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Wonderful, wonderful, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful?
! Love, I'm brought you from the realms of glory, just to save a sinful soul I find, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful it is to be!
To me, foundless as the universe surround me, reaching to the part of soul away, saving keeping love is what's found me, that is why my heart can only say, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, whomever to be!
That is you, that is the love of Jesus, and to be the love of Jesus, and to be the love of God Go beyond our human comprehending Love of God in Christ How can it be This will be my theme and never ending Great redeeming love of Calvary Isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful, wonderful Oh, isn't the love of Jesus something wonderful
Wonderful it is to be Wonderful, marvelous Reaching out to all of us This wonderful will be And you'll take your hymn notes and turn to number 452 Not as familiar a song on the...
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ORGAN PLAYS ORGAN PLAYS ORGAN PLAYS
ORGAN PLAYS ORGAN PLAYS We turn to the 11th chapter of Daniel.
Continuing to look at this specific chapter that gives to us some detailed information of the area of the work and the power and the reign of that person that the Bible identifies as the Antichrist.
We are slowly drawing to a close in our study of the book of Daniel. And I trust at least from now on when someone mentions the book of Daniel or your turn to it, you will be aware.
The five great prophecies in the book of the Antichrist. It's not as easy to figure out the reign of the Antichrist in the tribulation, but certainly there.
The ninth chapter, of course, is the chapter which has four little verses speaking of the reign of the Antichrist and that interval of time between the first coming of Christ and the second coming of Christ.
The ninth chapter is concerned by giving you one of the first coming of the first coming of the first coming of the Antichrist. He will make a covenant with the nation of Israel. Therefore, bear something up.
The nation of Israel has to be operative and in vogue and there when the Antichrist is revealed.
He makes a covenant with them. But in the middle of the week, as the ninth chapter tells us, he breaks that covenant. Now, the eleventh chapter of Daniel highlights that covenant again by showing us the characteristics of the Antichrist to come in peaceably and with flattery.
I did not mean to confuse some of you last week when I introduced a couple of new thoughts on outline. I personally believe the eleventh chapter of Daniel deals with three segmented situations.
Now, you will not find this in your reading on eschatology. But I personally believe that the eleventh chapter deals, first of all, with about twenty verses of history that can be proven historically.
Then it picks up what I call a segment of history and prophecy. Now, we have referred quite often to Antiochus Epiphanes. We have referred to the fact that historically he is an excellent illustration in character of the Antichrist.
And so he again is picked up historically in the eleventh chapter. But everything that seems history is not true. It did not take place with him.
So there is an overlap in the history with Antiochus Epiphany with some new prophecy. And then there is the segment which we are in now, which is total prophecy that has no history connected to it.
Now, drop with me quickly to verse 36. I'm not going to repeat everything I said last Sunday evening. Verse 36 introduces to you what is normally called the willful king.
Probably, verse 36 begins the pure prophecy part of chapter 11. Now, bear up. Chapter 2, chapter 7, chapter 8, chapter 9, chapter 11.
Five times. The Antichrist is referred to historically or illustratively or prophetically.
I wish you could all remember better than I can because I can't remember it at all. I have to write it down. I took my glasses off so I can't see you.
So if you can't answer me, you don't be embarrassed. Chapter 2 dealt with the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw. Do you remember that? And Daniel interpreted that image.
Now, it's obvious, but you can answer me. How many legs did the image have? Two. That's obvious. How many feet did it have? How many toes did it have? Ten.
All right. So immediately in the first vision, you are identified with ten nations or ten kings. Do you remember that? And all prophecy seems to center around the fact that someplace before or during the tribulation, ten nations in a group of five each have to come to the forefront.
All right. Now, when you get home, read Revelation 13, 14, 15, and you will find ten nations are identified there.
Not by name, but again by illustration. But the ten heads are reduced to seven, if you'll remember. If you can just remember some numbers, you might come out with some thinking that does not take a lot of prophetic thought.
