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We’re going to look at our scripture because we have been discussing discussing some difficult passages. This is a difficult passage that many people have a problem with because of where it’s located. It’s very difficult sometimes to explain this verse. And if you will, they’re in Matthew 24. And look in verse 13. Verse 13. He says, but he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved. If you take that verse out of its context, it’s hard enough to explain in context, but if you take it out of the context, it’s even worse.

But if you look at it, it seems to say that those that endure until the end shall be saved. And of course, you know, every time we see the word being saved, it has to be talking about salvation from hell, and it’s always about the gospel. And so they always have this little ring to it. This is what you have to do in order to be saved, have eternal life, to go to heaven whenever you die. You’ve got to endure to the end.

Let’s just pretend you do. If you do have to endure until the end to be saved, what does that mean? If it’s true, and let’s pretend that that’s what it means. that it’s referring to going to heaven, that this is the kernel of the gospel. This is the truth of the gospel you have to endure until the end. So we always want to find out who it’s talking to, and we should find out endure until the end of what?

And we should find out what does he have to endure? Doesn’t that make sense? I mean if that’s what we have to do. So from this one verse alone taken out, it doesn’t answer any of those questions because you don’t know who it’s talking to. And you don’t know what they have to endure. And to the end of what? Your life? So let’s just pretend that you do have to endure to the end of your life. What it boils down to in the various religions is that you have to do these good works and live live righteously until the very end in order to be saved.

If that is true and you have to wait until you have endured to find out if you’re saved, how could you find out if you’re really saved now? Or could you know for sure you’re going to go to heaven when you die if you have to endure to the end. So the problem comes in is what you don’t really know. We hope, we think, we guess because you see if you have to endure to the end to be saved, you don’t know you’re really going to make it until the end.

Doesn’t that make sense? A little bit of sense? If you’re saved by your works, if you’re saved by enduring. So there’s a whole can of worms here that’s opened up because then nobody will know for sure what do you really have to do to endure? Does it mean enduring all temptations, not yielding to temptation? Does it mean not being fallen or failing in all the testing and trials that you go through? Or what if you do some and not the others?

If you do have to endure how many? All of them perfectly? Or can you miss a few? See, there’s no answers to none of that. In the rest of scripture, there’s nothing that will give you any hints as to how faithful do you really have to be? If you did have to go to church, okay? Which one? If you have to give money, how much? If you have to pray, how long? So what if you do some and not the other?

That means that you could not know where you’re going until you have finished enduring whatever it is that you’re going to endure in order to make it. So therefore, I come to this conclusion. It might not mean that. Maybe it’s talking about something that you’re going to do. talking about something else. And if it is, what is it talking about? Now here in the book of Matthew chapter 24, the disciples had come to Christ, asking some questions. You know, one of these things going to happen.

You know, the destruction of this temple. And, well, what’s going to be the sign of thy coming, the time of the end? So Jesus begins to answer these questions. But I want I want you to see in various scriptures how that when you put them all together, it does pinpoint a time when those that endure unto the end shall be saved. So if you’ll look very quickly there in verse 8, in verse 8 talks about all these are the beginning of sorrows.

15, when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophets, standing in the holy place. You’ve got a problem. The reason is, he had just told them that the temple that they were looking at is going to be destroyed. Now he’s talking to them about a time when there’s going to be a temple built and the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet will stand in the holy place so that means there’s going to be another temple but it’s far off into the future so we know that this period of time that he’s talking about in Matthew in verse 15 chapter 24 when ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet sent in the holy place that’s here during the seven-year tribulation period.

He is back here talking to his disciples. This is 2,000 years ago. That’s a pretty long time ago. So evidently he wasn’t talking about them but who they represented. When ye therefore shall see, well they wouldn’t, because see this is going to happen here in the tribulation period. So we know that verse 15 is the middle of the tribulation period, this seven-year period of time. So in verse 8 when he says, these are the beginning of sorrows. He’s talking about the first three and a half years.

