 Good morning, Chino Valley. It is always such an incredible blessing to be here with all of you and to share something with you from the Word of God. In all the places that I have the privilege of speaking, there's no brute that so loves the Bible like all of you, so it's a blessing to be here. Well, please open in your Bible, if you will, to the last book of the Bible, The Book of Revelation to Revelation Chapter 1. Last week, when you gathered together here, Dr. Ed Hyneson spoke to you about the rapture of the church. And so this morning, Pastor David asked if I would talk to you about what the Bible calls the tribulation, the tribulation. The title of this message is, Glad We Won't Be Here. Glad We Won't Be Here. And the text of Scripture we want to begin with in Revelation Chapter 1 and Verse 3. Perhaps you've heard the cute little story about a young boy. His name was Johnny. And every Saturday, Johnny used to love to go over to his grandma's house and he used to love to go over there because he enjoyed playing in their big backyard and he especially enjoyed grandma's chocolate chip cookies. But the main reason why he liked to go over there is because in their hallway, they had this huge clock and it would gong on the hour. And he used to love to count how many gongs the clock gonged. And so, as you can imagine, the time of day he liked the most was high noon because then it went off 12 times and he could count 12 times. And so one Saturday, he's over at grandma's house and just before noon, he goes in the hallway, he's standing in front of this big old clock waiting, waiting, waiting. All of a sudden it goes off. Gong, he says what? Gong 2. Gong 3. Gong 4. He's counting. Gong 10. Gong 11. Gong 12. Only when it gonged 12, it kept gonging. There was something wrong with the mechanism of the clock and grandma had forgotten to tell him. And so, gong 10. Gong 11. Gong 12. Gong 13, he says. Gong 14. Gong 15. I mean, his eyes are as wide as saucers and when it stops gonging, he runs into the kitchen. He grabs his grandma and he says, Grandma, grandma, it's later than it's ever been before. And I love that story because biblically and prophetically, it's later than it's ever been before. In Romans 13 and verse 11, the Apostle Paul says our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. In Luke 21 and verse 28, Jesus said, when you see all of these things happening, the things we see happening right before our eyes, he said, then look up because your redemption draws nigh. In Matthew 24 and verse 33, Jesus said, when you see all of these things, the things we see happening in our day, know that the coming of the Son of man is near even at the doors. One day, very soon, the headlines are going to read, millions vanish from the earth. It's going to be that incredible worldwide event known as the rapture of the church. The rapture of the church, but then what? Then what? What the Bible calls the tribulation. There are many Christians who know a lot about the rapture and that is a good thing, but they know very little about the tribulation and as we will see today, there is nothing in the Bible that will give you a greater urgency to pray for people who know not God and to share with people who know not God than to know about what the Bible calls the tribulation. This is why it is so important to study the Word of God. This is why it is so important to study about Bible prophecy, because God who knows the end from the beginning, God who knows the future as well as we know the past has told us exactly how human history will end. And he's told us about it in the last book of the Bible, the book called the Book of Revelation. And the Book of Revelation in many ways gives us tomorrow's headlines today. Years ago there was a television show, some of you might remember called Early Edition. There was this young man named Gary Hobson and every day an orange cat would leave on his porch. The next day's newspaper and the tagline for the show was what if you had tomorrow's news today? Well as believers, we do. We have tomorrow's news today and it's found in the Book of Revelation. This is one of the reasons why God's people have so loved the Book of Revelation. One of the reasons why the Book of Revelation is such a blessing. In fact notice how the Book of Revelation begins in Revelation chapter one and verse three. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy this morning you're going to be blessed because you're reading the Book of Revelation, you're hearing the Book of Revelation. Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy and keep those things which are written in it. Underline these next words for the time is near. The Book of Revelation gives us tomorrow's news today and we need that because the time of the coming of the Lord is near. The Book of Revelation is a great blessing and yet I found through the years in teaching God's people that there are many people who are sort of afraid of the Book of Revelation. They're sort of intimidated by the Book of Revelation. They say, well Peter, there is such a hard book to understand. And I like to point out to them actually the Book of Revelation is one of the easiest books in the Bible to understand and the reason why is because the Book of Revelation comes with its own divine outline. It's found in Revelation 1 and verse 19. That's the key verse of the book. Look there. Jesus tells John write the things which you have seen, the things which are and the things which will take place after this. Have seen, are, will take place. Can you repeat that after me? Have seen, are, will take place. Say it again. Have seen, are, will take place. That's the outline of the book. Past, present and future. Revelation chapter 1, the things John had seen, the past for him. Revelation chapter 2 and 3, the things that are the present for him and for us. And write the things that will take place after this. Revelation chapter 4 through 22. Have seen, are, will take place. It's just that simple. Write the things you have seen. What had John seen? He had seen a vision of the risen glorified Jesus standing in the middle of seven land stands holding seven stars in his hand. The seven land stands were representative of the whole church throughout all of human history. Seven in the Bible is the number of totality like they're seven days in a week, in a whole week. So seven represents the whole church and the seven stars represent all of the leaders of the whole church for all of human history. In other words, John has given a vision which tells him this. Jesus is the Lord of history. And Jesus is the Lord of his church. But then he's told to write the things which are. That's Revelation 2 and 3. And he writes seven letters to seven churches. He writes a letter to the church of Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamas, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And those letters can be viewed historically or symbolically or prophetically. They can be viewed historically because in the first century there was a church in Ephesus, in Smyrna, in Pergamas, in Thyatira, in Sardis, in Philadelphia, and Laodicea, and the letters give a message to them. But they can also be viewed those letters symbolically because in every day and every age there have been Ephesus kind of churches, Smyrna kind of churches, Pergamas kind of churches, Thyatira kind of churches, Sardis kind of churches, Philadelphia kind of churches, Laodicea kind of churches. But those letters can also be viewed prophetically because there are seven letters to seven churches and in that time there were way more than just seven churches. So it's representative of church history. It gives us a description of what church history would look like before the rapture of the church. It would begin with an Ephesus period, a careless church that would lose its first love. In a church history that's exactly what happened. It would be followed by a Smyrna period, a courageous church that would stand in the face of ten waves of persecution. In a church history that's exactly what happened. It would be followed by a Pergamas period. Gamas is the Greek word for marriage. That was a compromising church that would marry with the world. In a church history that's exactly what happened in the days of Constantine. It would be followed by a Thyatira kind of church, a corrupted church in the dark ages. It would be followed by a Sardis kind of church, a comatose church. Jesus said, you are alive. But you are dead. It would get so dark in church history that the light of the church would almost go out. But then it would be followed by a Philadelphia kind of church, a Philadelphia stage where God would open wide a door and through the reformers and those after them the light of the gospel would come again. And God would open doors of ministry and opportunity and missions all around the world. And when you study church history, that's exactly what you see. But then the last stage of church history, a Laodicean kind of church, a complacent church that isn't hot, or it isn't cold, it's lukewarm, and so Jesus spits it out of his mouth. A kind of church where Jesus is actually outside of the church knocking on the door, trying to get back into his own church. And as we look at the world around us and as we look at the church, we're actually here in America. That is exactly what we see. But then what? Well, the things that will take place after this. Because after church history, then the future. In Revelation chapter 4, after these things. And what is in the future? So glad you asked, because the book of Revelation tells us exactly. Five things happen. Number one, the rapture of the church, Revelation 4 and 5. Number two, the tribulation. Revelation chapter 6 through 18. Number three, the second coming of Christ. Revelation chapter 19. Number four, the millennian. Revelation chapter 20. And then what I like to call heaven forever in Revelation chapter 21 and 22. What happens after church history? The rapture of the church, the tribulation, the second coming, the millennium, and heaven forever? It's laid out right in sweet sequence in the book of Revelation. But what's so important to see in the book of Revelation, and what's so important to see in the Bible, is that there's a difference between the rapture of the church and the second coming of Christ. Both are comings, but they are different. The rapture is where Jesus comes for his church, whereas the second coming comes with his church. The rapture in 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 and 17. Paul