# Unraveling the End Times

Key Passage: Revelation 1
Date: June 7, 2024

What do they say? If that won’t light your fire, you wouldn’t wet, you know. That’s good.

Revelation chapter number one. We are starting a new series, End Times Unraveled. And this morning we’ll start just that title, Unraveling of the End Times. And next Sunday, of course, we’ll go. We’ll change a little bit. We’ll go to Involvement Day.

And then the next Sunday we’ll do part two on this specific subject, unraveling of the end times. Then the 19th, each one bring one, and then the following the Great Russian War. That’ll be interesting. It’s all in the Bible. You’ll get, I think it’ll be interesting to you on that day. Then April 2nd, Israel, the epicenter of End Times.

Then it’s Easter, of course. We’ll celebrate our Savior’s resurrection on that day, you know. And then the 16th of April, the Great Reset. Wow, that’s an interesting subject. Some of you already probably heard some about that. And then April 23rd, life during the millennium. Someone said, I need to learn a little bit more about millennium. We’ll try to do that on that Sunday. Then the last Sunday of April, road signs nearing the end. Road signs of nearing the end.

So we’re starting it all off today. Revelation chapter number one.

Did everyone, anyone need a chart? If you did not get a chart, would you raise your hand? We’ll get somebody to get you one. Look like everybody. My wife needs one. Good, and our guest back there, they did. A couple of folks do. They’re on the back table back there. And sure, Mr. Sarah, if you’ll bring that up, Mr. Cheers, got it. Great. Good, good, good. There should be more on the back table back there, Brother Allen. Appreciate it, Brother Allen.

Taking care of that. If you keep your hand up, Brother Allen, it will get you one. We’ve got a couple scattered here, there, and yonder. And I want you to have this chart. Sometimes we put these charts on the screen up here. But somebody, I think his brother Josh said, you know, Pastor, it’s hard to see the details up there. And if we have something, we can hold on to. So I want you to have it. We’ll put it up here. And I want you to have it also. And hopefully between the two, it’ll be helpful for us.

But Revelation chapter number one. Anyone else need the chart? Anyone else need a chart? We’re good to go on that. Good. I got a crown. It’ll work. It’ll work. Bring it on up. We’re just kind of trying to keep your attention here there yonder. We were trying to get a crown. That’ll work. That’ll work. Hundred days of school crown. How about that right there? We got a long ways to go, amen.

It’s better than this, there was a Tierra. I was like, man, that’s not a crown. I can’t, you know, come on now, you know. We’re going to talk about Jesus here in a little bit. We can’t have that, you know. So, anyway, we do the best we can and what we got. Amen. We’ll go to Burger King, get one of their crowns, you know.

But Revelation, we’re in chapter one and verse number one. Would you please stand just to show the word of God respect, if you’re able to.

Revelation 1 and verse number 1. And the Bible says the revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him to show unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass. And he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant, John. Of course, John’s one to pen these words.

Who bear record of the word of God and of the testimony of Jesus Christ and of all things that he saw. Here’s a special blessing about this book. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that heareth the words of this prophecy, keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. Wow.

I like that. Let’s pray, and we’re going to try to just dive into this thing. We’ve got a lot to cover. We’ll see how much we get covered today. I want us to get out by three at least, you know. I mean, I had the privilege of visit with Michael Elizabeth yesterday, and they said, got to beat the church Christ. They were joking. You got to beat the church Christ to the restaurant. I was thinking, man, I don’t know. It’s hard to do at our church, you know. But we’ll see if we can’t get out at a good time, you know. But let’s pray and just dive right into it. Would you pray with me?

God grows through it. Lord, help us to understand. Lord, kind of today more than use to our head. Help us to gain knowledge. But Lord, more than just that, would you change your heart through hearing and gaining knowledge in our head? Father, help us to be more focused on you and eternal things.

Lord, help us to have peace when we see things happening in our day and time. Lord, all these coming weeks, would you put your hand on it? Do it I cannot, Lord. Father, I pray that people be saved because you’re working through these series. And, Lord, once all said and done, we’ll thank you. We’ll brag on you for what you do. Father, would you send your spirit in a special way? And we’re asking for all these things. In the name of Jesus, we pray.

Amen. Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.

