Why the Church Won't Go Through the Tribulation, Part 3

Let's pray together Lord, thank you for tonight Thank you for all that you've taught us Thank you for the Word of the Lord that tells us about the future, that we might trust you all the more Teach us about you tonight, Lord, we pray in your name Amen We are in a study called the Return of the King. I don't know how much you know, how much you don't know. I'm not even sure how much I know about the Return of the King And so we are starting from the beginning and working our way through the whole aspect of eschatology that we might come to grips with Jesus Christ and his glorious return

And so if you stay with us over the weeks and months that we cover this topic, you will have a handle on the events surrounding the Return of the King and what the Bible says concerning eschatology, and that's our desire And we have been looking at why the church will not go through the tribulation and the Bible talks about a time of great and terrible tribulation In fact, as you go through the Bible, you begin to realize that it talks about that the day of the Lord is a time of destruction from the Almighty That's in Isaiah chapter 11. I'm sorry, Isaiah 13 verse number 6

It's also a time of fury and burning anger That's Isaiah chapter 13 verse number 9 It's also called a time of doom That's recorded in Ezekiel chapter 30 Also, it's called a time of great and very awesome things That's recorded in Joel chapter 2 It's also called a time of darkness and a time of light, according to Amos 5 verse number 18 But it's also called the day of vengeance in Luke chapter 21 verse number 22 There are various names concerning the great and terrible day of the Lord and it describes it for us in the book of Revelation, unlike any other book

In fact, if you have your Bible, turn with me to Revelation chapter 6 It will begin to help describe for you this great and terrible time In Revelation chapter 6, you have the breaking of the seven seals Really, the six seals in Revelation 6, but there are seven seals all together And we have told you that those seven seals span the seven years of the tribulation Because out of the seventh seal comes seven trumpets that are blown Out of the seventh trumpet that's blown comes seven bowls, seven vials that are poured out

So when you get through the seven seals being broken, you are virtually at the end of the tribulation And it begins with the four horsemen in the breaking of the seals There's first of all the individual on the white horse He has a bow, but he has no arrows, meaning that he is a warrior But he comes in peace and he brings peace and that's about the rise of the Antichrist The second seal is broken and that person is on a red horse and it speaks of war And that war was granted that man might slay one another And then the fourth horseman is a black horse and that deals of course with famine

And then the Ashton horse which deals with death And when you get through the first four seals that are broken, we'll cover this in more detail as time goes on, you are halfway through the tribulational period If you were to read Matthew 24, Matthew 24 parallels exactly the seven seals of the book of Revelation And so by the time you get through the breaking of the fourth seal, you are halfway through the seven years of tribulation You are three and a half years into it basically And then comes the fifth seal which is the prayer of the martyrs, those who are killed during the tribulation

And the Bible says that they pray this prayer, How long O Lord, holy and true, wilt thou refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who dwell on the earth And that fifth seal that's broken portrays to us the saints in heaven who are asking the holy just God to pour out his holiness through vengeance upon the earth And then you come to the sixth seal

And it says in verse 12, When I looked when he broke the sixth seal and there was a great earthquake and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair and the whole moon became like blood and the stars of the sky fell to the earth as a fig tree cast its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind and the sky was split apart like a scroll when it's rolled up and every mountain and island were moved out of their places and the kings of the earth and the great men and the commanders and the rich and the strong and every slave and every free man hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the presence of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of their wrath has come who is able to stand

Now that breaking of the sixth seal is is remarkable because it tells us so much about what man knows concerning the wrath of God upon himself And man is so fearful of the great wrath of God that they would really want the mountains to fall on them so that they would die Not knowing that once they're dead, it only ushers them into an eternity of separation from that God in the fires of hell forever John receives these visions He understands them In chapter 7 there comes an intermission of inspiration

Who is able to stand? And the Lord is so good to John because he gives him a vision. A vision particularly of 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from every tribe who will be saved in this tribulation And then a whole slew of Gentile people, multitudes and multitudes of Gentiles who will be saved That's in chapter 7 And then it comes in chapter 8 and in verse number 1 it says, and when he broke the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour Why is there silence in heaven? Because of the overwhelming devastation that will take place on the earth

