EZ38390035-Issues in Prophecy

All right. Continuing nourishes profit before I before I go any further tell you something that we're thinking about doing. Is since we have such a small group on Wednesday nights? dinner at your house

We started good Sunday morning.

Thank God at least was not profane. Okay, so what we're thinking about doing a couple things?

And they're not edged in stone yet. One of them is that since we have a small group.

Having Wednesday night be more of a small group setting so you were mentioning having our license back here in the back. I'm actually thinking about doing it out in the foyer of the couches and comfy chairs tables and all that. And then just having more of a small group setting instead of having a strict teaching time. What we would do which I learn from Oak Hill Bible Church when we went down in one of the things that Pastor had started was they already had small groups.

In the will you stop it? You're distracting me your ticket and I know there was a rock down there. I will pick it up and maybe something fell out of his head but Where was I okay? Fortune

What we would do that we would do. my phone is

urine infection

You're like a contagious disease. They don't have power but they know how we have our little know she it on the back of that. She if they had a full size piece of paper on the top add space to write out prayer request. And then at the bottom they had a list of questions based upon that Sunday's sermon. So say you meet Sunday then later in the week. You meet your small group and you would discuss application. Of what was taught that Sunday morning? So I'm thinking about whether or not we decide to really make this a small group I think about doing that anyway. And so we could really just build off what we did the previous Sunday talk about how it how it applies our life spend some time in prayer and doing that. Okay. Well, you know what? I'm just going to just leave leave it that way. That's what I'm probably going to start do it, depending on where we end tonight. We may started next week. You have a mischievous look on your face, and I don't trust you right now. So.

I'm not sure he wants to come. I know he's looking like I don't think these people will he won't be

Oh, okay. Well, but with him, you'll have to work on keeping him away or actually not keeping him. We're still looking at the millennial views of the Rapture. Okay. So yeah, he's already frayed family. You slept since then.

All right. So you remember this? This is the partial Rapture Theory which basically has no basically it has no. Scriptural Foundation there was one verse in Hebrews. I don't even recall what it what it was. But basically if you recall the partial Rapture says that when the Rapture occurs at the end of the church age only the spiritual mature Christians will be raptured carnal Christians worldly. Christians will have to go through the tribulation makes absolutely no sense. But I remember hearing that when I was a child, I remember that buy some I'm not saying my church taught it but there was something what part of forgiveness is for what that's a good question for now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. So what part of forgiveness doesn't apply to them?

Purgatory, okay, the second one that we we actually really took some time to look at this is no we didn't we didn't take a lot of time to look at this because the mid-trib Rapture, you know, it's been so long. I don't remember what we looked at. Let's be honest. I can't remember where we've been not sure where we're going. But anyway, the mid tribulation Rapture is that the Rapture is going to occur the middle of the tribulation. So the Believers will have to endure that first half of the tribulation because they say that the first half is not the wrath of God. Okay. I beg to differ if you go actually read the book of Revelation. Actually, if you read the Old Testament upon which The Book of Revelation is built that whole entire. Of Revelation applies only to Israel and the enemies of God. We are not the enemies of God nor are we in this view just doesn't hold water and then the other view that we looked at the post trip raft review where the Rapture obviously occurs at the end of the tribulation. So whether you're a spiritual Christian or Christian you go through the tribulation. Okay, we did. I know I'm remembering correctly. We did spend some time on this one.

Yes. Yes. It's basically as he comes to Earth. So again this year we go up and make a u-turn. So tonight we want to quickly look at the pre-tribulation Rapture and it's how we're going to do this. I got a new book a few months ago a guy that I actually used to know.

I think he's still. Is the editor of tyndale's dispensational theological Journal book out called when it's dealing with the timing of the Rapture in a lot of this information I either got from his book or from a doctor ryrie or one other book a kitten or which one but tonight we're looking at tonight. If it's not for me, it's from that book. So look at the pre-trib Rapture going to do it by really just examining a few verses of scripture are there are as I read through his book. He really opened my eyes to the fact that you're a lot more passages dealing with the Rapture then then we've we've recognized in the past there some patch of passages that deal with the Rapture that we may have overlooked and not really seen their significance. I will not going to be able to deal with those tonight, but I am going to point them out to you and let you you can go read them and you can see What he's talking about, he spends three chapters. I dealing with the pre-trib Rapture View and the vast majority of those three chapters are dealing actually with the scripture that he said he believes point us to the Rapture. It's okay. So again, the pre-trib Rapture is that is going to occur before the tribulation. That's why it's free trip of the 7 year tribulation. That's what pre-tribulation ISM peaches or the pre-trib Rapture. The Rapture will result in Church saints receiving glorified bodies the living through translation and the deceased the resurrection and forever being with the Lord Jesus Christ. Okay, and then

Seated presented like this before. I'm sure everybody I've ever read probably does and I just didn't recognize it but he put this chart together if he shows the different Focus for each section of scripture. So obviously the Hebrew Bible the focus their dealing with the rate of Christ is the millennial Reign. Okay as the ruler and David S is I don't know if we call of the coal region or the prince or whatever the Gospels.

