the beast 10:18 is going to be imposed in the end time 10:21 upon God's people on pain of death. 10:24 In other words the change in God's law 10:27 or the attempt to change in God's law 10:29 in Daniel 7:25 in the past during the 1260 years 10:35 represents the future period when the mark of the beast, 10:39 which is a change in the law, 10:42 which is the counterfeit day of worship 10:44 will be imposed upon people by force of law. 10:49 You know, we've been studying the seals in prayer meeting. 10:52 And it's interesting to notice that there are also 10:54 two stages of martyrs in the seven seals of Revelation. 10:58 You have the first four seals. 11:00 The first one represents the Apostolic Church. 11:03 The second seal represents the Persecuted Church 11:06 on to the Roman emperors. 11:08 The third church represents when darkness 11:10 entered the church in the days of Constantine. 11:12 The fourth church-- the fourth seal 11:15 represents the period when death came into the church, 11:19 the period of the Inquisition. 11:21 And then in the fifth seal which is equivalent 11:24 by the way to the fifth church as well. 11:28 In the fifth seal you have these martyrs crying out. 11:31 They are crying out and tell Lord--tell when Lord, 11:34 don't you judge and avenge our blood 11:37 on those who shed our blood upon the earth. 11:39 And this first group of martyrs that is crying out 11:42 is told to rest a little while until the rest of the martyrs 11:48 is complete which will be killed as they were killed. 11:51 Once again the fourth seal represents the period 11:56 when God's people were slain during the 1260 years. 12:00 But when the deadly wound is healed, 12:03 there is going to be another group of martyrs 12:05 before the close of probation 12:07 and then the number of the martyrs will be complete. 12:11 So what I want us to realize is that this period 12:15 of tribulation has two stages. 12:19 The first stage is during the 1260 years, 12:22 the second stage is in the future 12:24 after the deadly wound is healed. 12:27 The first stage are those martyrs 12:28 that were slain during the 1260 years. 12:31 The second stage is when God's people will be slain 12:34 if they do not receive the mark of the beast. 12:37 The first stage is where the beast rules for 42 months. 12:41 The second stage is where its deadly wound is healed 12:44 and it will persecute again. 12:47 So the abomination of desolation 12:49 has a past application and a future application. 12:52 The past application is when the little horn 12:54 thought he could change God's law. 12:56 The future application is when the same power 12:59 imposes the day of worship, the false day of worship 13:03 which is Sunday upon the world. 13:06 Not only does the abomination of desolation 13:08 have a twofold application, but the tribulation as well. 13:12 During the 42 months, this beast or this little horn 13:15 persecuted God's people. 13:16 In the future it is once again 13:18 going to persecute God's people. 13:20 In the past during the Middle Ages, 13:23 God's people had to flee. 13:24 In the end time, 13:25 God's people are going to have to flee. 13:28 In both cases we find signs in the heavens 13:32 that marked the end of the great tribulation. 13:35 You know, there were signs in the heaven we're going to notice 13:38 when the 1260 years were coming to an end. 13:42 But the Bible tells us that in connection 13:44 with the second coming of Jesus, 13:45 there will be great signs in the heavens 13:48 announcing the coming of Jesus, 13:51 signs in the sun, the moon and the stars. 13:54 Are you understating what I'm saying? 13:56 Now allow me to read you 13:57 a couple of very interesting statements 14:01 that we find in the Spirit of Prophecy 14:04 in the writings of the Ellen White, 14:05 where it shows that she understood, 14:08 she caught this idea of two stages 14:11 to the great tribulation. 14:13 The first is in Desire of Ages page 631. 14:17 This is the past stage, she says, 14:20 "For more than a thousand years 14:23 such persecution as the world had never before known 14:27 was to come upon Christ's followers. 14:31 Millions upon millions 14:33 of His faithful witnesses were to be slain. 14:37 Had not God's hand been stretched out 14:40 to preserve His people, all would have perished. 14:44 "But for the elect's sake," He said, 14:46 "those days shall be shortened." 14:50 So she is talking about the first stage. 14:51 By the way we can't refer to this 14:54 as two separate tribulations. 14:56 They are two tribulations, they are actually 14:59 two tribulations in one, because the future one 15:03 is a continuation of the past one 15:05 with a short interruption in between. 15:08 Are you understanding, what I'm saying? 15:09 During the time that the deadly wound is in force. 15:13 Now notice what she says 15:14 about the future application of this period of tribulation. 15:19 Review and Herald, November 22, 1892. 15:24 She says, "We are to realize that the judgments of God 15:28 are about to fall upon the earth, 15:31 and we should most earnestly present before the people 15:35 the warning that the Lord has commissioned us to give..." 15:39 And then notice the quotation. 15:41 "For then shall be great tribulation 15:44 such as was not since the beginning of the world 15:48 to this time, no, nor ever shall be." 15:51 Now some people say, but Pastor Bohr, 15:54 it says in Matthew Chapter 24 15:56 that this is such a terrible tribulation 15:58 that it has never been seen 16:00 and it never will be seen again. 