For example, in one of the visions of Daniel, chapter 7 and chapter 8, the ten is brought down to seven. Ten is identified, but three are immediately destroyed.
Do you remember that? So again, the five and five, which are ten, seem to come down to seven, which highlight themselves. The writer of Revelation uses the seven and says, five have been, one is, and one is to come.
If you remember Revelation 13, 14, and 15. Now, it is interesting that when you come to chapter 9, or excuse me, chapter 8, and chapter 9, and chapter 11, the seven, the seven seemingly, what's the word I just used, seemingly comes down to four.
Now, whether the four includes the seven or the ten, nobody can be dogmatic. It's interesting to me that we really have taken a lot for granted in regards to the teaching of the tribulation among fundamental circles.
I use myself as an example. For example, I've always been taught that there are seven years of tribulation. I believe that. I've always been taught that it's broken down into two sections, three and a half years approximately of peace.
One is called the tribulation, and Christ identifies the other as great tribulation, or the great wrath of God. Now, the first three and a half years are a seeming time of peace. The last three and a half years are a time when the Antichrist rules and reigns.
Now, that's what we've always taught, and that's true, isn't it? But did you ever stop to think of something? How does the Antichrist win to become the ruler over all the other nations that are identified prophetically?
Now, bear something out. I'm not trying to color your thinking. I'm trying to set my own thinking straight on the basis of Daniel 11.
From verse 36 on is nothing more than war, war, war, war, war. Now, true, the last three and a half years of tribulation will be the major part of wars.
We know that from the New Testament. We know that from the book of Revelation. But I would remind you that the Antichrist has to come to power through the grips of war.
And nobody has ever set that in motion for me. I have three and a half years of peace, and I have three and a half years of Antichrist with war. And the highlighted war is the battle of Armageddon at the close of the tribulation as Christ comes to defeat those armies that participate.
I have never been taught in all my years what precedes that great battle of Armageddon. Who wars? Who fights?
What does the Antichrist do? Now you're in chapter 11 with me. Let me read again tonight. Not to confuse you. I personally don't believe you can take chapter 11 as the only teaching on the three and a half years of great tribulation.
But I do think you can learn a lot. If you just use the knowledge you have. Verse 36 identifies the Antichrist as a willful king.
Completely contrary to Christ, but as I told you last week, he has to defeat everything that's ever been taught about the Lord Jesus Christ. That's true.
Bear something up. The greatest book in the tribulation will be the Bible. The knowledge to Israel will come through the prophets.
The knowledge of the great tribulation will come through the gospels. There is not going to be any new prophecies written for the nation of Israel during the tribulation. The nation of Israel today is not very smart.
If the nation of Israel today would pay attention to the Bible, they'd know exactly what they're supposed to do. You realize that the new prime minister of Israel said he was interested in the United States, and he was interested in our president because our president read the Bible.
Now, if they'd carry that a step further, we might have some prophetic revelation coming to pass that for years we said could not come to pass. Secondly, bear something up.
There is nothing in the Old Testament to deal with any nations except those that are north, east, and south of the land of Palestine. No place in the prophecies do you find this hemisphere taken into consideration.
It will still be here. How it will be dominated, how it will be ruled, I would remind you that the government of rule in the prophecies is always referred to as kings, which is very interesting.
Follow me carefully. The willful king, it says in verse 36, exalts himself, magnifies himself above every god or any type of god. He shall speak blasphemy which will astonish those people who know about God or know anything about the Bible.
Blasphemy such we have never heard before. It's incomprehensible to us. And he shall prosper until God gets done with his wrath against the nation of Israel, which is the total tribulation.
Again, bear in mind that everything going on in the world from the beginning of creation has been on God's time clock. For he writes, For that that is discernment shall be done.
You can't change it. Verse 37. I'm reviewing yet. He's continuing to describe the beginning reign of this Antichrist. I remind you last week that apart from two references in verse 40 and verse 45, he does not deal with the nation of Israel in this paragraph.
