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Series Code: MAT
Program Code: MAT000014S
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00:21 Father in heaven,
00:23 we thank You so much for Your multiple blessings, 00:26 especially we thank You for Your Word, 00:28 a sure guide in a world that is so confused. 00:32 I ask that as we study Your Word 00:34 that You will help us to handle it reverently, 00:38 and respectfully, 00:39 that we will hear Your voice speaking, 00:42 and not impose on Scripture our own ideas. 00:45 So please be with us 00:46 through the ministry of Your Holy Spirit. 00:49 Bless those who watch this program, 00:51 open their hearts that they might receive, 00:54 we pray, in Jesus' name, amen. 01:00 After Jesus gave the signs of His soon coming, 01:05 He went on to warn His people 01:08 that they needed to watch, 01:10 to pray, and to work 01:13 while they were waiting for Him to come. 01:16 When Jesus said that no one knew the day 01:19 or hour of His coming, 01:21 was He referring to the Second Coming? 01:24 Or perhaps is there a deeper truth 01:28 to this expression, 01:29 no one knows the day or the hour? 01:32 Let's read Matthew 24:36-44 01:36 which is the next passage in the chapter 01:39 that we are studying. 01:41 It says there in verse 36, 01:43 "But of that day and hour no one knows, 01:48 not even the angels of heaven, 01:50 but My Father only." 01:54 This is Jesus speaking. 01:56 "As the days of Noah were, 01:59 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 02:02 For as in the days before the flood, 02:05 they were eating and drinking, 02:06 marrying and giving in marriage, 02:09 until the day that Noah entered the ark, 02:12 and did not know until the flood came 02:16 and took them all away, 02:18 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 02:22 Then two men will be in the field, 02:24 one will be taken and the other left. 02:28 Two women will be grinding at the mill, 02:32 one will be taken and the other left. 02:35 Watch therefore, for you do not know 02:38 what hour your Lord is coming. 02:41 But know this that if the master of the house 02:44 had known at what hour the thief would come, 02:49 he would have watched and not allowed his house 02:51 to be broken into. 02:53 Therefore you also be ready, 02:56 for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." 03:01 So the question is, is this coming of Jesus 03:05 as a thief referring to the Second Coming of Christ? 03:08 Or is that referring to something 03:10 that will happen just 03:11 before the Second Coming of Christ? 03:14 Now the formula that you have here 03:17 as it was in the days of Noah so also will be 03:20 at the coming of the Son of Man, 03:22 is what theologians call typology. 03:25 In other words, the flood story is the type. 03:28 And what happens at the end of time 03:31 is the antitype or the fulfillment. 03:34 So in order to understand the antitype, 03:37 we must understand the type, 03:38 we must go back to the flood story 03:41 in the Old Testament. 03:42 And that is found in Genesis Chapters 6-9. 03:48 I want you to notice four key points of time 03:52 in the flood story. 03:54 First, we have the preaching and the building period. 03:59 This is a probationary period for everyone on earth. 04:04 In other words, during this time, 04:05 the door of probation is open for a period of 120 years. 04:11 During this time, 04:13 Noah preached empowered by the Holy Spirit. 04:17 In fact, he did not preach a smooth message, 04:20 a politically correct message 04:23 he denounced the sins of the antediluvians 04:26 and called them to repent 04:28 and to straighten out their ways. 04:31 During this time, the spirit 04:33 strove with the antediluvian race, 04:36 attempting to lead them to repentance. 04:39 This is what were said what is said in Genesis 6:3. 04:43 "And the Lord said, 04:45 'My Spirit shall not strive with man forever, 04:49 for he is indeed flesh, 04:51 yet his days shall be one hundred and twenty years.'" 04:55 So God says My Spirit is not going to 04:57 strive forever with human beings. 04:59 I'm giving them 120 years of opportunity or grace, 05:03 to repent, 05:04 and to straighten out their ways. 05:07 The word that is used here strive, 05:09 actually is translated most of the time 05:12 in the Old Testament as to plead a cause, 05:16 to contend, or to judge. 05:19 In other words, the message of Noah 05:20 was a message of judgment. 05:22 His message would divide the world 05:24 into two groups, 05:26 those who are inside the ark, 05:29 and those who are outside the ark. 05:31 So he preached a judgment hour message 05:34 under the power of the Holy Spirit. 05:38 Actually, the flood story doesn't tell us 05:40 that Noah preached, but the New Testament does. 05:43 In 2 Peter 2:5, we find that, 05:47 "God did not spare the ancient world, 05:51 but saved Noah, one of eight people, 05:55 a preacher of righteousness, 05:58 bringing in the flood on the world of the ungodly." 06:02 So Noah was a preacher of righteousness. 06:05 He called the world to repent 06:08 and to live righteous lives. 06:12 But Noah not only preached, he also worked, he built. 06:17 In Hebrews 11:7, we find these words, 06:20 "By faith Noah, 06:22 being divinely warned of things not yet seen, 06:26 moved with godly fear, 06:28 prepared an ark for the saving of his household, 06:32 by which he condemned the world 06:34 and became heir of the righteousness 06:37 which is according to faith." 06:40 Noah backed up his words by his actions. 06:44 He had a faith that worked. 06:47 He invested all his time, 06:49 his efforts, his strength, his talents, his resources 06:54 into the building of the ark. 06:57 Everybody else was saving for a rainy day. 07:02 Building the ark for Noah 07:03 was not one priority among many, 07:06 it was the top priority. 07:10 And I would say the only priority. 07:14 Hebrews tells us that Noah condemned the world, 07:17 not by his preaching, but by his building. 07:21 His actions proved that he believed his message. 07:25 You see building a gigantic ship on dry ground, 07:30 when it had never rained, took great faith. 07:34 It shows that Noah believed God, 07:37 he trusted God's Word even though every evidence 07:41 showed that there could not be a flood. 07:44 Faith simply means trusting God enough to do what God says. 07:50 However, you cannot trust God unless you love Him. 07:55 And you cannot love Him unless you know Him. 07:58 And you cannot know Him unless you spend time with Him. 08:04 So Noah preached, 08:05 and Noah showed that he believed what he preached 08:08 because he built a ship on dry land. 08:11 Judged by numerical standards, 08:14 Noah's evangelistic crusade was a tragic failure. 