 Okay, good morning, everyone. Welcome to BC 213, our course on the end times. Thank you all for connecting to the class. May I request somebody to please pray and then we will get started. Father, we thank you for this day, for this time, Lord. We come to your presence and we worship you. We praise you, Lord. We submit you in this class into your hand, Lord Jesus. Are we going to learn about your word, Lord? Help us to learn deeply, Father. Thank you so much once again. Jesus name and pray. Amen. All right. So last week we just introduced chapter four, which is an overview of the world events, coming world events, right? So what we want to do is be in this chapter, we want to understand the sequence of events. How are things going to happen? All right. And now, like we said in the beginning, there are people who have different positions, right? Some may say the rapture will take place before the start of the tribulation. Some may say the middle, some may send the end. And even in how some people interpret the book of Revelation, there are variations. So I'm not saying what we are going to learn is the only way, right? So if you pick a book somewhere, somebody wrote a book, you read it and say, this is different from what I learned. Don't be surprised. Because there are people who have different, there are different interpretations or positions. So we understand that. But the approach we are taking is that we will follow the book of Revelation as it is given in a chronological order. I mean, we are not going to change things. As God revealed it, we will take it like that. So we will get to the book of Revelation. We will go through it chapter by chapter and we will follow the chronology of that. Saying that God gave it to John, Apostle John, in a chronological order. And we will stay with it. We don't want to mix and match. Sometimes some people move things around. For example, I'll just say, there are three sets of judgments. The bowls, the trumpets. So there are three sets of judgments, bowls, the seals, the bowls and the trumpets. Three sets of judgments in the book of Revelation. So the seals, the bowls, the trumpets. Now what some people do is they make this overlap as though it's all happening in parallel. But in the book of Revelation, it is given in sequence, one after the other. So we will stay with that sequence. We won't jumble it up. We won't make it parallel. I'm just giving one example, how people change. So as we go through the book of Revelation, I'll explain. So based on that, we will do this chart. This chart that I've given that you're seeing on page 53. Based on the timeline or the sequence of events given to us in the book of Revelation, we will do this timeline. We will explain this timeline. But we are going to start and we're going to read a lot of scriptures. I want us to know where it is in the Bible. So don't just say, oh, yeah, this will happen. No, you need to know where it is. You need to show chapter and verse and say, because it is there, I am saying this will happen and this will happen. So we are going to turn into the scriptures and read. So it'll take us a little bit of time. But the purpose is that we must know from the scriptures where it is said, what is said, therefore, we can say that things are going to happen like this. So let's begin in Acts chapter 1 verses 6 to 12. Acts 1, 6 to 12 and somebody could read that for us. Acts 1, 6 to 12. Acts 1, 6 to 12. Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him saying, Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel? And he said to them, it is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in his own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witness to me in Jerusalem and all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth. Now, when he had spoken these things while they watched, he was taken up and a cloud received him out of their sight and while they looked state firstly toward heaven as he went up, we hold two men stood by them in white apparel who also said, men of Galilee, why do you stand gasping up into heaven? This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven. So this is, you know, 40 days after the resurrection of Jesus, they're all on top of the Mount of Olives and the disciples are asking, Lord, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel? So right now the kingdom is being governed or controlled by the Roman Empire, Romans. They're all under the Romans. So they're expecting the Messiah to come and be king. They're expecting the Messiah to come and give them control. Right? Now Jesus is getting ready to go and they're still under the control of the Romans. So they're asking, Lord, when are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel? When are you going to give it into our control? Then Jesus says, it's not for you to know the times the Father has, meaning that's going to happen. Right? But it is that timing is in the Father's hand. Now what is going to happen? You are going to receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you are going to be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. That means this is what's going to happen. The Holy Spirit will come on you. You'll be my witnesses to the ends of the earth. So this is what we refer to as the church age. The time and the Holy Spirit is empowering believers to be witnesses. So one main reason why we are here is to