The King is Coming

 The Reign of the Messiah

Book of Psalms Chapter 72

 No doubt that Psalm 72 was written about Solomon the son of David but in reality, the Holy Spirit caused it to be written of Israel's last and greatest King, which is the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ.

 David becomes a prophet in this Psalm.

 What do we know about the reign of the Messiah? It has not happened yet.

 During the early centuries of the Church there were many groups that denied the humanity of Jesus Christ.

 Today, it is in the reverse, the man Jesus is recognized, but there is a denial of His deity.

 People believe that Christ was either a liar, or a lunatic, or He is LORD like He says He is.

 Jesus Christ is God and not simply God-Like!

 Jesus Christ is absolutely equal with God the Father in His person and in His work.

 The Lord Jesus Christ is all that God is, to possess the whole fullness of the attributes which make God, God!

 Any attack on the deity of Jesus Christ is an attack on the bedrock of Christianity.

 I am tired of seeing my Savior mocked in this world.

 Heb 1:8  But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom. 

 It is a fundamental truth of Scripture that only God is to be worshiped.

 Even Satan knows this is the truth!

 Mat 4:10  Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 

 It is the Trinity of God that is the Lord Jesus Christ:

 2Co 13:14  The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen.

 Prophecy says that the Messiah would be King.

 Gen 49:10  The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be. 

 There will be a people ready to be ruled by the Messiah.

 2Sa 7:16  And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever. 

 God the Father announced the making of His Son to be King.

 Psa 2:6  Yet have I set my king upon my holy hill of Zion.

 The Lord Jesus Christ will be the government of this world!

 Isa 9:6  For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 

Isa 9:7  Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this. 

 The three offices of the Messiah which are, Prophet, Priest, and King will be fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!

 As a Prophet, the Lord Jesus was involved with revealing the salvation message of God.

As a Priest, His work was as an Intercessor, and His saving work.

As King, He fulfill the promises to Israel and He will rule the entire earth.

 \*****Psa 72:1 Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 

 As King David lay on his death bed, he had this prayer for his son by asking God to make him a righteous ruler.

 One of the king's most important duties was to judge disputes and then administer justice.

 If Solomon would govern according to the Word of God, the Lord would bless him and his nation's people.

 This same prayer holds true to every ruler, every king, and every president of every nation even today!

 God is the source of all "judgment"!

 It should be noted that Solomon prayed this same prayer for himself.

 1Ki 3:9  Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 

 We know that a society cannot exist without laws and these laws are to be expressed and enforced and whoever does this is the ruler but this is just a part of what is needed to govern any people.

 *****Psa 72:2  He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 

Psa 72:3  The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 

Psa 72:4  He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor.

 It is obvious that the courts and prosecutors of today are not interested with righteousness!

 It is obvious today that our courts are not fair and impartial but yield to the politics of today!

 We should also understand that the children of Israel belong to God just as the Church belongs to God.

 The Church is bought and paid for with the Blood of Jesus Christ.

 We should also understand that peace will never come to this world because leaders seek their own fortunes rather than seeking the good will of those they were elected to serve.

 In old times most of the poor were not that way because of laziness or would not work.

 We know this has changed today.

 There are still some who are poor for many reasons but there are also many who refuse to work and would rather live off the taxpayer.

 In the day of the Kings the poor were powerless to defend themselves and were taken advantage of by greedy and wicked people.

 These same greedy and wicked people are going after the middle class today and the middle class is becoming powerless to defend themselves.

 It is easy to see that it is the rich who are the cause of the oppression of the poor and they want to keep it that way.

 It is a fact that in the day the Jesus Christ rules this earth from Jerusalem the oppression of the poor will end.

 It is uncalled for today, but the greedy rich just cannot get enough riches to satisfy them!

 Peace can be said to be the absence of fear of the threat of harm along with a sense of security.

 We do not have this in America today and it is because of greedy politicians, who always seem to have a better way, but it never turns out that way!

 When King Jesus sits upon the throne of David there will be great changes.

 *****Psa 72:5  They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

 It is this passage where we begin to see that this Psalm was not just about King Solomon because his life would be similar to the life expectancy we have today.

 It is King Jesus in whom we should have a godly fear of throughout time as it we see it today.

 The sun and the moon will endure until God brings them to an end and it is only God who can live through all the generations of mankind and forever.

 Only God can do these things. It was Solomon's job to make sure all the people of his kingdom understood this, just as it is the job of every national leader to do today.

 We see where this world is failing!

 You see, for as long as the course of nature last, we are to fear the Lord.

 God promised eternal dominion to the house of David.

 Since the Lord Jesus as a man was a descendant of the House of David, and because He is God then these things apply to the Messiah.

 Since we are in the family of the Messiah then these things apply to the Body of Christ.

 King Solomon was to provide security for God's people.

 King Jesus will also provide security in His Kingdom. He will rule with a rod of iron.

 He would rescue the needy.

He would rescue the poor and those who are afflicted, and their children.

 These are the ones that the world takes advantage of.

 These are the same ones that this government we have now, have taken advantage of.

 They have tried to keep the poor, poor so that they will always need the government to help them.