To establish that Millennial Kingdom the millennial Reign okay with John but John is the only gospel that present a specific passage dealing with the Rapture of the church is the rapture of the church. And then Revelation is you can almost call it an Old Testament book. It's not for say would you almost could because I forget the number but in order to understand the Book of Revelation, you have to know the Old Testament because there are so many direct quotations or Illusions to Old Testament passages and so regulations dealing with the tribulation or better said it's dealing with the 70th week of Daniel. All the time as is a Ezekiel or Jeremiah the time of Jacob's trouble. Okay, dealing with the 70th week of Daniel. God has given has repaid his real 469 weeks for their Rebellion guys, but there's one week left at 70th week or a series of 7 years. All right, so that gives us an overview of the eschatological focus of each section of the Bible. Alright. Alright. So like I said, the only mention of the Rapture in the gospels is in John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3. You can turn their if you want to do I'm going to bring it up here on the on the wall so you can see it, but you can be trouble don't know let's stop for just a moment. We go too far. and

let's look at the setting here. Can you buy tell me what the setting is here?

Go to chapter 13. again No, John, John 13:1 tells us what the setting is. Now before the Feast of the Passover Jesus knowing that is our head come that he would Depart of this world to the father having loved his own who were in the world. He loved them to the end during supper the devil having already put Into the Heart of Jesus Iscariot, Judas Iscariot set timer to betray him Jesus knowing that the father giving all things in his hands and that he had come forth from God and was going back to God got up from supper and laid beside his garments taking a Towhee girded himself. And this is where he washes her feet now something that it just struck me what happened to Jesus. Okay, we know that physically he died, but where did you go? While his body was lying in the gym.

Well, you may be correct. Okay, I'm going to give you that you may be correct. But here it tells us that he was going back to the father. So the question is, you know, everybody says will Jesus went to hell. I believe it's probably the least it's blasphemy at the most it's heretical.

I got all I never gotten up and left.

I never gotten so upset with someone preaching or teaching that I actually got up and left except one year and a youth camp where I was actually teaching one of the breakout teachers at this use camp and they had this big nationally-known at the time. I don't know who is Big nationally-known youth pastor was teaching at this camp and he taught them that Jesus went to hell when he died and I got so angry I got up and left cuz I just said just made me so mad but theology 101 almost.

It does say he actually says he's sending it to hell then say he's okay.

Oh the ragamuffins. Yeah. I have my theories on that on him, but I'm going to leave that one alone for Further speculation anyway, so this says that he knew that he was about to go back to back into heaven that may be what this for referring to but I think we have to leave open the possibility that I don't see any problem with that matter fact, where else is he going to go? I mean, I guess his spiritually he could have

It's a rabbit Trail didn't mean to take anyway, so we see that it's the it's the it's the Passover dinner is the last supper if you will the night before his crucifixion. That's the setting he's trying to explain to his disciples that he's about to be gone. He's about to die. All right, so when we get over to chapter 14 He says this do not let your heart be troubled believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many Dwelling Places if it were not so I would have told you for I go to prepare a place for you if I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there. You may be also So let's look at a few things real quick. First of all Colossians 1 24 through 27. Tell us that the church was a mystery. Okay. So Colossians, he says now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake and my flesh. We're not leaving John is the mystery. I rejoice in my sufferings for you and is in my flesh. I do my share of a half of his body, which is the church in filling up. What is lacking in Christ's afflictions of this church. I was made a minister according to the stewardship from God bestowed on me for your benefit. So that I might fulfill or she might fully carry out the preaching of the word of God that is the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but it's now been made manifest to his Saints to whom God will to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you the hope of glory. Okay. So this is referring to the Gentiles being included in in included in this new relationship with Israel's Messiah. So it's not just the Jews but it's the Gentiles and it is a reflection of the mystery of the church, okay. The church is not found in the Old Testament. Let me

imma jump, jump ahead here real quick. What is the definition of a mystery or bugaki gives us a simple definition of Truth and had not been previously revealed by God. Okay, so the church itself. was a mystery God has not revealed this this this idea of the church in the Old Testament. The closest we can get is the promise of Abraham that he would be a blessing to all the nations but that's not the same as revealing the truth. The church was mystery in that. It would be a new entity that included both Jew and Gentile in the same body.