08:19 Just imagine there were millions of people 08:21 that lived on this planet before the flood, 08:24 and only eight persons responded to his message, 08:27 and all were members of his own family. 08:30 If the story of Noah represents 08:32 what will happen at the end of time, 08:35 do you suppose that the majority of human beings 08:38 will be on the Lord side, 08:40 or perhaps it will be the minority. 08:43 Noah's message was contrary to historical, empirical, 08:48 sensorial, rational, and scientific evidence. 08:54 The idea of a universal flood was absolutely preposterous 08:59 in the minds of those who live before the flood. 09:02 You see, before creation week, 09:04 we're told that the earth was filled with water 09:07 that's in Genesis 1:2. 09:10 On the second day of creation, 09:11 God took part of the water and placed that under the earth 09:14 and took the other part of the water 09:16 and placed it above the earth, 09:18 kind of like a canopy to create a climate 09:23 that was uniform all over the world. 09:26 You say, how was the earth watered then 09:28 if it wasn't watered by rain? 09:31 Well, Genesis 2:5-6 tells us that 09:35 the earth had kind of an automatic sprinkler system, 09:38 at certain times of the day, 09:40 a mist rose from the earth to water the entire earth. 09:45 God did not have to create water 09:47 when He brought the flood. 09:49 All He had to do was bring the water from above 09:51 and the water from below to fill the planet 09:54 as it had been before creation week. 09:58 And so we're told that 10:00 God broke up the fountains of the great deep, 10:02 and He opened the windows of heaven 10:05 brought down the water 10:06 that He had placed up there and brought up the water 10:09 that He had placed beneath. 10:11 Let us just imagine for a few moments, 10:14 what the experts in the world must have said 10:18 when they heard Noah preaching his message 10:20 and building the ark. 10:23 Let's imagine the Department of Natural Sciences. 10:28 The people probably said it has never rained before. 10:32 Everything has continued uniformly 10:34 as from the beginning. 10:36 What Noah is preaching is contrary to sound science. 10:41 It is preposterous to believe that 10:43 water could fall from heaven and rise from the earth. 10:47 It's a scientific impossibility. 10:50 I imagine what the theology departments were saying. 10:53 Noah focuses too much on our sins. 10:56 God is a God of loves. 10:58 He loves the world too much to destroy it. 11:03 Besides rain from heaven would require a miracle, 11:06 and nature works on the basis of fixed laws, 11:10 so there can be no such things as miracles. 11:13 What would the history department 11:15 have been saying? 11:16 There is no historical record of any flood in the past. 11:21 So why should we believe that there could be one now? 11:24 What would the Department of Behavioral Sciences 11:27 have to say? 11:29 Well, Noah is suffering an imaginary mental delusion, 11:33 he is confusing reality with fantasy, 11:36 he is mentally deranged. 11:39 The sociology department might say, 11:42 "We must not allow a lunatic like Noah 11:45 to disrupt the stable order of society." 11:49 And the philosophy department might have said, 11:52 "Noah is suffering 11:53 because of an existential void in his life." 11:57 What's truth for Noah is not necessarily truth 12:00 for everyone else. 12:02 Perhaps arguments such as these were being 12:05 used to try and prove that the flood would never come. 12:11 These were the voices of the experts of that day. 12:15 So the first point of time is the preaching 12:18 and the building of Noah, 12:20 while the door of probation is open. 12:23 God is judging the world by the response that 12:27 people give to the message that Noah is preaching. 12:30 Now we come to the second point of time, 12:34 the moment when the door shuts. 12:37 When Noah concluded his preaching in his building, 12:40 he and his family entered the ark. 12:43 The Spirit then ceased to strive with human hearts, 12:48 the Spirit of God was withdrawn, 12:51 preaching had come to an end. 12:53 Everyone's choice was final. 12:57 The world at this moment had only two groups, 13:00 those who were inside the ark, 13:03 and those who were outside, the sealed inside, 13:07 and those marked for destruction outside, 13:10 but before the door was closed, 13:13 God gave one last spectacular sign to try 13:16 and convince the people before the flood 13:18 that the flood was going to come. 13:21 And that is when the animals 13:23 came into the ark in perfect order. 13:28 It wasn't the case is in the Hollywood version 13:30 where Noah's sons are roping the animals 13:34 and pulling them to the ark. 13:35 No, they came and they marched into the ark in perfect order. 13:40 We find that in Genesis 7:16. 13:43 "So those that entered, male and female of all flesh, 13:47 went in as God had commanded him, 13:50 and the Lord shut him in." 13:53 In other words, the Lord shut the door. 13:55 Ellen White in Patriarchs and Prophets, page 98 13:58 had this to say about the shutting of the door. 14:02 "Noah was shut in, 14:04 and the rejecters of God's mercy 14:06 were shut out. 14:08 The seal of Heaven was on that door, 14:12 God had shut it, and God alone could open it." 14:17 This reminds us of Matthew 24, 14:20 when the first destruction of Jerusalem took place. 14:23 There were two groups, 14:25 those that had stayed and were destroyed, 14:27 and those who fled. 14:29 In the same way in the days of Noah, 14:30 those who entered the ark had the seal of God, 14:33 they were saved, and those who were 14:36 outside the ark were destroyed. 14:38 At the end, the faithful will have the seal of God 14:41 and the unfaithful 14:43 will have the mark of the beast. 14:45 So when that door shut, probation closed. 14:50 Why did God shut Noah and his family in the ark? 14:53 For two reasons. 14:55 First of all, to protect them 14:57 from the rage of the people of the lost outside the ark, 15:02 and secondly to spare them from the destruction 15:05 that would come as a result of the flood. 15:09 Once Noah was inside with his family 15:12 and the wicked were outside, there was no changing sides. 15:16 All cases had been decided. 15:18 The judgment hour message of Noah 15:21 had divided the world into two groups. 15:24 Now we go on to point number three. 