 This is why the gates of America have been thrown open for the world to enter so even more people will become dependent upon the government to support them.

 This is the way a certain party is trying to stay in power.

 The Messiah came to this earth to put a stop to these things.

 The Messiah came to rescue the needy and the poor, all those who are Spiritually poor.

 David prayed that his son would crush all those who are so cruel in this world.

 *****Psa 72:6  He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 

 We already know there is a great famine for the Word of God today.

 2Ti_4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;

2Ti_4:4  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

 Eze 34:23  And I will set up one shepherd over them, and he shall feed them, even my servant David; he shall feed them, and he shall be their shepherd. 

Eze 34:24  And I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them; I the LORD have spoken it. 

Eze 34:25  And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods. 

Eze 34:26  And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.

 Deu 32:2  My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: 

Deu 32:3  Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.

 David called on his son to be true to Jesus Christ.

 The Lord Jesus will enforce righteousness upon this earth when He sits as King of the World!

 *****Psa 72:7  In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. 

 Does anyone here know how long the moon that we see nightly is going to flourish? I do not either because only God knows.

 Isa 11:4  But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked. 

Isa 11:5  And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.

 All those who are with Christ during His Millennial Reign upon this earth will enjoy lives that are full, and free of fear and oppression.

 If the Lord Jesus Christ is going to save us from all these things, then these are the things that are going to get worse especially during the time of the Antichrist.

 Keep in mind this is after the Rapture of the Church and the Church will come down again to this earth during the time Christ sits as King of this world and remain the God of all creation.

 *****Psa 72:8  He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth. 

Psa 72:9  They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust. 

 What was the Kingdom of Solomon?

 1Ki 4:21  And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life. 

 Notice Solomon ruled over the land of the Philistines also at this time.

 As we apply this to King Jesus:

 Isa 60:4  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. 

Isa 60:5  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. 

Isa 60:6  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. 

Isa 60:7  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. 

Isa 60:8  Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 

Isa 60:9  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. 

Isa 60:10  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. 

 *****Psa 72:10  The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts. 

Psa 72:11  Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him. 

 David prayed that Solomon would be recognized as the world's leader the sovereign ruler over all the earth.

 He asked that God would cause all rulers to pay tribute to Solomon.

 As David prayed for his son, he also prophesied of the Messiah.

 Solomon did establish an extensive kingdom but he did not rule to the ends of the earth.

 Solomon was not King of all kings.

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ will fully answer this prayer of David!

 Only the Lord Jesus Christ will reign forever over all the earth!

 Zec 9:9  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. 

Zec 9:10  And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. 

 Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. 

Psa 2:8  Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. 

 Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 

 Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

 King Jesus will rule this world just as He rules everything that we see and know about. He will rule all His creation.

 Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

Joh 1:2  The same was in the beginning with God. 

Joh 1:3  All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 

Joh 1:4  In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 

Joh 1:5  And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

 David then prays that Solomon will be compassionate toward the people.

 *****Psa 72:12  For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 

Psa 72:13  He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 

Psa 72:14  He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 

 When is the last time we have seen our leaders be compassionate to all the people?

 This is when we know we have a true leader.

 Did you know being compassionate to the people is not one of the things that our President is to do.

 An American President is to keep our nation safe and make sure the Constitution is being implemented and is the guide to our laws.

 If our leaders would show compassion to all the people of our great nation instead of picking out certain groups to show compassion, if you can call it that, to certain groups and cause division in all the rest, our nation would be a better place.

 A true leader will deliver all who cry to him who are in need.

 These would be those who are poor, oppressed, and helpless beyond their fault.

 He is to deliver those who suffer due to circumstances beyond their control.

 Most of the problems where people suffer today is because our leaders have made laws that cause friction in the people.

 A good leader would deliver those who are oppressed who are law abiding people.

 A good leaders would not take away our freedoms that are guaranteed by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

 A good leader would save the people from oppression and stop their adversaries who only deceive and defraud the people.

 An unrighteous leader would view the needy with contempt, seeing them as a burden to society and worthless.

 Why is our nation faltering? It is because no one wants a righteous leader!

 Even Solomon was not a righteous leader many of his days because he taxed the people so he could live an extravagant life.

 God told Israel these things about a king:

 Deu 17:15  Thou shalt in any wise set him king over thee, whom the LORD thy God shall choose: one from among thy brethren shalt thou set king over thee: thou mayest not set a stranger over thee, which is not thy brother. 

Deu 17:16  But he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. 

Deu 17:17  Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold. 

Deu 17:18  And it shall be, when he sitteth upon the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write him a copy of this law in a book out of that which is before the priests the Levites: 

Deu 17:19  And it shall be with him, and he shall read therein all the days of his life: that he may learn to fear the LORD his God, to keep all the words of this law and these statutes, to do them: 

Deu 17:20  That his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he, and his children, in the midst of Israel. 

 Solomon ignored all these laws of God just as most all kings have done even presidents.

 But the Lord Jesus Christ was innocent of any wrong doing!

 Israel became a rich nation but it was just like today.

 The rich got richer and the poor remained poor and the middle class paid most of the taxes.

 David prophesied of King Jesus as no one else could meet the qualifications that God had set in His Laws.

