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Series Code: TPP
Program Code: TPP000009A
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00:10 Well, hello, everybody.
00:13 It's good to have you back for presentation number nine 00:18 in our series, The Great Prophetic Panorama. 00:23 And in our study today we are going to 00:26 take a look at Matthew 24:40-41. 00:31 Of course, we'll be looking at many other verses. 00:33 But before we read these two verses, 00:36 we want to begin with a word of prayer. 00:39 So I invite you to bow your heads 00:40 reverently as we pray. 00:42 Father in heaven, we thank You 00:43 for the privilege of being here. 00:45 We ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit 00:47 as we study these two verses 00:49 that I believe have been misunderstood. 00:52 Give us divine wisdom to understand 00:56 and to prepare for the great things 00:58 that are soon to take place. 01:00 And we thank You for hearing our prayer, 01:01 for we ask it in Jesus name, amen. 01:06 A few years ago, 01:09 the "Left Behind" series came out. 01:13 This series, I believe it was 12 volumes, 01:17 sold over 80 million copies, 01:20 and was on the New York Times bestseller list 01:23 for many, many months. 01:26 Now the title for the "Left Behind" series 01:29 actually comes from the two verses 01:31 that I'm going to read now. 01:35 Matthew 24:40-41. 01:40 It says there, 01:43 "Then two men will be in the field. 01:47 One will be taken and the other left. 01:52 Two women will be grinding at the mill. 01:56 One will be taken and the other left." 02:01 So basically, 02:03 the idea that dispensationalists have 02:06 is that these verses are teaching us 02:09 that when Jesus comes and by the way, 02:11 the previous context, 02:13 verses 37-39 refers to as it was in the days of Noah, 02:17 so also will it be 02:18 at the coming of the Son of Man. 02:20 They believe that those who are taken 02:23 are the ones who are taken to heaven 02:25 at the rapture of the church seven years before 02:28 the glorious coming of Christ. 02:30 And those who are left are the ones 02:33 who are left behind. 02:35 They are not raptured to heaven. 02:37 Now Seventh-day Adventist generally believe 02:42 that the ones who are taken 02:44 are the ones who go to heaven. 02:47 And the ones that are left are the ones that are, 02:50 that stay here dead during the millennium. 02:53 So we don't disagree with futurists 02:57 about that particular detail. 02:59 Both of us believe that the taken ones 03:01 are the ones that go to heaven and the ones that are left 03:04 are the ones that are left behind. 03:07 But I sustain that perhaps both groups 03:11 are not exactly correct. 03:14 Because I believe and I think that 03:16 we're going to take a very close look at this 03:18 and we're gonna reach this conclusion 03:21 that the ones who are taken and the ones who are destroyed 03:24 when Jesus comes. 03:26 And the ones who are left 03:29 are the ones who remain alive when Jesus comes. 03:33 Now you're probably wondering, you're saying, 03:35 how in the world can that be possible? 03:38 Well, we need to take a close look at it, 03:39 we need to study the meanings of words, 03:41 we need to study the immediate context, 03:44 we need to study the broader context. 03:47 Now let's notice what the text does not say. 03:51 Matthew 24:40-41 does not say, 03:55 "One will be taken with Jesus to heaven 03:58 and the other will be left behind on Earth," 04:01 that's an assumption. 04:04 The text simply says that one will be taken 04:08 and the other will be left. 04:12 Now we need to look at the context, 04:14 the immediate context of these two verses 04:17 in order to understand the time to which these verses, 04:21 Matthew 24:40-41 are referring. 04:25 Now you'll notice there 04:27 in Matthew 24:40-41, 04:32 actually at the beginning of verse 40, 04:35 there's a very important little word that is used. 04:38 "Then, two men will be in the field." 04:43 Now that word then is a very important word. 04:47 It is used repeatedly in Matthew 24 04:51 to refer to sequential events. 04:54 In other words, events that transpire 04:56 in chronological order. 04:59 Matthew 24 says, "Then this, then this, then this." 05:04 The Greek word is the word tote, 05:07 which refers to a sequence of chronological events. 05:11 So there's a connection between verses 37-39 05:16 and verses 40-41. 05:18 Verses 40-41 take place after the events 05:24 or at the time of the events of verses 37-39. 05:30 Now you'll notice that verses 37-39 05:33 are actually referring to 05:35 what occurred at the flood. 05:37 That's the context of these two verses, 05:39 the immediate context. 05:41 So let's read Matthew 24:37-39. 05:45 Matthew 24:37-39. 05:49 "But as the days of Noah were, 05:52 so also will the coming 05:56 of the Son of Man be." 05:57 Is there gonna be a similarity between 05:58 what happened at the flood and what happens 06:00 in relationships to Christ Coming? 06:02 Absolutely, because it says clearly, 06:05 "So also will be the coming of the Son of Man." 06:09 Then verse 38 says, 06:11 "For as in the days before the flood, 06:14 they were eating and drinking, 06:16 marrying and giving in marriage." 06:19 And now this is a very important point. 06:21 "Until the day that Noah entered the ark." 06:26 So the first point of time that is marked by the word 06:28 until is until Noah entered the ark. 06:33 And then it says, "And did not know," 06:35 that is those who are outside the ark, 06:38 "Did not know until the flood came 06:42 and took them all away, 06:44 so also 06:47 will the coming of the Son of Man be." 06:51 So that word until is used twice. 06:54 The first until is when Noah and his family entered the ark. 07:00 The second until is when it began to rain 07:03 and the wicked were destroyed. 07:05 Now was there a time period between those two points? 07:10 Was there a time period between when they entered the ark 07:13 and the door closed? 07:14 And when the destruction came, when it began to rain, 07:17 was there a period? 07:18 Yes. How many days? 07:20 Seven days between the time that the door closed 07:24 and the time that it began to rain. 07:27 Now did those outside the ark know that they were lost 07:32 during that period? 07:34 No, they did not know that they were lost. 07:38 But the decision had already been made 07:40 when the door of the ark closed. 07:42 When did they find out that they were lost? 07:45 When it began to rain and they were all destroyed. 07:49 So in other words, when the door closes, 07:51 they're caught by surprise even though they don't know it. 07:55 But when it starts to rain, that's the second surprise. 