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

Amen, so keep your place there in Matthew chapter number 24. So it was hard to kind of decide which chapter to read from this evening since we're going to be going to a lot of different chapters in the Bible, but we're continuing our Daniel 70th week sermon series. You've got your chart in front of you and tonight we're going to talk about something very specific that happens in the first half of Daniel 70th week and what we're going to talk about this evening is the tribulation. That's what we're going to talk about this evening. We're going to talk about when that happens, when it starts, when it turns into something other than the tribulation. So we're not talking about tribulation, we're talking about the tribulation and then we're going to talk about the great tribulation, alright, which are two different things and you'll look and you'll see those things on your chart. We've done some clues and milestones sermon series talking about the run up to this, but last week talking about Daniel 70th week, we looked at Revelation chapter 6 and we looked at the first four seals opening up in Revelation chapter 6, which basically encompasses the four horsemen that people talk about today. We looked at the four seals, the four horses and what those signify, basically signifying the rise of the antichrist to power, his conquest of the earth and his turning this covenant of many into this one world system that he finally gets through the method of world war, basically is what happens in those first four seals. Tonight we're going to talk about the tribulation, which starts in parallel with those first four seals. So what is tribulation first of all? So of course, I don't know why my voice is cracking, but what next, you know? I'll start coughing for another two months, but we're talking about the tribulation and of course we do not believe in the pre-tribulation rapture and as you'll see tonight, there's no mention of the rapture as we look at all these tribulation situations that Christians are going to find themselves in clearly in the Bible, but one of the arguments and I've had many people, one of the nice things about me coming in and getting saved a little later in life and coming into a Baptist church without any preconceived ideas is I've heard both sides, I've heard the pre-tribulation rapture argument, which is basically this idea that Jesus is going to come back and there's going to be no sign. It's going to be this imminent, it's imminent, right? It can happen at any moment. There's not going to be any preceding events to the rapture, Jesus coming back, then it gets really weird when you look at things like the Left Behind series, which I've read all those books like 20 years ago, like almost all of them. It got to the point where I think there was over 10 of them and it kind of got boring after a while, but the point is this secret rapture is even stranger and unbiblical where we're just all of a sudden, we're just going to go poof and we're not going to disappear. We're going to disappear and if you remember the movie, everyone's clothes just kind of like fold up on their chair, which is just odd for many different reasons, but the point is that there's this idea that Christ coming back is imminent with the pre-tribulation rapture teaching and some people even believe that it's secret, which is not what the Bible teaches. We're not talking about the rapture tonight. We're going to talk about the tribulation tonight. But it is very clear that Christians will go through the tribulation. There is just hands down, it makes no sense that Christians, this teaching that Christians will not go through the tribulation. We'll get into that in just a minute. So first of all, turn to Romans chapter 8. You're going to keep your place in Matthew chapter 24 throughout the whole sermon, but go to Romans chapter 8. What is tribulation? Let's first start out with definitions. What is it? Alright, tribulation, what does the word mean? So the word, if you just look at the definition, like a dictionary definition of tribulation, it's defined as great trouble and or suffering. So trouble is times suffering. Look at Romans chapter 8 and verse 35. The Bible says here, it says, who shall separate us from the love of Christ shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword. So you see tribulation is kind of lumped in with all this trouble. All this persecution, distress, trouble. We kind of get the context here of what tribulation actually is. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter number 5. So a lot of pre-trib rapture people will say is, oh well Christians, we're not appointed to wrath. We're not appointed to wrath, so you know, we're not going to go through tribulation. Well, wait a minute, what did you just do to me there? All right, you just used two different words to describe, you know, one thing. In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse number 9, this is what pre-tribulation rapture people will point to many times. It says, for God hath not appointed us, meaning the saved, to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. So I agree, John 3, 36 explains this exactly where it says, you know, he that believeth on the sun hath everlasting life, but he that believeth not the sun shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him. So yes, we are not appointed to wrath because if you are saved, the wrath of God is off of you and you are not going to see the wrath of God on your life spiritually or you're not going to see the wrath of God on this earth either in the end times anyway in Daniel's 70th week. So now turn to John chapter 16 and verse number 33, and I was kind of saving this. I didn't want to get into this last Wednesday, but I was saving this for this sermon. But look at John 16 and verse number 33. So the question is, tribulation is suffering, it is great trouble, it is basically, it's kind of like the result of persecution, tribulation. If you want to think about it that way, tribulation is a terrible thing that you go through as you're being persecuted, all right? Now look at John 16 and verse number 33. Will Christians, I mean, it's such a hard biblical question to ask, you know, will Christians go through the tribulation? Or how about this? Will Christians go through tribulation? Let's just say tribulation first before we look at the tribulation and the great tribulation. Look at verse number 33 of John 16. Let's see if we can decipher