 All right, welcome back everyone to our second lecture, BC213, I just want to see if audio is okay. There is a question in the chat from Nina about Matthew 721. The people who prophesy cast out demons would be referring to those who do not consistently bear fruit, how do we categorize them? Nina, if you look very carefully at Matthew 7, verses 21 to 23, we see two main things that the Lord Jesus points to. First, He says they did not do the will of the Father. Second, He said, I never knew you. That means they had no relationship with Jesus. So they were just doing these things using the name of Jesus and even doing supernatural things, but it was not coming from a relationship with the Lord. So what do we mean? Well, then they had a relationship with the devil, right? But they were operating in this domain, they were operating in and through the church, but their relationship was not with the Lord. They were demonically empowered. Then you say, why would they use the name of Jesus? That is the whole purpose of deception. Deception is you're coming in this manner, doing what people think is genuine, but really you're being leading people away from the Lord. So they had no relationship with Jesus. They were not doing what God or the Father's will is, and therefore Jesus called all that they did as sin, lawlessness. So that's the real thing, right? These are not people who have a relationship with Jesus. They're doing their own bidding, they're operating out of some other power, not the name of the Lord Himself. And that's what causes deception. I hope I answered your question. Okay, so let's go back now to talking about the rapture. Why do we say that there is a free tribulation rapture of the church? We're looking at the first reason which we saw in Second Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 1 to 10. So Paul is saying concerning our gathering together to him, there is something that the man of sin must be revealed, but there's something holding him back. He's using the word he now in verse 7. Now the word he is capitalized, but actually you'll see a footnote that says it's actually small he, that means it should not have been capitalized. Okay, it's just a normal pronoun and it shouldn't, it does not require to be capitalized. Capitalized means we do refer to God, but actually it should not have been. It can be just general he. So whatever saying was that this he refers to the church, not the Holy Spirit. Now why do we say that? Well, because if, so imagine if the Holy Spirit is taken out of the way, leaves the earth, then the man of sin is revealed, son of perdition, which we know he will have seven years on the earth. We know that. That means for this last seven years, if Holy Spirit is not operating on the earth, nobody can get saved because you cannot get saved without the Holy Spirit. If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he's none of his. We are born again by the Spirit. Nobody can do ministry, but the Bible says there are 144,000 Jews who will be preaching. The Bible says there are many souls who will be beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the testimony of Jesus is a spirit of prophecy. The only way we can have, give testimony to Jesus is because we have the Holy Spirit. The Bible also says there will be two witnesses, two prophets for three and a half years. They will be prophesying, doing mighty sign, God's prophets. The Holy Spirit is not here. How will the prophets function? Then Bible also says in the end of time Zechariah 1210, there will be a great outpouring on the house of Israel of the Holy Spirit. Well, the Holy Spirit is not there. Where will be the outpouring? So looking at all this, and I've mentioned this here, it is correct biblically to say Holy Spirit is still working on the earth during the tribulation. It's still working. It hasn't gone left yet. And we can, like I said, we can see all of this in scripture. So if the Holy Spirit is continuing to work on the earth, then the he therefore is the church. And in the context of this, verse one says brethren concerning the coming of the Lord and our gathering together to him, our gathering together unto him. So in that context, only when he is restraining is taken out of the way, then the Antichrist will be revealed. So okay, in that context it is same. He's always said, what is he talking about? Our gathering together to him. So he who now restrains has to be taken out of the way. Who is he? At least two things he's mentioned. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, he is described in detail of believers of being caught up. Again 2 Thessalonians 2 1, our gathering together unto him, he is taken out of the way. So it has to be the church. This is one reason. Okay. So and I've mentioned all of this here on page 58, all these, the fact that the Holy Spirit will be working on the earth. I've given you the references. The second reason is what we said that the promise to the church, you know, both the church in Thessalonica that is Thessalonians and also the promise to the church in Revelation. So if you look at the promise, what did Jesus appalled right to the church? In 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 9 to 11, this one page 58, he said, For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. The word wrath can be addressed as judgment, wrath, old English word meaning judgment. God did not appoint us for judgment. The context chapter 5 verses 1 to 8 is about the coming of the Lord Jesus for us to be ready for his coming. So it says in that context, understand God didn't, don't be scared that you're going to miss because God's plan is not for us to go through the wrath that is going to come on the earth. That is not God's plan. Okay. So he stole the believers, believers, we are not going to go through the wrath. So don't get worried that you'll miss the rapture. You just be ready, live the, live right and know that God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation. Similarly, we see the same thing in the church in Revelation, in Revelation 3, 10 to 11, I think it's the little church in Revelation 3, 10 to 11, yeah, the church in Revelation 3. He says, but you have kept my, they're listening to me. You kept my command, you pressed it here. I will also keep you from the above of trial, which has come on the whole world, yes, all the wealth on the earth. Behold, I'm coming with people to ask what you have. So he's telling the believers that that there, that you have been good, they said, I requested here and because you've requested here, I will keep you from the above of trial. It should come on the whole world. Okay. Now, of course, again, if people here have been discussed, okay, what is this trial he's going to do? That's all something happened here by something happened there. So there are a lot of, you know, a lot of explanations he will give. My, my thing is the simple, the book of Revelation is given to describe this trial, which will come on the whole, book is given, you're visiting from chapter 6 to chapter 20. It's this kind of a trial that comes on the whole. So it's there, it's a book, the whole book is about that. So in my understanding, for a lot of the speakers who are in church, they say, look, I'll keep you from also coming home. Some people say, no, no, no, here's, I think of some problem, this church will fix, but then it has to not be a trial that comes on the whole earth. You say, I will keep you from the trial that is coming upon your city, but coming upon you, but I'll keep you from the trial that will come on the whole. The only trial that we know, which will come on the whole earth, is what is given to us in the book of Revelation. The whole earth is given to us. So, again, Revelation 3, 10 and 11, it's, he said, I'll keep you from this. So I'll keep you from that, please, I'll take you out of. I'll not keep you in and through, I'll keep you out and away from it. That's the meaning of that, and that wish. Number four, is the technology used in Matthew 24, which we also read in the book of Revelation. In Matthew 24, after Jesus gives the signs of it 10 times, he says, as the days of Noah, so will it be at the time of the coming of the Son of Man, Matthew 24. We read looking at verses 36 to 39, Matthew 24, 26 to 29. He's saying that day and hour, Noah knows not even the angels of the Father, but not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only, but as the days of Noah were, so also will it come in the Son of Man being, but as the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, and they were eating, but it's until the day that Noah entered the arms, and you don't know until the flood came to them all the way, so also will they coming of the Son of Man be. So the thing is Jesus says, we're coming of the Son of Man will be like this, and he's talking of the Noah and the Ark. So what happened? We do know on the Ark. Noah was preaching, and he was believing on it. He was laughing at them. What are you believing? You've never seen in what you're saying there's blood coming. The blood is coming. He ready to repent. No, the pizza rent is nobody's. He built the Ark, he bought the door, he didn't sell it. He didn't sell the Ark. So we're stuck. Then the judgment came. After the judgment over, he had at least that one here. So it's a time of how the church is taken out of the world, out of the world, into a place of safety, that when it's poured out on the Ark, after that, the church is brought back. So because of the typology he used, the people were taken out. Then the judgment came. That went over, and they were released back on it. So again, he said, okay, and that's what you would have to include. Then it's a beautiful picture of the rapture of the church. The church is taken out to a place of safety, and the judgment is poured out on the Ark. And after the judgment is over, they are brought back. Two more points. Number five is the chronology of the book of Revelation. And we will explain this. Then we begin a quick overview of Revelation, which we will be doing, and then next year we get into it. Let me mention this. That when we