His Perfect Love

Guest (Male): Pastor Matt says, look around. People need the Lord. And we have a responsibility to share the good news.

Matt VanderVen: The people that don't know Jesus that are walking around, the people that are pushing drugs, the people that are using drugs, the people that are caught in addiction, the people that are walking around thinking gangs is their only opportunity to get out of their neighborhood. Okay? There's a lot going on. This is a time for the church to be alive and powerful and moving in the spirit of the Lord and being used by God. And and every week I I I stand up here and I hopefully through the the passion, the moving of the Holy Spirit, I try to to beat that drum and encourage you all in the spirit of God to say, you know what?

I will not be satisfied till every human soul knows Jesus. That is my heart's desire for all of us here and I pray to God that your heart's desire. If it's not, you got to ask a question. Why?

Guest (Male): There are five main views regarding the rapture of the church. Pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, partial rapture, and pre-wrath. And today on His Perfect Love, we'll set up to help you gain a great understanding of each. And why Pastor Matt Vandeman has settled on the rapture occurring before the tribulation. So if you're a little unsure about how all of this will go down and why, you picked a good day to join us. Here is Pastor Matt in Revelation chapter 4.

Matt VanderVen: The biggest problem I would say for the post-tribs is that Revelation chapter 19 verses 11 through 21 gives us one of the most detailed accounts of the second coming and it mentions nothing about a resurrection and a rapture. Just hold your finger here since we're still in the book of Revelation, turn to Revelation chapter 19. Please look at this with me. We'll cover this in way more detail when we get there in like 5 years from now, right? If the Lord tarries. No. No, I promise we'll get there soon. But look at Revelation chapter 19 verse 11.

Aren't you glad we don't rush through these things? We take our time. Every word, every jot and tittle. Revelation chapter 19 verse 11. Now I saw heaven open and behold a white horse. Okay? So where Boy, that's familiar language. Now I saw heaven opened. Where's John at? Where's he at? He's in heaven, right? He saw heaven open. He's looking at it and he says, I saw a horse and He who sat on it was called faithful and true. We learned about that in chapters 1 through 3. Who else is called faithful and true? Jesus. And in righteousness he judges and makes wars.

His eyes were like a flame of fire. Boy, we read that same thing in chapters 1 through 3 about Jesus. And on his head were many crowns. He had a name written on that no one knew except himself. He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood and his name is called the word of God. John 1. Right? John 1. The word became flesh and dwelt among us. And the armies in heaven clothed in fine linen. And I always love verse 14 cuz you know who that's talking about? You. You, the born again believer in Christ.

How do you know? Because if you read chapter 19 earlier in the first half of that of verse 1 all the way through verse 10, he already says it in there. The the saints, the hagios. He says even the Greek terms so nobody can misunderstand it. He says they're clothed and put in dressed in fine white linen. You might remember I made a joke. Any of you that your favorite color is black or you like wearing black outfits, you're out of fortune. You're going to be wearing white robes and they're going to be beautiful and you're going to love them.

It's going to just going to be new your new favorite color. So this says in the armies are clothed in fine linen white and clean followed on him on white horses. We're all going to ride horses. Uh now out of his mouth goes a sharp sword. We read about that when he had a two-edged sword earlier. And that sword remember we talked about that was for judgment. And that he should strike the nations and he himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He himself treads the wine presses of fierceness and the wrath of the almighty God.

And he has on his robe and on his thigh a name written King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice saying, tell all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven come and gather together for the supper of the great God that you may eat the flesh of kings leaders, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty men, the flesh of the horses and those who sit on them, and the flesh of all the people free and slave both small and great.

God's coming because Jesus Jesus is coming because Israel has cried out and humbled themselves and they've said help. All that's what's transpired up to this point because of the great tribulation. They finally got to the point where they said, I can't do it anymore. Help. And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against him who sat on the horse and against his army. There were people that were going to fight against God. Surprise. Then the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his image.

