(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Alright, now we're going to come right back here. Keep your finger here, because I want to show you something here in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. But if you would, flip back in your Bible to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24. And I want to show you a little something here that I find interesting that these two places have in common. And get into the message tonight. But it says in Matthew 24, go to the very beginning of the chapter, we'll just start in verse number 1, it says, And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, what shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come to my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. And it goes on, we're going to come back to this. But notice the first thing out of Jesus' mouth when he's asked this question, you know, What's going to be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? The first thing out of his mouth is, Take heed that no man deceive you. You know what that tells me? There are a lot of people out there who want to deceive us about whatever you're about to start talking about. There are going to be a lot of false Christs, a lot of false prophets, and a lot of false teaching. So he says right away, Take heed that no man deceive you. Now, go back to 2 Thessalonians 2. We're going to be back in Matthew 24, but go to 2 Thessalonians 2. We're going to flip back and forth a little. Look what he says here, in verse 1. Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him. What would that gathering together unto him be known as commonly? The rapture won't be caught together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord of the air. It says, That you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. What's the next phrase? Let no man deceive you by any means. So Paul is warning us of the same thing that Jesus warned us about. Saying, Hey, don't be deceived. And a lot of people today will say, well, you know, Bible prophecy doesn't really matter, or it's not important. It's not really an issue that we need to preach about. But you know what? All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine. And the Bible is saying here, don't be deceived. I don't want you to be deceived. Jesus didn't want his disciples to be deceived. So explain it to them. The apostle Paul didn't want the Thessalonians to be deceived. And he said, look, I don't care if it's a letter that looks like it came from us. Do you see that in verse 2? I don't care if it's a spirit or a word or a letter as from us, something that looks like it came from us. Don't let them deceive you into thinking what? That the day of Christ is at hand. He said, let no man deceive you by any means, verse 3. For that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. So before the day of Christ comes, it says here, first there's going to be a falling away. And the man of sin is going to be revealed, the son of perdition. Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped. So that he as God, sitteth in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. That's the person who is known as the antichrist, the man of sin, who claims to be God. Claims to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. He says, that's going to happen first. Don't let someone deceive you that it's going to be at hand. Let me show you why that's important. We're going to get back to 2 Thessalonians. Go to Matthew 24. I'm going to show you why it's important. And again, I always encourage, when you listen to preaching, don't come in to preaching just with a preconceived idea. I know everything. I already know everything. Listen to the word of God tonight and see what it says here. It says in verse 3, it says, and as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, they asked him that question. In verse 4, he said, and Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that ye be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. So here's the thing that Jesus is expressing here at the beginning of Matthew 24. He's saying, just because you hear of wars and rumors of wars, does not mean that we're necessarily at the end. Do you hear that? He says, look, many people are going to come to you and say that they're Christ. Don't believe them. Don't ever believe anybody who claims to be Jesus Christ. Later on, he explains, because when he comes, you'll know about it. He'll be in the clouds. It'll be like lightning in the sky. Everybody will see it. But it says here that there will be wars and rumors of wars. Now look, are there wars and rumors of wars right now? Were there wars and rumors of wars 20 years ago? Were there a hundred years ago? See what I mean? So he says, be not troubled. He says, all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. He says in verse 7, for nation shall rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. Now hold on a second. Is this going on right now? Famines, pestilence. Pestilence means disease. Oh yeah, there's disease ravaging the scroll. He says there will be earthquakes in diverse places. I mean we just saw one of the biggest earthquakes literally in the history of man. The fourth largest in the history of recording earthquakes. And one of the top three was from like 1755. So this is going back hundreds of years. This is like the number four earthquake. But you see, there have been earthquakes before this and there were earthquakes before that. So he says, look, in the end times there will be a lot of warfare. There will be rumors of wars. There will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes. And we do see those things increasing over time. And we are seeing a great increase in the earthquakes and in the warfare and so forth. But he says all these are the beginning of sorrows. So let me ask you, how is this going to start, these events that he described? And by the way, this is called the tribulation, what he's describing, because later he says after the tribulation. So the tribulation, according to this passage, is going to start out with wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilence, earthquake. But just because we're experiencing those things today, it doesn't necessarily mean that we're going into this right now. Does everybody understand what I'm saying? So it says all these are the beginning of sorrows. Then, so we're talking about after that, after that phase, then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you. Who's he talking to there? Believers, obviously. He's saying, look, believers are going to be persecuted for the cause of Christ. He says they'll deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. Now a lot of people will try to say, well, Matthew 24 is talking to the Jews, but hold on a second. They'll say, well, the Jews are hated of all nations, because pretty much that's true. And I don't think it's right to be a racist. I don't think you should just hate a whole race of people or a whole group of people. And just because some Jews have done a lot of wicked and bad things, we shouldn't just lump it all in and say that all Jews are bad. Just because most of them have rejected Christ, there are many Jews that are saved. So we don't want to just write off every Jew. But the Jews are hated. But listen, are they hated for Jesus Christ's name's sake? No. This is not talking about the Jews. That's ridiculous. Because the Jews have rejected Christ and very small of a minority of the Jews are saved today. 99 and more percent of the Jews today reject Jesus Christ. You go to Israel, not even 1% of the Jews over there believe on Jesus Christ. This isn't talking about the Jews being hated. Because he didn't just say they'll be hated. He said they'll be hated for the name of Jesus Christ. And they don't claim the name of Jesus Christ. He's talking about believers we're hated by the world. Jesus said, marvel not, my brother, and if the world hates you. He said, if they hate you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. So this is talking to believers. And he says, you'll be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended and shall betray one another and shall hate one another. You say, what does that mean to be offended? Well, put your finger there. Flip back to Matthew 13. You're in Matthew 24. Stack a few pages to Matthew 13. Go to the parable of the sower. And you're going to see here the parable of the sower where he talks about the one that fell among the stony places. The Bible says right here, using that same word offended, it says in verse 20, Matthew 13.20, but he that received the seed, the seed of the word of God, into stony places, the same as he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it, yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while, for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he's what? Offended. He's offended, you know, because being offended here is talking about somebody in that case who received the word of God. They're saved. I mean, they believed on Christ. They received. They believed for a while. It says in Luke, if we were to cross reference this with Luke 9 where he gives the parable of the sower, it says that they believed for a while, but in time of temptation, they fall away because, you know, persecution and tribulation come, cause them to be offended. Okay. Look at John 16. Keep your finger there in Matthew 24. Go to John 16. I know you're going to run out of fingers in your hand, but preach the word. So John 16 here, he's going to use the same type of wording here. Look at John 16.1. John 16.1 says this. These things have I spoken unto you that you should not be what? Offended. Offended. They shall put you out of the synagogues. Yea, the time cometh that whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service. And these things will they do unto you because they have not known the Father nor me. He said, why am I writing this to you? So that you won't be offended when you're persecuted, when people are being killed or imprisoned, that you won't let that persecution or tribulation cause you to be offended. Okay. Look at verse 33. He said, these things have I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. So go back to Matthew 24. Now you see what it means. He says you're going to be hated of all nations for my name's sake and then shall many be offended. Because a lot of Christians, he