The Coming of the Lord

Gospel—Bob Thonney
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Let's start our meeting tonight with #22 on our hem sheet.
The Heavenly Bridegroom soon will come to claim His bride and take her home to dwell with Him on high. Trim your lambs and be ready.
The Heavenly.
Is brought up and waver on everyone with him, my mom.
Uh, let me tell you later for me with a little test of the day.
After being.
Promised you're going to have anything to do with your hands on the pylons. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't. I don't think about that. You have to do it as long as you're allergic.
The rise of the sandwiches full of our heavens and the heavens.
And so on with your advocate and your dialogue is going to be the organization for both products and growth.
Uh, you're right. You're done. So I want to do it right on your knees. We're going to feel like we're going to see.
If you're going to run, so it's very likely for one broadband.
Let's pray. Our Father and our God, we're so thankful for another opportunity to open my precious Word.
And to speak with a special emphasis toward those who may be here and yet not ready. Father, we really believe the coming of our Lord Jesus to be near, and we do pray that Thy Spirit would convict anybody who is not ready. We pray, Father, for help in the opening of Thy precious Word, and speaking from it, that it may be clear, and that it may go to the conscience and heart.
Of those who need it. We pray, Father, for awakening. Because we are really close. We really do believe, Father. We pray for blessing wherever the message goes out. In the name of the Lord Jesus, Amen.
That's thing #8 as well. Shall we gather at his coming?
Shall we gather right?
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We hear the danger of.
Time.
You don't get rid of God and glory of the glory of the glory of God.
730 Joy.
Has been to be him Thundercloud.
You're going to wake up, get off the ground.
Across Memphis and falling up and fall because of me.
No, we didn't call in the same time.
We need to have our country resolved.
Need to offer. Thank you. Don't say anything.
I don't come in her eyes and come on.
His father is his glory out from me. Now you're with the day of his coming there when you find some Sandy government blah blah blah blah blah.
Well, I suppose you know by the two hymns we sang what I wanna talk about tonight.
The Lord is coming.
It is impressive to me to see the things that we are witnessing in our world.
And at the same time, it's impressive to me to see how the Prince and God of this world seems to be casting a stupor and most people have no clue as to what is just ahead for this world.
The one of the actually, according to the words of our Lord Jesus, the most awful judgment that planet Earth will ever see is just ahead.
And most people are thinking, oh, we're going through a crisis now, let things look at better. You just watch and see, Well, maybe God will grant a little reprieve, But there are so many evident things going on that should make us awaken as never before. We who are real believers in the Lord Jesus. And that's what really concerns me too. So often, even those who profess faith in the Lord Jesus don't seem to have a clue as to where we are.
We're getting close, we're getting down to the wire, we're getting down to the end of this present age. Things are going to change dramatically for this world.
Are you ready? And that's another thing that really concerns me as we address this subject.
It's too easy.
For so many of us who have been brought up in Christian homes to just kind of slide along as a Christian.
Never really making it real in our own souls. What is your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ?
We heard about Samuel today. Samuel had a very good upbringing, according to what we can tell in Scripture, godly parents, and that taught him the fear of the Lord. There he was in the presence of Eli the priest, in the very temple of the Lord, and yet Samuel did not know the Lord.
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I'm looking around this room tonight. I can see some that don't seem to be paying attention. Maybe you are listening to me. Do you know the Lord like we were talking about today? Or is it just something that they've told you that you've never made it real in your soul?
Oh, to me, it's going to be an awful, awful tragedy from one moment to the next. If the Lord comes and there's a few still sitting in this room. They weren't ready.
And even amongst the Lord Jesus 12 apostles, one was fake.
Where's the fakes out here?
I can't tell because I can't look down into your heart, but the eye of God is on you, and if you're faking it, you're fooling yourself worse than anybody else. It's time to get serious with God. We're living in serious times.
Jesus is going to come back to this planet. He's going to set his feet back down on this world.
Scripture is very clear about it.
But before I take off the second coming of the Lord Jesus, I want to deal briefly with his first coming. If you'll turn with me to one verse in first Timothy chapter one and verse 15, a well known gospel verse that deals with his first coming. What was the purposes purpose of Jesus?
First coming into this world.
First Timothy 115 Listen, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.