These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded forth from the mouth of him, Jesus who sat on the horse, and all the birds were filled with their flesh. That's sobering. Isn't it? I mean you're just talking about a battle so fierce like nothing we've ever seen. And it gives us one of the most details about what's going to happen at the end of the great tribulation and second coming. Please tell me here for a moment. Did you read anything about a rapture?

Did you read anything about a resurrection? Did you read anything about a glorified body? No, you did not. But in 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 you did. Right? In 1 Corinthians chapter 15 you did. Because those passages are talking very clearly about the harpazo which is the catching up when the dead in Christ will receive their glorified bodies because their spirit, 2 Corinthians 5 8 have already gone to be with the Lord. It's very very clear. The passage in Matthew 24 and the passage in Revelation 19 are talking about the great tribulation. Two different events, two different signs, two different outcomes.

Again a similar argument can be made. They'll try to say, well what about the wrath of God that's being poured out? And I say, okay. The problem that they run into with a post-trib argument is when do we read about the wrath of the lamb being poured out first? The where's the first place we read about that in our scripture in Revelation? Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6. I can go back there and look at it. Revelation 6 16 and the mountain said to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the fear of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the lamb.

The judgment's already began. Right? This is very very important. It doesn't begin in Revelation 11 which is mid and it doesn't begin in Revelation 19 which is the end. No, it begins right at the beginning. And then that's a big problem if you're a post-tribber because then you got a problem 1 Thessalonians 5 which says the church isn't going to enter into what? Wrath. Why? Because Jesus doesn't beat the bride. He doesn't beat the bride. So why oh why is anybody try I mean when you try to take a post-tribulation perspective on you know I don't understand how you can do it without breaking at least three to five different scriptures.

You're making the word of God contradict itself. You're causing all kinds of issues and problems. It's unbiblical and inaccurate. And that's why it can't be. But you be Bereans. You continue to This is not something we have to divide over. If you're here saying, no, I really believe I'm going through the great tribulation. You're wrong, but that's okay. I'll high five you on the way up. All right. If I know what happens in a twinkling of an eye, but I'll be like, where are you? Right? All right. Well, let's talk about the fourth position. We just talked about the first three, the most common I guess you could say.

The fourth position is called a partial rapture. Now this view is not held by very many. And now this, you ready for this? They hold that And I shouldn't surprise you. You're not surprised by anything anymore uh in the days we're living these last days after all the things we hear. They hold that there are multiple raptures based on the depth of your obedience. Oh my. So everything Jesus has done is by faith and not by works, but now of a sudden he raptures by works. Seems like to me once again it's an opportunity to introduce a religion in a workspace mentality to come back and enslave people in bondage by workspace.

Now I agree that part of our sanctification is that works without you know faith without works is dead. I agree. We ought to be living out our Christian walk. We're not trying to say we're not, but it's very clear here. Now the problem that a partial rapturist runs into is very simple, but it's a problem that they would have to overcome. And that's 1 Corinthians 15 51 and uh 1 Thessalonians 4 14. You see the Bible uses very inclusive words. All. We. So if you say you're a partial rapturist and you believe you're a part of this subgroup and Jesus says I'm going to call all up or they're all being caught up is Jesus wrong or are you wrong?

Is Jesus being inclusive? Is the rapture a worldwide event that occurs for all born again believers or is it regional? No, all means all. And in the Greek guess what the word is? All. Right? It's it's not a translation problem here this morning. All means all. So uh you know I won't spend any more time on it because it's absolutely ridiculous to think that there's going to be multiple raptures and the passages I mean you you basically have to undermine the word of God and say Jesus doesn't mean what he says and Jesus is struggles with grammar.

Like he doesn't understand all means all. That's ridiculous, right? I I would even suggest to you that's sort of blasphemous um to some extent. And the final view is what they call a pre-wrath rapture. Okay? And this view holds that the rapture will occur specifically 5.5 years into the great tribulation and they call this a three-quarter view. And no, I'm not making this up. They believe that all Okay, ready? The sixth seal. They believe that at the sixth seal the impending judgment and therefore they will be raptured before that, that it's not up to that sixth seal so that the church will go through a portion of the great tribulation because at the sixth seal is when this all happens.

