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Ready or Not, Here He Comes! - Matthew 24:29-31

Taught on | Topic: Jesus' Return | Keywords: Jesus' Return, end times, tribulation, second coming,

Children love to play games. One of those games is Hide and Seek where a child, after counting to ten, will call out to his friends, "Ready or not, here I come!" One day, after a time of intense distress, Jesus will return to the earth for the second time and many will not be ready for it. Those who survive and are ready will be gathered together with the rest of God's people to be ushered into God's eternal Kingdom. Are you ready or not?

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9/24/2006
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Ready or Not, Here He Comes!
Matthew 24:29-31
Skip Heitzig
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Children love to play games. One of those games is Hide and Seek where a child, after counting to ten, will call out to his friends, "Ready or not, here I come!" One day, after a time of intense distress, Jesus will return to the earth for the second time and many will not be ready for it. Those who survive and are ready will be gathered together with the rest of God's people to be ushered into God's eternal Kingdom. Are you ready or not?
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Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace

Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace

For 2,000 years the church has awaited the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. For 2,000 years men have tried to predict the exact moment of His return. Though no man knows the exact hour or even the day He will come back, there are signs to indicate His coming is near. In the teaching series Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace, Skip Heitzig thoroughly expounds upon Matthew 24, explaining prophecy of what must take place and encouraging the church to always be ready.

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I. The Chronology of Events
A. After Great Tribulation
B. After Celestial Turbulence

II. The Coming of Christ
A. With Mourners on Earth
B. With Clouds of Heaven
C. With Power and Glory

III. The Congregation of the Elect
A. God's Angels Sent
B. God's People Summoned

MAKE IT PERSONAL:
1. Learn to view your world through the lens of the biblical writers. What indications can you see that time is short?
2. Why do you think Jesus spoke so much about hell in His earthly ministry? What does His crucifixion have to do with it? How could this truth motivate you in sharing the gospel?
3. Memorize 2 Peter 3:11 this week. Make sure personal holiness is increasing and not decreasing!

Topic: Jesus' Return

Keywords: Jesus' Return, end times, tribulation, second coming,

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Ready or Not, Here He Comes!

[MUSIC PLAYING]

Would you join me for a word of prayer? Lord, this is time we've set aside for You to speak to us through Your word. There's something special when we gather like this together corporately, and we allow the spirit of the living God to move through the word of God and touch the hearts of the people of God.

So we're open and we are ready to receive what the spirit would teach us. And we're ready to respond to the principles we learn about. In Jesus' name, amen.

Try to imagine a world without war. Imagine a world of perfect peace, absolute utopia, where there's no Homeland Security, no colors of yellow, orange, to red. None of that threat at all. Try to imagine a world where every decision is perfectly just, absolutely fair, every adjudication is pure righteousness.

Try to imagine a world that is governed by a perfect mind. One perfect mind. Try to imagine a world where all of the politicians in charge are saints. You got to use your imagination on this one. Try to imagine a world where the longevity of man on Earth is such that if a person dies at age 100, he's said to have died as a child.

Try to imagine a world where it's so safe that children can play with snakes in snake pits and the snakes are safe. And where the children are safe. Try to imagine a world where the food is so plentiful on planet Earth, even though the Earth is very populated, full of people.

Well, that's a world the Bible describes will one day happen. But in hearing that description, you've got to admit that before we could get to that kind of a world, we would need some radical changes. We would need an extreme makeover on planet Earth. The Bible also says that's coming as well.

There were two men from the South Pacific who were visiting the United States. It was their first time to a big city ever. They'd never seen this many cars or billboards or flashing lights. They'd never seen tall buildings. So everywhere they looked, their jaws dropped. They were amazed.

And they were really amazed when they walked into the lobby of a large hotel and they saw something that blew their minds. They saw these huge metal doors slide sideways. And into this box walked two large elderly women. And the doors closed behind them. And they looked, and they saw the dial above the doors sweep all the way to the right and sweep all the way back to the left. And after a few minutes those doors opened again, and out walked two young, gorgeous women. Their eyes got big and one looked at the other and said, oh, man. We've got to bring our wives here to ride in that machine.

