Clean Transcript

The Last Days

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• Last week after I dealt with the subject of the rapture of the wicked, after I got through and went outside, a number of people came up to me and asked a number of questions. And so some said, well, you need to continue on that same vein next week. So what I thought was I would give you a little stimulation and then see if there are any questions. I'm not going to promise you that I can answer all of the questions, but I'll certainly answer what I can.

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• And I brought with me a book that you might find extremely interesting. I'll tell you about it in just a moment. But last week I dealt with the fact of the second coming of Christ. And I showed you from scripture after scripture when Christ returns, the very first thing he's going to do is to destroy the wicked. And then he says, then the saints are going to shine as the sun in his kingdom. Well, I dealt generally with the phrase, the last days. And since that is a question that everyone has on their mind and everyone asks constantly and continually, are we living in the last days? I want to show you a passage and then I'm going to come back and expound this passage after we do a little more research.

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• So, let's look in 2 Timothy chapter 3, beginning there with verse 1. The apostle Paul says, "This know also that in the last days, perilous times shall come, for men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unholy, unthankful, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof, from such turn away. For of this sort are they that creep among the houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lust, ever learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth. Men of corrupt minds reprobate concerning the faith, but they shall proceed no further, for their folly shall be manifest unto all men as theirs also was." Now, I want you to go back to verse 1. The Apostle Paul says this, "This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come."

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• Inevitably, wherever you go, people will tell you, you know that we're living in the last days, not only because of wars and rumors of war and earthquakes and famines, etc., but you look around at people today and they're proud and they're covetous and they're boasters and they're disobedient and they're undisciplined and this is the last days. The Scripture just exceedingly makes it plain. Well, let me just tell you something about the last days. Whenever you read this phrase, the last days, you will also find a parallel phrase, the latter days. The last days and the latter days are identical. And what I want to do is just simply go back through the Bible and show you how this phrase is used and then come back and let's try to analyze 2 Timothy chapter 3 momentarily. So let's go in our Bibles, first of all, to the book of Genesis chapter 49. And I want you to understand that first of all, the phrase, the last days or the latter days, can refer to just something in the future.

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• For instance, if you look in the book of Genesis chapter 49 and verse 1, look what the Bible says. And Jacob called unto his sons and said, gather yourselves together that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days. What is he doing? He's gathering his sons together. He says, this is the future. This is what's going to happen to each of you. And he's telling them the latter days there would basically refer to the latter days of their lives or the latter days of their descendants, et cetera. I mean, but it just simply has reference to the future. Look in your Bibles to the book of Numbers chapter 24 and verse 14. Numbers 24 and verse 14. Numbers 24 verse 14. And look what Balaam is saying to Balak. In Numbers chapter 24 and verse 14, he says, And now, behold, I go unto my people. Come, therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people Israel shall do to thy people in the latter days. In other words, in the future, there's going to be a war and Israel is going to destroy Moab.

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• It's just that simple. And that's all it refers to. So the point I'm trying to make is this. The latter days or the last days does not always refer to the little period of time right before Jesus Christ returns. Look in your Bibles to the book of Deuteronomy chapter 4 and verse 30. Deuteronomy 4 verse 30. Deuteronomy 4 verse 30. "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice; (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them." But note, if you would please, verse 30, when thou art in tribulation, any tribulation, not the great tribulation, but whenever you're in trouble, all these things come upon you. He says in the latter days, that is sometime in the future. The latter days of your life or the latter days of the covenant or the latter days of anything does not necessarily refer to the last few days before the return of Jesus Christ.

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• Look in the book of Isaiah chapter 2 and verse 2. Now this passage is important and I think you're going to see why it is important and if you will kind of put Micah 4 verse 1 by it because we're going to get to the book of Micah. This is almost a parallel passage. But in Isaiah 2, let's begin reading with verse 1. "The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow into it." Now, when you look at verse 2, it shall come to pass in the last days.

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• So most people then turn around and take this and say, all right, right before Christ comes back. Well, that is not what this passage is talking about.

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• Now, it shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house. Mountains in the Bible usually speak of kingdoms. So you could read like this, and it shall come to pass in the last days that the kingdom of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, or the other kingdoms, and shall be exalted above all the hills, that is all dominions, and all nations shall flow into it. So basically, the latter days here then would not refer to the last days before the coming of Jesus Christ, but it would refer to the last days of the Old Covenant before Jesus Christ who is the fulfillment of that covenant, came.

