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Amen, so keep your place there in 1 Thessalonians chapter number 4, we'll get there in just a minute. So we're looking at Daniel's 70th week, we're looking at our continued sermon series. Last week we talked about the tribulations, basically we're going through the seals that are being opened right now in Revelation chapter number 6, we looked at the four horses in Revelation chapter 6 which correspond to the first four seals. Last week we looked at the fifth seal which is this tribulation where we start to see these martyrs appear in heaven, they're being killed in this tribulation period and tonight of course that goes into the great tribulation, then we look at the abomination of desolation is in there leading up to the great tribulation, we looked at that last week. So tonight we're going to look at this idea or this event in the Bible called the rapture. Now the word is not in the Bible but it's described in 1 Thessalonians chapter number 4 on what it is and I'm going to show you what it is and why it is and when it is in the Bible. Now before I get started let me just say this, I have a unique perspective on end times prophecy, I was Lutheran the majority of my life into my 30s and as a Lutheran I was very interested and always very curious not only about what the Bible said but I always went to all the different Bible studies I could when I was at church in the Lutheran church and then I was always, revelation was a mystery to me and the reason it was a mystery to me is because revelation was actually a mystery to any Lutheran pastor that I ever knew and most of the time I would get two responses, rarely would you see a pastor that I grew up with or even was in in my adult years in the Lutheran church even mentioned the book of Revelation and their two responses would be either that already happened already or and I'm going to show you how you could accidentally misunderstand how you could think that things in the Bible already happened and hopefully you're kind of already starting to see this methodology of shadow fulfillments, I'm going to show you that tonight again and that's really kind of is the key to understanding a lot of Bible prophecy but so they would either say oh that happened already or they would say well we just can't understand that and of course you can't understand that if you're not saved you have no chance of understanding things in the Bible especially the most complicated things in the Bible but all that to say this, when I got saved and I got into a Baptist church my first church that I went to I had no preconceived ideas about what end times prophecy was, how was it, was it pre-tribulation rapture, was it post-trib rapture, was it seven year tribulation, what is it? You know I really had no preconceived ideas and the first church that I went to was an old IFB church which are almost exclusively what we would call pre-tribulation rapture meaning the rapture happens before the tribulation alright we're going to look and just saying those words now is even weird you know before the tribulation alright but we're going to just look at what the Bible says I tried when I was in my first old IFB church to have the end times Daniel's 70th week so to speak explained to me several times and I have never to this day heard a coherent explanation of a pre-tribulation rapture view of end times prophecy of Daniel's 70th week I want to show you simply tonight what the rapture is where it's at in the Bible when it's going to happen how we you know I mean what what it's all about and how clear the Bible is on this event so let's look down hopefully you got your chart in front of you it's a very simple chart notice I'm not making this chart overly complicated because these events in Daniel's 70th week look I'm not saying we're going to be able to know exactly what day tomorrow that all this is going to happen but what I'm saying is is that the order of events that take place in Daniel's 70th week is super clear in the Bible if you are just reading the Bible and taking it for what it is but what I've learned over the years is that people who have you know have this doctrine of a pre-tribulation rapture they have it so indoctrinated in them but it's almost like you cannot even talk to them logically you cannot even show them simple things in the Bible because they've just got this dogma in them just ingrained in them where they can't even see the words on the page for what they actually say it's a it's a strange thing all right but look down at first Thessalonians chapter number four and let's look at the kind of the quintessential verse or passage in the Bible talking about what we would call the rapture first Thessalonians chapter four look at verse number fourteen the Bible says this it says for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him so first of all just to get this out of the way who are we talking about here who is we okay who is we who are people that sleep in Jesus these are people that number one is talking about people that have died saved sleeping in Jesus and people that currently believe on the Lord Jesus Christ it's talking about saved people here in in all of these passages it's going to be talking about saved people this we say unto you by the word of the Lord that we which are alive and remain we what we saved Bible believing Christians people that believe on Christ that are sealed with the Holy Spirit that we which are alive and remain under the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep again there's people that are dead in Christ their souls are in heaven their bodies are in the ground they've not been physically resurrected yet into their glorified bodies this is the first resurrection that we're going to be talking about here which I'm not going to preach on tonight I preach on that extensively verse number sixteen for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout with the voice of an archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first now my first actual I knew what the rapture was when I was a Lutheran my first actual because I went searching for information about end times thing because I things because I had interest in it and my first you know exposure to the rapture and end times doctrine