WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:04.719 And when he had spoken these things, while they 00:00:04.719 --> 00:00:10.400 beheld, he was taken up, and a cloud received 00:00:10.400 --> 00:00:15.179 him out of their sight. And while they looked 00:00:15.179 --> 00:00:19.640 steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, 00:00:19.920 --> 00:00:24.719 two men stood by them in white apparel, which 00:00:24.719 --> 00:00:31.600 also said, Ye men of Galilee, Why stand ye gazing 00:00:31.600 --> 00:00:37.380 up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken 00:00:37.380 --> 00:00:42.500 up from you into heaven, shall so come in like 00:00:42.500 --> 00:00:50.439 manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. Beloved, 00:00:50.439 --> 00:00:55.299 he's coming back to earth again. As surely as 00:00:55.299 --> 00:01:00.920 he went away. And he did. He said he would come 00:01:00.920 --> 00:01:05.019 back. There were those who promised he would 00:01:05.019 --> 00:01:10.200 come back. And he's coming back. And the thrilling 00:01:10.200 --> 00:01:14.700 part is, he'll return in the same manner as he 00:01:14.700 --> 00:01:20.219 went. And he went in bodily form. He was visible 00:01:20.219 --> 00:01:25.719 to the eye. The same Jesus. But remember something. 00:01:27.310 --> 00:01:31.129 He will come first in the region of our atmosphere. 00:01:32.370 --> 00:01:36.129 And the dead in Christ and the living saints 00:01:36.129 --> 00:01:41.310 shall be caught up to meet him in the air. Oh, 00:01:41.370 --> 00:01:45.329 my friend, that's going to be glorious. Let me 00:01:45.329 --> 00:01:48.069 just take a few minutes and explain something 00:01:48.069 --> 00:01:52.109 to you. And be sure that as you are enjoying 00:01:52.109 --> 00:01:54.469 this little heart -to -heart talk that you have 00:01:54.469 --> 00:01:58.349 your own Bible open. There's nothing like the 00:01:58.349 --> 00:02:02.969 Word of God. And I want to remind you again that 00:02:02.969 --> 00:02:07.189 if I make one statement that's contrary to the 00:02:07.189 --> 00:02:11.110 Word of God, I am wrong and the Bible is right. 00:02:12.689 --> 00:02:19.129 If your minister preaches one thing from the 00:02:19.129 --> 00:02:22.669 pulpit and the Bible says something else, the 00:02:22.669 --> 00:02:30.340 Bible is always right. Know that. Now, when I'm 00:02:30.340 --> 00:02:33.560 talking to you about the great catching up, when 00:02:33.560 --> 00:02:35.400 I'm talking to you about the return of the Lord 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:40.419 Jesus Christ, I want to be dead sure that I can 00:02:40.419 --> 00:02:44.039 back up every statement with the Word of God. 00:02:46.539 --> 00:02:51.699 And if you can find where I have said something 00:02:51.699 --> 00:02:58.020 that is not in the Word of God, that is not scriptural, 00:02:58.139 --> 00:03:04.400 then you tell me about it. Otherwise, you'll 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:08.080 have to accept it if the Word of God says it. 00:03:08.900 --> 00:03:10.979 Because the Word of God comes from the highest 00:03:10.979 --> 00:03:15.379 authority in heaven and in earth. Jesus himself 00:03:15.379 --> 00:03:19.319 said that he was coming back and coming back 00:03:19.319 --> 00:03:26.939 in bodily form. He said it. He cannot lie. Remember 00:03:26.939 --> 00:03:35.319 that. He is coming back. We have nothing that 00:03:35.319 --> 00:03:39.379 assures us that since he went away that he has 00:03:39.379 --> 00:03:42.520 ever been back to this earth in bodily form. 00:03:43.479 --> 00:03:47.419 For you see, he has been in position of great 00:03:47.419 --> 00:03:52.020 high priest, the great mediator between God and 00:03:52.020 --> 00:03:57.780 man all this time. Ever since he went away. This 00:03:57.780 --> 00:04:02.500 very hour. He is seated at the right hand of 00:04:02.500 --> 00:04:08.439 God the Father. In position of great high priest. 00:04:09.020 --> 00:04:15.719 Our great intercessor. When we pray he is there. 