Bible Teaching

Calvary Temple Teaching Library

The Imminent Return Pt.1

Amen! Hallelujah! Amen! That's our prayer. Thy kingdom come. Amen! We're living in that kingdom and the kingdom is coming in all of its fullness and the revelation of it. It's already here, but it's invisible. It's a kingdom that resides in the spirit realm. It's within us and we're the representatives of it. It's a day that's coming that we're all looking very forward to, when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen?

We're going to talk a little bit about the coming of the Lord. I told you we were going to look at that subject. The teaching of eschatology is a huge subject. We're not going to be teaching on eschatology. Eschatology deals with a lot more than just the blessed hope that we have, as believers, of the imminent return of the Lord and the catching away of His bride. Isn't that exciting? We're going to be caught away one of these days. Behold, the bridegroom cometh and that trumpet is going to sound. The dead are going to be raised and we're going to be changed in a moment. We're going to be caught up with Him. The part that I like about all of that is "...and so shall we ever be with the Lord." Amen? Nobody is going to take us from Him.

That constant presence of God, that ability to enjoy that presence and partake of it, is so precious. My brother was just out here visiting and they were talking about some friends of theirs. They're in retirement, and so many of the wives can't wait for their husbands to leave the house. We hear stories about that. I know it's not the case here among ourselves, and many of our marriages, but many marriages are like that. "I just can't wait for him to leave the house," because they want to do their thing. When you love your spouse, you want to be with them always, don't you? I've had that opportunity with my wife(s) over the years and we've spent a lot of time together. Somebody made a comment just the other day that Greer was somewhere and they said, "I've never seen you without your husband, and vice versa." We get to spend that time together. The more time that you have together, the more you enjoy it. The more there is of the knitting, the less dependence there is beyond that. It's a strength in and of itself. We like that presence with the Lord. He's coming to bring us to Himself.

One of the things that many people do, when we start talking about eschatology, or the second coming of the Lord, is to jump right into the book of Revelation. That's a big mistake because you cannot understand the book of Revelation until you understand the author. It's not about understanding all of the great symbolism that's in that book, and there's a lot of symbolism. Many will say, "I thought we believed the Bible literally." We do. It's literal symbolism. That's not a contradiction in terms. It literally means what the symbols imply, and it's very important. As we study the Scripture and we believe the literal interpretation of the Word of God, we believe the literal metaphors and symbols. They have a specific point that has one interpretation and one truth, literally; ultimately, literally pointing to the consummation of the kingdom of God, a new heaven and a new earth and our Lord will be all in all. Amen? That's what it is all about. We need to see here, as we start studying the Scriptures, these prophecies are not an end to themselves. They're pointing to the end.

What we need to understand is the ultimate purpose of the Lord and what this speaks toward. The ultimate purpose of God in dealing with man is redemption. Man was in fellowship with God. The position was usurped by Satan. God established the plan to come and destroy Satan's kingdom and reestablish His own, and redeem man back to Himself. In the process of all of this, God established, through a chosen people, Israel, and the Abrahamic covenant, a process of invading humanity in the Incarnation, the promised seed. In Genesis 3:15, the seed of the woman shall bruise the head of the serpent. War has come since that time, and Satan has tried to destroy the plan and the work of God. That's the whole process, as we read in the Scriptures. The point that I want to make is this. There are many interpretations when you get into the study of end times. As you study a little bit, you'll find terms, as it refers to tribulation, like pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, post-tribulation. There is amillennialism. There is premillennialism and postmillennialism. You look at all of these different terms and say, "What is all of this?" All of this is confusion. All of the camps have arguments, Scriptures that they take and try to apply to their argument. We don't want to get into that. Some of them are valid in and of themselves. What we want to do is go back and see what the Word of God has to say.

If you do want to do a study from the perspective of scholarship, there's really only one book over all the years--and I've always been interested in eschatology. I've read all of the literature that's out there that are some of the classics. There is a lot of squirrelly stuff out there, but I'm talking about classic, scholarly material. The most unbiased, scholarly work that is available is a book called Things to Come, by Dwight Pentecost. If you don't mind reading a tedious 780 pages, you'll find something out about eschatology. The thing that I like about Pentecost's book is this. He doesn't present just his perspective. He presents without prejudice all of the perspectives equally in their own weight. Now, he does have a conclusion that he's arrived at. It's a very scholarly book. It's done in outline form and I think it's about 780 pages, so you should be able to read it by this afternoon and know everything that you need to know on the subject. I'm just saying all that to say that there are many different perspectives, but there can only be one truth.

