WEBVTT 00:00:00.200 --> 00:00:02.759 We're thankful, God, to have your word, to know 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:07.259 that you can see the future. You know the future, 00:00:07.440 --> 00:00:10.220 Lord, and you've warned us. You've exhorted us 00:00:10.220 --> 00:00:13.279 to be ready, to be watchful, to be waiting as 00:00:13.279 --> 00:00:16.920 a church, as your bride, Lord. And so we give 00:00:16.920 --> 00:00:18.839 you this time, Lord. I pray you just stir our 00:00:18.839 --> 00:00:22.260 hearts, God, that you would draw us closer to 00:00:22.260 --> 00:00:24.519 you, Lord, as we see the day approaching, God, 00:00:24.679 --> 00:00:28.780 your soon return. So we just give you this time, 00:00:28.839 --> 00:00:31.899 Lord, in your name. Amen. The book of Hebrews, 00:00:32.020 --> 00:00:36.539 the writer of Hebrews says to not forsake the 00:00:36.539 --> 00:00:39.020 gathering of yourself together as the manner 00:00:39.020 --> 00:00:41.240 of some is. As we see the day approaching, that 00:00:41.240 --> 00:00:45.100 day is the day of the Lord, his return. Because 00:00:45.100 --> 00:00:50.000 what the writer of Hebrews saw was what the Bible 00:00:50.000 --> 00:00:55.600 teaches and what Jesus said is in the last days, 00:00:55.659 --> 00:00:57.899 there's going to be a departure from the faith. 00:00:59.149 --> 00:01:03.909 A slow digression away from fellowship, the word 00:01:03.909 --> 00:01:09.890 of God, real faith, and truth. That's what we're 00:01:09.890 --> 00:01:13.150 going to see in the last days. So the writer 00:01:13.150 --> 00:01:15.469 of Hebrews sees that, understands that, and says, 00:01:15.510 --> 00:01:18.310 hey, don't forsake yourself. Why? Because that's 00:01:18.310 --> 00:01:20.549 the place of encouragement. We sharpen one another. 00:01:20.709 --> 00:01:23.670 We get in the word together. We're reminded of 00:01:23.670 --> 00:01:26.650 what Jesus says, what the Bible says, and it's 00:01:26.650 --> 00:01:29.489 the foundation of our life. It's the truth that 00:01:29.489 --> 00:01:33.849 we stand on, we hold on to, and we walk in. So 00:01:33.849 --> 00:01:36.810 the writer of Hebrews explains that. We're in 00:01:36.810 --> 00:01:40.510 the book of Matthew going through the signs because 00:01:40.510 --> 00:01:43.609 Jesus gave the disciples signs of the last days, 00:01:43.790 --> 00:01:48.609 things to look for, earmarks that the disciples 00:01:48.609 --> 00:01:51.750 and the church for the last 2 ,000 years could 00:01:51.750 --> 00:01:55.430 see these things increasing. Jesus said that 00:01:55.430 --> 00:01:59.450 they would be as birth pains. labor pains. These 00:01:59.450 --> 00:02:03.150 things would increase in frequency and intensity 00:02:03.150 --> 00:02:08.509 as Jesus is coming back. He's returning, right? 00:02:08.629 --> 00:02:10.629 And we've looked at a lot of these things. We've 00:02:10.629 --> 00:02:14.009 looked at, understood in the book of Acts, as 00:02:14.009 --> 00:02:17.069 Jesus is taken into heaven, the disciples are 00:02:17.069 --> 00:02:19.349 looking and the angel says, why do you stand 00:02:19.349 --> 00:02:22.330 gazing up? The same Jesus will come back in like 00:02:22.330 --> 00:02:25.969 manner, in the clouds. He's coming back. And 00:02:25.969 --> 00:02:28.419 that's been the encouragement. of the church 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:32.039 for 2 ,000 years. And so we're going to look 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.360 at some of the signs. We looked at some of the 00:02:35.360 --> 00:02:40.180 signs the last couple weeks. But here's the reality, 00:02:40.360 --> 00:02:44.219 what Jesus did. If you look at Matthew in particular, 00:02:44.379 --> 00:02:48.800 we call it the Olivet Discourse. Most of what 00:02:48.800 --> 00:02:52.080 Jesus is sharing, most of what he talks about, 00:02:52.159 --> 00:02:55.000 even at the end of Matthew 24, and then all of 00:02:55.000 --> 00:02:58.719 Matthew 25, is a warning. It's an exhortation 00:02:58.719 --> 00:03:02.639 to be watching. These signs are given not so 00:03:02.639 --> 00:03:05.319 you can follow signs because people will go online 00:03:05.319 --> 00:03:08.840 and look at reels and, oh my gosh, what's this? 00:03:08.879 --> 00:03:10.879 There's a comet coming. There's this happening 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:13.460 and that. And everyone's looking, searching for 00:03:13.460 --> 00:03:17.770 the latest and greatest. What's the next? Earth 00:03:17.770 --> 00:03:19.849 is going to be destroyed on this day, whatever. 00:03:20.189 --> 00:03:22.969 I don't even know what people are looking at, 00:03:23.050 --> 00:03:27.169 but I hear what some people are saying. Jesus 00:03:27.169 --> 00:03:30.949 gave us these signs, not to just look at signs 00:03:30.949 --> 00:03:34.889 all the time, but that we would be ready, that 00:03:34.889 --> 00:03:38.169 we would be busy about his business. If you look 00:03:38.169 --> 00:03:45.110 with me at the end of chapter 24, it says this. 00:03:48.270 --> 00:03:50.789 And I think I read this a couple of weeks ago, 00:03:50.830 --> 00:03:53.770 but I want to remind you. And then all of chapter 00:03:53.770 --> 00:03:59.810 25 is an exhortation of readiness, looking up, 00:03:59.889 --> 00:04:07.789 being prepared. But it says this, we're the servants 00:04:07.789 --> 00:04:12.229 and Jesus is the master. It says this in verse 00:04:12.229 --> 00:04:15.289 45, who then is a faithful and wise servant? 00:04:15.849 --> 00:04:18.670 Whom his master made ruler over his household 00:04:18.670 --> 00:04:22.889 to give them food in due season. Blessed is that 00:04:22.889 --> 00:04:26.170 servant, that's us, whom his master, when he 00:04:26.170 --> 00:04:30.170 comes, finds doing so. What? We're busy. We're 00:04:30.170 --> 00:04:32.970 looking up. We're prepared. We're ready for when 00:04:32.970 --> 00:04:36.129 he does come back. He said, Assuredly, I say 00:04:36.129 --> 00:04:39.209 to you, verse 47, that he will make him ruler 00:04:39.209 --> 00:04:43.389 over all his goods. But if that evil servant 00:04:43.389 --> 00:04:46.560 says in his heart, My master is delaying his 00:04:46.560 --> 00:04:50.759 coming. And he loses sight of this fact. He's 00:04:50.759 --> 00:04:54.740 delaying. He's not coming back yet. Don't worry. 