Major Bible Themes

Again, next week, chapter 14. Craig will have that next week. Chapter 14, questions 1, 2, 6, and 7. And again, read the whole chapter and then you can go back and kind of highlight the answers for those which we'll be focusing on those primary topics there.

Again, for ours, God the Son is coming with his saints. Remember last week we were for his saints, now we're with his saints. Again, the difference between the rapture and the second coming. As it shows here, we have a couple different ones that will address different issues with his second coming, which are in chapter 44. We'll touch on some of these today. Events preceding the second coming of Christ, and then the Great Tribulation, and then the second coming of Christ, those are chapters 44, 45, and 46.

Again, looking at what we had before this graph, kind of shows the whole progression of how God is working from creation to the end of the Millennial Kingdom. Again, kind of going through, we've seen this before, the creation is pre-existence before that creation, His incarnation, the substitutionary death, we have His resurrection, His then ascension, A little bit after that is Pentecost. That is the beginning of the church age when we have the indwelling. And then we come to the rapture, which is shown up here. And that's where he's coming for his saints.

Does he touch down at that time? No. He does not. No, he doesn't. He ends up in the clouds, shout the last trumpet. Did you look at that at all, Mike? I didn't look at that. Was that the last trumpet? I think maybe that was it. It's the last one we'll hear. is the trumpet and those verses about his rapture and the last trumpet. That's the last trumpet that we'll hear.

And then there's the seven years of tribulation. I'll go over some of those things that go on in the tribulation, which the three and a half years of peace and wonder and then three and a half years of terrible trials culminating with Armageddon. And then at the end of the seventh year, we come back with the Lord to rule and reign for a thousand years. And that's the kingdom. And then there's new earth, new heaven, all that starts at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

Okay. Down here. Okay, facts about his second coming. Well, actually, now I have my notes here. He won't set foot on the earth during the rapture, but when he returns with his saints, will he touch ground? Yes. Yes, he comes and Bruce is on that. Actually, I want to touch on something else now. What needs to happen before the rapture? Nothing. Nothing? Jerusalem needs to be restored. The temple.

The currency, right? It has to go to global currency? Isn't that one of the ones? What else? Currency? Global currency? I think you've been saying that nothing has to happen, but I guess people think the temple has to be rebuilt also. Any others? Yeah, the temple does have to be rebuilt. Okay, what else? Anything else? Great. That shouldn't be in between. Any thoughts, what else? Mike?

I don't think we need to get saved. The right people need to get saved. That's actually one of the points I had. Yeah, when the last person has to be brought in. That was, that's the only thing. that needs to be done is the last person has to be saved. Time done. That's it. But there won't be the last person being saved. There will be lots of sinners. The last of the church, the bride. That will be the last one. That's it.

So, the minute that happens, the second that happens, I believe the rapture happens. There's nothing that really has to happen before that. The global currency and all that, that happens after I think the first three and a half years. That's after the three nations and then ultimately ten nations and one dictator. That happens during that period. And so that's after the rapture happens as we get the currencies, we get the initially three nations and ten nations come together and then there's one dictator. So that happens after. But as far as the rapture, The only thing that has to happen is the last person. Once that's it, we're out of here. At the end of the rapture, we have what? The second coming? Oops, what happens there?

Sorry. This is kind of tough getting around all the notes here. We're working on two different computers here. Sorry about that. What happens between the rapture and the second coming? This is what he did. I don't have it on the slides, but I thought it was interesting. He goes through it a lot in here, and it's an interesting period, the tribulation. What happens during that time? We kind of went over a few of those things.

Three and a half years of absolute chaos. When? Beginning or end? Beginning. Chaos at the beginning? No, the end. You've got to have three and a half years to get that leadership in place. Exactly. There'll be three and a half, you know, out of the evil of all... Think of what happens.

All the Christians are gone. You know, what happens at that point? There are millions and millions of people gone. What does the world think at that point? Hallelujah. I think to some degree you're right. They're gone, there's influence, the light is not shining on the darkness. This is true, it says they seek the darkness. They seek the darkness. And so I think there's going to be a bunch of that. There's going to be enough people, out of the upheaval of all the Christians disappearing, three nations originally and then ten nations will be formed. and they'll have one leader at the end of that. There will be three and a half years of peace with the leader setting up a covenant with Israel. You can look at that in Daniel 9, 26 and 27.

Then after the 62 weeks the Messiah will cut off and have nothing. The people of the Prince who is to come will destroy the city and sanctuary and will come with a flood. Even to the end there will be war. Desolations are determined. And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week. But in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering. And on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction.

One that is decreed is poured out on the one who makes desolate." Again, this is with the Antichrist and the three-and-a-half years he breaks the covenant and that's when that's when the chaos happens is when that happens so after three-and-a-half years of peace the great tribulation will begin there will be persecution for Israel and all that follow Christ God will pour out judgments upon the earth and to the end of the three-and-a-half years tribulation will be horrific but at the end they'll have what?

