Shall we bow our
heads for prayer?
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Our Father and our
God, we thank you so much
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for the privilege
of being Your children.
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We thank you,
Father, for Your word
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which is a guidance
book for Your people,
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especially in these last days.
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We ask, Father,
that as we open the word
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that You've given us,
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that Your Holy Spirit
will come and teach us.
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Give us clarity of thought
and give us willing hearts
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to receive the seed of truth.
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And we thank you, Father,
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for hearing and
answering our prayer.
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For we ask it in the
precious name of Jesus. Amen.
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The title of our study today
is "As a Thief in the Night."
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And I would like to
begin by reading a passage
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that we find in the
Gospel of Matthew 24:37-39.
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Matthew 24:37-39.
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"But as the days of Noah were,
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so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be.
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For as in the
days before the flood,
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they were eating and drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage,
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until the day that
Noah entered the ark,
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and did not know
until the flood came
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and took them all away,
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so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be."
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Now there are two
things that I want us to notice
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about this passage
as we begin our study.
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Number one, in these verses,
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Jesus is
comparing two great events.
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He's comparing what
happened in the days of Noah,
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with what is going to take place
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in connection
with His second coming.
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So the first thing that I
want us to notice is that is--
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there is a parallel between
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the days of Noah
and the end time.
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The second thing that I want
us to notice about this passage
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is that there are four key
points of time in these verses.
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Four points of time.
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Now I'm gonna
mention what they are
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and then we're going
to take them one by one.
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Let's go back to
the passage again.
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"But as the days of Noah were
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so also will the
coming of Son of Man be."
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Now notice verse 38, "For as
in the days before the flood."
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That's the first point of
time, before the flood comes.
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"Before the flood they
were eating and drinking,
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marrying and
giving in marriage."
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Now comes the second point,
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"Until the day that
Noah entered the ark."
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So you have the
days before the flood,
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you have the moment
when Noah entered the ark,
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and then I want
you to notice verse 39.
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"And they did not
know until the flood came
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and took them all away."
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So there's a period during which
they did not know something
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until the flood came.
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And, of course, we know that
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that was the
period of seven days
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between the closing of the door
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and when it
actually began to rain.
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So we have four
key time periods here.
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We have the days
before the flood,
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we have the moment of
the closing of the door,
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we have the seven days
after the closing of the door,
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and then we have the water
that comes from above and below
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and fills the earth.
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Now as we begin, I would like us
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to take these
points of time one by one.
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Let's begin with the
days before the flood.
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We all know from
Genesis Chapter 6
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that God gave the pre-flood race
a period of 120 years to repent.
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Let's read that in Genesis 6:3.
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Genesis 6:3.
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It says there,
"And the Lord said,
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'My Spirit shall not
strive with man forever,
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for he is indeed flesh,
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yet his days
shall be 120 years.'"
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I want you to notice that
the Spirit of God was striving
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with those people before
the door of the ark closed,
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during those 120 years.
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Not only was the
Spirit working with them,
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but we know from
the New Testament
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that Noah was preaching
about the coming flood.
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In fact, 2 Peter 2:5 tells us
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that Noah was a
preacher of righteousness.
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And so basically,
during this period,
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you have the
people outside the ark,
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listening to the message
of Noah that a flood is coming
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and the message of Noah is
accompanied by the striving
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or by the power
of the Holy Spirit
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upon the pre-flood race.
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Now it's interesting
to notice a few things
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about the message of Noah.
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You know, it would have been
absolutely ridiculous for Noah
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to preach this message in
the society that he lived in.
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Let me explain the reason why.
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We know from the Book of
Genesis that at creation,
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the planet was
filled with water.
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In other words,
there was no dry land.
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That's what we're
told in Genesis 1:2.
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We also know that on
the second day of creation,
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according to Genesis 1:7,
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God took part of the
water that covered the earth
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and He put it above the earth
and He took part of the water
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and He placed
it under the earth.
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And, of course, the
purpose for this was
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the water above
formed kind of a canopy.
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And as a result, in the
earth you had a uniform climate.
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And the purpose of putting
the water under the earth
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was so that the
earth could be watered
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by an automatic
sprinkler system.
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It says in Genesis Chapter 2,
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that at certain
times during the day,
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a mist came up from the
earth to water the earth.
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Now at the flood, God
did not have to invent water.
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At the flood, God
simply took the water
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that He had placed above,
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and He took the water
that He had placed below,
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and He brought
the water up and down,
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and He filled the planet
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like it was before
the week of creation.
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So it's very
important to realize
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that before the
flood, there was no rain.
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The earth was watered
from below, not from above.
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And so you can imagine
Noah trying to get across
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to that pre-flood race
that a flood was going to come,
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that water was going
to fall from the heavens,
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and water was
going to come from below,
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and the planet was
going to be filled with water
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as it was before creation week.
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In fact, if I can use my
imagination just a little bit.
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I would like us to visit
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the classrooms of the
universities of the day.
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You know, if you visited classes
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of those who taught
the natural sciences,
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you would probably
hear things such as this.
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It has never rained before.
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Everything has
continued as from the beginning.
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It would be unscientific
for water to come from above.
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Nobody has ever seen
anything like that before.
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Perhaps, if you
visited the theology department
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of the
university, they would say,
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"God loves the
world too much to destroy
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the world with a flood."
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"Besides, Noah's truth
does not necessarily mean
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that it's the same
truth for everybody else
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because truth
ultimately is relative."
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I can imagine visiting
the history department.
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And the history
professor saying,
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"There is no historical record
of any flood, of any such thing.
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So why should we
expect a flood now,
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when it's never happened
in the course of history?"
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I can imagine what
it must have been like
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in the department
of behavioral sciences.
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"Noah is suffering from
an imaginary mental delusion.
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He is confusing
reality and fantasy.
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He is mentally deranged.
He needs psychiatric care."
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I can imagine what
was probably being said
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in the sociology
department of the university.
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"We must not allow
a lunatic like Noah
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to interrupt the
stable order of society.
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He has all of the
characteristics of a cult
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and we need to make sure
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that he does not
destabilize society."
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I can imagine what
must have been said
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in the philosophy department.
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"Noah is
suffering because he has
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an existential void in his life.
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And what's truth for Noah
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is not necessarily
truth for everyone else."
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Everybody was sure
that it was impossible
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for a flood to come.
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And yet Noah under the
power of the Holy Spirit
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continued preaching
that God was going to destroy
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the world by a flood.
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Now we reach the
second point of time,
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the closing of the door.
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Notice Genesis 7:16.
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Genesis 7:16. At this point
the Holy Spirit ceases to strive
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with that corrupt
Antediluvian race.
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The Holy Spirit
has finished His work.
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Noah has
concluded his preaching.
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And now the door of
mercy is going to close.
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It says there in Genesis 7:16,
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"So those that entered
male and female of all flesh
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went in as God had commanded him
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and the Lord shut him in."
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So now the human
race has been divided
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into the saved and the lost.
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The saved are inside.
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The door has been
shut and sealed by God.
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The lost are outside.
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Although, they don't
know that they're lost.
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Now let's go to
our third point of time
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which is very, very interesting.
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You've probably noticed
from the story in Genesis
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that the rain did not
begin to fall immediately
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when the door closed.
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This is very, very important
because we're going to notice
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that what happened before
the flood is going to happen
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at the close of the
history of the world.
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Jesus said this.
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So you're going to have
these same four stages of time
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they were discussing
from the Book of Genesis.
00:12:07.36\00:12:10.50
Now the third moment of time
is, actually, the seven days
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that Noah and his
family spent in the ark
00:12:15.57\00:12:18.83
before it began to rain.
00:12:18.86\00:12:21.02
Let me ask you, do you think
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that the faith of
Noah and his family
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was severely
tested during this period?
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Obviously, yes.
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Why would God
keep them in that ark
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filled with
animals for seven days?
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Why didn't He
send rain immediately?
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I believe it's because
God wanted to test their faith
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and God also
wanted to show something
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that was going to happen in
connection with the end of time.
00:12:45.28\00:12:50.74
Not only was the
faith of Noah tested,
00:12:50.77\00:12:53.86
but also undoubtedly,
every day that passed,
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those who were outside
became more and more hardened
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and more daring against
those who were in the ark.
00:13:02.25\00:13:06.65
They became more abusive
00:13:06.68\00:13:08.31
and they became
more violent outside.
00:13:08.34\00:13:11.11
And Noah and his family inside,
their faith is being tested.
00:13:11.14\00:13:17.86
Now the fourth
moment of time is mentioned
00:13:17.89\00:13:20.51
in Genesis 7:11.
00:13:20.54\00:13:22.97
That's an easy text to
remember 7:11. Genesis 7:11.
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It's the moment when
it actually began to rain.