was the left behind books all right I read them all I there's over I think there's over a dozen of them but I read them all it got really but the point is at the beginning there's this this rapture that happens and it's just takes everybody by surprise and people just disappear and everybody's wondering where did everybody go it gets weird you know people's clothes are like setting you know in their chairs where they were and you know it's strange it's a it's a book it's a movie or whatever but the point is it was this big surprise nobody saw it coming and that's what's being taught today but with a pre-tribulation rapture that Jesus could come tomorrow that it could happen at any time so number one it's imminent it can happen at any time but number two it's just kind of a silent event where people just poof disappear does this sound silent to you in verse number 16 it says the Lord will descend from heaven with a shout meaning everybody's gonna hear this and with the voice of the Archangel and with the trump of God there's three things right there saying that this is going to be announced it's going to be announced and the dead in Christ shall rise first and then there's going to be all these people being resurrected I don't think this is going to be it's not really like poof I don't hear poof in there anywhere it's not it we'll get to the imminency in just a minute but the point is it's announced it's a major thing it's not going to be missed it's like the Jehovah's Witnesses they've they've declared Jesus coming back incorrectly I don't know how many times throughout you know half a dozen times or more in the Millerites back in the late 1800s or whatever the date was that I mentioned in the sermon the Millerites you know they finally got so sick of like you know falsely predicting the second coming of Christ that they just was like oh yeah it did happen it did happen yesterday because everyone that came to church it's like me predicting that Jesus is coming back Saturday and then we all show up Sunday and everyone's like what's up pastor and I'm like ah ah ah ah it did happen you just missed it this happened this is this was what happened these are modern-day Jehovah's Witnesses today like here's the thing folks you weren't faithful enough you weren't faithful enough so God didn't come for you or he didn't show you or whatever you know they said it's like he did come you just all missed it and then everyone's like you know feels bad they're like oh man I need to be more faithful and all this I don't know what people said but the point is it's not going to be quiet people are going to know that it's happening all people there's going to be a shout look at verse number 17 then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together so the dead in Christ rise first then we are going to be like we're still there and we're going to be caught up with Jesus if you live if you're alive during this time verse number 17 is you alright we which are alive and remain should be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air because where's Jesus he's in the clouds he's like literally in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air so shall we ever be with the Lord we're for comfort one another with these words why would we need comfort well let's find out what was happening during this time right before the rapture took place so what the Bible is clear that Jesus is coming back to gather the Saints the saved with him in the clouds and taking them to heaven that's what the rapture is ok that's the what right now let's look at the win alright is it imminent flip over to second Thessalonians chapter number two second Thessalonians chapter number two we knew a guy there's a guy in the church that I went to the old IFB church that I went to that like just refused to get his act together in his life and every time you'd ask him how's everything going like his whole family's falling apart he has no job all this stuff like hey how's everything going brother he's just did you did you figure all that stuff out did you get some work find some work all this now I'm just waiting for Jesus to come get me literally that's what he would say so I mean you kind of stop asking you just like I'm just I'm just waiting for Jesus to come get me just completely checked out on life and just waiting for Jesus to come you know like in five minutes or whatever well he's gonna be waiting a while look at second Thessalonians chapter number two look at verse number one so the pre-trib rapture people will preach that it's imminent that it's going to it could occur at any time what's the point I'm going to show you the point of knowing all of these things of knowing all the steps and the clues and the milestones why would Jesus give us all these things why would the Lord tell us all these details of these things that are going to happen and then this is going to happen and then this is going to happen and then this is going to happen and give us this order of things if it was just going to be imminent and none of it mattered look at verse number one second second Thessalonians chapter number two in verse number one the Bible says now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him we're clearly talking about the first Thessalonians chapter four event right here all right that should point that out that ye be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by a letter as from us as that the day of Christ is at hand so let's let the Bible kind of define things for us we see the rapture now is called the day of Christ it would be better I guess to just call the rapture the day of Christ or the day of the Lord as we're going to learn in just a couple of minutes but he defines first Thessalonians chapter number four that event where Jesus comes and gathers the saved as the day of Christ all right but he's warning them he's saying don't worry don't stress out he's like don't let people tell you and don't be like this can happen at any moment don't don't live your life like should I even go to work today I mean should I even like should I I don't know should I even function should I write the sermons for next week I mean Jesus could come back and then that's all wasted time but he's saying no do not think that way he's trying to calm them