writes, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up in the Latin translation, raptura. They shall be raptured together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the year. That's when Jesus comes for his church. But then the second coming is when he comes with his people, with his church in Jude 1 and verse 14. Jude writes, Behold, the Lord comes with 10,000 of his saints. But between the rapture and the second coming of Christ is a period of time as we'll see a seven-year period of time known as the Tribulation. The rapture is before the Tribulation. The second coming is after the Tribulation. And the Bible has a lot to say about the Tribulation. When you look at the book of Revelation, 12 chapters are given to describe the Tribulation more than half of the book of Revelation is given to describe the Tribulation. A lot of people know about the rapture of the church, but few really understand about the Tribulation. Now, the Tribulation is going to be a time of hell on earth. And the reason why it's going to be hell on earth is because it is going to be controlled and dominated by an unholy trinity. Satan who wants to be like God during the Tribulation is going to control the whole world through an unholy Father, an unholy Son, and an unholy Spirit. The unholy Father is we'll see that Satan. The unholy Son as we'll see is the antichrist or the beast. And the unholy Spirit is the false prophet. But to understand what happens in the Tribulation, to understand what happens in Revelation 6 through 18, you've got to go back to three other passages to lay the foundation. You've got to look at a passage in Matthew 24. You've got to look at a passage in Daniel 9. And you have to look at a passage in 2 Thessalonians 2. So let's do that. To understand the Tribulation, first, you've got to understand Matthew chapter 24. Please go in your Bible to Matthew chapter 24 there. We find the words of Jesus that lay the groundwork to understand all about the Tribulation. Matthew 24, reading from verse 3 to verse 21. Now, as he, as Jesus said on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately saying, tell us when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age? And Jesus answered and said to him, take heed that no one deceives you, for many will come in my name, saying I am the Christ, and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see that you are not troubled and things must come to pass. But the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in various places. All these things are the beginnings of sorrows, the beginnings of birth pains, literally. Then they will deliver you up to Tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name's sake. Then many will be offended and will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many, and because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold, but he who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel, the prophet standing in the holy place, whoever reads, let him understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the house stop not go down to take anything out of his house, and let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days, and pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then, there will be great tribulation such as it has not been since the beginning of the world until this time no nor shall ever be. Jesus described the tribulation, and the key verse is verse 15. Therefore, when you see the abomination of desolation spoken by Daniel, the prophet standing in the holy place, let he who reads let him understand. Jesus says you're going to understand all about the tribulation and the great tribulation when you understand what Daniel the prophet was talking about when he talks about this thing called the abomination of desolation. To understand what Jesus is saying, go back to the book of Daniel. So let's do that. Go back, if you will, to Daniel chapter 9. Because in Daniel chapter 9, verse 24 through 27, you find an amazing prophecy, the prophecy that Jesus was talking about. Daniel is told by the angel Gabriel beginning in verse 24, 70 weeks are determined for your people and your holy city. Now a week in this prophecy is symbolic of seven years. As a normal week has seven days, so these prophetic weeks have seven years. So he's told 77 year periods are determined for your people and your holy city. In other words, the whole rest of human history can be described in 490 years. 70 times 70 is 490 years. Verse 24 again, 70 weeks, 490 years are determined for your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal a vision and prophecy, to anoint the most holy. Know therefore and understand that from the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and 62 weeks. Seven plus 62 is 69. Until the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah comes 69 weeks, a week, seven years, so 69 times 7 is 483 years. Daniel's told, if you calculate from the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem, if you'll calculate 483 years, then that will be when Messiah comes. And if you do that, what you discover is from the time in history, a command was given for the Jews to go back to the city of Jerusalem and rebuild their temple and their city and you count 483 years, what you discover is that 173,880 days from the time that command was given was Palm Sunday when Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey, an amazing prophecy. Look if you will again at verse 25. Know therefore and understand that from the commanding of the going forth of the command to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks 62, 69 weeks, 483 years. The street shall be built again with the wall even in troublesome times and after the 62 weeks, after those 69 weeks Messiah will be cut off but not for himself a prophecy of what would happen when Jesus would suffer and die on the cross. 