R634 Signs of His Comping Pt.3

All week long we've been studying the signs of His coming with Dr. Don Wilton. Join us now as we open God's encouraging Word together. While we study God's Word, know we're available for you. 866-899-WORD is our prayer line or meet us online at www.tewonline.org.

866-899-9673 or www.tewonline.org. And now, Dr. Don Wilton. Take your Bibles this morning. First of all, let them just fall open to Matthew chapter 24. But while you open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 24, I'm going to ask you if you would find the book of Zechariah for me. Now, it'll be a little while before I get to Zechariah.

If you don't know where it is, it's not too far from Matthew if you go in reverse gear. Go back through the Old Testament. It's right near the end of the Old Testament.

Some of these books in the Bible can be very difficult to find, I know that. And then we're also going to be in the book of Revelation quite extensively this morning. So we're going to be in three areas today in God's Word. First of all, in Matthew 24, then I'm going to read to you one passage that is very crucial in Zechariah. And then we're going to be in the book of Revelation quite extensively.

Our series entitled, Until He Comes. And evidently the Lord Jesus Christ on the eve of his demise, in terms of the world's standards, on the eve of his sacrifice upon the cross, found it significantly important, and anything that Jesus did was significantly important, to tell us about the future. And in Matthew chapter 24, amongst many other things, and there are a lot of things I'm not going to ever suggest to you that the things that we are looking at are conclusive or that they are all that the Lord Jesus has to say.

You can understand that. We've been here in Matthew 24, I don't know, but I think from about the first of January, and we're not anywhere near getting out of the first part of Matthew 24. There is so much that Jesus had to say to us concerning these matters. But amongst many other things, I believe that the Lord Jesus points us to seven major future events or signs that are going to occur from the time of his death and ascension until the time of his second coming, which would be followed by the Battle of Armageddon, the setting up of his thousand-year reign. Jesus tells us about seven major events that are inclusive not only of the church age, but also of that little period of time which we call the tribulation, which is going to be the time after the rapture of the church when the church has been taken, the body of Christ, all believers are with the Lord where the Holy Spirit has been taken out of this world, and there will be a seven-year tribulation period divided into two equal halves. And it is at that time that the Antichrist is going to appear in person.

The Bible tells us that his presence is already in the world. He's going to sign a covenant with Israel for three and a half years. Then at the midpoint, he is going to commit the abomination that causes desolation.

That's where we are. The first four of these signs are, number one, the birth pains that we studied in verse 8 of chapter 24. There's the sign of enduring believers. Jesus took great care, culminating in verse 13, to tell us that those who stand firm to the end will be saved.

You can go even today onto our college campuses, whether it be Clemson or Western Carolina or UNC at Asheville or South Carolina or Converse or Wofford or North Greenville College or Anderson or Limestone, we could go on and on. And Jesus was telling us that the more wicked the world becomes, the more notable it is concerning those who stand up for Jesus Christ. That's why I'm so grateful for many of our students on the campuses of high schools and colleges who stand up for the Lord Jesus Christ. Bible says that is going to become increasingly a sign of the return of Jesus.

The third significant sign is worldwide proclamation. Jesus told us about it right there. In verse 14, he said this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

And we looked at that, and we discovered some incredible truths, and we tried to answer some questions that I think some of us have. For example, with the Spirit of God gone during the rapture and the tribulation, the church, how are people going to come to know the Lord Jesus Christ? And we discovered four or five or six reasons right out of the scriptures that God overrules in his sovereign grace to bring about the impossible. We know that you cannot be saved outside of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is gone, but God in his sovereign grace makes a determination, issues a royal decree, if you please, from his throne and determines in his heart how these people are going to come to know him during the tribulation period.

And so it is we come to the fourth of the major signs of future events, the abomination of desolation. Let's read about it again in verse 15. Jesus said, and I'm going to stop a couple of times again because we need to understand this. Jesus said, and so, when you see standing in the holy place, by the way, where is the holy place?

Jerusalem. Very important for us to identify not only what Jesus was saying, but to whom he was saying it and where he was talking about. He says, when you see in the holy place.

Now, this is important. Jesus didn't say when this happened in Washington DC. Jesus said, when you see the abomination that causes desolation that is going to occur in the holy place. In the temple in Jerusalem, spoken of through the prophet Daniel, let the reader understand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the roof of his house go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.

