COUNTDOWN TO THE CONCLUSION
TEXT: Luke 12: 36-40
INTRO: Rockets at Cape Canaveral are not the only things that are on a countdown. The world, and life as we know it, are on God’s timetable, and the countdown has already begun. Since time began, the moments have been ticking away, rushing mankind toward the ultimate conclusion of God’s foreordained plan.
News reports are pregnant with the tensions in the Middle East. Most of the tensions revolve around resources. The recent friction between Israel and the Palestinians has to do with land. The Palestinians are seeking statehood and want Israel to pull out of Lebanon, which they say belongs to them. There is now talk of trying to convince Israel to give up all of the land that they captured during the Six Day War. I think you can look for Israel to make very few concessions from this point on. They will be pushed only so far in the name of peace.
In 1990, a man by the name of Saddam Hussein became a household word. He triggered the Gulf War by invading the tiny country of Kuwait. But many people did not understand Hussein’s purpose behind invading this tiny, defenseless country. The fact is, Hussein’s main goal was never Kuwait at all, but rather the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Jordan. Not only do all these countries hate Israel, as does Saddam Hussein, but they also own 70 percent of the world’s oil. The “Butcher of Baghdad” believed that if he could gain control of the world’s oil supply, he could rule the world and make Babylon his capital, and restore it to its former glory.
We are also noticing that the cost of almost everything continues to rise. Crime is rampant in the streets. Real solid families are nearly nonexistent. Heartfelt love has been exchanged for hellish lust. Unrest, frustration, hopelessness, wars, and rumors of wars are everywhere. What does it all mean? It can only mean that mankind is on the bottom end of the “COUNTDOWN TO THE CONCLUSION.”
THEME: The “Countdown to the Conclusion” has begun, and:
I. JESUS WILL SOON RETURN
NOTE: Tim LaHaye, a noted author and lifelong student of prophecy, says, “…We have more reason than any generation before us to believe Christ may return in our generation…Christ could come today, and no prophecy of the end times necessary for His coming would go unfulfilled” (Are We Living In The End Times?, coauthored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, pg. xi).
A. The Sureness Of Christ’s Return.
1. The Old Testament predicted the return of Christ.
Isa.9: 7- “Of the increase of his (Messiah’s) government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.”
Zech.14: 4- “And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”
2. The New Testament predicted the return of Christ.
Acts 1: 9, 10, 11- “And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.”
Rev.1: 7- “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.”
B. The Signs Of Christ’s Return.
1. It will be a time of increased knowledge and travel.
Dan.12: 4- “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.”
NOTE: [1] Tim LaHaye states that: “Since 1914, when the average speed of cars and trucks was fifteen to twenty miles per hour, until today, when rockets and satellites average twenty-four thousand miles per hour, man has had an explosion in knowledge” (Ibid, pg. 28).
[2] It was a little less than forty years ago that man landed his first manned spacecraft on the Moon. Since then, the robot spacecraft, Voyager, has actually exited our solar system. And even more recently, we have landed a craft on the surface of the planet Mars.
[3] Someone has recently made the statement that man’s knowledge is doubling approximately every six months.
2. It will be a time characterized by tension between peoples and nations.
Matt.24: 6a, 7a- “And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars…”
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom…”
NOTE: According to Tim LaHaye, “…There have been approximately fifteen thousand wars in recorded human history…but the twentieth century in particular has been far bloodier than any century that preceded it. Far more people have died in wars during the past hundred years than in all the centuries before” (Ibid, pg. 38).
3. It will be a time when social troubles envelop the world.
Matt.24: 7b, 8- “…there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
All these are the beginning of sorrow.”
NOTE: [1] The fact is, many of the STD’s (sexually transmitted diseases) that those in the medical profession thought they had eliminated forty years ago, have returned with a vengeance. They are actually worse than before. Add to that, the scourge of AIDS, which, according the medical experts of our day is likely to wipe out half of the teenage population of Africa, and you have the makings of Tribulation-like pestilence. The diseases just mentioned do not include the infectious diseases that kill at least 17 million people every year.