Well, I've been looking in the mirror lately. I need to ride in that machine. But for the world to get to that point, the great physician has to come back and do some radical surgery. Like the wrath of God poured out on the Earth, we have already seen in our studies. And that judgment of the tribulation occur. And then finally, He will set up His kingdom when He comes.

And we've now come in our studies in Matthew 24 to the ultimate culminating event of all of history, the second coming of Christ. We read about it beginning in verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from Heaven, the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven and then all the tribes of the Earth will mourn. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. They will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other.

This is it. This is the coming the disciples asked about, and now Jesus unfolds before them. And it is this event that so many of the great songs, hymns of the Church, have been composed about, because every Christian of every age knows this is the ultimate event for planet Earth.

For instance, Julia Ward Howe, during the Civil War, she looked out one morning and she saw the bodies of slain men out on the battlefield. She thought of Revelation chapter 19. And she composed a song based on what she saw. But in mind, the second coming of Christ. It's called the Battle Hymn of the Republic.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. He's trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored. He has loosed the fateful lightning of his terrible, swift sword. His truth is marching on. Or, Joy to the World. Isaac Watts wrote that song. Had nothing to do with Christmas when he wrote it. Had everything to do with the second coming of Christ. Joy to the World, the Lord is come, let Earth receive her King.

And that second verse. He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of his righteousness. Another song, How Great Thou Art. All based on the second coming of Christ. Stuart Klein wrote that one. When Christ shall come with shouts of acclamation and take me home, what joy will fill my heart.

Frankly, I think we ought to write more songs about it. I love what C.S. Lewis once said. He said it's, because Christians have ceased to think of the coming world that they've become so ineffective in this one. And you know why so many Christians throughout the ages have written so many songs about it? It's because in the Old Testament alone, there are 1,800 references to it.

17 Old Testament books have a major thread running through them, that focus on the reign of Christ when he comes the second time. In the New Testament, there are 27 books, and 23 out of those 27 highlight and emphasize Christ's second coming. 300 verses altogether in the New Testament. That's one out of every 30 verses. One out of every 30 verses speak to the second coming of Christ.

Let me frame that for you a little bit more. For every one verse that the Bible mentions the first coming of Christ, the Bible mentions the second coming eight times. For every one time the Bible speaks about the atonement of Jesus through his blood, the Bible speaks of the second coming twice.

That's how prominent it is. Jesus referred to his coming 21 times, and 50 times, the Bible tells us to be ready for that event. So ready or not, here he comes. And in these verses today, verse 29, 30, and 31, we have a few things that bring us up to this event.

First thing I want you to notice is the chronology of the events. You notice the first two words in verse 29, immediately after. It says, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from Heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.

Immediately is a word of time. Eutheos is the Greek word. It means just after. Just after. Now remember, the disciples asked a question about time. They said Lord, tell us when will these things be? And what is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

So Jesus gave them an answer. A very long one. They thought he wasn't going to do any-- he tells them about signs and what's going to happen. And then he gives them a time indicator in verse 15. When you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet standing in the Holy Place let whoever reads understand.

Well, that's a time indicator, because Daniel says in chapter nine of his prophecy that in the middle of that last seven-year period, he calls the final week, right in the middle of that, the abomination of desolation will take place. Then notice this. Back in verse 19, Jesus says, woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days. Verse 21, for then, there will be great tribulation such has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, nor ever shall be.

And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved, but for the elect sake, those days will be shortened. Now look at verse 29. Immediately after the tribulation of those days. So verse 29 moves us chronologically to the end of that seven-year period Daniel predicted and John later predicted, or 3 and 1/2 years after verse 15, the abomination of desolation. Or to be precise, 1,260 days after that day is this day, the second coming.

Now, I know that Bible teachers, Bible scholars all have different takes on how the end time events are going to come down. But I'd like to give you what I think, what I believe, is a biblical chronology of events. Though I realize not everybody holds the same viewpoint of the end times, here's what I would consider a good biblical chronology.