As we look at this study, the thing that I want to emphasize is not understanding all of the mysteries about the book of Revelation, and all of the mysteries of  38, and of Daniel 9 and 11, as you study all of those chapters out. We're not interested in that. We're interested in understanding the blessed hope, praise God. What Paul spoke of should make your heart leap in anticipation that, at any moment, the Lord Jesus could return. The reason that I don't agree with a lot of the other teachings, other than what we hold to--which is a pre-Tribulation rapture--is because it steals the blessed hope. It steals the imminent return of the Lord. Especially those that would hold to--and I know some that, when speaking about eschatology, begin to go out and start reading the Scriptures and looking at some different things. Some of the interpretations I've heard of are interesting already. If you sit down and read the book of Revelation and begin to interpret it without the knowledge of all of the rest of this Book, you are going to look like somebody that had a bad dream on pizza, because you can make anything out of it.

First of all, the book of Revelation--get this in your notes, because if you're going to spend a little bit of time, and I know most of you do... We encourage you to study the subjects for yourselves that we're teaching, but if you're going to study the book of Revelation, first of all, realize it comes with a blessing. Amen? It's one of the only books--it says, "Blessed is he that readeth..." There's no other book in the Bible that says that. "Blessed is he that readeth..." Maybe the Lord is just going to bless you for the headache of reading through it. "Blessed is he that readeth, [Look what it goes on to say. This is Chapter 1, verse 3] and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: [Look at the next phrase.] for [What?] the time is at hand." It speaks, itself, of the immediacy. As you study the book of Revelation, this book itself, talks about the things that are, the things that are at hand, and the things that are going to come in the future.

What I want you to understand though, first of all, are a couple of very obvious things, as it pertains to interpreting the Scriptures. As it pertains to the coming of the Lord, the two primary [positions] mid-Tribulation isn't nearly as popular as pre-Tribulation and post-Tribulation. Post-Tribulation has been the popular position from about the 400's to the 1800's. What was very strong from about the 300 to 400's to the 1800's? Does anybody remember? There's an organization. It's called what? The Roman Catholic Church. What that pertains to is an earthly kingdom, domain. A fulfilling of these things in a history, and now the absorbing--and this is where the conflict has always come between Romanism and Israel--the absorbing of Israel into the church. In other words, post-tribulation perspective allows for no dispensational interpretation. Dispensationalism, to make that very simple, is a distinction between Israel and the church as two separate entities. Post-tribulation does not see those things. Israel is taken up into the church and everything that speaks about Israel is really talking about the church. It's what post-tribulationists have to believe. That's not what the Bible teaches. What we find, then, is that it's a refuting--post-tribulation is a refuting. Post-tribulation is not a biblical perspective. It's a refuting of biblical perspective. It's an argument against the historical beliefs of Paul, of those of the Didache, as you read, for the first three centuries, all of them speak of the imminent return of the Lord.

The imminent return of the Lord was lost with the kingdom of the Catholic Church. It doesn't need for the Lord to come back. They are lord. The vicar is the representative of Jesus. You'll find that most of those perversions have prevailed, then, for all of these years. A lot of people say pre-tribulationism got its resurgence, or a birth, in the 1800's from the Plymouth brethren and many of those different things. No. That's when people began to break away and begin to look for the coming of the Lord again and an emphasis was put on the coming of the Lord and a pre-tribulation rapture.

