The King Judges Those Left Behind Part 1

The reason for us. Jesus phone number for the great tribulation. We bring suffering never before seen on this Jesus in the Old Testament prophets spoke of this time, as God's judgment rains down on the your people will beg the mountains to fall on them from the Moody Church in Chicago. This is running to win with Dr. Erwin listserv was clear. Teaching helps us make it across the finish line, loser in your opinion, how long do we have before the great tribulation starts.

Well, Dave. That's a very interesting question and I want to remind you that I live. I have a book entitled the last days are here again you know throughout history so many predictions have been made so many have been false, but I'm not going to give any kind of a specific timeline, but I have to say that when I look at what is happening in the world. It certainly appears to me as if there is going to be some kind of a worldwide government, and it looks as if antichrist who knows might be much nearer than we think.

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Go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com and when you're there you click on the endurance partner button or if you prefer you can call us at 1-888-218-9337 now my friends even though we don't know exactly when these events are going to happen. We do know that they will so let's listen carefully today I'm going to speak about a subject that is awesome, awesome because of its reality.

Awesome because it is going to come. It's a message that will lay a huge burden on your soul is a message actually of judgment. Of course we shall end with grace, which is where we always need to, and but before we get to grace we have to look at the words of the Lord Jesus Christ about the topic of what we called the great tribulation is actually what he called it the great tribulation.

There many people today who downplay the tribulation because either they spiritualize it and simply say that it happens somehow spiritually. Some even believe that it has already happened. And then there are others who minimize it because as far as they are concerned the church has always had tribulation so why the uniqueness of the great tribulation today, as we shall see that while the church is always had tribulation. It has never had what we're going to be discussing today.

You know, in the Old Testament the great tribulation was predicted.

Let me read a few passages before we get to our text in the book of Deuteronomy the Lord God says that he would scatter Israel. Then he would bring them together and in chapter 4 verse 30. He says when you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days notice that you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice, all that happens in the latter day, and Israel shall turn to God, as we shall see in just a moment, then you have the book of Daniel.

Daniel says this in chapter 12. Please listen carefully. At that time shall arise. Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people, and there shall be a time of troubles such as never have been since there has been a nation till that time, but at that time your people shall be delivered. That is, the Jews, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting shame and contempt. Daniel predicted a time of great tribulation and there would be those who would be saved, whose names were written in the book of Revelation chapter 7 talks about a great multitude and we will be mentioning this as we go through this that came out of the great tribulation, and Jesus spoke of it very clearly before we turn to Matthew chapter 24 and I would encourage you to turn to it right now. In fact, Matthew chapter 24.

I'm going to begin by giving you some purposes of the great tribulation.

Why this great tribulation that Jesus speaks about and the New Testament speaks about in various passages. Why the great tribulation. First of all, the great tribulation is a time when God unleashes his wrath on the earth.

It says in the book of Revelation that the grade today. I'll be his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand. In fact, when it comes to the vials and the bowls that are thrown out on there that says an and the cup was filled with the on mixed wrath of God is it wise got so angry. He's angry because during this period of time, as we shall see. The Antichrist arises almost all the world except those who are written in the book and we'll talk about that will worship him.

It is a time of unparalleled evil and time of unparalleled blasphemy and God is going to show his indignation to the earth is a will does the last generation have to be the one to endure this well the fact is that those who have died if they have not trusted Christ as Savior.

They will be in a place called Hades, which I'm sure will not be better than being in the great tribulation. So in the end God's justice will be finely tuned and correctly distributed. But here we see God's anger and wrath against sin. Second reason is to prepare Israel to enter into the kingdom to prepare Israel to enter into the kingdom. I said a moment ago is where reading from the book of Daniel that the people shall go through this time and then there will be those who will be resurrected to life. There will also be those who survive the tribulation to go into what we call the millennial kingdom.

In fact, Jeremiah has an interesting prophecy. He says that this period of time the great tribulation is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it, Paul said in Romans so that all Israel shall be saved. There's going to be a whole generation of Jewish people who are going to see Jesus as the Messiah when he returns and accept him as their own and they along with some Gentiles as well will go into what we call the millennial kingdom. So remember, first of all, comes the tribulation then all those Old Testament prophecies and New Testament prophecies regarding a kingdom on earth.

