In this sermon, the speaker begins by enthusiastically describing a recent church service that was filled with powerful music and worship, leading to many people accepting Jesus. However, their excitement is interrupted when they watch a news report about Pope John Paul opening a holy door in Rome. The speaker then transitions to discussing the second coming of Christ, comparing it to his first coming. They reference Matthew 24:1-2, where Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple, and explain that the disciples asked about the timing and signs of his second coming. The speaker emphasizes the importance of preaching about Christ's return and warns against false teachings, specifically mentioning a news report that claimed forgiveness of sins could be obtained by passing through a door. They assert that forgiveness of sins is through Jesus Christ alone, not through any physical act.

Why don't you grab your Bibles this morning and turn with me in the Scriptures, if you would, to Matthew chapter 24, Matthew chapter 24, and this morning we are continuing on in our series, this is part 15 by the way, we've got one more left, that's next week, we'll be done, but part 15 of our series, The Life and Times of Jesus Christ, and this morning we're looking at Christ and the Second Coming, Christ and the Second Coming, and our theme verse, as you can see, is Colossians chapter 2 verse 9, very, very important verse, a verse that all of you now have memorized at Calvary Chapel, haven't you? You're not sick of seeing the verse, you're not tired of seeing the verse, because we would never want to be or sense or feel that way of the Bible whatsoever, but the fact of the matter is that this is a verse that we have been in for the last 15 weeks together, and listen to it, and look at it closely, it says, For in Christ, that's Jesus, whose birthday we just celebrated yesterday, this Jesus, all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form. The Bible makes it very clear that yesterday's celebration of Christmas is in fact the very first coming of God to this earth in a physical form, and that is there being born in Bethlehem, brought into the world, God come in human flesh. Now all of you who are note takers, at the top of your page where it says title, you know you got your little notebooks there pre-printed in front of you, where it says title, you can write down there Christ and the second coming, and this is regarding the end time events of our age, it's called eschatology in Bible science, very, very big word, which simply means that God tells the future in advance, it's history in advance. His story, he tells in advance the meaning of it, or the definition of it, I say, is eschatology or prophecy. This is the area of the Bible, and this is the discrepancy of the cult. They can mimic a lot of things, cults can. They can mimic healings, they can mimic miracles, they can do a lot of things, but what they cannot do is correctly foretell the future. The Bible does it perfectly, and it's by understanding prophecy that you will be able to discern what is right and what is wrong when it comes into your ears. I don't know why, I do not know why, but there are a lot of Christians who shy away from the topics that we've just began to cover these last couple weeks in this closing part of the series. We looked at the rapture of the church, then last week we looked at the tribulation period, and this morning Christ and his second coming, and then next week we'll end up with a great chronological timeline, and we'll use that to usher us into the understanding of the millennial reign of Jesus Christ and when that will take place. Is it next week? We'll tell you next Sunday. Very, very important period of time in which you and I live in. Let's go to the scripture and look this morning, shall we, concerning Christ and his second coming. The first thing that we want to notice this morning is that it's compared to his first coming. The second coming must be compared to his first coming. How so? Matthew chapter 24 beginning at verse 1. Then Jesus, it says, went out and departed from the temple, and his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, Do you not see all of these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down. Now as he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, Listen, there's three things they ask. Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming? And number three, and the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name saying, I am the Christ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you're not troubled, for all these things must come to pass. But the end is not yet. For nation, listen, ethnos will rise against ethnos. That's ethnic groups will rise against ethnic groups. And political realms will rise against political realms. There will be famines, pestilence, earthquakes, and diverse places. And these are all the beginning of sorrows. Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. And you will be hated by all ethnos, nations, for my name's sake. And then many will be offended and will betray one another and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will arise and deceive many. And because of lawlessness abounding, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all of the world as a witness to the nations. And then the end will come. Therefore, listen, here's a key. When you see the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand. That means you had better read. This is so cool. Jesus here is saying, you had better read the book of Daniel. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on his housetop come down and take nothing out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse babies in those days. And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as not been since the beginning of the world, nor until this time, nor ever shall be. And unless those days are shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Jesus is talking about the events and his coming. We saw last week the horrific predictions of the great tribulation period. We saw that the first three and a half years of a, listen, seven-year contract or peace accord, peace agreement. We saw that the one that we've labeled or the Bible calls and we call the Antichrist will be on the global scene and he will deal with the nation Israel, says the Bible. And he will speak peace to the nation Israel. He will somehow orchestrate a seven-year, the Bible says, contract of peace. And when he signs and when they sign the seven-year peace treaty, the tribulation begins. Remember this Bible students, what starts the tribulation period? Not an earthquake, not some sign in the heavens. The fact of the matter is that the tribulation period begins with the signing of a peace treaty. And the first three and a half years of that seven-year period of time will be a time of great deception through, do you remember, two key things, prosperity and what? Peace. The Antichrist, the imitator, if I can put it that way, of Christ will be one who offers peace and prosperity. Well, after that, at the close, the latter three and a half years of the tribulation period, the Bible teaches us that Jesus Christ will return. If you were here last week, we showed you in the closing moments of the message, the Valley of Har-Magedon, the Valley of Megiddo, remember? In that scene, as we panned the camera to the southeasterly section, we looked toward the areas of Moab. Believe it or not, the Bible says specifically that Jesus, did you know this, that it gives us in his second coming, it gives us his approach pattern, not only into the earth, but because the Bible says every eye will see him and all those who dwell upon the earth will mourn because of his coming. But it says that he will arrive coming out of the area of Edom from Basra. That is, and Jesus said, as the lightning comes, what, from the east and shines into the west, so shall the coming of the son of man be. He meant that literally. He will be coming according to Isaiah chapter 61, 62, 63. When Jesus comes in the great second coming, the world will be watching and he comes out of the area. If you draw a line, some of you can even sneak right now to the back of your Bible where it's got the maps. And if I would have had time, I would have assembled a map. The Bible gives us his second coming approach pattern into Israel. He's going to be coming from the area of Kuwait, that region, Basra of the Old Testament time. He will be coming from the east toward the west and his foot will just touch the Mount of Olives. And that mount is going to split open. He's going to go through that eastern gate that we saw in that great second coming of his and he will establish his kingdom. But his robe, says the Bible, will be splattered from the blood of his enemies. He will have put an end to the battle of Armageddon, the second coming of Jesus Christ. My friend, don't make a mistake in comparing the rapture of the church and the second coming as one event. They are at least seven years apart from one another. One is very private. No one will know except the believer. The other is very public. The believers at that time and the world will know of his coming. One, you must be ready for because there's no signs, there's no indicators. The other has hundreds of prophetic indicators and warnings and signs. One says to wait for Christ. The other one says that you'll see the Antichrist appear first. One says that you must live for your faith, the rapture. The other one says what? You must die for your faith by persecution. We are studying this morning the events of the second coming. It is my prayer that none of us in this room experience the events of the second coming except of the fact that we're coming with Jesus himself. Do you hear what I'm saying? I pray for you that you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and you will escape the tribulation period as God has promised via or through what is called the rapture of the church. But let's go back to our note-taking. The second coming is compared to his first coming. How so? Well, look in Matthew 24. Just look at the verses preceding the chapter. Why did the disciples say to him, when will these things be? What a strange thing. Why did they take Jesus out to show him the buildings of the temple? Didn't he know the buildings of the temple? Of course. Didn't he grow up in that area? Sure. Why were the disciples saying, Jesus, we want to show you the things of the temple? They were a little unnerved. I'll tell you why. Look in Matthew chapter 23 verse 37. Let's just stay on the screen regarding our notes. But Matthew 23 37 says, Oh Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who were sent to her. How often I wanted to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But what does it say? You were not willing and behold your house. What