be witnesses. And then as Jesus is on top of the Mount of the Olives, these people are there. The disciples are there and Jesus in front of their eyes is just going against gravity, is going up into heaven. As they see him go, the angels are saying, Men of Galilee, they're giving you announcement. The same Jesus will come in a similar manner as you have seen him go. That means he went up into the clouds, he's going to come. He'll come, the same Jesus. And he will, and as Zechariah chapter 14, 12, 13, 14, we will look at it. He is going to descend on the Mount of Olives. And Zechariah already prophesied. And the angels are saying he will come in the same way you've seen him go. He will descend. But from now till that time, our responsibility is we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses. So the church age. So Jesus is coming back. The angels announced it. But it is in the future. Now we have a responsibility to preach the gospel, take the gospel to all the nations. Now, when we go to the last chapter of Revelation 22, I just want to think about this a little bit, because after the Lord gives John all the details of what is going to happen, Revelation 22, I will read these verses, these three verses that we've highlighted, where Jesus keeps saying, I am coming quickly. This is AD 90, today we are 2024, almost 2000 years. At that time what he said, John, you wrote all these things. I am coming quickly. So for some of us, like, Lord, what is this, 2000 years? You said you're coming quickly. But that is when we have to remember that for God, time is very different. Like Peter says, one day is like a thousand years, a thousand years is like one day. Doesn't matter for God. For us it's how we hardly live 100 years. So, you know, we don't see beyond 100 years. But he said, I am coming quickly. So let's read those verses, Revelation 22, 6 and 7, 12 and 13, 2021. Somebody could read these verses for us, please. Revelation chapter 22 was 6 and 7. Then he said to me, these words are faithful and true. And the Lord, the God of the spirits, of the prophets has sent his angels as representative to show his bond servants the things that must soon take place. And behold, I am coming quickly. Bliss is the one who heats and takes to heart and remembers the word of the prophecy contained in this book. Then 12 and 13, sorry. And behold, I'm coming quickly and my reward is with me to give to everyone according to his work. I'm the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 2021. He who testifies to these things says, surely I'm coming quickly. Amen. Even so, come Lord Jesus, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. So in this last chapter, three times Jesus said, I am coming quickly. John, you wrote it, written all these things. I am coming quickly. I must have thought, okay, within two years he'll come on maybe, you know, 20 years something. Jesus said, I'm coming quickly. So we are here 2,000 years afterwards. And we haven't seen the fulfillment of all that is written in Revelation yet. And we haven't seen the Lord come as he has ascended. Are we still waiting? But we can say for God, he's outside time. So what may seem so long for us, for him it's nothing. But what we can do is we can study, we can understand how close are we and what are the sequence of things we can expect to happen. That's what we're going to see. So let's go step by step. The first thing, so we are now in the church age where the Holy Spirit is upon us and we are witnesses for Jesus to the ends of the earth. So the first thing we are expecting is the rapture of the church. And we will read this. This is described for us. Paul the Apostle wrote about this in two places. 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 was the 18th. Somebody could read this usually in funerals or I wouldn't say usually, but always in funerals we read these passages just to remind people that this is the hope we have. 1st Thessalonians 4, 13th to 18th somebody could read it for us please. 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 was 13th. For we do not want you to be unformed believers about those who are asleep so that you will not grieve as others. Do you have no hope? For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again. What happened? Yeah, if we believe that Jesus died and rose again. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again. Even so God in the same way by raising them from the dead will bring with them those who have fallen asleep in Jesus. For we say this to you by the Lord's word that we who are still alive and remain until coming of Lord Jesus will in no way precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with the shouts of command with the voice of the archangel and with the blast of trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will simultaneously be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air again. So we will always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort and encourage one another with these words. All right, thank you. So we will read the other one in 1 Corinthians 15 shortly but I just want to point out the Apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians one of the common themes is about the coming of the Lord the return of the Lord Jesus. You see it throughout from 1 Thessalonians chapter 1 through 2 Thessalonians. You see it. And as he is telling the believers