Aeron Morgan emphasizes the significance of Daniel's prophecy regarding the 70 weeks, highlighting God's plan for Israel and the ultimate restoration of righteousness. He discusses Daniel's earnest prayer for his people and God's response through the angel Gabriel, revealing the timeline leading to the coming of the Messiah and the eventual rise of the Antichrist. Morgan reassures believers of God's sovereignty and faithfulness, urging them to remain steadfast in faith and holiness as they await Christ's return. He stresses the importance of being prepared for the imminent second coming of Jesus, encouraging the congregation to live righteously and support one another in faith.

The book of Daniel, chapter 9. As we continue in this series of messages concerning end-time events, let me read from verse 19. Daniel, chapter 9, from verse 19. O Lord, hear, prays Daniel. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, hearken and do, defer not for thine own sake. O my God, for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. And whilst I was speaking and praying and confessing my sin and the sins of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, yea, whilst I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation, and he informed me and talked with me and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth that I am come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins and make reconciliation for iniquity and to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the commandment to restore, to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah, the Prince, shall be seven weeks and three score and two weeks. The street shall be built again and the wall even in troublesome times. And after three score and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself. And the people of the Prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, and the end thereof shall be with a flood. And unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. In the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and to the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. Amen. I want to continue this morning looking into this chapter to come specifically to this latter part where we have such a significant prophecy concerning the 70 weeks that it says in verse 24, are determined upon thy people, God's people Israel, and the holy city, that is Jerusalem. And last week you might recall that I felt the Lord wanted to speak to us through the first part of the chapter, Daniel's intercessory prayer. And what we were concerned with was one, his consideration of prophecy, namely that specific word coming through Jeremiah and which came to pass just as God had spoken in the 70 years of captivity of God's people in Babylon. But secondly, we noted Daniel's confession of sin, which is with such sincerity, it's the cry of the burdened prophet, the one intensely longing for God to mercifully intervene, so that above all else the name, the name of the Most High might be honored. It is an incredible prayer, the end of which you will notice in verse 21, the man Gabriel whom I had seen the vision at the beginning, and if you turn to chapter 8 and from 17 we read there of this one who had the appearance of a man coming, which was called Gabriel. And it says the man Gabriel whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening sacrifice. Let me just pause there for a moment because I cannot overlook the detail. It was the time of the evening sacrifice. In Jerusalem yonder there was no sacrifice because the altar had been desolate for some 68 years. This people had been in Babylon. But Daniel, exiled though he was in pagan Babylon, by faith always kept that time of devotion, seeking the Lord. And as you will be acquainted, I'm sure, with something of Daniel's story, there he was with the windows of his room opened to the city of God, and he sought the Lord. And friends, wherever there is a heart that's disposed toward God, in simple faith, there is God to answer. Hallelujah. It may not be always what we desire, because we will note in a moment that what Daniel saw caused him to faint and he was sick many days. But God knows what we need to know. And in respect of his dealings with our lives, he knows best. And with regards to prayer and that we make known to him, God knows just how he should answer, and in that we must rest. So this morning, friends, get him, get God in focus. I am glad that he has not, and thank God he never, never, never will abandon us. Don't let us give the devil any joy whatsoever that God has forsaken us in our situation. Let us never find ourselves with our guard down and the enemy infiltrating with doubts about the faithfulness of God. He's there all the time. Hallelujah. And there he was with Daniel, even down there in Babylon. And so there is this confession of sin in this incredible prayer. But then we have, thirdly, God's communication of purpose. And this is what this latter part of the chapter sets before us. Here is what I might call light for the lost days. Will you note back there in chapter 8 from verse 15, Daniel seeks to understand this vision that God has given to him. And it's most interesting to note that in terms of chronology, that is, the sequence of events in this book, chapter 8 should be before chapter 5. How do we know? Well, you see, in chapter 5, we have Belshazzar throwing that great banquet, which is suddenly interrupted by God Almighty. And God speaks solemnly by His finger writing upon the wall that was over against the lampstand, that which had been taken from the temple and had been placed in that hall of festivity and of sin. It was desecrated. But over against the