 The Jews had six hundred and thirteen laws besides these things that God added to kings.

 The Lord Jesus Christ perfectly portrayed the compassionate, sacrificial heart of our Savior because He cannot be different from what He is!

 He is still this same Savior today with these same characteristics!

 Because of Jesus our souls can be saved from a Spiritual death which means an eternal separation from God in Hell.

 The Lord Jesus is soon returning to claim our bodies as well!

 Solomon did become the richest man in the world, but a lot of it was wasted when He could have done more for Israel such as tax relief.

 *****Psa 72:15  And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised. 

Psa 72:16  There shall be an handful of corn in the earth upon the top of the mountains; the fruit thereof shall shake like Lebanon: and they of the city shall flourish like grass of the earth. 

Psa 72:17  His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun: and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed. 

 Verse 15 is hard to understand but it could mean "God save the King".

 People could not only greet him in the customary way, but bring gifts to him and they would pray for him.

 Besides the gifts, we still do this for our own leaders.

 The gift we can give is to be obedient to the laws of the land that do not go against the Word of God.

 A good king would be the source of happiness and prosperity and there will never be but one good king and that is King Jesus.

 Another prayer would be for the fertility of the land.

 "May there be an abundance of corn in the land upon the top of the mountains?"

"May the fruit rustle like Lebanon".

"May men flourish out of the city like the grass of the earth."

 This would be praying for the prosperity for the people of the kingdom.

 These would be the things that the Lord Jesus will do after He has destroyed the earth. He will make all things new and the earth will again be like it was in the Garden of Eden.

 Hos 14:5  I will be as the dew unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. 

Hos 14:6  His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon. 

Hos 14:7  They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

 Isa 27:6  He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit. 

 There will also be a conversion of the Jews.

 Psa 92:12  The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 

Psa 92:13  Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. 

Psa 92:14  They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing; 

Psa 92:15  To shew that the LORD is upright: he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. 

 Only the Lord Jesus fits the picture painted by verse seventeen:

 Psa 45:17  I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever. 

 Eph 3:13  Wherefore I desire that ye faint not at my tribulations for you, which is your glory. 

Eph 3:14  For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 

Eph 3:15  Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 

Eph 3:16  That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 

Eph 3:17  That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 

Eph 3:18  May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 

Eph 3:19  And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. 

 And blessed be the Lord God:

 *****Psa 72:18  Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things. 

Psa 72:19  And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory; Amen, and Amen. 

Psa 72:20  The prayers of David the son of Jesse are ended. 

 When the Messiah sits on the throne of David during the Millennial Kingdom the whole earth will be filled with God's glory.

 Isa 11:9  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. 

Isa 11:10  And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious. 

 Hab 2:14  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.

 The Lord did wondrous things as the God of Israel by delivering them from bondage.

 The Lord did wondrous things for the Church as he delivered us all from the bondage of Satan.

 He did these things because His mercy endures forever!

 It is our duty to praise God for what He has done for us and Israel will soon find this same thing out.

 It is our honor to praise God.

 It is our honor to meet each week in the House of our God to offer to Him our praise.

 We will do this in Heaven, we just as well get in the practice here on earth!

 It is our duty and our pleasure to honor our God, the Lord Jesus Christ!

 It is only the lord who can do these wondrous things and does them because He loves us!

 Me and my brother Mike used to talk about being saved and we would refer to this passage in the Book of James.

 Jas 5:19  Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 

Jas 5:20  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. 

 Our sins, as terrible as they were now are all blotted out in God's records in Heaven!

 Mike is in Heaven now and I owe it to the Lord to spend the rest of my days serving Him!

 This was David's dying prayer for his son Solomon, but the Holy Spirit used this same prayer to prophecy of the Messiah, King Jesus.

 Amen

The Lord Jesus Christ Will Still Return

 The Second Coming of the King

Book of Matthew Chapter 24

The most anticipated day in all of Christianity is the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know the Lord will return in two stages.

1) The Lord will return first to get His Church out of this world before the Tribulation years, the time of Jacob's Trouble.

1Th 4:14  For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 

1Th 4:15  For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. 

1Th 4:16  For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 

1Th 4:17  Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

1Th 4:18  Wherefore comfort one another with these words. 

He will meet His Church in the clouds!

Jer 30:7  Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it. 

Jer 30:8  For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him: 

Jer 30:9  But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them. 

Jer 30:10  Therefore fear thou not, O my servant Jacob, saith the LORD; neither be dismayed, O Israel: for, lo, I will save thee from afar, and thy seed from the land of their captivity; and Jacob shall return, and shall be in rest, and be quiet, and none shall make him afraid. 

Jer 30:11  For I am with thee, saith the LORD, to save thee: though I make a full end of all nations whither I have scattered thee, yet will I not make a full end of thee: but I will correct thee in measure, and will not leave thee altogether unpunished. 

The Tribulation years are a time of Jacob's Trouble not a time of trouble for the Church.

All the persecution of the church will take place during the Church Age, the Age we are now in.

2) The Lord will return to end the time of Jacob's Trouble by claiming the throne of David where He will rule this world for 1000 years.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 

Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 

Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 

Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 

Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 

Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 

The Lord Jesus is still coming, and it may not be very much longer!

