When All Hell Breaks Loose: The Importance of Studying Prophecy

We are glad you're joining us for a new beginning with Greg Laurie, a podcast supported by harvest partners get more encouraging audio content.

When you subscribe to pastor Greg daily defenses. Learn more and sign up@harvest.org Noble knows his time is short whose objective is directive mojo as he can give as many lives as seen during the end times your adversary will accelerate the pressure Greg Laurie brings was in short Revelation, we have the double shot over to find the leak long for sure serrated evil culture that's nothing like his reign. During the great tribulation, now's the time to introduce our loved one right Laurie will help with third SoCal harvest, although to live event from Angel Stadium in Southern California.

You could be involved from anywhere writing your loved ones to watch it harvest or today on a new beginning after Greg Laurie brings more eye-opening insights on your Bible, one Revelation chapter 8.

Remember there's a blessing promised of the person who reads, hears and keeps the words of this book okay so you want the blessing and I do too, but why should I study Revelation, then Bible prophecy number one, it will unlock the mystery of history.

It will unlock the mystery of history and Eastern religions. Everything goes in a cycle.

That's why its adherents believe in reincarnation, though.

Just keep coming back again and again until they get it right. The Bible history is linear. In other words, Christians are moving toward a goal. For instance, when you play checkers you move your amenity Kings row and then use a crown. That's exactly what God is doing. He's going to move his son Jesus Christ and the Kings row and say, crown him. Revelation 1115 says the kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah and he will reign forever and ever. So why study Bible prophecy that unlocks the mystery of history, number two, it brings sense to our suffering what you say to someone who is critically ill what you say to someone that has lost a loved one. What you say to someone that is experienced horrible tragedy hears what you say. This is not God's final plan. Because Revelation 21 four says one day God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death will exist no longer in grief and crying in pain will exist no longer, because the previous things have passed away. There's another reason we should study prophecy number three, it will cause us to want to live more godly lives. For instance, if you really are studying and understanding what the Bible says about the end times, it will cause you to want to pray more, not less.

First Peter 47 says now the end of all things is near. Therefore, by the way, whenever you see the word therefore the Bible find out what it's therefore and it's drawing on something that's been said again the end of all things is near. Therefore be clearheaded and be disciplined in prayer that we really believe Jesus could come back at any moment. It will give us the strength to persevere through our times of difficulty and trial James 58 says you must also persevere and be patient.

Strengthen your hearts, because the Lord's coming is near. You know, we go through hardships in life that make no sense and sometimes it feel like giving up, but here's my advice to you, don't give up. Look up Jesus said when you see these things begin to happen. Look up for your redemption is drawing near. It should cause us in this understanding of the Lord's imminent return to want to live a life that's pleasing to him. In verse John and says he that has this hope that is of the return of Christ. They will purify themselves even as he is pure number four studying Bible prophecy shows us there will be justice in the world. One day still be justice in the world one day evil people do evil things, my goodness, I read things in the news that are unthinkable to me. The horrible things that people do to one another. But the Bible teaches that one day there's going to be a reckoning or I will. With this in mind, let's catch up now what we last left off were looking at this great prophetic puzzle revealed in Revelation chapter rate and at this point in our study chronologically were right in the middle of what is called the great tribulation.

It will last for seven years and will be inaugurated by the emergence of antichrist and it will be ended by the return of Jesus Christ. The first 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. A relatively calm and peaceful as Antichrist comes on the scene looking like a good guy, a man with a solution's economic solutions, many other things that he brings to the table.

He's a charismatic leader and facsimile when think he's the very Christ because they told you before the prefix anti-doesn't just meet against it also means instead of will be a false Christ that will be embraced by many. One of the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. Antichrist shows his true colors and the wrath of God is unleashed and demons are lease and all kinds of crazy stuff was going on in that store.

At in our study and Revelation. Speaking of this time Jesus said in Matthew 13 Adobe great anguish in those days, more than at any other time since God created the world and will never be so great again. In fact, Alyssa Lord shortens the time of calamity is not a single person would survive, but for the sake of his chosen ones is shortened those days. Again, I want to remind you that God takes no delight in this now.

