Episode Transcript
[00:00:01] Turn to Matthew, chapter 24.
[00:00:03] And beginning at verse 32, we're going to read two verses 32 and 33.
[00:00:09] Now after that, the Lord tells us of his coming and how he's going to gather his saints from the four winds of heaven. He's coming with a great sound of a trumpet, not in the secret rapture, but with a great sound of a trumpet, says here in verse 31. And that He. He's going to gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
[00:00:33] He's going to come with this blast, this noise, that the whole world will know. And Revelation 1:7 says that every eye shall see him, even those that pierced him.
[00:00:45] So we know that the coming of the Lord is not a secret thing, but he's coming back so that everybody will know that he is here.
[00:00:55] Now, Jesus gave us a clue as to about when he will be coming back.
[00:01:01] We don't know the day nor the hour, that's for sure. Nobody knows exactly when he's coming back, but he gave us some clues, some prophecies, signposts, so that you and I could be looking to these signs of the times and to know that his coming is near.
[00:01:19] And I tell you what, rather I just long and pray for the coming of Jesus Christ.
[00:01:26] I wish he would come tonight. Really.
[00:01:29] I wish he would come tonight and get rid of all the mess and all the pain and all the sorrow and all the heartaches and pains and sickness and wars that we have around the world. I wish he would come, but it's not for me to say for him to come tonight. But I know he's coming soon. Let's turn to Matthew 24, beginning in verse 32, and we read verses 32 and 33.
[00:01:58] Now learn a parable of a fig tree.
[00:02:02] When his branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.
[00:02:10] So likewise he.
[00:02:13] When ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, the marginal says, or he that is, that he is near even at the door.
[00:02:26] Notice then that Christ gave us a clue, and he gave us the fig tree.
[00:02:33] The fig tree. He says here that learn a parable of the fig tree.
[00:02:40] And he says that when the branch is yet tender and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh. In other words, that his coming is also right there at the doors.
[00:02:54] And tonight I'm going to explain to you about the fifth tree and also how near we are to the second coming of Christ.
[00:03:02] I know the second coming of Christ. Has been preached over and over again, but it has been chopped here and there and confused by a lot of preachers. And so the people don't really know. And some people don't even care if he ever comes back or not. And so they're all confused about when he's coming back. Second time, third time, a secret rapture, and this and that about the Jews, and so on.
[00:03:28] Now let's learn from the Bible who the fig tree represents.
[00:03:33] Now we can find the clue in the Bible.
[00:03:36] Who is the fig tree? Who does it represent?
[00:03:39] Then there is no confusion in our mind. I want you to know that, that whatever I say, I explain it with the Holy Bible. And I also illustrate so that you will know that what I'm telling you is the Bible truth.
[00:03:55] The fig tree is represented to us in Jeremiah chapter 24. Let's turn to Jeremiah chapter 24.
[00:04:05] Here we learn about figs.
[00:04:08] And here in Jeremiah 24, there are two classes of figs.
[00:04:16] But we learn the clue as to who the tree represents.
[00:04:21] And here we read from Jeremiah 24, beginning in verse 1 through verse 10, it says, the Lord showed me. And behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of the Lord after the Nabucarazar king of Babylon had carried away captive Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah and the princes of Judah, with the carpenters and smiths from Jerusalem and had brought them to Babylon.
[00:04:53] One basket had very good figs, even like the figs that are first ripe. And the other basket had very naughty figs which could not be eaten, they were so bad.
[00:05:05] Then saith the Lord unto me, what seest thou, Jeremiah?
[00:05:09] And I said, figs.
[00:05:12] The good figs, very good, and the evil, very evil that cannot be eaten, they are so evil.
[00:05:20] Again the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, let these like, these good figs, so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah, whom I have sent out of this place into the land of the Chaldeans for their good. For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will bring them again to this land.
[00:05:49] And I will build them and not pull them down, and I will plant them and not fall them out.
[00:05:56] And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people, and I will be their God, for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.