lampstand, God writes His judgment upon Babylon. That Babylon was doomed. And that very night, friends, Belshazzar himself would die and the kingdom overtaken by another power. Now, God had already shown Daniel so that when he was summoned into the flamboyant but and now frightened king, Daniel already knew what was going to take place. It's the opening verse of chapter 8 that indicates this particular sequence of events. And so Daniel makes known the judgment of God upon both Belshazzar himself as well as Babylon. Now, I don't think Belshazzar really believed it would be fulfilled to the letter. Relieved as he seemed to be that at least the mystical message had been interpreted. Because the king commanded that Daniel be honored. Listen to it in chapter 5 and verse 29. Then commanded Belshazzar and they clothed Daniel with scarlet and put a chain of gold about his neck and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. Belshazzar thought it was still going to go on. But God had spoken. What we might say, friends, is that at least when Darius took over, Daniel was the foremost president in the whole of the kingdom. But for Belshazzar, there were no more honors after that night. For just as God had spoken, it says that night the king died. When we consider these things, surely we know that we are dealing with a sovereign God. One who is absolutely sovereign. He raises up the rulers and he puts them down. God is in control. And this is where it all comes into our present theme of end time events. For in chapter 8, God said, listen, Gabriel, make Daniel to understand the vision. And what did God say? Verse 17. This is in chapter 8. Understand, O man, for the fulfillment of the vision belongs to events that shall occur in the time of the end. Then in verse 19. Behold, I will make you know what shall be in the latter time of the indignation that is of God upon the ungodly. For it has to do with the time of the end. Again, please, in verse 23. And in the latter time of their kingdom, I want you to mark these words, in the latter time of their kingdom, when the transgressors are come to the full, a king of fierce countenance and understanding dark sentences shall stand up. And then down to verse 26. The vision of the evenings and the mornings which is told is true, but seal up the vision. For it has to do with and belongs to the now distant future. The truth is that with the visions that Daniel had received, there was a measure of fulfillment of those things. Shortly afterwards, when there was a wretched and godless character by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes, he arose. And what fearful, frightful things he did. Awful things to both God's people and to the temple. But as Gabriel goes on to explain things, he uses, you'll notice, this certain expression. For at the time of the end, the revelation that God is giving to Daniel, had only a partial fulfillment in Antiochus Epiphanes. Many prophecies are like this. There seems to be a double fulfillment. That which is almost immediate, and then that which is yet to come. And so it is here. For the ultimate and the fullest outcome of this incredible vision, which causes Daniel, as we have intimated, to faint and become so sick for many days. The ultimate outcome was for a future day, when even a worse and more character would arise, known as the Antichrist. And what a sinister figure he is. This is the one that is spoken of in verse 27. He shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. We will make reference to that. But I feel that perhaps next Sunday morning, I will deal with the coming Antichrist particularly. This wretched ruler, this king of fierce countenance who rises. The last blot upon the pages of human history. And one who is going to be instrumental, an instrument in the hands of Satan, in a final attempt to liquidate God's ancient covenant people. A final attempt. He's tried many times and failed. And he is still going to fail. I was listening to the radio this week, because we've all been deeply moved by the events of that man who went berserk and massacred so many people. And all the political implications and all the trouble that has aroused. But one of the radio commentators was speaking to a friend of the man, of this man Goldstein, a friend of his in New York. And he said how meek and how sweet a man he was. But he said he knew within his own heart or he felt within his own heart, that there would never be any change of heart by the Arabs towards Israel. And that their ultimate goal was to drive them out of the land and into the sea and liquidate them. And of course, that is friends what is going to be the attempt. And we will look perhaps at that a little more next Sunday morning, when we talk about the Antichrist in particular. But keep your ears open and your eyes too, if there's anything that comes on our newscasts. It's all happening, the climax of the ages is about to be witnessed. Christ is coming and he is coming very soon. Now friends, the reason for me taking you back to Daniel's prophecy, is to show you that what we're coming to in chapter 9, is for these last days. Indeed, it might be more correct to speak of our times as being the last of the last days. Because you see, the expression the last days is used in the scriptures in a very broad sense. And it refers to the period from the time of Christ's first coming, to the time of his second coming. For instance, Hebrews 1 verse 1. God would send me times in divers manners, spoken to the fathers by the prophets. But half in these last days, spoken unto us in or by his son. So when Christ came into the world, it was the beginning of the last days. Now listen friends, 1 Peter 1 