He does not deal with Palestine except to two insignificant references. Now what does it say? Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, whether he has to be a Jew and coming from parents and a nation which believes in one God, or whether he comes from a family that was before him Christian based on the word of God, and one of the two has to be true.
He does not come from an atheistic background. He either comes from a Jewish background or a Judo-Christian background where God was believed to be God.
Whether he is a homosexual or whether he is odd because of his lack of desire for women, we do not know, but we have a strange phrase.
He is not interested in the desire of women or to become the desire of women. Nor he regards any God, for he shall magnify himself above all. Now we know immediately that Satan has always wanted to be God or above God, right?
We have that in Isaiah, we have it in Ezekiel. At this time it will take place. Bear something out. We don't have time, we don't want to turn to it. Revelation 13 and 14 teaches us that there must be a trinity of Satan.
Satan is involved, but he cannot be involved until he is literally cast out of heaven. That's Revelation chapter 12. He is not literally cast out of heaven today. When he is literally cast out of heaven, he can become part of the devilish triumvirate, which includes the first beast, which is the Antichrist, and the second beast, which is called usually the false prophet, or the false spirit may be a better term for him.
And so you have the unholy trinity, which is identified in Revelation 13 and 14. All right, go to verse 38, I'm still reviewing. But in rejecting the God, he honors the God of forces.
I said to you last week, many people translate this, the God of fortresses. I do not believe that. I believe because of the power of Satan, Revelation 13 and 14, that there will be something revealed in the power of Satan through the false prophet and the Antichrist that has never been revealed before.
Whether it will be wholly phenomenal or whether it be natural, I am not sure. But I do know from this passage that something never before used as a God is going to be used.
Turn for a moment, but I don't want to get my track lost, to Revelation. Just to read a couple of verses. Turn to the...
Excuse me, I have to find it myself. Let's start with the 13th chapter. I'm just reading this to show you that the God of forces, which comes into prominence, could be what we read in Revelation 13, verse 11.
And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth. Could be the word land. I personally believe it refers to Palestine. And he had two horns like a lamb and he spake as a dragon.
That's a very interesting phrase. He looks like Christ and he acts like the devil. Have you ever heard that before? You probably haven't. I remind you that the Antichrist and the false prophet are not unattractive.
They have to be awfully attractive to sell people that the Bible is a fake or that the Bible is fulfilled in them. And they have to prove that what Christ did, they can do.
Now read on. And he exercises all the power of the first beast or the authority of the first beast before him. In other words, you have two people with the same power, human beings.
And causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast. Now that's where you are in Daniel 11, 36 and 37. He sets himself up as God and he acknowledges a God of forces which is never known before.
Where does it come from? Well, let's read it. And causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast whose deadly wound was healed. You realize that out of that little four-horned beast came one in Daniel which was small to begin with, who went through the wars, who suffered that thing, and probably was even wounded in that situation.
Revelation brings that same thought out. And he doeth great wonders. There's an interesting phrase. The word is signs. So he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles or signs which he had power to do in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast which had the wound by a sword and did live.
Now this is the abomination of desolation. You know this from Matthew and from Daniel. He is going to make an image. He's going to put it in the temple at Jerusalem. Someone's always worried about how long it takes to build a temple.
I'd remind you they already got the foundation. The only fight the Jordanians and the Palestinians are going to have is if they try to take the Wailing Wall back.
They believe that's the original foundation of the restored temple. And they want it. And they're going to keep it. In fact, in the Six-Day War, that's all they wanted.
They didn't want anything else. They wanted that little piece of property that was in an alley. Very possible that the mosque that sits on the present Moriah could be incarcerated in part of the temple or incorporated in part of the temple.
The temple to be built in Jerusalem did not have to be as extravagant or exorbitant as Solomon's temple. You realize when Nehemiah and Ezra restored the temple, some people wept because it wasn't as good as the other one.