said, aren't going to like that. The fact of being hated and persecuted for the cause of Christ and it's going to cause them to be offended. And it says, and shall betray one another and shall hate one another and many false prophets shall rise and shall deceive many. We're in Matthew 24 verse 11, verse 12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come. Now look, verse 13 is the most abused and misused verse right here. See how it says he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. Some people will try to rip this out of the context of the tribulation, which is what he's talking about. And they'll basically try to say that in order to be saved, you've got to endure to the end as in like stay in church or stay with God's plan. And then if you backslide, you're not saved because you've got to endure to the end, brother, to be saved. But hold on a second. If you scroll down, I guess I'm this computer generation, scroll down with your mouth. Isn't that disgusting? Here I am like up here preaching out of the Bible and I'm saying scroll down, you know. We have too much technology. If you go down to verse number 22, if you scroll down, it says in verse 22, I'm telling you, computer D. And except those days should be shortened, there should know what? Flesh. Flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Okay, so look, he's talking about people that are, he's not talking about being saved and going to heaven. He's saying people are going to be persecuted and killed, okay. But if you endure to the end of that, you'll be, your flesh will be saved. Like you're not going to die physically because, of course, Jesus Christ is going to come in the rapture. You're going to be delivered from this. So he says, you know, basically, even if you endure to the end, the same shall be saved. That's not talking about personal salvation like going to heaven. And this is just like when Peter's drowning and he calls out to Jesus, Lord, save me. He's not talking about being saved from hell, okay. He's just talking about being saved from drowning right there. This is talking about the flesh being saved, not talking about spiritual salvation. If you get the context, a few verses down, that's what he says. No flesh should be saved. But he says right here, he that shall endure to the end shall be saved. God's going to be preached in every kingdom. Now, up through verse 14 so far, verses 1 through 14, have we really seen anything dramatically different than what people have gone through for hundreds and hundreds of years already? Because we see wars. Have we seen wars before? Have we seen famine? Have we seen pestilence? Have we seen false Christs? People claim to be Christ? Yeah, they've been there around. Have you seen people say lo, he's here, or lo, he's there in the secret chambers? They're called the Jehovah's Witnesses. Jesus came back in 1918, but he only came to us only. So we've seen all this. We've seen wars. We've seen famine. We've seen persecution. Have we seen believers killed for the cause of Christ? Oh yeah. Have we seen believers hated of all nations? Have we seen them persecuted? Have we seen people fall away because of that persecution in time of temptation? Have we seen people be offended? Have we seen people betray one another? Have we seen iniquity abound and therefore the love of many to wax coal? All those things. And you say, well Pastor Anderson, how do we know then when we're really there? When we're really at the end times, how are we going to know that? You know, because is this just another drill? Because the thing is, if you think about it, people in World War II thought that the world was coming to an end. And you can kind of see why. Because you see all nations at war with one another, like Jesus is describing, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom. You see the world at war in World War I. That's when the Jehovah's Witnesses were lying and saying that they knew for sure he was coming back. World War I was part of that. They said, it's all happening around us. There are periods of time, people in the French Revolution thought that they were literally living, that the people that wrote Pierre was the Antichrist. And that when they were beheading, remember they were beheading people in the French Revolution. They thought they were going into the tribulation and that people were going to be killed for Christ's sake. Because there were a lot of people that were actually persecuting Christians at that time. Most of it was against the Catholic Church, which you know, they're wicked anyway. But basically, they were actually afraid that it was the end of the world. And you can see why, if you look at it. So if you get Jesus' point here, it's explained, yes, the tribulation is going to involve these things to a more extreme degree than the world has ever seen. But how do you know when it's the real thing or whether it's just an earthquake? Well, he explains it. In verse 15 is where he explains that. Because he says, when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, whoso readeth, let him understand. Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes, and woe unto them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day, for then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. So let me ask this according to verse 21. Has there been tribulation before in this world? Oh, yeah. I mean, Paul told the Thessalonians in 1 Thessalonians 3, he said, 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. Jesus said in the world you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I will overcome the world. Paul said in 2 Corinthians chapter 1, Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble with the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. He said in Romans 8, We are joyful in our tribulation. He said, What shall separate us from the love of God? Shall tribulation, peril, sword, nakedness, nothing will separate us. He said over and over again, he talked about these things. He said in Romans chapter 5 verse 3, He said, We glory in our tribulations also, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, experience hope, and hope maketh not ashamed, and on and on. So we see over and over again, there has been tribulation. But according to verse 21, this is going to be worse tribulation than the world has ever seen. So there's been tribulation. Believers have been persecuted. There have been wars. There have been famines. There have been all these things that are listed here. But he said, This will be greater than anything that has ever been upon the world. And he said, You'll know it. Because he said, When you therefore see the abomination of desolation spoken up by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place where he ought not. Whoso readeth, let him understand. Whoso readeth what? The book of Daniel. Where he explains the abomination of desolation, where he explains the antichrist standing in the holy place where he ought not. Now look, flip back to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. Because that's the exact event that Paul referred to in 2 Thessalonians 2, isn't it? Remember he said, When you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken up by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. Look at 2 Thessalonians 2. Let's read it again. Verse 1. Now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come, what day? The day of Christ. Shall not come except there come a falling away first and that man of sin be revealed the son of perdition, and notice the sentence is not over, that's a semi-colon, who opposeth and exalted themself above all that is God or that is worship, called God or that is worship, so that he as God sitteth where? The temple of God. Isn't that exactly what I said in Matthew 24? Sitteth at the temple of God showing himself that he is God. Remember ye not that when I was yet with you I told you these things? So it's nothing new here. He's just redundantly saying, Look, don't let people deceive you that the day of Christ is at hand. He said it's not going to come until there's a great falling away first and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalted himself above all that is called God or that is worship, so that he as God sitteth at the temple of God showing himself that he is God. Back to Matthew 24. He says here in Matthew 24, when that happens, he says, Then, you know, head for the hills type of thing. He said, Let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of the house. He said, verse 21, Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. So let me ask you something. Has there ever been as great of a persecution or tribulation as will come? Have there ever been birthquakes like the kind that are going to come there? Have there ever been, and look, there have been some pretty bad earthquakes. There have been some pretty bad pestilences and disease that have wiped up. There have been pretty bad famines, but this says that it will be worse than anything the world has ever seen. He says in verse 22, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. Basically, if this were to just continue running its course, he's saying, there would be no flesh saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Now, here's what's funny about this. Again, people will say, Oh, the elect here is referring to Israel, the Jews. Well, hold on. Let's see if that holds up the scripture here. Let's say the elect's the Jews. We'll go down two verses to verse 24. For there shall arise false prophets and false, or 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 let me ask you this, is it possible to deceive the very elect? No. He said these people will show so many miracles and they'll be so slick that if it were possible, they'll deceive the very elect. But it's not possible. If it were possible, they'd be deceived. So let me ask you something. Who are we talking about? The Jews or believers? Look at 1 John 2 and I'll show you the answer. 