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Welcome to Bibleline with Dr. Ralph Yankee Arnold, pastor of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida. Clearly declaring the gospel of Jesus Christ through the radio and the internet. Your regular prayers and monthly support make it possible for Bibleline to continue on the air. You can reach us toll free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made through the Bibleline website at calvaryoftampa.org. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s message will be a blessing to you and your family.

I want you to take your Bible and turn to the book of Matthew chapter 25. Matthew chapter 25. The Bible tells us that we are living where many great events are going to take place. Who are the best basketball players of all time? Who’s the greatest gopher of all time? Who’s the greatest sprinter of all time? And all and on and on. One of the greatest events that ever took place. That’s never happened again. And that was for the garden of Eden.

You stop and think. Wouldn’t you like to have lived there? Wouldn’t you like to have been that couple that lived in the garden of Eden and everything was wonderful? You know that Adam lived to be 950 years. That’s a long time to live. Sometimes we’re trying to squeeze out 50 years or 60 years or seven years. Well, what about the flood? There’s never been one like that flood. Never been a story quite like that story. Mankind has never had given to them any greater set of laws by which to live by than the laws that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai.

There’s never been any nation come up with better laws for society than what was already given. One of the greatest events that ever took place. When you talk about the cross of Jesus Christ, history, history, everything before Christ or after Christ, one of the greatest events of all time, almost everybody in the world has heard about that baby that was born and that man that died on a lonely hill on dog author in Israel two thousand years ago. When you died you think that many people will know about you?

You may live twice as long as that one man, but not one event of all time has equal that event. Why? Because he came back from the dead. These are some of the greatest events of all time. The Bible says that there’s going to be another great event that’s coming. That event is talking about the rapture. The rapture is where Jesus Christ will take us out of this world. What an event. It’s never happened before. It’ll never happen again.

But one of the greatest events of all time, and you and I are living at a time when that could take place. You see, I get more excited about these kinds of things than the things that happens upon the earth. The Bible says that there’s going to be a tribulation puret upon the earth, seven years long. There’s never been a time like it before and never will be one afterwards. Greatest event, one a great event, but it’s going to be a terrible time because it’s going to be without God’s restraints upon the earth.

And man will be free to do whatever he wants to do to whatever degree he wants to do it. And then the Bible says that Jesus Christ is coming back in power and great glory. What an event people have heard about this all their life. All the way down through the centuries, people have heard about Christ returning to the earth in power, great glory, and are going to set up a kingdom upon the earth. These are some of the greatest events of all time.

In the book of Matthew chapter 25, look at the beginning of one of these great events in verse 31. When the son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy angels with him, then shall he set upon the throne of his glory. Remember he’s coming to set up a kingdom like he came this first time, but he was rejected. He was crucified. The kingdom was postponed, but the king is coming back and the king is going to set up his kingdom just like he promised.

Then he says, and before him shall he gather all nations and he shall separate them one from another. So God says at the end of the tribulation period, And yet there will be a multitude of people that will be alive at the end of the tribulation period. And they’re going to stand before the judge that sits upon this throne, King Jesus, upon the earth. And it’s going to determine those who get to go into the kingdom. And those who are cast into the lake of fire.

What a judgment. Called the judgment of the nations. and those who have trusted Christ as their Savior are going to go into this kingdom that God is going to set up. Look in verse 34, then shall the king say unto them on the right hand, come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. In other words this is the consummation of a plan that God began before he ever started the world.

You You see, because God knew what Satan would do, and God knew what Adam and Eve would do, and God knew down through time what all of us would do, and God had already planned a plan of salvation before the foundations of the world. And this is that period of time where he says, enter out into the joys of the Lord. And he says that they will come from the east and the west and talk about the Old Testament Saints in the book of Matthew in chapter 8.

And we will see these Old Testament saints in this kingdom. But this is a great event when Christ returns. Now I want you to take your Bible look there in the book of Zechariah 14. It’s on page 978 in an Old Schofield Reference Bible. We know that Christ is going to come back in power and great glory to the earth. And it’s not far away. The minimum time period would be seven years. That’s the least that it can be.

It could be longer, but it can’t be any shorter than that. Because when the raptor takes place, when Christ comes and takes us out of this world, there will be seven years of tribulation upon the earth, then Christ’s returning in power and great glory to the earth. Now notice what he says there in verse three. In the Lord shall go forth and fight against those nations.” That’s when he fought in the day of battle. See, there’s going to be a judgment of the nations when Christ returns, but when He returns, the nations of the world are going to gather themselves to gather to battle against the Lord.

