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Mark 13, we read the critical passage of Jesus preaching on his own second coming. If you look at the beginning of the passage in verse number 4, it says, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed, lest any man deceive you, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And he begins to explain the events of the tribulation. And go to Matthew 24, if you would, we're going to come back to Mark 13 in a moment. But you see, in the New Testament, we start out with Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, which are known as the four Gospels. And really, that's Jesus Christ's earthly ministry, how he went about doing good, he showed signs and wonders, he preached the Gospel, he preached the Word of God, he fulfilled the Old Testament, he did not destroy the law or the prophets, but he fulfilled them. And the Old Testament was pointing forward to Jesus Christ's ministry, his death on the cross, his burial, his resurrection. The rest of the New Testament just builds upon what Jesus Christ taught and preached while he was on this earth. And Jesus Christ taught the doctrines that we need, I mean, taught salvation. You'll find the doctrine of faith alone for salvation throughout Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. You'll find all these various doctrines, and it's very clearly laid out, his second coming. The doctrine of what's going to happen at the end of the world, what's going to happen. And really, just revelation and other passages that Paul wrote are just building upon what's already here, clearly, in Matthew 24 and Mark 13. And I'm going to preach on one specific aspect of this, but look at Matthew 24, just at the very beginning. It says in verse number 3, And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came on him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And he basically explains to them the order of events, what's going to happen. He says, you know, you're going to see this happen. It's not yet. First, there's going to be these wars and rumors wars, earthquakes. There will be people coming saying, I'm Jesus Christ, claiming to be the second coming. He said, be not deceived, and on and on. But I want to preach about just one word in this chapter, whether it be Mark 13, whether it be Matthew 24. And it's really the key word that people will use to try to attack the clear teaching of this passage, because this passage couldn't be any clearer, my friend. It's very clear. It flies in the face of what most Baptists are teaching. It flies in the face of evangelical Christianity tonight, but the Bible is clear. It doesn't matter what anybody's teaching. This is what it says. This is the part that people have a problem with. Look at Matthew 24, 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 from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. It says in verse 36, but of that day and hour knoweth no man, know not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. And he says in verse number 40, 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. So this is clearly talking about the rapture. It's talking about Jesus Christ coming in the clouds, the trumpet sounds, and he sends forth his angels to gather together his elect from the uttermost part of the earth, it said in Mark 13, to the uttermost part of heaven. Okay, from one end of heaven to the other, gather together all of the elect, and they're caught up together to be with. Now, people will try to say this isn't the rapture, because they don't want to believe that it's the rapture, because they already have decided in their mind, oh, the rapture can happen at any moment, and it's before the tribulation, it's pre-tribulation rapture. And yet the Bible says rightly or clearly, after, and I always say to this people, when did Jesus teach on the rapture then? I mean, this is the only time that he really goes into it. You know, Matthew 24, Luke 17, Luke 21, Mark 13, I mean, it's all saying the same thing. It's all preaching the same doctrine. It's all saying after the tribulation. But they'll say it's not the rapture, but yet they'll go to these parts where he says, no man knoweth the day or the hour, and say, see, nobody knows when the rapture's going to take place. It's like, wait a minute, I thought this isn't the rapture. And really, whenever you try to show this to people, you know, you're just trying to warn them. You're just trying to show them the truth and say, look, this is coming. The events in this book are coming to pass, and you will be here. I don't care if you're saved or unsaved for the tribulation. We're not talking about God's wrath being poured out. That happens after the tribulation. We're talking about God's people being persecuted. We're talking about the anti-Christ. We're talking about all these different things. And I'm not going to go into that. I just want to preach on that one word tonight. My sermon is titled this, Who Are the Elect? Because the knee-jerk reaction when you try to show this to somebody, they're trying to find some way to negate what the scripture says here. So they say, oh, the elect, that's not talking about Christians. That's just talking about the Jews. And this passage is just written to the Jews, has nothing to do with Christians and so forth. Now, wait a minute. You heard Brother Dave read the scripture. The last verse of the chapter said what in Mark 13? I say unto you, I say unto all. Watch. It doesn't sound like it's being written to a specific group of people. And it's funny how you talk to Baptists and you show them the Great Commission where Jesus took his disciples and said, go ye therefore and teach all nations and baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, the Holy Ghost. And you ask them, who is this referring to? Who is he talking to? Who is he talking to when he's talking to these disciples? They say the church. That was the first church. He's talking to the church. He's telling the church to go on with. And then you talk to them about communion, also known as the Lord's Supper. And you remember when Jesus Christ was in the upper room with his eleven disciples and he broke the bread and gave it to them. And they say, see, communion is for the church. He was up there just with the church. But here when Jesus is alone with his eleven disciples, they say, oh, those disciples represent Israel, not the church. That doesn't make any sense. But you see, it's the hypocrisy of someone who just wants to keep preaching and believing a lie that is not taught in the scripture anywhere, that says Jesus can come at any moment before the tribulation, we'll all be out of here, and so forth. But let's analyze this tonight. And I'm preaching a whole sermon, and that was all just to explain why I'm preaching the sermon. But what we're going to do is we're going to look at all sixteen times that the word elect is used in Bible. It's used in sixteen different places. We will look at those sixteen places, and I will show you that none of them is referring to the nation of Israel. Not even one. The term elect is referring to believers in Jesus Christ. The word elect means chosen. You think about what it means to elect the president. You're choosing. That's what elect means. And when the Bible talks about God's elect, it's talking about God's chosen people. And I've got news for you, it's not Israel. It's not the Jews. I mean, we're going to look at it tonight. And don't go into this with a preconceived idea. Just look at the sixteen Scriptures with me. We're going to look at all the New Testament mentions. Then we're going to go look at all the Old Testament mentions. And I'm going to show you that none of these are referring to the nation of Israel. Let's start right here where we're at in Matthew 24. This is the first time the word elect is used in the New Testament. Now, even if it's not, even without going into this, I mean, come on. It's Jesus. He's in the clouds. There's a trumpet. And people will try to say, oh, when Jesus comes, the Lord himself will descend. And here it says that the angels will gather his elect. No, it says we'll be caught up together with him in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Let's look at the first time elect is mentioned. Matthew 24, look at verse 21. 