[00:06:08] And the evil figs which cannot be eaten, they are so evil. Surely thus says the Lord, so Will I give Zedekiah the king of Judah and his princes and the residue of Jerusalem that remain in this land and them that dwell in the land of Egypt. And. And I will deliver them to be removed into all kingdoms of the earth for their hurt to be a reproach and a proverb and a taunt and a curse in all places. Whither I shall drive them, and I will send the sword, the famine and the pestilence among them till they be consumed from up the land that I gave unto them and to their fathers.
[00:06:52] Here we have. Jeremiah explains to us that the figs represents two classes of the Jews. The very good, very good Jews and those that are obedient, and the very bad Jews, of course, the rebellious ones.
[00:07:10] But the fig tree represents Judah or the Jews, according to Jeremiah, chapter 24.
[00:07:18] Notice that they were taken away into captivity into the land of Babylon. For 70 years that happened and they came back.
[00:07:26] And then after that they restored the temple. The time of Jesus Christ, the temple was in operation.
[00:07:34] And then in 70 AD, Jesus predicted, as I told you last night, that the temple will be destroyed by a prince according to Daniel chapter 9, that during this 70 week prophecy of Daniel chapter 9, that the temple will again be destroyed and the city would also be destroyed. Now that all happened already in 70 A.D.
[00:08:01] but the Lord Jesus tells us that just before his coming, he said, learn the parable of the fig tree. Now there's other parts in the New Testament about the fig tree. I don't have the time tonight but to explain to you all the verses about the fig tree. I want you to take your Bible when you get home and I want you to turn to your concordance, look up the fig tree in the Bible, especially the New Testament, and you'll find there that at one time the Lord came to a fig tree. He had a lot of beautiful leaves and he thought that he would have fruit. But he came to it and he didn't have any fruit at all. And the Lord, the Lord, the Lord cursed that tree and it dried out. The next morning they were coming by and they saw the fig tree that it was completely dried up. And the apostles said, lord, look at the fig tree. And Jesus said, have faith in God.
[00:08:58] And so it happened to the Jews.
[00:09:02] The Jews were driven out because of their disobedience, because of not accepting their Messiah.
[00:09:09] And let me tell you, brethren, that if God did not pardon the Jews, if God did not pardon them, and in other words, accepted them even though they rejected the Messiah, what makes us think that we can also reject the Messiah, Jesus Christ, and get away with it. I want you to know that the same punishment that came upon the Jews and is still going on today, so I can show you that the same punishment and the wrath of God is coming because we have not accepted the beloved son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ.
[00:09:47] And so I will try to persuade you, try to do whatever I can in my power and by the authority of God and by the Bible, to try to make you see the need of accepting Jesus Christ. If you are not accepting him, and if you have that, you will be a greater witness for him, a greater Christian, a better Christian. You will go out and really represent the Lord Jesus Christ and His wonderful church that he died for.
[00:10:18] And so we're going to go through this in the overhead projector and show you how the fig tree begin to take shape.
[00:10:30] Because Jesus told us, learn the parable. In other words, you watch the fig tree when the branch is tender and putteth forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh.
[00:10:42] So likewise Eve, when you shall see all these things come to pass, then I am near at the doors.
[00:10:50] And believe me, brethren, we are so near to the coming of the Lord. I know you've heard that over and over again.
[00:10:58] But I want you to know that what the Bible says is truth. And all these prophecies are being fulfilled today. And we know that one of these days the Lord Jesus will be coming back.
[00:11:11] And will he find us waiting and lifting up our hands and praising Him? Or will he find us out there in the world getting a lot of money and worldly processions and trying to accumulate the whole world and try to just live it up as it is in the world and forget about the coming of the Lord. I think that our main concern as Christians, that we should be looking for the second coming of Christ.
[00:11:41] But if he doesn't come, remember that we're also going to die one of these days.
[00:11:46] Let's turn to Daniel, chapter 12, please.
[00:11:51] Daniel, chapter 12. And I'm going to show you a prophecy.
[00:12:00] Daniel, chapter 12.
[00:12:02] You might read the entire chapter. I just don't have the time to read everything that I would like to.
[00:12:09] But I want you to notice some prophecy right here in Daniel concerning the daily sacrifice which will be taken away, an abomination set up there, and so on in Jerusalem.
