Participants:
Series Code: TPP
Program Code: TPP000015A
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00:11 Welcome back.
00:13 We're on a roll here. 00:16 This is actually presentation number 15. 00:19 Number 15 of 20. 00:21 The title of our study at this moment 00:23 is going to be The Three Comings of Jesus. 00:26 You saying, what? 00:27 Three comings? Are you kidding? 00:29 I thought there were two comings. 00:31 Let me just warn you 00:33 that what we're gonna study is nothing revolutionary 00:37 where you're gonna say, wow, I didn't know that before. 00:41 We're gonna take a look at, you know, 00:45 the number of times that Jesus came to this earth, 00:47 went back to heaven, comes to the earth, 00:49 goes back to heaven and comes back to the earth. 00:52 So, I'm sure that you've already heard 00:55 most of what we're gonna present, 00:57 but I would like you to see the structure 00:59 because it's important to understand this 01:02 considering the subject that we're dealing with. 01:04 So, before we begin, 01:06 we want to have a word of prayer. 01:07 And then, we'll get into our study. 01:09 Father in heaven, we thank You 01:10 for being able to gather together once again. 01:13 We ask for the presence of Your Holy Spirit 01:15 as we open Your Word. 01:17 Help us to understand the great truths concerning 01:19 The Three Comings of Jesus. 01:21 We thank You for hearing us, for we ask it in Jesus' name. 01:24 Amen. 01:27 The Bible refers to Three Comings of Jesus. 01:31 We want to speak first of all 01:33 about the First Coming of Jesus, 01:36 and why He came the first time to this earth? 01:40 Let's turn in our Bibles to John 6:38. 01:45 John 6:38. 01:49 Here we're told clearly 01:50 that Jesus when He came to this earth, 01:53 He came from heaven. 01:54 Now, we could take that for granted, 01:56 but it's good to read a verse that tells us that. 01:59 John 6:38. 02:01 Here Jesus is speaking and He says, 02:04 "For I have come down from heaven, 02:08 not to do My own will, 02:10 but the will of Him who sent Me." 02:14 So where did Jesus come from at His first coming? 02:17 He came from heaven to this earth. 02:20 Now the question is, what did He come for? 02:23 Well, He came for several reasons 02:25 but for two reasons, primarily. 02:29 He came to live a perfect life. 02:33 And He came to die for our sins. 02:37 You see if Jesus had not lived a perfect life, 02:41 His sacrifice would not have been accepted. 02:44 His life is just as important as His death. 02:47 Because I have a sinful life 02:49 and I need the life of Jesus 02:50 to stand in the place of my life, 02:53 and because of my sins, I must die, 02:55 but I need to have His death stand in place of my death. 02:59 So His life has to stand in place of my life, 03:01 and His death has the stand in place of my death. 03:04 Are you with me? 03:05 Those are the two main reasons why Jesus came. 03:08 Let's read it in 1 Peter 1:18 and 19. 03:13 1 Peter 1:18 and19. 03:18 Here the Apostle Peter wrote, 03:20 "Knowing that you were not redeemed 03:22 with corruptible things, like silver or gold, 03:26 from your aimless conduct 03:28 received by tradition from your fathers, 03:31 but you were redeemed 03:32 with the precious blood of Christ." 03:34 Would Jesus have had to die 03:36 in order to have the precious blood of Christ? 03:38 Of course, so that's speaking about His death. 03:41 "But with the precious blood of Christ," 03:44 and now comes the second point, 03:46 "as of a lamb," what kind of lamb? 03:49 "Without blemish and without spot." 03:56 Now, in the Old Testament, when a lamb was sacrificed, 04:00 the priest had to make sure that the lamb had no defect. 04:04 So the aspect of the lamb that has no defect 04:08 represents the perfect life of Christ, 04:11 whereas the sacrifice of the lamb 04:13 represents the death of Christ. 04:15 Jesus came to live in our place, 04:19 and He came to die in our place. 04:21 And when we have faith in Jesus, 04:23 when we trust in His life and in His death, 04:25 Jesus takes His life and takes His death, 04:28 and places these to our account, 04:31 and we are looked upon as if we had never sinned 04:35 because God sees us in Him, not in us. 04:39 But for this, Jesus had to come to this world 04:42 to live a perfect life 04:45 and to suffer death for our sins. 04:47 Is this clear? 04:48 Now, after Jesus finished His mission on earth, 04:53 He returned to heaven, to the heavenly sanctuary. 04:57 Notice John 16:28. 05:00 John 16:28. 05:02 After He lived His perfect life and suffered death for sin, 05:05 He lived for us and died for us 05:07 so that we could claim His life and His death 05:09 personally and individually. 05:11 We're told in John 16:28, here Jesus is speaking, 05:14 "I came forth from the Father and have come into the world. 05:20 Again, I leave the world and go to the Father." 05:24 So He came from the Father, and He says, 05:27 I'm going to return to the Father. 05:29 Notice also John 13:33 and 36. 05:34 John 13, we'll read verse 33, and then we'll go to verse 36. 05:39 Here Jesus is gathered with His disciples, 05:42 and He tells us that His disciples, 05:43 "I'm gonna leave." 05:45 And Peter says, "Where are you going?" 05:48 Let's read about it. 05:50 "Little children, 05:51 I shall be with you a little while longer. 05:54 You will seek Me, and as I said to the Jews, 05:57 'Where I am going, you cannot come,' 06:00 so now I say to you. 06:03 Simon Peter said to Him, 'Lord, where are You going?'" 06:07 So Peter, who appeared to be the spokesman 06:09 for the disciples says, "'Where are you going?' 06:12 Jesus answered him, 06:14 'Where I am going, you cannot follow Me now, 06:19 but you shall follow Me afterwards.'" 06:23 So you see here that Jesus says, 06:25 "I'm going to heaven." 06:27 And Peter says, "I want to go with you." 06:29 Jesus says, "No, you'll follow Me afterwards." 06:32 Now, why did Jesus go to heaven? 06:37 Let's go to John 14, the very next chapter, 06:39 John 14:1 and 2. 06:41 John 14:1 and 2. 06:44 Very well-known verses. 06:47 "Let not your heart be troubled, 06:50 you believe in God, believe also in Me. 06:53 In my Father's house are many mansions, 06:56 if it were not so, I would have told you. 06:59 I go," to what? 07:03 "I go to prepare a place for you." 07:05 So why did Jesus go back to heaven? 07:09 To prepare a place for us? 07:12 So after Jesus lived His perfect life 07:15 and suffered death for our sins, 07:18 He left the world and returned to His Father 07:22 in the holy place of the heavenly sanctuary. 07:27 Now, why did Jesus go to the heavenly sanctuary? 07:29 Why did He return to His Father? 07:32 Well, yes, to prepare a place for us. 07:35 But what does it mean for Jesus to prepare a place for us? 07:40 Well, let me tell you what it doesn't mean. 07:43 It doesn't mean that Jesus went to heaven 07:47 to work in the contracting business. 