Good evening, and I mean to get through
it, I'm doing my best.
It's this problem of the Great Tribulation.
Let's go to Matthew's Gospel, chapter 24.
And our Lord Jesus Christ is speaking to
his disciples here.
Verse 3, And as he sat upon the
Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, just his own disciples.
I think you need to get the theme
set every time.
When you open this book, always try to
find out who's speaking.
Try to find out who they or who
he or she is speaking to.
And then be very careful about what is
said.
Just don't read something into it.
Just make sure you know exactly what is
said.
And as he sat upon the Mount of
Olives, the disciples, just the disciples, came unto
him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these
things be?
And what shall be the sign of thy
coming, and of the end of the age
that word should be?
The word world is the old Greek word.
It's rendered age very often.
And so the Lord Jesus gives this great
discourse that's found in Matthew 24.
And I don't want to go over it
all this evening.
I'm just taking a portion out of it.
Verse 21, Our Lord Jesus is talking to
them and saying, For then, just at that
psychological moment, get the little word then into
perspective.
For then shall be great tribulation, such as
was not since the beginning of the world
to this time.
No, nor ever shall be.
You see, he's marking out a period of
time in this world's history.
And it's going to bring such tribulation.
Yes, I'm desolation, I'm destruction.
Upon this whole planet of ours.
And he assures us that there was never
a time before like this.
And when it's past, there will never be
a time again.
It's just a period.
And I shall show you that it's a
short period.
You see, verse 22, And except those days
should be shortened.
How horrible they are.
There should no flesh be saved.
But for the elect's sake, those days shall
be shortened.
And we're talking about the elect of that
particular period, of course.
But we'll get all that straightened up.
It's just a period when there'll be great
tribulation.
Such as was never before in the history
of this world.
You see, some of the scholars say that
Hitler's holocaust against the Jews was the great
tribulation.
And if that was so, then it's past
and we'll never have anything like it again.
Ha ha, they must be joking.
I'm afraid you couldn't get me to believe
that even if I wasn't a believer.
My dear friends, they're preparing for something that's
ten times worse just now.
But you'll find this out, that not only
did our Lord give this sign, this saying,
this saying describes that period.
There's nothing before like it, nothing afterwards like
it.
It's just a short period of time.
In fact, I can tell you it will
be three and a half years of this
world's history.
But we'll have to prove that, of course.
I mustn't say anything I can't approve.
Now that's the saying, and I want you
to sort of get the hold of the
saying.
Nothing before like it, nothing afterwards like it.
It'll be the worst period of tribulation and
desolation that this poor old world of ours
has ever seen.
Now I want you to notice this in
this discourse of our Lord Jesus.
Down at verse 29 he said this, After
the tribulation of those days, and I have
a Bible, and the translation is, at the
end of the tribulation of those days, of
course immediately after must be the end, of
course.
Don't think we would argue about that.
Just at the end of that particular period
that we're thinking about, the sun shall be
darkened, and the moon shall not give her
light, and the stars shall fall from heaven.
Now that would rule out Hitler's holocaust immediately,
because although it was a terrible time for
six million Jews, when they were brutally murdered
and thrown into gas chambers, and you know
all the horrors of it, yet the sun
was not darkened, and the moon didn't cease
to give her light, and the stars didn't
fall from heaven.
You see, what I'm trying to do for
the class, and I'm remembering that I have
young believers here with me, there's just two
things for you to get the hold of,
and one is the saying of the Lord
Jesus.
There was nothing before like it, nothing afterwards
like it, it's just a short period, and
it's a short period of the worst tribulation
this whole world of ours has ever seen.
Now that's the saying.
Now there's not only the saying, there's the
sign.
The sun, and the moon, and the stars.
So we've got that worked out of this,
and we're going to go on now.
Now I want you to go with me
to the book of Revelation, and we're at
the sixth chapter.
The book of the Revelation, chapter six.
You see, I could waste a little bit
of time here, by going through chapters one,
and two, and three, because there we would
see the seven churches, of Asia of course,
literal churches, and we would see our Lord
Jesus Christ in the midst of the churches.
And I believe that's the period we're in
today, that the Lord takes a look at
every church, and he weighs all the work
that goes on there, and he scrutinizes every
bit of service, and the Lord is in
the midst just watching what's going on.
Now if we take chapters four and five,
and we'll have to do that at some
part of the message tonight, we will find
that the Lord is in heaven.