16:02 So how can you say that this tribulation 16:05 during the 1260 years was the worst 16:08 and then say that the future tribulation 16:10 is also gonna be the worst? 16:12 The fact is that the persecution and the tribulation 16:16 during the Middle Ages 16:17 was the worst with regards to length. 16:21 Where as the tribulation at the end of time 16:24 is gonna be the worst with respect to intensity. 16:28 So there are two emphases in other words. 16:31 The tribulation during the Middle Ages was the longest, 16:34 it lasted over a 1000 years in length. 16:37 But the end time tribulation is going to be more intense 16:42 such as the world has never seen. 16:45 Now I want you to notice Matthew 24:22. 16:51 We just mentioned verse 21, let's read verse 22. 16:55 It says, "And unless those days were shortened, 16:59 no flesh would be" What? 17:01 "No flesh would be saved, 17:03 but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened." 17:11 Who are the elect? 17:13 You know, you read the books that have been written 17:15 on Bible prophecy today that you'll find in bookstores. 17:19 They'll tell you that the elect are the Jews. 17:23 They will remain on planet earth 17:25 after the church has been raptured to heaven. 17:29 But unfortunately or fortunately rather, 17:32 that explanation does not square with scripture. 17:37 Do you know for example that this word elect 17:39 is the same word that is translated 17:41 in the New Testament chosen? 17:45 In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says, "You are a chosen generation." 17:53 It's interesting to notice also that in Romans Chapter 8, 17:57 it says that the elect are those that have been justified, 18:01 those that have been sanctified. 18:03 In other words, the elect are those who have received 18:06 Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 18:10 Now let me ask you. 18:12 Are God's elect going to go 18:16 through the end time tribulation? 18:18 Obviously, because it says here 18:21 that unless these days were shorted, 18:25 not one person would remain alive 18:27 but they're going to be shortened because of whom? 18:30 The elect, if the elect aren't going to go through this period, 18:33 why would God need to shorten these days? 18:37 You know, who wants us to think 18:38 that we're not going to go through the tribulation? 18:41 It's the devil, because the devil knows 18:44 that we're going to need a special faith 18:46 to get through the tribulation. 18:48 It's going to be a faith that needs to be strong 18:53 in the face of opposition, in the face of hunger, 18:56 in the face of loss of liberty, 18:58 in the face of even the risk of losing our lives, 19:02 the devil knows that. 19:04 And so the devil tells Christians, hey, 19:06 you're not going to be on planet earth during the tribulation. 19:09 You're going to be enjoying the glories of heaven 19:12 and the Jews on earth are the ones 19:14 that are going to go through the tribulation. 19:17 In fact, do you know that most of those 19:19 who expound upon Bible prophecy today, 19:22 say that Revelation 4 through Revelation Chapter 20 19:26 will be fulfilled after the church 19:28 has been raptured to heaven, 19:30 and it is going to take place with the Jews. 19:33 If that is the case, folks, 19:35 we might as well pack up our bags 19:38 and cease being Seventh-day Adventist, 19:40 because we say that the reason we exist 19:42 is to proclaim the Three Angels' Messages. 19:45 But if those messages are going to be proclaimed 19:47 after the church has been ruptured to heaven, 19:49 why bother to proclaim them, 19:51 if they apply to the Jews after the church is gone? 19:55 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 19:57 In other words this text makes it very clear 20:00 that God's people are going to go through the tribulation. 20:05 But God will protect them in the midst of the tribulation. 20:08 In fact like in the destruction of Jerusalem, 20:11 those who obeyed and fled and who were Sabbath keepers, 20:15 not one of them perished. 20:17 In the same way, those who go through 20:19 the tribulation, not one will perish. 20:23 By the way, is it possible to go through tribulation 20:25 and for God to protect you in the midst of tribulation? 20:28 Of course. Wasn't Israel and Egypt during the plagues? 20:31 Of course they were. 20:33 Didn't the three young men go through the fiery furnace 20:35 and they were protected? 20:37 Sure. How about Daniel in the lion's den? 20:39 Was he protected by the power of God? 20:41 So why can't God protect His people 20:43 that are going through tribulation? 20:45 He can do it, in fact He's going to do it. 20:47 And He's going to shortened those days 20:49 because if He didn't 20:51 there would be absolutely no flesh left alive. 20:56 Now allow me to read you a very interesting statement 20:59 that we find in Great Controversy page 631, 21:03 where Ellen White draws upon 21:05 much of the language of Matthew Chapter 24. 21:08 You know it says there that-- that when the-- 21:12 you know when you see the abomination of desolation 21:14 you should flee to the mountains 21:15 and vow to those who were with child in those days 21:18 and pray that your flight not be on the Sabbath and so on. 21:21 Notice Ellen White's comment on this in the chapter 21:24 on the time of trouble in the Great Controversy. 21:26 She says, "Yet for the elect's sake 21:31 the time of trouble will be shortened..." 21:33 So we know what she's referring to. 21:36 She says, "The heavenly sentinels, 21:38 faithful to their trust, continue their watch. 