house, everybody? The temple. The temple. Your temple has left you desolate. For I say to you, you shall see me no more till you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. That's why the disciples said, hey Lord, we want to show you the temple. Have you ever seen a little child when they're hurt or offended or busted or whatever, they try to make an immediate little amends. Have you ever seen them try to be real politically correct about some blunder that they've made? Did you do this? Hi, daddy. I love you. I know you love me, sweetheart, but did you break the glass? I brought in your paper. Yeah, honey, that's good. That's not what we're talking about. Did you do that? I love you. Have you ever seen a child do that? You've done that. I've done that. Jesus says, I'm telling you because of the rejection of Israel as me as Messiah in my first coming, your house will be left to you desolate and you will not see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. The disciples try to respond because they thought he was going to establish all that he's going to do in the second coming, that is establish his political reign. They thought they could just kind of, oh, look at the temple. Isn't it wonderful? And Jesus is going to go on in other passages to tell them, I say to you, not one stone shall be left upon another. It's all going to be torn down. It shocked them. It shocked them. Listen, the first coming and the second coming are both to the nation Israel and they are Jewish and their context. How so? Mark it down by a literal physical arrival. The rapture of the church is not a physical arrival. It is an appearance in the atmosphere. First Thessalonians chapter four, verses 13 through 18 is in your note taking. Don't confuse it. That's the rapture. But the second coming is a physical arrival to the earth, just as it was at his first coming, a physical arrival. Acts chapter one, verse nine. Now, when he had spoken these things, that is Jesus on the Mount of Olives, they watched him and he was taken up from them and received up into a cloud out of their sight. And while they look steadfastly toward heaven, as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel and said to them, men of Galilee, why do you stand here gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up into heaven, same Jesus who was taken up into heaven will come again in like manner as you've seen him go up into heaven. What does that mean? The same Jesus that you've seen in physical form, physically arise from Israel, from this Mount, the Mount of Olives, his same second coming will be to the Mount of Olives again. Just as you've bodily seen him leave, he will bodily return. This is so Jewish. In my car, I have a little yarmulke, you know, I think it's called a kippah. We should all have them on right now. I should have just thrown like frisbees out to you. Why? Because the second coming is so Jewish. From Revelation chapter 4 verse 2 all the way to the end of Revelation chapter 19 is all Jewish in context. You'll never understand the book of Revelation until you've read all of the Old Testament. That's why a lot of people say, well, I kind of stay out of that book. You know why you stay out of that book? First of all, you're ripping yourself off. It's the only book of the Bible, that is the book of Revelation, that says, I will bless all those who read this book and bless anybody who listens to its reading. So get blessed. Read the book of Revelation. Secondly, understand the Old Testament via the book of Revelation. It's very Jewish. Jesus says, you won't see me again until you say, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, a true physical return of Christ. Revelation chapter 1 verse 7. Am I yelling? I'm excited. These things excite me really a lot. So forgive me if I'm yelling. Behold, Revelation 1 7, he is coming with clouds. It doesn't mean he's coming on a cloudy day. It means he's coming in glory and every eye will see him. Is that true concerning the rapture? No. Even they who pierced him, Israel, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn because of him. Why? You see, the rapture is the blessed hope. The second coming is an awful, dreadful event. Even so, amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, who is, who was, who is to come, the Almighty. Who is the Almighty? The one who's coming on that dreadful and tremendous day when the tribes of the earth will mourn. Christian, you don't need to be afraid of the events of the second coming. In fact, by the end of this message, you're going to see that you're very involved in the second coming itself, but you'll be coming out of heaven with Christ. Now, maybe those you've shared the gospel with who have yet to receive Jesus Christ, or maybe they'll never receive Jesus Christ, God knows, they'll see these great horrific events. I believe these things are going to unfold in our lifetime. I believe the world is prepared now for the advent of this deceiver that brings peace to the world. And who ushers in these events? God does upon his head in judgment. In Jude chapter 1, verse 14, the scripture says, Behold, the Lord comes with 10,000 of his saints. The word actually in Greek is thousands upon thousands of his saints in a physical arrival to the earth physically. Jude chapter 1, verse 14, you can circle that verse or write it down. And its corresponding passage is Revelation chapter 19. You can read that later. The second thing that