The silence in heaven is there because the people are able to understand exactly what God's going to do when the seven trumpets are blown by seven angels And it tells us in verse 6, and the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them And the first sounded and there came hail and fire mixed with blood and they were thrown to the earth and the third of the earth was burned up and the third of the trees were burned up and all the green grass was burned up and the second angel sounded

And something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea and the third of the sea became blood and the third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died and the third of the ships were destroyed And the third angel sounded and a great star fell from heaven burning like a torch and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters and the name of the star is called Wormwood and a third of the waters became Wormwood and many men died from the waters because they were made bitter

And the fourth angel sounded and a third of the Sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were smitten so that a third of them might be darkened and the day might not shine for a third of it and the night in the same way

And I looked and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven saying with a loud voice Whoa Whoa Whoa To those who dwell on the earth Because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound In other words, if you think what has happened is bad, you ain't seen nothing yet Because there are three more trumpets that need to be blown So when you come to chapter 9 With the blowing of the fifth trumpet you have what's called the day of demons and the Bible says the fifth angel Sounded and I saw a star from heaven Which had fallen to the earth and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him and he opened the bottomless pit and smoke went up out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace and the Sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of The pit and out of the smoke came forth locusts upon the earth and power was given them as the scorpions of the earth had power And they were told that they should not hurt the grass of the earth nor any green thing nor any tree But only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads

That's of course is the 144,000 Jewish believers from chapter 7 they are sealed God seals those 144,000 they do not die They make it through the entire Tribulation so we come to Revelation 14 they are standing on Mount Zion all 144,000 of them why they've been sealed by God He protects them

So these demon-like creatures are unable to touch the 144,000 Because they've been sealed by God then it says and they were not permitted to kill anyone but to torment for five months and Their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man And in those days men will seek death and will not find it and they will long to die and death flees from them the terror that happens with the blowing of the fifth trumpet is so great man wants to die and He can't Can you imagine wanting to die and being unable to kill yourself Taking a bullet, but it bounces off taking a knife trying to kill yourself, but it breaks when you try to stab yourself Man, God will not let man kill himself He will be tormented by these demonic spirits for five months God won't let them die Why? Because God is long-suffering Unwilling for any man to perish but to come to a point of repentance even in the in the most severe type of judgment see And then it says in verse 12 the first well was passed behold Two woes are still coming after these things You think this is bad? There are two more coming and when you come to verse number 13 the sixth Trumpet sounds and there is an assault of the armies an army of over 200 million Because the four angels that have been in bondage at the great river Euphrates are that are set free And when they are set free the terror upon this earth is incredible In minutes is this listen it says Verse 20 and the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues Did not repent of the works of their hands So as not to worship demons and the idols of gold and silver and a brass and a stone and of wood Which can neither see nor hear nor walk and they did not repent of their murders Nor their sorceries nor their immorality nor of their thefts That's amazing In spite of the blowing of six trumpets during the latter half of the tribulation During the great and terrible day of the Lord man does not repent He doesn't repent of his murders

He doesn't repent of his thefts

He doesn't repent of a sorcery He didn't repent of anything in spite of the fact that he has been so severely punished Why? Because man loves darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil Chapter 10 gives us a story about how John eats the remaining little book Because most of the book is gone It's a bitter book because it speaks of the the bitterness of the latter half of the tribulation in chapter 11 you have the two witnesses that that Preach the gospel and are finally killed by the Antichrist rise again Right in front of everybody in the whole world because they see them ascend up into heaven And then it comes to chapter 14 of chapter 11 verse 14 chapter 11 says the second woe was passed behold The third woe is coming quickly the third woe and When does the seventh angel sound it says in verse 15 and the seventh angel sounded and there arose loud voices in heaven saying The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ and he will reign forever and ever The 24 elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God why because the seventh trumpet blows when the seventh trumpet blows the seven vials or seven bowls are poured out in rapid succession and the king returns and that's found in chapter 16 a revelation And I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels go and pour out the seven bowls of wrath of God to the earth The first angel went and poured out his bowl into the earth and it became a loathsome and malignant sore Upon the men who had the mark of the beast and who worshipped his image And the second angel poured out his bowl into the sea that became blood like that of a dead man And every living thing in the sea died And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and the springs of waters and they became blood And I heard the angel of the water saying righteous art thou who art and who was a holy one because thou didst judge these things For they poured out the blood of saints and prophets and thou has given them blood to drink They deserve it and I heard the altar saying yes Lord