So the church was a mystery their forces the church was a mystery guess what else is a mystery?

Take a guess.

We have the church is the mystery there for logically. The Rapture of the church is a mystery that we see that we've dealt with that. We went through 1st Corinthians behold. I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. I will ask my wife at this point. You know how much I loved your father. I still don't understand why he read this passage of scripture. In our wedding, did you ever catch that I never did catch that. I didn't know why you were at our wedding. Hoping I would be changed.

I don't know anyway.

Remind me never to do this again. All right, so we will all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound in the dead will be raised in perishable and we will be changed for this perishable must put on the imperishable in this Mortal must put on immortality, but when this perishable and this Mortal will I put on immortality then we'll come about the saying that is written death is swallowed up in Victory. All right, so we see that the church itself was the fact that the church would be changed also a mystery and so dealing with this passage. The very famous well-known commentator Albert Barnes who himself is an omelet nihilist. He doesn't believe that there will be a literal physical King movie says the word hear mystery that is in 1st Corinthians. Does not mean anything which was in its nature in unintelligible, but that to which to them had been hitherto unknown. So now you're just not a mystery like how do caterpillars turn into butterflies. Not that kind of mystery something before no one has ever known about it except for God himself.

And so I believe this is bugaki. He says it's the mystery of 1st Corinthians 15 is that some of the Church saints would not die but all will receive glorified bodies either by resurrection of the dead or translation of the living. The resurrection of First Corinthians was believed to be imminent.

No, this is him at me. If this is me there no quotation marks still be alive for the Glorious appearing and there are several passages that that allude to this nothing that I know of that actually comes right up at 12 actually be appalled never would have said that he knew for sure that he would still be here. But he thought that that Rapture of the church could have happened at any moment or instance in 1st Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 10. Paul says what kind of reception we had with you and how you turn to God for miles to serve a living a true God and to wait for his son from Heaven whom he is Ray who me raised from the dead. That is Jesus who rescued us from the Wrath to come. You just from the raft account Rapture. But what was the point is here that he says that that generation 1st Thessalonians generation was saved in one of the things that they were to do was to wait for his son from Heaven who would rescue us from the Wrath to come so there is an illusion here to the fact that they did not know when it would return but he could return very soon any moment. You can go to chapter 4 and 15 for this we say. For this we say to you. By the word of the Lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep and noticed. He says we who are alive and remain Hall was not saying I know that I'm going to be here when the Lord returns, but he held out that hope he held out that possibility that even he could still be alive with the Lord return to receive the Church of himself.

then in Titus

another place. I was never coming. I guess I just glanced over or just never pay. Attention. Titus Chapter 2 11 through 13 bosses for the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men.

That's an interesting phrase in itself bringing salvation to all men.

I'm going to leave it alone as much as I want to be with it. I'm going to bring Salvation and godly in the present age looking for the Blessed hope in the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ there a lot in these vs. This reveals that even the early church Jesus Christ as God and savior. They saw him as God this idea of Christ has, he's brought salvation to all men not that all men would be saved but it is available. In other words. It's not limited atonement. It's atonement that was sufficient for all. Anyway, but that what we're looking at here is the fact that they were to be looking presently at that time watching waiting looking for the return of Jesus. Christ. Scripture is really although these are I don't I don't I think they're more than simply Illusions or why but I don't know that we could just come right out and say they're just right fold statements, but it sure seems that way to me that they were they were pretty straightforward come at any moment. Maybe waffle mix and like I'm waffling a little bit there. But anyway and you can see a couple other passages here so bug off he goes on and says then it must be stated that the doctor of the resurrection of the body is not a mystery yet. That's not what the mystery was since it was taught in the Old Testament. The mystery truth. Is that not all Church saints? Experience physical death the resurrection of translation occurring for some still living is a mystery previously on now. So one of the arguments against this idea that what 1st Corinthians 15 is teaching is that that mystery is the rapture of the church is to say well the mystery was the resurrection of the body but that cannot be because it's there are several passages in the Old Testament that tell us that they believe that they would be resurrected and resurrected physically not some spiritual State and so are their passages and I've already said they were but are there passages in the Hebrew Bible that teach the resurrection of the body and there are at he pointed to jove Chapter 14 verse 14 jokes, as if a man dies will he live again all the days of my struggle? I will wait until my until my change comes. You will call and I will answer you you will long for the work of your hands. So he's changes referring to being changed to be presented into the presence of God because God himself will long for the work this creation. God will God never intended for all mankind to eternally be separated from him. He always knew that he was going to preserve some to be his special.