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 boy, that's a scary thought, isn't it? This is going to be the worst trouble, the worst tribulation, the worst persecution and affliction that this world has ever seen, and it's coming. And don't be lied to by Mr. Charismatic. Don't be lied to by Tim LaHaye. And don't even be lied to by these independent fundamental Baptists that'll tell you, oh, don't worry, you won't be here. Well, let's see what the Bible says. He said in verse 22, and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Now, that's the first mention of elect. Look at the next verse. Then, if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Let me ask you something. According to Matthew 24, 24, is it possible for the elect to be deceived by false Christs and false prophets? No. So the first time we see elect mentioned in the New Testament, right away, this can't be the nation of Israel because they are the most deceived people in the world. They don't believe in Christ. They follow false prophets because every rabbi is a false prophet. The Bible says in 1 John 2, who is a liar, but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ. He is antichrist that denieth the Father and the Son. And it says this, whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father. A rabbi says, I don't believe in Jesus. He doesn't worship the Father, because if you deny the Son, you don't have the Father. But he that acknowledges the Son hath the Father also. So, according to the Bible, every Jewish rabbi is a false teacher and a false prophet. And he's preaching another Christ, another Messiah that they think is still coming. So can the elect in Matthew 24 be talking about the nation of Israel if he says the elect will not be deceived and yet the Jews are the most deceived nation that there is, worshipping a false religion of rabbinical Judaism? It's not them. The only people who you could say will never be deceived by false Christs and false prophets is a born again child of God with the Holy Spirit living inside of him. That's why they won't be deceived, because the Holy Spirit will guide them into all truth. And so the elect cannot be referring the nation of Israel in Matthew 24, because it's referring to people who will not follow a false teacher and a false Christ. Jesus said, my sheep hear my voice. He said, a stranger will they not follow. Let me get the exact quote. It says, the sheep follow him, for they know his voice, and a stranger they will not follow, but will flee from him, for they know not the voice of strangers. John 10.27, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me, and I give unto them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall any man collect them out of my hand. Look at Mark 13. Let's look at the second mention of the elect. So right there in Matthew 24, he said the elect will not be deceived by false prophets and false Christs. And then he says, hey, after the tribulation, the sun and moon are going to be darkened, Jesus is going to come in the clouds, the trumpet is going to sound, and he's going to gather those elect. Talking about the Jews? No, we're talking about believers in Christ. We're talking about believers. Let's look at the second mention, Mark 13. Same thing. We'll look at verse 22. For false Christs and false prophets shall arise, and shall show signs and wonders to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. I mean, these guys will be so smooth, so believable, that if it were possible, the elect would be deceived by them. But you know what? Those who believe on Jesus Christ and have the Holy Spirit decided will not be deceived by some fake Jesus Christ. They know who the real Christ is. And so that's the same thing. Let's look at the third mention in the New Testament, Luke 18. Go to Luke, chapter 18. You say, well, you're just giving a one-sided viewpoint of this. No, I'm going to every single mention in the Bible of the word elect. I mean, how can we get any more balanced than that? I mean, we're looking at the whole picture. We're not taking things out of context here. We're looking at every reference to the word elect. Look at Luke 18, 17. It says this, and shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them. So according to Luke 18, 17, whoever the elect are, they're people who are crying out to God day and night, and he is hearing and answering their prayer and avenging them. Now, how could that be referring to an unbeliever? Is it referring to a certain nationality? No, it's basically just referring to believers in Christ who cry out to him, he answers their prayer. See, God doesn't hear the prayer of the unbeliever. But he hears the cry of his people, and I preached on that in the book of Psalms. I showed a lot of scriptures on that. So that's clear. We're talking about people who are saved. Now, could some Jews be saved? Sure, absolutely. But are they of the elect because they're Jew? Or are they of the elect because they're saved? You know what I mean? They're saved, that's why. Look if you would at Romans chapter 4. I'm going to prove to you that Gentiles are referred to as elect throughout the New Testament with some of these. So we went through the first three. Let's look at the fourth one, Romans 8. Fourth chapter in the New Testament that mentions it. Romans 8, 33 says this. Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies it. So according to Romans 8, 33, someone who's elect is one who's justified, right? How about Romans 3, 24? Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. So in order to be the elect, you're justified. Justified is another word for saved, redeemed, child of God, Christian. So so far we've been consistent, right? The first four mentions have clearly pointed to Christians. Look at the fifth mention, Romans 9. Look at Romans chapter 9, verse 11. And I'm going to call mention number 5, I'm going to combine Romans 9 through 11 because it's really one passage. And they both teach the same thing. Look at Romans 9, 11. It says, For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to what? Election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth. So is election by works? No. Look at Romans 11, 5. You'll see the same thing, Tom. It says in Romans 11, 5, Even so then, at this present time also, there is a remnant according to the election of grace. And if by grace, then is it no more of works? Was that consistent with what we just saw in Romans 9? The election is not of works. Now he says, it's of grace, and if it be by grace, verse 6, then it is no more of works. Otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace? Otherwise work is no more work. What then? Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. So what does that tell you right there? Is Israel the elect? Nope. He said right there, Israel did not obtain. Israel is blinded. The elect has obtained it, the rest were blinded. Now here he's talking about a believing remnant of Jews that are saved. But Israel as a whole has been blinded. Israel as a nation does not believe on Jesus Christ. I mean, do you know what percentage of Israel is believing on the true Jesus Christ of the Bible? I mean, it's not even 1% that shows up and says, we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. The nation of Israel is worshipping in a totally different religion that 1 John says is anti-Christ. Jesus looked at them and said, you know, you're not the children of Abraham. You're your father of the devil, because they were not believing on Jesus Christ. They didn't believe in the books of Moses either, as they claimed to. He said, if you believe Moses, you believe in me. He wrote of me. So the bottom line is that here in verse 7, Israel can't be the elect. They're contrasted against the elect. And who is he writing to in the book of Romans? Jews or Gentiles? Gentiles, right, because it's written to the Romans. So in Romans 8, he's giving them encouragement, saying, who shall weigh anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies. Then he said, if God be for us, who could be against us? Who's the us? Paul and the Romans, who are Gentiles, being referred to as the elect, God's people. Not the fact that you're a Jew, but that you're a believer in Jesus Christ makes you the elect. So we've seen the first five mentions. It's been consistent, hasn't it? Look at Colossians 3, 12. Here's the sixth mention in the New Testament. Now, I can't figure out how people can say, oh, it's Israel. Oh, yeah, the elect, that's Israel. I'm not seeing it, my friend. Maybe if you see it later, you can tell me. Look at Colossians 3, verse 11. Colossians 3, 11. Where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcision nor uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, bond nor free, but Christ is all and in all, put on, therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness and longsuffering. Who is he writing to? Who's the book of Colossians written to? The church in Colossae, he's writing to 100% Gentiles. He's writing to a Gentile city, and he's telling them, you're the elect, and right before he said, you're the elect, he said, there is no Jew nor Gentile, circumcision nor uncircumcision. He said, it's just whether you're in Christ is what matters. And he says, put on, therefore. Now, in Colossians 3, 12, what is the therefore referring to? Therefore is combining something previously said. He said, because there is neither Jew nor Gentile, because circumcision availeth nothing but a new creature in Jesus Christ, because it's not about whether you're Jewish or Israeli or circumcised or uncircumcised, put on, therefore, as the elect of God, because you are the elect of God, because if you're saved, you're God's chosen people, whether you're Jew or Gentile. Clear, isn't it? Let's look at the next one. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4. A few pages to the right in your Bible. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4. Again, not written to the Jews, written to a Gentile city. Thessalonica is in Macedonia, modern day Greece or Macedonia, depending on where they draw the line. They're always cutting up the world over there and putting different people in power. Macedonia, northern Greece, pretty much. Just north of Achaea, which is what the Bible calls Greece. He says in 1 Thessalonians 1, 4, Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God, speaking to Gentile believers. Couldn't be any clearer. Let's go to the next mention. Let me turn the page here. The 8th mention in the New Testament, look at 2 Timothy 2, verse 10. 2 Timothy 2, 10. So far, it's been easy to prove in every case that the elect are Christians. He said, hey, it's not of works. And by the way, is Judaism a religion of faith alone for salvation or is it works? It's works. The nation of Israel has not obtained salvation because they sought it by works. Paul said this, brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel, Romans 10, 1, is that they might be saved. For I bear the record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they, being ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves under the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth. He said they're trying to do it by works. They're trying to have their own righteousness. And guess what? There's no righteous, no not one. And they're not going to make it. 2 Timothy 2, 10. Therefore I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. Anything there to indicate that this is any different group than we've seen the last seven Scriptures that we looked at? Anything here saying it's the Jews, it's Israel? No indication whatsoever. Look at Titus 1. Just look over a few pages. Titus chapter 1. This is the ninth mention. And look, talk about fair and balanced. We're leaving no stone unturned. We're looking at every mention. Look at Titus 1, 1. All a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the what? Faith of God's elect. That's what they believe. According to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth which is after Godliness, according to the ninth mention, whoever the elect are, they're people who have their faith in the right place. That's Jesus Christ. And they are those which acknowledge the truth. Now, is the nation of Israel today fitting in that category? Believing, acknowledging the truth, having their faith on Jesus Christ. But does this verse apply to Christians? Did the other eight mentions that we read all apply to believers and Christians? Absolutely. Look at the next mention, 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 2. You see how consistent this is? Every mention in the New Testament is clearly referring to believers. Some of them are 100% Gentile. But it's just believers in general, whether they be Jew or Gentile. That's not the point. As was indicated in Colossians 3, 11, and 12. Look at 1 Peter 1, 2. Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers... What is a stranger? Somebody help me out. Foreigner would be our modern day word for stranger in the Bible. To the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, elect. Foreigners, they're elect. Why are they elect? According to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience to Judaism. Is that what that says? It says obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ graced unto you at peace be multiplied. So who is the elect? Those who have been washed in the blood of Jesus Christ are the elect. Does it mention any particular nationality? No. Whoever. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, he said in Colossians 3. That's why you're the elect, Colossians. Put on as the elect, bowels of mercy, and so forth. Let's look at 1 Peter 1, 3. Blessed be God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. So basically the elect are those who have been begotten again. They've been born again, right? Look at 1 Peter 2, verse 5. Let's look at the 11th mention. 