21:42 Though a general decree has fixed the time 21:46 when commandment keepers may be put to death, 21:49 their enemies will in some cases anticipate the decree, 21:53 and before the time specified, 21:56 will endeavor to take their lives. 21:59 But none can pass the mighty guardians 22:02 stationed about every faithful soul. 22:06 Some" notice this "Some are assailed 22:10 in their flight from the cities and villages." 22:13 Does Matthew Chapter 24, speak about God's people 22:16 fleeing from the city into the country? 22:19 Absolutely. "Some are assailed in their flight 22:22 from the cities and villages, but the swords raised 22:26 against them break and fall powerless as straw. 22:31 Others are defended by angels in the form of men of war." 22:38 So are we supposed to fear the tribulation? 22:40 Are we supposed to shake in our shoes because oh, 22:43 we're going to go through this terrible tribulation? 22:45 No, because God says, 22:48 though you walk in the shadow of the valley of death 22:51 you shall fear what? No evil. 22:54 A 1000 will fall to one side, 10,000 to the other side, 22:58 but no plague will come and touch your dwelling. 23:02 In other words, God's people will go through the tribulation. 23:05 God will shorten that period, 23:07 but God's people will be protected by mighty angels 23:12 who will not allow the wicked to touch His people. 23:16 And then in Matthew 24, we have the counterfeit 23:21 second coming of Jesus. 23:23 Go with me to Matthew Chapter 24 and let's read verse 23. 23:29 Matthew 24:23, then by the word-- 23:33 the word then indicates that this is taking place 23:36 after the close of probation. 23:37 Do you see the sequence? 23:39 Preaching of the gospel, abomination of desolation, 23:42 the two groups are divided, 23:44 the great tribulation, and then it says, 23:46 then comes this falsification of the second coming. 23:51 So the counterfeiting of the second coming 23:53 is going to take place after the close of probation. 23:55 And people always ask, they say, Pastor Bohr, 23:58 if the tribulation is after probation closes 24:02 and the devil counterfeits the second coming of Jesus 24:05 after the close of probations, why would He do it? 24:08 All of God's people are saved 24:10 and all of the wicked are already lost. 24:13 So the devil knows that if he counterfeits the second coming, 24:16 he's not going to be able to fool God's people. 24:18 Well, the fact is, folks, that the devil is the devil. 24:21 He knows that God says, 24:23 that God's people will not be deceived. 24:26 But ever since he sinned, he harbors this thought 24:30 that perhaps once, some moment, 24:33 I can counteract what God says in His word. 24:36 By the way the same thing is going to happen 24:38 after the millennium. 24:39 Does the devil know that 24:41 it's written in Revelation Chapter 20, 24:42 that he's going to prepare to attack the city? 24:44 That the wicked are going to turn against him 24:46 before they go against the city? 24:48 The devil knows all of that. 24:49 So why waste this time, 24:52 gathering the wicked around the city to attack the city? 24:55 Because the devil is the devil. 24:57 Because the devil's never gonna give up without a fight. 25:01 He thinks that at some point, 25:02 he can counteract the word of God. 25:05 He says, maybe this one time, I can go against God's word 25:08 and I can prevail, although by his track record 25:13 it becomes very clear that he's not going to be able to do it. 25:17 Now notice here, then if anyone says to you, 25:22 look, here is the Christ or there, do not what? 25:26 Do not believe it. 25:30 Now you'll notice that this is a general statement 25:33 then if anyone says to you, 25:35 look here is the Christ or there, do not believe it. 25:38 Let's go to Matthew 24:24, the very next verse. 25:43 "For false christs and false prophets will rise" 25:46 Notice Christ in plural did you catch that? 25:49 False Christ in plural and false prophets will rise 25:53 and what will they do? 25:55 "They will show great signs and wonders to deceive, 25:58 if possible," Whom? "The elect." 26:01 Who is the target of the devil? The elect. 26:03 By the way is the group of the elect 26:05 already clearly defined at this point? 26:08 Obviously, yes. Has the sealing taken place? 26:11 Those who have fled, are they Sabbath keepers 26:14 according to Matthew Chapter 24 and the Book of Revelation? 26:17 Absolutely. Are God's people fleeing 26:20 because their lives are in danger? Yes. 26:22 Will they be protected by God? Certainly. 26:25 What is the devil gonna do as a last resort? 26:28 He's going to counterfeit the second coming of Jesus. 26:31 Notice what he continue saying. 26:33 For false christs and false prophets will rise 26:35 and show great signs and wonders to deceive, 26:37 if possible, even the elect. 26:39 And now I want you notice from false christs, 26:42 plural, suddenly the false christs becomes an individual. 26:48 Notice what we find in verse 26. 26:52 "Therefore if they say to you," What? 26:56 "Look, he" Singular. 27:01 There's gonna be false Christ 27:02 but this is the counterfeiting of Christ 27:05 coming by one individual. 27:08 It says, "Therefore if they say to you, 27:10 'Look, He is in the desert!' 27:12 do not go out, or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' 27:16 do not believe it." 27:18 In other words verse 26 makes it very clear 27:21 that there will be one particular individual 27:24 who will claim to be Christ 27:27 with the intention of deceiving God's elect. 27:31 Now it's interesting to find in scripture 27:35 that this counterfeit second coming 27:38 is not going to deceive God's people 27:40 and it's not going to deceive God's people, 27:42 because the Bible makes it very, very clear in multiple places 27:46 that when Jesus returns the second time, 27:48 He's not going to touch this earth. 