70 weeks, 69 to Messiah but what about the 70th week? A week, a seven year period. What happened in God's prophecy clock is the minute Jesus died and rose again it was like God hit the pause button because there's one last seven year period that will end human history and when will that seven year period begin? Glad you asked because let's keep reading. And the people of the Prince who is to come that's the Antichrist shall destroy the city and the sanctuary the end of it shall be a flood till the end of the war of desolations are determined then he who's at the Antichrist shall confirm a covenant with many for one week one seven year period but in the middle of the week three and a half years into that seven year period he will bring an end of sacrifice and offering and on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate even to the consummation which is determined is poured out on the desolate in other words what's going to happen is the Antichrist is going to come the tribulation will begin when he makes a covenant of peace with the Jews promising to help them rebuild the temple and he will do so but three and a half years later in the very middle of the tribulation he's going to end the sacrifices and then he's going to do something that is such an abomination God is going to bring desolation on the planet what is he going to do that will bring such desolation glad you asked because the Bible tells us the Bible is the best interpreter of the Bible go over to a third passage to understand about the tribulation it's in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 because Paul describes for us exactly what's going to happen in this thing called the abomination of desolation in 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 look there if you will beginning in verse 3 Paul says let no one deceive you by any means for that day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin that's the Antichrist the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped so that he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is God do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things and now you know what is restraining that he may be revealed in his own time for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work only he capital H he referring to the Holy Spirit in the church only he who restrains will do so until he capital H he is taken out of the way in other words when the Holy Spirit in the church when the church is raptured and the Holy Spirit in the church is lifted from this planet all of a sudden green life for Antichrist all of a sudden the son of perdition is going to step in is going to make a covenant of peace helping the Jews to rebuild their temple but then in the middle of the tribulation what's going to happen verse 8 and the lawlessness one lawlessness one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of his mouth and destroy with the brightness of his coming the lawlessness one is according to the working of Satan with all power signs and lying wonders and all unrighteous deception among those who will perish because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved in other words we are told from these passages of scripture that one seven year period that is remaining the 70th week of Daniel it will begin when the antichrist makes a covenant of peace with the Jews helping them to rebuild their temple but in the middle of that week in the three and a half years into the tribulation he's going to set himself up as God in the temple and say worship me and that is going to be such an abomination that great tribulation great judgment is going to come on this earth what will happen during that unparalleled seven year period we'll go back to the book of Revelation because Revelation chapter 6 through 18 describes in great detail what happens during that time now don't panic I'm not going to go through all 12 chapters we're just going to give you an overview of what we see in Revelation chapter 6 through 18 it is a time of judgment it is a time of wrath like the days of Noah where God was patient and patient and long suffering and long suffering and then finally he said it's enough that's enough it's a time of judgment in Revelation chapter 6 verse 15 through 17 look there for a moment and the kings of the earth the great men the rich men the commanders the mighty men every slave and every free man they hid themselves in caves and in rocks on the mountains and they said to the mountains in rocks fall on us and hide us from the face and see him who sits on the throne God and from the wrath of the Lamb God the Son for the great day of his wrath of his judgment is come and who