20, speaking of Christ who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. What about 1 John 2 18, little children says John, this is the last time. And as you heard that the antichrist shall come, even now there are many antichrists, whereby we know that it is the last time. So that may possibly surprise a few folk, that when we talk about the last days, it's not just these moments just prior to his second coming, but it commences with his first coming. And I think that ties up very beautifully with this final week that this chapter talks about. And yet there are so many scriptures that carry us forward to a distinctive period, which are the last days, in the sense of them being immediately preceding Christ's second advent. And thus does Daniel give us light on these last days, these last days in which now we are living. That which God has determined to do in consummating all things, all things to do with the church, described by the apostle Paul as the Israel of God. All things to do with the nation of Israel, spoken of as the Israel after the flesh. And also those purposes that God will consummate in relation to the nations of this world. Now in opening this up last week, we just saw the touch that Daniel received. But now we are dealing with the truth that Jehovah revealed. Notice in verses 23 and 24. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to show thee, for thou art greatly beloved. Therefore understand the matter and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness and to seal up the vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy. Will you note that? Seventy weeks, not seventy years, but better referred to as seventy sevens. And without going into detail friends on some technical matter perhaps, it marks out a period of seventy sevens of years. Quick calculation, do not have to be a scholar, 490 years. And so God takes Daniel forward beyond the immediate work that he would accomplish bringing his people out from Babylon and also the rebuilding of the holy city. He shows Daniel the great consummation of his purpose that concerns Israel's final restoration. Daniel had been confessing the sins and the continual unfaithfulness of his own people. But God now points him forward to a time when sin would be sealed up. No longer would God's people go astray. Oh it's a greater glory than the fulfillment of the seventy years prophecy in Babylon and coming out from it. After 490 years, the period determined upon the Jews and Jerusalem, Israel would know her greatest jubilee. The final release and recovery and restoration as the people in whom God has great purposes to fulfill. Now what I want you to notice this, notice this, that when we talk about years in the Bible, prophetic years or biblical years, it's not a year of 365 days or a leap year where we got 366. But it's a year of 360 days and that needs to be borne in mind because of the incredible prophecy we have here. So we're going to look at two things today. One, what God says he will do. What God says he will do. And here is a six-fold revelation that applies to Israel and Jerusalem. And this friends is something that has not been realized as yet. That is why I cannot accept either the kingdom now teaching a realized eschatology or accept a an amillennial position. Because I believe that these chapters and these visions and these prophecies themselves just show us that those ideas cannot be true. Now you'll observe that there are six things mentioned here and there are two groups of three. The first three statements you will notice they are statements of intent concerning the removal of sin. Whilst the second three relate to the restoration of righteousness. Now this, keep in mind this has to do with the Jews and Jerusalem. And this friends is rather remarkable. It has to do with the removal of sin and the restoration of righteousness because really this was the burden of Daniel's incredible prayer. If you read his prayer very carefully it's all about Israel's sin and his longing to know God's dealing in mercy and grace and the restoration of righteousness and God's honor to be preserved. He says for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. And so God gives an answer here of what he is going to do. Let's look at these things. First he says to finish or to shut up the transgressions. It's the Jewish transgression. You notice in verse 11. Yea all Israel have transgressed thy law even by departing that they might not obey thy voice. Therefore the curse is poured upon us and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God because we have sinned against him. Now such rebellion and revolt was not only against God's law but against God's son. John tells us in his gospel chapter 1 and verse 11. He the word who became flesh and dwelt among us. He came unto his own and his own people received him not. So then this divine intention intention pertains to the bringing in of national obedience to finish or to shut up the transgressions. Listen friends this morning after the 70th week there will be no more rebelliousness. After the 70th week after the fulfilling of this vision this prophecy. Well has that happened up to now? No it has never been so since this word was spoken. It's something that's yet to come and because we have seen that Christ will return very soon friends that day is not far away. There will be a national obedience. Genesis 49 and verse 10. The scepter shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until Shiloh come and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be. That day friends is going to dawn but you will notice we have no opportunity to elaborate here. It's during the 70th week that something like 144,000 witnesses not Jehovah's witnesses. No they are Jews. They are from the 12 tribes. There's 12,000 from each tribe. 