And what's more, we'll find all the saints
are in heaven too, because we'll find this
great multitude from every tongue, and kindred, and
people, and nation, singing before the throne, and
they're singing, Thou art worthy, for thou hast
redeemed us, by thy blood, out of every
kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
And when they talk about being redeemed, this
must be all the redeemed from earth, from
every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.
And they're in heaven now.
Now our Lord Jesus is in heaven, in
chapters four and five.
Now when we come to chapter six, we
can see him in heaven, and see things
that's going on.
Now we're in chapter six, and John is
watching the scene, and he says, I saw
when the Lamb, that's our Lord Jesus, opened
one of the seals.
Can I explain these seals?
He's just taken the book out of the
hand of God, and it was sealed with
seven seals, and I don't want to go
into it all.
I just want you to see him with
the book, and he's opening one of the
seals.
And I heard, as it were, the noise
of thunder.
One of the four beasts saying, come and
see.
And I saw, and behold, a white horse.
And he that sat on him had a
bow, and the crown was given unto him,
and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Now I want you to get the word
conquering, and to conquer.
Because if he's in heaven, watching the Lord
before the throne, this episode must be taking
place on earth.
And he's watching this white horse, and the
man that's sitting on it, and he's going
forth to conquer.
He's conquering.
There's no war in heaven.
Must be happening down there.
Now who's this on the white horse?
It couldn't be our Lord Jesus, because he
happens to be up there with the book
in his hand, opening the seals.
If you take any commentary out of the
library, you'll find that the greatest commentators in
the world, they say this is the Lord
Jesus.
You see, he's on a white horse, and
he's got a crown on his head, and
he's going forth conquering, and to conquer.
I can tell you that this is a
delusion.
You know, the Lord is going to send
strong delusion to this earth one day.
It's a terrible thing that our God would
send delusion, but we'll get that just in
a moment.
And the man of sin is going to
come, and he's going to pretend to be
the Christ.
And this is him.
This is the Antichrist pretending.
That's the beginning of the Great Tribulation.
Are you following now, do you see?
Verse 3, And when he had opened the
second seal, that's the second seal in the
book, I heard the second beast say, come
and see.
And there went out another horse that was
red.
That's a different color this time.
And power was given to him that sat
there on.
Now I want you to get this bit
very carefully.
To take peace from the earth.
Now watch this.
And that they should kill one another.
Do you know what killing one another is?
It is not war.
It is civil war.
See this little province of ours.
There are times when we're on the verge
of civil war.
There are so many people in this province
fed up with these murderers, that someday there's
something going to break loose.
And God save us from it.
But one day this whole world will have
civil war.
And that will be a terrible thing.
That's the beginning of this tribulation.
Now watch again.
I want you to get this because I
don't want you to miss this.
Verse 5.
Then he had opened the third seal.
I heard the third beast say come and
see.
And I beheld and lo a black horse.
That's different.
White horse.
That was delusion.
The red horse.
That was desolation.
This is the black horse.
And he that sat on him had a
pair of balances in his hand.
And I heard a voice in the midst
of the four beasts saying a measure of
wheat for a penny.
Three measures of barley for a penny.
You know starvation has come to this earth.
Do you follow this?
Do you see this antichrist deluding the people?
Do you see what's following close this desolation,
this civil war?
See the starvation.
I'll tell you if we get into civil
war in every part of the world we
can have nothing else but starvation following it.
There would just be nothing else.
Now watch again till you see.
When he had opened the fourth seal.
I heard the voice of the fourth beast
say come and see.
And I beheld a pale horse.
Different one again.
And his name that sat on him was
death.
And hell followed with him.
Now watch this carefully.
And power was given unto them over the
fourth part of the earth to kill with
sword and with hunger and with death.
Aren't you to get the fourth part?
You know supposing we say that in Craighaven
there are 40,000 people now.
I'm just taking a figure at random.
A figure that's easy for me to handle.
What's the fourth part of 40,000?
10,000.
I'll tell you this.
If we had 10,000 dead in the
morning I tell you I don't know what
we would do.
You know we are distressed when our policemen
are shot.
Sometimes one and two.
Sometimes three.
Sometimes four.
The stress is us.
What are you going to do when it's
10,000?
I'll tell you the funeral men, the undertakers
can't manage it.
Because we're going to have 10,000 in
the next district.
10,000 in the next.
Right over this little province.
How many?
You believe where you're sitting tonight that it
will happen.
And you're beginning to see the great tribulation.
Now I want you to see this.
That there are seven seals in this book.