00:13:28.38\00:13:32.71
It says there in verse 11
00:13:32.74\00:13:35.38
"In the six
hundredth year of Noah's life,
00:13:35.41\00:13:39.07
in the second month,
00:13:39.10\00:13:41.00
the seventeenth
day of the month,
00:13:41.03\00:13:43.97
on that day all the
fountains of the great deep
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were broken up and the
windows of heaven were opened."
00:13:49.13\00:13:53.30
You see, God shut water
00:13:53.33\00:13:55.75
beyond the windows
of heaven at creation
00:13:55.78\00:13:59.20
and He placed an abundance
of water under the earth.
00:13:59.23\00:14:02.64
Those were the
fountains of the great deep.
00:14:02.67\00:14:05.59
And the windows
of heaven opened.
00:14:05.62\00:14:07.73
And once again, the
planet was filled with water.
00:14:07.76\00:14:13.03
Now I want you to
notice a very interesting
00:14:13.06\00:14:15.63
little
expression that we find here
00:14:15.66\00:14:18.31
in Matthew 24:37-39.
00:14:18.34\00:14:23.19
I'm going to
read the passage again
00:14:23.22\00:14:24.99
and then I'm going to
dwell on this particular point.
00:14:25.02\00:14:28.03
It says there, "But
as the days of Noah were,
00:14:28.06\00:14:31.52
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be."
00:14:31.55\00:14:36.09
Let me ask you, what
coming is that referring to?
00:14:36.12\00:14:38.52
The coming of the Son of Man.
00:14:38.55\00:14:41.15
You know, most people,
00:14:41.18\00:14:42.55
when I ask them
that question they say,
00:14:42.58\00:14:43.95
"Well, that's referring to
the second coming of Jesus."
00:14:43.98\00:14:46.85
And what I tell them is,
00:14:46.88\00:14:48.93
that it does refer to
the second coming of Jesus,
00:14:48.96\00:14:52.00
but it refers to
two aspects having to do
00:14:52.03\00:14:55.66
with the coming of Jesus.
00:14:55.69\00:14:58.02
It has to do with the closing
of the door, a probation.
00:14:58.05\00:15:03.17
And then also has to do
with the second coming of Jesus.
00:15:03.20\00:15:08.54
In other words, the door
of probation for the world
00:15:08.57\00:15:12.14
is going to close
before Jesus actually comes.
00:15:12.17\00:15:17.35
Notice once again, "But
as the days of Noah were,
00:15:17.38\00:15:19.74
so also will the
coming of the Son of Man be."
00:15:19.77\00:15:22.33
So there's a parallel
between then and the end.
00:15:22.36\00:15:26.18
Notice this, "For as in
the days before the flood,
00:15:26.21\00:15:30.60
they were eating and drinking,
00:15:30.63\00:15:32.00
marrying and giving in marriage,
00:15:32.03\00:15:33.40
until the day that
Noah entered the ark."
00:15:33.43\00:15:34.99
Let me ask you, is
that going to be parallel
00:15:35.02\00:15:36.58
at the end of time also?
00:15:36.61\00:15:38.09
Yes, the two events
are being made parallel.
00:15:38.12\00:15:40.96
The entering of the ark,
00:15:40.99\00:15:42.36
the closing of the
door is parallel as well.
00:15:42.39\00:15:44.37
So it says, "The day
that Noah entered the ark
00:15:44.40\00:15:46.94
and did not know--"
What didn't they know?
00:15:46.97\00:15:50.07
They didn't know
that they were what?
00:15:50.10\00:15:52.04
That they were lost
until the flood came
00:15:52.07\00:15:54.64
and took them all away.
00:15:54.67\00:15:56.04
Are you seeing here that
there is a closing of the door
00:15:56.07\00:15:58.92
and all cases are
decided when the door closes?
00:15:58.95\00:16:01.86
Actually before the
rain begins to fall.
00:16:01.89\00:16:04.85
So when Jesus says,
00:16:04.88\00:16:06.25
so will the coming
of the Son of Man be,
00:16:06.28\00:16:08.37
it must mean that there's
gonna be a closing of the door
00:16:08.40\00:16:11.89
before Jesus
actually comes from heaven
00:16:11.92\00:16:15.65
and pours out from heaven
00:16:15.68\00:16:17.55
and from the earth
not water, but what?
00:16:17.58\00:16:20.38
According to 2
Peter, Not water but fire.
00:16:20.41\00:16:25.21
In actual fact, Matthew 24:37-41
00:16:25.24\00:16:31.63
are actually
illustrating Matthew 24:14
00:16:31.66\00:16:38.01
all the way to verse 36.
00:16:38.04\00:16:40.53
In other words,
what I'm saying is that
00:16:40.56\00:16:42.73
Matthew 24:14-36 is
illustrated in verses 37-39.
00:16:42.76\00:16:49.67
Now let me explain how this is
00:16:49.70\00:16:51.75
and I'll do it
as quickly as I can.
00:16:51.78\00:16:55.19
Matthew 24:14 speaks about what?
00:16:55.22\00:16:59.19
It speaks about preaching
the gospel and then what?
00:16:59.22\00:17:04.36
And then the end will come.
00:17:04.39\00:17:06.63
Let me ask you, is
that what Noah did?
00:17:06.66\00:17:09.14
Did Noah preach the gospel?
00:17:09.17\00:17:10.79
Yes, he did.
00:17:10.82\00:17:12.19
So you notice here that
we have the gospel preached
00:17:12.22\00:17:16.54
to all nations and
then the end will come.
00:17:16.57\00:17:19.15
Noah preached the
gospel and then the end came.
00:17:19.18\00:17:22.19
By the way, in
Revelation 14:6 it says that,
00:17:22.22\00:17:24.94
"Before the end comes,
00:17:24.97\00:17:26.34
the gospel will
go to every nation,
00:17:26.37\00:17:29.37
kindred, tongue, and people,
00:17:29.40\00:17:31.95
just like in the days of Noah."
00:17:31.98\00:17:34.54
Now you remember,
also in Matthew Chapter 24
00:17:34.57\00:17:37.04
immediately
after it speaks about
00:17:37.07\00:17:38.44
the preaching of the gospel,
00:17:38.47\00:17:39.84
you have the
abomination of desolation.
00:17:39.87\00:17:42.28
You remember that in verse 15?
00:17:42.31\00:17:44.44
Does the abomination of
desolation separate two groups?
00:17:44.47\00:17:48.51
We studied this
before, absolutely.
00:17:48.54\00:17:51.15
There's one group
that remains where?
00:17:51.18\00:17:54.51
In the city and
they are the lost.
00:17:54.54\00:17:59.72
You have
another group that flees
00:17:59.75\00:18:02.41
when they see the sign of
the abomination of desolation,
00:18:02.44\00:18:05.75
and their life is what?
00:18:05.78\00:18:07.80
Their life is spared.
00:18:07.83\00:18:09.58
So you have one group destroyed
00:18:09.61\00:18:11.33
and the other
group is destroyed,
00:18:11.36\00:18:14.37
and one is spared when they see
00:18:14.40\00:18:16.34
the abomination of desolation.
00:18:16.37\00:18:18.14
Let me ask you,
before Jesus comes,
00:18:18.17\00:18:21.31
is there going to be a
separating of God's people?
00:18:21.34\00:18:24.77
Yes. What will
God's people receive?
00:18:24.80\00:18:27.58
They will
receive the seal of God.
00:18:27.61\00:18:31.39
And what will
the wicked receive?
00:18:31.42\00:18:33.85
They will receive
the mark of the beast
00:18:33.88\00:18:36.03
which we've already shown
00:18:36.06\00:18:37.74
is parallel with the
abomination of desolation.
00:18:37.77\00:18:41.08
Are you following me or not?
00:18:41.11\00:18:42.79
In other words, as the
abomination of desolation
00:18:42.82\00:18:45.49
divided
Jerusalem into two groups,
00:18:45.52\00:18:48.44
so in the same
way at the end of time
00:18:48.47\00:18:51.93
there are going
to be two groups.
00:18:51.96\00:18:53.84
Let me ask you,
were there two groups
00:18:53.87\00:18:55.83
in the days of Noah when
the door of probation closed
00:18:55.86\00:18:59.52
and the gospel was
finished preaching?
00:18:59.55\00:19:02.69
Absolutely, yes.
00:19:02.72\00:19:04.91
Now what came immediately
00:19:04.94\00:19:06.75
after the
abomination of desolation
00:19:06.78\00:19:09.89
and the
separation of the righteous
00:19:09.92\00:19:11.76
from the unrighteous?
00:19:11.79\00:19:13.53
You actually have
the great tribulation.
00:19:13.56\00:19:16.38
You remember this
in Matthew Chapter 24?