this super complicated verse. The Bible says, these things have I spoken unto you that ye might have peace, that in me ye might have peace. Jesus is speaking here. In the world, where are we right now? I'm in the world, I don't know where you are, but I'm in the world. In the world ye, ye is plural, he's talking to the disciples, he's talking to believers here. He's saying in the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. Look, tribulation is trouble from man. That's what tribulation is. And the Bible is very clear over and over and over in the New Testament, both from the words of Jesus Christ himself and what actually happens in the Bible that we will go through persecution. We will suffer tribulation just as Jesus said, in the world ye shall have tribulation. So we're not going to go through tribulation, pre-tribulation rapture because we're not appointed to wrath? What are you talking about? I mean, in 2 Timothy chapter 3, the Bible, I mean, you know, the Bible literally says like ye, ye, all that live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. Like for sure, it's a guarantee. So Christians, not even end times Christians, are going to go through some kind of tribulation. That is what the Bible is super clear about. Now God's wrath is God's wrath. Things that are different are not the same, folks. God's wrath is God's wrath and tribulation is tribulation. So here we have tribulation, persecution, suffering from man over here that Christians will deal with, but true, we are not appointed to wrath. So to conflate those two things is just, it's a very simple Bible error. So it doesn't, I've never had anyone explain a coherent biblical explanation to me about the pre-trib rapture. It is backwards jumping through hoops, conflating God's wrath with the tribulation on this earth. Right away when somebody tells you that Christians will not suffer, well, we're not appointed to wrath and saying that Christians will not go through the tribulation. First of all, what in the world are you talking about? Have you never even heard of anything throughout history that has happened to Christians? Turn to Revelation chapter number six. I mean, have you never, I mean, you don't even have to read history. Just read the Bible. I mean, first of all, the Jews persecuted the Christians all throughout the book of Acts. It's just the Jews chasing these people all across Asia, all across into Greece, everywhere, just persecuting, persecuting, chasing them, hunting them down, stoning them, trying to kill them. And then after the Jews, then the Romans took over in about 65, 66 AD, and then you have this great, wonderful time of the 10 Roman persecutions from about 66 AD all the way to 313 AD where you're like, yes, it ended. We have this great emperor Constantine, and then he creates this wonderful thing called the Roman Catholic Church. And then from 313 AD all the way up to the, through the Middle Ages, all the way to the 16, 17th century, you have the Roman Catholic Church killing Christians, persecuting Christians. The most horrible possible ways you can even think of. And each persecution seems to get worse and worse and worse. So to say that like Christians are not, oh, we're not going to go through the tribulation. What planet are you living on? What Bible are you reading? And what version of the reality of the Christians in this world do you have in your head? These people must be so confused. Did you turn to Revelation chapter number six? I need you to go to Matthew 24 first. I'm sorry. Keep your place in Revelation six. Go to Matthew chapter 24. Let's just look at what the Bible says. Look at Matthew 24, and then we're going to go to Revelation chapter six. So we just bookmark those two things. Matthew 24, look at verse number four. Matthew 24, look at, let's just look at what the Bible says, all right? And we're going to go to the book of Daniel here in just a few minutes, and let me tell you something. The book of Daniel is very confusing to many people, but let me just tell you one thing about Daniel. We're going to go to Daniel chapter 11, look at Daniel chapter 12 for a little bit. Especially the book of Daniel, there is no way to reconcile the book of Daniel if you believe the pre-tribulation rapture. It will make no sense to you. There's no way to put the puzzle together. There's no way. Look at Matthew chapter 24 and verse number four. Matthew 24 and verse number four. The Bible says, And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many. And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, and see that ye be not troubled. For these things, all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. So wars and rumors of wars, I did this as a clue in the Clues and Milestones series. Obviously whenever we see a war, even when we see a world war, we can't really be like, oh, this is the end. It says there's been two world wars in just the last century and it wasn't the end. So that's just a clue, something to look out for. Wars and rumors of wars, but the end is not yet. But look, when it is the end time war, when it is that final world war, that is a definite clue leading up to the end. And it says nation and verse number seven, Nation shall rise against nation. What do we know about the first four seals of Revelation chapter six? We know it will be a world war. We know it will be nation against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. These are all clues. But look at verse number eight, it says all these are the beginning of sorrows. So this is the beginning of that tribulation chart. If you look at your chart, when this end time war breaks out, when it's nation against nation where it is the end time war of the Antichrist taking war to the world, this is the beginning of trouble for the Christian. Why? Why is it? What kind of trouble? They will deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you. And look at this. This is another big clue right here. It says and ye, talking to everyone, Christians, ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. You know what that is saying? That's saying that everyone in the world hates Christians at that point. Every nation in the world hates Christians and is persecuting Christians. It says and shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another, and many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many, and because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. This is just meaning that people are going to be speaking lies. We