Sermon Number 1 – The Origin of the Nations
Sermon Number 2 – The Babylonian System
Sermon Number 3 – Broad Overview Of Biblical History
Sermon Number 4 – Daniel Chapter 7 – Introduction To The
Antichrist
Sermon Number 5 – The Antichrist Continued
Sermon Number 6 – The Son of God and The Son Of Man
Sermon Number 7 – Daniel Chapter 8
Sermon Number 8 – Lead Up To Armageddon
Sermon Number 9 – The Rapture Of The Saints
Sermon Number 10 – The Western Alliance
Sermon Number 11 – The Restoration Of The Nation of Israel
Sermon Number 12 – The Northern And Southern Alliance
Sermon Number 13 – More of The Northern and Southern
Alliance
Sermon Number 14 – The Eastern Alliance – Armageddon
Sermon Number 15 – The Conclusion Of Armageddon
Sermon Number 16 – A Suggested Order Of Events
Sermon Number 17 – The Judgement Of The Nations And The
Gentile Nations In The Millennium
Zechariah 12 lays God’s groundwork for the events of
Zechariah 14:1-15 which read:
Zechariah 14:1-15
1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be
divided in the midst of thee. 2 For I will gather all
nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be
taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and
half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the
residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. 3
Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those
nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 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 cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward
the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half
of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of
it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of
the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach
unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before
the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the
LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. 6 And
it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not
be clear, nor dark: 7 But it shall be one day which shall be
known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to
pass, that at evening time it shall be light. 8 And it shall
be in that day, that living waters shall go out from
Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of
them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it
be. 9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that
day shall there be one LORD, and his name one. 10 All the
land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of
Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her
place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first
gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel
unto the king’s winepresses. 11 And men shall dwell in it,
and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem
shall be safely inhabited. 12 And this shall be the plague
wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have
fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away
while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall
consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume
away in their mouth. 13 And it shall come to pass in that
day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them;
and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his
neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of
his neighbour. 14 And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem;
and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be
gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great
abundance. 15 And so shall be the plague of the horse, of
the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the
beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague. |
Zechariah 14:1-15 presents one of the most gruesome scenes
in Scripture. These verses mark the end of the “times of the
Gentiles”. In verses 1 and 2, the Lord Jesus Christ has
gathered all the nations against Jerusalem where he will
fight against them with the sword of His mouth. The
burdensome stone of Zechariah 12:3 has become the millstone
of destruction about the necks of those nations that hate
God and the Jew. They will drown in a sea of their own blood
and be cast into hell in fulfilment of Psalm 9:17 and
Matthew 25:31-46 which we will deal with soon. In Zechariah
12:4, the Lord Jesus Christ has set his feet upon the Mount
of Olives causing the land to split into a huge east to west
valley creating a North Mount of Olives and a South Mount of
Olives. In doing so, the Lord Jesus Christ has come to take
dominion of the works of His creation in fulfillment of
Psalm 8:6 followed by the judgment of the nations in Psalm
9. Verse 5 tells us we will see a giant earthquake like the
Middle East has never seen. This is an event that takes
place at the Second Coming, or in other words, the Second
Advent, of the Lord Jesus Christ and sees its ultimate
fulfillment in Revelation 19:11-21. In Zechariah 14:12-15,
we see the gruesome sight of men’s and animal’s flesh and
eyeballs consuming away as they stand upon their feet. The
only weapon of war known to man that can cause this type of
death is nuclear weapons.
Revelation 14:14-20
14 And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the
cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on his head a
golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. 15 And another
angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to
him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap:
for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of
the earth is ripe. 16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in
his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. 17 And
another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he
also having a sharp sickle. 18 And another angel came out
from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a
loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in
thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the
earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. 19 And the angel
thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine
of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the
wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trodden without the
city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the
horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred
furlongs. |
The Son of man in verse 14 is none other than the Lord Jesus
Christ. What we have in Revelation 14 is a picture of the
Lord Jesus Christ reaping the earth in judgment. This
reaping may well be in part that by the Lord Jesus Christ in
Isaiah 34:2-3 and Isaiah 63:3 which say:
Isaiah 34:2-3
2 For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and
his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed
them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. 3 Their slain
also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of
their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their
blood.