Right? The problem in this view is that 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 verses 1 through 3 explains that the day of Lord does what? It comes unexpectedly while people everywhere are saying peace and safety. Which by the way I said this last week, but did you catch that that UN is having a conference? You know what they entitled their conference? Peace and security. They're one word off. One word off. That's how close we are. And don't let it surprise you at the end of the day if something should change and they go, you know what? Let's make it peace and security.

Well, you and I are out of here. We're harpazoed out because right after that the Bible says come sudden destruction. So we're really close. I mean Right? You're talking I the United Nations we've never seen anything like it. Netanyahu a couple years ago he came up and he spoke in our own Congress. He turned around and he told he said, I want to talk to you about the peace and the security that we have in Israel today because of the help the United States And I thought I literally when he said peace and I and my jaw dropped.

I was like, here we go. Now it says that Jesus is going to come it's like a thief in the night. No one knows, right? So I thought, okay, well I'm pretty sure we'd get it like a little, you know here we go. We wouldn't get that sign. Let's get back to the point of what I'm making here. A three-quarter view. If it's 5 and 1/2 years in, you know when it is, don't you? Cuz you can start counting on a calendar or days. Which one of the events of Christ is the one that we know?

Like let's say you're you're not a believer. You're you're not a believer and let's say you you found your you found a Bible and you started reading these things and study these things. Which one can you determine when one particular event happens? When the abomination of desolation happens. So you're living in Israel or by then CNN or whatever Fox They they go into the satellite and and you know with the satellite TVs we have they can look right at there. Oh look, this man's going in. He's And oh by the way he They're not going to probably call it the abomination of desolation.

They're going to say, oh the antichrist Oh sorry, they won't use that term. This this political savior has just gone in to the temple. Wait what is he doing? It looks like he's declaring himself as God. And which Israel and the whole temple that's being filled the Jewish people at that moment are going to do what? They're going to stand up and they're going to go blasphemy blasphemy. And those that are watching the unbeliever on CNN and Fox News are going to go, man, that's crazy. Well, the person that's actually read their Bible even if they haven't believed at that point or recognize any of this, they're going to get to that point and go, wait a minute.

I remember when I was younger and I actually went to a Bible believing church. How about that? And they read the Bible that I read and saw that there was going to be a time where this this thing called an abomination desolation. You know what? That was in the book of Daniel. Daniel chapter 9 through 12. And I remember that it said that the pastor was talking about that and he said there would be uh a Jewish calendar with 360 days. We can't use the Gregorian calendar. So those alive at the time. So we would have that wrong because it's 365 days compared to Hebrew calendar of 360.

But we would use a Jewish calendar and it makes sense cuz who's alive and specifically where this is all going to take place in Israel. So they would be familiar with the Jewish calendar. See how God did that? He already knew. So they would turn around and they would say 360 days. Well, if I just multiply that out times 3 and 1/2 years because Daniel once again they're familiar with Daniel's prophecies of the 70th week. 1 week equals 70 years. We've come up to 69 weeks already. They know that. They even know that now. Even the Jewish person understands that.

They know the prophets. They may not believe Messiah Yeshua, but they do know the prophets and they know these things. They just haven't connected the dots. Jesus is going to give them a new heart so they can do that. So cuz he's not done with Israel. So what happens is at this point they're going to turn around and they going to say, oh 360 times 3 and 1/2 Well, that's like 1,200 and whatever 400 1,240 or 1,280 days. Whatever it is exactly. My mathematicians in here can figure it out quick. Guess what they're going to be able to do?

They're going to be able to take their calendar at that moment and they're going to be able to count out 1,200 and something days until the day they're going to be able to do this. Because guess who's coming? Jesus. And you and I with him. So we know that time and hour, right? That's not the thief in the night. What is the one that we don't know? The one that comes unexpectedly. The rapture. The one that's everything's been fulfilled in scripture. Because when you break the sixth seal if you try to hold on to this view what happens?