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• Now, you're going to see that again just momentarily. But turn over your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah, chapter 23. Jeremiah 23. And look, if you would please, at verse 20. He says, "The anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly." Now, the latter days here, does that mean then the last few days before Christ returns, we're going to consider God's judgment perfectly and thoroughly and completely? No. It's after it happens, we're going to consider it. Look in your Bibles to the book of Jeremiah chapter 30 and verse 24. Jeremiah 30 and verse 24.

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• "The fierce anger of the Lord shall not return, until he have done it, and until he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it." Doesn't mean the last few days before Christ returns, everybody all of a sudden is going to be considering the judgment and the fury of God. No. In the latter days, that is, after it has happened, sometime in the future, then folks are going to be considering it.

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• Look in your Bibles to Jeremiah chapter 48 and verse 47. Jeremiah 48 verse 47. God says, "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab."

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• Now, what would it mean then? He said, "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days." We'll go back up to verse 46. "Woe be unto thee, O Moab! the people of Chemosh perisheth: for thy sons are taken captives, and thy daughters captives." What does God say? "Yet will I bring again the captivity of Moab in the latter days." In other words, the last days before you're thoroughly cut off, God said, I'm gonna bring you back again, saith the Lord. Thus far is the judgment of Moab. So the latter days are the last days and has not meant the last few days before the return of Christ. Look in your Bibles to Jeremiah 49 and verse 39.

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• Same thing, same application, same truth. He says, "But it shall come to pass in the latter days, that I will bring again the captivity of Elam, saith the Lord." That is, the latter days of their punishment. God said, I'm going to turn around and bring them again. Now if you will turn over to the book of Daniel chapter 2. I'm trying to demonstrate one particular point. That one point is that every time you see the last days or the latter days, it does not refer to the return or right before the return of Jesus Christ. Look in Daniel 2 and verse 28. Now God had given Nebuchadnezzar a dream and it did refer to the latter days here, not of the coming of Christ, but of the destruction of the old covenant. For he says in verse 28, "But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these."

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• And then he talks about the great beast. Then he talks about, of course, which represents the Roman Empire, the Persian Empire, the Median Empire. So all this refers to then would be the latter days of the Old Covenant, or the latter days even of the Babylonian Empire. Does not necessarily refer to the latter days right before Christ returns. So look in Daniel chapter 10, verse 14. Daniel 10, verse 14.

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• Daniel has been given a vision, and the angel Michael says, "Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days." And once you study the context, it refers then once again to the judgment of God upon the nation, and of course the destruction of the nation, and the end of the Old Covenant.

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• Now turn in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 38. Ezekiel 38. I'm sorry. Let's go to Hosea. I'm going to pass that one. Let's go to Hosea. Since we're right there. Daniel, Hosea. Hosea chapter 3 verse 5. Hosea 3 verse 5. He says for the verse four, "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king; and shall fear the Lord and his goodness in the latter days." So once again, here is a passage that refers to the nation Israel and their judgment, how God is going to judge them. But then the latter days would refer not to the latter days of necessarily the return of Christ, but the latter days of the kingdom and of their nation. And they shall seek the Lord.

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• And some of them did. I'm going to demonstrate in just a moment. Look in the book of Micah, chapter four and verse one. Here's the verse that I told you that was a parallel to Isaiah two and verse two. "But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow into it." Now Hosea talked about people who would be trusting in David their king in the latter days. And here this passage once again parallels Isaiah 2 and verse 2, talks about the kingdom of the Lord and how people are going to flow into it. May I ask that you hold the book of Micah and turn in your Bibles, if you would please, to the book of Hebrews chapter 1. And then I want you to turn back to the book of Acts.

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• Turn to the book of Hebrews chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 1. "God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets." Now, how did God speak to the prophets in the Old Testament? He spoke to them sometimes through visions, sometimes through dreams, sometimes through trances, sometimes they may have heard His voice, He spoke in many different ways in the Old Covenant. But look what He says in verse 2, "Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds." So when did the last days commence? The last days began at the first coming of Jesus Christ. It was indeed the last days of the Old Covenant, and you could say, in one sense of the word, that the advent of Jesus Christ, the very first advent of Jesus Christ, was the beginning of the end. How long have we been in the last days?