First of all, the rapture of the church. We've spoken about that. It's the catching away of the saints into Heaven. And at the rapture of the church, Jesus Christ, who is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, arises from that position and moves toward the Earth somewhere in the outer atmosphere. And the people who are on the Earth at that time get caught up, 1 Thessalonians 4 tells us, to meet the Lord in the air. And so show we ever be with Him.

Now when Jesus does that, when he comes back toward the Earth in the atmosphere, he brings with him the souls of all of those Christians who have died up until that point and he brings them with him. Why does he do that? To resurrect their bodies.

Remember 1 Thessalonians 4 speaking about that event? The dead in Christ shall rise first. See, there has yet not been a physical resurrection for those who have died in Christ. There will be at the rapture. That's where their body is reconstituted. And Paul speaks all about that, 1 Corinthians chapter 15.

Remember, it's the great chapter of the Resurrection. He says, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, we shall all be changed. It will happen at that event. Just like the two men looked at the elevator and said, we got to bring our wives to ride in that machine. We're all going to ride in that machine, the Resurrection machine. We'll all be physically changed.

Second, on the Earth, a leader will arise who will form a 10 nation confederacy. He's going to sign a covenant with Israel for seven years, Daniel chapter 9 verse 27 tells us. He's going to break that deal right in the middle of that time period, Daniel 9:27. Also says that in verse 15 of Matthew 24. So that's going to happen.

When he does that, he moves his headquarters to Jerusalem. And he gains power very, very quickly. Economic power, military power, and spiritual power, because he demands worship. He demands everybody take an economic mark if they want to have any kind of trade, any kind of buying or selling. So that will be taking place on the Earth.

Now, pause the button for just a moment. Every now and then, I hear people say, yeah, you know, all this rapture and tribulation and abomination, all this chronology that you dispensationalists dish out is sort of a new invention. The early church never believed it. Historically, the church never believed it. And this is all a recent invention in the last 100, 150 years, is dispensationalism has risen and people follow the teachings of John Nelson Darby.

I don't if you've ever heard that. But if you have, I'm here to tell you it's not true. It's not true because if you go way back to the apostle John, he discipled a guy by the name of Polycarp, who became the leader, the bishop at Smyrna. Polycarp discipled a guy by the name of Irenaeus.

So we're going way, way back. And Irenaeus wrote these words. When the Antichrist shall have devastated all things in this world, he will reign for three years and six months and sit in the temple at Jerusalem. And then the Lord will come from Heaven in clouds and in the glory of the Father.

Here's a guy, almost all the way back to the time of John, who writes this chronology. So it has roots way back in church history. So rapture of the church, Anti-Christ leader arises, abomination of desolation. The third event during that time is God sends great tribulation to the Earth, verse 21 of Matthew 24 tells us. The worst period in human history.

Now, while all of that is happening on the Earth, what's happening up in Heaven with these resurrected Christians, these resurrected saints? Well, perhaps what is happening is, number one, what Revelation calls the marriage supper of the lamb, where there's this huge reunion, gathering, feast. And perhaps, and most probably, during that time in Heaven is when we stand before the judgment seat of Christ as Christians to receive rewards, not punishment.

You see, we're never going to be punished for our sins. If you're in Christ, all of that happened at the cross. But in 2 Corinthians in chapter 5 verse 10, Paul says, we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

So you'll be rewarded for the faithful use of your gifts, talents, and time while on the Earth. That's the judgment seat of Christ. Number four, at the end of that period, the nations gather together in a huge Middle Eastern valley called the Valley of Jezreel, also known as Esdraelon, also known as Armageddon.

It's a huge battlefield. And for centuries, all the back to Moses, the pharaoh of Egypt, all the way back to Antiochus, all the way back to-- several battles have been fought on that battlefield. Armies gather together and turn toward Jerusalem to attack. When they do, Jesus Christ comes, shows up in Heaven, comes to the Earth, defeats the enemies, receives the worship of the nation of Israel, becomes their King, their ruler, and establishes his Earthly kingdom.