00:04:16.800 --> 00:04:23.540 The last great bequest that he made to man. Before 00:04:23.540 --> 00:04:27.639 he went away. was to assure us that he was leaving 00:04:27.639 --> 00:04:34.040 us his name to use. Therefore, when we pray, 00:04:34.180 --> 00:04:39.740 we have access to the throne of God. We have 00:04:39.740 --> 00:04:44.579 a hearing at the throne of God in the name of 00:04:44.579 --> 00:04:52.060 Jesus. And God the Father hears our prayer through 00:04:52.060 --> 00:04:56.610 the... person of Jesus Christ, the great high 00:04:56.610 --> 00:04:59.529 priest. Oh, that's thrilling. That's wonderful. 00:04:59.730 --> 00:05:03.829 All right. Now remember, as we talk about the 00:05:03.829 --> 00:05:06.829 second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, there 00:05:06.829 --> 00:05:13.430 are two stages of the second coming. I'm going 00:05:13.430 --> 00:05:17.410 to give you scripture for both. If you will please 00:05:17.410 --> 00:05:23.019 turn to Matthew, the 16th chapter. Here is something 00:05:23.019 --> 00:05:28.720 that is always so misunderstood, and it's all 00:05:28.720 --> 00:05:31.959 because there should not have been a chapter 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:36.480 marking where there is a chapter marking now 00:05:36.480 --> 00:05:45.639 in the Bible. Chapter 17 should not begin where 00:05:45.639 --> 00:05:54.160 you see it in your Bible. The last verse of chapter 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:59.699 16 must continue with the first verse of the 00:05:59.699 --> 00:06:04.160 17th chapter. Let me read it to you as it should 00:06:04.160 --> 00:06:07.600 be. And I'm reading now from the 16th chapter 00:06:07.600 --> 00:06:15.000 of Matthew, the 28th verse. Verily, and remember 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.959 it's Jesus speaking, and we know something that's 00:06:17.959 --> 00:06:22.410 most important. because whenever he uses the 00:06:22.410 --> 00:06:29.730 word verily, it's sort of a stop, look, and listen 00:06:29.730 --> 00:06:35.949 sign. I say unto you, this comes from his own 00:06:35.949 --> 00:06:42.029 lips, there be some standing here which shall 00:06:42.029 --> 00:06:46.230 not taste of death till they see the Son of Man 00:06:46.230 --> 00:06:52.420 coming in his kingdom. Don't stop there. There's 00:06:52.420 --> 00:06:55.500 a chapter marking there, but don't stop there. 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:01.100 Continue. Because the next verse begins, and 00:07:01.100 --> 00:07:08.480 after six days, in other words, six days later, 00:07:08.720 --> 00:07:13.379 Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John, his brother, 00:07:13.500 --> 00:07:17.439 and brings them up into a high mountain apart, 00:07:17.660 --> 00:07:22.579 and was transfigured, before them and his face 00:07:22.579 --> 00:07:27.079 did shine as the sun and his raiment was white 00:07:27.079 --> 00:07:31.600 as the light and behold there appeared unto them 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:35.899 moses and elijah talking with him then answered 00:07:35.899 --> 00:07:40.000 peter and said unto jesus lord it is good for 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:45.360 us to be here if thou wilt Let us make your three 00:07:45.360 --> 00:07:49.120 tabernacles, one for thee and one for Moses and 00:07:49.120 --> 00:07:55.839 one for Elijah. Oh, that human aspect, always 00:07:55.839 --> 00:08:01.620 enter into it. Always, whenever man has something 00:08:01.620 --> 00:08:04.339 to do with it, he spoils the whole thing and 00:08:04.339 --> 00:08:08.040 says, come on, let's build something. Why is 00:08:08.040 --> 00:08:12.000 it man is still that way? God begins pulling. 00:08:12.509 --> 00:08:17.129 worry out of his spirit. Oh, the supernatural 00:08:17.129 --> 00:08:20.550 is happening everywhere in God's blessing, and 00:08:20.550 --> 00:08:23.009 the first thing that man thinks about, let's 00:08:23.009 --> 00:08:29.529 build something. Come on, let's build. And here 00:08:29.529 --> 00:08:34.429 enters in the human aspect when it was something 00:08:34.429 --> 00:08:38.710 that was so priceless and so holy and so wonderful. 