Yes Oh Lord God the Almighty true and righteous are thy judgments and the fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the Sun It was given to it to scorch men with fire and men were scorched with fierce heat and they Blaspheme the name of God who has the power over these plagues and they did not repent so as to give him glory and the fifth angel poured out his bowl upon the throne of the beast and this kingdom became darkened and they nod their tongues because of pain and they blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their swords and they did not repent of their deeds and The sixth angel poured out his bowl upon the great river the Euphrates this water was dried up that the way might be prepared for the kings from the east and I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the False prophet three unclean spirits like frogs for they are spirits of demons performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world To gather them together for the war of the great day of God the Almighty Behold I am coming like a thief blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments lest he walk about naked and men see a shame and They gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew was called Harmageddon the seventh angel poured out his bowl upon the air and a loud voice came out of the temple from the throne saying it is Done From the cross the cry was it is finished

That was the work of redemption Now the voice comes it Is done

In other words, it's over in modern-day vernacular The fat lady is singing It's over and it says and there were flashes of lightning and sounds of peals of thunder and there was a great earthquake such as there had Not been since man came to be upon the earth so great an earthquake as it was and so mighty and the great city was split into three parts and the cities of the nations fell and Babylon the great was remembered before God to give her the cup of the wine of his fierce wrath and every island fled away and the mountains were not found and huge hailstones about 100 pounds each came down from heaven upon men and men Blasphemed God because the plague of the hail because its plague was extremely Severe and then the king returns the question comes Will we be around during all those things? Will we see a third of mankind killed a third of the waters made bitter a third of of the trees and grasses grass destroyed We be around when all the water then is is destroyed and in men are burnt with Fierce heat and they chew off their tongues and and because of the pain Will we be around when men are are stung by these demon-like creatures and writhe in pain? Because they want to die and they can't die

Will we be here? Well, the answer that is no we won't So then why'd you read all that stuff to us then? To prove to you that it's going to happen just as the Bible says but the church Will not be here

We will be in heaven How do we know that? How do we know that? Well each argument might not be in and of itself Completely convincing all nine arguments when put together are Irrefutable when it comes to understanding the church will not be here When the tribulation is upon the earth We told you number one because of the location of the church in the book of Revelation We know the church is in Revelation chapter 2 and chapter 3 but from chapter 6 through chapter 19 the church is no longer mentioned In fact, we told you The Bible tells you that at the end of each letter written to the seven churches

There's a phrase He who has ears to hear let him hear What the Spirit says to the churches remember that listen to Revelation chapter 13 Revelation chapter 13 John explains to us how the Antichrist rises Basically the book of Revelation is a chronological book Every once in a while it takes you back to show you how something develops Chapter 13 is one of those chapters that helps you understand how the Antichrist rises to power Rises to fame and listen to what it says in Revelation chapter 13 verse number 9 if anyone has an ear Let him hear What's missing? the phrase What the Spirit says to the churches? Why? Because the churches are not there

That's why You see the Bible interprets itself And the Bible is very clear that when the letters to the churches are written it ends the same way He who has ears to hear let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches but When you come to Revelation 13, which shows us Excuse me how the Antichrist rises to power during the tribulation you need to hear how that's going to happen But the churches won't be there to listen Everybody else who is there Will need to hear and listen But the church will not be there We told you number two that because of the identification of the 24 elders of the book of Revelation We are guaranteed that the church will not be here during tribulation And we did identify the 24 elders as the Church of Jesus Christ in heaven And people have a problem with this But you don't have a problem if you understand that the 24 elders they wear crowns They're clothed in white raiment and they sit on thrones three promises given only to the church and they are in heaven in Revelation chapter 4 and therefore the number 24 is a number of representation as First Chronicles 24 and 25 talked to us about the Levitical priesthood and how 24 Levites were representative of the entire priesthood that was representative of the entire nation of Israel so the number 24 is a number of representation plus Revelations new song in Revelation 5 and the pronouns us and we parallel Revelation 1 verses 5 and 6 About what Jesus Christ did when he releases from our sins and made us the kingdom of priests So that's irrefutable evidence as to who the 24 elders are in the book of Revelation If you want to know know more about that need to get the tape from Take number one of the three parts of this one why the church won't go through the tribulation Third reason was because of the prevention Not the protection but the prevention of the church from the hour of tribulation That's going to come upon the whole world