And that's not the end, because after that is 1,000 years on Earth of a renovated Earth, a reconstructed Earth. 1,000 years called the Millennial Kingdom. And it's not even over yet. In fact, it's just beginning, because after the 1,000 years on the Earth is what we call the eternal state, where there's a new Heaven and a new Earth and a new city called New Jerusalem.

Revelation 21, it's wild. It pictures this huge 1,500-mile cube. Imagine a cube, a square, 1,500 miles in every direction. And it comes out of Heaven toward the Earth and hovers over the Earth, like a moon, like a satellite. It's wild. You'll see it one day. You'll be there one day. So that's briefly a thumbnail sketch of the chronology of these things.

Now look at our verse again. After the tribulation of those days, the sun will be dark and the moon will not give its light. The stars will fall from Heaven and the powers of the heaven will be shaken. There's just too many verses to look up all this stuff. Prophets like Isaiah, Amos, Ezekiel, and others, as well as New Testament authors Peter, John, Paul, all speak about the very last days on the Earth will be days of great catastrophic destruction, cataclysmic change.

The Bible speaks about it a lot. But there's a verse that came to my mind this week as I was studying this. It's in Colossians chapter one. It's the 17th verse of that chapter. Speaks about Jesus Christ. It says, he is before all things, and in him, all things consist. Better word, cohere, or they're held tightly together.

For years, physicists, scientists have discussed what holds matter together. You've got matter composed of rapidly moving particles. Some are negatively, some are positively charged. What keeps that perfect balance so that it doesn't all explode? And there's been a lot of debate about that. And I don't want to sound over simplistic, but we already know the answer to that. The super glue of the universe is Jesus Christ himself, who holds all things together.

But what if he decided to let go? What if the one who holds all things together just went like this. And I say that because, in Colossians chapter one, verse 17, where it says, in him all things consist, it's in the perfect. It's present active indicative. It's literally, he is right now continuing to hold all things together, which implies there's going to come a day where he'll stop.

And Peter writes this. The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise. The elements will melt with fervent heat. And both the Earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Now, did you know that before this century, the prevailing cosmology among the scientific community was called the steady state theory. The steady state theory said our universe had no beginning, and it continues to be and will forever be eternal.

But then scientists started studying things like the universe and we noticed some things. We noticed, for instance, that the sun, the radiation given off by the sun, is produced by the sun losing part of its mass. Did you know that every second, 4,200,000 tons of mass are lost from the sun? That's what gives us the radiation we enjoy. But only 1/200 of that mass is recovered by the sun.

So what does that mean? It means that one day it's going to burn out. It's going to end. It's like a light bulb. The filament's going to go. One day, it will be kaput. Over. Which means, if it has an end, it had a beginning. Now, we already knew that, right? We've read the Bible. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.

So millions of dollars and years of research and scientists say the universe had a beginning. And we're going, duh. And they say, the universe will have an end. We go, yeah. Robert Jastrow, a scientist with NASA, wrote these words. For the scientists who has lived by faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance. He's about to conquer the highest peak. And as he pulls himself over the rock, he's greeted by a band of theologians who've been sitting there for centuries.

Hi, guys. Glad you finally caught up with us all. So the universe had a beginning. Jesus here says this world will have an end. Isaiah said the Earth's going to topple like a drunk man. The powers of the heavens will be shaken. And we know from reading Revelation that all sorts of cataclysmic events are going to happen.

Did you know, toward the end of the tribulation period in Revelation 16, it even says great hailstones weighing 125 pounds come out of Heaven and hit the Earth? Imagine a huge block of ice weighing 125 pounds coming at you. You think, why? Why? Well, read the Old Testament. You know what the punishment is for blasphemy. Stoning. It's as if God is careening the Earth, stoning men for their blasphemy and their rejection for so long.

The power of the heavens, Jesus said, will be shaken, which brings us to the second slice of this message. And that is the coming of Christ, the ultimate sign, verse 30. Then the sign of the Son of Man-- remember the Pharisees used to say, we demand a sign? Here's the ultimate one. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in Heaven. Then all the tribes of the Earth will mourn and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and with great glory.