about the coming of the Lord he gives this very detailed description of what will happen. Very detailed. This is how it's going to happen. We will look at it. But in a sense he is saying the Lord will descend He will bring with him the spirits of those who have already died in Christ. That means at the time of his coming all the believers who have already died where are their spirits? Not floating somewhere here. Bible college. No, their spirits are with the Lord. Their spirits are with the Lord. The Lord will bring with him. Where is this? Verse 14. God will bring with him those who sleep in. That means those who have died with him. God will bring with them. Now in what way? Only the spirit because body is gone. Already it has become disappeared. That means spirit is with God, with the Lord. So when Jesus is coming their spirits will come with him. That means they're all there in heaven with Jesus. So he bring with them. And this is the moment when they will receive glorified bodies. And at that moment where the Lord is coming we who are alive on the earth believers who are alive on the earth at that time will receive, the bodies will be instantly changed will become glorified bodies. And we will be caught up and we will meet the Lord in the air. That means he's not landing. He's coming in the sky. Spirits of those who have already died are coming with him. They receive glorified bodies. We are alive on the earth. Our bodies are changed. We go up and we meet him in the air. And then what happens? He says, so shall we be ever with the Lord. That means there is no indication that he's landing. Coming, meeting in the air, going to be with him. You understand the picture. So very clear picture. Now it is from first. So the word, some people say rapture. That word rapture is not in the Bible. Correct. You'll read this here. You don't find the word rapture here in English. You don't find it here. It's not there in the English Bible. But that's when we say the word rapture is coming from the Latin words. So in the notes you can see from 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 17. Simul. I don't know Latin. I'm just saying reading the two words. Simul, rapimor. That means we are simultaneously together. I think your translation uses the word simultaneous. So that's the word here. Simul, rapimor. So from that word rapimor, we are getting rapture. So it is there in the Latin translation. It's coming from there. So some English words have the root in Latin. So that's why. Yeah, it's not there in the English, but it's coming from the Latin word. From 1st Thessalonians 4, 17. So when we say rapture of the church, we are talking about this moment when we will all be simultaneously caught up. This is what we're talking about rapture. So no problem with the word. The rapture word is not there in the English Bible. It's coming from the new Latin. And this is what it means. It means we will all be in a moment simultaneously caught up to meet the Lord and be there. Okay. There are some more things, some more information he gives about trumpets and all that. We'll come back and study that. But let's also read chapter 15, 1 Corinthians 51 to 58. So let's go there. And then we will look at this because there are other things that we need to understand. 1 Corinthians 50, 51 to 58. 1 Corinthians 15, 51 to 58. Behold, I tell you a mystery. We shall not also leave, but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet. So the trumpet will sound and the date will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed for this corruptible must put on incorruptions and this mortal must be, must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on incorruptively then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written death is valued up in victory or death where is your sting oh heads where is your victory the sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ therefore may we hold brethren we state first immobile always arounding in the work of the Lord knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. Okay, so these two 1st Thessalonians 4, 13 to 18 and 1st Corinthians 15, 51 to 58 actually a lot of this chapter 15 chapter we didn't read the whole chapter but these are parallel passages that means they are talking about this moment when believers are going to be caught up and meet the Lord in the air is giving us more details what are some things we'll point out so he's saying we will all be changed in the twinkling of an eye this mortal will put on mortality the dead will be raised incorruptible that means the Lord is bringing with them all the believers who have died and the moment there they will receive incorruptible bodies and our mortal bodies will put on immortality that means big bodies will become just like the physical body just like the body of Jesus after his resurrection okay we'll read Philippians 3 we'll look at it where it says we will be like him we'll read that but our bodies will become like that glorified body so that glorified body can pass through walls it is out it operates outside of this it can operate in both realms natural realm because people can see it but yet it is not limited by the laws or the rules of this natural realm that Jesus went up like against the law of gravity he came through the world and at the same time he told Thomas Thomas you touch me, you see I mean he appeared again many times people