see this today. They're deceiving people. There's many false gospels out there being preached by supposed Christians today. And iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold, meaning people that say they're Christians are going to be turning against their supposed brothers and all this type of thing. And it says, but he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. Now look, if you look down at verse number 22, that is not talking about spiritual salvation. In verse number 22, just for context here, it says, except those days be shortened. This is talking about the great tribulation in verse number 22, there shall know what? Flesh be saved. So this is talking about, it's really bad. The persecution is so bad that if it went on like this, nobody would be able to survive it. This is talking about salvation, spiritual salvation, whether you'll go to heaven once you die. As a matter of fact, I'm going to prove to you that even the people that do get killed here, they end up in heaven. But look at, now turn to Revelation chapter number six. But the point is every time you hear the word saved in the Bible, like it's talking about people being, their lives being saved, their lives being spared. It's just saying that the tribulation, the persecution here is so bad that it's simply, no one would survive it if it wasn't shortened. And we're going to talk about how it is shortened next week, okay? Look at Revelation chapter number six. Revelation chapter number six. So what do we have happening in Revelation chapter six? We looked at last week, we've got World War, we got the Antichrist taking over. Look at verse number nine. So that was the first four horses, the first four seals. Look at verse number nine. It says that when he opened the fifth seal, now we're into the next seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were what? So what was happening as soon as this World War broke out in Matthew chapter 24 and the Antichrist started, you know, just taking war to the world to try to make his covenant with many, a covenant of the whole world to get everybody under his rule? Immediately in Matthew 24 we are told that it's sorrow for the Christians and all nations are against the Christians. Makes perfect sense. And now what do we see happening from that? And the Bible says in Matthew 24 that it's literally so bad that if it didn't have a finite time to it, no Christian would survive. And look what happens in verse number nine. It says, and I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. So here at this time that this persecution, this tribulation breaks out, what does John see start appearing in heaven? The souls of people that have been killed. Because what's happening? As soon as the tribulation starts, look, this isn't tribulation like the tribulation that we're talking about here. This isn't like, you know, your cousin won't talk to you anymore tribulation, okay? This is like people are chopping your head off for being a Christian tribulation. This is the tribulation. You say, how do you know it's so bad? Because the Bible tells us that it's going to be that bad. Your first clue is that people start appearing in heaven. Let me tell you something. If you appear in heaven, you're no longer here, okay? You've died. You've been killed or you are, you know, no longer physically alive. I mean, the Bible teaches very clearly that if you die today, you're immediately in heaven or immediately in hell. In Luke chapter 16, that's a great story that explains that, all right? You open your eyes in heaven, and that's what's happening in verse number nine. As the tribulation starts, martyrs start to appear, martyrs start to appear in heaven. Look at verse number 10. And these martyrs are in heaven, and they cried with a loud voice saying, how long, O Lord? Holy and true, does thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell where? That dwell on the earth. So the Bible, I don't know how you could possibly understand this. This is really, I mean, when you kind of get the right picture, it kind of fits together perfectly. So here on the earth, you have these people killing Christians. You have this war breaking out. All nations are turning against the Christians as they join the Antichrist, you know, his rule, and they're killing the people that believe the word of God. They're killing the believers, and the believers, the martyrs in heaven are like, God, how long are you going to let this go on? When are you going to step in? So God's wrath, that's proof again, God's wrath has not started yet. God has not started pouring out his judgment because the martyrs are literally, this shows that there's a separation between the tribulation and God's wrath, which is God's judgment on the earth. It clearly shows that because the martyrs are asking, when is the wrath going to start? When is your judgment going to start? Look at verse number 11, and white robes were given unto every one of them, and it was said unto them that they should not, they should rest for a little season until their fellow servants also and their brethren that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. So the answer is a little bit longer as they're starting to go through this tribulation, so I mean right there you're like, Christians aren't going to go through tribulation, ridiculous. Christians are going to go through tribulation, it is going to be trouble on this earth, and then God is going to step in at some point that we will talk about next week, and he is going to unleash his judgment, and he's going to avenge the saints on this earth. Now turn to Daniel chapter number 11. Really go to Matthew 24 first, I'm sorry. Go to Matthew chapter 24 and then we'll transition over to Daniel. Go to Matthew chapter 24 and then we will transition over to Daniel. Go to Matthew chapter 24, look at verse number 14. Now you say, why, why would the Christians during this, what do the Christians have to do with, why persecute them? Why persecute them? The Antichrist is trying to take over, he's trying to build this one world government, there's a world war going on, it's like, why the Christians? And the answer is, is because everybody is falling for the Antichrist except the Christians. All right, look at Matthew 24 and verse number 14, and there's another thing that they are doing along with not falling for the Antichrist. I mean the Bible says that if it were possible, you know, even the elect would be fooled, but it's not. The people that are not going to be