00:19:16.41\00:19:18.93
Let me ask you,
in the days of Noah,
00:19:18.96\00:19:21.25
after the door closed,
00:19:21.28\00:19:22.97
after the two
groups had been separated,
00:19:23.00\00:19:25.36
do you have a
period of tribulation
00:19:25.39\00:19:27.86
for Noah and his
family in the ark? Absolutely.
00:19:27.89\00:19:31.94
Do the wicked become
more and more daring? Yes.
00:19:31.97\00:19:34.96
Is the faith of Noah and
his family tested? Absolutely.
00:19:34.99\00:19:39.67
Let me ask you,
at the end of time
00:19:39.70\00:19:41.43
after the mark of
the beast is given
00:19:41.46\00:19:43.36
and the seal of God and humanity
00:19:43.39\00:19:45.47
is separated into two groups.
00:19:45.50\00:19:47.69
Are the wicked
going to arise to try
00:19:47.72\00:19:49.73
and destroy God's people? Yes.
00:19:49.76\00:19:52.09
Is the faith of God's people
going to be tested severely
00:19:52.12\00:19:55.73
during the time of trouble
00:19:55.76\00:19:57.13
such as no one has ever seen?
00:19:57.16\00:19:59.21
Yes. Daniel 12:1
speaks speaks about that.
00:19:59.24\00:20:04.84
And then interestingly
enough in Matthew Chapter 24,
00:20:04.87\00:20:09.18
after the tribulation you
have the second coming of Jesus
00:20:09.21\00:20:12.81
and the destruction of the world
00:20:12.84\00:20:14.75
and the picking up of
God's elect by the angels.
00:20:14.78\00:20:18.54
Let me ask you, what happened
00:20:18.57\00:20:19.99
after the period of tribulation
that Noah and his family
00:20:20.02\00:20:23.30
sent in the ark when the wicked
became more and more daring
00:20:23.33\00:20:26.69
and the faith of
those inside was tested?
00:20:26.72\00:20:29.03
What happened?
Destruction came upon the world.
00:20:29.06\00:20:33.56
Are you seeing the parallel?
You have an exact parallel.
00:20:33.59\00:20:36.68
You have the
preaching of the gospel,
00:20:36.71\00:20:39.02
the abomination of desolation
00:20:39.05\00:20:40.49
would be the
closing of the door,
00:20:40.52\00:20:42.63
God's people have been
separated from the wicked,
00:20:42.66\00:20:45.69
and then you have
the great tribulation
00:20:45.72\00:20:47.94
in the days of
Noah, also in the end time
00:20:47.97\00:20:50.73
and then
destruction comes in both cases.
00:20:50.76\00:20:54.80
So Matthew 24:37-39
is actually amplifying
00:20:54.83\00:21:00.68
what we find in the previous
verses of Matthew Chapter 24.
00:21:00.71\00:21:06.09
Now by the way,
00:21:06.12\00:21:08.74
we need to also say something
about verses 40 and 41.
00:21:08.77\00:21:13.89
I only read till verse 39,
00:21:13.92\00:21:15.98
but we need to read
also verses 40 and 41.
00:21:16.01\00:21:20.56
These are the famous verses
00:21:20.59\00:21:21.96
that are used to try
and prove the rapture.
00:21:21.99\00:21:24.48
One will be taken and
the other will be what?
00:21:24.51\00:21:27.68
The other will be left.
00:21:27.71\00:21:29.08
And most people
assume that the taken ones
00:21:29.11\00:21:32.11
are taken to heaven
00:21:32.14\00:21:33.59
and the left
ones are left behind.
00:21:33.62\00:21:36.43
There's where
that series comes from,
00:21:36.46\00:21:38.24
the series of
books "Left Behind."
00:21:38.27\00:21:40.89
But a careful study,
folks, of these verses indicates
00:21:40.92\00:21:45.58
that those that
are taken are actually
00:21:45.61\00:21:47.88
those who are destroyed.
00:21:47.91\00:21:49.44
And those who are left,
it doesn't say left behind,
00:21:49.47\00:21:52.18
those who are left are the
ones who are actually saved.
00:21:52.21\00:21:55.77
And you say, "Well,
how is that pastor?"
00:21:55.80\00:21:58.48
Well, Matthew 24 is
drawing from Genesis.
00:21:58.51\00:22:02.12
So maybe it'd be a good
idea to go back to Genesis.
00:22:02.15\00:22:04.98
Go back to Genesis Chapter 7.
00:22:05.01\00:22:06.75
And I want you to notice
00:22:06.78\00:22:08.15
something very
interesting there.
00:22:08.18\00:22:09.55
Genesis 7:22-23.
00:22:09.58\00:22:15.04
Genesis 7:22-23.
00:22:15.07\00:22:20.35
It says there, in verse,
let me see here, verse 22
00:22:20.38\00:22:26.06
that God destroyed what?
00:22:26.09\00:22:30.88
Come on, help me,
God destroyed what?
00:22:30.91\00:22:33.80
He destroyed everything
on the earth that was what?
00:22:33.83\00:22:38.58
That had the breath of life.
00:22:38.61\00:22:40.98
And verse 23 says
that, Only whom? Only Noah,
00:22:41.01\00:22:48.96
and those who were in
the ark with him, what?
00:22:48.99\00:22:53.35
Remained alive.
00:22:53.38\00:22:55.35
Now do you know that
most Bible versions say,
00:22:55.38\00:22:59.70
and only Noah and
his family were left?
00:22:59.73\00:23:07.58
You know, when a great big flood
comes and washes away a town,
00:23:07.61\00:23:14.74
we say, "Did the
flood take everyone away?"
00:23:14.77\00:23:18.60
"Wasn't anyone left?"
00:23:18.63\00:23:21.06
You see, the word left is
a remnant word in Scripture.
00:23:21.09\00:23:24.36
I'm not going to get
into all of the details,
00:23:24.39\00:23:26.06
but it's a remnant word.
00:23:26.09\00:23:27.97
In other words, it's what's left
behind after a great calamity.
00:23:28.00\00:23:31.87
It's what's left alive
after a great calamity.
00:23:31.90\00:23:35.34
The calamity takes
with destruction one group,
00:23:35.37\00:23:39.99
but another group is left
or the other group remains.
00:23:40.02\00:23:46.18
And so in the days of Noah,
we have those who are destroyed
00:23:46.21\00:23:50.30
and those who are left.
00:23:50.33\00:23:52.16
The ones who are
left are the saved.
00:23:52.19\00:23:54.15
Are they not, according to
Genesis 7:22-23? Absolutely.
00:23:54.18\00:23:58.31
Now those who
believe in the rapture
00:23:58.34\00:24:00.13
have a serious problem here.
00:24:00.16\00:24:02.15
Because what they say is that
00:24:02.18\00:24:03.64
when the rapture takes place,
00:24:03.67\00:24:06.35
many people in the
world are going to die
00:24:06.38\00:24:09.23
at the rapture because,
you know planes are gonna crash
00:24:09.26\00:24:12.76
and automobiles are gonna crash.
00:24:12.79\00:24:14.51
So it's gonna be a
lot of dead people.
00:24:14.54\00:24:16.15
But they say that there's still
going to be a lot of people
00:24:16.18\00:24:19.71
alive on planet
earth after the rapture.
00:24:19.74\00:24:23.53
Have you ever heard that before?
00:24:23.56\00:24:25.61
So in other
words, there's one group
00:24:25.64\00:24:27.19
that's going to be
destroyed at the rapture,
00:24:27.22\00:24:29.68
there's another group
that is going to remain
00:24:29.71\00:24:32.34
on planet earth, alive.
00:24:32.37\00:24:34.54
Now let me ask
you, does that parallel
00:24:34.57\00:24:36.39
what we find at
the time of the flood?
00:24:36.42\00:24:39.27
At the time of the
flood, when Noah and his family
00:24:39.30\00:24:41.61
were left alive in
the ark, you had outside,
00:24:41.64\00:24:44.92
part of the people
were destroyed by the flood
00:24:44.95\00:24:47.23
and another part survived and
kept on living on planet earth?
00:24:47.26\00:24:50.46
No, you only had two groups.
00:24:50.49\00:24:53.10
You had one group those outside,
all of them were destroyed.
00:24:53.13\00:24:56.91
And those inside
all of them were what?
00:24:56.94\00:25:00.49
All of them were spared.
00:25:00.52\00:25:02.65
Are you with me or
are you not with me?
00:25:02.68\00:25:05.06
Praise the Lord.
00:25:05.09\00:25:06.55
Now I want you to notice
that there is a period of time
00:25:06.58\00:25:12.08
between when the door
closes and when the flood comes.
00:25:12.11\00:25:18.15
The same thing is gonna happen,
folks, at the end of time.
00:25:18.18\00:25:21.84
The door of probation
for the world is gonna close
00:25:21.87\00:25:25.45
before the
tribulation before Jesus comes.
