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Getting the Big Picture – Part 1

Pathway to Victory / Dr. Robert Jeffress
The Truth Network Radio
May 3, 2024 3:00 am

Getting the Big Picture – Part 1

Pathway to Victory / Dr. Robert Jeffress

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May 3, 2024 3:00 am

For many Christians, the end times can be a confusing and hard-to-understand topic. When the world finally comes to an end, how will the events unfold? Dr. Robert Jeffress outlines the seven major prophetic events that will precede and follow Christ’s Second Coming.

 

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Hey, podcast listeners! Thanks for streaming today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory is a nonprofit ministry featuring the Bible teaching of Dr. Robert Jeffress. Our mission is to pierce the darkness with the light of God's word through the most effective media available, like this podcast. To support Pathway to Victory, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. Now, here's today's podcast, From Pathway to Victory. God's Word with you every day on this Bible teaching program. On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. If you ask most Christians to explain the events of Bible prophecy, most Christians would break out in a cold sweat.

They couldn't do that. An understanding of end-time events is both possible, but it's also crucial. That's why the Bible devotes so much space to future things. Today, we're going to try to get the big picture of Bible prophecy. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor, Dr. Robert Jeffress. For many Christians, the end times can be a confusing and hard to understand topic.

When the world finally does come to an end, how will the events unfold? Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress outlines the seven major prophetic events that will precede and follow the second coming of Christ. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. More than ever before in my lifetime, perhaps more than ever before in America's history, people are watching the signs of the times and wondering what's coming next. The world powers are shifting, and it's hard to foresee the outcome. Well, the events preceding the end of the world are no mystery. In fact, they are fully outlined for us in Scripture, in books like Revelation, Daniel, Matthew, 1 Thessalonians, and many more.

But often, Christians struggle to piece these puzzle pieces together and get a holistic view of God's prophetic timeline. And that's the focus of my current teaching series called Perfect Ending. Now, before we get started, let me draw your attention to a resource I've written for you that's intended to enhance your study of God's perfect ending. It's my bestselling book that answers some of the most common questions about the end times. Over 200 pages in length, I've titled my book, Perfect Ending, Why Your Eternal Future Matters Today. And when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'll make sure a copy is sent to your home right away. Along with my book, I'll also include a very popular resource, a multifolded brochure called My Bible Prophecy Chart, plus a 72-page illustrated companion book called The End Times Illustrated. David and I will give more details later on, but right now it's time to get started with our study. Today, I want to give you a bird's eye view of the entire landscape of the end times. I've titled today's message, Getting the Big Picture.

A map can be very, very important. I learned that lesson the hard way a few years ago. A pastor friend of mine in Canada had invited me to come and speak at his church, and they were going to have an evening service at seven o'clock, so I got up early and I flew to Winnipeg, Manitoba. I got there in plenty of time for the service. It was about 4 p.m. in the afternoon when I arrived, and so I picked up my luggage and went outside to wait for the pastor to pick me up at the curbside. I waited and waited and waited. He didn't show up, so I pulled out my confirmation letter thinking maybe I got the time wrong.

I went back in to call him at the pay phone. As I looked at the letter, I noticed up in the left-hand corner that the return address did not correspond with where I was. I mean, I had assumed that he was in the same place he was the last time I came to preach for him.

I didn't know he had changed churches. I was in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but I noticed the return address was Vancouver, British Columbia. Now, not knowing anything about Canada, I went into the airline counter and I said, Look, I've got a problem. I need to be in Vancouver in an hour. Is there a bus I can take to get me to Vancouver? They did exactly what you did.

They started laughing. They said, A bus? Vancouver is 1,500 miles west of here. They said, But you're in luck. We've got a plane that is leaving right now for Vancouver, and if you'll run down to the gate, you can get on the plane. It's a three-hour flight, but you'll gain two hours going west and you can make it in time.

So I ran as quickly as I could down to the gate. Apparently word of my problem preceded me, because when I went to get my ticket to the ticket taker, she handed me a map of Canada and said, Read this. It might help you the next time you come to our country. Maps can be very important, especially when you're traveling in an unfamiliar territory. To many people, Bible prophecy is such a territory. I'm convinced one reason people are so confused about Bible prophecy is they've never seen the big picture before. They've never seen the map, and so they're confused about it. You know, most Christians have a vague understanding about the end times. They know things are supposed to get worse and worse.

Jesus is coming back and we're going to live happily ever after. But if you ask most Christians to explain the events of Bible prophecy, what are those major events? Put them in order. Define them.

What is the key scripture that talks about each one? Most Christians would break out in a cold sweat. They couldn't do that. And not only that, they would wax eloquently why it's unimportant to know all of that stuff. They would say, Well, when it comes to the return of Christ, I'm not on the planning committee. I'm on the welcoming committee. Or things like, Well, I don't want to be so heavenly minded.