saw him and then you know John 20 when he appears to his disciples John 21 when they gone fishing they see him standing so it's not like something that's floating they see the form that is a physical form to this so it is made of we just say it's made of a different kind of material like it's a spiritual material we don't know what it is it's incorruptible this physical body is corruptible, decay but that material will not decay incorruptible material but it's real it can operate in two realms the natural and the spirit so that's the kind of body we will receive and it will happen in that instant the other thing we point out is in both these passages we read about trumpets sounding now important we must not confuse these trumpets with the seven trumpets that we read in Revelation because the seven trumpets in the book of Revelation each trumpet is very clearly stated what will happen and these are having to do with judgments on the earth these two trumpets in 1 Thessalonians 4 and 1 Corinthians 15 have to do with the believers meeting with the Lord with their bodies being changed and then meeting with the Lord that's what these trumpets are sounding so don't confuse the two because some people will take two trumpets here let me go in Revelation I see seven trumpets under which trumpet I'll put this then they plug this under that trumpet full confusion so sometimes people do that no, no, no, keep them separate like we said there are in the book of Revelation there are three sets of judgments seven each seal, bowl, trumpet so seven, seven, seven keep it like that don't take this and put it there this one is separate so we see two trumpet sounds one, when the Lord descends one trumpet sound this is in 1 Thessalonians 4 verse 16 there will be the archangel sounding trumpet of God and he's descending he begins his descent okay, that's one trumpet then in 1 Corinthians 15 he says verse 52 right for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised so he has another trumpet which is the last trumpet verse 52 in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raised so sometimes you say why is it called the last trumpet meaning it is so and I've given reference somewhere our trumpets are used to announce something and this last trumpet is sounding the end of the church age finished dead are raised all the believers are raised bodies are changed going on so there's a trumpet that sounds the Lord is descending he begins his descent and the last trumpet this is the last announcement our bodies are changed everybody, all believers receive a glorified body and they meet the Lord in the air so in the Old Testament you'll find that trumpets are sound trumpets are blown to assemble the people when they assemble the armies, people together they blow the trumpet then everybody assembles so this last trumpet is the assembling of the church all believers those who died will come with the Lord those who are here will be caught up everybody is having glorified bodies we're all in one way assembling with the Lord in the last trumpet it's the close of the church age the church has been assembled to meet the Lord in the air so shall we ever be with the Lord okay so don't confuse these two trumpets with trumpets and revelations we will read that Prince your question so Pastor as we are talking about two trumpets right so is it like one trumpet will be at the starting of coming and another trumpet at the end of closing yeah so one trumpet will sound when the Lord begins his it's like okay you can imagine just imagine okay I'm just imagining I'm not saying the chapter in verse the time comes the Father says to the Lord Jesus time has come we have to go he stands from his throne ready to go then Gabriel and then he begins his descent this is something big happening so the shout of the archangel one archangel I don't know Gabriel Michael I don't know who somebody shouting blow the trumpet because that moment nobody knows only the Father knows so he might turn around time to go this stands up everybody say oh the Lord is standing ready to go shout blow the trumpet and the Lord begins his descent he's coming through the clouds but this time he's not coming with the armies of heaven like in Revelation 19 that time Revelation 19 is he's coming on a white horse with his robe dipped in blood with a sword in his hand and with the armies of heaven very different here he's coming with bringing those who have fallen asleep with him there's no he's not writing, Paul's not writing about coming on a white horse with a sword and he's not like that he's not coming to do battle Revelation 19 that time he's coming to battle he will strike the nations with a rod of iron with a word of his mouth now he's coming quietly and there's one more trumpet that second last trumpet is everyone is there reach him that's the last trumpet it's the end of the church age church is taken then we're going to be with the Lord see I don't know I don't know who knows sometimes maybe we will hear something something will shake us because in the spiritual realm there is no distance so an example I'm just thinking see when Saul was going on the road to Damascus a lot of people were with him there was a bright light he fell to the ground so it says Saul and the people they saw the bright lights but only Saul heard the voice others didn't hear the voice Saul why are you persecuting then he says who are you