Many things will take place in this time period of when the Lord Jesus ascended back to Heaven and when He will return!

The Book of Matthew teaches us many of these things by the Lord Himself.

*****Mat 24:1  And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

This Second Temple was a marvelous structure that King Herod had been restoring for more than 40 years.

*****Mat 24:2  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 

There should be no doubt in anyone's mind that this prophecy was fulfilled just as the Lord Jesus had said.

Josephus a Jewish historian testified of this destruction by Titus in 70 AD.

Josephus wrote that passersby would have supposed that the place of the Temple had never been inhabited if they did not know the truth.

Titus, the Roman general, ordered the very foundations of it to be dug up; after which the ground on which it stood was ploughed up by Turnus Rufus and planted.

As beautiful as this Temple was, it was the actions of the priests that changed the function of God's House.

It is not the outward appearance of any Church that makes it truly acceptable, it is what is happening within.

The disciples were aroused to ask questions:

1) When would this Temple be destroyed.

2) When would the Lord return.

What should we then believe? We should expect a literal fulfillment of these words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We must also understand that Our Lord Jesus is preparing these disciples for His departure!

*****Mat 24:3  And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 

Mat 24:4  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 

Just how will the Lord answer these questions, let us listen to what our Savior says.

The very first thing we see is that there will be great deceptions told to God's people.

The very first sign would be the rise of false prophets!

If we cannot see the truth of this statement, then we are totally blind!

We should also see what is described as the ending of an Age.

We know the Church Age is coming to an end and another sign is that falling away.

2Th 2:1  Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, 

2Th 2:2  That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. 

2Th 2:3  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; 

There is a great falling away from the Church because of all the false prophets in the pulpits and in the secular world.

*****Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

Most all the world is aware that the Lord Jesus has said He would return, and He will.

Many do not understand that Our Savior and Redeemer will return in two stages.

These 12 men with the Lord understood that all these things might happen all at one time, and this is not what the Lord Jesus was teaching them.

Many today think these things have already taken place and this also is not what our Lord Jesus was teaching.

The Church has been around long enough for most all the world to know that by the teaching of the true Church, the only way to Heaven is through and by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. 

All those people and all those nations know that the Bible says they are doomed to Hell whether they believe it or not.

Psa 9:7  But the LORD shall endure for ever: he hath prepared his throne for judgment. 

Psa 9:8  And he shall judge the world in righteousness, he shall minister judgment to the people in uprightness. 

Much of the Church is hated for these reasons.

Most all politicians use these things for their own glory, some the righteousness, and most against what we know is the truth.

In reality lies and liars dominate the language of this world today!

Another reality is that we should be very careful when we are quoting the prophecies of the end times.

The Lord says take heed less we are deceived.

*****Mat 24:5  For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 

There will be false Christs and there will be false prophets.

We see and we have seen both of these, and we will continue to do so.

These represent not only those who say they are the Christ, but also those who claim to be Christians and are not.

If this was not true then, our Lord Jesus would not have said these words and He has said them before He said all these other things.

The Lord said there would be many, not just a few.

2Co 11:13  For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. 

2Co 11:14  And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. 

2Co 11:15  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works. 

These false Christ have existed since the beginning of the Church and are multiplying today.

1Jn 2:18  Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. 

Yet, there are many more signs.

*****Mat 24:6  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. 

The Lord said for sure there would be many wars and many more rumors of wars. These things must come to pass. 

Saying these things meant these things would happen over a long period of time, but the end of which these disciples asked is not yet.

The thing we must remember the most is, that the fulfillment of the Scriptures requires a long time for its completion. 

We need only look at the time that has already past yet, many prophecies have reached their fulfillment and many more will do so in the time that remains.

If the Lord returned for His Church today, we know there would be more than a thousand years that would remain for complete Biblical fulfillment.

The Lord Jesus could actually return for His Church today! There is nothing yet to be fulfilled before the "Rapture of the Church".

Most all remaining prophecies concern the promises made to the Children of Israel.

The only thing lacking to be fulfilled is the patience of the Lord!

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

We must never assume that all these things have all already taken place.

I believe if we look at all the things happening in our world today, it would be obvious that time is running out in the Church Age.

Rom 8:22  For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. 

Rom 8:23  And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body. 

Rom 8:24  For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for? 

Rom 8:25  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it. 

Nations will rise against nation, kingdom against kingdom.

*****Mat 24:7  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 

Today our nation is more divided than it has ever been, and it is intentional by factions in our own government. 

It is the same in other nations who have given in to the status quo and political correctness.

Today famines are not mentioned enough though they still exist because of so-called extreme weather, the heavy rains that trouble nations who have built too close to waterways for centuries, crying because they have something else to blame the flooding on.

Nations, cities, states, and homeowners and resort areas have always built too close to our waterways and the Lord says there will be flooding but not like the world wide flood in the days of Noah.

Jer 47:2  Thus saith the LORD; Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl.

Amo 8:8  Shall not the land tremble for this, and every one mourn that dwelleth therein? and it shall rise up wholly as a flood; and it shall be cast out and drowned, as by the flood of Egypt.