15:27 After the door of mercy closed, Noah remained inside the ark 15:31 with his family, and the wicked 15:33 were outside for a period of seven days. 15:38 Notice Genesis 7:4, 15:41 "For after seven more days 15:43 I will cause it to rain on the earth forty days 15:47 and forty nights, 15:48 and I will destroy from the face of the earth 15:51 all living things that I have made." 15:54 Have you ever wondered why God kept Noah 15:57 and his family inside that ark with all of those animals 16:01 for a period of seven days before it actually rained? 16:06 Could God have made it rain immediately? 16:09 Of course, He could have. 16:10 There must be a purpose for which God let them in the ark 16:15 seven days before it began to rain. 16:18 Patriarchs and Prophets, pages 98 and 99 explains. 16:22 "For seven days after Noah and his family entered the ark, 16:26 there appeared no sign of the coming storm. 16:29 During this period," 16:31 listen carefully now, "their faith was tested." 16:35 Imagine one day passes, two, three, four, five, six, seven 16:38 because it started raining on the eighth day, 16:40 and nothing happens. 16:42 The people outside become more violent. 16:44 Those inside they're wondering, 16:47 perhaps were we wrong in coming into the ark, 16:50 their faith was tested. 16:53 "It was a time of triumph to the world without. 16:57 The apparent delay confirmed them in their belief 17:00 that Noah's message was a delusion, 17:02 and that the Flood would never come. 17:04 Notwithstanding the solemn scenes 17:06 which they had witnessed, 17:08 the beasts and birds entering the ark, 17:10 and the angel of God closing the door, 17:13 they still continued their sport and revelry, 17:16 even making a jest of these signal manifestations 17:20 of God's power. 17:21 They gathered in crowds about the ark, 17:24 deriding its inmates with a daring violence 17:28 which they had never ventured upon before." 17:31 So they were saved inside 17:33 from the violence of the multitude, 17:35 and also from the destruction that would come. 17:38 During this time, 17:40 the faith of those inside the ark 17:42 was severely tested. 17:44 God would fulfill His word they believed, 17:49 but they had to wait for God to act. 17:52 It was a day of victory for those outside the ark. 17:56 It was a day of apparent ridicule 17:58 and defeat for those who were inside the ark. 18:03 Ellen White compared 18:04 the shut door in the days of Noah, 18:06 with a shut door when probation closes. 18:10 This quotation is from Patriarchs and Prophets, 18:12 page 98. 18:14 "Likewise, when Christ shall cease His intercession 18:18 for guilty men, before His coming." 18:22 This is important. 18:23 "Likewise, when Christ shall cease 18:25 His intercession for guilty men, 18:26 before His coming in the clouds of heaven, 18:29 the door of mercy will be shut. 18:32 Then divine grace 18:33 will no longer restrain the wicked, 18:36 and Satan will have full control 18:38 of those who have rejected mercy. 18:41 They will endeavor to destroy God's people." 18:45 Notice, just like the wicked outside the ark 18:47 were furious with those who were inside. 18:49 "But as Noah was shut into the ark, 18:53 so the righteous will be shielded 18:55 by divine power." 18:58 You see, probation is going to close before Jesus comes. 19:02 And after probation closes comes the time of trouble, 19:05 such as never has been seen. 19:07 God's people will remain 19:09 on the earth during this period. 19:11 Their faith will be severely tested. 19:14 The wicked will surround them to try 19:16 and destroy them. 19:17 They will cry out day and night to God 19:20 for justice and for vengeance, 19:22 as we're told in the story of the widow, 19:24 the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. 19:28 Let's go to point number four, 19:31 the actual destruction on the eighth day. 19:35 Genesis 7:11 describes this Cataclysm. 19:38 It says, "In the six hundredth year 19:40 of Noah's life, in the second month, 19:43 the seventeenth day of the month, 19:45 on that day all the fountains 19:47 of the great deep were broken up, 19:49 and the windows of heaven were opened." 19:52 In other words, the water that God placed above 19:54 was brought down and the water that 19:56 He placed beneath was brought up. 19:58 Ellen White in Patriarchs and Prophets, 20:00 page 99 actually saw this terrible destruction 20:05 while she was envisioned. 20:07 Here's the description. 20:08 "Water appeared to come 20:10 from the clouds in mighty cataracts. 20:13 Rivers broke away from their boundaries, 20:15 and overflowed the valleys. 20:17 Jets of water burst from the earth 20:19 with indescribable force, 20:21 throwing massive rocks hundreds of feet into the air, 20:24 and these in falling, 20:26 buried themselves deep in the ground. 20:29 As the violence of the storm increased, 20:31 trees, buildings, rocks, and earth 20:35 were hurled in every direction. 20:37 The terror of man and beast was beyond description. 20:41 Above the roar of the tempest 20:43 was heard the wailing of a people 20:45 that had despised the authority of God." 20:49 As I was reading this quotation had brought to mind the tsunami 20:53 that hit the North Eastern area of Honshu, 20:57 Japan on March 11, 2011. 21:01 The waves reached a height of 30 feet 21:05 as they barreled across the 18 foot restraining wall. 21:09 And the floodwaters moved England 21:13 as much as six miles. 21:16 The flood, and you remember seeing this, 21:19 many of you, the floods swept away buildings, 21:22 houses, cars, animals, people, 21:26 and in a matter of minutes, 20,000 people perished. 21:31 Now imagine an event like this, but not on a local scale, 21:36 but on a global scale. 21:39 You know, the normal word 21:41 for flood in the New Testament is potamos 21:44 where we get the word hippopotamus. 21:47 Hippopotamus means that it swims underwater. 21:51 However, Matthew Chapter 24, when it refers to the flood, 21:55 does not use the common word potamos. 21:57 It uses the word kataklysmos. 22:02 In other words, the flood was a cataclysm. 22:05 Now the question is what happened with Satan 22:08 during the flood? 22:10 In Patriarchs and Prophets, page 99 we find these words, 22:13 "Satan himself, 22:15 who was compelled to remain 22:18 in the midst of the warring elements, 22:21 feared for his own existence." 22:23 God bound Satan to this earth during the flood. 22:27 And we're told that 22:28 He actually feared for His own existence. 22:32 And during the time of the flood, 22:35 the heavens were dark, 22:37 the earth was totally covered with water at the beginning, 22:41 and not one human being was left alive on planet earth. 