In this sermon, the speaker briefly mentions the makeup of the population at the time, but states that he will discuss it in more detail in a future session. He then mentions the book of Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, and describes it as a fascinating prophecy that was the last word of God before the coming of the Messiah. The speaker also mentions the period of silence in between Malachi and the voice of John the Baptist. The sermon concludes with a reminder of a song about a fountain filled with blood and a prediction from the book of Zechariah about the removal of idols from the land and the recognition of Jesus as Lord in Jerusalem.

And in that day, in that day, in that day, here it is again, in that day, there shall be a fountain open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. Reminded of that beautiful song, there is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel's veins and sinners plunge beneath that flood dissolve their guilty stains. But the fountain will be open in Jerusalem as they recognize Jesus Christ as the Messiah and as the Lord. And they turn their hearts towards Him because the Spirit of God will open their eyes and the veil that has been covering their eyes will be taken away. And they will recognize Jesus as Lord and the fountain for sin open to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in that day, in that day, saith the Lord of hosts, that I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land. And now here's the prediction that of course Israel would go back to idolatry and of course they do have today. Not little idols in the sense of carved out images, but they are extremely materialistic and they do have their shrines. The tomb of Rachel, the tomb of Abraham, the tomb of David and all. Even the western wall has become sort of a place of almost idolatry in the sense that they feel that they are closer to God in these particular places. And they like to go to these places to feel close to God. They say if you want to be close to God, go to the place where a man of God exists and because God exists for that man. But that in a sense is the consciousness of idolatry because an idol is actually something to remind me of the presence of God. When a person creates an idol, it is always indicative of the fact that he has lost that valuable consciousness of God's presence. And somewhere deep inside he longs for that which he has lost. So he creates a reminder. There's a place. Oh, there's where I met God. And it's amazing the things that people can more or less make religious relics out of. I went to a church one time that had ugly platform furniture. I mean, it looked like it came from the Goodwill. The overstuffed chairs were ripped and I mean, it was just it was just ugly. It looked like nobody cared. And so I announced to the people my intentions because I love to get in buildings. I announced my intention to remodel the platform. We're going to get new furniture up here. We're going to get a new pulpit and all this, you know, I'm going to build a new pulpit. Oh, after service, a woman came up and she's absolutely livid. Brother Smith, you can't get rid of that pulpit. Twenty years ago, this evangelist was here and he's the one that donated the pulpit. And he preached the first sermon from that pulpit and he cried and the pulpit was stained with his tears. And oh, so many glorious sermons been preached from that pulpit. You can't get rid of that pulpit. I said, it's ugly. Oh, but you can't get rid of it. Oh, and it was an ugly piece of furniture. So we bought the new platform chairs and I purchased some veneer plywood and I built a whole new pulpit around the old one. Leaving the old one there, but I, you know, just completely, it looked like a brand new pulpit. But still the old one was built into the thing on the inside. And she came to church, let out a gasp when she saw the new pulpit. I had desecrated the house of God. And she was so angry. She was ready to leave the church. I said, oh no, no, come here. Let me show you something. And I took me on here with the ugly old doors and everything else. You know, the ugliness was behind it. The people couldn't see it anymore. But it was, and that satisfied her. The old pulpit, tear stained pulpit was still there, you know. But that's tragic when people get attached to things. In the days of Hezekiah, the people had begun to worship the brass serpent that Moses had made in the wilderness. It had become an idol. And they began to worship it. They were longing for the presence of God that their fathers had in the wilderness. They were longing to see the power of God that their fathers saw in the wilderness. And they began to worship