All right, so in Matthew 24, we just read the famous passage where Jesus Christ teaches
his disciples about what are going to be the signs of his coming and at the end of the
world.
And what I want to preach about tonight is the tribulation.
And it's a subject that's talked about in Matthew 24.
This is the second time in the New Testament the word tribulation is ever used.
And this is where Jesus Christ lays out the events of the tribulation and also the events
of the rapture.
Now, the key verses that I'm going to home in on tonight are starting in verse number
29 where the Bible reads, immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son
of Man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall
see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory and
he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together
his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other.
And I want to preach about tonight the subject of the rapture and the tribulation and the
fact that very clearly in the Bible the rapture comes after the tribulation.
Nothing could be more clear in this passage and I'm going to make it as clear as I
can tonight to you and I'm going to show you a lot of other scriptures.
Now first of all I think that the biggest misunderstanding on this subject comes from
people not understanding what the word tribulation means and they confuse the tribulation with
God's wrath and because they confuse the tribulation with God's wrath they say
well God's not going to pour out his wrath on his own people but I'm going to
show you very clearly tonight that the tribulation has nothing to do with God's wrath and
if you can just understand biblically what the word tribulation means I think the
rest of it will come clear to you, it will make sense to you.
Now not only that but when you talk to people who believe that the rapture comes before
the tribulation they can never show you a clear scripture that the rapture comes before
the tribulation.
They can never show you just point blank, here it is.
Now I can easily show right here point blank where the Bible says it's after the
tribulation but they have no scripture that they can point to that just very clearly
points it out so they have to really explain a lot of things to you and use a lot
of logic but they don't have a scripture that will spell it out.
Now if you would turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 because before we get into Matthew
24 I want to show you the most famous rapture passage in the Bible.
This is the one where the Bible goes into the most detail about the rapture and this
is the most famous passage about the rapture.
Anyone would agree that this passage is talking about the rapture.
This is the most clear teaching in the Bible about Jesus coming in the clouds and
us being caught up together to meet him and so let's start there.
Let's start in 1 Thessalonians chapter number 4.
The Bible reads in verse 13 but I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning
them which are asleep that you sorrow not even as others which have no hope for
if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in
Jesus will God bring with them.
So what he's saying here is that he doesn't want them to be ignorant about Christians,
believers who died, those who are asleep in Jesus, those who have already gone on
to be with the Lord.
He says I don't want you to be ignorant of this brethren because I don't want you
to mourn like those who have no hope.
I want you to know that you're going to see your loved one again that was a saved
person.
You're going to see them once again because the Bible says that when Jesus Christ comes
back he's going to bring them with him.
The dead in Christ shall rise first and so forth.
That's why he said in verse 18 wherefore comfort one another with these words.
That's why this is a really popular passage you'll hear at funerals.
I've been to a lot of funerals where people comfort one another with these words
about seeing their loved ones again.
So it says for if we believe verse 14 that Jesus died and rose again even so them
also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with them.
For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain
unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent or come before them which are asleep for
the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the Archangel
and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first then we which
are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet
the Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with the Lord wherefore comfort one
another with these words.
What's the comfort that we'll see our loved ones again.
Now a lot of people will take this and say see right there the comfort is that we're
not going to go through the tribulation.
Does this passage even mention the tribulation.
Was anything about the tribulation mentioned.
No.
He said hey you're worried about your loved ones that are asleep in Jesus.
Of course you want to see him again.
He says you will see them again because if you believe that Jesus died and rose again
even so in the same way he's saying them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring
with them.
They're going to be resurrected the dead in Christ shall rise first.
He says comfort one another with these words.
He didn't say comfort one another that you're never going to go through tribulation.
Comfort one another that you're not going to be persecuted.
Comfort one another that there's a pre-tribulation rapture.
That's not what he's saying.
And so that's taken just completely out of context that comfort is comforting someone
who's lost someone that they loved that hey if you're a believer and they're
a believer you'll be reunited.
You say what about those who aren't saved.
Well there is no hope.
That's why he said he didn't want believers to mourn like those who have no hope because
there are those who have no hope.
It's the unsaved.
It's the unbelievers.
Now notice some elements in this quintessential rapture passage.
You've got Jesus coming in the clouds.
You've got a trumpet sounding and you've got those who are saved being caught up
together with him in the clouds.
Now did Jesus come all the way down to the earth in this passage.
He's in the clouds.
Did Jesus personally come down to the earth and pick us up and take us out.
No.
We are brought up to him because the Bible says this we say unto you by the word of
the Lord that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent
them which are asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of the archangel
and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord where?
To meet the Lord in the air.
So he's not coming all the way down.
He stays up in the air.
He's up in the clouds.
So we're caught up by whom?
By someone else because we are caught up which is a passive, passive, you know whatever
it is.
I don't want to go into the grammar of it but anyway it's passive meaning somebody
else is doing the action.
For being caught up to meet him in the air okay.
Now keeping those elements in mind go back to Matthew 24 and see the exact same elements
in Matthew 24, 29 through 31 says in Matthew 24, 29 immediately after the tribulation and
sometimes I want to just ask people what part of after do you not understand about
this passage but it says immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun
be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven
and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man
in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the
Son of Man.
The Son of Man was something that Jesus called himself while he was on this earth.
He said they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall
gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other all the
same elements Jesus is coming in the clouds a trumpet sounds.
He sends the angels to gather his elect.
Now if you would keep your finger there and just go to Mark 13.
Now Mark 13 pretty much says all the same things that Matthew 24 says it's what we
would call a parallel passage.
You find the same preaching the same teaching in these two chapters.
You could put them side by side they say the same things.
Let me just show it to you in that passage.
It says in verse 24 but in those days after that tribulation the sun shall be darkened
and the moon shall not give her light and the stars of heaven shall fall and the
powers that are in heaven shall be shaken and then shall they see the Son of Man
coming in the clouds with great power and glory and then shall he send his angels
and shall gather together his elect from the four winds from the uttermost part of
the earth to the uttermost part of heaven.
Now at this point we could just pray and go home.
We should just be able to just close our Bible and say there you have it folks.
It's after the tribulation just close our Bibles and go home but oh no we're not
going to close our Bibles and go home because I'm going to prove to you and show
you this is talking about the rapture and this says it's after the tribulation.
Now those who believe in this so-called pre-trib rapture or a rapture that comes
before the tribulation that can happen at any moment.
Let's break down that term pre-trib rapture.
It's got three elements to it.
Pre means what?
Before.
Trib.
What's trib stand for?
Tribulation.
And then you've got rapture.
Well the word rapture is not in the Bible.
The concept of the rapture is in the Bible because we see Jesus come in the clouds.
People are caught up together with him in the air and so forth.
So the concept of the rapture is there.
The word rapture is not used.
Is the word tribulation in the Bible?
Is the word before in the Bible?
The word tribulation is used in the Bible.
Well we'll talk about the New Testament.
The New Testament uses the term tribulation 22 times.
So if the New Testament uses the term tribulation 22 times and everybody's going around with
this doctrine called the pre-trib rapture, shouldn't one of those 22 verses or 22
passages or chapters teach us something about a rapture happening before the tribulation?
I mean if we can go to 22 scriptures that bring up the tribulation, if there's a rapture
before the tribulation, if we're going to call a doctrine, if we're going to name
it after the tribulation, call it the pre-trib rapture, wouldn't one of those passages teach
us that the rapture comes before the tribulation?
I have an idea.
Let's look at all 22 mentions of tribulation in the New Testament, shall we?
Let's see if we can find it.
I'm looking for it.
I can't find it because I hear these people talk about, oh the Bible clearly says that
we're going to be taken out of here before the tribulation and there's going to
be rapture before the tribulation.
Let's go to the first time in the New Testament, Matthew 13.
Of course, Matthew is the first book in the New Testament.
And Matthew 24 is the first time that Jesus teaches his disciples about this subject
of the tribulation, the second coming, and so forth.
Look at Matthew 13.
This is the first mention.
And I've noticed something about the Bible.
God wants us to understand the Bible.
He's not trying to play tricks on us and confuse us and make things difficult.
He wants us to know the truth.
He loves us, okay.
And so I've noticed that a lot of times the first time the Bible brings something up,
he defines it for us and he helps us understand it.
That way when we see it the second time, we'll know what he was talking about.
So let's look at the first time.
This is significant as being the first time the word tribulation is used.
The Bible reads in Matthew 13, 21.
This is the parable of the sower, by the way.
The Bible reads in Matthew 13, 21, yet hath he not root in himself, but doerth for a while.
For when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he's offended.
This is talking about somebody who hears the word of God, they get excited about it,
they get saved, but they don't have a root in themself.
And so when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, by and by they're offended.
Now let me ask you something.
Do you see anything about the pre-trib rapture in this verse?
I don't either.
I see, what do you see the definition of tribulation as?
Persecution.
He says tribulation or persecution that arises because of the word.
So are these people going through tribulation because they're so bad?
No, they're going through tribulation because they're standing on the word of God.
And because they have taken a stand for the word of God, because they have received
the word of God with all gladness, they're going to go through persecution or tribulation.
And he says if they're not rooted and grounded in what they believe, by and by they're going
to be offended.
I've seen it happen.
