From His Heart

Speaker 1

You know, it's a church crowd that says to Jesus on the day of judgment, "Lord, Lord, did we not preach in your name, and in your name cast out demons, and in your name perform many miracles?" Then I will declare to them, "I never knew you; depart from me, you who practice lawlessness."

And so many people who go to church, sadly, are going to miss the rapture. But listen, you don't have to miss it. That's the good news. You don't have to miss it. You can give your heart and life to Jesus right now.

If you don't know for sure that you really know Jesus, today can be the day for you.

Speaker 2

Welcome to From His Heart with Pastor Jeff Shreve, who this month is presenting his new nine-message series, "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew, chapters 24 and 25.

Now, today he reveals what happens beyond the rapture of the church. It's truly horrible to think about it, but as Pastor Jeff just said, sadly, so many people who do go to church regularly are going to miss heaven. The message today is entitled "If You Missed The Rapture Part 2." If you miss any of these messages throughout the month, you can listen again online anytime at fromhisheart.org; just click the listen link.

Now we're studying chapters 24 and 25 of Matthew, which cover the words of Jesus, the prophecy about the future, and end times events. There is more that you can read about this subject on our website; just click the read tab.

But right now, let's open our Bibles to the 24th chapter of the book of Matthew and discover the truth about what happens if you miss the Rapture.

Speaker 1

Now, Jesus in Matthew 24 is talking about future things and Matthew 24:25. As we go through these two great chapters, the Olivet discourse, the Bible doesn't and Jesus is not talking about the Rapture, but we know that the Rapture is included in the coming of the Lord and we're going to talk about that today. But Jesus really emphasizes, he gives signs of his coming and he says that they're birth pangs. They're going to get closer and closer together until the delivery, until the Son of man comes.

Now, the abomination of desolation is when the Antichrist shows his true colors. He reveals himself as the false Christ, although he says he's the Messiah. And when Jesus talked about that, he said, when you see this happening, when you see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, that is his image there, then he says, you flee you run verse 21 of Matthew 24. For then will be a great tribulation such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved. But for the sake of the elect, those days will be cut short for the sake of the elect.

We want to talk about today, the elect. Who's he talking about? Who are the elect? Who are these elect chosen people in the seven year tribulation? Three discoveries. Number one, the elect are those who are saved after the Rapture of the Church. These aren't church saints; these are tribulation saints. These are people who come to Christ after the Rapture of the Church. What happens at the Rapture? Well, we go up to meet Jesus if we're still alive when he comes. If we die, our bodies come out of the grave and they're changed. We are glorified at that point. And those who are alive and remain, we go up to meet the Lord in the air and he changes the body of our humble state in conformity with the body of his glory through the exertion of the power that he has even to subject all things to Himself.

Well, all that happens at the Rapture, the snatching away of the Church. And that's what the Rapture is; it's a snatching away of the Church. And what is the church? The Church is the bride of Christ. The Lord comes to take his bride. But the question is, when does the Rapture take place? Now there are three main views on when the Rapture takes place. There are some that believe in a mid-tribulation rapture, and then some people have a post-tribulation rapture position. Well, I believe and I teach from the standpoint of a pre-tribulation rapture.

First Thessalonians, chapter 1, verse 10, states that the Thessalonians were to wait for the Lord Jesus Christ who rescues us from the wrath to come. It makes sense that God would snatch us away before the wrath comes because we're the bride of Christ. Now the Rapture, when it does come, in the pre-tribulation position, it changes the spiritual landscape of the whole world. Everything changes when the Rapture hits. Everything changes. Why? Because 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2 says that the Church is the restrainer. It says that the Holy Spirit in the Church restrains evil. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed.

That's why I preach and teach that you're not going to know who the Antichrist is. The lawless one will not be revealed until the restrainer is removed. And the restrainer is the Holy Spirit in the Church. And that's when the Antichrist will be revealed. So for the sake of the elect, the elect are those who are saved after the Rapture.

