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Bibleline Bibleline, here God’s word on Bibleline, here God’s truth on Bibleline. 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 You can reach us toll-free at 1-800-576-3771. Online donations may be made by clicking on the donations link on the BibleLineMinistries.org homepage. We pray that you will enjoy our commitment to the clear gospel of Jesus Christ and that today’s first part of this two-part message will be a blessing to you and your family.

Generally, when we talk about the Second Coming of Christ, we’re always focusing upon the rapture because that’s the thing that’s closest to us, the nearest thing, the dearest thing. And some people are so far in debt, so many aches and pains. We just want the Lord to get us out of here without dying. True? So we all want to be alive when this moment comes. And so we sometimes maybe forget about there’s another issue that’s going to take place seven years later.

That’s when Christ comes back in power and great glory. And there’s many scriptures right before the second coming of Christ to the earth. And because people read those verses they often apply them to the rapture and it doesn’t fit. and that’s why we get some prophecies that are all mixed up and people not knowing what to believe. So I want to take a look at that a little bit tonight with you and if you will take your Bible and turn to the book of Mark the book of Mark and we will look there in chapter 13 and you’ll read these verses similar in several other books like Matthew and also with the book of Luke These three books talks an awful lot about the coming of Christ to the earth.

And when he returns, what they’re supposed to look for. He gives him warnings about watch and be found faithful and talks about being counted worthy to escape. Now when we talk about the rapture, we don’t talk like that. We don’t have to worry about escaping, the rapture is always going to come up on us like the tribulation periods coming up on the people upon the earth. And we don’t have to worry about being kind of worthy to stand before the Lord because it’s talking about you actually literally being worthy to do such a thing.

So this is why some people believe in a partial rapture. They believe that when the rapture takes place only the faithful will go and if you’re not faithful then you don’t get to go. You get to go into the tribulation period. That is not a true position that we hold them. Now here in the book of Mark in chapter 13 look what he says down in verse 5. Now a lot of this I will just read and briefly comment at certain places because I want to go to another scripture but you’ll see there’s a a correlation here between these three major passages of scripture we’ll talk about, but look upon the chart just for a second.

We’re talking about this period of time right here. Christ is here and He’s talking to the children of Israel and His disciples and what’s going to happen here before it comes back and this is the end of the age. So we talked about those that endure to the end talking about doing here. So when people don’t know that, they put it over here and those that endured to the end the same shall be said has nothing to do with that.

Had not do with the church age, it’s all talking about doing this period of time upon the earth. Now, so that’s the portion of scripture world focus on. And so he says in verse 5, and Jesus answered them began to say, take heed, lest any man deceive you. For many shall come in my name. Say in? I am Christ and shall deceive many. And when ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars, be in not trouble, for such things must needs be, but the end shall not be yet.

For nation, and this is F-noss against F-noss. Some believe it could be tried against race against race and so forth. And then kingdom, which is Basaliah, but the nations coming against nations. And it’s interesting that in the day in which we live, of right now. Well, here we got Russia settled into Syria and then you’ve got Iran who is feeding things into the Hezbollah up in Lebanon and also into Syria and they’re just kind of circling right around Israel.

How’d you like to be Israel? And these things are happening so close. Now there is a scripture that we’ll see in just a moment it talks about it. And this generation shall not pass until all these things are fulfilled. And so many relate that back to the time when Israel became a nation. And so Israel 1948 became a nation. And so we like to assume that 70 years is a good round figure. If that doesn’t work we use 100.

If that doesn’t work we use 40. But we always use a figure to try to work works into the numbers that we want when we want to set a date. But 70 is a good number and if you take 70 from 1948, well lo and behold, this coming May, 2018, well, it just happens to be 70 years. And it just happens to be a big day in Israel for their 70th. And it also is on the 28th and lo and behold, where I’m gonna be next year in May.

Well, we’re just gonna happen to be there in Israel. Wouldn’t it be exciting? But anyway, that’s for people who want to sit dates and you know I don’t do that. But anyway, but that generation does not mean just a generation of a person perhaps. It could be a length of time, you know, a length of time as a generation, a period of time. But notice what he says here. He makes a statement, and many shall come, wars and rumors of wars.