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• And the answer is, ever since Jesus Christ came. Go back in your Bibles to the book of Acts chapter 2. Do you remember the passage in Isaiah 2 and Micah 4 and Hosea saying that people were going to flow into the kingdom when His kingdom was exalted? Well, what happens on the day of Pentecost? Look at it if you would please. Peter is preaching and verse 13, "Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine. But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. But this is that." Here is an absolute fulfillment, and he's getting it from the book of Joel. "But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel."

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• "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke." What did Peter just get out of his mouth?

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• If you will go back in your Bibles to the book of Joel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos. Go back to the book of Joel and look, if you would please, at chapter 2. Joel chapter 2, verse 28. "And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will shew wonders," etc. Now what did Peter say in Acts chapter 2? "This is that which was prophesied by Joel that in the last days." So when the day of Pentecost was fully come, and the word Pentecost means 50. It was 50 days after the ascension of Christ. Peter says, "This is that which was prophesied by Joel that in the last days." So they understood that they were in the last days at the day of Pentecost. Look in your Bibles.

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• Let me just show you a few passages in the New Testament. I want you to look in your Bibles to the book of 1 Peter and also 1 John. Let's go to 1 John chapter 2 first. 1 John chapter 2. Look in verse 18.

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• What did John say? "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." How do we know that we're in the last times? Well, not only because Christ has come and the Bible says that in the last times God will speak only by His Son. We know that they had Pentecost in the last times because Peter says this is that which was prophesied by Joel. And we know that we're in the last times because now there are many antichrists, that is those who are against Christ. And you cannot be in the last times without having antichrist because Christ came in the last time. You see the reasoning?

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• You can't be against someone who has not yet appeared. That's what his argument is.

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• Now look in your Bible to 1 Peter. Let me see. Maybe 2 Peter. Let me look. No, it's 1 Peter 4 and verse 7. 1 Peter 4 and verse 7.

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• Now Peter writes, "But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer." But the end of all things is at hand. How could Peter write in his day that the end of all things was at hand? Well, what happened in 70 A.D.? Would someone like to tell me? Jerusalem was destroyed. Their priesthood was destroyed. Everything was done away with. And if you look in the book of Hebrews chapter 8, and verse 13, Hebrews 8 verse 13, look what happened to all those Old Testament sacrifices, ceremonies, rituals. "In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." That is those old ceremonies, those old sacrifices, that old priesthood waxes old and is ready to vanish away. And that is exactly what happened.

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• Now, I want you to go back in your Bibles to 2 Timothy chapter 3. And I have said all of that just to enunciate a simple truth in this passage. Please remember that I told you last week, there's a difference between eisegesis and exegesis. The Greek word eis means into. When you eisegete a passage, you read into that passage your presupposition. When you already believe something, and you look at the passage and you read into that passage really what you want to find, what you already believe. That's eisegesis. Exegesis is when you draw forth and draw out of that passage what that passage teaches exactly.

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• Now you have to be extremely careful because everyone has basic presuppositions. Everyone. So therefore, you have to be extremely careful that you exegete a passage and you don't go to a passage trying to prove whatever you can prove. You've heard me say that you can prove anything from the Bible as long as you eisegete it, as long as you read into it. You heard about the man that wanted to follow the Bible, but his way of following the Bible, he'd close his eyes and open a passage and just put his finger on it and look at it and read it. And he opened his Bible, and he did that, and he looked at the passage, and it said, "Judas went out and hanged himself."

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• He thought, hmm, that's no good. And he turned a few pages, put his finger down, and looked up, "Go and do thou likewise." Well, you know, that's not exactly following the Bible, okay?

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• Now, let me just show you how this passage has been taken really out of context. Let's go to 2 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." Everyone says, well, Brother Weaver, we're living in the last days because we are in perilous times. And folks, I can assure you we are in perilous times. We're in perilous times governmentally. We're in perilous times economically. We're in perilous times ecclesiastically. We're in perilous times familially. We're in perilous times spiritually.