I'm only looking at the four horsemen and
I'm not going into all the details because
the old cloth will beat me.
Now go down to verse 12 and you'll
see him opening the sixth seal.
And I beheld when he had opened the
sixth seal.
And lo there was a great earthquake and
the sun, watch it now, became black as
sackcloth of hair and the moon became as
blood under stars of heaven.
Is this the sign?
I can tell you it's the sign.
Is this the day?
I can tell you it's the day.
You see in our Lord Jesus Christ's day
this great tribulation was still future.
Then shall be great tribulation.
In John's day which is AD 90 or
maybe 93 or 96 it's still future.
It's still future tonight.
But it's not so very far future tonight.
I want you to get that.
I want you to see these horsemen quickly
this delusion that will come to this world.
This desolation that lies ahead.
This starvation.
This destruction.
Now supposing we miss out a chapter and
go to chapter 8.
Have a look at that till you see
how it works.
Because we are moving from the 6th seal
to the 7th seal.
And I think that's fair enough, isn't it?
Verse 1.
And when he had opened the 7th seal
there was silence in heaven about the space
of half an hour.
And old Nicholson said there mustn't be a
woman in heaven.
You couldn't get them quiet for half an
hour, could you?
Yes.
Oh, I think Nicholson was only having fun.
But you know, I think it's bringing out
something that all heaven stands to.
Because there's something horrible going to happen on
earth.
So just think of it.
Now watch it.
And I saw the seven angels which stood
before God and they were given seven trumpets.
And I want you to see these seven
angels at work.
Verse 7.
The first angel sounded.
Sounding a trumpet in heaven, mind you.
And their forehead hailed and fire mingled with
blood and they were cast upon the earth.
And there's more bluff about that bit.
And the third part of trees was burnt
up and all the green grass.
That right now.
Because you know, the third part of the
trees.
When I was in Canada up in New
Brunswick they have got a big forest there.
I think I'm right in saying that it
runs for 200 miles.
And I really thought it was something.
There's a big new road made right through
the forest.
And they took me right through this whole
road just to see the trees.
It was autumn and the beautiful colours and
the maples.
Very wonderful.
And I thought this is the most gigantic
thing it must be in the world.
But it's not, you know.
Now the Amazon forest way over by the
Amazon river there.
There are more trees there than would cover
the whole continent of Europe.
That's covering the whole continent of Europe.
And yet when you've covered the whole continent
of Europe with trees it is only one
third of the world's trees.
And one day like that they'll be burned.
You don't believe it, sure you don't.
It's a great pity you don't.
Because it is the truth of this book,
you know.
And all the green grass, what's going to
happen when we burn a third of the
trees and all the green grass?
Look, go quickly again.
Second angel sounded.
Verse 8.
And as it were a great mountain burning
with fire was cast into the sea.
And the third part of the sea became
blood and the third part of the creatures
which were in the sea and had life
died.
The third part of the ships.
I think you can follow this if I
do it like this for you.
You see in this terrible great tribulation that's
going to come in those three and a
half years you know a third part of
everything on the earth and then a third
part of everything around the earth.
All the ships, all the fishes.
It'll be a terrible moment, won't it?
Look at it again, see verse 10.
And the third angel sounded and there fell
a great star from heaven burning as it
were a lamp and it fell upon the
third part of the rivers and upon the
fountains of waters and the name of the
star is called wormwood and the third part
of the waters became wormwood and many men
died because of the waters because they were
made bitter.
You see it's a third part of everything
on the earth and a third part of
everything around the earth and a third part
of everything under the earth.
And this immediately tells me it's atomic energy
of some kind.
Because when atomic energy is let loose the
fallout goes on down into the streams and
into the wells.
It's coming I tell you.
Yes, there's the great tribulation coming and there
was never anything before like this.
Go back as far as you like you'll
find they didn't burn the trees.
Go back as far as you like and
you'll find that they didn't burn all the
ships around the earth.
Go back as far as you like and
into history as close as you like and
we have historians here tonight from Queens and
not one of you can find the stars
and the sun and the moon.
Sure you can't.
They haven't been touched up to now.
Oh, but atomic energy will touch them.
Watch this, see the verse 12.
Fourth angel sounded and the third part of
the sun was smitten and the third part
of the moon and the third part of
the star.
Is it the same sign?
I'm just asking you something.
I didn't print the book.
I'm only reading it.
Oh, it's the same day.
It's the sign our Lord Jesus gave us.
It's the same day.