I've seen people get in church as soon as they go through any persecution or tribulation,
they're out of there.
They're offended.
Their family gives them trouble, other people at work might give them trouble.
They're out of there because they're weak, because they're not rooted and grounded.
If we're rooted and grounded in what we believe when persecution and tribulation comes,
we're going to endure.
Not for a little while, no, we'll endure all the way.
And that's what the Bible is teaching.
That's why it's so important to be like that tree planted by the rivers of waters
that has a root down and rooted and grounded in love as the Bible says.
So that's the first mention.
No controversy here, I don't see any.
People go through persecution or tribulation, gets them out of church, it gets them to
quit serving God.
That's what it is.
Second mentions Matthew 24, let's go there.
Matthew 24, Matthew 24, 21, Matthew 24, 21, it says, for then shall be great tribulation
such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Let me ask you something.
Has tribulation happened before this tribulation in Matthew 24?
We read about it back in chapter 13.
Christians and believers throughout history have always gone through tribulation.
They've always gone through times of trouble.
They've always been afflicted and persecuted.
And the difference in Matthew 24 is that the tribulation that's coming in Matthew
24, talked about in verse 21, says that it's going to be such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
There have been some pretty serious tribulations in this world, have there not?
Think of communist China.
Think of Cambodia.
Think of times throughout history when God's people have been persecuted and killed for
the cause of Christ.
And you might think, oh, it was horrible in the Spanish Inquisition, or oh, it was
horrible when they were persecuted at this time or that time throughout history.
But the Bible says that there is coming tribulation such as was not since the beginning
of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The tribulation is not just a time of persecution.
In Matthew 24, he talks about famines, starvation.
He talks about pestilence.
He talks about natural disasters.
We've seen a lot of those.
He talks about warfare.
Have there been some pretty bloody wars throughout history?
There have been some serious blood baths, but unlike the tribulation, which will be
worse, the famines will be worse, the pestilence will be worse, the wars will be worse,
the persecution will be worse.
Now look, chapter 13 talked about believers being persecuted.
They get offended.
Chapter 24 said there's going to be a tribulation unlike the world has ever seen.
We jump down to the third mention of tribulation, verse 29.
It says immediately after the tribulation, then he talks about Jesus coming in the clouds.
Let me ask you something, is there a pre-trib rapture in the second and third mentions
of the word tribulation?
Do you see it?
I don't see it.
Let's move on to the fourth mention, Mark chapter 13.
Mark chapter number 13.
In Mark 13, that parallel passage we already looked at.
The fourth mention.
And you say, why are we turning there?
We already turned there.
I want to turn to all 22 with you right now.
I want to leave no stone unturned with you.
I want to turn to all 22 right now.
Because don't tell me that you just didn't turn to the verse that teaches the pre-trib
rapture.
It's because it isn't there.
And that's why we're turning to all 22, so I can prove that to you.
Don't take my word for it.
If you don't have a Bible, slip up your hand, somebody will get a Bible to you.
I want you to see this with your own eyes.
But look at verse 24 of Mark 13, the fourth mention.
But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened and the moon shall
not give her light.
Any pre-tribulation rapture there?
Have we seen anything about a post-tribulation rapture?
Have we seen anything about being after the tribulation?
So far we've seen two verses that said after the tribulation, Jesus comes in the clouds
and gathers the elect, the trumpet sounds.
Haven't seen a pre-trib rapture yet?
Go to John 16, the fifth mention of the word tribulation in the New Testament.
John 16, the Gospel of John.
The word tribulation is not used in the book of Luke.
Go to the book of John, chapter number 16.
We're just looking at the word tribulation.
You say, well, you just hung up on that word.
Well, you're the one who picked a name for your stupid doctrine, so you're stuck
with it now.
We're looking at your doctrine.
John 16, 33, the Bible says in verse 33, John 16, these things have I spoken unto
you that in me ye might have peace.
In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Please don't tell me you see a pre-trib rapture in that verse.
Now go back to the beginning of John 16, because this is really interesting.
What did the first mention of tribulation say in Matthew 13?
That if people weren't rooted and grounded, and persecution or tribulation would arise
because of the word, they would be what?
Offended.
Look what Jesus said in this chapter that warns us of tribulation in verse 1.
These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be what?
Offended.
These things have I spoken unto you that ye should not be offended.
He says, if I don't tell you about this, if I don't warn you about the coming persecutions
and tribulations and trials that you're going to go through in your life, when they come
you're going to be taken by surprise, you're going to be offended.
And so he says in verse 2, they shall put you out of the synagogues.
Yea the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God service.
And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor
me.
Pastor Anderson, this isn't talking about the end times.
This isn't about the tribulation.
I know it's not because it's talking to all believers.
And he says in verse 4, and this is a key right here, you say why are you preaching
this sermon Pastor Anderson?
Verse 1, I'm preaching this sermon that you might not be offended.
You say wait a minute, this sermon offends.
No, this is the sermon to stop you from being offended.
Because Jesus said if you know this is coming, you won't be offended.
Look at verse 4.
But these things have I told you that when the time shall come ye may remember that
I told you of them.
And these things I said not unto you at the beginning because I was with you.
So he says there when these things happen you'll remember I told you so.
And I'm saying the same thing tonight that Jesus said.
When these things begin to happen, and you know what, it may not be in our lifetime.
Maybe it'll be a hundred years from now.
Maybe it'll be a couple years from now.
We don't know when the end's going to be.
But you know what?
When this happens, you'll remember that I told you.
And more important than that, because I didn't make this step up, you'll remember that Jesus
told you.
Because I'm just repeating his word.
I'm just a voice that he can use to proclaim his word right here.
Because this is his book.
He is the author.
I'm not the author of this.
Let's turn to the sixth mention.
What did the fifth mention say?
These things I have spoken unto you.
He's speaking to believers.
He's speaking to his disciples.
He says, these things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace.
In the world you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer.
I've overcome the world.
Did he say you're going to avoid the tribulation?
Did he say you're not going to go through tribulation?
Did he say, I'd never let my people go through tribulation.
I love them too much.
No.
None of that has been seen.
Has anyone seen?
And listen to me, please.
I won't embarrass you.
If you see the pre-trib rapture in one of these verses, lift up your hand and tell
me.
I'm not above being corrected, honestly.
Go to Acts 14-22.
The Bible reads, confirming the souls of the disciples.
This is talking about when Paul and his accomplices would go back and Paul would
strengthen the believers and confirm them and strengthen the souls, and look what he
would tell them.
It says in Acts 14-22, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue
in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
Did he say, man, alive, it's great that we're going to be gone before the tribulation.
No.
He said, you better confirm them.
You better firm them up on some things.
You better strengthen them, because they better know that they must through much tribulation
enter into the kingdom of God.
Any pre-tribulation rapture in mention number six?
I didn't think so.
Go to Romans chapter two, Romans chapter number two.
Now Romans chapter number two is an interesting chapter.
It's a chapter that people will often use to try to teach work salvation, because in
Romans chapter two, God is explaining that those who keep God's laws, those who were
to follow all of God's laws, not to just be a hearer of the law, but a doer
of the law.
I mean, someone who kept all of God's commandments, he's explaining that they'll be saved, that
they'll have eternal life.
But then you know what he goes on to explain in chapter three?
Nobody's done it, and nobody ever will.
So he's building the case in chapter two by explaining, if you sin, if you do wrong,
you're going to hell.
If you keep all the commandments, if you do everything that's righteous and godly,
if you live a sinless life, hey, you're going to be saved, you're going to have
eternal life.
But then he explains in chapter number three, he says, there's none righteous, no, not one.
He says, for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.
And then he says, therefore we conclude, so he's given both sides, then he says, therefore
we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.
Why?
Because we know that it has to be by grace through faith, because no one could ever
be good enough.
Jesus said, why callest thou me good?
There's none good but one, and that's God.
But that's because Jesus was God.
He was good.
He's called good many times, because Jesus was God in the flesh.
There is no other human being that is good in the sight of God.
We are all sinners.
None is righteous, no, not one.
So let's look at that.
Does everybody understand that?
So let's get that context going into this in Romans 2.
That's what he's explaining.
He's explaining salvation.
Later he's going to explain how nobody could live up to this standard.
But he says in Romans 2, 6, who will render to every man according to his deeds,
saying God's going to render to every man according to his deeds, to them who by
patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life.
But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness,
indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth
evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile, but glory, honor and peace to every
man that worketh good to the Jew first and also to the Gentile, for there is no respect
of persons with God.
So in this passage he's saying that if you do all the right things, if you obey
all of God's commandments and you obey the truth, he's saying you're going to inherit
eternal life.
He's saying if you are contentious and you don't obey the truth but obey unrighteousness,
you're going to receive indignation, wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of
man that doeth evil of the Jew first and also of the Gentile.
So this is giving a general principle that says if you do right, good things are going
to happen to you and you're going to inherit eternal life.
If you do wrong, bad things are going to happen to you, you're going to be punished
by God.
Now you say, Pastor Anderson, this is the first verse, because we've looked at seven
verses so far that use the word tribulation, seven mentions of tribulation.
This is the first one that mentioned bad people going through tribulation or unsaved
people going through tribulation.
Is that true?
So does this verse mention bad people or unsaved people going through tribulation?