fooled by the Antichrist are the Bible believing Christians, are people that are saved. All right, look at verse number 14. The Bible says, and this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations and then shall the end come. Now many people look at that, many people look at that verse and most people have explained that verse as, okay, the end times won't be here until the gospel has made it around the world. The gospel has been preached like missionaries have gone to every country and then the end times, it's kind of like when the third temple is built kind of thing. It's like a prerequisite for Daniel 70th week to start. And I don't disagree with that, but I think there's a little bit deeper meaning to that. What do we see happening in previous verses in Matthew chapter 24? Christians are being persecuted in all nations. All nations are killing Christians and it just so happens that the gospel is being preached where? In all nations. So if you want to take those two things and equate them, here's what's happening folks. There's this Antichrist trying to take over and you got all these Christians going out preaching the gospel and that's why they're being killed. They're being killed because they are preaching into, unto all nations and then shall the end come. Now go to Daniel chapter 11, go to Daniel chapter number 11, go to Daniel chapter number 11. So Daniel chapter 11, just to kind of paraphrase the whole chapter, Daniel chapter 11 is really, it's really a prophecy of I would say maybe 400 years before Christ, but there's dual prophecy to it as well. So it's talking about Alexander the Great, it's talking about this Greek empire, but there's also, it transitions towards the end of the chapter when it's talking about this king of the north and the king of the south, it transitions, there's a lot of amazing prophecies that literally took place throughout history that are just called out directly in Daniel. A lot of like Bible critics will say like, well clearly Daniel must have been written like you know in 100 AD or something because like how could he possibly have known all these things that were in the future? Because remember Daniel was, he was hundreds of years before you know the Greek empire. You know Daniel was during the Babylonian captivity that ended in I don't know what was the year of that, 580 BC or something like that. So Daniel is predicting well over 100 years, 200 years, all these events that happen with the Greek empire first of all, but then it transitions into this end times prophecy and as it rolls into chapter number 12, it's really just Daniel's 70th week stuff. It's really just talking about the time of the end in Daniel chapter 12. But look down at Daniel chapter 12 and verse number 31 where the Bible is like it's basically it's predicting or it's a prophecy of the abomination of desolation. But we know that the abomination of desolation was shadow, there was a shadow fulfillment in 167 BC by a Greek ruler, by a Greek ruler named Antikius Epiphanes where he actually went into the temple, desecrated the temple and set up an altar of Zeus. So in Daniel chapter 11, it's literally talking about that literal event but then there's a future you know prophecy as well and then it rolls into Daniel chapter 12 talking about Daniel's 70th week, the end times. I hope that kind of sums up those two chapters but look at verse number 31 and verse number 32. It says, an arm shall stand on his part and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength and shall take away the daily sacrifice and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. So now if we apply that to the end times abomination of desolation, why are the Christians being killed in Matthew chapter 24 and verse number 14? They're being killed because they're preaching the gospel to all nations. They're out there during this war and during this big you know power grab of the Antichrist and they're not accepting the Antichrist and they're preaching the gospel and they're being killed and they're showing up in heaven. Now look at verse number 32, and such as do wickedly against and such as do wickedly against the covenant shall he corrupt by flatteries. But the people, it's talking about the Antichrist all right at the end times but the people that do know their God, that's the Christians, shall be strong and do what? They shall be strong and do exploits. This is clearly prophesying why the Christians are going through this hard tribulation in Daniel's 70th week during this power grab from the Antichrist is because they're going out there and look this historically this is true. You want to fire up Christians, persecute them. You want to fire up Christians and get them to do great wonderful things that will be recognized and witnessed, I mean see Hebrews chapter 11. You want to do terror, you know go out and kill them. Go out and slaughter them and they will do what? They will do exploits. Well in the end times during the tribulation that's what Christians are going to do. They're going to go out and they're going to preach the gospel to all nations and they're going to be killed for it. And that's the exploits Daniel chapter 11 is talking about. Go back to Matthew chapter number 24 and it's interesting because you look at Matthew chapter 24 these Christians are being killed because they're spreading the gospel and they're preaching the gospel to all nations and just to show you how well it matches with Daniel chapter 11 look at verse 15. It says when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation. What did I just read to you? Spoken of by what? Daniel the prophet stand in the holy place whoso readeth let him understand. Now go to Daniel chapter 12 I should have had you keep your place in Daniel sorry about that. But the point is it all fits together perfectly when you just look at the Bible and you have a proper view of these things. And I mean Daniel talks about Daniel chapter 12 other places in Daniel talks about all these numbers of days 1290, 1335 all these numbers that are and I didn't put all those numbers on this chart but it's about three and a half years just so you can understand that that's the process here that's the timeline that is basically this tribulation that we're looking at. Look at Daniel chapter 12 Daniel chapter 12 look at verse number 1 the Bible says and at that time shall Michael stand up the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people and there shall be a time of trouble