07:52 Sorry, Mark. 07:55 Jesus did not go to heaven 07:56 to be a contractor to build mansions. 08:00 Because the text in John 14 says us very clearly 08:04 that in my house are many mansions. 08:09 They were there when Jesus said. 08:12 Jesus does not need 2,000 years to build houses for us, 08:17 because He can speak and the houses are there. 08:22 He says, once again, He says, 08:24 "I go to prepare a place for you. 08:28 In my house are many mansions." 08:31 When He goes to prepare the place, 08:32 it doesn't mean 08:33 that He's going now to plant trees 08:35 and make everything real beautiful for us. 08:37 No, there's something deeper, 08:39 I believe He's gonna make a beautiful place for us. 08:41 And He's gonna have nice houses for us. 08:44 But there's a more profound and important emphasis here, 08:48 and you say what is the emphasis? 08:51 He went to heaven for three primary reasons. 08:56 Number one, to feed His church 09:01 represented by the showbread in the holy place. 09:05 He went to heaven to supply the oil 09:08 of the Holy Spirit to His church, 09:10 so that His church could proclaim the gospel. 09:13 That's the candlestick in the holy place. 09:17 And He went to heaven to intercede for those 09:20 who come to Him in prayer 09:23 that is represented by the altar of incense 09:26 in the holy place. 09:28 You see, Jesus went to heaven 09:29 to perform the work of the holy place. 09:33 Now, here's the interesting point. 09:36 The Book of John 09:38 describes the earthly work of Jesus 09:41 and His ascension to heaven. 09:44 The Book of Revelation describes 09:46 the work that Jesus does after He gets to heaven. 09:50 By the way, both of those books 09:52 were written by the same individual, 09:54 not inspired by the same individual, 09:56 written by the same individual, the Apostle John. 10:00 So John gives us the earthly ministry of Christ 10:02 and His ascension. 10:04 And the Book of Revelation 10:06 gives us the work that Jesus does 10:08 once He gets to heaven, the work in the holy place. 10:12 And if you read carefully in the Book of Revelation, 10:14 you'll notice that in the seven churches, 10:16 Jesus is at the candlesticks. 10:19 In the series of the seals, 10:21 He's at the table of the showbread. 10:23 And in the series of the trumpets, 10:25 He's at the altar of incense. 10:27 So Revelation is describing the heavenly work of Jesus, 10:31 why Jesus went to heaven to perform a work. 10:35 In other words, Revelation describes 10:37 how He prepares the place for us. 10:42 Now, also, Jesus said that 10:45 He was gonna leave the Holy Spirit 10:47 here on earth as His representative. 10:50 So as Jesus prepares the place in heaven, 10:53 by His heavenly work, 10:55 at the same time through the Holy Spirit, 10:57 He prepares His earthly people for the place. 11:02 So in other words in heaven, He prepares the place. 11:05 And on earth He prepares the people for the place. 11:09 And the Holy Spirit is the one 11:10 that prepares the people for the place. 11:13 And the description of the work of the Holy Spirit 11:15 is found in John 14:14-16. 11:20 Incidentally, the Book of Hebrews 11:23 also describes the work of heaven 11:26 in the sanctuary after His ascension in heaven. 11:29 The whole purpose of the Book of Hebrews 11:32 is to tell us about the work 11:34 that Jesus performs in heaven since His ascension. 11:37 So basically, if you want to know 11:39 what Jesus has been doing in heaven 11:40 for the last 2,000 years plus, 11:43 all you have to do is go to the Book of Hebrews 11:46 where the heavenly work of Jesus is described, 11:48 and then go to the Book of Revelation 11:51 where the heavenly work of Jesus is also described. 11:55 Now let's take a closer look 11:57 at the holy place of the sanctuary. 11:59 Let's see what Jesus does for His church, 12:02 how Jesus prepares a place in heaven 12:05 for His church at the candlesticks, 12:08 and at the table of showbread, 12:10 and at the altar of incense. 12:12 First of all, Jesus at the candlesticks. 12:16 How does Jesus prepare a place in heaven for His people? 12:19 By the work He does at the candlesticks. 12:21 Leviticus 24:1-4 tells us something very interesting 12:26 about the seven candlesticks in the sanctuary. 12:30 It says there. 12:31 "Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying: 12:34 Command the children of Israel 12:35 that they bring to you pure oil, 12:38 pressed olives for the light, to make the lamps burn," how? 12:44 "Continually. 12:46 Outside the veil of the Testimony, 12:48 in the tabernacle of meeting, 12:50 Aaron," who, by the way, is the high priest, 12:52 "Aaron shall be in charge of it from evening until morning 12:56 before the Lord continually, 12:59 it shall be a statute forever in your generations. 13:03 He shall be in charge of the lamps 13:06 on the pure gold lampstand before the Lord," 13:10 third time the word is mentioned, "continually." 13:13 Now what does the oil and the lamps represent? 13:18 It represents the Holy Spirit. 13:20 Who makes sure that the lamps of the heavenly sanctuary 13:23 never go out that they have a constant supply of oil? 13:27 Jesus. 13:29 Does Jesus supply sufficient oil 13:31 to the church on earth, 13:33 for the church to shed its light 13:36 and give the message to the world 13:37 through the power of the Holy Spirit? 13:39 Yes. Absolutely. 13:41 So what Jesus does at the candlesticks 13:44 is He makes sure that there's an abundance of the oil 13:48 which represents the Holy Spirit 13:50 that He can give to His church 13:52 so that His church can shine the message to the world. 13:57 Incidentally, in the Book of Revelation, 13:59 you have the seven candlesticks, 14:00 don't you? 14:01 What do the seven candlesticks represent? 14:04 They represent the seven churches. 14:07 But the seven churches in Asia, the literal seven churches 14:10 represent seven periods of church history. 14:13 In other words, Jesus during church history 14:16 is walking in the midst of the history of His church, 14:19 making sure that the church always has a supply of oil, 14:24 and that the light of the church 14:25 will never go out. 14:27 In that way, 14:28 He is preparing His church on earth 14:31 by making sure that the candlesticks 14:34 are always shining. 