Remember, if you're a believer in Jesus Christ, you will be caught up to meet the Lord in the rapture that happens right before the tribulation.

In fact the antichrist is coming, world leader cannot even be revealed until the church is removed because the Bible says he who now restrains will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way and then that wicked one will be revealed whom the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his coming that versus speaking of the work of the Holy Spirit through the church once a church is caught up to meet the Lord in the air. The tribulation.

Begins and of course God is still at work, even in this very dark time to talk about the hundred and 44,000 who are Jews who have found Jesus as the Messiah. I described them as closer Billy Graham's remember their canvassing the planet sharing the gospel and so many people are coming to Christ a great revival breaks out affected the greatest revival in all of human history. Revelation 7 says it's an innumerable multitude that come to faith that God will be working mightily in the tribulation. But listen, the devil will be at work as well. Why, he knows his days are numbered. Revelation 1212 says the devil is come down to you.

He is filled with fury because he knows his time is short.

The devil knows his time is short.

Even though some liberal theologians don't believe that the devil believes that Jesus is coming back soon and his objective is to record as much havoc as he can and as many lives as he can affect the Bible even tells us in the last days there will be satanically energized times doesn't seem to you like things are getting darker that you're seeing more evil on display. That's because were living in the last things Greg Laurie will have the second half of message just a moment, everybody Greg Laurie here. As you know, last year we were not able to have a live SoCal harvest event, so I'm happy to announce it's happening this year at Angel Stadium over her shoulder one night experience home tonight enjoy great country. Laurie, 7 PM Angel using new interactive you never seen before. Find out how you all the information joined us for a powerful study series Revelation and Pastor Greg goes even deeper by way of his new book, a commentary on Revelation will tell you more later.

Or you can get the details now@harvest.org so here in Revelation 8 to 9 with the church in heaven which is acted as a preservative on earth. We have the devil on a rampage running roughshod over the planet giving to mankind.

What the effectively long for pure unadulterated evil. This reminds us how the Lord dealt with Egypt. The ancient Egyptians. As you know, worshiped many gods, including the Nile River insects and even frogs who worships the frog but the ancient Egyptians had a frog God's name was per Moto know what it was actually call them peg as I recall, but it was a false image that they would worship before and so God said okay you guys like frogs. I'll give you more frogs than you can shake a stick at. I was just back in our church on the island of Maui. Did you know we have a church of Maui skull harvest to Milani and does so my wife and I were taking a walk one morning and there were dead frogs everywhere because it happens a lot in Hawaii though the ring comes out the front come out.

The sun comes out. The frogs are out there get run over by cars so the only giant dead, bloated frogs.

It was kinda gross really imagine frogs everywhere. Imagine the roads covered with frogs and then you go to your house and they're all over the floor for wall-to-wall frog floor covering in there in your bed there in your oven there in your fridge are everywhere. That's what it was like so God says you want to stop.

I'll give you the stuff you want evil. You want the restraints removed. Here you go, man have out that's exactly what is happening here, CS Lewis once said and I quote there are only two kinds of people in the end, those who see the God that I will be done of those to whom God says in the end, but I will be done all that are in hell. Choose it without thoughts of choice, there would be no hell." So what is happening now to people is what they wanted. This is what they long for God's is alright, I'm a let you have Revelation chapter rate verse one. Let's read together reading from the new King James version. When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about a half-hour and I saw the seven angels who stand before God and to them were given seven trumpets.

Then another angel, having a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne and the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, ascended before God from the angel's hand. Then the angel took the censer he filled it with fire from the altar, and threw it to the year and there were noises and thunderings and lightnings in an earthquake. So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.