[2] Famines are also very common in our world. If you don’t believe that, just listen to the evening news; or better yet, watch the many commercials sponsored by world help organizations, in which they plead for donations to help feed hungry children all over the world.
[3] As far as earthquakes are concerned, we are now hearing of more earthquakes in a month, than we used to hear about in a decade.
4. It will be a time of deception.
Matt.24: 5, 11- “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
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And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.”
NOTE: Over forty years ago, Dr. M. R. DeHaan said that a new cult sprang up in America at least once a month. I wonder what he would say if he were still living today? If Satan can’t get people to disbelieve in God or rebel against Him, he will seek to get them tangled up in some sort of false doctrine to keep them from being effective for God. Six times in Matthew 24, Jesus warned the disciples about deceivers in the last days.
5. It will be a time when sin will increase, while love decreases.
Matt.24: 12- “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.”
NOTE: [1] A Nobel Prize winner, Dr. Francis Crick, “…has advocated that a child not be registered as a person until he is two days past birth and is healthy—also that people be exterminated beyond a certain advanced age” (Great Events In The Life Of Christ, by Jerry Vines, pg. 121).
[2] Are you aware that according to the current violent crime rate in America, more Americans are killed every two and a half years in this country than were killed in the entire ten years of the Vietnam War? Almost twenty-five thousand murders take place in this country every year (These facts from Are We Living In The End Times?, pg. 330).
[3] Are you also aware that fifty (50) million babies worldwide, are murdered via abortion every year (Facts from Are We Living In The End Times?, pg. 345)?
6. The Gospel of the Kingdom will be preached to the entire world.
Matt.24: 14- “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”
NOTE: [1] As little as thirty years ago a Bible translator might spend most of his life translating the New Testament into a tribal language. The computer has changed all of that. “…One translator has been known to translate the New Testament into five languages” (Are We Living In The End Times?, by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, pg. 313)!
[2] It should be noted that the preaching of the Gospel to the entire world is not now happening. It will happen during the Tribulation though. The point is that everything is pretty much in place for Christ’s Second Coming.
[3] By the “Second Coming” we do not mean the Rapture. Actually the Rapture is only the first part of the Second Coming of Christ. The Second Coming refers to that time when Christ will actually touchdown on earth and will set up His Millennial Kingdom. The Rapture will have taken place seven to ten years before that point.
[4] It should also be noted that all of these signs of the times precede the Second Coming of Christ to set up His kingdom. There are no signs given in scripture that precede the Rapture of the Church. The Church is simply told to watch and wait for her coming Lord (Heb.9: 28;I Thess.1: 10). The fact is, all of these things point to His soon return.
C. The Sequence Of Christ’s Return.
1. The next event on God’s end-time calendar is the Rapture of the Church.
I Thess.4: 16, 17- “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ 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.”
2. After the Church is raptured, the Antichrist will be revealed.
II Thess.2: 8, 9- “And then shall that wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:
Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders,”
3. As soon as the Antichrist signs an agreement with Israel, the Tribulation Period begins.
Dan.9: 27- “And he (Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (refers to a week of years=7 years): and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”
4. At the end of the seven-year Tribulation Jesus will return to set up His kingdom.
Dan.2: 44a- “And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed…”
Matt.24: 27, 29, 30- “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
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Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”
Rev.11: 15- “…The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever.”
NOTE: The story is told of a little girl who had trouble sleeping one night. Her bedroom was upstairs, and every few minutes her parents, who were downstairs reading, would hear her little feet coming down the stairs. First she wanted a drink of water, then she wanted a cookie, and another time she wanted to know what time it was. Finally her parents’ patience ran out, and they threatened her with punishment if she got up again.
All the little girl could do was lie in bed and listen to the striking of the grandfather clock downstairs. After the clock chimed eleven o’clock something must have happened mechanically, because the clock continued to chime. When the old clock chimed the eighteenth time, the little girl threw caution to the wind and jumped up and ran down stairs and cried, ‘”Mom, Dad—it’s later than it’s ever been!”’ (Ibid, pg. 364-65).