Now, what sign will that be? What is the sign that Jesus is speaking about in that verse? And I ask the question because when Jesus came the first time, there was a sign in the heavens that revealed that he was here. It was what? It was a star. Some astronomical wonder that people in Persia could pick up on. Iranians picked up on. They saw it.

And some people think that perhaps another similar star-like structure, event, whatever, is going to happen. That will be the sign. Others think, like John Chrysostom, hundreds of years ago, said that God will show a cross blazing in the sky that everybody will see. Still others believe that this is going to be the Shekinah glory from the Old Testament appearing in the heavens.

Now, think about that. Remember in the Old Testament, there was that tabernacle in the wilderness. And there was a visible, almost palpable, presence of God the Hebrews called the Shekinah, the abiding presence of God. It was a luminous cloud over the tabernacle. It was over the temple for a while, until Ezekiel one day saw that glory leave toward the east, never to return again.

When Jesus came the first time, he came concealing that glory. He could walk down the street. He didn't have a halo on. I know the pictures say he do, but he just walked down the street. He had all of Deity in bodily form, but it was veiled. Could be that at this coming, all of the Shekinah presence of God will accompany Jesus. We're not sure.

In fact, it could be as simple as, the sign is him, period. The sign, which is the coming of Christ in the heavens. But notice this. The tribes of the Earth will mourn. I doesn't sound like a happy event. Doesn't sound like a happy event for people on this Earth. They're going to be in shock. They're going to mourn. And the original word speaks of beating one's breast in anguish. They're going to mourn.

There used to be a little children's poem, gentle Jesus meek and mild, look upon this little child. Well, that was his first coming. Gentle Jesus, meek and mild. This is different. This is giant Jesus, mighty and riled. There he is . Oh, they mourn. Now, what does it mean, the tribes of the Earth? Well, it could mean everyone everywhere. Or, since the word for Earth is gaes, taes, gaes, in the Greek, and we get our prefix geo-, geography, geology, which speaks of land. And in the original, it speaks of a particular land.

Some think that the tribes of the Earth is the tribes of the land of Israel. That the 12 tribes of Israel, all of the Jews living in Israel, will suddenly realize Jesus is the Messiah. They were right all of this time. We've been wrong all of this time. And there will be a national mourning.

And that's not far off base, because Zechariah chapter 12 says, I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem the spirit of grace and supplication, and they will look on me whom they have pierced. And they will mourn as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for him as one who grieves for a first born.

And the very next chapter of Zechariah tells us why. Zechariah 13, and they will say to me, what are the meaning of these wounds in your hands? And I will say to them, these are the wounds I received in the house of my friends. It's as if they notice he's the crucified one. And it's like a big oops and a mourning.

Now, some think that when the people at Jerusalem look up and see Jesus at that time, that instantly they're all going to convert and trust him. That's because it says in Romans chapter 11, Paul says all of Israel will be saved. Maybe that means at the time every Jew who sees that is going to go, Lord, I receive you as my Savior. Isn't that a wonderful thought? That'd be wonderful if that would happen.

But one day the world will be surprised as Jesus comes. He comes back permanently this time to rule and reign. I heard about a church and it was located on a main road right on a highway. And you know how trucks go back and forth and they play their CB radios, they talk back and forth.

Well, because of the location of this church to the main road, oftentimes right in the middle of a Sunday morning worship service, the frequencies from the PAs of the truckers, the CB radios, would be broadcast through the loudspeakers in the church. If you've ever heard truckers talk, it could be very colorful church service.

On one particular Sunday as the pastor bowed his head, he prayed, Lord, we pray that you'd meet us here and that you'd meet every need. As soon as he prayed that, he heard over the loudspeaker, 10-4, 10-4, I'll be right down. Can you imagine that? 10-4. Whoa. It's the Lord.

So think of all the jokes people have made about your Christ. Think about all of the times you've heard people take God's name in vain. Think of all of the high brow comments from armchair quarterback people who look at the church and they tout what they say about God. And they demean Him and they disdain Him. And then one day, they look up and they go, oh, no.

Now, here's my question. Will some of you be among them? Could it be that some here, you've heard sermon after sermon. You've been to churches. In fact, you've gotten so good at hearing the gospel and turning it off and building a wall around you where it doesn't penetrate, you're just good at rejecting Christ. How many sermons will you reject before you surrender to Him?