Second discovery: the elect are Jewish and Gentile believers. See, many Jews will understand in the tribulation that Jesus is the Messiah. They reject that today; there's a partial hardening. The Bible says in the Book of Romans, chapter 11, a partial hardening, but that's going to be removed and their eyes are going to be opened to who Jesus is. In Revelation, chapter 7, it talks about the 144,000. Well, there are 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel who have the seal of God on them, who are going to be like 144,000 Apostle Pauls unleashed on the world. God is at work.

During the tribulation period, many signs will be given to bear witness to Jesus. Many of those Jewish 144,000 are going to be witnessing to Gentiles, as the Apostle Paul witnessed to Gentiles. Gentiles will be getting saved, and Gentiles along with Jews will be getting killed. Many of the elect will be martyred. Revelation chapter 7 and verse 9 states, "After these things I looked, and behold a great multitude which no one could count from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues standing before the throne. And before the Lamb clothed in white robes and palm branches were in their hands. And they cry out with a loud voice saying, salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Then one of the elders, this is Revelation 7:13, answered, saying to me, "These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they and where have they come from?" I said to him, "My Lord, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great Tribulation. And they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them. Hunger no longer, nor thirst anymore, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life. And God will wipe every tear from their eyes."

These are people, these who have been martyred in the Tribulation. They cried buckets of tears and the sun beat down on them. They were hungry and they were thirsty and they were on the run from the Antichrist and his minions who were trying to kill them because they wouldn't get the mark of the beast on their right hand or on their forehead. Revelation 13 says he causes as many who do not get the mark of the beast to be killed. People are going to knuckle under, even those who are on the fence. When it comes down to it, they're going to cave. They're going to say it's too hard. That's why you don't want to miss the Rapture, because it's going to be hard to be a Christian during the Tribulation.

And then discovery number three: Not only are the elect those who are saved after the Rapture, and they are Jewish and Gentile believers, but the elect are warned about deceptions. The deceptions are going to be like nothing we've ever seen before. Jesus said in verse 23, "Then if anyone says to you, behold, here is the Christ, or there he is, do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect." It's not possible, but if it were, they would be deceived and misled. "Behold, I have told you in advance."

Now when you hear, "behold," that's the Lord's. It's almost like he's shaking you by the shoulder. "Listen to this. Behold, I have told you in advance." So if they say to you, "Behold, he is in the wilderness," do not go out, or "Behold, he is in the inner rooms," do not believe them. The deceptions will be off the chain because the devil is pulling out all the stops. This is the last half of the tribulation period. This is he set up his image. This is the three and a half year mark.

The Bible tells us in Revelation chapter 12 about the devil and his access to heaven. We know from the book of Job that the devil has access to God and he has conversations with God. But in Revelation 12, at the second half of the tribulation, the Lord kicks him out. No more access. It says in Revelation 12:12, "For this reason rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them, because the devil has been kicked out. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."

The devil is not stupid. He's corrupt. He's stupid from the standpoint of things. He can go up against God, but he is infinitely more wise than we are, more able to strategize and do things. He knows he only has 42 months to act to try and defeat the Nazarene. So he works feverishly and tries to destroy the people of God, those who won't knuckle under. He'll be pulling out all the stops. So much so that Jesus said, "Hey, if it were possible, the elect would believe." The elect would go after and say these signs have to authenticate that this person is from God. "Behold, I have told you in advance," but here's the thing: don't go out to the wilderness to see the Christ. If he's in the inner room, don't believe them.

Speaker 2

Why?

Speaker 1

Because the return of Christ will be undeniable.

Speaker 2

It's hard to comprehend what it will be like on earth if you miss the Rapture. The Bible tells us we don't have to wonder about it. That's one of the reasons Pastor Jeff is moving through this important series, "When the Son of Man Comes," a study of Matthew 24:25 where Jesus explains it so clearly. Pastor Jeff Shreve will be back in just a moment to conclude this lesson.