down look I get it I get it if somebody's preaching you know if Matthew 24 is preached the first time and those guys are like oh man this is gonna happen in like a year this is gonna happen in our lifetimes of course they would apply it to their lifetime that's a natural thing but G or the Bible here is saying hey don't live your life like it's at hand okay then he gives them even more detail look at verse number three let no man deceive you by any means because what do people do what do people do you know what sells the most books today you know what sells books and movies and and all that to to to Christians that know nothing about the Bible end time stuff you know I would have like YouTube followers like you wouldn't believe if I would just get up here with a whiteboard and just make up a bunch of stuff and just act like I had extra revelation from whatever look I could come up with some creative stuff I'm a creative person and I have a technical mind I could make some charts that would blow your mind I'm telling you and I would have a hundreds of thousands of YouTube followers but it would all be a lie it would all be what what is deception it would all just be deception why do people deceive why are there false prophets what would I get if I had a million YouTube followers what would I get if I had two million YouTube followers and all this social media stuff and then I went and I just I pitched to those followers that I just wrote a book that's got all my latest charts in it you know what I'd get I'd get a lot of money I would make merchandise of all of these people but that's what all these people are doing on social media folks they're making merchandise to you they're making merchandise that's what the Bible says false prophets do this is what it's talking about it said let no man deceive you and then he's telling you the answers here he's saying don't let anyone put some test in front of you that you don't know the answers to because I'm gonna give you the answers I'm gonna tell you when this is gonna happen he says for that day shall not come except there come a falling away first okay now that's kind of a clue right now that's not really a milestone right we could look at that if the if the verse ended right there we'd all be like man the rapture is coming because like there's a falling away in the United States like people in our country are abandoning God they're abandoning the Word of God they're abandoning the Bible the cultures going south but that's not all he says look what he says and that man of sin be revealed who's that that's the Antichrist the son of perdition who opposes now look at verse number four knowing everything that you've known when we've gone through clues and milestones and talked about the abomination of desolation and the very specific thing that is going to happen in the temple that the Antichrist is going to do who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God and that or that or is worshipped so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God showing himself that he is God that is the abomination of desolation in Revelation chapter 13 and many other places in the Bible very clearly so what is the Bible saying here the rapture is not going to happen until that happens so forget the tribulation for just a second there is no way the rapture is imminent no way because this has not happened yet and that is a huge milestone this world leader in Daniel 9 that is going to come and make a covenant with many cause a world war to take over the entire government of the world he's going to come and he's going to force into submission the nation that do not go along with him and then at some point after that he after that battle is over after he has gotten that global government he's going to declare himself to be God in a temple that does not exist yet it's not imminent these things have not happened and these things will not be missed when they start to happen so look we should be glad that we've studied what we've studied so far that's why this Daniel 70th week sermon series it's kind of like a 200 300 level class where you kind of need those clues and milestone sermons to kind of decode the events of this final week turn to Zephaniah chapter number one but let's look at this idea of day of Christ because when I have had pre-trib rapture people explain to me or attempt to explain to me the rapture the pre-tribulation rapture and end times events they turn this day of Christ and day of the Lord into this you have to have a secret decoder ring to figure this out it is that no that's the day of it's just it's just like the book of life no no that's the book of life and that's the Lamb's book of life what I got news for you Christ is the Lord this is not hard doctrine Christ is the Lord day of Christ day of the Lord say the Bible is not this this complicated code book we have to have a pair of special glasses and read it like well you know I can see something that nobody else throughout history has seen or that nobody with the Holy Spirit nobody with the Holy Spirit can read this except me and understand exactly which day of that what the day of the Lord means the day of Christ means only the day of the Lord is the day of Christ it's the same thing it's talking about the rapture and shadow fulfillments of the rapture it's not that hard look at Zephaniah chapter 1 are you there look at verse number 14 the Bible does this let's see the day of the Lord here all right and then I want to show you just a clear pattern on how Bible prophecy works and you should already know this but I want to hit you with it one more time tonight look at Zephaniah chapter 1 in verse number 14 I want this church to be smart on this stuff look at Zephaniah 1.14 the great day of the Lord is near it is near and hasteth greatly even the voice of the day of the Lord the mighty men shall cry there bitterly that day is a day of wrath there's something new right there there's something new right there more information we were just given a day of trouble and distress a day of waste this and desolation a day of darkness and gloominess a day of clouds and thick darkness a day of the trumpet an alarm against fenced cities and against the high towers and I will be does this sounds like a fun time right here it's not like