I'll say one other thing just to give a brief overview of how we approach these things. We have to look back and understand--and we all believe this that are in this room--that these Scriptures are God-breathed. Amen? When Paul speaks, he's not speaking amiss. Paul, though the grammar is proper, the emphasis in the Greek is specific. The Holy Spirit is specific. When (Paul) begins to talk about the coming of the Lord, the expectation, the Holy Spirit makes very clear that Paul was including himself with those that were expecting the return of the Lord at any moment, not "and those that remain," "but we that remain." The Holy Spirit makes no mistakes. If it was future, the Holy Spirit would have spoken in the future. The inclusive "we" is not just categorically of the church, but in the momentary of Paul's expectation. The blessed hope is that thing that is the greatest, I believe, contributor to momentary biblical holiness, us keeping our lives separate, living free from the world that engulfs us in its cares and its lusts, and causes us to see that we are citizens of an eternal kingdom that is going to be ushered in at any moment. Let me tell you, if we truly believed in the imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ, there is nothing in this world that would distract us. If we believed that Jesus could come in the next moment, none of the rest of these things that hold us in power would have any power over us. We want to talk about reinvigorating ourselves in that hope and in that liberty and, as some people call it, "pie in the sky in the sweet by and by." That's for me, praise God! Amen? We're going to a place that's been prepared for us. This isn't what it's all about--this life. We want to approach this study on that basis of preparing ourselves.

The book of Revelation--let me give you a quick understanding of how to at least read this thing if you're going to read it. First of all, and we're talking about dispensationalism, there's a great coincidence that appears in this book as it pertains to dispensationalism. The great coincidence is that after the first three chapters, the church is never mentioned again. Isn't that a great coincidence? It begins to speak about Israel and God dealing with His covenant people. What we have to understand, beloved, as we study this, is that the tribulation period, that seven-year period referred to as "Daniel's Seventieth Week" or the "Time of Jacob's Trouble"--and we'll talk about those phrases as we go into our study--"Daniel's Seventieth Week" or the "Time of Jacob's Trouble," or the "Great Tribulation" are pretty much synonymous. Jacob's Trouble is whose trouble? Jacob was who? Israel. It's the time of Israel's judgment. They've been a covenant people in rebellion and God says, "Enough!" The apple of His eye is put under the judgment of God. This time is also called "the Wrath of the Lamb." Get that in your notes. If His bride is in this seven-year period, then God is pouring His wrath out on His beloved and His bride--the judgment. We've already been judged, beloved. We're judged righteous. Amen? We are judged heirs of God, sons of God.

We begin to see that there are many things that we have to deal with as it pertains to this book because after the first three chapters, the church is no longer mentioned. In fact, the fourth chapter begins with these words, "And after this..." After this, after the discussion of the churches and the condition that they were in, John, specifically by the Spirit, was speaking of the conditions of the churches and the need for them to be conformed to the image of Jesus, and purified, and prepared for the day of the Lord. The churches are not listed in a dispensational period of demise up to Laodicea. These churches, as we study them out, are spoken to as the condition that they are in momentarily, and references are made back to them of what the body of Christ was, and will be universally. You'll find the condition of these churches always through the ages up until the time Jesus comes. There will always be the faithful. There will always be the Laodicean spirit within the perceived body of Christ and we have to identify with them as we examine our own hearts.

After the church age, we then begin to see God's dealing with Israel. Chapters 4-11 (write this down) are basically the events of Daniel's Seventieth Week; the events--what will be taking place--the seals, the trumpets, the different judgments. The apostle speaks of the imminent return of the Lord coming as a thief in the night. If we go through the tribulation, I can take Revelation 13 and Daniel 9 and tell you exactly when Jesus is coming back. Daniel speaks to it very clearly. He tells us the days. There is no imminent return in post-Tribulationism. You can figure it all out. As soon as the statue goes up in the temple and the worship of the beast, we have three-and-a-half years from that moment of the abomination of desolation of the temple until Jesus is coming. "If we're in the tribulation and we see that go on, we can repent." We'll talk about that later. Thessalonians makes it very clear that God will bring strong delusion and those that have that knowledge, He will not let repent. If you, as someone who has known the Lord, make it to the tribulation, you will never make it to heaven. No backslidden Christian will be saved during the tribulation. That is not what the tribulation is for. It is the time of Israel's judgment. It is the time of the drawing of the nations. People will be saved during the tribulation from every nation, kindred, tongue and tribe. We will show you in just a moment, in the book of Thessalonians, that it's those who have defected, and who have known, to whom He will bring strong delusion so that they will believe a lie. All of this knowledge won't help.