00:04:54.899 --> 00:04:57.620 We've got time. You've got time. Plenty of time 00:04:57.620 --> 00:05:01.279 to get saved. I believe the Bible, but I'm waiting. 00:05:03.879 --> 00:05:06.720 If that evil servant says in his heart, my master's 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.879 delaying his coming, and he begins to beat his 00:05:09.879 --> 00:05:13.279 fellow servants and to eat and to drink with 00:05:13.279 --> 00:05:16.139 drunkards, The master of that servant will come 00:05:16.139 --> 00:05:18.620 on a day when he's not looking, he's not prepared, 00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:22.540 he's not waiting for him. And at an hour when 00:05:22.540 --> 00:05:26.439 he's not aware and will cut him in two and appoint 00:05:26.439 --> 00:05:30.720 him his portion with the hypocrites. And there 00:05:30.720 --> 00:05:34.740 shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. There's 00:05:34.740 --> 00:05:37.480 a level of urgency and awaiting that the church 00:05:37.480 --> 00:05:41.680 has always been waiting, anticipating Jesus's 00:05:41.680 --> 00:05:46.000 return. So Matthew 24 gives us a little bit of 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.920 an outline as we travel through it. Also, I wanted 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:55.459 to mention this to you. What zaps the church? 00:05:56.439 --> 00:05:59.579 One of the things that draws the church away 00:05:59.579 --> 00:06:03.910 and distracts the church, and we know... I could 00:06:03.910 --> 00:06:06.509 spend a lot of time on this, but I really believe 00:06:06.509 --> 00:06:10.149 the urgency. I mean, for me, it's kind of fun 00:06:10.149 --> 00:06:12.370 to go through all these things, to know the sequence 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:16.889 of events, what's going to transpire in the last 00:06:16.889 --> 00:06:23.230 days. That's exciting for me. But as Jesus writes 00:06:23.230 --> 00:06:27.069 the seven churches in Revelation, the last church, 00:06:27.209 --> 00:06:30.449 kind of the last church age, is the church of 00:06:30.449 --> 00:06:32.870 Laodicea. I've mentioned this before. And you 00:06:32.870 --> 00:06:36.029 probably are familiar with it. But it's a church 00:06:36.029 --> 00:06:40.610 that's lukewarm. It's not hot. And it's also 00:06:40.610 --> 00:06:43.350 not cold. And Jesus said, I'm going to spew that 00:06:43.350 --> 00:06:48.250 church, I'm going to spew that person out of 00:06:48.250 --> 00:06:51.610 my mouth. Because it's neither cold or hot. And 00:06:51.610 --> 00:06:53.949 Jesus said, I wish you were cold or hot. Pick 00:06:53.949 --> 00:06:57.509 a side. Because when you're lukewarm, it's a 00:06:57.509 --> 00:07:01.290 place of complacency. There's another church. 00:07:02.060 --> 00:07:04.439 We go through all the churches. The church of 00:07:04.439 --> 00:07:08.899 Pergamos is a church that it literally means 00:07:08.899 --> 00:07:13.699 that word means an unholy union. The church of 00:07:13.699 --> 00:07:15.920 Pergamos, I think it's the third church in Revelation, 00:07:16.019 --> 00:07:20.740 and it's a church of compromise. It's a church 00:07:20.740 --> 00:07:26.699 that lets the world in as much as the Lord, right? 00:07:26.779 --> 00:07:30.920 It's a church that claims to be Christian. but 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:33.379 at the same time allows the world to come in. 00:07:34.980 --> 00:07:39.680 And Jesus uses the example of Balaam and Balak. 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:45.639 He says that Balaam, this prophet, taught Balak 00:07:45.639 --> 00:07:49.139 how to cast a stumbling block before the children 00:07:49.139 --> 00:07:54.060 of Israel. And if you look it up, you see that 00:07:54.060 --> 00:07:59.689 that stumbling block was to intermarry. Because 00:07:59.689 --> 00:08:03.089 Balaam could not curse the children of Israel, 00:08:03.250 --> 00:08:08.970 couldn't pronounce a curse on them. He went from 00:08:08.970 --> 00:08:11.889 location to location and pronounced actually 00:08:11.889 --> 00:08:14.829 seven oracles, seven blessings over this church, 00:08:15.029 --> 00:08:18.810 over Israel. And he was going to get paid for 00:08:18.810 --> 00:08:22.050 this. And so then he realized, you know what, 00:08:22.089 --> 00:08:24.009 I can't curse these people. I have to say what 00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:26.569 God tells me, but let me tell you what to do. 00:08:27.149 --> 00:08:29.769 They'll curse themselves. And let me tell you 00:08:29.769 --> 00:08:34.450 how. Send your daughters in to the camp. Have 00:08:34.450 --> 00:08:37.490 them bring their idols. And they'll begin to 00:08:37.490 --> 00:08:40.389 intermarry, have sex, and they'll begin to worship 00:08:40.389 --> 00:08:42.710 these other gods. And then God's hand of blessing 00:08:42.710 --> 00:08:47.070 will come off of them. And that's exactly what 00:08:47.070 --> 00:08:49.889 happened. And that's the warning, the church 00:08:49.889 --> 00:08:52.809 of Pergamos. And that's the warning to the church 00:08:52.809 --> 00:08:58.200 today. Compromise. And what we allow in our life, 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:01.759 what we allow to come into our life as Christians, 00:09:01.879 --> 00:09:07.440 that causes us to not be ready for his return, 00:09:07.620 --> 00:09:10.419 to know that he's coming back, to intermarry 00:09:10.419 --> 00:09:12.299 with the things of this world. We're called to 00:09:12.299 --> 00:09:16.940 be separate, salt and light in this world, that 00:09:16.940 --> 00:09:20.179 the world can look to us as different with answers 00:09:20.179 --> 00:09:24.700 and hope. And if you don't have that hope, Jesus 00:09:24.700 --> 00:09:27.759 wants to offer that. The Bible says today is 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:29.539 the day of salvation. If you don't have that 00:09:29.539 --> 00:09:34.240 hope, you can have it. The gospel of Jesus Christ 00:09:34.240 --> 00:09:37.139 is full of hope. Jesus Christ wants to give eternal 00:09:37.139 --> 00:09:43.039 life. But this life is so short. The Bible likens 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:47.620 our life as a vapor. I was looking up. I saw 00:09:47.620 --> 00:09:53.470 something online the other day. was, you know, 00:09:53.470 --> 00:09:57.750 for me, a little funny, a little scary. It's 00:09:57.750 --> 00:10:00.470 like, if you're this old, this is about how many 00:10:00.470 --> 00:10:03.470 years you have left. 20 years. And for me, it 00:10:03.470 --> 00:10:06.509 was 20 years. Obviously, that can be adjusted, 00:10:06.570 --> 00:10:11.529 and I can get healthy, hopefully. Get in shape. 