like a lot of fun for the people in this city no it's a day that is a day of wrath in a day of God's judgment look at verse number 17 I will bring distress upon men and they shall walk like blind men and because they have what it even tells us why God's mad there's nothing left to the imagination here because they've sinned against the Lord and their blood shall be poured out as dust in their flesh as the dung neither shall their silver nor their gold be able to deliver them the day of the Lord's wrath so the day of the Lord can also be called the day of the Lord's wrath the Bible saying here the day of the Lord's wrath but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land so look what do we learn here turn to Joel chapter one what do we learn in this passage in Zephaniah we learn that the day of the Lord is bad for the men that have sinned against the Lord and it's a day that has God's wrath coming behind it all right look at Joel chapter one in verse number 15 Joel chapter one in verse number 15 the Bible says in Joel 1 15 it says a last for the day for the day of the Lord is at hand and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come now in Acts chapter 2 we see a kind of a retelling or a re-quoting of Joel chapter 2 and verse 31 I'll read for you the Acts 2 version in verse 17 you can go to Joel 2 31 it shall come to pass in the last day say of God I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh your sons and daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my spirit and they shall prophesy it with verse number 19 and I will show wonders in heaven above and in signs in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke so now we see here something different as well that the day of the Lord the day of the Lord the day of Christ the day of the Lord the day of the Lord's wrath if there's going to be signs in heaven the Bible says and then with verse number 20 of Acts chapter 2 you're looking at Joel 2 31 the Sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before great and notable day of the Lord come turn to Joel chapter 3 Joel chapter number 3 so the Bible here is talking about the day of Christ the day of the Lord look at Joel chapter 3 and verse number 14 the Bible says multitudes multitudes in the valley of decision for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision look are you recognizing a pattern here you have God's prophets they are telling you the day of the Lord is here the day of the Lord is here but then they're throwing in Bible prophecy about the day of the Lord it's exactly like the abomination of desolation it's exactly like many other prophecies there's shadow fulfillments so the actual fulfillments during these times during these prophets were the northern kingdom of Israel being taken into captivity by the Assyrian by the Assyrian army that's the that's that was the day of the Lord for that nation and then you have prophets of Judah prophesying that the day of God's judgment the day of God's wrath the day of the Lord's wrath is almost upon them Babylon Babylonian the Babylonian Empire is going to take them into captivity God's done with them God's going to take them out of what out of the land so that is the immediate fulfillment but there is going to be the day of the Lord and that's when we see the Sun turned into darkness the moon into blood before the great and notable day of the Lord come that's the end times day of the Lord so it's easy for people to say oh yeah well you know that day of the Lord you know that was just talking about the northern kingdom of Israel being taken in by you know taken into you know being wiped out by the Assyrian Empire well that's lazy and that doesn't account for the Sun and Moon turned darkness it doesn't account for again what I've said is if as long as the book of Revelation wasn't in the Bible you know you could might be able to get away with that stuff a little bit easier but Revelation is in the Bible and we get all this great detail about the day of the Lord about the rapture about the abomination of desolation and the actual end times events that are the real you know prophecies here all right again in Joel 3 14 the Sun and Moon shall be darkened and the stars shall withdraw they're shining so we have shadow fulfillments of God's wrath upon nations and that's what the Bible here is calling the day of the Lord the day of God's wrath these cities these nations you know but then we see this sign of the day turn to Genesis chapter number one we see this sign of the day of the Lord which is going to you know begin God's wrath against what against the whole world in the end times all right and it makes perfect sense that the Sun and Moon are darkened and we see signs in the stars why here's why because that's what God said the Sun and the Moon and the stars are for they're not for us to look up and be like oh is there aliens there is there super civilizations up there you know I mean they don't sound like that you know they sit in you know they have their their glasses yes there's a super civilization we believe planet and jade five six seven nine but really what they sound like to me is like duh but you know that's not what the Sun Moon and stars are there for they're there look at Genesis chapter 1 the Bible literally says hey you could have not wasted your whole life if you just wrote a read the first chapter of Genesis one chapter whole life saved whole life not wasted look at verse number 14 and God said let there be lights in the firmament of heaven to divide the day from night and let them be for we only have read you only have to read the first 14 verses of the Bible let them be for signs and for seasons for days and years obviously it's a clock it's a clock it's a calendar it's for seasons it's for the climate it's for which means like we're not going to wreck the climate God's gonna take the whole thing down not us but what's the first thing he says for signs you know what that means for communications for communications for comms God's like I'm gonna tell you what's gonna happen in the Bible and then you're literally gonna look up in the heavens and you're gonna see it happen so you know that the Bible is true and you know that that's why God said what did he say he said watch he said watch in Matthew chapter 