144,000 Jews evangelizing the world. Hallelujah. To finish or to shut up the transgression there is going to be brought in this national obedience. Not at the moment it's coming soon. The second thing to make an end of or seal up sins and again this refers to Israel for there will be the bringing in of complete and final restraint. I was meditating and a couple of the scriptures just leapt off the page again to me. For instance in Ezekiel 37 verses 22 and 23. Listen I will make them one nation. Let me just pause a moment. We talked about the Jehovah's witnesses who've got their ideas of the 144,000. The Mormons have got their idea about the two sticks. The two sticks is the Bible and the book of Mormon. How crazy can you be? It's so clear here. The two sticks that division that came in the time of Jeroboam, Rehoboam but here it says there's a day coming when they will be one. I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountain of Israel and one king shall be king to them all and they shall no more be two nations. Neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. Neither shall they defile themselves. Listen here it is. Neither shall they defile themselves anymore with their idols nor with their detestable things nor with any of their transgressions but I will save them out of their dwelling places wherein they have sinned and will cleanse them. So shall they be my people and I will be their God. Turn over please to Zechariah the last but one book in the Old Testament chapter 12 and verse 10 and I will pour upon the house of David and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and of supplication and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. Who's that? Jesus. They shall look upon me whom they have pierced and they shall mourn for him as one mourneth for his only son and they shall be in bitterness for him as one that is in bitterness for the firstborn. I like the 13th chapter as it opens up. In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and uncleanness. It shall come to pass in that day said the Lord of hosts I'll cut off the names of the idols out of the land and they shall no more be remembered and I will cause the prophets that's the false prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. He is going to seal it all up. Hallelujah. And I tell you friends the ultimate of this is not just the people who've been brought back to national obedience but the devil the instigator of evil. He will be bound by one angel and cast into the abyss where for a thousand years he will be there. Hallelujah. There is one who is sovereign this morning and he will seal it all up. Praise his holy name. One thing further here on this matter of the removal of sin. To finish or shut up the transgressions to make an end of or seal up sins to make reconciliation for iniquity. Turn now to Jeremiah's prophecy. Jeremiah chapter 50 and verse 20. In those days and in that time and it's interesting that in the original text friends it's the definite article is in there. It's in the the the specific time. Saith the Lord the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for and there shall be none and the sins of Judah and they shall not be found for I will pardon them whom I reserve. What an astounding prophecy. Oh friends the day is going to dawn soon after that period of fearful and frightful trouble. The day is going to dawn when Israel will believe on him whom they have rejected and crucified in his first advent. No longer perverse and wayward and unbelieving. Remember that's that's precisely what Daniel had been praying about and can that be so? Can that nation be brought to such a place especially in this day where we see the increase of moral evil everywhere and godlessness abounding. Well let me turn you to Romans please chapter 10 and verse 1. Brethren my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may might be saved. Over to chapter 11 verses 1 and 2. I say then hath God cast away his people God forbid for I also am an Israelite of the seed of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he has foreknew. Then down to verse 25 for I would not brethren that you should be ignorant of this mystery lest you should be wise in your own conceits that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles become in. Earlier verses are very clear as to the times of the Gentiles showing this to mean the completion of God's purposes for the church and after that what verse 26 and so all Israel shall be saved as it is written there shall come out of Zion the deliverer and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. Who is that deliverer? That deliverer friends is Jesus and Israel is going to repent. He goes on to say for this verse 27 for this is my covenant unto them when I shall take away their sins as concerning the gospel they are enemies for your sakes but as touching the election they are beloved for the father's sakes for the gifts and calling of God are without repentance. May I just pause a moment there have been a lot of people using that text concerning servants of God who have lived in sin and yet they have seen apparently many marvelous things through their ministry and say well you see the gifts and callings of God are without repentance. Friends that's got nothing to do with it. The gifts and callings of God without repentance here has to do with Israel. Keep in his context back there in Zechariah 12. Zechariah 12 and verse 10 I will pour upon the house of David upon the inhabitants to use them the spirit of grace and of supplications