What we're looking at, then, in 4-11, all of the events, and then something happens. What happens then, people get into trouble when they're studying Revelation. They get confused because they're reading up through 11 and they get into 12, and they're looking for a chronology. That's not what's happening here, because Chapters 12-20 then go back and specifically review and emphasize the characters, the players, of the Seventieth week. It's not an ongoing chronology. It takes us back and says, "Now, let's look at this again and look at who these people are." We see who the Man Child, and the Great Whore, and the Beast, and all of these different things, and the King of the East, and the King of the South, and the King of the North, and we read about all of these different influences that are taking place. That's what's happening basically through the twentieth chapter. If you're going to study this out, at least have that working knowledge, and it will be a benefit to you in being able to put the right pieces together.

Some of you are going to want to run immediately to Chapter 13 of Revelation and go into Daniel 9 and 11, and that would be good, but I would encourage you to get Dwight Pentecost's book, if you are going to be serious, and read it all. The problem with Dwight Pentecost's book is that in the front there is such a great outline--it's a phenomenal outline that you can go and pick and choose all of your favorite little topics--and you won't really know what the book says and the conclusion that's drawn and why. I'd encourage you to do that.

For what we want to do, let's turn to the book of Titus for just a moment and we're going to look at a couple of different things as it relates to these passages. What about eschatology? How do we relate to people that don't believe like we believe, (the ones that are wrong)? How do we relate to those people? We have to realize that we relate based upon the lordship of Jesus. There are people that can hold to other perspectives and still be saved, but you can't walk with them because two can't walk together except they (What?) be agreed. We have to agree. We have to realize that there are significant consequences to whichever camp you're going to be in and how you conduct your daily lifestyle. That's a very vital part of identifying with what the Spirit is saying to us as a people.

Turn to Titus and let's look at what the Lord has to say concerning--Titus, Chapter 2, a passage that most of us are very familiar with. In Titus, as Paul is speaking here, I think it's interesting that he's speaking again concerning that very thing that we were talking about--the preparation of ourselves to holy living for the Lord--relationships, being a pattern, verse 7 says, of good works. He goes down into verse 11 and says, "[Now, let's understand one thing about God's grace.] For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men." God's grace is not a license to lasciviousness. Grace is not an absence from the law, but an enabling to fulfill the law, and have a love for it and to boldly say that we embrace our Schoolmaster. The law is good, and holy and just. Grace enables us to see that and proclaim that and to live in that. "[Grace teaches] us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." That's what grace teaches to us--to "...live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world." Grace does not teach us that we now have supernatural sustenance, that we can endure all of the vileness of Sodom and remain clean, though we can through the grace of God. Grace doesn't teach us that we are enabled to build great kingdoms to ourselves and to embrace and enjoy all that the world affords us, though God gives us richly all things to enjoy. Grace teaches us this: when we have tasted the unmerited favor of God, grace, and realize what we have been redeemed from and what we've been redeemed to, the grace of God, if it's reigning in your heart, will immediately and constantly take your eyes off this world and put them on the kingdom that's coming. We live for that kingdom that is built without hands.

What has our hearts this morning? Which kingdom do we delight in? What brings us the most joy and gratification? What consumes most of our thought processes and our time--this kingdom or the one that's coming? Grace causes us to look (look at it) "...for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee" (Titus 2:13-14).

We talked the other night about those who spoke one to another and a book of remembrance that contained those that were talking about the good things of God and the presence and the power of God. How much are we talking about the coming of the Lord? When we greet one another, am I finding you looking up? How are you living today in light of the fact that Jesus is coming back? We greet one another, "How are you doing today?" "I'm still alive." How are you doing?" "Good." But you're not. Wouldn't it be great if we would just greet one another, "Jesus is coming! Are you looking up?" The glorious appearing of the Lord God and our Savior Jesus Christ--I find you looking up. When we begin to study this subject, the blessed hope--hope, we know, means favorable expectation of the Lord's coming--Jesus is coming back soon and we need to realize that.

