Early Warning Signs – Part 1

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On today's edition of Pathway to Victory. You know, the Bible tells us that there's a severe storm coming to our earth one day. It's going to be the most fierce storm the world has ever experienced. It's the storm of God's wrath. And although the storm hasn't come yet, there are warning signs on the horizon. Welcome to Pathway to Victory with author and pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress. The Bible teaches that one day a time of terrible calamity and disaster will grip our world.

And at any moment, God could put into motion the events that will set off the end times. Today on Pathway to Victory, Dr. Robert Jeffress examines the warning signs that will take place before the Great Tribulation. Now, here's our Bible teacher to introduce today's message.

Dr. Jeffress. Thanks, David, and welcome again to Pathway to Victory. I have very good news for you today. I've decided to set aside the entire month of October to address a very popular topic among our listeners. We're going to take a deep dive into the book of Revelation, and in particular, the portions of Revelation that deal with the end times. Just before we begin message number one, I'd like to remind you that in May 2025, I'll be hosting the Pathway to Victory Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise. This is an exquisite 12-day vacation aboard a luxury cruise ship traveling to some of the most beautiful locations in the world, including the Greek Isles, Ephesus, Rome, and Santorini.

Plus, we're bringing our own entertainment on board, including musical artist Gordon Mote, Michael O'Brien, and my favorite comedian, Dennis Swanberg. You can register right now for the Journeys of Paul Mediterranean Cruise by going to ptv.org. And then, at the close of my message today, we'll describe a number of helpful resources that will help you take your next steps in understanding Bible prophecy. I'd like to point you to one of those resources right now. My commentary on the book of Revelation is called Final Conquest. When you give a generous gift to support the ministry of Pathway to Victory, I'll make sure that you receive your copy of my commentary on Revelation. We'll share our contact information later in today's program. But right now, it's time for today's study.

Turn in your Bibles to Revelation chapter 6. I titled my message Early Warning Signs. Transplants to Texas from states like California are surprised by a number of things when they come to Texas. But one of the things that surprises the most is our weather. You know, when you come from a state where the weather is pretty uniform, it's all the same all the time, people that come to Texas are surprised when what starts out as a clear and beautiful day can change dramatically in the afternoon. Ominous clouds appear on the horizon.

Warnings come about threatening tornadic activity and thunderstorms. It can change very, very quickly. One of those transplants I heard said, since I've moved to Texas, I've discovered that there are five seasons. Drought, flood, blizzard, hurricane, and twister.

You know what he's talking about there. It can change very, very quickly. Severe weather isn't something to laugh at. We just saw just a few weeks ago on a Sunday night how devastating severe weather can be. As a tornado ripped through our city, did $2 billion worth of damage in just a few minutes. When we moved to Wichita Falls back in 1992, it had been 13 years since a deadly tornado just about leveled the city of Wichita Falls.

And 13 years later, people were still talking about what they called Terrible Tuesday. I was reading this week that of the 10 deadliest tornadoes in our country, nine of them occurred before there was advanced warning technology. Severe weather technology that would warn people of the approaching storm. Today, we hear those warnings all the time. But it's interesting how people respond to those warnings of severe weather.

If you live in Texas, you know what I'm talking about. When people hear that a tornado is coming or a thunderstorm is coming, they go outside. They want to film it on their cell phone. Posted on social media.

Have you ever noticed that? Or hailstorms coming down. Big hailstorms.

People go out and they collect them and put them in the refrigerator to save them for I don't know what. But that's kind of the response. Sometimes people actually flaunt those weather warnings. I'm not scared of it.

I'm going to go out and I'm going to face it head on. Other people, though, and a more common response is just to ignore them. We get so used to the people breaking into our radio programs or television programs and warning us of a storm.

We grow numb to them. But those who flaunt or just ignore storm warnings do so at their own peril. It can be very risky. You know, the Bible tells us that there's another severe storm coming to our earth one day. It's going to be the most fierce storm the world has ever experienced. It's the storm of God's wrath. And although the storm hasn't come yet, there are warning signs on the horizon.