Folks, the little girl was right. It’s later than its ever been. And Christians need to wake up spiritually and realize the necessity of living for Jesus. Are you ready to meet Jesus?
COUNTDOWN TO THE CONCLUSION
(Part 2)
JESUS, THE RIGHTEOUS JUDGE
II. JESUS WILL JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY
John 5: 22, 27- “For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son.
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And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.”
A. Saints Will Be Judged For The Purpose Of Reward.
1. We need to be aware of the “period” of this judgment.
I Cor.1: 8
II Cor.1: 14
Phil.2: 16
I Thess.2: 19; 3: 13
NOTE: All of these verses listed above make reference to the saints receiving reward at the “Parousia,” or “coming” of Christ. The Greek word used here “denotes both an arrival and a consequent presence with” (Expository Dictionary Of New Testament Words, by W. E. Vine, M.A., pg. 208). These references clearly refer to the Rapture of the Church, at which time the Scriptures tell us, “so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thess.4: 17b).
2. We need to be aware of the “place” of this judgment.
Rom.14: 10- “But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”
II Cor.5: 10a- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…”
NOTE: [1] The judgment that is referred to here is “The Judgment Seat of Christ.” This term comes from the Greek word, “bema,” which referred to “a raised platform from which the umpires watched the Grecian games and later determined and rewarded the successful contestants. Paul thus speaks of the coming judgment seat of Christ as the place where believers are going to appear for the appraisal of their life and work accomplished while down here on earth” (Prophecy And The Seventies, edited by Charles Lee Feinberg, quote taken from an article entitled, “The Judgment Seat Of Christ,” by Stephen F. Olford, pg. 67).
[2] According to Sale-Harrison, The “’bema’ or ‘reward seat’…was never used of a judicial bench” (Things To Come, by J. Dwight Pentecost, Th.D., pg. 220).
3. We need to be aware of the “people” of this judgment.
a. Rom.14: 1-12—In the same context in which Paul says, “…we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” and “…every one of us shall give account of himself to God” (Rom.14: 10, 12), he is clearly speaking to those who are “in the faith” (Rom.14: 1) and those who “are the Lord’s” (Rom.14: 8).
b. I Cor.3: 9-15—Paul, speaking of the Bema Seat of Christ and the judgment of the saints’ works there, clearly points out who he is referring to here when he says, “…ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building” (I Cor.3: 9b).
c. II Cor.5: 1-13—Again, in the same passage where Paul says, “…we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ…” the context clearly indicates he is talking to the saints.
4. We need to be aware of the “purpose” of this judgment.
Rom.14: 12- “So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
a. This will involve the “review” of believers.
(1) The saints’ motives will be examined.
I Cor.4: 5- “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.”
NOTE: Stephen F. Olford exhorts us as follows: “Let us ever remember that the why of our life and service is as important as the what of our life and service” (Prophecy And The Seventies, edited by Charles Lee Feinberg, quote from an article entitled, “The Judgment Seat Of Christ,” pg. 70).
(2) The saints’ conduct will be examined.
II Cor.5: 10- “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
(3) The saints’ work will be examined.
I Cor.3: 12, 13- “Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is.”
b. This will involve the “reward” of believers.
I Cor.3: 8, 14- “Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.
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If any man’s work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.”
(1) Those who overcome the “old man” will receive the “incorruptible crown” (I Cor.9: 25-27).
(2) Those saints who have won others to Christ will receive the “crown of rejoicing” (I Thess.2: 19).
(3) Those saints who have suffered and endured trials of persecution and testing for the cause of Christ will receive the “crown of life” (James 1: 12).
(4) Those who have lived in loving expectation of Christ’s return will receive the “crown of righteousness” (II Tim.4: 8).
(5) Those pastors who have been faithful to feed God’s flock will receive the “crown of glory” (I Pet.5: 1-4).