Armageddon and what is Armageddon? That's one of the places where it's actually Har-Mageddon. It's like hell. It's Har-Mageddon, I think is the actual name. What? Isn't it like hell? You know, it's going to be so much destruction that the blood will rise in the valley of Har-Mageddon. You know, there will be so much death and destruction that the blood will be rising. Okay, so that's through that tribulation period. So that's what happens between our going to be with Him and our coming back.

I'm happy that we're at that position. Not a pre-trib, a post-trib, you know, anything like that. And we went through a lot of those verses last time that says we are going to avoid the condemnation, the wrath. we are not, the church is not meant to be under wrath. So we're not going to be in that period. We're gone. We go up, we're transformed in a twinkling of an eye. We're with him during the tribulation period and we'll return in our new bodies at the end of the tribulation time. Begin the millennial kingdom. Okay? Yeah? Point of clarification, you just said we're not pre-tribe. We are not mid-tribe or in-tribe. We are pre-tribe. Sorry, we are pre-trib, yes. Not mid-trib, not pre-wrath, not post-trib. We are pre-trib. Sorry if I messed that up here.

All right, if you look at Revelation 16, 13 through 16, you also see what happens at Armageddon. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are spirits of demons, performing signs which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty. Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his clothes, so that he will not walk about naked, and men will not see his shame. And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.

And then also you can look at Matthew 24, 21 through 22, where it says, for then there will be a great tribulation. Such has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days have been cut short, no life would have been saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short. At the height of the great war, the tribulation saints will be rescued.

You can see that in Daniel 12, 1-2. At that time, Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time. And at that time, your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt." That's what's happening during the time we're not here. So, you know, a lot is going on. We're not part of that.

And again, praise be to God for that. Okay, so after the tribulation, Christ returns physically to the earth. Does anyone want to read Zechariah 14? through 4. That's one of the prime ones. This one here. His return will be physical to the earth. You said 14-1. Yeah, it started in 1. I just like context. Yes, sir.

Behold, the day is coming for the Lord when this boil taken from you will be divided among you. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle, and the city will be captured, the houses plundered, the women ravished, So, he will stand, and what happens?

The Mount of Olives is split. Where did he ascend from? Mount of Olives. Remember the things, and we'll go through some of those verses. Why do you look? He will come back, just as he did as he ascended. same Mount of Olives. He'll come back, but this time he touches down. Not in the Rapture where we meet him in the clouds. He physically touches down and it says that the Mount of Olives will be split in the middle from east to west. And then he will take his last stand on earth.

Look at Job 19.25. It says, As for me, I know that my Redeemer lives. And at the last he will take his stand on the earth. So as opposed to the rapture and the second coming, he makes a physical presence here on the earth.

Remember we said also too, last week we discussed, was a rapture ever spoken of in the Old Testament? No, never was. Which is, again, kind of interesting. Ingrid and I were talking about that this morning at breakfast, actually. How the mystery and all about the Rapture is covered in the New Testament. That's about us. That's about the Church. It was covered only in the New Testament and not in the Old Testament. There's lots about the Second Coming in both the Old and New Testament, but the Rapture was only spoken of in the New Testament.

Alright, his return on the clouds of heaven. Somebody want to read Acts 1, 9-11? Acts 1, 9-11. Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly towards heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel. who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? The same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven." So, just as he ascended from the earth, he will return to the earth. And then Revelation 1-7, I'll read that one. Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him even those who pierced him, and all the tribes of the earth were mourned over him. So it is to be.

Daniel 7.13 I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven, like a sun, a man was coming, and he came up to the ancient of days, and was presented before him. So again, the thought, and behold with the clouds, he's coming, his return on the clouds of heaven, coming back before he stands on the ground.

Okay, I'm getting, actually there'll be one of the ones I talk about later about, in the rapture, in the rapture does everybody see and hear him? No? Yes? Do they see him? Just believers. Any others? the rapture? Do we all see him? Do we all hear the trumpet? If he said it, it must be so. I thought everybody was to see him, even the ones that didn't believe because then they would be so in awe and said, you know, wish I should have had a liege. We're talking about the rapture, right? This is a rapture. Now, only the believers hear the call on the trumpet and see him.

Now, No, no, it's okay. No, in fact, I think what Bruce was saying at the beginning of this, they're almost, I think, in celebrating that we're gone. You know, that we are gone. That light in the darkness is now going to be gone. You know, there will be chaos for a little bit. You know, what happened there is going to be, I'm sure, you know, like I said, two Christian pilots flying in a plane.