That will do us, won't it, for sort
of painting the picture of the great tribulation.
Now, the question is, of course, will the
church go through this tribulation?
When we talk about the church we're not
talking about the Baptist church or any other
church of that sort of class or kind.
We're talking about all the believers.
See all the believers in here tonight from
all denominations, bless you, thank you for coming.
Will all the believers be on this planet
when this takes place?
Will the church pass through this tribulation?
That's what we want to answer this evening.
It took me a moment to set the
stage.
Let me give you the answers from the
book.
Come over to Ephesians, and we're at Ephesians,
at the second chapter.
Ephesians, chapter 2.
And Paul's talking about the church of Jesus
Christ, and he's saying to these Ephesian believers
in chapter 2, verse 19, He
says all the believers everywhere of all the
ages, black and white and red and yellow,
from everywhere and every age since Pentecost, they're
all in what is called the church.
Now, Paul begins to take this up in
the next chapter.
He says, for this cause, I, Paul, the
prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles.
Now, he's going to say for this cause,
he's wanting to say something, but he gets
into a sideline here, and he goes on
down this sideline, and all the preachers do
the same at times.
And then in verse 14, he comes back
to it, for this cause.
Just because all the believers are one in
Christ, he says, for this cause, I bow
my knees unto the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in
heaven and earth is named.
Now, when somebody comes to me and says,
will the church pass through the great tribulation?
I just say that's impossible.
Because you see, a great part of the
church, in fact I would say three quarters
of the church, is already at home in
heaven.
Oh, there's been a great lot of saints
from Pentecost up to now, they're at home
in heaven, they will certainly not pass through.
So you can't talk about the church going
through the tribulation, really.
You see, the church that we are thinking
about, all the believers here now and all
over the world, we're only the last battalion
down here.
The rest of the army's at home.
What would God put the last battalion through
the tribulation for, would you like to come
and tell me?
The rest of them are at home.
Paul could see this.
Of whom the whole family in heaven and
in earth is named.
And I think that's a logical answer, but
there are greater answers than that.
Let's go to the book of Revelation, and
we're at chapter three now.
Book of the Revelation, and we're at the
third chapter.
Verse seven.
And the Lord Jesus is talking to John
on the Isle of Patmos, and this is
what he's saying to him.
Unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write.
Of course, can I tell the young ones
again, that the word angel there is an
old Greek word which means messenger.
He's not asking John to write a letter
to a shining angel.
Oh no, that won't do.
No, there was a messenger in the church
of Philadelphia who was responsible for the spiritual
condition of the church.
And John was being instructed to write to
him.
To the messenger of the church in Philadelphia
write.
These things saith he that is holy, he
that is true, he that hath the key
of David, he that openeth and no man
shutteth, and shutteth and no man openeth.
Our Lord Jesus is signing his name to
the letter.
He says to the church, I know thy
works.
Behold I have set before thee an open
door, and no man can shut it, for
thou hast a little strength, and hast kept
my word, and hast not denied my name.
Behold I will make them of the synagogue
of Satan, which say they are Jews and
are not, but do lie.
Behold I will make them to come and
worship before thy feet, and to know that
I have loved thee.
Because thou hast kept the word of my
patience, I also will keep thee from the
hour of testation, the word is in the
Greek.
Yes, temptation is sometimes just being tested.
And it's the hour of testation which shall
come upon all the world.
Now the Lord is making a verbal promise
here, I will keep thee from.
Don't you fellows that argue with me try
to make it, I will keep thee in.
He didn't say I will keep thee in.
And he didn't say I will keep thee
through.
Don't you dare to change it.
Happens to be he said I will keep
thee from.
You'll never be there at all.
I want you to get that, that's the
verbal answer.
So you've got a logical answer and you've
got a verbal answer.
Now let's go on to one or two
more answers.
Second Thessalonians, and we're at the second chapter.
Second Thessalonians, and we're at chapter two.
Now Paul's writing to this young church at
Thessalonica, and this is what he said in
the second chapter, verse one.
Now we beseech you.
He's beseeching them.
He puts the little word brethren in just
to let you know he's beseeching the saints.
Not talking to the world or the unsaved
or anything.
He's just saying we beseech you, brethren, by
the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, because
he is going to come again, you know.
And by our gathering together unto him.
He's beseeching these young believers by two things.
By the coming of Christ and by our
gathering together unto him.
And he's beseeching them that you be not
soon shaken in mind or be troubled, neither
by spirit nor by word nor by letter
as from us.