NOTE: Crowns can be lost through carelessness and selfishness of life according to Col.2: 18, I John 2: 28, II John 8 and Rev.3: 11.
B. Sinners Will Be Judged For The Purpose Of Retribution.
1. One of the most horrifying periods of human history will be experienced by the lost during the Tribulation.
a. The Church, all those saved during this present Age of Grace, will not be found in the Tribulation.
I Thess.1: 9, 10- “For they themselves shew of us what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God;
And to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come.”
I Thess.5: 9- “For God hath not appointed us to wrath (the Tribulation), but to obtain salvation (deliverance from it) by our Lord Jesus Christ,”
NOTE: I Thessalonians was one of the first books of the New Testament to be written, and was written in response to concerns of the Thessalonian church about the death of some of their loved ones. This book emphasizes the Second Coming, the imminent return of Christ, the Tribulation, and other end-time topics.
b. The lost, left behind after the rapture of the Church, will experience the wrath of God in an unprecedented way.
Matt.24: 21, 22- “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
(1) There will be seven “Seal Judgments.”
(a) The first seal: A white horse (Rev.6: 1, 2).
NOTE: This seal introduces the Antichrist upon the world scene. “The rider is said to have a bow but no arrows, indicating that although he is militarily strong, in the beginning he does his conquering by diplomacy” (Are We Living In The End Times?, co-authored by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins, published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois, pg. 179). The peace that the Antichrist promises will of course be a false peace.
(b) The second seal: A red horse (Rev.6: 3, 4).
NOTE: As this seal is opened, the killing begins. The world will be thrown headlong into what could be described as World War III. Three kings will oppose the Antichrist, whom he will quickly crush with his military might. The aftermath of this war will be devastating upon the world population (Dan.7: 8).
(c) The third seal: A black horse (Rev.6: 5, 6).
NOTE: One common aftermath of war is rampant inflation, as is implied by verse six above: “…A measure of wheat for a penny (a full day’s wages), and three measures of barley for a penny…” But the black horse is also symbolic of famine and disease that often follows war.
(d) The fourth seal: A pale horse (Rev.6: 7, 8).
NOTE: The pale horse and its rider obviously represent death. As a result of World War III and the famine and disease that follow in its wake, one fourth of the world’s population will die. With our world’s present estimated population of over five billion people, that means that well over one billion people will die during this time.
(e) The fifth seal: The Martyrs (Rev.6: 9-11).
NOTE: Right after the beginning of the Tribulation there will be many who turn to faith in Christ. Many of these will be saved as a result of the preaching of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses. However, the forces of the Antichrist will murder most of the Tribulation saints. As this fifth seal is opened, we are told that these martyred saints cry out for God to avenge their blood.
(f) The sixth seal: A great earthquake (Rev.6: 12-17).
NOTE: This earthquake will be of immeasurable magnitude, for John says that, “…every mountain and island were moved out of their places” (Rev.6: 14b). Compounding the destructiveness of this event is John’s elusion to massive volcanic eruptions, as well as meteor strikes that follow closely on the heels of the earthquake. John says that, “…the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood” (Joel 2: 30, 31; Rev.6: 12). These visible phenomenons are often observed after volcanic activity, because of the particulate matter that fills the atmosphere. Then John refers to “…stars of heaven…” falling to the earth (Rev.6: 13), which is more than likely a reference to meteors striking the earth with tremendous force.
(g) The seventh seal: The trumpet judgments begin (Rev.8: 1, 2).
NOTE: As horrible as the Seal Judgments were, the Trumpet Judgments will be worse. So terrible will be these judgments, that John says, “there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour” (Rev.8: 1), as all of heaven seems to pause in amazement at the severity and horror to follow.
(2) There will be seven “Trumpet Judgments.”
(a) The first trumpet: Hail and fire mingled with blood rains down upon the earth (Rev.8: 7).