There is now a series of judgments fall on planet Earth. 1/3 of the trees are burned up, 1/3 of the sea becomes blood of third of the living creatures in the sea die. Look at verse 13 and I looked and I heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice whoa whoa whoa to the inhabitants of the earth because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels which are about whoa whoa whoa it's repeated three times. This judgment is coming on you right now. We start with the silence in heaven. This is unusual because heaven is a happening place.

Heaven is a happy place.

Heaven is a hop in place. There's worship and there's praise then and there is working and there's activities happening rejoicing this people are getting saved all kinds of cool stuff is happening in heaven, but suddenly silence for a half-hour. A complete silence in glory why because judgment is about to fall. And everyone knows that reminding us there's a connection between heaven and earth. Remember we talked about that last time my message would heaven knows about her heaven is very aware and all the inhabitants of heaven are very aware now that this judgment is going to come on planet Earth. Zephaniah 17 says stand in silence in the presence of the sovereign Lord for the also be of the Lord's judgment has come. So there's assignments sort of like the silence in the court room when the verdict is about to be read out when the jury foreman stands up and says we, the members of the jury do fine were all waiting to hear what the verdict is there's a silence that's what's happening here, and the fact that last for a half-hour shows us that God is in no rush to bring judgment. You've heard the expression of a rush to judgment.

It's a very opposite with God, who knows all things. He does not want to do this, but because he is righteous because he is just he must do. This judgment must come in. The Lord knows that one said first domino falls. It's going to be like the others are hitting the other dominoes in the ghetto fall in rapid succession, so a whole series of events about to unfold. Verse two a shows us some high-ranking angels are overseeing this epic operation. Revelation need to. I thought the notice of the seven angels who stand before God and them were given seven trumpets.

It doesn't just say seven it's the seventh. So these are high ranking angels. The magnificent seven if you will.

And now the seventh seal brings the seven trumpet judgments in the seven trumpet judgments progressed to the seven bowl judgments up the seven trumpet judgments can be divided into two groups. The first four are directed by God against the environment are reminiscent of the plagues that came upon Egypt during the days of Moses the other judgments are spread over the next three chapters in the fall on humanity. One thing is clear global warming is indeed coming because the first trumpet targets the earth's vegetation in verse seven we see that it will decimate crops and forests in the air will be filled with smoke and ash. The second trumpet targets the ocean of verse eight says something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea.

What is John describing remember he's in the first century. He's on an island called Patmos, and to the best of his ability. He's trying to describe what he is seen in this vision that God has given to him of the future of the world to see. Describing what we would call cataclysmic events that could bring this about, or is he describing nuclear weaponry unleashed.

No one can say with certainty, but God can obviously have this happen through the forces of nature. For instance on Krakatoa. The volcanic island in the South Pacific erupted in 1883. It was a mighty convulse and so much so that it was felt, 2000 miles away, in this island. Krakatoa was obliterated. It just literally disappear sunsets from the explosion at Krakatoa were colored by dots for two years from one single explosion.

So imagine multiple Krakatoa was if you will, or a like what happened there in Pompeii when Mount Vesuvius exploded the God to bring this about through what we would call natural means that he is orchestrating or he could allow mankind to unleash his sophisticated and destructive nuclear power. I don't know what is your hearing this, I know some of your thinking and this is like pretty crazy stuff but again I want to remind you if you're a Christian, you will not be here for this you will be safely in heaven as this judgment comes upon the earth. But if you're not a Christian.

This will be your future. Maybe I'm speaking to somebody right now that has no place in the life for God and you're just in whatever you want to do and God is giving you a warning you think turned to me right now. Call upon me right now you need me anything. One other thing I'm doing is not wrong will of the Bible says it's wrong.

It is wrong. You need to ask him to forgive you of your sin and you need to turn to him. But listen, there might be somebody that's listening to this right now that would be saying this is great. I can hardly wait till this happens, your messed up. Okay, if you're a Christian and you believe these things as we all should you should have a broken heart over this thinking all wow. I know people that are not believers yet. I want to share the gospel with them. I don't want them to miss the rapture enough to go to the great tribulation. This breaks the heart of God. That should break our heart as well. The great tribulation. This coming Christ is coming for his church for this time falls on the planet so we can rejoice in that. But think about people that you know that are not Christians yet. Should we not be praying for them. Should we not be reaching them with the gospel right now member as we study Bible prophecy, the following things happen it bring sense to our suffering that causes us to live more godly lives.