1 John 2 tells us the answer to that question. And it's really not hard to see this in 1 John 2, verse 18. Look at verse 18. Little children, it is the last time. Now he's writing this almost 2,000 years ago. Basically anything after Jesus Christ is known as the last time, as opposed to the former times, which is like the Old Testament. He said, little children, it is the last time. And as you have heard that antichrists shall come. Is that singular or plural right there? What is it? Singular, right? He says you've heard that antichrists shall come. But watch this. Even now are there many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. So he said basically there's one main antichrist coming. But he said even now there's many antichrists. Look what he says in verse number, when he wants to identify who these antichrists are. He says in 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. Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. But he did acknowledge that the Son hath the Father also. So according to that, those who deny that Jesus is the Christ are antichrists. Now listen, in order to deny that Jesus is the Christ, you have to believe that there is a Christ. Because if you don't believe that there's a Messiah, you can't deny that Jesus is that Messiah. Now the Jewish religion states that there is a Messiah, but that it's not Jesus. Because they are expecting another Messiah to come. Therefore, according to the Bible, they are antichrists. Because it says, who is the liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He's antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. The Jewish religion denies the Father and the Son, and therefore is antichrist. Look at 2 John, you're in 1 John, just go a few pages to the right of your Bible. Go to 2 John, and in 2 John, it says this, verse 7, 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. So those who say that the Messiah has not yet come, according to the Bible, are antichrists and a deceiver. That would include Judaism, a religion that states that Jesus Christ was not, and Christ means Messiah, by the way, it's just Greek, whereas Hebrew, Messiah, you know, it says the Messiah which being interpreted is the Christ, okay? So go back to Matthew 24 with that in mind. So what have we just learned in 1 and 2 John? That Judaism is an antichrist religion. Because it teaches a false Messiah, another Christ, besides Jesus Christ. It denies that Jesus is the Christ, and it denies that the Messiah has come. And that's what he's worrying about, and it called it, what did it call it, beginning with a D? A what and an antichrist? A deceiver and an antichrist. Now look, in verse 24, it says that if it were possible, these false prophets and false Christs would deceive the very elect. Now let me ask you something, have the Jews, and I'm talking about unsaved Jews, the unregenerate Israel, have they been deceived by an antichrist religion? Oh yeah. So is that who we're talking about here? Yeah. Because if we're talking about people who can't be deceived, we're talking about believers. And look, I've looked up every time the word elect is used in the Bible. I believe it's 14 times. And every single time it's referring to believers? Every time? 100%, not 99%, 100% of the time. And literally almost half the time it's referring to Gentile believers. He says to the Corinthians, you're the elect. He says in 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, you're elect. Romans, you're elect. He said Galatians, you're elect. And actually most of the time he's talking to only Gentiles that are believers. And sometimes he talks to Jewish believers and calls them elect. But really, being elect means you're saved. It's not a skin color. It's not Abraham to my father. Hey, think not to say within yourself if you have Abraham to our father, for I say to you that God is able to be stones to raise up children unto Abraham. This elect here, it's not talking about the nation of Israel. It's not talking about unregenerate Israel. This is talking about believers because he says, hey, the elect will not be deceived. I mean, when some guy shows up and says, I'm Jesus Christ, people who are saved are not going to fall for that. Why? Because Jesus Christ said, my sheep hear my voice. They will not follow another. A stranger will they flee from, for they know not the voice of strangers. And he said, others have come and said, and basically claimed to be Christ, but the sheep believed enough because they know the voice of the shepherd. They know Jesus Christ. They're not going to be deceived by this guy. There's a guy down in Latin America and Florida saying, he's Jesus. There's a guy in the Middle East claiming to be Jesus right now. These guys literally have thousands of followers. But they're not being followed by believers. They're being followed by unbelievers because the elect will not be deceived by these saints. We have the Holy Spirit leading us into all truth. We can know the voice of the shepherd and the voice of the liar. So it says here, for the elect's sake, those days shall be short. For the sake of those who are elect, you know, saved in Christ and so forth. Then, if any man shall say unto you, lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not. You won't need anybody to tell you what he's saying. For there shall arise false prophets, or false Christs and false prophets, and shall sow great signs and wonders, and so much that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very light. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, behold, he is in the desert, go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers, believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming, and notice that word, the coming, of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. It says in 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 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. That's Jerry Seinfeld and Jeff Goldblum and all the unsaved Jews, right? That's Steven Spielberg and that's Rahm Emanuel. I'll add him to the list. No. He says, with the great sound of a trumpet, so send his angels, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, you know that summer is naught. And by the way, notice we're reading every verse. Is there a verse that I skipped? Can somebody help me out? Did I skip anything? No, we're reading the whole thing. So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near even at the doors. So when you see how many of these things? All these things. I mean, when you see not just an earthquake, you know, and just say, oh, this is it, you know? But when you see the abomination of desolation, that's only happening one time. You know that that is the real thing right there, the antichrist. Okay, and then it says here, when you see all these things, know that it is near even at the door. So is it at the door right now? I haven't seen all those things, okay? And he says, barely I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Now some people will take verse 34 and say, this is a contradiction in the Bible. Has anybody ever told you this and told you that before? And this is what they'll say. Well, Jesus said that this would all happen in his generation and it didn't happen yet. That's not what he said. He said when you see these things come to pass, you'll know it's at the door and that generation will not pass away till it's all fulfilled. So what Jesus is trying to say there is, this isn't going to be something that happens over the course of hundreds of years. You know, some people will try to say, well, you know, the tribulation is just symbolic of something that goes over the course of centuries. No, Jesus says, look, it's all happening in one generation. This is at one point in time, he said, when you see these things come to pass, he said that generation will not pass till all these things have been fulfilled, okay? So when you see part of it, you're going to see the whole thing, you know, and that's what he's saying. It's just spread out over a thousand years like people have taught. He says in verse 35, heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. Great verse on the preservation of God's word. But of that day and hour, no man. Now, hold on a second here. The word that day, okay, the that day, people argue about different parts of speech and they're, you know what, I say it's a pronoun. People are trying to tell me something else. He's like an English grammar guru, anybody? I say it's a pronoun, okay? And I don't care what you say. But anyway, the bottom line is, I say it's a pronoun, okay? Some people will say it's a possessive, or not a possessive, I'm sorry. It's a pronoun that kind of is acting as an adjective and pronouns can act as adjectives. Like if I say his car, you know, in a sense, that's modifying a noun, okay? So, or a noun or pronoun. So basically, the reason I say that's a pronoun is that if I say to you that day, and whether it's technically classified as a pronoun or not is not really the point for this term right now. But if I say to you that day, what's your question? Say it nice and loud. What day? What day, right? See, if I say that day, aren't I referring to something else that's like an antecedent? Like when you have a pronoun, like if I say, hey, he came to church, what's your question? Who? Because I didn't give an antecedent, you know? If I say he came to church, I have to say who that was. State that previously and say, well, John came to church. Yeah, I'm glad he came. But you got to state his name at least once or else people don't even know what you're talking about. So when Jesus says, but of that day and hour, knoweth no man. Can we just pick whatever day we want this to refer to? Whatever day we want, you know? I say that that's referring to, you know, you can just make that up, right? So what day is it? What day is it? Well, it's the day that he just mentioned, right? But of that day and hour knoweth no man, know not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. For as the days of knowing were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. So what day? Coming of the Son of Man. Kind of like when it said back in verse number 30, they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven. So that's the day that no man knoweth the day or the hour. He said because, because for means because in verse 38. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying, giving marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark. Until the day he entered into the ark and knew not, until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. So this is going to come upon the world unawares. Right up until the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds, it says they're going to be eating, drinking, marrying, giving marriage, and not knowing that it's coming. He said it'll come upon them unawares just like Noah, okay? Now remember, Noah preached. People didn't listen, okay? And he ended up getting on the ark, God shut the door, and it rained the same day that Noah entered into the ark. It began to rain water from the sky. Next time the Bible says it will rain fire and brimstone instead of water. He says here, and knew not, until the flood came and took them all away, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. Then, okay, then again. This is referring to something. We can't just say then. Well, here's what I think it is. If I say then, what's your question? Hey, are you going to be there then? Then when? So then, so when's the then? And the then and the when and the then. When's the then? It's the coming of the Son of Man, okay? Then shall two be in the field. The one shall be taken and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill. The one shall be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. Now look, these are the verses that people will take out of context. Isn't this funny? And they'll take this verse and they'll say, Jesus can come at any moment he might even come during the service. He might even come tonight. And you try to sell him, no, he's not coming today. How dare you say that? Because the Bible says, no man knoweth the day or the hour, brother. You don't know the day or the hour. Well, guess what? Did you know that this is the only place in the whole Bible that says, of that day and hour, knoweth no man? No, not the angels of heaven. Did you know that there's no other place in the Bible except for Mark 13? Which is just the exact same thing we're seeing in Matthew. You know how it is in Mark and Matthew. He'll say the same exact thing because it's two different authors. You know, obviously God's the author, but two different human instruments writing it out. So in Mark 13, in Matthew 1, it's the identical story. But that's the only place, and yet people will take this and say, no man knoweth the day or the hour, the rapture, therefore he can come at any moment. It might be before the service is over, but hold on a second. Wait a minute now. Does any man know the day or the hour of the rapture? No. No. I agree with that. But does this verse say that Jesus can come back at any moment, including right now? No, because guess what this verse just finished saying? That first you're going to see the abomination of desolation. First you're going to see all these things come to pass. First you're going to see the sun and moon darken and the stars fall apart. I think you might have noticed that if it happened. And he says of that day and hour. Because people will try to twist this. Because look, there's nothing complicated about what I just read to you. Unless you don't want to believe it. But that's what it says. So let's keep reading, because I don't want to leave anything out. So it says, watch therefore, for you know not what hour your Lord doth come. Now let me ask you this. I said to you, brother Garrett, I'm going to come to your house. Let's say I'm your boss. Because the word Lord here is basically referring to a boss. Like a lord and a servant. Let's say I'm your boss. Let's say you work for me. And I said, brother Garrett, I'm going to come to your house, brother Garrett. And I'm going to come in, sometime after, you know I'm too busy right now. So sometime after the springtime is over, I'm going to come to your house after that. Okay? Do you know what day and hour I'm coming, brother Garrett? Does that mean I can come at any moment? No, because I just finished telling him, I'm going to come after spring is over. Because I'm too busy. It's going to be sometime after that. And you know, I'm going to show up. And let me tell you something. You better be ready, because you don't know when I'm going to show up either, by the way. But does that mean I'm going to come tonight? No. And anybody who's saying that is just twisting the word of God. We just read every word. We didn't leave anything out. It's not hard to see here. Now look, people will try to say, wait a minute Pastor Erickson. This isn't even about the rapture. That's what they'll say. But then they'll quote these same verses. Two in the field, one taken, the other left. Now look, I say that's the rapture. I mean, two in the field, one's taking them up. Now look, Jesus coming in the clouds? A trumpet sounds? The elect are gathered up? Caught up in the clouds? Hmm, that can't be the rapture. Okay. And you say, wait a minute Pastor Erickson. This is why it's not the rapture. Because it's the second coming. Because it said the coming of the Lord. Okay. Go to 1 Thessalonians 4. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And the only thing to ask you is, is 1 Thessalonians 4 the rapture? Who thinks, say amen if you think 1 Thessalonians 4 is about the rapture. Amen. Amen. Alright. Maybe you don't even know what 1 Thessalonians 4 is. If you're new to Christianity or new to church, you might not even know what that chapter is about. But it's a pretty famous chapter. I was just talking to Brother Jaime here before the service. And we were talking about how his grandfather passed and that's why he's in town. But your grandfather was saved. And so basically he said, you know what? He doesn't mourn like those who have no hope. Because, you know, he knows he's going to see him again. Amen. Why is that? Because of this exact passage is why he does not mourn as those that have no hope. Because it says in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 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. So God doesn't want him to sorrow like those who have no hope because, you know, he's going to know about those that are asleep in Jesus. It says in verse 14, For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. So he doesn't have to mourn like those who have no hope. Amen. It's not that he's never going to see his grandfather again. Because he knows that those that are asleep in Jesus, when Jesus Christ returns, it says God will bring them with him. So one day there's going to be a reunion there because when Christ comes, it says he will bring those who are asleep in Jesus. For this we say unto you, verse 15, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto what? Unto what? The coming of the Lord. So don't tell me that the rapture is not the coming of the Lord because that's what it says. He says unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. Now what does prevent mean? Prevent means, comes with a Latin, come before. Pre means before, vent means come from veneering. So prevent, come before. Why are they not going to come before? Them which are asleep. Who are the ones that are asleep? Help me out. Not in the building tonight. Who are the ones that are asleep? Believers that have passed. Believers that have passed. The believers who, you know, they didn't really die, did they? Jesus said, who's going to live in the believer that he shall never die. The body died. They just passed. They're just asleep. The body's asleep. Their soul's not asleep, by the way. The body's asleep. They're up in heaven with Jesus right now. They're already in heaven right now. Your grandfather, he's already there. It's not that he has to wait to go there. He's already there because he believed. So it says here, for the Lord, why are they not going to 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. So the trumpet is there, isn't it? 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. The comfort is you're going to see him again someday. Now, here's the thing. Is Jesus going to come all the way down and pick me up and take me? No. It says that basically we'll be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So is he coming all the way down and getting us all the way to this earth and getting us? No. It says we're actually going to meet him there. Okay. That's why it said in Matthew 24 with the sound of the trumpet that he'll send forth his angels to gather his elect. Okay. Gather them unto him to meet him in the air. But look at verse 5. Tell me if this reminds you of what we just read in Matthew 24. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I write unto you, for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Just like in the days of Noah, he said they'll think it's peace and safety. And it says when they say, at the exact point that they say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief. So we're not going to be... It's not coming as a thief in the night to those that are saved, but to the unsaved it will be like a thief in the night, it says. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as do others, but let us watch and be sober. Watch for what? When you see all these things come to pass, know ye that it's nigh even at the doors. He says here, For they that sleep sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. And that's to obtain what by our Lord Jesus Christ? Salvation from what in that verse? Salvation from wrath. Is that true? Kind of like he that endureth the end, the same shall be saved from wrath. Because here's the thing, the Bible says, He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. God's wrath is not abiding on believers, God's wrath is abiding on unbelievers. So God has not appointed us to wrath. Is God going to pour out his wrath on us as believers? No, that's what we're saved from. That wrath culminates in hell, by the way. The Bible says that if any man take the mark of the beast, and worship his image, and receive the mark in his forehead or his hand, he said the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of any nation. And he shall be tormented day and night with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the holy... I get all excited. Shall be tormented with fire and brimstone day and night in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. Who is the Lamb? So is hell a separation from God? No. He said he'd be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the Lamb, and the smoke of their torment ascends up day and night, forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night who worship the beast and his image and whose whoever received it the mark of his name. Don't tell me hell is not eternal. He said it's forever. Smoke ascends up and their torment goes on forever and ever, and they have no rest day or night. Horrible place, hell is. And so the bottom