14:35 And let me say, 14:36 there were a couple of periods of the church 14:38 when it looked like the light was flickering 14:40 and about to go out. 14:42 We have a period of the church that is called the Dark Ages, 14:46 because it appeared like there 14:47 was not gonna be sufficient oil, 14:49 the light was gonna go out, 14:51 but because Jesus was in the midst of His church, 14:54 and He supplied the oil, the Holy Spirit, 14:57 the light of the church has never gone out. 15:01 In the book Acts of the Apostles, page 586, 15:05 Ellen White makes this beautiful statement 15:07 about what it means that Jesus walks 15:10 in the midst of the seven candlesticks 15:12 making sure that the supply of oil is there, 15:15 just like Aaron had to make sure 15:17 that the lamp always had oil so that it would shine. 15:21 I quote, "Christ is spoken of as walking 15:24 in the midst of the golden candlesticks. 15:28 Thus is symbolized His relation to the churches. 15:32 He is in constant communication with His people. 15:36 He knows their true state. 15:38 He observes their order, their piety and their devotion. 15:42 Although He is high priest and mediator 15:45 in the sanctuary above, 15:46 yet He is representative as walking up and down 15:49 in the midst of His churches on earth. 15:52 With untiring wakefulness and unremitting vigilance, 15:57 He watches to see 15:58 whether the light of any of His sentinels 16:00 is burning dim or going out. 16:03 If the candlesticks were left to mere human care, 16:06 the flickering fame would languish and die, 16:09 but He is the true watchman in the Lord's house, 16:13 the true warden of the temple courts. 16:16 His continued care and sustaining grace 16:20 are the source of life and light." 16:23 Isn't that a beautiful statement? 16:25 So Jesus in heaven makes sure 16:28 that the seven candlesticks in heaven 16:30 have enough oil and the light never goes out. 16:32 But that represents the fact 16:33 that Jesus always gives an abundance of the Holy Spirit 16:36 to His church on earth, 16:38 so they can preach the gospel 16:39 and prepare people to go to heaven. 16:42 In that way, Jesus is preparing a place for His people. 16:46 Notice what we find in John 15:26 and 27. 16:50 Here Jesus tells us why He went to heaven. 16:53 It's to give His church the Holy Spirit. 16:56 It says, "But when the Helper comes, 16:58 who I shall send to you from the Father, 17:00 the Spirit of Truth 17:02 who posts proceeds from the Father, 17:04 He will testify of me. 17:06 And you also will bear witness 17:08 because you have been with Me from the beginning." 17:12 Now, if I was gonna ask you, who is the light of the world, 17:16 what would you say? 17:19 Is Jesus the light of the world? 17:21 Yes. 17:23 Are we the light of the world? 17:24 Yes. 17:26 The church is the light of the world. 17:28 That's the candlestick. 17:29 How do we become the light of the world? 17:31 What do we need in order to give light? 17:34 We need the oil of the Holy Spirit, right? 17:36 Now here's the important point. 17:39 You go outside on a clear night 17:41 and you see this beautiful full moon. 17:44 And you look at the full moon, you say, 17:46 "Oh, how beautiful the moon is tonight." 17:51 That's a half truth. 17:53 The moon has no light. 17:56 Where does the light come from that lights the moon? 18:00 From the sun. 18:02 So you have to say 18:03 how beautiful the sun is tonight. 18:05 You see Jesus said, "I am the light of the world." 18:08 But He also said, 18:09 "Ye are the light of the world." 18:11 He is the sun and we are to be moons." 18:15 In other words, 18:16 Jesus makes sure that the light of the church 18:18 never goes out as the gospel's being preached, 18:21 so that everyone will hear it. 18:23 In that way, Jesus is preparing a place 18:26 for us in heaven at the seven candlesticks. 18:30 What about the work of Jesus at the table of showbread? 18:34 What does bread represent in the Bible? 18:37 Bread represents the Word of God. 18:40 Man shall not live by bread alone, 18:43 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 18:47 How does Jesus prepare His church for heaven? 18:50 What does He do? 18:51 He feeds them with His Word, 18:54 so that they don't die of hunger. 18:56 So they don't die spiritually. 18:58 He gives us the Bible. 19:01 By the way, is the Holy Spirit involved also with the Bible? 19:06 The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. 19:10 And so the spirit is involved in giving oil to the church. 19:14 The Holy Spirit is involved in giving bread to the church, 19:18 so that the church will not die spiritually. 19:23 What about the golden altar of incense? 19:27 What is the purpose of Jesus at the golden altar of incense? 19:31 Well, at the golden altar of incense, 19:33 Jesus intercedes for the sins of His people. 19:38 You see Jesus died for every single person 19:40 who has ever lived in the history of the world. 19:43 Jesus lived for every person that has every drawn breath 19:46 in the history of the world, 19:48 but that doesn't mean 19:49 that everybody is gonna be saved. 19:51 Because the most famous verse in the Bible says, 19:53 "For God so loved the world..." 19:55 That's everybody that He gave His only begotten Son 19:57 that whosoever believes in Him 20:00 should not perish but have everlasting life. 20:02 You have to claim what Jesus did. 20:06 By repentance and by faith in Christ, 20:10 we must say, "Jesus, I'm a miserable sinner. 20:13 I have not lived a holy life. 20:15 I deserve Your wrath. 20:17 But Jesus, I know that You live the life that I should live, 20:20 I know that You died the death that I should die. 20:23 Jesus, I'm sorry for my sins, take Your life and Your death 20:27 and put them to my account." 20:29 And when I come to Jesus in prayer, 20:31 and I ask Him to do that, 20:32 He puts His life and His death on my account. 20:35 And He looks upon me as if I had never sinned, 20:38 but I have to claim it personally and individually. 20:43 And that's what Jesus does in heaven. 20:45 He receives the prayers, 20:47 the repentant prayers of His saints. 20:49 Notice Luke 1:8-10, we're still talking here 20:53 about the golden altar of incense. 20:56 Luke 1:8-10. 20:59 This is speaking about the service 21:02 in the temple of Zacharias, 21:04 the Father of John the Baptist, 21:06 and that he is going to offer incense in the sanctuary. 21:10 And this is a very, very important passage. 21:12 It says there in Luke 1:8. 21:15 "So it was, that while he," that is Zacharias, 21:19 "was serving as priest before God 21:21 in the order of his division, 21:22 according to the custom of the priesthood, 21:25 his lot fell to burn incense 21:28 when he went into the temple of the Lord." 21:30 So here's Zacharias in the sanctuary, 21:32 the holy place, burning incense to the Lord. 21:36 And what are the people doing outside? 21:38 Well, he's burning the incense. 21:40 Verse 10, 21:41 "And the whole multitude of the people 21:43 was praying outside at the hour of incense." 21:47 So they're praying 21:50 and Zacharias is offering the incense. 21:53 Now prayer is not the incense. 21:56 The prayers are mingled with the incense. 