[00:12:21] I want to show you how that happened so that we will know how the fig tree took shape and how that it began to bring branches that were tender and the leaves coming out. In Daniel chapter 12, beginning at verse 10, it says, Many shall be purified and made white and tried. I want you to understand that. That we're going to be tried. But the wicked shall do it wickedly. And none of the wicked shall understand but the wise. Sh.
[00:12:54] Now, this whole chapter is talking about the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The second time that the wise would understand his coming.
[00:13:04] Then beginning in verse 11, it says, and from the time that the day's sacrifice shall be taken away and the abomination that maketh desolate, there shall be 1290 days. Days. This is his prophecy, of course, meaning 1290 years of desolation or abomination.
[00:13:29] Then in verse 12 it says, Blessed is he that waiteth and cometh with a thousand 30530 days.
[00:13:38] Now, if you will divide or if you want to subtract or add between the 1290 days and the 1330 in five days, if you will do that, you find that there is 45 years between the two 45 years. You can do that by just figuring with just a simple mathematics. Then in verse 13, he says, but go thou thy way till the end be, he tells Daniel, for thou shalt rest and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.
[00:14:17] Here we find then that what was most sacred to the Jews, the daily sacrifice, would be taken away.
[00:14:25] And right on the very temple where the temple site was at Jerusalem, that there would be an abomination that maketh desolate, set up that right there in the holy temple, that there will be an abomination.
[00:14:44] You know what?
[00:14:46] That abomination is still there today.
[00:14:49] But the Jews are getting more and more stronger, and they will get more and more. And as they're fighting, as I'll show you in the overhead projector here in just a moment, how that the Jews, how they have come back and how that they have established the land of Israel. And the Jews, let me tell you right now that they don't fear any nation.
[00:15:13] They don't fear the United Nations. They don't even fear the United States of America. They know that someone is with them. And I believe that most of them realize that God Almighty has brought them back.
[00:15:27] Let me show you here now, the 1200s, the 1290 days, and also the 1335 days. And how the fig tree came back to life.
[00:15:46] I want you to notice how much time left.
[00:15:52] The 1290 days or years.
[00:15:56] You add 45 days and you come to 1335. These are the two verses that I read, verses 11 and 12.
[00:16:04] So we have between the 1290 and the 45 years comes to 1335. This is years in prophecy.
[00:16:14] Now let me show you what happened.
[00:16:16] Muhammad died in 632.
[00:16:21] He died in 632. But by the time he died he has spread what is known Mohammedism or the Muslim religion to the entire Arab world.
[00:16:34] And that man, he went around as a prophet and to this very day we find that most of the Arabs and the PLO that are called plo, all the nations, even down to Egypt, they are all.
[00:16:51] And in 632 was the death of Muhammad and he was proclaimed to be the great prophet.
[00:17:00] A great prophet.
[00:17:03] But what did they do?
[00:17:06] What did the Mohammedans do that made it so terrible according to the Bible, that right in the very site where the temple of Jerusalem was the temple of God, the Mohammedans built the mosque of Omar and it is there today. It is a mosque of Omar. Omar was a caliph. A caliph. After the death of Muhammad he went to Jerusalem and he built this magnificent temple that is there and that is what is called the abomination that maketh desolate. And right where the temple of God was at one time the Mohammedans, this, this prophet, which is the false prophet because they don't believe in Jesus Christ, they believe of course in God and they call God Allah.
[00:18:03] And so this religion has spread throughout the entire Middle east and down into Egypt and also has spread to many parts of the world or even in our country we have Mohammad, we have all these Muslims right here in our own country.
[00:18:25] Now if Muhammad died in 632 and his death was a proclamation of the great prophet.
[00:18:33] If we put the yardstick of the Bible here of Daniel 1290 years, Daniel 1211, it brings us to 1922.
[00:18:44] In 1922 you know what happened. The first governor of Israel was established. His name was Sir Herbert Samuel, a British Jew.
[00:18:56] And that is putting the yardstick of 1290 years from 632 and it brings us to 1922, then we have 45 more years according to Daniel, 45 years. If you will add 45 years to 1922 to another big, you might call it miracle is 1967. And what happened in 1967?