1 Peter 2, 5. It says, Ye also, as lively stones are built up a spiritual house, unholy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on them shall not be confounded. This is the first time elect is referring to something different than believers. Who's it referring to? Jesus. So basically the first 10 mentions all refer to Christians, believers in Christ. The 11th mention refers to Jesus as the elect. Hey, let me explain something. The only reason we're elect is because we're in Christ. He's the elect, we're in Jesus Christ, we're elect. So anything here saying that the nation of Israel or the Jews are the elect? No, it's Jesus is the elect in this verse. Let's look at the 12th mention, 2 Peter 1, 10. Wherefore, the rather brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure, for if ye do these things ye shall never fail, or ye shall never fall, for so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To get rid of that, if you're the elect, you're going to heaven, right? He says, an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Does being a Jew get you to heaven? But being the elect gets you to heaven because it means you're saved. And by the way, remember what John the Baptist said to the Pharisees and Sadducees that came to his baptism? He said, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits made for repentance, and think not to say within yourselves we have Abraham to our father. For I say unto you that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham, and now also the axes laid under the root of the trees, every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit, is hewn down and cast into the fire. That is not saying that the Jews have a free pass, my friend. He said, nope, you will be cut down, you will be cast into the fire, you false teachers, you generation of vipers. He said, you need to repent of your Judaism and false religion and put your faith on Jesus Christ to save you. That's how you're going to have an entrance into the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hey, without being born again, you cannot enter into the kingdom of God. And those who are elect are the ones who will enter the kingdom of God. Not because of their skin color, not because they descend from Abraham, but because they believe on Christ who is the elect. Isn't it amazing how consistent the Bible is? I mean, look, there's only 16 mentions. We're already on the 12th one. It's not looking good for this pre-tribulation crowd. You know what I mean? It's not looking good for this Jew worshiping crowd. And you say, oh, you just hate Jews, you're a racist, you're anti-Semitic. You know what? Am I a racist when I tell you that all men are created equal? That's racism. So if I don't believe that the Jews are better than the Gentiles, I'm a racist? It sounds like they're the racists if they think that somebody has some kind of special blessing on them just because of the nationality that they were born. Somehow they get a free pass, they're blessed, they got a little halo over their head, and everything is going to just sunshine in their path, and everybody who blesses them God's going to bless. That is false doctrine, false teaching, and I don't have time to go into it, but pick up the Bible and read Galatians 3 and 4 and walk away and tell me that the Jews are still God's chosen people. In fact, the unbelieving Jews were never God's chosen people in the first place. Whenever he told them, you're a chosen nation, he said that's why you need to be holy, so I don't kick you out of this promised land, so I don't spew you out of my mouth. He said, I spewed the heathen out of my mouth because of their disgusting filth in the land of Canaan, seven nations greater and mightier than thou. He said, I didn't choose you because of anything good about you. He said, I chose you because of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. But he said, if you don't walk in this way, if you don't live a holy life, I'll spew you out. That's why when they rejected Christ, he said, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. That's why when he looked at the people of Israel worshiping idols and false gods, he sent them into captivity to Babylon. He threw them out of the promised land. He said, you're not my people. He said, get away from me. And then they turned back to God, but when Jesus came on the scene, he came unto his own and his own received him not. And he said, you know what? The kingdom of God shall be taken in front of you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof. They picked up stones to stone him. They didn't like to hear that. They tried to kill him at one point when he tried to say, you know what? You are rejecting the truth and therefore God's blessing will leave you. You see, God's blessings have never rested upon an unbeliever. That's why it says in John 3.36, he that believeth on the sun has everlasting life, but he that believeth not the sun shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. Not the blessings of God, the wrath of God. He said, did God break his promise to Abraham? Remember what it says in Romans chapter 11? He said, I say that have God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people, which he foreknew. What ye not what the scripture sayeth of Elias, how he maketh intercession to God against Israel, saying, he said, Lord, you know, they break down at all terrors. He said, they seek to kill me. He said, I'm the only one left. And God told him, hey, there's 7,000 men that haven't filed the need to bail. Even so then, there is at this present time also a remnant according to the election of grace. Therefore, God has not cast away all the nation of Israel because there is a small minority of Israel that believes on Christ. Paul was one of them. The disciples were some of them. Remember all the people that got saved in the book of Acts chapter 2 and in chapter 3? So there is a remnant that's saved because they believe on Christ. Jerry Seinfeld is not saved. Jerry Seinfeld is not God's chosen people. Jerry Seinfeld will not be caught up into the clouds at the sound of a trumpet. It's going to hell, my friend. Richard Dreyfuss is not going to be caught up in the clouds in Matthew 24 when it happens and comes to pass. Steven Spielberg will not be caught up in the clouds. Steven Spielberg is not God's chosen people. He is an ungodly, wicked person who is in the business of making movies to teach everything that Hollywood wants to teach, and he's not of God. And Jeff Goldblum and the rest of them, you know, whatever. I don't have a list in front of me. But anyway, let's look at the 13th. That was just a little word from our sponsor. But look if you would at 2 John. This is the 13th mention. This is the final mention of the word elect in the New Testament. We've seen the first 12. We were able to prove pretty much in every case that it was talking to believers. It said, hey, the elect are the ones that are covered by the blood. The elect are the ones that are going to heaven. The elect are the ones that won't be deceived by false prophets and false christs. The elect are the ones that, whether Jew or Gentile, have the faith of God's elect in acknowledging the truth which is after godliness. I mean, we saw it over and over again every time. There wasn't even one where we could have kind of wondered, could this be the Jews, the nation of Israel? I mean, it was so clear, wasn't it? It was always believers, it was always Christians the first 12 times. Here's the 13th mention. 