is able to stand God's judgment rightly deserved will come on those who had many many opportunities but they still reject they still reject and harden their heart the judgment of God during this unparalleled seven year period of time is going to come down in three ways there's going to be seven seals of judgment then there's going to be seven trumpets of judgment then there's going to be seven bowls of judgment seven seals, seven trumpets and seven bowls it will begin with seven seals of judgment in Revelation chapter 5 John sees in heaven there's a scroll in the hand of the one who sits on the throne it has seven seals on it and the question is asked who's worthy to open the scroll and the answer is the Lamb of God what happens beginning in Revelation chapter 6 is Jesus the Lamb of God breaks every one of those seven seals and when he breaks one of those seals all of a sudden something catastrophic happens on this earth as I describe for you what happens in the seals in the trumpets in the bowls don't try to write it all down don't try to write it all down as you just listen as I describe it for you I really pray you almost have a feeling of being overwhelmed and the reason why is because that's what's going to happen it's overwhelming what's going to come down on this earth during that unparalleled seven year period it will all begin with seven seals of judgment Jesus the Lamb of God breaks the first seal snap! and all of a sudden out goes a white horse rider a conqueror it's a false peace it's Daniel 9.27 the Antichrist will make a covenant of peace but then Jesus breaks the second seal snap! and out goes a red horse rider which represents open war worldwide war false peace followed by open war Jesus breaks the third seal snap! out goes a black horse rider black represents famine he's got scales in his hand in a jar of wheat and it tells us the quart of wheat will sell for a denarius in other words you can work all day long but it won't even feed one person Jesus breaks the fourth seal snap! out goes a pale horse rider which represents death one fourth of the population at that point is killed by today's number that is 1.5 billion people Jesus breaks the fifth seal snap! the tribulation saints are martyred he breaks the sixth seal which represents a massive earthquake and cosmic disturbances in the sky the sun goes dark the moon turns the blood the stars fall like figs off of a tree every mountain and every island is moved from its place but even in that judgment God is merciful because Revelation chapter 7 describes how there are going to be 144,000 Jewish evangelists who will go out and preach the gospel and the world will see the greatest revival ever because so many people who have been left behind are now going to turn to God for mercy but they're going to be beheaded they're going to be killed because of the tribulation but then Jesus breaks the seventh seal snap! and there's silence in heaven it's like a pause because then the trumpets are coming in Revelation chapter 8 and verse 1 look at it the seventh seal there was silence in heaven for about half an hour and I saw seven angels who stand before God and to them were given seven trumpets an angel sounds the first trumpet and fire hail and blood come down one third of the earth is burnt one third of all the earth's vegetation is just gone an angel blows the second trumpet all of a sudden there's a great burning mountain that's thrown into the sea and one third of the sea turns into blood one third of the sea creatures die one third of the ships are destroyed an angel blows the third trumpet all of a sudden a great star called Wormwood falls on the rivers and streams and one third of them are poisoned that anyone who drinks the fresh water will die the first trumpet the vegetation is struck the second trumpet the sea is struck the third trumpet the waters are struck the fourth trumpet the heavens are struck an angel sounds the fourth trumpet and a third of the sun and the moon and the stars are darkened an angel sounds the fifth trumpet demonic locusts are released from a bottomless pit and it looks the smoke of it looks like a volcano listen to me demons that have been kept bound for thousands of years all of a sudden are going to be released onto the planet and they are going to torment men for five months so that men try to kill themselves they want to die but they're not able to die the first trumpet is sounded by an angel four angels that are bound at the Euphrates river are released they lead an army of 200 million horsemen who kill one third of the remaining population when you count the people killed the one fourth killed in the fourth seal and the one third killed here in the sixth trumpet it means half of the population dies during the tribulation every two people will die they will be killed but even amazing even in the middle of all this judgment I was still merciful because in Revelation chapter 11 it describes two witnesses that go out in the earth we don't know if their Moses and Elijah or Enoch and Elijah we don't know but they do all these spectacular signs the beast is not happy so he kills them he leaves their body in the street but then they come back to life and they ascend back to heaven what a witness and many people will turn to God because of