00:25:25.48\00:25:28.70
God's people are gonna
go through the tribulation,
00:25:28.73\00:25:31.26
it's gonna be a
time of severe testing.
00:25:31.29\00:25:34.20
The wicked are not going
to know that they're lost.
00:25:34.23\00:25:38.34
And they are gonna come after
00:25:38.37\00:25:39.76
God's people
according to Scripture.
00:25:39.79\00:25:42.02
But God's people
are gonna be shielded.
00:25:42.05\00:25:44.80
You see, it's interesting that
in Genesis Chapter 7 it says
00:25:44.83\00:25:48.67
that "God shut him in."
00:25:48.70\00:25:51.85
What that means is
that Noah and his family
00:25:51.88\00:25:54.71
were shut in the ark
00:25:54.74\00:25:56.70
and they were
spared from two things.
00:25:56.73\00:25:58.70
They were spared from
the rage of the wicked
00:25:58.73\00:26:01.15
and they were also spared
when the destruction came.
00:26:01.18\00:26:04.95
In other words, they were
spared during the tribulation
00:26:04.98\00:26:07.77
and they were also spared
when the destruction came.
00:26:07.80\00:26:11.25
By the way, in other
places in Matthew actually,
00:26:11.28\00:26:14.86
a little later on
in Matthew Chapter 24,
00:26:14.89\00:26:17.31
Jesus compares His
coming to the coming of a thief.
00:26:17.34\00:26:22.43
Now let's dwell
on that for a moment,
00:26:22.46\00:26:24.05
"The coming of the thief."
00:26:24.08\00:26:27.31
Do you know that a coming
of a thief has two stages?
00:26:27.34\00:26:31.02
You say how's that?
Well, let me explain it.
00:26:31.05\00:26:33.67
By the way, He says, Jesus--
00:26:33.70\00:26:35.99
His coming will be
like a thief in the night.
00:26:36.02\00:26:38.44
Not while you're at work,
00:26:38.47\00:26:40.29
but while people
are at home, what?
00:26:40.32\00:26:42.91
Sleeping. That's why
Jesus said stay awake.
00:26:42.94\00:26:47.58
Don't go to sleep He says,
00:26:47.61\00:26:48.98
stay awake because
I'm coming like a thief,
00:26:49.01\00:26:52.95
when you least expect Me.
00:26:52.98\00:26:55.19
And so you imagine, you
know, you lock your doors
00:26:55.22\00:26:58.49
and your windows for a thousand
nights, the thief never comes.
00:26:58.52\00:27:04.16
So you say, what's the use?
00:27:04.19\00:27:05.56
I can leave my windows open.
00:27:05.59\00:27:07.85
The thief's not
gonna come tonight.
00:27:07.88\00:27:10.40
And so that
night you go to sleep
00:27:10.43\00:27:12.68
and you left the window open.
00:27:12.71\00:27:14.08
And lo and
behold, the thief comes.
00:27:14.11\00:27:17.33
Comes--gets through the
window, steals your DVD player,
00:27:17.36\00:27:24.55
steals your microwave,
00:27:24.58\00:27:27.34
steals your
television set, hallelujah?
00:27:27.37\00:27:31.67
Steals all your--all the
movies that you have on DVD
00:27:31.70\00:27:34.93
that you
shouldn't watch, anyway.
00:27:34.96\00:27:38.21
And everybody in
the house is what?
00:27:38.24\00:27:40.74
Everybody in the
house is sleeping.
00:27:40.77\00:27:43.53
Unaware that the thief has come.
00:27:43.56\00:27:46.75
And so the thief
goes back out the window,
00:27:46.78\00:27:49.00
he leaves and everybody
is asleep in the house.
00:27:49.03\00:27:53.98
When do they find out that the
thief has come and visited them?
00:27:54.01\00:27:59.49
The next morning
when they wake up
00:27:59.52\00:28:01.87
and they start
roaming around the house
00:28:01.90\00:28:04.09
they see that all of
their stuff is missing.
00:28:04.12\00:28:07.98
How many stages did the
coming of the thief have? Two.
00:28:08.01\00:28:12.74
One, when he came and two
when you found out that he came.
00:28:12.77\00:28:18.72
But in between you did not
know that the thief had come.
00:28:18.75\00:28:24.11
Are you following me or not?
00:28:24.14\00:28:26.28
Jesus says, My coming
is gonna be just like that.
00:28:26.31\00:28:29.91
The people before the flood,
00:28:29.94\00:28:31.35
they didn't have
the foggiest idea
00:28:31.38\00:28:32.91
that their probation had closed,
00:28:32.94\00:28:34.53
when the door of the ark closed.
00:28:34.56\00:28:36.15
They didn't know.
00:28:36.18\00:28:37.59
For seven whole days they
carried on business as usual.
00:28:37.62\00:28:40.73
They bought, they
sold, they planted,
00:28:40.76\00:28:43.36
you know, they married and got,
00:28:43.39\00:28:45.93
you know, they married
and they carried on with life.
00:28:45.96\00:28:50.80
Unawares that what?
00:28:50.83\00:28:53.05
Unawares that their
door of mercy had closed.
00:28:53.08\00:28:57.64
When did they actually
find out that they were lost?
00:28:57.67\00:29:02.48
When it began to what? To rain.
00:29:02.51\00:29:05.74
Jesus says, "So also will the
coming of the Son of Man be."
00:29:05.77\00:29:11.10
You see, the
Christian world today
00:29:11.13\00:29:13.48
is totally
oblivious to this reality.
00:29:13.51\00:29:16.50
They're expecting the rapture
00:29:16.53\00:29:19.57
when really what
they should be expecting
00:29:19.60\00:29:21.35
is the close of probation.
00:29:21.38\00:29:23.83
You see, there
is a certain sense
00:29:23.86\00:29:25.53
in which Jesus comes as a thief
before His glorious coming.
00:29:25.56\00:29:29.82
But He doesn't come personally.
00:29:29.85\00:29:31.34
He actually comes to His Father
00:29:31.37\00:29:33.04
and He closes the
door of probation.
00:29:33.07\00:29:36.51
And then after the tribulation,
00:29:36.54\00:29:39.24
He actually comes on
the clouds of heaven,
00:29:39.27\00:29:42.79
but the world is
going to find out
00:29:42.82\00:29:45.05
that they're lost, too late.
00:29:45.08\00:29:46.76
By the way, have you
ever noticed in Scripture
00:29:46.79\00:29:48.94
that the door always
closes before the destruction?
00:29:48.97\00:29:53.63
Let me give you some
examples, the Jewish nation.
00:29:53.66\00:29:56.26
When did the door of mercy
close for the Jewish nation?
00:29:56.29\00:29:59.43
In the year '34 with
the stoning of Stephen.
00:29:59.46\00:30:02.14
When did the
destruction take place?
00:30:02.17\00:30:04.50
Between the year '66 and
the year '70. That's right.
00:30:04.53\00:30:07.87
It was only the
execution of the sentence.
00:30:07.90\00:30:10.66
Let me ask you, before Babylon
fell in the days of Belshazzar,
00:30:10.69\00:30:14.51
did God already say,
00:30:14.54\00:30:15.91
"You have been
weighed in the balances
00:30:15.94\00:30:17.31
and you have
been found wanting,"
00:30:17.34\00:30:18.75
before Belshazzar was destroyed,
00:30:18.78\00:30:20.97
or anybody was
killed in the city?
00:30:21.00\00:30:22.55
Yes. He had
already been weighed.
00:30:22.58\00:30:26.08
Let me ask you, Sodom
and Gomorrah, was there
00:30:26.11\00:30:28.02
a closing of the door before
the cities were destroyed?
00:30:28.05\00:30:31.13
Yes. The Bible says that
the angels pulled them in
00:30:31.16\00:30:34.85
and they shut the door.
00:30:34.88\00:30:36.25
That was it for the inhabitants
of Sodom and Gomorrah.
00:30:36.28\00:30:39.18
You see, they had been
judged and the door closed
00:30:39.21\00:30:41.92
before the destruction came.
00:30:41.95\00:30:44.26
By the way, also
before Jerusalem was destroyed
00:30:44.29\00:30:48.29
by Nebuchadnezzar we
notice in Ezekiel Chapter 8,
00:30:48.32\00:30:51.48
that there was a
process of placing a seal
00:30:51.51\00:30:53.67
on the forehead of
those who sighed and cried
00:30:53.70\00:30:56.25
because of the abominations
00:30:56.28\00:30:57.65
that were being
committed in the city,
00:30:57.68\00:30:59.27
and after they were sealed,
00:30:59.30\00:31:00.83
then God said, "Go and destroy."
00:31:00.86\00:31:03.94
And so this is the
way that God operates.