00:10:13.610 --> 00:10:16.230 But the reality is, is we have a short amount 00:10:16.230 --> 00:10:22.019 of time. Limited. I thought 20 years. Leah and 00:10:22.019 --> 00:10:25.759 I have been married for 25 years. I'm past the 00:10:25.759 --> 00:10:31.539 halfway point. This will be our 25th year anniversary. 00:10:32.539 --> 00:10:34.779 How much time do we have left? How much time 00:10:34.779 --> 00:10:37.159 do we have to get ready? How much more time do 00:10:37.159 --> 00:10:40.620 we have to be waiting, to be watching, anticipating 00:10:40.620 --> 00:10:46.899 Jesus' return? Should we be busy? Should we be 00:10:46.899 --> 00:10:51.289 a faithful and wise? Steward, busy about God's 00:10:51.289 --> 00:10:56.070 business and his kingdom. So although Jesus gives 00:10:56.070 --> 00:11:02.909 so many signs that we can track for a reason 00:11:02.909 --> 00:11:07.350 and a purpose, and the purpose is that the church 00:11:07.350 --> 00:11:10.289 will be ready because the Bible clearly says 00:11:10.289 --> 00:11:12.090 that in the last days, there'll be a cooling, 00:11:12.309 --> 00:11:21.429 a departure, a leaving of the faith. So the church 00:11:21.429 --> 00:11:23.230 needs to be prepared because I believe we're 00:11:23.230 --> 00:11:26.110 living in the last days. We're living in where 00:11:26.110 --> 00:11:30.970 these signs, verse 8 in Matthew 24 says, these 00:11:30.970 --> 00:11:34.769 are the beginning of sorrows. And that means 00:11:34.769 --> 00:11:38.330 birth pains. That they increase in frequency 00:11:38.330 --> 00:11:42.049 and intensity. They get harder and closer together 00:11:42.049 --> 00:11:47.129 until the baby comes, right? Until Jesus comes 00:11:47.129 --> 00:11:53.529 back. And so the church needs to be ready. So 00:11:53.529 --> 00:11:57.610 kind of exciting looking at these things, reading 00:11:57.610 --> 00:12:01.090 about these things. Last week we looked at some 00:12:01.090 --> 00:12:03.629 of the first signs. We compared them to Revelation 00:12:03.629 --> 00:12:07.990 chapter 6, which is part of the first half of 00:12:07.990 --> 00:12:11.190 the tribulation, which is tribulation. It's not 00:12:11.190 --> 00:12:13.669 the great tribulation. That's the midway point. 00:12:15.610 --> 00:12:19.450 That's three and a half years into the judgment. 00:12:20.909 --> 00:12:23.269 Where judgment, like the days of Noah, come on 00:12:23.269 --> 00:12:27.929 the whole planet, on the whole earth. So we looked 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:30.649 at verse 4. I'll just read it, and we'll kind 00:12:30.649 --> 00:12:37.110 of catch up here with what Jesus says. It says, 00:12:37.169 --> 00:12:40.509 Take heed that no one deceives you. For many 00:12:40.509 --> 00:12:42.710 will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, 00:12:42.970 --> 00:12:46.809 and will deceive many. It will be a heightened 00:12:46.809 --> 00:12:53.299 deception. People being deceived, people in the 00:12:53.299 --> 00:12:56.980 church being deceived. It's very easy to be deceived 00:12:56.980 --> 00:13:00.580 if you don't know the Bible. If you're watching 00:13:00.580 --> 00:13:04.659 reels or random clips online and you don't know 00:13:04.659 --> 00:13:06.559 the word, you might believe them. Maybe they're 00:13:06.559 --> 00:13:12.340 not true. Maybe they are. I don't know. But deception 00:13:12.340 --> 00:13:15.659 will be the first greatest earmark. And there's 00:13:15.659 --> 00:13:17.940 always been deception, right? All these things. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:22.070 Then he talks about wars. and famine, and pestilence, 00:13:22.190 --> 00:13:25.629 and persecution. All these things have always 00:13:25.629 --> 00:13:30.110 been, right? But he says they're like birth pains, 00:13:30.269 --> 00:13:36.929 beginning of sorrows. Turn to 2 Timothy chapter 00:13:36.929 --> 00:13:40.649 3 with me for a second. We're just going to look 00:13:40.649 --> 00:13:42.549 at a couple verses, and then we're going to roll 00:13:42.549 --> 00:13:45.690 out all the way to verse 31. We're going to look 00:13:45.690 --> 00:13:50.870 at the tribulation. The middle of the tribulation, 00:13:51.129 --> 00:13:57.289 which is the temple is going to be built and 00:13:57.289 --> 00:14:00.509 Antichrist is going to set himself up in the 00:14:00.509 --> 00:14:08.990 temple to be worshipped. 2 Timothy chapter 3. 00:14:09.049 --> 00:14:10.350 We're just going to be there. I want to read 00:14:10.350 --> 00:14:15.549 you just a couple more verses talking about the 00:14:15.549 --> 00:14:24.820 last days. So I'm trying to keep my spot in Matthew. 00:14:34.799 --> 00:14:38.960 Paul telling Timothy, giving him very important 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:44.960 information. In verse 1 it says, 2 Timothy chapter 00:14:44.960 --> 00:14:49.820 3, But know this, that in the last days perilous 00:14:49.820 --> 00:14:54.580 times shall come. Those are harsh, fierce days. 00:14:58.960 --> 00:15:02.960 And then he says this. He says, men will be lovers 00:15:02.960 --> 00:15:08.019 of themselves. And we already know that people 00:15:08.019 --> 00:15:11.700 love themselves, right? Husbands are to love 00:15:11.700 --> 00:15:15.559 their wives as Christ loves the church. Love 00:15:15.559 --> 00:15:19.419 your wife as you love yourself, right? The Bible 00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:24.460 understands. And the reality is we do love ourselves. 00:15:26.440 --> 00:15:30.500 But the first, both the great commands that Jesus 00:15:30.500 --> 00:15:33.100 says as he was asked, they're linked together, 00:15:33.159 --> 00:15:36.399 loving God and loving people. It's a deferred 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:39.360 love. It's understood we love ourselves. But 00:15:39.360 --> 00:15:42.120 if you love God, you're going to love people. 