the relic. But Hezekiah broke the thing in pieces. And he said, Nahushtan, that's not a god, it's a thing of brass. Nahushtan, a thing of brass. He called it what it was. That pulpit's not a sacred relic, it's an ugly piece of old furniture. Nothing's sacred about a relic. Just because at a place the Spirit of God has moved in the hearts and lives of people doesn't make it a sacred place. God doesn't dwell in places. God dwells in the hearts and lives of His people. And we could move outside and worship the Lord outside and be just as close to God as we are inside. We're not any closer to God here than we are at home. God does not dwell in buildings made with man's hands. The heavens of heavens cannot contain Him. But a person loses that consciousness of the presence of God. And somehow he is longing for that which he has lost. And so he builds a relic. Or he takes a relic that reminds him of God's presence. And he begins to worship near that. Or he begins to worship the relic itself. Even worse. But God said, I'm going to cut off all the idols. And they shall no more be remembered. And also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. That is the false prophets and the unclean spirit. And it will come to pass that when any shall yet prophesy, then his father and his mother that begat him will say to him, Thou shall not live for your speaking lies in the name of the Lord. And his father and mother that begat him shall thrust him through when he prophesies. And it shall come to pass in that day that the prophet shall be ashamed every one of his vision. And when he has prophesied, neither shall they wear the rough garments to deceive. But he shall say, I am no prophet. I'm a husband and I'm a farmer for a man taught me to keep cattle from my youth. I'm a rancher. And one shall say unto him. Now he leaves now the false prophets and he comes now. Back to the one who was pierced. And one shall say unto him. What are these wounds in your hands? Then he shall answer those which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd and against the man that is my fellow, saith the Lord of hosts. Smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered and I will turn my hand to the little ones. Now, the problem and the question arises. Does verse six fit with verse five or does it fit with verse seven? The author of the Living Bible, which is an interesting interpretation of the Scripture, but an extremely poor translation. It's one man's interpretation. Dr. Taylor evidently feels that verse six fits with verse five. I personally disagree with him. I believe that verse six fits with verse seven. He gives what I consider almost blasphemous interpretation of verse six. You know, what are these wounds? All these I got when I was in a drunken brawl at my friend's house. But I believe that they are reference to Jesus Christ. Again, when the Israel recognizes him by the wounds in his hand. And they say unto him, what are the meaning of these wounds? And he will answer very softly, very tenderly. Those which I was wounded in the house of my friends. Now, verse seven we know refers to Jesus Christ. Because it was quoted in the New Testament. When Jesus was arrested and all of the disciples forsook him and fled. That the Scripture might be fulfilled. Which said, smite the shepherd and the sheep shall be scattered. So that is used in the New Testament. To refer to the fact that the disciples all fled at the arrest of Jesus. So we know that that one definitely refers to Jesus Christ. And it is my personal opinion that six fits with seven. And it shall come to pass in all the land, saith the Lord. That two parts therein shall be cut off and die. But the third part shall be left therein. So, again the Jews are going to go through a great holocaust. In which two-thirds of them will die. Only one-third will come through. The Antichrist is going to make a covenant with the nation of Israel. But in, after three and a half years, he is going to break the covenant. As he comes to Jerusalem and declares that he is God. And seeks to show that he is God and demands that we worship as God. And the faithful remnant at that time will flee to the wilderness. And the Antichrist will then seek to destroy all of the Jews that remain in the land. And two-thirds of them will be destroyed. One-third shall escape. And I will bring the third part through the fire. And will refine them as silver is refined. That is, they are going to go through the fire of persecution once again. In this last seven years. This time is known in the scripture as the time of Jacob's trouble. We also call it the Great Tribulation. And I will try them as gold is tried. And they shall call on my name. And