And then in verse 8, the last part of verse 8 talks about end the beginning of sorrows. Now this is the beginning of the tribulation period, that seven-year period. So it’s not going to be completed until the end. And^^^^ when he says, this generation shall not pass until all these things be fulfilled. And he’s talking, and I believe about those things that are going to take place in the tribulation period. There is a beginning, there is an ending, and those in due to the end, so it’s referred to a certain group of people.

Now when you read the book of Daniel in chapter 9 and verses 25, 26, 27, and so forth, it talks about the 70 weeks of Daniel, and it says, upon thy holy people in the thy holy city, it’s about Israel and it’s about Israel in Jerusalem, the Jewish people. So we believe that during this tribulation period it’s going to be the hot stone of the world. And right now Israel is going to be a hot stone because Russia is supposed to come down against Israel and names like Iraq and Iran, Persian and so forth.

And the Opians, few other little places, and said they’re going to be on the same side. Well, that’s kind of like the way it is right now and it looks like something that’s taken to happen. But anyway, we’ll get into that at another time. But look what he says in I verse 9, but take heed to yourselves, for they shall deliver you up to councils and in the synagogue you shall be beaten and ye shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them.

And the gospel, you’re an on the line, yes, must first be published among all nations. So if you apply this to the rapture, then that means this would have to be done before the rapture could be completed. But during the tribulation period, we believe there’s going to be 144,000 Jewish evangelists and plus an angel preaching the everlasting gospel. So people, the Bible says, chapter 7, chapter 14, multitude of people are going to be saved in the tribulation period. Sometimes I have people ask me the question, Well, what about people that you’re witnessing to today and they don’t trust Christ as Savior?

The rapture takes place. Can those people still get saved? Well, if the rapture hadn’t had come, could they have gotten saved the next day? Of course. So the rapture just takes us out. It doesn’t say that these people can’t be saved. Now, there’s a lot of other places in the book of 2 Thessalonians in chapter 2 where it talks about, they will not believe the truth, so they would believe the lie. And the reason is because that’s their choice they chose.

But he’s also talking about the Antichrist, during the middle of the tribulation period, he is the liar. And so it looks like people can be saved, but then they make a decision to believe a lie. And the Antichrist is not going to be really truly revealed until the middle of the tribulation period. But we’ve been smarter than the average bear, and having a little spiritual knowledge, we like to always try to figure out who he is. And so over the last couple thousand years, people have always picked somebody.

They think that’s the end of Christ. And years ago, I heard it was Kissinger. Anybody ever heard that? anooga? It’s been every pope down through the ages. And it was even the bomber. It’s everybody. Every one of them. And they try to figure out, you know, all your letters, they mean so many, it has some value to it. figured out and it scared me to death because you know I think Ronald Reagan’s his is 666 Ronald Reagan they even thought about him and of course now I hear it’s Trump because it’s the last Trump and he’s the Trump so you see there so and there’s a lot of people saying they know they are the Christ and during this period of time who knows how many but it’s going to take place and And then he says this in verse 12, now the brother shall betray the brother to death,

father the son and children shall rise up against their parents and shall cause them to be put to death. Now this is scary when you stop and think about this. This was similar to what happened under communism with Hitler and people spying on each other. Nobody could trust anybody. Well, the world’s gonna be like this because somehow another people are gonna be able to spy on everybody. Can you believe that? My wife got her a new phone.

And before she’d get out of the store, it came one day and says, thank you for shopping at Best Buy. I mean, it comes on there and tell you where you are. We went into a restaurant. Comes on and says, you’re now at this restaurant. What would you like to order? These things are called smartphones for no reason. I mean, they got a reason. So does everybody know where we are all the time? I think so. And now with all these cameras they got everywhere, I could not believe it was gonna take a picture up there in Georgia.