NOTE: This judgment will produce incalculable ecological damage upon the earth. One third of all trees will be burned, and all of the earth’s grass will burn. Add to this the stench of hot blood dripping from and lying on everything, and one can hardly imagine the horror that will fill the world’s inhabitants. And this is only the first trumpet.
(b) The second trumpet: A mountain of fire falls to earth (Rev.8: 8, 9).
NOTE: [1] This is probably an enormous flaming meteorite, or perhaps an asteroid that slams into the earth’s atmosphere and falls into the sea. This however, will not be a harmless chunk of rock that falls unnoticed from the heavens. It will turn one third of the sea to blood, killing a third of all sea life and destroying a third of the ships on the sea.
[2] It is interesting to note that while I was studying for this message, I remembered an astronomy picture that I had, where an astronomer was explaining a shot taken by robot spacecraft NEAR, of asteroid 433 Eros. He referred to that asteroid as a floating mountain. There’s no guarantee that Eros is the one John saw fall to the earth, but perhaps it will be something very much like it.
[3] The World Health Organization says, “’nearly half of the world’s people are affected by diseases related to insufficient and contaminated water’” (Ibid, pg. 187). One can only imagine the unsanitary conditions that will result from dead, rotting carcasses left floating in the sea after this catastrophe. Great plagues will result from this water turned to blood.
(c) The third trumpet: A star called Wormwood falls to earth (Rev.8: 10, 11).
NOTE: As an angel blows the third trumpet, another meteorite falls to Earth. This time the sea is not affected, but a third of all the world’s rivers and fountains are made bitter and poisonous. Many will die from this plague.
(d) The fourth trumpet: A plague of darkness (Rev.8: 12).
NOTE: This plague is reminiscent of the plague that came upon Egypt in Ex.10: 21, where we are told, “…Stretch out thine hand toward heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt.” Though we are not told exactly how God will perform this feat, He will somehow diminish the radiant light given off by the Sun, Moon, and all the heavenly bodies by a third.
(e) The fifth trumpet: Locust from the bottomless pit attack (Rev.9: 1-11).
NOTE: [1] When the angel unlocks the bottomless pit, smoke rises from it like smoke from a furnace. And from the smoke come locusts with tails that sting like scorpions. Unlike locusts, they will not harm any vegetation. They are commanded to torment unregenerate men and women for five months.
[2] The pain caused by these locusts will be unbearable. So great will be the pain that men and women will desire death, but death will flee from them. The very sight of these locusts will be horrifying and repulsive. Their appearance will be more fearsome than any creature from your worst horror film (Rev.9: 7-10).
[3] Adding to the horror of this plague of locusts will be the fact that they will conduct themselves in a very orderly and methodical fashion. They will be lead by a fallen angel called, Apollyon (Gk) or Abaddon (Heb), which means “Destroyer.”
(f) The sixth trumpet: Four angels released which will command a demonic army of 200 million (Rev.9: 13-19).
NOTE: [1] This army has but one purpose, to kill one third of the remaining population. Combine this with the one fourth of humanity already killed earlier during the seal judgments, and you will find that just over one half of the world’s population will have been destroyed by this point in the Tribulation.
[2] This army must not be confused with that mentioned in Rev.16: 12. For one thing, the army of Rev.9: 16 goes out during the middle of the Tribulation, whereas the army of Rev.16: 12 goes out at the end of the Tribulation. The army of Rev.9: 16 is demonic, whereas the army of Rev.16: 12 is human.
[3] This army will be fearsome in its appearance. The riders will have breastplates of fire, jacinth, and brimstone. The horses will have the body of a horse, but the head of a lion, and a tail with a serpent’s head at the end. According to John, their power to kill will be “…in their mouth, and in their tails…” (Rev.9: 19). This army of 200 million will specifically target the unsaved of the earth (Rev.9: 20, 21).
(g) The seventh trumpet: Loud voices of praise erupt in heaven in anticipation of Christ’s victory over the Antichrist (Rev.11: 15-19).