If you notice in your Bible, I don’t know about yours, because I’m not talking about the text, but I’m talking about the heading on my when it says the revelation. It says a revelation of St. John, the divine. I don’t like St. John the divine for sure. But mine does say the revelation of John. And I know what they’re saying John’s one dependent.

But if you read the first words of the book, it really says differently than that. It says there the revelation of… Yeah, the book of Revelation is really a revelation of Jesus.

The Greek word apocalypse is what it really means manifestation, and he is, he’s revealing or manifesting in times, but in the end, the one that will be standing there is Jesus. He’s the alpha at the beginning, he’s the omega of the end, and so it’s revealing Jesus is king. He’s in control of it all, and as we study this, you’ll see Jesus, he’s king of it all, and it’s a revelation of Jesus Christ. That’s what the book of Revelation is all about.

We’re going to put this down for just a second here. And you don’t have to mark out, you know, there, of John, St. John, don’t do that, you know, but it’s Revelation of Jesus Christ is what the book of Revelation is.

Now, I want you to jump down, if you would, verse number four, verse number four there of Revelation. And it says, John, he’s one dependent, to the seven churches which are in Asia. Grace be unto you and peace from him. Now who’s the him? Jesus. Watch this. Which is, and which was, and which is to come from the seven spirits which are before his throne.

Would you look down in verse number eight? If you have a red letter edition Bible, the first part is in reds, Jesus speaking, he says, I am alpha and omega, the beginning and the ending. I like that. The ending.

And I’ve read the last chapter of the book you read about Jesus. He’s the ending, amen. I mean, I love it. But what’s what it says. Thus saith the Lord, which is, which was, and which is to come the almighty.

Now, let me give you just a quick brief outline of the book of Revelation. Got your chart, hold your chart there. You got it? You got it?

You might want to write notes on it if you would like to. But if you notice on the far left, as you look at your chart, it says that which was. All right. That’s chapter one. Chapter one, the book of Revelation, is a vision that John saw on the Isle of Patmos. He was out on this island. He was stranded. Well, he was put there. I shouldn’t say stranded. He was put there for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. And they put him out there on the Isle of Patmos. And while I was out there, he said, I was in the spirit on the Lord’s Day. Now, I like that.

They were kind of putting him out there for him to die for preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. By the way, when they put him out there, they took a big old huge pot of Crisco oil, something like that, and they build a fire underneath it to where that oil was boiling. Ladies, you ever cook, or maybe men, cook something, you know, and you put it in there and that grease pops on you? How many have ever put frog legs in there and watch them jump all over it? Come on now, you know, yeah. Some of you’re like, yeah, I know about that. But how hot it is when it burns you, and they dipped John the Revelator in that bowl. And then they left him out on that island.

Did I say John the Bible? John the Revelator. I’m not sure if it was John the Revelator. Now, here’s the thing. John the Revelator didn’t let that get his spirit. It didn’t let him get out of church. He said, it’s Sunday. We’re having church, me, myself and I, amen, you know. And he had church, and God showed up in a wonderful way on that day. He said, I was in the spirit of the Lord’s day. And he had a revelation of Jesus Christ.

We’re not going to study that, but you’ll read chapter one, do it some other time, and you’ll see this vision of Jesus. Now that’s that which was John had saw in the past, had seen however the English professors are supposed to go, you know. And down south we say, we saw it, amen, we saw it, you know, whatever it is. And that’s which was this vision, all right?

The next outline, it’s outlined there in verse 4 and verse 1 break, but then the next one there is in your chart there, that which is, all right, as chapter 2 and chapter 3. And those are actual seven letters to seven churches. Churches are in Asia Minor. Much of that is Turkey nowadays.

There were actual churches, and there were letters written to the angel. It means messenger, probably to the preacher, the pastor of those churches, these letters to them. And he, the hath ears, let him hear. It was written to you and I, but specifically these churches here, all right. That’s the outline, that which is. Those were actual churches at the time of the pinning of this book. See? So you already saw the vision, that which was, that which is, is these church is going on right there.

By the way, remember that’s the vision of Christ. Who’s the founder? Who’s the sustainer? Who’s the had the preeminence in the church? Who’s that? He’s ahead of the church, Jesus. You see, the whole book of Revelation is about Jesus. Revelation of Jesus Christ. So, but these here. And then we’re living in what we call the church age, all right?