00:31:03.97\00:31:06.32
You see, at the end of
time it's the same way.
00:31:06.35\00:31:09.07
The first angel's message says,
00:31:09.10\00:31:10.73
"Fear God, and
give glory to Him,
00:31:10.76\00:31:12.58
for the hour of
His judgment is come."
00:31:12.61\00:31:16.31
Notice that the
judgment takes place
00:31:16.34\00:31:18.27
before Jesus comes on the clouds
00:31:18.30\00:31:21.32
because the
preaching of the Gospel
00:31:21.35\00:31:23.42
and the
preaching of the judgment
00:31:23.45\00:31:24.86
is Revelation 14:6-7.
00:31:24.89\00:31:27.90
The coming of Jesus on the cloud
isn't until Revelation 14:14,
00:31:27.93\00:31:32.17
when He's on a cloud
with a sickle in His hand
00:31:32.20\00:31:34.28
and He's coming
to harvest the earth.
00:31:34.31\00:31:36.04
But before that the
judgment has been preached
00:31:36.07\00:31:39.26
and humanity has been
separated into two groups.
00:31:39.29\00:31:43.13
This is Biblical
proof that there is always
00:31:43.16\00:31:46.00
a pre-advent
investigative judgment
00:31:46.03\00:31:49.20
before the destruction
is actually poured out.
00:31:49.23\00:31:53.33
Now allow me to
read you a statement,
00:31:56.43\00:31:59.40
from the book "Patriarchs
and Prophets" pages 98 and 99.
00:31:59.43\00:32:05.13
You know, this author that
I'm reading from Ellen White,
00:32:05.16\00:32:10.31
this book,
"Patriarchs and Prophets"
00:32:10.34\00:32:11.71
is one of my favorites.
00:32:11.74\00:32:13.24
It is a tremendous
commentary on the first portion
00:32:13.27\00:32:16.79
of Holy Scripture all
the way up to Solomon.
00:32:16.82\00:32:20.25
I mean, it's a classic.
If you really want to learn
00:32:20.28\00:32:23.00
the meaning of Scripture
up from before creation,
00:32:23.03\00:32:27.21
from the fall of
Lucifer in heaven,
00:32:27.24\00:32:29.08
all the way to
the time of Solomon,
00:32:29.11\00:32:31.39
you know, this is a
book that you need to read
00:32:31.42\00:32:33.18
because she has
some profound insights.
00:32:33.21\00:32:36.02
By the way, she only had
00:32:36.05\00:32:37.42
two and a half years
of primary education.
00:32:37.45\00:32:40.35
So she had more
than human wisdom.
00:32:40.38\00:32:43.23
Notice what she says.
00:32:43.26\00:32:45.86
"So," she's
spoken about the flood,
00:32:45.89\00:32:50.24
the closing of the
door and them not knowing
00:32:50.27\00:32:52.61
that they were lost
until the flood came.
00:32:52.64\00:32:54.88
"So when Christ shall cease
His intercession for guilty men,
00:32:54.91\00:33:01.96
before His coming in
the clouds of heaven,
00:33:01.99\00:33:06.14
the door of mercy will be shut.
00:33:06.17\00:33:10.39
Then divine grace will no
longer restrain the wicked
00:33:10.42\00:33:15.71
and Satan will have full control
00:33:15.74\00:33:18.58
of those who
have rejected mercy.
00:33:18.61\00:33:22.13
They will endeavor
to destroy God's people,
00:33:22.16\00:33:25.47
but as Noah was
shut into the ark,
00:33:25.50\00:33:29.08
so the righteous will be
shielded by divine power.
00:33:29.11\00:33:34.26
For seven days after Noah
and his family entered the ark,
00:33:34.29\00:33:39.04
there appeared no
sign of the coming storm.
00:33:39.07\00:33:42.69
During this period,
their faith was tested.
00:33:42.72\00:33:47.97
It was a time of
triumph to the world without."
00:33:48.00\00:33:51.47
A time of triumph for who?
00:33:54.28\00:33:56.60
For those who
were outside the ark.
00:33:56.63\00:33:58.00
They said, "See, we
told you he was crazy."
00:33:58.03\00:34:01.57
She continues saying,
00:34:01.60\00:34:03.19
"The apparent delay
confirmed them in the belief
00:34:03.22\00:34:07.97
that Noah's
message was a delusion,
00:34:08.00\00:34:10.87
and that the
flood would never come.
00:34:10.90\00:34:13.40
Notwithstanding
the solemn scenes
00:34:13.43\00:34:15.44
which they had
witnessed, the beasts
00:34:15.47\00:34:17.86
and birds entering the ark,
00:34:17.89\00:34:19.26
and the angel of
God closing the door,
00:34:19.29\00:34:21.79
they still continued
their sport and revelry,
00:34:21.82\00:34:26.22
even making a
jest of these signal
00:34:26.25\00:34:29.34
manifestations of God's power.
00:34:29.37\00:34:32.92
They gathered in
crowds about the ark,
00:34:32.95\00:34:35.68
deriding its inmates
with a daring violence
00:34:35.71\00:34:39.97
which they had never
ventured upon before."
00:34:40.00\00:34:44.53
This is
speaking about the period
00:34:44.56\00:34:46.00
between when the door closed
and it would begin to rain.
00:34:46.03\00:34:49.48
Their faith was tested.
00:34:49.51\00:34:51.31
And the wicked became more and
more violent each day outside.
00:34:51.34\00:34:57.98
By the way, I
believe that the seven days
00:34:58.01\00:35:01.66
would probably represent
00:35:01.69\00:35:03.08
the period of the
seven last plagues
00:35:03.11\00:35:05.51
that begin to fall when
the door of mercy is closed.
00:35:05.54\00:35:09.91
Also the number
seven is connected
00:35:09.94\00:35:11.80
with the three
young men who were thrown
00:35:11.83\00:35:13.61
into the tribulation
of the fiery furnace.
00:35:13.64\00:35:16.66
In fact, the furnace
experience in the Bible
00:35:16.69\00:35:20.10
is connected with
testing or with tribulation.
00:35:20.13\00:35:24.27
You know, you can read
Psalm 12:6 where it says that,
00:35:24.30\00:35:27.29
"silver was
refined seven times."
00:35:27.32\00:35:31.23
You can also read Isaiah 48:10,
00:35:31.26\00:35:34.21
where the prophet
says that God's people
00:35:34.24\00:35:37.03
are tested in the
furnace of affliction.
00:35:37.06\00:35:41.40
So God's people--
the faith of God's people
00:35:41.43\00:35:44.29
is gonna be severely
tested during this period.
00:35:44.32\00:35:49.21
In another very interesting
comment in "Great Controversy,"
00:35:49.24\00:35:52.89
page 491 we
have an amplification
00:35:52.92\00:35:57.35
of what I read from
"Patriarchs and Prophets."
00:35:57.38\00:36:01.28
"When the work of the
investigative judgment closes,
00:36:01.31\00:36:05.91
the destiny of all will have
been decided for life or death."
00:36:05.94\00:36:13.36
You know, when you
really think about it,
00:36:13.39\00:36:16.74
if we should die tonight
that would close our probation.
00:36:16.77\00:36:21.47
There's gonna be a close
of probation for the world,
00:36:21.50\00:36:24.35
but there is also a
personal closing of probation.
00:36:24.38\00:36:27.07
So we need to be
ready at each moment.
00:36:27.10\00:36:31.49
She continues saying,
"Probation is ended a short time
00:36:31.52\00:36:37.09
before the appearing of the Lord
00:36:37.12\00:36:39.23
in the clouds of
heaven. Christ--"
00:36:39.26\00:36:42.21
Now she's gonna show where
this is found in Scripture.
00:36:42.24\00:36:45.02
"Christ in the Revelation,
00:36:45.05\00:36:46.79
looking forward to
that time, declares,
00:36:46.82\00:36:49.22
'He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still,
00:36:49.25\00:36:52.93
and he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still,
00:36:52.96\00:36:56.35
and he that is righteous
let him be righteous still,
00:36:56.38\00:36:59.55
and he that is holy,
let him be holy still.'"
00:36:59.58\00:37:02.95
And then he, Notice this text,
00:37:02.98\00:37:07.76
immediately after,
"And, behold, I come quickly,
00:37:07.79\00:37:10.81
and My reward is with Me,
00:37:10.84\00:37:12.97
to give every man
according as his work shall be."
00:37:13.00\00:37:16.53
Do you see there
that the coming of Jesus
00:37:16.56\00:37:18.93
takes place
after this declaration
00:37:18.96\00:37:21.18
from the sanctuary,
00:37:21.21\00:37:22.58
that the righteous will
continue to be righteous,
00:37:22.61\00:37:24.37
the holy will
continue to be holy,
00:37:24.40\00:37:26.32
the filthy will
continue to be filthy,
00:37:26.35\00:37:28.50
the unrighteous will
continue to be unrighteous?
