 Amen, Revelation chapter three. So we're at the chapter, church number six in our Revelation series where we're looking at the letters that Jesus wrote to the seven churches. So we're almost through the seven churches. This is the second to the last church. Keep your place in Revelation chapter three. We're looking at the church of Philadelphia this evening. So I'm going to use this sermon to kind of brush up on some end times, things that we're going to be talking about in the next few weeks in the next Sunday sermons. We're going to be looking specifically at clues and milestones is what the sermon series is going to be called coming up in the next couple of weeks after we're done with this series. But tonight there's a topic that comes up that I'm going to use to just do a Bible study with you and kind of brush up on what we believe about the rapture, what we believe about the Jews. These are things that we need to understand, to properly understand end times prophecy according to the Bible. So tonight, specifically the two pillars of the pre-tribulation rapture. There's two pillars that this doctrine stands upon. And the first pillar is that the elect in the Bible are the Jews or the physical nation of Israel as it exists today. And the second pillar that this doctrine stands upon is this doctrine that we as, say, believers are not going to suffer tribulation. Okay, so we're going to look at those two things this evening. You say, what does that have to do with the church of Philadelphia? Well, it goes right into these two topics. Let's get into it and I'll point that out when we get there. But let's look at verse number seven first in Revelation chapter three where the Bible says, and to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, right. These things say, if he that is holy, he that is true, he that had the key of David, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth. So we see a pattern obviously in all these letters where Jesus brings up a specific title for himself, name for himself, description of himself. This, turn to chapter 22. This description of Jesus is this reference to Jesus being a door or a gateway that only he can open and shut, that he has the key of David to look at Isaiah chapter 22, if you would, and look at verse number 22. I hope you have your fingers ready tonight. There's going to be a lot of going through the Bible and flipping through the Bible this evening. Look at Isaiah chapter 22 and verse number 22. So in Revelation it says, it is he that openeth and no man shutteth and shutteth and no man openeth. And the Bible says in Isaiah 22, 22, and the key of the house of David, while I lay upon his shoulder, so he shall open and none shall shutteth and he shall shutteth and none shall open. Again, a reference to Jesus Christ being this door that no man can open and shutteth. Okay, only Jesus can open and shutteth this door. Turn to John chapter 10. As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ calls himself the door itself in John chapter, John chapter 10. Go to John chapter 10 and look at verse number nine. So we see that there's this reference of Jesus being this key of David, meaning he is the Lion of David, the Messiah came from the Lion of King David. This was the promise that was given to David. Look at John chapter 10 and look at verse number nine where Jesus says, I am the door. By me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved and shall go in and out and find pastor. Now turn to John 14. So Jesus here says, he is the door. All right. And if you go through the door of Jesus himself, there's like you will be saved. Jesus is using that as a reference of salvation. Now, I met a guy out soul winning last week. And before we got into the Gospel soul winning with this guy, he was just kind of, he was a super laid back guy. And he was saved. He was saved. He believed on Jesus and all this, but he just didn't think it was a big deal that a lot of the people in his house, including some of his own children were Mormons. And we're, I think some of them were Catholic Catholic and Mormons. It was a mix of them ended up giving the Gospel to one of his kids. But Jesus says, he's like, you know, I believe in, he was kind of like, I believe in Jesus, you know, and this is my belief, but you know, you're just kind of really flippant about the other belief. But the problem that that guy needs to understand and the reason that you not only need to be saved, but you need to actually learn the Bible if you want it to actually benefit your children in that guy's case, John 14.6. So we see that Jesus is, he has the key. He's the one that can open. He's the one that can shut. He calls himself the literal door in John 10, that if you go through that door, you will be saved. But then in John 14.6, Jesus says unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. That's great. You see that on posters all over everywhere. You see that on telephone poles. I am the way, the truth, and the life. But guess what? No man cometh unto the Father, but by me. That's the problem. Jesus is the door. He's the only door, though. And that is, look, that's a hard truth. And that's a hard truth that, you know, in a very nice way, I told this man. It's like, look, Jesus, I'm glad you're saved. I am glad that you are going to heaven, but he's the only door. He's the only door. You need to make sure that these kids know that he's the only door. Because he is the way, the truth, and the life. Everybody loves that statement. But no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. There's only one door. Okay? Buddha's not a door. You know, Muhammad's not a door. John, you know, John Smith is not a door. These are all, you know, these all lead to destruction. Go back to Revelation chapter three. So that's just a great, that was a great description of this, talking about how he's the key. He's the only one that opens and shuts. And again in Revelation eight, he goes a little bit more. I know that works. Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. For thou hast a little strength and have kept my word, and has not denied my name. So the message to this church is overall a positive message actually. And they're going through a difficult time, this church in Philadelphia. And this starts out, you know, showing the details of what they're going through in verse number nine. He says, Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews and are not. You know, that's a strange thing to say in the Bible. There's these people that say they're Jews and they're not. And Jesus says, I'm going to make them of the synagogue of Satan. But do lie. He's like they're lying. They're saying they're Jews, but they're not Jews. It's like, what does this mean? Who are these people? And I will make them to comment to worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. So he's talking to the saved people in this church, and he's talking to them about these people that are persecuting them, these people that are after them, that are hurting them. Okay, now the synagogue of Satan has come up once already in these letters. Go back to Revelation chapter two in verse number nine. I didn't really go too deep into it on purpose so we could talk about it this evening. We're going to look at who the synagogue of Satan is and who the elect are in the Bible, which is the first pillar of the pre-tribulation heresy in the Bible. Okay, look at Revelation chapter two in verse number nine, where Jesus is writing, he's writing another letter to a different church. He says, I know that works, and tribulation, and poverty, but that are rich. And I know the blasphemy of them which, again, say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. So again, there's this group of people that are causing, and that's a good definition of tribulation right there too, is there's a group of people who are putting this church through tribulation. They're giving this church trouble, and they say that they're Jews and they're not. They're really the synagogue of Satan. You're like, that sounds mean. Well, Jesus said it. So in Acts, it's interesting, in Acts all the tribulation, so when you look at it just from the actual letter that Jesus is writing to these churches at the time, it matches perfectly, because in the book of Acts there was only persecution by the Jews at the time. There was no Roman persecution in the book of Acts. And the Roman persecution is here. We have Roman persecution, Catholic persecution, all these types of things. It came later, but in the Bible in the New Testament it was the Jews that were persecuting the Christians at that time. Now, let's look at who these people are that say they are Jews, but are not. Go to Romans chapter 9. I need to now, you know, this is what people would call, I guess the doctrine that I'm about to talk about, the official name for this doctrine is replacement theology, is what we need to look at. I really, one advantage that I had coming from a Lutheran background to a Baptist, you know, I was not saved as a Lutheran, I got saved and then I started learning the Bible and reading the Bible. I didn't have a lot of prophecy garbage tattooed in me before I came to just reading the Bible as a saved person. Replacement theology is one of the easiest things to understand in the Bible. It is so clear in the Bible about this. Let's look at it very quickly. Look at Romans chapter 9. I don't want to dwell on it too long. I really want to get to who the elect is in the Bible, but I want to talk about who these Jews that say that, you know, they say they're Jews, but they're not. What is the Bible talking about here? They're actually persecuting the Christian churches. Look at Romans chapter 9 in verse number 4. The Bible says, who are Israelites? To whom pertaineth the adoption and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the law and the service of God and the promises. Who are the fathers and whom concerning the flesh Christ came? Saying out of this line, out of this inherited line, this is where Jesus Christ came. Who is overall God blessed forever. Amen. Not as though the word of God had taken none effect, for now we see some very familiar language here. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel. What in the world? Here we see more of this. What are we talking about here? Neither because they are the seed of Abraham, you know, coming out of the line, it's its genealogy. Everyone's obsessed with this genealogy and Paul is undoing this, is what he's doing. Neither because they are the seed of Abraham are they all children. He's saying just because they're related to Abraham, just because they're in that physical seed, doesn't mean they're all children. Like, whoa. But in Isaac, that seed shall be called. Look at verse 8. That is, they which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God. The children of the promise are counted for the seed. This is the concept that we need to understand. This is the concept right here. It is not, it is not a promise according to the flesh that makes you Israel. That's what he's talking about in verse number 6 when he says they're not all Israel which are of Israel. Paul is saying it's not a fleshly thing. It's not who your dad's dad's dad was. It's a children of the promise. Then look down at verse number 30 for sake of time. Look at verse number 30. He says, what shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness. Now you've got to understand the cultural problems that they were having here. Think of the times. Here you had, you know, the children of Israel and they had the book of the law and they had all these traditions and we understand that they fell into works righteousness. They had twisted, I mean how could that have happened? Well look at us today. Look at what's happened today. Look at the Christian churches today. 