07:58 But at that surprise, they know it. 08:00 Are you with me or not? 08:02 Now this is very important. 08:03 And Jesus says, "This is the way it's gonna be 08:06 in relationship to My Second Coming." 08:08 So is it just possible that the door of probation 08:11 is gonna close for the world before the destruction comes, 08:16 and the wicked will be totally unaware 08:18 that they're lost before the destruction comes? 08:22 That's what Jesus is saying. 08:24 Because He's saying, as it was in the days of Noah 08:27 saw also the coming of the Son of Man be. 08:30 And by the way, it's very important 08:31 to remember that when the flood came, 08:34 actually, when the door closed, there were only two groups, 08:37 those inside the ark and those outside. 08:40 And when destruction came, there were only two groups, 08:44 those who were left and saved and those who were destroyed. 08:48 It doesn't fit the rapture idea. 08:50 Because the rapture idea is that 08:52 when Jesus comes at the rapture, 08:55 He's gonna rapture those who are ready to go to heaven, 08:59 some of the people on earth will be destroyed 09:02 when He comes, 09:03 but there will be many people 09:05 who will be left alive on earth 09:07 during the seven years of Tribulation, 09:10 so it doesn't fit. 09:12 Because at the time of the flood, 09:13 there were only two groups, 09:14 the group that was inside the ark 09:16 that was saved and those who are outside, 09:18 all of them were wiped away. 09:20 So the idea that 09:22 this is talking about a rapture, 09:23 where you have one group that is saved, 09:25 those that are taken to heaven, 09:27 another group that are destroyed, 09:28 and another group 09:30 that wasn't ready for the rapture, 09:31 and they're gonna be remain alive. 09:33 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 09:34 The parallel does not fit. 09:37 Now another important point that we need to remember is 09:41 that in the Old Testament, there is a special word 09:45 for the flood of Noah's day. 09:47 You know, there are many words for flood 09:50 in the Old Testament. 09:51 I believe that there're nine words 09:53 that are translated flood, but there's one word 09:56 that exclusively is used for the flood of Noah's day, 09:59 the word mabbuwl. 10:01 In the New Testament, there are three words 10:04 that are translated flood. 10:05 One is the word plemmura. 10:09 The second is the word potamos, 10:12 where we get the word hippopotamus from. 10:16 Hippopotamus means, he swims underwater. 10:19 Hippo is the preposition under and potamus is water. 10:24 So you know that 10:25 the hippopotamus swims underwater, 10:28 but that word is used for flood. 10:29 But the word that is used for the flood of Noah's day 10:33 is a special word that is not used 10:34 for any other flood. 10:36 It's the word kataklusmos. 10:40 What English word do we get from the word kataklusmos? 10:43 We get the word catholicism in English. 10:47 In other words, the flood of Noah's day 10:49 was a catastrophe that destroyed everyone 10:54 that was outside the ark and they were lost 10:56 when the door closed and they didn't know 10:58 until the destruction came. 11:01 Now let's notice Luke 17:26-27. 11:04 By the way, I'm gonna read lots of verses, 11:07 you're not gonna be able to find them all 11:08 as quickly as I'm gonna mention them, 11:10 because I have them all written down. 11:11 Make sure that you just write them down 11:14 so that you can check them later. 11:16 Luke 17:26-27, tells us, 11:20 "And as it was in the days of Noah, 11:23 so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man. 11:26 They ate, they drank, they married wives, 11:29 they were given in marriage, 11:30 until the day that Noah entered the ark 11:32 and the flood came and destroyed them all." 11:35 Now do you notice that there's a little bit 11:37 of different terminology in Luke 11:39 than there is in Matthew? 11:40 In Matthew, it says that the flood took them all away. 11:45 What does that mean, the flood took them all away? 11:48 Luke interprets that as what? 11:50 Destroyed them all. 11:52 So being taken away is to be what? 11:55 Is to be destroyed. 11:57 Now in Luke 17, Jesus also used 12:00 the example of Sodom and Gomorrah. 12:02 Notice verse 28. 12:05 And we'll read through verse 30. 12:06 Luke 17:28. 12:08 "Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot. 12:12 They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, 12:16 they planted, they built. 12:19 But on the day that Lot went out of Sodom 12:21 it rained fire and brimstone from heaven," 12:24 and what? 12:25 "and destroyed them all. 12:30 Even so will it be in the day 12:33 when the Son of Man is revealed." 12:35 How many of those outside the ark 12:37 were destroyed by the flood? 12:40 Everyone. 12:42 How many of those in Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, 12:45 those who remain in the cities? 12:47 Everyone. 12:48 Or was there a certain group that was left alive 12:50 in Sodom and Gomorrah, 12:51 a certain wicked group of people? 12:53 No. 12:54 How about a certain group of wicked people 12:55 at the time of the flood? 12:57 No. There were only two groups. 12:58 But, those who are teaching the rapture believe that 13:00 there are three groups. 13:02 There are those who are raptured to heaven, 13:04 those are the saved. 13:05 Then, there are those 13:07 who are destroyed by the plagues 13:08 and the Second Coming or the Secret Coming of Jesus 13:11 at the rapture. 13:12 But at that point, some of the people 13:15 remain alive to go 13:16 through the seven year tribulation according to them. 13:19 So the parallel simply does not fit. 13:23 Now in order to understand these verses, 13:26 Matthew 24:40-41, 13:29 we need to go back to a broader context. 13:32 We need to go back to Genesis, 13:35 because Jesus is talking about the flood in Genesis. 13:39 So we can't only go from Matthew 24:40-41 13:43 to verses 37-39. 13:45 We have to go all the way back to the original event, 13:48 to the flood in Noah's day. 13:49 Are you following me or not? 13:51 So let's go to Genesis 7:22-23, 13:55 where the teaching of Jesus comes from. 13:59 Genesis 7:22-23. 14:03 It says there, "All in whose nostrils 14:07 was the breath of the spirit of life, 14:10 all that was on the dry land, died. 14:14 So "He..." 14:15 Now notice this word, it's a word that's in Luke. 14:18 "So He destroyed all living things 14:21 that were on the face of the ground, 14:23 both man and cattle, 14:25 creeping thing and bird of the air. 14:27 They were destroyed from the earth. 14:30 Only Noah and those who were with him 14:33 in the ark remained alive." 