Isaiah 63:3
3 I have trodden the winepress alone; and of the people
there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger,
and trample them in my fury; and their blood shall be
sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. |
The picture in Revelation 14:20 is not one of bloodshed just
in the area of Armageddon. It is shown to be throughout
Israel because it is spread out over a distance of about 200
miles which is roughly the length of Israel. This proves
that the battle of Armageddon is but the final battle in an
extended series of battles in an all out war that engulfs
all of Israel. What we have is Satan’s final attempt to
destroy the land that brought forth the man child and that
land is Israel. Israel is personified by that sun clothed
woman with the moon beneath her feet and a crown of twelve
stars in Revelation 12:1 and Genesis 37:9 (Joseph is the
twelfth star.). Turn in your Bibles to Revelation 16:12-16
where it is written:
Revelation 16:12-16
12 And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great
river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that
the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. 13 And I
saw three unclean spirits like frogs come out of the mouth
of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of
the mouth of the false prophet. 14 For they are the spirits
of devils, working miracles, which go 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. 15 Behold, I come
as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his
garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. 16 And
he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew
tongue Armageddon. |
We have already discussed the armies described in these
verses on page 54 of this series. (This discussion is
located here). What we did not talk about is the deception
of the Satanic trinity which we will briefly mention here
since we are going to do a series on the unholy trinity. The
three unclean spirits are none other than Satan as the
dragon, the Antichrist as the beast, and the False Prophet
as the deceiving spirit. This will be in fulfillment of
Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22, 2 Thessalonians 2:7-10, and
Revelation 13:13-14. These Scriptures state:
Matthew 24:24
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets,
and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
Mark 13:22
22 For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and
shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were
possible, even the elect.
2 Thessalonians 2:7-10
7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who
now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall
consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with
the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is
after the working of Satan with all power and signs and
lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of
unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received
not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Revelation 13:13-14
13 And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come
down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14 And
deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those
miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast;
saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should
make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword,
and did live. |
There is already in our day a spirit of deception that
dominates apostate American Christianity. That spirit is
rooted in and feeds off of unbelief. That unbelief is also
rooted in wicked churches that are chock-full of unsaved,
professing Christians who are being blown about by every
wind of false doctrine. These wicked churches are also
overflowing with Anti-Semitic, Jew hating devils posing as
professing Christians. Unbelief is always looking for a sign
and a wonder and Satan is more than happy to accommodate
unbelief with a false sign and a false wonder. The
Pentecostal/Charismatic movement in the world’s churches has
been the willing victim of much of Satan’s deception. As
deceived as these churches are, they have not seen anything
like the deception that will take place during the
Tribulation. It will be a worldwide false signs and wonders
movement accompanied by miracles that will lead unsaved,
professing Christians to take the mark of the beast.
Unbelief will always accept a sign instead of believing the
word of God. Satan pushes signs, wonders, and miracles. God
demands faith in the Word of God to prove that which is of
God. If I have an uncompromising belief in the Word of God,
then I am much less likely to receive a lying and deceiving
spirit. The apostle John said in 1 John 4:1: “Beloved,
believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they
are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into
the world”. It will be the spirit of devils working miracles
that will draw the armies of the world to Armageddon for
their destruction. None of this comes as a surprise to God
because the Holy Ghost prophesied through Paul the coming of
a great falling away in 1 Timothy 4:1-3, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 2
Timothy 4:1-4, and 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. God the Holy
Ghost also prophesied of this great apostasy through Peter
in 2 Peter 2:1-10. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself spoke of
this great falling away in Matthew 24:24, Mark 13:22, and
Luke 21:8. Now, let’s look at the final Scripture passage
dealing with the wars of the Tribulation. Turn in your
Bibles to Revelation 19:11-21:
Revelation 19:11-21
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he
that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in
righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were
as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he
had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And
he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name
is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in
heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine
linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a
sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and
he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the
winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. 16
And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. 17 And I saw an angel
standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying
to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and
gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;
18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of
captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of
horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all
men, both free and bond, both small and great. 19 And I saw
the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies,
gathered together to make war against him that sat on the
horse, and against his army. 20 And the beast was taken, and
with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him,
with which he deceived them that had received the mark of
the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both
were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat
upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and
all the fowls were filled with their flesh. |
The first appearance of a white horse in Revelation has the
Antichrist as its rider. The rider of the second white horse
is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the greatest Faithful and
True warrior to ever live. He leads the greatest calvary the
world has ever known. This is the calvary of the saved
saints of the Living God, who is the Lord Jesus Christ
Himself. The saints ride upon white horses clothed in fine
linen uniforms that are white and clean because they have
been washed in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Hallelujah! The whiteness of the garments is the
righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus
Christ is called the Word of God. There is great power in
His words for He spoke the world into existence and He will
speak the armies of this world into destruction. The sharp
and two-edged sword is the Word of God. He, the Word of God,
will rule the world with a rod of iron in fulfillment of
Psalm 2:9, Revelation 2:27, Revelation 12:5, and Revelation
19:15. He will rule the world as KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF
LORDS. The Lord Jesus Christ has prepared a great feast for
the vultures of the air. They will feast upon all the wicked
dead including their political and military leaders. At the
end of this great battle of Armageddon, the beast and the
false prophet will be cast into the lake of fire burning
with brimstone.
