The King Judges Those Left Behind

As world history careens toward its conclusion. There's a time.

Coming known as the great tribulation this time of trial will encompass the whole world and brings suffering never before seen on this planet. Jesus spoke of this time, as did the Old Testament prophets, the judgment of God will rain down on the earth causing people to beg the mountains to fall on them from Chicago. We welcome you to The Moody Church. Our weekly service of worship and teaching under the ministry of Dr. Erwin lutes are today we continue attend part look into the future were calling when he shall come later in our broadcast will learn about what happens when he judges those left on earth.

Pastor Lutzer comes now to open our service were going to pray together now were going to seek the Lord together ask his blessing, but I need to ask you what burden have you brought with you today that needs to be taken from your shoulders, and given to God, whatever that burden is what you transfer it to his shoulders while we pray and even as I'm going to be speaking on the great tribulation. A very sobering sobering message, ask yourself whether or not you are ready and where you would be if the Lord were to come but also pray for this planet.

The people on this planet because when we think of the suffering that this world is yet to endure. It is horrendous.

But we who know the Lord rejoice. Jesus constantly said let not your heart be troubled because we know the end game. Would you join me as we pray. Father, we want to thank you today for your mercy and for your grace. We thank you that we can call you father, we thank you that your word says that the very hair of our head is numbered and if a sparrow falls to the ground you take note of it and how much more value are you then they Jesus said, and so we thank you and we pray today that you might enable us to give you our burdens among us. There are those who are facing great huge financial challenges. We pray that you will show yourself faithful and and give them the confidence that you've not forgotten about them.

For those father who are in transition when it comes to their vocation there looking for work for those Lord going through relational issues in their families and the tearing of the rupture of the motions that comes as a result of that father bring healing and bring help for those who have come with guilt on their consciences. We pray father that through humble confession and faith.

You might cleanse them, cleanse us as a church we pray make us ready for the return of Jesus. We ask, may we be a bride without spot and without wrinkle or any such thing today. Lord we call upon you.

We ask for the advance of the gospel around the world. There are many Christians who are suffering today because the gospel give them encouragement give them hope, help us to stand with them and even though we cannot fully identify with where they are at. We asked that through our prayers and through the burden that you share with us that we might be able to intercede for them and see your glory even in the midst of what appears superficially to be a defeat and we ask all Lord God for this country. Father, we call upon you and ask that in this place in this nation that our leaders shall know that they must turn to you. We pray father for the entertainment industry that is so filled with impurity of father, help us as families and as individuals to walk before you and to be holy. Even as Jesus is holy, teach us how to do that in Jesus name to follow along with me in your bulletin is read together portion of Philippians 3. Please read aloud with me on the bold print.

This is God's holy word, but whatever. Again, I had I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything is loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own because Christ Jesus has made me his own brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do, forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Jesus drumming is a and a and is today. I'm going to speak about a subject that is awesome, awesome. Because of this reality awesome because it is going to come. It's a message that will lay a huge burden on your soul is a message actually of judgment. Of course we shall end with grace, which is where we always need to, and but before we get to grace we have to look at the words of the Lord Jesus Christ about the topic of what we called the great tribulation is actually what he called it a great tribulation. There many people today who downplay the tribulation because either they spiritualize it and simply say that it happens somehow spiritually. Some even believe that it has already happened.

And then there are others who minimize it because as far as they are concerned the church has always had tribulation so why the uniqueness of the great tribulation today, as we shall see that while the church is always had tribulation.

It has never had what we're going to be discussing today. You know, in the Old Testament the great tribulation was predicted. Let me read a few passages before we get to our text in the book of Deuteronomy the Lord God says that he would scatter Israel. Then he would bring them together and in chapter 4 verse 30. He says when you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you in the latter days notice that you will return to the Lord your God and obey his voice, all that happens in the latter days, and Israel shall turn to God, as we shall see in just a moment, then you have the book of Daniel.

Daniel says this in chapter 12.

Please listen carefully.

At that time shall arise. Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people, and there shall be a time of troubles such as never have been since there has been a nation till that time, but at that time your people shall be delivered. That is, the Jews, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book and many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting shame and contempt. Daniel predicted a time of great tribulation and there would be those who would be saved, whose names were written in the book of Revelation chapter 7 talks about a great multitude and we will be mentioning this as we go through this that came out of the great tribulation, and Jesus spoke of it very clearly before we turn to Matthew chapter 24 and I would encourage you to turn to it right now.

In fact, Matthew chapter 24. I'm going to begin by giving you some purposes of the great tribulation.

Why this great tribulation that Jesus speaks about and the New Testament speaks about in various passages.