we see this morning, so very important, is that his first coming is compared to a second by a marked physical arrival. Secondly, at a time of great unbelief. Now, listen to this. It will be a time of great unbelief. What kind of unbelief? Well, first of all, the tribulation period will be in full swing. And according to the Bible, there's going to be great religious activity, great religious fervor more than ever around the world. Did you know that? It's going to be very, very religious time. But does religion save you? He will come at a time of great unbelief in the world. The Bible speaks about it as being the great apostasy or in Greek apostasia, a great departure from the true faith. But listen, it's a departure from the true faith. That is, they haven't presented before them. They don't lose their salvation. They never had it. They know of it, but they don't receive it. They turn away from it. And they don't go into evolutionary theory. What they do is they go into some other religious offer. And you know what one of those offers will be. The Antichrist will declare himself to be God. In Matthew chapter 24, verse 15, we read it a moment ago, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. What is that all about? It's when second, are you writing this down? It's in second Thessalonians chapters two, three and four, when it says that the Antichrist stands in the temple in Jerusalem and declares himself to be God. That corresponds with Matthew 24, 15 and with Daniel's abomination of desolation. Very important. Religion will be running high, but not for Jesus Christ. Religion will be popular then. It will be cool to be of the world church. I don't want to get into this and I don't want to derail you, but I don't know if any of you stayed up. I got so I was so dedicated to go into bed early on Friday night. I don't know if you were here. Were you here Friday night? That was one of the most awesome services I've ever seen. The music this, I tell you next year, I don't know how they can now do themselves. The music was awesome. The worship was fantastic. And we saw so many people come to the Lord that night. Amazing. Wonderfully packed house, people in the hallway, people turning around, going home, couldn't get in. Amazing time. I went home. I was so excited. We had some friends over. Great, great, great time. And I'm thinking, all right, I'm going to go to bed. And I don't know why, but being the news addict that I am, I turned on a little bit of news just to get my fix before I go to sleep. And I went to Channel 4 and they had from Rome in the Vatican. Maybe you saw it. I stayed up to two o'clock watching this thing. They had, they showed John Paul, Pope John Paul opened the door, the holy door and get the transcripts. I am kidding you not. Cardinal Foley read and narrated the program. And he said that all those who pass through this door at the beginning of this new millennium, the jubilation, really the jubilation who says jubilation, that's God's talk jubilation. That's regarding the nation. Israel doesn't have anything to do with anybody else in the world. Are you ready for this channel for NBC news? All those who pass through the door during the millennium of 2000 will receive forgiveness of all their sins and eternal life through Jesus Christ. Now listen, forgiveness of sins through Jesus Christ is gospel doctrine. Passing through a door that gives it is not doctrine. Oh, I'm yelling again. I'm so excited. I'm sorry. Listen, this is so important. This is so important. You can't, if that were true, let's get our credit cards out and get to Rome now, man. Let's get through that door. I want to go to heaven. So let's get through that door. Jesus says, I'm the door. He said, I'm the way I'm the truth. I'm the life. No man comes to the father, but through me. I have told you this for the space of three years or more that concerning from 1998 on, we've talked about how in 1998, the jubilation was for Israel on May 14th, 50 years, every 50 years, there's a jubilation. Read your old Testament. If you don't know what I'm talking about, debts are supposed to be canceled. If you were up with me at two o'clock Saturday morning, watching this broadcast, did you hear what was read by Cardinal Foley that the Pope is calling upon the nations who have other nations that owe them money to cancel all their debts against them and to start new, forgive them of their financial debt and start fresh. If you know anything about the book of Revelation, that causes a little bit of hair to stand up on the back of your neck. Interesting time, a time of great unbelief, people religious, absolutely more than ever, but unbelief in the personal relationship with Jesus Christ, all the pomp, all the glory, all of the liturgical signs, but no Jesus having the power, the appearance of the power, but denying the power thereof. From such Paul, the apostle said, turn away from just like it was at his first coming, many religious people, but they miss Jesus's coming altogether, a time of great unbelief. Thirdly, his coming was required reading. Did you know that Jesus expected them to know the day of his visitation? In Luke's gospel, Jesus says to Jerusalem, look, you did not recognize the day of your visitation. Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem, he says in Matthew 23, 37, Jesus expected Israel to know the day of his first coming. Daniel chapter 9 verses 24 to 27 teaches that Israel was to know the day of the first coming of Messiah to the temple. I'll give you a little bit of a help, 173,880 days from Daniel 9, 24 to 27 from the commandment that was given to Nehemiah was on March 14th, 445 BC. If you do all the math based upon a Babylonian calendar, 360-day year, that's how all Bible prophecy is based on from Genesis to Revelation, 360-day year, not 65. And you take into account all of the mathematics as Sir Isaac Newton figured it out and Sir Robert Anderson, they came to the understanding which has panned out to be historical truth that the day Jesus Christ on Palm Sunday, remember when they said, Hosanna, Hosanna, blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. Did you know it was 173,880 days from March 14th, 445 that Jesus entered into the city? And he says, Oh, Jerusalem, you didn't recognize me on the day of your visitation. But Jack, they said, Hosanna. Yeah. And the same people three days later said, let's kill him. I hang on your seats here. People read Daniel 9 and read Daniel chapter 12 and Daniel chapter 12 verses 10 through 12. And don't misquote me. Nobody knows the day of the hour. That's true regarding the event I'm going to tell you about in a second here. Nobody knows the day of the hour concerning the rapture. Nobody knows the day of the hour concerning the second coming yet. No man will ever know the day of the hour concerning the rapture. But concerning the day of the second coming, Daniel chapter 12 tells you and tells Israel the day of the second coming. It will be 1290 days after Matthew 2415. It will be 1290 days after the abomination of desolation. Yeah, you heard me right. Israel was supposed to know the day of his first coming and they missed it. It was printed in scripture. They missed it. Israel is supposed to know the day of his second coming. And let's hope and I'm certain according to scripture, some will, because they'll petition him to come back. At this moment, on December 26th, 1999, no man knows the day or the hour. That's true for the rapture. And it's true for the second coming. Why? The peace treaty hasn't been signed yet. Neither has the antichrist surfaced. But read Daniel chapter 12 later, if you would, his coming was required reading. The second thing that we see this morning in our studies, this, it will be an undeniable event. The second coming of Christ. Acts chapter two, verse 17. Acts 2 17 says, and it shall come to pass in the last days, says God that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy and your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. And on my maidservants, menservants and maidservants, I will pour out my spirit in those days. Hang on everyone to this. This is very important. And they shall prophesy. Listen, that Peter gave at the birth of the church. That's the sermon that Peter was giving 2000 years ago. That has continued on, but the final great outpouring of the Holy spirit upon the nation Israel, it's my people, not only the believers, but the context is Israel during the tribulation period. Those Jews who come to faith in Jesus Christ and the Gentiles who come to faith in Christ. God will pour his spirit out upon them in a way like we've never seen before as dynamic as it was in the day of Pentecost, even greater. Then he says, I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke. And the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. That's the second coming. Undeniable events will take place on the earth. People will physically see it. Yeah. How many people have you and I talked to? And well, if God would just show me a sign, we'll give them Acts chapter two. You want to sign? First of all, I'm going to be here one day and the next day I'm not going to be here. That'd be a sign. Secondly, the earth is going to be so devastated that the sky, the atmosphere is going to be somehow polluted to the point, maybe through fire or through earthquake or whatever that the moon and the sun are going to be darkened and appear to be as blood. Did any of you were interview this week near any fires and see the sun at noonday, how it looked like a bloody ball, the sun and the moon? Interesting. Undeniable events. Let's mark some of these down. Via geological events. Yep. Geological events. Matthew chapter 24. We read it versus one on. But look with me, Matthew 24. Look at verse 22. And unless those days are short, no flesh would be saved. No flesh, no flesh would remain alive. Matthew 24, 22. It's a time of incredible upheaval. Jesus says in that earlier portion of that chapter, you're going to hear about wars and rumors of wars. Do you right now even hear about wars and rumors of wars? Well, you might say, well, Jack, that's always gone on. It's true. It has. But on a global scale, all this is global. He says that don't get upset because this is not yet the end. Still, some things must happen. Ethnic groups will rise against ethnic groups. Nation in your Bible. In English, it's nation versus nation. Sounds like US versus Russia, doesn't it? That doesn't appear until kingdom versus kingdom. Politic versus politic. Ethnos versus ethnos. Ethnic groups will become more hostile toward different ethnic groups. Is that not happening worldwide? It's increasing, isn't it? Just as Jesus said. Man, I hope you're an unbeliever in here today and you're thinking, I better become a believer because I'm watching this stuff take place. Famines, pestilence, famines. Most famines in the world today are political