The sad truth might be none. You could hear all of them and it's like you've heard none of them. But some will be present that day who will be part of the Earth that will mourn when he returns. Says they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of Heaven with power and with great glory.

Now, I've seen artists' renditions of this. I bet you have, too. Paintings where Jesus comes on the white steed and around him are huge, puffy, white cumulus clouds, right? Maybe that's what it means. He's coming in those beautiful billowy clouds we see here dotting the summer sky.

And that's possible because remember when Jesus left the earth and the disciples were watching? It says a cloud received him out of their sight. And remember what the angel said who was there? Here's the disciples going, and the angel said, men of Galilee, what are you doing gazing up into Heaven? Don't you know the same Jesus who left will come again in like manner as you have seen him go into Heaven?

Well, how did he leave? He left visibly, physically, in clouds, from the Mount of Olives. How is he coming back? Visibly, physically, in clouds, to the Mount of Olives. So it could just mean that. He's going to come with big clouds.

Here's another possibility. Could it be that the clouds referred to here are you? Clouds of people. You know, the people who lived down at the Qumran community in the Dead Sea, the Essenes, when they read the prophets like Isaiah and Amos and Ezekiel, and it talked about God coming back to the Earth in clouds, they always saw it as angels. Maybe that's it. But could it be you?

Because it says in Hebrews, we're surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses. And what's a cloud of witnesses? It's a whole bunch of people, right? People who have exemplified their faith and we're looking at them. So it could be that the cloud is what John sees in Revelation. He sees the armies in Heaven and they're laden, they're clad in a linen garment, clean and white. And the cloud is you coming back with him.

Doesn't matter. I don't know exactly what is the right interpretation. I do know this, though. When Jesus comes back, we're coming with him. OK. You know what that means? You're going to see all of this that we've been reading about. You'll have the best seat in the house, all right, from a bird's eye view.

If you ever go to Disneyland, this is the only thing I can compare it to. It's a bad comparison. But there's a ride in California Adventure called Soarin' Over California. They put you in a simulated hang glider. And before you is a screen, and they show you scenes of Napa Valley and the Golden Gate Bridge and the desert. And they even throw in some aromatic smell of orange blossom, so you're going through the groves, the orange groves of Southern California, you smell the waft of the orange blossoms.

It's like, wow, I'm getting this great view of this state. You're going to get, one day, the ultimate tour of Israel, and your guide will be Jesus Christ. You're coming back with him to the Earth in the same clouds that Jesus comes back. So it's pretty evident we're seeing a very different Jesus here than the world saw when he came the first time.

First time he came as a baby in a manger. This time he's coming as the king to rule. The first time he came despised and rejected. The second time he's coming, every knee will bow. Every tongue will confess. The first time he came, he came as a sacrificial lamb. The second time he comes, he'll be as the lion, roaring to take over the Earth. Very, very different.

By the way, when he does that, every prayer you've ever prayed, when you pray the Lord's Prayer at the end, will come true. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in Heaven. That's never happened yet, but it will. His kingdom will come. His will will be done.

Let's look at the last verse quickly. This is the third slice of it, and that's the congregation of the elect. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet. And He will gather together his elect, from the four winds, from one end of Heaven to the other.

In the Old Testament, children of Israel blew this little horn, a ram's horn, trumpet. And they blew it for different things, when a king was inaugurated, when the feast day started. When the children of Israel were gathered together to march for battle, the trumpet sounded. And it was a signal for them to do something.

Well, at that time, all of the ungodly will have been punished. All the elect will be gathered. Question is, who's the elect? And I almost said, well, I'm not going to tell you. But I'm going to tell you. Who's the elect? It all depends which verse you read. Some versus, the elect refers to the nation of Israel. Some versus, the elected refers to any Christian, any believer in Christ as part of the elect.

This is what I think it is. The elect, I think here, is all of God's people, Jew, Gentile, from the first convert to the very last. Because it's from one end of Heaven to the other. It's like, at that time, this is the end of all human history on the Earth, this is right before the Millennium Kingdom. And he gathers everyone together for a huge family reunion and on into the millennial reign of Christ.