00:15:42.379 --> 00:15:44.919 And that's part of God's equation. When you become 00:15:44.919 --> 00:15:49.970 born again and saved now. You're loving God with 00:15:49.970 --> 00:15:53.070 all your heart, and then you love people. You 00:15:53.070 --> 00:15:54.629 have a heart for people. You want to minister 00:15:54.629 --> 00:15:56.830 to people. You want to share God's love with 00:15:56.830 --> 00:16:01.110 people. But Paul is warning Timothy in the last 00:16:01.110 --> 00:16:05.990 days, something very drastic is going to happen. 00:16:06.889 --> 00:16:09.210 People are going to love themselves, and their 00:16:09.210 --> 00:16:11.490 love is not going to get deferred, even in the 00:16:11.490 --> 00:16:17.600 church. People will go to church. But not have 00:16:17.600 --> 00:16:19.639 a real relationship with the Lord. Listen, it 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:21.879 says they'll love themselves. They'll love money. 00:16:22.019 --> 00:16:25.779 They'll be boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient 00:16:25.779 --> 00:16:31.039 to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, again, 00:16:31.200 --> 00:16:35.399 unforgiving, slanderers, without self -control, 00:16:35.659 --> 00:16:40.639 brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, 00:16:41.080 --> 00:16:45.340 haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers 00:16:45.340 --> 00:16:51.289 of God. But then here's the twist is verse 5. 00:16:51.409 --> 00:16:55.590 It says having a form of godliness. Like they'll 00:16:55.590 --> 00:16:58.889 be coming to church. They'll have Bibles. They'll 00:16:58.889 --> 00:17:04.890 have a form of godliness. An outward display 00:17:04.890 --> 00:17:09.349 at times and a profession. They'll have this 00:17:09.349 --> 00:17:13.430 form, but it says they'll deny its power. There 00:17:13.430 --> 00:17:15.210 won't be any power in their life to overcome 00:17:15.210 --> 00:17:18.670 sin and loving yourself and all these sins that 00:17:18.670 --> 00:17:23.089 take place when you love yourself. Like the fruit 00:17:23.089 --> 00:17:27.349 of the flesh. It says, from such people turn 00:17:27.349 --> 00:17:36.509 away. And we've read it before. I encourage you 00:17:36.509 --> 00:17:40.049 to read chapter 3. Chapter 4, he goes on to say, 00:17:40.700 --> 00:17:43.319 Same letter, Paul says, I charge you, therefore, 00:17:43.440 --> 00:17:47.940 in verse 1, before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, 00:17:48.039 --> 00:17:50.259 who will judge the living and the dead at his 00:17:50.259 --> 00:17:53.839 appearing and his kingdom, preach the word, be 00:17:53.839 --> 00:17:56.700 ready in season and out of season, convince, 00:17:56.920 --> 00:18:00.099 rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering. And then 00:18:00.099 --> 00:18:02.000 he goes on to say, the time will come where they 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:06.740 won't endure sound doctrine, that people won't 00:18:06.740 --> 00:18:10.730 stand for the teaching of the Bible. People won't 00:18:10.730 --> 00:18:13.789 want to hear what the Bible says anymore. They 00:18:13.789 --> 00:18:18.410 won't want to hear any challenge, rebuke, exhortation. 00:18:18.410 --> 00:18:21.210 Like, I love myself. That's ridiculous. We're 00:18:21.210 --> 00:18:23.990 supposed to love ourselves, right? And sometimes 00:18:23.990 --> 00:18:26.910 that's the philosophy of the day. You're not 00:18:26.910 --> 00:18:29.849 happy because you don't love yourself enough. 00:18:31.930 --> 00:18:34.150 You're not happy because you don't have enough 00:18:34.150 --> 00:18:37.859 me time. time on your own or whatever it is. 00:18:37.940 --> 00:18:39.740 And there's a philosophy of the day. And I understand 00:18:39.740 --> 00:18:42.299 that you do need to take time for you and the 00:18:42.299 --> 00:18:44.339 Lord, you and your spouse, you and your kids. 00:18:44.420 --> 00:18:47.579 Those things need to be in balance. But the problem 00:18:47.579 --> 00:18:51.980 has always been a self problem. Jesus came to 00:18:51.980 --> 00:18:55.140 save us from ourselves because our self and our 00:18:55.140 --> 00:19:00.079 sin and this nature was destroying us. So Paul 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.519 says to Timothy, the time will come in the last 00:19:03.519 --> 00:19:06.779 days. This is all part of the same letter. For 00:19:06.779 --> 00:19:09.180 the time will come when they won't endure sound 00:19:09.180 --> 00:19:12.920 doctrine. But according to their own desires, 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:16.519 because they have itching ears, they will turn 00:19:16.519 --> 00:19:19.619 their ears away from the truth, and they'll be 00:19:19.619 --> 00:19:26.279 turned aside to fables, stories. People will 00:19:26.279 --> 00:19:30.509 turn away from the truth. Other things that make 00:19:30.509 --> 00:19:33.109 him happy, like that guy doesn't say what I want 00:19:33.109 --> 00:19:35.869 him to say. That guy doesn't. And you begin to 00:19:35.869 --> 00:19:40.670 find teachers, pastors, people on TV or the Internet 00:19:40.670 --> 00:19:45.349 that you can agree with. Instead of you agreeing 00:19:45.349 --> 00:19:48.829 with the Bible, you want to find people that 00:19:48.829 --> 00:19:52.150 agree with you to keep you and allow you to live 00:19:52.150 --> 00:19:54.630 the lifestyle you're living. You understand that? 00:19:54.670 --> 00:19:59.059 Does that make sense? So Paul is warning Timothy, 00:19:59.299 --> 00:20:01.160 that's what's going to happen in the last days. 00:20:06.839 --> 00:20:33.579 Turn to 1 Timothy. Chapter 4. Same idea. Paul 00:20:33.579 --> 00:20:37.720 tells Timothy in his first letter to Timothy, 00:20:38.039 --> 00:20:43.339 now the spirit speaks expressly. Like this is 00:20:43.339 --> 00:20:46.339 a fact, Timothy. This is by God's Holy Spirit 00:20:46.339 --> 00:20:49.720 that in the latter times, the last days, some 00:20:49.720 --> 00:20:53.299 will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving 00:20:53.299 --> 00:20:57.730 spirits and doctrines of demons. speaking lies 00:20:57.730 --> 00:21:01.470 and hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared 00:21:01.470 --> 00:21:04.470 with a hot iron. Like when you have your conscience 00:21:04.470 --> 00:21:08.789 seared with a hot iron, anything goes. Your conscience 00:21:08.789 --> 00:21:11.589 is what tells you, no, that's wrong. That's bad. 00:21:12.109 --> 00:21:15.890 That's sin. But the more you do it, it just continues 00:21:15.890 --> 00:21:18.769 to sear that and sear that and sear that. And 00:21:18.769 --> 00:21:21.430 then it becomes callous. And then you can take 00:21:21.430 --> 00:21:24.970 a higher temperature, right? It's not as bad 00:21:24.970 --> 00:21:29.049 anymore. Like 102 is good, then 105, and then 00:21:29.049 --> 00:21:32.130 we can, you know, that callus. If you guys know, 00:21:32.210 --> 00:21:36.990 if you have a callus, it can endure a lot, right? 