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• But I want you to watch this. I know that there are going to be perilous times. The Apostle Paul says, "This know that in the last days perilous times shall come." What is one of the marks of perilous times? Well, he says, "For men shall be lovers of their own selves." And is that not what we have today? Sure. Not only lovers of their own selves, but covetous. No one is ever satisfied. They want more and more and more. Boasters. Proud. Blasphemers. Disobedient to parents. You talking about a perilous time. Man, we live in a time when there is no respect for parents. And today, most parents do not run the children. The children run the parents. So, disobedient to parents, unthankful. And brother, that is true today. Unholy, without natural affection.

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• Look at the rise of sodomy. Look how our government supports the sodomites. Truce-breakers? Hey, men not only do not keep their word today, governments do not keep their words. You look at all of the broken, look what our government did to the Indians. Look what they've done with every country they've ever just about entered into a covenant or agreement with. Look what they've done to the American people. We have a covenant, the Constitution. Have they violated that? Oh, yes. So, they are without natural affection, they're truce-breakers, they're false accusers. Incontinent, the word incontinent literally here means undisciplined. That's pretty self-explanatory.

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• Fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God? Man, it seems like the Apostle Paul was alive in our time, doesn't it? He says, "Having a form of godliness but denying the power thereof."

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• Now, let me just stop right there. I want you to know that 1st and 2nd Timothy and Titus are pastoral epistles. What does that mean? It means here we have a divinely inspired pastoral manual. Paul tells Timothy, as a pastor, how to act. Now, let's go to 2nd Timothy chapter 2 and verse 24. Look what he says, 2 Timothy 2 verse 24, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient." So, we're not to be fighting and trying to teach people, but we're to be gentle, that is possible to all men. We're to be apt to teach, we're to be patient. Why? Look in verse 25, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves." Now, let me just point this out.

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• I've done so in time past, but I'm going to do so again. What is the pastor's only hope of success in the gospel? Here it is right here. He said, "In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will."

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• Now God says the pastor should not be a fighter that is fighting amongst himself and others and the people all the time. He's to be gentle, he's to be apt, that is ready and able to teach, patient in meekness instructing others who oppose themselves. Here's our hope of success. If God will give these people repentance and when God gives them repentance, they will acknowledge the truth and when they acknowledge the truth, they recover themselves out of the snare of the devil who were taken captive by him at his will.

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• Now, what is Paul doing? Paul is saying, Timothy, here's how you're to teach most people. Okay? But, Timothy, let me tell you something. There's some people you're not going to be able to teach. Boy, have I found that out.

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• Now look what he says. Is he not telling Timothy how to teach? Is that not what is in 2 Timothy chapter 2? Okay, now watch chapter 3 verse 1. After he's telling them how to teach, he says, "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." And you're going to run into some, Timothy, who are going to be lovers of their own selves, they'll be covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God, having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof. Now look at Paul's instruction to Timothy. What? "From such turn away." Timothy, don't even try to teach these people. Wait a minute. Wait a minute. I thought chapter 3 verse 1 talked about those days right before the coming of Christ. You see what Paul is saying? Paul is saying, Timothy, perilous times will come and go throughout the entire period of the last days.

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• And he says, Timothy, when you run into these people like this, you don't try to be patient and kind and apt to teach toward them, you turn away from them. Now he's going to explain it a little bit further. He says in verse 6, "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts." So these type of men, these type of people profess a religion. Maybe they even profess Christianity. But they are immoral. They are deceivers.

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• And by the way, let me just point out the fact, once again, ladies, God requires you to lean upon your husband for leadership and direction. Do you realize most of the cults, most of the cults are either run by or covered up with women?

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• Now that is not knocking a woman, but may I remind you what the Bible says? "And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression." It was Eve who was deceived and Eve sinned when she did not go to her husband and rely upon him. She acted independently from him. Then she took and then she gave to him. Do you know, out of the entire, and I'm making this as a true and accurate statement.

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• The charismatic movement has been in this country for a multitude of years. With the exception of one time, of all the people that have ever questioned me about tongues, all over the country, with the exception of one time, it's always been women. And I'm going to tell you something, if you took the women out of the charismatic movement, you just about would not have a charismatic movement. The point I'm trying to make is this. These wicked men not only try to deceive women physically, but also intellectually and emotionally.