22:46 So just like before creation, darkness covered the earth, 22:50 the earth was totally covered with water, 22:52 and there were no inhabitants yet. 22:55 Now why have I told all this story, 22:57 because we're dealing with the typology 22:59 as it was in the days of Noah so also will be 23:02 at the coming of the Son of Man. 23:04 In Matthew 24:36-39, we noticed that Jesus applied 23:10 what happened at the flood to the end of time. 23:13 Let's read Matthew 24:36-41, 23:19 "But of that day and hour no one knows, 23:22 not even the angels, but My Father only. 23:26 But as the days of Noah were, 23:28 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 23:31 For as in the days before the flood," 23:34 notice, "as in the days before the flood, 23:37 they were eating and drinking, 23:39 marrying and giving in marriage, 23:41 until the day that Noah entered the ark." 23:45 Very important, verse 39, 23:47 "And did not know," that is those outside the ark, 23:50 "did not know until the flood came 23:53 and took them all away, 23:55 so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 24:00 Then two men will be in the field, 24:02 one will be taken and the other left. 24:05 Two women will be grinding at the mill, 24:08 one will be taken and the other left." 24:12 Did you notice that in these verses 24:14 the word until appears twice. 24:19 Once again, I review, 24:20 it says that they were carrying on business 24:24 as usual before the flood. 24:26 They were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage 24:29 until the day that Noah entered the ark. 24:31 There's the first until, until the day that Noah 24:34 entered the ark and they did not know 24:37 until the flood came and took them all away. 24:40 Two points of time 24:41 just like we notice in the story 24:43 in the Old Testament. 24:45 You see, at the end of time 24:47 the door of probation is going to close 24:50 before the destruction comes, 24:53 just like happened at the time of the flood. 24:57 Now let's notice the way that 25:00 Jesus referred to this particular experience. 25:05 Let's go to Matthew Chapter 24, 25:07 and we'll read verses 42 through 44. 25:11 Jesus said, "Watch therefore, for you do not know 25:16 what hour you Lord is coming." 25:17 So the question is, 25:19 is that talking about the Second Coming? 25:20 We don't know the hour of the Second Coming. 25:23 That's true. But there's a deeper truth. 25:25 We don't know when the door of probation 25:28 is going to close either. 25:29 Like those before the flood, the door closed, 25:32 they didn't realize they were lost 25:33 until it started to rain. 25:35 So Jesus says, Watch therefore, 25:38 for you to not know what hour your Lord is coming. 25:41 But know this that 25:43 if the master of the house had known 25:45 what hour the thief would come, 25:48 he would have watched 25:49 and not allowed his house to be broken into. 25:53 Therefore, you also be ready, 25:55 for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." 25:59 So here Jesus is comparing His coming 26:02 with the coming of a thief at night, 26:04 when everybody is sleeping in the house, 26:06 they're not watching. 26:08 What is the point here? 26:10 Once again, the coming of the thief 26:13 has two points of time. 26:15 You say what do you mean two points of time? 26:17 Well, imagine everybody's sleeping in the house. 26:21 And deep in sleep, I might say. 26:24 And so the thief comes, 26:26 and he finds the door of the house open. 26:31 And he comes into the house and steals all of the valuables 26:35 that he finds in the house. 26:37 He goes out the front door quietly, 26:40 everybody in the house is totally unaware that 26:43 the thief has come. 26:45 When do they discovered that 26:46 the thief has visited them. 26:49 It's the next morning when they wake up, 26:51 but it's too late. 26:53 So it is with the coming of Jesus. 26:56 First of all the door of probation closes, 27:00 the world will be unaware that 27:02 the door of probation has closed. 27:04 And then we have a period of tribulation during 27:06 which the wicked will be totally oblivious to the idea 27:11 that the door of probation has closed 27:12 because they weren't watching. 27:14 They will only realize that 27:17 they were lost when the destruction 27:20 comes upon the world. 27:23 Let me read you 27:25 from the book Patriarchs and Prophets, 27:26 pages 98 and 99 27:29 about the antitype of the closed door. 27:33 Ellen White wrote, and she's now 27:35 applying the experience 27:37 before the flood to the end of time. 27:40 "So when Christ shall 27:41 cease His intercession for guilty men, 27:44 before His coming in the clouds of heaven, 27:47 the door of mercy will be shut. 27:50 Then divine grace 27:52 will no longer restrain the wicked, 27:54 and Satan will have full control 27:56 of those who have rejected His mercy. 27:59 They will endeavor to destroy God's people, 28:01 but as Noah was shut into the ark, 28:04 so the righteous will be shielded by divine power." 28:07 She continues. 28:09 "For seven days after Noah and his family entered the ark, 28:12 there appeared no sign of the coming storm. 28:15 During this period their faith was tested. 28:18 It was a time of triumph to the world without. 28:21 The apparent delay confirmed them 28:23 in the belief that Noah's message was a delusion, 28:26 and the Flood would never come." 28:31 Now it's very interesting to notice that 28:34 the order of events in Matthew 24 28:37 and the order of events in the flood story 28:40 run parallel. 28:42 Let me just go through this quickly. 28:45 First of all, Matthew 24:14, 28:48 you have the preaching of the gospel to all the world, 28:50 and then the end will come. 28:52 That's parallel to Noah preaching the message 28:56 before the closing of the door, 28:58 and before the destruction of the flood came. 29:02 In Revelation, 29:04 we find also a parallel in the Book of Revelation, 29:07 we are told that the everlasting gospel 29:09 will be preached by the first angel 29:11 to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. 29:14 So there's a parallel between Matthew 24, 29:17 Revelation Chapter 14, 29:19 and the flood in the days of Noah. 29:22 Let's notice another parallel. 29:25 You have in Matthew 24:15. 29:29 After the preaching of the gospel, 29:31 you have the abomination of desolation set up. 29:34 This divides the inhabitants of Jerusalem into two groups, 29:38 those who are saved and those who are lost, 29:42 those who flee the city and those who stay. 29:46 In other words, the abomination of desolation, 29:48 the sign divides the world into two groups. 