99 percent, I don't know if that's the right number, but a 90 plus percent of Christian churches today are teaching some form of works. We have done the same thing that the Israelites had done here. We had twisted God's word and turned it into works. But then the Gentiles, the gospel went out to them as well. This was appalling to the Jews because it just, it created all these cultural problems that Paul was talking about a lot in the New Testament. What shall we say then that the Gentiles which followed not after righteousness have attained to righteousness? Even the righteousness which is of faith. So they didn't get it by what they did. They got it by what they believed. They got it, that's how you get saved. So the Gentiles got saved through faith. Of course that's how everybody gets saved. Look at verse number 31. But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness, wherefore, saying why not? Because they saw it not by faith. Now look, he's speaking in generalities here. This isn't saying that some Jews didn't get saved. Plenty of Jews got saved and that's recorded in the Bible. But overall, the religious leadership and the leadership and the nation of Israel rejected Christ. That's what he's saying here. It doesn't mean that some Jews didn't get saved. He said, wherefore, he says, because they had turned their religion into a religion of works. Look at verse 32. They saw it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. All that to say this, folks. Faith equals Israel. That is what Paul is explaining to us here. Works equals not. Look at verse, go to Romans chapter 11. Go to Romans chapter 11. We go to a lot of Bible on this. Let me just hammer it home a little bit more. Go to Romans chapter 11. Romans chapter 11, look at verse number 6. So to be Israel, to be a Jew was a spiritual thing. It was not a physical thing is what Paul is saying. Look at Romans 11 and verse number 6. The Bible says, and if by grace, then it is no more of works. Otherwise, grace is no more grace. If it be of works, then it is no more grace. Otherwise, work is no more work. This is a great soul winning verse. If you have somebody that just can't let go of works, you say, look, it's either by works or it's by grace. It can't be a mixture of the two. That's what this is saying. What then? Verse 7. Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketh for, but the election hath obtained it, and the rest were blinded. So talking about grace, he equates the religion of grace, the religion of faith, the true gospel with this group of people called the election, which is the spiritual Israel. Go to Galatians chapter 3. The works in Romans 11, the people that believed their works had not obtained. They had not obtained. And go look at Galatians chapter 3. Galatians chapter 3, look at verse number 14. So here we see that Israel is a spiritual state, the true Israel. So we see back in Revelation chapter 3 that there was Jews that were saying that they were Jews that they were not Jews. And because they were physical Jews, they did not believe on Jesus and it's a spiritual situation. Look at Galatians chapter 3 in verse number 14. That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit, here it is again, through faith. Look at verse 15. Brethren, I speak after the manner of men, though it be, though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disknoweth or addeth there to. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made, he saith not enthuse seeds of many, but as of one and to thy seed which is Christ. So he's talking about the promise of Abraham is completed, it is given through Christ, through faith in Christ. Go back to Genesis 17. Actually you just go back to Galatians 3 and I'll read for you Genesis chapter 17 in verse number 7. The Bible says there he's talking about the covenant made with Abraham in Genesis 17 verse 7. He says now we'll establish covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant. That's that covenant through Christ right there, that everlasting covenant. The only way it could be everlasting if it was through Jesus Christ. Okay, to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee. Those people that believe on Christ. Look at Galatians chapter 3 in verse 28. And this really just like wraps it up really nicely. He puts a bow on it right here. He says there is neither Jew nor Greek. Well I bet people didn't like hearing that. I bet people didn't like hearing that if you were prideful about being a Jew, if you were prideful about being God's people just because of who you were related to, then you probably didn't like hearing Paul say these things. He says there's neither Jew nor Greek. There's neither bond nor free. There's neither male nor female. For you're all one in Christ Jesus. He's not saying that these things don't exist. He's saying that everything all that matters is being in Christ or not. And look what he says in verse 29. He says, And if ye be Christ, then ye are Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise. He's telling these people that these Gentiles that have gotten saved are now Abraham's seed. They're not just like, you know, they've received the promises Abraham has received. It must just been like, ah, can you see why the Christian churches were getting persecuted with this type of message? If you didn't believe on Christ, but you just believed in the Jewish religion and all this. And look, this isn't to beat up on the Jews. This is just to say that it's a spiritual state. The Jews today need to be saved just as the Muslims need to be saved. They need to walk through the same door of John 14-6. That's all that the Bible is saying here. You're not going to get yourself to heaven. You're not going to get any spiritual favor just because of who you were related to. That is what is going on here. So it is a spiritual state and it always was. And why this is important, turn to Matthew chapter 24. So we see that we are, we as believers in Christ are Israel today because it is a spiritual state. If you're saved today, you are Israel. You're like, I don't want to be Israel. Well, you are, the Bible says. Turn to Matthew chapter 24. This is why it's important. Look at Matthew chapter 24. So the rapture is this time, look the rapture, the word the rapture never really comes up in the Bible. The Bible never says the rapture is this. But the Bible describes a time when Jesus will come and get his people. He will come down from the clouds and he will get the dead in Christ. Well, we'll read it. The dead in Christ will rise first and he will gather up his elect, the Bible says. So there's this big debate about Matthew 24 on who the elect are. Well, we've already seen that we are the spiritual Israel and that the elect is equated to that, you know, condition