2 John. I mean, this is the last one, folks, in the New Testament. Then we're going to get into the Old Testament. Look at verse 1. The elder unto the elect lady and her children whom I love in the truth, and not I only, but also all they that have known the truth, for the truth's sake which dwelleth in us and shall be with us forever. Now look, whoever this elect lady is and her children, she has the truth dwelling in her. She has the truth inside of her. Who is the truth? Jesus said, I am the truth. He said in John 17, 17, Thy word is truth. Do you think this is being written to an unbeliever? Do you think the epistle of 2 John, when he's warning and saying, Whosoever transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ hath not God, he that abideth the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son, and they're coming unto you and bringing out this doctrine, receive not into your house, neither bid him God's speed, for he that biddeth him God's speed is partaker of his evilness. Do you think that's written to an unbeliever? He's writing to believers. He said, if you're a believer, you shouldn't let a false prophet into your house. If you're a believer, you want to keep those things that you've been taught, then he might receive a full reward. I mean, it's clear. It's to a believer. There you have it, folks, 13 times in the New Testament, all referring to Christians, none mentioning, Oh, it's the nation of Israel, it's the Jews. It's clear. Now let's go to the Old Testament. Look at Isaiah 42, 1. Isaiah 42, verse 1. Isaiah 42, verse 1. And this is the first time that it's mentioned in the Old Testament. It's only mentioned in three passages in the Old Testament. The New Testament was consistent. And really, is Matthew 24 a New Testament passage or Old Testament? New. And every time it was mentioned in the New Testament, it meant the same thing. Christians, believers, one time it meant Jesus Christ. You remember that? Well, look at Isaiah 42, 1, it says this, Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth. I have put my spirit upon him. He shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. Keep your finger there, turn to Matthew 12. Matthew chapter 12. Let's see who this is talking about in Matthew 12. It explains it to us. In Matthew chapter 12, the Bible reads in, give me one second to find my place, verse 17, Matthew 12, 17, That it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, Behold my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved in whom my soul is well pleased, I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall show judgment to the Gentiles. Now isn't that the same thing we just read in Isaiah 42? So who is the elect in Isaiah 42, 1? Jesus Christ. So, so far, everything in the New Testament was believers, except one mention referred to Jesus. We've got three in the Old Testament, the first one's referring to who? Jesus. Isn't that consistent with what we saw in the New Testament? Now let's look to Isaiah 45. Isaiah chapter 45. Now this is the one, this is the only one that I've ever had anybody take me to, to try to prove me wrong on this. Now, here's a little tip for you in studying the Bible. And I'm going to prove that this one's not referring to the Jews either. But here's a little tip for studying the Bible. If you have 15 verses that say one thing and one that seems to say something a little different, you know, you might be wrong. You know, if you've got hundreds of verses saying that faith and believe is the only thing you need to be saved, just believe on Christ by faith, and then you get to James 2 and it looks a little different, you know what? I think you're reading James 2 wrong. Because I don't think that the other hundred places are wrong. I think you might just be wrong on that one. I don't think you're wrong on John 3.16. I don't think you're wrong on all these other clear passages. And so look at, look at, look at Isaiah 45. It's clear. On the surface you say, oh, look, it's Israel. But hold on a second. Read it carefully. Look at verse 4. It says, For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel mine elect, I have even called thee by thy name. I have surnamed thee, though thou hast not known me. I am the Lord, and there is none else. There is no God beside me. I girded thee, though thou hast not known me. Now hold on a second. Isaiah here is preaching to the Jews. And he's saying to them, I have called you for whose sake? Jacob. Jacob his servant, and Israel mine elect. Now the thing you have to understand is that guess what Jacob's name was? Israel. Jacob's name, remember when he wrestled with the angel of the Lord, and he said, Thy name shall be no more called Jacob. He said, Thy name shall be Israel. Now hold on a second. He's talking to the Jews here, telling them, you don't know me. You have not known me. He's saying, look, I'm the only God there is. I'm the only Savior, if you read the whole chapter of Isaiah 45. He goes on and says, I'm the Lord, there's none else. Beside me there's no Savior. He said, you have not known me. Look at the end of verse 4. I have surnamed thee. He's saying, you're called by my name. But he's saying, you haven't known me. Thou hast not known me. He said, I girded thee at the end of verse 5, though thou hast not known me. So he's talking to people. Does this sound like he's talking to people that believe on him or not? He's talking to unsaved Jews. Saying, the reason that I've called you, the reason that I'm preaching to you right now, is because of my servant and mine elect Jacob. My servant Jacob and Israel mine elect. He's not saying you're the elect. Yeah, you're the elect, you bunch of unbelievers that are going into captivity for worshiping false gods. No, he's saying, you know what? It's only because of your ancestor Jacob. Your ancestor Israel who's the elect. So really, if we want to do our Old Testament reckoning, we've had one that's referring to Jesus as the elect and one that's referring to Jacob as the elect. Jacob the person. Now, keep your finger, now that we see that that's referring to Jacob, go to Romans 9. Keep your finger there in Isaiah 45. Go to Romans 9. See, the New Testament often helps us interpret the Old Testament, doesn't it? There are some things in the Old Testament that are a little bit hazy and difficult to understand. But the New Testament is very explicit, and sometimes it'll go back and quote stuff from the Old Testament that we don't understand and tell us exactly what it's talking about. Like that one about my servant and whom my soul is well pleased. In Matthew 12, he spells it out. Hey, this was talking about Jesus. You know, we read in Psalm 16 where David says, Thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. You read that and you say, What? Why would David's soul be left in hell? You get to Acts chapter 2, he explains it. Oh, that was talking about the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Acts 2, 31. Look at Romans chapter 9. Let me turn there real quick. And let's shed some light on this. It says in Romans chapter 9 in verse 10, And not only this, but when Rebekah also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac. Now let's stop for a second. Who were the children of Rebekah and Isaac? They had two children. What were their names? Jacob and Esau. Okay? So who were we referring to then when it says for the children in verse 11? We're talking about Jacob and Esau. For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand. There's election. You see the word election? Not of works, but of him that calleth. It was senator, the elder shall serve the younger, as it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated. So wait a minute. Isn't the New Testament here also referring to Jacob as God's elect? The person. The person Jacob as God's elect. But go up to verse 6. Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect, for they are not all Israel which are of Israel. He's saying, look, just because you descend from Israel, that doesn't make you Israel. You see that? They're not all Israel which are of Israel. Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children. But in Isaac shall thy seed be called, he explains it in verse 8, that is, they which are the children of the flesh, the physical children, he's saying, these are not the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. That's why he said in Galatians 3, if you be Christ's, then are you Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. See how consistent this is? If you're in Christ, you're Abraham's seed. If you're in Christ, you're of Israel. But just because you have an ancestor way back there of Israel, that doesn't make you God's chosen people for one second. You are not his people unless you're a child of God, Christian, saved, blood washed, born again, on your way to heaven. Those are all things that were mentioned, on your way to heaven. So go back to Isaiah 45. So in Isaiah 42, we had Jesus. Isaiah 45, you see the word Israel, but it's not referring to the nation of Israel. He's saying to them, you don't even know me. It's only because of your ancestor Israel that I'm even calling you right now. Let's look at the last Old Testament mention, which is Isaiah 65. Go to Isaiah 65. This is the last time... I mean, if we look at Isaiah 65, we've looked at everywhere in the whole Bible that a life is mentioned, every single time. So look at Isaiah 65. Let's see who this is talking about. It says in Isaiah 65, 9, And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah, an inheritor of my mountains, and my elect shall inherit it, and my servants shall dwell there. Now, the seed that he's going to bring forth out of Jacob, who is that referring to? That's referring to Jesus Christ, according to Galatians chapter 3. The seed of David. It says in Galatians 3, 16, Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not unto seeds as of many, but as of one, and to thy seed which is Christ. Galatians 3, 29. If ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. Now, if you get the context of Isaiah 65, it's about the millennium, the second coming of Christ. Look at chapter 22. I'll prove it to you. I'm sorry, verse 22. Did I say chapter 22? We're in Isaiah 65. Look at verses 22 and 25. It says they shall not build in another inhabit, they shall not plant in another eat, for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. Look at verse 25. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock, and dust shall be the serpent's meat, they shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountains, saith the Lord. So when is it that the lion's going to lay down with the lamb? When a lion's going to eat grass, straw? That's talking about the millennial reign of Christ. It's going to be basically brought back to the way it was, remember in the Garden of Eden, when the animals, none of them were carnivorous? They basically were all eating plants. That's the way it's going to be in the millennium. This is not talking about right now. This is not talking about in the Old Testament. This is talking about something that has not even happened yet. This is the millennial reign of Christ that's being foretold here in Isaiah 65. But here's the really telling verse that just shows that this elect here cannot be referring to Israel. Look at verse 1. Get the text. You've got to read the whole chapter. He says in verse 1, I am sought of them that ask not for me. I am found of them that sought me not. I said, behold me, behold me unto a nation that was not called by my name. Now who was the nation that was called by his name in the Old Testament? Israel. He's talking about here reaching out to a nation that is not called by his name. This is referred to in Romans 10. You can turn there if you like. You don't have to. Romans 10, 20. But Isaiah is very bold and saith, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. That's the quote that we just read from Isaiah 65. But to Israel he saith, all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. So let me ask you something. Is the statement in Romans 10, 20 referring to Israel? No. In Romans 10, 20 he says, I was found of them that sought me not. I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, so this is talking to a different group of people, all day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people. In contrast to being received of the nation that was not called by his name. Remember, he came unto his own and his own received him not, but as many as received him. To them he gave power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. So in Isaiah 65, the context is not the nation of Israel being his elect and his servant. No, he's saying, look, I have to turn from them. Remember when Paul said, you know, we had to preach the Gospel to you, but he said from henceforth we go to the Gentiles. He shook the dust off his feet and said, you know what, I'm sick of it. I'm sick of it. You're not worthy of the kingdom of God. You won't listen to the true preaching of God's word. He said, you know what, I'm sick of it. I'm going to go to the Gentiles. And the Gentiles rejoiced in Acts 28. And elsewhere he made similar statements. So there you have it, folks. We just looked at every single mention of the term elect. Let me just break it down for you, just a quick synopsis. Out of 16 passages that we looked at, out of 16 passages, 10 of them referred to just believers in Christ in general. Right? Just believers. Two of them referred to believers who were all Gentiles. So really 12 are just referring to all believers. No reference to being a Jew or Israeli believer or anything like that. Okay? One of them referred to believers who are Jews when he said, basically, Israel was blinded, the remnant, according to the election of grace, they've obtained salvation. So he's basically referring to the minority of Jews that are actually saved. In one passage, in Romans 11, two of the mentions referred to Jesus Christ himself, and one of them referred to the person Jacob, personally, who was a believer, who's saved, who's in heaven right now. So if you break it down, you've got 10 that refer to believers in general. You've got two that refer to believers who are Gentiles. You've got one who are referring to believers that happen to be Jews. You have two referring to Jesus and one referring to Jacob who was a believer. Now can you see a pattern here? They're all believers. Thank you. They're all believers. Amen. They're all Christians. They're Jews, they're Gentiles. Most of them are just referring to