line is here that we see that God's wrath is coming upon the world. It's coming upon those... eventually it's hell, but God's also going to pour out his wrath upon this earth. Now, look at Revelation chapter 6. You say, well, it's a lot to digest tonight. Well, you know what? Sometimes we need to get into the Word a little bit and get a lot of scriptures because, you know, there's too many of these churches that want to just get up and it's one verse, you know what I mean? It's one Bible verse, and then it's just blah, blah, preach the Word. You know, we need the Word here, and nobody... You can accuse me of a lot of things, and a lot of people have criticized a lot of things about me, but you know what? You can't say that I'm not preaching out of the Bible tonight. You know what I mean? You don't agree with something I'm preaching? Fine, but you know what? I'm preaching the Bible tonight, and I'm sick and tired of preachers not preaching the Bible, and I'm sick and tired of these great sermons, awesome sermons, and it's like one verse. And I like to hear people rant and rave, too, for 45 minutes. I like to rant and rave sometimes. Sometimes all this is for people who aren't even saying rant and rave about stuff that I like. You know, Alex Young? Anyway, you know, I like ranting and raving, but the bottom line is, my friend, that ain't preaching. And I can rant and rave with the best of them, but this is what I want to rant and rave about tonight, hundreds of verses. I've already read about 90 verses tonight, and we're not even done. There's more coming because we've got to preach the Bible, and people don't even know what I'm preaching tonight because they go to churches where the Bible isn't being preached. And there's a lot of great sermons, but you know what? This is what we need, the Word. Preach the Word, Timothy. Preach the Word, the incidences and attitudes. And so we need to get into the Word. And if you read the Word, you'd know what I'm talking about here. Because when I say 1 Thessalonians, you're like, okay, I know that part. But when I say Revelation 6, you know what's going on. God's people destroyed for lack of knowledge today. And so we need to get this. Look at Revelation 6. Now, it says, I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. Now, this is the opening of the first seal. Now, if you know a little bit about the book of Revelation, you'll know that nothing has really happened yet as far as prophetically in the book of Revelation. Chapter 1 is an introductory chapter where John is talking about how he's on Patmos. And he says, I, John, who also am your brother and companion in tribulation, was in the isle that is called Patmos for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. He explains how he was in the Spirit on the Lord's day and he heard a voice and Jesus comes to him. And he tells him, I'm going to tell you about things which are to come and things which shall be. And he basically, in chapters 2 and 3, gives some messages to churches that existed at that time. Seven churches in Asia. And by the way, those are seven literal real churches. And you know this universal church stuff. Hey, there's seven churches in that one place. So don't tell me there's only one universal church. No, this is a church and he's got a church that he goes to and other people have other churches. And you found a church in Pennsylvania. I mean, there's more than one church. A church is a assembly of believers, okay? So we've got these seven churches. Some of those churches had some really good attributes. Some of them had some bad attributes and he gives them a special message. I'm just bringing you up to speed, my friend, in book Revelation. Go to chapter 4, verse 1. We just got out of the car where he gives the messages to the churches in chapter 2 and 3. But in chapter 4 here, verse 1, it says, After this I looked, and behold, a door was opened in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me, which said, Come up hither and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. And immediately I was what? So let me ask you this. Did John physically go to heaven right there? Did he fit? Was he physically caught up to heaven? No. He was in the Spirit. Ezekiel had a similar experience. In the book of Ezekiel, the Bible says that the Spirit of the Lord came unto him and the Lord Jesus Christ actually appeared to him in the Old Testament. It described much the way he's described in Revelation, actually, in the book of Ezekiel. And the Bible says that he was in the Spirit. And he said that basically he was grabbed by the hair on his head and carried off in the Spirit. So he wasn't literally physically in the flesh. Here, what's the opposite of being in the Spirit? Being in the flesh. Remember Peter when he was let out of jail a couple weeks ago in Acts? We were going over it. He thought it was a vision. You remember that? And then once he got all the way out of the prison, he said, Oh wow, this is real. I'm out of jail. But do you remember how he thought it was a vision at first? He thought it was just a vision. Remember he had the vision where the sheep was let down with all the animals? So there are times when these prophets were just showing something in a vision. Not physically, literally. He did not physically. It's kind of like when Paul said at second Thessalonians 12. He said, I knew a man above 14 years ago, whether in the body or out of the body. I cannot tell. God knows how he was caught up to the third heaven. I was caught up to paradise. He said, I don't know. Was it in the body? Was it out of the body? But guess what? We do know here, don't we? Because it tells us right here. He said immediately I was in the Spirit and behold the throne was set in heaven. So basically he's transported in the Spirit up to heaven. Not physically. Not physically go to heaven. He went up in the Spirit and was shown these things. Now in chapter 4, he gives just a vision of everything he saw up there. He describes the throne. He describes the people praising God and the angels and the beasts and all these different things. Well in chapter 5 he just describes the fact that the lamb is there. First there's a book in God the Father's hand and then the lamb takes the book out of his hand. And all these 20 and 4 elders fall upon their faces and they're worshipping God saying, Thou art worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof. And it's just all this praise and adulation for God. So we don't really get into the actual action of events taking place yet. Chapter 1 through 5 are introductory as it were because we're having messages to churches. We're having John just describing what heaven looks like. And then we have in chapter 5 this talk about the book and the people praising God. And the people are basically bowing down and praising God and all these different things. Now you say who are the 20 and 4 elders? Well elder in the Bible means pastor. That's what it means. Hey you know what? I believe personally and I strongly believe this. It's going to be 24 pastors. Wouldn't it be cool to be in that group? I mean what an unbeliever. And I wouldn't even deign to even think that that's something that I would ever attain to. But that would be a good goal though to work at. Because I'm only 29 years old. So basically that would be something to work at. Jesus started his ministry when he was 30. John the Baptist started at 30. Maybe when I'm 30 I can just start. And if you can really think that these are 24 guys. Now that's going to be a pretty tough cut though isn't it? Out of all the thousands and tens of thousands of pastors. These are 24 guys that you would want to be as a pastor. I mean you'd love to be in that group. Better than being on stage here and now wouldn't it? You know a lot of pastors they love the glory. Now let me tell you something. Rick Warren is not one of them. He gets to hold the Bible for Obama. And then remember how Obama tried to give the oath of office but he stammered and stuttered. I think it was just because it came in the presence of the King James Bible. Because it was a King James Version that was held out to him by Rick Warren. It's probably the first one Rick Warren has ever touched in his life. But he held out to him the King James. And Obama was like... Because it was like when Dagon was confronted with the Ark of the Covenant. Remember when Dagon fell on his... It's like Obama with all the evil spirits and he's like... He just can't even talk. And then he went and redid the oath. Because they wanted to make sure he did the oath right. Because he stumbled it. He redid the oath in the White House without the Bible. Did you know that? Because I saw the video of him doing it without it. And he didn't have the Bible there. And then he was fine. He just fine. Without the Bible there. Hey Obama! So the bottom line is here... What is the bottom line? What are we talking about? Obama. Yeah, Obama. That's right. Let me tell that for a while. 