study the book of Revelation, the first three chapters, God tells John, John, write the things which are, or which you have seen, things which are, and things which are yet to come. So there are three parts to the book of Revelation. Things that you have seen, things that are, the things that were happening in 1980 at the time of God's arrival at Revelation, and the things that are yet to come, the things that are out in the future. So the book of Revelation can be divided into three parts. Things that you have seen, chapter one. Things that are, this chapter is two or three. There were seven churches. They were there in the other chapter. Things that are, things that are yet to come, chapters two or two, and things that are out in the future. Chapter one, things you have seen, chapters two or three, things that are out. Chapter four to end, until things in the future. Understood? So four and five are talking on things that are in the future, because chapter four begins by saying, John, come out here, and I will show you things which must get things that are true come. Well, some chapter four begins. That means everything from there, chapter four was one is in the future. Yeah, look at that. Revelation? Chapter four. Verse one. After these things I looked and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking to me saying, come out here, and I will show you things which must take place after. And then these things are going to take place. Even the future. And what do we see in chapter four and five? We will study this in detail later and earlier. But in chapter four and five, we see there will come a time in the future that the saints will be in the presence of God. They would have received their rewards. They are wearing white clothes. They are worshiping. And then the scroll is opened. That means the opening of the scroll representing that it is time for the fulfillment of those prophecies to begin. Okay, so chapter four and five are in the future. And what do we see in chapter four and five? First, we see the saints are in heaven. They are worshiping God. The elders are seated. They have their crowns. They have received their rewards. And then scrolls open and the seven years of tribulation begin. So even the chronology of the book of Revelation, the first picture of things two part years, the saints are in heaven worshiping God, having received their rewards and got their crowns. And they are worshiping God. After that, the scroll is opened, which is then the seven years of tribulation. Understand, I'll repeat it. So, faster, like we said, like chapter four and chapter five things that need to happen, like which are not happened, right? They must come place. But in chapter five verse one, then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne on a scroll. So, right side of him, one person is sitting and we know that Jesus sat on the right side of God. So, if this is to happen, then how we can select Jesus as already said? No, Jesus, right now he is at the right hand of his father. See that? But what is going to happen in chapter five? What is the structure of your fight? This is going to happen. So, what do we see in chapter five? We see in the throne room and they see the scroll and they say who is finished to open the scroll. And then who can say, let this start. Who has the authority to, you know, like we said in chapter two, you know, bring the burden that these things, this proposition, it was the thought, should open the scroll. Then they see one, the land of God. And he is given the scroll and he opens the scroll. I think only Jesus, you know, has been given the authority to say time has come for these prophecies to be. And then chapter six starts. That means all the tribulations. Some prophecies were parted. The seeds are open. So, what we see in chapter five is going to happen. Either Jesus is seated right on his father, worship is going on. But four in five is going to happen. And the men, the egos will come, they will be there. They will see the crown. The others will be seated. And they will be standing with their hopes of righteousness, their crowns, worshiping God. And then the scroll will be open. That is two crowns. You reach up and come by this. And the last point, if I may say, the actor is going to come, is Daniel 7KR? Okay. So Daniel, Daniel had come and prophesied and given this word to Daniel. Daniel, I'm going to tell you about 70 weeks. That's how many weeks. Then chapter nine, 24, it brings up. There will be 69 minutes. 62 plus 7 is 69. 69 weeks. From the time the liquid is given to God, to rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah is atop, until Messiah is chosen. 