We have talked a lot in this Bible Prophecy series about the
Gentile nations and Israel. The question arises as to the
sequence of events leading to the end of the “times of the
Gentiles”. We will attempt to deal with that issue briefly
here.
What follows below is a suggested order of events from now
to eternity:
1. The world will see the rise of the Antichrist out of the
revived Roman Empire. The Antichrist is the little horn of
Daniel 7:8, the king of fierce countenance from Daniel 8:23,
the prince that shall come of Daniel 9:26, the willful king
of Daniel 11:36, the conqueror on the white horse in
Revelation 6:2, and the beast of Revelation 13:1-10
2. According to Isaiah 28:15 and Daniel 9:27, the Antichrist
will make a peace treaty with Israel confirming the land
guarantee of the Abrahamic Covenant. This covenant will be
made right at the start of the Tribulation.
3. Israel will be attacked from the south and the north in
fulfillment of Ezekiel 38 and 39, Joel 2:1-20, and
Revelation 9:1-12.
4. In Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39, the world will see the
destruction of Israel’s enemies on the mountains of Israel
at the hands of God. What is obvious to all Bible students
is that the events described in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39
have not taken place in the history of Israel and therefore
remain to be fulfilled. There has been much discussion on
the timing of the events in Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39. Some
hold that they take place at the start of the Tribulation
while others believe that they take place at about the
midpoint of the Tribulation. Yet another group holds that
they take place at the end of the Tribulation. Using
Revelation 20:7-9 as the basis for their argument, some even
hold that the events take place following the Millennium.
The Gog and Magog war of Revelation 20 cannot be the Gog and
Magog war of Ezekiel 38 and 39 because the details are
entirely different. In Ezekiel 38 and 39 a northern army has
all but one-sixth of its troops destroyed and fed to the
vultures on the mountains of northern Israel whereas in
Revelation 20 the armies are said to come from the four
corners of the earth and be devoured by fire sent down from
heaven by God. Any explanation that puts the events of
Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 any later than at the start, or
near the start of the Tribulation will not stand the test of
Ezekiel 38:11 which sees Israel dwelling at rest in safety.
The period of the Tribulation is seen as a time of wars and
rumours of wars by the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew 24:6. It
is neither a time of rest or safety. In fact it is referred
to as the “Time Of Jacob’s Trouble” in Jeremiah 30:7.
Another complication for those who see the Ezekiel 38 and 39
battle as taking place at either the end or the mid point of
the Tribulation is that if that is so, then the be the seven
year cleanup operation required by Ezekiel 39:9 will overlap
both the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ and the
first 3½ to seven years of the Millennium. That is not
consistent with the pristine conditions described for the
Millennium by other passages of Scripture. Another
complication for those who see the Ezekiel 38 and 39
invasion as happening at the end of the Tribulation is the
seven months required by Ezekiel 39:14 for the burial of the
bodies would run seven months into the Millennium. Again,
that is not consistent with the pristine conditions
described for the Millennium by other passages of Scripture.
All that being said, we believe that a scenario that puts
the Ezekiel 38 and 39 invasion at the start of the
Tribulation makes for the least amount of complication.