Well, I'd remind you now, there isn't anybody around that saw the original. So whatever they get, they're going to be happy with. So you see here, go a little further with me. I just want you to get the flavor.
Verse 15. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast. Now kindly remember, this is not Satan. This is the false prophet. He can give power to that image that sits in the temple.
That the image of the beast should both speak. Here's a phenomena. You know, you walk in Lazarus at Christmas, they have the talking tree. Now you know there's a guy inside of there, don't you?
I remind you, you have here an image empowered by Satan, who does not have to stay inside of it to speak. That's an unnatural phenomena that nobody can explain.
You remember that Christ said, if you wouldn't hail me as king, the very rocks would cry out. Do you see how clever the Antichrist is? He has to facsimile everything that Christ did or could do.
So you see, he empowers the image of the beast should both speak, and cause as as many as would not worship, the image of the beast should be killed. And he causeth all both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand or in their foreheads.
I'm stopping for something. As far as I'm concerned, this takes place close to the beginning of what we call the Great Tribulation.
Not at the end. So that, when Daniel talks about how he's going to get his position, he has given us something that many of us have never paid attention to.
How does he get that position? Anybody can figure out that he's going to get it at the end of the Tribulation, after he's had seven years' chance. But he has to have it before then.
Go back to Daniel 11. I didn't mean to confuse you by taking you there, but I want you to see that your Bible does go together, hand in hand. It is not without comparison. All right? Verse 38.
I want to get down these verses tonight very quickly to have you think. But in rejecting God, he shall honor the God of forces, a God whom his fathers knew not, shall he honor with gold, silver, with precious stones, and pleasant things.
Again, I must stop. You realize that in the millennium, nations must come to Jerusalem to worship, and they must bring precious things. The Antichrist is going to say, See, I'm the king that's going to reign.
I'm the Christ, and therefore, I have a right to expect you to come and pay homage and worship at the image with that which is valuable. I'm the Christ. Are you aware that he's going to say the millennium has started?
Are you aware that he's going to say, Look, I'm ruling with force. That's what Christ is supposed to do. Rule with a rod of iron. Here I am. What did Daniel 11 tell you?
Many of the Jews who were in the covenant fell away from it and followed the Antichrist, but there was that small remnant who spoke of God and of Christ and tried to teach, and they suffered martyrdom and trial and tribulation and purging and slavery because they wouldn't worship.
Verse 39. This is where we stopped last week. Thus shall he do in the most strongholds. Very strange phrase. It seems to refer to nations. This is what he shall do with those who he conquers and follows.
With a strange God. Now, whether that's the God of forces, I personally believe it is. He has identified it twice. When the Bible tells you something twice, pay attention to it. Whom he shall acknowledge and increase with glory, and he shall cause them to rule over many.
In other words, there will be ruling and reigning in the reign of the Antichrist. He can't be every place at once. He has to trust some people. He has to trust some nations.
He has to have some conglomerate with which he works. That's not hard to see. All right.
And shall divide the land for gain. There is a phrase. Now, we don't know whether these things are in sequence or whether Daniel in the vision given by the angel is just giving us thoughts as they are given to him.
Verse 40. And at the time of the end, we have no time factor to identify with. The time of the end of what?
The end of the tribulation? The time of the end of the Antichrist? Or is he doing what every prophet does, talking about the latter days? A period of time which could be as long as three and a half years.
I was reading this afternoon. I probably won't have time to go there tonight. In Ezekiel 37, 38, and 39. I learned something brand new.
You know how long it takes to clean up the land of Israel after Armageddon? Seven months. Seven months. Seven months. Isn't that interesting?
Nobody ever has dropped that seven months any place in eschatology. People will walk through the land or ride through the land, and they see a bone of a human being.
They'll put a marker on it, and someone of the government will come along and bury that bone to get rid of it. That's what Ezekiel 37 said. Last week we get in a lot of problems. Previous in Daniel 11, we had the king of the south, and we assumed that Antiochus Epiphanes was the king of the north.