29:52 If this happened in the days of Noah, it most certainly did. 29:56 In the days of Noah, when the door closed, 29:59 you had two groups. 30:01 You have those who were inside the ark, 30:03 and those who were outside the ark 30:05 when the preaching ceased. 30:07 What about in the Book of Revelation? 30:09 Do you also have the saved and the lost? 30:13 Yes, we have the seal of God, which the righteous will have, 30:17 which by the way 30:19 is the observance of God's Holy Sabbath. 30:22 And then the lost had the mark of the beast 30:24 when the door of probation closes. 30:26 So you have the two groups also. 30:29 Do you also have the tribulation symbolized 30:33 in all three sources in Matthew 24, 30:36 in the days of Noah, and in the Book of Revelation? 30:39 Absolutely. 30:40 You'll notice in Matthew 24:16-21 30:44 that God's people flee, 30:46 and they go through the Great Tribulation. 30:49 What about in the days of Noah? 30:51 They're inside the ark, seven days, 30:53 the wicked outside 30:54 are ever more violent every day, 30:57 and then what about the Book of Revelation? 30:59 Yes, God's people are going to go through 31:01 the time of trouble, 31:02 the wicked will surround them, and intend to destroy them, 31:05 but they will be shielded by divine power, 31:08 just like those who fled from Jerusalem, just like Noah 31:12 and his family were protected inside the ark. 31:16 And then, of course, 31:17 you have the destruction of the wicked 31:19 at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 31:22 And you have also the destruction of the world 31:26 where the wicked are destroyed, and the saved are spared. 31:30 And at the days of Noah, 31:32 you have also those who survived, 31:35 Noah and as family and those who were destroyed 31:37 those who were outside. 31:40 So you'll notice that there's a parallel 31:41 between these three events, Matthew Chapter 24, 31:46 and the days of Noah, and the Book of Revelation. 31:51 Now this story is given as a warning to us. 31:55 I want you to notice this rather lengthy statement 31:58 that we find in 31:59 the Book Great Controversy, page 491. 32:03 It's lengthy. 32:05 And I hate to read because people get distracted, 32:07 but this is a powerful statement. 32:09 So I'm going to take the time to read it. 32:12 "When the work of 32:14 the investigative judgment closes, 32:16 the destiny of all will have been decided 32:20 for life or death. 32:23 Probation ends a short time 32:26 before the appearing of the Lord 32:27 in the clouds of heaven. 32:29 Christ in the Revelation, looking forward to that time, 32:33 declares, 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still, 32:37 he which is filthy, let him be filthy still, 32:40 and he that is righteous let him be righteous still, 32:43 and he that is holy, let him be holy still." 32:47 And then we have the Second Coming. 32:49 "And, behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, 32:52 to give every man according as his work shall be.'" 32:56 And then she comments. 32:58 "The righteous and the wicked will still be 33:00 living upon the earth in their mortal state, 33:04 men will be planting and building, 33:06 eating and drinking, 33:07 all unconscious that the final irrevocable decision 33:12 has been pronounced in the sanctuary above." 33:16 So they're unaware that 33:17 probation is closed in the sanctuary above. 33:20 Just like those outside the ark 33:21 were unaware that probation had closed 33:24 when the door closed. 33:25 They thought that those inside were wrong in their belief. 33:29 So she continues. 33:31 "Before the Flood, after Noah entered the ark, 33:35 God shut him in and shut the ungodly out, 33:40 but for seven days the people, 33:42 not knowing that their doom 33:46 was fixed, continued their careless, 33:49 pleasure-loving life and mocked 33:51 the warnings of impending judgment. 33:54 'So," says the Savior, 33:56 'shall also the coming of the Son of man be.' 34:00 Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, 34:05 will come the decisive hour 34:07 that marks the fixing of every man's destiny, 34:11 the final withdrawal of mercy's offered to guilty men." 34:15 So notice, silently unnoticed as the midnight thief, 34:19 probation will close. 34:22 And the lost will be 34:23 totally oblivious to the fact that 34:26 the door of mercy is no longer open. 34:30 The quotation continues, 34:31 now she's going to quote from Mark 13:35-36. 34:36 "Watch ye therefore, 34:38 lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." 34:40 People think, well, 34:41 this is the Second Coming of Christ. 34:43 No, it's not. 34:44 You see, it's when Jesus 34:45 comes to the Father to change His garments 34:49 to return to the earth 34:50 as King of kings and Lord of lords 34:52 because He's no longer a priest to intercede for people. 34:57 She continues. 34:59 "Perilous is the condition of those who, 35:02 growing weary of their watch, 35:04 turn to the attractions of the world. 35:07 While the man of business is absorbed 35:09 in the pursuit of gain, 35:12 while the pleasure lover is seeking indulgence, 35:14 while the daughter of fashion 35:16 is arranging her adornments, 35:18 it may be in that hour 35:21 the Judge of all the earth will pronounce the sentence, 35:24 'Thou art weighed in the balances, 35:27 and art found wanting.'" 35:30 Now I want to read the parallel passage 35:32 that we find in Mark 13:33-37, 35:37 parallel to the passage that 35:39 we began with in our study today 35:41 from Matthew 24. 35:43 This is how it reads. 35:44 Mark 13:33-37, 35:48 "Take heed, watch and pray, 35:50 for you do not know when the time is. 35:53 It is like a man going to a far country, 35:57 who left his house 35:58 and gave authority to his servants, 36:00 and to each his work, 36:03 and commanded the doorkeeper to watch. 36:06 Watch therefore, Jesus says, for you do not know 36:09 when the master of the house is coming." 36:11 You say well, we don't know the hour of the Second Coming. 36:13 Yeah, we don't know the hour of the Second Coming, 36:15 but we also don't know 36:17 when the door of probation is closing. 36:18 And this is talking about the close of probation. 36:20 I'm going to show you in a moment. 36:22 Verse 35 again, "Watch therefore, 36:24 for you do not know when the master of the house 36:26 is coming in the evening, 36:28 at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, 36:32 or in the morning, 36:33 lest coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. 36:36 And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!" 36:40 So in other words, watch, 36:41 so that when He comes suddenly He doesn't find you sleeping. 