One of the great promises--turn to the book of John for just a moment--and as we do that, we want to look at these great promises that the Lord has given us. This is a passage that you've heard me quote so many times. I know, this is the funeral verse. I've preached a lot of funerals over all of these years. Why? Because this is our hope. This is our expectation. Look what the Scripture says in John 14. "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many [What?] mansions." We say mansions. "I've got a mansion just over the hilltop." We talk about mansions. The word isn't mansion per se. You say, "Aw, man. Trailer park?" Literally, the Greek just means dwelling places. "In my Father's house are many [dwelling places]." What is it going to be? It's going to be beyond anything that you can ever imagine because "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him" (1 Corinthians 2:9). Amen? Dream on, baby, it's better than that! Yet all of it, whatever it might be in its spiritual essence, is going to be overshadowed by the glory of God. Amen? None of it will mean what things mean today. It will just be, but He's the meaning. He's the source of our joy and of our strength. Just to be in His presence will be a continual contentment and peace and ecstasy that has never been known--the glory of the Lamb.

The Scripture says that we know there will be rewards in heaven. We know that for faithful service here, God is going to reward us. It's not going to be the television preachers and those that may have won a million souls. It could be the little ladies that have been in their prayer closet and never been seen by others, that prayed for these men who have been visible, who could receive the greatest rewards, just like the widow's mite. A lot of the big famous preachers aren't giving everything they have. They've just been gifted and God, by His sovereignty, has put them in places of prominence, but they may not have given all. Those that have given all are going to receive the greatest reward. You'll be surprised who are the standouts in heaven. It may not be the ones that were the standouts on earth. Regardless, we talk about different terms--our crowns and the stars on our crowns. You may have a galaxy on yours and I might have one point on my star, single star, my one-pointed--it will look more like a triangle. Regardless, whether you're wearing the galaxy or the single star motel rating, they're all going to be cast at His feet. Amen? It's about Jesus. It's not about us, that He might be All in All.

He says in this fourteenth chapter, "[Don't be troubled. Don't be fearful.] ...ye 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. I go to prepare a place for you." You--He can call your name. The hairs on your head are numbered. He knows your weaknesses. He's the Potter, we're the clay. He knows the beginning to the end and He's gone to prepare a place for you and for me. "And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know." Thomas said, "Lord, I'm confused. Show us the way." (Jesus) said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

We have that expectation. He has gone and prepared that place for us. He tells us that we are to be constantly looking up and praying in agreement with Revelation. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. We're to have "...our conversation, [Paul said in Philippians 3:20] ...in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." Can I ask you this morning? Is your conversation in the heavens? What are you talking about? Our living--are we living in the heavenly kingdom, trying to stay free from all of the weights and the sins that do so easily beset us in this journey that we're on? Constantly being able to come into the presence of God by His Word and let Him wash our feet and cleanse us from all of the cares of this world. Our conversation, our life in the heavens that constantly causes us to look for our Lord and Savior, understanding that work.

Hebrews speaks to these things and talks concerning that expectation. In Hebrews 10:37, "For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry." Yet just a little while. He's going to come. He's not tarrying. "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise," the Scripture says in 2 Peter 3:9. Revelation 22:20, "Surely I shall come quickly. Amen. Even so, come [quickly], Lord Jesus." That's the promise that we have. He's coming back for us. He's coming back for a bride, the Scripture says, "...not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing" (Ephesians 5:27). A passage that we quote as much as any other--those of us that have that expectation and understand and have embraced the love of God in 1 John 3:1-3, "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God...and it doeth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." The blessed hope causes perpetual purification and expectation. I'm going to see Him and I'm going to be like Him. We have that as our heart's cry. The question is, concerning again, this imminence, the Lord coming quickly. The Lord is coming in a time that we know not.