[00:19:24] Israel takes over city of Jerusalem in the Holy Land.
[00:19:31] And this to me now in between here we find that before 1922, which was 1917 was the beginning of the migration of the Jews back to Palestine. They migrated back a few of them. By 1922 they established their first governor. And in Zechariah it tells you that out of their own people they will Raise up governors and rulers out of their own people.
[00:19:59] And Sir Herbert Samuel, a British Jew, was the first governor of the little land of Israel. 1922. And then a generation which is 45 more years brings 1967 and the Six Day War of 1967. Israel takes over the city, the beloved city of Jerusalem. And you know what the Jews did?
[00:20:25] They came to the Wailing Wall, as it is known.
[00:20:29] And as they were there on the Wailing Wall, they were all crying.
[00:20:36] Crying because what was left, it is claimed what was left of the old Temple is nothing but a wall. They call it the Wailing Wall. And the Jews, they go there every day and they pray and they pray and. And they were so happy to take back the city, the beloved city of Jerusalem. This is how the fig tree began to revive and how the fig tree got its branches and the leaves coming out. And then you and I have also seen some other prophecies that have happened recently.
[00:21:11] I don't know if you can see this very well, but I'm pretty sure that it is pretty clear back there.
[00:21:16] Here is Israel now as it is established now. Here is the Golden Heights.
[00:21:23] Recently you saw on television the Great War between the Israelis and the Lebanese.
[00:21:31] Now what were they trying to do, the Israelis or the Jews were trying to drive away the enemies, the plo.
[00:21:42] The PLO are the Palestinian Liberation Organization.
[00:21:47] And they hate the Jews.
[00:21:50] They hate the Jews. They want to drive the Jews into the Mediterranean, which this is the Mediterranean Sea right here. They want to drive the Jordanians, Iraqis, the Syrians and all these, the Arabians, all these people are against the Jews.
[00:22:09] They want to drive the little nation of Israel and wipe it out and do away with it.
[00:22:16] And recently, the Great War, the Jews showed that they have the power and God behind them in that they were able to go all the way from Israel and they went all the way to Beirut. And here they even captured Beirut.
[00:22:32] And then they negotiated until the Pier Law, the Palestinian organization, they had to get out of Beirut and they were shipped out, back into Syria.
[00:22:44] This is what happened recently. And you were watching that on television. And that's exactly as the Bible promised. It was being fulfilled right before your very eyes.
[00:22:56] Now what will happen?
[00:22:58] Why did Israel have to push back the plo?
[00:23:04] I tell you why. Because of the hatred that they have against the Jews.
[00:23:12] The PLO head of the PLO is Arafat.
[00:23:18] He hates the Jews. He doesn't want to recognize the little nation of Israel as being a nation independent, a sovereign nation. They don't recognize that and so Arafat hates the Jews. I mentioned last night that I saw a picture just recently where Arafat and the Pope were holding hands together.
[00:23:42] The Bible tells us that three unclean spirits, like frogs will go out into the whole world and gather all the nations to the great battle which is known as, as a battle of Armageddon.
[00:23:57] That's in Revelation chapter 16, in case you want to look at it.
[00:24:01] There you'll find that the three evil spirits are working even today, gathering all the nations to the great battle that will be fought right here in the land of Israel.
[00:24:14] Now the reason why the Israelis had to push back or away the the PLOs and the enemies is because Israel wants peace.
[00:24:27] They want to have peace.
[00:24:29] And the only way they can have peace is to drive away the enemy.
[00:24:34] And the Bible tells us that they're going to have peace for a little season, they're going to enjoy peace.
[00:24:41] But when they think that they really have peace, then somebody is coming against them.
[00:24:48] Plus the nations that are coming against them. A big Goliath, a monster is coming against the little nation of Israel.
[00:24:58] But we find that the reason why they had to push away the PLOs and the other enemies away, because they want peace.
[00:25:11] They want peace.
[00:25:18] If you will notice the nations as they are right now in Ezekiel, I'm going to read this part from the book of Ezekiel.