The big thing in our day and time, as far as the Lord’s economy, if you will, is the church. He works through the church. To Him big glory in the church. See, Ephesians 2. And the church is big. That’s what’s going on right now, which is. All right?

And then chapter 4, really on through the rest of it, is that which is to come. And the very ending of all, ending of it all is Jesus. And it’s a revelation of Jesus, but we’re going to really start and study chapter four through the ending of this book, that which is to come. God wanted you to know. When you look at the news and you hear what’s going on, you say, what are the world what’s going on? Well, I know what’s going on. The Bible tells us. Amen.

He’s revealed to us what’s about to take place. And you can see all the signs lining up where it’s getting ready to take place. We’ll get in that. The next time we preach on this subject, two Sundays, we’ll talk a lot about the tribulation period. And boy, you can see things lining up for that period. Very, very detailed right now. Just getting ready for it. God’s kind of putting all the props out, you know. And pretty soon the curtain’s going to be lifted. Amen. We’re going to be living with the Lord if you’re saved at that time.

So that’s a brief outline of the book of Revelation. We broke it down a little bit more on this chart here. But if you notice, if you’ll notice on your chart right after the church age, there the next thing, the next big thing on the timetable is the rapture, all right? That’s the next big thing.

Would you look over in 1st Thessalonians chapter number four? And let’s talk for just a minute here about the rapture. What does rapture mean? The word actually means caught up or caught out. Some will say the word rapture is not in the Bible and the word is not. But the event is very well described here in 1st Thessalonian chapter number four.

And I want you to look at verse number 16, all right. Y’all with me out there? These next two Sundays who’s on this subject, really, we just need to stay on board because so many people get events out of place, and that’s very important. We’re trying to put all the events in the right place, and then we’ll be able to describe more of the details later on. We want to get the timeline right first of all. First, that’s all right. Are you in verse number 16? You’re there? Amen. This side was pretty good. Are you there on this side? Amen. Good deal, good deal.

Verse number 16. Here we go. 1st Thessalonians 4:16. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with the shout. We’ll mention that in just a minute here, so kind of put that back ahead. With the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

What’s you’re talking about? They’re talking about most Christians, their soul is already in heaven, but their body is in a grave. I think it’s 15 years ago. Friday, Brother Mark’s son went home to be. We know where he is, but his body’s still here. You say, well, 15 years, you know. I went yesterday just briefly to my dad’s grave side. And it’s been 2011, been all these years. Well, that body’s decayed, and you’re right. Hey, the Lord made our bodies out of dirt in the beginning. It’s no problem for God.

But the dead in Christ shall rise. It’s talking about their body. We didn’t have time to look at it, but their soul will come with Jesus on that grand reunion day. Well, that’s what is mentioning there. He says that bottom verse number 16, and the dead in Christ shall rise first.

Then we. It’s interesting. Many of these, they thought they were going to be living when Jesus came back. Apostles, many of them. Paul here. Then we, which are alive and remain. That’s going to be me and you. Maybe. Who was it, Ms. Kent? I was talking to Ms. Kent this morning. I think she may have had to slip out. Their health is not the best. Well, they all they hadn’t slipped out. She’s back there. Ms. Kent, I said, hey, Ms. Kent, Rutherford County R.C.B.C. would not be the same without Ms. Kent and her hat. Anybody want to say amen to? It just adds to it. I love it. It’s special. And she said, I need to find somebody else to take my tradition type thing, my hats one day, you know. And I said, oh, Miss Kent, you’re going to be around here to 140. You may be here until the Lord takes us all out of here, you know.

And that’s what it’s talking about here. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up. There it is, the rapture, caught up. Together with them, who’s the them? That’s my dad, his soul. And by the way, his body rose, and the soul, they kind of met together, got a grand, brand new body. But we’re going to meet with them in the air. It’s going to be a grand reunion day. I miss Busho played the piano. She’s going to see Brother Busho again on that day. It’s going to be a grand reunion day.

Then we which are alive remains to be caught up together with them in the clouds. Now, I’m ready to see my dad, my granny, Brother Larry. I mean, I can go on and go on, Brother Fontaine, all of them. I mean, I’m going to miss some. There’s something. But the big thing about that day, the big thing about that day, watch this. To meet them in the clouds, together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air.