So his purpose in coming the first time was to save.
And to save it meant that the sin question had to be addressed. Yes, you and I are sinners before a holy God, and God cannot Passover, not even one little white lie of yours.
Every single sin that has been committed on planet earth must receive its just penalty from the hand of God Himself. God would Passover just a few little white lines. It would call in question His holy character. Absolutely impossible.
Everyone of your sins is going to receive. It's just punishment from the hand of God. But God is not only a just God. God is a God of infinite love. And so God sent his Son into this world with that specific purpose in mind, to save lost sinners. Thank God.
For that news. But you know one thing about God is that he's living.
He's immortal, God cannot die, and so if he was going to address the question of sin.
If he was going to be a substitute, he must die.
Therefore, Jesus became Incarnate. He took the form of a man so that he could die. He could pay that penalty. You might say that every one of us have been born into this world to live, but there was one who was born into this world to die. He came to die and in the midst of His days, when he was 33 1/2 years old.
After having lived a life of complete perfection before, God is Father.
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They took him, they condemned him to death, complete fake the trial, but they got their way and they had him crucified.
And they took him outside the city of Jerusalem, and they nailed his hands and his feet to a cross. His head was crowned with thorns. His face was battered.
With the mistreatment of the Romans and running with the spittle of the soldiers. Think of that. That's the way they treated the very Son of God.
There he hung from 9:00 in the morning till 3:00 in the afternoon.
Six hours he hung there. The first three hours he hung, people passed in front of him and mocked him and cursed him.
And then God at 12 noon covered the earth with darkness, and for three hours everything was dark on Mount Calvary. We wouldn't know what happened in those three hours, but we do have a verse in the prophet Isaiah that tells us what took place in those three hours.
Prophet Isaiah says he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes.
We are healed all we like. Sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone.
To his own way, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Yes, God is a holy God. Yes, God cannot Passover sin lightly. And in those three hours of darkness, God took that load of sin, those awful sins that I am ashamed of, those sins that I had committed, and laid them on the head of his own beloved Son. And in those three hours, God lifted.
His rod of judgment.
And the full fury of divine judgment broke on Jesus head.
You know, it's very exhausted divine wrath against me.
A guilty Sinner, that's how much she loves.
Sometimes, say in the Old Testament, the fire on the altar consumed the sacrifices.
Hundreds of thousands of sacrifices were consumed by the fire, but in the case of Jesus on that cross, the sacrifice consumed the fire. There is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Jesus. Thank God there is now salvation. God has a just way to say I forgive you.
If there is repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. But I want to speak a little bit about this matter of repentance because I think it's very important.
I was brought up in a Christian home, too. I was brought up in the meeting and I remember as I was growing up listening to what the Brolder brothers said. Sometimes I didn't understand too much. Sometimes I understood a little bit.
But little by little, things started clicking.
But you know what? I had the wrong idea that since I was brought up in a Christian home, I really wasn't as bad as those people out there that never knew anything about the Lord. Those people in the prison, I'm not quite as bad as them. You know what I had?
To repent. And I fear that there are many here tonight who have sat in those seats listening to the Word of God and have never truly repented. What does repent mean?
It comes from that little word pen in Latin. It's the same in Spanish pensar. It's to think repent means to rethink. It means to have a change of thinking. You know, there's way too many people today who say, Oh yeah, I'll receive Jesus as my savior.
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And I'm saved, got it all taken care of. But then they go back to their same way of living, very evident that they've never repented. And Jesus said very clearly in the Gospels, Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Young people, older people too.
What are you allowing in your life? You know there's things in your life, you know they're wrong. You never really taking God's viewpoint of them. You keep on doing it.
Maybe nobody else knows about it.
But you know about it, and the eye of God is on you.
Have you repented? You can fool us. Lots of people have.
You can't fool God. He looks straight through you and he knows what is the story of your life. I plead with you tonight, whoever you are, because I can't tell who you are. But if one of Jesus's 12 apostles was faked, how many fakes are there here tonight? I hope nobody, but I'm not sure about that.
And that's why we want to speak plainly.
It takes repentance towards God, but repentance in itself will not save you.
What saves is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
By grace ye are saved through faith and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God. How does a person get faith anyhow?
Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.