13 he said watch in Matthew chapter 24 watch for the things in Matthew 24 not little green men watch for these things that I'm explaining to you because I put these things there for science it's for us to see but see we can't we can't think that it was all built for us because then we have to look to the Bible and we have to look at who built it and we have to look at what he said look there's agenda behind that I get that all right but the point is this they're there for signs and this is a huge sign that God is using the Sun the moon and the stars for it's to show us these things it's to show us these things turn to Matthew chapter 24 so we're talking about when the day of the Lord is when the day of Christ is when this final day of wrath is and look there could be look folks there could be a day of the Lord on the United States of America that is not the end times don't think that all were America we must be in the end times no we could just be the day of the Lord done next nation because that's what happens to all these other nations we ourselves could be a shadow fulfillment so we have to understand that look at Matthew chapter 24 but the Bible is very clear on when the end times the final day of the Lord will be in the Bible says this in Matthew 24 in verse number 29 it says immediately after the tribulation of those days and how do we know that this is talking about the tribulation and then the rapture well look at the next few words the Sun shall be darkened and the moon shall not give her life light and the stars shall fall from heaven I think we're gonna miss that and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven first Thessalonians chapter 4 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 why are they gonna mourn here's why they're gonna mourn because they rejected him it's not going to be us mourning it's not going to be the people that are alive and remain that are mourning it's all the tribes of the earth the vast majority of the earth that is not saved that does not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and they're gonna look up and who are they gonna see Jesus Christ and they're like oh man we're in a lot of trouble that's the that's where the morning is gonna come from so look at your chart is this hard to understand after the tribulation of those days the Sun and Moon will be darkened it's not hard to say you say is this in Revelation is the rapture in Revelation I googled Bard AI is the rapture in Revelation turn to Revelation chapter 3 our artificial intelligence found it all right turn to Revelation chapter number 3 Revelation chapter number 3 and look at verse number 10 Revelation chapter 3 so you google this and the vast majority of people that believe the pre-tribulation rapture will point you to Revelation chapter 3 many of them will point to Revelation chapter 4 of the the 24 elders which makes no sense there's 24 of them there's more I'm looking at more than 24 saved people tonight all right so maybe it's just us I don't know maybe there's some maybe it's just us see I told you I could put a good chart together I could put a good create me it's just us and there's a few unsaved people in here we're gonna have to find them okay no I'm just kidding all right look at Revelation chapter 3 look at verse number 10 this is the rapture look at verse number 10 because thou has kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon all the world to them that to try them that dwell upon the earth see there it is you're like what listen you just I you don't know the Bible as well as me this is talking about you know that we're not gonna look first Thessalonians 5 says we're not appointed to wrath and this is talking about how we're not appointed to wrath and we're not going to go through that and we're all Jews and I don't even know what I'm talking about right now but this is kind of how it goes it makes no sense that has nothing to do with any kind of rapture it doesn't mention the rapture it doesn't mention anything again they just go back we're not appointed to wrath but again apples are not oranges you know basketballs are not hockey sticks you know I don't know wrath is not tribulation they are not the same thing right that's a pretty big mistake all right but let's look at what the Bible actually says go to Revelation chapter number six now that we know the day of the Lord the day of Christ they're all the same thing it's talking about bringing in God's wrath whether a shadow fulfillment on a nation or a city or the day of the Lord gonna bring God's wrath upon the whole earth but before that happens of course we're not appointed to wrath folks Jesus is gonna come and take us out of there first all right I'm gonna show you exactly where that's at in the Bible look at Revelation chapter 6 and let's continue our Bible study of Daniel's 70th week look at verse number 12 we've gone through the first four seals and then the fifth seal which is the literal tribulation in Revelation chapter 6 be help and be held when he opened the sixth seal and lo there was a great earthquake and the Sun look at this the Sun became black as a sackcloth of hair and the moon became his blood and the stars of heaven fell onto the earth is there any doubt in your mind that these passages are all talking about the same event even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind these stars are just gonna come down and the Bible says in verse 14 the heaven departed as a scroll when it's rolled together in every mountain and island removed out of their places this is a huge event this is a huge heavenly event involving the Sun the moon and the stars I mean if this was like a different event every single time would that be a good sign if like the moon you know well the moon we do have blood moons every now and then we do have red moons and then people write a book and say oh look at this you know it's the end times is here but the point is if the Sun was darkened and the stars fell from the sky like every three years would this sign be any value to anyone no this is an extremely rare one-time event that no one is gonna miss all right so we can point to all these different places in the Bible that describe this exact event and say this is what it's talking about and the kings of the earth and the