Turn to the book of Thessalonians for just a moment and let me show you a couple of Scriptures that were very real to Paul and to the church of Thessalonica. Remember why the books of 1 and 2 Thessalonians were written. These epistles were written because there was false doctrine going around that they'd already missed the resurrection, that the resurrection had already taken place. Put yourself back in the first century church. Which resurrection would you be concerned with if you were a believer in the first century church? Not the last resurrection. They were fully aware--Paul taught them very clearly concerning the changing of those that were alive and the resurrection of those that were believers who would rise first and then we that remain will be changed in a moment, in a twinkling of the eye. There was a false teaching going around that that had already taken place and it brought confusion into the church. Paul is going to make things very clear concerning the fact that that resurrection had not occurred. That teaching, in and of itself, does away with post-tribulation doctrine because that makes everything historical and not futuristic. It makes no distinction in the resurrections. What we look at here is Paul speaking and bringing about an understanding of our hearts being ready and our expectation of the Lord. In this particular process, look at 1 Thessalonians, Chapter 5, 2, "For you yourselves know perfectly..." I like that phrasing, don't you? Paul is making it very clear. He spent some time on this particular subject matter of the coming of the Lord. Why? They were confused. There was fear in the camp concerning the fact that they might have missed the coming of the Lord. "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." That's a powerful statement. "There is no doubt in the doctrine that I have brought to you."

Jesus said in Chapter 24 of Matthew--get it into your notes and turn there if you want, but in Chapter 24, verse 27, of Matthew--Jesus Himself is saying, "For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be." The one thing in the Scriptures that we're studying that we have to understand is that many of the things spoken by the prophets and by Jesus have dual applications. In fact, in Thessalonians, I'll show you in just a moment that Paul makes a very interesting statement in one of his phrases. He talks about the coming of the Lord and our gathering together unto Him--two distinct things, but all of them in the Lord's coming. As we study this particular passage out, we need to see that there's a phrase from the Old Testament into the New Testament called "the day of the Lord." The day of the Lord is a period of time. It's the time of God's justice and judgment on the earth, not only on Israel, His covenant people, but on the nations. The day of the Lord is at hand. When Jesus is speaking and making this prophetic statement of His coming, we realize that, as we study the Scriptures out, one of them is going to be as a thief in the night. Nobody knows the day or the hour that this is going to take place. His return triumphant, His return to set His feet upon the Mount of Olives and His saints coming with Him, His return to when He's going to cause that sword to come out of His mouth and judge the nations, the battle of Armageddon; we know when that's going to take place. Once the tribulation and this seven-year period starts, we know the different judgments and the time factor of the Lord's coming to the earth.

The coming of the Lord--it's funny. Just recently I've seen two [sayings] of people trying to mock it. One is, "Jesus is coming; look busy." Have any of you seen that one? It's kind of a mockery. The other one is and I'll change the last word, "Jesus is coming and He's ticked." They used another word, but that one's closer. His wrath is an orge. It's calculated. It's not emotional. It's just. Jesus' anger is righteous anger. Though it includes emotion, it's not controlled by emotion. It's controlled by justice. There's a difference. He is coming. Within the second coming of the Lord, though, are two occurrences. One is, He's going to appear in the clouds. The other one is, He's going to come and His feet are going to descend and sit upon the Mount of Olives and the Mount of Olives is going to cleave in half. We're going to see that great earthquake. Within the second coming, there are actually two appearances. One of the appearances of Him in the clouds may just be an appearing to those that are looking for Him. As the church is raptured, and we're "...caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord," it's obviously distinct from His descending to the Mount of Olives. One is discernable and able to be calculated. The other has been anticipated for 2,000 years by every true believer. It can happen at any moment, any moment. There doesn't have to be a temple built. There doesn't have to be the cataclysmic events of the seals and the trumpets. We may talk about those generally as we go on into the study, but His coming is as a thief in the night, the Scripture says.

"But of that day and hour [He goes on to say in verse 36] knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only." We've had people over the years say they've finally figured out the Lord is coming on May 7. It's a great day. May 7, 2007, because seven is the number of perfection and that's how they come up with this nonsense. There were a bunch of people. It was a huge teaching! How many of you remember the book, Eighty-eight Reasons Why Jesus Will Come in '88? Do any of you remember that book? How many of you think he was right? The reason they thought for sure He was going to come in 1988 was because, in 1948, Israel became a nation. They reoccupied the land and this generation that sees the blossoming of the fig tree shall pass away until all that has been fulfilled. A biblical generation is 40 years. 1948, add 40, 1988--Jesus is coming. No man knows the day or the hour. There's not a thing that has to be fulfilled for the coming of the Lord. We just wait and we expect and we occupy, the Scripture says, until He comes.