Because somebody had sent a letter and had
signed Paul's name at it and pretended it
was from Paul.
And they had told this young church that
the day of the Lord is at hand.
That word Christ is a translation.
And in the old translations, it's the day
of the Lord.
And we'll see the difference in this just
in a moment.
But this was muddling this young church.
And Paul said, look, I beseech you, don't
be getting disturbed.
Don't be soon shaken in mind or be
troubled.
Don't be troubled as if a letter came
from us or didn't come from us.
When these people say that the day of
the Lord is at hand, will you please
remember that before the day of the Lord
comes, our Lord will come and we'll gather
together unto him.
And let me tell you, we will prove
tonight to the hilt that this great tribulation
period is in the day of the Lord.
That's what we will prove.
And the Lord will come before that and
we will gather ourselves together unto him.
That's a consolation, isn't it?
You see that consolation, that translation, that's a
translation, that's a translational answer, isn't it?
I think you can see the logical answer,
the church is really not here.
I think you can see the verbal answer.
He'd keep us from this day.
I think you can see this translational answer.
Now I want you to get something more.
Let's go back to 1 Thessalonians.
And we're at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4.
And of course this is the key to
the whole thing, but we have to do
it very carefully.
Paul's writing to this young church in this
first letter.
And at verse 13 he said to them,
we're at 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 verse 13,
but I would not have you to be
ignorant.
And please mark the commas.
Because if you take the comma out you'll
say ignorant brethren.
And some of the brethren here will not
be pleased with you.
Now you know the story I told you
about where it says in Philippians, finally, there's
a comma there, finally brethren.
And I was away and counted to Rome
having meetings, and I stayed with an old
brethren couple.
Oh, they were good to me.
And I used to read to them every
night and expound something.
And I came to these two words, finally,
brethren.
And the old fellow interrupted.
He said, do you know what these words
mean, Mr. Mullen?
I said, well I'm always prepared to sit
at the feet of a scholar.
Would you like to tell me?
He said, yes, I love these words, finally,
brethren.
He said, you see when I got saved
I belonged to the Presbyterians.
And I found they were no good.
And I left them.
And I joined the Baptists.
And I was about to say amen whenever
he said, then I found out they were
no good.
And I left them too.
And I said, John, if you had asked
me were there no good before you joined
them, I would have told you there were
no good.
He said, then I joined the Pentecostals.
And I found out they were no good
either.
And he said, finally, brethren.
And I said, you're going to be in
bother tomorrow evening when we read the next
chapter because it says, farewell, brethren.
You've got to be very careful with the
commas.
Please be careful with the commas.
Now this is what Paul said, but I
would not have you to be ignorant.
And he puts the little word brethren in
because he is writing to believers.
He doesn't want believers to be ignorant about
something.
He says, I would not have you to
be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep.
You see, some of our loved ones have
fallen asleep in Christ.
I was away on the other side of
Ballymena at Craig's Crossroads today, laying to rest
the mortal remains of one of the greatest
saints that Ulster ever had, an old lady
called Mrs. Barclay.
She was ninety-six the other day, just
past the ninety-six mark, and then slept
away in her sleep.
It was one of these old-fashioned old
ladies who wore buttoned boots and long skirt
and an old knitted shawl, a very neat
one around her shoulders and a bonnet on
her head at all times.
And I went away to have a mission
with her thirty-five years ago, you know.
And it was a mighty mission in the
countryside.
And her and I just got on so
well together that she said, When I die,
you'll come and bury me.
And what a tribute it was.
I think I would be right in saying
there were a thousand people at her funeral.
I've never seen a bigger one.
And what's more, I think all the ministers
in the country and the priests were there.
I've never preached to as many people at
a funeral in my life.
The old dear, she had a testimony that
brought glory to the Lord.
One of the saints who had fallen asleep.
Now this is what Paul is saying, we
mustn't go too far with this.
But I would not have you to be
ignorant concerning them which are asleep, that ye
sorrow not even as others which have no
hope.
See, we lay the immortal remains in your
own grave today.
But if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, and let me tell you, if
you don't believe he died and rose again,
you're not saved at all.
It's gone to church and getting sprinkled, or
even baptized won't do.
Must have your faith in the death of
the cross, and that the Savior who died
rose again to be our living Savior.
We've got a living Savior, it's not just
bricks and mortar we have.
We've got a real Savior.
And if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus, will God bring with them.
And out of Jesus comes old Mrs. Barclay's
body arise again.