That's Revelation chapter 3 verse number 10

The Church of Philadelphia was given a promise promise that there's going to become a time of trouble that will encompass the entire world and there's only one One trial that encompasses the entire world and that's Revelation 6 to 19 the tribulation upon this earth and we Come to understand that that hour is designed for those who dwell upon the earth Kato a ko a word designed over ten times in the book of Revelation to speak only of Unbelievers those who have taken the mark of the beast those who worship the beast those who kill Christians It's irrefutable that those people are those whose life is this world That's all there is and therefore the tribulation comes for them Okay, and then fourthly we told you that the intention of the tribulation for the nation of Israel We took you back to Daniel 9 24 27 to explain to you Daniel's 70-week prophecy and that the end of the 69th week Messiah Will be presented he will come and he will be rejected

He will be cut off He will be killed and the city itself will be destroyed

All that was prophesied by Daniel the prophet Christ said in Luke chapter 19 if you'd have known for this day on this day what this was all about Then you would have accepted me as your prince But they did not and he then reiterates the prophecy of Daniel 9 24 27 about the destruction of Jerusalem and of course the 70 AD that happened If you read on in Daniel 9 24 27, we realize that the Antichrist comes to power in the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy He makes a covenant with the nation of Israel for seven years Okay, that's the 70th week that has not yet happened So there's a gap between the 69th week of Daniel's prophecy and the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy and that gap Particularly is the church itself and the church was not in the first 69 weeks of Daniel's prophecy and They will not be in the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy But the church takes up the gap between the 69th week and the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy You with me some of you like saying, oh wow, man, this is just too much That's why we got tape series see so you can get the tape and listen to it over and over and over again So I'm going to give you the rest of our arguments five through nine

So we're gonna go rather rapidly Because next week we're going to talk about the believers rewards in heaven Once you get there, okay So we want to get through this to help you understand So principle number five is this and that is simply the distinction in the purpose of the church and the purpose of Israel there is a major distinction between the purpose of the church and the purpose of Israel well, that's clearly evident in Daniel 70 week prophecy in Daniel 9 24 27 but remember we told you that Jeremiah 30 verse number 7 says that the tribulation is called the time of Jacob's trouble it's a time of trouble for Israel and We told you that the intention of the tribulation is for Israel It is a time of judgment for Israel as well at the time of Israel's salvation And in Romans chapter 11 is a great story about how how Israel has been has been set aside and the church has been grafted in For a time being for a for a moment of time and then Israel will once again be grafted back in and All Israel will be saved because God has made a covenant promise to the nation of Israel But before Israel is grafted in the church has been grafted in its place and so for that gap between the 69th and 70th week of Daniel's prophecy the church is in existence and That church is a complete mystery to all those in the Old Testament

They knew nothing about the church age They had no concept of it Why because it's called a mystery Paul in Ephesians 3 explains that mystery to us He says in verse number one for this reason I Paul the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of the you Gentiles if indeed you have heard of the Stewardship of God's grace which was given to me for you that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery as I Wrote before in brief

So there's a mystery Paul says that's been made known to me now the word mystery is used 27 times in the New Testament and It deals with that which has been concealed in the Old Testament, but now is revealed in the New Testament That's why it's called a mystery The Old Testament prophets knew nothing about the church age had no idea About that what was going to take place in the gap between the 69th week and a 70th week of Daniel's prophecy They knew nothing of that That's why it's called a mystery All right

And so Paul says that I had been made a steward of that mystery It's my responsibility to talk to you about that mystery verse 6 tells us what that mystery is That the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through The gospel in other words the Gentiles and the Jews Become equal in the church age