It helps us persevere through trial and finally studying Bible prophecy should make me want to share the gospel. Do you want your family members. The growth of the tribulation. Do you want people who are your friends, to face this time which will literally be like hell on earth.

I don't think you do. So I encourage you today, I challenge you today. I urge you today to look for an opportunity to engage someone with the gospel. Tell them about Jesus Christ and tell them that there's a God in heaven today on a new beginning pastor Greg Laurie was an important urging to share the gospel with as many people as we can. We just don't know how much time we have left. That's why we're excited about SoCal harvest coming up October 3. That's a week from Sunday, thousands will gather at Angel Stadium in Anaheim, California and many thousands more will be joining an online@harvest.org pastor Greg will welcome for King and country, and Phil Wickham, and present a powerful gospel message. It's the perfect time for a friend or loved one to hear the gospel.

So if you're in Southern California bring them. If you're outside of the area by that friend to watch along with you online. That Sunday, October 3 SoCal harvest.

Get the details@harvest.org/SoCal now if you missed any of the inside pastor Greg Broadus today from the series in revelation you can watch what you missed with a replay@harvest.org and I would like to help you take your study of Revelation even deeper pastor. Greg has just released his brand-new book called Revelation, a book of promises and FS Greg nearly everyone can think of a question that like to ask about the book of Revelation may be something about the 144,004 about the mark of the beast or if believers will be here when the Antichrist is revealed.

Will they find answers in your new book 100%. They will let me just give quick answer to every one of those questions were the hundred and 44,000. There hundred and 44,000 Jewish people who believe in Jesus as the Messiah.

There sort of like 144,000 kosher Billy Graham's combing the planet sharing the gospel in their under divine protection and then you mentioned will believers be here to see the Antichrist. I think the simple answer is no because the Bible says he who now restrains will continue to do so until he is taken out of the way and then will that wicked one, be revealed, whom the Lord will destroy with the brightness of his coming. The restraining force in the world today is the work of the Holy Spirit through the church.

It is my opinion that Antichrist cannot be revealed until the church is removed, so we should not waste time looking for Antichrist, but instead be looking for Jesus Christ the mark of the beast that will come with the Antichrist and the tribulation. So know the coven. 19. Vaccines are not the mark of the beast know there is no thing right now that is happening that is the mark of the beast that will come later. So the main thing we want to focus on is being ready to meet the Lord. So I answer those questions and a lot more in this brand-new book that I've just written simply called Revelation, a book of promises.

It's hardcover this is a pretty thick book folks and working to send it to you for your gift of any size because I believe this is going to be a resource that you can go to time and time again as you study this book. It's understandable. It's down to earth. It's practical. I don't use a lot of theological language I speak in a way that you can grasp it and I want to send you this book again for your gift of any size whatever you can send will use to reach more people with the gospel in the teaching of the word of God. Yet we so much appreciate that investment is really an investment in touching and changing lives. As will be doing shortly at SoCal harvest October 3. So get in touch today with that donation and will thank you with a copy of pastor Greg brand-new book Revelation, a book of promises and by the way, will include a bookmark designed by our team to show the timeline of end times events very clearly what comes before watch what comes after what so write us today at a new beginning.

Box 4000, Riverside, CA 92514 or call us anytime around the clock at 1-800-821-3300 1-800-821-3300 or go online to harvest.org Pastor Greg offers more insight on the trumpet judgments found in chapters 8 and nine of Revelation. Join us here on a new beginning. Pastor and Bible teacher Greg for everybody thinks or listening to an beginning this is a podcast made possible by harvest partners.

So for more content that can help you know God and equip you to make him known to others or to learn more about how you can become a harvest partner.

Just go to harvest.org