00:21:37.150 --> 00:21:39.410 Sometimes you need them for your job. Like I 00:21:39.410 --> 00:21:41.309 need this callus. When we used to do flooring, 00:21:41.470 --> 00:21:46.049 Justin and I, it would be like humorous because 00:21:46.049 --> 00:21:50.259 the way you cut carpet along the wall. Your knuckles 00:21:50.259 --> 00:21:52.039 were always scraping on the wall. They're always 00:21:52.039 --> 00:21:54.200 scraping. It was like, oh my gosh, what is that 00:21:54.200 --> 00:21:57.000 on my knuckle? It looks like a, but it was this 00:21:57.000 --> 00:21:59.799 massive callus and now slivers didn't go in. 00:21:59.980 --> 00:22:02.140 And that's what he's saying about your conscience. 00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:06.480 Something that should be sensitive becomes dull, 00:22:06.640 --> 00:22:10.720 becomes hard. And now you don't hear anymore. 00:22:13.220 --> 00:22:17.880 And we need to be careful of that. So back to 00:22:17.880 --> 00:22:26.599 Matthew 24. It says this, these birth pains, 00:22:26.720 --> 00:22:31.779 these sorrows are coming and they've always been. 00:22:32.380 --> 00:22:35.539 But then it says this in verse nine. And if you 00:22:35.539 --> 00:22:39.019 mark your Bible, you can. This is the beginning 00:22:39.019 --> 00:22:42.420 of the tribulation. Verse nine, it says, then 00:22:42.420 --> 00:22:46.339 they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill 00:22:46.339 --> 00:22:49.619 you. and you'll be hated by all nations for my 00:22:49.619 --> 00:22:52.380 namesake. And then many will be offended and 00:22:52.380 --> 00:22:54.940 betray one another, and they'll hate one another. 00:22:55.599 --> 00:22:58.880 And many false prophets will arise and deceive 00:22:58.880 --> 00:23:04.599 many. People will be looking for teachers, having 00:23:04.599 --> 00:23:07.559 itching ears. So these false prophets will arise 00:23:07.559 --> 00:23:11.579 and deceive many people. They'll make you feel 00:23:11.579 --> 00:23:15.220 comfortable in your sin. The tribulation begins. 00:23:15.380 --> 00:23:19.559 It says you'll be hated by all nations. It doesn't 00:23:19.559 --> 00:23:22.819 say except for the United States, by all nations. 00:23:23.000 --> 00:23:27.799 Everyone's going to turn their back as a nation 00:23:27.799 --> 00:23:32.119 against God. We're leaning that way already as 00:23:32.119 --> 00:23:36.960 a Christian nation. Europe is already gone. Europe, 00:23:37.000 --> 00:23:41.299 England, these countries that started out to 00:23:41.299 --> 00:23:46.180 be Christian. And had these great pastors and 00:23:46.180 --> 00:23:51.180 preachers have veered and swerved. And our country 00:23:51.180 --> 00:23:53.680 is doing the same. And we're going to land at 00:23:53.680 --> 00:23:58.180 this place at some point. And I might have mentioned 00:23:58.180 --> 00:24:00.900 this last week. The fastest growing religion 00:24:00.900 --> 00:24:08.900 on planet earth is Islam. It's Islam. It's not 00:24:08.900 --> 00:24:12.819 larger than Christianity. in numbers right now, 00:24:12.940 --> 00:24:17.839 but it's awful close. And if you read, I think 00:24:17.839 --> 00:24:21.200 it's Revelation 20, different parts of Revelation 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:25.240 talking about the people, the tribulation saints, 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:27.859 people who get saved. I think it's Revelation 00:24:27.859 --> 00:24:32.039 20. It says that they were beheaded for God's 00:24:32.039 --> 00:24:35.119 name, for the name of Jesus Christ. And the number 00:24:35.119 --> 00:24:41.839 one way of capital punishment in Islam, is beheading. 00:24:42.460 --> 00:24:47.559 And so potentially, some part of the last day's 00:24:47.559 --> 00:24:50.940 religion that Antichrist is going to resurrect 00:24:50.940 --> 00:24:55.039 and raise up and pour all different mixtures 00:24:55.039 --> 00:24:59.039 in there, part of that will be this capital punishment. 00:24:59.059 --> 00:25:05.759 If you don't mold or fold and become part of 00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:09.339 that religion and you proclaim Jesus Christ, 00:25:10.210 --> 00:25:13.029 and him as your savior to do that it's going 00:25:13.029 --> 00:25:14.970 to be very difficult in the tribulation because 00:25:14.970 --> 00:25:17.970 you're going to have to lay down your neck you're 00:25:17.970 --> 00:25:21.250 going to have to be willing to die for your faith 00:25:21.250 --> 00:25:24.230 right right now you know we're trying to live 00:25:24.230 --> 00:25:29.009 for our faith not in a lot of fear what happens 00:25:29.009 --> 00:25:32.250 when somebody pressures you and there's real 00:25:32.250 --> 00:25:38.000 persecution and it's like deny or you die Are 00:25:38.000 --> 00:25:40.900 you willing to? That's a lot of pressure. That's 00:25:40.900 --> 00:25:42.539 what the tribulation saints are going to have 00:25:42.539 --> 00:25:50.680 to endure. Real persecution and death and punishment. 00:25:51.759 --> 00:25:57.140 So you'll be hated. It says, verse 12, because 00:25:57.140 --> 00:26:01.339 lawlessness will abound. Iniquity, your Bible 00:26:01.339 --> 00:26:05.920 might say. People unwilling to obey God's moral 00:26:05.920 --> 00:26:11.299 law. And the law. Because lawlessness will abound. 00:26:11.319 --> 00:26:14.559 Look at the love of many will grow cold. Always 00:26:14.559 --> 00:26:17.960 reflecting on love and what you love and who 00:26:17.960 --> 00:26:22.720 you love. But he who endures to the end shall 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:26.420 be saved. There's going to be need of great endurance 00:26:26.420 --> 00:26:28.259 in the tribulation. You don't want to go there. 