[00:25:33] We find Magog way up here in the north part.
[00:25:38] Magog is mentioned in Ezekiel chapter 38. As I will read to you in just a moment.
[00:25:44] Magog is Russia in the north quarters, meaning north of Israel.
[00:25:52] Turkey is here, Iraq is here, Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Libya and Ethiopia.
[00:26:01] All these nations are mentioned right there in your Bible, how that they will come. And here is Jerusalem, right here. Notice that Jerusalem, the Bible says that is in the midst of the whole world.
[00:26:14] If you will notice that Jerusalem is in the middle of the entire globe. It's right on the center. And all these nations will come.
[00:26:25] All these nations will come and fight against the little nation of Israel. But it is God that is going to gather these nations, especially Russia. He is going to gather them because God is going to pour his red upon these nations. And believe me, we are included there too.
[00:26:46] Because the United States has sent already marines to Lebanon and they are there already there. Plus many other nations are there. But no telling how many more will be gathered there. Plus all the nations that are coming together around this part right in the center here of Jerusalem.
[00:27:09] Now let's go to the Bible.
[00:27:11] Let's go to Ezekiel, chapter 38.
[00:27:15] Ezekiel, chapter 38 it says like this, beginning in verse one, I want you to turn to your Bible and listen carefully what the Bible has to say. And the word of the Lord came unto me saying, that's verse one of Ezekiel 38, verse two. Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Mechech and Tubal, and prophesy against him. If you have a marginal reading in your Bible, where it says there, the chief prince of Meshech. He says here the prince of Rosh R O S H meaning Russia.
[00:28:00] And it is known that Mechech and Tubal are the cities of Moscow and Tobolsky. These are cities that are now situated in Russia.
[00:28:10] Now notice then that in verse two it is talking about the Russians.
[00:28:17] The Russians in verse three says and say, thus says the Lord God. Behold, I am against thee, O God, that the chief prince of Mechech and Tubal and I will turn thee back and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth. And all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords.
[00:28:48] Notice then that here comes Magog, Gog in the land of Magog, meaning the Russians. They come with this huge army.
[00:28:58] Now notice who are going to side in with the communists.
[00:29:03] And they are already siding. In other words, they are allies to the communists. And in verse 5 it says here Persia. Who is Persia. According to the Bible prophecy, Persia is right here called Iran. Today Iran is the old Persian empire.
[00:29:25] Ethiopia will also join Ethiopia. And here is Ethiopia, right here. And Ethiopia is already with a communist Russia.
[00:29:35] And then he says, and Libya, here is Libya, right over here also belongs to the Russians. They're communists.
[00:29:44] They're led by the Russian people. It says here Persia, Ethiopia, Libya with them, all of them with shield and helmet. Then it says Gomer and all his bands in the house of Togarmah of the north quarters and all his bands and many people with thee. Now notice it includes many other peoples with the Russians.
[00:30:08] The Communist Party.
[00:30:11] Verse 7 says, Be Thou prepared and prepare for thyself, Thou and all thy company that are assembled unto thee. And be thou a guard unto them. Notice that Russia is to be a guard unto all these nations and waiting for the time when the Lord will turn them loose.
[00:30:30] Now remember that this prophecy has not been fulfilled. And I'm going to read on down here and I'm going to show you that the Russians are coming to fight against the Jews or Israel, as it is known. Beginning in verse eight, it says, after many days thou shalt be visited. In the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword and is gathered out of many people against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste, but is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely, all of them.
[00:31:15] Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm. Thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land. Thou and all thy bands, and many people with thee.
[00:31:26] Now notice verse 10.
[00:31:28] Thus says the Lord God. It shall also come to pass that at the same time shall things come into thy mind. And thou shalt think an evil.
[00:31:37] And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages, I will go to them that are at rest.
[00:31:46] And who are those that are at rest that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls and having neither bar nor gates, to take a spoil and to take a prey, to turn thy hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, upon the people that are gathered out of the nations which have gotten cattle and goods that dwell in the midst of the land.