If you missed the Rapture, we also hope that you'll stay with us all this month as we traverse through this special section of scripture. It's a sobering nine-message series Pastor Jeff put together to explore the chaos and deception that mark the days that we're in and also mark the great tribulation. Yet even in those dark days, God raised up 144,000 elect witnesses, Jewish evangelists who boldly proclaim the gospel to a lost world. Many will be raptured to heaven and discover God's mercy in the midst of judgment and why it's urgent to be ready before it's too late. You'll learn all about it and much more from the series "When the Son of Man Comes."

This new resource is our gift of thanks to you for your support to From His Heart this month of any amount. To get yours, make a gift when you call 866-40-BIBLE (866-40-BIBLE) or go to FromHisHeart.org. Request the series "When the Son of Man Comes." You can get it on a USB flash drive, on CDs, DVDs, or as an MP3 digital download. Again, call 866-40-BIBLE or go to FromHisHeart.org.

What a comfort and purpose it is to be able to share this and invest in kingdom work through From His Heart. Here again is Pastor Jeff.

Speaker 1

The return of Christ will be undeniable. Nobody's gonna have to tell you, "Oh, he's in the field over here. He's in the woods over here. He's in this house down the way." No, when Jesus comes back, it's undeniable. It says in verses 27 and 28, "For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather." Jesus is coming back. At the battle of Armageddon, he comes back not for his saints, but with his saints. We come with him. The bride of Christ, we come with him and all the Old Testament saints who were there as John the Baptist called himself the friend of the bridegroom. We've been in heaven enjoying the marriage supper of the lamb. We come back with him, and we're the army, wearing white robes. But we don't do any fighting. Our Lord does all the fighting. He sets his feet on the Mount of Olives; the Mount of Olives splits, and he does battle with the Antichrist.

And it's not a back-and-forth affair, as I told you before. It's not like Rocky when he fought Apollo Creed and he's like, "Oh, I can't see nothing. You're gonna have to cut me, Mick." It's not like that at all. It's just boom. He comes, and a sharp sword goes out of his mouth, which is his word. The same word that spoke them into existence will speak them into oblivion. And there is going to be carnage. It's an awesome passage of scripture, Revelation chapter 19, verses 11 and onward. But when he comes back, he treads, the Bible says, the winepress of the fierce wrath of God. Now you've seen the people in the winepress as they're stepping on the grapes. That's what he does with his enemies through the power of his word. The Bible says that the carnage is so great that the blood from the winepress splatters up to the horses' bridles for a distance of 200 miles. He just speaks those enemies to their death.

And then, as if that's not enough, he calls to the birds. "Then I saw an angel," Revelation 19:17 says. "Then I saw an angel standing in the sun. And he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in midheaven, 'Come assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves and small and great.'" There's a marriage supper of the lamb for believers. There's the great supper of God for the birds, for all those who dared go up against the God of heaven. That's why Jesus said, "Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather."

If you miss the rapture, hey, there's one critical warning for those who are unsaved, especially in church today. It was so wonderful to see Randy Frame get baptized. But just a few months ago, Randy Frame was an unsaved guy in church who had been around this church for 50 years, heard sermon after sermon after sermon. He knew the plan of salvation; it was all in his mind, but it wasn't in his heart. And you see, when we talk about multitudes getting saved during the tribulation period, who are those people? Are they the people who sat in church Sunday after Sunday after Sunday after Sunday? The people who thought in their minds, "Well, I'm fine"? Maybe some will end up getting saved because they miss the rapture. But I think a lot of them are going to be people that hadn't really heard the Gospel a lot.

And this is why I believe that. Second Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 10 through 12 piggybacks on the statement, "For those who perish because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness." We read that right. It's God now, during the tribulation period, who sends a deluding influence on those upon the earth. Why would he do that? So they might believe what is false. Why would God want that? In order that they all may be judged. Why would God want that? Because they did not believe the truth but took pleasure in wickedness.