such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time and at that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book. This is clearly talking about people that are saved people that are written in the book. I preached a whole sermon on the book of life so if you're one of these pre-tribbers that thinks Matthew 24 is only for the Jews which is weird it doesn't make any sense it's anybody that's written in the book folks and anybody that's in the book of life is those who are saved right here's the mechanics of the book of life in 30 seconds everyone starts in the book of life people are only erased from the book of life no one is ever added to the book of life you will never find anywhere in the Bible where someone is added to the book of life. People all start out there and people are only blotted out and some people are blotted out as the Bible clearly teaches before they are physically dead. These are the reprobates this is Romans chapter 1 many other places in the Bible all right go back to Matthew chapter 24 oh actually Daniel chapter 12 are we still there yeah I mean Daniel chapter 12 verse number 11 talks about anyway what we want to even go there but it's the point is that this tribulation period is three and a half years and the Bible is clear in Daniel chapter number 11 that is the saved that are going to have a time of trouble like there has never been before all right look at verse number 16 of Matthew chapter 24 and let's see if this matches Matthew chapter 16 look at Jesus's words and the Bible says this it says then let them in which be in Judea so now now if you look at your chart we've had this tribulation period through the four seals where people are going out they're doing great exploits they're preaching the gospel all across the world but then the abomination of desolation happens which is a huge milestone event not going to miss it all right you're going to know when that happens the antichrist is going to set up an image in the temple he's going to cause the sacrifice to cease he's going to set up an image he's going to demand that people worship the image this is Revelation chapter number 13 we'll go there in just a minute but at that point this is where the mark of the beast comes in he demands that everyone take this mark on the right hand or on their forehead and they worship this image and the Bible says everyone's going to be fooled by it except those Christians again except those people who are saved all right look at verse number 17 now something is different now now the Bible tells us something different look at verse 16 let them which be in Judea flee now the Bible is saying now it's gonna get really bad run let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house this is after the abomination of desolation and the Christians don't take the mark and refuse to worship the beast he's saying get out of there and one of them are with child and to them they give suck in those days you don't want to have a little baby with you at this time but pray that your flight be not in winter neither on the Sabbath day for then shall be what then shall be great tribulation remember the words of Daniel chapter 12 now such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time it matches exactly what Daniel chapter 12 and verse number one says literally it's gonna be worse tribulation than has ever been before that's really bad because you read about tribulation that Christians have gotten through before and you're like how could it possibly get any worse than that one of the one of the statements from the martyrs mirror said I can't remember the exact statement of it I should have written it down but I just remember it stuck in my head but one of the statements in the martyrs mirror talking about all these persecutions that Christians went through and all the you know the Catholic Church and the Dark Ages and all these things it said that men's men's creativity was exhausted in how to inflict pain and suffering on people it's like all the creativity of man was put into how to hurt people the worst instead of using it to build things and create you know things to help out communities and help out society all the creativity was used in just how to make and inflict the most pain on what on Christians that's bad and the Bible says it's gonna be worse than that that's gonna be the great tribulation the Bible says at that point after the abomination of desolation this is the red part on your chart it's saying get out of there at that time and if you do the math on that it's only a couple months long or so but still it's going to be a very very bad couple of months and then in verse number 22 again it says except those days should be shortened there should no flesh be saved but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened so the Bible is again saying if it went on like this if this was just the way it was nobody would survive but God will not let that happen right that's quite a statement that's quite a statement so look the takeaway is this we look at Matthew chapter 24 turn over to Revelation 13 let's just put a cap on it here look at Revelation chapter number 13 let me turn over there myself Revelation 13 remember Revelation the Bible goes you know the Revelation goes from beginning to end it goes from chapter number 1 to chapter number 11 and then it starts over in chapter number 12 and goes to chapter number 22 so if you put those two over the top of each other the Bible in Revelation is kind of telling the story twice but it gives us kind of a different information in each one but Revelation chapter 13 is talking about the same events in Revelation chapter 6 it's talking about the Antichrist coming to power it's got more detail in Revelation chapter 13 towards the end of the three and a half years where the Antichrist comes and puts up the image it gives us great detail about that it gives us great detail about the mark of the beast and all that in Revelation chapter 13 but look at verse number 5 of Revelation chapter 13 it says and it was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies and power was given unto him to continue 40 and two months now someone do the math on that for me divide that by 12 will you what is it it's three and a half years so the Bible is saying that the Antichrist and the false prophet are going to be able to continue for three and a half years and what's going to stop that what is going to stop that in its tracks we're going to see next week but basically it's going to be God stepping