and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced. Mark it well friends there'll be no further atoning work made by Jesus. What he did at the cross of Calvary 2,000 years ago and we have commemorated this morning with joy and with gratitude of heart that work was complete for the sins of Israel and of the whole world. That one glorious sacrifice by Christ the basis then for that reconciliation is the same basis for your reconciliation and mine means the Jews will have to come in the same way as you and I come. It's to the father through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins according to the scriptures there is no other way. If you are not a Christian this morning friend the only way in your sinful past dealt with and to know peace with God is coming to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and trusting him totally for your salvation. Let me move very quickly here because our time is slipping away. The other three things that have to do with the the restoration of righteousness these 70 years these 77 rather the 490 years are determined upon the Jews and upon Jerusalem to bring in everlasting righteousness and this is something that one must not overlook. Before light can prevail then wrong must be subdued. Why is there no peace in our world today? It's because of sin but that day will come friends when the great adversary the tempter as we have said will be chained in the abyss. When also the man of sin the antichrist will have been consumed and spiritual restoration will be seen in Israel and what a day that will be. I haven't the time but just to mention Jeremiah 31 verses 33 to 40 bear upon this. With the personal advent of the righteous one Christ himself then his great and universal kingdom of righteousness and peace will be established on the earth. His throne will be in Jerusalem and from Jerusalem he will govern the nations. Hallelujah. And then to seal up the vision and prophecy this means that when Christ comes back to the earth and stands again on Olivet in his glory then and only then the entire subject of prophecy and a vision will realize its total fulfillment. What God has already spoken through his prophets and apostles recorded for us in this infallible word the bible. This will be authenticated it will be vindicated by its fulfillment. It will then it will be then at that time that Paul spoke of in 1 corinthians 39 he says for we know in part and we prophesy in part but when that which is perfect is come then that which is in part shall be done away for now we see through a glass darkly but then face to face now I know in part but but then shall I know even as also I am known. A sealing up of the vision and prophecy bring it all to its finality and the last thing is mentioned here is to anoint the most holy. Now this has to do with the temple and the innermost shrine the holy of holies in that millennial temple that Ezekiel foretold would be erected. You can read of that in Ezekiel 41 and 42 and on beyond that. There's going to be not only a reconstruction there's going to be a re-consecration and hear me friends Jesus will himself be there. Daniel 8 verses 13 and 14 the question is asked by Daniel how long is it to be before the vision finds fulfillment and then we have the mention of three and a half years during which the antichrist will desecrate the temple. He'll stop the worship of Jehovah and erect his own image this abomination of desolation as he demands recognition as God. Well God says after those three and a half years then shall these sanctuary be cleansed. Oh the prophecy of Haggai chapter 2 and verse 9 that will then come to pass when the glory of this latter house shall be greater than the than of the former and in this place is God will I give peace hallelujah oh there's no ark of the covenant there the throne of Jesus will be there hallelujah you see in that tabernacle and temple of old when they came with the blood and sprinkled upon the mercy seat above the ark of the covenant there God manifested his shekinah glory his presence was manifested in that form shekinah glory but I tell you friends when Christ comes back oh the glory of God will be seen in the face of Jesus himself his throne will be there hallelujah but when when when is it going to take place well if we have seen what God says he will do let's just notice briefly when God says he will perform it chapter 9 verse 25 of Daniel from the going forth of the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem and so we know the precise date of its commencement the commandment to restore and build Jerusalem now there's a number of decrees that have to do with a temple found in Ezra and Nehemiah but there's one that has to do with the temple that has to do with Jerusalem rather Nehemiah chapter 2 and verse 5 and 8 when Nehemiah was asked by the king well what is it you want me to do for you he says listen please send me back I just want to get on with with doing a recon a rebuilding job and so this is the particular decree that refers to the building and the restoration of Jerusalem itself and so looking at verse 1 of that book of Nehemiah chapter 2 of Nehemiah we have the exact date of this decree in the month Nisan in the 20th year of the king do you know friends that this is one of the best known dates in history even the Encyclopedia Britannica sets the date in our calendar when that decree came forth for Nehemiah to go ahead March the 14th 445 BC from that day says the prophecy to Daniel or through Daniel from that date unto Messiah the prince shall be 69 weeks that's 483 years coincidence no divine ordination because friends on that very specific day the 10th of Nisan in the Jewish calendar that day