I'm no earthly good. Have you heard that before? And yet, as we saw last time, an understanding of end time events is both possible, but it's also crucial. That's why the Bible devotes so much space to future things. And today, we're going to try to get the big picture of Bible prophecy. And in the weeks ahead, we'll look at each of the events. But today, we're going to look at the map, the overview of Bible prophecy.

And specifically, I want to do three things. I want us to, first of all, define each of the seven events that are still awaiting us that precede and follow the return of Christ. Secondly, after we define those things, I'm going to give you a key scripture for each of those events as we try to make sense of it. And finally, and very briefly, I'm going to conclude with Matthew 24 and 25 and look at an important question that Jesus raised in that passage.

Now, I want you to open up your outline. It's not a map of Canada, but it is a map of Bible prophecy. And what we're going to do is we're going to look at each of these seven events and where they fit in God's prophetic timetable. You notice that there is a cross here representing the death, the resurrection, the ascension of Jesus Christ. And immediately after that cross, you see the first event or time period we're going to look at called the church age.

Now, before I define the church age, let me illustrate what it is for you this way. I want you to imagine that you want to throw a birthday party for your 10-year-old grandchild or child. You want it to be a party they'll never forget. And so you buy an expensive cake.

You hire an entertainer. You send out elaborate invitations to your family members and extended family wanting to have a big party for your child. However, the day before the party, after everybody's already RSVP'd and said they're coming, the day before the party, every one of your guests calls and cancels. Now, not wanting to disappoint your child and wanting to have a big crowd for the party, you start inviting everybody you can think of.

Your friends, your neighbors, your work associates, and you want to get a crowd there to honor your child on his birthday. Now, did you know Jesus used almost that exact same illustration in a parable in Matthew 22 that explains the age we are living in now called the church age? He told a story about a king who wanted to throw a banquet for his son. Everybody was invited to come, but at the last minute, the guests all came up with excuses for why they couldn't come to the banquet honoring the son. And so the king sends his servants out into the highways and the byways to ask anybody and everybody to come to the banquet. And of course, what Jesus was saying was the Jews have been the recipients of God's invitation to God's party for his son called the kingdom of God. But the Jews, having rejected that invitation, have caused God to extend the invitation list to people like you and me, Gentiles. And that's what the church age is. It is a time when God has extended, expanded the invitation list beyond Israel to anyone and everyone to become a part of the kingdom of God. I want you to write this down as the definition of the church age. The church age is that period of time from Pentecost in Acts 2 when the Holy Spirit came until the rapture during which Gentiles are invited to participate in the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant.

Let me say it again. The church age is that period of time from Pentecost until the rapture during which Gentiles are invited to participate in the blessings of the Abrahamic covenant. We saw last time in Genesis 12, God made a promise to Abraham and his believing descendants, Israel. And for thousands of years, God has been dealing with Israel, trying to bring her into a right relationship with himself. But when Israel rejected Jesus Christ, God temporarily set aside Israel. And he's opened up his invitation list to include anyone, non-Jews like you and I, who would like to become a part of the kingdom of God.

That's the period of time we're living in right now. And notice I said God has temporarily set aside Israel. Is God finished with Israel? Has he given up on them?

Not at all. There's gonna be one final period in Earth's history that God gives Israel one last chance to be saved. And we're gonna talk about that period of time in just a moment. But turn over, if you would, to Romans chapter 11 verse 1 and verse 25 where Paul talks about what we call the church age, this temporary hardening of Israel so that Gentiles can be saved. Paul makes it very clear that Israel's hardness of heart is only a temporary condition. Look at verse 1 of Romans 11. I say then, has God rejected his people?

Has he? May it never be. For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham of the tribe of Benjamin. And then verse 25. For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery.

What is the mystery? It's the mystery of the church, the church age that we're living in, that God has temporarily set aside Israel so that Gentiles can be a part of the Abrahamic blessing. I don't want you to be uninformed of this mystery lest you be wise in your own estimation that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. We are living in that time of the Gentiles when Gentiles can become a part, a joint heir of the Abrahamic blessing.

Yes, it's a real hardening, but it is only partial. One day, God is going to resume his program with Israel, and that final period of dealing with Israel is that seven-year period of time we call the Great Tribulation, and we'll get to that in just a moment. But before God can return to Israel, something else has to happen. The end of the church age, the end of this time of Gentile blessing is going to be the second event that is on your chart called the rapture of the church. This is how the church age ends. It ends with the rapture of the church. The word rapture comes from a Latin word, rapturo, that in turn comes from a Greek word, harpazo, which means to snatch away. And here's the definition of the rapture.