[00:32:12] Here we have then the Russians, as they will be coming Magog, Russia coming here with Libya, Ethiopia, Iran, meaning Iran already. Afghanistan is already under the Russians, Turkey and all these nations here surrounding the little nation of Israel right over here. And the Bible says that in the latter days, they're coming right here, they're going to come here.
[00:32:44] And what's going to happen now we have the opposite side, we have the other side and the Western world that are not communists, but still headed by an evil spirit.
[00:32:58] Anytime when there is war, destruction and killing, it is evil. It is not of God to kill, to destroy and kill innocent people and children.
[00:33:10] We turn to verse 13, and here it reads like Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish, with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee. In other words, shall say unto Russia, art thou come to take a spoil? Hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey, to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?
[00:33:38] Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto God. Thus says the Lord God, in that day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it.
[00:33:52] Notice this. This is why the Jews had to drive the enemies away, so that they could dwell safely. There is no peace in Jerusalem. They cannot have peace because of the enemy.
[00:34:05] And so they had to fight against the Lebanese, against the Palestinians, and they had to drive them away. So that they could have peace. And the Bible says that they were going to have peace and safety but for a little season, just for a little while.
[00:34:22] And it says here, shalt thou not know it?
[00:34:26] In verse 15 it says, and thou shalt come from the place out of the north parts, speaking about Russia, thou and many people with thee, all of them riding up on horses, a great company and a mighty army.
[00:34:43] And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel as a cloud to cover the land. It shall be in the latter days. And I will bring thee against my land that the heathen may know me. But I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
[00:35:06] Read the entire chapter, if you please, when you go home and read also chapter 39.
[00:35:14] Chapter 39 tells you how they're going to be destroyed and how that for seven years after this great tremendous battle, there's going be to fought there for seven years they're going to be burning with fire all of the weapons. It says here in Ezekiel 39 and verse 9, for seven years and for seven months says in verse 12, Ezekiel 39, for seven months the house of Israel will be bearing all the dead bodies that will remain.
[00:35:57] This is when this great battle will take place.
[00:36:00] And brethren, you and I are seeing this great prophecy that is being fulfilled just before our very eyes, when all the nations will be gathered there. We find that you know very well to this very day, you know it, if you're a Bible student, that the Russians have never thought fought against the Israelis. They have tried to fight through the Egyptians at one time.
[00:36:26] They have already given Iran the equipment. Afghanistan is taken also by the Russians.
[00:36:35] Ethiopia and Libya are also already armored by the Russians to the teeth.
[00:36:42] And the Russians are preparing all of these nations to come and to fight this great battle which is known the battle of Armageddon.
[00:36:53] But Jerusalem, for a short period of time is going to enjoy a little safety and peace.
[00:37:03] And so then when they think that they're really having peace, then destruction will come and that will be the end.
[00:37:12] I believe this will be the end of the world.
[00:37:16] You and I are facing these realities today as we look at the Bible prophecies and we see the television newscast when the Lebanese were fighting against the Iraq or rather the Israelis. I was watching all that, all the time and I was looking at those prophecies being fulfilled, how they were pushing away and they went all the way.
[00:37:42] Let's go to the Bible now to First Thessalonians, chapter five.
[00:37:47] First Thessalonians, chapter 5, First Thessalonians, that's in the New Testament now.
[00:37:56] And beginning at verse one, I want you to notice what it says. Beginning at verse one.
[00:38:01] It is apparent that the Thessalonians wrote to the apostle Paul. Paul, and they wanted to know about the coming of Jesus Christ.
[00:38:10] Just like we are anticipating where we're anxious for the coming of the Lord. I don't know about you, maybe you don't care if he counts or not, but I do care. I am anxious for him to come back. The Thessalonians wanted to know about the coming of the Lord back to this earth.
[00:38:28] And the apostle Paul writes in the litter in the first letter of First Thessalonians, chapter 5. Beginning in verse 1, we read here verses 1, 2, and 3. But of the times and the seasons. Brethren, you have no need that I write unto you, but for yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Notice verse 3. For when they shall say, in other words, the nations of the world, and even Israel, for when they shall say peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them as travail upon a woman with child. And they shall not escape notice in how rapid it will be in the twinkling of an eye. It's going to happen like this before we know it. Everything will be taken care of. And the Bible tells us here that of the times and the seasons. Brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. Why did Paul write to these Christian brethren? Because in verse four, the apostle Paul says these. But you, brethren, in other words, you Christians are not in darkness that that day should overtake you as a thief.