24. Oh yeah, 24. Thanks. It's not going to be Billy Graham. It's not going to be Rick Warren. It's not going to be Joel Osteen. It's not going to be Luis Palau. It's not going to be these guys. Because these guys are compromised as a phony. We don't know who it's going to be. But man alive, that's a tough cut to make. Out of all the tens of thousands over history, to be one of those 24 elders would be pretty cool. So these guys have got a prime spot here. God's given them this honor of actually being there, right there, and praising God. Who are these guys? I don't know. Who are they? But what a privilege. You know, there's a guy later who gets to walk around showing John stuff. And John starts to worship him in Revelation 22. And he says, I'm thy fellow servant. I'm thy brother in the prophets. So maybe there's a 25th spot, like a runner up, where you could show people this stuff. So maybe I could sue for that spot 25 honorable mention. But that's pretty tough. I don't know. You know what? I joke around. Because I have the book of Revelation memorized. I joke around and say, I already know my lines. You know? You're kidding me. I know what to say. But I doubt I'll make it. But anyway, it's a cool thing to talk about, though. But anyway, it has nothing to do with the sermon. So chapter 6 here. And by the way, don't accuse me of being prideful and arrogant. I'm probably like number 1,025. I'm not trying to say that I'm one of the top 24. Not even close. But you know what? I will say this, though, by the way. I could be someday, because I can do all things through Christ with strength and amen. You know, I know I'm not there today. If it was today, it'd be like not even close. But you know what? I can keep growing. You can. By the way, young man, under the sound of my voice, that's not even a pastor. Hey, you may be a pastor today. Why don't you try to be one of these guys? Don't tell me that these 24 guys are some superhuman of another race. No. Let me tell you something. It's available. Preach the gospel. We have souls. We could all do great things for God, couldn't we? And I'll mention that these guys, it may not even be somebody that we've even heard of. You know what I mean? It could be some guy that's in a small town somewhere or something, but he's winning souls and knocking doors and filled with the Spirit and done great works for God. It could have been somebody hundreds of years ago that the history books don't even write about, because they're too busy writing about all the wicked people. And so we don't even know who. It might not be the big names that we're expecting. We expect it to be the big name guys. It's probably going to be nobody who's a big name, because the ones who are loved by the world are probably the big names, if you think about it. Who these guys are going to be. There's no sense speculating about it. But if I were a young guy listening to me preach right now, then I would say, you know what? Hey, I want to be that guy. Let's do it. I want to be you at the top. Run to win the prize, my friend. And so these guys are up in heaven. And you say, well, how are they up in heaven? Everybody who's ever been saved is up in heaven right now, by the way, just in case you didn't know that. I told you earlier about a guy who didn't know that. He was a pastor who had six years of Bible calls and didn't know that people go to heaven when they die. He thought they'd just sleep in the ground. But anyway, so when we get to chapter 6, we see the action begin with the seals being opened. So this is the first phase here, right? We haven't had any of the fire and brimstone yet. We haven't had any of the trumpets and the vials and any of that crazy. It hasn't even started yet, right? Just all introductory. Look at chapter 6, verse 1. And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see. And I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he that sat on him had a bow. This is like a bow and arrow, by the way. And a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. Now, when people conquer, did you know that there's killing involved? It's war, right? I mean, you don't just conquer by saying, I'm here. The conquistadors, which is Spanish for conquer, you know, they're killing a bunch of people. I mean, it's warfare. Think of the great conquerors, Genghis Khan, Philip of Macedonia, Alexander the Great. They're wicked people, okay? They were people who were brutal killers that went in and just leveled cities and took over and burned it there. You know, Julius Caesar, right? You know, you go down the line, Napoleon. These aren't good guys, by the way. But Adolf Hitler was a conqueror. You know, he's conquering all his, you know, and thank God he's destroyed. But it says in verse 3, And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat there on to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. And there was given unto him a great sword. Now, what is that? Warfare, right? Take peace from the earth, warfare. So the first seal is a conqueror. The second seal is warfare, okay? Killing one another. The sword, death. He says in verse 5, When he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld a little black horse, and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny, and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. What is that? Famine. A penny in the Bible is a day's wages. Remember Jesus? He told the parable, I'll pay you a little penny a day. A day's wages for a measure of wheat? How much is a day's wages? Depending on how much you make. 50 bucks, 100 bucks, 200 bucks? Are any of those what you want to pay for a measure of wheat? You want to have three measures of barley and have it cost you 100 bucks? Have it cost you 200 bucks or whatever? These are food prices through the roof because of famine, because of a lack of supply. Supply goes down. Demand goes up. The price goes through the roof. And there have been times in history where people had to bring a whole wheelbarrow of money to get a loaf of bread and everything, this hyperinflation that's happened in different places. So he says here, in the third seal, it's food prices that are a day's wages just for some wheat, just for some flour to make bread with you. Well, how big of a measure? I don't care how big a measure is. I'm not paying 100 bucks for a measure of flour or a measure of wheat. That's a lot of money. Okay? And yeah, obviously, okay, if it's some giant bag, honey, don't give me a weird look. Okay, so everybody understand the first three seals? War, war, famine, okay? Conqueror, war, famine. Look at the next one. Look at the next one. It says, when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, come and see it. I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And his name that sat on him was Death, and hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword. Did we already see that? Hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. Now, has anything supernatural happened yet? Is there anything supernatural about the conqueror? Is there anything supernatural about warfare? Is there anything supernatural about famine? Is there anything supernatural about death by sword, hunger, and the beasts of the earth? Beasts of the earth are what? Animals. And I think this could also be referring to germs. You know, because earlier he talked about famine and pestilence and warfare. Germs are beasts. Science only recently figured that out. The Bible already knew that. And it could also be wild animals, of course. But it says, And when they had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls. Did he see the bodies? No. I saw the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true? How many cried with a loud voice? Because they cried with a loud voice. How long, O Lord, holy and true that thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them. And it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were should be fulfilled. Now let me ask you this. Who is killing God's people in that verse? Who's killing them? Them that dwell on the earth, right? So are these human beings that are killing God's people? Yeah, as in they're beheaded for preaching the word, for believing in Christ. They're beheaded for that, like their head was cut off, okay? By the way, the guillotine is what's used to cut people's heads off. I'm not trying to be graphic for sake of children or anything, but the Bible says beheaded, and, you know, my children are here, and I'm glad they're hearing the word of God. But the Bible says, you know, but basically the guillotine was invented in 1793 in France as a humane way of putting people to death because it's quick and because it's efficient, so they could put mass amounts of people to death in the reign of terror, which I alluded to earlier. So we see here mass beheading. Who's doing the beheading according to the Bible? Them that dwell on the earth. So wicked people are putting God's people to death. They're cutting their heads off. And the people are mad. Even once they get up to heaven, they're still mad, saying, where are you going to punish these people who killed us? And cut off, right? And he said, hey, just relax, guys. Rest yet for a little season. Here's a white robe to tide you over, you know? And just take it easy, because there's other fellow servants that are going to be killed like you, and we're waiting for that to be... But he said it's just going to be a short time, guys. We're almost there. Anything supernatural yet? Any fire coming out of the sky? Any water being turned into blood? No. But that's coming. Look what you see next. Verse 12. Tell me if this is supernatural. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, which she has shaken on a mighty wind. Are we supernatural now? Yeah. Oh, yeah. And now the sun and moon are darkened. The stars are falling from the sky. That's a supernatural occurrence. He says the heavens departed as a scroll when it is rolled together. Remember, it is well with my soul? That alludes to that in the words there. It says, And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. This is extreme. This is bigger than what happened in Japan. This is every mountain and island shaken by this earthquake. This is worldwide earthquake. This is sun and moon darkened. This is stars falling from the sky. The sky, the atmosphere rolling back as a scroll. And every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And what's the reaction? Is the reaction, I knew we shouldn't have destroyed the environment. Why did we not drive a hybrid? Is that the reaction? No. They know what's happening. Tell me if these people know or do not know what's happening. And the kings of the earth, and the brave men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the what? The wrath of the land. For the great day of his wrath is come. And who shall be able to stand? Now I'm going to pull out the non-inspired version tonight here. The NIV. Okay. And I'm going to hand it to brother Garrett here in the front row. I want you to look up Revelation 6 here because I want to make an important point tonight. Read Revelation 6 verse 17, brother Garrett. I know it's hard to find because of how deceptive they are. They changed the verse numbers around because they don't want you to notice that they removed 16 whole verses. So they do it in paragraph form to try to mask that. But if you can find it there, it's the last verse in chapter 6, so it should be easy to find. Revelation 6, 17. Read it for us nice and loud from the no-inspired-verses version. 