14:36 Now those two words, "Remained alive" 14:38 is only one Hebrew word. 14:41 And almost every single version, 14:42 I'm reading from the New King James, 14:44 the King James basically uses the same word, 14:48 but the modern versions use the word left. 14:53 In other words, only Noah and those who were with him 14:57 in the ark were left. 15:00 In fact, the NIV translates 15:02 that the wicked were wiped out 15:04 and only the righteous were left. 15:06 The New American Standard Bible 15:08 translates that the wicked were blotted out 15:11 and only the righteous were left. 15:13 The Revised Standard Version translates, 15:16 the wicked were blotted out 15:17 and only the righteous were left. 15:20 The Jerusalem Bible, 15:21 which is a Roman Catholic Bible states that, 15:23 the wicked were destroyed and the righteous were left. 15:27 And the New English Bible translates that, 15:30 the wicked were wiped out and the righteous survived. 15:36 So immediately we start to discover 15:38 that those who were left 15:40 at the time of the flood were whom, 15:43 the righteous or the wicked? 15:45 The righteous. 15:47 Now you say, how's that? 15:49 Let me read you a statement from Gary Cohen, 15:52 an Old Testament scholar 15:54 about the meaning of the word left. 15:57 It's the Hebrew word shawar. 16:01 It's the word that is translated remained 16:03 in the New King James and in the King James Version, 16:06 but in most modern versions, 16:07 it's translated that only Noah and his family were left. 16:12 This is what this scholar says about the word shawar, 16:15 the word left. 16:16 "Shawar seems to be used exclusively 16:21 to indicate the static action of surviving 16:25 after an elimination process." 16:29 Are you catching the nuance? 16:32 He continues writing, "This process of elimination 16:35 may have been natural, 16:38 such as Naomi's husband died, 16:42 and she was left. 16:44 It may have a humanly caused." 16:47 A reason, which is for example, 16:50 "Behold that which is left! 16:52 Here Samuel is speaking about meat, 16:54 which was intentionally left for Saul to eat. 16:56 Or it might refer to the elimination. 17:00 That is the direct result of divine intervention. 17:04 There remained not one locust in all the coasts of Egypt, 17:09 when God blew them away. 17:11 No matter what the cause, however, shawar points to that 17:15 which remains or has survived." 17:20 So the word left in the Old Testament, 17:24 the word that is used for those who survived the flood 17:27 is the word shawar. 17:29 Now let me give you several examples 17:31 from the Old Testament of the use of shawar. 17:33 So you see, this is a remnant word. 17:36 It refers to those who remain after a catastrophe, 17:39 or a disaster, or a war, those who are left, 17:42 those who remained alive. 17:44 Exodus 24:28. 17:47 It's actually Exodus 14:28. 17:49 This is speaking about the Egyptians 17:51 that were drowned in the Red Sea. 17:53 It says, "Then the waters returned 17:55 and covered the chariots, the horsemen, 17:56 and all the army of Pharaoh 17:59 that came into the sea after them. 18:01 Not so much as one of them shawar." 18:06 Not one of them was what? 18:08 Was left, because they were all wiped out. 18:11 If anybody had survived, they would be left. 18:14 Judges 4:16. 18:16 It's talking about 18:17 the destruction of Sisera's army. 18:20 It says there, "But Barak pursued the chariots 18:23 and the army as far as Harosheth Hagoyim, 18:27 and all the army of Sisera 18:29 fell by the edge of the sword, 18:31 not a man was left." 18:35 In the days of Elijah, you're acquainted with this. 18:38 Elijah complained to the Lord. 18:40 This is in 1 Kings 19:14. 18:42 He says, "Lord, everybody has apostatized, 18:45 only I am left." 18:48 That's the word shawar. 18:50 Notice Isaiah 24:6, this is at the Second Coming. 18:55 Everybody on earth is gonna be destroyed, 18:57 but there's gonna be a remnant that will be left. 18:59 In Isaiah 24:6, 19:02 speaking about the Second Coming. 19:03 He says, "Therefore the curse has devoured the earth, 19:06 and those who dwell in it are desolate. 19:09 Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, 19:12 and few men are left." 19:16 So when the destruction comes, very few will be left alive. 19:21 Notice Isaiah 4:3, 19:23 this is a very significant verse, 19:25 because it tells us that the holy ones are the ones 19:27 that are left, not the wicked. 19:29 In Isaiah 4:3, it says, "And it shall come to pass 19:35 that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem 19:41 will be called," what? 19:43 "Holy. 19:44 Everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem." 19:48 Now those who are written in the Book of the Living, 19:50 in the Book of Life, 19:52 those are the ones that are left 19:54 and they're referred to as holy. 19:58 Let's notice one other verse that uses the word shawar. 20:01 The same word of Genesis 7:23, where it says, 20:04 "That only Noah and his family were left." 20:07 They're the remnant that survives the catastrophe. 20:11 In other words, they're left alive. 20:13 Haggai 2:3. 20:17 You see, this is talking about the moment 20:19 when the temple was built after the Babylonian captivity. 20:25 And this temple was 20:26 actually nothing like the First Temple, 20:28 like the temple that Solomon built. 20:31 And so somebody was wondering 20:33 whether there were some individuals 20:35 that had seen Solomon's temple 20:37 or the temple that Solomon built. 20:39 Haggai 2:3 has the question. 20:42 "Who is left among you who saw this temple 20:47 in its former glory? 20:49 And how do you see it now? 20:52 In comparison with it, 20:54 this is not in your eyes as nothing?" 20:58 So what does it mean when it says, 21:00 "Who is left among you, who saw this temple 21:02 in its former glory?" 21:03 It means, who's still alive, 21:05 they saw the temple that Solomon built. 21:08 So the word left that is used in the context of the flood, 21:12 Genesis 7:23, that only Noah and his family were left 21:17 or remained alive, means that the word left 21:20 does not refer to the wicked who are left behind, 21:22 it refers to the righteous who are left 21:25 after the destruction of the flood. 21:28 Are you understanding me? 21:30 Now let's notice the word left in the New Testament. 21:33 The word left in the New Testament 21:36 is the Greek word Aphiemi. 21:39 And this word is used in two senses. 21:42 First of all and very much like English by the way. 21:45 It's used, for example, to describe a person 21:49 who is leaving from one place to another. 21:51 For example, I left Hawaii for California. 