Nah 1:7  The LORD is good, a strong hold in the day of trouble; and he knoweth them that trust in him. 

Nah 1:8  But with an overrunning flood he will make an utter end of the place thereof, and darkness shall pursue his enemies. 

Maybe flooding has increased in some places.

Maybe famines have increased in some places.

Maybe earthquakes have increased and in places where they should not be happening.

Maybe buildings are collapsing for no reason.

Maybe pestilences (plagues) are increasing around the world as we have seen with Covid-19.

Oh, guess what, this is just what the Lord has said, and if you investigate, you will see the decisions that governments make every day are at fault and they had rather destroy history rather than preserve history and learn from their mistakes.

All these things that the world is so concerned about are only the beginning of the sorrows that are still in the future!

*****Mat 24:8  All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

We should clearly understand that none of these things had anything to do with the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem by Titus in 70AD.

The Jews brought that on themselves.

Mat 27:23  And the governor said, Why, what evil hath he done? But they cried out the more, saying, Let him be crucified. 

Mat 27:24  When Pilate saw that he could prevail nothing, but that rather a tumult was made, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person: see ye to it. 

Mat 27:25  Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us, and on our children. 

When the Lord is rejected, He will leave and take His hand of protection with Him!

These are not things that the Church will see except for that statement of the Lord made right here. 

The Church will see the beginning of sorrows as we see them today!

It only gets worse!

2Ti 3:13  But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

All these things we can see happening in our world today and at my age I have seen these things get worse.

This is why history is being erased.

Oh, did I say persecution was going to increase.

*****Mat 24:9  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. 

What is persecution? Persecution is  when Christians are forbidden to seek the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, by the use of force!

This is the main job the Lord Jesus gave us to do!

Mat 28:18  And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 

Mat 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 

Mat 28:20  Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. 

The other job of the Body of Christ is to make disciples who are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ, and they then go forth with the "Gospel".

In America, it is hard to say we are persecuted when we see the persecution of the Body of Christ in many nations, but we can state in fact the even in America persecution has increased dramatically.

It really does not make sense as Christians are some of the best citizens of every nation by that same Word of God.

The one thing all Christians are to stand against is sin and that sin is based on that same Word of God.

So by this, we know that all governments in this world promote sin and refuse to stop promoting sin.

Who can figure that one out!

Most all sinners, all those without the love of Christ, promote murder, promote theft, promote immorality, and promote the defiance of authority.

Most all nations survive by taxes and Christians pay their taxes as demanded yet, all these involved in sin for the most part refuse to pay their taxes and become a burden upon those governments.

Most all Christians respect the authority of the government, yet most all sinners reject the authority of the government.

Yet, it is the Christian that is persecuted, and the sinner is praised by the government where no amount of sin is considered to be punishable.

The sinner who has not given their life to Christ and been Born Again by the "Grace" of God, remains a sinner who is sold out to the Devil!

These are also the Words of Jesus Christ:

Joh 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. 

Joh 8:45  And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not. 

Those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ are persecuted, just because they agree with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Mat 10:22  And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved. 

This world opposes believers!

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 

Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 

Gal 5:21  Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

Gal 5:24  And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 

The world opposes the message of a Holy God, and will deliver up His disciples to be afflicted and many of them will just be murdered to keep them silent.

The world has become the greatest murderer that think they go unpunished, but this same Holy God says this is not true because the world will be held accountable!

So what is the greatest cause of death in our world? The governments of this world!

Hatred has finally found its true place in the world we live in now, and this is a sign that the end is very near!

*****Mat 24:10  And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 

We can ask ourselves just what is apostasy?

Apostasy is the forsaking and the renouncing of the things you say you believe.

How did the Lord Jesus put it?

Mat 13:20  But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; 

Mat 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended. 

We have seen far too many so-called Christians, duck and run when they find out they have to take a stand on the Word of God to be a true Christian!

Eph 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. 

Though every generation has some apostacy now, near the end, we have seen a great falling away from the truth of God!

1Ti 4:1  Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 

1Ti 4:2  Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 

What is another great sign we are in the last days?

2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 

2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 

2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 

The truth of God cannot be denied!

The false prophets have come out of the closet, and they speak boldly because they are allowed to!

*****Mat 24:11  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 

Mat 24:12  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 

What do we see?

We see false leaders offering false hope!

There is no hope for this world!

The Lord has already determined to destroy this world in the end, but He will first save it from those who are determined to destroy this world themselves.

This is true because this to is written in what we Christians call the Bible.

Every false prophet will have his or her own message about how to save the world.

There have always been some false prophets, but now they have taken over the pulpits of many denominations and some of all denominations, and the world has jumped inside the Church and the Church is sinking to new lows abandoning the truth of God.

This my friends is another sign of the end times that we are facing!

We should never say the end times for God's people for this wrong, but the end times for the world as it now exist is what we are seeing.

1Ti 6:3  If any man teach otherwise, and consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which is according to godliness; 

1Ti 6:4  He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, 

1Ti 6:5  Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. 

We must understand that only the genuine believer knows how to pray and talk with God!

By this, we will get the help we need to live through these difficult circumstances that we are facing, and we will be facing until the Lord Jesus completes our "Redemption"!