That’s going to be the big thing. Hey, we’re going to meet the Lord Jesus Christ on that day. Man, what a day that will be when my Jesus I shall see. Woo, my goodness, he’s coming back for me and you if you’re saved, friend. Man, that’s going to be an incredible day, the rapture, when we’re caught up together with him, the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

By the way, that’s very interesting. It says, to meet the Lord in the air. Notice the air, okay? Over here, actually when Jesus coming back at the Second Coming to Christ, he’ll come all the way down, he had put his feet down on the earth on the Mount of Olives. On your chart over there on the right side with the king coming. But right here, he actually doesn’t put his feet on the ground, the rapture. That’s why I don’t call that the Second Coming of Christ, because he didn’t come all the way down to earth. We meet him in the air. Yeah. He’s just taking his bride out of here, friend. He ain’t coming to stay that time. He’s got seven years of wrath he’s going to pour out after that. He’s going to get his bride out of this world before that. We’ll meet the Lord in the air.

We’re back over here in verse number 17. So shall we ever be with the Lord. Praise the Lord. He’s not going to leave us again. He told the apostles, I got to go. Got to go, fellas, but I’ll be back. He said, I’m not going to leave you again. So should you ever be with the Lord? Isn’t it?

That verse number 18, I love it. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. Ooh, man, that’s getting bad. That’s all right. About to go home, amen. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. That’s a rapture.

Now I want you just think about it. I want you to think about it. Can I get everybody looking up here? Daniel look up here, everybody looking up here? I want you just think about it for a second. The rapture.

Now, I don’t know how many people in America are truly saved. I don’t know. You don’t know, nobody knows. I looked up on the Internet and you get everything in the world, man. Who knows? You know, only God knows. Individuals know. But let’s just pretend. All right, and I say this number. He goes, well, that’s way off. Maybe I am. I don’t know. But let’s just say 25% of Americans are truly born again. There has came in time when they passed from death and delight. They have put in all their faith, not in their good works, but in the blood of Jesus Christ. They have put their faith fully in Christ to be their Savior. They are born again. Jesus said, you must be born again. And that’s 25%.

Now, think with me here for a second. All right. The population in America is 335 million. All right. Now, if a quarter of those are saved, then that means 84 million people. Boom, they’re gone. We’re caught up. I mean, you’re just out of here.

I, we tried. I don’t, I was trying to remember if I was part of this one or not. I can’t remember, man. My daughter was looking at me the other afternoon, went out, and she was looking at my forehead, said, did I have some of my forehead? She said, Dad, Dad, I see some gray hairs there. Said, I don’t want to talk to you anymore, Sarah. You know?

I can’t remember. But I remember in college that they, a fellow was coming in real late after everybody else. Some of us were night shift, you know, he’s coming in real late. And we tried to all hide. I don’t think I was part of this. But everybody tried to hide. But they tried to just leave clothes. Like in the hallways, there was the restrooms. And they, you know, in front of the sink, people would be staying. And they just had clothes dropped right there. And like everybody was gone out of the dorms. And so when they came in from work, they thought, did the rapture just happen? It’s like, Lord, I am saved. I’m turned to you, you know.

And that’s what it’s going to be like on that day. I mean, boom, people are gone. Raptured out of here. They’re just, by the way, the Bible says in the twinkling, 1st Corinthians 15 says in the twinkling of an eye. General Electric did a study years ago. How quick is a twinkle? Not a blink of an eye the Bible doesn’t say. The Bible says a twinkle of an eye. And they said a twinkle of an eye happens in 35 seconds of a second. And a twinkle of an eye, poof, we’re out of here, gone.

I mean, by the way, man, if you’re saved, that’s going to be a great day. My wife says that sometimes when she’s preaching at me, you know. She’ll just, not at me, but she, look, everybody’s got some preacher at him. Now, come on now, you know. But she’ll say, if they won’t talk about the liberals and all the rest of that, if they want this world so bad, God’s going to give it to them for about seven years. They can have this world, you know. Pretty good preacher, isn’t she? Amen. And we’re going to be gone. The rapture.