21:55 The word Aphiemi is used in that sense. 21:58 But the word Aphiemi is also used 22:01 to refer to something that is left over. 22:04 For example, he ate all the apple pie 22:08 and none is left. 22:10 So the word like in English can refer to leaving 22:13 for some place or that which is left and remains. 22:17 Let me give you two verses that clearly show 22:21 what the word Aphiemi means as it relates to the verses 22:26 that we're studying. 22:27 Matthew 24:2. 22:30 Here Jesus is speaking about the destruction 22:33 of the Jerusalem temple. 22:35 It says there, "And Jesus said to them," 22:38 speaking to his disciples. 22:40 "Do you not see all these things? 22:42 Assuredly, I say to you, 22:44 not one stone shall be left here upon another." 22:50 Are you understanding the way 22:52 that the word left is being used? 22:54 All the temple is gonna be destroyed, 22:55 there won't be even one stone left 22:58 upon another. 23:00 Another verse where this is used, 23:02 the same word Aphiemi is Mark 12:22. 23:07 Speaking about the seven men that married the same woman. 23:13 You know the case that was presented 23:14 to Christ by the Sadducees, a hypothetical case. 23:19 And so it says there, "So the seven had her 23:24 and left no offspring." 23:27 In other words, there was no offspring left, 23:29 there were no offspring alive. 23:31 So whose wife would she be in the resurrection? 23:34 That was the question. 23:35 So the word left means that which remains. 23:39 Once again in the New Testament, 23:41 just like in the Old Testament, that which is left, 23:44 that which remains, that which is still there. 23:48 Now we need to also examine the word taken 23:52 in the Old Testament. 23:54 And so let's read first of all, a statement 23:57 by an Old Testament scholar 23:59 by the name of Walter C. Kaiser. 24:02 The word that is used for 24:04 taken in the Old Testament is the word lakad. 24:08 And I'm going to read 24:09 what this Old Testament scholar, 24:11 very reputable scholar I might say, 24:14 conservative Old Testament scholar, 24:16 which is unusual. 24:18 He wrote this, and I quote, 24:20 "Most of the 121 uses of lakad deal with men 24:26 capturing or seizing towns, men, spoils, 24:31 and even a kingdom. 24:33 It is used figuratively of the entrapment of men 24:37 who are caught in snares of all sorts 24:40 laid by their enemies. 24:41 This word serves as a figure of divine judgment. 24:46 The Stone of Stumbling will cause many to stumble, 24:49 fall, be broken, be ensnared, and be captured. 24:52 When God shakes the foundations of the earth, 24:54 just prior to the Millennium, the ungodly shall be seized 24:59 in the trap as were those who drunkenly mocked 25:02 the prophet's message." 25:04 And so the word lakad means to be seized, 25:08 it means to be caught, it means to be entrapped, 25:11 it means to be taken in other words. 25:14 Now let's notice a few Old Testament 25:16 examples of the word lakad in the Book of Joshua. 25:20 I'm just gonna mention these cities, 25:23 because our time is limited 25:24 and we have so much material to cover. 25:26 In the Book of Joshua, we have several instances 25:30 where Joshua smote the cities of Canaan, 25:34 in the conquest of Canaan. 25:36 You have for example, Gezer in Joshua 10:33, 25:40 Hebron, Joshua 10:37, Debir, 25:43 where Joshua utterly destroyed all souls 25:46 and left none remaining, those by the Waters of Merom 25:50 and the inhabitants of Hazor. 25:52 All of these cities, 25:53 the Bible says were taken by Joshua. 25:55 In other words, 25:57 it deals with a military campaign 25:58 where the cities are taken 26:00 and those who live in the cities are destroyed. 26:04 Notice Joshua Chapter 8, and we'll read verses 8 26:08 and then we'll read verse 17, and 21, and 22, 26:11 because that's where the word is used. 26:13 Joshua 8:8, "And it will be, 26:18 when you have taken lakad, 26:20 when you have taken the city or conquer the city, 26:24 that you shall set the city on fire." 26:27 So when the city is taken, does that mean that 26:29 people are taken to heaven and you know, 26:32 they're gonna be alive and they're gonna be 26:35 enjoying the bliss of heaven? 26:36 Of course not. 26:38 It's a word that refers to taking a city, 26:41 to destroying a city in a military campaign. 26:43 So it says, 26:44 according to the commandment of the Lord, you shall do." 26:47 See, I've commanded you." 26:48 Verse 17, "There was not a man left," 26:52 that's the other word shawar. 26:53 So when the city is taken, no one is what? 26:57 No one is left. 26:59 No one is shawar. 27:00 So it says, "There was not a man left in Ai or Bethel 27:04 who did not go out after Israel. 27:06 So they left the city open and pursued Israel. 27:10 Now when Joshua and all Israel 27:11 saw the ambush had taken," 27:13 there's the word lakad again, 27:15 "the city that the smoke of the city ascended, 27:18 they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 27:21 Then the others came out of the city against them, 27:24 so they were caught in the midst of Israel, 27:26 some on this side and some on the other side. 27:29 And they struck them down, 27:30 so that they let none of them," what? 27:33 "Remain or escape." 27:35 Who are the taken ones? 27:38 The saved or the lost? 27:40 Those that are destroyed in the city, 27:42 those that are taken in the city 27:44 are the ones that are destroyed. 27:46 Notice Judges 1:8 and I'm going to read 27:49 these from the King James Version, 27:51 because the King James Version uses the word taken. 27:53 Other versions use other words, 27:55 so you would know that it's the same Hebrew word. 27:58 In Judges 1:8, it's talking about 28:00 Judah conquering Jerusalem. 28:03 And it says, "Now the children of Judah 28:06 had fought against Jerusalem, and had taken it." 28:10 There's the word lakad, "and smitten it." 28:13 What does it mean to take it? 28:15 It means to smite it, "with the edge of the sword, 28:18 and set the city on fire." 28:20 Taken does not mean taken to heaven. 28:23 It means, taking a city and destroying it with fire. 28:27 Now notice Proverbs 5:22. 28:30 The word is also used for the taking 28:31 or surprising of individuals. 28:34 It says in Proverbs 5:22, 28:36 speaking about a wicked person's iniquities. 28:39 "His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, 28:44 and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins." 28:47 So what does it say? The iniquities shall what? 28:50 Shall take the wicked. 28:51 The word take there is the same word lakad. 28:55 Notice Proverbs 3:26. 