It does, doesn't it?
Now the first six was all believers.
Seven mentioned here is talking about people that are bad people going through tribulation.
Now let me ask you something.
Does anybody here believe that the bad people are going to be raptured out before the tribulation?
So does the fact that bad people are going through tribulation mean that they're the
only ones who are going through any kind of tribulation?
No.
And not only that, does this verse sound like it's talking about the great tribulation
of Matthew 24, or does it sound like a general principle that every bad person is going
to receive indignation, wrath, tribulation, anguish?
Because a lot of the verses that we saw previously talking about believers going
through tribulation, were they really talking about the great tribulation?
No, he was talking to believers.
They're going to go through tribulation all the time.
This is another one that's just talking in general about people going through tribulation.
Do you see any mention of the rapture here?
Is there a pre-trib rapture in this passage?
Somebody let me know.
I mean, is there a pre-trib rapture here?
Is there any verse here that says, hey, God will never allow the saved to go through
the tribulation or the great tribulation?
No, it's not there.
And so far it's the only verse that even talked about anybody bad going through tribulation.
Every other mention was talking about believers.
Go to the eighth mention, Romans 5.
Romans 5, Romans chapter 5, another great chapter, famous chapter.
Romans chapter 5, verse 1.
Tell me if you think this is talking about the saved or the unsaved.
Romans 5, 1.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoice
in hope of the glory of God.
That's talking about those who are saved, who are justified by faith.
But verse 3, not only so, but we glory in tribulations also knowing that tribulation
worketh patience.
God's saying we as believers, we that are saved, we glory in tribulation, knowing that
tribulation worketh patience.
This is yet another verse talking about believers going through tribulation in their
lives.
Any pre-tribulation rapture here?
Nope.
Go to, that was mentions 8 and 9 because he used the word tribulation twice in the verse.
Go to Romans 8, 35.
Romans chapter 8, verse 35.
Romans chapter 8, verses 35.
You know, I don't like it when preachers take verses out of context or I don't like
it when anybody just gives me half of the story or just one side of the story.
I'm going to give you both sides tonight.
I'm going to give you every verse that says tribulation.
I'm not just trying to just cherry pick verses on the tribulation that I feel like
support my doctrine tonight.
Instead I'm just going to show you every verse that uses the word.
Why don't you decide if you see the pre-trib rapture in these verses.
Look at Romans 8, 35.
Who shall separate us from the love of God?
This is a great comforting passage that's used quite a bit.
Who shall separate us from the love of God?
Shall tribulation or distress or persecution, notice the coupling of tribulation, persecution
or famine or nakedness or peril or sword.
As it is written, for thy sake we are killed all the day long.
We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.
Tell that to Joel Osteen with his prosperity gospel that says, the health and wealth gospel
that says if you serve Christ you're going to be wealthy and healthy and everything
is going to go your way.
He says, nay, because we're not going to go through any of these things we're more
than conquerors.
No.
He said, nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that
loved us.
I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor
things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be
able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jump up to verse 31.
He said, what shall we then say to these things?
If God be for us, who can be against us?
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
It is God that justifieth.
The believers, the saved in Rome.
This is the epistle of Paul to the Romans.
He said, you know why you're not going to be separated from the love of God?
Because you're the elect.
You're saved.
You're God's people.
Nothing will separate you from the love of God.
Verse 35, one more time to make sure you didn't miss it.
Who shall separate us from the love of God?
Shall tribulation separate us?
He's saying, look, we're going to go through tribulation.
We're going to go through distress.
We're going to go through persecution.
We're going to go through famine.
We're going to go through nakedness.
We're going to go through peril and sort, and none of it's going to separate us from
the love of God.
Where is the pre-trib rapture in this scripture?
It's getting kind of scary because we're almost halfway through, and we haven't seen
it yet.
This is number 10.
Let's go to number 11 and be halfway through with the list, Romans 12.
Romans chapter 12.
The Bible reads, we're looking at verse 12, but I'll start in verse 10.
Be kindly affection one to another with brotherly love.
In honor, preferring one another, not slothful in business, fervent in spirit, serving the
Lord, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer.
Any pre-tribulation rapture there?
Nope.
Go to 2 Corinthians 1.4.
Let's look at mention number 12.
Second Corinthians 1.4.
Mention number 12.
Make sure and number these as I go here.
I'd be really embarrassed if I get to the end, it doesn't add up to 22, so I got to
make sure that I make it add up here by not missing anything.
So mention number 12, 2 Corinthians 1.4.
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation?
Again, believers.
So far, out of 12 mentions, one talked about bad people going through tribulation.
One talked about the unsaved going through tribulation.
Hey, I'm not arguing with that.
I've heard a lot of blues music, you know, I've heard a lot of black singers singing
the blues, talking about the trials and tribulations that they've been going through,
and I don't know if they were all saved.
And so, unsaved people go through tribulations in their life, too.
Tribulation just means troubles or afflictions or persecutions.
Look, the Jews have been persecuted, they don't even believe in Jesus Christ.
They're not saved.
And so we see, so far out of 12, we only had one that talked about those who are not
saved.
Eleven, we're talking about those who are saved.
2 Corinthians 7.
Did I read chapter 1, verse 4?
Okay, go to chapter 7, verse 4.
Mention number 13.
Great is my boldness of speech toward you.
Great is my glorying of you.
I am filled with comfort.
I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
He didn't say, I'm exceeding joyful because I'm not going through tribulation.
Man, I'm so joyful that we're going to be raptured before the tribulation.
That's not what he said.
He said, I'm exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.
Where is the pre-trib rapture in that scripture?
It isn't there.
Go to Ephesians 3.
We're moving forward in the New Testament, so it should be easy for you to just flip
pages to the right in your Bible, even if you're not sure where some of these books
are.
Go to Ephesians chapter 3, verse 13.
The Bible says, wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which
is your glory.
Paul said, don't faint at my tribulations.
First Thessalonians 3.4.
The Bible reads in First Thessalonians 3.4.
For verily, and keep in mind, folks, God's not out to confuse us.
He's not trying to mess with us.
Man has been messing with you.
Creatures have been messing with you.
TV shows and movies have been messing with you with Left Behind and all this stuff.
God's not messing with you.
You know what happens in First Thessalonians 4?
The rapture.
That's what we turn to, the quintessential rapture passage.
So isn't it interesting that in the chapter right before that, just by coincidence, he
happens to say in First Thessalonians 3, verse number 4, for verily when we were with
you, we told you before that we should suffer tribulation, even as it came to pass and
ye know.
Do you see a pre-trib rapture there?
Now you say, well, that's not the tribulation.
That already happened.
Of course tribulations have always happened to God's people.
That's the point that I'm trying to get across.
The difference with the great tribulation is that it's worse.
It's unlike anything before it.
Go to Second Thessalonians 1.
Let's look at the next mention.
This is going to be mentions 16 and 17.
That's what we're going to see in chapter 1 of Second Thessalonians.
Verse number 4, so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your
patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure, in all
your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.
Who is he writing it to?
He said it's unto the church.
He's writing to the saved.
He's writing to the members of the church in Thessalonica in verse 1, and he says,
we glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions
and tribulations that ye endure.
Keep reading until we get to the 17th mention.
Which is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God that ye may be counted worthy
of the kingdom of God for which ye also suffer.
Seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble
you and to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know
not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his
power when he shall come to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them
that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
So here we have two mentions.
The first mention, he says, you are going through persecutions and tribulations.
You're enduring it.
And he says in verse 6, seeing it as a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation
to them that trouble you.
So he says right there that you're going through tribulation.
You're being persecuted.
God is going to recompense or repay those who've troubled you, those who've persecuted
you with tribulation.
Why?
Because you reap what you sow.
He that killeth with the sword must be killed with the sword, the Bible says.
He that leadeth into captivity shall go into captivity.
This is the law of sowing and reaping here.
But watch this, watch carefully because you say, well, why don't you read all the way
down to verse 10?
Because watch carefully.
This is an important aspect of this subject that we're dealing with.
It says in verse 7, and to you who are troubled, and notice troubled is always
used in conjunction with tribulation.
He uses these words together, tribulation and persecution, tribulation and trouble, tribulation
and affliction.
These are words that are used synonymously back and forth.
He says and to you who are troubled, can you see that, by the way, can you see the
connection between the two words, trouble, tribulation, see how they come from similar
root words?
It says to you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed
from heaven with his mighty angels, get this, don't miss this, in flaming fire taking
vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Let me ask you this, when, when, according to verse 7, will we be recompensed with rest?
It says we who've been troubled, we who've gone through tribulation, we who've gone
through persecution, when will we be recompensed with rest when the Lord Jesus, when are
we going to be at rest?
When the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire
taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
Did that say, did that say that when Jesus comes in the cloud to take us home
to rest that it's going to be a secret rapture and everybody's going to disappear
and nobody's going to know and they're going to be saying, where is everybody?
And no one's going to know what happened?
He said, no, when you receive rest from God will be when he comes revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God.
This is a key point.
I'm going to come back to it a little bit later in the sermon but put it in your
mind that Jesus said that we will go to rest when he comes in the clouds in glory
and this is what people will say, well the rapture is different than when he comes in
glory but wait a minute, doesn't it say right here that we will receive rest from
our troubles and tribulations when he comes in glory in flaming fire taking vengeance?