And it was dark. It was dark, I told them, I said, turn on the light, turn on the light. They said, you don’t need any light. I said, well, you need to turn on the light. Oh, the flash ain’t gonna work. And so they took the picture with a lot of flash and it was beautiful. It didn’t need a flash. It was dark, but they took a picture in the dark. And it was just as bright as can be.

Beautiful picture. I can’t believe how much can be put in when them little old phones like that. The camera that tells you where you are, you say, where’s a restaurant or where’s a, you know, place to get gas? I don’t know if I’m gonna pop up or all over the place. Ask it a question. I never played with that kind of stuff before. And then I kind of got curious. And Betty says, give me the phone. And she’ll, there it is.

I couldn’t believe it. When did somebody die? That’s my phone. There it is. That phone is smart. That’s why they call it a smart phone. And I’m a dumb guy. I’ve always been scared of these things, you know, because they call it the world wide web. W, W, W, worldwide. I’m not getting in that web. And here I am. He goes on and says, you’re not going to be able to trust anybody. And then in verse 13, and you shall be hated of all men for my namesake, But he that shall endure unto the end the same shall be saved.”

So there is a beginning of sorrows and there is a ending. That’s this period of time right here, begins and ends. That’s what we’re talking about. Now you’ll find this same phrase mentioned in all three of these books. And that’s the book of Matthew, book of Mark, and also the book of Luke. Now down there in verse 14 he says, but when ye shall see the abomination of desolation spoke about Daniel the Prophet, sent in a holy place. This is exactly what you’ll read in Matthew chapter 24 and verse 15.

But this verse is talking about right in the middle of the tribulation period because it says in the mist of the week. The week is seven years and the mist is the middle, three and a half years before, beginning to saw rose, three and a half years after. You’ve got the great tribulation, that’s when God pours out his wrath, the devil has poured out his wrath. So it’s not a good place to be during this period of time. And those who are living here, if they heed the scriptures and they watch and they see these things happening, they can be counted worthy to escape.

The word escape there in the book of Luke in chapter 21, talking about being able to flee. And so you’ll find the same thing mentioned in the very next verse, verse 16, talking about in the book of Matthew chapter 24, talk about when you see these things flee into the Mount, escape, get away. People who are not on their toes, they’re not watching, they’re not being observant, they’re not prepared, are not gonna be able to escape in time. Because this is gonna be the greatest persecution against the Jewish people that there’s ever been.

And then he goes down here and he says, in verse 15, let him that is on the housetop, not go down into the house, neither enter their end to take anything out of his house. Just get up and leave quickly. And then he says in verse 19, for in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation, evolution, which God created unto this time neither shall be, and accept that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved, talking about physically left alive.

Because this period of time is going to be so bad it’s possible for man to destroy man from the face of the earth. And so God intervenes because there’s got to remain this remnant in which to start his kingdom. right at the end of the tribulation period, there’s going to be the judgment of the nations and he puts the sheep on one side and the goats on the other side and the sheep, those that are saved, go into the kingdom.

So the only ones who end up at the end of the Spirit of Time are going to be those that are saved, left alive, they’re physically alive, but they’re also spiritually alive and they go going to the kingdom. Now, you’ll notice in verse, we’ll look at verse 22, for false Christ and false prophets shall rise and shall show signs and wonders to seduce if it were possible even the elect. But take ye heed, behold, I have foretold you all these things.

Now he gets into some of the same things he talks about that you would read in the book of Matthew. In those days after that tribulation the sun shall be darkened, moon shall not give light, stars of heaven shall fall, the powers that are in the heaven shall be shaking. See now this is not the rapture. The rapture can take place at any time. There’s none of these things that has to happen before that. So if you try to take all of this and put this right before the rapture, then we’re not looking for Jesus to come back.

We’ve got to look for all these other signs that happened first. He says, when ye shall see this, know that you’re the coming is night and then lift up your eyes for your redemption drawn up. When you see this and you see this and so you’re not looking for the coming but this is doing the tribulation period they can see these things coming to pass. So I thought about well what kind of preparation should those people have? How should they be dealing with this during this period of time?