6, 17. Just 17. For the great day of their wrath has come. He said for the great day of their wrath has come and who can stand? Now, there are a few different changes there, but the big change I want to do is the great day of their wrath has come. What does the King James version say? Is come. Now even the New King James is going to change this. Has all these inversion. You say, well, what is the difference between has come? Well, if I said this, if I said, you know what? My wedding day has come and gone. You know, I was married over 10 years ago. That's a past participle. That's past, total past. Has come, it already happened. It's something that already happened. It could have been 10 years ago. It could have been yesterday. It could have been today. It might have been right now, but it was probably in the past. It has come three years ago. It has come. If I say, hey, he's come to our church before, that might have been weeks ago or months ago. But what if I said, my wedding day is come? What does that mean? It's today. Is that what it means? It's today. But see, the NIV doesn't like that. The NIV changes that for you. Not today, it has come. But you see, the Bible here, if you were a King James, who believes the King James Bible is the word of God? Amen. So, therefore, according to this, the day of his wrath did not come at some earlier time. They said, ah, you know, it's coming. It's here. Hide us. Rocks are not for us. The great day of his wrath is come. So did it come before that? No. Because let me tell you something. The warfare was not God's wrath. That was man. That's man conquering. That's man killing each other. That's man raising the food price. That's man beheading God's people. But now it's God. God darkened the sun. God darkened the moon. God made the stars fall out of the sky. And they see God. Does it not say that they see the Lamb? They see the Lamb. They see the Lord Jesus Christ, and they don't want to face it. Hide us from the wrath of the Lamb. He's angry. This is his wrath. They're not going to be wondering, what is this? What's happening? It looks to me like they know what's happening. At least they comprehend something's happening here. It's not environment. It's not just an earthquake. Chapter 7, verse 1. And after these things, again, not before these things. This is not just, it's not chronological. But this part is. Because it says after these things. I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God. And he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God and their foreheads. Have the trees and the earth been hurt yet, as far as damaged? No. They saw him coming. They see the sky being blackened, as far as no sun, no moon, no stars. They see Christ come in the clouds, or it doesn't mention the clouds, but it says they see the Lamb, okay? They basically are begging for mercy. There's an earthquake taking place. But, he says before, these four angels who are tasked with destroying trees and grass and earth, they're not environmentalists. God has ordained these four angels to destroy every green thing. Okay, so they're not greenies. They're not the Green Party, okay? But he says, wait, before you do that, we have to seal the servants of our God and their foreheads. And he seals these 144,000 of the tribes of Israel, right? 12,000 from each tribe. I'll spare you the rundown of the tribe of Judah. We're sealed 12,000. The tribe of Reuben, we're sealed 12,000. Okay, a little past that, because I'll spare you that rundown. It's just a rundown. We'll go to the end of verse 8, the final of the tribe of Benjamin. We're sealed 12,000. After this, are we still chronological? After this, I beheld at a low of great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne and before the land, 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 unto the land. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne, their hearts, faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, and thanksgiving, in honor and power of Mike, be unto our God forever and ever, Amen. And one of the elders, remember the 24 elders? One of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? And whence came they? Whence came they means, where did they come from? How many are there? How many people just showed up? It can't be numbered. It was so great, and it was from every language, every kindred, every name. He said, no man can number it. Now that's a pretty amazing statement, since it's just two chapters earlier, in chapter five, he numbered a number 10,000 times 10,000, and thousands of thousands. What's the math? 10,000 times 10,000, 100 million, and thousands of thousands. Basically a minimum of 102 million. And he's counted. So if he can count 102 million, it's a lot more than 102 million. This is a number that nobody can number. It's so huge. It's of all nations. Now, whence came they? Have they been there all along? They just showed up, and the elder is like, whoa, where did these people come from? Who are they, and where did they come from? And I said unto him, sir, that'll know us. Don't ask me. You're going to give me the tour here. I don't know. And he says, yeah, I was just messing with you anyway, because he tells him, 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 this temple, and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light 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. And when he had opened the seventh seal, keep reading, right? Verse 1. There was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. So right after that, he opens the seventh seal. Half hour goes by. That's not very long, is it? And I saw the seven angels which stood before God, and to them were given seven trumpets. And another angel came and stood at the altar having a golden censer. And for the sake of time, it says in verse 5, the angel took the censer, filled it with fire at the altar, and cast it into the earth. And there were voices and thunderings and lightnings in an earthquake. Verse 7, the first angel sounded, and there followed it. Hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth. And the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was broke. Are the trees being heard now? Yes. Is the earth being heard? Is this a supernatural event that God is doing? Yes. He's pouring out. I mean, hail doesn't come from the sky mingled with fire and blood. Can you imagine a hail, fire, and blood raining out of the sky? Do you think people are going to be wondering what's happening? Where is everybody? You know, this is the Tim LaHaye, who, by the way, is a pervert. He wrote a pornography book. This is Tim LaHaye and Kirk Cameron and the world and the charismatic that will tell you this image of everybody. He said, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. And then all of a sudden, just everybody disappears, and it's like, where is everybody? Look, we just read like 160 verses of the Bible. Can somebody tell me when we read that part? Did you see anything like that? No. No. You don't see where is everybody. You see, I don't care where they're at. Hide me from the face of the wrath of the lamb. I'm getting under the patio cover. You know, I don't care where you disappeared to. And it's funny how these people with this Hollywood Left Behind series, you know, it's like everybody's going or something. You know, there's all these cars crashing, all these airplanes. There aren't that many people. I mean, how many of the airplane pilots are really saved? But all the planes are crashing and everything. You know what I mean? To give an image like there's just tons of people who are saved. You know, and all these people are disappearing out of church. You know, most churches, you know, if they were in church when this was happening, they'd all, you know, still be there. You know, down at the Lutheran church or whatever. Amen. You know what I mean? But the bottom line is they aren't going to be in church because they're going to be outside looking up at the sky because they're going to wonder why it's pitch black in darkness and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds. Look at Revelation 10. You see this secret rapture. Shh, don't tell anybody. In fact, I'm not even supposed to be talking about it. You know, the secret rapture. Shh, it'll be a secret. The trumpet is going to be like a dog whistle. You know how a dog whistle, only dogs can hear it? This is like a Christian whistle. You know, and we as Christians are like, you know? No. It says in Revelation, did I tell you to turn to Revelation 1? And this is why it's so important to have a King James Bible. You know, you've got these birds that change words around. They'll change if it has come. That changes it. You know, that's like saying that God's wrath had already been poured out. No, God's wrath has not poured out until after the rapture, my friend. God doesn't pour out his wrath before the rapture. He said, whoa there, tiger. You know, don't burn the trees and earth until we first seal these 144,000, which are the children of Israel, okay? And then we're also going to have this great multitude appear in heaven from every nation so big no hammer because they just arrived, okay? And it's the exact timing described in Matthew 24. The trumpet's down, boom, they're up there. You know, before God pours out his wrath and rains fire and damnation and hell and earth, okay? Because that is something that takes place after the rapture, okay? But in Revelation 1, verse 7, it says, Behold, he cometh with clouds. Again, what is the verb tense here? And I'm not saying to go back to the Greek. I mean, to the Greek. What is the verb tense here? He cometh. What's the verb tense? Somebody help me out. He cometh with clouds, present tense. He comes with our modern day vernacular. He comes with clouds. He is coming, present tense. He cometh, okay, with clouds. So, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him, even so, amen. Did we see that in Revelation 6? Yeah, we saw the wailing hide us. But hold on a minute. People will try to say, well, verse 7, that's talking about after he's poured out all his wrath, when he comes for Armageddon. That's what they'll say. Like, when he comes for Armageddon in Revelation 19, which is years after the rapture, okay, you know, that's when that's talking about. But hold on a second. Why would he be in present tense then? You know, it's not that this is, well, first he's going to come before this, and it's going to be a big secret, and nobody's going to see it. You know, then he comes in the clouds, and everybody sees him. That's not what it is. Get real, my friend. I mean, look, there are two kinds of people in this world. Those who care what this book says, and those who just care. Well, this is what I believe, and I