I will hear them. I will say, it is my people. And they shall say, Yahweh is my God. So, here those that remain, there will be again that glorious grafting back into the tree. The branch that had been cut off will be grafted back again. The unfaithful wife will be received and restored again as God washes her and cleanses her. According to the prophecy of Hosea. And brings her back unto himself. Oh, love that will not let me go. Though I stray and turn my back and walk away. Yet God will not let me go in his love. But he draws me back to himself and restores me into fellowship. Oh, how gracious and glorious is the God that we serve. And Israel who has failed will be brought back again by God. And joined to him after the refining process of the fire. Behold, the day of the Lord comes. And thy spoils shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle. And the city shall be taken and the houses rifled and the women ravished. And half of the city shall go forth into captivity. And the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the Lord go forth and fight against those nations as when he fought in the day of battle. So, the prediction of this coming day when Jerusalem will be destroyed. Actually, this will be by the Antichrist. Who will come to Jerusalem. He will be heading up a ten nation European Federation. He will come to Jerusalem. First of all, making a covenant. Deceiving the people. Being declared as the Messiah. And then breaking the covenant after three and a half years. Demanding to be worshipped as God. The Jews will rebel. He will take Jerusalem. He'll cut the people off. And those who have followed the advice of Jesus and have fled to the wilderness will escape. But then the Lord is going to fight against the powers of the Antichrist. And his feet. The nations will be gathered. All of the nations against Jerusalem. Be gathered together in the valley of Megiddo. The kingdom of the North. Russia. The kingdoms of the East. China. Joining together. Coming against the European Federation. And the final great battle. The battle of Armageddon. Fought there in the valley of Megiddo. And at that time. The Lord shall come. His feet. Shall stand in that day on the Mount of Olives. Which is before Jerusalem on the East. And the Mount of Olives shall split in the middle. Toward the East and toward the West. And there shall be a very great valley. And half of the mountains shall remove towards the North. And half of it towards the South. So a tremendous. Cataclysmic. Kind of a. Change will take place in the geography there around Jerusalem. When Jesus comes. Puts his foot on the Mount of Olives. And that whole thing is just going to split. Half towards the North. Half towards the South. And this great new valley. Formed. Going down to the Red Sea. Now as this split takes place. The geological formations are changed. A vast underground. Reservoir of water. River. Underground river. Will spring forth. From the area of the throne. In Jerusalem. And this river will flow forth from Jerusalem. Going down this valley. Half of it will turn and go towards. The Mediterranean Sea. The other half. Will flow down to the Dead Sea. And it will make that whole area. Along its banks. Extremely fertile. And when the waters come into the Dead Sea. The Dead Sea will be healed. It will no longer be a Dead Sea. But it will be healed. And there will be multitudes of fish. In the Dead Sea. And it will become a great fishing resort. And along the shores there. And Getty. They will dry their fish nets. And the whole scene. Geography. Will be changed. As a result of this. Probably great earth. We would call it an earthquake. Splits the Mount of Olives. Right in two. And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains. For the valley of the mountains. Shall reach unto Ezel. Yea ye shall flee. Like as you fled. From before the earthquake. In the days of Uzziah. The king of Judah. And the Lord my God. Shall come. And all of the saints. With thee. Behold he cometh. With ten thousands. Of his saints. To execute judgment. Upon the earth. Paul the Apostle said. And when Christ. Who is our life. Shall appear. Then shall we also appear. With him in glory. Revelation chapter nineteen. And he saw Christ. Sitting upon the white horse. And the armies. That came with him. On their white horses. Clothed in fine linen. Pure and clean. And we are told. Earlier. Who those people are. Clothed in the fine linen. Pure and clean. They are the church. The body of Christ. And the. Pure linen. Is the righteousness. Of the saints. Which is of course. That righteousness. Imputed to us. By our faith. In Jesus Christ. So. The coming again of Jesus Christ. With his church. So. The Lord is