How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers. I wonder why he would have said that. Then he makes a staggering statement. He says, pray. Jesus invokes prayer during the tribulation at a time when the spirit of God is not there.

Why would he say that? Only one group of people are capable of praying and they are those who have become fused with Christ Jesus. Those who have been born again. Only born again people can communicate with God. Person who doesn't know Jesus Christ cannot communicate with God. Without preceding that communication with the prayer of repentance, the prayer of repentance opens up communication to God. But folks, there are literally hundreds upon thousands of people who talk to God every day and that prayer is going nowhere because the Bible says the only way you can get to God is through the Son. So if you haven't come to know the Son, you cannot get to the Father.

No matter how unpopular that might be. And we've got people all over the world today who are trying to compromise faith in Christ Jesus saying, well, it doesn't matter what a person believes. Everybody can talk to God.

No, you cannot unless you have repented of your sin. You see friends, everything has to do with the cross. It has to do with the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who has taken away the sin of the world. And here in the midst of this abomination that causes desolation, Jesus invokes prayer.

Well, what does he say? He says pray that your flight will not take place in the winter on the Sabbath because then there will be great distress unequaled from the beginning of the world until now and never to be equaled again. I'm not going to read the next verse, but I'm so grateful for the next verse because Jesus very quickly says it's going to be cut short.

Well, what is this all about? The Antichrist is at work right in the middle of the tribulation. Bible says he will suddenly turn against Israel.

What's going to happen? Violation, desecration, abomination, and ultimately confrontation. The abomination of desolation is about the confrontation of all that is evil against all that is holy and righteous. That is why it is going to take place in the holy city, in Jerusalem. And the Bible says that the Antichrist is going to commit sacrilege. He is going to defy the holiness of God. Now, why do you suppose Satan has gone after Israel all the time?

Now, I just want to ask this question. Folks, you can go back to the first days when God brought the children of Israel out of bondage in Egypt and he made the Abrahamic covenant with them. They are the chosen ones of God. Why has Satan gone after Israel? The nation of Israel is singularly significant. What is going on in Israel today is very, very, very important for all of us. I believe that for the believer, what is happening in Israel is vitally important. That's why as soon as they sign that peace accord, I'm going back to Israel. I hope many of you are going to come. I'd like to take busloads of us to Israel.

It is very important to see what's going on in Israel for the believer. Why does Satan go after them? Why would Satan want to eliminate the Jews?

Well, I want you to consider this. If Satan could have eliminated the Jews before Jesus came, three things would have happened. Number one, he would have broken the line and the lineage of David.

You want to read about the genealogy of the king, go to Matthew chapter 1. Had Satan been able to eliminate the Jews prior to Jesus, he would have broken the line and the lineage of David. Number two, he would have prevented the birth of the Savior because he was of the house of David.

And to you this day a child is born. When the decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world, all the Jews should be taxed, well, he would have prevented his birth. But number three, had he eliminated the Jews prior to Jesus coming, he would have destroyed God's plan for redemption. You and I would not have John chapter 3 and verse 16.

Well, guess what happened? Satan tried and he failed. We know he failed because God is victorious. Jesus Christ was, is and always will be totally victorious.

We know that. Go back into the book of Genesis. Go and see how many times Satan came against the children of Israel and he was beaten time without number. But there is a problem here folks because God divorced Israel. God divorced Israel. He gave them a bill of divorcement.

Why? Because of her adultery. Because of her idolatry.

Because of her faithfulness. He divorced the chosen ones. Then God made in the heart of God from before the foundation of the world his plan for the redemption. Not only for Jews but for Gentiles.

Not only for men but for women. Not only for those who are slaves but those who are free. Jesus Christ, the son of the living God. God gave away. God gave his authority. God in his divine sovereign love reached down from the portals of heaven and he provided the way for Jews and Gentiles to be reconciled to the father.

In other words, that the bill of divorcement would be put away. Well, what is this difference between Jews and Gentiles? Between Jews and Christians. The essential difference is that our Jewish friends do not believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God.

They are still operating under the bill of divorcement. Now you've got to hold on here folks. They do not believe that Jesus Christ came. They are still looking for his coming. What do you call Jews who come to know the Lord Jesus Christ? You've met so many of them. You call them Messianic Jews.