That's what I told the crowd today.
This is not the end of her, you
know.
I preached about the time when she was
without Christ.
And then about the day when she was
in Christ.
And then about the year she lived for
Christ.
And today at this moment, as we put
our remains in the grave, she's with Christ.
Oh, but he'll come again, and bring this
mortal body out, and she'll be like Christ.
Oh yes, it's a very wonderful thing, you
know.
We're not without hope, you know, no matter
what way you take it.
Watch this now.
For if we believe that Jesus died and
rose again, even so them also which sleep
in Jesus, will God bring with them.
For this we say unto you by the
word of the Lord, and that's solid enough,
that we which are alive and remain unto
the coming of the Lord, and we're talking
about we believers, remember.
He was just writing to brethren up there.
And if we're alive and remain unto the
coming of the Lord, and it can happen
now, couldn't it?
We shall not prevent them.
That old word prevents, an old, old Greek
word, which means we shall not go before
them.
We'll not get in the way, you know.
I looked into the grave today, and saw
that old coffin down there, and knew that
that old body of that old saint was
there.
And I said, Lord Jesus, if you come
now, she'll pass me by.
She rise towards me now.
I wouldn't be in the way.
I wouldn't be far from her heels as
we were going up, you know.
This is what it says.
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 go before them which are
asleep.
For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven
with a shout, with the voice of the
archangel, with the trump of God, and the
dead in Christ, and old Mrs. Barclay is
one of them, 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 shall we ever be with the
Lord.
Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
The chapter shouldn't be in there, because the
next word is but.
It's a continuation.
Now watch this.
But of the times and the seasons.
And he puts a comma in again, and
he puts the word brethren in again, because
he wants to talk to these believers about
something that's different.
But of the times and the seasons brethren,
you have no need that I write unto
you.
You see the difference.
You know they were ignorant about the Lord's
coming to the air.
Had to be taught that.
Oh, but they didn't need to be taught
about the times and the seasons.
No need that I write unto you.
He says, for yourselves know perfectly, and there's
no ignorance about that, is there?
That the day of the Lord, do you
see where we are now?
Won't you forget that now?
Because we're not looking into the sky now,
we're not looking at the rapture at all.
Ah, that'll take place.
Some of the saints didn't know about it,
about the Lord coming and taking the saints
up.
Oh, but the day of the Lord, you
know, these saints who read the Old Testament,
they knew perfectly.
We'll see that in a moment.
He says, you know, it'll come like a
thief in the night for this world.
And when they say peace and safety, are
you in trouble?
Car blocking two cars down at Graftons.
B.I.B. 8410, Hillman.
Look at this.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night.
Now please follow me here.
He's talking to these brethren.
You have no need that I write unto
you.
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of
the Lord so cometh as a thief in
the night.
Now watch this, he's changing it.
For when they...
Oh, he's away to another crowd now.
When they shall say peace and safety.
Because there's a crowd down on this world
tonight and they're talking about peace and safety.
And I've never known so much money to
be given away to boys making peace and
we never had a day of it yet.
Not a day of it have we had.
They're giving money all round, these peace prizes.
When they shall say peace and safety.
Watch this.
Then, then, then, sudden destruction cometh upon them.
That's what we were talking about.
As trevail upon a woman with child, and
they shall not escape.
Oh, there's a company on this world with
us tonight, you know.
And if the Lord Jesus took us out
now, they would never escape.
They haven't the ghost of a chance.
I want you to get that.
Then he comes back to the believers.
But ye, but ye, brethren, are not in
darkness.
That that day should overtake you is a
thing that's got nothing to do with you.
Ye are all the children of light and
the children of the day.
We are not of the night nor of
darkness.
Therefore let us not sleep as do others.
Let us watch and be sober.
For they that sleep, sleep in the night.
But they that be drunken are drunken in
the night.
But let us who are of the day
be sober.
Putting on the breastplate of faith and love
and for an helmet of hope of salvation.
You know, we've got a hope of getting
out of this.
Professor Queen said to me not long ago.
He said, don't worry, you'll never get out
of this alive.
Ha ha, I said, don't you let me
know how ignorant you are.
I make just you know.
I'll tell you this, Professor.
If the Lord Jesus came to the air
now, I would get out, but you wouldn't.
See you on, say it friends that's with
us.
Bless you for coming.
If the Lord Jesus came now, see all
these believers.
We go through that roof.
I don't know how you go through it,
but you go through it.