I think this verse goes along perfectly with Revelation chapter 20 verse four, then I saw thrones and people sitting on them that had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony about Jesus, for proclaiming the word of God. And I saw the souls of those who had not worshipped the beast, nor his statue, nor accepted his mark on their forehead or on their hands. They came to life again and they reigned with Christ for 1,000 years.

So here's Jesus coming to the Earth. An awful event for those who have rejected him. A wonderful reunion for those who have accepted him. I've met, over the years, many wonderful believers. And I look at them and I spend some hours or days, sometimes in foreign countries, and I think, you know what? I may never see you again on this Earth, but we're going to be reunited. I get to spend forever with you.

This doesn't appeal to everybody. OK, let's be honest. There's some people we meet and they're Christians or they say they are, and you think, I got to spend forever with you? That doesn't sound like Heaven. And I've met some who even, on this Earth, haven't been able to get along with them, but I'm going to spend forever. But it's going to be OK because we're all going to ride in that machine, right?

We're all going to be changed physically, emotionally, and in such a reconstituted state, that it is going to be a wonderful reunion. Speaking of elevators, a little boy was in the elevator in the Empire State Building with his dad in New York City. And he'd never been in a place like this before. He's 10 years old. The elevator started moving up, up, and he saw the floors flash, 10, 20, 30, 40. His eyes are getting bigger. 50, 60. Now, he's getting concerned. 70. And he turns to his dad, and he goes, Daddy, does God know we're coming?

The truth is, God knows if you're coming. Bible says God knows all those who are His. Do you know He's coming? Are you ready for His coming? Because ready or not, He's coming.

Heavenly Father, until that day, we're told to be ready for it. And I pray that every single person who's hearing this message in this room this morning, gathered with us, or those who would be listening by radio, will have made the necessary preparations by their lives being surrendered willingly to the loving Lord Jesus Christ, who paid the penalty for sin and purchased a ticket to the ultimate adventure called Heaven.

Where we're reading about it, one day we'll be living it. Lord, make us excited as we think about this and motivated to share with other people. And we pray, Lord, if anyone here this morning doesn't know you yet, that it would be a time not of rejecting, but a time of receiving. In Christ's name, amen.