Write it down. The rapture is the snatching away to heaven of all Christians before the beginning of the tribulation. It is the snatching away to heaven of all Christians before the beginning of the tribulation. And the key passage in the Bible about the rapture is 1 Thessalonians 4. Turn over there if you would to 1 Thessalonians 4. By the way, the way you find 1 Thessalonians, all the Ts are together in the New Testament.

Thessalonians, Timothy, Titus. Turn over to 1 Thessalonians chapter 4. Here's the description of the rapture. Some people say the rapture's nowhere in Scripture, the word's never used.

Oh, yes it is, and here it is. Verse 16. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. And then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up, harpazo, raptured.

There's the word. We shall be raptured together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.

Therefore comfort one another with these words. I want to just say that there are at least three views about the rapture that you find even among some in our own church. There's what we call the pre-tribulation rapture. People like me believe that the rapture's going to occur pre, before this unprecedented time of persecution called the tribulation. The rapture comes before the tribulation. That's the pre-tribulation rapture theory. Some people believe, secondly, in a post-tribulation rapture. They believe Christians are going to endure the seven-year tribulation, and only at the end will they be caught up to meet the Lord. And as soon as they're caught up to meet the Lord, they return with him at the second coming of Christ.

It's kind of like an elevator, up and down, very, very quick. It's concurrent almost with the second coming. The third theory is the mid-tribulation rapture theory.

And that is that Christians are here for part of the tribulation, the first three and a half years, but then they are taken away for the last three and a half years. Now, there's a lot of difference of opinion among Christians about the rapture. Many fine evangelical Christians do not believe in the rapture of the church. They believe in the second coming. They don't believe in the rapture.

And they ask all kind of questions. They say, well, if there really is such a thing called the rapture, why isn't it found in the Bible? Why isn't the word used there? Well, I've just answered that, and I'll reiterate that again next week. It is found in the Bible. They'll say, if the rapture is true, why did Jesus never talk about it? Or if you believe in a rapture, then it means you don't believe in two comings of Christ, you really believe in three comings of Christ. Or people will say, how can you believe the church is going to escape the great tribulation? When throughout history, the church has endured tribulation, and right now around the world, they're going through tribulation. Why do you believe the church is going to escape the great tribulation?

All great questions, all of which we're going to answer next week and the next week after that. But this is the rapture of the church. And following the rapture comes the third event on your chart there, the tribulation. The tribulation is that seven-year period that begins when the antichrist signs a peace covenant with Israel, and it ends with Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ.

Let me say it again. The tribulation is that seven-year period of time that begins when the antichrist signs a peace treaty with Israel, and ends with Armageddon and the second coming of Jesus Christ. After the rapture, maybe because of the rapture itself, there is going to be worldwide chaos. And that chaos is going to center, just as it centers right now in the Middle East and specifically with Israel. All of the tension in the Middle East, when you boil it down to its essence, it has to do with Israel.

And it has to do specifically with that piece of real estate over there. And at the end times, there is going to be a cataclysmic event that is going to bring the world, I believe, to the brink of nuclear disaster. And this antichrist will rise to power, and he will be hailed and followed by all because he is finally able to solve the Middle East dilemma like no other leader has. The antichrist will be hailed because he is thought to have solved the Middle East dilemma. He will sign a peace covenant with Israel.

And because of that, people will naturally follow after him. That is the beginning, Daniel says, of the seven-year period known as the great tribulation that will end with Armageddon and the return of Jesus Christ. Now, what is the purpose of the tribulation?

Folks, this is key to understand, especially to understand why I don't believe the church is going to be here for it. There is a twofold purpose for the great tribulation. Number one, the salvation of Jews as well as Gentiles. The salvation of Jews as well as Gentiles. And number two, the condemnation of unbelievers.

The condemnation of unbelievers. Let me say a word about the salvation of Jews and Gentiles. Remember I said God's not finished with Israel? He's going to give Israel one last chance to repent, to turn to Christ.

And that last chance is during this tribulation time. God will bring severe discipline to Israel by way of the antichrist. Antichrist will persecute Israel, but the purpose of that discipline is to turn Israel's heart toward Christ. There will be many people saved during the tribulation, many Jews as well as many Gentiles. But they will pay a heavy price to trust in Christ.

They will give up their lives, many of them, in order to turn to faith in Christ. But this is the time that the Old Testament talks about, the time of Jacob's trouble, Daniel's 90th week, the day of the Lord. All of those are descriptions of this final period of judgment that leads to the salvation of many Jews as well as Gentiles. But secondly, the purpose of the tribulation is the condemnation of unbelievers. Throughout the Bible, God promises there is a day of wrath coming for unbelievers. There is a time of judgment coming upon them. That period of time is the great tribulation. You say, why does God allow this evil to occur and this evil to occur and this evil to occur?