21:59 Go with me to Revelation 8:3 and 4. 22:03 Revelation 8:3 and 4. 22:06 It says, "Then another angel having a golden censer 22:09 came and stood at the altar," 22:11 he was given much incense that he should offer it, 22:14 listen carefully now, 22:16 "with the prayers of all the saints." 22:19 What is this angel given? 22:20 What? Much what? 22:22 Incense, so that he could do what? 22:25 So that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints? 22:30 Does the incense represent prayer? 22:33 No, it is mingled with the prayers. 22:36 It continues saying here in Revelation 8:3 and 4, 22:42 "That he should offer it with the prayers 22:44 of all the saints upon the golden altar, 22:46 which was before the throne." 22:48 This is the work of Jesus at the altar of incense. 22:51 Verse 4, "And the smoke of the incense, 22:56 with the prayers of the saints, 22:58 ascended before God from the angel's hand." 23:01 So this incense technically does not represent prayer, 23:05 it is mingled with the prayers. 23:08 Now what does the incense represent? 23:10 Here's a beautiful statement from Ellen White 23:12 in the devotional book In Heavenly Places, page 69. 23:16 She wrote, "Christ has pledged Himself 23:20 to be our substitute and surety, 23:24 and He neglects no one." 23:26 So what has Jesus pledged Himself to do, 23:28 to be a what? 23:29 Our substitute. 23:31 That means He takes our place and our surety, our guarantee, 23:35 and He neglects no one. 23:38 And this is beautiful. 23:40 "There is an inexhaustible fund of perfect obedience 23:44 accruing from His obedience." 23:47 So because when Jesus obeyed, 23:49 He established an inexhaustible fund. 23:52 And then she writes, 23:54 "In heaven, His merits, 23:57 His self denial and self-sacrifice, 24:02 are treasured up as incense 24:05 to be offered up with the prayers of His people. 24:09 As the sinner's sincere, 24:11 humble prayers ascend to the throne of God, 24:15 Christ mingles them with the merits of His life 24:18 of perfect obedience. 24:20 Our prayers are made fragrant by this incense." 24:24 Isn't that a beautiful statement? 24:27 So Jesus prepares the place in heaven, 24:29 because now we can send our sins to be covered 24:32 by the blood in heaven, 24:34 so that His life and His death can count for us. 24:38 By the way, does the Holy Spirit 24:39 have anything to do with this? 24:43 Is the Holy Spirit related to us giving light? 24:46 He's the oil. 24:48 Is there any relationship between the Holy Spirit 24:51 and the Word of God? 24:52 The sword of the Spirit is the Word of God. 24:54 Who helps us pray? 24:58 Romans 8:26 and 27. 25:00 That's why Jesus sent the Holy Spirit. 25:02 Listen, folks, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit 25:05 so that His people could prepare for the place 25:08 while Jesus prepares the place. 25:11 Are you following me or not? 25:13 Now notice Romans 8:26 and 27. 25:16 "Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weakness. 25:21 For we do not know what we should pray 25:24 for as we ought, 25:27 but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us 25:32 with groanings which cannot be uttered." 25:36 So who helps us in our prayer life 25:39 to pray what we really need to pray? 25:42 We can't come up with it. 25:43 It's the Holy Spirit that helps us. 25:46 And so when Jesus goes to heaven, 25:48 He goes there by His work in the holy place 25:51 to prepare a place for us 25:52 and He sends the Holy Spirit to prepare us for the place 25:57 by shedding His light, 26:00 by having the oil of the Holy Spirit, 26:02 by feeding on His holy word, 26:05 and becoming strong spiritually, 26:07 and by sending our sins to Jesus mingled our sins 26:12 with the incense of His beautiful merits, 26:15 so that we can receive forgiveness for our sins. 26:20 Now there's another sense 26:22 in which Jesus prepares the place for us. 26:27 And that is when He moves into the Most Holy Place 26:30 of the heavenly sanctuary. 26:32 You see, before Jesus can come, 26:34 He has to perform a work of what? 26:38 Of judgment. 26:39 He has to examine the cases of every single person 26:44 in the world that claimed Jesus 26:47 as Savior and Lord. 26:50 And you say, why does He need to do that? 26:53 Because there are true believers 26:55 and counterfeit believers. 26:58 And in the judgment, the purpose is 27:00 to bring up the names of everyone 27:02 who claimed to follow Jesus, 27:04 to see if their profession is true or not. 27:07 Let me ask you in the church are there genuine 27:11 and counterfeit virgins? 27:14 In the church is there wheat and also tares? 27:18 In the church are there good fish and bad fish? 27:22 In the church are there people who have the form of godliness, 27:26 but don't have the power of godliness? 27:29 In the church are people 27:30 who claim to have a right to be in the church, 27:32 but don't have that garment in the parable 27:35 that Jesus gave in Matthew 22? 27:37 Absolutely. 27:38 In the church are there people who say, "Lord, Lord," 27:42 and Jesus is gonna say, "I never knew you." 27:45 That's the purpose of the judgment 27:47 to see if repentance was genuine or not. 27:50 And the genuineness of repentance 27:52 is shown by our works. 27:56 That's why we are saved by grace through faith. 28:00 But we will be judged by works, 28:02 because our works show if our faith was real. 28:06 And if you read Hebrews 11, 28:09 you'll find that all of the heroes of Hebrews 11 28:12 are doing something. 28:15 They're not believing something, 28:16 they're doing something. 28:18 God says, "Noah, build me an ark." 28:21 Noah says, "Give me the hammers, 28:23 and the nails, and the wood." 28:26 God says to Abraham, "Go out." 28:29 Abraham says to Sarah, "Pack up." 28:33 Abel offers a sacrifice. 28:36 And by the way, even Sarah, 28:38 it says that when she was old, she had Isaac, 28:42 but Abraham and her had to act 28:44 because they had to have sexual relations. 28:48 Are you with me? 28:49 So faith is not a mental word, faith is an action word. 28:55 It shows, your work show if your faith is real. 28:59 And so when Jesus opens the book 29:02 to see who truly followed Him and who didn't, 29:06 the purpose of examining the works 29:08 is to see if the faith was real or not. 29:13 So does Jesus have to perform 29:14 that work of judgment before He comes? 29:17 Of course, He does. 29:19 Because when He comes, He's gonna take 29:21 His faithful people to heaven. 29:23 So does He have to determine 29:24 who He can take before He comes? 29:28 Are you understanding me? 29:29 Yeah. 29:31 Jesus has to, first of all, 29:32 reveal who He has a right to bring up there 29:35 in the judgment, 29:36 and then when He comes, He'll pick them all up, 29:39 and He'll take them to heaven. 