27:51 Allow me to share quickly some of those verses with you. 27:55 Notice 1 Thessalonians 4:17, I'm not going to read them, 27:58 probably you know these verses. 28:01 It says, the Lord Himself will descend 28:02 from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, 28:04 with the trumpet of God, 28:06 the dead in Christ will rise first, 28:07 then we who are alive and remain shall be what? 28:10 Shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds 28:13 to meet the Lord, where? 28:15 To meet the Lord in the air. 28:16 If you're going to meet him in the air, 28:18 He did not come all the way down. 28:20 Matthew 24:30 says that Jesus 28:23 will send His angels to gather His elect. 28:28 Notice that He is in the air 28:29 and He's sending His angels to gather His elect. 28:34 In 2 Thessalonians 2:1, the Apostle Paul speaking 28:38 about the second coming 28:39 and He speaks about our gathering to Him, 28:42 not His gathering to us, but our gathering to Him. 28:47 And of course, you know, John 14:3, where Jesus said, 28:50 "In my Father's house are many mansions, 28:53 if it were not so, I would have told you. 28:55 I go to prepare a place for you. 28:57 And if I go to prepare a place for you, 28:59 I will come again, and stay with you forever." 29:03 That's not what He says, I will come again and what? 29:07 And receive you to myself 29:09 that where I am there you maybe also. 29:12 Jesus promised Peter, He says, 29:14 "Where I'm going you can't follow me now 29:16 but you'll follow me later. 29:18 "He says, I'm going to my Father's house." 29:21 So is Jesus promising His people 29:24 that He's gonna take them to heaven? Yes. 29:27 By the way, do you know why the Protestant churches 29:30 invented the theory of the rapture? 29:35 You see, Jesus made two promises. 29:38 He promised first of all that He was gonna take His people 29:40 to His Father's house, that's heaven. 29:43 But He made another promise 29:45 that the meek shall inherit the earth. 29:47 So Jesus had to fulfill two promises. 29:50 He had to fulfill first of all the promise 29:52 to take His people to heaven 29:53 and secondly the promise to give them 29:56 the earth as the inheritance. 29:58 So those who teach a rapture they say, 29:59 now how could Jesus fulfill both of those promises. 30:03 Well, the only way is, if Jesus comes back 30:06 seven years before His glorious coming 30:09 and He takes His people to heaven for seven years, 30:11 the church to heaven for seven years, 30:13 that fulfills promise number one. 30:15 And then seven years later, He comes in His glorious coming, 30:18 He sets up His kingdom here 30:20 and there He fulfills His second promise. 30:23 But as Adventist we believe that both of those promises 30:26 can be fulfilled in a different way. 30:28 We believe that there's only one second coming of Jesus, 30:31 His glorious coming on the clouds of heaven. 30:33 At that time Jesus will fulfill His first promise 30:37 by taking His people to heaven for a 1000 years. 30:41 And then after the 1000 years, 30:43 He will come back and then the meek will inherit the earth. 30:46 In another words, it is not necessary 30:48 to have a pre-tribulation rapture for Jesus 30:51 to fulfill both of those promises. 30:54 The key is, that the millennium 30:57 will be the period of God's people where 30:59 the period of God's people in heaven. 31:03 By the way did you know that according to 2 Thessalonians 2, 31:08 there is going to be a counterfeiting 31:10 of the second coming of Jesus? 31:12 You know, one of the words that is used to describe 31:14 the second coming is the word parousia 31:19 that's translated coming. 31:22 Do you know that in 2 Thessalonians 2:2 and 3, 31:29 it speaks about the fact that Jesus will not come parousia 31:34 until the man of sin is revealed, 31:36 the son of perdition who sits in the temple of God. 31:40 In other words Jesus will not come, 31:42 His parousia will not take place. 31:44 But later on in the chapter you find the antichrist, 31:50 who according to 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2 also has a parousia, 31:55 the word is used for him also. 31:57 It says, whose coming, it with signs and wonders 32:02 and all kind of lying miracles. 32:05 In other words, before Jesus comes, 32:08 there is going to be a false parousia 32:11 or a false coming of Satan, 32:15 counterfeiting the second coming of Jesus. 32:18 By the way, do you know that most of the Christian world 32:20 is going to receive Satan as Christ? 32:25 Do you know why? 32:26 Because they're expecting when Jesus comes gloriously 32:29 they're expecting--expecting Him to set up His kingdom here. 32:33 So when Satan walks upon the earth 32:35 and he does miracles 32:37 and he speaks some of the beautiful words 32:39 that Jesus spoke, they're gonna say, 32:41 oh, this is the Christ, 32:42 because they're expecting Christ to come to the earth. 32:45 But God's people will not be deceived, 32:47 because we know that when Jesus comes, 32:49 He is not coming all the way to the earth. 32:51 So is it important for us to know 32:53 where we're going to spend the millennium? 32:55 Of course it's vitally important. 32:57 Is it important for us to realize 33:00 that there's not going to be a pre-tribulation rapture? 33:03 It's a matter of life and death. 33:05 Now allow me to read you, Ellen White's vivid description 33:08 of the counterfeit second coming of Jesus by Satan. 