Why the great tribulation. First of all, the great tribulation is a time when God unleashes his wrath on the earth. It says in the book of Revelation that the grade today. I'll be his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand.

In fact, when it comes to the vials and the bowls that are thrown out on the earth.

It says and and the cup was filled with the mixed wrath of God is a wise got so angry.

He's angry because during this period of time, as we shall see. The Antichrist arises almost all the world except those who are written in the book and we'll talk about that will worship him. It is a time of unparalleled evil and time of unparalleled blasphemy and God is going to show his indignation to the earth disabled does the last generation have to be the one to endure this well the fact is that those who have died if they do have not trusted Christ as Savior. They will be in a place called Hades, which I'm sure will not be better than being in the great tribulation.

So in the end God's justice will be finely tuned and correctly distributed.

But here we see God's anger and wrath against sin. Second reason is to prepare Israel to enter into the kingdom to prepare Israel to enter into the kingdom. I said a moment ago as we are reading from the book of Daniel that the people shall go through this time and then there will be those who will be resurrected to life. There will also be those who survive the tribulation who go into what we call the millennial kingdom. In fact, Jeremiah has an interesting prophecy. He says that this period of time the great tribulation is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it, Paul said in Romans so that all Israel shall be saved. There's going to be a whole generation of Jewish people who are going to see Jesus as the Messiah when he returns and accept him as their own and they along with some Gentiles as well will go into what we call the millennial kingdom. So remember, first of all, comes the tribulation then all those Old Testament prophecies and New Testament prophecies regarding a kingdom on earth. Now you might be gratified to know at this point that I will be preaching an entire message just on the millennial kingdom as we go through this series entitled when he shall come. So the second reason is to purify Israel to save Jews who will become a part of the kingdom, so that God's promises to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and finally fully be fulfilled. There's 1/3 reason and that is during this period of great tribulation. The human heart is finally revealed in all of its sin. You read the story in the New Testament book of Revelation and the judgments and even though there are hailstones coming from heaven. The sky is black and rivers are being turned into blood. It says that many people still would not repent of their sorceries, and of their immorality. You'd think they'd say while in light of this, I'm going to flee to God's grace. Millions will multiplied millions will not.

The human heart. Very interesting and revealed during this period of time.

There's a final reason and that is to show Jesus Christ. Total triumph over the devil. When you get to the book of Revelation and you see there. The story of the great tribulation. Satan no longer is working undercover.

Now he is spoken of as the red Dragon that is been cast out of heaven and Satan in his fury is going to do all the damage that he possibly can to God and to God's people, and it will appear at times as if he's winning, but in the end he loses and is cast into the lake of fire justly so, where he will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

The end of the day.

The contest is not even close. Jesus wins a man Jesus wins now all that is simply my introduction. Our text for today is the 24th chapter of the Gospel of Matthew and today were going to read the Scriptures. I hope that you have one in front of you. There, if you're listening. By way of radio or Internet find the Bible are pew Bibles here. I think it's page 829 follow along. These are the words of Jesus, take it from him when he is with the disciples in there overlooking the temple area and Jesus said all of these domes that you see here the beautiful temple was built not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall be torn down.

The disciples asked him, verse three. When will these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the close of the age. Jesus, in effect, ignores his their first question about when these things the destruction of the Temple will take place and he launches into this discussion of the signs of his coming and the end of the a now it's true there are some parallels between this and the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus does talk about the coming destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. but Jesus begins and he talks about certain signs, so there are two questions we have to answer before we get into the text, namely where are we, as believers during this period of time. Where do we fit into this as you know, based on the previous messages that I have given I believe that we will be enraptured up.

First Thessalonians chapter 4 we will be with the Lord because the coming of Jesus is in two stages.

First of all, he comes for his church and then he comes with the church with his saints and today were talking about that second stage of the great revelation of Jesus when, as we shall see.

As lightning goes from one end of heaven to the other, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be. Were talking about stage number two in his return. So this scenario is correct and you've trusted Jesus as your Savior. You will be in heaven waiting to return with Christ, but we will be exempt from the wrath to come because this is a time when God's wrath falls upon the earth. There's a second question and that is that the signs that Jesus talks about are they signs for today.

Well, not really. They are signs during the tribulation. During the first half of the tribulation. They are signs, but their routine can be seen today. Every one of these signs in one way or another is happening today as we get into the signs by the ways you read this chapter, do you notice how Jewish it is talks about Jerusalem that talks about all pray that your flight will not be on a Sabbath day, etc. why is it so Jewish. The best way to view the church is as a parenthesis Old Testament, God dealt with Israel church is inserted into this now that the church is taken away. God takes up where he left off to fulfill the Old Testament promises. And that's why you don't see the church year. What you see is a message to Jewish people, and Gentiles as well will be there during the period of the great tribulation.