Lord he says I am Jesus we're persecuting you go to Damascus I'll tell you what to do that only Saul heard so I'm thinking maybe the sound of these two trumpets only believers will hear other people won't hear maybe the first trumpet we might hear something suddenly one alarm what is that we hear in our spirit get ready within the twinkling of an eye before we can even know it everything happens our bodies are changed suddenly we are in the clouds meeting the Lord in the air so I don't know it's quite possible we may hear both the trumpets so fast let us read some more scripture related to this whole thing John 14 I'll take questions from the online students just in a few minutes after we read some scriptures John 14 verses 1 2 3 well not your heart be troubled you believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go to prepare a place for you and if I go and prepare a place for you I will come again and receive you to myself that where I am there you may be also so Jesus very clearly saying I'm preparing a place for you mansion meaning nice big place I'm preparing and I'll come again I'll receive you so you can be with me so this is once again why we say the rapture of the church must happen because he says I will come again I will receive you and you will be with me where I am if you read about the second becoming of the Lord in Revelation 19 and Revelation 20 there the sequence is he comes he destroys the antichrist the armies of the people and he is here on earth he establishes his kingdom then what about these mansions we won't get to see because if the rapture happens at that time example or we go meet the Lord come to Armageddon after you have to fight and fight all the people then we are here what about the mansions but he said I'm preparing mansions for you I'll come I'll receive you and I'll take you to those mansions so that where I am you will be there with me so that has to happen which will not happen if the rapture of the church took place at the end of the tribulation in Revelation 19 and 20 it won't happen because the sequence is he comes to the earth and he establishes his kingdom here on earth then how we will see the mansions so that's why we say the rapture of the church has to be a separate event it has to happen sometime before when can it happen then we are saying ok we understand the meaning of the trumpet the trumpet means the assembly we are putting all the pieces together so this is what makes sense that he will come take us will be with him during the 7 years of tribulation we will give some more reasons more reasons why we say the rapture of the church takes place before the tribulation we will give more reasons I'm just pointing out one by one here are the reasons why we are saying it has to happen before the end of the tribulation ok let's also read some more verses Philippians 3 20 and 21 Philippians 3, 20 and 21 for our citizenship is in heaven from which we also eagerly wait for the saviour the Lord Jesus Christ who will transform our lowly body that will be confirmed to his glorious body according to the working by which he is able even to subdue all things to him hmm so this is where we get the revelation that our bodies will become like his glorious body so what will this immortal glorified body be like the body of Jesus very clearly stated right that our body will be transformed to be like his glorious body so the body that we have at that rapture that Paul has written in 1st Assurance 4 and 1st Coordination 15 that glorified body will be like the body that Jesus had after he was raised from the dead that spiritual body ok 2nd Coordination 5 we will read one more passage 1 to 4 2nd Coordination 5, 1 to 4 4 we know that if our earthly house this tent is destroyed we have a house from God a house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 4 in this we grown earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven if indeed having been clothed we shall not be found naked 4 we who are in this tent grown being burdened not because we want to be unclothed for further clothed that mortality may be swallowed by the life right so he is talking about the difference right in this body this tent we are groaning that is all the pain there is all the things but we are going to have a body which is full of life and it is a body where it be clothed from heaven it is a house that is made not with hands but it is a glorified body so just contrasting earthly spiritual body so bottom of page 54 we have made these statements the glorified body that we will have will be like the glorified body that Jesus had after his resurrection it passed through walls touched and felt could even eat so we are going to be sitting at the marriage supper of the lamb and eating again we cannot explain it but it happened right it could ascend and go against gravity all of that so let me pause here and see if there are any questions from the online class any questions from the online students anyone Pastor Ramilio can you hear me now Pastor no we can my question is when we are talking about the people who are already dead will also be raised up with Christ during his second coming as a glorified body I mean that is what we are talking about the people who are alive and also the people who are dead and buried they will be raised up back so my question is when the people die we believe that their spirit goes to heaven if they are