those two witnesses but then the seventh trumpet is sounded and there's lightning and thunder and earthquakes because it's getting ready for the worst part of all it's getting ready for the great tribulation it's getting ready for the last half of the tribulation but notice if you will what happens right in the middle of the tribulation in Revelation chapter 12 look in your Bible there for a moment in Revelation 12 verse 3 and another sign appeared in heaven behold a great fiery red dragon having seven hands and ten horns and seven diadems on his head who's this? answer satan the unholy father satan and what's he gonna do in the middle of the tribulation well down in verse 17 and the dragon was enraged with the woman that's Israel he wants to destroy Israel and he went to make more with the rest of her offspring and to those who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus but not just the dragon the unholy father the unholy son keep reading Revelation 13 verse 1 and I stood on the sand of the sea and I saw a beast he was rising up out of the sea having seven heads and ten horns horns were ten crowns and on his head a blasphemous name and what does he do? verse 4 so they worship the dragon that's satan who gave authority to the beast and they worship the beast that's the Antichrist saying who was like the beast who was able to make war with him and he was given a mouth to speak great things and blasphemies 42 months 42 months is three and a half years just like Daniel said just like Paul said three and a half years the great tribulation begins unholy father the dragon unholy son the Antichrist but unholy spirit look at verse 11 then I saw another beast coming up out of the earth he had two horns like a lamb like a dragon and he exercises all the authority of the first beast in his presence and he causes the earth and those who dwell in it to worship the first beast the Antichrist whose deadly wound was healed he performs great signs so that he even makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men and he who deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he is granted to do with the beast telling those who dwell on the earth to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived and he was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast that the image of the beast should both speak and cause many as many as not worship the image of the beast to be killed that's what's going to happen right in the middle of the tribulation he's going to set himself up as God in the temple but notice what else verse 16 and he causes all one great rich and poor free and slave to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads that no one should buy or sell except the one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name here is wisdom let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast for it is the number of a man his number is six six six hell on earth an unholy trinity trinity dominating controlling the planet they're going to control a one world government with a one world economy and a one world false church the true church is called the bride of Christ so the false church in the tribulation is called the harlot and you can read later in Revelation chapter 17 where the harlot rides the beast and then is devoured by the beast but even in all this caught a still merciful because he sends three angels in Revelation chapter 14 one to preach the gospel in the sky two to warn people that the worst part of the tribulation is about to come because seven seals seven trumpets and then seven bowls 15 and verse one then I saw another sign in heaven great and marvelous seven angels having the seven last plagues of God for in them the wrath of God is complete Revelation 16 and verse one then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth it's going to come fast and furious all of a sudden an angel will pour out the first bowl he'll pour it out on the earth and sores and boils cancerous tumors will break out on everyone who has the mark of the beast the second angel will pour out his bowl he pours it out on the sea and all of the earth's oceans turn to blood the whole thing is just blood and all the marine life die a third angel pours out his bowl he pours it out on the rivers and the streams and they turn to blood the fourth angel pours out his bowl it's poured out on the sun and when it's poured out on the sun it's like gasoline on a fire all of a sudden the sun starts scorching everyone who's on the planet the fifth angel pours out his bowl he pours it out on the throne of the beast and there's darkness on the earth and people are afflicted with great pain the sixth angel pours out his bowl he pours it out on the river it dries up to prepare the way for the battle called Armageddon three unclean spirits that look like frogs appear one comes out of the mouth of the dragon one comes out of the mouth of the antichrist one comes out of the mouth of the false prophet and then and then the seventh angel takes his bowl he throws it up into the air a voice from heaven says it is done there is a great earthquake like the world has never seen it destroys every city on the planet every island goes away every mountain goes away 90-pound hail balls come falling out of the sky the time of judgment