was when Zechariah 9 and verse 9 was literally fulfilled when Jesus rode triumphantly into Jerusalem Messiah the prince would come and you can read of this in Luke chapter 19 verse 28 to 44 oh this is so fantastic the accuracy of the word that God gives through Daniel but there's a vital point to be noted here for Daniel is not only given the sequence but even the significance of this specific prophecy in this further word after that is those weeks shall Messiah be cut off and was he not he was cut off cut down in the midst of life the victim of unbelieving hatred and callous rejection but there's even more here but not for himself could anything be plainer than that friends is not this the reference to Calvary that great atoning work of Jesus when he died for Israel's sin and for the sins of the whole world which means then there's seven years to go what about that final week that final seven year period this has to do with the end time for we have not seen sin finished we have not seen everlasting righteousness brought in neither have we seen this other prince arising against Jerusalem one will be the cause of of many sorrows he's referred to as the prince that shall come evidently distinguished from Messiah the prince that's why it was a remarkable question that was asked by the disciples when Jesus had risen from the dead and for 40 days he was with them teaching them concerning the kingdom of God and they must have had some understanding for they said will thou not restore again the kingdom to Israel aren't you now going to set it up and I wonder perhaps even if in their minds there might have been the thought of what Jesus had promised that when the Son of Man should come in his glory he said you shall sit upon the 12 tribes on the 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel and maybe their thought was well praise God he'll set up the kingdom now we are ready for it and we'll have positions of authority and the Lord says it's not for you to know the times or the seasons that's in the Father's power but you shall receive power you shall receive authority not to rule but to serve for you shall be witnesses unto me in Jerusalem Judea Samaria the outermost parts of the earth and it seems as though friends at that point of time there was a staying of this prophetic clock and so we have these times when God through his Holy Spirit is bringing together a people the church whom Christ loved and bled and died for and it's not until those purposes are fulfilled that that seven-year period will then continue because it's got nothing to do with the church it's got to do with Israel the last week the seven years of this prophecy is to do with Israel so when the church is raptured then the prophetic clock that measures out the times fixed by God's will will begin to tick again and the 77s will find complete fulfillment I'll tell you about those years next week for seven years as I share specifically about the coming man of sin all I want to say just as I conclude this morning friends is is this everything to me more and more points to the nearness of the coming of Jesus for the church if what we see is the stage being set for the last act in the drama of human history then the coming of Jesus for his church is very very very very near I have said it again and again and I believe we have the Bible to substantiate it he can come at any time at any time what then should this be an effect upon us well first of all friends there should be faith in God's word because 1 2 Peter 1 19 tells us that these marvelous fulfillments of prophecy spoken by holy men who are moved by the Holy Ghost shows us we are not believing some myth it's not some fable it's not some humanly devised idea we have the word of God and you can trust it you can trust it there must be faith in God's word there must be the following in God's ways and they are ways of holiness seeing these things shall be dissolved Peter says in 2 Peter 3 3 11 what manner of persons ought we to be in all manner of holy behavior we know that Jesus is coming there's no time for gossip there's no time for for broken relationships there's no time friends for bitterness and hardness of heart there's no time for playing around at religion it's time for us to get ourselves right with God and right with one another and say God by your grace I'm going to press through and do your will and be ready for the coming of Jesus hallelujah following in God's ways faithfulness also in God's family Hebrews 10 24 and 25 because this day is fast approaching it says listen don't forget don't forsake the assembling of yourselves together as the manner of some is we might come together to encourage to exhort to strengthen one another we need one another friends faithfulness in God's family and further in God's work 2 Peter 3 15 and also from the Gospels where Jesus talks about occupying until he comes Jesus is coming Jesus is coming let's stand in his presence shall we and worship him hallelujah I felt I would like to sing a song as we conclude this morning my heart and voice I raise to sing Messiah's praise we'll sing just a few of these verses oh what a great message in this song and this morning if God has spoken to you even once we're singing this morning if you feel your need of getting right with God then do come friends this altar is open for you this one to come and seek the Lord and as you seek him you shall find him is anybody here's not a Christian today I tell you don't miss out come to know Jesus as your savior he is waiting for you he'll forgive your sins and bring you to God in marvelous reconciliation and peace if you need prayer this morning you can come as we sing this great hymn of faith