great men the rich men and the chief captains remember people aren't gonna be able to buy their way out of this with silver and gold the mighty men every bond man every free man hid themselves in the dens and the rocks of the mountain so here we see these people mourning they're scared they're afraid and said to the rocks in the mountain mountains and rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne and from the what comes with the day of the Lord in the rapture the wrath of the lamb who is the lamb Christ the Lord the lamb all the same thing all the same person Jesus Christ for the day of his wrath this is all fit together perfectly is come and shoot who shall be able to stand the day of his wrath the day of the Lord's wrath same thing I mean everybody they all these pre-trib rapture people they take all these different ways of saying the same thing and they create a different path and different doctrine for every way you're like no Christ the Lord the Lord's wrath the day of it's all the same thing it's all exactly the same turn to Revelation chapter 7 now we see the sign in heaven the sun the moon the stars we see these signs now what happens how do we know it's chronological as we skip over to Revelation chapter 7 by the way well let's just read the Bible and after these things complicated and after these things I saw four angels after what things after the things that just happened in Revelation chapter 6 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 scene or on any tree what's about to happen God's wrath is winding up here the Bible literally said at the end of Revelation chapter 6 that the great day of his wrath has come but what the the exact minute of the wrath is not here the day is here 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 either the scene or the trees till we have sealed the servants of God in their foreheads he's saying don't do it yet saying don't do it yet it's important that we understand this chronological order of events here so now there's this event this milestone of the 144,000 being sealed in their foreheads and it goes through and it talks about 12,000 of each tribe is sealed in their foreheads but skip down to verse number nine right after the 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads look at verse number nine it says an after this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues tongues means they speak all kinds of different languages why because they're from different nations stood before the throne and before the lamb clothed in white robes and palms in their hands and cried with loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne and unto the lamb so here we have this event where all of a sudden all these people this great multitude that can't be numbered from everywhere in the world in the world where are people saved today in all nations around the world they're safe people because the gospel has made it all around the world funny how that kind of fits in there too but the gospel has been preached all around the world there are safe people in every nation and all these people it's great multitude that no man can number show up suddenly in heaven and just so we can understand like who they are the Bible literally answers who these people are how you could miss this is unbelievable somebody who didn't really have any end times theology when you read this it just it makes perfect sense look at verse number 11 it says in the angel stood round about the throne and the elders these are the 24 elders by the way so the 24 elders they are not the great multitude because they're different first of all 24 is not a great multitude but if you struggle with that they're currently different groups of people right in this chapter saying amen blessed and glory and wisdom thanksgiving and honor and power and might unto our glory unto our God forever amen and one of the elders answered one of the elders said answered saying unto me what are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they so literally the elders that some people teach are the raptured Saints ask who these raptured Saints are so obviously they're not the raptured Saints but then the Bible actually answers who these people are and I said unto him sir thou knowest and he said unto 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 these are the people that were in the great tribulation at the point where God said that's enough my wrath has come now and Jesus comes and he gets the sleep in Jesus he gets the people who are alive and remain who are in the great tribulation at that moment that is so bad the Bible says that if it wasn't shortened and it's shortened by the rapture if it wasn't shortened none of them would survive except those days be shortened the Bible says none of them would be none of them would survive they would all be killed but they're saved out of the great tribulation by the rapture so if you look at the chart the tribulation the man of sin declares himself to be God revelation chapter 13 the abomination of desolation the mark of the beast he demands that people worship him the sun and moon are darkened then the rapture now revelation is laid out from revelation chapter 1 to revelation chapter 11 but then it starts over in revelation chapter 12 and tells its many it's it's much like two Gospels accounts it tells a different it tells the same a lot of the same things but different details in the first half and the second half but it's talking about the same timeline so you would think if that's the case that revelation or the rapture would be in revelation chapter 12 through 22 as well well it is turn to revelation chapter 14 turn to revelation chapter 14 now remember what we just saw remember what I didn't put the 144,000 in the chart but it basically would be the the 144,000 are sealed the Sun and Moon are darkened and the Sun and Moon are darkened the 144,000 are sealed then the rapture all right and then we see God's wrath all right the verse number one of Revelation chapter number 14 Sun and Moon are darkened the rapture happens in the 144,000 are sealed right around that same time look at verse number one it says lo a lamb stood on Mount Zion and with him a hundred and forty four thousand we're talking about the same thing it's a perfect match to revelation