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• So he says they're led away with divers lusts. Look at this next statement. "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth." Not only are they immoral, they're intellectually inferior. They may have a lot of knowledge, but they have absolutely no spiritual discernment, no wisdom, and no understanding. And let me tell you something, folks. Just because someone can quote the Bible does not make them a godly individual. Satan can quote the Bible.

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• And then Paul gives an illustration. He says, "Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth." Two of those magicians in the Old Testament in the book of Exodus, when Moses was sent to Pharaoh, let my people go, two of those magicians that withstood him were Jannes and Jambres. You remember Moses threw down the rod or Aaron threw it down and it became a serpent. Well, what did the magicians do? They threw down their rods and they became serpents as well. But Aaron's rod ate up all the other serpents. Do you remember when Moses turned the river into blood? They also turned water into blood.

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• You know what they were saying? They were saying, Moses, you don't have a divine commission. God never sent you. You're just one of us. You may be a little higher advanced in the craft of witchery, but you're just one of us. But when he smote the ground, it turned into lice, and they smote it and turned it into lice. That was it. They couldn't do anything else. Every other miracle. And finally, those magicians were forced to testify to Pharaoh, "Know you not that Egypt is ruined? The hand of God is against us."

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• But what were they doing? They were withstanding Moses' divine commission. They were saying, Moses, you were not sent from God. You do not have the Word of God. And then they tried to trick everybody into believing that Moses was not of God by imitating what he did. And that's exactly what he's talking about. Now watch. He says, "Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses," and by the way, the word withstood and the word resist are exactly the same.

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• It literally means to stand against. "As Jannes and Jambres stood against Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was."

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• So this passage that is normally taken to teach that we're in the last days because of all these folks that are so wicked and ungodly, Paul was writing to Timothy, and these people were alive when Timothy was alive. We just happen to have some just like him today.

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• Now, an interesting thing is, and I'm going to take some questions, but an interesting thing is, I came across this book, oh, six or seven months ago. The title of it is The Day and the Hour, written by Francis X. Gumerlock. Christianity's Perennial Fascination with Predicting the End of the World. And all this book is, is just a listing of dates, places, times, that men have predicted the end of the world or the return of Christ, or who the Antichrist was, ever since basically the first century. It's unbelievable.

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• For instance, let me give you this. I just happened to flip to this page right here. This is rapture fever in the late 20th century. And so we're talking about the 20th century. In July 1987, God allegedly commissioned a 12-year-old Korean boy. Now that ought to tell you something right there. What's one of the qualifications of being a pastor or a preacher? Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall in the condemnation of the devil. But anyhow, God allegedly commissioned a 12-year-old Korean boy named Bang Ik-Ha to prepare the way for the second coming of Christ. God allegedly said, just as I prepared John the Baptist before the Son of Man came to earth, again I am preparing Habanic, whatever his name is. And then, you know, this was 1987.

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• Colin Dale in 1797 predicted that Christ would return by 1988. He wrote a book, Christ Returns by 1988, 100 Reasons Why. Edgar Whisenant wrote a book entitled 88 Reasons Why the Rapture is in 1988.

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• R.G. Steyer said in 1988 that he had been appointed God's end time prophet to America, that he had anointed a young Russian man as the end time Elijah a few years earlier. And it gives date after date after date. But the interesting thing is, you can go back to 1919, you can go back to the 1800s, you can go back to the 1700s, you can go back to the 1600s, and all these dates are in here, you can go back to the 1500s, the 1400s, 850, 789, 423, where people had been predicting the end of the world upon the same signs.

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• Now you ask me, Pastor, when is the end of the world? Which world? If you're talking about the end of the world of the Old Testament age, it's already ended. I like what Rushdoony said. I was with him one day and somebody asked him, they said, Mr. Rushdoony, how much time do you think we have left? Rush said, based upon all that we need to do, probably 20, 25,000 years.

  #54 | 41:24 to 42:00 | cleaned

• Well, you know, that's not what people want to hear. Now, listen, no man knows the day nor the hour when our Lord returns. Okay? No man. And whenever people begin to set dates and tell you that this is it, you just write down they're a nutcase. They don't know. No one knows the day nor the hour. And all these same signs people have used, in fact, I got tickled at one in here. One man said the world was going to end in 1666.