of faith. Look down at Matthew 24. Matthew 24 is a great end times prophecy chapter from Jesus. Look at verse number 29. And the Bible says immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. So now if we, if you believe that his, you know, the elect is the saved believers, this is a done deal. The rapture is after the tribulation. Jesus is coming back to get his saved believers after the tribulation of these days right here. It's very clear. But if the elect is, if this is just the Jews or it's talking about some other group of people, then it gets much more confusing. So let's look at now who the elect are in the Bible. Look at Romans chapter 8 in verse number 33. It's easy to understand how that we've flushed out those who say they are Jews but are not. It's easy to flush out who the elect are. Turn to Romans chapter 8 in verse number 33. Romans chapter 8, verse number 33. The Bible says, Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justify it. Talking about, you know, being justified by God and not by us equating that with God's elect. Turn to first Peter chapter 1 in verse number 2. I'll read for you Titus chapter 1 and verse number 1. The Bible says in Titus 1 1, while you turn to first Peter chapter 1, the Bible says, Paul, a servant of God, an apostle of Jesus Christ according to the faith of God's elect. Jesus, I mean, Jesus, Paul is saying he's like, he's literally, he's really talking about himself here. He's talking about himself saying that he has the faith of God's elect. He's talking about, you know, he has the faith of the gospel, meaning he's God's elect and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness. First Peter chapter 1, look at verse number 2. It says, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, how? Through sanctification of the spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. There's that, that Jesus Christ justifies you through his blood, grace unto you and peace be multiplied, equating, you know, somebody that is saved through the blood of Jesus to the elect. And my favorite is Colossians chapter 3. We could read more. There's a dozen or so more in the New Testament. Look at Colossians chapter 3 in verse number 11. We just went through this in Colossians chapter 3, but look at Colossians chapter 3 in verse number 11. Colossians chapter 3 in verse number 11. The Bible says in Colossians 3, 11, it says, where there is neither Greek nor Jew, sounds familiar. Circumcision nor uncircumcision. Barbarian, Scythian, Bonn nor free. But Christ is all and in all. Put on therefore as the God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long suffering. So it talks about someone who is in Christ being the elect of God. Look, the elect are those who are in Christ through what? Through faith. It is very clear in the Bible. There is no verse that says that the elect in the New Testament are people that are not saved, okay? Or that has anything to do with people according to who their relatives were or anything like that. Go back to Revelation chapter 3. Go back to Revelation chapter 3. So there is the first pillar right there. We have broken down the first pillar before we have even really talked about the Rapture. But go back to Revelation chapter 3 in verse number 10. Revelation chapter 3 in verse number 10 kind of pops out to me all the time because this is when I first entered into my first Baptist church, this was the verse that people would use or pastor would use to tell me that one of the verses, one of the main verses that I remember that people would tell me to say the Rapture is before the Tribulation, okay? That the Rapture is before the Tribulation. Look at Revelation chapter 3 in verse number 10. And it's funny if you just look at that they would use this one verse because the context, the context of the whole letter to the church of Philadelphia is that they are going through Tribulation. It's crazy. So look at this verse. Revelation chapter 3 in verse number 10. Again, I don't want to miss the whole idea of the church of Philadelphia here. They're going through persecution. They're being persecuted by people that don't believe in Christ, okay? Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world to try them that dwell upon the earth. See, Christians aren't going to go through Tribulation. This is the second pillar, and it's really the silliest one of the pre-Tribulation Rapture, is this idea that Christians are not going to suffer Tribulation. I mean, hello, have you read anything about Christianity throughout history? It's pretty much all Tribulation, okay? Let's look at the Rapture. Let's look at the Rapture. Go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Let's go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, and then we'll go back to Matthew 24 and see what we can learn about this second pillar. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. So like I said, you're not going to find a word in the Bible that says Rapture. This is the Rapture. But there's this concept of this event that is going to take place that is all over the Bible. 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, look at verse number 13. The Bible says, But I would not have you be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not even as others which have no hope. So I mean the context here is Paul is saying, look, he's like, don't be sad. Don't be sad for your brothers that have died. So look, I could say this to you, if you know save people that have died, don't be sad. Don't be sad. Here's some hope for you. Because look, if people have died and they're not saved, there's no hope. There's no hope for that. There's no hope for that situation. That's what a bad deal that would be for to be at a funeral of somebody that wasn't saved. But look, that's why we do what we do at this church and try to share the gospel, try to minimize those numbers. Look at verse 14. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so then which also sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him? For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. He's talking about people that have died before. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trump of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. So he's saying these people are going to be resurrected. He's like, these people, when Jesus comes back for the believers, these people are going, they're coming up first. The dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we shall ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. So here, you know, I mean, here, I mean, this is a great verse to give to a church that's being persecuted. You know, these people were being killed, they're being persecuted. It's like, hey, you know, don't be sad. Comfort one another with these words. Jesus is going to come back. Everyone's going to be, you know, he's going to grab the dead first. He's going to grab you. We're all going to go up together. Look, if you're alive when this happens, now turn to Matthew chapter 24. Now turn to Matthew chapter 24. Now we can get some context about when this happens from Matthew 24. And let's read those verses again. Now that we know who the elect are, now that we know what the rapture is, look at Matthew 24. And verse, let's start out with verse number 25. Verse number 25. Look at, behold, I've told you before, Matthew 24, 25. Wherefore, if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert. Go not forth. Behold, he is in the secret chambers. Believe it not. For as the lightning come out of the east and shineth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. There's also this idea that, you know, has been popularized in movies and books. And I confess that I've read most of the left behind books many, many years ago. But this idea that people are just going to, they're just going to be gone. You know, we're going to have, you know, the book is like airplanes are crashing and all these things because people just disappeared. Right. But look, the Bible is very clear. It says lightning coming out of the east and to the west. Nobody's going to miss this. Okay. Everybody is going to know what's going, what's going on here. So shall the coming of the man be. And then this says in verse 28 says, whosoever the carcass is, there will be the eagles gathered together and look at verse 29, immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be dark and the moon shall not give her light and stars fall from heaven. We're going to miss this. We miss the stars, the constellations falling as I read for you this morning and the moon. I mean, can you imagine? The sun goes dark. The moon stops giving light. The moon stops reflecting the sun and the stars fall out of the sky. Then Jesus is seen from the east to the west as lightning. Is anybody going to miss this? Is this poof? What happened to everybody? No, this is an event right here. This is an event that is meant for everyone to see, but it happens after the tribulation of those days. Okay. We, as Christians, if we are Christians that are alive when that happens, we will have gone through tribulation at that point and then we will be taken up and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Why are they mourning? Can you imagine? Like, can you imagine if you heard the story about Jesus and you chose not to believe it and then you saw that, you're like, oh, we're in trouble. We're in trouble here. It was real. It was real. Look at verse 31. He shall set his angels with a great sound of a trumpet and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds and from one end of heaven to the other. This prophecy is also in Mark 13, Luke 21, a couple other places, but at the end of Mark 13 in verse number 37, the Bible says this. He says, just, just, also blows away this idea that it's just the Jews. He says, what I say unto you, I say unto all, watch. He says, what I say unto you, I say unto all. He's talking to everybody. He's talking to everybody here. And look, the sun and moon are darkened. That's a huge milestone right there when the sun and moon are darkened and that, that right there, the sun and moon darken and the stars falling from heaven, that is all over the Bible. So when you're reading the Bible and you see that, you know that there's a reference. We'll look at a couple of those. That's a reference to the rapture. Turn to Revelation chapter 6. Let's look at another reference of that. Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6, verse number 12. So we can pick this time out. We can pick this time out in the book of Revelation by this marker, this milestone of the sun and moon are darkened. Okay, look at verse number 12 of Revelation 6. And I beheld when he opened the sixth seal and lo, there was a great earthquake. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood. And the stars fell from heaven onto the earth. Even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs when she is shaken of a mighty wind. This is exactly what we're seeing in Matthew chapter 24. We're seeing it here again in Revelation chapter 6. It's talking about this time before the rapture. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men, I mean, sorry, after the rapture. And the kings of the earth and the great men and the rich men and the chief kings and the mighty men and every bond man and every free man hid themselves in the dens and the rocks of the mountains and said unto the mountains and the rocks fall on us and hide us from the faiths of him that sit us on the throne and from the wrath of the land. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand. So the sun and the moon are darkened and then immediately after that we see that everyone's afraid and everyone, but look, we're gone. We're out of here. Okay. Now what they will say, what people who believe in a pre-tribulation rapture will say, well, look, we will not subvert tribulation, turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. They'll use Revelation chapter 3 in verse number 10 and they'll use verses like 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, but they misunderstand the word tribulation. Go to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. So the sun and moon are darkened, Jesus gathers his elect together and then the wrath comes right after that. Look at 1 Thessalonians chapter 5. 