33:13 This is found in the book the Great Controversy, 33:16 pages let me see if I can find it here page 625, 33:22 "As the crowning act in the great drama of deception, 33:26 Satan himself will personate Christ." 33:32 In other words, he'll present himself as Christ. 33:36 "The church has long professed to look to the Savior's advent 33:40 as the consummation of her hopes. 33:42 Now the great deceiver will make it appear 33:45 that Christ has come. 33:47 In different parts of the earth, 33:49 Satan will manifest himself among men 33:52 as a majestic being of dazzling brightness." 33:55 By the way she's commenting on 2 Thessalonians 2. 33:59 She says, "Satan will manifest himself among men 34:02 as a majestic being of dazzling brightness, 34:04 resembling the description of the Son of God 34:06 given by John in Revelation." 34:09 Listen to this, "The glory that surrounds him 34:13 is unsurpassed by anything that mortal eyes have yet beheld. 34:19 The shout of triumph rings out upon the air. 34:22 "Christ has come! Christ has come!" 34:25 The people prostrate themselves in adoration before him, 34:29 while he lifts up his hands 34:31 and pronounces a blessing upon them, 34:33 as Christ blessed His disciples when He was upon the earth. 34:38 His voice is soft and subdued, yet full of melody." 34:44 See the devil can talk full of melody too. 34:48 "In gentle, compassionate tones 34:52 he presents some of the same gracious, 34:55 heavenly truths which the Savior uttered." 34:58 Is he gonna speak truth? He most certainly is. 35:01 Some of them, he heals the diseases of the people. 35:06 By the way 2 Thessalonians 2 says, 35:08 that this antichrist will perform signs 35:12 and wonders and miracles. 35:16 She continues saying, "He heals the diseases of the people, 35:19 and then, in his assumed character of Christ, 35:24 he claims to have changed the Sabbath to Sunday, 35:28 and commands all to hallow the day which he has blessed. 35:33 He declares that those who persist 35:34 in keeping holy the seventh day 35:36 are blaspheming his name by refusing to listen to his angels 35:41 sent to them with light and truth. 35:44 And then she says this. 35:46 "This is the strong, almost overmastering delusion." 35:53 Almost overmastering delusion. 35:55 By the way that expression, 35:58 God will send them strong delusion comes from where, 36:01 2 Thessalonians Chapter 2. 36:03 We need to study that chapter because it describes 36:06 how the devil is going to counterfeit 36:08 the second coming of Jesus? 36:10 Now how are God's people going to be protected 36:13 from this almost overmastering delusion? 36:17 Allow me to continue reading the statement 36:20 and I'll give you the answer 36:21 and then I'll read the rest of the statement. 36:23 Two things, number one, 36:26 Satan will not be allowed to counterfeit 36:29 the manner of Christ's coming, 36:32 the way in which He comes, according to the Bible. 36:35 And secondly, the content of his teachings will unmask him, 36:43 the manner of his coming and the content of his teachings. 36:46 Now look for this in the last part of this statement. 36:49 She says, "But the people of God will not be misled." 36:54 The teachings, notice this. 36:56 "The teachings of this false Christ 36:58 are not in accordance with the Scriptures. 37:02 His blessing is pronounced upon the worshipers of the beast 37:07 and his image, the very class 37:09 upon whom the Bible declares 37:11 that God's unmingled wrath shall be poured out. 37:15 In other words, he blesses those upon whom-- 37:18 upon whom the wrath of God is going to be poured out. 37:22 Then she says, "And, furthermore, 37:25 Satan is not permitted to counterfeit 37:28 the manner of Christ's advent. 37:32 The Savior has warned His people 37:34 against deception upon this point, 37:36 and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. 37:40 'There shall arise false Christ, and false prophets, 37:43 and shall show great signs and wonders, 37:45 insomuch that, if it were possible, 37:47 they shall deceive the very elect. 37:50 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, 37:53 Behold, He is in the desert." 37:54 Notice what she's quoting here 37:56 as she's spoken about this counterfeit second coming. 38:00 Here's it's again, "The Savior has warned His people 38:03 against deception upon this point, 38:05 and has clearly foretold the manner of His second coming. 38:08 'There shall arise false christs, and false prophets, 38:11 and shall show great signs and wonders, 38:13 insomuch that, if it were possible, 38:15 they shall deceive the very elect. 38:17 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, 38:19 Behold, He is in the desert, go not forth, 38:22 behold, He is in the secret chambers, believe it not. 38:25 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, 38:28 and shineth even unto the west, 38:30 so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38:35 And then she concludes by saying this. 38:37 "This coming there is no possibility of counterfeiting. 38:43 It will be universally known-- witnessed by the whole world." 38:50 So what are the two ways in which God's people 38:52 are gonna protect themselves 38:54 from this almost overmastering delusion. 38:57 Number one, 38:59 because of the content of the teachings of this false Christ. 39:04 He's gonna teach that Sunday is the day of rest, 39:06 when the Bible says that it's the Sabbath. 39:10 And secondly, he's gonna be walking 39:12 upon the earth as a glorious beam. 39:15 He is not gonna be able to counterfeit the coming of Jesus 39:17 on the clouds to planet earth in power and great glory. 