Luke 12:40 says it this way. Look over there for just a moment. It says, "Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." We know that what He's talking about is not something that can be stated about every specific individual. We've seen different things throughout the years. We know the prophets have spoken and the apostles have brought the truths and they're certain--how many of you realize that history cycles? We say it repeats itself, doesn't it? We see it politically. We see it as we talk about many of the different nations, the economics. We see, especially, that a focal point has always been on the Middle East. When we study eschatology and we look at the different players--how can one little nation tick so many people off? I was talking to some people the other day. "I'll tell you one thing. The problems we're having right now are, it's those stupid Jews. What do we owe to the Jews? If the Jews would just..." They're talking about all of this. "The poor Arabs..." We notice the way it's going. How many of you realize that there is beginning to be more sympathy for Ishmael than for Isaac and it always has been? I'm just saying all that to say this: as the focus takes place on that little geographic area in history, we see the cycling of the emphasis. Because of that, those of us who are believers in the return of the Lord, over all these years, and understand the Scriptures, as soon as it starts to get hot over there, everybody starts looking. This could be the time. Whenever a prominent political figure begins to rise, people begin to think, this could be the man of sin--people who believe in the Bible--so we start looking. Maybe this is the time that the Lord's coming. Then you have your numerologists, people that love numbers. You can make numbers say anything. I have never found a person that spends a lot of time in numerology that wasn't a quack.

I want to tell you something. This Book is not written in code. Amen? There's not a code here. There's not a secret in here. Everything that pertains to life and godliness has been given to us (2 Peter 1:3). Everything would probably mean what? Everything. Not a secret little truth left that will really give us illumination and set us free. Everything that we need to know that pertains to life and godliness is right here, and it's revealed for us clearly to understand. So numerologists sit down and figure out and, guess what? Do you know who it is? The Antichrist is Henry Kissinger. Some of you younger guys say, "Who?" I'm telling you that there was a bunch of the church who believed Henry Kissinger was the Antichrist. Jeff is convinced it's Mickey Mouse. We look and we see, then, all of these things through the years. How many of you remember back--it's been for years--but Nero. Then we find as history has gone on, then it was who in our particular time frame? Who was it? Mussolini, Hitler, Hillary... (No. I'm sorry, that just slipped out "by accident." No intent at all of defamation of lack of character.)

We've seen it through the years, and we've tried to make things occur, and here we are in 2007. Those who would blaspheme, say, "Where is His coming?" And they mock. "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise." Amen? The day of the Lord is at hand. We need to see this. As we look at these Scriptures, we realize very clearly that it's when you think not. He's making reference to all of these hot spots, the hot moments. We look right now and there are a lot of things going on in the Middle East. People are no longer looking for the coming of the Lord. The Scripture says, "For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child" (1 Thessalonians 5:3). There is a lot of boasting right now in our ability and safety that we have in our knowledge. People don't look for the coming of the Lord anymore. "...in such an hour as ye think not..." Take a survey when you go out tomorrow. Try to find out who are Christians and ask them, "Do you believe that Jesus is coming back literally to establish His kingdom? Do you believe that Jesus is going to come back and rule and reign for a thousand years on the earth? Much of professed Christendom has gone to amilleniumism. They don't believe in a literal thousand year reign of Jesus Christ. In fact, many Christians believe that we're in the millennium right now. If this is the millennium, we got ripped off! We need to see where the church is. In a time that you think not... There is no longer any emphasis on the coming of the Lord, in the church. Well, that's good news because the Scripture says that's when it's going to happen. Praise God!

Revelation, Chapter 16:15--and this will be one of the last verses we look at this morning concerning the biblical statement of the imminence. "Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments [pure], lest he walk naked, and they see his shame." Paul said in Philippians 4:5, "Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand." The coming of the Lord brings about a moderation, a controlled life, where we're not being tossed to and fro, a people that are not earth dwellers. The Scripture says we're going to escape the judgment that's going to come upon the whole earth in Luke 21 and we realize that what the Lord is speaking of there, concerning the judgment. We're going to talk about that this evening. The church is going to escape this judgment. Ekpheugo--we're going to be removed; taken away out of. Not sustained through. The Greek is very clear. The church is not going to go into the tribulation and be sustained by the supernatural presence of God and power of God such as was experienced in the enduring of Egypt, of the grace of God, with Noah in the flood. We're not going through. We're being removed. We'll look at that very clearly this evening, "out of." The judgment of all of them, Luke 21 says we shall escape that and the judgment of all of them that dwell upon the face of the whole earth.