Now, we are living somewhere, somewhere, right along here. I don’t know. Nobody knows the day or the hour. If somebody begins to say, he’s going to come back September 23rd, 22nd, 21st, usually will be around there, you know, the feast and all those things. And at 2023, when they do that, there’s this little knob you have in the back of your head and you just turn it off. Boom. Because they’re not following the Bible. Now if they say it could happen then, they’re not nailing it down, all right. Nobody knows the day or the hour. But we’re living somewhere right before the rapture. We’re living in the church age, what’s called the church age.

Now, some people ask this. In fact, I asked a good man in our church, very knowledgeable man in the church, and say, hey, any subjects you think we need to cover? I asked several people that. And one thing he asked, he said, can you cover, is there anything that needs to be fulfilled before Jesus comes back? And let me give you a resounding, very clear answer. No.

A couple of things needed to happen. One of those was Israel needed to be re-gathered. That happened in 1948 when they became a nation. It’s still going on. It happened, even in many ways, a great way in 1967 and a six-day war. When they took back Jerusalem, that was a very big mile marker. And they reclaimed that capital city. But that’s been fulfilled.

Some will say this. Look over in Matthew 24. Matthew 24. I just want you to see it. Some will say this. Matthew 24:14. I’ll say, well, he can’t come back until this has happened. We may have time later on to cover the context here a little bit more, but I just want you to read it and I’ll explain the context without us studying it. But Matthew 24 in verse number 14. You there, amen? Good.

Verse number 14, he says, 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. Someone says, see, the gospel’s got to be spread around the whole world before the end. Friend, if you study the context, the end is not talking about the rapture. The end, we don’t have time to get in, I think we will go through Matthew 24 somewhat, but the end he’s speaking of there is over here when Jesus comes back at the second coming after the tribulation period. So as far as the rapture, we’re ready. Everything has been fulfilled.

There are some wars. There’s the war of Muslims over there in Psalms. There’s the Great Russian War we’re talking about. The Bible never tells us when those wars must take place. Damascus must be destroyed. But the Bible never tells us when that must happen. Those things could happen in the tribulation period. So everything that must be done has been done. There may be more wars. The Great Russian War may be. We’ll talk about that. But everything that has to be done, has been done. We’re having what we call the imminent return of Christ. It means he could come back anytime. I mean, before we leave church today, we may not make it to Waterburger to get a hamburger, you know. Got to visit Mike Arnold yesterday, and he just wants to get out of there so he can get a Waterburger, amen, you know. I never had one. I’ll get one of those things now, you know. We’ll get one in your honor.

But we don’t know if it could happen at any time. It is all ready to go.

Now, briefly here, let’s talk about this. On our way up, the big thing, we’re going to see Jesus. But there’s this thing called the judgment seat of Christ. Would you look over in Revelation real quickly? And you might want to write this verse down, right beside 2 Corinthians 5:10 on your chart. I look over there in Revelation chapter number 22. And I want you to see this, Revelation 22. And when you look at verse number 12 right there.

Of course, this is the last book of the Bible, last chapter, he’s nearing the end of the Bible, and Jesus said, hey, I’m going to come. I’m coming back for you, say, folk, I’m coming for you. Notice what it says, verse number 12, Revelation 22:12. And he says, and behold, I come quickly. Watch this. Am I, what’s the next word? Reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

Now there he is speaking of the judgment seat of Christ. Let me just read for you, 2 Corinthians 5:10, for who must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ? We there speaking to Christians. Judgment of Christ said everyone may receive the things done in his body according to that which you have done, whether it be good or bad.

The judgment seat of Christ is the time when the Lord would be giving out rewards for as you lived for him. If you want a little bit of description, how is he going to give rewards out? Go over some not now to 1 Corinthians 3 and not now, and you stated that out. He’ll tell you how your works, not your sin, but your works will be tried by fire. And if you’re alerted for the Lord, if they were just for yourself or for glory or for somebody to see or just for your comfort and all the rest of that, then you don’t get, you suffer loss. Well, your rewards. You’re saved yet so as by fire. You still miss the fires of hell, but you don’t get those rewards. But if you live for the Lord Jesus Christ and upon the foundation of Jesus, you put gold, silver, precious stone, then you get rewards.

When does that happen? He says, hey, I come quickly and I bring my reward with me. The judgment seat of Christ, 2nd Corinthians 5 over there, the Greek word is Bema seat. We’ve discussed this a lot, Bema seat. What is Bema seat is actually goes back to the Greek Olympic Games.