It introduces great earthquakes, cosmic disturbances. Would you call that peace and safety? You see pre-trib and post-trib are are really the two most dominant views, but as mentioned the post-trib view has more problems than promised simplicity and it tries to introduce it as a single event which is unbiblical. So why is the pre-trib such a good position according to the scriptures? Well, first in Revelation 4 notice with me. There is no reference to the church. I just read it for you this morning, right? Chapters 2 and 3 we talked all about the church. Chapters 1 we talked about the church.

Do you realize And I counted it. In Revelation if I counted correctly Revelation 1 through 3 the church is mentioned 19 times in three chapters. And then all of a sudden after these things in Revelation chapter 4 it's not mentioned through chapter 19 one time. But the great tribulation and the judgment of the lamb is because the church isn't here. Where the church go? Right? Chapter 3 to chapter 4. He says after these things where did we go? Well, we already talked about it. Jesus moving from the church age to the time of the great tribulation.

Chapter 4 the church is in heaven. Revelation 6 through 19. It mentions saints, but those who are tribulation saints. Those who get saved during the great tribulation and pay through it with their lives being beheaded and martyred because they refused to take the the the mark of the beast. And the great tribulation what is it really about? It's about God's wrath. That's what that means. Wrath, judgment, His justice. The second coming is a is a good thing, right? Because it ends that judgment. It ends that war. And the rapture certainly a good thing because it takes the bride of Christ off this earth.

Now Revelation 6 16 wrath is at the beginning of the tribulation from Jesus Christ. It's Jacob's trouble as referenced in Jeremiah chapter 30. So again the tribulations always looked at a 7-year period. Some people try to divide it, but the scripture always gives it to us as a continuous 7 years. The whole earth is going to experience it. It's not regional or anything like that. And the doctrine of imminency that we read about in Romans chapter 13 the church is warned about the rapture. He says, do not get caught up in the cares of what?

This world. He warns us. He's very clear to tell us that And I know in the days we're living last couple weeks so I had somebody come up says, oh you know and the beautiful sister in the Lord come up says, hey you know these storms they're man-made. They're Well, I don't know about all that. I'm not smart enough to know about all that stuff. They're smart in me. And and I appreciate the fact that they're keeping up on these different things and and and that's nice that they understand those things. I don't understand all that.

I don't know or not know. I know one thing. Jesus is coming. That's all I know. I I I'm a simple man that trusts the Lord, believes in the scriptures, believes the word of God. And I started thinking about it because I want to encourage that sister and I and I do love her dearly. You know I said to her I said, I wonder how many hours we listen to all of us, people, humans listening to talking heads. You know podcasts and all these things about things that are coming. I even love some of my brothers in the Calvary movement that that that every week they give prophecy updates.

I I love those prophecy updates. But there's nothing else that has to happen in God's timeline right now. Everything has been completed. You know what? I think those things are need to learn about what's happening in other parts of the world and I and I do enjoy listening to them. I I really do. But I also am sensitive to the fact that if I start spending a majority of my week listening to talking heads I'm not being good faithful servant with my resources. And I don't I don't want to just think my resources is just our giving.

Yeah, that's important and that's our worship, but my time is a is a resource and and I only have so much time and how I spend that time matters. And And I started thinking about this. If I'm spending 3 to 4 hours 5 6 hours a week listening to the talking heads, I'm not spending 6 hours with people that don't know Jesus that need to get saved so they don't go through the great tribulation and could come with me in the rapture. Am I selfish or am I selfless? I mean what's my motive here? Because I know where I'm going.

Many of you know where you're going. We got it good. We our hearts aren't going to fail. We're not going to faint. We're not going to grow weary. We know where we're going. Like I say all the time we're invincible in the will of God. I'm not saying we can't die. Don't test the Lord and walk out in front of a truck. Just thou shalt not test the Lord thy God, right? He told us not to do that. But at the same time I'm not walking around in fear going, oh could this you know No, because I know.