So it appears to me in this passage that Jesus coming for his people to give them
rest happens at the same time he comes in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that
know not God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Now I don't see a pre-tribulation rapture here.
I see a pre-flaming fire rapture.
Everybody see that?
I see it.
I see God's people going through tribulation in verse 4 up until the point that they
receive rest when Jesus comes in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not
God and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power
when he shall become to be glorified in his saints and to be admired in all them
that believe.
Who's going up in the rapture?
All that believe because our testimony among you was believed in that day.
Couldn't be clearer folks.
Same coming in flaming fire to judge the earth is the same coming as when he brings
us to rest, brings us home to glory.
How can you say from this passage there's a pre-trib rapture when he's got his people
going through the tribulation in verse 4 right up until they get rest?
No rest until he comes in flaming fire taking vengeance and punishing them with a
little bit of tribulation and wrath and anguish and trouble and affliction and persecution.
God will persecute the persecutor.
God will slay the slayer.
God is the God of justice.
Now let's go to where the rubber meets the road.
Revelation chapter 1.
Revelation because look out of 22 mentions of tribulation, five of them occur in the
book of Revelation.
Now isn't the book of Revelation the book that's about the end times, the prophecies?
Isn't it the book that's about the tribulation?
Isn't it the book that has the most prophecy of the New Testament?
I don't think anybody's going to disagree with any of those statements that I just
made.
So this is where we should really perk up because a lot of the verses that we've
heard about tribulation so far, we're just talking about tribulation in general.
Stuff that was going on back in Jesus' day, stuff that was going on back in the apostle's
day, stuff that's going on throughout all history in regard to believers.
But when we get to Revelation, we still might have some of that too but we're getting
into a book that deals with prophecy.
Now let's do a quick review before we get into this.
We've seen 17 mentions of tribulation.
We haven't seen the pre-trib rapture, it just wasn't there.
What we did see was two places, Matthew 24 and Mark 13 that clearly said after the
tribulation, Jesus will come in the clouds, a trumpet will sound, and he'll gather the
elect.
We did see that twice very clearly.
So so far we're 2 and 0.
Two for after the tribulation, zero for before the tribulation.
Out of those 17 mentions, just to give you a quick recap, only two of them mentioned
unsaved people going through tribulation, right?
I'm being honest.
I'm not trying to hide from these passages.
I'm not hiding from Romans 2.
I'm not hiding from 2 Thessalonians 1, but I'll tell you right now, there's a lot of
people hiding from the other 15 verses that I read to you.
They see those passages and it's like you showed them a go, you know, they'll run screaming
the other direction from those other 15 verses.
Fifteen of the verses that I showed you are enough to strike fear and dread into
the heart of anyone who believes in a pre-trib rapture.
But wait a minute, 2, 2 talked about unsaved people.
So 15 said the saved are going through it, you know, 2 said unsaved people are going
through it.
Hey, you're not going to get an argument out of me on that one.
Of course unsaved people are going through tribulation.
The tribulation is worldwide.
But did any of them say, did any of them say there's going to be a rapture before
the tribulation or we're going to escape tribulation?
No, there's warning after warning after warning after warning after warning.
He said, I'm warning you, I'm warning you, I'm telling you, you're going to go
through tribulation, it's going to be there.
Don't be offended, be ready for it, get psyched up for it.
When it happens, I want you to remember that I said it was going to happen.
Don't say I didn't warn you because I did.
Let's get into the five because get this, you say, oh, these are the five that you're
going to have to apologize for, Pastor Anderson.
Wait a minute.
These five, guess what, it's all believers.
It's all believers.
So the first 17, 15 were believers, two were unbelievers.
Now on the final five, the five that really matter the most, really if you think about
it because they're in the book of Revelation, they're all talking about believers.
Let's look at them.
Starting right out in chapter one.
I mean, is God trying to confuse us?
I don't think so.
Makes perfect sense to me.
Look at Revelation chapter one, verse nine.
This is the author of the book of Revelation.
I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience
of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos.
Why is he there?
For the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Why was he on Patmos?
He's being persecuted, that's why.
He's stuck on an island.
He's in exile.
He's being punished for preaching God's word.
Because of the word of God, he's on Patmos, experiencing what?
It starts with a T, tribulation.
And by the way, he's speaking to the reader, saying, I'm your companion in tribulation.
That means I'm going through tribulation and you're going through tribulation.
Why?
Because we're both saved, and that's what life's going to be like when you're
saved.
You're going to go through trials and tribulations.
Any pre-trib rapture there?
He said, no, I'm going through it.
I'm in it.
You're in it if you're reading this.
Obviously if you're my companion, otherwise you're probably not even my companion.
So let's go to the second one.
This is mention number 19, or we can call it mention number 2 in the book of Revelation.
Revelation chapter 2 verse 9, he's talking to the church at Smyrna.
By the way, these aren't church ages.
These aren't epochs of time.
These are literal physical churches that actually existed in these geographical locations.
There was a church in Ephesus, there was a church in Smyrna, and these aren't periods
of time.
These are conditions that any church could find themselves in.
They could be a church that's like Ephesus, there could be a church that's like Smyrna.
Well, it says in verse 9, he's talking to the church at Smyrna, I know thy works
and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich.
Jesus is saying, I know your tribulation.
Did he say, I know you're not going to be here for the tribulation?
No.
He said, I know thy works and tribulation and poverty, but thou art rich.
And I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue
of Satan.
Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.
Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye
shall have tribulation, ye shall have tribulation, ye shall have tribulation ten days.
Be thou faithful unto death, and I'll give thee a crown of life.
Any pre-trib rapture in that verse?
We're getting toward the end, folks, and we haven't seen it yet.
Let's go to verse 18, the church at Thyatira.
So quick review, John, probably the greatest of the disciples, the one whom Jesus loved,
the one who leaned on Jesus' breast at the Last Supper, the one that was part
of the inner three of Peter, James, and John, one of the pillars in the early church.
John said, I'm going through tribulation, and I'm your companion in tribulation.
In chapter two, we saw the church at Smyrna, and they were going through tribulation.
He used the word twice with them.
That was mentions two and three.
Let's go to mention four.
The Bible reads in verse 18, and unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, who
is he writing to?
The church in Thyatira.
These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and
his feet are like fine brass.
I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works,
and the last to be more than the first.
He's saying, notice he mentioned the works twice, once at the beginning of the list,
once at the end of the list, and he said the last to be more than the first.
He's saying, your works are increasing.
You're abounding in works.
You're doing more and more as time goes on.
He says, notwithstanding, in spite of that, I have a few things against thee, because
thou sufferest, or allowest, he's saying, thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which
calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants, to commit fornication,
and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
So what is God upset at this church about?
He said, your works are great, your charity, your service, your faith, it's great.
But he said, in spite of all that, notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee.
What is he mad about?
Because there's this woman Jezebel in the church who's being allowed to teach,
and what is she doing?
She's being allowed to teach and to seduce my servants.
So is she out seducing the heathen in bars?
No.
She's come into the church and seducing whom?
God's servants.
Is she coming in and seducing people that aren't saved?
Is she coming in and seducing people that aren't serving God?
Is she coming in and seducing those who are just warming a seat and not doing anything
for God?
No.
She wants to go into the church and seduce God's servants, those who are actually serving
God, to commit fornication and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And I gave her space to repent of her fornication, and she repented not.
What does it mean to repent of your fornication?
Quit doing it.
Isn't that what that means?
He's saying, I gave her space to repent of her fornication, she repented not.
I gave her an opportunity to quit doing this.
She didn't take that opportunity.
She's still doing it.
She is still seducing my servants to commit fornication.
Verse 22, Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
And I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am
he which searcheth the reins and hearts, and I will give unto every one of you according
to your works.
But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine,
and which have not known the depths of Satan as they speak, I will put upon you none
other burden, but that which ye have already hold fast till I come.
Right there, you see it.
Each Christians that are serving God are being seduced by this wicked woman.
And God says that if these servants of God, because look, let's go back to the tribulation
verse and see it.
Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her.
Who is the them that commit adultery with her?
God's servants, the ones that she's seducing to commit adultery with her.
He said, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
You say, wait a minute Pastor, you said all five times in the book of Revelation when
the word tribulation is used, it's talking about believers.
That's right.
And this passage is no exception, because this passage is talking about disobedient
believers who are committing adultery, which is a very wicked sin.
And if they don't repent of that or stop committing adultery, he said I'll cast them
into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds.
So here's the thing, if you're going to tell me that this teaches a pre-tribulation
rapture, it doesn't mention the rapture, it's talking about saved people that were
serving God, you'd have to basically say that you could lose your salvation.
I don't believe that.
The Bible says, verily, verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting
life.
The Bible says, he that believeth on him is not condemned, but he that believeth not
is condemned already because he hath not believed, in the name of the only begotten
Son of God.
It doesn't just say he doesn't believe right now, it says he hath not believed.
Because people that are saved have never believed on Jesus Christ, because once you
believe on him, he says, I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish,
neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
You can't lose your salvation, because the Bible says that one day Jesus will say
to the unsaved, depart from me, I never knew you.