36:46 Is that talking about the moment 36:48 when the people discovered that the thief has come? 36:51 No, it's talking about the time when the thief comes. 36:54 And nobody knows it until the morning 36:56 when they realize that everything has been 36:59 stolen by the thief. 37:02 Now I've read this passage, 37:03 let me read you a statement from Ellen White, 37:06 she understood this. 37:07 You see people many times read Scripture, 37:09 and they're not careful in their reading. 37:11 They simply say, "Oh, well, 37:13 nobody knows the hour and day of His coming 37:15 so that's the Second Coming of Christ." 37:17 But they don't realize that 37:18 this is talking about the coming of the thief. 37:21 When the thief comes those who are not watching, 37:25 they're caught off guard. 37:26 They don't know the thief has come. 37:28 They find out later 37:30 when they wake up in the morning 37:32 and the thief has taken all of their goods. 37:34 This is a remarkable statement from Ellen White. 37:37 She understood that probation 37:38 closes before the Second Coming of Christ. 37:41 This is a rather lengthy statement also, 37:44 it's found in Volume Two of the Testimonies, 37:46 page 190 and 191. 37:49 She is going to quote the passage 37:50 that we just read from Mark 13. 37:53 "Jesus has left us word." 37:55 Now she quotes, "Watch ye therefore, 37:57 for ye do not know 37:59 when the Master of the house cometh, 38:01 at even, or at midnight, 38:03 or the cockcrowing, or in the morning, lest coming 38:07 suddenly He find you sleeping. 38:09 And what I say unto you, I say unto all, Watch." 38:13 She's quoting Mark 13 where it says, 38:16 "Lest coming suddenly He find you sleeping." 38:19 She continues, "We are waiting and watching 38:22 for the return of the Master, 38:24 who is to bring the morning, 38:26 lest coming suddenly He find us sleeping." 38:29 And then she asked this question. 38:31 "What time is here referred to?" 38:34 That is when the return of the Master is? 38:37 What time is referred to here? 38:39 "Not to the revelation of Christ in the clouds of heaven 38:43 to find a people asleep. 38:45 No, but to His return from His ministration 38:49 in the most holy place of the heavenly sanctuary, 38:52 when He lays off His priestly attire 38:54 and clothes Himself with garments of vengeance, 38:58 and when the mandate goes forth, 39:00 'He that is unjust, let him be unjust still, 39:02 and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still, 39:05 and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still, 39:08 and he that is holy, let him be holy still.' 39:11 When Jesus ceases to plead for man, 39:13 the cases of all are forever decided. 39:17 This is the time of reckoning with His servants. 39:20 To those..." 39:21 Now I want you to notice the key words 39:23 that I'm going to read following. 39:25 "To those who have neglected, not rejected, 39:30 neglected the preparation of purity and holiness, 39:34 which fits them to be waiting ones to welcome their Lord, 39:38 the sun sets in gloom and darkness, 39:41 and rises not again. 39:43 Probation closes, 39:45 Christ's intercessions cease in heaven. 39:49 This time finally comes suddenly upon all, 39:53 and those who have neglected to purify their souls 39:56 by obeying the truth are found sleeping. 39:59 They become weary of waiting and watching, 40:03 they became indifferent 40:05 in regard to the coming of their Master. 40:07 They longed not for His appearing, 40:11 and thought there was no need of 40:13 such continued persevering watching. 40:16 They had been disappointed in their expectations 40:19 and might be again. 40:20 They concluded that 40:22 there was time enough yet to arouse. 40:24 They would be sure not to lose 40:26 the opportunity of securing an earthly treasure. 40:29 It would be safe to get all of this world 40:31 they could and in securing this object, 40:34 they lost all anxiety and interest in the appearance 40:38 of the appearing of their Master. 40:40 They became indifferent and careless, 40:43 as though His coming were yet in the distance. 40:46 But while their interest was buried in their worldly gains, 40:50 the work closed in the heavenly sanctuary, 40:53 and they were unprepared." 40:55 What a magnificent description that Ellen White 40:58 gives here based firmly on 41:01 what we have studied from Scripture. 41:04 Now let me ask you what is going to happen 41:06 after the Second Coming of Christ? 41:08 What is going to happen 41:10 with Satan during the 1,000 years? 41:12 You can read it in Revelation 20, 41:14 we're told that Revelation 41:16 that Satan will be bound to planet earth, 41:18 just like at the flood. 41:21 You remember Patriarchs and Prophets, page 99, 41:24 "Satan himself, who was compelled to remain 41:26 in the midst of the warring elements, 41:28 feared for his own existence." 41:30 So after the Second Coming as Satan 41:33 was bound to this earth at the flood, 41:35 Satan will be bound to this world for 1,000 years. 41:39 During this period, according 41:41 to the Prophet Jeremiah 4:19-23, 41:45 the earth will be without form and void, 41:47 like it was before creation, 41:50 and the planet will be in darkness, 41:52 all of the wicked will also be dead. 41:55 We find that in Revelation Chapter 20, 41:57 Satan has lost all of his followers. 42:00 So basically, you have a repetition 42:03 of what the world was in before creation week. 42:08 Now is it possible to be notified, 42:12 but surprised? 42:15 I want to talk to you now about an event that occurred 42:18 in the country of Colombia many years ago. 42:22 On Wednesday, November 13, 1985, 42:26 the eruption of the volcano, Nevado del Ruiz 42:30 caused an avalanche of mud 42:33 that buried the city of Armero in Colombia. 42:36 Some 22,000 souls perished in one night. 42:42 One wonders whether this devastating 42:44 loss of life could have been prevented. 42:47 Were there no signs that indicated that the volcano 42:52 was going to explode, 42:54 and that there was going to be an avalanche of mud? 42:57 The answer to this question is a resounding yes. 43:01 There were warnings. 43:03 In fact, the day after the disaster, 43:06 I read an article in one of the main 43:09 newspapers El Espectador, 43:11 published by Rodolfo Rodriguez Calderon. 43:14 The title of the article was on un desastre anunciado, 43:18 in other words, unannounced disaster. 43:21 The disaster was announced ahead of time in other words. 43:24 The article makes it clear that 43:26 every single person in the city of Armero 43:29 could have saved their lives if they had paid attention 43:33 to the signs of impending doom, 43:35 but they chose to ignore the signs. 