29:41 By the way, this judgment is mentioned, 29:43 I won't read the verses because time flies. 29:46 Revelation 14:6 and 7 29:49 says that we should preach the everlasting gospel 29:52 to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. 29:54 And part of that messages is 29:55 the hour of His judgment has come. 30:00 Also Revelation 11:19, 30:02 the temple of God, the the naós, 30:05 the temple of God, the Most Holy Place is open 30:07 and the ark of His covenant is seen. 30:09 Now the judgment is going to begin. 30:11 Revelation Chapter 10 also refers 30:14 to this pre-Advent investigative judgment. 30:18 So Jesus performs His work in heaven, 30:23 in the holy place, 30:25 and in the Most Holy Place to prepare a place. 30:30 Could Jesus return again without performing His work 30:33 in the holy and most holy places? 30:36 Absolutely not. 30:37 And if you read Hebrews and Revelation, 30:41 you'll find there the work that Jesus is doing in heaven 30:45 to prepare the place. 30:48 And in John 14-16, 30:50 you'll find that He sends the Holy Spirit 30:52 to prepare the people for the place. 30:55 Incidentally, Ellen White tells us 30:57 that while Jesus is cleansing the sanctuary 31:00 from the sins of His people, 31:02 His people should be cleansing 31:03 the sanctuary of the soul from sin. 31:06 So there's a parallel work on earth among God's people 31:10 that parallels what Jesus does in heaven. 31:13 As He prepares heaven, 31:15 we are to prepare on earth for heaven. 31:19 Now when the judgment concludes, 31:22 Jesus will pronounce those awesome words 31:24 in Revelation 22:11. 31:29 He who is filthy, let him be filthy still. 31:34 He who is the unrighteous, let him be unrighteous still. 31:38 He who is holy, let him be holy still. 31:41 He who is righteous, let him be righteous still. 31:44 There's a finality to that. 31:46 That means that probation is closed. 31:49 Every case is decided for life or death. 31:52 Just like happened when the door closed 31:54 in the days of Noah. 31:56 You see probation closed before the destruction 31:59 and the people didn't know that they were lost. 32:02 So as soon as the last person who professed Jesus is judged, 32:07 probation closes, and then God's wrath 32:12 is poured out in the seven last plagues. 32:16 And the great tribulation 32:18 such as never has been seen will take place. 32:23 You know when probation closes, 32:26 not only will the place in heaven be prepared for us, 32:30 but God's people will be prepared for the place. 32:33 Notice Ephesians 5:25-27. 32:37 Ephesians 5:25-27, 32:41 "Husbands, love your wives, 32:44 just as Christ also loved the church 32:47 and gave Himself for her." 32:50 Why did Jesus give Himself for her, 32:52 "that He might," what? 32:55 "Sanctify and cleanse her 32:58 with the washing of the water by the word." 33:02 The water represents the Holy Spirit. 33:04 The word, He uses the word to cleanse us 33:06 with the washing of the water by the word with what purpose? 33:10 "That He might present her to Himself," 33:12 what kind of a church? 33:14 "A glorious church, 33:15 not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, 33:20 but that she should be holy and without blemish." 33:24 That will be the condition of the remnant church 33:27 when probation closes. 33:29 Revelation 19:7 and 8 also describes the moment 33:33 when God's people will be prepared. 33:35 Revelation 19:7 and 8, 33:38 "Let us be glad and rejoice and give him glory 33:41 for the marriage of the lamb has come." 33:45 And His wife has made herself ready. 33:50 "And to her," that is His wife, 33:52 "it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, 33:55 clean and bright, for the fine linen 33:58 is the righteous acts of the saints." 34:02 In other words, God's people 34:03 will be living a life without sin 34:06 during the time of trouble, 34:07 not even in thought, in thought. 34:09 And some people don't like that idea. 34:11 They say, "Oh, you believe in last generation theology." 34:15 They say, "Oh, you know, you actually believe 34:17 that you can stop sinning before Jesus comes." 34:20 They say, "No, no, no, we're gonna be saved 34:22 until Jesus comes because the flesh is weak." 34:27 Do you know what you're really saying 34:29 when you're saying the flesh is weak? 34:30 What you're really saying is that God isn't strong. 34:36 Because what you're saying is that your flesh is so strong 34:42 that even Jesus can't give you the victory over it. 34:47 You know, that text in the Bible, 34:49 it says I can do most things through Christ 34:50 who strengthens me, right? 34:54 I can do some things 34:56 through Christ who strengthens me. 34:58 I can do all things except overcome sin 35:01 through Christ who strengthens me. 35:03 No. 35:04 Paul says, "I can do all things 35:06 through Christ who strengthens me." 35:08 The glory is for Christ, not for us. 35:11 And by the way, the most perfect people 35:14 are the ones that feel most imperfect. 35:18 The least perfect people are the ones 35:20 that consider themselves perfect. 35:22 And that's one of the problems in the church. 35:25 One of the problems in the church is that those 35:27 who consider themselves holier than others, 35:30 they're like the Pharisees. 35:31 They're always comparing their holiness 35:33 with the holiness of others. 35:35 Listen, if I compare my holiness 35:36 with that of others, I look pretty good. 35:39 But when I compare my holiness with the Lord, 35:43 I say with Isaiah, "I am I'm done." 35:47 Depart from me, for I am a sinful man. 35:51 When we really contemplate Jesus, 35:53 He is pure and clean. 35:55 As we see ourselves for what we really are. 36:00 So then after the judgment ends, 36:02 and God's people are ready, 36:04 now comes the Great Tribulation. 36:07 Will God's people be here during the tribulation? 36:10 Or will they be rapture away? 36:12 Futurists say that they're gonna be rapture away, 36:15 because they're not appointed to wrath. 36:17 Well, the fact is, it's true. 36:19 God's people are not appointed to wrath. 36:21 The seven last plagues are not gonna fall 36:22 on God's people. 36:24 The seven last plagues are for the wicked, for Babylon. 36:27 But God's people will be here, 36:29 they will be shielded by divine power. 36:32 Michael will stand up, 36:34 the great prince who stands watch 36:37 over the children of His people. 36:39 And there will be a time of trouble. 36:41 Yes. 36:42 But at the end of the time of trouble, 36:43 God's people will be delivered everyone 36:46 who is found written in the book. 36:49 By the way, when were they written 36:50 in the book? 36:52 In the previous judgment. 36:54 Now let's read some verses about the Great Tribulation. 36:58 John 16:28. 