So we only had two nations, north and south, right? Now I have a problem. All commentators say, well, the Antichrist is always called the king of the north.
Well, if he is here, I'm in trouble. Just let me read for you. And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him, and the king of the north shall come against him.
He can't come against himself. Now there's not a great problem, but we don't want to run around our Bible.
It would seem to me that that referred to as the north is that confederacy of ten reduced to seven, which is north of the land of Palestine.
And that confederacy must be proven that the Antichrist is to be the ruler. What are they coming against, class?
The Antichrist or a nation? They're coming against a nation. What nation? Answer me. Israel. Then the Antichrist is going to defend Israel.
Why? Because he's the Antichrist. It's his land. It's the very land which Christ is going to rule and reign over because he's just going to transfer the kingdom from the Antichrist to the Christ.
There's no difference. You learned that in Daniel a number of weeks ago. Now just let me read for you. And at that time of the end, I personally believe this is sort of the beginning of the second part of the tribulation where he proves himself to be what he is, the ruler of the world.
He's going to win that by war. And at that time of the end, shall the king of the south push at him and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind with chariots, with horsemen, with many ships.
And he shall enter into the countries and shall overflow and pass over. Now all it says to me is the north and south don't win. But verse 41 is a problem.
He shall enter also into the glorious land. There's a reference to Palestine. So whether he is a part, I'm not being specific, I'm getting you to think.
He is a part of this group of nations illustrated in the two legs, the ten toes, five each reduced to seven and here reduced to four. Of that group, which is part of the north, he was called the northern king, but when he sees the northern kings are going to go against the land of Israel, he has to go against them because that's going to be his land.
Does he win? He shall enter also into the glorious land and as he protects Israel, many countries shall be overthrown. He protects Israel.
But there are three names which are interesting. Three groups of people, Moab, Edom, and the chief were the princes of the children of Ammon.
It's very interesting to me that we really don't know our world. You realize to the north of Israel is all the northern European countries including Russia and all of that.
You understand that? To the south of the nation of Israel is something very interesting. To the south is Egypt and the African nations.
But to the south of Palestine is also a large nation called Arabia. Now called Saudi Arabia.
Did you ever notice it's almost as big as Egypt? I wonder if I'd ask you without looking on your map where Moab and Ammon and Edom are if you could tell me.
Well, when you get home you'll look. You'll notice they're on the east side of Palestine at the south close to the Dead Sea. It's a little angle in there seemingly of nations which do not become totally involved with the Antichrist.
We don't know why for the moment. But this little strip of land seems to stay neutral. It's just above Saudi Arabia.
From the border of Saudi Arabia to the Dead Sea and a little to the east of the Dead Sea are these three lands. Very small portion of land. Has a purpose?
No doubt. Read on with me for a further. Verse 42. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries. In other words whatever country he passes through in order to protect Palestine he captures.
And the land of Egypt shall not escape. There's that land again that is so important. A little south and west of the land of Palestine. And with Egypt of course he's concerned with everything that's buried there that most archaeologists are digging up for him right now.
You go to the museum in Cairo you could spend weeks there of the things that they've taken out of just a smattering of Egypt.
I never saw so much gold in my life. You realize that King Tut was buried in three gold rooms interspersed like a box.
The first room how big was the first room Earl? Big as a platform? Third of the platform. Third of the platform box square solid gold inside and out.
Then inside this one was another box that just fit solid gold inside and out. And inside that second box was another box solid gold inside and out and that's where Thomas buried.
Three boxes solid gold buried in that pyramid and around him buried everything of solid gold including his chariots his carts anything he had was solid gold.
he did not believe in anything but that and realized he lived only until 19 years of age. And that is just scratching the surface of the riches of Egypt buried not only in the pyramids but in the sands where probably they've never been touched.
And it's amazing to me how they've not only preserved them but they've kept them safe after they've dug them up that nobody stole enough. But you see God has a hand in this.