28:58 This is speaking about God protecting His people 29:00 when the wicked want to take them 29:03 or when the wicked want to destroy them. 29:05 It says there in Proverbs 3:26, 29:09 "For the Lord shall be thy confidence, 29:11 and shall keep thy foot from being taken." 29:16 Once again. 29:17 Notice Ecclesiastes 7:26. 29:21 Ecclesiastes 7:26. 29:24 Once again, it's talking about... 29:26 Here's talking about a woman who takes a man in her snares. 29:30 And I want you to notice three words 29:32 that are used in this verse, which are key 29:34 for what we're gonna notice later on. 29:36 It says, "And I find 29:37 more bitter than death the woman, 29:41 whose heart is" what? 29:43 "Snares." Don't forget that word. 29:45 "Snares and nets, and her hands as bands, 29:49 whoso pleaseth God shall" What? 29:52 Remember that word. 29:54 "Escape from her, but the sinner shall be taken" 29:59 lakad "by her." 30:01 So three words, snares, escape, and taken. 30:06 And the word taken does not mean to be saved. 30:09 It means a sinner is taken or destroyed by her. 30:13 Notice Isaiah 24:6, 30:17 and then we'll read verses 17-18. 30:19 Isaiah 24:6, and then verses 17-18. 30:24 This is speaking about the Second Coming of Christ. 30:27 It says, "Therefore, 30:28 hath the curse devoured the earth, 30:30 and they that dwell therein are desolate, 30:33 therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, 30:36 and few men are shawar." 30:39 Few men are left. 30:40 So the ones that are left, are they left alive 30:42 or the ones that are left, left for dead? 30:46 They are the ones that remain alive, 30:47 they are the remnant. 30:49 Then, verse 17, "And it shall come to pass, 30:51 that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear 30:54 shall fall into the pit, 30:55 and he that cometh up out of the pit, 30:57 shall be," what? 30:59 "Taken in the snare." 31:00 There it is again. 31:02 "For the windows from on high are open, 31:04 and the foundation of the earth do shake." 31:07 Notice Isaiah 8:14-15. 31:10 Isaiah 8:14-15. 31:14 Once again, the three key words snare, 31:18 the word snare, and the word taken. 31:21 It says, "And He shall be for a sanctuary; 31:24 but for a Stone of Stumbling and for a rock of offence 31:28 to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare 31:33 to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 31:35 And many among them shall stumble and fall, 31:38 be broken and be," what? 31:41 "Be snared and be taken." 31:44 Are the ones taken, the righteous or the wicked? 31:47 They're the wicked folks, not the righteous. 31:50 Now it's interesting that Jesus use these three words. 31:54 In Luke 21:35-36 31:58 to refer to a Second Coming. 32:01 It says there, "For as a snare 32:06 shall it come on all them that 32:07 dwell on the face of the whole earth." 32:09 That is the closer probation in the Second Coming. 32:12 "Watch he therefore, and pray always, 32:14 that ye may be accounted worthy to escape." 32:17 Notice once again the key word. 32:18 "To escape these things that shall come to pass, 32:22 and to stand before the Son of Man." 32:25 Once again, the word snare and the word escape, 32:28 connected with the Second Coming 32:31 of Jesus Christ. 32:32 So we've noticed that in the Old Testament, 32:35 the word left means those who remain alive, 32:38 the word taken refers 32:40 to those who are overtaken or destroyed. 32:43 In the New Testament, we noticed 32:44 that the word Aphiemi means that those, 32:47 that which is left and in the New Testament 32:51 now we need to take a look at the word taken. 32:54 Now I need to tell you something about the word 32:57 that is translated taken there 32:59 in Matthew 24:40-41. 33:03 It's the Greek word lambano. 33:06 Now the word lombano, according to the Lexicon, 33:12 the New Testament Lexicon means to take away, 33:15 to remove, to lay hands on, and to seize. 33:21 You have examples of this word lombano 33:24 in the New Testament. 33:25 For example, in Acts 2:23, it says that, 33:29 "Jesus was taken or seized and crucified." 33:34 We're also told in Matthew 21:39, 33:37 that Jesus was seized 33:39 and cast out of the vineyard by his enemies. 33:43 And Paul explains that no temptation has taken us 33:47 that we cannot overcome. 33:49 That's the use of the word lombano. 33:52 But now there's something that is very, very important. 33:55 And that is that the word lombano 33:58 does not always appear by itself. 34:01 It is used many times with a prepositional prefix, 34:07 like happens in English. 34:09 Let me mention several examples in English. 34:12 We have the word epicenter. 34:16 Epi is a Greek preposition. 34:20 What does epicenter mean? 34:22 It means a central place from which the waves 34:25 of an earthquake radiate. 34:27 We have the word hypertension. 34:30 It's the Greek word Choúpen which means high. 34:34 So hypertension means high blood pressure. 34:39 We have the word hypoglycemia. 34:42 Hypoglycemia means glycemia, of course is sugar 34:46 and hypo means low, low blood sugar. 34:50 We have the word catastrophe. 34:53 Cata is a Greek preposition and, 34:56 of course, that means to overturn 34:58 or to turn upside down. 35:00 We have the word perimeter. 35:02 Peri is a Greek preposition. 35:04 Perimeter means the outer boundary. 35:07 We have the word paralegal. 35:10 It's an individual that works alongside an attorney. 35:14 And we have the word anachronism, 35:17 which means something... 35:20 It means to go back in time. 35:22 So, prepositions are attached to words 35:25 and they give the word the nuance. 35:28 Now, I want to mention something very, very important. 35:32 And that is that the word lambano 35:34 also has prepositional prefixes. 35:37 For example, analambano, it means to take upward, 35:41 because ana means to take up. 35:44 So analambano would mean to take upward. 35:48 Sunlambano, S-U-N lombano means to take 35:53 someone with you. 35:55 Katalambano means to overtake or take away, 36:00 and paralambano means to take alongside, 36:06 in other words take somebody that is alongside you. 36:10 Now the question is which of the variations 36:12 of lambano is the word taken 36:17 in Matthew 24:40-41? 36:21 The word that is used there is paralambano. 36:26 Paralambano means to take alongside, 36:30 to take beside someone. 