Oh, how important it is when we're talking about God's Word, to listen, to hear what He has to say. I don't care if you want to ignore what I say tonight, but please, for your own eternal welfare, listen to what God says. It's vital.
It's eternally vital.
So Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. After those three hours of darkness, Jesus died. A soldier pierced his side, and out flowed blood and water.
And then they took him down from that cross, and they buried him. And the third day Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus is alive today. And before he went back to heaven, he told his disciples, If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again. Jesus has not fulfilled that promise yet.
Every single promise he has made will be fulfilled. He is coming back to this world again. And now I'd like to talk the rest of our time about his second coming because it is so important that we are aware of where we are and what's ahead, what's just ahead.
His second coming has two parts. I'd like to put it that way. I hope I can make myself clear. The first part is what we call the Rapture. The scripture uses the word in the English language caught up and that's the word for rapture.
And it's in First Thessalonians chapter 4 where we have it. The Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel, and with the trump of God.
And the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
For the Rapture.
Friend.
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There is no sign that indicates its nearness.
No, it could happen at any moment.
Once was talking to a young man down in Bolivia.
And I said to him, he wasn't living like he should live as a Christian. I said, supposing the Lord gave a 5 minute notice, I'm gonna come in 5 minutes. What would you do?
You thought a little bit and he said I've had I, I'd have some repenting to do, I guess. I said, you know what he's not gonna give and giving you one minute.
One moment to the next, there's going to take place one of the most tremendous, momentous things that has ever happened on this planet. I sometimes say it's so tremendous I can't hardly get my mind around it. And if it wasn't written clearly in this book, I might have questions about it, but it's too clear to be mistaken about.
It's going to happen. The Lord himself will descend from heaven.
With a shout, With the voice of the Archangel, With the trump of God.
I don't know. We're gonna hear three things. I think it's just gonna hear one thing, but it's just telling us about it in three different ways.
At any rate, I understand that that Voi, that word, the shout, the figure of speeches, a military commander coming out of his barracks and giving a shout, and the soldiers jumping to attention. And so the Lord's gonna come out of heaven.
With that shout of power and all the dead in Christ from the beginning of time.
The first who died with faith in God was able.
Where are his bones now? Nobody has any clue. God knows where they are.
And all the dead in Christ are going to rise first.
It's interesting in that Scripture it says first and then it says then there's a sequence. I don't really think it's going to be a matter of a whole lot of time, but there is a sequence that Scripture speaks about. Then we which are alive and remain, that is those who are believers in the Lord Jesus, will be caught up together.
1St Corinthians 15.
It gives another detail that this corruptible must put on incorruption and this mortal must put on immortality, in other words.
Even you and I who are believers can't go up to heaven in the body we have on right now.
I'm not gonna go with Gray hairs on my head, no.
We're gonna have to have changed bodies, and it says the apostle Paul in First Corinthians 15. Behold, I show you a mystery. We shall not all sleep. That means we're not looking forward to dying. But we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye.
At the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. That's going to take place in a moment of time. And the twinkling of an eye. How long does it take your eye to twinkle?
Not too long. That's how long it's gonna be. All takes place in a moment of time and then we'll be.
We'll be caught up to meet the Lord in the air in that part of his second coming. He doesn't come to planet Earth, He comes to the air and we're raptured up to meet Him.
Dear friend, young person.
Are you ready for that moment? It's going to take place without any previous notice for the second part of the Lord's Second Coming. There are multitudes of signs connected with it.
For the first part of the Lord's Second Coming, there are no signs.
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Oh, how it should reflect on us who are believers as well.
It's going to take place. Sometimes we're not careful what we say and what we do. I sometimes think, you know how you get busy and then you get a little bit upset and then you let fly some words that you probably would think better about telling.
And at that moment, the Lord should call us into His presence. How are you going to look into the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ? It's going to happen, and I really think it's going to surprise us. I really do.
Any moment now. Are you ready?
And that we could say to those who are believers as to the as to those who are unbelievers.
Please think seriously about it. God cannot lie. That's one thing he cannot do.
And he has told us very clearly that this is going to take place.
I'd like to go the rest of our time over to the 24th chapter of Matthew because.
There the Lord speaks about a time.
Of great tribulation that is going to take place after.
The Lord's people are going to be raptured.