  #55 | 42:02 to 42:47 | cleaned

• Now, I mean, a thousand 666 because of 666 in the second millennium. You see. In 1197, William of Goldsmith prophesied within five years, the catastrophes of the book of Revelation, famine, sword and earthquake and fire from heaven would take place. That's within five years of 1197. The interesting thing is, there are some tables in this book. You know the wars and rumors of war? Wars which people believed were fulfilling end-time prophecy. It just so happened people believed this from 300 to 1400.

  #56 | 42:47 to 43:44 | cleaned

• The fourth century was the Huns versus the Alans. The fourth century, the Alans versus the Goths. Skip down to the 5th century, the Vandal sack of Rome. Skip down to the 10th century, the Hungarian invasion of Saxony. The 11th century, the first crusade. 13th century, the latter crusades. The 13th century, the Mongol invasion of Hungary. In other words, here are wars that people said, well, this is it. Look at the wars and the rumors of wars.

  #57 | 43:44 to 44:12 | cleaned

• But the point is, folks, no one knows the day nor the hour. And yes, we are in the last days, but we have been in the last days since Christ came the first time. And the last days as we know them will not end until He comes the second time. I want you to turn to one last passage. 1 Corinthians chapter 15. I don't know how this can be misunderstood, but I'm going to read it to you. 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

  #58 | 44:14 to 45:07 | cleaned

• Let me find the exact verse. Okay. 1 Corinthians 15, and let's begin reading with verse 20. "But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept." He has been raised from the dead bodily, and He has become the firstfruits of them that slept. Now here's a principle. "For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." Whoever's in Adam is dead meat. That's true. Whoever's in Christ is alive. "But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming." So when Christ returns a second time, watch, "Then cometh the end."

  #59 | 45:07 to 46:08 | cleaned

• "When he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death."

  #60 | 46:10 to 46:27 | cleaned

• Now, when is the end coming? When Christ totally, completely triumphs. Then cometh the end, and He's going to hand the kingdom over to God the Father. So until then, you don't need to really concern yourselves about wars and rumors of war and what's happening over in Israel. That's another subject. But I get so exasperated at people. Did you hear what happened over there? I don't give a flip what happened over there.

  #61 | 46:28 to 47:03 | cleaned

• And when you start trying to interpret the Bible by newspapers and headlines, you're wrong. Scripture interprets Scripture. I look for the visible, physical, bodily return of Christ. When it'll be, I have no earthly idea. But I know He's going to reign until He puts all enemies under His feet. And when He has absolute, total, thorough, complete control over everything, and He does have it now spiritually, but He has not necessarily applied it in every area yet, but He shall. Then cometh the end.

  #62 | 47:05 to 47:52 | cleaned

• All right, any questions before we cut off? I may have raised more than I answered today. All right, Margaret. Your mama beat you to it. Go ahead.

  #63 | 47:53 to 48:05 | cleaned

• You're talking about 1 Thessalonians? No, if you look in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, you see, that is one of those passages that you have to exegete and not eisegete. And there are simple explanations. And the fact is, you always interpret Scripture with other Scripture. What did 1 Corinthians chapter 15 say? When he returns, then there's going to be a resurrection, right? Well, if you look in 1 Thessalonians 4, that's exactly what it says.

  #64 | 48:16 to 48:47 | cleaned

• Begin reading there with verse 13. He says, "But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him." This brings me to another question that was asked last week outside afterwards.

  #65 | 48:48 to 49:14 | cleaned

• What happens to a person when he dies? Well, the answer is very simple. For those who are saved, absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. For those who are lost, absent from the body means to be in punishment. It means to be in hell, in Hades, whatever you want to call it. It means to be in trouble, okay? So those that are asleep, Christ is going to bring with Him. He says in verse 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." So those who are asleep are already with Christ.

  #66 | 49:15 to 49:51 | cleaned

• "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." There's the bodily resurrection. Those whom Christ brings will get a glorified body. Verse 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." We'll get our glorified body.

  #67 | 49:51 to 50:13 | cleaned

• "Wherefore comfort one another with these words." Now, the point I'm going to make is this. This says nothing about a quote-unquote rapture. If you read that in there, you've got to read it in there. All it says is this. Christ is going to come, and when He comes, He's going to raise the believing dead.