What very quickly. Now let's look at the signs we must hurry on Jesus said in verse four. See that no one leads you astray for many will come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and they will lead to many astray today we have something like that. We have many different Jesus says we have a Mormon Jesus, we have a new age. Jesus we have a do-it-yourself Jesus a cut-and-paste Jesus people at different Jesus says, but in that day many will say I am the Christ huge worldwide deception notice will be war, verse six, you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed for this must take place years ago I preached a message on the little word must things that must take place, but the end is not yet nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There's going to be world war and in the period of time known as the great tribulation. It's going to end with the battle of Armageddon. So kingdom will rise against kingdom.

There will be famines certainly have that today. Earthquakes in various places the number of earthquakes. I'm told is increasing. All of these are the beginning of birth pangs. This is just the warm-up then they will deliver you up in tribulation and put you to death. You will be hated by all nations for my sake. Why is spread persecution that is actually going to result in many people die and many people being raised as martyrs and then it says, and many will fall away and betray one another and to hate one another and many false prophets will arise and lead many astray and because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold, but the one who endures to the end will be saved.

This has nothing to do with the issue of eternal personal security. What Jesus is saying is, is that the person who endures to the end of the tribulation. After so many millions die.

The person who endures to that point will be rescued by Jesus will be given the opportunity of entering into the king, and so if you endured to the end of the age, the end of the tribulation.

Is what Jesus actually is talking about.

And then there's another sign verse 14 and this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end the show, this point in time we have to say. Let's think this through. The church is taken away. The restrainer is taken away, the Holy Spirit is still in the world, but in an Old Testament sense of the word antichrist is beginning to mobilize to sign a covenant with Israel a covenant of peace. Evidently and yet you have all these people saved during the tribulation. Where did they come from. If you have your Bibles open, let's turn for a moment to Revelation chapter 7 Revelation chapter 7 where we see here the story of the 144,000 chapter 7 verse one of Revelation. After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth that no wind might blow on the earth or the sea against any tree I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun with the seal of the living God. He called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the earth and the seat do not harm the earth and the sea or the trees until we sealed the servants of God and therefore it got a saying I'm going to restrain my wrath while 144,000 Jews are sealed so that they might not be destroyed during the tribulation. Some people read this and they say this must be the church. Well actually actually list the tribes and how does God come up with such a neat number 12,000 12,000 to make 144,000. Only God can do that.

God evidently has chosen some people and he has chosen them and will in the end time seal them and they will be converted perhaps miraculously something like Saul on the way to Damascus. God may just simply come out of heaven and say believe on Jesus be saved and 144,000 are safe now. If you believe that the church is going to go through the tribulation as many fine Christians do you still have the question of how the church evangelizing ends up exactly with 12,000 from each of the tribes.

It is a miracle done of God, you say, what if that isn't the correct interpretation that these 144,000 become the evangelist by the way last part of Revelation 7.

It talks about all those who were saved during the tribulation. The great number who evidently die and are beheaded and are now in heaven but you say well how do we know that those folks are going to preach the gospel will you know God is never out of ideas. Listen to this from Revelation chapter 14 verse six. Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on the earth to every nation, tribe, language and people and angel flies within eternal gospel to every nation, tribe, language and people and he said with a loud voice, fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come and worship him who made heaven and earth and the sea and the springs of water. God wants to evangelize the world if the gospel is going to go to his every nation he can even use an angel to do it. We haven't done it is a church there are many Christians in all the countries of the world, but not that many in their huge countries where very few have heard the gospel. God may use even an angel to proclaim it to them and if an angel proclaims it to them can be sure that they would listen. Imagine an angel flying over a nation and saying with a loud voice. This is the gospel. Is it any wonder that many, many do believe Jesus said this gospel of the kingdom must be spread throughout all the world. What does he say to throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations. Then the end shall come. While now we get into some other matters that I hope to make clear to you still with me there out there and you have anybody's with me.

I know this can get a little complicated, but as you listen to this series, and we are like taking pieces of a puzzle and putting it together.

It will make sense.

I think I can promise that to you, not with the same kind of promise that God gives us eternal life, but I think we can see her way clear as to how this might fit together now.