In other words, they will be able to see Christ coming in heaven. And yes, one day, people from another world are going to invade this world. I’ll just wait for God’s time. Here in Zechariah chapter 14, he says there in verse 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 clean in the mist thereof toward the east and toward the west. And there’ll be a very great valley, and half of the mountain shall remove toward the south or north and half of it toward the south.

This has not yet taken place. That’s a prophecy. The Bible says this is going to take place when Christ returns in power in great glory with His angels and in Revelation 19 with the saints, and we will come back with Christ. His feet will touch upon the Mount of Olives, and it will divide. Part toward the north, part toward the south. And the Lord says, there’ll be a great earthquake in that day. You can see why. And then He makes a statement there in verse 12.

Look in verse 12. And this shall be the plague where would the Lord will smite all the people that are fought against Jerusalem. Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet. And their eyes shall consume away in their hold and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth. This is going to take place toward the end of the tribulation period. Some kind of a tremendous war battle that takes place where men’s flesh will come off their bones.

So this is descriptive of a battle that will take place when God will gather together all these nations. Now, look in Zechariah chapter 12. Zechariah chapter 12 and look in verse 2. Of course, if this is going to take place, it means that Israel, Jerusalem, must be a troublesome spot in order for the nations of the world to turn against Israel. Now, remember this, in verse 2, the Bible tells us, he says, Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling under all the people round the bow when they shall be in the seed both against Judah and against Jerusalem.

God says that the day will come, talking about in the future, and this was written almost 500 years before Christ. So this was written 2500 years in advance. This is when Israel has been out of the land for 2,000 years and now Israel is back. And Israel today is a burdensome stone to all the nations of the world. Even our President tries to figure out how to keep peace in the Middle East. All the nations in Europe, all of the nations of the world are concerned about what happens with that little old bitty tiny nation the size of Rhode Island.

Isn’t that amazing? And yet the Bible says that this is going to take place, and it will. Take your Bible and turn there to the book of Revelation. And chapter 14. The Bible tells us, and I look and behold a white cloud. And upon the cloud one set light unto the Son of Man, having on his head a sharp or a golden crown and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple crying with a loud voice to him that said on the cloud, thrust in thy sickle and reap.

For the time is come for the to reap, for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he that set on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth and the earth was reaped. And another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven. He also had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar which had power over fire and cried with a loud voice. The hymn that had the sharp sickle saying, thrust in thy sharp sickle, gather the clusters of the vine of the year for her grapes are fully ripe and the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth and gather the vine of the earth and cast it upon or into the great winepress of the wrath of God and the wine press was trod without the city and blood came out of the winepress even until the horses brought them by the space of a thousand and six hundred for

So the Bible says this. In the plains of Maguero, the Bible says that the blood will be as high as the horses bridle. The sign that they have in the plains, and I’ve seen it five times that I’ve been there, that there is going to be, and they quote the the scripture that’s found here in the book of Revelation, in the nation of Israel, they’ve got a sign then. This is where the battle of Armageddon is supposed to take place, prophesied in scripture, and they got it there.

This is where the last world battle is going to take place. The greatest of all time. In this plane, the Bible says that it’s like a bull, and God says the harvest is ripe. So he sins forth the angels with sharp sickles to cut down the vines and bring them clusters of grapes into this great big bowl. Well this clusters of great refers to people from all over the world and nations that will come together for this great last battle.

And though the people think they’re doing it. It is God behind the scenes through His angels that’s bringing them there and drawing them to this one place on the face of this earth. And in this one great big valley, God’s going to bring them from the north to the south of the west and bring them into this great big valley, the nations of the world. Now I want you to take your Bible look in Mark chapter 4, the book of Mark and chapter 4.

There are prophecies that God has given at the beginning of His ministry, telling some of the things that we’re going to take place. You’ll notice they’re in Mark chapter 4, look in verse 26, and He says, so is the the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground, and should sleep and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, and after that the full corn in the ear.

But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he put it in the sickle because the harvest is come. God uses the understanding of sowing seeds and a harvest to help us understand you and I are sowing seeds and there’s gonna be a harvest. The Bible says Christ is like a kernel of corn. And unless it died, it abideth alone. So Christ died, was planted, came back from the dead. And now you and I are the kernels that make up a full ear of corn.