483 years finished, only seven years left. That is referred to as Daniel's 70th week. And this 70th week is when the Catholic Church will be operating on the earth. This man is Daniel 927. Then he shall conform a covenant with many for one week. That is 61. He will conform a covenant with many for one week. One week is seven years. But this Catholic Church will come as a line of peace. He will set up a three-year peace for seven years. One week, seven years. But in the middle of the week, he will stop everything. Okay. So Daniel's 70th week is concerning Jerusalem concerning Israel. What does that mean? So it's not about the Church. The Church is taken out of them. It's about them and what will happen. In the seven years, it's about the nations coming against Israel. That's the Antichrist doing this thing. And the focus is on persecuting Israel. And those who have the testimonies. So Daniel's 70th week is about Jerusalem and Israel. So the Church is taken out of them. So let me pause here. Let me take it first. So there's a question down there on the chart. Yes, so this is the chart. Basically, the Church is referred to as the bride. Yeah. So the New Testament, the Church is referred to with many different features as the pen show. One of them is the bride. Church is the bride. Which doesn't mean the Church is a lady. It's just a picture of the Church. To represent Christ's relation to the Church. But the Church is also referred to as branches on the wine. The Church is also referred to as the cabinet stick. It doesn't mean it literally can't stick. Because the person in the picture of what the Church is. The Church is also referred to as the house of God. The house of God and worship and so on. So similarly, the Church is also referred to as the body of Christ. The body of Christ is masculine, right? So he, the pronoun she, can be used for the Church. Just as much as the pronoun and the use for the Church. Both are fine. Yes, so used to the Church being the bride and she. So that's the picture that's often portrayed in me. But we also think Church is the body of Christ. Which means we can say he for the Church. We can use that for the name of the pronoun. He for the Church. He is the body of Christ masculine. Yeah, I hope that helps. So essentially the Church is neutral. It's just the gathering of all believers. All right, next question. So I guess it's too one. It's talking about the coming of our Lord Jesus and gathering together to him. So it's talking about one event. As described in 1st Thessalonians 413 to 18. 1st Thessalonians 413 to 18. The Lord is coming and we are gathered together to him, right? So that's the context in which Paul is writing 2nd Thessalonians 2 verse 1. The coming of the Lord and our gathering together to him. Which he has very clearly described in 1st Thessalonians. That's the form of 18 to 18. That point of fact. So one event is one happening as described. Well, okay. Any other questions? I think it's very interesting and very good. Um, reference by reference meaning? Verse by verse. Oh, book of Revelation Daniel, yeah. Which one was verse? Sorry? It's getting me better and me better. So many questions. You can ask, ask your questions or read the scriptures. Yeah. As a picture. So, like what you said also, like we mostly aware of, aware like a bright, this picture only mostly we consider. And when, when people are writing the songs like, like a bride and he is a groom, like I can refer to some one situation which happened recently, like one lady wrote a song on like it's in Telugu. Like pre-Rallu means it's, it's bride. Pre-Rallu means it's a groom. So she literally wrote a song, which it's like a, like one, one girl writing to her boyfriend, writing a song to her boyfriend. And she wrote, she wrote as a Christian song. And she took everything into a literal words, like completely writing a girl to her boyfriend. And, and it was bullied like nothing in the social media. And it created a, I mean, there is a lot of people who spoke about against Jesus Christ and about the Christianity. And how, how we can take these things? Can we, can we take it completely literal words? So we should be careful. So, see God has given, or God has used, let me say, the Bible uses images from other worlds to convey something about his relationship with us. So one of the pictures is that of the brides. Yeah, and so bright. But we must not take everything that the bride represents to reflect on our relationship with the Lord. Right? So as bride, yeah, we keep ourselves holy. We keep ourselves set apart for the Lord. Then so the bride does make up. We also have to do makeup. The bride does this. No, that is not, that is not how he meant it, right? He's just saying that that's how the relationship with us, he cares for us in that manner. But don't take it into all the literal things, you know? So that's where we go wrong. And so one big thing, like you mentioned, people take the book of Song of Solomon to say, oh, this is talking about Christ and the church. My response is, my response is, no, it is not. It's a song of Solomon. It's a book about Solomon and his earthly love. And God has put that there to talk about human love. So don't allegorize it and say it's talking about Christ and the church. Because then a lot of messes happen. But a lot of big preachers use Song of Solomon to talk about Christ and the church. Big books have been written about it. But I think that's allegorizing. That's not the original intent