This isn't a point to cause division in the church. This is a conversation that I think is vitally important in the sense of knowing the times that we're living in. But if you believe we're going to be raptured before the tribulation, somebody else says after the tribulation, at the end of the day, Jesus is Lord. We're all going to spend an eternity with him.
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The Bible says to be sober minded and be ready. So we have to be talking about the last days and the times we're living in and not just have our head in the sand because the enemy is active. And the church has to be on top of things and know exactly what we're doing and where we are.
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It's very important that we don't allow these conversations to divide the church because the enemy wants to use division to weaken the body of Christ over kind of subjects like we're talking about that aren't detrimental to your salvation. But it's good for us to discuss. So whatever we're talking about, just remember, we're on the same team. We're the body of Christ.
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Matthew 24, 36 says, but of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my father only. So Jesus said that and people say, so we shouldn't discuss it because we won't know. And so why even go there? And I just want to draw attention to two words in that verse there that he said, but the day and hour, no one knows.
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If he said day and hour, then we take him at his word and no one knows, not even Jesus, the day or hour. But there's another scripture that you almost would think would contradict that if you weren't aware of what Jesus was saying. And it's in first, first Thessalonians chapter five.
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But you, brethren, are not in darkness so that this day should overtake you as a thief. You're all sons of light and sons of the day, and we are not of night nor of darkness. Therefore, let us not sleep as others do, but let us watch and be sober.
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We are to know the times and the seasons, that first verse says. So we need to discuss the season of his return, and I even think we can narrow it down pretty much to a, not a broad season, not like in the next hundred years, but I think God wants us to know within a couple years so that the body of Christ knows time is short, here's what we have to do before Jesus returns.
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The church is going to be its brightest when the world's at its darkest and so it's not something to hide from but in uh first thessalonians chapter 4 um paul's talking about the coming of the lord and this is so clear if you can stay with me for a couple seconds here the word coming so let's just read in verse 15 second first thessalonians 4 15 for this we say to you by the word of the lord that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the lord will by no means precede those who are asleep.
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For the lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout here we go the voice of an archangel and with the trumpet of god and the dead in christ will rise first and then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the lord in the air and thus we shall always be with the lord.
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Let no one deceive you by any means. That day, what day? The perusia, the coming of the Lord, will not come unless the falling away. That word falling away is apostasy, which means rebellion. So that day will not come until unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God that is worshipped, and that he sits in the temple of God showing himself that he's God.
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Paul clearly says that before Jesus returns, there's going to be a temple, and the Antichrist is going to sit in that temple and claim to be God. So he really just kind of gives us right there, it's pretty clear, before that happens in that time of tribulation, it has to be after that when Jesus returns.
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After the tribulation, the Son of Man will come, verse 31, and he will send his angels with the great sound of a trumpet and they will gather together. That's that same Greek word, epizunago again. And so he's now Jesus is saying the same thing that Paul said in multiple places, and all of it is cohesive and fits perfectly together.
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All of these rapture, end times, return of Christ scriptures, they all have trumpet in them. They're talking about the trumpet. I mean even first corinthians 15 verse 51 and 52 he said behold i tell you a mystery we shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye at the last trumpet for the trumpet will sound the dead in christ will be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed.
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If you're believing and you're planning and living like the rapture will happen before the tribulation and you're wrong, then you're unprepared. And the Bible says you're not sober minded. You're not alert. You're not knowing what to expect as children of the light. And so even with that, it's better to lean and to be ready and have your spirit strong and to know what potentially is coming so that you can be an overcomer in that season.
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Those who know their God will be strong and do exploits. Well, in that context, the verses before and right around there, it's talking about the Antichrist and all that he's going to be doing. And then it talks about those who know their God, like on the earth during the time of the Antichrist, that's whenever we have the exploits, the miracles, and the church shines the most.
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God doesn't have a retreat mindset. So if the enemy is pouring out his thing, God's not going to say, well, we're scared we hide. He's going to have us be offensive.
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We just talked about clearly what I believe is that when the rapture takes place in scripture, which I believe is after the tribulation, some of you out there might be thinking, I still believe it's before, but hey, we're all on the same team. Jesus is still Lord. Study it out yourself.
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