We are redeemed, the Lord just has not taken us home yet!

Until we leave this world we will see and are seeing hatred dominate in this world!

Love has grown cold by the actions of sin that has no feelings.

Sin is a destructive flame that burns until all it all has been consumed!

The Christian on the other hand is to fan the flames of truth and be brighter, in fact hotter.

Again a sign of the end times.

Rev 3:14  And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; 

Rev 3:15  I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 

Rev 3:16  So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. 

We cannot be lukewarm and say we love the Lord Jesus!

*****Mat 24:13  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 

Mat 24:14  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. 

Maybe what we lack the most as Christians today is, endurance!

It may not can be said in many places on this earth, but in America we Christians have not been tested.

This may be why there is such a falling away from the Church.

This Covid-19 has closed the doors of many places of worship.

We have allowed the government to step in and violate our own constitution and the Democratic Party would do away with our Constitution if they get the opportunity.

Our freedoms are being eroded!

Our nation is headed toward Socialism or better said Communism like a freight train running out of track.

We had better learn to endure these things and remain steadfast with the Lord Jesus!

With today's technology there remains very few places that have not been reached with the "Gospel".

Those very few places that civilization has not touched, will be touched and they too will suffer the destruction of sin, but maybe they first can be reached with the truth of God, but if not, they will still have no excuse because we need only look around and we can know that only a wise Creator could have made all the things in this Cosmos.

Rom 1:18  For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 

Rom 1:19  Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 

Rom 1:20  For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 

Rom 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 

Its far better to know the Lord Jesus Christ that it is reject Him!

The greatest of all sin is to be ignorant of the Lord Jesus Christ, and it is He who will return first to take His Church home and then eradicate sin from this world by extreme force!

Amen

The Day of the Lord

The Wonderful Kingdom

Book of Zechariah Chapter 14

In Chapter 14 of Zechariah we will see the prophecy of Chapter 12 and Chapter 13 expanded. There is coming a time when most all the nations of this world will gather against the tiny nation of Israel. It will seem that all the prophesies of the Scriptures have failed. It will seem that Jerusalem the City of Peace, that has never seen peace, will be no more. It will seem that the Word of God has been a lie. It will seem that all hope is lost.

It will have been 7 years since the Antichrist came onto the scene and he has spent the last 3 and 1/2 years destroying everything and everyone who has challenged him.

He has most all the world behind him and he has decided he will be the true king of the world and he has set his eyes upon Jerusalem and his plan now to destroy the Jews.

The Scriptures say this is the time of Jacob's Trouble:

Jer 30:7 Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.

Jer 30:8 For it shall come to pass in that day, saith the LORD of hosts, that I will break his yoke from off thy neck, and will burst thy bonds, and strangers shall no more serve themselves of him:

Jer 30:9 But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up unto them.

It will be that day that none have ever seen, the world at war but the enemy of the world will be one tiny nation, Israel, who has defied the Antichrist.

What is Armageddon?

Rev 16:14 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.

Rev 16:15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.

Rev 16:16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.

The one thing that much of the world has forgotten is that the Scriptures cannot lie, and there is a God, and He is the Lord Jesus Christ. The true and Living God!

How does our Lord explain it?

*****Zec 14:1 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

Zec 14:2 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.

We know that there have already been many wars and many battles fought before this day comes.

Mat 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

Mat 24:5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:6 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.

Mat 24:7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.

Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Mat 24:9 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.

Mat 24:10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.

Mat 24:11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.

Mat 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.

Mat 24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.

Mat 24:14 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.

Mat 24:15 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:)

Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:

Mat 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:

Mat 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.

Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!

Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:

Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

Mat 24:22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.

All these things have taken place. The "elect", the Church has been saved from these days. The Lord promised we would not see His wrath upon us.

It is in these final days of the Great Tribulation and just when it looks like the Antichrist will be the winner, the world will meet the Lord Jesus Christ, but He will not be that humble Shepherd, He will come as King.

It is the Lord who gathered all these nations against Jerusalem.

In order for Jerusalem to be saved, all the people would have forgotten their own power, and will call upon the Lord!

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Just as the City of Peace is falling to the enemy. Just as the enemy is stealing all they can from the Jews. Just as the women and children are falling into the hands of the enemy. Just when half the city falls into the hands of the enemy.

The Lords says half of the city will not be cut off from safety.

Rev 12:14 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.

Rev 12:15 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.

Rev 12:16 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.

Rev 12:17 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.

Now I cannot explain all these things, but I do know that just when all seems lost, that is when the Lord can do His best!

*****Zec 14:3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.

What do we know for sure?

The Lord will visibly appear and fight against all the nations that go against Israel and Jerusalem!

Our Lord does many things in this world, He is in control of all things that surround us, and He is not seen.

On this day the Lord God, when He steps out of Heaven, He will be seen and when He is seen, then He is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Remember He said they look upon the One they had pierced as proof.

He is the "Word of God in person"

He is King of all kings.

He is Lord of all lords.

He is also the Mightiest of all warriors!

Rev 19:11 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.

He will fight as He did against the Egyptians as He protected His children and opened the Red Sea.