They're going to be a few of those little events or driving down the highway and lots of cars that are minus drivers and things. I mean, there's going to be some chaos at the beginning of this thing, but this will now be, and what it says in the first three and a half years is going to be peace. This 10 nations will come together. We'll have one glorious dictator or leader. who will be over the ten nations, will have this global currency, will have all this wonder, this covenant with Israel for seven years, that's broken in the middle of it.

So at the beginning of it, it's going to be peace, but going back to, so only believers see him at the rapture, but on the return, what happens? Do only those saints, the tribulation saints, or actually they were removed right before the end, Does everybody see him at that point? Everybody sees him. It's kind of an interesting deal.

When you read Schaeffer's thing in there, he says that, this is kind of what an engineer would do. This is the engineer. He says, it reads in there, it says, you know, when he comes back, he's going to be back with myriads of armies and all that. He says that doesn't happen in an instant. This is going to be this progression of armies coming down.

It could take a significant amount of time for all the believers, all the saints, coming down. I don't know the basis for that other than physics. But if we have the same body and all that, I was thinking, the Lord That's why I asked the question. How is everybody going to see it? So Schaefer's answer is that this will be a long parade. By the time you get 24 hours done, everybody on the earth will see it. Because it's a rotation. That was the other thing. That's right. Because he says it's going to take like 24 hours or something. So it's like one full rotation of the earth.

Everybody will see this progression out of the clouds of all the saints. So everybody will see him. I think that's pure speculation. I didn't see anything with him. I think it's going to be quick. As the shout to Trump would be, it'll be, he'll come and put his foot on the earth.

We're right there. And everybody, you know, that's the other thing. Will everybody know us as saints? Because we have the uniform, right? The outfit. on our shirt. How do they know us? How will they know us? Maybe because we all appear differently. Little ghosts flying around. You mean like cats? No, but I mean it's the wrong term, but you know what I'm saying. We might have a different look. we'll have our glorified bodies at that point. They'll know us by just sight. Which will be different from theirs. Yeah. I mean, well, they will know us just by, you know, I mean, that's one thing. And it's more speculation.

I don't think there is, like, you know, there isn't really a verse that says that they just know rule and reign, they'll know us. I'm trying to think there isn't really a verse that says that, it's just... That we rule and reign? Well, we rule and reign, but I mean, as far as knowing us, as far as by sight or by, you know, whether we have, you know, just from the transformed bodies, you know, whether there's, that's how they'll see us, is transformed.

Do you know of anything that really... Thessalonians, maybe. The 14? Keep going on. Yeah, I can't remember if there's anything that really says that they see us by our bodies, but that, there's something that they know that we are, But you know, we are to rule and reign with Him. Earlier, when you asked the question about, one of your questions, it seems that, like just saying that all of us were witnessing the summons, which we always are, and those people who could tell about the rapture, who could tell about all that stuff, and all of a sudden, all these Christians are gone. I'm thinking some of those might end up being the ones who believed during that tribute during that seven years. And it says that he ends it for the sake of the elect.

So are they also part of the church? No, I think they're in the same category as the Old Testament saints. They aren't part of the body. Because the body is at the end of the tribulation, or I mean the beginning of the tribulation, at the rapture, that's the last one added to the body. or the bride, the church. That's the end of the church age. So at that point, you know, others are going to be tribulation saints, but they're not part of the bride of Christ.

So it's a, you know, and Monique's got that nervous look on. It's the fairness doctrine. You know, it's not fair, they suffered, they martyred, they're all this, but it's different. It'll be a different, you know, it's like there's angels. If there's angels, then there's us. You know, there are different entities, and they'll be, as Old Testament saints, different than what we are. And again, the beauty of that is so amazing. What we have, we have His very life, we're placed into Him. All those things that the other saints don't have.

Because Christ wasn't there then. Well, yeah, at the time. He had not ascended. So that's the reason why there's a difference. Yeah, there wasn't Christ coming, dying sacrificially, going back to that first slide, the substitutionary death, the resurrection, the payment accepted by God. It wasn't available at that time.

So as far as modernism says, it seems like it's said that they were in Their names were written in the book of life, post-raptured believers, and all our names are in the book of life. I'm one of the elect, they're the elect. That's where I just, I forgot the difference, you know. Another mystery for me. Alright, so, somebody want to read Matthew 24? Let's go to 27 through 31, 24.

As the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the son of man be. Or wherever the carcass is, wherever the carcass is, there are there the eagles will be gathered together immediately after the tribulation of those days. The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from the heavens, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. How far do you want me to go? Thirty-one.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet. and they will gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other." So, his return is in power and great glory.

As opposed to the rapture, which we have the shout, the trumpet, and we're gone. Look what happens now, and you can see on the screen. After that, it's after the tribulation, all the carcasses and all the stuff, And then the sun will be darkened. The moon will not give its light. Stars will fall from the sky. I mean, think what you're looking at. If you're here, and you're looking at this, the sun is darkened. Moon doesn't shine. Stars falling from heaven.