chapter number six and chapter number seven having his father's name written in their foreheads they're sealed in their forehead and I heard a voice from heaven this proves you that as the Gospels you know show different details in each gospel no contradicting details we also get more detail about the 144,000 this is what really makes the Jehovah's Witnesses wanting to claim that they're one of the 144,000 really seem foolish it says and they sung as a new song before the throne and before the four beasts and the elders and no man could learn the song but the hundred and forty four thousand which were redeemed from the earth these are they which are not defiled with women for they are virgins these are they which follow the lamb wither whithersoever that he go it so these are male virgins all right I'm not going to get into this I preached on this before but this shows a perfect match this shows us where we are in the timeline as compared to the the first telling of Revelation in Revelation 1 through 11 these were redeemed from among men being the firstfruits unto God and to the lamb so it's really curious when you meet a Jehovah's Witnesses that's especially a woman that thinks that she's you know one of the 144,000 you're like what you know but they don't care what the Bible says and we understand that but look at verse number five that's one thing you know about like religion like if you just don't care what the Bible says you can create all kinds of fun stuff you just pretty much do whatever you want it's like a creative writing class look at verse number five in their mouth was found no guile for they are without fault before the throne of God and I saw another angel fly into the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth and to every nation and kindred and tongue and people so this is the purpose of the 144,000 just a little extra detail there they're given the gospel to go down to the earth during God's wrath to preach the God I mean God's pretty merciful he's coming down to lay down his wrath on the earth but he's going to send some witnesses down so the gospel can still be preached during that wrath that's the purpose of the 144,000 skip down to verse number 14 for sake of time and I looked and beheld a white cloud and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of Man that's Jesus folks having the head on his head a golden crown his hand a sharp sickle and another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud thrust in thy sickle and reap for the time has come for thee to reap and the harvest of the earth is ripe he's saying it's time to go get those people down there in the tribulation and he sat on the cloud it sat on the cloud thrust in the sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped there is the rapture in Revelation chapter number 14 at the exact same time that it is in Revelation chapter number 7 right after the Sun and Moon are darkened the 144,000 are sealed the rapture happens right around the same time and then God is about to unleash his wrath all right turn to Amos chapter 5 let me just show you let me just show you in Amos chapter 5 let me just beat this in one more time so you just kind of understand this idea of shadow fulfillment so nobody can fool you about these things but look at Amos chapter number 5 Amos chapter number 5 look at verse number 20 Amos chapter number 5 towards the end of the Old Testament Amos chapter 5 look at Amos chapter 5 verse number 20 the Bible says shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light and even very dark and no brightness in it again showing that the day of the Lord is not going to be a great day all right for most people I hate I despise your feast days I will not smell in your solemn assemblies though you offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings I will not accept them neither will I regard the peace offerings of your fat beasts again showing the same exact thing here in the day of the Lord that none nothing of your wealth or your power or the kings of the earth is going to save you in the day of the Lord take away from me the noise of thy songs for I will not hear the melody of thy vials but let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream have you offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness 40 years old house of Israel but you have borne the tabernacle of your mowok and chy on your images this is pretty specific here he's talking to a specific nation he literally just said Israel what's he talking about the literal nation of Israel the northern kingdom of Israel how do I know that therefore I will cause you to go into captivity beyond Damascus saith the Lord whose name is the God of hosts he's talking about the literal Assyrian destruction of the northern kingdom in this chapter it's called it's called the day of the Lord so the point is this these prophets Amos talking about the northern kingdom of Israel Joel Zephaniah talking about the southern kingdom of Judah they're talking about the coming of God's wrath on those specific nations it's literally I mean look this is the pattern of the old testament God is telling and why is that in the Bible so all nations that ever exist on the earth will understand that any nation even heathen nations that turn against the Lord or hate the Lord will be destroyed by the Lord and that is when that action comes upon that city that nation whatever it is that's the day of the Lord's wrath upon that nation upon that city whatever it is but in the end times there is going to be a great and notable day of the Lord that affects the entire earth before God unleashes his wrath his judgment on what on the entire earth and who's in charge of the entire earth at that point the Antichrist we've had many Antichrist leaders you could argue that most leaders throughout history have been Antichrist but there will be the beast the Antichrist the false prophet that followed these specific events and then there will be one great day of the Lord but it's all the same patterns it's all the same patterns it's just on a bigger level and the rapture the reason for it is because as the pre-tribble will tell you we are not given to wrath we are not appointed to wrath so God takes us out right before he unleashes the wrath go to first Thessalonians