He will fight as He did when He led Joshua through Canaan Land. This time there will be no covenants made and there will be none that escape to intermingle with those that survive.

Rev 14:14 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.

Rev 14:15 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.

Rev 14:16 And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.

And when He arrives, He will first stand on the Mount of Olives, for He was not afraid to tell the enemy the exact spot He would return.

*****Zec 14:4 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.

Zec 14:5 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.

Remember at this time the people of Israel and Jerusalem are in peril thinking it is finally over and the world has succeeded in destroying them forever, but this will never happen because Jehovah, the Lord, made a sure covenant with them.

They had to be broken and humbled until they finally called on the Lord with sincerity!

2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

Remember in Chapter 12 the Lord had poured out the Holy Spirit upon Jerusalem and Judah.

What do we know? We know the Lord has already observed the happenings around Israel, because His eye is always upon His children!

The Lord always knows what we endure!

The Lord knows when we are in peril, but He may leave us in that peril long enough to learn whatever lesson we needed to learn!

The Lord will make a way for deliverance!

The Church has always known that the Lord will return to this place.

Act 1:7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

Act 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

Act 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Act 1:10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;

Act 1:11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.

Some believe that there will be an earthquake on the Mount of Olives because the Muslim made a great cemetery in the pathway of the Lord and would not defile Himself walking on the dead.

Some believe the entire area will be broken up because of all the Saints that left in the Rapture.

What we know for sure is, that this sinful, bloody earth will melt before the feet of Jesus!

What we know for sure is, that the Lord will part this mountain just as He did the Red Sea in order for the children of Israel to escape!

Rev 12:6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.

Rev 12:14 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.

Azal means they will escape to a place that is very near. A place of safety while the Lord deals with the enemy. This could be Edom.

It is a fact, earthquakes cause a panic and while those enemies of the Jews are confused, those true Israelites the Lord will save, will escape to safety!

In the days of Uzziah there was such an earthquake it was the cause of much panic!

Amo 1:1 The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa, which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel, two years before the earthquake.

We know that this is true because the words of each true prophet of the Lord spoke only the truth!

And we already know that the Lord will never leave us, so at the Rapture when all the Saints went to meet the Lord in the cloud, we then returned with Him.

*****Zec 14:6 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:

Zec 14:7 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.

We live in a world where nature is thought of as something that just exist just as we do. Evolution teaches that we are a product of evolution over billions of years.

They first used millions of years, now billions of years, it’s just a matter of time before they use Trillions of years.

This theory is used about mankind and the animal world, but nothing is ever said about nature evolving!

Why? Because all this is nonsense and we have a Creator and our Creator holds the power of all His creation and the power over all of nature.

I do believe our nature was put in place to operate without much assistance, but all I know for sure is that the Lord can manipulate all of nature as His will sees fit.

On this day of earthquakes, probably volcanos and all the other such things of nature that we think are terrible, the Sun may be shining, but it cannot shine through, it will not be totally dark, but it will be dark enough to hinder sight.

After the daytime hours are passed and the evening comes it will be light.

How does the Lord explain this?

Isa 13:10 For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.

Isa 13:11 And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible.

Isa 13:12 I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir.

Isa 13:13 Therefore I will shake the heavens, "and the earth shall remove out of her place", in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

I cannot imagine what will go on in this world when the orbit of the Earth has changed!

Already some earthquakes have caused the tilt of the earth to change. I suppose that this does not affect our climate because it is never mentioned as a reason.

The Lord says:

Joe 3:14 Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.

Joe 3:15 The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.

Joe 3:16 The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; "and the heavens and the earth shall shake": but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.

What did Jesus say about this day and Jesus was speaking to the Jews?

Luk 21:25 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring";

What are some of the results of the earth shaking?

Luk 21:26 Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.

Luk 21:27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

How did John the Apostle write about this day, and remember the Church is already with the Lord?

Rev 6:12 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;

Rev 6:13 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.

Rev 6:14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.

If the earth has moved out of its orbit, there will be so many things going on that we cannot imagine but the Lord will still be in control!

It will be this very day that life to this planet will be restored!

It may be that a nuclear holocaust has destroyed all that we know now.

Again the Lord Jesus has everything under control!

*****Zec 14:8 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.

Zec 14:9 And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.

The "River of Life" that we studied from our lesson in Ezekiel Chapter 47 and have mentioned it many times in other lessons.

So here it is again the "Living Waters", the "River of Life", will flow out of Jerusalem to heal our earth to as it was in the time of Adam.

We know that we will still have the seasons and summer will still be hot and winter will still be cold and hotter or colder depending upon your location on this remade earth.

Joe 3:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.

Joe 3:19 Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.

Joe 3:20 But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.

Joe 3:21 For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.

And the Lord Jesus Christ will be King of the entire earth!

Psa 22:27 All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.

Psa 22:28 For the kingdom is the LORD'S: and he is the governor among the nations.

Psa 22:29 All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.

Psa 22:30 A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation.

Psa 22:31 They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

Gen 49:10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

Everything in this world will change when King Jesus sits on His throne in Jerusalem!

*****Zec 14:10 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.

Zec 14:11 And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.

All the land of Judah, which will be a type the whole earth, shall be filled with the knowledge of God!