All that's going on, and then the sign of the Son of Man, and all the people of Earth will mourn. I think at this point, I mean, this is at the end of Armageddon. Everything has been slaughtered. The only reason there isn't total, total annihilation is the Lord comes, takes his saints out, the tribulation saints out, and stops the wrath. Okay, all the people of that will see the Son of Man. Okay, this again, the difference between the rapture now is all the people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds, all the people.

Everybody who's on earth will see them at this point, see Him. You know, I think of that too, you know, how does He do that? He may just project Himself all around the world at one point. I mean, He could do whatever, I mean, I don't know, but everyone will see Him.

You'll see him with great power and great glory. Christ will send forth his angels with great trumpets. His angels will gather together his elect from the four winds. So that's where the tribulation saints are pulled out. And then he sets foot. Mount of Olives splits apart and he starts the millennial kingdom. The 1,000 years. Then you look at 2 Thessalonians 1, 7 and 8 where it says, Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire.

So that's what's transpiring at that point. So, does this sound like the rapture? No. It's completely different. That's the whole point of these two things. I'm trying to point the difference between the rapture and the second coming. They're completely two different events.

Completely different in what happens, how it happens, things that have to occur, because the tribulations all have to occur before he comes back. So those are things that have to happen. That's why I asked at the beginning, what happens at the rapture? What has to happen at the rapture?

Nothing, except the last saint. OK? All right. I'm going to the next one here. The church returns with Christ at his second coming. We'll kind of speed up on some of these. This is, as opposed to the rapture where we leave the earth, the second coming is when we come back. Zechariah 14, 5. You will flee by the valley of my mountains, for the valley of the mountains will reach to Ezel. Yes, you will flee, just as you fled before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah, the king of Judah.

Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. Okay? Who are the holy ones? That's us. Jude 14 and 15, Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones. If you look at that, it was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied saying, Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of his holy ones to execute judgment upon all and to convict all the ungodly of their ungodly deeds, which they have done in an ungodly way. and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against."

Again, is that us ruling and reigning? Is that what happens? Yes. The answer is yes. We are ruling and reigning at that point. What is this verse? Well, we can go on too. I probably should get through a little bit of this here. You can also see in 1 Thessalonians 3.13, at the coming of the Lord with his saints, also in Revelation 19.14, the armies which are in heaven clothed in fine linen were following him.

Those are all saying that there are evidence or verses that say we will come, we will come with him at his second coming. Again, you can see also the return is seen both in the Old and New Testament. For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels, that spoken of in Matthew 16 and 27, and that in the Old Testament. With the clouds of heaven like the one like the Son of Man was coming, to him was given dominion, glory, and a kingdom. All peoples, all nations might serve him.

Again, so you have Old and New Testament talking about the second coming, but no mention of the rapture. Again, this is the summary of probably what is in the last couple pages of his chapter about the differences between the rapture and his second coming.

I think it's good to study these things and just make sure you understand when verses talk about one or the other that you don't confuse them. So it's good to look through these verses and again draw it to the last two pages of chapter 13. Look at the last two pages and it does a really good job. It's basically what's on this slide, which goes over all the verses that show the differences between the two. Any final questions before we stop? I'm sorry I got late with the technical issues here. Again, some of these things are just what we looked at. I'm thinking they're dead.

Adam, if they are identified with Adam, are we in Adam? If we were the only ones there, would we have pierced him? If we reject him, we are piercing him. I believe that is not the physical people who pierced him. It is the Adamic race. Yeah, when I read that it was like, yeah, but then I thought, no, it's not, I don't believe it's them that they see him. It's the Adamic race who pierced him and put him up on the cross. It made more sense. I mean, like, 13 guys, whatever. All right, let's close. Heavenly Father, thank you for this time. Thanks again, Father, just for your word.

We thank you as we look into your word about the Rapture and the Second Coming, two events that deal specifically with us, those who believe in you and have life in your Son. As we understand the Rapture, we will be brought up to meet you in the clouds. We will be removed from here and transformed in the twinkling of an eye. And then at your Second Coming, we will come back with you to rule and reign for a thousand years.

Father, we thank you that we are removed from the tribulation period. Father, we just thank you for how much grace you bestow upon us, what love, mercy, all your attributes bestowed upon us. We thank you above all for the gift of the Lord Jesus Christ who paid the price for us and is the one who is our very life right now. Father, we thank you again for all these gifts to us, the grace to us. Father, we just pray in advance for Vern upstairs just to speak mindfully through him and prepare our hearts to receive that word. Father, we do all these things in the name of your Son, the Lord Jesus. Amen.