Why? Because they have come to put their faith and trust in the Messiah who has come. So Satan wanted to eliminate Jews prior to the death of the coming of Jesus Christ. He would have broken the line. He would have prevented his birth. He would have destroyed God's plan for redemption.

Well, Jesus came because he's God. Satan couldn't hold him back. So why would he have continued? Why does Satan continue to try and destroy the Jews?

Three reasons. Number one, because if he can destroy the Jews now that Jesus has come, he would break, he would have broken God's promises. Number two, he would have prevented the Jews' restoration. He would have prevented the putting away of the bill of divorcement. Number three, he would have destroyed God's plan for his divine rule. Isn't that just like Satan?

That's what he does all the time. John 10, 10 tells us. He's a thief. He's come to destroy, to steal, to take what's not his.

What does he do? He breaks, he prevents, and he destroys. Jesus said in John 10, verse 10, I have come that you might have life and that you might have it more abundantly. Now, friends, something interesting here. Here we are in the middle of the tribulation. Jesus has showed us the fourth major sign, which is the abomination that causes desolation. And Jesus all of a sudden gives a system of four instructions to those who are left behind, to those who are going to be in the abomination of desolation. I want to make an announcement. You've given your heart to Jesus Christ.

You've trusted him. You're not going to go through any of these things that I'm about to speak about, that the Lord Jesus told us. What Jesus was telling us here was concerning those who are left behind at the time of the rapture of the church. And he is specifically talking about the tribulation signs.

Those who come to know Jesus Christ during the seven-year period. And we've discovered from the Word of God how it's possible that they would come to know Jesus Christ. And the Lord Jesus here is saying, look, I'm going to tell you something that not a single born-again believer is going to go through if you know Jesus prior to the rapture.

But I'm going to tell you this for a reason. I'm telling you this because I want to encourage you, but I also want to exhort you, my friend, listen to me. Jesus Christ is saying here, you and I need to understand the Great Commission. The Great Commission is that we need to do whatever it takes to get into the whole world and to preach the gospel.

Jesus was reinforcing this. Well, he gave a set of four instructions to the people who are going to be alive and who are going to be believers during the abomination of desolation. Here they are, I'm going to give them to you. Number one, flee, flee.

I'm going to give them all to you then I'm going to talk about it. Number one, flee. Number two, make haste. Number three in this passage in Matthew 24, take cover. Number four, pray. There are four instructions you can read about it right there in Matthew 24.

Starting in verse 16. Four things he says to them. He says, you have been left behind.

You have witnessed the abomination that causes desolation. Four things I want to tell you to do because you belong to me. Number one, flee. Number two, hurry up, make haste. Number three, take cover. Number four, pray. That's what he tells us right there.

Well, let's look at it quickly. First of all, he tells them to flee. It's right there in verse 16. He says, let those who are in Judea flee.

By the way, why does Jesus say those who are in Judea? Because that's where it's going to happen. This is going to take place in the holy place, middle of Judea and Jerusalem. Didn't say it was going to take place in Spartanburg or Asheville or Washington, D.C. Nope, it's not even going to take place in Kabul, contrary to public opinion.

It's going to take place at the holy place. Jesus was talking to those people who are going to be there around the spot, but what Jesus was saying is that my gospel is going to be made available to all people and so all people are going to need to flee from the wrath of the antichrist if indeed they have turned their hearts and lives over to Jesus Christ. That word there, flee, and I wrote it up for you in the Greek text, transliterated, is the word fujo, which transliterated literally means the fugitive. The fugitive.

That's where we get our word fugitive from. Do you know that the Bible is telling us, Jesus is saying to us here, I'm going to instruct you to take flight in order to escape the danger that is going to come down upon you. Now, folks, I'm going to use a phrase here today and you're going to have to just listen. Otherwise, those of you who are modern-day Pharisees, you're going to have a real problem with us.

Jesus is about to tell these people that all hell is going to break loose. What a powerful teaching from Dr. Donnie. He never holds back, and there's more to come in just a moment, but he wants me to remind you we're here for you connecting on our website right now at www.tewonline.org. Remarkable resources from Dr. Wilton, even from Dr. Don's son, Dr. Greg Wilton. You'll find all that online at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Now back to today's great teaching with Dr. Don Wilton. And if you have a problem with that, my friend, let me tell you again. All hell is going to break loose. What Jesus was saying is that the abomination is going to be such a sacrilege. It is going to be such a confrontation before the righteousness of a holy God that God is going to allow the very forces of hell itself to be unleashed upon the earth for those three and a half years. And Jesus Christ is saying, you better flee.