And you rise to meet the Lord in
the air.
And the boys that are left behind here,
you're finished.
You'd be damned.
Now, watch this again very carefully.
But let us who are of the day
be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith
and love and for an helmet the hope
of salvation.
For God hath not appointed us to wrath.
That's it.
They're not appointed to wrath.
You see this thing is coming upon the
earth.
Well, we're going to see what it is
in a moment.
All this burning, all this upsetting.
I'll tell you what it is.
It's the wrath of God.
We are not appointed on the wrath.
Our Lord Jesus went to Calvary and he
became the sacrifice to deliver us from the
wrath to come.
Oh, we can't go on to that.
God can't punish him and then hit me.
Not a bit of it.
Now, friend, I think you can see this,
can't you?
Because that's a consolational answer.
We're not appointed.
Go to the first chapter of Thessalonians 3,
you see.
First chapter of Thessalonians.
Paul reminds them of the time when he
came preaching the gospel.
It says in verse 5, For our gospel
came not unto you in word only, but
also in power.
That's the way Paul preached, in power.
And then it says here, at verse 9,
in the middle of the verse, How ye
turned to God from idols to serve the
living and through God.
You know, when the gospel came, these people
turned to God.
Watch this.
And to wait for his Son from heaven,
whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus.
Now watch this bit.
Which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Is that right?
Oh, yes, it's right.
See this, it's coming upon this old earth
of ours.
See all this burning.
We're not here.
No, the church can't be here because three
quarters of it's home.
Our Lord Jesus has promised, I'll keep you
from the day that's going to test the
whole world.
Now we'll gather ourselves together unto him.
Listen friends, we are going out of this
world before this takes place.
Now I want you to get this bit.
Let's go to the book of Revelation again,
where we were at chapter 6, because I
just missed a bit out because I wanted
to.
Revelation 6, and we saw the four horsemen
at the beginning of the chapter.
And then we saw this great sign, the
sun and the moon and the stars, because
that's the sign our Lord Jesus gave us.
And it says at verse 12, And I
beheld when he had opened the sixth seal,
and, oh, there was a great earthquake, and
the sun became black as sackcloth of hair,
and the moon became as blood, and the
stars of heaven fell onto the earth.
Verse 14, And the heaven departed as a
scroll when it was rolled together, and every
mountain and island were moved out of their
places.
A hundred years ago when they were expounding
this book, the greatest expositors in the world
were afraid to say that mountains could be
moved literally.
Now we know they can.
The scientist at Queens told me not long
ago, we can drop a bomb on this
island and put it off the map forever.
This is only a small island.
Islands will be moved out of their places.
And I want you to see what's going
to happen to folks when this is happening.
See verse 15, And the kings of the
earth, there is a nest of kings.
Sometimes I wonder, will our lovely queen be
there?
Then she has no more loyal subject than
your pastor, because I think she's a great
queen.
Not so taken in with her sister, of
course.
But she might be there if she's not
said she will.
And the kings of the earth, and the
great men, and the rich men, and the
chief captains, and the mighty men, and every
bondman and every free man hid themselves in
the dens and in the rocks of the
mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks,
Fall on us and hide us from the
face of him that sitteth on the throne,
from the wrath of the Lamb for the
great day of his wrath has come.
Ah, I can find the kings, and the
rich men, and the bondmen, and the free
men, and all the rest, but I can't
find the church.
Sure I can't.
I know they're not there.
She's not there.
I can find that.
I'll tell you what more I can find.
Come away back with me into the Old
Testament, and I mustn't just get into this
too much, because we can get lost here.
Come to Ezekiel for a moment, and we're
at the 32nd chapter of Ezekiel.
Remember when we were taking extracts out of
Ezekiel.
Now read this, and don't let me comment
on it at all, do you see?
Ezekiel 32, verse 1, Came to pass on
the twelfth year, in the twelfth month, in
the first day of the month, that the
word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
Son of man, take up a lamentation for
Pharaoh, king of Egypt, wants you to watch
Egypt tonight.
Sadat thinks that everything's going well in the
garden just now.
And say unto him, Thou art like a
young lion of the nations, and thou art
as a whale in the seas, and thou
camest forth with thy rivers, and troublest the
waters with thy feet, and foulest the rivers.
Thus says the Lord God, I will therefore
spread out my net over thee with the
company of many people.
There's a cloud coming against this land.
And they shall bring thee up in my
net, and I will leave thee upon the
land, and I will cast thee forth upon
the open field, and will cause all the
fowls of the heaven to remain upon thee,
and I will fill the beasts of the
whole earth with thee.