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 9 says, Forgotten had not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ. So see, we're not appointed to wrath. So Revelation chapter 6 talks about the great day of his wrath is come, but the Bible is saying in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verse 9 that we're not going to suffer wrath. Okay, but go back to Matthew chapter 13. Wrath and tribulation are not the same thing. That's the problem. That's the misunderstanding. That is the second pillar of the pre-tribulation misunderstanding, the pre-tribulation rapture misunderstanding. Look at Matthew chapter 13. Look at verse number 21. Here in Matthew chapter 13 and verse number 21, this is a great verse to circle in your Bible because this kind of defines what the word tribulation is. When we see the word tribulation all over the Bible, in Matthew 13, we see this time it is defined, it is, it is given, we're given a synonym for the word tribulation. Look at Matthew chapter 13 and verse 21. The Bible says, Yet he hath not rooted himself, but dearth for when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word by and by he is offended. So when you're persecuted or tribulation, when tribulation or persecution, when people are persecuting you, why? Because of your beliefs, because of God's word, you know, you know, this guy is offended. But tribulation and persecution here are equated. So the definition, the difference between God's wrath and tribulation is, you know, look, it's trouble for the person. Wrath and tribulation are both trouble. The difference is who's doing the trouble? That's the difference. Look at Psalm chapter 18. Psalm chapter 18. Tribulation equals persecution. The wrath of God equals his wrath on unbelievers. Okay, look at Psalm chapter 18. Psalm chapter 18. And look at verse, let's see, go to verse number three of Psalm chapter 18. Here we see in Psalm chapter 18, we see a prophecy of the rapture. We see a prophecy of God coming to get his people. And look, we also see tribulation before that. And it gives us very specific details here of who's doing that tribulation. So here we can get more evidence on what tribulation is. Look at verse number three of Psalm 18. I will call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised. So I shall be saved from my enemies. This guy is under attack and he's being persecuted by his enemies. Who are they? The sorrows of death compass me. And the floods of ungodly men made me afraid. The sorrows of hell compass me about. The snares of death prevented me. In my distress I called upon the Lord and cried unto my God. He heard my voice out of his temple and my cry came before him even into his ears. And the earth shook and trembled. Here's that earthquake. And foundations of also the hills were moved and were shaken because he was wroth. There went up smoke out of his nostrils and fire of his mouth devours and coals were kindled by it and he bowed the heavens also and came down and darkness was under his feet. So here we see kind of a parallel. You know this is a parallel to David's troubles he was going through there. It's a parallel of end times prophecy I believe as well. And then you see in verse 13 and verse 14 you see God's wrath follow in Psalm chapter 18. It's really neat how that reflects exactly what we see in Revelation chapter 6. Matthew 24 Mark 13 Luke 21. So wrath and tribulation are not the same thing. Tribulation is just something that we are going to go through. As a matter of fact the Bible says it. The Bible tells us over and over again turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3. Now you turn to Acts 14 I'll read for you 2 Timothy chapter 3. The Bible guarantees that we will go through tribulation as Christians. Look you, you as a Bible-believing Christian will go through some kind of tribulation in your life. I hate to break it to you. I hate to be the bearer of bad news this evening but you will go through persecution. Look if you're doing, if you're doing what you're supposed to be doing you are going to be persecuted for it. You are going to go through tribulation for it. 2 Timothy chapter 3 you're in Acts 14. The Bible says in verse 12, Yea and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. This is maybe why people don't live godly in Christ Jesus. Because persecution isn't fun. Persecution, tribulation, trouble. It's not something people look forward to but the Bible says when you live godly in Christ Jesus you will be persecuted for it. You will go through tribulation. Acts 14. Look at verse 22. The Bible says confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. Look the Bible here is saying that these people are going to go through tribulation just in the time of Acts. And you don't have to look too hard throughout history to know that Christians are persecuted. Christians go through hard times. Christians are martyred. Christians are killed. Christians are being killed today. You don't hear about that but Christians are being killed all over the world all the time. So all that to say this the rapture comes after the tribulation. It is very clear in the Bible that the rapture will come after the tribulation. Now let's look at my theory of clues and milestones. There's things in the Bible that are clues to the end times. There's things in the Bible that are milestones to the end times. So you say what is the what is tribulation? Is that a clue or milestone? Well tribulation itself go back to Matthew 24. Tribulation itself is a clue. Okay going through tribulation more and more and more just means that you know it's a clue. It means that people are just they're less accepting of the word of God as the Bible says and that they're just going to they're just going to persecute Christians more and more. It's just a sign that we're getting closer. It's a clue. However look at verse 21 of Matthew 24. There is a milestone here because the Bible says in Matthew 24 in verse 21 it says for then shall be great tribulation such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time no nor never shall be. Okay the the tribulation that we were talking about that happens before the rapture is a milestone. How do you know that? Because it's going to be worse than anything anyone has ever seen. As a matter of fact