The first three and a half years of the tribulation period is what we kind of see coming up on the scenes now. If you just look in the world and all the things that are going on, things that you know that we are not going to stop. We know the direction that it’s going, we know where it’s all hidden, and we’re not going to be able to prevent it. If I could, I would. But you realize how many people’s minds have got to be changed.

But when you know the Scriptures and you know what the Bible says is going to take place, you can bet your bottom dollar. It’s going to take place. So we have the seven year tribulation period, we have the beginning of sorrows, and he’s talking to the people that are going to be living during this period of time. And there’ll be multitudes of people that will be killed during the tribulation period. So look there with me in verse nine. Verse nine says, then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you.

But wait a minute, they’re going to be all killed. I can’t there be anything else left? Some of them will be killed and some of them will be done this way and everybody’s going to hate you and so forth. But there’s always a remnant, a remnant. Even though they were the sands of the seed, there will be a few. That’s why in Sodom and and Gomorrah, a few, the flood, a few, and doing the tribulation period by the time it is over with, there’ll be a few.

Look what he says in verse 22, and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved. So I believe we’re talking about being physically left alive, that if God does not intervene, it is possible that man can destroy man from the face of the earth. Many people already believe that, that it’s possible. This is probably the only main thing that’s keeping our big nations that has all these warheads from attacking because, well, they can just annihilate each other.

and then the people on Guam would rule the world. But you have here a warning about what’s going to take place, and he says that many will be killed, look there in verse 9, and hated of all nations for my name’s sake. Now if they’re hated of all nations, what nation do you think all these nations are hating? The nation of Israel. Now, think for a moment of all the nations on the face of the earth who is the most hated nation in the world.

And there is nobody like Israel that’s hated. Beside well America’s hated. But I believe that there’s a possibility either America has to drastically change and it probably will change for the worse or be annihilated. Or this country would be great for a last one-world government leader to have control of. Because if you had access to all of the power in America, you could control the world. You realize that? The wrong man that the head of this country could control the world.”

Well, what I want you to see, they’ll be hated in the verse 10, “…then shall many be offended and shall betray one another, hate one another, many false prophets shall arise, deceive many, because iniquity shall abound, and the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” Now I believe up front that there’s a good possibility that he’s talking to those people during this period of time, the nation of Israel.

And though individuals in the nation will be killed, the nation will still be a remnant. There will still be a group of people that will survive all of this persecution, even though the nations of the world may want to annihilate the nation of Israel, God will preserve His people. There will still be a remnant. And those that endure to the end of this period of time will be the seed that begins the Davidic Kingdom upon the earth. So they will be saved to enter into the millennium.

Now that’s just a rough idea at this point. Because I know that it’s not talking about nobody ever has to endure anything in this world or work for his salvation. That’s contrary to all scripture. So I automatically have to rule that out. Because I will not try to interpret a muddy verse with another muddy verse someplace, but try to understand so-called verses that seems to say with a verse like Ephesians 2 8 9 because they cannot contradict Ephesians 2 8 9.

You’re saved by grace, not of works. That verse could not be compatible if we’re talking about salvation of the soul. Therefore I believe it could be talking about the salvation of the body, being delivered, being totally destroyed in verse 22 where it says, except those days be short, no flesh would be left alive or saved. Now what I want you to do is look in verse 32. Now learn a parable of the fig tree. When his branches yet tender, put it forth, lays you know that summer’s nine.

Now here this phrase is used, but it’s also used in several other scriptures. And a few other places, it’s not just the fig tree, but it also adds all trees. Now it’s normal that we take and say, well, Israel is a type of a fig tree. So this fig tree has to be Israel and therefore Israel is the sign that when Israel becomes the nation, all the people that were existed when Israel became a nation will be existing and living when Christ comes back again.

that it sounds good, but there is a possibility that the fig tree that’s mentioned here is a fig tree. A fig tree just might be A fig tree. It’s using it as an example of a fig tree that has leaves. You know that summer’s nigh. And if you see all these things starting to come to pass and you’re living here during this period of time, you’re supposed to know, behold, he’s at the doors and behold your redemption, draweth nigh, lift up your eyes.