That's a foreign concept to a Jew because Isaiah 65 Talks to us about how Gentiles will serve the Jews in the Millennial Kingdom So I had no idea about that, but Paul says that is the mystery It says verse 9 that he was to bring to light What is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God who created all? things This was something that was hidden

It was hidden in God But now it's my job to reveal that He goes on to say in the book of Colossians the first chapter verse number 26 these words The mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and Generations, but has now been manifested to a saints to whom God will to make known What is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles? Which is Christ in you the hope of glory That's the mystery

The mystery is Christ in you The Jews did not understand that Christ was or God was going to be with them But God being in them they had no concept of but that's what the church age is all about That's why Jesus said in John chapter 14 John chapter 14 verse number 17 these words John 14 verse number 17 verse 16 and I will ask the father and he will give you another helper that he may be with you forever That is a spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it does not behold him or know him But you know him because he abides with you and will be in you That's the mystery Christ in you the hope of glory over John chapter 17 Christ praised these words in verse 21 that They may all be one even as thou father art in me and I in thee That they also may be in us that the world may believe that thou didst send me and the glory which thou hast given me I have given to them That they may be one just as we are one I in them and thou in me that they may be Perfected in unity that the world may know that thou didst send me and its love them even as thou didst love me I In them you and me us in them That is the mystery That was concealed in the Old Testament Now revealed in the new There is a distinction in the purpose of Israel and the church The church now becomes the vehicle by which God spreads the good news to the world God has set aside Israel for a time being and grafted in the church according Romans 11 verses 1 to 27 and He will once again graft Israel back in once the church is removed and Israel will be the focal point during the Tribulation because it will be a fulfillment of Daniel 70 week prophecy which God says must come place come come come to come to be if Righteousness will be fulfilled if all things prophesied in Daniel 9 will come to a completion the 70th week must be completed Okay Which leads us to our sixth point and that is the preparation of our place in glory That's John's after 14

We've already covered this but let me review it for you

Just briefly again There's a there's a preparation of our place in glory Remember, we told you that it was in light in which the disciples were were Shocked to say the least to come to realize that everything was coming to an end that Jesus was going to die That was beyond their comprehension And Jesus said let not your heart be troubled first number one Believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many dwelling places If it were not so I would have told you For I go to prepare a place for you And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself Where is he going? He has to go away

He has to go and prepare a place For them in glory That's important Revelation 12 says that God prepares a place for Israel in the wilderness In revel in John 14, this is I go to prepare a place for you in my father's house

That's for the church In my father's house so many dwelling places and I'm gonna go prepare a place for you and I will come again I'm not gonna send somebody to get you. I Will come again and receive you unto my self Well, that's a promise they had no idea about Their idea the Messiah is that he's a conquering hero a conquering warrior not that he's going to come and leave and come again and prepare a place for them and receive them unto himself They had no idea about that See God promised Israel a kingdom on earth God promised the church a place in his kingdom in heaven and so there is a distinction but there's also a Preparation of our place in glory that God has gone ahead of us to prepare a place for us and this was the consolation given to the disciples that he was going to come again and receive them unto himself The preparation of our place in glory Guarantees the fact that we won't go through the tribulation But we'll go and be with the Lord Point number seven the consolation given to those in Thessalonica the consolation given to those in Thessalonica remember in chapter 4 verses 13 to 18

There's that dissertation we talked about Concerning the rapture of the church to catching away the church because those in Thessalonica were concerned

Listen carefully They were concerned that those who died would miss the rapture That means what's gonna happen to them if we are gonna be raptured We're gonna be caught away and we're gonna go to heaven because you're gonna come back and take us home to be with you What about those who died? What's gonna happen to them? Now listen carefully If they were concerned listen carefully about going through the tribulation They would have said how blessed are all those who have already died Because they won't have to go through tribulation, which we might have to go through Until you return again, see But that wasn't the argument that wasn't their concern their concern was not about them going through the tribulation And how lucky those were who had already died how they're gonna miss it