Because see you and I we don’t have to worry about some of those things that they’re going to have to be concerned with. We just live live our life and keep doing what God tells us to do. And when the raptor takes place, there’s nothing to get ready for. Ready or not, here I come. At a moment in the twinkle of an eye, your chain caught up, you’re out of here. You don’t have to be counted worthy in the sense that you trust in Christ is saved.

That’s the only thing you and I had to do to be ready. But during this period of time, the Lord’s coming back. And so you want to be counted worthy to escape some of these things that are happening by being able to flee if you know what to do and what to look for. So they will have, well, it will be light reading their morning newspaper. Said, but we just written a couple thousand years in advance. Now look what he says here.

In verse 24, but in those days after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened moon so forth. Stars in verse 26, then shall they see the sun of man coming in the cloud with power and great glory. And then shall he send his angels. So this is the order. Then look in verse 28. Now learn a parable of the fig tree. And so many people say, okay, the fig tree is a sign of Israel. And so that means when Israel became a nation, we can do that.

We can apply that if we want to, but we’re reading into it something we’d like to be able to read into it. And there may be some truth to it, but you’ve got a problem when you go to the book of Luke and it says the same thing, but it says all trees. So is that when Israel became a nation and all the nations became nations. When they were born. It won’t fit with them, so maybe it doesn’t fit with this.

But I wouldn’t worry about it. Because we’re not going to be here. And there’s things that are going to take place. And plus, this did not happen during the tribulation period. It was not becoming a nation during the tribulation period. It happened during the church age. But now I get this. As you go down through here and you see this, he says in verse 1 and so, ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh even at the doors.

It’s just that it’s near. When you see these things begin to come to pass, it’s like seeing a fig tree begin to blossom or bloom. And you can see, when that happens, then begin to put forth his leaf, you know you’re going to have figs pretty soon. Well, when you see this and this and this and this, then know that his coming is nigh. And so they had something that they could look toward if people were on the ball.

You see, but a lot of people, I think, should they be any more interested in looking for Christ to come at the end of the tribulation as what we are now? Remember Paul says to all of them who love his appearing. And I don’t think he’s talking about the end of the tribulation, Jared. I think we’re supposed be looking for the Lord to come back in and we’re looking for the blessed hope. Christ coming back for us. We should live every day anticipating that it could happen at any time.

And you’ll notice what He says here in verse 30, “‘Verily I send you that this generation shall not pass, so all these things be done. So the beginning and the ending and this generation.'” Now as they’re referring to the the generation of people or the generation of time from this time to this time. It could be just a, well, there’s our Greek Colorado over there. If he got a word on that generation, what does it say about the generation?

The generation is usually theSimilarly nation. Not a period of time, but the nation is going to continue. Right. But on this place, in this word, in this scripture, I believe it will refer to that, butlvl it has to be something to check out. But anyway, look what he said now in verse 32. He said, these things are gonna pass away. Heaven and earth shall pass away. But he says, my words shall not pass away. But at that day and that hour, no of no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the son but the father, take heed, watch and pray for you know not what the time is.

So it’s talking about during this period of time from the beginning, the ending, and what’s gonna take place. and looking for the end of this age and the Lord coming back in power and great glory. And some people say, well, no man knows a day nor the hour, neither the Son but the Father. No, I heard somebody explain it this way. I’m not saying it’s the best way or the only way or the right way, but that because we are going to be going to a wedding, there’s going to be a wedding and then there’s the marriage supper of the lamb, and generally the son goes and builds the house, and he says, I will go and prepare a place for you, and it’s the father who says when the son is supposed to come and get everybody for the wedding and get everything ready to go and blah, blah, blah, blah.

Well, that may be the case. Or like Dr. Cameron said one time in his class because I asked him. I says, why doesn’t he know? If he’s the son of God, how come he doesn’t know? He says, that was then as a man. He says, of course he knows now. Oh, okay. That was his answer he gave to me. So I took it and I haven’t come across a better one yet. So I’m going to go with Dr. Cameron.