Let me say this, and it was kind of a shock when I first heard it.
Remember our brother Chuck Hendricks one time said this. He said somebody asked him will the church go through the tribulation?
And he said yes and no.
What did he mean? He explained.
The false church will go through the tribulation.
The true Church will not go through the tribulation.
And if you look clearly at the seven churches, you'll see.
That that conclusion is validated by Scripture.
He speaks to the Church of Sardis and he says.
Behold, I come as a thief.
The Lord is coming, as a thief is not the rapture.
It is coming at the end of the Tribulation to judge this world in righteousness.
Why is he telling that to the Church of Sardis? Because there's some of those people who say they're Christians, but they're not in reality, and they're gonna go through the tribulation right to the end and meet the Lord as a thief. Why a thief?
You don't want the thief to come to your house. You don't wait for him.
And that's the way it's going to be for the world around us. They don't want Jesus to come and they don't wait for him. They want to do their partying.
They want to have their good times.
They don't want him to come.
Do you really want Jesus to come?
Do you wait for him?
Then he won't come for you as a thief, no.
We're not in darkness that that day should overtake us as a thief.
But in this 24th chapter of Matthew, I'm going to read quite a bit of it.
We're talking about a period of time that we believe to be in the future. Just like to say that the 1St 2 verses of this chapter when the Lord spoke them were still future, but they are now history.
As far as where we live in the time frame of this world, notice verse one and two. And Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple.
Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down.
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That was still future when the Lord spoke that, but this was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Roman army came to destroy the city of Jerusalem and the general Titus.
Gave the orders not to touch the temple because it was such a beautiful building.
But according to history, someone threw in a lighted torch through one of the windows and it started burning, and the burning was so hot that the gold on the stones melted and went down into the cracks between the stones. And so the soldiers afterwards looting the city, fulfilled exactly to the word what the Lord Jesus had said.
Did not leave one stone upon another to get that gold.
And if the Lord's words in that part of prophecy were completely fulfilled, just take in mind then that what we read afterwards is going to be fulfilled exactly as the Lord says it will. Verse three. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately saying.
Tell us, when shall these things be, and what shall be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world? They should be the end of the age we're getting down to the end of this present age of grace.
Sometimes called the times of the Gentiles.
What is the signs? And so the Lord Jesus speaks of the signs. And you're going to notice as we read down through these signs that many of the things that he speaks about we see in our world today.
I think they're gonna be far worse after the rapture, after the Spirit of God is taken out of this world.
Because the Spirit of God is as.
A uh, the, uh, something that detains the progress of evil in this world.
You know what? I often often thought that I think one of the most awful places to have to live after the Rapture is gonna be the United States of America.
Because people are pretty well armed here. Take out all the Christians, all the true Christians, and when people start getting hungry, what's gonna happen in this country? You can just imagine the awful things that will take place. I'm not expecting to be here at that time, but I've often thought about that time. I'd rather be living in the jungles of South America than living in this country.
Just that is what's waiting for you if you're not ready, and I plead with you to get ready if you're not ready yet.
The end of the age we're getting down to the end of this age of grace. God has been so gracious, so kind to this world for almost 2000 years. The gospel has been going out.
But it's not going to continue that way. People think that democracy is the greatest and we're thankful for the liberty we enjoy. But you know, democracy is not figure as to the government of the coming age. It's going to be theocracy. God is going to reign, and as he reigns, the Lord Jesus Christ is going to establish his Kingdom.
Nobody is gonna be able to fool him. He's gonna reign with a rod of iron.
Anybody that steps out of line?
One day to the next, they're gonna be gone. That's it. No trials, no appeals, nothing. They're gone. That's it.
We live in the day of grace. We don't understand that kind of living.
Living down in South America in the military rule was kind of revealing at times.
When people got in the way of government.
Many times they just plain disappeared. Nothing more was heard.
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And that's what's gonna be in the millennial day. People think they can get away with stuff. Oh, God is gracious, and he'll forgive me if I keep on sinning. That's what you're thinking. You'd better get serious about things. That's not going to cut it with God.
Well, let's read a little bit about this now. Verse 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you, for many shall come in my name and say, saying, I am Christ and shall deceive many.
That is taking place in our world. I'm sure you're aware of some of the cases that have come up. What impresses me is how gullible people are. Can't believe that they follow by the thousands.