NOTE: The seventh trumpet is like the seventh seal in that it introduces the next series of judgments to befall the earth. Those on earth are now at the halfway point of the Tribulation Period. But believe it or not, the next three and a half years will be even worse than the first three and a half years. It is this second half of the Tribulation that Jesus referred to as, “great tribulation” (Matt.24: 21).
(3) There will be seven “Bowl Judgments.”
(a) The first bowl: Sores cover those having the mark of the Beast (Rev.16: 2).
NOTE: The idea here is that those having the mark of the Beast will be afflicted with malignant ulcers, much like those that plagued Egypt in Exodus 9: 9-11. These will be inflamed pustules that will cover their bodies.
(b) The second bowl: The entire sea turns to blood (Rev.16: 3).
NOTE: The magnitude of this plague almost defies one’s ability to comprehend. Earlier, God had turned a third of the sea into blood. Now however, all of the waters in the sea become like the blood of a dead man—in other words, stinking, putrid, and coagulated. Every living thing in the sea will die, and its decaying corpse will rise to the surface. The stench will be unimaginably nauseating.
(c) The third bowl: All rivers and springs turn to blood (Rev.16: 4-7).
NOTE: By this point in the Tribulation, the Antichrist and his followers will have murdered countless millions of believers. This plague seems to be God’s way of saying, “You like blood? Good. You may have blood to drink” (Rev.16: 5, 6). This plague is also in answer to the prayer of the martyrs in Rev.6: 10, when they prayed, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?”
(d) The fourth bowl: The sun scorches men (Rev.16: 8, 9).
NOTE: Added to the lack of water will be the misery of increased heat from the sun. This increased heat will literally begin to sear the flesh of earth’s inhabitants. In spite of this painful plague, rather than taking responsibility for their sin and repenting before God, they curse God and continue on in their rebellion.
(e) The fifth bowl: Darkness falls upon the Beast’s kingdom (Rev.16: 10, 11).
NOTE: This particular plague is focused upon the kingdom of the Beast, as though God is supernaturally pointing out where the source of the world’s problem lies. The darkness seems to exacerbate the pain and suffering which they have been experiencing from the previous plagues of the earlier bowl judgments. The darkness permits nothing to divert their minds from the tremendous heat, the thirst in their parched throats, and the agony and putridness of their running ulcers all over their bodies.
(f) The sixth bowl: The Euphrates River dries up (Rev.16: 12).
NOTE: Most scholars believe the term “…kings of the east…” (Rev.16: 12), refers to China and other Asian countries such as Japan, Taiwan, and perhaps the Philippines, who will either be in league with China or under her control at this particular time during the Tribulation. They will travel down the dried up Euphrates riverbed to meet with the forces of Antichrist in the valley of Megiddo, where they will try in vain to blow Jesus out of the sky, as He returns with His saints to set up His Millennial Kingdom.
(g) The seventh bowl: The mother of all earthquakes occurs (Rev.16: 17-21).
NOTE: [1] This earthquake will be greater than any before it, for the Bible says it will be “…such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great” (Rev.16: 18). So destructive will be this earthquake that all the islands disappear and the mountains and cities of the earth are leveled. The topography of the physical earth will be a total shambles.
[2] Babylon, the headquarters and capital of the Antichrist, will be struck especially hard by this earthquake. It will be broken into three parts (Rev.16: 19); and before God’s through, it will be totally obliterated, just as was predicted in Isa.13: 19, Jer.51: 8, and Rev.18: 8, 17-19. All of these scriptures speak of the city being totally destroyed by fire. This is interesting when one considers the fact that the city of Babylon sits atop a vast pool of bituminous asphalt and pitch only ten feet under the surface of the earth. This city is going to burn like one massive blowtorch.
[3] As if all of this was not bad enough, “Enormous hailstones weighing about 135 pounds each rain out of the sky, striking men all over the planet” (Ibid, pg. 219). Even then, survivors will curse God and refuse to repent of their sins (Rev.16: 21).
[4] Tim LaHaye theorizes that at the end of the Tribulation, less than 500,000 people will still be living on the earth when Jesus returns to set up His kingdom. That’s a sobering thought.