Why does He allow it to go unpunished? No evil is going to go unpunished. It's just God's wrath, Romans says, is being stored up right now for a great outpouring that will occur during the great tribulation. And that wrath, that condemnation of God will come in the form of three judgments, the seal judgments, the trumpet judgments, the bowl judgments that are all described in Revelation 6 through 19. What is the purpose of the tribulation? The salvation of Jews and Gentiles, the condemnation of unbelievers. Now, then what's the purpose for the church of the tribulation? Listen to me, there is no purpose for the church during the tribulation. We don't need to be saved. We've already been saved. We don't need to be saved. And we certainly don't need to face the condemnation of God.

Romans 8, 1 says there is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus. So if we don't need salvation, if we have been promised to escape condemnation, what's the purpose for us of the tribulation? There is no purpose, which is why we are not here during that period of time. That's the greatest argument, I believe, for the absence of the church during the tribulation. There is no purpose for the church during the tribulation. It is for the salvation of Jews and Gentiles. It is for the condemnation of unbelievers.

And we'll talk about that at length in the weeks ahead. Now, the climax of the seven-year tribulation will be the second coming of Jesus Christ. Turn over to Revelation chapter 19. Let me give you this definition while you're turning there of the second coming. The second coming of Christ is the visible return of Jesus Christ to establish his kingdom on the earth. The second coming of Christ is the visible return of Jesus Christ to establish his kingdom on the earth. At the end of the seven-year tribulation, all the world forces are going to gather together to try to defeat Antichrist.

Tired of his tyrannical rule, the world forces are going to decide we're going to overtake this dictator. And they are going to assemble, the Bible says, on the plane of Megiddo. We call it Armageddon, the plane of Megiddo, to make war against the Antichrist.

But as they do so, suddenly the clouds are going to part and notice what everyone is going to see. Verse 11, John says, I saw a heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And he who sat upon it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and wages war. And the armies which are in heaven, that's you and I, the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following him, Jesus, on the white horses. And from his mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it he may smite the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron, and he treads the winepress of the fierce wrath of God the Almighty.

And on his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This is the second coming of Jesus Christ, and we return with him at that time. That's the climax of the great tribulation. As we venture further into this study of Bible prophecy, my prayer is that you'll begin to see God's plan for the future, and for you personally, not as an alarming mystery, but as a source of comfort and help. That's one of the many reasons we provide Pathway to Victory on your radio and television stations. It's our goal to bring hope and light into the dark corners of our world. It wasn't long ago that I read a note from Angela who said, Pastor Jeffress, I've been struggling with recovering from cancer, and that's when I found Pathway to Victory. Thank you so much for providing this program, because your Bible teaching brings hope, and you breathe life into the hearts of so many people. Well, Angela, those are truly encouraging words to me. Thank you for writing. And if you're a financial support of Pathway to Victory, Angela's gratitude really belongs to you.

You're the one who's making it possible for her and others like her to hear the hope-filled truth of God's Word. And today, when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'm going to show you our thanks by sending you the book I mentioned earlier. It's my best-selling book called Perfect Ending, Why Your Eternal Future Matters Today. Along with my book Perfect Ending, I'll also include two more resources in the package that will arrive at your home. The first is a 72-page companion guide called The End Times Illustrated. This book contains 18 infographics and charts.

Each one includes a convenient page number so that you can reference the correlated teaching from my book. And then you'll also receive my popular multi-folded Bible prophecy chart. David is going to give you the details and our contact information, and I look forward to hearing from you today.

David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Today, when you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, you're invited to request a copy of Dr. Jeffress' best-selling book called Perfect Ending.

You'll get that along with The End Times Illustrated. To make your request, call 866-999-2965, or even easier, visit our website, ptv.org. Now, when you give $75 or more, we'll also send you the complete, unabridged Perfect Ending teaching series on CD and DVD. Again, call 866-999-2965, or go to ptv.org. If you'd like to write to us, jot down this mailing address, P.O. Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. One more time, that's P.O.

Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins, wishing you a great weekend. Then join us again next time when Dr. Jeffress concludes his message called Getting the Big Picture. That's Monday, here on Pathway to Victory.

Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. Imagine waking up to the sight of Alaska's majestic coastline or spotting wildlife from the deck of a luxurious cruise ship. Experience these unforgettable moments on the Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska with Dr. Robert Jeffress.

Relax with us in Alaska, and I guarantee you'll come home spiritually and physically refreshed. To book your spot on the 2024 Pathway to Victory Cruise to Alaska, go to ptv.org. You made it to the end of today's podcast from Pathway to Victory, and we're so glad you're here. Pathway to Victory relies on the generosity of loyal listeners like you to make this podcast possible. One of the most impactful ways you can give is by becoming a Pathway partner. Your monthly gift will empower Pathway to Victory to share the gospel of Jesus Christ and help others become rooted more firmly in His Word. To become a Pathway partner, go to ptv.org slash donate or follow the link in our show notes. We hope you've been blessed by today's podcast from Pathway to Victory.
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