  #68 | 50:13 to 50:29 | cleaned

• Now, you ask, why does it say that we're going to be caught up together with Him in the clouds? Well, maybe, and I don't know, I'm just pointing this out. First of all, the word "the" is not in the Greek. It just literally says, we'll be caught up in clouds. Clouds could refer to the multitude of people that are caught up. It also, if it says, so shall we meet the Lord in the air, well, the other thing you've got to consider is this. You consider all the people that have ever lived since the time of creation that have died, that will be resurrected, that are saved, that believe.

  #69 | 50:29 to 51:20 | cleaned

• Do you reckon there's enough room on this earth for everybody? I don't know. I have no earthly idea. Maybe that's why we meet in there. I don't know. I'm just simply pointing out the fact that the Bible does not say that we stay in the air. We just meet Him there. That's exactly right. Well, what do you get in the Book of Revelation? I, John, saw the new Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. It's coming down. It's coming down to earth. Now Peter says that we're going to have a new heaven and a new what? Earth. I believe that heaven will be on this earth. It will be a purged, purified, glorified earth, but it's going to be here. You know. Wait a minute. No, I don't think it's going to be over Atlanta first, brother. Margaret? What you just said, you think that, I mean, all heaven will be on earth or like some will be on the new earth and some will be... Well, yeah. Well, you've got to understand this. Well, go to 2 Peter.

  #70 | 51:21 to 52:45 | cleaned

• Go to 2 Peter. You see, the problem is this. The problem is you've got to understand that the cosmic influence of sin, sin did not just affect individuals. It affected the earth. It affected the heavens. Nothing is clean now in the sight of God. So this is what he's talking about. In 2 Peter, let's see, maybe it's 1 Peter. Let me find the passage. Okay, it's 2 Peter. Let's begin reading there with verse 1.

  #71 | 52:45 to 53:27 | cleaned

• "This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers." And there's that phrase again, "walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming?"

  #72 | 53:31 to 53:54 | cleaned

• "For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store." The same heavens and earth now are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

  #73 | 53:55 to 54:31 | cleaned

• Now, let's skip down to verse 10. "But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up." That's thorough, total purging and judgment. "Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness." So what is the new heaven and what is the new earth?

  #74 | 54:33 to 55:28 | cleaned

• It's going to be a place of perfect righteousness where there's going to be no contamination and no sin and no wickedness. Well, that's true too. All of that's going to be taken care of. Jane? Back to where? Okay.

  #75 | 55:28 to 55:50 | cleaned

• That's the baddest. Nobody deader than the baddest. Okay, I'm teasing. Go ahead. Yes. Because it's a resurrected body. Yeah, but a resurrected body, glorified body. You see, the real Jane is not sitting by John. The real Jane is inside her house. That's exactly right. That's your earth suit. That earth suit drops off. I get in trouble with this all the time. And I will say this, and I love my mother dearly. And she will ask me, she'll say, well, have you been by the cemetery?

  #76 | 56:14 to 57:06 | cleaned

• My father was dead four years, July the 4th. Eight years, four and four. Eight years on July the 4th. He died July the 4th. And I tell my mother, I said, Mother, I don't mind going by there, and I do, because I take care of the grave. But I said, Dad is not there. He is not there. That's just where his house melted. That's it. That's what 2 Corinthians chapter 5 tells us.

  #77 | 57:06 to 57:38 | cleaned

• In fact, turn there, let me show it to you. Go to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. Because this is exactly what the Apostle Paul is saying. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 verse 1. He says, "For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens." So he says we've got a glorified body, a resurrected body. Then he says, "For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life."

  #78 | 57:38 to 58:25 | cleaned

• "Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit." Now watch verse six. "Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."

  #79 | 58:26 to 58:48 | cleaned

• So, what happens when we die? This body goes to dust. It rots. But our spirit goes to God who gave it. And there is a new house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, says the Apostle Paul. And when we, you just stop and think of our Lord's resurrection. Do you realize, and I get this question all the time, and you've heard me answer it here before, and I smile every time I answer it, but people ask me, will we recognize each other in eternity? And I always say, well, we won't be any more stupid there than we are now, but think of our Lord. Our Lord had a resurrected body. Everybody recognized Him. They knew Him.