possession including Israel and all who believe in Christ

Job 19, he says this as for me, I know that my redeemer lives in at the last he will take a stand on the earth even after my skin is destroyed yet from my flesh. I shall see you go. So he understood he believed that okay. I'm going to die someday. My flesh is going to rot. But God in the future is going to take a stand on that time. I will be with him. I will be resurrected and that's where his idea of the change comes and goes on a verse 27 whom I myself Shall Behold and who my eyes will see and not another my heart faints within me. So his understanding of this great truth overwhelmed David got in on the ACT in Psalm 73 verse 24 with your Council. You will guide me and afterward receive me to Glory other words. He knew that he Going to someday stand face-to-face with God. Go back to John chapter 14 verses 1 through 3.

Yeah, he says that he says he says I can't he says he can't he can't come to me but I can go to him. So David believe that he would see his baby son in the future. So that's one of the verses that that we look to when people say well what about infants or young children who died and I had a friend of mine that years ago and he's one of those guys but he's one of those guys really smart single. So he's got a lot of time on his hands to and all he does is read and study and he presented his view somebody asked him his view on what happens to babies when they and gave this long convoluted answer that. I never understood until he got to the point where he said it's not because the baby's deserve. Go to Heavens there no more pure and sinless than anybody else is because God chooses to overlook. They can obviously can't make a decision on their own to accept Messiah. He receives them. Just like I believe those who are mentally incapacitated a newborn, baby.

That's a whole nother teaching. So again, what did Jesus say do not let your heart be troubled believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many Dwelling Places if it were not so I would have told you before I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also so we have at least three things going on here, probably more but just in general I have these three things first. There's the directive that Jesus gives his disciples were trouble and his teaching and so Jesus washes disciples to trust him in the same fashion that they trusted God the father because his words and actions were from gum. He said I only speak but my father tells me it's because I only do what my father tells me do. So you trust me like you would trust God the father. So that's directed that he gives it and then you give them this promise actually really gives them to promises. Well, I guess just the one but anyway, the promise is although he would sue the part from them. He did. So in order to prepare a place for them and his father's house in the long with that promise was that and that's where the Comfort comes in once he has prepared that place for them places for them. He would come back and receive them to himself now several other theologians have done some great teachings on this passage and the fact that it is a perfect example of the East near Eastern wedding ceremony for wedding. specifically it Israel at the time, of course there would be the betrothal right and if you go back to

Genesis where God is about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah and lot is rushing around trying to get his they call up that he calls his sons-in-law but yet when you read on you find that they are not actually yet been married. As far as as far as this sons-in-law taking the bride's from Lots house, they still live with him. But the sons of all live somewhere else and yet they were considered is the betrothal. So, apparently the way things work is that the husband-to-be they would be betrothed and it was a legal Arrangement so that if they decided that the marriage would not be consummated. They would have to have a divorce even though they had never actually gone through the consummation of the marriage. So the husband would go return to the father's house. and you know today we want to boot are kids out when they're grown and they go live somewhere else back then in the East was as much as the family could afford and so the husband-to-be would go and he prepare a place for him his bride and then at some point I'm at now see would return and and and we can see this picture in the Matthew 25 where where Jesus teaches about the prepared and waiting for the groom to come and call to his bride and the bride would come out of her father's house to meet the bridegroom. He wouldn't go all the way to do the father's house. He would go a certain distance from and would send a messenger or call her some form or fashion and she would come out to meet him and they would go pee up cell phone. Yes. Thanks. It was a pineapple living place was it? So this is the picture that's being drawn here and it was him bring comfort. Going back to John. 1 2 3 Jesus, I mean

the way is any of that time? You know, you're what?

Christendom is a word that means all of That all that represents itself is Christianity. So we just terminology clarification.