You better become a fugitive. I want you to turn to Zechariah very quickly. Zechariah chapter 13. And I'm going to read just from verse 8, Zechariah chapter 13 and verse 8. Listen to what God's word says. After the shepherd has been struck and the sheep have been scattered, Zechariah says, in the whole land, declares the Lord.

Here it is. Two-thirds will be struck down and perish. I'm going to come back to this.

Yet one-third will be left in it. This third I will bring into the fire. I will refine them like silver.

I will test them like gold. They will call upon my name and I will answer them and I will say they are my people and they will say the Lord is our God. Friend, what God is talking about is the moment at which the children of Israel and those who come to believe in him, it is the moment at which the bill of divorcement is laid aside and these people are reconciled to God the Father through God the Son. Now, I want you to turn with me to the book of Revelation chapter 13.

We're going to be there for a while. What does it mean here? What is Jesus saying, flee? What is the significance of this when Jesus told these people they need to become a fugitive?

Three important things to note here. Number one, they need to flee because the Antichrist will have total authority during this time. Revelation chapter 13 and verse 7. Revelation chapter 13 and verse 7. The Bible says the Antichrist was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them.

He was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. Now, look at verse 8. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast and he defines who will worship the beast. All whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the lamb that was slain from before the creation of the world. The Antichrist during this time, Jesus is saying, those who belong to me, instruction number one, flee. Why the Antichrist will have authority?

Number two, many people are going to be killed during this time. They're going to be slaughtered. Look at Revelation chapter 6. Go back to Revelation chapter 6. Revelation chapter 6, verse 9. Bible tells us that when he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. Remember our second big issue regarding future events, the enduring of saints, of believers, the testimony of the word of God. They had maintained that despite the work of the Antichrist. They called out who? The ones who had been martyred, the ones who are dying and being killed during the tribulation. They called out in a loud voice, how long, sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge your blood.

Folks, what's happening here? God's giving us a picture. What is happening at this juncture is that things are happening in heaven and things are happening in earth.

All believers are in heaven. And God is showing us here how the souls of those who had lost their lives during the tribulation period are, as it were, pleading with God saying, oh, God, all hell has broken out on earth. How long are our brothers and our sisters going to have to be slaughtered like this?

How long is this carnage going to go on? How long are they going to have to suffer under the Antichrist? Well, let's see what God does about it.

Verse 11, then each of them was given a white robe and they were told to wait a little longer until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was complete. God, what is God's answer? God's answer is, I hear your cry. I understand I'm a God of grace, but I want you to know that what is happening has been determined from before the foundation of the world.

This is a royal decree, and there is nothing that man can do to overturn the determination of Almighty God. And I want you to wait because there are still many hundreds and thousands who need to be martyred and slaughtered just as you were. No wonder Jesus said, flee.

Such great truth. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. You've been hearing Dr. Don as he's been preaching and teaching from the pulpit. Now open your heart to what he wants to share with you next. Are you ready to give your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ? Why don't you pray this prayer with me right now? Dear God, I know that I'm a sinner, and I know that Jesus died for me on the cross. Today I repent of my sin, and by faith I receive you into my heart. In Jesus' name. My friend, I welcome you today into the family of God.

This is exciting news. If you just gave your life to Jesus or rededicated your life praying along with Dr. Wilton or maybe even earlier in the program, God has stirred your heart to a change. Let us be a part of giving you free resources Dr. Don wants you to have and praying you into the next steps of growing in Christ. Our phone number is 866-899-WORD.

That's 866-899-9673. And we'd love to connect with you, encourage you. You can also meet with us on our website at www.tewonline.org.

That's www.tewonline.org. Did you know The Encouraging Word has a YouTube channel? On this channel you can watch over 100 of Dr. Wilton's sermons. You can also listen to the weekly Words of Encouragement, a devotional series written by Dr. Wilton. Visit us on our YouTube channel today. Join us again tomorrow as Dr. Wilton continues in this study of the signs of his coming, understanding more about the return of Jesus Christ. Let's stay connected on our website, www.tewonline.org. That's www.tewonline.org.