of the book of Song of Solomon. It's just talking about human love. Leave it like that. Don't be embarrassed. It's there. Why it suddenly becomes spiritual. No, no, leave it there. It's talking about human love. It's not nowhere. There's no reference. There's no reference neither in the New Testament. See, one clear way of interpreting scripture is there's a New Testament point back. And you know where nobody in the New Testament refers to the Song of Solomon in the context of Christ and the church. I think at least if Jesus had done it or Paul had done, I'm sure they all read it. But not one of them said that is representing Christ and the church. So we don't have the right to allegorize it. You shouldn't. But so many people do it and then it gives a very bad taste. Because from there they go and writing all these songs and full infusion happens. So I think it's a mistake and it's not right. Any other questions? We are looking about the rapture of the church. And we studied about Matthew chapter 24 where Jesus talks about signs and what. And then in Matthew chapter 25, he talks about 10 versions, the parable of 10 versions, and also the parable of talents. And like my question is the 10 versions have anything in the context of rapture? Because most of the times people use this story like this parable to explain about the rapture that how a bride should be ready if we are not ready and we don't have oil will be left out. So this has anything to do with rapture in the context. So in chapter 25, Matthew 25, there are two main parables. One is the parable of the 10 virgins and the parable of the talents. Both are there and both are given in the context of what he has previously spoken, which is be ready for the coming of the Lord. So this is how we have to be ready. So in the parable of the 10 virgins, the main thing is they didn't have enough oil. They didn't have what it took to tarry until the bridegroom came, because it says the bridegroom tarried or bridegroom was delayed. That means the story is he got delayed, but you didn't have enough to wait for him. That is the message. Now, if we allegorize it, which is not the intent of the story, oh, the oil represents the Holy Spirit, the lantern represents your local church, whatever, whatever, from there you allegorize. Well, that is not what he's saying. He just didn't say that. What was his message? Message is you have to have what it takes to endure, to be there until the Lord returns, even if it seems like he is delayed. That's the message. So five of the virgins didn't come. They didn't have enough to wait. They had to go do something. So they missed the coming of the Lord. So is that what we have in terms of falling away of the Holy Spirit? Yeah, we can connect that in the sense that there is going to be a falling away. In this case, they fell away because they didn't have what it took to stay the course until the bridegroom came. But we shouldn't say like, if you're going shopping in the mall, you're falling away. No, they went to buy oil. That is the illustration. But the message is they didn't have enough to stay until he came. Then about the talents, until the Lord comes, you be faithful in using what he has given you. Keep multiplying it until he comes. Don't sit and just do nothing with what he has given. In other words, be busy with what he has given you till he comes. That's the main message of the parable of the talents. So it's all in the context of the coming of the Lord. But this is what you do. And we should just leave it at that. We shouldn't allegorize things, like adding to the meaning of what was not intended. Anything else? Okay, so we have given six reasons. Why we are saying the rapture of the church will take place before the seven years of tribulation. Okay. And you think about these reasons, right? The main thing we said was about 2 Thessalonians 2, he will be taken out of the way, then the man of Selim will be revealed. We said about the promise to the church in Thessalonica in Revelation. Then we talk about the typology that Jesus used in Matthew 24, Noah's Ark. We also talk about the chronology of the book of Revelation. Like, okay, it's happening like this, we stay with it. Now people may say, no, no, no, no, they'll jumble up the book of Revelation on it. My perspective is, hey, Jesus was telling John, John, I will show you things to come. So obviously he's giving it to him in a sequence. And in between, he may make references to things of the past. Like we will see Revelation 12, we will talk about things of the past or, you know, so on. But he's giving it in a sequence, we will stay with the sequence, don't jumble it up here and there, stay with that. So in the beginning of it, chapters 4 and 5 is saints in heaven. And then Daniel 70th week that is mainly meant for our Jerusalem man, Israel. Okay, any questions from anyone? Go ahead, go ahead. So chapter 4 and 5 are events that are going to happen. But in heaven right now, we know there is worship happening. Right, it means, because we see throughout the Old Testament, there's worship