There are those of us who have trusted Christ as our Savior. If you have your wheat, if you’re lost, you’re tears. So when you trust Christ as your Savior, you have eternal life. You’re God’s child. You’re going to heaven when you die. But you see, only God can see the heart of man to know who has and who has not really believed in Jesus Christ. I believe that most of you have trusted Christ as your Savior. But who am I?

What do I know? As far as you know, maybe I am. That’s why the Bible says, God’s a let it alone. When He comes back at the end of the tribulation period, He’ll gather all the people in the world together and He’s going to separate the sheep from the goats. The sheep will go into the kingdom and the goats will be cast and they everlasting fire. The Bible says they’ll be burned. But here in Matthew it makes the statement in verse 27 of chapter 13, so the servants of household came and said to him, Sir, this is not thou so good seed in thy field.

From Winston hath it tears, and he said to them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Will thou then that we go and gather them up? But he says, Nay, lest that why ye gather up the tears, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest. Isn’t that what’s going on? Are not we living at the same time? Well, there’s believers and unbelievers. God’s people and the devil’s people saved and lost believers and unbelievers all living at the same time and Sometimes we can’t tell the difference between but God knows the Bible says God knoweth his children He knoweth them that are saved the Bible says sometimes you may not even be sure that you Really saved even after you have been saved because you can have questions and down But the Bible says we have this security

having this foundation, the Lord knoweth them that are His. So when I trusted Christ as my Savior, born into God’s family, God knows me. He knows my name has been recorded in the Lamb’s book of life. I may have questions and I may have doubts, but He has none. I’m still just as safe and just as secure because it’s based upon His power and not my power. He has the power to save you and the power to keep you saved.

You didn’t save you and you don’t keep yourself saved. And yes, I believe that once saved, always saved. Now notice what he says here in verse 30, let both grow together until the harvest and in the time of harvest, I will say to the reapers, gather ye together, first the tears, bind them in bundles to do what? To burn them. But gather the wheat into my barn. Who said this? Jesus Christ. Christ is coming back again. Now go back to the book of Matthew and chapter 25.

Matthew chapter 25. And when he makes the statement, he says, enter thou into the kingdom, blessed of my Father, that was prepared for you from the foundations of the world. And now I want you to notice what he says up there in verse 41. In verse 41 he says, then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, those who do not believe, depart from me ye cursed into what? Ever lasting fire. Prepare for the devil and his angels.

God made that for the devil and his angel that people reject the Lord, they reject heaven, they reject salvation. And so the Bible says there is found no place for them. So they made their choice, they rebelled and God says, This is where they will spend all eternity. And he says, and the smoke of their torment ascended up forever and ever. You see why people need to be saved? You see why it’s so important and that we’re running out of time.

And even though some of this was recorded 2500 years ago, we’re only a few years away from all of this culminating for the greatest event of all history, of all time. Now notice what he says down in verse 46. And these shall go away into temporary punishment.” Is that what your Bible says? Everlasting punishment. But the righteous. That’s those who have trusted Christ as their Savior. You see, you’re not righteous because of what you did. You have been made righteous, declared righteous, because you accepted a payment Jesus Christ made for you.

See, eternal life isn’t something you earn or work for. Eternal life is a gift. But to go to heaven you have to be righteous just as if you never sinned That’s why Christ took all the sin upon himself paid for the sins of the whole world and If you accept what he did for you he puts that payment to your account and you go to heaven on what Christ did for you Salvation is free. It’s the gift of God and you have been declared righteous Because of what Christ did not what you do, but the righteous did this The righteous into light eternal means that you get to go to be with the Lord for all eternity.

And the Bible says, and therefore comfort one another with these words, because you’ll never be separated from the Lord. Now take your Bible and go back to the book of Revelation. And look there now in chapter 16 of the book of Revelation. He says in verse 13, and I saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false product. These three in the tribulation period are going to do what Christ did when He came.

There was the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit. In the tribulation period there is Satan, the dragon, and the beast, which is the anti-Christ of the political system upon the year, and the false prophet, which is the head of the religious system that will take place. So there will be a one world government, a one world religion all under the head of the devil himself during the tribulation period. This is the unholy trinity. And notice what he says, for they are the spirits of devils and remember they catch their enemy and deceive by the tongue.

That’s how a frog catches its prey by the tongue like frogs. In verse 14, but they are the spirits of devils working miracles which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world. Remember, there is a gigantic subtle plan that is being worked out. Though mankind doesn’t see this diabolical scheme, he’s yet in the very midst of it. He’s been manipulated. He’s been deceived, but he doesn’t know what’s going on and they’re like animals being used by a higher power for destruction.