By the 10s of thousands, these guys who say I am Christ.
Remember when David Koresh had his day down in Waco, TX?
And.
Remember the comment of a radio recorder who said it didn't impress me that much that David Koresh said he was Christ would impress me? He said. Was how many people called over, called in from all over the United States saying he can't be Christ because I'm Christ?
In the United States, isn't this an educated country?
What in the world? What happens to people you know? What, if you're not reading this book, you too are going to be deceived.
Get this book open and read it.
There's the mystery of iniquity. All ready works.
Verse five or verse 6, and you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. That certainly is true of today. See that you be not troubled, for all these things must come to pass. The end is not yet, and nations shall rise against nation, and Kingdom against Kingdom, and there shall be famines.
And pestilences and earthquakes in diverse places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Believe that's what's gonna take place in the first half of that seven-year period that we call the Great Tribulation. Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. He's talking to the Jewish disciples because there will be in the Great Tribulation period, Jewish people who will fear the Lord.
And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
Many false prophets shall arise, shall deceive many, because iniquity shall abound. The love of many shall be wax cold.
He that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
Remember that verse is sometimes applied to Christians today. The true Christian will really persevere to the end. But this does not apply to Christians here. This is talking about people in the great Tribulation period who will have an awful time living down here if they fear God.
If they endure to the end, they will be saved in the sense that they will go into the millennial day on the earth under the reign of Christ.
Verse 14 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. So through that great tribulation period, there's going to be a gospel preached, the gospel of the Kingdom. It's basically the gospel that the Lord Jesus preached and John the Baptist preached at the beginning of the Lord's ministry on this earth, basically.
Straighten out your ways. The king is coming and he's not going to allow you to be sinning. They axe is laid to the root of the trees.
That's the gospel of the Kingdom we preach the gospel of the grace of God. We've already explained that.
Just one word of warning. Some people think, well, maybe I'll just wait and see and in the great tribulation I can accept the gospel of the Kingdom.
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Scripture is very clear that if you.
Hear the gospel of the grace of God and decide, no, not yet, maybe later.
You will not have another chance.
God will send strong delusion.
That they might believe a lie, those that did not receive the love of the truth.
Get serious young person, older person too.
Verse 15.
When he therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place. Whoso readeth, let him understand. We don't have time to go back to Daniel's prophecy in the 9th chapter of Daniel, right at the end. You can read it yourself, but there is where it is. And this takes place in the second-half of the tribulation week after the 1St 3 1/2 years.
Are over, then this is what's going to take place, he says, verse 16 Then let them which be in judeafully into the mountains, let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.
Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes, and woe to them that are with child and to those that give suck in those days.
That pray ye, that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day, stocking the Jewish people here.
For notice verse 21 Then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no, nor ever shall be. In other words, very clearly just ahead is the most awful judgment this world will ever see.
People think they've seen times of awful slaughter, Second World War, and it was awful.
They have seen nothing in comparison with what's just ahead, and you're heading straight there if you're not straight with God.
Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Then if any shall say unto you, lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets shall show great signs and wonders. Be careful about those people that talk about signs and wonders.
That's in the picture.
For those that deceive.
Insomuch that if it were possible that they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I've told you before. Wherefore if they send to you, behold, he is in the desert, Go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chamber. Believe it not. For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even into the West, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the Eagles be gathered together.
You know, it's not pleasant to.
Speak of judgment, but it's reality, and I hope we can be awakened as to where we are in relation to the history of this world. We're getting down to the end. And here the Lord refers to Jerusalem. He says when you see the abomination of desolation stand in the holy place, get out of there. It'll be a cauldron. It'll be the worst place to be.
And when all those at that time who have read this scripture are gotten out of there, what will be left? What will be left is a lifeless body of Jewish people. I understand I don't. I read this some time ago, but maybe about 1/3 of the Jewish people over there in the land of Israel now are atheists. They do not believe in God. That isn't in the picture.
And so those that fear the Lord in the Tribulation period are going to get out of Jerusalem. What's left will be a lifeless body, a corpse.
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Carcass there will the Eagles be gathered together. All nations will trouble themselves with Jerusalem.
It will be a stumbling block to all nations. Why do they care so much about that little piece of real estate when there's plenty of other places that are beautiful to live in this world?