Another question that comes into play in this discussion is
this: what drastic event leads Israel to make that seven
year covenant with the Antichrist described in Daniel 9:27
and Isaiah 28:15-18? We believe that the Ezekiel 38 and 39
invasion will motivate Israel to sign a seven year peace
treaty with the forces of the Antichrist. The Antichrist
will break that covenant at the mid-point of the
Tribulation. For a more detailed analysis of the pros and
cons for the different positions on the timing of the events
of Ezekiel 38 and 39 we recommend reading pages 346-355 of
Dwight Pentecost’s book “Things To Come”. While we disagree
with his conclusions, he presents some very good analysis of
the different positions.
5. Then the world will see threats to Israel coming out from
the east and the north as stated in Daniel 11:44 which says:
Daniel 11:44
44 But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall
trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to
destroy, and utterly to make away many. |
6. Then the world will see the Antichrist come to power as
prophesied in Daniel 11:45 which reads:
Daniel 11:45
45 And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between
the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to
his end, and none shall help him. |
7. Then, according to 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4, the Antichrist
will set himself up as God in the temple of God. Here is
what these verses state:
2 Thessalonians 2:3-4
3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall
not come, except there come a falling away first, and that
man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth
and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that
is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of
God, shewing himself that he is God. |
8. Then, according to Daniel 9:27 and Revelation 12:7-17,
the Antichrist will break the covenant with Israel at the
mid-point of the Tribulation when Satan is cast down to the
earth.
Daniel 9:27
27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week:
and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice
and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of
abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the
consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the
desolate.
Revelation 12:7-17
7 And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought
against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8
And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in
heaven. 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old
serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the
whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels
were cast out with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the
kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the
accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them
before our God day and night. 11 And they overcame him by
the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony;
and they loved not their lives unto the death. 12 Therefore
rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the
inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is
come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth
that he hath but a short time. 13 And when the dragon saw
that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman
which brought forth the man child. 14 And to the woman were
given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into
the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a
time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the
serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a
flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried
away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and
the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which
the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was
wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant
of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have
the testimony of Jesus Christ. |
This will be a time when the Satanic trinity will be
operating in full force upon the face of this earth. It will
be a time of wickedness and deception like the world has
never seen with Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet
prosecuting their war of hatred and extermination against
all the children of God and the nation of Israel. This
events will end in Revelation 19.
The events that we have just been describing roughly
parallel those in Revelation 6:1-17 and Matthew 24:4-30
Revelation 6:1-17
1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I
heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four
beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white
horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was
given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to
conquer. 3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard
the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out
another horse that was red: and power was given to him that
sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they
should kill one another: and there was given unto him a
great sword. 5 And when he had opened the third seal, I
heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and
lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of
balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of
the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and
three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not
the oil and the wine. 7 And when he had opened the fourth
seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and
see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name
that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And
power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth,
to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and
with the beasts of the earth. 9 And when he had opened the
fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that
were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which
they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How
long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge
our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white
robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said
unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season,
until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that
should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 12 And I
beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was
a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of
hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of
heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her
untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And
the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together;
and every mountain and island were moved out of their
places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men,
and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty
men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves
in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said
to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath
of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and
who shall be able to stand?
Matthew 24:4-30
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no
man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I
am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of
wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for
all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against
kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and
earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning
of sorrows. 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be
afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all
nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one
another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall
deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love
of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the
end, the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye
therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of
by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso
readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in
Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the
housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take
his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and
to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that
your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath
day: 21 For then shall be great Tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake
those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say
unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and
shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it
were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold,
I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto
you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he
is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the
west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For
wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be
gathered together. 29 Immediately after the Tribulation of
those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not
give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and
the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall
appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall
all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the
Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory. |
In reading the verses of Matthew 24 and Revelation 6 you
should pick up on many similar events. Putting the verses in
Revelation 6 up side by side with Matthew 24 we see the
following parallels. In Matthew 24:4-5 and Revelation 6:1-2,
we see the rise of the false Messiah, or the Antichrist with
the opening of the first seal. In Matthew 24:6-7 and
Revelation 6:3-4, we see wars with the opening of the second
seal. In Matthew 24:7 and Revelation 6:5-6, we see famines
with the opening of the third seal. In Matthew 24:7 and
Revelation 6:7-8, we see pestilences with the opening of the
fourth seal. In Matthew 24:8-28 and Revelation 6:9-11, we
see martyrdoms with the opening of the fifth seal. In
Matthew 24:29-30 and Revelation 6:12-17, we see signs in the
heavens of the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ with
the opening of the sixth seal. The sixth seal does not
actually mark the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. It
just gives the signs of his return. Following the return of
the Lord Jesus Christ in Revelation 19, we will see the
judgment of the nations. Prior to the return of the Lord
Jesus Christ the nation of Israel will have already been
judged by the events of the Tribulation. Now, let us look at
the Judgment of the nations.