00:37:28.53\00:37:30.73
Then it says,
"Behold, I come quickly
00:37:30.76\00:37:33.70
and My reward is with Me,
00:37:33.73\00:37:35.18
to give every man
according as his work shall be."
00:37:35.21\00:37:39.48
She continues saying,
00:37:39.51\00:37:41.14
"The righteous and the
wicked will still be living
00:37:41.17\00:37:45.67
upon the earth in
their mortal state.
00:37:45.70\00:37:49.06
Men will be
planting and building,
00:37:49.09\00:37:51.55
eating and drinking, all
unconscious that the final,
00:37:51.58\00:37:57.56
irrevocable decision has been
00:37:57.59\00:38:00.03
pronounced in
the sanctuary above."
00:38:00.06\00:38:03.76
Then she goes to
another biblical basis for this.
00:38:03.79\00:38:07.09
"Before the flood,
after Noah entered the ark,
00:38:07.12\00:38:10.99
God shut him in and
shut the ungodly out.
00:38:11.02\00:38:16.27
But for seven days the people,
00:38:16.30\00:38:18.25
knowing not that
their doom was fixed,
00:38:18.28\00:38:22.83
continued their
careless, pleasure-loving life
00:38:22.86\00:38:26.06
and mocked the
warnings of impending judgment.
00:38:26.09\00:38:29.52
'So,' says the Savior,
00:38:29.55\00:38:31.88
'shall also the coming
of the Son of man be.'"
00:38:31.91\00:38:35.41
Now notice this.
00:38:35.44\00:38:37.18
"Silently, unnoticed
as the midnight thief,
00:38:37.21\00:38:44.49
will come the
decisive hour which marks
00:38:44.52\00:38:47.75
the fixing of
every man's destiny,
00:38:47.78\00:38:51.06
the final withdrawal of
mercy's offer to guilty men."
00:38:51.09\00:38:56.86
"Watch therefore,
00:38:56.89\00:38:58.29
lest coming suddenly
He find you sleeping.
00:38:58.32\00:39:02.36
Perilous is the
condition of those who
00:39:02.39\00:39:05.84
growing weary of their watch,
00:39:05.87\00:39:08.28
turn to the
attractions of the world.
00:39:08.31\00:39:11.17
While the man of business is
absorbed in the pursuit of gain,
00:39:11.20\00:39:15.39
while the pleasure
lover is seeking indulgence,
00:39:15.42\00:39:18.35
while the daughter of fashion
is arranging her adornments,
00:39:18.38\00:39:22.64
it may be in that hour
the Judge of all the earth
00:39:22.67\00:39:26.78
will pronounce the sentence,
00:39:26.81\00:39:28.92
'Thou art
weighed in the balances,
00:39:28.95\00:39:32.22
and art found wanting.'"
00:39:32.25\00:39:36.90
That is an awesome statement.
00:39:36.93\00:39:38.95
And she's not just getting
this from the top of her head.
00:39:38.98\00:39:42.08
She uses two
avenues to prove it.
00:39:42.11\00:39:44.31
Revelation 22:11 and 12,
00:39:44.34\00:39:47.28
and also the parallel
of the times of the flood,
00:39:47.31\00:39:50.59
where Jesus said, "As it
was then, so it will be."
00:39:50.62\00:39:55.26
There's a time between
the closing of the door
00:39:55.29\00:39:58.26
and when the destruction
comes, when people will not know
00:39:58.29\00:40:02.91
that their
destiny has been fixed.
00:40:02.94\00:40:07.83
Now the big question is,
must the close of the door
00:40:07.86\00:40:12.18
of probation
catch us by surprise?
00:40:12.21\00:40:17.43
Is there anyway
that we can be sure
00:40:17.46\00:40:19.82
that closing of the door
does not catch us by surprise?
00:40:19.85\00:40:25.05
And how can we be sure?
00:40:25.08\00:40:27.68
Well, allow me to
share with you something
00:40:27.71\00:40:29.50
that happened in the country
00:40:29.53\00:40:31.07
where I lived for many
years, the country of Colombia.
00:40:31.10\00:40:35.01
November 13, 1985 the
city of Armero in Colombia
00:40:35.04\00:40:42.72
was buried by
an avalanche of mud
00:40:42.75\00:40:47.47
as a result of the
eruption of the volcano,
00:40:47.50\00:40:52.15
El Nevado del Ruiz. Perhaps,
some of you remember that.
00:40:52.18\00:40:57.39
Twenty two thousand
people were buried alive
00:40:57.42\00:41:03.39
in a matter of
just a few minutes.
00:41:03.42\00:41:06.69
The question is
couldn't this loss of life
00:41:06.72\00:41:11.07
have been prevented?
00:41:11.10\00:41:13.01
Weren't there an
abundance of signs
00:41:13.04\00:41:15.31
that a disaster was
about to take place?
00:41:15.34\00:41:19.41
Did they really need
to be caught by surprise?
00:41:19.44\00:41:23.78
The answer is a resounding no.
00:41:23.81\00:41:28.00
In fact, in an article published
in the newspaper El Espectador,
00:41:28.03\00:41:35.49
there was an
article the very next day
00:41:35.52\00:41:37.46
and the title of it was
"Un desastre anunciado."
00:41:37.49\00:41:41.90
In other words, An
Announced Disaster.
00:41:41.93\00:41:45.09
You know, if there's a disaster
00:41:45.12\00:41:46.52
that is announced
before it happens,
00:41:46.55\00:41:48.76
you certainly would
have a chance to escape.
00:41:48.79\00:41:51.12
By the way, the
author of this article
00:41:51.15\00:41:53.32
was Rodolfo Rodriguez Calderon.
00:41:53.35\00:41:57.02
What he said in that
article was simply amazing.
00:41:57.05\00:42:00.10
No one in that city
should have lost their lives
00:42:00.13\00:42:04.06
if they had just paid
attention to the signs.
00:42:04.09\00:42:08.25
Allow me to share with
you some of the information
00:42:08.28\00:42:11.19
that this author wrote in that
newspaper the following day.
00:42:11.22\00:42:17.00
He said, "11
months before the disaster
00:42:17.03\00:42:20.37
the mountain
began spewing out smoke.
00:42:20.40\00:42:26.29
The fluffy snow on
the mountain had become
00:42:26.32\00:42:30.56
a solid sheet of ice
because of the intense heat
00:42:30.59\00:42:36.55
that was coming
from the mountain itself.
00:42:36.58\00:42:39.75
The water level in
the rivers grew immensely,
00:42:39.78\00:42:43.78
flooding out some
small towns in the area.
00:42:43.81\00:42:47.67
The cloud of gases
and ash which had been
00:42:47.70\00:42:51.09
about 15 feet
high the first day,
00:42:51.12\00:42:54.59
grew to 750 feet the second day,
00:42:54.62\00:42:57.86
and was 16,000 feet high,
the day before the disaster."
00:42:57.89\00:43:05.09
On September 11, interesting.
00:43:05.12\00:43:08.40
On September 11, the earth began
00:43:08.43\00:43:11.88
to shake 3 on the Richter scale.
00:43:11.91\00:43:17.36
On occasions, people said
00:43:17.39\00:43:19.54
that they could hear
the mountain roar inside.
00:43:19.57\00:43:24.15
The authorities
had to close the roads
00:43:24.18\00:43:26.38
that let to the ski resort
at the top of the mountain
00:43:26.41\00:43:29.86
because of the mudslides.
00:43:29.89\00:43:32.26
It was impossible for people
00:43:32.29\00:43:33.79
to keep their furniture
clean because their furniture
00:43:33.82\00:43:37.41
was constantly
filled with volcanic ash.
00:43:37.44\00:43:41.30
The day before the disaster
00:43:41.33\00:43:43.11
people could
smell sulfur in the air.
00:43:43.14\00:43:46.26
In fact, the very night
before the mountain erupted,
00:43:46.29\00:43:51.11
there was a torrential
rain, according to some
00:43:51.14\00:43:53.69
who escaped with their lives.
00:43:53.72\00:43:56.51
And this torrential rain
began to fall at about 9 p.m.
00:43:56.54\00:43:59.84
And they said, witnesses said
00:43:59.87\00:44:01.33
that it was unusually dark.
00:44:01.36\00:44:02.98
It was like a
supernatural darkness.
00:44:03.01\00:44:07.65
People had all these signs
00:44:07.68\00:44:10.21
that a major disaster
was going to take place.
00:44:10.24\00:44:14.05
And yet 22,000
people were buried alive.
00:44:14.08\00:44:20.67
Let me ask you, did
they have plenty of signs
00:44:20.70\00:44:23.54
to have escaped
from this disaster?