All high places, all uneven places, all rocky ground, and all barren grounds, will be level as a plain and changed into fruitful vineyards and all crops will be abundant.

One man wrote "it will all be as a valley of abnormal fertility".

Only Jerusalem will be lifted up, while all the world around it will also be as a garden.

Psa 125:2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

Jer 23:6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

The name Jerusalem means the city of peace and Jerusalem will finally become that City of Peace!

Jerusalem has always been a divided city, but it will now be unified because of the Lord!

Many other peoples have claimed Jerusalem, but it will now truly be the City of God!

To the Lord, Jerusalem is the Holy City!

Psa 135:21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, which dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

Psa 46:4 There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the most High.

Psa 46:5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and that right early.

God says, do you remember what I did to Egypt?

What does radiation do to those who are exposed to it?

*****Zec 14:12 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.

In Japan the first thing people noticed was an "intense ball of fire" according to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The atomic blast in Hiroshima on August 6, 1945 killed 140,000 people; tens of thousands died instantly, while the rest succumbed to injuries or illness in the weeks, months and years afterwards.

The atomic bomb had a yield of 15 kilo tons, equal to 15,000 tons of TNT, yet was 3,300 times less powerful than the biggest hydrogen bomb tested by the Soviet Union in 1961.

Temperatures at the epicenter of the blast reached an estimated 7,000 degrees Celsius (12,600 Fahrenheit), which caused fatal burns within a radius of about three kilometers (five miles).

ICRC experts say there were cases of temporary or permanent blindness due to the intense flash of light, and subsequent related damage such as cataracts.

A whirlwind of heat generated by the explosion also ignited thousands of fires that burned several square kilometers (miles) of the largely wooden city. A firestorm that consumed all available oxygen caused more deaths by suffocation.

It has been estimated that burn-and fire-related casualties, accounted for more than half of the immediate deaths in Hiroshima.

Verse 12 describes what happened to 185,000 people instantly in Japan when one atomic bomb was used.

But there is more.

*****Zec 14:13 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.

These enemies will be struck with so much delusion and pain, and confusion, that they will not know who their enemy is, and who is their friend and they will destroy each other.

In these cases it says the Lord will cause these things, but in fact, He will not be the cause. The Lord always takes the blame, but these will be people destroying people. These armies will turn on each other!

Whether by accident or on purpose, some military commander will do the wrong thing and what follows will be mayhem.

All these things will be similar to the things that happened to Egypt and the things Jehovah did in the battles in the time of Joshua, and we could add the things that happened to the enemies of Israel in the war in 1948 and the war of 1967.

The world never learns from mistakes of those who came before them!

Remember the Lord has already poured out the Holy Spirit upon His people and here is an example from the Scriptures:

2Ch 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the LORD, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the LORD; for his mercy endureth for ever.

2Ch 20:22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.

2Ch 20:23 For the children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another.

2Ch 20:24 And when Judah came toward the watch tower in the wilderness, they looked unto the multitude, and, behold, they were dead bodies fallen to the earth, and none escaped.

2Ch 20:25 And when Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away the spoil of them, they found among them in abundance both riches with the dead bodies, and precious jewels, which they stripped off for themselves, more than they could carry away: and they were three days in gathering of the spoil, it was so much.

*****Zec 14:14 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.

When you go against the Lord, it will cost more than you want to pay! Judah will rally to defend their capitol city Jerusalem.

Judah will gather all the spoil and return it to Jerusalem to offer it to King Jesus.

The military of Israel will go to battle this day and they will by the "Supernatural" things of the Lord, destroy their enemies.

All those nations who came against Israel and the Lord will give the wealth of those nations to Israel, just as they had given control of it to the Antichrist!

And the Lord is not done yet.

Not only are all the military men and women confused, their equipment will fail them when they try to use it on Israel!

*****Zec 14:15 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.

The same plague, probably radiation, will also make the equipment of all those militaries useless against Israel!

None of the equipment of the enemy used in warfare will operate on this day as they try to attack Jerusalem!

We must again remember the truth of God!

Rom 12:18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.

Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

We will never make peace with this sinful and evil world.

Evil and good cannot stand on the same ground.

Right and wrong cannot ever agree.

Immorality and Godly righteousness will never agree!

On this day it will be the vengeance of the Lord in full view!

*****Zec 14:16 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.

Here we see the "Mercy" of the Lord, because there will be some that will be saved for whatever reason that we will not know until that day!

Everyone who survives this "Day of the Lord" will go yearly to worship King Jesus, who will sit upon His throne upon this world for 1000 years.

Everyone who is born into this world, since creation and even today, have it within them to seek out their Creator, but the lies of this world cause them confusion and delivers most of them to Hell.

In the days King Jesus sits upon His throne all those babies will grow up without the influence of Satan, and without those lies, because that old world will not exist anymore.

All the world will know Jesus as the Messiah who came to be King, and He will teach all that there is still a better place called the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem that will be in the future of all who will believe.

Faith will still be the key to everlasting life!

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

But in the end, there will still be some who would rather stay on this world than go with the Lord to an even better place, the New Heaven and the New Jerusalem!

Amen

Let's Pray!