it says in Matthew 24 that in less Jesus cut it short no one would survive it. You could hear in the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 18 he's begging God to just deliver him from it. He's like deliver me I'm not going to make it and that's how bad it's going to be and if you know but you know stories about the martyr's mirror that I've read to you before look it's been really really bad in the past. Christians have been tortured killed by the thousands killed by the tens of thousands. You can say it's going to be worse than it's ever been. That will be a milestone. That will be a milestone. And then verse 29 of Matthew 24 it says immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened and the moon shall not give her light and the stars shall fall from heaven. So it's not the rapture the rapture doesn't just come after any tribulation. It comes after the great tribulation. It comes after the worst tribulation that the world has ever seen. And if you know I mean the bar has been set pretty high so far. It's going to be bad and guess what we're not going to miss it. The tribulation itself tribulation getting worse turn to 2 Timothy chapter 3 you know persecution getting worse and worse you know people being less and less receptive. Look these are things we should notice if if we're if we're going out and we're you know people are just super receptive to the gospel and the next year less receptive and the next year they're less receptive and pretty soon Fresno just doesn't want to hear the gospel at all. Look those are things we should notice because that's a clue. That's a clue. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 3. Look at verse number one. It says this know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of them own of them own selves covetous boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy without natural affection truce breakers false accusers incontinent fears despisers of those who are good that's you by the way as you carry the word of God did they just they'll just despise the Bible. Traders, heady high-minded lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. I mean look that that that's kind of America from my perspective. I mean you go into you go into a neighborhood that's wealthy this is why it's less receptive because they're lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. They're just like you know I I got my stuff I got my cars I'm comfortable leave me alone. They're not interested but so look these are all clues right here so it's getting harder and harder to give the gospel. Look it's getting harder and harder as it says in Daniel to travel to and fro in this world to go and send missionaries out in the world. We talked to brother Stuckey we had a zoom call with brother Stuckey and his family a few days ago it was great to see them I I wish we could go visit them but we can't we can't go see them we can't travel to and fro so look these things are getting worse and worse we should notice this these are clues okay these are clues but the great tribulation we will not miss because it will be worse than anything that has ever happened throughout history even if you don't know anything about history you're going to notice okay so you say what does it matter you know what does it matter when the rapture happens whether it happens after the tribulation or it happens before the tribulation what does it matter go back to Matthew chapter 24 go back to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew chapter 24 I'll just tell you a couple reasons why it matters and look I'm not mad at somebody or I know friends of mine who are saved that believe that the rapture is for the tribulation this isn't something to you know separate yourself from a Christian brother over in my opinion maybe some people would but I mean in my opinion look it's it's just it's a benefit to us to have things in the right order it's a benefit for us there's a reason God gave us this information okay look at Matthew 24 and verse 4 and Jesus said up at the beginning of the chapter Jesus answered and said unto them take heed that no man deceive you there's your first reason right there so you're not deceived okay for many shall come to my name saying I am Christ and shall deceive many turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 turn to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 look when all this deception is going on wouldn't you like to know what's happening wouldn't you like to be able to I mean isn't the world confusing enough you know if you just know what the Bible says know when the clues are and know what milestones to look for you'll know when these things are happening it's right there it's right there in the Bible that's the whole point of the upcoming series so when things start happening we know we can see it and that's the point that Jesus is giving us here he says many and shall deceive many go to 2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 look at verse number one it says now we beseech you brethren by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and by our gathering together unto him that he not he's like don't panic it's what he's about to say he's like that you'd not be soon shaken in mind or be troubled neither by spirit nor by word nor by a letter as from us as that the day of crisis at hand it's like don't read this letter and think oh man Jesus is coming in five seconds he's like I'm not trying to freak you out here he's like just calm down he's like certain things have to happen first okay he says let no man deceive you sound familiar he says let no man deceive you by any means for that day shall not come except there become a falling away first and look that's a clue right that's a clue people falling away we just read it in 2nd Timothy chapter 3 people not being receptive people being you know disgusting haters of god you know they don't want to hear the Bible all this stuff these are all clues that we're actually seeing today by the way except they're coming a falling away first ah but then and the man of sin be revealed the son of perdition now we have a milestone right here who opposes and alters himself above all that is called god or