that happened. There are worshiping angels. And when we go to heaven, yeah, we're not going to sit there and say, okay, music is not started, I will worship you later. We are going to be worshiping. So is worship going on in heaven right now? Yes, there are angels on show, all the believers who have gone up are worshiping the Lord. But specifically, the description of chapters 4 and 5 in Revelation is about things going to happen. That means there's coming a time when there will be 24 elders seated around the throne. Who are the 24 elders? We will talk about it. 12 of them are most likely Old Testament saints. Saints will be Old Testament. The other 12 are most likely the 12 apostles. The reason we can say that is because when John was writing, John was still not dead. That means the 12 apostles not seated there. John at least one is here on earth. So if there are 24 elders and we're saying 12 of them are the apostles. Wait, one apostle is here. Therefore that setting is not current. It's not at that time. It's in the future. Now, why we say 12 of them are the 12 apostles because two reasons. In Matthew 20, James and John, their mother came and asked, can you make sure my son sit on your right? And he said, that is up to my father. But yes, they can participate in what I'm going through. So it seemed like they would be the 12 apostles. The other reason is because in Revelation chapter 21, the foundations of the city of Jerusalem, the 12 apostles are there. So if they're given that much importance, then definitely they would be seated. They'll be the 12 apostles. The reason we're saying the other 12 are the Old Testament saints is because in Revelation 20, I think or 21, when John is talking to one of the elders, he says, I am of your brethren. That means the Jewish brethren. So he is revealing himself that one of the elders is of your brethren. So let me give you the exact verse. Yeah, verse 9, 22, 9. Then he said to me, Revelation 22, 9, then he said to me, see that you do not do that, for I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets of those who keep the words of this book worship God. So John is talking to the elder. He falls on to worship him. He says, don't do it, because I am your fellow servant and of your brethren, the prophets. Prophets means Old Testament. So that means one of them is Old Testament prophets. So that's why you're saying, hey, one of them is then most likely the other remaining are Old Testament prophets. 12 of them are Old Testament prophets. 12 of them are apostles of the Lamb. But it cannot be a picture happening that time, because John is still here on the earth. So it's going to be in the sheath. And then they're all wearing crowns, which means they would have received rewards. That means the reward ceremony has happened. The reward ceremony will happen only when all of us are there. We will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. Because they're having their crowns and they're falling down, they're worshiping with their crowns on the ground. So that's why we're saying that the first scene, Chapter 4, is right after the reward ceremony, all the believers are in heaven. Everybody has received their rewards. The Old Testament prophets and the 12 apostles have been given their crowns. They are given their places and everybody's worshiping. So that's the rapture should have taken place for all the believers to be there for that to happen. I've repeatedly heard from different pastors, like there will be a reward for the number of souls, and God will give a throne on it. The number of souls we earn, the number of diamonds will be there on our crown. I know earning. But the Bible does say in Daniel 12, he who wins souls is wise, I'll give you the exact words. So Gabriel is telling to Daniel, verse 3, Daniel 12, 3, he says, those who have eyes shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. I mean, if you turn people to righteousness, you're bringing them to the Lord, you'll shine like the stars. So that is what he's saying. But whether how bright you shine, how much light you give, that I don't know. He's saying like, if you win many to righteousness, you will shine. What does it mean, those? Stars, like, those who win souls, they'll have many stars or something like that. Yeah, I'm not sure whether the, you know, in translation, whether people have by mistake brought in a different idea. Okay, let's close. Please go back to these six points. Think about it, look up the scriptures, study it. If it's not clear, please bring up questions next class. We will be talking about these things again when we go through Revelation and also next year, when we go through Daniel and Revelation in detail. Okay, let's get somebody close and prayer please. Hey heavenly Father, thank you Lord. Thank you for all the glad so Lord and thank you for Pastor Ashish, Lord. Thank you for teaching us many things for Lord. Help us to learn clearly and study our word and Lord and help us to be people who glorifies you to taking all the word and preaching our Lord in Jesus name I pray. Amen.