Sermon Tone Analysis

March 26, 2012

By: John Barnett

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As we open to Matthew 24:21-22, we come to the Second Coming of Christ, the 4th of 7 Big Events on God’s Calendar that we are examining from last to first.

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ is the single greatest visible expression of God’s power to the entire Earth, since the Flood of Noah.

But as we look at Christ's Coming, and the Tribulation it follows, we must understand why Jesus comes when He does.

On the side of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, two thousand years ago—Jesus preached a sermon about the End of the World.

The end of the world is easier to comprehend when we can compare it to the world around us.

That is what Jesus does.

He points to things they knew and said amplify that, multiply that—exponentially, then you will understand what is coming.

Basically Jesus describes the Tribulation as a Global Final Holocaust—not merely of Jews and Christians—but of humans!

But, the second coming is described as God “cutting short” the extinction of all human life that the Tribulation describes.

God allows humanity to be unrestrained, and in the sinful malignancy that has infected all humans, humanity in mass, like Cain of old, rises up to kill and be killed.

For us today, Christ's words are a call for us to be ready for the onset of the worst time in history.

The Tribulation begins after the Church is raptured, but the climate of the Tribulation is already here.

Are you prepared to survive the storms before the final storm?

Please read with me Matthew 24:21-22.

*Auschwitz and the Final Holocaust*

Three years ago, across the world, dignitaries marked the 60th Anniversary of the liberation of the grisly, World War II era, death camp complex called Auschwitz.

Hitler’s Holocaust, horrible as it was murdering over six million Jews alone—pales when compared to the Final Holocaust.

If you ever study the Holocaust, you recognize images of what we most often use to remind us of the Final Solution—Hitler’s genocide.

Briefly, here are the facts:

About 1.5 million people died at Auschwitz, of whom about 1.2 million were Jewish.

That means that 1/5th of the six million Jews exterminated by Hitler died in this complex

Other groups of people who died included Polish political prisoners, Soviet prisoners of war, Gypsies, people with disabilities and prisoners of conscience or religious faith.

The complex contained three camps and at least 36 sub-camps which were built outside this Polish town, on an isolated 40 sq km site, between 1940 and 1942.

When you trace World War II Holocaust history, there are some incredible comparisons that can be drawn between Auschwitz and the Great Tribulation.

• Most scholars see the first half of the seven year final period of the earth’s history to be relatively normal.

It is the second half that seems to have the incredible destruction, demon armies and death.

So in Bible terms, the Great Tribulation lasts 3 ½ years or 42 months.

• Auschwitz opened its doors to death by gas chamber on September 3rd 1941.

The advance of the Soviet Army closed down the camp on January 27th 1945.

The death camp of the Holocaust was operating for 3 ½ years or 42 months.

So the death camp at Auschwitz and the Great Tribulation last almost exactly the same length of time.

That is where the comparison stops.

The Final Holocaust is so terrifying, so deadly, so inescapable that God personally steps in to stop it lest not one human be left alive!

Tribulation Time Auschwitz

6,726,400,000 world pop 09.03.1941 1st gassed victim

01.27.1945 liberation

1,260 42 months in days 1,242 days

3,350,000,000 half die 1,500,000 died

2,657,830 daily 1207 daily ave.

In Matthew 24:21-22 we see the end of everyone’s life as it was.

Time stops.

Life ends.

Nothing is the same again.

Remember, the One who has planned the End from the Beginning has told us what will happen in the days ahead, and this is His Plan for History.

*Seven Steps from Now to Eternity!*

*RAPTURE* I THESS.

4 BE READY – Christ is Coming

*JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST* 2 CORIN.

5 BE HOLY – Christ will test our lives.

*TRIBULATION *REV.

6-19 BE THANKFUL – Christ will keep us from the hour.

*SECOND COMING* REV.

19 BE PATIENT – Christ will right all wrongs.

*MILLENNIUM* REV.

20 BE FOCUSED – Christ will perfect the earth

*GREAT WHITE THRONE* REV.

20 BE FAITHFUL – Point people to Christ.

*HEAVEN* REV.

21-22 BE INVESTING – Lay up treasure in Heaven.

*#7: Heaven: Be Investing—By laying up treasure in Heaven.

*(Revelation 21:1-7; 22:1-5)

*#6: Great White Throne: BE FAITHFUL–By pointing people to Christ.*

(Revelation 20:11-15)

*#5: Millennium: Be Focused—because only Christ will perfect the earth.

*(Revelation 20:1-10)

*#4: Christ's Second Coming: Be Patient—for only Christ will right all wrongs.*

(Revelation 19:1-21)

/"After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia!

Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God! 2 For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.” 3 Again they said, “Alleluia!

Her smoke rises up forever and ever!” 4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen!

Alleluia!” 5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, “Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him, both small and great!” 6 And I heard, as it were, the voice of a great multitude, as the sound of many waters and as the sound of mighty thunderings, saying, “Alleluia!

For the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!

7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.”

8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

9 Then he said to me, “Write: ‘Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true sayings of God.” 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him.

But he said to me, “See that you do not do that!

I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus.

Worship God!

For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

11 Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.

And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war.

12 His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns.

He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.

13 He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses.

15 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 and wrath of Almighty God.

16 And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, 18 that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”

19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.

20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.

These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone.

21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.

And all the birds were filled with their flesh."/

*#3: Tribulation: Be Thankful—because Christ has promised to keep us from His time of Great Wrath.

(Revelation 6:1-17) *

/"Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard one of the four living creatures saying with a voice like thunder, “Come and see.” 2 And I looked, and behold, a white horse.