00:08:39.710 --> 00:08:45.940 Then answered, Peter. And it was just like Peter 00:08:45.940 --> 00:08:52.899 to get the idea of building impetuous. Yeah. 00:08:53.759 --> 00:08:59.399 He wanted to put four walls around what he was 00:08:59.399 --> 00:09:03.379 experiencing. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, it's 00:09:03.379 --> 00:09:08.039 good for us to be here. If thou wilt, let us 00:09:08.039 --> 00:09:11.600 make here three tabernacles. He wasn't only going 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:13.120 to be satisfied with one. Let's make three of 00:09:13.120 --> 00:09:17.399 them. One for thee and one for Moses and one 00:09:17.399 --> 00:09:22.080 for Elijah. And while he yet spake, behold, a 00:09:22.080 --> 00:09:26.720 bright cloud overshadowed him. And behold, a 00:09:26.720 --> 00:09:34.580 voice out of the cloud which said, This is my 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:42.509 beloved son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye 00:09:42.509 --> 00:09:47.350 him. Do you remember when that same voice spoke 00:09:47.350 --> 00:09:54.929 before? Do you remember that again the same person 00:09:54.929 --> 00:10:01.909 said the same words regarding his son? Sure. 00:10:01.909 --> 00:10:05.470 It was when Jesus came up out of the waters of 00:10:05.470 --> 00:10:11.090 baptism and God the Father spoke audibly at that 00:10:11.090 --> 00:10:17.509 time and said, This is my beloved Son in whom 00:10:17.509 --> 00:10:23.970 I am well pleased. But let's go back now to this 00:10:23.970 --> 00:10:28.909 transfiguration scene. In this transfiguration 00:10:28.909 --> 00:10:35.169 scene, we have a fulfillment of Jesus' word that 00:10:35.169 --> 00:10:38.409 there were some, and the some were only three, 00:10:38.750 --> 00:10:43.149 Peter, James, and John. That's all. Only these 00:10:43.149 --> 00:10:47.029 three of his disciples who should not taste of 00:10:47.029 --> 00:10:51.409 death until they saw the Son of Man coming in 00:10:51.409 --> 00:10:56.149 his kingdom. But remember something. The transfiguration 00:10:56.149 --> 00:11:02.909 scene was a rehearsal of the second stage of 00:11:02.909 --> 00:11:08.190 Christ's second coming. Just as John was transported 00:11:08.190 --> 00:11:12.070 across the centuries into the day of the Lord 00:11:12.070 --> 00:11:16.350 and had revealed to him in the book of the Revelation 00:11:16.350 --> 00:11:19.750 the things that are to come to pass in the latter 00:11:19.750 --> 00:11:26.470 days, so Peter and James and John had a preview, 00:11:26.710 --> 00:11:30.450 or call it a foreview if you want to, on the 00:11:30.450 --> 00:11:34.009 Mount of Transfiguration of the coming of Christ. 00:11:34.539 --> 00:11:41.340 in his glory. We're not taking any chance. We 00:11:41.340 --> 00:11:49.720 have full assurance. We have proof. And God gave 00:11:49.720 --> 00:11:56.820 proof to these three disciples on the Mount of 00:11:56.820 --> 00:12:02.120 Transfiguration of that which Jesus had promised. 00:12:02.830 --> 00:12:08.789 and that which the Holy Spirit gave in Thessalonians. 00:12:09.730 --> 00:12:15.129 Oh, that's thrilling. A child can understand 00:12:15.129 --> 00:12:22.570 it. It's so simple. Why Moses? Why Elijah? All 00:12:22.570 --> 00:12:27.850 right, let's go a little deeper. In this transfiguration 00:12:27.850 --> 00:12:35.409 scene, Moses was a type. of the first resurrected 00:12:35.409 --> 00:12:41.009 saints. And Elijah was the type of those who 00:12:41.009 --> 00:12:45.409 would be caught out without dying. For remember, 00:12:45.629 --> 00:12:54.590 Moses died a natural death. Mm -hmm. And he was 00:12:54.590 --> 00:13:00.110 a type of those who died in the Lord and were 00:13:00.110 --> 00:13:07.879 buried. But Elijah had never tasted death to 00:13:07.879 --> 00:13:13.320 this very hour. Elijah has never tasted of death. 