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THE JUDGEMENT OF THE NATIONS |
Turn in your Bibles to Daniel 12:1 where it is written:
Daniel 12:1
1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince
which standeth for the children of thy people: and there
shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there
was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy
people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found
written in the book.
Matthew 24:21
21 For then shall be great Tribulation, such as was not
since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever
shall be. |
In Daniel 12:1 the “children of thy people” is tha nation of
Israel. Daniel speaks of a time of trouble like the world
has never seen. During this period of time, all the nations
of the world including Israel will be judged. The Lord Jesus
Christ quotes Daneil 12:1 in Matthew 24:21 in describing the
coming Tribulation. A time of horrible carnage and death is
described in Revelation 19:17-18, Psalm 110:5-6, Ezekiel
39:2, Revelation 9:18, and Zecahriah 13:8-9. Now, let’s go
read those verses.
Revelation 19:17-18
17 And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with
a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst
of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the
supper of the great God; 18 That ye may eat the flesh of
kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty
men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them,
and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and
great.
Psalm 110:5-6
5 The Lord at thy right hand shall strike through kings in
the day of his wrath. 6 He shall judge among the heathen, he
shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound
the heads over many countries.
Ezekiel 39:2
2 And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of
thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts,
and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel:
Revelation 9:18
18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the
fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued
out of their mouths.
Zechariah 13:8-9
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the
LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the
third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third
part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is
refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call
on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my
people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God. |
What is shocking in these numbers is the percentages of
those who die. In Ezekiel 39:2 five out of six of those
involved in the attack upon Israel die at the hands of God
on the mountains of Israel. From Revelation 9:18, we see
that there will be at least 67 million deaths which would be
one-third of a 200 million man army. Zechariah 13:8-9 tells
us that two out of every three Israelis will die. All of
this carnage will be followed by the judgment of nations in
Matthew 25:31-46. This judgment is the subject of Psalm
9:7-8 and Psalm 9:17. Turn in your Bibles to Psalm 9.
Psalm 9:7-8
7 But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his
throne for judgment. 8 And he shall judge the world in
righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in
uprightness.
Psalm 9:17
17 The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations
that forget God.
|
God fills in the details of the judgment of Psalm 9 in
Matthew 25:31-46 where he describes the basis and end result
of this judgment. Lets go look at those verses.
Matthew 25:31-46
31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the
holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of
his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the
sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then
shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye
blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungred,
and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I
was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed
me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye
came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him,
saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or
thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a
stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39
Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say
unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least
of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. 41 Then shall
he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye
cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels: 42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat:
I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: 43 I was a stranger,
and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick,
and in prison, and ye visited me not. 44 Then shall they
also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred,
or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison,
and did not minister unto thee? 45 Then shall he answer
them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it
not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. 46
And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the
righteous into life eternal. |
What we see described here is called the “Throne Of Glory
Judgment”. It is not to be confused with the “Judgment Seat
Of Christ” or the “Great White Throne Judgment”. The
“Judgment Seat Of Christ” and the “Great White Throne
Judgment” are judgments of individuals whereas the “Throne
Of Glory Judgment” is a judgment of the nations. Only saved
people are judged before the “Judgment Seat Of Christ” .