36:33 The Greek Lexicon Arndt and Gingrich, 36:35 one of the better known Lexicon says, 36:37 "That it means nearness in space, 36:40 at or by, beside near with, 36:45 according to the standpoint 36:47 from which the relationship is you." 36:50 So basically the word paralambano 36:53 is to take someone beside you 36:57 or alongside you. 37:01 Now it bears noting that Jesus could have used 37:04 a different word, 37:05 if He wanted to say that 37:07 the taken will be taken to heaven or will be taken up. 37:12 The word taken, you know, 37:15 is not probably the best Greek word 37:17 that Jesus could have used. 37:18 For example, 37:20 He could have used the word Harpazo, 37:23 which is used in I Thessalonians 4:17, 37:26 where the Apostle Paul says, 37:27 "That the righteous will be caught up in the clouds." 37:31 He could have used the word analambano, 37:34 which means to take up. 37:36 He could have used the word airo or ah'-ee-ro, 37:40 which means to take away. 37:43 So in other words, there are many Greek words 37:45 that Jesus could have used, which would better described 37:48 taking someone upward to heaven, 37:50 but He did not used that. 37:51 He used the word paralambano, which means to take alongside. 37:56 Now the question, why would Jesus used 38:00 the word to take alongside? 38:04 Well, He used that word 38:06 because in Matthew 24:40-41, 38:11 Jesus is saying that there will be one person 38:14 alongside another. 38:17 The one who is alongside the righteous will be taken 38:22 and the righteous will be left. 38:24 So because there are two people side by side 38:26 and paralambano means to take alongside, 38:29 that's the reason 38:30 why the word paralambano is used. 38:33 Incidentally, the same word is used 38:35 in John 14:1-3, where Jesus says that 38:41 He's going to receive us unto Himself. 38:44 In other words, He's going to receive us 38:45 alongside Himself. 38:48 We're gonna be beside Him or alongside Him. 38:52 So the reason why Matthew 24:40-41 38:55 uses the word paralambano, alongside means that 38:59 there are two people that are next to each other, 39:02 they're both on earth alongside, 39:04 one individual will be left when the probation closes, 39:07 and the Second Coming transpires, 39:09 and the other was alongside that person will be, 39:13 what? 39:14 Will be destroyed. 39:17 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 39:18 Now I didn't want to go into all of this Greek, 39:22 but words are important. 39:25 And unless we understand the meaning of words, 39:27 we're not gonna really understand this passage. 39:29 By the way, the Apostle Paul, now we need to examine 39:33 what the Apostle Paul has to say. 39:34 Let's go to I Thessalonians 4:15-17. 39:39 I Thessalonians 4:15-17. 39:42 This is the famous resurrection passage. 39:45 It says, "For this we say unto you 39:47 by the word of the Lord, 39:48 that we which are alive 39:50 and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent," 39:53 that means precede, "them which are asleep. 39:56 For the Lord himself shall descend 39:58 from heaven with a shout, with a voice of an archangel, 40:01 and with the trump of God, 40:02 and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 40:05 Then we which are alive and..." 40:10 who are the ones that remain? 40:12 The wicked or the righteous? 40:14 The righteous. 40:16 So it says, "We who are alive and remain." 40:20 That means those who are alive, it means the righteous, 40:24 "shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, 40:26 to meet the Lord in the air, 40:28 and so shall we ever be with the Lord." 40:31 Now what is not generally known 40:32 is that in the very next chapter, 40:35 the Apostle Paul ends chapter 4 at verse 18, 40:38 the very next chapter, 40:40 Paul is gonna speak about the wicked, 40:42 who are caught by surprise. 40:44 Are you following me? 40:45 So we don't need to do a break 40:48 between Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, 40:49 because Chapter 5 is a continuation, 40:51 he's gonna speak about 40:53 what's gonna happen with the wicked. 40:54 Notice once again, 40:56 what we find in I Thessalonians 5:1-7. 41:00 And immediately you're gonna see 41:02 the connection with what Jesus had to say. 41:05 And I'll come back to that in a few moments. 41:07 It says there in I Thessalonians 5:1-7. 41:10 For, that indicates that it's a continuation. 41:12 "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord 41:17 so cometh as a," what? 41:20 Did Jesus talk about coming as a thief in the night? 41:23 Did Jesus say that too? Yes. 41:25 So Paul says, "The day of the Lord 41:28 so cometh as a thief in the night. 41:30 For when they shall say, peace and safety, then," what? 41:34 "Sudden destruction cometh upon them, 41:37 as travail upon a woman with child, 41:40 and they shall not," what? 41:43 You remember that word. 41:45 Who's not going to escape? 41:47 The wicked. 41:48 Do the righteous escape the wicked woman, 41:50 according to what we read? 41:51 Yes, the righteous escape, but the wicked don't escape. 41:54 Did Jesus also used the word escape? 41:56 He most certainly did. 41:58 I continue reading. 41:59 "However, ye brethren, 42:01 are not in darkness, that that day," 42:04 and here comes a keyword, 42:05 "that that day should overtake you as a thief." 42:10 The word overtake 42:11 is the word katalambano. 42:16 So the wicked are taken 42:19 alongside the righteous. 42:23 And here it says that the wicked are, what? 42:26 They are overtaken. 42:28 The same Greek word, lambano, the same root word. 42:32 But in Matthew it says, 42:35 that the person will be taken alongside 42:38 because the wicked 42:40 is beside the righteous on planet Earth, 42:42 after probation closes and at the time of destruction. 42:46 Whereas the Apostle Paul says that the wicked will be 42:49 overtaken katalambano. 42:51 So he says, "That, that day 42:53 should overtake you as a thief. 42:57 Ye all are children of the light, 42:59 and the children of the day, we are not of the night, 43:02 nor of darkness. 43:03 Therefore let us not sleep, but let us watch and be sober." 43:08 Is that what Jesus said also, let us watch and be sober? 43:10 Are they dealing with the same theme? 43:12 They most certainly are. 43:14 But Jesus uses paralambano, because the righteous 43:16 and the wicked are alongside each other. 43:18 The Apostle Paul uses the word katalambano, 43:21 because he's already said that the righteous are the ones 43:24 who are alive and what? 43:25 And remain in the previous chapter. 43:28 It continues, saying, "Therefore let us not sleep, 43:30 as do others, but let us watch and be sober. 43:34 For they that sleep in the night, 43:36 and they that be drunken are drunken in the night." 43:41 So it's very interesting that both Jesus and Paul 43:44 used very similar terminology. 43:47 The Apostle Paul uses words 43:51 such as remain, overtaken, 43:54 watch, be ready, thief in the night, 43:59 don't be drunk, be sober, destruction, 44:02 pray, not escape, suddenly. 