39:21 But folks, we say, oh, this will be easy piece of cake, 39:26 don't you think so. 39:27 The devil can counterfeit things perfectly, 39:31 believe it or not, the voice of Jesus. 39:33 He's heard the voice of Jesus many times. 39:36 He heard it in heaven, 39:37 he heard it while Jesus was on earth. 39:39 He is able to counterfeit the description of Jesus 39:43 of the second coming in scripture. 39:45 And if we go by our eyes, and by our ears, 39:48 and by our feelings, and emotions, 39:50 and experiences, we will be deceived in an instant. 39:54 We must check everything by what the word of God says. 39:59 And then I want you to notice Matthew 24:28, 40:03 this is a very interesting verse. 40:04 You remember the eagles, 40:06 that were the sign of the destruction, the abomination 40:09 that was going to lead to desolation and destruction. 40:11 Notice Matthew 24:28 "For wherever the carcass is, 40:16 there the what, there the eagles will be gathered together." 40:22 And we've already studied about the eagle, 40:24 the eagle of ancient Rome, 40:27 the eagle which was adopted 40:29 by the United States of America as a symbol. 40:32 The golden wreath around the eagle 40:34 representing the sun god Mithra, 40:36 and what we find on the great seal of the United States, 40:40 the eagle with its face turned towards the right, 40:45 arrows in its talons and a sunburst above its head. 40:50 By the way, during the Middle Ages, 40:52 you also see this great abomination of the sun God. 40:56 You know, you look in Roman Catholic cathedrals, 41:00 you look for example in St. Peter's Basilica 41:02 or in the Vatican Museum. 41:05 It is incredible, the number of illustrations, 41:10 the number of pictures, 41:12 the number of artifacts that contain sunbursts. 41:17 Once when you enter St. Peters Basilica 41:19 the first thing that catch-- at least the first thing 41:21 that caught my eye is that huge sunburst 41:25 at the front of St. Peter's Basilica. 41:28 In other words the sun is everywhere 41:31 and of course the Roman Catholic Church claims 41:34 that they have changed the day of worship 41:35 from God's Sabbath to the day of the sun. 41:39 Protestants have adopted this. 41:42 And Bible prophecy says that, believe or not 41:44 in the United States of America 41:46 this nation represented by the eagle, 41:49 that day of the sun will be enforced 41:52 and those who do not receive this 41:56 will not be able to buy or sell 41:58 and eventually a death decree will be uttered against them. 42:02 And probably some of those 42:04 who are watching are saying Pastor Bohr, 42:05 this is preposterous, 42:07 it could never happen in these United States. 42:09 Well, we've studied that once before it almost happened. 42:14 And we also had wonderful lecture 42:16 where I read quotations about what the religious right 42:19 in the United States is saying 42:22 about the union between Protestants and Catholics, 42:25 about the separation of church and state, 42:28 about the importance of Sunday for them as a day of rest. 42:32 We've noticed not only that this is possible, 42:35 but it's happening before our eyes. 42:37 And once before in the 1880s 42:39 it took place in the United States, 42:42 there was a Sunday law that was proposed 42:44 that was almost passed. 42:46 And so before we say that 42:47 this is a preposterous interpretation, 42:50 perhaps we should go back to scripture 42:52 and study scripture more carefully. 42:54 Now let's read verses 29 to 31 of Matthew 24, 43:00 it says there in verse 29, 43:02 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days." 43:06 Remember that I've said that, 43:08 the signs in the heavens have how many fulfillments? 43:12 They have a preliminary fulfillment 43:14 when the first period of tribulation is coming to an end. 43:17 And they will have another greater fulfillment 43:19 on a worldwide scale announcing the second coming of Jesus 43:24 at the end of the second stage of the tribulation. 43:27 Now let's read this passage, 43:28 "Immediately after the tribulation of those days 43:31 the sun will be darkened, 43:33 and the moon will not give its light, 43:35 the stars will fall from heaven, 43:37 and the powers of the heavens will be shaken." 43:42 These are signs that announced that Jesus is about to come, 43:46 signs in the sun, in the moon and in the stars. 43:51 And then notice verse 30 43:52 "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, 43:56 and that all the tribes of the earth will mourn, 43:58 and they will see the Son of Man 44:00 coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 44:04 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, 44:08 and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, 44:11 from one end of the earth even on to the other." 44:15 I want to underline folks, that the papacy has two stages. 44:20 Therefore the tribulation through which God's people 44:24 go has two stages. 44:27 The signs in the heavens also have two stages 44:31 indicating that the tribulation is coming to an end 44:34 and the coming of Jesus is near. 44:38 Now as Adventist we've always said that 44:41 there were signs that took place towards the end 44:44 of the 1260 years which fulfilled Bible prophecy. 44:49 We have for example the Great Lisbon Earthquake in 1755. 44:54 We have also the Dark Day in 1780. 44:58 Actually, the day got dark and that night 45:01 the moon look like it was what? Blood. 45:05 And then in 1833, 45:07 we have the falling of the stars from heaven. 