  #80 | 58:49 to 59:38 | cleaned

• And yet he's able to walk right through that wall. You see what I'm saying? But he had a body. It was a resurrected, glorified body. And so, we will have a resurrected, glorified body. Margaret? This is kind of a, I mean, all the same, all the same lines, but as far as Judgment Day for the unsaved, are they judged as they die and then there's another one judgment day for everybody? Well, there is the judgment seat of Christ, which is for believers. And there is the great white throne judgment, which is for unbelievers. We will be judged upon how we serve Christ and how faithful we were, etc.

  #81 | 59:39 to 1:00:23 | cleaned

• But our salvation is not an issue in that. But in Revelation 20, you read about the great white throne judgment where the books are open and everybody that is all the lost are judged out of those books according to their works and of course they're condemned and death and hell are then cast into the lake of fire which is said to be the second death. So those who have already died who aren't saved... They are in hell, they are being punished but there will be even a worse judgment and a worse punishment. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Janet? Is there any room for the interpretation of everlasting punishment or everlasting damnation to mean that, not that they will actually go on in a state of being punished forever, but that it will never be revoked. In other words, that this last death, the final death, the second death, is actual... Well, I there are people who believe that. I do not hold that position myself. Yeah, because because and you can you can you can even work out an equation with it. But you stop and think, is God an

  #82 | 1:00:24 to 1:01:49 | cleaned

• eternal God? And the answer is yes. He is the eternal God. That's the name given to him. Stop and think. Sin against an eternal God demands an eternal punishment. So, I do know there are people who believe that the last judgment, the wicked are going to be annihilated and that's it. But I believe the Scripture says there that death and hell shall be cast in the lake of fire, which is a second death. Henry? Wouldn't eternal separation from God then qualify? Well, I believe that's... That's part of the worst of it. Right.

  #83 | 1:01:49 to 1:02:28 | cleaned

• But if a person is obliterated? Well, yeah. Eternally separated from God. I understand, but you see, when you get to Luke chapter 16 in hell, the rich man lifted up his eyes being in torments. And he recognized Abraham. He recognized Lazarus. That's going on right now. Yeah, yeah. He knew exactly what was going on. But he hasn't faced a second judgment yet. No. No, he has not. But you see, that second judgment, which will take place, or the last judgment as such, they will be forced to confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, that they should have loved Him and should have served Him, but did not.

  #84 | 1:02:28 to 1:03:11 | cleaned

• And then they will receive their full and final punishment. It's just like our penal system today. A man may be convicted of something, but he's stuck off in a cell. He's being punished, but not like he's going to be nearly punished when he's strapped in that electric chair. So, I mean, you know, but these issues, and let me say this again, your eschatology does not really affect your salvation.

  #85 | 1:03:12 to 1:03:43 | cleaned

• You understand what I'm saying? Let's suppose, for instance, Dr. Bowen says, well, I believe when folks die and they die lost, they're annihilated. Well, and I turn around and say, no, doc, I don't believe that. I believe once they die and they die lost, they're punished eternally. Well, I tell you what, when judgment comes, we'll find out. But he's just as saved as I am, and I'm just as saved as he is. You follow what I'm saying? And you say, well, I could marshal verses here, and I could marshal verses there.

  #86 | 1:03:43 to 1:04:13 | cleaned

• But it all boils down then to, you know, your perspective, your presupposition, and how you interpret the scriptures there on that particular day.

  #87 | 1:04:13 to 1:04:22 | cleaned

• Yeah. Yes. Yeah. That's true. Many, many, many of the saints have died even in horrible pain with smiles and contentment on their face. That is for sure. That is for sure. A Jewish historian. Say that again? He would have been before Timothy was written. Yes, yes, yes. In other words, the names of Jannes and Jambres are accurate in 1st Timothy, or 2nd Timothy there, although they are not necessarily recorded in the Old Testament. I know they're accurate because of the divine inspiration of the Bible. But there is also a tradition that that was their names as well. That's correct. Oh yes, that's correct. It is historical peace. Yeah, Jewish, but it is historical. Yeah, that's a fact. All right, well, let's have prayer, shall we?

  #88 | 1:04:38 to 1:06:12 | cleaned

• Father, thank you for your love and grace. Thank you for your mercy. Help us in Christ's name. Amen.

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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-06T01:13:54Z