coming. First of all. For his church. To snatch it out of the earth. And then to bring to pass. His judgment. Upon the earth. And upon the inhabitants of the earth. For their rejection. Of his plan of salvation. We will be caught up to meet the Lord. In the air. And so shall we. Ever be with the Lord. We will be invited. To the marriage supper. The lamb. Blessed is he. Who is invited. To the marriage supper. The lamb. And we. With John. Will behold. The events of the great tribulation. From a grandstand view. In heaven. But then. In chapter. Nineteen. When Jesus comes back. To the earth. To set his foot. Upon the Mount of Olives. To stop the great battle. Of Armageddon. Then. We will return. To the earth. With Jesus. And we will then reign. With him. Upon the earth. For a thousand years. As priest. And as a kingdom. Of priest. Actually. So. There are those. Especially Jehovah Witnesses. Also. Some misinterpret prophecy. And they say. Oh. You believe. That you're just going to. Go up in heaven. And you're not. You're going to. Stay in heaven. Going to be in. Some cloud. And fiddling on a harp. You know. And I want to be here. On the earth. And I want to. You know. Help. Rebuild. The world. And so. Well. The Bible. Doesn't teach. We're going to be forever. In heaven. The Bible. Does teach. We're going to be forever. With the Lord. And. Of course. Where he is. It's heaven. But when he comes down. To the earth. It's going to be heaven. On earth. You're going to. See the earth. That God. Intended. You're going to. See the kind of world. That God. Intended. That man. Should live in. A world. That is filled. With righteousness. And peace. For the kingdom. Of God. Is not meat. Or drink. But righteousness. Peace. And joy. In the Holy Spirit. You'll see the world. Is God. Intended to be. But will be forever. With the Lord. When the Lord. Is in heaven. Hey. We're his bride. The bride. Goes with the groom. So. While he's in heaven. Will be with him. But we're not going to. Take a honeymoon. Down here. And stay up there. We'll. Come back. With him. With his. Saints. To reign. Over the earth. Then. When God. Establishes. The new heaven. In the new earth. Wherever. However. Will be right there. With him. Wherever he is. There. Will we. Be with him. Forever. With our Lord. That's. The promise. And that's. The hope. Of every. Child. Of God. And. I love it. And. I can. Hardly. Wait. Oh. Should we. Really. Sit and. Mourn. And. Mope. Over those. Who have gone. To be with the Lord. Already. No. You want to sit. And. Mope. Mope. Over yourself. Because. You're still here. But. Rejoice. For them. They've. Got a good. Head start. On us. And. His. Feet. Will. Stand. On the. Mount. Of all. Is. The split. And. So. For. It. And. You. Shall. Flee. To. The valley. And. The Lord. Shall. Come. All. The. Saints. For. Six. And. It. Shall. Come. To. Pass. In. That. Day. That. The. Light. Shall. Not. Be. Clear. Nor. Dark. In. Others. Of. The. One. Day. Which. Shall. Be. Known. To. The Lord. Not. Day. Nor. Night. But. It. Shall. Come. To. Pass. At. The. Evening. Time. It. Will. Still. Be. Light. So. It. Be. In. That. Day. That. These. Living. Waters. That. Is. They. Give. Life. To. The. Dead. Sea. When. They. Flow. Into. It. Shall. Go. Out. From. Jerusalem. Half. Of. Them. Towards. The. Former. Sea. And. Half. Of. Them. Towards. The. Hinder. Sea. Half. Towards. Mediterranean. Half. Towards. The. Dead. Sea. And. It. Will. Flow. All. Year. Around. And. Lord. Shall. Be. King. Over. All. The. Earth. In. That. Day. And. There. Shall. Be. One. Lord. And. His. Name. One. The. Glorious. Kingdom. Age. He. Will. King. Over. All. Earth. Thy. Kingdom. Come. Thy. Will. Be. Done. In. Earth. As. It. Is. In. Heaven. All. How. We. Need. To. Be. Praying. This. Especially. As. See. The. Deterioration. Of. The. Kingdoms. Of. Man. In. These. Days. All. The. Land. Shall. Be. Turned. As. A. Plane. From. Giba. To. Rimmon. South. Of. Jerusalem. It. Shall. Be. Lifted. Up. In. Her. Place. From. Benjamin's. Gate. To. The. Place. Of. The. First. Gate. To. The. Corner. Gate. And. From. The. Tower. Of. Neal. Under. King's. Wife. Wine. Presses. He's. Talking. About. The. Extension. Of. The. City. Limits. Of. Jerusalem. And. They've. Already. Extended. Beyond. These. Places. And. Men. Shall. Dwell. In. And. Shall. Be. No. More. Utter. Destruction. But. Jerusalem. Shall. Be. Safely. Inhabited. And. This. Is. Fascinating. To. Me. Shall. Be. The. Plague. Wherewith. The. Lord. Smite. All. The. People. That. Have. Fought. Against. Jerusalem. Those. That. Have. Fought. Against. Jerusalem. God's. Going. To. Fight. Against. Them. And. The. Plague. Will. Be. Their. Flesh. Shall. Consume. Away. While. Are. Standing. On. Their. Feet. Their. Eyes. Shall. Consume. Away. In. Their. Holes. In. Their. Tongues. Shall. Consume. Away. In. Their. Mouth. I. Encourage. You. To. Read. Accounts. Of. The. Dropping. Of. The. Atomic. Bombs. On. Hiroshima. And. Nagasaki. And. You. Find. That. These. Are. The. Things. That. Happen. These. Are. Results. A. Bomb. And. The. Lord. Significantly. Prophesied. That. This. Is. The. Way. The. People. Will. Perish. Their. Flesh. Consuming. Away. Upon. Their. Bodies. While. They're. Standing. There. In. Nagasaki. The. Eye. Sockets. Melting. The. Eyeballs. Melting. And. Rolling. Down. The. Cheeks. The. Eyes. Consume. In. Their. Holes. Their. Tongue. Consume. In. Their. Mouths. And. To. Pass. In. That. Day. That. A. Great. Tumult. From. The. Lord. Shall. Be. Among. Them. And. They. Shall. Lay. Hold. Everyone. The. Hand. Of. The. His. Neighbor. His. Hand. Shall. Rise. Up. Against. The. Hand. Of. His. Neighbor. And. Judah. Also. Shall. Fight. At. Jerusalem. And. The. Wealth. Of. All. Of. Heath. And. Roundabout. Shall. Be. Gathered. Together. Gold. And. Silver. Apparel. In. Great. Abundance. And. So. Shall. Be. The. Plague. Of. The. Horse. The. Mule. The. Camel. The. Ass. And. All. Of. The. Beast. And. That. Shall. Be. In. These. Tents. As. This. Plague. And. It. Shall. Come. To. Pass. After. This. Great. Horrible. Battle. Of. Our. Armageddon. That. Everyone. That. Is. Left. Of. All. Of. The. Nations. Which. Came. Against. Jerusalem. Shall. Even. Go. Up. From. Year. To. Year. To. Worship. Those. That. Are. Left. Not. Many. Will. Survive. But. Those. That. Will. Left. Will. Go. Up. From. Year. To. Year. To. Jerusalem. To. Worship. The. King. The. Lord. Of. Hosts. And. To. Keep. Feast. Of. Tabernacles. The. Feast. Of. The. Tabernacles. Was. Commemorative. Of. God's. Preservation. Through. The. Long. Forty. Year. Experience. In. The. Wilderness. And. Bringing. Them. Into. The. Promised. Land. We. Will. Keeping. The. Feast. Of. The. Tabernacles. In. The. Kingdom. Age. For. God. Brought. Us. Through. The. Long. Wilderness. But. God. Will. Preserve. Us. God. Will. Keep. Us. We. Survive. From. The. Living. Water. Out. Of. The. Rock. Christ. Jesus. And. It. Shall. Be. That. Whoso. Will. Not. Come. Up. Of. All. Of. The. Earth. To. Jerusalem. To. Worship. The. King. The. Lord. Of. Host. Even. Upon. Them. Shall. Be. No. Rain. So. You. Don't. Want. To. Come. All. Of. The. Family. Egypt. Go. Not. And. Comes. Not. They'll. Have. No. Rain. And. There. Shall. Be. The. Plague. Where. With. The Lord. Will. Smite. The heathen. That. Not. To. Keep. The. Feast. Of. The. Tabernacles. And. There. Shall. Be. The. Punishment. Of. Egypt. In. The. Punishment. Of. All. The. Nations. That. Come. Not. To. Keep. The. Feast. Of. The. Tabernacles. And. In. That. Day. There. Shall. Be. Upon. The. Bells. Of. The. Horses. Holiness. Under. The. Lord. I. Mean. Bumper. Stickers. Everywhere. Glorious. Day. Glorious. Day. Beautiful. Graffiti. We. Have. A Calvary Chapel. In. San Pedro. Which. Is. In. A very. Rough. Area. Of. Town. Over. There. They. Used. To. Have. Their. Building. Constantly. Painted. With. Graffiti. And. Were. Constantly. Have. To. Repaint. The. Thing. Because. All. The. Dirty. Words. And. All. That. Were. Painted. On. The. Sides. Of. The. Building. So. The. Finally. Went. Out. For. Blacks. Break. In. Again. After. He. Had. Painted. The. Building. Put. His. Own. Graffiti. On. Painted. On. It. Jesus. Loves. You. And. And. And. Kinds. Of. Things. Like. This. On. The. Side. Of. His. Own. Building. Painted. It. With. This. Graffiti. And. He's. Not. Been. Problem. Since. In. That. Day. On. Bells. Of. The. Horses. Holiness. Under. The. Lord. And. In. The. Pots. Of. The. Lord's. House. Shall. Be. Like. The. Bulls. Before. The. Altar. Yeah. Every. Pot. In. Jerusalem. In. Judah. Shall. Be. Holiness. Under. The. Lord. Of. Both. And. All. They. That. Sacrifice. Will. Come. And. Take. Of. Them. And. Seed. Therein. And. In. Day. There. Shall. Be. No. More. The. Canaanite. In. The. House. Of. The. Lord. Of. Hosts. So. The. Glorious. Day. Of. The. Kingdom. Age. A. Lot. Of. Be. On. The. Earth. What. Kind. Of. A. Control. We. Will. Exercise. Over. These. People. The. Make. Up. Of. The. Population. And. So. For. The. Dead. The. Dead. Dead. Dead. But. We get into Malachi and then the following week moving into the New Testament. May the Lord bless you. May the Lord give you a beautiful week. A fellowship with him. As you walk with the Lord. In the light of his word. May he just spread his glory on your way. And may you just experience more and more the love of God and the grace of God as his Spirit works in your heart, the Spirit of grace and supplications. God bless you. Keep you in the name of Jesus Christ.