The Greek is very specific there. It's not just talking about residents. It doesn't mean those that are on the earth; it means those that are of the earth or of the world, not just the planet, but the world's system. In other words, I'll use this term--some of you have heard it before--earth dwellers. We're in the world but we're not [Say it.] of the world. Those that are of the world are going to know the judgment of God, the wrath of God. This seven-year period of the Great Tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble, Daniel's Seventieth week, the day of the Lord, is about judgment. It's about remuneration. It's about chastisement. The purpose is, and we'll possibly get into that tonight, the primary purpose is the salvation of that remnant that Romans speaks of, of Israel, that remnant that is going to be saved. There are going to be those that are saved out of every nation, kindred, tongue and tribe, but we also know that there will be those 144,000 that are saved--12,000 out of each of the tribes--that are going to be regenerated and raised up as ministers to the world in this particular time. We realize, and maybe we'll look at the characters of the two witnesses that rise up in this day and are proclaiming the salvation of the Lord.

The one thing that you will not find after the third chapter in that book of Revelation is any mention of the church. We won't get into that tonight, but we did a whole study on it a number of years ago about what the church is doing. We know that during that seven-year period, there will be the marriage supper of the Lamb, the Bride. While there is torment and judgment on the earth, it's going to be party time in heaven. He's going to prepare a table for us before our enemies. During that marriage supper, as our hearts are being revealed and each of us is experiencing the benefit of holding fast to our crowns, that great marriage of the Lamb is evidenced. Look at the contrast of this seven-year period of God's intention. God's intention is not to beat His church up in the tribulation. It's to go on a honeymoon. Those are the two great distinctions that are made for that seven-year period. Hopefully, we'll take few glances at that this evening. The coming of the Lord is at hand. Let your moderation be known. The coming of the Lord is at hand.

James 5:8 says this in closing, "Be ye also patient; [settle] your hearts..." Get them established. Don't be tossed to and fro. Don't get caught up. One of the things that will happen in the last days--don't get caught up in "the Lord's over here and the Lord's over there." When the emphasis really begins to come down, you're going to find these squirrelly groups that are going to run off and say there is a special dispensation, a special visitation. "Run over here. Hide out in the caves." Don't be caught up in all that stuff, but establish your hearts, James says, for the coming of the Lord is drawing near. For two thousand years, it's been drawing near. It hasn't come yet. Well, then, it's sooner than when we first believed. Amen! We'll pick it up tonight. Look up! Your redemption is drawing nigh!

Father, we thank You for Your Word this morning and, as we spend more time on this subject, we're not interested in all of the intricacies of the players in the book of Revelation. Give us a good understanding, but we're not obsessed with having to understand every aspect of that. We look at the history of Daniel 9 and 11. We see the dualism in fulfillment of the two abominations of desolation--the one in 70 A.D. and the one in the future. We understand the fulfillment is across time. What we know for a fact is, here we are the church, triumphant, blessed, expecting, occupying and expecting the momentary return. Even so, come quickly, Lord Jesus. We're not afraid. We're not afraid of defeat. We're not afraid of the trials and tribulations that we will experience in these last days, for the church will experience tribulation, but not the tribulation. As our hearts are tried and our faith is tested as we come down the final stretch, beware of false prophets are going to arise, deceiving many. There will be a great falling away. There will be a great falling away. Again, spoken in dualism--one, a departure of the faith and the other, a departure of the righteous. Help us to be ready, Lord. This world is trying to seduce us with all of its glitter and glamour, and that for which men would sell their souls, You paved the streets of heaven. Let our treasures be eternal. Let our wealth be the pearl of great price. Let our contentment be in Your presence. For that, we'll give You all the praise and honor, in Jesus' name. Amen.

Before you go, turn to somebody next to you and say, "The Lord's coming." Amen! Go in peace, God's love go with you.

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