How rich is Christ going to be when he gets here? He's not only going to be king because he's the son of God he's going to have everything that's on the earth that's here now that's valuable. You know we read about the cattle on a thousand hills you know we read that phrase but during the millennium they'll belong to him.
And I'd remind you that the Antichrist is just going to gather this stuff for him. Because that's the kingdom. Egypt is very interesting. It's to the south and the west.
What we would ever find in Saudi Arabia if we ever could get there we really don't know. That's the southeast of Palestine. You read a little further.
So he goes through these lands towards the south protecting the land of Palestine. He's already taken the confederacy of the north and taken care of them and he's come out of that confederacy as the boss.
Now he's taking care of the south. Okay. He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries and the land of Egypt shall not escape. But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver and over all the precious things of Egypt.
And the Libyans and the Ethiopians never fear that South Africa and Middle Africa is a very very rich nation. Not near as ignorant as you think they are.
Progressing so fast now you can't stop them. And they know the value of precious things. Where's the greatest diamond mines in the world? In South Africa.
And that's the way he's going. Read a little further. All of a sudden he gets some news from the East. You know friends there are no contradiction in the Bible.
There are just many of us who know Christ who are confused and stupid. May I remind you the thing that alarms the Antichrist the most in this chapter is the East.
Not the North. basically of course here's where you come in interpretation. Most people believe that when the northern kingdoms which is Russia chapter 38 and 39 no doubt Gog and Magog come towards Israel that they start coming and this king hears tidings from the East and as they overrun Palestine this way the East and the Antichrist have to come to Palestine this way.
But I say to you that if I read the battle of Armageddon rightly where Christ comes to take care of everything in war that what happens is he has to take care of the armies of the Antichrist and the armies of the East.
Russia is a power. And we read our paper. We don't know anything about communism. I don't know anything about communism. I wish I did.
But I want to tell you something. The infighting between Russia and the East, China, India, Bangladesh, and all of those countries over to Japan is a very interesting situation prophetically.
The only time the Antichrist gets upset is when he hears some word coming from the East. Now he's really upset because that northern confederacy has been taken care of by him.
He was a part of that Roman Empire restored. Five and five down to seven now to four. Just read with me. But tidings out of the East and out of the North.
True, the North is still a problem. He can't be in two places at once. Shall trouble him. Therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy and utterly to make away many.
Now I personally believe that Daniel draws back in time. He has taken us quickly to the spectrum of the rule of the Antichrist, how he had to war, and he has also given us an implication of the nations which are against Palestine.
and now in one verse he shows us the great tribulation from beginning to end. And he shall plant the tabernacles.
What is the word class? And he shall plant what? Oh, don't misread your Bible. A tabernacle is a temporary tent. That's right.
The tabernacle in the Old Testament was not a permanent structure. He tabernacled among us. He wasn't here permanently the first time. If this earthly house of this tabernacle, a temporary structure be dissolved, we have a house not made with hands eternal in heaven.
The prophet knew what he said. He shall plant the temporary tent of his palace between the seas. That's where he is in the middle of the tribulation.
He has forgotten his wars now. He has shown the enemy. He has shown that the Antichrist has to help to fortify Palestine. He has to go south. He has to look to the east.
He has to take care of the north. And true, all of those are involved in Gog!
all he has done is taken you from verse 21 all the way to the end of the vision and he's gone a complete circle. He shall enter in peaceably and with flattery and he says to you now he's going to be a temporary fixture between the two seas in the glorious holy mountain Mount Zion.
No doubt he refers to Moriah. No doubt he refers to the place of Solomon's temple. No doubt he refers to the place which now has the mosque on top of it. Look at the last part.
From his magnificent temporary palace a tent all he says to us yet he shall come to his end and none shall help him.
His beginning and his end. All of these wars are necessary for him to be a ruler. But never fear his land after he comes out of that confederacy is the land of Palestine.