That’s why unless you serve God and know truth, you will follow air. So he makes the statement in the middle part of verse 14, which goes forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty. So the Bible says that they are going to be getting all the nations of the world to come against Jerusalem and they happen to go into that very valley and not only there to fight against Israel and all that.

This is at the end of the tribulation period. This is because they see something. Now look at one of the verse before we look in Matthew again. Verse 16, and he gathered them into a place called in the Hebrew tongue. What’s the word? Armageddon. Everybody even lost people. The news media have heard of Armageddon. They’ve heard of Armageddon. It’s in the Bible. It’s the last great battle that’s going to be fought. And then Bible says in the last days, the reason that’s will happen is because the nations of the world are going to turn against Israel.

and they’re almost there now. Turn it against them. Their only security right now is because of America. There’s people in America that don’t like Israel and yet you and I as Christians have been admonished by the Word of God, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. We’ve been told to pray for Israel, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. We’re to try to do everything Then we can to help and encourage and pray for Israel because it’s a sense the wicked are not going to.

As you look at some of these verses and you hear these things, this is a terrible thing that’s going to take place upon this earth. Now I wanted you to take your Bible and turn now to the book of Matthew chapter 24. Matthew and chapter 24. Matthew 24 and notice there in verse 27. This is when Christ returns to the earth. Seven years after the raptor has taken place. The raptor is a snatching away where God takes us out.

But notice in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 27, 4 as the lightning cometh out of the east. And shyneth even unto the west, So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. It will not be. A all of a sudden thing. It will not be where nobody sees it happening. it says, and shine it even unto it. So shall also the coming of the sentiment be there are going to be people that will see Christ coming to the earth before he gets to the earth.”

Now, notice. In verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, the moon shall not give her life, the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heaven shall be shaken. This is when Christ is coming back. His armies are with him, the angels are with him. You and I will be coming back with him.” And then he makes the statement in verse 30 and then… Shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.

And then all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see, you ought to underline those three, the word they shall see the Son of Man coming. Now, almost like he appears, they’ll see him coming and prepare, I believe, to meet him because they know where he’s coming. And the devil is getting all of the nations of the earth together and dragging him over there, but God says he simply uses the devil. He uses the wicked demons and he uses the rebellion of people to accomplish his will.

And so while they think they’re coming there to fight against the Lord, God says, I’ve got a great big old bowl prepared for you. And I’ve sent my angel and they’ve cut the vines. And that’s where in Matthew 24 says, and one shall be taken one left. One taken one left. They were taken, not in the rapture. They were taken to the battle of Armageddon. They’re taken into this great big bowl. This is where they’re going to be killed.

This is where the blood is going to be. It has the horses bridled for almost 200 miles. Now, I know what he says. And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Whenever you see the words power, great glory always know that it’s talking about when Christ comes to the earth, not when He comes in the rapture. When Christ comes in the rapture, it’s always immediately suddenly we disappear here and we appear there and the saints are taken out of the world.

This is when He comes with His saints to the earth not to leave but to set up His kingdom. And that’s why He says here in verse 31, “…and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds from one end of heaven to the other. And so God is going to also bring his people together. The judgment of the nations means the judgment upon the Gentiles.

The Bible says that the nation of Israel that have been scattered on all the nations of the earth are going to come together and they will see the one that they crucified and the Bible says they will be born in a day. They’ll trust Jesus Christ as their promised Messiah. That is what the Bible teaches concerning one of the greatest events that will ever take place among this world, the battle of Armageddon. You’ve been listening to Bibleline, a teaching ministry of Calvary Community Church in Tampa, Florida with Dr.

Ralph Arnold. We pray that you were blessed by today’s message. If you have enjoyed our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ, you can reach Bibleline and pledge your support to keep us on the air in your area by dialing toll-free 1-800-576-3771. That’s 1-800-576-3771. If you wish to hear today’s program again or would like to download a free MP3 of today’s or any previous Bibleline program, go to BibleLineMinistries.org and click on the Click on the spinning globe in the upper right corner of our home page.

If you’re in the area, we welcome you to visit us. The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. Our Sunday morning services begin at 1030 and at 6 o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryuptampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline, and now a closing thought from Pastor Arden.

Friends, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Hot up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every prevaling that the Lord is596 coming soon. Just keep looking up.