43:39 What were the signs? 43:41 Eleven months before the disaster, 43:43 the mountain had begun spewing out smoke and ash. 43:48 The fluffy snow at the top of the mountain 43:51 became a solid sheet of ice due to the intense heat 43:56 within the mountain. 43:57 The water level of the rivers increased significantly 44:01 due to the melting snow. 44:03 The cloud of ash and gases 44:06 which rose 15 feet high the first day 44:09 increased to 750 feet the second day, 44:13 and the day before the eruption, 44:15 the cloud of ash and gases had reached 44:18 a height of 16,000 feet. 44:22 On September 11, 44:23 the earth tremors reached an intensity of III 44:27 other Mercalli scale. 44:29 On occasion, people could hear the mountain roar from inside. 44:33 The authorities had to close the access roads 44:36 to the mountain ski resort 44:38 because of the mudslides that totally covered them. 44:41 It was impossible for people to keep their houses clean 44:44 because of the volcanic ash 44:46 that blew into town day in and day out. 44:50 The people could smell sulfur in the air. 44:54 The evening when the volcano exploded, 44:57 there was a torrential rain 44:59 according to those who survived 45:01 with wind of hurricane proportions 45:03 that began around 9 pm. 45:06 According to the handful of survivors, 45:09 the darkness was unusual 45:12 in some eyewitnesses that survived said that 45:14 the darkness was virtually supernatural. 45:18 Were there enough signs 45:20 that a disaster was going to take place? 45:23 Absolutely. 45:25 So why didn't people flee 45:27 when they saw all these signs 45:28 move to some other place? 45:31 This is the sad part of the story. 45:34 In spite of the multiple signs 22,000 people 45:40 perished on that fateful night. 45:42 One wonders whether something similar 45:45 can happen with regards to the Second Coming of Christ. 45:49 Could the Second Coming catch people 45:51 by surprise in spite of all of the signs that 45:54 there are that Jesus is coming soon? 45:58 Why did the city of Armero choose 46:01 to ignore these signs? 46:05 Well, in the same article that 46:07 I mentioned from the newspaper El Espectador, 46:11 we have the following information 46:14 about the reason why the people 46:16 decided to stay within the city. 46:19 A priest in the city, Edgar Efren Torres, 46:24 came over the radio at 7 pm that evening, 46:27 and told the people there is no reason to panic. 46:31 Please stay calm. 46:34 The Civil Defense 46:35 in an official radio release affirmed, 46:38 there is no reason to be concerned. 46:41 The bishop of a town, 46:43 Augusto Osorio warned against fanatics 46:47 who were announcing gloom and doom for the city. 46:51 The mayor of the town said, "Don't worry." 46:55 The governor of the state of Tolima, 46:58 where Armero was found, said later, 47:01 "The disaster could not have been 47:02 predicted in advance." 47:05 Colombian scientist Jaime Vega Velasquez 47:09 confidently predicted, 47:11 this volcano is not going to erupt, 47:14 nothing is going to happen. 47:16 Beware of speculations and exaggerations. 47:21 The Secretary of Mines, 47:23 Ivan Duque Escobar asserted that nothing will happen. 47:27 Even United States geologist Darrell Hurd said 47:31 that it was very unlikely that 47:33 the cities could be buried by rocks, lava, or mud. 47:37 The Regional Emergency Committee, 47:39 that very evening sent out a message, 47:41 don't expect your windows to shatter, 47:44 don't expect darkness, 47:45 don't expect lava to run down the mountain, 47:48 don't expect large layers of ash, 47:50 among other things. 47:52 The people did not know that 47:54 probation had closed and destruction was on the way. 47:59 And very few of those who lived in the city were left. 48:05 Now this is something very interesting, 48:07 we need to talk briefly about those who are left 48:11 and those who are taken. 48:13 You remember that in Matthew Chapter 24, 48:15 Jesus says, one will be taken and the other will be left. 48:19 Now many, many scholars say that 48:21 the ones that are left are the ones that 48:24 stay on earth during the 1,000 years, 48:28 the lost. 48:29 And that those who are taken 48:31 are the ones who are taken to heaven 48:32 in the rapture at the Second Coming, 48:35 but I believe if you study Scripture carefully, 48:39 the ones who are left are the ones who survive. 48:43 The ones who are taken are the ones who are destroyed. 48:47 You know, for example, if there's a flood today, 48:50 and the flood takes away a whole town, 48:53 we say did the flood take everyone away, 48:56 wasn't anyone left? 48:58 You see, we don't have the time to go through this, 49:01 but the word left in the Old Testament 49:04 is a remnant word. 49:06 It's referring to those who are left 49:08 after a great calamity, after a great destruction. 49:13 You know, being that 49:14 this is talking about the Flood, 49:16 we need to go to Genesis Chapter 7 49:19 and notice something very interesting. 49:21 Who is that was left at the time of the Flood? 49:25 And who was taken at the time of the Flood? 49:27 Notice Genesis Chapter 7 49:30 and I want to read verses 23 49:32 and actually 22 and 23. 49:36 It says there, "All in whose nostrils 49:40 was the breath of the spirit of life, 49:42 all that was on the dry land, died." 49:47 So you have one group that dies. 49:49 Verse 23, "So He destroyed all living things 49:53 which were on the face of the ground, 49:56 both man and cattle, 49:58 creeping thing and bird of the air. 50:01 They were destroyed from the earth." 50:04 And now notice this. 50:05 "Only Noah and those who were with him 50:09 in the ark remained alive." 50:11 This is the New King James Version. 50:13 But if you read many other versions, 50:15 it actually says there in verse 23 at the end, 50:19 "Only Noah, and those who are with him 50:23 in the ark were left." 50:26 Jesus Himself said that 50:28 the flood took away all of the wicked." 50:31 So those who are left were Noah and his family. 50:36 This is a remnant word. 50:39 Let me just go to one other verse, 50:41 or couple of verses that use this very same word left 50:46 to show you that the left are the remnant that are saved, 50:50 the left are not those that are left behind, 50:53 according to the famous series of books, you know, 50:56 they're not the ones that are left behind, 50:58 while the ones that are taken out are the ones 50:59 that taken to heaven in the rapture. 51:01 You know, this idea of the rapture 51:03 is not a biblical idea. 51:05 Notice Isaiah Chapter 4 and let's read verse 2 and 3. 