Only lost people are judged before the “Great White Throne
Judgment”. Only nations are judged at the “Throne Of Glory
Judgment”. Whether a person goes to the “Great White Throne
Judgment” or the “Judgment Seat Of Christ” is based upon
whether they received the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour
in this life. There are no second chances. There is no
purgatory. Unbelievers will be brought up out of hell,
judged, and given different degrees of punishment based upon
their works as recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. Following
the “Great White Throne Judgment”, unbelievers will be cast
into the Lake of Fire. Believers will be taken up in the
catching away of the saints and appear before the “Judgment
Seat Of Christ” and be judged for reward. The “Judgment Seat
Of Christ” is described in Romans 14:10, 1 Corinthians
3:11-15, and 2 Corinthians 5:10. The believers entry into
heaven is based entirely upon whether they have received the
work of the Lord Jesus Christ in redeeming them. The
“Judgment Seat Of Christ” and the “Great White Throne
Judgment” take place in heaven. The “Throne Of Glory
Judgment” takes place on the earth.
We see the “Throne Of Glory” in Matthew 25:31. According to
Matthew 25:32, those judged at the “Throne Of Glory” will be
all the nations of the world. So, it is a national judgment.
The basis for this judgment is how the nations have treated
Israel and the Jew as stated in Matthew 25:40 and Joel 3:2.
Joel 3:2 says:
Joel 3:2
2 I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down
into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them
there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they
have scattered among the nations, and parted my land. |
According to Matthew 25:34 and Matthew 25:41, every nation
that blessed Israel and the Jew will enter into the
Millennial Kingdom and every nation that cursed the nation
of Israel will be cast into hell in fulfillment of Genesis
12:3 which states:
Genesis 12:3
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that
curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be
blessed. |
If you will reread Joel 3:2 you will see that ultimately the
curse is based upon the nations abusing the Jew and dividing
the land of Israel. Again, at the end of the “Throne Of
Glory Judgment”, those Gentile nations that blessed the Jew
will enter into the Millennial Kingdom.
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THE GENTILE NATIONS IN THE MILLENNIUM |
We are going to make some brief comments about the Gentiles
in the Millenium then we are going to close out our sermon
series on the Gentile nations by quoting several passages of
Scripture. Luke 21:24 says:
Luke 21:24
24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall
be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be
trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the
Gentiles be fulfilled. |
The “Throne Of Glory Judgment” marks the end of the “Times
of the Gentiles” identified in Luke 21:24. Matthew 25:34
clearly states that this does not mean the end of all
Gentile nations. What happens is that the nation of Israel
will again become the chief of nations with the Lord Jesus
Christ rukling and reigning in Jerusalem on the everlasting
throne of David. Now let us briefly look at the Gentile
nations in the Millennium. Turn in your Bibles to Isaiah 60
and let us begin reading.
Isaiah 60:1-14
1 Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the
LORD is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall
cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD
shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon
thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings
to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round
about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they
come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy
daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt
see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be
enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be
converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come
unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the
dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall
come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew
forth the praises of the LORD. 7 All the flocks of Kedar
shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth
shall minister unto thee: they shall come up with acceptance
on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 8
Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their
windows? 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships
of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver
and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God,
and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified
thee. 10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls,
and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I
smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 11
Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall
not be shut day nor night; that men may bring unto thee the
forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought.
12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall
perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. 13 The
glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the
pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my
sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. 14
The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending
unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow
themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall
call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of
Israel.
Zechariah 14:16-21
16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of
all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go
up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts,
and to keep the feast of tabernacles. 17 And it shall be,
that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth
unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even
upon them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt go
not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the
plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come
not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 19 This shall be
the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations
that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles. 20 In
that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses,
HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house
shall be like the bowls before the altar. 21 Yea, every pot
in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of
hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of
them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no
more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.
Micah 4:1-5
1 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the
mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in
the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the
hills; and people shall flow unto it. 2 And many nations
shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain
of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he
will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths:
for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD
from Jerusalem. 3 And he shall judge among many people, and
rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their
swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks:
nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither
shall they learn war any more. 4 But they shall sit every
man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall
make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath
spoken it. 5 For all people will walk every one in the name
of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God
for ever and ever. |
This ends our series on the Gentile nations. We will get
into the details of the Millennium in much greater depth at
some point in the future. We thank you for joining us in
this series. |