Now you might be gratified to know at this point that I will be preaching an entire message just on the millennial kingdom as we go through this series entitled when he shall come. So the second reason is to purify Israel to save Jews who will become a part of the kingdom, so that God's promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and finally fully be fulfilled.

There's 1/3 reason and that is during this period of great tribulation. The human heart is finally revealed in all of its sinfulness.

You read the story in the New Testament book of Revelation and the judgments and even though there are hailstones coming from heaven.

The sky is black and rivers are being turned into blood.

It says that many people still would not repent of their sorceries, and of their immorality. You'd think they'd say while in light of this, I'm going to flee to God's grace. Millions will multiplied millions will not. The human heart. Very interesting and revealed during this period of time. There's a final reason and that is to show Jesus Christ. Total triumph over the devil.

When you get to the book of Revelation and you see there. The story of the great tribulation. Satan no longer is working undercover. Now he is spoken of as the red Dragon that is been cast out of heaven and Satan in his fury is going to do all the damage that he possibly can to God and to God's people, and it will appear at times as if he's winning, but in the end he loses and is cast into the lake of fire justly so, where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. The end of the day.

The contest is not even close. Jesus wins a man Jesus wins now all that is simply my introduction. Our text for today is the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and today were going to read the Scriptures. I hope that you have one in front of you. There, if you're listening. By way of radio or Internet find the Bible are pew Bibles here. I think it's page 829 follow along.

These are the words of Jesus, take it from him when he is with the disciples in there overlooking the temple area and Jesus said all of these stones that you see here the beautiful temple was built not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall be torn down. The disciples asked him, verse three. When will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the close of the age Jesus in effect ignores their first question about when these things the destruction of the Temple will take place and he launches into this discussion of the signs of his coming and the end of the a now it's true there are some parallels between this and the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus does talk about the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. but Jesus begins and he talks about certain signs, so there are two questions we have to answer before we get into the text, namely where are we, as believers during this period of time.

Where do we fit into this as you know, based on the previous messages that I have given I believe that we will be enraptured up. First Thessalonians chapter 4 we will be with the Lord because the coming of Jesus is in two stages. First of all, he comes for his church and then he comes with the church with his saints and today were talking about that second stage of the great revelation of Jesus when, as we shall see. As lightning goes from one end of heaven to the other, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Were talking about stage number two in his return. So this scenario is correct and you've trusted Jesus as your Savior. You will be in heaven waiting to return with Christ, but we will be exempt from the wrath to come because this is a time when God's wrath falls upon the earth. There's a second to question and that is that the signs that Jesus talks about are they signs for today. Well, not really. They are signs during the tribulation. During the first half of the tribulation.

They are signs, but their routine can be seen today. Every one of these signs in one way or another is happening today as we get into the signs by the ways you read this chapter, do you notice how Jewish it is talks about Jerusalem that talks about all pray that your flight will not be on the Sabbath day, etc. why is it so Jewish. The best way to view the church is as a parenthesis Old Testament, God dealt with Israel church is inserted into this now that the church is taken away. God takes up where he left off to fulfill the Old Testament promises. And that's why you don't see the church year. What you see is a message to Jewish people, and Gentiles as well will be there during the period of the great tribulation. What very quickly. Now let's look at the signs we must hurry on Jesus said in verse four. See that no one leads you astray for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead to many astray today we have something like that. We have many different Jesus says we have a Mormon Jesus, we have a new age. Jesus we have a do-it-yourself Jesus a cut-and-paste Jesus people at different Jesus says, but in that day many will say I am the Christ huge worldwide deception notice will be war, verse six, you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed for this must take place years ago I preached a message on the little word must things that must take place, but the end is not yet nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There's going to be world war and in the period of time known as the great tribulation. It's going to end with the battle of Armageddon. So kingdom will rise against kingdom.

There will be famines certainly have that today. Earthquakes in various places the number of earthquakes.

I'm told is increasing. All these are the beginning of birth pangs.