51:11 "In that day, the Branch of the Lord 51:14 shall be beautiful and glorious, 51:16 and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent 51:18 and appealing for those of Israel 51:21 who have escaped. 51:23 And it shall come to pass that he who is left in Zion 51:27 and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, 51:33 everyone who is recorded among the living in Jerusalem." 51:38 So you'll notice here very clearly, 51:40 that we are told that those who are left 51:44 in Jerusalem are holy. 51:47 Now let's notice 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4. 51:50 Incidentally, I wrote a little book, 51:53 and you can get this book from Secrets Unsealed, 51:55 it's called Taken Or Left? 51:57 Where I deal fully with this, it's about a small book, 52:01 probably about 20 plus pages, 52:03 and you can get the full explanation of 52:05 what I'm sharing with you now. 52:07 So let's go. 52:09 Where did I say we were going? 52:12 Let's go in our Bibles to 52:17 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4. 52:19 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, we've read before this passage, 52:23 but let's read it again in this new context. 52:26 4:15, "For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, 52:31 that we who are alive and remain 52:35 until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede 52:38 those who are asleep. 52:40 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven 52:42 with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, 52:44 the trumpet of God. 52:45 And the dead in Christ will rise first." 52:48 Now notice this. 52:49 "Then we who are alive and," what? 52:52 "And remain or are left shall be 52:56 caught up together with them 52:57 in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. 52:59 And thus we shall always be with the Lord." 53:03 The word left as I mentioned is a remnant word. 53:07 It's what remains after a great catastrophe, 53:11 after a great cataclysm, after a great destruction. 53:16 So when Scripture speaks about the taken and the left, 53:20 the taken are not those who go to heaven 53:22 in the rapture seven years 53:24 before the glorious coming of Christ, 53:25 and the ones who are left are left here 53:27 behind alive to suffer the Great Tribulation. 53:31 You say, how do we know that? 53:33 Well, I've shared several ideas with you. 53:35 Let me share another one with you. 53:38 In the period of Noah, before the Flood. 53:42 Let me ask you, when the Flood came, 53:44 how many groups were there? 53:46 Were there, first of all, those who survived in the ark, 53:52 then you have those who were destroyed 53:54 outside the ark. 53:56 And you had some people that remained alive outside the ark. 54:00 Is that the case? No. 54:03 You have two groups. 54:05 Those who were saved in the ark, 54:08 everyone else was destroyed. 54:11 There was no third group of survivors 54:13 that were on the earth during the Flood 54:16 that survived the Flood. 54:18 Now why do I bring this to you? 54:20 Because the rapture idea basically teaches that 54:24 when Jesus comes for the rapture, 54:26 He takes His people, His faithful people to heaven. 54:31 And some on earth will be destroyed 54:33 when planes crash and cars crash, etcetera, 54:36 but there will be a third group that are those who are alive 54:41 and remain on earth during the Tribulation. 54:45 Futurists call it the tribulation force. 54:48 So instead of the two groups at the Flood, 54:50 you have suddenly three groups, but there are not three groups. 54:54 There are two groups. 54:55 When Jesus comes in power and glory 54:58 there will only be two groups. 55:00 Those who are saved, and those who are lost. 55:03 And by the way, I repeat once again, 55:06 how important this is that 55:08 when the door of probation closes, 55:11 everybody is saved or lost, 55:13 there is no change in sides at that particular point. 55:17 Now let me end by mentioning one more thing. 55:21 There will be a corporate close of probation 55:24 for the entire world. 55:26 We don't know when that close of probation will be. 55:29 In other words, there's a close of probation 55:31 for everyone on planet earth, 55:32 it is a global close of probation. 55:35 But there's another close of probation 55:38 that the Bible speaks of. 55:40 And this close of probation is individual and personal. 55:44 It's not global, but it's personal. 55:47 And by the way, this close of probation 55:50 can occur at any time. 55:53 And you say, "What are you talking about?" 55:56 Well, the fact is that as long as a person is alive, 56:01 they are able to choose one of the two sides, 56:04 that is until the corporate probation 56:06 for the world closes, 56:08 people are able to choose to be on one side 56:11 or on the other side. 56:13 But when a person dies, 56:17 their case is closed forever. 56:20 Probation has closed for that person. 56:24 So if you don't reach into the time of the corporate, 56:28 global close of probation, and you should die today. 56:32 Your case has been decided forever and ever. 56:36 That's the reason why we need to be certain that 56:39 we are connected with Jesus Christ as our Savior 56:42 and Lord at every moment of every day. 56:45 We can say, "Oh, there's still time, 56:47 you know, I can still give my life to the Lord 56:49 because there's still time." 56:51 There's no guarantee that there's still time. 56:53 There's no guarantee that 56:55 we're going to be alive the next instant. 56:57 And so the Bible says, 56:58 "Today is the day of salvation." 57:01 Today, if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart. 57:04 Today, receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. 57:08 Don't be caught by the close of probation 57:11 of individual personal probation 57:14 without being prepared. 57:17 And so folks, Jesus in Matthew 24 57:20 tells us in summary that probation will close, 57:23 the door will close 57:25 that's His coming as a thief closes the door. 57:28 Most of the world will be sleeping, 57:30 they won't be watching. 57:31 They're unaware that probation has closed, 57:34 until Jesus comes on the clouds of heaven 57:36 to destroy those who have not committed their lives 57:40 to Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. 57:44 My prayer is that we will take this seriously 57:48 and that we will commit our lives 57:51 to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 57:53 so that He will save us both after probation closes 57:59 and at His glorious coming. 58:01 May God bless us and may that be our experience. |
Revised 2021-09-20