don't really care what you say. Look, it said right there, when he comes, he's coming in the clouds, and every eye's going to see him. And they also which pierced him, and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of them, even so, amen. He's coming in the clouds, and everybody's going to see him. Left behind series is a lie. You know, does that surprise you? Is it made by Baptists? Is it made by a soul named believer? No, it's made by Hollywood, or, you know, whatever. Kirk Cameron was the leading. I don't even know. I haven't watched it. I haven't read it, but I've seen. I picked up the book and read like two pages of it in the middle. I just opened it and read it, and it's just all this liberal, neo-evangelical. I'm just going to read it. I want this. And, hey, if that book's right, then why is it so popular? What's popular? If you go down to the Christian bookstore, the number one book on this place by Sarah Palin at the front door over here in Mesa. And you know what's just to the left of it? George Bush. Those are what's popular. Those are the best sellers down at the Balaamite bookstore. But you know what? You think they're going to put a book by some leather-lung, independent, fundamental Baptist down at the Balaamite bookstore? There's no way. And so that book is popular because it's a lie, because it doesn't offend any Charismatics or false Protestant whatevers. You know, they'll read it and think it's fine. That's why it's popular. That's why I don't read it. And Kirk Cameron's preaching another gospel, by the way, which is Way of the Master, which is not the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is not faith alone for salvation. It's the gospel of turn over a new leaf. That's what it is. It's this thing of, you know, oh, turn from all your sins. And you see them preach this, and they're telling you, you've got to turn from that. You've got to turn from your sins. And you say, hey, I saw him turn from all mine. How are you doing? And I'm a believer, okay? But let me just finish up. I know I'm preaching long tonight, but you know, I usually don't preach long. And he inspired me to preach long. Blame him. Because before the service, he's like, well, I told my brother who's picking me up, you know, I don't know when it's going to get over, because it just gets over when we're done. So it's his fault. He was sending him out for service. I'm just turning to two more places. Second Thessalonians chapter two real quick. So I'm blaming him for preaching long. Because I usually, you know, I usually don't preach long. Hey, would you rather listen to long preaching or like boring special music that lasts for an hour? You know what I mean? That's boring. Amen. That is boring. You know, I'd rather, you know, spend the time preaching. I don't even know where I'm turning. Second Thessalonians chapter two. I'm filibustering tonight. This is the Senate of faith for a Baptist Senate. But Senate, I'm almost done. But Second Thessalonians chapter two, it says in verse one, Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us is that the day of Christ is at hand. Don't let anybody tell you that. Let no man deceive you by any means, for that day shall not come. And somebody said, Well, that day shall not come. That's an italic, so we can ignore that. Well, no. It's still part of the Bible. Except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition. Now, somebody tried to tell me recently, and I've had a lot of people. This is what I've been hearing a lot lately. I've heard this from several different people. They said, See that falling away right there? That's the rapture. Now, let's all laugh for a second, get out of our system. Which way do things usually fall, Isaac Newton? Hey, Isaac Newton, which way do they fall? They fall up or down? Down. Which way are we going in the rapture? Up. Okay, thank you. No further questions, your honor. Look, if it's a falling away, then it's the rapture. And guess what? The Bible uses the word falling away and fall away many times, and it's always talking about people turning from the faith. Like earlier we read one of them. You know, in times of temptation, they fall away, people fall away because of persecution. Then he said in Hebrews 6, you know, if they fall away, it's impossible to renew them into repentance, seeing they crucify the son of God of bread. The word fall away is used throughout the Bible about people departing from the faith. These people, they go back to the Greek. Turn there in your NIV, I mean, in the NIV there. Okay, don't bring the NIV again. I'm just kidding. But anyway, they'll say, but if you go back to the Greek, the Greek word means a departure, and so it's like a departure from this earth. But I want to say, basically what you're saying is that King James is wrong. Because King James says fall, and fall is always a bad thing in the Bible. It's never good to fall in the Bible. It's always bad, and it's always down, okay? And they'll say, but if you go back to the Greek, it's a departure. But what they fail to tell you is that the Greek word is apostasia. Now, what does that sound like? The English word apostasy. So did we really have to go back to the Greek? No. Because we could have just looked around the King James, oh yeah, falling away, departing from the faith. That's what apostasy is. This is not the rapture. This is a falling away, as in people turning from the faith. He said in the latter times, some shall depart from the faith and give heed to seducing spirits. So we saw that in Matthew 24, people were falling away. They were offended, remember? They were betraying one another, hating one another. That's going to happen first, and, do you see the word and after first, in verse three? And that man of sin be revealed before the day of Christ, the son of perdition, who opposeth and exalted himself above all that is called God, that is worshipped, so that he has God sit at the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. That's got to happen first. So, when you see an earthquake, that doesn't mean we're living in the end times. Now, I do think that these are ramping up as we get towards it. When you see these huge earthquakes, when you see warfare, I mean, did you know that the United States, some of you don't follow the news, did you know that we're at war with a new country now? Who knows that? We're now attacking Libya right now. Our troops are flying over Libya, and I know that some missiles, I don't know all the details, but I know that we're firing missiles into Libya right now, and that's all because Libya attacked us. Oh, oh yeah, I forgot, they didn't. Oh yeah, I forgot, they never did anything to us. Oh yeah, I forgot, now we just bomb people. Because we get involved in other people's strife, and we take a dog by the ears, as the Bible says. And so, yeah, we're bombing another country. And you know, there's warfare on literally almost every continent right now. I mean, seriously. The whole Middle East is rising up, and there's war in Libya. It's a civil war, Libya. All one crowd's on the east side, the other crowd's on the west side. It's a civil war. We're in on the action with our globalist leaders, the United Nations. It's funny, Obama's like, I'm not sure where I'm going to do this. And then the United Nations says, we're going in to enforce this thing in Libya. And Obama's like, we're going in. We're enforcing the United Nations. Because that's his boss. That's his globalist puppet master, okay? And so it's a one world government that you see develop here in the United Nations. And so basically, warfare's everywhere. I do believe that that shows that we are getting closer. But is it, are we there yet? You know, we don't, we could be. I mean, this conflict that's going on right now could be the first shots in what Jesus talked about when he said, nation rising against nation. It could be. But he said, you don't know for sure until you see that abomination of desolation spoken up by Daniel the prophet. He says, until you see that, this could just be another drill. You know, this could be another one. And so that falling away happens and that happens before the day of Christ, before his gathering. So look, I'm sorry. You can label me whatever you want and tell me that, you know, you're not preaching the mainstream from an old Baptist. I don't really care. That's not, I didn't see that on the sign on the way in. You know what? I don't care if 99% of independent fundamental Baptists are going to lie and say the Raps are going to happen at any moment. You know, they can say that all they want. The Bible says they're lying and second Thessalonians chapter two. I don't care what they say. It said after the tribulation, the sun and moon will be darkened. Christ will come in the clouds. Then he pours out his wrath. You know, but they're hung up and think, oh God's not going to pour out his wrath. Of course he's not going to pour out his wrath on us. But you know what? That doesn't mean that it can happen at any moment. So hang tight. Don't be troubled. Fear none of those things. Jesus said, fear not. You know, don't live your life in panic. This is the tribulation. This is it. It's about to happen. You know what? It might not happen for another hundred years. Now look, it could happen in our lifetime. It probably will happen in our lifetime. At least those of us who are younger. But you know what? It may not happen for another 200 years, my friend. So don't get caught up in all the hysteria sometimes. But you know, be sober, be vigilant. Watch. All right, let's end up with a prayer. Father, thank you so much for your word and the guidance that it gives us, dear God, and the clear message. It's really clear, dear God, what you've taught us, and I appreciate that. And Father, we are living in perilous times. I pray that you keep us safe. There's a lot of natural disasters happening and earthquakes and nuclear meltdowns and all the other different things, dear God. Please just keep us safe and guard us and help us to stay right with you, dear God, and help us just to really focus on soul winning and just winning people to Christ because that's really what we need to be doing in these last days no matter what the timetable is. We know that that's always going to be the right thing to do. So let's win souls, and we thank you and praise you for the great day we've had. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.