37:00 Jesus says, "I have many things to say to you, 37:02 but you cannot bear them now. 37:04 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, 37:07 He will guide you into all truth, 37:09 for He will not speak of His own authority, 37:12 but whatever He hears He will speak, 37:14 and He will tell you things to come." 37:17 By the way, the things to come that the Holy Spirit tells 37:19 on what we find in the Book of Revelation. 37:22 And in the Book of Revelation, 37:24 you have a description of the severe time of trouble 37:27 that was going to ensue. 37:30 In John 16:33. 37:33 Jesus said, "These things I have spoken to you, 37:36 that in Me you may have peace. 37:38 In the world you will have tribulation, 37:40 but be of good cheer I have overcome the world." 37:42 And in Matthew 24, 37:44 he says that this is gonna be the worst time of trouble 37:47 in the history of the world. 37:48 And he says that, 37:50 if it wasn't for the fact that God cut it short, 37:55 no flesh will be left. 37:57 That's how terrible this period of trouble is gonna be. 37:59 It's gonna be like Daniel in the lions' den. 38:03 It's gonna be like the three young men 38:05 in the fiery furnace. 38:07 It's gonna be like the experience 38:08 that Job went through. 38:11 It's gonna be the worst time in the history of the world. 38:14 Ellen White says that during the Great Tribulation, 38:19 Satan will have full control of the finally impenitent. 38:23 Can you imagine a world where Satan has full control 38:27 of every weakened person on planet earth? 38:29 If it wasn't for the fact that Jesus is gonna be there 38:32 protecting His people, nobody would survive. 38:36 But at the end of the tribulation, 38:38 God's people will be delivered by the Second Coming of Jesus. 38:44 You say, you mean to say 38:45 all of this was just after the First Coming. 38:50 He went to heaven to do all of this. 38:52 And He's doing all of this on earth. 38:55 Yes, the Second and Third Comings are shorter. 39:00 Notice John 14:1-3. 39:03 After He prepares the place, He promised to do something. 39:06 Once again, 39:07 "Let not your heart be troubled, 39:09 you believe in God, believe also in Me. 39:11 In My Father's house are many mansions, 39:13 if it were not so, I would have told you. 39:16 I go to prepare a place for you. 39:18 And if I go to prepare a place for you," 39:21 what is He gonna do after He's prepared the place? 39:23 "I will come again." 39:26 What coming is that? The Second Coming. 39:29 "I will come again, and receive you to myself, 39:34 that where I am, there you may be also." 39:40 By the way, the only verse in the Bible 39:42 that refers to His coming as the second 39:44 is in Hebrews 9:27 and 28. 39:47 Hebrews 9:27 and 28. 39:49 Obviously, the concept of the Second Coming 39:52 is in the New Testament, 39:53 but the only text that actually uses the word second 39:55 is in Hebrews 9:27 and 28. 39:58 It says, "And as it is appointed 40:02 for men to die once, 40:04 but after this the judgment, 40:06 so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, 40:09 to those who eagerly wait for Him 40:13 He will appear a second time, 40:16 apart from sin, for salvation." 40:20 So is there gonna be a Second Coming of Jesus? 40:23 Absolutely. 40:25 Jesus is going to return for His people 40:28 to take them to His Father's house. 40:32 Known as 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17. 40:36 This is the famous resurrection passage. 40:39 It's read at every funeral I've ever attended. 40:42 "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, 40:45 that we who are alive and remain 40:46 until the coming of the Lord 40:47 will by no means precede those who are asleep. 40:50 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 40:52 with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, 40:54 with the trumpet of God. 40:56 And the dead in Christ will rise first. 40:58 Then we who are alive and remain 41:00 shall be caught up..." 41:02 Jesus is not coming all the way down. 41:04 It's his second coming, but He doesn't touch the earth. 41:07 It says, "Those who are alive and remain 41:10 shall be caught up together with them," 41:12 that is with those who died and resurrected, 41:14 "in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 41:17 And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 41:19 So He's not coming all the way down, 41:21 we're gonna be caught up, 41:22 because He's gonna take us where? 41:24 To His Father's house. 41:26 He said to Peter, 41:28 "You can't follow Me now, but you will follow Me later." 41:31 Notice 1 Thessalonians 5:1 and 2. 41:34 And by the way, this is important 41:36 because those who believe in the rapture, 41:37 they say Jesus is gonna come seven years 41:39 before His glorious coming, 41:41 and He's gonna rapture the church 41:43 secretly to heaven, then seven years later, 41:45 He's gonna come with His glorious coming, 41:48 and He's going to establish His kingdom 41:49 here on earth for 1,000 years. 41:52 That's false prophecy. 41:53 And we're gonna see that it's very dangerous. 41:56 1 Thessalonians 5:1 and 2, 41:58 "Now brethren concerning the coming 42:00 of our Lord Jesus Christ, and our..." 42:03 Now listen to this, 42:05 and are gathering together to Him. 42:08 He is not gathered to us, we are gathered to Him. 42:13 We asked you not to be soon shaken in mind 42:15 or troubled either by spirit, or by word, or by letter, 42:18 as if from us as though the day of Christ had come. 42:24 Notice Matthew 24:31. 42:27 Matthew 24:31. 42:31 And He will send... 42:32 Now listen carefully, 42:34 "He will send His angels 42:37 with a great sound of a trumpet, 42:39 and they will gather together His elect 42:41 from the four winds..." 42:44 Jesus doesn't come all the way down 42:45 to gather His elect. 42:46 When He's in the air He what? 42:48 He sends His angels to gather His elect. 42:51 It says, "From the four winds, 42:54 from one end of heaven to the other." 42:56 And then He takes His people to the Father's house. 43:02 So He's going back to heaven again. 43:05 Right? 43:06 Came down from heaven, went back to heaven, 43:10 comes down from heaven, goes back to heaven. 43:14 What are we gonna do in heaven? 43:17 You know, people say, 43:18 "Oh, I want to live eternally with Jesus in heaven." 43:21 No, you're not. 43:25 You're not gonna live eternally with Jesus in heaven. 43:29 You're gonna live thousand 1,000 years 43:31 with Jesus in heaven. 43:33 And then you're gonna live eternally 43:34 with Him on earth 43:36 because the Bible says 43:37 the meek will inherit the earth. 43:39 What are God's people gonna do in heaven 43:41 during the 1,000 years? 43:44 In the Father's house? 43:46 Well, let's read Revelation 20:4. 43:49 Who was left behind, by the way, on earth? 43:53 Satan, His angels and the wicked. 