And so these people are already saved, they're already serving God, they're already a part
of the church, they get sucked into this horrible sin.
You say, well no real Christian would ever commit adultery.
You're talking about King David?
Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.
You watch a bunch of adultery on your television, you watch a bunch of adultery down at the
movie theater, you fill your mind with adultery and the music you listen to, that can take
an influence on you.
If you walk in the flesh, you're going to fulfill the desires of the flesh, and
you may commit adultery someday.
You better take heed to yourself and guard against that wicked sin.
You're not above it.
Being saved doesn't automatically exempt you from committing adultery.
These people were saved, and this wicked woman seduced them to commit adultery.
God said, if you do not repent of those deeds, and keep in mind, these people lived
2,000 years ago.
Are you listening to me?
Does anybody think that this story didn't really happen, that there was not really
a woman named Jezebel?
This is a real story.
There was a woman in a real church, in a real town called Thyatira, that really
was named Jezebel, and she really did teach a Sunday school class in that church,
and she really did seduce God's servants to commit adultery with her, and God really
said, if you don't stop committing adultery with Jezebel, I will cast you into great
tribulation, and I'll kill your children with death, and all the churches shall know
that I am he which search at the reins and hearts, and I will give unto every man according
to his works.
According to his what?
Because you see, repenting of your sins is works.
That's what it said in Jonah 3.10, and God saw their works that they repented of their
evil way, that they turned from their evil way, and God repented of the evil that he
had said that he would turn from them.
These people repenting of their adultery would be works.
He said, I know your works.
I know whether you've turned from adultery or whether you're still living in it.
I don't believe, if you want to tell me that this teaches a pre-tribulation rapture,
you're saying two things.
You're saying, number one, a person can lose their salvation, because you're saying
that these people who were already God's servants, just by committing adultery, lost their salvation.
I don't believe that for one second.
David didn't lose his salvation.
He said, restore to me the joy of thy salvation.
He didn't say restore my salvation, he never lost it.
He can't lose it.
And you also are saying another thing.
You're saying that a person has to repent of their sins in order to be saved.
I don't believe that for one second.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in thy house.
It's possible for an adulterer to be saved or a drunk.
Drunks like Noah, murderers like Moses, adulterers like David.
It's Bible doctrine.
It's salvation by faith.
And so, first of all, that's one reason why this isn't teaching a pre-trib rapture.
Secondly, it doesn't mention the rapture.
Secondly, there's no Jesus coming in the clouds.
Hey, if you do repent of that adultery, I'm going to come in the clouds just for
Thyatira.
I'm going to put a little cloud over Thyatira, I'm going to come have a little personal rapture
just for your church.
These, listen to me now, these people aren't even alive anymore.
They lived 2,000 years ago.
You say, well, why is God telling us all the smut of the church of Thyatira 2,000
years later?
Because he's doing it as an example.
These are seven churches that literally existed.
They turned to dust long ago.
You're not going to go to Turkey today.
This is your modern day Turkey.
You're not going to go down to Turkey today and find Thyatira Baptist Church.
Hey, did you guys ever straighten that out with Jezebel?
Jezebel died 1,900 years ago.
I mean, is everybody clear on that?
But it's an example to those who should after live ungodly, that if we have adultery
in our church, we know what God thinks about it.
We have some Jezebel coming in here and teaching people.
We know what to do about it.
We know how to handle it.
We know how Jesus feels about it.
And last but not least, Revelation chapter 7.
This is my favorite one, and that's why I saved it for last and also because I'm
going in chronological order, but Revelation chapter 7.
So here's the deal.
We've seen a lot of verses that mention the word tribulation, seen a lot of them
were talking about stuff that happens in general.
A lot of them were talking about the final tribulation.
Now you say, Pastor Anderson, which of these 22 do you believe are talking about the tribulation?
Out of these 22, which ones?
I'll be honest with you, I think it's very clear, I think it's very obvious which
ones are talking about the tribulation.
Obviously Matthew 24.
I don't think anybody will argue with that.
Obviously Mark 13 is talking about the tribulation.
So there's two.
Matthew 24, Mark 13, and I believe that Revelation 7.
These three are talking about the final tribulation.
The other 19 are talking about various tribulations.
Now some of them you could argue maybe, but I'm just talking about what we know for
sure.
The three that we know for sure are Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Revelation 7.
You know, you could argue about whether maybe Acts 14, 22 is talking about the tribulation
that says that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.
I mean that could definitely apply.
But as far as just a concrete mention of going through the tribulation, the final
tribulation as it were, you know, Matthew 24, Mark 13, and Revelation 7 I think is
fair to say.
Look at Revelation 7.
Let's see if this teaches a preacher of rapture.
It is sure better or else the preacher of rapture is in big trouble if it doesn't
because we've already looked at 21 other mentions.
And I don't think anybody could really say that I'm being dishonest up here right
now.
I mean I'm really trying to be fair up here.
Look at Revelation 7 verse 9.
It says after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all
nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the throne and before the lamb
clothed with white robes and palms in their hands.
You say how many were there?
The Bible says no man could number it and the Bible numbers some pretty big numbers.
It numbers hundreds of millions.
I mean it numbers some pretty big numbers.
This is one that no man could number.
Now could a man number hundreds of millions?
Well there are places in the Bible where men number.
Remember when Joab counted the children of Israel?
That was well over a million that man numbered.
This is a multitude that no man could number.
And it says there of all nations, all kindreds, all people, all tongues.
So is this the Jews?
No this is all nations.
He says this in verse 10.
And cried with a loud voice.
He said they stood before the lamb clothed with white robes and palms in their hands
and cried with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne
and under the lamb and all the angels stood round about the throne and about the
elders and the four beasts and fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped
God saying Amen, blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power
and might be unto our God forever and ever.
Amen.
So what do we see?
A great multitude.
No man can number.
What are they doing?
They're praising God.
Everybody got the picture?
Huge multitude.
What a great scene.
This massive multitude brought together from all backgrounds, all praising God in unison.
And one of the elders, these are the four and 20 elders.
Remember the four and 20 elders who've been there with John as he's been seeing
these things and experiencing these things.
One of them and one of the elders answered saying unto me what are these which are arrayed
in white robes and whence came they?
Two questions.
What are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they?
Wense means from where?
It's an old word.
He's saying what are these people and where did they come from?
Now let me ask this.
Does that mean that they just arrived?
Yeah, because if you didn't just arrive, you're not coming from anywhere.
If I said hey, where are you coming from?
I've been here for the last few years.
I mean would that make any sense?
No.
Where are you coming from implies motion.
He says what are these?
He's been there all along.
He says what are these and where did they come from?
Because they just showed up, my friend, that's why.
And I don't understand why this is the way it is.
This always makes me laugh, but it says one of the elders answered saying unto me
verse 13, what are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they?
And I said unto him, sir, thou knowest.
He says, you're asking me?
You're the one who's showing me everything.
You know.
And he says, yeah, I know.
I was just kidding.
But anyway, he says, sir, thou knowest.
And he said to me, these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed
their robes and made them white in the blood of the lamb.
Therefore are they before the throne of God and serve him day and night in his temple
and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore, neither shall the sunlight on them
nor any heat, for the lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them and
shall lead them unto living fountains of waters and God shall wipe away all tears
from their eyes.
Anybody see the pre-tribulation rapture in that verse?
I mean, isn't that just the final nail in the coffin of this doctrine?
It's false.
It's a lie.
Go to Matthew 24.
Let's break it down.
Let's break down Matthew 24.
Because you say, okay, Pastor Anderson, and this is what I've heard a lot of people
say.
Well, you're right.
There is no clear verse that says that it's before the tribulation.
But there's no clear verse that says that it's after either.
So we have to, you know, we've got to study.
We've got to make charts.
We've got to go to Ruckman.
We've got to go to Tim LaHaye.
We've got to go to Kirk Cameron and give us a little more insight.
We've got to go to these Bible teachers that are going to explain it and break it
down to us.
And this is the craziest one I've heard.
Oh, you need to study Jewish wedding customs.
If you study Jewish wedding customs, you'll know it's pre-trib rapture.
You're not going to see me at some Jewish bar mitzvah.
You're not going to see me at a wedding.
You're not going to see me eating a kosher meal on the airplane.
You're not going to see me wearing a funny hat.
I'm going to trim my beard to this level that you see right here.
I'm not going to go to some Jewish wedding to learn about God from people who don't
even believe in Jesus.
I heard about a church recently.
They had a Jewish rabbi in the service.
And somebody walked up to him afterward and asked him, do you believe in Jesus?
He was speaking in the Baptist church.
And he said, do you believe in Jesus?
He said, no.
Wake up.
The Jews don't believe in Jesus.
Now there could be people who are of Jewish ethnicity who believe in Jesus, but the religion,
Judaism, it rejects Christ.
And I'm going to get to that in a moment.
But where did I return?
Matthew 24.
Because people will say, well, we don't have a clear verse that says it's before
the tribulation, but we don't have a clear verse that it says that it's after either,
so we have to study to show ourselves approved.
Yeah, study to show yourself approved, but you've got a really clear verse that says
that it's after.
Look at Matthew 24 verse 29.
Immediately after the tribulation of those days, shall the sun be darkened and the moon
shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven
shall be shaken, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.