00:13:14.139 --> 00:13:18.620 He just went walking one day and he just kept 00:13:18.620 --> 00:13:25.059 right on walking. He never came back. If you 00:13:25.059 --> 00:13:29.019 don't believe it, read 2 Kings, the second chapter, 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:35.600 the 11th verse. Elijah was caught out without 00:13:35.600 --> 00:13:40.139 dying. And there on the Mount of Transfiguration, 00:13:40.279 --> 00:13:48.059 we have the three, Moses, Elijah, and Jesus, 00:13:48.220 --> 00:13:54.379 as a sample of the glory of the saints at the 00:13:54.379 --> 00:14:00.730 time of the rapture. Now, Peter understood. That 00:14:00.730 --> 00:14:04.570 to me is the most amazing thing, how that the 00:14:04.570 --> 00:14:09.889 Holy Spirit will open a person's understanding. 00:14:11.669 --> 00:14:15.409 He'll not only open their understanding, but 00:14:15.409 --> 00:14:19.490 he'll open one's eyes, he'll open one's ears. 00:14:20.470 --> 00:14:24.269 And it's true, flesh and blood hath not revealed 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:28.190 us unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 00:14:30.220 --> 00:14:33.240 At the moment when Peter said, Oh, this is so 00:14:33.240 --> 00:14:37.399 glorious. This is so wonderful. Let's get busy 00:14:37.399 --> 00:14:42.919 and let's build something. But I'll tell you 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:46.379 something. It wasn't long after that, before 00:14:46.379 --> 00:14:53.480 his spiritual eyes began to be opened. It's a 00:14:53.480 --> 00:14:56.519 shame that some of God's children didn't get 00:14:56.519 --> 00:14:58.580 their spiritual eyes opened before they began 00:14:58.580 --> 00:15:08.299 building. His spiritual eyes were opened. Flesh 00:15:08.299 --> 00:15:12.840 and blood have not revealed this unto thee, but 00:15:12.840 --> 00:15:18.399 my Father which is in heaven. How do we know 00:15:18.399 --> 00:15:26.720 that Peter finally understood the why of that 00:15:26.720 --> 00:15:31.539 which he was seeing with his own eyes? because 00:15:31.539 --> 00:15:37.519 he talks about it later. Read 2 Peter, the first 00:15:37.519 --> 00:15:44.240 chapter. Mm -hmm. We have his own words. For 00:15:44.240 --> 00:15:48.720 we have not followed cunningly devised fables 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:52.899 when we made known unto you the power and the 00:15:52.899 --> 00:15:58.919 coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses... 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:05.899 of his majesty. In other words, of his glory. 00:16:06.840 --> 00:16:12.539 You see, that was the reason that men and women 00:16:12.539 --> 00:16:18.519 didn't understand his first coming. And our first 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:21.440 heart -to -heart talk, we established the truth, 00:16:21.620 --> 00:16:27.779 the fact of his first coming. Because... They 00:16:27.779 --> 00:16:32.820 couldn't understand that he had not come in glory. 00:16:33.720 --> 00:16:38.100 He came born in a manger and they couldn't associate. 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:41.580 They knew that the Old Testament prophets had 00:16:41.580 --> 00:16:45.679 told of his coming. But they couldn't associate 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:51.120 the humbleness of a manger with the glory that 00:16:51.120 --> 00:16:55.299 the Old Testament prophets spoke of. Because 00:16:55.299 --> 00:16:59.830 they... did not have the light regarding his 00:16:59.830 --> 00:17:07.490 first coming and his second coming. Now Peter 00:17:07.490 --> 00:17:12.809 says, I understand, I see. For we have not followed 00:17:12.809 --> 00:17:16.490 cunningly devised fables where we made note unto 00:17:16.490 --> 00:17:20.210 you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, 00:17:20.369 --> 00:17:25.630 but were eyewitnesses. We didn't get it secondhand. 00:17:26.079 --> 00:17:29.799 Peter says, we were eyewitnesses of what? Of 00:17:29.799 --> 00:17:34.960 his majesty, of his glory. For he received from 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:42.240 God the Father honor and glory. When there came 00:17:42.240 --> 00:17:49.819 such a voice to him from heaven, saying, this 00:17:49.819 --> 00:17:58.299 is my beloved son. in whom I am well pleased. 00:17:59.440 --> 00:18:05.460 And this voice, which came from heaven, we heard 00:18:05.460 --> 00:18:14.019 when we were with him in the holy mount. That's 00:18:14.019 --> 00:18:17.680 it. And they weren't in some kind of a trance. 