43:55 Do we get all dead, right? 43:57 They're in the millennium. 43:59 God's people are in heaven alive. 44:01 On earth, Satan and his angels 44:03 bound to the earth in a living state, 44:05 the wicked are dead on the earth. 44:08 So what are God's people gonna do in heaven? 44:12 It's gonna be a working vacation. 44:15 Revelation 20:4. 44:17 "I saw thrones, and they sat on them, 44:20 and judgment was committed to them." 44:23 What are God's people gonna do? 44:26 They're going to judge. 44:29 But immediately you say, no, wait a minute, judge. 44:32 They're gonna judge? What are they gonna judge? 44:35 Or they're gonna judge the righteous. 44:37 Oh, the righteous are in heaven. 44:38 Are they gonna judge the faithful angels? 44:41 Angels don't need a judgment. 44:42 So who are the only ones left to be judged? 44:45 Satan, his angels and the wicked 44:47 who have been left here on earth. 44:51 Are you with me? 44:53 Now let's go to Revelation 20:12. 44:58 This is the millennial judgment. 45:00 Remember, judgment was committed 45:03 to God's faithful people during the 1,000 years. 45:06 Now notice Revelation 20:12, it says, "And I saw the dead, 45:11 small and great, standing before God..." 45:14 How can dead people stand before God? 45:18 Says, "I saw the dead, small and great, 45:20 standing before God, and books were opened." 45:23 How do the dead stand before God, 45:24 the wicked dead? 45:26 How do they stand before God? 45:29 Through the books, 45:31 through the record in their books. 45:33 They're not there personally, they're dead, 45:34 but they're standing before God 45:36 by the records that are in the books. 45:39 And then it continue saying, "And another book was opened, 45:42 which is the Book of Life. 45:44 And the dead..." 45:45 Notice, that they're not alive up there 45:47 standing before God's judgment bar. 45:48 It says, "And the dead were judged 45:50 according to their works, by the things 45:53 which were written in the books." 45:55 So what are we going to examine during the 1,000 years, 45:59 those who go to heaven? 46:00 I'm planning on being there. 46:02 What are we gonna do? 46:04 We're gonna open the books 46:05 and look at the records of the dead. 46:08 They will stand before God 46:09 through the record of their life 46:11 because God keeps a biography in heaven. 46:14 That's what He's going to examine 46:17 in the pre-Advent judgment 46:18 and during the millennial judgment as well. 46:22 Now, let's read Revelation 20:5. 46:29 "The wicked will be judged in heaven. 46:33 Satan and His angels will be judged 46:35 by the righteous in heaven, 46:36 judgment was committed to them. 46:39 And after this judgment is finished, 46:42 then Jesus will return to the earth 46:45 in His Third Coming. 46:48 This time He will come with all His people." 46:54 Are you with me or not? 46:56 You say, well, where does the Bible say that? 46:58 Go with me to Zachariah 14:4 and 5. 47:02 Zachariah 14:4 and 5. 47:05 By the way, what condition will the world be in 47:07 during the 1,000 years? 47:10 This will be a beautiful garden place to live, right? 47:13 We're gonna study the millennium, 47:15 that's our next subject of study is the millennium. 47:17 This place will be uninhabitable. 47:21 No one could live here, except Satan and his angels, 47:25 but no human being could live here. 47:27 So that idea that Christ 47:29 is gonna come through this world 47:30 and He's gonna reign for 1,000 years, 47:32 and there's gonna be a beautiful place 47:34 and He's gonna rule people with a rod of iron. 47:36 They're gonna be here 47:37 in their mortal state and so on. 47:39 That's a fabrication. 47:41 It's not true. 47:43 God's people will be in heaven during the millennium, 47:46 performing a work of judgment and reigning with Christ. 47:50 The wicked will all be dead. 47:52 Revelation 20:5 says 47:54 that the rest of the dead did not live again 47:57 until the 1,000 years were finished. 48:00 Now let's explain it this way so that you can understand it. 48:04 Everybody in this world 48:07 when they were born from their mother, 48:10 live their first life, right, for the first time. 48:16 Now let's take a righteous person. 48:17 If the righteous person dies, then it's his first death. 48:22 Right? 48:24 When Jesus resurrects the righteous person, 48:27 that person will not suffer second death, 48:30 he will live forever. 48:32 But let's take a wicked person, 48:35 a wicked person that is lost 48:38 dies before Jesus comes. 48:40 All will die before Jesus comes. 48:43 They live their first life. 48:46 They died either before Jesus came, 48:49 or at the coming of Jesus. 48:51 That's their first death. 48:53 After the 1,000 years they live again, 48:56 and then they will suffer what? 48:59 Second death. 49:01 You cannot suffer second death 49:02 unless you suffer the first one. 49:05 And first death is before the millennium. 49:08 Second death takes place 49:09 after the judgment 49:10 during the millennium. 49:12 It's very simple. 49:15 Now Zachariah 14:4 and 5 describes 49:17 the Third Coming of Jesus 49:18 after 1,000 years with all of His people 49:20 back to the earth again. 49:22 It says, "And in that day His feet 49:24 will stand on the Mount of Olives, 49:27 which faces Jerusalem on the east. 49:29 And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, 49:31 from east to west, making a very large valley, 49:34 half of the mountain shall move toward the north 49:36 and half of it toward the south. 49:38 Then you shall flee through My mountain valley, 49:42 for the mountain valley shall reach to Azal. 49:45 Yes, you shall flee as you fled from the earthquake 49:48 in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. 49:51 Thus the Lord my God will come, 49:54 and all the saints with You." 49:58 The Lord is gonna come. 49:59 Are His feet gonna touch the earth at this point? 50:02 Yes, His feet are gonna rest on the Mount of Olives 50:04 and it is gonna split open. 50:07 The purpose of the space 50:09 is to allow the holy city to descend 50:11 in that open space. 50:13 And when He returns and His feet, 50:15 split them out of our lives, 50:17 we are told that He comes with all of His saints, 50:21 which means that they must have gone 50:22 to heaven with Him 50:24 before He came the third time. 50:28 Are you with me? 50:30 And then I want you to notice 50:33 Revelation 21:2. 50:35 "And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 50:39 coming down from God out of heaven, 50:41 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." 50:45 The New Jerusalem, the dwelling place of God, 50:47 the Father's house is gonna come down 50:50 with Jesus and rest there, 50:52 where the Mount of Olives was split into. 50:57 There will be no third return to heaven for Jesus. 