Does it talk about him coming all the way to the earth?
No, it says he's in heaven.
It says, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn.
I wonder if that has something to do with that flaming fire from 2 Thessalonians chapter
1 that's going to be falling around the same time, same day.
He says, then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son
of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
So here we have Jesus coming in the clouds after the tribulation, and he shall send
his angels with a great sound of a trumpet.
Does that sound familiar from 1 Thessalonians 4, the trumpet sounds?
And they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven
to the other.
Clear verse, plain as the nose on your face, clear as crystal that it's after the
tribulation.
Was there any comparable verse of all the other verses we looked at about tribulation
that said before the tribulation there's going to be Jesus coming in the clouds,
a trumpet?
I'm going to break down some things about this chapter now because a lot of people will
attack this chapter.
Keep your finger in Matthew 24, go to Mark 13.
A lot of people will attack this chapter and say this, you can't get your doctrine
on this from Matthew 24 because Matthew 24 is only talking to the Jews.
And some scholar somewhere decided that the book of Matthew is to the Jews, the book
of Mark is to the Romans, the book of Luke is to the Greeks, and the book of
John is to the world.
Thank you God for including us in at least one of the four Gospels.
But who comes up with this stuff?
Now look, maybe Matthew is geared toward the Jews.
Maybe Mark is geared toward the Romans.
Maybe Luke is geared toward the Greeks.
Maybe the epistle of Paul to the Ephesians was geared toward the Ephesians, do you think?
Maybe the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews was geared toward the Hebrews.
Maybe the epistle of Paul to the Thessalonians was geared toward the Thessalonians, but
every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line.
The book of Titus wasn't just for Titus, that was a short-lived book.
It's for every pastor to read.
It's for every believer to read.
It's the New Testament.
It's for all of us.
But wait a minute, you say Matthew is to the Jews, okay, how about Mark?
They say that's for the Romans.
It says the same thing immediately after the tribulation.
But you're supposed to say, no, no, no, Pastor, you don't get it.
This whole sermon was preached about the Jews, to the Jews, for the Jews.
God was, or Jesus Christ, they say, was preaching to the Jews in the Olivet Discourse.
That's the fancy theological name they gave to this passage.
Matthew 24, Mark 13, they call it the Olivet Discourse.
Pastor Anderson, he was talking to the Jews.
Don't you get it?
When he said in Mark 13, 24, after the tribulation, after that tribulation, and then
he talked about Jesus coming in the clouds in verse 26 and gathering the elect in verse
27 from the uttermost part of the earth to the uttermost part of heaven, they say that's
just talking to the Jews only.
Okay, look at the last verse of Mark 13, Mark 13, 37.
And what I say unto you I'm only saying to the Jews.
Don't let any preacher try to tell you this is for all believers, it's only for
the Jews.
Is that what it says in Mark 13, 37?
No, it says, and what I say unto you I say unto all, watch.
And yet somebody will turn around and say this is only talking to the Jews.
Unbelievable, isn't it?
It's almost as if Jesus knew that people would say that.
Someday people are going to try to say that this chapter is only talking to certain
people so I'm just going to throw it on the end, and what I say unto you I say unto
all, watch.
Isn't that amazing?
So go back to Matthew 24.
Now that we know he's talking to everybody.
And you know, I could show you this out of Mark 13, I could show you it out of, I like
to show it out of Matthew 24, you say why do you choose Matthew 24 over Mark 13?
You know, one big reason is because this is how I learned about this doctrine.
When I was 12, I decided to start reading the New Testament cover to cover.
This is the first time I came across this doctrine because I started Matthew 1, I started
reading it, I got into chapter 4 and it sparked my interest because it's, a lot
of people are fascinated by prophecy, they're fascinated by the end times, they're fascinated
by the rapture, the tribulation.
So as a young 12 year old, obviously this got my attention as I'm reading and I get
to this chapter that's talking about such an intense subject.
And this caught my attention right away, and when I got to that part that said after
the tribulation, I knew it was talking about the rapture when it talked about Jesus
coming in the clouds, I knew it was talking about Jesus coming in the rapture when
that trumpet sounds in Matthew 24 and he gathers the elect, and I walked away that
day not believing in the preacher of rapture and I've never believed in it since.
That was 18 years ago, never believed in it since.
Everything I've read since then just confirmed what I saw on that day.
It wasn't hard to convert me, you say who taught you this doctrine?
You've been brainwashed, who converted you?
It was the Holy Spirit of God in my living room in Sacramento, California with a Bible
in my hand reading the New Testament cover to cover for the first time in my life at
age 12 when I got to Matthew 24.
That's when I was converted on this doctrine.
That's why I'm going to preach out of this chapter tonight because this is the one that
got me.
But people will say it's only talking to the Jews.
Well I already showed you a verse that said it's talking to all, Mark 1337, but in case
that's not enough, people will say well the elect, that's talking about
the Jews, his chosen people.
Because elect means to choose, right?
Like if we elect a president, we're choosing a president?
So the elect, they say well that's God's chosen people, the Jews, the elect is the
Jews.
Well I've got a list here of every time the word elect's used.
We're not going to go through it because we don't have time.
I already went through every time tribulation was used and I wanted to do that.
But I could go through every time elect's used and I could show you that every single
time it's talking about people that are saved.
Just to give you a quick highlight, in 1 Thessalonians 1.4 it says, knowing brother and beloved
your election of God, talking to the Thessalonians who are clearly Gentiles, we saw it in Romans
8.
Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?
It's God that justifies it.
Out of 16 mentions of the term elect in the Bible, I found 10 refer to all believers
in general.
Two of them refer to believers who are specifically Gentiles.
So it can't be referring to Jews.
One of them refers to believers who are Jews.
Two of them refer to Jesus Christ himself and one refers to Jacob the person as being
God's elect, the character from the Old Testament, Jacob.
I'll give you one verse that just clearly shows you that the elect does not mean Israel
because people say the elect, that's Israel, that's the Jews.
Okay, Romans 11.7, you don't have to turn there but it says what then?
Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for but the election hath obtained it
and the rest were blinded.
So the Bible says Israel has not.
The election has.
Well, if Israel were the election, that wouldn't make any sense.
So you can look it up on your own.
I don't have time to go through all the times that elect is used but I will go through
all the times that elect is used in this chapter in Matthew 24 because if we jump
back to verse 21, the Bible reads, I'm proving to you that in Matthew 24, the word
elect means the saved, not the Jews, not Israel, not Jewish believers, just the saved
in general.
Look at verse 21, it says, for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since
the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be and except those days
should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved but for the elect's sake, those
days shall be shortened.
So the Bible says here that the days of tribulation will be shortened and if they
weren't, no flesh should be saved.
Why?
Because the tribulation is a time of persecution where believers are killed for the cause
of Christ and if it were allowed to run its full course, they'd all die.
They'd all be dead because they'd all be put to death but thank God those days will
be shortened for the elect's sake.
So whoever the elect are, he's shortening it for their sake but here's the key.
Look at verse 24.
For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets and shall show great signs
and wonders in so much that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
So the Bible says here that at this time, false Christs and false prophets will arise
that will be so convincing that if it were possible, they would even deceive the very
elect.
You know what that means?
It's not possible because Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice.
A stranger will they flee from for they know not the voice of strangers.
The Bible is saying here that they are going to be so slick, these false prophets
and false Christs that if it were possible, they would deceive the very elect.
But you see, it's not possible.
Now you say, what does that have to do with anything?
Because wait a minute, the Bible is saying that the elect are not going to be deceived
by false Christs and false prophets, right?
That's what it says.
It says if it were possible, they would but it's not.
That's the implication.
Well go if you would.
Keep your finger there.
Go to 1 John 2.
Who's ever heard the term the antichrist?
Everybody's heard that term, right?
You know the antichrist is a biblical term.
You know you'll often hear the Bible talk about the beast or the beast from the sea
or the beast with seven heads and ten horns and they'll talk about the man of sin,
the son of perdition.
You'll hear these terms used but the Bible also uses the term antichrist and I like
to use the term antichrist.
It's a term that people understand and it's a biblical term.
I want to show you where the Bible mentions the term antichrist because the Bible tells
us there is a person coming someday that's called the antichrist.
I want to see quickly who that person is.
It says in verse 18 of 1 John 2, little children, it is the last time and as ye have
heard that antichrist shall come.
Now is that singular or plural?
So they've heard that antichrist singular shall come.
Even now are there many antichrists whereby we know that it is the last time.
So there's one antichrist coming, is there not?
But aren't there many antichrists even right now?
That's what the verse says.
Who are these antichrists?
Jump down if you would to verse 22.
Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ.
He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son.
Now let me just explain this to you.
This is key.
In order to believe that Jesus is not the Christ, you have to believe that there is
a Christ and that it's not Jesus.
Does everybody understand that?
These aren't just atheists who don't believe in God, don't believe in Christ, don't believe
in...
No, these are people who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ.
It's not saying they don't believe that there is a Christ.
It's saying they don't believe that Jesus is the Christ.
There is a Christ and it's not Jesus.
The word Christ means Messiah.
The Bible says in John chapter 1 we found the Messiah, which is to say being interpreted
the Christ.
So the Bible defines the word Christ as Messiah.
The two are interchangeable.
So let me ask you this.