The Son of Man is coming. They wanted to know what is the sign of thy coming. And the sign of His coming is whenever the light shines from the east to the west and behold, boom, all of a sudden you’ll see Him coming in power and great glory. Immediately after the tribulation of those days. So there’s a good possibility that the fig tree just means fig tree. It could refer to Israel, but there’s more to it than meets the eye because it’s talking about some other things that’s going to happen during this period of time.

And if you notice there in verse 33, so likewise, when ye shall see all these things, when you see all these things, like a fig tree that brings forth leaves, you know this. And if you see all these things, you’ll know this is near. And so it’s not to me that hard are complicated. And it’s talking about a short period of time because they will not only go through this but they will make it to the end of this.

So there’s a possibility this could be what we’re talking about. Now take your Bible and look in the book of Mark chapter 13. Mark chapter 13. Mark chapter 13, if you’ll notice there in verse 14, verse 14, each one will refer to the same period of time, but they also talk about this one problem, though that endure to the end. And I believe each one maybe gives you just a little bit of an insight here. So in Mark chapter 13, look there first of all in verse 5 where he says, Jesus answering them began to say, take heed lest any man deceive you.

For many shall come in my name saying, I am Christ, shall deceive many. When ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be ye not troubled, for such things must needs be, but the end shall not be yet. So it’s talking about the end of something else that’s going on, and there’s going to be again wars and rumors of wars, but the end is it yet. So if the end is talking about how to get to heaven, then it doesn’t even fit.

It’s talking about something else. In verse 8, for nation shall rise against nation. Now the word nation here is like F-nost from where we get to where ethnic refer to race. Now you listen to the news today and you try to tell me that we don’t have a race problem anymore because everybody just loves everybody. In America, you know, it’s just a melting pot and we’re all one. If you listen to what’s going on, race against race and kingdom, the word bossa leah, Tomat nation against nation.

So it’s not going to get better in the future. here in the book of Mark. Look what he says there in the last part of verse saying, these are the beginning of sorrows. See that’s the same thing we read over the book of Matthew. Now in verse 10, and the gospel must first be published among all nations. It’s going to be published. This is during the seven-year tribulation period. And then in verse 11, but when they shall lead you and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what ye shall speak, neither do ye premeditate.

But whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that’s speaking for it is not ye that speak, but the Holy Ghost. Now the brothers shall betray the brother to death, and the father, the son, and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. Now when we call them to death, you think we’re talking about heaven and hell or maybe physical life. I think whenever you look at it, it’s not talking about those that endure to the end, You get to go to heaven whenever they die because they endured it.

It’s not even this context. It has nothing to do with what the Bible is talking about. And the Bible does not teach that a man has to endure to the end of his life if he wants to be saved. If that’s true, then nobody can know they’re saved until they have actually endured and then they’ll have to be judged upon that. See if salvation is free, if it is by grace, as you can have it now. I don’t deserve it now any more than I will 20 years in the future.

If God ain’t going to give it to me now because, well, because I don’t deserve it, well, I’m not going to deserve it later. But if He’s going to give it to me as a gift and totally free and buy grace, well, He can give it to me now, and in the future shouldn’t take it away because I’m still the dirty rascal I’ve always been. I’m no better in the future than I am now. I’m still me, an old nature.

So when you trust Christ as your Savior, is it possible that God who loves you and can give you eternal life as a gift? Won’t take it away And maybe he’s the one that will keep you saved. I don’t have to keep me saved. He’s gonna keep me saved Who are kept by the power of God? not by the power of man and Look what you see here in verse 13 and ye shall be hated of all men from my name saved But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.”