00:26:30.980 --> 00:26:37.900 There'll be deception at an all -time high. Persecution 00:26:37.900 --> 00:26:42.240 at an all -time high. Everything that Jesus talks 00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:45.259 about, when the tribulation kicks off, is going 00:26:45.259 --> 00:26:51.779 to be very, very, very intense. It says, and 00:26:51.779 --> 00:26:54.079 this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:57.380 all the world as a witness to all nations, and 00:26:57.380 --> 00:26:59.640 then the end will come. Jesus is going to come 00:26:59.640 --> 00:27:02.240 back. So the witness part of that witness, if 00:27:02.240 --> 00:27:05.210 you read the book of Revelation, You read, I 00:27:05.210 --> 00:27:10.529 think it's chapter 7, where God anoints 144 ,000 00:27:10.529 --> 00:27:14.529 Jewish evangelists, 12 ,000 from each tribe that 00:27:14.529 --> 00:27:17.569 are evangelizing the world. You'll read about 00:27:17.569 --> 00:27:23.930 two witnesses in Jerusalem who can't die during 00:27:23.930 --> 00:27:26.210 the tribulation period. Many people think it's 00:27:26.210 --> 00:27:30.130 Moses and Elijah, the law and the prophets. Very 00:27:30.130 --> 00:27:33.289 well could be. I believe that. And they cannot 00:27:33.289 --> 00:27:35.970 die, but they're a witness. And their greatest 00:27:35.970 --> 00:27:40.470 witness is at the midway point when Antichrist 00:27:40.470 --> 00:27:44.170 sets himself up in the temple, kills these guys, 00:27:44.250 --> 00:27:47.309 and the world gives gifts. They all watch it. 00:27:48.009 --> 00:27:51.150 Finally, these guys can die. The world watches 00:27:51.150 --> 00:27:53.950 it. The world is giving gifts to each other. 00:27:54.109 --> 00:27:58.170 You know, CNN, Facebook, Instagram, everybody's 00:27:58.170 --> 00:28:04.579 covering this scene. this news and then in three 00:28:04.579 --> 00:28:08.259 and a half days they they stand up after everyone's 00:28:08.259 --> 00:28:11.700 been just left them there they stand up and they 00:28:11.700 --> 00:28:13.740 walk away from that god takes them to heaven 00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:16.279 like a great witness so there'll be a witness 00:28:16.279 --> 00:28:19.039 throughout the whole world during the tribulation 00:28:19.039 --> 00:28:22.079 there'll be an angel flying at some point declaring 00:28:22.079 --> 00:28:26.980 uh the gospel of the kingdom so the gospel of 00:28:26.980 --> 00:28:29.140 the kingdom it'll be preached during the tribulation 00:28:30.139 --> 00:28:32.440 There'll be tribulation saints. There'll be people 00:28:32.440 --> 00:28:35.859 getting saved. Verse 15 says, therefore, when 00:28:35.859 --> 00:28:38.359 you see the abomination of desolation spoken 00:28:38.359 --> 00:28:41.440 by Daniel, the prophet standing in the holy place, 00:28:41.460 --> 00:28:43.460 then he says, whoever reads, let them understand. 00:28:44.279 --> 00:28:47.960 And then he talks about what to do. Verse 15. 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:49.980 I know we talked about it a couple of weeks ago. 00:28:50.240 --> 00:28:54.519 Daniel chapter nine. It's when Antichrist makes 00:28:54.519 --> 00:29:01.970 a covenant with Israel. For seven years. Revelation 00:29:01.970 --> 00:29:06.470 chapter 6, also same scenario. When the rider 00:29:06.470 --> 00:29:08.609 on the white horse, that first seal gets opened, 00:29:08.730 --> 00:29:12.529 it's Antichrist. He comes with a bow. That's 00:29:12.529 --> 00:29:16.970 the covenant of Daniel 9. Same thing. And he 00:29:16.970 --> 00:29:21.289 makes this covenant for one week. The one week 00:29:21.289 --> 00:29:25.450 is seven one -year periods. At the midway point. 00:29:26.410 --> 00:29:30.170 He goes into the temple, desecrates it, demands 00:29:30.170 --> 00:29:34.349 worship. Israel figures out this is not the Messiah. 00:29:35.269 --> 00:29:38.930 And he says, then flee, right? So Daniel talked 00:29:38.930 --> 00:29:42.170 about it. Jesus talked about it as a future event. 00:29:42.250 --> 00:29:45.490 It didn't happen. We don't have time to go there. 00:29:45.569 --> 00:29:47.710 I already talked about it. It didn't happen at 00:29:47.710 --> 00:29:54.259 177 or 166 BC. Jesus talked about it as future. 00:29:54.579 --> 00:29:56.660 So the requirement of that, I know I talked about 00:29:56.660 --> 00:29:59.619 this too, there needs to be a temple. Micah, 00:29:59.619 --> 00:30:02.240 I think it's Micah 1 .8, says the Lord that you 00:30:02.240 --> 00:30:05.900 seek, or 3 .1, the Lord that you seek will come 00:30:05.900 --> 00:30:10.539 back suddenly to his temple. So Israel's frame 00:30:10.539 --> 00:30:14.059 of mind, believing Jews that are still waiting 00:30:14.059 --> 00:30:16.960 for Messiah are going to get deceived, but they 00:30:16.960 --> 00:30:19.539 believe for Messiah to come back, there needs 00:30:19.539 --> 00:30:23.920 to be a temple. something, a place for Messiah 00:30:23.920 --> 00:30:26.440 to come back to that he can't come back until 00:30:26.440 --> 00:30:32.960 the temple is built. That's very important. If 00:30:32.960 --> 00:30:36.180 you turn with me to 1 Thessalonians chapter 2, 00:30:36.259 --> 00:30:38.220 this will be my last cross -reference, and then 00:30:38.220 --> 00:30:40.220 we're just going to kind of zip through this. 00:30:41.240 --> 00:30:53.309 1 Thessalonians chapter 2. Actually, it's 2 Thessalonians 00:30:53.309 --> 00:31:10.509 chapter 2. 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. We could 00:31:10.509 --> 00:31:14.150 spend a whole Sunday on this. I'm just going 00:31:14.150 --> 00:31:20.069 to read it. But Paul tells these guys. In verse 00:31:20.069 --> 00:31:22.509 1, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Now, brethren, 00:31:22.589 --> 00:31:24.930 concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:31:25.230 --> 00:31:29.509 that's the second coming, and our gathering together 00:31:29.509 --> 00:31:34.950 unto him, that's the rapture. We ask you not 00:31:34.950 --> 00:31:38.349 to be, verse 2, soon shaken in mind or troubled, 00:31:38.549 --> 00:31:43.809 either by spirit or by word or letter as if from 00:31:43.809 --> 00:31:47.109 us, as though the day of Christ has come. So 00:31:47.109 --> 00:31:51.049 they got a letter. From somebody that forged 00:31:51.049 --> 00:31:54.650 Paul's signature and said, you're in the tribulation 00:31:54.650 --> 00:31:56.630 period. And they were going through trouble. 