famines. Did you know that? You know, one of the great problems we have right now in dropping food into the Sudan to stop the famine is that the Muslim terrorists are killing. They let the food drop and let the Christians run to the food. Then they machine gun them down and take the food. I saw this recently as maybe you did on the KCET channel 28 special on a program entitled Frontline where there's a duchess in England who flies right in to these hostile areas and delivers the food and maybe you've seen her. She's very, very, very criticized right now because you know what she's doing? The only way she's been able to get through to these Muslim terrorists from killing your Christian brothers and sisters. She's bringing tens of thousands of dollars and British pounds into the country, into Sudan. Did you see this? And she's buying them. She's buying the Christians. She sits down with the terrorist and she says, how much for him? 20 bucks. Here's 20 bucks. How much for her? 50 bucks. No, no, 35. They showed this on TV. She's buying them and taking them away. And all the critics are saying, well, she's only promoting the problem. Seems like Jesus came down and bought me on a cross 2000 years ago. This woman is a wonderful Christian woman. And I forget her name, but she's a duchess in England. Geological effects. The earth is going to be in an upheaval. Isaiah 24 19 says the earth shall be broken up and it will split asunder. The earth shall thoroughly be shaken at its core. The earth will reel to and fro like a drunk man. It sways like a hut in the wind. So heavy is it of its guilt and of its rebellion that it will fall never to be risen again. And that great day of the Lord, when he punishes the powers of the heavens above and on the Kings of the earth beneath Isaiah 24 19 to 21 Ezekiel 38 verse 20, the fish of the sea, the birds of the air and the beast of the field. Every creature that moves along the ground and all the people upon the face of the earth will tremble at my presence. The mountains will be overturned and the cliffs will crumble and every wall will fall to the ground. And in the book of Revelation, it says during the tribulation period near its end, God will send a great earthquake that will be felt in all of the earth. It ain't going to be our normal 7.0s that we like just, oh well, we had a 7.0. Who knows what it's going to be, but the whole earth is going to feel it. Is this scaring you? I, I hope it doesn't scare you to scare you, but I hope it scares the hell out of you and causes you to run and grab the feet of Jesus and say, it's heaven I want. Jesus, it's you I want because without Jesus, it's even hell before you get there in the world today. Secondly, not only via geological events, but also celestial events, Luke 21 25 and there will be signs in the sun. This is going to be weird and in the moon and in the stars and on earth, the distress of nations, the word distress of nations in the Greek means having no way out of a dilemma. They have no way out. The sea and the waves will roar. Isn't that interesting? 1999 is not even over yet. And the ocean and the storms that have come from the ocean have been the worst recorded in human history in 1999. The only other year that came close was 1998. Men's hearts shall fail them for fear because of the expectations of the things that are coming to the earth. Wow. For the powers of the heavens shall be shaken and they will see them, the son of God coming with clouds, with power and great glory, not great glory, even though great glory will be there, but great glory. We're coming with them. Isaiah 24, verse 23, says the moon will be ashamed and abashed for the Lord almighty will reign in Zion and from Jerusalem in glory, the moon will have to shy away. I love that. I intentionally put that verse in. You want to know why? Remember we just had the brightest moon in 133 years. He's up there in his glory this past week. Did you see him shining? The brightest moon in 133 years was Wednesday night? Yeah, Wednesday night. And the moon's going to be ashamed at his coming. Oh boy, I'm nothing compared to his glory. I love that. Celestial events. The Bible says that the stars are going to flee or appear to the earth dwellers to be fleeing from his presence. Geological events, celestial events. There'll be undeniable events even in the spiritual realm, both for good and bad. There'll be great, great spiritual activity on the earth. John says there'll be so many people saved during the tribulation period that no man can even count them. The Holy Spirit's going to be poured out on the earth, not taken away. I don't know why some people think, I don't know where they got this idea, that when the rapture takes place, the Holy Spirit leaves. The Bible doesn't say that. The Bible says he who hinders will do so until he is taken, what, out of the way. Then shall that antichrist be revealed. The Holy Spirit is right now playing the position of a big defensive tackle. He's there. I should say offensive tackle. He's holding back the onslaught of the front line. When the church is raptured, let's, in our little minds here, my little mind, I have to see it this way. Let's say the quarterback runs back and the line is doing all the work and the quarterback jumps into the grandstands. The line turns around and sees that he's not there any longer, turns sideways, turns those five and a half foot wide shoulders sideways and lets evil run through. Let's that