44:06 Did Jesus use those same terms 44:08 right after he referred to the days of Noah? 44:11 You read Chapter 24, the last verses 44:14 and you read Chapter 25, and you read Chapter 26, 44:17 Jesus says, "Watch, pray, He says to His disciples, 44:20 be ready, don't get drunk." 44:21 He uses the same terminology. 44:24 But Jesus uses paralambano, 44:26 the Apostle Paul uses katalambano, 44:28 because Jesus is referring to a person 44:31 who is taken alongside another, 44:33 whereas the Apostle Paul is speaking about 44:34 the wicked being overtaken. 44:37 Now let's notice something very interesting 44:40 in the New International Version. 44:45 The word that is used in I Thessalonians Chapter 4, 44:49 you know, the King James Version says, 44:52 "He who is alive and remains." 44:56 But, the NIV as well as most modern versions 44:58 used another word to describe 45:02 those who remain alive. 45:04 The NIV says, 45:06 according to the Word of God's... 45:08 According to the Lord's own word, 45:10 we tell you that those that we who are still alive, 45:13 who are left till the coming of the Lord, 45:16 will certainly not proceed those who are falling asleep. 45:19 But the Lord Himself will come down 45:20 from heaven with a loud command, 45:22 with the voice of the archangel, 45:24 with the trumpet of God, 45:25 and the dead in Christ will rise first. 45:27 After that, we who are alive and still are left. 45:32 See the NIV understands it, 45:33 those who are left are the righteous. 45:35 And in the next chapter, 45:36 Paul says the wicked are the ones 45:38 that are overtaken, katalambano. 45:40 So it says here, 45:42 after that we who are still alive 45:44 and are left will caught up together 45:46 with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, 45:48 and so we will always be with the Lord. 45:53 So Matthew says that the wicked will be taken. 45:57 If you read Luke, it says that 45:59 they will come upon them and they will be destroyed. 46:03 The Apostle Paul says that they will be overtaken. 46:06 Three different expressions that refer to what? 46:10 To the same thing. 46:12 Let me give you some examples in the way that we speak. 46:16 We use the expression, 46:18 did the flood take them all away? 46:20 Wasn't anyone left? 46:24 Did the flood drown everyone? 46:27 Did not anyone remain? 46:30 Was everyone swept away? 46:31 Was not anyone preserved? 46:35 Did the flood destroy them all? 46:36 Wasn't anyone spared? 46:40 So are you catching the nuance here? 46:43 The ones that are taken are the ones 46:45 that are overtaken and destroyed. 46:46 They're taken alongside or beside the righteous, 46:49 because both are carrying on their activities as usual. 46:53 But probation closes, the wicked are surprised. 46:57 But the righteous have been watching 46:58 and they've been praying. 46:59 They're not caught in the snare, 47:01 they're going to escape according to what Jesus said. 47:04 Now let's go back to this point about the use of the word 47:07 until There's something very important here. 47:12 Jesus said that He was gonna come 47:14 as a thief in the night. 47:17 He also said that it's gonna be like 47:19 it wasn't the days of Noah. 47:21 So how do we understand the coming of the thief? 47:26 The coming of the thief 47:27 really has two stages, two points of time. 47:30 You say, really? 47:32 Yeah. 47:33 Let's suppose that you went to bed 47:35 and you forgot to lock your door. 47:38 At midnight, you're sleeping and the thief comes 47:42 and he finds the door unlocked. 47:45 He comes into the house. 47:47 He steals everything he can find. 47:50 Are those in the house aware that the thief has come? 47:54 No. 47:56 Were they caught by surprise? 47:58 Yeah, they were caught by surprise, 47:59 but they don't know it. 48:01 When do they discover that the thief has come? 48:05 When they wake up in the morning, 48:08 but then it's too late. 48:10 The same happened at the time of the flood. 48:13 At the time of the flood, the door to the ark closed 48:15 and the wicked they didn't have 48:17 the foggiest idea that probation had closed, 48:19 they were caught by surprise. 48:21 When did they discover that they were lost? 48:25 When destruction came. 48:27 So the word taken refers to the moment 48:30 when probation closes for the wicked 48:33 and they're surprised, they are taken by surprise, 48:35 they are taken in the snare. 48:37 And it also refers to the succeeding event, 48:40 which is their destruction at the Second Coming of Jesus. 48:43 Are you following me or not? 48:45 Now some of you might be wondering 48:48 whether this particular scenario 48:51 that I'm portraying is correct. 48:55 Well, let's see what Ellen White had to say. 48:56 How about that? 48:58 Would you say that if Ellen White agrees 49:00 with this perspective that it's the right perspective? 49:03 Over and above the fact that we've studied 49:04 the immediate context, 49:06 we've studied the broader context, 49:07 we've studied the meaning of words, 49:10 we've studied many, many different things 49:12 to show that this is true. 49:13 Well, let's put the icing on the cake 49:16 by reading a statement from Ellen White. 49:18 This statement, Ellen White is describing 49:23 the death of a U.S. President 49:25 by the name of William McKinley. 49:28 He was assassinated. 49:30 And Ellen White 49:32 felt a special burden for his wife. 49:36 And now I want to read you that statement. 49:38 It makes it very clear who Ellen White understood, 49:41 were the ones taken and the ones who are left? 49:44 This is how it reads. 49:46 Ellen White is describing her grief 49:49 for the president's wife, who now is a widow. 49:52 "I am not able to sleep past 2 o'clock A.M. 49:58 I am awakened often at 1 o'clock at night 50:03 with my heart drawn out in tender sympathy 50:07 for the bereaved wife of President McKinley. 50:11 One is taken and the other left." 50:15 Where is she quoted from? 50:17 Matthew 24, very clearly. 50:20 She says, "One is taken and the other left." 50:22 Now for her, who is the one taken? 50:24 Is it McKinley or is it his wife? 50:27 Well, let's continue reading. 50:29 "The strong one upon whose large affections 50:33 she could ever lean, is not." 50:37 So who is the one taken? 50:41 Is it her, who is taken? 50:43 No, it's her husband, because he died, 50:48 but she remained what? 50:50 "Alive." Let's continue reading. 50:52 "The strong one upon whose large affections 50:55 she could ever lean, is not. 50:57 While he was in health, 50:59 fulfilling the duties of his office, 51:01 an apparently friendly hand was extended, 51:04 which President McKinley was ready to grasp. 