And at the end of that, the emperor, someone would be standing there, and they’d have those wreaths a lot of times, and they would be standing on the Bema seat or the Bema block. And those that won, they would come up and he would place this wreath, if you will, not wreath, how do you say that word? Is that that say it right? Whatever they said, all right, you know what I’m talking about, that round thing with all the flowers and everything else on you know, the Greek sky, and put it on their head. And Jesus is going to come and he’s going to give you your crowns. Months ago we studied the five different crowns. And Jesus is going to give out crowns at that time. And he’s going to place it on your head. If you’ve lived for him, he’s going to give it to you. All right.

Now, so that’s where we’re at here. But then what we… We’re in heaven now. Now look over it if you were real quickly in chapter four, Revelation chapter four. And we want to see this thing. We’re just trying to kind of get it all lined up when it happens and how it happens the best we can. There’s so many events. We can’t get them all covered. But look over Revelation chapter number four. As far as the book of Revelation, we’re just entering into that which is to come. Remember the outline? Chapter number four, that which is to come.

Look at verse number one. Chapter four, verse number one. And he says this, he says, after this I looked, and behold, a door was open in, what’s the next word? Heaven. Yeah, he’s not talking about earth, right? He’s going up to heaven. We just got raptured up. We’re in heaven. He’s starting to talk about that which is to come, all right?

And the first voice, which I heard was, as it were, of a trumpet. Remember what we just read over there in 1st Thessalonians 4:16? For the Lord Himself said to descend from heaven with a shout in the voice of the archangel and the trump of God. Remember that? What is going to write? A trumpet. Yeah, you have to talk about the rapture right here. We’re in heaven. A door’s open in heaven. Boom. Hear this trumpet talking with me and said, come up hither. And I will show you, show the things which must be here after. Yeah.

We’re getting to the next part of the outline. And immediately, why is that immediately? Because 1st Corinthians 15 says, boom, a twinkling of an eye. He said, immediately, boom. I was in the spirit. You’re going to lay this robo flesh down. Praise the Lord, don’t have to fight our flesh anymore. We’re going to have spiritual bodies in. We’re going to do right by instinct. Woo, I’m looking forward to that day. You won’t throw the alarm clock across the room when it goes off in the morning time. You don’t need alarm clock. You won’t even need sleep if you won’t want it then. You have a spiritual body.

And immediately I was in the spirit and behold a throne was set in heaven. And one sat on the throne is Jesus. And he that sat was to look upon like jasper and sardonyx stone. There was a rainbow round about the throne in the sight like unto emerald.

We’ll just stop there. We’ll just stop for us here. Now, here’s my thing. Chapter 4 and chapter 5, if you read those, they’re just wonderful chapters about praising Jesus, worshiping Jesus. Jesus is on its throne. You’ll find these beasts flying around saying, Holy, holy, holy. You’ll find the 24 elders that represent, I think represents the saints of our day and time praising the Lamb. I mean, everything just points praising the Lamb of God during that time.

Would you look down in verse number 10 right there, verse number 10 of Revelation 4? By the way, that we talked, oh, been months ago, I think when we did over about the crowns, about the 24 elders in more detail. If you kind of wondered about that, we’ll go back and look that up.

Revelation 4, verse number 10, and the twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that liveth forever and ever. Watch this. And cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power. For thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure, they are and were created.

When we see him on that throne, by the way, I think he’ll still have the imprints of the nails in his hands and the brow and the side. And we’ll say, man, I’m not here by my goodness. You gave me the privilege to live for you once I got saved, but I’m not here because I’m all that. I’m here because of you, Jesus, and we’re worshiping him and we say, hey, these crowns you gave us, they don’t belong to me. I don’t deserve them. I like to give my crown to you, Jesus. By the way, will you have any crowns to give you?

That’ll be an awesome moment. We’ll cast our crowns at his feet. By the way, later on, I think we’ll have time to get one of these later on’s, but later on over here, over here he comes back and he’s wearing many crowns. I don’t think he tosses them inside. He says, man, my people gave me these, I’m going to wear them. It may fit together like one huge crown. I’m not sure, but he’s got it all. He’s the head of the church. Be a wonderful thing but the big thing when we get up there is we’re going to worship the Savior.