If I’m wrong, Dr. Cameron told me that. How many of you know who Dr. Cameron is? Okay, so a few of you. He was a great Bible teacher. I enjoyed listening to that guy. He was my teacher for four years, and he taught a lot of the stuff. And of course, Bible doctrine. Bible doctrine was a driest course I think I’ve ever had in my life. But it’s an interesting course. And it’s the baby food before you get to systematic theology.

So he’s giving you the baby food, and then you get to systematic theology, getting to the meat of the word. I didn’t mean that, Bob. I mean, we’re moving right along. We’re moving right along. Now, he uses this a little parable here, but now, notice what he says up there in verse 36. Let’s come in suddenly. See that word, suddenly he finds you sleeping. Now, even though I know when this is talking about, I know he’s talking about here and Christ coming here and some people are going to be sleeping.

But I also want to apply it over here. Do you think that you and I should be sleeping. On the job when God’s given us a job to do, and we should be looking for the Lord to come back, even for us, I believe that we should. We should be not sleeping, but on the job. Now, take your Bible and turn to the book of… Now let’s go to Luke. Matthew, Luke’s a good Scripture. And go all the way over there to the book of Luke chapter 21.

Luke chapter 21. Now there’s many things that we will read here that are also mentioned over there in the book of Mark. It goes down through here and he may see statement down. Look in verse 20, verse 20, and when ye shall see Jerusalem compass with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is not. But that’s in the tribulation. And when ye shall see, that’s the people who are living during that period of time. We won’t be here. We won’t see that.

Then He says in verse 21, let them which be in Judea, flee to the mountains, let them which are in the midst of it depart out and let them not that are in the countries enter there into. In other words, the people that see and understand what’s going on are to prepare and to get out and to run for safety because persecution is coming. Then he says in verse 22, for these be the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled, that it pose to take place during this tribulation period, and there’s many prophecies.

See, there’s no prophecies before the rapture, but there’s an awful lot of prophecies after the rapture. If you take all those prophecies and you try to put it before the rapture, you got chaos because it doesn’t fit. None of it does. This is why a lot of people to get it all mixed up in prophecy. But anyway, remember a lot of people were saying that last month we’ve probably been out of here. It didn’t happen. Well, I knew it wouldn’t happen because they were using signs that the Bible doesn’t say, refer to the rapture.

Now, it can be a type and some of the other things may happen and it may be produced again. And so, let it be. I don’t care. The Lord can come back today for me. I wouldn’t mind it at all. But now note what this is saying. He says in verse 24, and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations. Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.

Now there’s a two things. There is the fullness of the Gentiles and the times of the Gentiles. Fullness of the Gentiles is God taken out among the Gentiles and and the Jews and putting them together and making one new man. Now there’s a fullness of the Gentiles. There’s the times of the Gentiles that goes all the way back to Babylon. And so you have Babylon is the head and then the Medes and the Persians and the Allegedan and Empire, then the Roman Empire, and then the last ones is the ten toes, the ten toes, the ten horns, the ten crown, I can’t, they’re all the same one.

They’re the ones that will be ruling here with the Antichrist when there’s war against Christ. So you can take all three of those and if you know they referenced toward Christ, then you start down there with the toes and you can work your way back and you can put them in the right order. Don’t miss out on all the fun. Join Pastor Jesse and Kyla Martinez on Thursday nights from seven to nine PM For Tampa Youth Ranch and Calvary Community Church.

Tampa Youth Ranch is a great mix of live music, games, Bible study, food and fun, where teens 13 to 18 get to know God and the Bible with their friends. Check it out online at tampayouth ranch.org and see the cool pictures from past activities and all the fun you’ve been missing. No ride, no problem. Call 813-334-4655 today for information on getting a ride to Tampa Youth Ranch. Thanks for joining us on Bibleline. If you are in the area, we welcome you to visit us.

The address for Calvary Community Church is 4811 George Road, Tampa, Florida, 33634. And now a closing thought from Pastor Arnold. Friend, one day it will happen. The trumpet will sound and we will be changed. Caught up to meet the Lord in the air. He told it today and every day, believing that the Lord is coming soon, just keep looking up.