Can you think of a religion out there that says there's a Messiah coming but it's not
Jesus, Jesus wasn't him?
Judaism.
The Jewish religion teaches there's a Messiah all right but it wasn't Jesus.
They're still waiting for the Messiah.
They say Jesus was not the Messiah.
They're still waiting for the Messiah.
It says, whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father.
But he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.
So he's saying if you don't believe in the Son of God, if you don't believe in
Jesus Christ, you don't believe in the Father either.
A lot of people will say, oh, the Jews believe in the same God we do, they just don't
believe in Jesus.
Nope, different God.
They don't believe in the Father.
You can't believe in the Father without believing in the Son.
Jesus said, no man cometh unto the Father but by me.
They have another God because they don't have the Father.
You say, no, they have the same God.
No, they don't have the same God.
They don't have the Father.
How can you say they have the same God when the Bible says that they have not the Father
because they don't have the Son?
If they don't have the Son, they don't have the Father, then they don't have the
same God.
And the Bible has a name for them, Antichrist.
Now you say, oh, you're a racist, you're anti-Semitic, it has nothing to do with race.
Judaism isn't a race, it's a religion.
There are people who are of Jewish ethnicity that are believers, that believe in Jesus
Christ.
There are people that are not of Jewish ethnicity who believe in the religion of Judaism.
The Bible talks about people becoming Jews.
I mean, Jew is a religious term.
It's not an ethnicity.
It has nothing to do with race.
All people are equal in God's sight as far as the Bible says that all nations of the
earth are of one blood.
There's no difference between the Jew and the Greek.
There's no difference between Jew and Gentile.
We're not talking about race here.
We're talking about religion.
The religion that teaches that there's another Messiah coming, the Bible calls it Antichrist.
Why does the Bible call it Antichrist?
Because there's a man coming called the Antichrist, singular, who's going to say that he's
Jesus Christ.
And when that Antichrist shows up in the tribulation and says, I'm Jesus Christ, they're going
to accept him as their Messiah.
A lot of people will teach, oh, when Jesus Christ comes in the clouds, the Jews will
finally realize that he was their Messiah and they'll accept him.
No, they'll accept the Antichrist.
That's what the Bible says.
The Bible says, when Jesus said, I've come in my Father's name and ye receive me not,
another will come in his own name, him you will receive.
He says that if you believe that Jesus Christ, oh, I'm getting ahead of myself.
But he said here, if you don't believe Jesus is the Christ, he says you're Antichrist
if you believe in some other Christ.
Go if you would to the next mention of Antichrist.
Go to 1 John 4-3, 1 John 4-3 says, and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
Christ is come in the flesh is not of God and this is that spirit of Antichrist
wherever you have heard that it should come and even now already is it in the world.
Same consistent thing.
You don't believe in Jesus Christ.
You don't believe that Jesus is the Christ.
Go to 2 John, one page to the right in your Bible.
In verse 7, the Bible reads, for many deceivers are entered into the world who confess not
that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh.
This is a deceiver and an Antichrist.
It doesn't say that they don't believe someday the Messiah is coming.
No, it says they don't believe that Jesus is the Christ.
That he already came, that he already is come in the flesh, past tense.
They're not going to believe him on the second coming.
Folks, they didn't believe him the first time.
They're not going to believe him the second time.
The first time they rejected him.
The first time they nailed him to the cross.
The second time they're already going to have fallen for the Antichrist hook, line
and sinker.
They're going to have the mark of the beast in their forehead or in their right hand
already.
Because their whole religion is called the spirit of Antichrist.
Their religion is Antichrist, according to the Bible.
So all that to say this, you say, why did you show us that, Pastor Anderson?
Because I wanted to show you that in Matthew 24, it said that the elect would not be
deceived by false Christs and false prophets.
If that is talking about the nation of Israel, let me ask you something.
Are they being deceived right now by false prophets and false Christs?
99% of them do not believe that Jesus is the Christ.
99% of them reject the Lord Jesus Christ, and therefore they are the most deceived
people in this area.
So would it make any sense for God to say, oh yeah, it's not possible for the
elect to be deceived if it were the Jews when they're the most deceived?
You say, you don't know what you're talking about.
I know you don't know what you're talking about because I've been soul winning in Tempe
and areas that are heavily Jewish, and I'm telling you something, I tried to give them
the Gospel.
I love them.
I showed them what the Bible said.
They don't want to hear it.
They don't want to be saved.
They rejected the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
So you're going to tell me the elect is the Jews?
No, it's the saved.
They're the saved are the ones who won't be deceived.
Why?
Because the Holy Spirit is living inside of them.
That's why they won't be deceived.
You say Pastor Anderson back in Matthew 24.
You say Pastor Anderson, Jesus Christ coming at the rapture must be before the tribulation
because it can happen at any moment.
That's what people will teach.
They'll say, well, Jesus can come at any moment.
How could it be after the tribulation?
He could come tonight.
That's what they'll say.
You see, I've asked people many times when they tell me Jesus can come at any moment,
I ask them, where does it say that in the Bible?
And by the way, that's a good question to get in the habit of asking when anybody tells
you anything.
And so I ask them that.
I say, where does the Bible say that he can come back at any moment?
Show me that in the Bible.
I'm thinking of a conversation right now, but I could think of many that would be the
same way.
And you ask them, where does the Bible say that Jesus can come back at any time?
And a lot of times they just can't show you, and you have to help them find it for them.
But when they do know where to show you, they'll say, well, the Bible says, but no
man knoweth the day or the hour.
They say, no man knoweth the day or the hour, therefore he can come at any moment.
But wait a minute.
That doesn't mean he can come at any moment just because nobody knows the day or
the hour.
And here's what's funny.
I asked a pastor.
A pastor said, well, no man knoweth the day or the hour.
And I said, but where does it say that in the Bible that no man knoweth the day or the hour?
And he said, well, I don't have it in front of me.
I don't know the exact chapter, but I know that Jesus said that no man knoweth the day
or the hour.
I said, let me help you.
He said it in Matthew 24, 36.
Look down at your Bible.
But of that day and hour knoweth no man know not the angels of heaven but my Father
only.
Well, there you go.
He can come at any moment.
But here's the problem.
He said, but of that day and hour.
That day asks a question.
That day begs a question.
What day?
Which day are you talking about, Jesus, when you say of that day and hour knoweth
no man?
Well, the answer is found just a couple of verses up higher where it says immediately
after the tribulation Jesus comes in the clouds, the trumpet sounds.
He gathers his elect of that day and hour knoweth no man.
So here's the thing.
We don't know the day or the hour, but we know one thing.
We know it's after the tribulation.
We don't know if it's October.
We don't know if it's September.
We don't know the date.
We don't know the time.
We don't know the day.
We don't know the hour.
We don't know if it's going to be on a Sunday or a Monday or a Tuesday, but one thing
we know dead sure, we know it's going to be after the tribulation because that's
what Jesus just said.
Does he say here, I'm coming at any moment?
No.
He said it's after the tribulation, no man knoweth the day or the hour.
That's what he said.
He said in verse 40, then shall two be in the field.
The one shall be taken and the other left.
Sound like the rapture?
Two women shall be grinding at the mill.
The one shall be taken and the other left.
Watch therefore for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
See we don't know what hour he's coming.
That means he could come at any moment, but he already told you it was after the tribulation.
Now here's the funny thing about this.
People who believe in the pre-tribulation rapture, they do these mental gymnastics where
they'll, you'll try to show them, see it says right there after the tribulation, that's
not about the rapture.
That's not the rapture.
You say, well how do you know?
Well because it's after the tribulation and of course we know that the rapture's
before the tribulation, but they'll say, well that can't, that's not the rapture,
but then you'll ask them, well where does the Bible say that the rapture can happen
at any moment?
Well right there it says no man knoweth the day or the hour.
You just said this wasn't about the rapture.
So when it says it's after the tribulation, Matthew 24 is not about the rapture.
But when it says that no man knoweth the day or the hour, now all of a sudden Matthew
24 is about the rapture again.
And when it says, you know, two are in the field, one taken and the other left,
well that's about the rapture again.
Just shut up and do what you're told.
Just shut up and believe in the pre-trib rapture because I said so.
You say give both sides.
Be fair, give both sides.
Okay, here's the other side.
Shut up and believe what I told you to say and quit asking questions.
Shut up and believe it because I said so.
That's the pre-trib side.
I mean it's true, they've got nothing.
I've got scripture after scripture after scripture and they've got a whole lot of
nothing.
It's what they've got.
You say you've got a bad spirit.
You better know I do after 18 years of listening to this garbage because there's no scripture
that clearly teaches the pre-trib rapture.
It just isn't there.
Those who believe in the pre-trib rapture have to rely on some really vague verses
and they have to really stretch some things, okay.
Now I'm going to say this.
I went to a church that was an independent fundamental Baptist church, King James only.
I went there for five years and this church believed in the pre-trib rapture and in those
five years that I went to that church, and it was a great church.
I mean, you know, a lot of great soul winning.
I learned a lot of great things there.
I'm not saying it was a bad church.
I'm not saying that everybody who's wrong on this doctrine is a bad person.
I mean some people just haven't learned this doctrine or they're confused or mixed up.
I'm not trying to be mean-spirited.