seals trumpets bowls and in the middle of all of that God is still merciful he's wanting people to wake up and turn to him but here's the incredible thing in spite of all of that people still harden their hearts look in Revelation chapter 16 so amazing to me and they blaspheme the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores and they did not repent of their deeds so what's going to happen is God's going to lure all of them in to a place called Armageddon look down to verse 15 Jesus says read letters behold I am coming as a thief he who watches and keeps his garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame and they gathered them together to the place in Hebrew Armageddon and you can read in Revelation 19 where Jesus will come and destroy the Antichrist he will destroy the false prophet and put them into the lake of fire and he will destroy all of those who oppose him so the Antichrist and Satan and the beast it is going to be hell on earth it is going to be an unparalleled time of judgment and we are not going to be there we're not going to be there because 1 Thessalonians 5 in verse 9 Paul says for God has not appointed us to wrath this is the time of the wrath of God the judgment of God so we're not going to be there in Revelation chapter 3 in verse 10 Jesus said you've kept my word I will also keep you from the hour of tribal which is going to come upon the whole world somebody says pass it away I thought you said that reading the book of Revelation was going to be a blessing I mean 7 seals 7 trumpets 7 bohow in the world can that be a blessing I'll tell you how it can be a blessing sit down with your Bible read Revelation chapter 6 then at the bottom of this read chapter 7 and then write read chapter 8 and write read chapter 9-10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 glad we won't be here glad we won't be here glad we won't be here Gino Valley how many glad we won't be here So glad, but some will, some you know, some of your family, some of your friends, some of your neighbors are going to be here and all of this. So this afternoon, go home, you take out your Bible, you read Revelation 6 and under the words where you have written, glad we won't be here, you write these words, pray for those who will. Read chapter 7 and under the words, glad we won't be here, you write the words, pray for those who will. Chapter 8, write the words, pray for those who will in 9 and 10 and 11 and 12 and 13 and 14 and 15 and 16 and 17 and 18, pray for those who will, pray for those who will, pray for those who will, pray for those who will. You see, the blessing of studying all of this is not only glad we won't be here, you will put an urgency in your heart to pray for people and to talk to people. So he says, Pastor Larry, how close is all of this? Oh, so close, so close. The tribulation begins when the Antichrist makes a covenant of peace, helping the Jews to rebuild their temple. You can have an abomination of desolation in the temple, but there is no temple. In 1987, there were a group of Jews who got together with an idea. If you go to the land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem, you know that the temple mount is controlled by the Muslims. There's El ox of mosque in the dome of the rock. It's controlled by the Muslims, but the Jews, they want a temple. So bad they want a temple. Right now, right now at that wailing wall, they're praying for their temple. You travel down underneath the temple mount at the place they think is closest to where the Holy of Holies is going to be. They're praying right now for a temple. In fact, if you've ever been to a Jewish wedding, you'll see something rather interesting. You'll see them put a glass on the ground and they'll break that glass. They say, what in the world are you doing that for? It's to remind them at the greatest point of joy, they still feel pain in their heart because they don't have a temple. And if anyone will promise to help them rebuild the temple, they're going to follow that person. And in 1987, a group of wealthy Jews got together with an idea. And here was their idea. We can't build the temple up there, but who's to say we can't put together all of the utensils that will be used in that temple when we build it? They began in 1987 and if you go to the city of Jerusalem today, Pastor David, we'll take you right there to a place called the Temple Institute. What you'll discover is in that temple that's going to be in the tribulation, they've already built all the implements. Don't believe me, Google it when you go home. But here's the thing, they can't dedicate that temple for use unless they purify it with the ashes of a red heifer. Back in Numbers chapter 19 and told them in the tabernacle and in the temple, you got to purify all of the implements and the holy place itself with the ashes of a red heifer. And they are extremely rare. Up until this point, there have only been nine of them they've found since the time they dedicated the tabernacle. The last one was found 2000 years ago during the days of Jesus. So you can only imagine the excitement this last September when the headlines read, red heifer found in Israel for the first time in 2000 years. Close? So close. And the mark of the beast, something on your hand or on your