00:31:56.730 --> 00:31:59.329 They were dying. They were going through a ton 00:31:59.329 --> 00:32:01.529 of persecution. So they believed it. They're 00:32:01.529 --> 00:32:04.309 like, we missed the rapture. We're in the tribulation 00:32:04.309 --> 00:32:06.410 period. And Paul says, don't be troubled by that. 00:32:06.970 --> 00:32:10.769 And then he reminds them of his teachings, of 00:32:10.769 --> 00:32:12.970 what he taught them. And it says that the book 00:32:12.970 --> 00:32:14.849 of Acts, and we'll get there, that Paul was only 00:32:14.849 --> 00:32:17.130 there for three and a half or three Sabbaths. 00:32:17.359 --> 00:32:19.599 So he was there for three and a half weeks. Some 00:32:19.599 --> 00:32:22.539 people believe that that was the only place, 00:32:22.539 --> 00:32:25.319 time he could go to the synagogue. And then he 00:32:25.319 --> 00:32:27.319 got kicked out and all the rest of his teachings 00:32:27.319 --> 00:32:30.059 had to be other places. So he might've been there 00:32:30.059 --> 00:32:32.859 longer because it's pretty thorough and intense 00:32:32.859 --> 00:32:35.980 teaching that Paul gives on the last days. But 00:32:35.980 --> 00:32:38.119 he says, don't let anyone deceive you, verse 00:32:38.119 --> 00:32:42.460 three, by any means for that day will not come 00:32:42.460 --> 00:32:45.500 unless there's a falling away comes first. The 00:32:45.500 --> 00:32:49.940 word is apostasia. And there's two views on that. 00:32:50.059 --> 00:32:53.559 It can be the rapture of the church or a literal 00:32:53.559 --> 00:33:01.140 departure from the faith. And there's good arguments 00:33:01.140 --> 00:33:05.000 on both. I just bought a book the other day and 00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:10.440 very good. A lot of evidence that this could 00:33:10.440 --> 00:33:12.920 be the falling away is the rapture of the church. 00:33:13.309 --> 00:33:15.329 But I think it really fits for both because the 00:33:15.329 --> 00:33:18.349 last days there is going to be an apostasy. There 00:33:18.349 --> 00:33:20.369 is going to be a departure from the faith and 00:33:20.369 --> 00:33:26.029 the church is going to be raptured. So it says 00:33:26.029 --> 00:33:29.369 that happens first and then the man of sin is 00:33:29.369 --> 00:33:32.109 revealed, the son of perdition. So you won't 00:33:32.109 --> 00:33:34.230 know if you're a born again Christian here, you're 00:33:34.230 --> 00:33:35.849 going to get raptured. You'll never know who 00:33:35.849 --> 00:33:39.309 Antichrist is on this side of eternity because 00:33:39.309 --> 00:33:41.710 he's not going to get revealed until the church 00:33:41.710 --> 00:33:43.750 is out of here. That's what the Bible teaches. 00:33:44.450 --> 00:33:46.650 Then that man of sin is revealed, the son of 00:33:46.650 --> 00:33:51.410 perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above 00:33:51.410 --> 00:33:53.950 all that is called God or that is worshiped, 00:33:53.950 --> 00:33:56.289 so that, listen, here's the important verse that 00:33:56.289 --> 00:33:59.130 I really wanted to read that I'm getting everyone 00:33:59.130 --> 00:34:03.730 probably confused on. He opposes and exalts himself 00:34:03.730 --> 00:34:07.829 above all that is called God or that is worshiped, 00:34:07.829 --> 00:34:11.909 so that he sits as God in the temple of God. 00:34:12.300 --> 00:34:16.000 showing himself that he is God. And that's when 00:34:16.000 --> 00:34:21.239 Jesus encourages Israel to flee because that's 00:34:21.239 --> 00:34:24.900 not Messiah. Do you not remember when I was still 00:34:24.900 --> 00:34:28.179 with you, I told you these things, and now there's 00:34:28.179 --> 00:34:29.699 no sense in going through that. I'll talk about 00:34:29.699 --> 00:34:32.619 that when we talk about the rapture of the church, 00:34:32.800 --> 00:34:36.579 which will be next week. So he says, listen, 00:34:36.719 --> 00:34:40.079 there has to be a temple. It's going to be the 00:34:40.079 --> 00:34:43.929 abomination of desolation. And we know that the 00:34:43.929 --> 00:34:50.030 Temple Institute in Jerusalem, everything is 00:34:50.030 --> 00:34:54.989 prepared. All the lavers and everything is ready 00:34:54.989 --> 00:34:59.030 for the temple. Once it's built, everything's 00:34:59.030 --> 00:35:03.190 ready. It's already made. And if you ever go 00:35:03.190 --> 00:35:06.969 to Israel, you can go see everything. the things 00:35:06.969 --> 00:35:09.230 that are made out of gold. They're doing DNA 00:35:09.230 --> 00:35:11.730 tests. They want to figure out who the priests 00:35:11.730 --> 00:35:16.070 are to make the sacrifices. It's ready. The temple 00:35:16.070 --> 00:35:19.909 is going to be built. Those who are in Judea 00:35:19.909 --> 00:35:21.809 fleeted the mountains. Many people believe that 00:35:21.809 --> 00:35:25.420 that is the rock city of Petra in Jordan. People 00:35:25.420 --> 00:35:29.760 drop off tracks there. There's food there, non 00:35:29.760 --> 00:35:33.079 -perishable food there. There's tracks and Bibles 00:35:33.079 --> 00:35:35.619 and all kinds of stuff in that city because many 00:35:35.619 --> 00:35:38.860 people believe that that in the geography, I 00:35:38.860 --> 00:35:42.480 think it might be Isaiah 16 also. I can't remember. 00:35:42.599 --> 00:35:45.199 Talks about them fleeing and being sustained. 00:35:45.599 --> 00:35:48.360 Revelation talks about that. Fleeing to the wilderness 00:35:48.360 --> 00:35:51.480 that he's protected. I think it's Revelation 00:35:51.480 --> 00:35:57.340 12. House top, not go down to take anything out 00:35:57.340 --> 00:35:59.400 of his house and let him who was in the field 00:35:59.400 --> 00:36:02.719 not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those 00:36:02.719 --> 00:36:05.219 who are pregnant, those who are nursing babies 00:36:05.219 --> 00:36:08.079 in those days. Pray that your flight be not in 00:36:08.079 --> 00:36:12.820 winter or on the Sabbath. It's very Jewish. What's 00:36:12.820 --> 00:36:15.500 taking place? There needs to be a temple. And 00:36:15.500 --> 00:36:19.880 the tribulation is very Jewish. Okay? The church 00:36:19.880 --> 00:36:23.989 will be out of here. This is God. God's taking 00:36:23.989 --> 00:36:26.530 the scales off of the eyes of Israel during the 00:36:26.530 --> 00:36:29.190 tribulation period is what's going to take place 00:36:29.190 --> 00:36:32.489 here. He says, for then there will be, and this 00:36:32.489 --> 00:36:34.849 is the midway point of the tribulation, there 00:36:34.849 --> 00:36:37.710 will be great tribulation such as had not been 00:36:37.710 --> 00:36:41.150 since the beginning of the world until this time, 00:36:41.170 --> 00:36:45.190 nor ever shall be. Unless those days were shortened, 00:36:45.349 --> 00:36:50.130 1260 days, the Bible gives us that number. I 00:36:50.130 --> 00:36:52.909 think Daniel and Revelation. Unless those days 00:36:52.909 --> 00:36:55.929 were shortened, no flesh would be saved. But 00:36:55.929 --> 00:36:58.250 for the elect's sake, those days will be shortened. 