I'm only mean-spirited for those who knowingly are preaching a lie and they're out there.
You don't think when it's this clear that people know that they're preaching lies in
many cases.
Now a lot of preachers are preaching this and, you know, they're just confused and
pastors are wrong on this and maybe they'll learn about it later and get right on it.
Not everybody who preaches this is a bad person.
They're just mixed up.
They're wrong.
But look, just because you're not a bad person, you're still wrong, okay.
Great church.
I went there for five years, soul winning church, King James Bible, independent fundamental
house, and the pastor that preached unto me for those five years, he preached that
the rapture was before the tribulation and he preached it many times.
I mean if he said it once, he must have said it 40 times in those years that the
rapture could happen at any moment and it's before the tribulation, the trumpet's
going to sound.
He was very big on that doctrine and in all those five years he only ever used two
verses to prove to me that the rapture was before the tribulation and he would usually
just bring it up in passing.
I don't remember him ever preaching a whole sermon about the rapture.
It was something that he would build into a sermon.
He'd mention the fact that the rapture took place before the tribulation and he
would bring up one of two things or both.
And when I spoke to him personally about it, years and years later after I was no
longer a member of the church, we talked about this, and I asked him about it and
we talked about it.
These are the same two things that he brought up to me when we talked about it in person
and it's the same two things he would only ever bring up in those five years.
The first one is the one that we already looked at, no man knoweth the day or the
hour.
I think we pretty much put that one to bed, didn't we?
Well the other one is, and this is the second thing I wanted to show you, the last
thing.
Second Thessalonians chapter 2, real quickly, and we'll close with this.
Second Thessalonians chapter 2, here's the second thing he showed me.
And I've got up here, just to help you understand where this stuff comes from, I've
got the Scofield Reference Bible up here because this is a study Bible.
Does everybody know what I mean by a study Bible?
It means it's a Bible that's got all kinds of helps and references built in to help
you out.
Well I don't recommend using a study Bible.
I love the Bible that Trent bought me.
Trent bought me a Bible that's got nothing in it except God's word.
I love it.
It's just the text of God's word.
I don't need a bunch of help.
You know who's going to help me?
The Holy Spirit.
Right?
And the pastor and the preacher and God's people and my brothers and sisters in Christ
preaching to me.
I don't need to sit there and have some kind of a theologian help me along.
You know, I did pretty well in my living room as a 12-year-old with just the Bible.
So I don't recommend study Bibles.
And you say, well you're just a smart guy.
No, it has nothing to do with being smart.
You know what it has to do with?
It has to do with being saved because if you're saved, you can understand the Bible.
Does everybody get that?
If you're saved, you can understand the Bible and learn things on your own.
Here's the thing.
This study Bible, the Scofield Reference Bible, is one of the most popular reference
Bibles that's been out through the years.
And when I was growing up, man, everybody had one of these.
I grew up with one of these.
And sometimes the pastor would even say, turn to so-and-so the chapter.
It's page so-and-so in your Scofield Reference Bible.
So this is pretty universal.
I'll tell you what.
The devil has used this tool of the Scofield Reference System of the Bible more than anything
to promote this doctrine of the pre-trib rapture.
You want to know where it comes from?
This is how it got into churches.
This is where pastors are getting it.
This is where it's coming.
It ain't coming from the Bible.
It sure didn't come from the mouth of Jesus Christ.
But it came from the mouth of Scofield.
Some theologian.
I'm not going to go into who he was.
It doesn't really matter who he was.
He's not God.
And so in Scofield's Reference Bible, we're going to go to 2 Thessalonians 2, it's
the last place we're going to go.
Here's the second thing that my old pastor brought up.
He brought up one thing.
No man knoweth the day or the hour.
But he brought up a second thing.
He said this is the verse that proves that the rapture is before the tribulation.
And I've heard this from other preachers.
I've heard this many times.
And boy, this is crystal clear.
It says in verse 6, And now you know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in
his time, for the mystery of iniquity doth already work until he who now letteth will
let until he be taken out of the way.
And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit
of his mouth and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming.
Even him whose coming is after the working of Satan, and on and on.
Now everybody can see right away why this proves that the rapture is before the tribulation,
right?
I mean, you're looking at the key verse, right?
The key verse is in verse 7.
Don't you see it?
It says in verse 7, For the mystery of iniquity doth already work, only he who now
letteth will let until he be taken out of the way.
Don't you see it?
Look, come on guys, don't you see that that's the pre-trib rapture?
Oh, oh, I forgot.
You're reading it.
You don't have a Scofield Bible.
Oh, that's why you're not seeing it.
Let's get out the Scofield Bible and check it out.
Now we can really get deep into God's word here.
Oh, there's a little note at the bottom.
Let's go down here.
Okay, I got it.
It says, everybody in verse 7, look down at your Bible in verse 7.
Scofield's going to teach you what this means.
The removal of that which restrains the mystery of lawlessness.
The restrainer is a person.
Talking about the he in verse 7.
And since a mystery always implies a supernatural element, this person can be no other than
the Holy Spirit in the church to be taken out of the way.
See 1 Thessalonians 4, verses 14 through 17.
So he says, well obviously the he who now letteth will let until he be taken out of
the way.
The he is the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit is living inside of believers in the church, so-called.
And if we go to 1 Thessalonians 4, that's where the rapture is.
So when it says until he be taken out of the way, it's saying the Holy Spirit's
going to be taken out of the way.
And that means since the Holy Spirit lives in believers, that means believers are going
to be taken up in the rapture before the tribulation.
Why didn't I think of that when I read verse 7?
Because it isn't there.
Because it's made up.
Because let me teach you something about pronouns.
He is a pronoun, right?
Pronouns have an antecedent.
The first four letters of antecedent are ante, which means before.
A word that comes before to tell us what the he is talking about.
Guess what the Holy Spirit has never mentioned before that.
So how can he be referring to the Holy Spirit's not even mentioned in this passage
whatsoever?
There's no mention of the Holy Spirit.
You can't just say he is whoever you want.
Oh, he?
That's the Holy Spirit.
I say it's Mickey Mouse.
While we're just making stuff up and saying it means he, no, he is somebody that's mentioned
in the chapter.
How about that?
Somebody like the man of sin, for example, that's mentioned.
And I don't have time to go into all that, but you see the kind of vague scriptures?
They'll show you verses about wrath.
The tribulation's not God's wrath.
They'll show you verses about he who now letteth will let, and they'll leave you
scratching your head.
What are you talking about?
But see, this is what my pastor used to preach.
Five years, my friend, five years I sat in that church that was pre-trib, and I heard
it over and over again.
No man knoweth the day or the hour.
If you say it's after the tribulation, you're making Jesus a liar.
You're calling Jesus a liar if you say it's not pre-trib, because you're saying
we can know the day or the hour.
When Jesus said it's after the tribulation and no man knoweth the day or the hour.
See, he never had us turn there.
He just quoted it, because if we turned there, we might have accidentally seen verse 29
after the tribulation.
So the first thing was no man knoweth the day or the hour, and he would always say
this, and he's not the only one.
I'm not singling him out.
I heard preacher after preacher say this, hey, we're going up in the rapture before
the tribulation, because when the Holy Spirit's taken out, we're going to be taken out.
Hey, when the Holy Spirit's gone, I'm gone.
Amen.
You've heard that?
Amen.
That's right.
But wait a minute, folks.
How do you take the Holy Spirit out of the way?
The Holy Spirit's God.
You think God is somebody you just take out of the way?
Who's going to take God out of the way?
God's a little bit big for you to just take out of the way.
What kind of nonsense?
The Holy Spirit's not even mentioned.
You don't take God out of the way.
He's God.
The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
It's that simple, my friend.
And so all that to say this, these things that I preached unto you that you might not
be offended when persecution comes.
When you're asked to take the mark of the beast, I didn't have time to get into it
tonight, but when they're coming to you saying you can't buy or sell without this
mark in your right hand or in your forehead, you'll remember this sermon.
Maybe it won't happen in our lifetime.
Maybe it will.
But if it does, you'll remember this sermon.
That's why Jesus said it, and that's why I'm saying it.
You say, is this to scare us?
No.
The Bible says, in the world you shall have tribulation.
Get upset about it?
No.
He said, in the world you shall have tribulation.
But be of good cheer.
I've overcome the world.
Cheer up.
Don't be down.
Don't walk out of the sermon, oh man, are you serious?
Beheadings?
Prison?
Famine?
Pestil?
Are you serious?
No.
Maybe it'll happen in our lifetime, maybe it won't.
But either way, you know what, if God be for us, who could be against us?
Praise Jesus Christ.
Let's bow our heads in that word of prayer.
Father, we thank you so much for the clear truth in your word, and we thank you so
much for giving us the Holy Spirit to guide us.
I couldn't have figured this stuff out on my own with all the brainwashing I received
from these people lying to me and Schofield and all this stuff.
But thank you for the Holy Spirit that just, in that room so many years ago, just cut
through all that and just burned these three words into my mind.
These three words just burned into my mind from Matthew 24 as a 12-year-old boy after
the tribulation.
And I pray that those words would sink into the hearts and minds of every person who's
here tonight.
We love you and thank you, and in Jesus' name we pray, amen.
All right, we're dismissed.
Thanks for being here tonight.