00:18:20.140 --> 00:18:25.430 As surely as there were those, who saw his feet 00:18:25.430 --> 00:18:32.509 leave the Mount of Olives, so surely the eyes 00:18:32.509 --> 00:18:37.490 of the three disciples, Peter, James, and John, 00:18:37.690 --> 00:18:49.230 his brother, see Jesus. They saw him. They heard 00:18:49.230 --> 00:18:56.500 the voice of God the Father. They did not see 00:18:56.500 --> 00:18:59.700 God the Father. It would have been unscriptural 00:18:59.700 --> 00:19:03.740 had they seen God the Father. For no man can 00:19:03.740 --> 00:19:09.599 look upon the person of a holy God and live. 00:19:11.299 --> 00:19:15.599 Not in these bodies that are still corruption. 00:19:16.579 --> 00:19:20.240 These bodies are not geared for the presence 00:19:20.240 --> 00:19:23.039 of God. That's the reason we have to have new 00:19:23.039 --> 00:19:26.410 bodies resurrected. that bodies before we can 00:19:26.410 --> 00:19:32.869 stand in his wonderful presence. Oh, that's thrilling. 00:19:34.809 --> 00:19:39.029 I'm going to go one step further, and I want 00:19:39.029 --> 00:19:43.710 you to see something that is so familiar to you. 00:19:45.930 --> 00:19:50.589 It was Jesus speaking to Martha when he was about 00:19:50.589 --> 00:19:56.250 to raise Lazarus from the dead. And this scripture 00:19:56.250 --> 00:20:03.250 is used by every minister who ever conducts a 00:20:03.250 --> 00:20:14.230 funeral service. John 11, 25 -26 I am the resurrection 00:20:14.230 --> 00:20:24.079 and the life. He that believeth in me. Though 00:20:24.079 --> 00:20:30.299 he were dead, yet shall he live. There we have 00:20:30.299 --> 00:20:33.160 the first resurrection. But don't stop there. 00:20:34.440 --> 00:20:38.400 Go on further. Jesus didn't stop there. He continued. 00:20:38.940 --> 00:20:44.539 And whosoever liveth. In other words, those who 00:20:44.539 --> 00:20:48.539 are alive when I come back to earth. And there 00:20:48.539 --> 00:20:52.750 are some. Folk living this very hour who will 00:20:52.750 --> 00:20:57.930 never have a shroud put on their body, whose 00:20:57.930 --> 00:21:01.650 bodies will never be taken to a mortuary, there'll 00:21:01.650 --> 00:21:04.769 never be a casket purchased for them, there'll 00:21:04.769 --> 00:21:10.369 never be a funeral service held for them. I'm 00:21:10.369 --> 00:21:12.349 not worried about what kind of shroud I'm going 00:21:12.349 --> 00:21:17.450 to wear. I mean that. I'm not worried about what 00:21:17.450 --> 00:21:20.410 kind of a casket I'm going to have not on your 00:21:20.410 --> 00:21:26.029 life, my friend. I'm looking for that glorious 00:21:26.029 --> 00:21:30.589 time of catching up. For whosoever liveth is 00:21:30.589 --> 00:21:35.829 alive when I come back. And we're so near the 00:21:35.829 --> 00:21:38.529 end of this dispensation that there are those 00:21:38.529 --> 00:21:45.809 living this very hour. To whom this refers. who 00:21:45.809 --> 00:21:50.029 will never taste death in the sense that Moses 00:21:50.029 --> 00:21:53.930 tasted death, are those whose bodies have been 00:21:53.930 --> 00:21:58.849 laid to rest in the cemetery. And whosoever liveth 00:21:58.849 --> 00:22:01.990 and is alive when I come back and believeth in 00:22:01.990 --> 00:22:10.049 me shall never die. They shall never taste death. 00:22:11.150 --> 00:22:15.200 Hmm? And that's why on the Mount of Transfiguration, 00:22:15.380 --> 00:22:20.920 there was Moses who had tasted of death. But 00:22:20.920 --> 00:22:25.539 at the time of the great catching up, remember 00:22:25.539 --> 00:22:28.940 those who died in the Lord shall be raised first. 00:22:29.940 --> 00:22:34.240 And he was the type of those who died in Christ. 00:22:36.099 --> 00:22:40.339 Next follows the translation of the living saints. 00:22:41.480 --> 00:22:44.779 And there are those who are listening to me this 00:22:44.779 --> 00:22:51.299 very moment to whom this applies. Know that. 00:22:53.380 --> 00:23:02.460 Who are alive and believeth in me shall never 00:23:02.460 --> 00:23:09.359 die. Hallelujah. God bless you.