attacking army run through. The Holy Spirit is holding down evil. The church is in the earth. When the church gets raptured, the Holy Spirit steps aside and let, and there you have the unveiling of the antichrist and all the evils of the tribulation period. But also in the negative side, there'll be great demonic activity, great demonic events, demons, invisible, maybe some visible, don't know, but they will deceive people and trick them. There'll be preachers and there'll be teachers and there'll be evangelists and there'll be demonized. And Jesus says they'll perform such great powers that if, are you with me? Are you listening? If it were possible, it would deceive even the very elect. That is those that are those that have gotten saved during the tribulation period. But it's not possible. He says if it were possible, that means it's impossible spiritual events. And thirdly, finally, final point. His second coming is because for many reasons, his throne must be established. Did you know that yesterday we, if Jesus doesn't come back and set up a stone in Jerusalem, we have absolutely done nothing yesterday but got a bunch of gifts for each other and spent money. There is no meaning to Christmas if Jesus doesn't come back and sit on the throne of David. He has to, to be God, to be Messiah. How so? By intervening in earth's affairs. Jesus must intervene in earth's affairs. Here we go. I love this verse. Jot it down. Revelation 19 beginning at verse 11. John says, I saw heaven opened and look, a white horse. And he who sat on it was called faithful and true. And in righteousness, he judges and makes war. His eyes were like flame of fire and his head, on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe, dipped in blood and his name is called the Word of God. And the armies in heaven, that's us. Read the whole chapter. You'll see how clear it is that it's us. The armies in heaven clothed in fine linen. This is funny. An army clothed in wedding gowns. What a weird looking army. Followed him on white horses. Now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword that with it he should strike the nations. And he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of the Almighty God. And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Is that awesome or what? Enoch talked about that. You know little Enoch, old man Enoch? Enoch. It says in Jude 14 through 15 that Enoch was the seventh descendant of Adam. He knew Adam. They knew each other. Prophesied about these things saying, Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of his saints to execute judgment. Listen, the Lord comes with ten thousand. The word's not ten thousand in your Bible. One thousand, two thousand. It's not number. It's a number innumerable. The old King James translators put into them a big number. Ten thousand. That's a big number. Put it in. In the Greek it's innumerable numbers. Ten thousands times ten thousands. Thousands upon thousands. You can't count them. Note this. The saints will come out of heaven with the Lord a bazillion of them. Bazillion. That's a big number. To execute judgment on some. No. It says all. To convict all who are ungodly among them and all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way and all of their harsh things which the ungodly sinners have spoken against him. He will intervene in human affairs. Hebrews 11.5. I'm almost done. We're doing pretty good. Hebrews 11.5. By faith Enoch was raptured, taken away up into heaven so that he did not see death and was not found because God had taken him. For before he was taken from the earth he had this testimony and that is that he pleased God. What was Enoch's message? Anybody know? It's an old word that we used to use at Calvary Chapel way back when. Somebody said it over here. Maranatha. Maranatha. That was Enoch's sermon. Maranatha. Maranatha. Maranatha. Behold he cometh. And this is great. Enoch lived a long time ago. The Lord's coming. Shut up you old man. The Lord's coming. What a nut he is. The Lord's coming with bazillions of the saints. What a ding-dong. Go to bed. You've been in the sun too long. Well guess what happened to Enoch? The Bible says that he walked with God and he was not for God took him. I like what... Who's the old guy on the radio on the Bible bus? McGee. I love what McGee says in his little story about Enoch. They walked... It says that he walked with God and pleased God and God one day said you know Enoch we've talked so long today. We've walked so far today. As this day comes to a close of course it doesn't in a little Bible bus lane talk there. He said Enoch it's closer to my house than it is for you to go back to your house. So let's just go to my house. And God took Enoch home. He didn't see death. Does that give you a little hint of a people whose message is supposed to be the Lord's coming. Sit down and shut up. The Lord's coming. You've been in the sun too long. The Lord's coming. Weirdo. Jesus freak. The Lord's coming. All of a sudden man we're going to be gone. Enoch what a message. 