Now remember this: for a lost person, the question is not between truth and error, the choice to come to Christ. It's not between truth and error; it's always between truth and sin. Between truth and sin. They did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved, but they took pleasure in wickedness. The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God." He doesn't say that in his head; he says it in his heart. And the fool is Nabal in the Hebrew, the morally perverse person. The morally perverse person says in his heart, "No, God, I want my sin." And when you choose your sin over God's son, God says, "Well, that's your choice. You're not going to have the truth of my son and your sin. So I'm taking the truth of my son off the table. I'm going to send you a diluting influence so that you will believe what is false. You will believe that the Rapture took away those people that were impeding progress. You will believe the lie of the devil, and you will be judged, and you will be damned. Why? Because you didn't receive the love of the truth so as to be saved, but you took pleasure in wickedness."

So if you find yourself missing the Rapture, you were left behind. What do you do? Number one, immediately repent. Cry out to God for mercy and grace, and believe on Jesus. Give your heart and life to him for real. Number two, study and cling to the Scriptures. Read Matthew 24 and 25 over and over and over again. Read the book of Revelation to the fact that the Lord says, for those who really trust him, he'll never leave them, never forsake them. Connect with other Christians. You're going to desperately need the fellowship of other believers during the Tribulation because you're not going to be able to make it alone. Evangelize the lost. Tell people, friends, neighbors, loved ones. Let people know that, hey, there is the Ark of Safety, the Lord Jesus who will save us through this hell on earth we're experiencing.

Number five, prepare for persecution and probable martyrdom. It's coming. You will definitely be persecuted like nothing we've ever seen before, like nothing we've ever read before. And the fact is, most will die. Up to 5-6 billion people in the world will die during the Tribulation period, and it's mostly intensified in those last three and a half years. Number six, do not take the mark of the beast. If you take the mark of the beast, as I shared last week, Revelation 14, you seal your fate. You will go to hell forever. To take the mark of the beast, you're saying, "I pledge allegiance to the beast. He is my Lord, he is my Master, he is my king." You do that on your right hand or on your forehead. Six, six, six. Your fate is sealed. Trust the sovereignty of God. The Lord is still in control, even though it looks like everything's falling apart.

And eagerly await Christ's promised return to the earth at the Battle of Armageddon. But listen, you don't have to miss it. That's the good news. You don't have to miss it. You can give your heart and life to Jesus right now. If you don't know for sure that you really know Jesus, today can be the day for you. All you have to do is recognize, "I'm a sinner. I'm lost. I need the Savior. Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me, save me," and he will do it because he's the Savior who came to seek and to save that which was lost.

Speaker 2

Jesus Christ gave his very life so that sinners like you and me could be reconciled to Him. If you'll just come to Him, confess your sins, and make Him Lord of your life, He'll receive you, and all your sins will be forgiven. You'll have a relationship with Almighty God.

To find out more about what that means and the steps you should take to make that happen in your life, go to fromisheart.org and click the "Why Jesus" link right on our homepage. You'll discover a purpose, a hope, a joy, and a peace that passes all understanding. Again, go to fromisheart.org and the "Why Jesus" link.

Hey, if you've listened today and to what Pastor Jeff has taught us, it may contrast with what you were previously taught. We hope that when you go online, you'll read Pastor Jeff's answers to many of the questions that you'll have, like how you can become more discerning when it comes to recognizing truth from false teachings. You'll find that discourse in our Winter Quarterly newsletter found online at fromisheart.org/newsletter.

Thank you for joining us today. I'm Larry Nobles, reminding you that From His Heart is a listener-supported broadcast ministry of Dr. Jeff Shreve. He speaks the truth in love to a lost, hurting world, and he'll continue to do that next time with a message called "The Power and Glory of His Return." Join us for the next lesson in the series "When the Son of Man Comes," and make sure you're with us then as Pastor Jeff opens God's Word and shares real truth, real love, and real hope from God's heart here on From His Heart.