Jesus said this in verse 15. So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place. Let the reader understand, then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. What is Jesus talking about here, the abomination of desolation. I want you to accept this scenario for now without me taking a lot of time to prove it and that is that in Daniel chapter 9, you have a man who is known as the Prince, who shall come who clearly seems to be the antichrist. He makes a covenant with Israel that apparently guarantees their peace at last we have somebody who can step into the Middle East and you can say to Israel war is over because I have enough power to guarantee your distance so during that period of time. There is a period of relative peace nations begin to come together and because of his power. There is some stability in the world. During this period of time. There is so much stability that even the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt. Now if you asked me the question how can there possibly be a temple in Jerusalem when the dome of the rock is standing right there.

How can there be a temple next to it on my answer is that the message that I will give next time may give a plausible explanation to that and also remember that as we talk about antichrist. There is a message in this series just on him but now let's look at the text. What is the abomination that makes desolate, well, we discover that in the middle of the tribulation. The Antichrist finally shows his true colors he goes to Jerusalem he goes into that temple. He proclaims himself to be God. An image is set up in the temple that everybody is supposed to worship. It's really a living image. An image that comes to life and people all over the world as we shall see.

Wander and say to themselves, look at what this beast has done and they begin to worship him, and that is the abomination of desolation that is the ultimate insult to God that for a little while Satan has what he's always wanted mainly to duplicate God and now he receives the worship of a great deal of the percentage of the people living on the earth. Some don't. Many do, and at last, Satan has his place right in the sanctuary of God.

That's what Jesus means when he says the abomination of desolation in the holy place. The temple evidently has been rebuilt and Paul seems to confirm that in second Thessalonians races that the antichrist goes into the temple and proclaims himself to be God. So here we have this abomination of desolation.

The ultimate sacrilege. Now Jesus goes on and he says when this happens, flee, he says them. Verse 16. Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house. Let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days, pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be and here's the phrase now great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, and no never will be. What Jesus saying he is saying that when antichrist does that ground zero of the Holocaust that is about to begin is going to be Jerusalem get out of Jerusalem. That's where the persecution is going to be of antichrist. That's where the judgments are going to be headed flee and do it as quickly as you possibly can you say will if they do it you know and how are they gonna live in the mountains you know don't even take any cloak with you or a coat or don't get your suit in the book of Revelation chapter 12 is a very interesting story about Israel. Israel is likened unto a woman in the Bible says that God takes that woman and takes her to the mountains and guards her and keeps her God in some sense, will protect Jewish believers during this period of time and perhaps protecting many members of the Jewish nation as they flee Jerusalem for the hills because the Bible says there in Revelation 12 that he'll do it for 3 1/2 years and so they are to flee. Pray that your flight not be in winter. Not be on the Sabbath because you see sacrifices will have begun at this temple, which incidentally the antichrist is going to stop because now there don't have to be any sacrifices he is God, and it could be that many Jews who are committed to Judaism because they believe that you shouldn't travel on a Sabbath day will create a great deal of hindrance. For those who want to flee the city. Now it is during this period of time that you can take all of the judgments of the book of Revelation and you can put them right here during this 3 1/2 year.

All of the things that you read about all happen as far as we know during this period of time. That's why Jesus says so clearly he says that there will be tribulations such has never been in the world and will never be again. And if those days had not been cut short. No human being would be saved but for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. You see, God needs people to go into the millennial kingdom and their earthly bodies. God wants to have people who are saved to the end of time rather than Diane.

And so the tribulation is cut short because if not, you read Revelation, and you're not surprised when Jesus said no human being would be saved unless God intervened and then Jesus said that if someone says to you, look, here's Christ there is this a don't believe it. Why do you think there is another emphasis here on false Christ's. Here's antichrist who proclaims himself to be God and that he has all kinds of emissaries were running around saying he is gone there in the temple, but I'm his Christ Jesus ago believe it. I love this. He says if somebody says well he's here in the wilderness don't even go out if they say look he's in an inner room. Don't believe it, because this time when Jesus comes.

You won't have to look for him. He's coming to you notice what the text says, verse 27 for as the lightning comes from the East End shines as far as the West, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

Verse 29 immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be dark and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heaven will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven, the sign of the Son of Man and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heaven to another Four Winds means North East, South and West from all the different areas of the world. It takes your breath away doesn't. Jesus is going to come in. If I haven't told you this already. As you might guess a future message in this series is just on this glorious return of Christ, because this is only one passage that it where it is mentioned and so during this period of time. There is the glorious return of Jesus. What do we make of all of this. What is the bottom line, what should this spring out into our minds as we read the text of this very solemn message.

All this week I had heaviness in my heart as I was studying this past because you know it's easy to speak about it, but it is difficult if you want to actually take it in and think about the future so a couple of observations are very necessary. First, the severity, the severity of God's wrath and anger against sin, even in evangelical circles today. There is this idea that we should just emphasize the positive how Jesus can make you a better husband a better father a better businessman how we can partner with you in your vocation. Yeah, he's all that.