um go to first Thessalonians chapter number four let's kind of end where we started here so look hopefully hopefully this is sort of simple you know hopefully this is sort of simple i mean it's just look it's the same it's the same thing that you see with the gospel folks what do people do they just they complicate the simplicity of Christ they take something that is simple and they just make it super complicated but people complicate to confuse on purpose people complicate to confuse so that you just think that the person saying that is like some super smart person and just like i'm just not as smart as him but it sure sounds like he knows what he's talking about like people are pretty good salesmen with this today all right well look at first Thessalonians chapter four uh four actually look at verse number five so a lot of people are like oh yeah but it's gonna the bible says it'll come as a thief in the night let me address this very quickly you know you have to read more than just one verse at a time in the bible too but of the times and seasons brethren have you no need that i write unto you for you you 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 come upon them but saying peace and safety who is saying peace and safety in the old testament in jeremiah's time in all the times before this day of the lord before this judgment came upon the lower uh lower kingdom of judah and the northern kingdom of israel who was saying peace and safety it was the false prophets that were saying peace and safety because they became the popular ones kind of sounds like today people out there saying peace peace and safety god likes you just as you are hey no big deal fornication perversion wherever you want come as you are wrong that's not what the bible says the bible says that a nation that goes into these things and just abandons the word of god is going to be out of the land i don't care if you're jewish or muslim or whatever you turn on god and you're going to be out of the land obviously that made no sense because all those people have turned on god but the point is turn on god you're out of the land turn on god the day of the lord is coming for your nation and your city period all right but look at verse number uh verse number four so peace peace and safety then sudden destruction come upon them so it's the people that are not saved that are saying everything's fine but ye brethren ye brethren the saved he's saying he's talking to a plural group of saved people are not in darkness that the day should overtake you as a thief it's not going to be a surprise to you that's what he's saying he's saying to the vast majority of unsaved people it's going to come as a thief in the night but you it's not why because i'm telling you this stuff because i'm giving you the answers to the test so no one can fool you no one can deceive you look this is why god gave us n times prophecy we're saved and we should be out working we should be out working and spreading the gospel no matter what no matter what's going on in the world we should be out there spreading the gospel he just gave us n times prophecy so we can we can see the heretics so we cannot be deceived and distracted by all the false prophets that are out there spewing all this garbage all right so look and then you know a lot of people they'll say like oh mark 24 and mark 20 matthew 24 mark 13 is just about the jews and all this like but here's the thing like that's just like not in the bible at all like you just made that up though you can't just say stuff you know you don't just get to like say like oh yeah but this is just about the jews like that doesn't even make any sense i mean the bible says watch he's clearly i mean turn to matthew 24 turn to matthew 24 i mean there's so many things in matthew chapter number 24 i mean he's saying i mean just look at the i know you all know this but i mean just look at nation shall rise against nation they shall deliver you up to kill you who's he talking about you shall be hated of all nations verse nine for my name's sake he's not going to save people who's going to be hated of all nations for my name's sake uh jews who don't even believe in jesus what what are you talking about it's like it's talking about saved people here that are going to be persecuted and go through this tribulation because they're saved literally that's what it's saying then it just talks about many uh many false prophets shall deceive many not just that is just the jews and then mark 13 literally the the the parallel chapter to the to matthew 24 it literally says like what i say to you i say to all watch it's the bible applies to everybody that's the miracle of the bible the miracle of the bible is it's the only book ever written that applies to every single person that's ever lived that's the miracle of the bible but look folks i mean when people start saying stuff like that you just got to be like what are you talking about the bible isn't this code book that you know only certain specific people can decipher you know with their with their secret decoder ring you know but look it's simple it's simple the man of sin will come on the scene he will make this covenant he will start this war you will see this massive war of destruction to get this global government he will declare himself to be god there's tribulation during that war he hates the believers the whole time he comes on the scene and then he declares himself to be god and then he really starts wiping out the believers and it's so bad that if jesus didn't come back and rapture the saints that none of them would survive the bible says but jesus does come back and he does come and get the saints and he does come and you know that first resurrection happens and then we see god's wrath begin on the earth very simple very easy to understand just by reading the bible so now in the coming weeks we're going to be looking at the wrath of god as it begins on the earth let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer your heavenly father i thank you for this great detail in the bible i thank you for this great just clear chronology of events lord so we're not confused we're not deceived i thank you for the holy spirit so we can just look at the bible and see it clearly lord i just pray that you just help us