He takes it peaceably he takes it flatteringly but it's his he has to protect it because he is the tribulation Christ. And with all the power and the naturalness and the facsimile I hate to use the word facsimile except for the fact that I can use it the people in the tribulation won't know he's a fake.
Now of course he's come to the end of this vision. Chapter 12 bad that your reference Bible heads at the great tribulation. He has been talking about the great tribulation.
The angel has given you a vision of the wars of the great tribulation. Pay attention. Why didn't he have anything from the west? Because there are no nations to the west of Palestine.
It's water. There's only northeast and south. Your Bible is a true book. Chapter 2, chapter 7, chapter 8, chapter 9, chapter 11, give you a full picture of the Antichrist, his characteristics, his reign, his power, his ability, his place, his downfall, and his results.
And chapter 12, as controversial as chapter 11, at that time shall Michael stand up. At that time is a very interesting phrase. Previous to verse 45.
If Michael does not stand up at the beginning of the great tribulation, the remnant of Israel would be destroyed. I'd remind you, we're back to verse 35 of chapter 11.
That group of wise Jews who didn't break the covenant, who followed the Messiah, who looked to Christ, are still there. And Michael stands up to protect that remnant who flees to the hills and the woods without clothing, without food, without provision, without job.
Let me give you a little thought. it's very possible that Edom and Moab and Ammon are the refuge of the remnant.
And they are protected by the angels. Well, if that doesn't upset your stomach for tomorrow, I try.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the word of God. Very often, from a human standpoint, we wish we could stop with a practical thought.
But you've led us to study this book in depth, to realize that God has given to us the history of prophecy.
We thank you, Father, that the history has been proven true. The characteristics have fallen into place. tribulation and when God says the tribulation will come, it will come.
We can't always fit all the pieces together. We just have to take our little minds touched by the Holy Spirit to think and to tie together those great prophecies and that book of Revelation to see that they do not contradict.
There is no purpose in our lives to know every detail except to know that the word of God is very truth. And if it's true in the prophecies, it ought to be true in the practicalities and we ought to trust God more.
To realize that God is still on the throne and he still remembers his own and he never fails us.
May our hearts tonight revel in the truth of the word of God and humbly be thankful that we can study it together in the Savior's name. Amen.
We've been singing about the love of Christ and I thought we'd close on that same note tonight. If you'll take your book and turn to number 483, there's a little song which you know, there is a name I love to hear, oh, how I love Jesus.
483. Let's close the day by singing this hymn. Shall we stand with me and sing? There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its word, it sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.
Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus because he first loved me.
It tells me of a Savior's love who died to set me free. it tells me of his precious blood, the sinner's perfect play.
Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus. Oh, how I love Jesus love Jesus.
Oh, how I love Jesus. Now, you are aware tonight that we always give an invitation. You may be here tonight and you say, Pastor, what good is the teaching on the tribulation and the antichrist?
Let me tell you something. If you don't know Christ, you might find out. You know, someday, we don't think much about this and I don't think much about this, but someday we're going to close an evening service and the next time we see each other is going to be the rapture in the clouds.
And some person who's been with us on a Sunday evening is going to be ushered in to the tribulation. And we would take for granted, you can't use the word of God with teaching that anybody's going to be saved.
Let me say to you tonight, the only guarantee you have of going to heaven is accepting Jesus Christ. And apart from that, you can be the greatest scholar on the doctrine of the last things and go to hell.
And that would be a shame. Let me say to you tonight, there will be Christians in the rapture that will say, why didn't I do something last Sunday with a spiritual decision? Why wasn't I obedient to the Lord?
Why didn't I listen to his voice that just said to me, you know, you ought to change your life. You ought to listen to the word. You ought to get closer to the Lord. what did John say? We should walk with the Lord that we should not be ashamed at his appearance.
You know, most of us who stand here tonight don't think that Christ is going to return tonight. That's true. Now, let's be honest, right? I've got a week so planned that if he comes tonight, I'm going to miss a lot of opportunities.