[00:39:48] You are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, meaning as the world is sleep. And being carried around with false doctrines and thinking that the coming of the Lord might never come, or whatever way he's going to come. But he says, therefore let us not sleep. Verse 6, as do others, but let us watch and be sober.
[00:40:19] For they that sleep, sleep in the night, and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. Verse 8 says, but let us who are of the day, in other words, we are of the light. We have the light of God. Be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet the hope of salvation.
[00:40:39] And brethren, we find then that when everything seemed to be peaceful, and we're going to finally gain peace, and Israel is going to enjoy peace, sudden destruction comes.
[00:40:55] And the Lord says here that they shall not escape.
[00:40:58] He's going to destroy all these nations.
[00:41:03] We have the Bible that tells us In Revelation chapter 16, it tells us about Jerusalem. And here it is where the Jews took back Jerusalem in 1967. It becomes now the property of Jerusalem. They have not taken away the Mosque of Omar. It is still there.
[00:41:26] Now the people that claim of the secret rapture, that the Antichrist will go there to Jerusalem, and he will rebuild the temple. This is what they say, but I don't believe that that is true. Jerusalem will remain that way until the Lord comes back.
[00:41:41] Here is Megiddo, right on top over here, where the Lord is going to gather all of the nations at Megiddo, meaning Armageddon or Megiddo according to Revelation chapter 16.
[00:41:53] And this is where the nations will be gathered all over. Coming against Jerusalem will be the land of Israel. Here's the land of Israel. This whole part over here.
[00:42:05] I want to show you how the Russians have now placed their forces.
[00:42:15] Now, I took this, I took this map here from Time magazine and it's called the Superpowers in the Mid East.
[00:42:27] And then I made a map, exact map, a little map that I got over here. And it pinpoints all the divisions and the Russian troops that are established. For instance, right over here in Afghanistan.
[00:42:43] The Russians have 85,000 troops already established in Afghanistan.
[00:42:50] Wherever you see the red here in Afghanistan and down here, Ethiopia and down here in South Yemen, Way down here with this other island and way down over here, all these red spots over here is where the Russians have bases and they have troops.
[00:43:08] For instance, the United States is also mentioned here in this blue spots here with the star. We have a base in Egypt, we have one here. We have in Kenya.
[00:43:21] Way down here we have troops already all over established.
[00:43:25] The United States will be greatly involved in this last great battle and we will not escape.
[00:43:34] The question is, are we ready to face the real facts and the reality that the Lord Jesus is coming back real soon?
[00:43:49] Are you really waiting and looking for his coming?
[00:43:53] For the fig tree has already come back to life.
[00:43:57] Which are the Jews? All the nations are now being gathered.
[00:44:01] The troops are already being set up.
[00:44:05] Now, how much time do you supposedly have left?
[00:44:09] The church must make herself ready.
[00:44:13] The church is going to have to prepare herself as a bride to adorn herself, because the bridegroom is coming back.
[00:44:22] Jesus will come back very soon.
[00:44:26] And I have just shown you, just passing in a few moments to tell you what is happening, what is going to happen in the near future. This is answering one of the questions in your handbill. What will happen in the near future? How will it affect this generation?
[00:44:44] This generation you and I are living right now has been greatly affected by what is happening in the Middle east, also right here in our continent.
[00:44:55] And also what about Arafat and Khomeini and the great Shoda with beginning meaning that they're coming against the Israelis to destroy, to wipe out the Jews. But let me say frankly right now, the Jews will never be wiped out.
[00:45:18] They'll never be destroyed. Not again.
[00:45:22] God bless you and thank you for listening.
[00:45:25] God be with you and hope to meet you again and see you Thursday.
[00:45:30] We'll present some beautiful Bible studies and sermons in the word of God and be here and invite a friend to come and listen. Thank you very much.