45:10 Now interestingly enough, 45:11 if you look at the order of the signs 45:14 as they're given in Revelation 6:12-13, 45:17 you'll notice that there the signs are 45:19 in the identical order as when they took place chronologically 45:23 at the end of the first period of the tribulation. 45:28 You have first of all, a great earthquake. 45:31 It says there in Revelation 6:12. 45:34 Then it says that the sun would not give its light, 45:38 then it says that the moon would be turned 45:41 into blood or would look like blood, 45:44 and the stars would fall from heaven. 45:46 That is the exact chronological sequence 45:49 of what happened in 1755, 1780, and 1833, 45:55 exactly chronologically the way we find it in scripture. 46:00 So were there signs in the sun, the moon, 46:03 and the stars marking the end of the period of tribulation? 46:07 Absolutely, but let me ask you, 46:09 when God's people are being persecuted 46:12 in the end time tribulation, when this beast system, 46:17 when this little horn resurrects to power again, 46:20 are there going to be signs in the heavens 46:22 that announce the second coming of Jesus 46:25 in power and glory and the end 46:28 of the captivity of God's people. Absolutely. 46:32 Now, you'll notice that in Revelation 6:12-13, 46:39 it says, "That the moon would be turned 46:42 into blood and the stars would fall from heaven." 46:46 But you'll notice it in Matthew 24, 46:49 we're told that "The sun would not give its light." 46:54 It says, "That the moon would got not give its light 46:58 and the stars of heaven would not give their light." 47:01 In other words, they would be darkened. 47:03 The signs are a little bit different. 47:05 The signs of Revelation 6:12-13 are the preliminary signs. 47:11 The darkening of the sun, the great earthquake, 47:14 the moon looking like blood, 47:16 and the falling of the stars from heaven. 47:18 In Matthew 24, the emphasis is upon the end time signs 47:22 because they're a little bit different. 47:24 There is the darkening of the sun, 47:26 there is the darkening of the moon, 47:28 and there is also the stars not giving their light. 47:32 The stars, in other words, disappearing from the firmament, 47:35 disappearing from the sky. 47:38 It says there in Matthew 24, 47:40 that the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 47:44 What are the powers of the heavens? 47:47 The powers of the heavens-- 47:50 What did God create to rule the day? 47:53 See, the rule is the word that's used in Genesis 1:16. 47:56 The sun rules the day. What rules the night? 48:00 The night is ruled by the moon. 48:02 So the powers of heaven that that are moved 48:06 or that don't give their light are what? 48:09 The sun, the moon, and the stars. 48:13 Interestingly enough, Ellen White explains that 48:15 in Early Writings, page 41, 48:18 that when God utters His voice, delivering His people. 48:22 When he says, "It is done. The tribulation is finished." 48:27 She says there that it-- that God's voice is so powerful, 48:30 you know, the voice of Enrico Caruso 48:32 could break glasses. 48:35 And we says, "Wow! What a voice?" 48:38 That the vibrations could actually breaks glasses. 48:42 Well, I'll tell you, folks. 48:44 The voice of God is gonna be so powerful 48:46 according to Early Writings, page 41, 48:49 she says, "The sun, the moon, 48:51 and the stars will be moved out of their places." 48:56 That's the reason why during the millennium 48:58 the planet is in darkness, because the sun has been 49:02 moved out of its place. 49:04 The moon has been moved out of its place. 49:07 The stars no longer shine upon planet earth, 49:11 because at the voice of God, 49:12 when God's people are delivered 49:14 at the end of the second stage of the tribulation. 49:17 The voice of God is so powerful that the powers 49:20 of the heavens are moved out of their places. 49:24 And that's the reason why when God makes a new heavens 49:26 and a new earth, He is going to once again place the sun, 49:31 the moon, and the stars in a place 49:35 where they will benefit planet earth. 49:38 Finally, I would like to deal with one point 49:41 before we draw this to an end. 49:44 It says "That the sign of the Son of man 49:47 will be seen in heaven." 49:50 And He will send His angels, 49:53 and His angels will go to the four winds 49:56 and they will gather His elect from the four winds." 50:00 Not only those who are alive and remain, 50:03 but those who died in Christ will be raised up. 50:07 The angels will be sent to gather God's people. 50:11 Those who died in Christ and those who are 50:13 alive and remain will be gathered together 50:16 by the holy angels to be taken up to meet 50:19 the Lord Jesus in the air. 50:21 Now allow me to talk about that sign of the second coming. 50:25 You know, what the sign is? I'll just be very brief. 50:28 All we have to do is go back to the story of Elijah. 50:31 You know, after Elijah went through his experience 50:34 with the three fold union, you know, 50:36 with Ahab and Jezebel and the false prophets of Baal. 50:39 By the way, that whole story symbolizes 50:41 what's gonna be happen in the end time. 50:44 After Elijah went through this experience, 50:45 that was a death decree given against him. 50:47 He fled to the wilderness. 50:49 He went through a period of tribulation. 50:50 God fed him while he was in the wilderness and so on. 50:53 Immediately after that, the Bible says 50:56 that he saw in heaven, a little what? 51:01 A little cloud. 51:04 He goes and looks, actually he goes and looks six times. 51:08 When he goes and he looks the seventh time, 51:12 he sees a little cloud about the size of a man's fist. 51:17 Do you know what that was? 51:20 That was the chariot that was coming from heaven 51:26 to pick up Elijah. 