Chapter number five the Lamb of God slain from the foundations of the world we’re going to praise him we’re going to worship him we’re going to say all glory belongs to you Jesus the great time wonderful time we first get to heaven now we got we’re running out of time we got a little bit more we want to try to cover this morning then what’s called the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.

Now, let me just talk to a bit about that before we really look it up. Let me just talk to a bit. Marriages in the Bible time in Galilee and Canaan up there, they’re a little different than our marriages. Kind of three steps. The first step in a marriage is, is where Mary and Joseph was. There’s agreement. Oftentimes the parents agree on it. Oftentimes the groom would give the, or the groom’s parents, but would give the bride’s parents and even the bride a dowry some money and things. And there was agreement. It was a signed agreement. It was a covenant, as Malachi calls it. It was a done deal. We compare it to engagement, but much, much stronger.

Remember when we were Christmas time, we studied about that, we said, hey, for them legally, Mary and Joseph, they were married. They had already, they had already did that first step of marriage, all right? That’s the first step in getting married, by the way. When you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, your friend, he becomes your husband, you’re part of the bride. You enter into the covenant, the New Testament. It’s a wonderful thing. Bible even talks about if you stop believing, hey, he’s committed to himself. You entered into covenant.

Then the second part of a marriage or a wedding was the groom and his friends typically would come to pick up the bride. Now, the groom had been preparing a place. Sometimes it was a year. Some say it was always a year. I don’t think it was always a year. There’s not a set time, sometimes a year. And typically, they’d be kind of let the bride know when. Oh, I want to say when, not the day or the hour, but this season. Hey, he’s got everything built. He’s going to come pick you up real soon. And the bride was to be ready. That’s what it’s talking about. I think Matthew over there. It’s talking about the virgins and the old, the ten virgins. Remember that? That’s what a picture. Be ready.

And the groom in his friends typically would come, and a lot of times at nighttime, and they would come, he would come to pick up his bride. That’s why 1st Thessalonians says, Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout. Jesus says, I ain’t sending anybody else to pick up my bride. I’m going to get my bride. I like it. He says with a shout, you know.

By the way, that’s why John 14, that’s not your heart be troubled. He believed in me. He believed also in God. In my father’s house are many mansions. By the way, by the way, often, often the groom would kind of add on to his dad’s house often they were together until the dad died, um, but but not always but but often and and so what is it in my father’s house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you what did you say he said I go to prepare a place for you. What the groom do you? He went, once the covenant was made, he went and he prepared a place. Jesus prepared a place for us. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, receive you unto myself. Where I am there, you may be also. We’re going to be with Jesus. That’s the rapture.

Then the third part of a marriage or a wedding was the feast, the supper. Hey, let’s eat, amen. And sometimes if it was a wealthy person, it would last for a couple days, the wedding feast. It was a very wealthy person or a king. Sometimes it would last for seven days. But our king, our savior, our groom is king of kings and Lord of Lords. And it’s a seven-year feast. And no calories. Amen. No kidney stones. We can drink Mountain Dew. How about that? You know? We’re going to be with Jesus. The marriage supper of the Lamb.

Now, we’ve probably taken so much time, but we’re here. I wanted to get in, why, and we will, not next Sunday’s involvement day, but the next one, why we know the rapture happens before the tribulation period. We’ll give you four reasons for that. We know that. You don’t have to worry and die about all that. The friend, here’s the thing, he can come back at any time. I mean, we could kind of, if you keep our ear open for the trumpet. It’s coming. This world is not my home. I’m just to pass them through.

Can I give you a couple of thoughts? Just kind of conclusion. We had some passion. We won’t look them up. I’ll just mention them to you. Here’s the thought. As it gets darker and worse, Jesus over there, Matthew, he’s talking about, it’s going to get back wars and rumors of wars, and he says, is it see that you be not troubled? Don’t get too shook up. We’re out of here. See this should be not troubled. We’re going to be out of here.

Let me say this. Witness while you can. We don’t know how much longer we have. Boast not thyself of tomorrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Man, let’s get the gospel out. When it’s all said and done, that’s what matters. When the trumpet sounds, it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if you drive in a Cadillac or a Volkswagen. What matters are you saved or not? Man, let’s witness. Now’s the time.

Original File: Pastor Paul Chisgar - Unravelling the End Times - Sunday AM 242023