Additional Messages in this Series

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7/23/2006
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Rumblings of War and the Prince of Peace
Matthew 24:1-3
Skip Heitzig
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When you hear of wars and rumors of war what do you think of? When you see TV news of images of the horrors of evil what do you think? Most of us turn to others for comfort and others turn to the bible for answers but the real question is do you believe in your heart that God is your Father? Matthew tells us of the concerns of the disciples as they heard of Jesus speaking of the end times. The disciples are much like you and I for they asked Jesus and He told them plainly but did they really believe? So are you hearing and believing or are you believing what you think you want to hear? Think about it.
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7/30/2006
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Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
Matthew 24:3-5
Skip Heitzig
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Do you believe signs when you see them? Do you know how to read signs when they are given to you? Jesus, in Matthew 24 tells of His return and the signs we are to look for. If we have a different understanding other than what the bible says then we may miss the greatest happening of all time and be left behind.., the return of Jesus. So, will you read the signs and seek to understand, or will you simply dismiss them and interpret your own signs.
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8/6/2006
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Why We Can't All Just Get Along
Matthew 24:6-8
Skip Heitzig
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War has always been a part of the regular life of humanity since our beginning. So what makes war a sign that Jesus' return is near? And more importantly, why can't people around the world get along? Why is it that strife, conflict, rivalry, and fighting have so marred God's highest creation? Where will it lead and how can we cope?
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8/13/2006
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When Faith Turns Fatal
Matthew 24:9-11
Skip Heitzig
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The Bible extols the benefits of faith. Faith justifies the sinner, appropriates God's promises for the believer and will bring us into eternal joy. But faith can also be fatal - there are consequences to believing! Faith in God brings us into direct opposition with Satan's worldly system and incurs the wrath and opposition of unbelievers and false believers. What will it be like for those who trust Christ just before His Second Coming?
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8/20/2006
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Big Mess; Bigger Message
Matthew 24:12-14
Skip Heitzig
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Whenever there's a mess, a messenger with a message is needed. God has always worked that way. In ancient Israel he sent prophets to herald truth to a recalcitrant nation. In church history God raised up evangelists to proclaim the gospel to sin-hardened and cynical generations. The future Tribulation will be the biggest mess ever, yet God will still have his message heard! Lets notice four human conditions that will prevail in the future of earth's most severe time.
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8/27/2006
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God's House Vandalized!
Matthew 24:15
Skip Heitzig
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This single verse is pivotal in understanding prophecy. It highlights something that is both historic as well as prophetic. This verse, when tied to its historical roots in the prophet Daniel, will help you understand what John wrote in the book Revelation. But it offers more than just biblical information it provides practical inspiration when properly understood.
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9/3/2006
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Holy Land Tour: CANCELED!
Matthew 24:16-20
Skip Heitzig
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For many Christians, a trip to the Holy Land is a once-in-a-lifetime dream. To see where Jesus walked, taught and spoke prophetically of is thrilling. But trouble is in store for Israel's future, in fact Scripture refers to it as "Jacob's Trouble" (Jer. 30:7). What will be Israel's future and what can we learn about the nature of God in adversity? Moreover, what should a believer's response to catastrophic events be?
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9/10/2006
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When God Declares War
Matthew 24:21-22
Skip Heitzig
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War is ugly but sometimes necessary. It's meant to defend the weak and punish deadly aggressors. Jesus' words here depict a time when God wages war on the human race and throws every conceivable judgment to the earth in the Tribulation. These two verses also highlight three prevailing conditions that exist between God and mankind. The first condition has existed since the Fall of Mankind, the second will be a temporary result of the first, and the third condition is rooted in the character of God and takes the edge off of the first two.
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9/17/2006
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The New Dark Ages
Matthew 24:23-28
Skip Heitzig
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Jesus said, "As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."(John 9:5) and that His followers were to take up the same occupation: "You are the light of the world" (Matt 5:14). But what happens when the light has been extinguished? What happens when spiritual darkness overshadows everything, everywhere? There's an old saying, "It's always darkest just before the dawn." Jesus tells His followers here that just when the world plummets to its darkest moment, He will be returning!
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10/1/2006
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The End Times Farmer's Almanac
Matthew 24:32-35
Skip Heitzig
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For years agrarians have consulted the venerable Farmer's Almanac for predictive signs on what this next season would bring, in terms of weather forecasts, threatening bugs and water table levels. It helps them know how to navigate through the growing year. Jesus gave a story to His disciples on how the future generation can tell when the season of judgment is upon them and how they should live during the last days on earth.
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10/8/2006
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What Angels Want to Know
Matthew 24:36
Skip Heitzig
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Man's knowledge is impressive but it pales next to God's knowledge. The only things we know for certain are the things that God has revealed to us. Some things must be stored in our hearts in the imaginary file marked, "Wait for further information." As we wait for Jesus to come for us, let's consider what we know and what we don't know; in fact let's see what angels don't even know!
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10/15/2006
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Eat, Drink and Be Judged!
Matthew 24:37-44
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When Noah built his ark, most people thought he was nuts. Only seven others listened to his warning and went with him. Jesus spoke about the fool who thought he was prepared for the future because of his wise investments. This man said to himself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." (Luke 12:19). Jesus also tells us that the world will largely adopt this attitude in the final days of history unaware of what's ahead.
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10/22/2006
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Caught in the Act!
Matthew 24:45-51
Skip Heitzig
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Every parent remembers walking into their child's room catching them in some act either good or bad. The youngster wasn't expecting you to be there and that child's look tells all, betraying innocence or guilt. The return of Jesus Christ will catch some people off guard while others will be diligently involved in the Master's work. Ever wonder what you'll be up to when Jesus returns: what activities, conversations and thoughts you'll be engaged in? Let's consider two possibilities.
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There are 13 additional messages in this series.
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