The problem was they have died What's gonna happen to them if you come if Christ comes and takes us home to be with him? And that's where Paul consoles them by saying oh they're gonna rise first And we here alive remain shall be caught up together in the air with them So shall we ever be with the Lord therefore comfort one another with these words and then he says in chapter 5 this Now as to the times and the epics brethren you have no need of anything to be written to you For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night Listen carefully while they are Saying not you, but while they are saying peace and safety Then destruction will come upon them suddenly like birth pangs upon a woman with child and they shall not escape But you brethren are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a thief That day is not gonna overtake you Why because you're already in heaven that's chapter 4 Then he says for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor darkness So then let us not sleep as others do but let us be alert and sober For those who sleep do their sleeping at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night But since we are of the day Let us be sober having put on the breastbed of faith and love and as a helmet of hope for salvation Listen carefully verse 9 for God has not destined us for wrath But for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ God has not appointed us for wrath What wrath? Over in chapter 1 it says they wait for a son from heaven whom he raised from the dead That is Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come God has not appointed his church to wrath in fact Calvary was all about God's wrath being poured out on his son for you and me So that we would never have to experience his wrath which we never will and Paul says they Will not escape But you are not like they are brethren Because you are sons of the light not sons of the darkness Therefore God has not destined or appointed you for wrath Why? Because all that wrath was poured out on Calvary on his son so you would escape the wrath to come and The reason you're going to escape the wrath to come is because you will be translated from here to glory before that time ever comes Listen carefully if in Thessalonian Thessalonica the Thessalonians were thinking that the tribulation was going to come upon them right and That would mean they would look at those who have already died as very blessed because they wouldn't face the tribulation that means They would be looking not for Christ But for the arrival of Antichrist So they would know when everything would begin to unfold But listen because we Have not been appointed for wrath We will be gone before the Antichrist ever comes to power Because welcome for Christ not Antichrist That's very important when it comes to our next point and that is The implication of the imminent return of Christ the implication of the imminent return of Jesus Christ the word imminent is from a Latin word, which means to hang over or to project in other words There's something hanging over your head

That's about to befall you at any moment Okay, and the doctrine of imminency says That there's something hanging over you that could happen at any moment That which is hanging over you is the return of Christ the wrath of the church And the belief in the doctrine of imminency the implications of that that doctrine is absolutely crucial because every gospel New Testament writer believed in the doctrine of the imminent return of Jesus Christ our Lord imminency involved two things a certainty and an uncertainty a certainty of the return and uncertainty as to when the return The doctrine of imminency teaches that nothing has to happen before the return of Christ to take his church Nothing has to happen Something might happen, but nothing has to happen If something has to happen before the return of Christ You're looking for that one thing to happen before he comes, right? So instead of living in the light of his return for instance if the Antichrist had to rise to power before the return of Christ You'd be looking for the rise of the Antichrist Before you look for the coming of Christ But because the coming of Christ is imminent

It's next it hangs over your head It could come in any moment You are anticipating the return of Jesus Christ It is a certain event to happen Uncertain as to when it will happen, but nothing has to precede it in order for it to happen That makes sense That's a doctrine of imminency It's a crucial doctrine

That's what first Thessalonians 1 verse number 10 is all about They waited for his son from heaven who be raised from the dead that is Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come they waited for his son patiently and Expectedly It's an expectant waiting as if it could happen at any Moment, and that's what the New Testament writers said Philippians 4 5 let your moderation be known to all men the Lord Is that hand or the Lord is next? James 5 the coming of the Lord draw near first Peter 4 7 the end of all things is at hand Revelation 3 22 verses 7 12 and 20 say I am Coming quickly

The Bible says the Philippians 3 20 Our citizenship is in heaven from which also we eagerly wait for Savior the Lord Jesus Christ