51:30 Interesting. The story is told in 2nd Kings 2. 51:36 You know, Elijah and Elisha crossed the Jordan River. 51:40 Elijah had seen the sign. 51:41 It was the sign that announced 51:43 that the chariot was coming and he was gonna be picked up 51:46 by the Lord to be taken to heaven to glory. 51:50 And then of course, we know what happened 51:51 when they crossed the Jordan. 51:53 The Bible says there in--in 2nd Kings 2, 51:58 that a glorious chariot descended from heaven. 52:00 Do you know what the chariot of God is? 52:02 The Bible says that, 52:04 "The chariots of God are His glorious angels." 52:09 And so the glorious angels who--who drive this chariot, 52:13 they're the wheels that drive the chariot, 52:16 according to Ezekiel 1 will come. 52:20 They will pick up God's elect and put them in the chariot 52:24 and then they will take it-- 52:25 be taken to Christ's heavenly kingdom to dwell with Him 52:29 for a period of a 1,000 years. 52:31 By the way, this is the scene that inspired 52:35 that famous Negro spiritual, 52:38 "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Comin' for to what? 52:45 Comin' for to carry me home." 52:47 You know, that song was composed 52:49 in the midst of great tribulation 52:51 and great persecution by the African-Americans 52:54 in United States, when they were going through 52:56 a period of terrible slavery, these songs were composed, 53:00 that were the song of their experience and their-- 53:03 their desire, their intense desire 53:06 for the suffering to come to an end and for Jesus 53:09 to return for the chariot to come to take His people home. 53:15 Well, the time is coming when God's people 53:17 are going to be enslaved upon planet earth. 53:21 Once again, jailed, forbidden from buying and selling, 53:26 under the sentence of death. 53:28 And then God's people will be able probably to compose songs 53:33 during that period or perhaps even sing this song, 53:37 because now it will be the song 53:38 of the experience of all of God's people. 53:41 "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. Comin' for to carry me home." 53:47 This is the glorious hope of the church, folks. 53:50 This is the reason for our existence. 53:53 Unfortunately, we have been distracted from our hope. 53:57 We have been distracted from our roots. 54:00 We have been distracted from our message. 54:02 We have been distracted from our mission 54:05 and we have been distracted from our hope. 54:08 We're so caught up in this world. 54:10 We're so caught up in our things, in our toys, 54:13 in our houses, in our money, in our automobiles, 54:18 in so many things that are gonna be destroyed 54:21 when Jesus comes. 54:22 None of these counts, none of these matters. 54:25 What shall it profit a man, 54:28 if he gains the whole world and loses his soul. 54:33 Folks, there is a very important preparation 54:35 that needs to take place before the coming of Jesus. 54:40 God's people, if we should be alive will go 54:43 through this great tribulation, 54:45 the most intense spirit of persecution 54:47 in the history of the world. 54:49 There will only be two groups on planet earth. 54:52 Those who keep God's holy Sabbath and those 54:56 who keep the first day of the week. 54:59 Both of those will be signs, 55:01 either of obedience or of disobedience. 55:04 Those who flee will not flee in the winter 55:09 or on the Sabbath, 55:10 because the Sabbath is the day of rest. 55:12 All the rest will remain where they are. 55:17 And when they see the abomination of desolation, 55:20 it will be too late, 55:21 because they have not escaped from the general ruin 55:25 which is about to come. 55:28 And so God calls upon us to prepare 55:30 a character fit for eternity. 55:34 A character that will withstand everything 55:38 and anything that will come. 55:41 You know, that's not going to come automatically, 55:43 it's not gonna be easy, it's gonna be difficult. 55:46 But Jesus promises to walk with us all the way. 55:50 It reminds me of the three young men 55:52 who were thrown into the fiery furnace. 55:54 You know, the firmness of their character 55:57 was not formed in that crises, it was exhibited in that crises. 56:03 They had their minds made up beforehand. 56:06 They had a close relationship with Jesus beforehand, 56:09 before going through that tribulation, 56:11 the period of the-- 56:13 of the furnace heated harder than ever before, 56:16 just like the final tribulation will be 56:18 the worst in history, in intensity. 56:20 And when they appeared before Nebuchadnezzar, 56:22 who raised this--this image in honor of himself, the beast, 56:27 and commanded everyone to worship on pain of death. 56:30 The young man said, "We will not. 56:32 We worship the true God. 56:34 And the God whom we serve is able to deliver us, 56:37 but if He doesn't, we still are His servants." 56:41 That's the kind of faith that God wants us to have. 56:44 A service of love. 56:45 That even if nothing good comes, 56:48 we would still serve God because God is our Lord, 56:52 and because we love Him. 56:55 That's the kind of character that God is expecting from us 56:59 who will go through this period of tribulation. 57:02 And so we must make decisions 57:05 that will last on to eternity. 57:08 We must place our priorities in order. 57:11 We must take that which we consider primary 57:15 and put it as secondary, 57:16 and take that that we have considered secondary, 57:19 and place it as primary in our lives, 57:23 and I pray to God that, 57:25 that will be the experience of each one of us. |
Revised 2014-12-17