I trust God and I know I have the safety and security I'll use that term in my salvation. And I know it's guaranteed and I can't lose it. So because I'm good I want everybody else to be good. I And I'm talking about sylvanically or salvation wise. I want everybody to know Jesus. I'm not content. I'm not comfortable. I will never be comfortable in this city until I know that every single born again believer has gone out and we all together are reaching the lost in this area. I will never be content. And neither should you.

You should never be content until we know that every person in this area is born again, the prodigals. Okay, the people that don't know Jesus that are walking around, the people that are pushing drugs, the people that are using drugs, the people that are caught in addiction, the people that are walking around thinking gangs is their only opportunity to get out of their neighborhood. Okay? There's a lot going on. This is a time for the church to be alive and powerful and moving in the spirit of the Lord and being used by God. And And every week I I stand up here and I hopefully through the the passion, the moving of the Holy Spirit, I try to to beat that drum and encourage you all in the spirit of God to say, you know what?

I will not be satisfied till every human soul knows Jesus. That is my heart's desire for all of us here and I pray to God that your heart's desire. If it's not, you got to ask a question. Why? How can you read this good book, the good news, and not come away with that same desire and passion for those that are not, for those that are being lied to, for those that are being indoctrinated in the public, in the government, in the schools, being right led right to the pit of hell. And be comfortable with that and be okay with it.

Like it's not my family, it's not my kid, it's not my brother, my sister, my uncle, my aunt, my nephew, my family, my friend. How do I get to a place where I can lay my head down at night or look in a mirror and know and feel comfortable with who I am when I see these things happening and I'm not being part being used by God to bring about change. That doesn't mean I have to get on a plane and go to Africa. Means I got to walk outside. I mean Lord may call you to do that by the way and go.

But if I can walk outside my house walk to my neighbor I promise you if you spend that time in your life, the time you have now doing the things for Christ you will not have regret when you stand before Jesus. You will not going to have regret. I can't think of anything worse than standing before the Lord knowing the truth of the gospel, knowing what I know now and being comfortable with being indifferent. I can't think of anything that is more satanic demonic than turning around and knowing what he is doing and somehow looking the other way as though it's not affecting me and His creation.

This is not to convict people. These are marching orders. This is a call to action from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): Pastor Matt Vandeman encouraging us to receive our marching orders from the Lord and be about our Father's business in these last days. This is His Perfect Love. Thanks for taking part in today's study of Revelation, a book that comes with a blessing attached to those that read and study it. If you were blessed and encouraged by the Lord, we'd like to know. Email us while it's fresh on your mind. They're at our website hisperfectlove.org. Be sure to include your prayer requests. Also at our website you'll find an archive of these studies in Revelation making it easy to replay a message you enjoy or catch what you miss on the radio.

Again we're at hisperfectlove.org and now at oneplace.com as well. Look for us wherever you get your podcasts. And we also have a free mobile app. This is a convenient way to listen to Pastor Matt on your mobile devices. Go to hisperfectlove.org for more information about that. And if the Lord is leading you to support this ministry with a one-time gift or ongoing monthly support, you can do so through the website at hisperfectlove.org. Are you looking for a Christian school that offers a quality education and a nurturing environment for your children? If so, you might be interested in Calvary Chapel Christian Academy, a ministry of Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.

Calvary Chapel Christian Academy is a non-denominational Christian school that serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade. The Academy's mission is to provide a Christ-centered education that equips students to love God, love others, and serve the world. The Academy offers a rigorous academic curriculum, a variety of extracurricular activities, and a caring and supportive staff. The Academy is located at 28 North Locust Point Road in Mechanicsburg, PA. For more information please visit our website at ccharrisburg.org/academy. That's ccharrisburg.org/academy. There is much more to come in Revelation. Don't miss a moment of the journey here on His Perfect Love with Pastor Matt.

Matt VanderVen: His Perfect Love is brought to you by Calvary Chapel Harrisburg West Shore.