2. At the end of Christ’s thousand-year reign on earth, the unsaved lost will be resurrected to stand before God at the Great White Throne.
Rev.20: 5a- “But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished…”
a. This judgment will strictly involve the lost.
Rev.20: 12a & 12d- “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God…and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books…”
NOTE: Rev.20: 5, 12, & 13 all refer to this particular group of people as “the dead.” This does not refer to their physical state since they have just been resurrected to stand before God in judgment. These are those who are yet “…dead in trespasses and sins” (Eph.2: 1). They have had the opportunity to receive eternal life in Christ, but squandered that opportunity. Now it is too late.
b. This judgment will determine the degree of their punishment.
Rev.20: 12b, 13- “…and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.”
Rom.2: 5, 6- “But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Who will render to every man according to his deeds:”
c. God then passes final sentence upon the lost.
Rev.20: 14, 15- “And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”
NOTE: Folks, it is one thing to stand before the Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ, but quite another to stand before Him at the Great White Throne. One means eternal life, while the other means eternal death and separation from God. But one thing is certain: Everyone under the sound of my voice will stand one place or the other someday. Heaven or Hell. The time to decide is now.
COUNTDOWN TO THE CONCLUSION
Part Three
SAINTS AND SINNERS WILL STAND BEFORE THE SAVIOR
III. ARE YOU READY
Rom.14: 10c, 12- “…we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
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So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.”
Rev.20: 12- “And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.”
A. The Saint Must Be Right To Be Ready.
1. We should be separated.
Eph.5: 11- “And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.”
I Thess.5: 23- “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
James 1: 27- “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
2. We should be serving.
Col.1: 9, 10- “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;
That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God;”
I Cor.15: 58- “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
3. We should be filled with the Spirit.
Gal.5: 16- “This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.”
Eph.5: 18- “And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;”
B. The Sinner Must Be Redeemed To Be Ready.
1. The lost person must first realize their neediness.
Luke 5: 31, 32- “And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.
I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”
Rom.3: 10, 12- “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:
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They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
2. The lost person cannot gain God’s favor by good works.
Isa.64: 6a- “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…”
NOTE: [1] One might wonder why God would make such a statement as this concerning man’s righteous deeds. Why wouldn’t He be pleased with acts of righteousness, even from a lost person? The fact is, what issues forth from a corrupt source is itself corrupt, no matter how good it may look on the outside. That is not to say that a lost person’s good serve no good purpose. They certainly can’t hurt. But as far as his gaining favor with God by his good deeds, they are of no value whatsoever.
[2] It’s a lot like the story a missionary once told concerning some of the things he had experienced on the field in Mexico. The Mexican Christians are very appreciative of the missionaries who have come to give the gospel. Whenever the Man of God comes to visit one of their homes, they try to give of their best in hospitality. One day, while visiting with a very poor Mexican family, the lady of the house wished to feed the missionary something. But all she had was one egg, which she boiled for the preacher. Being in a remote area, water was rather scarce, so she had used what she had available to boil the egg. As she began to peel the shell from the egg, she noticed that the dirt from her hands was getting all over it. She decided that the preacher could not eat a dirty egg, but she had no water left with which to wash it. So she popped the egg into her mouth whole so as to clean the dirt from it with her own saliva. It was then presented to the missionary to eat, which he did, by the way. The woman was trying to give the best that she had; but she did not realize that what comes from a contaminated source, is itself contaminated.
Titus 3: 5a- “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…”
3. The lost person must realize that there is only one way to get to heaven, and that is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14: 6- “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
4. The lost person must be willing to turn away from what they know to be sin and turn to Jesus.
Luke 13: 3- “I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
5. Salvation is available to anyone who will call out in faith for God’s mercy.
Rom.10: 9, 10, 13- “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
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For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
THEME: The “Countdown to the Conclusion” has begun, and:
I. JESUS WILL SOON RETURN
II. JESUS WILL JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY
III. ARE YOU READY