in right it's going to be an answer to those martyrs that we're saying how long oh Lord how long until your judgment comes on these people where on the earth how long well 40 and two months is what the Bible is telling us here look at verse number six it says he opened his mouth and blasphemy against God to blaspheme his name his tabernacle and and them that dwell in heaven and it was given to him to make war with the Saints so who is he persecuting he's persecuting this proves that Matthew 24 is not talking about the Jews too it's talking about the Saints and who's the Saint is it some person that the Catholic Church put a type a saint is anyone that is saved I'm looking at a bunch of Saints out here today so a saint the elect all these things are just talking about people that are what that are in the book of life people in the book of life the elect the Saints all the same group of people all right people that have believed on trusted on Jesus Christ and have been sealed by the Holy Spirit that's who the Saints are but again it's just showing clearly that the Antichrist is making war with the Saints and it was given to him to make war with the Saints and to overcome them because the Bible in verse number Aaron chat in Matthew 24 and other places Daniel or Daniel chapter 12 is clear that during that time the Saints are not winning I mean they're not even fighting what are they doing they're preaching the gospel and they're dying they're going out they're doing exploits and they're being killed for it and they're showing up in heaven and they're asking God how long till you take care of this problem and power was given him over what see he wins the war he wins the war power was given over him over all kindreds and tongues and nations doesn't this match perfectly with what other places in the Bible are showing now look at verse number 15 now look at verse number 15 now we see the abomination of desolate actually go up to verse number 14 go up to verse number 14 I'm looking at maybe we should go up a little further let's go to verse 14 it says and he deceiveth and he doeth great wonders so that verse 13 he make fire coming down from heaven and earth in the sight of man and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast this is the false prophet who is speaking for the Antichrist saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live and of course the Antichrist that's another prophecy about the Antichrist is that he will have a wound head and he will live and he had power to give life unto the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause that as many would not worship the image of the beast should be killed so again it is the Christians that are not going to worship the image just like Daniel and you know Shadrach and Abednego stood up for their faith the Christians are going to stand up for their faith they're not going to take the mark and they're going to be killed for it all right and then the Bible goes on talking about the mark of the beast in verse number 17 in verse number 18 so we go from tribulation during the war the Antichrist rise to power the Antichrist takes war to the world to make this covenant a worldwide government and during that time Christians are going through the tribulation they're being they're showing up in heaven as immediate immediately as that power grab and that world war breaks out during that entire time and then we have the abomination of desolation and then we have the beginning of the great tribulation right after the abomination of desolation and the mark of the beast it's not that complicated it's pretty easy to see and everywhere in the Bible that you look the Bible proves it it fits perfectly together now go to John chapter 16 so now let's just try to picture this okay let's just try to picture this on how it could actually play out and I want to show you that we see shadows of things today look I hope that this isn't in our lifetime I hope that this isn't in my kids lifetime I hope that this isn't in my kids kids kids kids lifetime we don't know because we haven't seen these milestones come yet but we do see foreshadowing and things that should give us concern on how these things could play out I like to watch that's what God is telling us to do in mark 13 Matthew 24 other places in the Bible so how could this happen on a worldwide level look at John chapter 16 and verse number one John chapter 16 and verse number one look what Jesus says to the disciples he says these things have I spoken unto you that you should not be offended you know what somebody that believes you say what's the harm and I've said this before myself if somebody came here to this church I even said it this morning and they were like a pre-trib rapture person they just don't think that Christians are going to go through tribulation and that's their thing I mean whatever it's not like a it's not a damnable heresy it's end times predictions but the point is there's going to be a lot of saved believers that believe in this pre-trib rapture stuff that are going to be very offended and Jesus is trying to tell the disciples themselves he's like I'm telling you these things so you're not offended meaning if Jesus was Joel Osteen and he went up there and just said everything is going to be great because you are a follower of me as soon as I rise from the dead and I go to heaven and sit on the right hand of God your life is going to be wonderful you know what those disciples would be they would have been offended and they probably would have quit the Christian life they probably would have been like I didn't sign up for this nobody told me this was going to happen as they're being stoned and you know hung and crucified upside down and like just murdered by everyone they're gonna be like what is the deal this isn't my best life now they're gonna be offended there's gonna be a lot of people that believe the pre-trib rapture they're gonna be offended when that tribulation sets in and that's why Jesus is saying these things are going to happen look at what verse number two says it says they shall put you out of the synagogues yay the time cometh that whosoever don't miss this whosoever killeth you will think that he doeth God's service and these things will they do unto you because they have not known the father nor me so this is a really key point here on how this could happen you like how in the world could the world and population get to a point where they are just like they think that the bible believing Christians