all believers, whether they be Jew or Gentile, and even spells that out in Colossians 3, 11 and 12. He said, there is no Jew or Gentile in Christ. That's why you're the elect, Colossians. That's why you're the elect, Greeks and Macedonians and Asians. You are the elect if you're saved, because you're in Christ and he's the elect. Now go back to Matthew 24. We'll close. Let's go to Matthew 24. We'll close. See, there's two kinds of people in this world. There's those who want to know what the truth is and there's those who don't care what the truth is. And they just want to believe what they want to believe. You can show them and you can preach it to them and show it to them. And they don't care. They want to believe some made-up fairytale phony doctrine that somebody made up somewhere less than 200 years ago. Some charismatic girl in some Pentecostal church in 1830 that made it up. And they want to believe a lie. They want to believe a fable. They want to believe a movie with Kirk Cameron. Look, growing pains was stupid, okay? I knew I'd get some amens on that one. But the point is that they want to believe a lie. They don't want to believe what God's... They don't want to believe Jesus. I mean, his apostles just asked him, Jesus, tell us about what is going to happen. When will these things come back? What will be the sign of Thy coming? And by the way, wasn't one of Jesus' disciples called Simon the Canaanite? I mean, I'm not one of these that went to seminary and studied all the theology and all the history. And I didn't read Josephus, who by the way lived in Nero's house. What a righteous man. You know, Nero, this wicked, depraved, homosexual, perverted guy who persecuted and killed Christians and lit them on fire and burned the city down and blamed on the Christians and threw them to the lions. Josephus was living in his house. That too needs to be the authority, right? Forget what the Bible says. Let's see what Josephus says. That's the authority. Some guy was living in the house of Nero Caesar. Some guy who openly said, I don't believe in Jesus. I follow the religion that Jesus rebuked, therefore I'm a child of the devil. Because he said in John 844, ye are of your father the devil. You know what he said that to? I don't believe that every person who's not saved is a child of the devil. I don't believe that. But he said to the Pharisees, you are of your father the devil. Josephus. Well, if you study Josephus, you'll find out that Simon the Canaanite... You know what? He's called Simon the Canaanite. You know, I mean, somebody helped me out. I don't know. Can somebody help me out with this? Is he a Jew or what? But the point is, they're all Jews, you know? Okay, whatever. The Bible says he's a Canaanite. Can somebody show me a verse that he's not Canaanite? Is a Canaanite a Jew? Can somebody help me out with this, or isn't that a different nationality? And wait a minute. Didn't the Bible say in the book of Esther that many people of foreign nationalities became Jews when the fear of Mordecai fell upon them? Didn't he say that strangers from other nations like Canaan, or any nation, could come in and... And obviously the Canaanites were all supposed to be destroyed and so forth. I realize that. But nations of foreign powers later on after God told them, hey, you're stuck with the Canaanites because you didn't destroy them. Didn't he say that as long as their males would be circumcised in the Old Testament, that they could be a Jew, that they could be extended? And he said, you have one law for the stranger and for him that is born in the land. One law. Somebody needs to tell that to the state of Arizona, by the way. One law. Oh, you're not a good Republican. Shut up! The Bible says there's one law for him that's born in the land and one law for the stranger. Same law. Same law. That's what he said. He said, I'm against any law that's a different law for somebody who's born here and a different law for the stranger. I'm against it. That's what the Bible says. He said one law. But anyway, the point is, that's neither here nor there. But that's what the Bible says. What was I talking about? Matthew 24. I know Matthew 24. That's what I was talking about. Simon the Canaanite. Thank you. What in the world does Simon the Canaanite have to do with this? He's not Jewish. He's not Jewish. He's a Canaanite. Before that you were talking about people just wanting you to believe a lie. That's true too. You're definitely right about that. Josephus. That's right. But that was just about Simon the Canaanite. Wow, I was just about to just wrap this all up too. We're never going to put this all together. What's that? Show you a sign? He's saying Jesus just wanted to spell it out. I'm going to have to get the CD on this one. But anyway, we'll just talk about something. The point is, the real point is this. Oh, he's talking to the Jews. He's talking to the Jews. Does that hold well based on what we've seen? No. Now let's read the final passage. Herb was right. Matthew 24, verse 29. We're going to wrap it up. Simon the Canaanite got his ears pricked. Simon the Canaanite right now is really listening to this. And not only Simon the Canaanite, guess what? I have this crazy belief. You're not even going to believe this. That Matthew 24 was written for me. That's why I'm reading it right now. That's why I have it in my hand. Isn't that crazy? I actually believe that it's in the Bible for us. Isn't that crazy? Because I just happened to think if he was just talking to those 11 people, he probably would have just said it to them and then wouldn't have put it in the Bible. You know there were a lot of things that Jesus said to them that aren't in the Bible? So why is this in the Bible? For Steven Spielberg? Or for Steven Anderson. Thank you. Good one. Let's read it. This is interactive preaching night. Matthew 24, verse 29. Now let's see what this 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, and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man. Who's the Son of Man? Jesus Christ. And then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn. Remember that's in Revelation 6, where they're crying out for the rocks to fall on them and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, for the great day of his wrath is come, if you're reading the King James Bible, and who shall be able to stand. Hold on a second. Was God's wrath being poured out for years before that? No. When Jesus comes in the clouds with the trumpet, that's when the tribes of the earth will mourn and weep and say, fall on us, hide us from the faith, because his wrath is come today. Now, let's keep reading. 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. Do we know who that is now, that we just looked at every time it was mentioned in the whole Bible? They shall gather together his elect. Are you in that group? I am. From the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other, now learn a parable of the fig tree, when his branch is yet tender and put forth leaves, ye know that the summer is nigh, so likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near even at the doors, verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. What is he saying there? This isn't some drawn out process happening over thousands of years, like people will try to say, oh, the tribulation was the thousand years of the dark age. No. He said when you see the things begin to happen in the beginning of Matthew 24, the different things that are mentioned in the tribulation, he said before that generation is gone, all these things will happen. He's saying all this will happen within one generation. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away, but of that day and hour knoweth no man. Do we know the day and the hour? But do we know that it's after the tribulation? Do we know it's after the wars and rumors of wars, and the false Christs, and the earthquakes, and the sun and moon being darkened, and people seeing Jesus come in the clouds? We'll know that. We'll see all those things come to pass and know that it is not even at the doors. We don't know the exact day or the hour. I can't tell you. It's going to be on March 21, 2027. This is going to happen by my book. It's 1995. It explains it all. It's a DVD. He says, of that day and hour, of what day and hour? Jesus coming in the clouds with the trumpet. He said, knoweth no man, know not the angels of heaven, but my Father only, but as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days that were before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah 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. Just like with Noah, the same day Noah went into the ark, God rained judgment, didn't he? The same day. And the same day that we are taken out of this world through the rapture, God's judgment will be poured out not with water, but with fire and brimstone. The same day. In fact, a half hour later, read Revelation 7. Read Revelation 8. He says a half hour will pass between the rapture and God's pouring out of hellfire and damnation on this earth. One half hour. It's clear, isn't it? Very clear. Mark 13, when I say unto you, I say unto all, watch. Not, when I say unto you, I'm just talking to the Jew. No, when I say unto you, I say unto all, watch. Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line. I thank God I'm not a second-class citizen. Because I'm Caucasian or European or white or whatever you want to call me. Swedish. Irish. Because I'm Swiss, you know. Oh wow, you're one sixteenth Jew? That's so cool. So what? So what? And you know, I'm not a Mormon either trying to prove how white I am. I'm not going to Salt Lake City to show how white I am. I'm not trying to find some Jew relative somewhere. The whole point of God telling you to avoid all these genealogies, didn't he say avoid genealogies? Because the whole point is that he said it's vain. He said they're unprofitable and vain. You know what vain means? Pointless. Now look, I've studied a little bit of my family tree genealogy, but it was pointless. It was just fun. It was just entertainment. It's just vanity. Because you know what? It doesn't matter whether I have some long-lost Jew relative in my family tree. It doesn't matter whether I'm one sixteenth Native American somewhere. Supposedly there's some Cherokee Indian back there somewhere in my nationality. So what? It doesn't matter. You know what matters? It doesn't matter whether I'm circumcised or uncircumcised. There's only one thing that matters tonight. There's only one thing that's going to determine whether I'm caught up in the clouds with Jesus when the trumpet sounds. Only one thing matters. Am I saved? That's all. Doesn't matter. Black, white, Chinese. Doesn't matter. Are you saved? If you're saved, you are God's chosen people. And whoever blesses you will be blessed and whoever curses you will be cursed. But guess what? God's wrath is abiding on the unbelieving Jew tonight just like it's abiding on the unbelieving Gentile because there is no difference. You're a racist! No, I'm here to tell you tonight there's no difference. And I'm here to tell you that anybody who tells you that the Jew is better than the Gentile, number one, doesn't read the Bible, number two is a liar, and number three is a racist. So put that in your pipe and smoke it. Let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer. Father, please just help us not to be carried about with every wind of doctrine. It seems like this doctrine is so prevalent today and it's a new doctrine. It's new as in it's from the late 1800s, just like Mormonism's new, Jehovah's Witness doctrine is new. God, help us not to be carried around with these new doctrines. Help us not to be carried around with tradition. But just open Galatians and read it. Open Romans and read it. And debase what we believe upon the Bible. Not run to some Bible dictionary and say, oh, I wonder what elect means. Help us just say, okay, let's check what the Bible says elect means. We'll find out it's believers. We love you. And I thank you personally, God, that I'm the elect. You know what? That means a lot to me, God. Thank you for letting me be one of your chosen people. And thank you for not making me go build a family tree to figure that out. In Jesus' name I pray, amen. Alright, let's go ahead and sing a quick song before we go. Let's sing song number 43, We're Marching to Zion. Alright, song number 43. Let's sing it out on the first verse. Song number 43, let's sing it. Come we that love the Lord and let our joys be known. Join in a song with sweet accord. Join in a song with sweet accord. And thus surround the throne. And thus surround the throne. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. The beautiful city of God. Hold on a second. Remember in Isaiah 45 where he said, you know, for Jacob my servant and Israel my elect, he said, thou has not known me. Look at verse 2. Let those refused to sing who never knew our God. Let's take it out on the second verse. Let those refused to sing who never knew our God. But children of the heavenly king. But children of the heavenly king. May speak their joys abroad. May speak their joys abroad. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. The beautiful city of God. The hill of Zion yields a thousand sacred sweets. Before we reach the heavenly fields. Before we reach the heavenly fields. Or walk the golden streets. Or walk the golden streets. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. The beautiful city of God. And let our songs abound and every tear be dry. We're marching through Immanuel's ground. We're marching through Immanuel's ground. To fairer worlds on high. To fairer worlds on high. We're marching to Zion. Beautiful, beautiful Zion. We're marching upward to Zion. The beautiful city of God. There's a great doctrine in this song. I mean, every verse has so much doctrine. You know, Immanuel's ground. And by the way, that's Jesus Christ. And by the way, I don't want to take a trip with you to the Holy Land. You know what I mean? You say, oh man, let's go to the Holy Land. You know what? I promise you one thing. I will stand in that Holy Land. I don't care what, I will stand in the New Jerusalem, in the Holy Land. I will set my feet upon a Mount Zion. I don't have to buy a plane ticket there. Because I'm going to be there, not when there's a mosque there. Not when there's some Jewish temple there, blaspheming God by sacrificing a lamb when the lamb's already been slain. Jesus was the lamb. I'm not going to be there with a bunch of Zionists, Christian, John Hagies, and Tim LaHayes. I'm going to be there when Jesus is there. That's when I'm going to walk on those streets of gold, and I'm not interested in going there until then. We're dismissed. Thanks for being here tonight.