It's because that was the place that the Son of God came. There he was hung on a cross.
And there he will come back to take his Kingdom again.
I should say to take his Kingdom in power and glory. Verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven in the powers of heaven.
The heavens shall be shaken.
This is the system of earthly authorities that we have now, the Sun, a supreme authority like the president we have in the United States.
Moon is a derived power like the Vice President, and the stars are other powers. The whole system of government is coming down because the Lord Jesus is going to put his government in the earth.
Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven, and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn.
And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
Last time this world saw Jesus, He was hanging dead, a battered body on a cross. The next time they see Him, He will be coming with power and great glory, accompanied with His Saints.
And all the tribes of the earth will mourn.
We as real believers are going to rejoice at His coming, but they're going to mourn. It says the same in Revelation chapter one. Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him. Yes, every single human being that has ever lived on this planet is going to come face to face with Jesus. You cannot avoid Him. You will.
Medium today there is still salvation. If you repent, then trust in Him.
But if you do not, you are still going to meet with Jesus.
Oh, I plead with you to get it straight. There's any doubt in your mind. Please talk to somebody. Plenty of brothers here. I'd be glad to talk to you too after the meeting. But don't fool around with this matter. It's far, far too important.
He shall send His angels with the sound of a trumpet. Great sound of a trumpet. This is at the end of the tribulation. This is not the rapture of the Church. This is getting gathering His earthly people, Israel, from the four corners that have been scattered. They shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven into another. Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When His branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. So like yo as ye, when ye see all these things.
Know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you.
This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away.
What's the fig tree?
It's the symbol of Israel nationally. For close to 2000 years there was not a nation of Israel in existence in this world.
In eight in 1948.
The nation of Israel was reborn, and if there is no other sign that we are in the last days, this is one of the most notable signs there are we are in the last days. We are close.
The fig tree.
Is now 60 years old. It was last year it was 60 years old. The fig tree has budded. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. Just want to go over to the 25th chapter briefly before we finish out our our.
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And the 31St verse, because here it deals with how the Lord is going to judge the living at His coming. Verse 31, When the Son of man shall come, He always takes that title in connection with judgment, Son of man.
Shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him. Then shall he sit upon the throne of His glory, and before Him shall be gathered all nations.
And he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats.
And he shall set the sheep on the right hand, but the goats on the left.
There's the Lord Jesus on the throne of his glory, and since he knows the intimate thoughts of your heart, He will set ones on his right hand and others on his left. Who are those on His right hand? They are those during the tribulation period who heard the gospel of the Kingdom and who treated.
Uh, his messengers.
In a good way. And they will go into the millennial day under the reign of Christ on this earth, says in verse, uh, 34 Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
Who are those on his left hand? The goats? They are those who perhaps tonight are sitting in this room and are saying not yet. I'll take my chances.
You understand the message, you know that there's salvation. You know that God says today you will hear his voice harden, not your hearts.
Did you say I'm gonna wait?
And the Lord comes and you're gonna go through that tribulation period. Gonna be awful disasters in that time, awful plagues. If you happen to survive to the end, you're gonna stand before him. You'll be one of the goats.
And what does he say to them?
Verse 41 Depart from me, ye cursed into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. God didn't prepare everlasting fire for mankind. He didn't want anyone going there. And if you go there, you go there against the will of God. God wants you saved.
The only thing that stands between you and your salvation is your stubborn will.
Give in to Christ tonight. Accept Him as your Lord and Savior. Notice the very last verse.
These shall go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into life eternal.
These things are real. Our time is up.
I just want to plead with anyone here really burdens me to think that there might be somebody here.
That is still not ready.
If you have your doubts again, I say we'll be glad to talk to you, clarify them to make it maybe a little clearer than the way we spoken tonight. But please don't put it off. The Lord is coming at any moment, and the door of salvation is going to be shut. That will be it for you. You've heard and rejected the gospel.
Let's just pray.
Father, we're thankful for Thy precious Word and how clearly it speaks to us of these times that are coming on this world. Oh, Father, we pray that souls might be awakened wherever the message goes out. We who are believers too, that we might be awakened as to the awfulness of the days ahead for this poor world. We pray for blessing in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.