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 1 says I charge you. It doesn't mean Paul was charging for his messages. He says I exhort you. I'm challenging you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. Preach the word. That's the answer. He's going to intervene in human affairs. He's going to do it by righteous judgment. I'll give you the passages. For time's sake I cannot read them. For righteous judgment Jesus must do. Joel chapter 3. Read the whole chapter of Joel chapter 3. It says there that Jesus Christ is going to separate the sheep from the goats. By the way Joel chapter 3 is in direct correlation and speaks of the same event recorded in Matthew chapter 25. Get that straight. The separation of the sheep and the goats. You can read about it in Joel chapter 3. You can read about it also in Luke chapter 17. Make no mistake about it Christian. Listen. In Luke chapter 17 this disappears in three of the New Testament Gospels. Jesus says, I tell you that in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken, the other one will be left. Two will be gathered together. One will be taken, the other one will be left. Two in the field, one taken, and one left. And the disciples answered and said to Him, Where, Lord? And He said to them, Wherever their rotting carcass is, there the flesh-eating, unclean vultures shall be. That's how it reads in the Greek. Wherever their rotting, stinking, decaying corpses are gathered together, there unclean, flesh-eating vultures, the word is griffins, will be consuming them. Some of your Bibles translated vultures. In Luke 17, many people teach that's the rapture. It is not the rapture. It's the fulfillment of Matthew 25, the separation between the sheep and the goats. Read it. It takes place at the second coming. And those that are taken away are taken to judgment. It says that where they're taken to, they'll be slain. And it says that the birds of the air will come and devour their flesh. But those who pass through that earthly judgment, Matthew 25, will live into the millennial kingdom. Righteous judgment, Jesus must execute from His throne in Jerusalem. And finally this and we're done. His rule, His throne is monarchical. It's a monarchical rule. He's a monarch. He's the king. Revelation 1-7, it says that He will judge the tribes of the earth. They'll mourn at His coming. Why? Because He's going to be judging them. And He's the one who's been pierced. Matthew 24, verse 24 through 28, He says that He will come as the lightning comes from out of the east and is visible even under the west. So shall My coming be. And wherever the carcasses are, the rotting flesh and all, there you shall see the vultures gathered together. Acts 2, verse 20, it says the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon shall appear to be as blood before the coming of that great and awesome day of the Lord. And we'll end with this. This is the last Sunday together that you and I have for the millennium past. We're on the brink of the third millennium. Since what? Since Jesus came. Isn't it interesting that God deals in millenniums? Am I saying that the millennium, this one coming up next week, is it prophetic in any way? Not at all. Is it the end of the world? No way. All it means is that we're one day closer to Jesus Christ coming. Okay? Remember that when you listen to the news. Is the world going to come to an end? No. 2 Peter, Peter says, chapter 3, he says, For this people are willingly ignorant, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, whereby the world that then was being overflowed with water perished in the flood. But the heavens and the earth, which are now currently, by the same word are kept in store on reserve unto a fiery judgment day regarding the sons of perdition and all ungodly men. But beloved, do not be ignorant of this one thing, that one day with the Lord is as a thousand years, and a thousand years to the Lord is as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promises, as some men count slackness, but he is long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night to those who are not watching, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works of it shall be burned up. And Paul says in Romans 13 11, knowing then the time that now it is high time for us to wake out of our sleep, for now is our salvation nearer than it has since we first believed. Isn't that not true? The next week we get together will be a Sunday of the first millennium, one day closer to his coming. If Jesus doesn't come for us between now and then in the rapture, we'll gather together on Sunday. But be advised, the Lord seems to dwell regarding thousand-year periods of time. Interesting. Father, I pray this morning that no man, no woman, no teenager in this place would just ignore you, blow you off in their thinking. But this morning would realize, man, I don't want anything to do with the things of this judgment period of time. So Father, I ask in Jesus' name that you, Father, might speak to any heart this morning, encouraging them that now and only now is the moment for it to be okay to be a sinner. It's okay right now if they intend to be declared a saint by you. We're all sinners. But Lord, this morning may someone say, yes, I am, I personally am, and I want the Messiah to save me. Can you agree with me and the Bible this morning and say, I have sinned against a holy God, I have erred, I'm unholy, I have evil thoughts, selfish thoughts, angry thoughts, lustful thoughts, or I've done these things. And Jesus, before you come, I want my life right with you, and I want to do it today. I want to end this millennium with having my sins forgiven and begin the millennium, not as a new millennium resolution, but an internal spiritual revolution in my life. I want to receive Jesus as the Lord and Savior of my soul and follow Him all the days of my life.