51:03 Jesus will come to live with His people here, forever. 51:09 God's capital of the universe 51:11 will be transferred to planet earth. 51:13 Imagine the privilege of having the capital 51:17 of the whole universe here on planet earth. 51:22 Wow. 51:24 In the midst of the almost infinite, 51:27 you know, universe of God, 51:30 to know that this little world 51:32 will be the center of the government of God, 51:34 what a privilege. 51:36 Don't miss it. 51:40 "I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, 51:42 coming down from God out of heaven, 51:44 prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." 51:47 And then, in Revelation 20:13, 51:50 we have the resurrection of the wicked dead. 51:52 Remember that the dead were judged 51:55 by what was written in the books. 51:57 In the very next verse 51:59 it refers to the resurrection of them after the 1,000 years. 52:03 You say, really? Let's read. 52:05 "The sea gave up the dead who are in it, 52:10 and death and Hades 52:11 delivered up the dead who are in them." 52:13 What does it mean here when it says 52:15 that the sea gave up the dead, 52:17 and death and Hades delivered up the dead? 52:19 It means that the dead are going to, what? 52:22 Resurrect. 52:24 And by the way, 52:25 do you know that even the wicked 52:26 are gonna be able to see the record 52:28 of their lives after the millennium? 52:29 There's gonna be a post millennial judgment too. 52:32 God will not destroy the wicked until they are convinced 52:35 that God acted right in their case. 52:37 We'll study this more fully in our next presentation. 52:40 So after the millennium, above the city, 52:42 they will see the record of their lives. 52:44 There will be another investigative judgment. 52:47 And when all of them see their cases, 52:49 they will say righteous and true are your ways, oh God. 52:53 You're right. We're wrong. 52:59 So it says, 53:00 "The sea gave up the dead who were in it. 53:03 Death and Hades delivered up the dead 53:05 who were in them. 53:06 And they were judged, each one 53:07 according to his works." 53:10 Then when the judgment finishes, 53:12 they'll say, we don't deserve heaven. 53:16 We don't deserve to live in this city. 53:19 And I wish I had time. 53:21 You know, we probably covered this 53:22 in our next subject. 53:24 That is the wicked 53:26 are gonna surround the holy city 53:28 with the intention of attacking the city, 53:29 but they never attacked the city. 53:32 They end up attacking Satan. 53:35 When they see the history of salvation, 53:37 they see the sacrifice of Christ, 53:38 when they see how they had opportunity to be saved 53:41 and they rejected those opportunities. 53:44 They're not gonna attack the holy city, 53:45 they're gonna end up according to Ezekiel 28, 53:48 attacking Satan and his angels. 53:52 Only then can God destroy sin and sinners because only then 53:56 is the whole universe in harmony 53:58 because even the wicked have recognized. 54:01 And by the way, Satan will kneel and say, 54:03 "Just and true are Your ways." 54:06 And so the whole universe will be in harmony, 54:08 recognizing that God is right. 54:10 God is just, and God gave opportunities, 54:13 and God is loving. 54:15 And then, after this 54:18 in Revelation 21:1. 54:23 It says, "Now I saw a new heaven 54:27 and a new earth, 54:29 for the first heaven and the first earth 54:32 had passed away. 54:34 Also, there was no more sea." 54:38 And then you can read in verse 4, it says, 54:40 "God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, 54:46 there will be no more sorrow, 54:49 there will be no more pain, 54:51 and there will be no more death." 54:54 God's people will live eternally with Jesus 54:59 on the earth made new. 55:02 Jesus made two promises to His people. 55:06 He said, "In My Father's house are many mansions, 55:10 and I am gonna take you to my Father's house." 55:14 He fulfills that by taking His people to heaven 55:17 for 1,000 years. 55:19 But He also gave another promise and that is, 55:21 the meek will inherit the earth. 55:25 And that promise Jesus will fulfill 55:27 when the New Jerusalem descends, 55:29 and He makes this the capital of the universe, 55:32 the meek will inherit the earth. 55:35 It's totally different than what futurists believe. 55:38 Futurists believe that the way in which Jesus 55:41 is gonna fulfill both promises 55:44 is that He's gonna rapture the church away 55:47 to heaven for seven years. 55:50 That way, Jesus fulfills the first promise 55:53 to take His people to heaven. 55:55 And then after the seven years, 55:56 after the Jews have gone 55:58 through the tribulation, the antichrist, 55:59 literal antichrist has rebuilt the temple. 56:01 He's made a covenant with the Jews. 56:03 He's established a 10 Nation Federation. 56:05 And He's ruled for three and half years, 56:07 and He's persecuted the Jews, 56:08 and He's done all these things in the future. 56:10 See, it has nothing to do with the papacy 56:12 and apostate Protestantism. 56:13 Of course, it has everything to do 56:15 with the future of those churches in heaven. 56:17 So we don't even have to study these prophecies, 56:19 because they don't apply to us. 56:22 Then after this period of seven years, 56:24 Jesus will descend with those 56:27 who took to heaven at the rapture, 56:30 and He will come to this earth. 56:32 and for 1,000 years 56:34 He will be here with His people, 56:36 and they will be living in their mortal state. 56:40 Now, one thing which futurists have not been able to find 56:44 where they clearly express what they believe, is, 56:48 you know, how in the world 56:51 are people gonna be able to live on this earth 56:53 during the 1,000 years, 56:55 with the description that the Bible does 56:57 of the millennium. 56:59 And how do they say that Jesus is gonna reign here 57:02 and this is gonna be a paradise. 57:04 It simply does not fit the description 57:06 that the Bible gives. 57:08 The Bible tells us that this earth 57:10 is gonna be without form and void, 57:12 and in darkness, 57:14 the plagues will have decimated everything on this earth. 57:17 It will be inhospitable, uninhabitable. 57:21 It's only after the 1,000 years 57:24 when the judgment has taken place 57:27 that God will make a new heavens and a new earth, 57:31 in which, as Peter said in 2 Peter, 57:34 "In which righteousness dwells." 57:38 And then, sin will be finished forever. 57:40 The wounds on the hands and feet 57:43 and side and brow of Jesus 57:47 will remind us of the price of sin. 57:51 And the whole universe will be vaccinated 57:53 against sin forever and ever, 57:55 because what person in his right mind 57:57 would ever want to experiment with sin ever again. 58:01 Let's just make plans that we will be there. |
Revised 2019-10-31