forehead that you can't buy or sell only in our day. Do we have the technology to do all of that? Chuck Smith in his great book called The Final Act said, we are living in extremely exciting days. It's as if we're backstage at a play just before the curtain rises for the final act. The director is positioning all the players and putting the props in order before the curtain rises. This he says is an apt illustration for before our very eyes. God is positioning nations and current events. The world is ready for the curtain to be lifted and for the final act of human history. He says God is orchestrating the final events prior to the return of Jesus Christ. It's like what happens when you stand up a row of dominoes. When you tip the first one, the whole line goes down in sequence and God is aligning world situations in the same way. He's getting ready to tip the first event, which will be the rapture of the church. He's getting ready to tip the first event that will trigger a series of events, ultimately climaxing in the second coming of Jesus Christ in great power and in great glory. And when, listen, when he's going to tip that first domino, when's the first kind of event happen? Could happen today, any day, any time, any moment, the rapture of the church. And then what? Well, the tribulation for your family and your friends and those who don't know Jesus. Some of you are old enough to remember the Jesus people movement. Some of you are old enough to remember the beginnings of Calvary Chapel. And in those days, there was a fire burning in all of our hearts, an urgency to pray for people and talk to people and tell people what the Bible says because we knew the end was near and we didn't want anyone to be left behind. Are you ready? Is your family ready? Your neighbors ready? Your friends ready? During the days of the Jesus people movement, during the days of the beginnings of Calvary Chapel, there was a song that we would often hear, a song we would often sing. I finished with the words of this song, a song written by Larry Norman in 1969, a song called, I wish we'd all been ready. He writes, life is filled with guns and wars and all of us got trampled on the floor. I wish we'd all been ready. The children died, the days were cold. A piece of bread would buy a bag of gold. I wish we'd all been ready. But there's no time to change your mind. The sun has come and you've been left behind. A man and wife asleep in bed. She hears a noise and turns her head. He's gone. I wish we'd all been ready. Two men walking up a hill. One disappears and one's left standing still. I wish we'd all been ready. But there's no time to change your mind. The sun has come and you've been left. I pray you're not left behind. I pray that this Bible study today has renewed an urgency in all of your hearts to pray for those who don't know Jesus and to share your faith. Well, let's pray. Father, we thank you so much for the Bible. Thank you for giving us tomorrow's headlines today. God, as we study the Bible today, we just kind of have this mix of emotions on the one hand. There's an excitement knowing that Jesus is coming soon, that we're going to be with him forever and we're so thrilled about that. We long to see his face and be free of all the suffering and chaos and pain of this world. And as we've heard about the seven seals and seven trumpets and seven bowls, glad we won't be here. So glad we won't be here. So thankful we won't be here. And yet, at the same time, our minds can't help but think of those who will be, Lord, we don't want anybody to be left behind. We don't want anyone to have to experience the horrors, the hell on earth of what is the tribulation. And so we pray for them today. We pray for anyone who might be here today who doesn't know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. We pray, Lord, this message would open their eyes and convict their heart and today would be the day of salvation for them. And Lord, we pray for family and friends and neighbors and coworkers. They're in our mind right now, people who don't know you. And we pray you would give us wisdom how to share with them. Maybe it's buying the left behind movie or left behind book and giving it to them. Maybe it's inviting them to church or some event. Lord, we just pray you would put that urgency in our hearts. Lord, I thank you so much for Calvary Chapel, Chino Valley. What an amazing place. And I pray that 2019 would be the most exciting year, the most fruitful year, the most blessed year in the history of this church. We pray, Lord, as Pastor David comes back to begin this new series on Wednesday nights about the beginnings of Calvary Chapel. Lord, it would be a further way you just renew all of our hearts, getting back to our first love, getting back to doing the things that we did at the first. We thank you so much for that. Bless your people, Lord, as they go from this place today with joy and yet, Lord, with a sense of determination on their heart to make our lives count as long as we have. We must work while it is day for the night. It's coming when no one can work. The harvest is right. The time is short. Workers are few and so Lord, we say, here am I. Send me. Do what you want, Lord. Well, thank you. Bless you and praise you for it. In Jesus' name, we pray.