But we have domesticated God, we have taken God and we had made him into our image. We had made a God that we can live with who. Yeah, he doesn't like sand but is not that upset. As a result of it.

We love, grace and grace is absolutely wonderful and some people think it's kind of nice to have it please listen to me today when I say that the reason that grace for many people is not very amazing is because God's anger against sin is not very amazing. So if you have a God who is very tolerant of sin, who puts up with it and winks at it. You need grace maybe, but can probably do without it.

You see, the reason that the gospel is so wonderful is because of the fact that Jesus bore the wrath of God for us and God really hates sin and is angry about sin Old Testament and New Testament the wrath of God. The wrath of God. The wrath of God and we have made God into somebody who is very happy with the way we are.

So something that comes out to me, and the extent of human suffering that is going to take place on this planet defies imagination simply read the play of Revelation and as Jesus said tribulation, such has never been and never will be on planet Earth again.

What a future.

And remember, he said this must come to pass as a second lesson and that is seven. This just comes at me as I read the Bible and especially these passages and that is what I want to call the great separation, the great separation. The Bible always has the great separation you go to the garden of Eden and there to treat you find out that their two sons one is Jacob. The others he saw and they go in different directions. One saved in the other loss you get to the New Testament, and there are two different paths.

The narrow path that leads to life in a broad way that leads to judge you find out, as we shall perhaps have opportunity to comment on in the future message that you have the sheep and you have the goats and I want to say where is everybody kind of fits in the middle were or is it where is the middle here, you know, or somebody who guys never trusted Christ as Savior, but he's pretty good. Where is ego I mean is not wicked you read this, and there is no middle ground that either on the side of Jesus because you've trusted him or your on the other side good though you may be in your own eyes.

It's just that clear. The great divide the great separation today here at The Moody Church. If we could see into your hearts, or if I could see into your heart if you're listening by some other means the audience to whom I am speaking is divided in only God knows where the division come divided between those who will go into everlasting life. The Bible says, then the others everlasting damnation. It's one of the others I have to ask you today, are you sure that you know that you have believed in Jesus. In such a way that indeed he has forgiven your sin you've come under his protection so that the wrath of God may no longer abide on you that comes to you from my heart, hopefully to your heart because were talking here about their serious matters. Jonathan Edwards is frequently criticized because of his sermon sinners in the hands of an angry God in a different context. I quoted most of his sermon to you, I shall not do that today. I do want to remind you of that story that comes to us from the Prairie remember the days when prairie fires were devastating to farms and told homesteads because if the grass went right up to the buildings. It would just burn and everything would burn in its way.

I'm told it what the farmers used to do when the wind was favorable on a nice day they would actually light all the grass around their buildings and burn it up because as long as that grass was burned or they would earn huge patches. They knew that if a prairie fire cane that would stop where the fire had already been. The Bible says it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God's fearful read Revelation and see how fearful it really is. And the only way we can be exempt is to receive Christ as Savior, because when we do, and God's wrath begins to come.

Our direction is diverted because we have already been exonerated by Christ, who bore our wrath for us that is the gospel.

Are you glad for that message of the gospel. So that's all I can say to you today.

What side are you on when these events take place. Let's pray. Father, we can hardly even imagine the regret that many people shall experience when they find themselves when they see the door to heaven slammed in their faces were talking about good but people who are not ready when Jesus came grantor old God, we ask that to all who would listen to me right now. If they do not know you as Savior.

May they reach out and say Jesus today. I believe I received you as my Savior.

You do the work that only you can do. Father pray in Jesus name and scones and then we will demonstrate the movies we suited and it is this is an is the exchange sin is seen using the terms this in one words this is an is the same days and is the same as saying sin. Tim Stafford wrapping up today's Moody Church work, during which Erwin Blitzer spoke about when he judges those left on earth the fifth in a 10 part series on when he shall come next time an amazing prophecy in Ezekiel and a great battle. Don't miss when he destroys nations.

This entire series can be yours on CD is our thank you for your gift of any amount to support The Moody Church.

Our just call us at 1-800-215-5001 when you call. Mention the series. The King is coming. Call 1-800-215-5001 or write to us at The Moody Church 1635 N. LaSalle Boulevard Chicago, IL 60614 online to moodyoffer.com that's moodyoffer.com join us next week for another Moody Church. Our with Dr. Erwin Lutzer and the congregation of historic Moody Church in Chicago. This broadcast is a ministry of The Moody Church