00:36:58.570 --> 00:37:01.610 If anyone says to you, look, here's Christ or 00:37:01.610 --> 00:37:04.929 there, don't believe it. For false Christ, false 00:37:04.929 --> 00:37:08.190 prophets will rise, show great signs and wonders 00:37:08.190 --> 00:37:12.329 to deceive, if possible, the elect. The tribulation 00:37:12.329 --> 00:37:14.829 period is going to be the most deceptive time 00:37:14.829 --> 00:37:18.050 because there will literally be miracles during 00:37:18.050 --> 00:37:20.349 the tribulation. In fact, Antichrist, it says, 00:37:20.730 --> 00:37:23.750 He's going to take a deadly wound, and he's going 00:37:23.750 --> 00:37:28.150 to be healed, resurrected. People will believe 00:37:28.150 --> 00:37:30.510 that he gets resurrected, and that's part of 00:37:30.510 --> 00:37:33.550 what makes the world worship him, right? Comes 00:37:33.550 --> 00:37:39.190 back to life like Jesus. So he says, if it was 00:37:39.190 --> 00:37:42.789 possible, even the elect would be deceived. That's 00:37:42.789 --> 00:37:46.250 Israel. See, I have told you beforehand. Therefore, 00:37:46.469 --> 00:37:50.110 if they say, look. He's in the desert. Don't 00:37:50.110 --> 00:37:52.590 go out or look. He's in the inner rooms. Don't 00:37:52.590 --> 00:37:55.110 believe it. And we're going to close right here. 00:37:55.170 --> 00:37:58.650 Verse 27, for as lightning comes from the east 00:37:58.650 --> 00:38:01.690 and flashes to the west, so will be the coming 00:38:01.690 --> 00:38:03.769 of the Son of Man. This is the second coming 00:38:03.769 --> 00:38:06.730 at the end of the tribulation. For wherever the 00:38:06.730 --> 00:38:09.469 carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered 00:38:09.469 --> 00:38:13.610 together. Immediately after the tribulation of 00:38:13.610 --> 00:38:16.610 those days, the sun will be darkened. The moon 00:38:16.610 --> 00:38:19.130 will not give its light. The stars will fall 00:38:19.130 --> 00:38:23.110 from heaven and the powers of heaven will be 00:38:23.110 --> 00:38:26.570 shaken. And then the sign of the Son of Man will 00:38:26.570 --> 00:38:29.489 appear in heaven and all the tribes of the earth 00:38:29.489 --> 00:38:32.050 will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming 00:38:32.050 --> 00:38:35.489 in the clouds of heaven with power and great 00:38:35.489 --> 00:38:38.690 glory. And he will send his angels with the sound 00:38:38.690 --> 00:38:41.429 of a great trumpet and they will gather together 00:38:41.429 --> 00:38:45.750 his elect from the four winds and from one end 00:38:45.750 --> 00:38:48.840 of heaven to the other. So don't get confused 00:38:48.840 --> 00:38:51.420 with this trumpet. This isn't 1 Corinthians 15 00:38:51.420 --> 00:38:55.460 trumpet. This isn't 1 Thessalonians 4 trumpet. 00:38:55.579 --> 00:38:58.739 If you read the book of Revelation, it talks 00:38:58.739 --> 00:39:01.920 about seven different trumpet judgments, right? 00:39:02.280 --> 00:39:06.699 People would use a trumpet in war, in battle, 00:39:06.800 --> 00:39:11.219 to sound a lot of things, like go into battle, 00:39:11.340 --> 00:39:14.239 come back from battle, it's launch, you know, 00:39:14.260 --> 00:39:17.059 whatever, right? So just because it's a trumpet, 00:39:17.519 --> 00:39:21.440 You can't associate it with just one event, the 00:39:21.440 --> 00:39:23.239 rapture of the church, right? The last trump, 00:39:23.320 --> 00:39:26.739 the trumpet of God. So we'll look at that next 00:39:26.739 --> 00:39:30.239 week. We're going to look at the regathering 00:39:30.239 --> 00:39:32.239 of Israel next week. And we're going to look 00:39:32.239 --> 00:39:35.440 at the rapture of the church next week and probably 00:39:35.440 --> 00:39:40.840 finalize this little series in Matthew of the 00:39:40.840 --> 00:39:43.199 last days, the end times, really preparing the 00:39:43.199 --> 00:39:46.420 church. We need to be ready for his return. So 00:39:46.420 --> 00:39:50.780 hopefully everything made sense. And next week, 00:39:50.820 --> 00:39:52.719 I'm kind of excited. I want to look at, we'll 00:39:52.719 --> 00:39:59.199 be in Ezekiel, looking at Israel being reborn. 00:39:59.840 --> 00:40:05.219 Isaiah chapter 66 says, Isaiah asks the question, 00:40:05.440 --> 00:40:10.039 can a nation be born in a day, in one day? Can 00:40:10.039 --> 00:40:13.650 the earth give birth in a day? And that's what 00:40:13.650 --> 00:40:18.570 happened May 14th, 1948. Israel becomes a nation 00:40:18.570 --> 00:40:27.130 recognized by the world of its sovereignty. And 00:40:27.130 --> 00:40:31.530 it gave birth in a day. And Israel is very important. 00:40:31.570 --> 00:40:34.130 It's one of the signs. It's a super sign of the 00:40:34.130 --> 00:40:38.650 last days. Israel's important. And the days of 00:40:38.650 --> 00:40:41.659 Noah. The days of Lot, it's the moral condition 00:40:41.659 --> 00:40:43.539 of the planet. So we're going to look at those 00:40:43.539 --> 00:40:46.380 next week. Rapture of the church, the moral condition, 00:40:46.480 --> 00:40:50.559 and Israel, and the exhortation to be ready, 00:40:50.579 --> 00:40:53.559 to be watchful as we see these signs unfolding 00:40:53.559 --> 00:40:56.719 in greater intensity. And Israel is the super 00:40:56.719 --> 00:41:04.860 sign, right? It's reborn and rebirthed at first 00:41:04.860 --> 00:41:08.159 in unbelief, and during the tribulation, the 00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:10.329 blinders come off. The scales come off.