are the problem how could that happen and he's saying well first of all they're not going to be these people that are like oh we're for satan we're for satan oh we think we're for satan so we're going to kill the Christians yeah they're going to be some people like that but he's saying a lot of these people are going to think that they're doing what God wants when they're killing Christians when they're when they're turning in Christians when they're betraying their neighbor who's a Christian they're going to they're thinking that that's the right thing to do with whoever they think that God is so what does that tell you it tells you that there's going to be a lot of people that don't know who God is and then he says that in the very next verse he says they have not known the father nor me what is Jesus saying he's like they have no idea what this says who is me me is the word of God he's saying they don't know the bible what do we see today people have no idea what the bible says this is a primer for this type of event i mean they do not believe the bible not not only they don't know what's in it but then you have all these groups of people who not only do they not know what's in it but they don't care what's in it because they don't believe it who's that that's the jews that's the muslims that's the hindus that's all these false religions in the world they not only don't know the bible but they don't care to know the bible because they think it's some book that man wrote and you know what there's a lot of christians like that too and i say christians with air quotes here there's a lot of people who would identify as christians mormons jehova's witnesses liberal christians that go to a false church that preaches a false gospel that are unsaved that they have no idea what the bible says and they don't seem to care what the bible says you talk to somebody who's been going to a church for 20 years and they have no idea how to get to heaven they think if they're pretty good they're going to go to heaven and then you ask them would you like to see how you could know in the next 20 minutes how you're going to heaven they're like nah they don't know what the bible says and they don't want to know what the bible says yet they say they're christians that's how this is going to happen i'll give you an example of just this week how people have no idea what the bible says the house of representatives passes a bill this week called hr 6090 you can look it up it's for look just to make you feel better so you don't panic it's for the department of education all right so it's guidance for the department of education which none of us have anything to do with thank god but it demands that the department of education by means of def use the definition of anti-semitism adopted on may 26 2016 by the ihra which is the international holocaust research association i think i might have misquoted that but it basically says that the department of education has to you know use this definition of anti-semitism which includes this statement using symbols and images associated with classic anti-semitism example claims of jews killing jesus or blood libel to characterize israel or israelis so first of all they banned parts of the bible they've made parts of the bible that clearly state that it was the jews and the priests and the elders actually i think it what is called in matthew chapter 25 that literally said ponchos pilot's trying to let this guy go he's like he's innocent take him do what you want with him and they're like no like crucify him crucify him these are the all the people all the jews the priests and the elders and they say in verse number 27 of i think it's matthew 27 25 if you want to turn there but they say his blood beyond us and our children it is clear bible truth that the jews of that time killed jesus that brought him to the romans and pressured the roman governor to kill jesus now jew being a jew is not a race it's not this genetic thing it's a religion it's a religion just like being a muslim or islam is a religion it is not a racist thing it's a religion and here's the thing folks if you look this this bill and here here's why i can't stand republicans more than i can't stand democrats this bill was voted 324 and 91 against republicans were 187 4 and 21 against democrats were 133 4 and 70 against the democrats are more for the bible than the republicans you're like nobody has any idea what the bible says that's the problem okay look when they said his blood be upon us and our children that is the same religion that is judaism today it's the same religion it's the same religion and just like i preached this morning look it is people that are responsible for not believing on the lord jesus christ individually so it's not like oh because uh you know there was somebody that followed this religion 2 000 years ago and killed the messiah it's not like they're suddenly at blame for that but no if they follow that same religion and don't believe on the lord jesus christ because that's what that religion teaches they're going to be responsible for that belief just like a muslim is going to be responsible for not believing on the lord jesus christ just like a hindu is going to be responsible for not believing on the lord jesus christ everyone individually will be responsible but the point is it's the same religion it's the same religion it's not a race thing there is no such thing as race we're all of one blood the bible is very clear so so many people are confused by this race thing but the point is this nobody knows what the bible says so it's very possible that this type of thing could be cultivated today don't forget what happened during covid i mean i hate to like bring up these memories to you but during covid you had neighbors turning in neighbors during covid i mean you had neighbors you know ratting out their neighbors for having a friend over or something crazy stuff and i mean i've read so much about stalinist russia and how there was arrest quotas like the the the what do they call them the the blue hats or the blue helmets or whatever would go into these towns in the soviet republics and they would go into these towns and like they just had to arrest 200 people they had a quota and so all the people were just like arrest my neighbor arrest my neighbor he said this about stalin and i heard him like you know having a secret meeting or something they're just trying to get themselves not to be arrested in that time and just like i've often thought like