that is worshiped and so that he sitteth in the temple of god showing himself that he is god does that happen every day is that happening today there's somebody sitting in the temple of god claiming to be god did I miss that on fox news look we're not going to miss this this is a milestone right here and this is where this is where the tribulation comes from this is where the tribulation comes from is from this man right here who opposed it and exalted himself verse five I'm sorry remember you not that when I was with you I told you these things look there is going to become a man and we know and I don't want to give it all away but there's going to come a man that is going to claim to be god he's going to claim to be the Messiah he's going to sit in the temple of god and claim to be god and he is going to persecute and guess what we're not going to fall for it because we're going to be like hey we're not deceived why because the bible because we know what the bible says and he's going to come after us and he's going to kill us and he to bring tribulation on this earth that has never been seen before we will not miss this however if you think like poof why am I not gone yet you know if you think that you're going to miss a lot of things you are not going to be ready back to revelation chapter three look Jesus is saying in Matthew chapter four let me let me finish reading Matthew chapter 24 in verse number six he says you should hear wars and rumors of wars clues clues there's wars all the time there's rumors of wars all the time see you not I mean you can't be like this is this is baby christian stuff by the way you see a war breakout in russia and everyone's like end times the world's ending gog and the gog like this is a person that doesn't even know what page in the bible that's in it's just a clue there's always wars and there's always rumors of wars going on but it's just going to get more and more frequent it's clues they're clues they're things we should pay attention to for nature rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom there should be famines pestilences earthquakes in diverse places pestilences well chronifiers the world no it's just a clue we should pay attention we should pay attention all these are the end of the world all these are the beginning of sorrows it says then they shall be deliver you up to be afflicted and shall kill you and you should be hated of all nations for my sake and then many shall be offended many christians will be like what in the world I'm not supposed to go through this because they believe that there's just this secret rapture and Jesus is just going to come and just grab them just like that look we're going through this folks we're going through this and look what it says they shall be offended they shall betray one another and shall hate one another look Jesus is telling this stuff there's a terrible time coming and Jesus is trying to warn his people so they can get it together so they can be doing what they're supposed to be doing they can be united they can be together they don't just freak out and just turn on each other and not know what's going on they can at least be the ones that know what's happening look they'd be getting people saved during these times the bible says that in these types of times we will do great exploits in these types of times so look the antichrist is coming he's going to issue in this tribulation that becomes the worst tribulation that has ever happened and then the tribulation the rapture comes Jesus takes us out but he takes us out just before he's wiped us all out just before and then god god turns his wrath on the people that are not saved the people that turned on him so that's the order of things it's so clear in the bible you really have to just like just kind of let go of logic and let go of the words in the bible in order to believe that god Jesus is going to come get us we're not going to go through any of these things it's after the tribulation it's very clear go back to revelation chapter three let's finish up i'm running out of time here revelation chapter three i just have one last thing to talk about it the the the church of philadelphia revelation please look at verse number 11 i told you a couple letters ago that you're going to get a new name you're going to get a new name a couple people asked well when i when do i get my name how do i know what my name is look at verse number 11 of revelation three the bible says if you hold that come quickly hold fast hold that fast which thou hast let no man take that crown him that over cometh why make a pillar we know that him that saved went through that why make a pillar in the temple of my god and he shall go no more out now we're right upon him the name of my god and the name of the city of my god which is in new jerusalem which will come down out of heaven from my god we'll look at that in the next few weeks as well and i will write upon him my new name so you get your new you have to wait till you get to heaven to get your new name so you have you got a new name when you were saved and you get to heaven god will write it on you that's when you find out your new name so that's church of philadelphia and the irony the irony that that verse in the revelation chapter three and verse 10 is used just to end here to prove a pre-tribulation rapture is that the church of philadelphia was literally being persecuted they were literally going through tribulation from people that you know they were they were jews that they weren't jews you know the synagogue of state and they were being persecuted by the jews of the time okay and again we see that you know being a jew being of israel is a spiritual state of being saved that's what the bible teaches the jews today you say what about israel today what about the jews today they need to accept and believe on jesus christ just like everybody else it's the same thing okay we should go out and we should get jewish people saved we should get ranian people saved we should get muslim saved we should get all everybody saved it's all the same salvation it doesn't matter what genealogy you came from that's the church of philadelphia let's bow our heads and have a word of prayer