Now we’ll talk about dead, dead, dead, dying, all that stuff. But those that endure to the end of this time of persecution, another scripture talked about a time or day of judgment. While we’re right here, look in Matthew 10, Matthew 10. And you’ll notice that many of the same things we’re reading About what’s coming in the future is going to a little bit more light shed on these statements in another portion of scripture see there Matthew chapter 10 You’ll notice that he is talking in verse one and when he had called unto him his twelve disciples He gave them power and then he says there in verse five these twelve Jesus sent forth and commanded them saying go not into the way of the Gentiles and and into any city of the Samaritans into you not, but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of

Israel. So what he’s saying here now is he’s talking to his disciples about the nation of Israel. Remember the tribulation period that’s coming upon the earth deals with Israel. And all nations are going to gather against Israel. And in Zechariah chapter 12, and it makes a statement, and he says, for I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the nations of the world. Be like a hot potato.” And so it deals with the nation of Israel. Notice what he says here.

In Matthew in chapter7601, he tells him what to do, to go in all this, and I’m looking verse 15, verily I send you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment than for that city. Now that’s an illustration, but see this tribulation of God is God’s day of judgment, God’s day of wrath upon not only Israel, but upon all the nations that comes against Israel. So that’s going to be a judgment upon the whole world.

And God is going to affect the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, the trees, the grass, the water, the animals, the people, everything. Read Revelation chapter 16, when God pours out His vows upon the earth. All these things are coming. And then He makes this statement down there 291, but beware of men, for they will deliver you up to the councils. They will scourge you in their synagogue. Beware of men. So in this chapter, it’s warning against the people that can bring you harm, but not to fear, not to be afraid.

And so there’s three things that’s mentioned here in Matthew chapter 10 that deals with the subject of be, not afraid of what man can do to you. You see there in Verse 26, fear them not, therefore, there’s nothing covered that shall not be revealed. In verse 28, fear not them which kill the body. Verse 31, fear ye not, for ye are of more value than many sparrows. And if God knows when the sparrow hits the ground, he’s also knowledgeable about his people.

AndParents are going to die during this period of time. WARN And all of those that endureraught to the end of this period of time and to the end are going to be the saved that goes into the millennium. Now, go back there, verse 18. Now, go back there, verse 18. says the things that will happen to you are for you to have an opportunity. They give a testimony. Now, I can take this verse and apply it to my life.

Everything that happens in your life. The good and the so-called bad are opportunities for you and I. They give a testimony. We don’t just give testimonies when everything’s going good. We give a testimony even when things go bad because even when things don’t go good, you’re still testifying by your attitude. The words you say, the mood you’re in, all those things are speaking and saying what you believe about God. So that’s why we have to be very careful. But He says here in verse 18 for a testimony against them and get what else He says here and the Gentiles.

So what we read in Matthew 24 and also there in the book of Mark 13 and here is It’s all talking about the period of time that is ahead of us, and it’s talking about enduring to the end, and talking about physical life, I believe. Now, notice something else in verse 19. But they deliver you up, take no thought, how or what ye shall speak, for it shall be given to you in that same hour what ye shall speak.

We read that just a while ago in another portion of scripture. In verse 20, for it is not ye that speak, but the spirit of your Father, which is in spigot in you. Now get verse 21, and the brother shall deliver up the brother to death. The child or the father, the child, the children shall rise up against their parents and cause them to be put to what? Death. So we’re living at a time where in the future, our government is going to cause or instill within people the fear of government more so than anything else.

And people will report on people. People will spy on each other. People will inform on each other. The where even the father against the children, the families, the brothers against the brothers. You stop and think, are we living in a time where even like for example, the IRS might even be willing to pay you to inform on others that are cheating on their taxes. We would never get to that, would we? Did you know you can already do that?

Did you know that there’s a time coming in the future where it might even lead to death? I mean, I’d give them whenever to go that far though. You see, any government that’s big enough to do anything for you is big enough to do anything to you, right? So there’s people today that want the government to do everything for them. Well that means you’re going to have to do everything for the government. That’s the only way to work. 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. Part 2 of this teaching will conclude with tomorrow’s broadcast. 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 spinning globe in the upper right corner of our homepage.

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 six o’clock on Sunday evening. Live broadcast of our services may be seen by going to our church website, calvaryoftampa.org. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold.

Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound. We will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. So live today and every day. Believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.