this was what was so hard for me during during covid was that this happened in the united states i'm gonna i'm just gonna bring up a news article from from a san diego newspaper for you just to jog your memory because there were so many stories like this but here's the thing these people that turned in their neighbors and did all this you know what they thought they thought they were doing good they thought they were helping people they thought they were doing service didn't they but what were they they were just fearful people they were fearful people here's a news article just to jog your memory in a san diego newspaper you're doing your part to stop the spread of covid 19 but what happens when your neighbors aren't following the same rules some san diegans are calling the police on their neighbors while others are turning to the internet where social distancing shaming has gotten ugly the article continues as a whole san diegans are absolutely adhering to the mandate said san diego police lieutenant sean takuchi were really encouraged by what we're seeing takuchi said that they've even gotten calls from people wanting to report neighbors for not social distancing but he said that follow-up on all those calls would be impossible i mean that really turned out to be the saving grace as there's no way they could enforce all this ridiculousness but it wasn't for lack of people ratting people out the article ends with this this is a serious statement but i find it funny many of these rules are confusing especially since they are constantly changing and different cities have different laws but the one constant is that we're all in this together i mean this was this was even before the shot right this was just all the madness that took place in just the first couple of months i mean covid shaming at work i mean mask shaming my wife was getting us kicked out of everywhere we're getting kicked out everywhere my wife was a mass protester i mean she's one of these people that's like i mean i want a coffee i want to put my mask on i want to go get a coffee and here she's without a mask sir we're gonna have to ask you and your family to leave because your wife won't put a mask on you know i'm sorry honey but like the point is is that it got crazy in less than a year it got crazy in the united states of america so don't think that it can't happen where people you know can think that they're doing good while turning people in even to be killed it's definitely a shadow something we should pay attention to look here's the thing fearful people are dangerous people that's what it comes down to and this idea of safety and all these different things i mean in less than a year you had people calling the cops on people not wearing masks taking walks standing too close to people having people at their own house i mean the only thing that saved us was the local authorities i mean thank god for all these local sheriffs they're just like you know what we're not doing that we're going to focus on crime you know thank god for those folks but look after all this don't you think that people could be convinced that bible believing christians are the problem and then think that they're helping and they're doing god a service whatever they think god is at that point because quite frankly christians today have made up their own god they have a god you go and you talk to christians today and you will find people that believe in god that will never send anyone to hell that that as long as i'm good how good well as good as i am that's how good how good you have to be to go to heaven as good as me you ever go to church no you drink yep you have good merit divorce six times whatever i mean whatever that bar is where they're at that's what it takes to go to heaven you have created your own god and that is the god that these folks will think that they are serving their fake god that they made up in their own mind or that they've had sold to them at their you know pentecostal or liberal watered down church or whatever it is all right there i go on the pentecostals again look at revelation chapter number six the point is this folks you don't even have to have much of an imagination at this point to see how this could play out but let me just show you a couple verses before we end here and then we'll look back at the chart and kind of review things let me show you a couple verses here look at revelation chapter 6 and verse number 17. revelation chapter 6 and verse number 17. so we see this three and a half year period the antichrist the tribulation culminating into the great tribulation but look at this in verse number 17 we see this separation we see this new thing the bible says in verse 17 for the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand it's saying now the wrath is here but guess what folks if it is come that means it wasn't here before it wasn't here at the beginning of revelation chapter 6 in matthew chapter 24 look at revelation chapter 8 and verse number one there's a clear separation here god wants us to see a separation right after the tribulation right after what we're going to talk about next week there's a separation on purpose verse number one it says he opened the seventh seal and there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour and after that silence the wrath begins there's a clear separation between tribulation on this earth and god's wrath that's why the saints are like god when's it going to start because the wrath hadn't started yet what was going on was tribulation so if you look at the chart it's very clear you've got the world war the antichrist taking power the tribulation convinced it can it commences with the covenant and the antichrist rising to power through the four horsemen then after that you know the wrath of god comes in the last half of the week but guess what folks and look when the wrath of god comes next and that's going to be the next several sermons of this series after next week when the wrath of god comes you say it sounds pretty bad up to this point when the wrath of god comes when god's judgment comes that's when it gets real that's when it gets real but guess what we're not going to be there we're going to be watching from the private the private box we're going to be watching from the best seats in the stadium we're not going to be part of it because we aren't on the earth anymore it's like well where did we go well that's what we'll talk about next time let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer