In this sermon, the preacher discusses the opening of the fourth seal in the book of Revelation. The fourth seal reveals a pale horse, symbolizing death, and hell follows with it. The preacher emphasizes the significance of this event, stating that it will bring distress and devastation to a fourth part of the earth. The sermon also mentions the scene in heaven where the Lamb takes the book and the prayers of the saints are represented by the elders.

Good evening, and I mean to get through it, I'm doing my best. It's this problem of the Great Tribulation. Let's go to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24. And our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to his disciples here. Verse 3, And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, just his own disciples. I think you need to get the theme set every time. When you open this book, always try to find out who's speaking. Try to find out who they or who he or she is speaking to. And then be very careful about what is said. Just don't read something into it. Just make sure you know exactly what is said. And as he sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples, just the disciples, came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? And what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the age that word should be? The word world is the old Greek word. It's rendered age very often. And so the Lord Jesus gives this great discourse that's found in Matthew 24. And I don't want to go over it all this evening. I'm just taking a portion out of it. Verse 21, Our Lord Jesus is talking to them and saying, For then, just at that psychological moment, get the little word then into perspective. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time. No, nor ever shall be. You see, he's marking out a period of time in this world's history. And it's going to bring such tribulation. Yes, I'm desolation, I'm destruction. Upon this whole planet of ours. And he assures us that there was never a time before like this. And when it's past, there will never be a time again. It's just a period. And I shall show you that it's a short period. You see, verse 22, And except those days should be shortened. How horrible they are. There should no flesh be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. And we're talking about the elect of that particular period, of course. But we'll get all that straightened up. It's just a period when there'll be great tribulation. Such as was never before in the history of this world. You see, some of the scholars say that Hitler's holocaust against the Jews was the great tribulation. And if that was so, then it's past and we'll never have anything like it again. Ha ha, they must be joking. I'm afraid you couldn't get me to believe that even if I wasn't a believer. My dear friends, they're preparing for something that's ten times worse just now. But you'll find this out, that not only did our Lord give this sign, this saying, this saying describes that period. There's nothing before like it, nothing afterwards like it. It's just a short period of time. In fact, I can tell you it will be three and a half years of this world's history. But we'll have to prove that, of course. I mustn't say anything I can't approve. Now that's the saying, and I want you to sort of get the hold of the saying. Nothing before like it, nothing afterwards like it. It'll be the worst period of tribulation and desolation that this poor old world of ours has ever seen. Now I want you to notice this in this discourse of our Lord Jesus. Down at verse 29 he said this, After the tribulation of those days, and I have a Bible, and the translation is, at the end of the tribulation of those days, of course immediately after must be the end, of course. Don't think we would argue about that. Just at the end of that particular period that we're thinking about, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven. Now that would rule out Hitler's holocaust immediately, because although it was a terrible time for six million Jews, when they were brutally murdered and thrown into gas chambers, and you know all the horrors of it, yet the sun was not darkened, and the moon didn't cease to give her light, and the stars didn't fall from heaven. You see, what I'm trying to do for the class, and I'm remembering that I have young believers here with me, there's just two things for you to get the hold of, and one is the saying of the Lord Jesus. There was nothing before like it, nothing afterwards like it, it's just a short period, and it's a short period of the worst tribulation this whole world of ours has ever seen. Now that's the saying. Now there's not only the saying, there's the sign. The sun, and the moon, and the stars. So we've got that worked out of this, and we're going to go on now. Now I want you to go with me to the book of Revelation, and we're at the sixth chapter. The book of the Revelation, chapter six. You see, I could waste a little bit of time here, by going through chapters one, and two, and three, because there we would see the seven churches, of Asia of course, literal churches, and we would see our Lord Jesus Christ in the midst of the churches. And I believe that's the period we're in today, that the Lord takes a look at every church, and he weighs all the work that goes on there, and he scrutinizes every bit of service, and the Lord is in the midst just watching what's going on. Now if we take chapters four and five, and we'll have to do that at some part of the message tonight, we will find that the Lord is in heaven. And what's more, we'll find all the saints are in heaven too, because we'll find this great multitude from every tongue, and kindred, and people, and nation, singing before the throne, and they're singing, Thou art worthy, for thou hast redeemed us, by thy blood, out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And when they talk about being redeemed, this must be all the redeemed from earth, from every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. And they're in heaven now. Now our Lord Jesus is in heaven, in chapters four and five. Now when we come to chapter six, we can see him in heaven, and see things that's going on. Now we're in chapter six, and John is watching the scene, and he says, I saw when the Lamb, that's our Lord Jesus, opened one of the seals. Can I explain these seals? He's just taken the book out of the hand of God, and it was sealed with seven seals, and I don't want to go into it all. I just want you to see him with the book, and he's opening one of the seals. And I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder. One of the four beasts saying, come and see. And I saw, and behold, a white horse. And he that sat on him had a bow, and the crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer. Now I want you to get the word conquering, and to conquer. Because if he's in heaven, watching the Lord before the throne, this episode must be taking place on earth. And he's watching this white horse, and the man that's sitting on it, and he's going forth to conquer. He's conquering. There's no war in heaven. Must be happening down there. Now who's this on the white horse? It couldn't be our Lord Jesus, because he happens to be up there with the book in his hand, opening the seals. If you take any commentary out of the library, you'll find that the greatest commentators in the world, they say this is the Lord Jesus. You see, he's on a white horse, and he's got a crown on his head, and he's going forth conquering, and to conquer. I can tell you that this is a delusion. You know, the Lord is going to send strong delusion to this earth one day. It's a terrible thing that our God would send delusion, but we'll get that just in a moment. And the man of sin is going to come, and he's going to pretend to be the Christ. And this is him. This is the Antichrist pretending. That's the beginning of the Great Tribulation. Are you following now, do you see? Verse 3, And when he had opened the second seal, that's the second seal in the book, I heard the second beast say, come and see. And there went out another horse that was red. That's a different color this time. And power was given to him that sat there on. Now I want you to get this bit very carefully. To take peace from the earth. Now watch this. And that they should kill one another. Do you know what killing one another is? It is not war. It is civil war. See this little province of ours. There are times when we're on the verge of civil war. There are so many people in this province fed up with these murderers, that someday there's something going to break loose. And God save us from it. But one day this whole world will have civil war. And that will be a terrible thing. That's the beginning of this tribulation. Now watch again. I want you to get this because I don't want you to miss this. Verse 5. Then he had opened the third seal. I heard the third beast say come and see. And I beheld and lo a black horse. That's different. White horse. That was delusion. The red horse. That was desolation. This is the black horse. And he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts saying a measure of wheat for a penny. Three measures of barley for a penny. You know starvation has come to this earth. Do you follow this? Do you see this antichrist deluding the people? Do you see what's following close this desolation, this civil war? See the starvation. I'll tell you if we get into civil war in every part of the world we can have nothing else but starvation following it. There would just be nothing else. Now watch again till you see. When he had opened the fourth seal. I heard the voice of the fourth beast say come and see. And I beheld a pale horse. Different one again. And his name that sat on him was death. And hell followed with him. Now watch this carefully. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword and with hunger and with death. Aren't you to get the fourth part? You know supposing we say that in Craighaven there are 40,000 people now. I'm just taking a figure at random. A figure that's easy for me to handle. What's the fourth part of 40,000? 10,000. I'll tell you this. If we had 10,000 dead in the morning I tell you I don't know what we would do. You know we are distressed when our policemen are shot. Sometimes one and two. Sometimes three. Sometimes four. The stress is us. What are you going to do when it's 10,000? I'll tell you the funeral men, the undertakers can't manage it. Because we're going to have 10,000 in the next district. 10,000 in the next. Right over this little province. How many? You believe where you're sitting tonight that it will happen. And you're beginning to see the great tribulation. Now I want you to see this. That there are seven seals in this book. I'm only looking at the four horsemen and I'm not going into all the details because the old cloth will beat me. Now go down to verse 12 and you'll see him opening the sixth seal. And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal. And lo there was a great earthquake and the sun, watch it now, became black as sackcloth of hair and the moon became as blood under stars of heaven. Is this the sign? I can tell you it's the sign. Is this the day? I can tell you it's the day. You see in our Lord Jesus Christ's day this great tribulation was still future. Then shall be great tribulation. In John's day which is AD 90 or maybe 93 or 96 it's still future. It's still future tonight. But it's not so very far future tonight. I want you to get that. I want you to see these horsemen quickly this delusion that will come to this world. This desolation that lies ahead. This starvation. This destruction. Now supposing we miss out a chapter and go to chapter 8. Have a look at that till you see how it works. Because we are moving from the 6th seal to the 7th seal. And I think that's fair enough, isn't it? Verse 1. And when he had opened the 7th seal there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And old Nicholson said there mustn't be a woman in heaven. You couldn't get them quiet for half an hour, could you? Yes. Oh, I think Nicholson was only having fun. But you know, I think it's bringing out something that all heaven stands to. Because there's something horrible going to happen on earth. So just think of it. Now watch it. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God and they were given seven trumpets. And I want you to see these seven angels at work. Verse 7. The first angel sounded. Sounding a trumpet in heaven, mind you. And their forehead hailed and fire mingled with blood and they were cast upon the earth. And there's more bluff about that bit. And the third part of trees was burnt up and all the green grass. That right now. Because you know, the third part of the trees. When I was in Canada up in New Brunswick they have got a big forest there. I think I'm right in saying that it runs for 200 miles. And I really thought it was something. There's a big new road made right through the forest. And they took me right through this whole road just to see the trees. It was autumn and the beautiful colours and the maples. Very wonderful. And I thought this is the most gigantic thing it must be in the world. But it's not, you know. Now the Amazon forest way over by the Amazon river there. There are more trees there than would cover the whole continent of Europe. That's covering the whole continent of Europe. And yet when you've covered the whole continent of Europe with trees it is only one third of the world's trees. And one day like that they'll be burned. You don't believe it, sure you don't. It's a great pity you don't. Because it is the truth of this book, you know. And all the green grass, what's going to happen when we burn a third of the trees and all the green grass? Look, go quickly again. Second angel sounded. Verse 8. And as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea. And the third part of the sea became blood and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea and had life died. The third part of the ships. I think you can follow this if I do it like this for you. You see in this terrible great tribulation that's going to come in those three and a half years you know a third part of everything on the earth and then a third part of everything around the earth. All the ships, all the fishes. It'll be a terrible moment, won't it? Look at it again, see verse 10. And the third angel sounded and there fell a great star from heaven burning as it were a lamp and it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of waters and the name of the star is called wormwood and the third part of the waters became wormwood and many men died because of the waters because they were made bitter. You see it's a third part of everything on the earth and a third part of everything around the earth and a third part of everything under the earth. And this immediately tells me it's atomic energy of some kind. Because when atomic energy is let loose the fallout goes on down into the streams and into the wells. It's coming I tell you. Yes, there's the great tribulation coming and there was never anything before like this. Go back as far as you like you'll find they didn't burn the trees. Go back as far as you like and you'll find that they didn't burn all the ships around the earth. Go back as far as you like and into history as close as you like and we have historians here tonight from Queens and not one of you can find the stars and the sun and the moon. Sure you can't. They haven't been touched up to now. Oh, but atomic energy will touch them. Watch this, see the verse 12. Fourth angel sounded and the third part of the sun was smitten and the third part of the moon and the third part of the star. Is it the same sign? I'm just asking you something. I didn't print the book. I'm only reading it. Oh, it's the same day. It's the sign our Lord Jesus gave us. It's the same day. That will do us, won't it, for sort of painting the picture of the great tribulation. Now, the question is, of course, will the church go through this tribulation? When we talk about the church we're not talking about the Baptist church or any other church of that sort of class or kind. We're talking about all the believers. See all the believers in here tonight from all denominations, bless you, thank you for coming. Will all the believers be on this planet when this takes place? Will the church pass through this tribulation? That's what we want to answer this evening. It took me a moment to set the stage. Let me give you the answers from the book. Come over to Ephesians, and we're at Ephesians, at the second chapter. Ephesians, chapter 2. And Paul's talking about the church of Jesus Christ, and he's saying to these Ephesian believers in chapter 2, verse 19, He says all the believers everywhere of all the ages, black and white and red and yellow, from everywhere and every age since Pentecost, they're all in what is called the church. Now, Paul begins to take this up in the next chapter. He says, for this cause, I, Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles. Now, he's going to say for this cause, he's wanting to say something, but he gets into a sideline here, and he goes on down this sideline, and all the preachers do the same at times. And then in verse 14, he comes back to it, for this cause. Just because all the believers are one in Christ, he says, for this cause, I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. Now, when somebody comes to me and says, will the church pass through the great tribulation? I just say that's impossible. Because you see, a great part of the church, in fact I would say three quarters of the church, is already at home in heaven. Oh, there's been a great lot of saints from Pentecost up to now, they're at home in heaven, they will certainly not pass through. So you can't talk about the church going through the tribulation, really. You see, the church that we are thinking about, all the believers here now and all over the world, we're only the last battalion down here. The rest of the army's at home. What would God put the last battalion through the tribulation for, would you like to come and tell me? The rest of them are at home. Paul could see this. Of whom the whole family in heaven and in earth is named. And I think that's a logical answer, but there are greater answers than that. Let's go to the book of Revelation, and we're at chapter three now. Book of the Revelation, and we're at the third chapter. Verse seven. And the Lord Jesus is talking to John on the Isle of Patmos, and this is what he's saying to him. Unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write. Of course, can I tell the young ones again, that the word angel there is an old Greek word which means messenger. He's not asking John to write a letter to a shining angel. Oh no, that won't do. No, there was a messenger in the church of Philadelphia who was responsible for the spiritual condition of the church. And John was being instructed to write to him. To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia write. These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. Our Lord Jesus is signing his name to the letter. He says to the church, I know thy works. Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it, for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not, but do lie. Behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of testation, the word is in the Greek. Yes, temptation is sometimes just being tested. And it's the hour of testation which shall come upon all the world. Now the Lord is making a verbal promise here, I will keep thee from. Don't you fellows that argue with me try to make it, I will keep thee in. He didn't say I will keep thee in. And he didn't say I will keep thee through. Don't you dare to change it. Happens to be he said I will keep thee from. You'll never be there at all. I want you to get that, that's the verbal answer. So you've got a logical answer and you've got a verbal answer. Now let's go on to one or two more answers. Second Thessalonians, and we're at the second chapter. Second Thessalonians, and we're at chapter two. Now Paul's writing to this young church at Thessalonica, and this is what he said in the second chapter, verse one. Now we beseech you. He's beseeching them. He puts the little word brethren in just to let you know he's beseeching the saints. Not talking to the world or the unsaved or anything. He's just saying we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, because he is going to come again, you know. And by our gathering together unto him. He's beseeching these young believers by two things. By the coming of Christ and by our gathering together unto him. And he's beseeching them that you be not soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither by spirit nor by word nor by letter as from us. Because somebody had sent a letter and had signed Paul's name at it and pretended it was from Paul. And they had told this young church that the day of the Lord is at hand. That word Christ is a translation. And in the old translations, it's the day of the Lord. And we'll see the difference in this just in a moment. But this was muddling this young church. And Paul said, look, I beseech you, don't be getting disturbed. Don't be soon shaken in mind or be troubled. Don't be troubled as if a letter came from us or didn't come from us. When these people say that the day of the Lord is at hand, will you please remember that before the day of the Lord comes, our Lord will come and we'll gather together unto him. And let me tell you, we will prove tonight to the hilt that this great tribulation period is in the day of the Lord. That's what we will prove. And the Lord will come before that and we will gather ourselves together unto him. That's a consolation, isn't it? You see that consolation, that translation, that's a translation, that's a translational answer, isn't it? I think you can see the logical answer, the church is really not here. I think you can see the verbal answer. He'd keep us from this day. I think you can see this translational answer. Now I want you to get something more. Let's go back to 1 Thessalonians. And we're at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. And of course this is the key to the whole thing, but we have to do it very carefully. Paul's writing to this young church in this first letter. And at verse 13 he said to them, we're at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13, but I would not have you to be ignorant. And please mark the commas. Because if you take the comma out you'll say ignorant brethren. And some of the brethren here will not be pleased with you. Now you know the story I told you about where it says in Philippians, finally, there's a comma there, finally brethren. And I was away and counted to Rome having meetings, and I stayed with an old brethren couple. Oh, they were good to me. And I used to read to them every night and expound something. And I came to these two words, finally, brethren. And the old fellow interrupted. He said, do you know what these words mean, Mr. Mullen? I said, well I'm always prepared to sit at the feet of a scholar. Would you like to tell me? He said, yes, I love these words, finally, brethren. He said, you see when I got saved I belonged to the Presbyterians. And I found they were no good. And I left them. And I joined the Baptists. And I was about to say amen whenever he said, then I found out they were no good. And I left them too. And I said, John, if you had asked me were there no good before you joined them, I would have told you there were no good. He said, then I joined the Pentecostals. And I found out they were no good either. And he said, finally, brethren. And I said, you're going to be in bother tomorrow evening when we read the next chapter because it says, farewell, brethren. You've got to be very careful with the commas. Please be careful with the commas. Now this is what Paul said, but I would not have you to be ignorant. And he puts the little word brethren in because he is writing to believers. He doesn't want believers to be ignorant about something. He says, I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep. You see, some of our loved ones have fallen asleep in Christ. I was away on the other side of Ballymena at Craig's Crossroads today, laying to rest the mortal remains of one of the greatest saints that Ulster ever had, an old lady called Mrs. Barclay. She was ninety-six the other day, just past the ninety-six mark, and then slept away in her sleep. It was one of these old-fashioned old ladies who wore buttoned boots and long skirt and an old knitted shawl, a very neat one around her shoulders and a bonnet on her head at all times. And I went away to have a mission with her thirty-five years ago, you know. And it was a mighty mission in the countryside. And her and I just got on so well together that she said, When I die, you'll come and bury me. And what a tribute it was. I think I would be right in saying there were a thousand people at her funeral. I've never seen a bigger one. And what's more, I think all the ministers in the country and the priests were there. I've never preached to as many people at a funeral in my life. The old dear, she had a testimony that brought glory to the Lord. One of the saints who had fallen asleep. Now this is what Paul is saying, we mustn't go too far with this. But I would not have you to be ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. See, we lay the immortal remains in your own grave today. But if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and let me tell you, if you don't believe he died and rose again, you're not saved at all. It's gone to church and getting sprinkled, or even baptized won't do. Must have your faith in the death of the cross, and that the Savior who died rose again to be our living Savior. We've got a living Savior, it's not just bricks and mortar we have. We've got a real Savior. And if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with them. And out of Jesus comes old Mrs. Barclay's body arise again. That's what I told the crowd today. This is not the end of her, you know. I preached about the time when she was without Christ. And then about the day when she was in Christ. And then about the year she lived for Christ. And today at this moment, as we put our remains in the grave, she's with Christ. Oh, but he'll come again, and bring this mortal body out, and she'll be like Christ. Oh yes, it's a very wonderful thing, you know. We're not without hope, you know, no matter what way you take it. Watch this now. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with them. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, and that's solid enough, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, and we're talking about we believers, remember. He was just writing to brethren up there. And if we're alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, and it can happen now, couldn't it? We shall not prevent them. That old word prevents, an old, old Greek word, which means we shall not go before them. We'll not get in the way, you know. I looked into the grave today, and saw that old coffin down there, and knew that that old body of that old saint was there. And I said, Lord Jesus, if you come now, she'll pass me by. She rise towards me now. I wouldn't be in the way. I wouldn't be far from her heels as we were going up, you know. This is what it says. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not go before them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ, and old Mrs. Barclay is one of them, shall rise first. Then, we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. The chapter shouldn't be in there, because the next word is but. It's a continuation. Now watch this. But of the times and the seasons. And he puts a comma in again, and he puts the word brethren in again, because he wants to talk to these believers about something that's different. But of the times and the seasons brethren, you have no need that I write unto you. You see the difference. You know they were ignorant about the Lord's coming to the air. Had to be taught that. Oh, but they didn't need to be taught about the times and the seasons. No need that I write unto you. He says, for yourselves know perfectly, and there's no ignorance about that, is there? That the day of the Lord, do you see where we are now? Won't you forget that now? Because we're not looking into the sky now, we're not looking at the rapture at all. Ah, that'll take place. Some of the saints didn't know about it, about the Lord coming and taking the saints up. Oh, but the day of the Lord, you know, these saints who read the Old Testament, they knew perfectly. We'll see that in a moment. He says, you know, it'll come like a thief in the night for this world. And when they say peace and safety, are you in trouble? Car blocking two cars down at Graftons. B.I.B. 8410, Hillman. Look at this. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Now please follow me here. He's talking to these brethren. You have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. Now watch this, he's changing it. For when they... Oh, he's away to another crowd now. When they shall say peace and safety. Because there's a crowd down on this world tonight and they're talking about peace and safety. And I've never known so much money to be given away to boys making peace and we never had a day of it yet. Not a day of it have we had. They're giving money all round, these peace prizes. When they shall say peace and safety. Watch this. Then, then, then, sudden destruction cometh upon them. That's what we were talking about. As trevail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. Oh, there's a company on this world with us tonight, you know. And if the Lord Jesus took us out now, they would never escape. They haven't the ghost of a chance. I want you to get that. Then he comes back to the believers. But ye, but ye, brethren, are not in darkness. That that day should overtake you is a thing that's got nothing to do with you. Ye are all the children of light and the children of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep as do others. Let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep, sleep in the night. But they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us who are of the day be sober. Putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet of hope of salvation. You know, we've got a hope of getting out of this. Professor Queen said to me not long ago. He said, don't worry, you'll never get out of this alive. Ha ha, I said, don't you let me know how ignorant you are. I make just you know. I'll tell you this, Professor. If the Lord Jesus came to the air now, I would get out, but you wouldn't. See you on, say it friends that's with us. Bless you for coming. If the Lord Jesus came now, see all these believers. We go through that roof. I don't know how you go through it, but you go through it. And you rise to meet the Lord in the air. And the boys that are left behind here, you're finished. You'd be damned. Now, watch this again very carefully. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and for an helmet the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath. That's it. They're not appointed to wrath. You see this thing is coming upon the earth. Well, we're going to see what it is in a moment. All this burning, all this upsetting. I'll tell you what it is. It's the wrath of God. We are not appointed on the wrath. Our Lord Jesus went to Calvary and he became the sacrifice to deliver us from the wrath to come. Oh, we can't go on to that. God can't punish him and then hit me. Not a bit of it. Now, friend, I think you can see this, can't you? Because that's a consolational answer. We're not appointed. Go to the first chapter of Thessalonians 3, you see. First chapter of Thessalonians. Paul reminds them of the time when he came preaching the gospel. It says in verse 5, For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power. That's the way Paul preached, in power. And then it says here, at verse 9, in the middle of the verse, How ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and through God. You know, when the gospel came, these people turned to God. Watch this. And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus. Now watch this bit. Which delivered us from the wrath to come. Is that right? Oh, yes, it's right. See this, it's coming upon this old earth of ours. See all this burning. We're not here. No, the church can't be here because three quarters of it's home. Our Lord Jesus has promised, I'll keep you from the day that's going to test the whole world. Now we'll gather ourselves together unto him. Listen friends, we are going out of this world before this takes place. Now I want you to get this bit. Let's go to the book of Revelation again, where we were at chapter 6, because I just missed a bit out because I wanted to. Revelation 6, and we saw the four horsemen at the beginning of the chapter. And then we saw this great sign, the sun and the moon and the stars, because that's the sign our Lord Jesus gave us. And it says at verse 12, And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, oh, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell onto the earth. Verse 14, And the heaven departed as a scroll when it was rolled together, and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. A hundred years ago when they were expounding this book, the greatest expositors in the world were afraid to say that mountains could be moved literally. Now we know they can. The scientist at Queens told me not long ago, we can drop a bomb on this island and put it off the map forever. This is only a small island. Islands will be moved out of their places. And I want you to see what's going to happen to folks when this is happening. See verse 15, And the kings of the earth, there is a nest of kings. Sometimes I wonder, will our lovely queen be there? Then she has no more loyal subject than your pastor, because I think she's a great queen. Not so taken in with her sister, of course. But she might be there if she's not said she will. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman and every free man hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, from the wrath of the Lamb for the great day of his wrath has come. Ah, I can find the kings, and the rich men, and the bondmen, and the free men, and all the rest, but I can't find the church. Sure I can't. I know they're not there. She's not there. I can find that. I'll tell you what more I can find. Come away back with me into the Old Testament, and I mustn't just get into this too much, because we can get lost here. Come to Ezekiel for a moment, and we're at the 32nd chapter of Ezekiel. Remember when we were taking extracts out of Ezekiel. Now read this, and don't let me comment on it at all, do you see? Ezekiel 32, verse 1, Came to pass on the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in the first day of the month, that the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, take up a lamentation for Pharaoh, king of Egypt, wants you to watch Egypt tonight. Sadat thinks that everything's going well in the garden just now. And say unto him, Thou art like a young lion of the nations, and thou art as a whale in the seas, and thou camest forth with thy rivers, and troublest the waters with thy feet, and foulest the rivers. Thus says the Lord God, I will therefore spread out my net over thee with the company of many people. There's a cloud coming against this land. And they shall bring thee up in my net, and I will leave thee upon the land, and I will cast thee forth upon the open field, and will cause all the fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee, and I will fill the beasts of the whole earth with thee. And I will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height. And the word of God before me says, Fill the valleys with thy soldiers. And I will also water with thy blood the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the mountains, and the rivers shall be full of thee. And when I shall put thee out, and the translation before me says, When I shall blot thee out, I will cover the heaven, make the stars thereof dark, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light. Is it the same sign I'm telling you? Don't tell me there are two or three days like this, because you can't tell me that. Because the Lord Jesus says there's only one day like that. I'll tell you it's just along a little bit there. And the kings of the earth and the great men, I can find them for you. I can find Egypt. I can find Israel, if you like. They'll be there too. But you'll search for a long time before you find the church. The church was never appointed unto wrath. Not on your life. One, two, three. Have a look at the book of Joel, just for a moment. Hosea, Hosea, Joel. Just until you see how it fits in. And you can go on after that with all the Old Testament scriptures. And they'll show you this day of wrath. It's right there. Not only in Isaiah, but in Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and so on. This is Joel. Just watch it now. Have a look at the second chapter. Blow ye the trumpet in Zion. Sound an alarm in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of The Land. And it should be capital T and capital L. It's talking about Palestine. Because it's a Jewish prophet, you know. Who do you think he was talking to? For the day of the Lord cometh. That's not the rapture. Because the boys were ignorant about the rapture. But they knew everything about the day of the Lord. Because this is where they had learned it in these scriptures. A day of darkness and of gloominess. A day of clouds and of thick darkness. As the morning spread upon the mountains. The great people and the strong. Watch this. There hath not been ever the like. Neither shall be any more after it. It's the same saying. I don't know how you miss it. It's the same saying. And you know, this day is going to be so terrible. It says, verse 10. The earth shall quake before them. The heavens shall tremble. The sun and the moon shall be dark. And the stars shall withdraw their shining. Shining, is it the same sign? Oh yes, Israel will be there. I can find Israel. Go back to the book of Revelation just for a moment. I want you to get this properly. Go back to those chapters 5 and 6. 4 and 5 rather. Don't think we need to touch 4. You'll find the Lamb is in heaven. And you'll find in chapter 5, that the Lamb is before the throne. See verse 6. And I beheld, and lo in the midst of the throne, and the four beasts, and the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them hearts and golden vials full of orders, which are the prayers of the saints. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain. Now watch this little bit. And hast redeemed us, the boys that are singing, to God by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. You see the whole church in heaven, do you? Well that's long before chapter 6. Chapter 6 comes after that, doesn't it? Surely he's only taken the book. The book's not opened at all yet. No, we'll be in heaven when he opens the book. The answer is quite clear. That's a pictorial answer, isn't it? A positional answer. I think you've got all these answers. There's a logical one. It's impossible. There's a verbal one. There's a translational one. There's a consolational one. You can work them out. I've worked them out for you. I think that's good enough. We'll not sing any more. Let's bow together before the Lord. Lord, we come to thy footstool. We come to thank thee for coming to this earth and dying for us. We thank thee, Lord, that the day we had the gospel in power, we turned to God from idols. And tonight we're waiting, waiting for thee to come from heaven to deliver us from the wrath to come. Lord, we thank thee that the book declares we are not appointed unto wrath. We're appointed unto salvation in all its perfect fullness by thy coming again. Lord, if there's somebody here and they're not saved and they can see clearly that thou wilt come one of these moments, Lord, help them to flee tonight from the wrath to come. Part us now in thy fear and with thy blessing. Take us to our homes in safety. Bless our little province for thy name's sake. Amen.