We are eagerly waiting for our Savior first Thessalonians 1 10 says that we wait for his son from heaven Titus 2 13 says we're looking for the blessed hope and Appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Christ Jesus Hebrews 9 28 says so Christ shall appear a second time for salvation without reference of sin to those who eagerly await him first Peter 1 13 says fix your hope completely on the grace be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ Jude 21 says waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life Revelation 3 and 22 both say four times I am coming quickly Folks listen every New Testament writer believed that Jesus could come back at any moment Okay, and that is what separates the rapture of the church from the revelation of Christ to this earth Because the revelation of Christ to this earth is preceded by many various events all outlined in the book of Revelation But for the rapture the church to occur nothing has to happen Before Jesus takes his own to be with him That's why it hangs over our head And that's why the return of Christ the rapture of the church us going home to be with him is the single most motivating influence in the life of the believer It helps them live a holy life Because he never knows when Jesus is gonna come back, right? It motivates him to be aggressive in ministry Because he doesn't know if Jesus is coming back that day So he must serve the Lord that day See and the very fact that Jesus could come back in any moment is the cure for apathy and lethargy in the life of the believer If you are lethargic If you are apathetic about anything, it's because you are not looking to the glorious appearing of your great God and Savior Jesus Christ You have a hard time believing that that hangs over you that the imminent return of Christ could be at any single moment but the writers of the New Testament believed They believe that Jesus was coming in their lifetime

They believed he was coming immediately the next day They lived in the light of the return of Jesus Christ and that's how we need to live our lives We don't know what he's going to come, but we do know he's going to come It's the doctrine of immanency is a certainty and an uncertainty It's a certainty that he's going to come uncertain as to when He will come Which leads us to point number nine and that is the description of the rapture of the church versus the return of Christ at the rapture of the church the righteous Will be changed first Corinthians 15 54 51 excuse me at the second coming all the unrighteous Will be destroyed put it this way If the rapture the church was at the end of the tribulation Listen carefully If the rapture of the church was at the end of the tribulation that is we are to go through the entire tribulation And if I believe in a post tribulational rapture That means That I would be raptured and Then immediately come back down to earth But Jesus made a promise that he was preparing a place for me in glory

So when do I get that place? see, when do I get that place if he's prepared a Place for me in his father's house when do I get to go to that place if I Am raptured at the end of tribulation in Revelation 19. I'm coming back with him automatically, right? if that's the case listen carefully if that's the case if every believer is Raptured or translated to glory after the tribulation That means that everybody who enters the earthly kingdom Enters it in a glorified body That's a problem Why? Because in the book of Amos the ninth chapter the 13th and 15th verse there is guidelines given for the purpose of agricultural duties If agricultural duties are responsibility in the millennial kingdom All the plowing all the planting Who's gonna eat all that food glorified bodies don't need to eat right also If everybody who enters a millennial kingdom has a glorified body Then who does Satan lead in a rebellion? At the end of that millennium and revelations after 20 verses 7 and 9 when it says that it numbers the sands of the sea Those who rebel against the Messiah for all glorified Then who are those people better yet? Where do the little children come from in Isaiah 1168? For all have glorified bodies There's no marriage

So we're all the little children come from so there can't be a post tribulational rapture because there's a distinction between the rapture and the revelation of the church at the rapture the Saints meet Christ in the air at the Second coming to Christ at the revelation Christ returns to earth At the rapture the church the man of olives is untouched at the return of Christ at the end of the tribulation the man of olives splits At the rapture the church living Saints are translated at the second coming No, Saints are translated At the rapture the church the body goes to heaven at the second coming the body comes to earth at the rapture Christ comes for his Saints at the second coming Christ comes with his Saints At the rapture the world is not judged and sin gets worse at the second coming the world is judged and sin is dealt with at the rapture The rapture excuse me is not preceded by detailed signs or warnings but the second coming is preceded by specific details of warnings And the rapture concerns only the saved but the second coming Concerns not only is saved But all the lost as well So there's a difference That's why the church will not go through the tribulation You need to understand that Because there's a church we are in the minority when it comes to believing that but the Bible speaks very clearly as to the rapture the church the translation of the church into glory and How that then initiates The whole aspect of the tribulational period that leads the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord In which we come back with him according to Revelation chapter 19 We don't fight with him We just observe how he fights everybody else, but we come back with him And that's why the church will not go through the tribulation instead We will be translated into glory and when we get to glory the Bible says every believer Will be rewarded How Will you be rewarded and what will you be rewarded with? That's next Wednesday

Let's pray father Thank you Lord for tonight a chance to study your word I pray that you help us to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ our Lord We pray in your name Amen