00:44:23.57\00:44:26.40
Of course, they did.
00:44:26.43\00:44:27.80
Do you know
what the problem was?
00:44:27.83\00:44:29.75
They chose to ignore the signs
00:44:29.78\00:44:32.46
because of what
the experts had to say.
00:44:32.49\00:44:38.39
In that same article the
author explained the reason
00:44:38.42\00:44:44.15
why people were so comfortable
in the city and had no fear.
00:44:44.18\00:44:49.62
Allow me to share with you,
00:44:49.65\00:44:51.58
what these
authorities had to say.
00:44:51.61\00:44:56.49
The town priest
Edgar Efrain Toros
00:44:56.52\00:45:00.85
came over the radio at 7 p.m.
00:45:00.88\00:45:03.44
And he said, "There
is no reason to panic,
00:45:03.47\00:45:07.26
please keep calm."
00:45:07.29\00:45:10.30
The civil defense which
is supposed to actually help
00:45:10.33\00:45:14.45
in case of a potential disaster
or in case other disaster
00:45:14.48\00:45:18.99
had a special
radio release that said,
00:45:19.02\00:45:22.39
"There is no
reason to be concerned."
00:45:22.42\00:45:26.86
The bishop of the
town Augusto Osorio
00:45:26.89\00:45:31.76
warned on the
radio against fanatics
00:45:31.79\00:45:34.83
who were making it appear like
a major disaster was imminent.
00:45:34.86\00:45:40.39
The mayor of the town said,
00:45:40.42\00:45:42.00
"Don't worry," and
then he skipped town.
00:45:42.03\00:45:45.61
The governor of
the state of Tolima
00:45:45.64\00:45:48.32
where this city was,
said, after the disaster,
00:45:48.35\00:45:52.24
he said, "The disaster could not
have been predicted in advance."
00:45:52.27\00:45:58.21
Colombian scientist,
Jaime Viegas Velasquez
00:45:58.24\00:46:01.91
affirmed before the disaster,
00:46:01.94\00:46:04.24
"This volcano is
not going to erupt.
00:46:04.27\00:46:06.95
Nothing is going to happen.
00:46:06.98\00:46:08.85
Beware of
speculations and exaggerations."
00:46:08.88\00:46:14.03
The Secretary of mines,
Ivan Duque Escobar said,
00:46:14.06\00:46:19.21
"Nothing will happen."
00:46:19.24\00:46:22.05
Even United States geologist
00:46:22.08\00:46:24.92
Darrell Herd had
said before the disaster,
00:46:24.95\00:46:27.99
"It is very
unlikely that the cities
00:46:28.02\00:46:32.08
could be buried by
rocks, lava, or mud."
00:46:32.11\00:46:36.92
And the regional
emergency sent out--
00:46:36.95\00:46:39.83
committee sent out a message,
00:46:39.86\00:46:42.18
"Don't expect your
windows to shatter,
00:46:42.21\00:46:45.05
don't expect darkness,
00:46:45.08\00:46:46.95
don't expect lava to
rundown the mountain,
00:46:46.98\00:46:50.40
don't expect large layers
of ash among other things."
00:46:50.43\00:46:54.20
In fact, the message said,
00:46:54.23\00:46:56.78
"Go out and
enjoy the spectacle."
00:46:56.81\00:47:00.39
Why were all of
those people buried?
00:47:04.32\00:47:06.30
Why did all of
those people perish?
00:47:06.33\00:47:09.96
They had an abundance of signs,
00:47:09.99\00:47:13.78
that a disaster was imminent.
00:47:13.81\00:47:16.44
But instead of paying
attention to the signs
00:47:16.47\00:47:19.64
and believing the signs, they
chose to believe the experts.
00:47:19.67\00:47:26.22
And, you know,
the Bible tells us
00:47:26.25\00:47:28.33
that in the end time
it's gonna be the same thing.
00:47:28.36\00:47:31.91
You know, when I
listen to the radio,
00:47:31.94\00:47:33.92
to the radical
left wing on radio.
00:47:33.95\00:47:38.46
They seem to think that anybody
00:47:38.49\00:47:40.92
who believes that the
world was created in seven days
00:47:40.95\00:47:44.51
is some sort of ignorant animal.
00:47:44.54\00:47:48.87
They seem to
believe that anybody
00:47:48.90\00:47:50.58
who doesn't accept
the theory of evolution
00:47:50.61\00:47:54.02
is naive and uneducated.
00:47:54.05\00:48:00.87
That's exactly
what 2 Peter has to say.
00:48:00.90\00:48:04.25
It says that in the end
time there were people--
00:48:04.28\00:48:06.72
be people that will
come and they'll say,
00:48:06.75\00:48:09.01
"Where is the
promise of His coming?
00:48:09.04\00:48:11.65
Everything has
continued as from the beginning,
00:48:11.68\00:48:14.61
there is
nothing to worry about."
00:48:14.64\00:48:17.74
And Peter says, "They
willingly ignore this.
00:48:17.77\00:48:22.57
That once upon a
time in the days of Noah
00:48:22.60\00:48:26.72
the world was
destroyed by a flood."
00:48:26.75\00:48:30.58
And he says, "At the end
of the history of the world,
00:48:30.61\00:48:33.88
the world will once
again be destroyed by a flood."
00:48:33.91\00:48:36.94
But it will not be
destroyed by a flood of water,
00:48:36.97\00:48:39.53
it will be
destroyed by a flood of what?
00:48:39.56\00:48:42.81
By a flood of fire.
00:48:42.84\00:48:46.39
Allow me to read
you another statement,
00:48:46.42\00:48:48.71
this is rather extensive.
00:48:48.74\00:48:51.33
It's actually a
comment of Ellen White
00:48:51.36\00:48:53.29
on Mark 13:33-37.
00:48:53.32\00:48:56.05
I'm gonna read
that passage first
00:48:56.08\00:48:57.68
and then I'm going
to read her statement
00:48:57.71\00:48:59.32
which is very significant.
00:48:59.35\00:49:02.18
Here Jesus is
speaking and He says this.
00:49:02.21\00:49:04.87
"Take heed, watch and pray,
00:49:04.90\00:49:08.51
for you do not
know when the time is."
00:49:08.54\00:49:11.32
By the way when Jesus says
00:49:11.35\00:49:12.72
you don't know what the time is,
00:49:12.75\00:49:14.12
that's not the time
of the second coming.
00:49:14.15\00:49:15.83
It's the time of
the close of probation.
00:49:15.86\00:49:18.80
Notice what it says in verse 34.
00:49:18.83\00:49:20.73
"It is like a man
going to a far country,
00:49:20.76\00:49:22.84
who left his house and
gave authority to his servants,
00:49:22.87\00:49:26.00
and to each his work,
00:49:26.03\00:49:27.40
and commanded the
doorkeeper to watch.
00:49:27.43\00:49:29.94
Watch therefore,
for you do not know
00:49:29.97\00:49:32.58
when the master of
the house is coming."
00:49:32.61\00:49:34.37
That's not the
second coming, folks.
00:49:34.40\00:49:36.57
"You do not know when
the master of the house
00:49:36.60\00:49:38.19
is coming-in the
evening, at midnight,
00:49:38.22\00:49:41.38
at the crowing of the rooster,
00:49:41.41\00:49:42.91
or in the morning-
lest, coming suddenly,
00:49:42.94\00:49:45.74
he find you sleeping."
00:49:45.77\00:49:47.23
Notice, it's when he
comes and finds you what?
00:49:47.26\00:49:51.09
Sleeping, not when you wake up.
00:49:51.12\00:49:53.35
"And what I say to
you, I say to all, watch!"
00:49:53.38\00:49:58.63
Now notice her comment,
00:49:58.66\00:50:00.03
Ellen White's
comment on this passage.
00:50:00.06\00:50:02.61
Jesus-- By the way, if you want
00:50:02.64\00:50:04.63
the reference
to this, it's found
00:50:04.66\00:50:06.65
in volume 2 of the
Testimonies pages 190 and 191.
00:50:06.68\00:50:11.70
Jesus has left us
word, "Watch ye therefore,
00:50:11.73\00:50:16.11
for ye know not when the
master of the house cometh,
00:50:16.14\00:50:20.05
at even, or at midnight,
00:50:20.08\00:50:22.71
or at the cock
crowing, or in the morning.
00:50:22.74\00:50:25.56
Lest coming suddenly
he find you sleeping.
00:50:25.59\00:50:29.12
And what I say unto you
I say unto all, "Watch."
00:50:29.15\00:50:33.19
She is quoting Mark 13, right?
00:50:33.22\00:50:35.35
Now notice her remark on this.
00:50:35.38\00:50:38.30
"We are waiting and watching
for the return of the Master,
00:50:38.33\00:50:42.92
who is to bring the morning,
00:50:42.95\00:50:45.15
lest coming suddenly
He find us sleeping."
00:50:45.18\00:50:49.58
Now here comes the remarkable
part of the statement.
00:50:49.61\00:50:52.46
"Lest coming
suddenly He find us," what?
00:50:52.49\00:50:55.02
Sleeping.
00:50:55.05\00:50:57.67
She says this, "What
time is here referred to?"
00:50:57.70\00:51:04.82
When it says, "lest coming
suddenly He find us sleeping."
00:51:04.85\00:51:07.41
She says, "What time
is here referred to?"
00:51:07.44\00:51:11.34
Now notice her
categorical answer.
00:51:11.37\00:51:13.68
"Not to the revelation of Christ
00:51:13.71\00:51:16.20
in the clouds of heaven
to find a people asleep.
00:51:16.23\00:51:20.71
No, but to His
return from His ministration
00:51:20.74\00:51:25.70
in the most holy place
of the heavenly sanctuary,
00:51:25.73\00:51:28.50
when He lays off
His priestly attire
00:51:28.53\00:51:30.94
and clothes Himself
with garments of vengeance,
00:51:30.97\00:51:34.35
and when the mandate goes forth,
00:51:34.38\00:51:36.30
'He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still,
00:51:36.33\00:51:38.80
he which is filthy,
let him be filthy still,
00:51:38.83\00:51:41.29
he that is righteous,
let him be righteous still,
00:51:41.32\00:51:43.63
and he that is holy,
let him be holy still.'
00:51:43.66\00:51:47.77
When Jesus
ceases to plead for man,
00:51:47.80\00:51:51.65
the cases of all
are forever decided.
00:51:51.68\00:51:55.19
This is the time of
reckoning with His servants."
00:51:55.22\00:51:59.16
Now I want you to notice,
some very interesting terms
00:51:59.19\00:52:01.54
that she used
because she's gonna say
00:52:01.57\00:52:03.65
that most of those who were
surprised are church people.
00:52:03.68\00:52:09.47
"To those who have neglected
00:52:09.50\00:52:14.39
the preparation of
purity and holiness,
00:52:14.42\00:52:18.76
which fits them to be waiting
ones to welcome their Lord,
00:52:18.79\00:52:24.17
the sun sets in
gloom and darkness,
00:52:24.20\00:52:27.81
and rises not again.
00:52:27.84\00:52:31.05
Probation closes, Christ's
intercessions cease in heaven.
00:52:31.08\00:52:37.06
This time finally
comes suddenly upon all,
00:52:37.09\00:52:41.87
and those who have neglected,"
00:52:41.90\00:52:44.22
there's the word again,
neglected, not rejected,
00:52:44.25\00:52:48.94
"those who have
neglected to purify their souls
00:52:48.97\00:52:53.71
by obeying the
truth are found sleeping.
00:52:53.74\00:52:58.85
They became weary of
waiting and watching."
00:52:58.88\00:53:03.77
Are these believers? Sure.
00:53:03.80\00:53:06.74
"They became weary
of waiting and watching.
00:53:06.77\00:53:11.02
They became indifferent."
00:53:11.05\00:53:13.06
Do you notice
neglectful, indifferent, weary?
00:53:13.09\00:53:17.13
This isn't a rejection.
00:53:17.16\00:53:19.64
"They became
indifferent in regard
00:53:19.67\00:53:21.43
to the coming of their Master.
00:53:21.46\00:53:23.34
They longed not
for His appearing."
00:53:23.37\00:53:27.64
They maybe believed it,
but they didn't long for it.
00:53:27.67\00:53:32.22
"And thought there was not need
00:53:32.25\00:53:36.03
of such continued,
perseverant watching.
00:53:36.06\00:53:40.25
They had been disappointed
00:53:40.28\00:53:41.65
in their
expectations and might be again.
00:53:41.68\00:53:44.07
They concluded that there
was time enough yet to arouse.
00:53:44.10\00:53:48.96
They would be sure to
not lose the opportunity
00:53:48.99\00:53:52.89
of securing an earthly treasure.
00:53:52.92\00:53:56.33
It would be safe to get,
all of this world they could.
00:53:56.36\00:54:00.28
And in securing this object,
00:54:00.31\00:54:02.28
they lost all
anxiety and interest
00:54:02.31\00:54:06.53
in the appearing of the Master.
00:54:06.56\00:54:09.30
They became
indifferent and careless,
00:54:09.33\00:54:12.96
as though His coming
were yet in the distance.
00:54:12.99\00:54:16.09
But while their interest
00:54:16.12\00:54:17.60
was buried up in
their worldly gains,
00:54:17.63\00:54:20.89
the work closed in
the heavenly sanctuary,
00:54:20.92\00:54:25.11
and they were unprepared."
00:54:25.14\00:54:28.91
Solemn words, aren't they?
00:54:28.94\00:54:33.55
I believe that Jesus is
gonna close the door very soon,
00:54:33.58\00:54:37.37
by what we're
watching, out in the world.
00:54:37.40\00:54:41.42
And I believe that
Jesus is gonna come very soon.
00:54:41.45\00:54:45.21
How about us?
00:54:45.24\00:54:46.79
Are we anxious for
His coming to take place?
00:54:46.82\00:54:50.68
Or have we grown
weary, indifferent, careless,
00:54:50.71\00:54:56.51
tired of waiting and watching?
00:54:56.54\00:54:58.63
We say, "Oh, my parents
talked about the second coming,
00:54:58.66\00:55:01.84
and my grandparents
talked about the second coming,
00:55:01.87\00:55:04.37
and their parents
talked about the second coming.
00:55:04.40\00:55:07.08
It's been talked
about for since 1844.
00:55:07.11\00:55:12.17
And still Jesus hasn't come.
00:55:12.20\00:55:15.16
His coming a still a way's off."
00:55:15.19\00:55:18.89
Those who express it this way
00:55:18.92\00:55:21.57
are the ones who are
going to be caught by surprise,
00:55:21.60\00:55:24.30
when the door of
probation actually closes.
00:55:24.33\00:55:29.52
You know what we need to
be doing, while we're waiting?
00:55:29.55\00:55:31.62
We need to do the
same thing that Noah did.
00:55:31.65\00:55:35.62
Preach and work.
See words are cheap.
00:55:35.65\00:55:41.08
If Noah had said,
"There's a flood coming,
00:55:41.11\00:55:44.78
everybody get ready."
00:55:44.81\00:55:46.71
And the people say, "What
are we gonna do about it?"
00:55:46.74\00:55:50.79
Noah says, "The
Lord will provide."
00:55:50.82\00:55:53.71
No, his words were
backed up by his actions.
00:55:53.74\00:55:57.53
He had a faith that worked.
00:55:57.56\00:55:59.83
That's what needs to
happen with God's people.
00:55:59.86\00:56:02.86
By the way, do you know
that Ellen White says that
00:56:02.89\00:56:05.60
everything that Noah possessed,
he invested in the ark?
00:56:05.63\00:56:10.53
Everything that he possessed,
he invested in the ark.
00:56:13.65\00:56:17.92
Everybody else was
saving for a rainy day.
00:56:17.95\00:56:22.72
And what happened,
when the rain came?
00:56:22.75\00:56:25.47
Everything that they
had saved was washed away.
00:56:25.50\00:56:32.00
You know, God's
people today are probably,
00:56:32.03\00:56:34.40
the most
prosperous of any generation
00:56:34.43\00:56:38.01
of Seventh-day Adventists.
00:56:38.04\00:56:40.97
And as a result, we
become like Revelation says,
00:56:41.00\00:56:43.68
"Rich and increased with
goods, and in need of nothing."
00:56:43.71\00:56:48.58
We've lost all anxiety that
longing for the coming of Jesus.
00:56:48.61\00:56:54.65
We need to get that
back because only those
00:56:54.68\00:56:57.85
who long for His
coming, who love His coming,
00:56:57.88\00:57:00.47
according to the
apostle Paul will be prepared,
00:57:00.50\00:57:03.98
when the door of mercy closes,
00:57:04.01\00:57:06.23
and when Jesus comes
on the clouds of heaven.
00:57:06.26\00:57:09.38
I pray to God that
we will re-consecrate
00:57:09.41\00:57:12.46
our lives to Jesus.
00:57:12.49\00:57:14.35
And that that fire
might burn in our bones
00:57:14.38\00:57:16.68
and in our hearts again.
00:57:16.71\00:57:18.71
That glorious
hope, that blessed hope
00:57:18.74\00:57:21.67
that the Bible speaks about,
00:57:21.70\00:57:23.65
the second
coming of Jesus Christ,
00:57:23.68\00:57:26.60
our Savior and our Lord.
00:57:26.63\00:57:29.43