believers so why again it is turned into a glorified body because when they are in heaven what form they are so so when they are in heaven they it is the spirit and soul the spiritual part of the soul that is there but they don't have this body so example if one of them were to come to our earth to say hello we can't see them because they have only spirit and soul no body we can't touch them, we can't shake hands, we can't eat with them because it's only spirit and spirit they are the Lord but they don't have this glorified body so God is going to give all of them and us these glorified bodies so that is the case we read it where Jesus is on the mountain and he is praying with the disciples and they see Moses and Elisha coming in talking to them if their spirits how did they recognize that is Moses and that is Elisha are they coming down in a glorified body to talk to them what happened in Matthew 17 is a special event which it's referred to as Jesus was transfigured that means in that moment God decided to do something temporarily momentarily God gave example let me put it like this he took a moment out of the future and he put it into the present momentarily so we call this time travel so example I'm just making up don't go say pastor said time travel I'm just trying to explain this he took a moment of time from the future and put it into the present so that means Jesus body was transfigured that means momentarily he remember that time he was in a natural body a flesh and blood body like what we have but momentarily on the mount of transfiguration his body became as though it was a glorified body and momentarily Elijah and Elisha received transfigured bodies meaning these glorified bodies momentarily God just did it at that moment but keep in mind Peter, James and John have never seen Elijah and Elisha you can show any old man from Old Testament they don't know who it is you can put Noah, Adam in front of them they won't know because they've never seen so their recognition of Elijah and Moses came through unknowing from the Holy Spirit but the visibility of Moses and Elijah was some a work of God in that moment but Jesus body itself was transfigured meaning made like a glorified body Moses and Elijah appeared as though they would appear in the future with glorified bodies Peter, James and John are watching this they're seeing and they are receiving hey this is Moses you've never seen him say hello this is his sign you never see him no photograph no DP but say hello they recognize these people that's a work of God and then it goes away Jesus comes back to his natural body so what we say is in the mount of transfiguration a special event that's how they were able to recognize and see what happened one last question so when Jesus is I understand when we are living and Jesus is coming for the second we are glorified body and we go to Jesus but when he is raising already who are dead that's how it is written in the Bible who will be rising up with God when he comes so what is it exactly happening because the spirit is already with Jesus is the spirit is getting a glorified body because it is mentioned that the dead will be raised that is the part where because there is no body there is no body only here I mean we don't even know who is there in which grave so what is it exactly happening on the earthly perspective or because the spirits of the people who are already dead are with Jesus are they attaining the glorified body at that moment of his second coming you can imagine it like this at that moment when the last trumpet the last trumpet sounds the spirits of all these people who have died who have gone to heaven they are with Jesus they are coming with Jesus and this trumpet sounds suddenly their spirits are receiving a glorified body but it does not mean that mud from the ground is suddenly coming together and that mud is suddenly being changed and it's going up and because some of like you said the physical part nothing is there we don't know where it is some people would have died in the sea some people would have died on the mountain it's not about the physical mud actually being suddenly changed right there because they are not landing on the earth in the middle of the air it loads their spirit and soul with this body that is made of different material it's like they are getting into their space suit God is just putting it on them and at that same moment those of us who are here on the earth we are living in flesh and blood bodies for us what happens suddenly our bodies are changed now how God does it I don't know I don't know whether there will be suddenly this physical body drops to the ground it doesn't describe it like that but suddenly those of us who are alive this body changes it becomes of a different material and we are meeting the Lord with the other saints in the middle of the air so how it happens in twinkling of an eye so to answer your question it's not that God is collecting the mud from the earth and changing it and giving them a body the body is giving them a spiritual body but it's called resurrection from the dead because they are now clothed with a body but the body is a model unlike you know when somebody is raised from the dead today they are still raised in a mortal body which will die again but that body will be immortal okay thank you so much alright thank you let's go for a break we'll be back everyone in 10 minutes