This is just the warm-up. Then they will deliver you up in tribulation and put you to death. You will be hated by all nations for my sake. Why this spread persecution that is actually going to result in many people die and many people being raised as martyrs and then it says, and many will fall away and betray one another and to hate one another and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end will be saved. This has nothing to do with the issue of eternal personal security. What Jesus is saying is, is that the person who endures to the end of the tribulation.

After so many millions die.

The person who endures to that point will be rescued by Jesus will be given the opportunity of entering into the king, and so if you endured to the end of the age, the end of the tribulation. Is what Jesus actually is talking about. And then there's another sign verse 14 and this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end the show, this point in time we have to say. Let's think this through. The church is taken away.

The restrainer is taken away, the Holy Spirit is still in the world, but in an Old Testament sense of the word antichrist is beginning to mobilize to sign a covenant with Israel a covenant of peace.

Evidently and yet you have all these people saved during the tribulation. Where did they come from. If you have your Bibles open, let's turn for a moment to Revelation chapter 7 Revelation chapter 7 where we see here the story of the 144,000 chapter 7 verse one of Revelation. After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth that no wind might blow on the earth or the sea against any tree I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun with the seal of the living God. He called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the seat do not harm the earth and the sea or the trees until we seal the servants of God and therefore it got a saying I'm going to restrain my wrath while 144,000 Jews are sealed so that they might not be destroyed during the tribulation. Some people read this and they say this must be the church. Well actually actually list the tribes and how does God come up with such a neat number 12,000 12,000 to make 144,000. Only God can do that.

God evidently has chosen some people and he has chosen them and will in the end time seal them and they will be converted perhaps miraculously something like Saul on the way to Damascus. God may just simply come out of heaven and say believe on Jesus be saved and 144,000 are safe now. If you believe that the church is going to go through the tribulation as many fine Christians do you still have the question of how the church evangelizing ends up exactly with 12,000 from each of the tribes. It is a miracle done of God, you say, what if that isn't the correct interpretation that these 144,000 become the evangelists by the way last part of Revelation 7. It talks about all those who were saved during the tribulation.

The great number who evidently die and are beheaded and are now in heaven but you say well how do we know that those folks are going to preach the gospel will you know God is never out of ideas.

Listen to this from Revelation chapter 14 verse six. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, language and people and angel flies within eternal gospel to every nation tried language and people and he said with a loud voice, fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the springs of water. God wants to evangelize the world if the gospel is going to go to his every nation he can even use an angel to do it. We haven't done it is a church there are many Christians in all the countries of the world, but not that many in their huge countries where very few have heard the gospel. God may use even an angel to proclaim it to them and if an angel proclaims it to them.

You can be sure that they would listen. Imagine an angel flying over a nation and saying with a loud voice.

This is the gospel. Is it any wonder that many, many do believe Jesus said this gospel of the kingdom must be spread throughout all the world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end shall come. Now we get into some other matters that I hope to make clear to you still with me there out there and you have anybody's with me. I know this can get a little complicated, but as you listen to this series, and we are like taking pieces of a puzzle and putting it together. It will make sense. I think I can promise that to you, not with the same kind of promise that God gives us eternal life, but I think we can see her way clear as to how this might fit together when my friend, this is Pastor Linton that's another reason I would like to recommend my book to you. The King is coming because as we put this puzzle together, we discover that sometimes we have to reread the same sections we have to think in terms of a timeline even when we cannot be certain exactly the way in which it's all going to and the fact is we are given enough Revelation to note that these events are certain the timeline for us is not but were making all these resources available to you. Would you be interested in receiving the books the king is coming. I hope you are because I believe that it will help you run the race of life and look to the future and live for the future, even while we live here on earth for a gift of any amount. This book can be yours. Here's what you do go to RTW offer.com that's RTW offer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337 preps I gave you that phone number. A little too quickly. I'll give it to you again 1-888-218-9337 ask for the book the King is coming 10 events that will change your future for ever. Thanks in advance for helping us because together making a difference.

You can write to us run into when 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614. The Bible tells us that God is long-suffering he withholds his rightful judgment for time, but not forever. During the great tribulation. Numerous judgments all of the your but even then mankind, by and large, will not repent. Next time I'm running to win will learn what's ahead for a world that has rejected Jesus. Thanks for listening to our series on the return of Christ running to win is sponsored by the teacher