51:07 That Judas hand held a pistol and shot the President. 51:12 Amid the scenes of pleasant life 51:14 and enjoyment came sorrow and sadness, 51:16 and suffering and woe. 51:18 How could he do this terrible murderous action?" 51:22 And then she says this, 51:24 "My heart is in deep sympathy 51:28 for the one who is left." 51:32 Is that clear crystal? 51:36 Who was the one who was left? 51:40 McKinley, who died? 51:42 No, the one who was left was the one who was left alive. 51:47 So she says, "My heart is in deep sympathy 51:49 for the one who is left. 51:51 I have been repeating over and over, 51:54 Oh, how short came all words of human sympathy. 51:58 There are thousands 52:00 that would speak words to relieve 52:01 if possible the breaking heart, 52:04 but they do not understand how feeble are words 52:06 to comfort the bereaved one, who in her feebleness 52:10 ever found a human heart in her husband, 52:13 full of tenderness, and compassion, and love. 52:16 The strong human arm 52:18 upon which the frail suffering wife 52:20 leaned, is not." 52:24 So who is the one that is? 52:28 His wife. 52:30 Who is the one there is not? 52:32 President McKinley. 52:34 Who is the one that was taken? 52:36 President McKinley. 52:38 Who is the one that was left? 52:41 His wife, very clearly. 52:46 So, folks, the bottom line is this, 52:49 you know, it sounds very plausible to say, 52:53 "Well, you know, it's clear as day. 52:55 You know, the taken are taken to heaven 52:57 and that the left are the left behind." 52:58 No, no. 53:00 The situation is that 53:01 when Jesus closes the door of probation 53:04 and when the destruction comes, 53:06 the wicked are taken. 53:09 They're taken by surprise and then they're destroyed. 53:12 But the righteous are what? 53:14 They're left alive. 53:16 They remain. 53:18 And the Apostle Paul makes that clear, 53:19 when he says, "We who are alive," 53:21 and the NIV says, "And are left." 53:24 And then in Chapter 5 of I Thessalonians, He says, 53:28 "The wicked will be overtaken," because they didn't watch, 53:31 because they didn't pray, because they weren't sober, 53:34 they did not escape, they were caught in the snare, 53:38 all of the terms that Jesus used 53:40 to describe his Second Coming 53:42 and the close of probation. 53:45 I want to read you one closing statement 53:46 from Ellen White. 53:47 This is Great Controversy 491. 53:50 The little lady she had more than human wisdom, folks. 53:55 She's writing about the righteous and the wicked. 53:57 She says, "The righteous and the wicked will still be 54:00 living upon the earth in their mortal state. 54:04 Men will be planting and building, 54:05 eating and drinking, 54:07 all unconscious that the final irrevocable decision 54:12 has been pronounced in the sanctuary above." 54:14 So the righteous and the wicked are gonna be 54:16 living together, carrying on business as usual, 54:19 unaware that, what? 54:22 Unaware that the irrevocable decision has been pronounced 54:27 in the sanctuary above, and then she goes 54:30 to the biblical foundation of what she's saying. 54:32 Before the flood, after Noah entered the ark, 54:36 God shut him in and shut the ungodly out. 54:40 But for seven days the people knowing not 54:43 that their doom was fixed... 54:46 When was their doom fixed? 54:49 In the heavenly sanctuary, when the pronounced was made, 54:53 he who is filthy, let him be filthy still, 54:57 he who is unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still, 55:00 he who is holy, let him be holy still, 55:02 and he was righteous, let him be righteous still, 55:05 that pronunciation is made in heaven. 55:08 She continues, "But for seven days the people, 55:11 knowing not that their doom was fixed, 55:13 continued their careless pleasure loving life 55:16 and mocked the warnings of impending judgment." 55:19 So says the Savior, 55:21 "Shall also be the coming of the Son of Man." 55:24 She's quoting Matthew 24. 55:26 Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief 55:32 will come the decisive hour, which marks the fixing 55:38 of every man's destiny, 55:39 the final withdrawal of mercies offer to guilty men. 55:45 And then another quotation that we find in Testimonies 55:50 for the Church. 55:51 I'll only read one. 55:52 This is the Testimonies for the Church, 55:54 Volume II, page 190-191. 55:56 I'm only gonna read the first part. 55:58 She's commenting on Mark 13:35-37, 56:02 where it says, 56:03 "Nobody knows the day or the hour." 56:04 We usually think of that as the Second Coming, 56:06 but it refers to the close of probation 56:08 and the Second Coming. 56:10 Now she says, "We are waiting and watching 56:14 for the return of the Master, 56:16 who is to bring the morning, 56:18 lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping." 56:20 She's quoting Mark 13. 56:23 Now notice, what time is here referred to? 56:27 Where it says, we're waiting for the return of the Master, 56:31 who coming suddenly He might find us sleepy." 56:33 She says, what time is here referred to? 56:35 Not to the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven 56:38 to find people asleep. 56:40 "No, but to His return from His ministration 56:43 in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, 56:46 when he lays off His priestly attire 56:48 and clothes Himself with garments of vengeance, 56:50 and when the mandate goes forth, 56:52 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still, 56:54 he that is filthy, let him be filthy still, 56:57 he that is righteous, let him be righteous still, 56:59 and he that is holy, let him be holy still." 57:03 And then she states, 57:04 "When Jesus ceases to plead for man, 57:07 the cases of all are forever decided. 57:10 This is the time of reckoning with His servants. 57:13 To those who have neglected the preparation of purity 57:15 and holiness, which fits them 57:17 to be waiting ones to welcome their Lord, 57:19 the sun sets in gloom and darkness, 57:21 and rises not again. 57:22 Probation closes, 57:24 Christ's intercessions cease in heaven." 57:29 So when are the wicked taken? 57:31 Only when Jesus comes to destroy them? 57:34 No. 57:35 They are taken by surprise when Jesus comes as a thief 57:38 and they are sleeping. 57:41 Does that have anything to say to us? 57:43 Is there a possibility that we could be taken? 57:46 Yes, that's why Jesus said we must pray, we must watch, 57:50 we must be sober, we must occupy till He comes. 57:54 Lest we be found sleeping. 57:57 I hope that what we've studied has been beneficial. 58:00 Now, you know, 58:02 there's a lot more than I could say, 58:03 but time is up. |
Revised 2019-11-14