So have you, right? Let's be honest. When we study the word of God, it ought to come back to us. Look, what has God done for us? What's he want to do for us? The invitation's always open in this church.
We're going to sing just verse three and four. If you'd like to step from your seat as the Holy Spirit prompts you, feel free to do so. Whatever your need, your question, your desire is in responsibility to the word of God and the Holy Spirit who directs.
Let's just sing as we close the day. Meet me at the front if you'd like to come. It tells me what my father has been for every day.
And though I dread the dark to death in such I own a day. Oh, how I love Jesus.
Oh, I love Jesus. love soul. Now love Jesus. He thought he on me.
He tells the heart who love heart feel the and fall who in the sorrow bears the heart.
love and every heart. And love every heart. how I Jesus. Oh, how I love How I love How I love Jesus.
are for for lip se just lip lip li lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip lip it the most. No, my cry is, most of you, I think you understand me, I'm not for substandard education. I'm not against sports. But let me say something to you. I have said this to the board. I would keep my two boys in this school if the only thing they got was reading, writing, and arithmetic, and they never got music or sports or anything else.
At least at home I can breathe. They're not getting any junk I've got to worry about. Now that's my personal conviction. Most of you know I'm not completely sold on the ACE program. We don't have it, Clark. But let me say something to you. I'd rather see a kid in an ACE school than in no Christian school at all. He's at least getting a Christian education.
It's called accelerated Christian education. It's a self-supervising discipline thing for kids. I'm not totally against it, but most of the kids I know are not very self-motivated. They need a teacher with a rod over their head. Our kids are that way, in a way, if that helps. Anybody else? Quickly. Dan?
Anybody else?
Silence is golden, but not in a Christian school meeting. Delbert? What is the name of the Christian school that has been sent to the private side of the door?
Most of the suits have been from public education that they are not meeting the standards, they are not certified or chartered by the state, and therefore kids going to their schools are truant. Yes, Bob?
Well, you're back to interpretation again, Bob, and presently, as I said, for the last year, it has backed off. There are many schools operating in Ohio the state does not pay any attention to, and they not paid attention to the state. Now, I'm being honest with you. I have a little problem with this.
I personally think that the Bible teaches us we obey the laws of the land as long as it doesn't infringe on our religious freedom. And we have taken that avenue in regards to Maranatha Christian School. We have our school in the elementary side, you realize, is chartered. We have a state charter in our elementary school. We passed the test. As far as I know, we didn't compromise any place, and we are not compromising any place.
But it may come to the place that the minimum standards and interpretation may cause us a conflict in regards to our own philosophy of education. Then we'd have to decide whether we want to be out of obedience to the law and obedient to the word of God or to quit. Now, this is a thing that happens. Now, the elementary side is not as serious as the high school side. You are aware of that.
The state on the high school side is very difficult to work with. You have to have a building of some sorts. You have to have the teachers. You have to have the subjects offered. But some of those subjects we would not agree with. But we could teach them in the realm of Christian philosophy.
So we don't know what's going to happen to that thing. The state has said, and the elementary side, they do have a fellow by the name of Gable who works with Christian schools. In fact, he is supportive of Christian schools and has got a number of elementary schools certified in the state because of his work with the state education part. They've never done this on the high school side, so we don't know what's going to happen here. You have to sort of flounder yourself. But it can come back. There is no doubt it's laying dormant now because of all the things that's happened in the last year. Martin Essex, of course, is not the state superintendent anymore who was totally antagonistic against private schools in totality. He came that open. He told me that. I disagree with you running a school at all. If we had our chance, we'd put you out of business. But what the state's going to do, nobody knows. What they can do, it no doubt will be taken to court. There will be many Christian schools taken to court in the next five years. In fact, I can't repeat them all. We could listen to the tape. But I think presently some 21 states have lawsuits against Christian schools in them. Waiting to be heard.