And I will lay thy flesh upon the
mountains, and fill the valleys with thy height.
And the word of God before me says,
Fill the valleys with thy soldiers.
And I will also water with thy blood
the land wherein thou swimmest, even to the
mountains, and the rivers shall be full of
thee.
And when I shall put thee out, and
the translation before me says, When I shall
blot thee out, I will cover the heaven,
make the stars thereof dark, I will cover
the sun with a cloud, and the moon
shall not give her light.
Is it the same sign I'm telling you?
Don't tell me there are two or three
days like this, because you can't tell me
that.
Because the Lord Jesus says there's only one
day like that.
I'll tell you it's just along a little
bit there.
And the kings of the earth and the
great men, I can find them for you.
I can find Egypt.
I can find Israel, if you like.
They'll be there too.
But you'll search for a long time before
you find the church.
The church was never appointed unto wrath.
Not on your life.
One, two, three.
Have a look at the book of Joel,
just for a moment.
Hosea, Hosea, Joel.
Just until you see how it fits in.
And you can go on after that with
all the Old Testament scriptures.
And they'll show you this day of wrath.
It's right there.
Not only in Isaiah, but in Jeremiah, Ezekiel,
Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, and
so on.
This is Joel.
Just watch it now.
Have a look at the second chapter.
Blow ye the trumpet in Zion.
Sound an alarm in my holy mountain.
Let all the inhabitants of The Land.
And it should be capital T and capital
L.
It's talking about Palestine.
Because it's a Jewish prophet, you know.
Who do you think he was talking to?
For the day of the Lord cometh.
That's not the rapture.
Because the boys were ignorant about the rapture.
But they knew everything about the day of
the Lord.
Because this is where they had learned it
in these scriptures.
A day of darkness and of gloominess.
A day of clouds and of thick darkness.
As the morning spread upon the mountains.
The great people and the strong.
Watch this.
There hath not been ever the like.
Neither shall be any more after it.
It's the same saying.
I don't know how you miss it.
It's the same saying.
And you know, this day is going to
be so terrible.
It says, verse 10.
The earth shall quake before them.
The heavens shall tremble.
The sun and the moon shall be dark.
And the stars shall withdraw their shining.
Shining, is it the same sign?
Oh yes, Israel will be there.
I can find Israel.
Go back to the book of Revelation just
for a moment.
I want you to get this properly.
Go back to those chapters 5 and 6.
4 and 5 rather.
Don't think we need to touch 4.
You'll find the Lamb is in heaven.
And you'll find in chapter 5, that the
Lamb is before the throne.
See verse 6.
And I beheld, and lo in the midst
of the throne, and the four beasts, and
the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb
as it had been slain.
And he came and took the book out
of the right hand of him that sat
upon the throne.
And when he had taken the book, the
four beasts and four and twenty elders fell
down before the Lamb, having every one of
them hearts and golden vials full of orders,
which are the prayers of the saints.
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou
art worthy to take the book, and to
open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain.
Now watch this little bit.
And hast redeemed us, the boys that are
singing, to God by thy blood, out of
every kindred and tongue and people and nation.
You see the whole church in heaven, do
you?
Well that's long before chapter 6.
Chapter 6 comes after that, doesn't it?
Surely he's only taken the book.
The book's not opened at all yet.
No, we'll be in heaven when he opens
the book.
The answer is quite clear.
That's a pictorial answer, isn't it?
A positional answer.
I think you've got all these answers.
There's a logical one.
It's impossible.
There's a verbal one.
There's a translational one.
There's a consolational one.
You can work them out.
I've worked them out for you.
I think that's good enough.
We'll not sing any more.
Let's bow together before the Lord.
Lord, we come to thy footstool.
We come to thank thee for coming to
this earth and dying for us.
We thank thee, Lord, that the day we
had the gospel in power, we turned to
God from idols.
And tonight we're waiting, waiting for thee to
come from heaven to deliver us from the
wrath to come.
Lord, we thank thee that the book declares
we are not appointed unto wrath.
We're appointed unto salvation in all its perfect
fullness by thy coming again.
Lord, if there's somebody here and they're not
saved and they can see clearly that thou
wilt come one of these moments, Lord, help
them to flee tonight from the wrath to
come.
Part us now in thy fear and with
thy blessing.
Take us to our homes in safety.
Bless our little province for thy name's sake.
Amen.