apparently I mean if you go back to Joe go back to David we can see that that in the Hebrew scheme of things. They understood that there would be a time where we're Believers would be United or at least in the presence of God. So I'm assuming that he is is building off of that knowledge. He knows that they are because they're Hebrews. They were raised in that tradition. They know that and so he simply saying, you know where I'm going actually says and you know the way where I'm going now that that's a little bit different than you know where I'm going and I don't know that I can answer that. But anyway, I know that at least I believe that he was building off of their understanding that at some point. They would be in the presence of God if they were Faithful is Jewish belief. So they believed in the promises of the Old Testament. That's why they ask so so they understood that A couple things to point out from here if post-tribulation ism is true. Then Believers will not enter the father's house since they returned to Earth with Christ as he descended from heaven. So ji sub, Jesus was he mistaken The Father's House Somehow Here on the earth. And that's the second point premillennialism is the earth in the millennial Kingdom. Jesus is currently the dwelling place, which is likely the New Jerusalem and will be the future and eternal Dwelling Place of the redeemed. I'm not saying that I don't know. I don't remember ever hearing that the dwelling place that Jesus is preparing is the New Jerusalem could be maybe not however, I think among the people that I know and have read the universal understanding is that what Jesus comes back that the host of Heaven to come with him include us the bride of Christ or the body of Christ returning with him as he defeats the enemy Millennial Reign is going on how ever I as always. It's hard to believe believe that scripture being here ruling and reigning with Christ during the millennial reign. Now when the New Jerusalem does descend from having it may be that that's where we at. That's the position. We will occupies in the New Jerusalem.

In Revelation, what is the chapter 22 I think or maybe 21 and I know I'm not going to find it right now, but I'm turn back there. Anyway, 20 21 22 somewhere in there.

Jesus says or an angel. I can't remember if it's Jesus or an angel. Who says let you know, I'm going to show you the bride of Christ. Oh, where is it?

Going to be 21 or 22?

Maybe not. Maybe it's before that.

Okay, what is 9 of 21 then one of the Seven Angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me saying come here. I will show you the bride the wife of the land and he carried me away in the spirit to a grade in high mountain and showed me the Holy City Jerusalem coming down out of Heaven from God. And the rest of the year of the next several versus at least.

Talk about the glory of the New Jerusalem.

So what's your point while the point is that we say that the church is the bride of Christ in the universe in chapter 21 when he says let me show you the Bride of the land. He presents the New Jerusalem. Interested. I'm not sure what to do with that. But I just thought it was interesting.

Alright, so one last slide here. We have here some other Rapture passages. as a matter of fact in his book, but gaulke goes through every chapter of 1st Thessalonians and it shows how every chapter 1st Thessalonians deals with the Rapture of the church where has all my life the focus has been on 1st Thessalonians 4 because it's a clear presentation of the Rapture of the church and yet as he walks through those four of those five chapters of every chapter alludes to or somehow describes the Rapture of the church. I just thought that was fascinating. And of course 2nd Thessalonians also deals with the Rapture of the Church of complacent. So there we are that is. At least 4 tonight will wrap up this discussion of the Rapture of the church. We may revisit it. We may go back next week or we met

he's going to bring a pillow.

Ephesians that I'm here

Ephesians what now for 8:30 at okay, even if he's just bored and are therefore it says he is when he ascended on high heat LED captive a host of captives and he gave gifts to men. Now this expression he ascended what does it mean except that he also had descended into the lower parts of the earth. He who descended is himself. Also, he was sending or Above All The Heavens so that he might feel all things. So your question is with what does it mean he descended into the lower part of it refers to his burial.

It's a simply it's just simply a reference to his burial. I know other people like to make a lot out of that but who's to say that Hades or Hell or any other place of work that are held judgment is in the center of the earth. And that's the terminology that is used throughout the Bible's the lower places and things like that, but it's only because

it's it's the contrast with Heaven saying they didn't know until now I believe it's simply the place where they lost their because

1894 Chrysler also died for sins once for all the just for the unjust they might bring us to God having been put to death in the flesh, but may live in the spirit in which also he went and made a proclamation to the spirits. Now in prison. I can't remember how we dealt with it when we went through 1st Peter and that's what I thought this past weekend. So it what it makes it what it sounds like is that and here's this is my view right or wrong. This is my view you go back to the some people call it a parable. I think it might be more of a historically accurate account of Lazarus and the rich man. The scene is what Lazarus is in Abraham's bosom. The rich man is in torment already in torment speaking of flames already. Okay going to make too much of that but it seems like if nothing else that separation from God our creator is heightened to an unbearable degree. in their situation guy So my view is that this verse is speaking of while Christ died. You know, did you send to the father or what? I will say this I believe that this verse speaks of the fact that he went to those dad Saints Old Testament Saints and Proclaim freedom to them. And so when Jesus is hanging on the cross, what did he say to the the thief on the cross today? You will be with me and Hades. Paradise right. I believe he went and took them to Paradise wherever that is. I remember talking to my 9th grade civics teacher and minister. And I thought I would stop it was okay. So if you have to be baptized to be saved, what about the thief on the cross Jesus said wherever you'll be with me, and I said, well, I looked him I said well if Jesus is there that's where I want to be.

Yes, it was.

Anything else and believe me. These are questions I struggle with and I still don't know if I have a solid answer for if I find out that I'm wrong.