Remember what Jesus said? We just read it in Matthew 24. He said there will be signs. It won't be the tribulation itself, but there will be signs that precede the tribulation, like birth pains. And when you see those storm signs appear, it's time to get ready. Those who ignore the signs of God's coming storm upon the earth risk severe and eternal consequences. And that's what we're going to see today in our study of Revelation chapter 6. If you have your Bibles, I want you to turn to Revelation chapter 6 as we look at these early warning signs that will precede the great tribulation. Now, you heard me say a few weeks ago that I believe the church of Jesus Christ is safe from the coming storm of God's judgment.

We will not experience that coming storm. Now, when I talk about the church, I'm not talking about the register of everybody who's a member of the church. You can be on the church roll and not be a part of the church.

The church is a collection of all true believers in Jesus Christ. And the true church is not going to experience the coming tribulation, the pouring out of God's wrath upon the earth. Why do you say that, Pastor? Several weeks ago, I gave you several reasons.

I want to add a third reason to that today. First of all, one reason we know that the church, believers, will not be here during that final seven-year period of time is because of the absence of any mention of the church in Revelation 6 through 18 that describe the tribulation. The church is prevalent on the earth in Revelation 2 and 3. Remember, Jesus was inspecting the churches. That's in chapters 2 and 3. Then in chapters 4 and 5 of Revelation, we suddenly see the church in heaven worshiping God, worshiping Jesus the Son. That's taking place in heaven. We're in heaven before the tribulation. But then beginning in chapter 6 where we are today, the scene shifts back to earth and the beginning of the great seven-year tribulation. And from the time of Revelation 6, 1 to chapters 19, verse 11, during that entire seven years, there's not one mention of the church of Jesus Christ.

The reason is clear. We are not here. We are there, thank God. We are absent from earth during the great tribulation. A second reason I believe that we will escape the coming storm is because of the promise of Revelation 3, verse 10. Because you have kept the word of my perseverance, Jesus said, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world to test those who dwell upon the earth. That's never happened before, testing from God upon the whole world.

Church, you are going to be saved from it. Now that doesn't mean, folks, that the church isn't going to suffer persecution. Right now you look around the world, Christians are being imprisoned, they're being tortured, they're being executed for their faith in Jesus Christ. There is no promise we will escape tribulation, persecution, hardship. That's been the testimony of Christians since the beginning of Christianity 2,000 years ago. But we never have to fear the wrath of God. That is what the great tribulation is. God will pour out his wrath upon the earth. And the Bible says in Romans 8, one, there is no condemnation awaiting those who belong to Christ Jesus.

If you have trusted in Christ as your savior, God has taken the wrath that you and I deserve, and he has poured it out on his son Jesus when he died on the cross in our place. And that's why I believe we will not go through the great tribulation. But there's a third reason I think we are not going to go through the tribulation, and that's because of the clear teaching of 1 Thessalonians chapters 4 and 5.

And that's where I want you to turn first. 1 Thessalonians 4 through 5. Now, when Paul wrote to the Christians at Thessalonica, he wrote this letter to answer several questions they had.

And here is one of the questions. What happens to our loved ones who are Christians who die before the Lord returns? Are they going to miss out on the resurrection? You see, in the first century, the early Christians believed, I think Paul actually believed, that Jesus would come back before they died.

And then they noticed something. His return kept getting delayed and delayed and delayed. Actually, he's right on time according to his timetable. But our timetable, we wonder, why does he keep delaying? Well, they wondered the same thing. And they wondered specifically, well, if our loved ones die, what happens to them? They miss out on the resurrection.

So Paul is going to answer that question beginning in verse 13. But we do not want you to be uninformed, ignorant, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as the rest who have no hope. What does he mean, who are asleep? If a Christian dies, our loved ones die, you mean they just go to sleep?

No. 2 Corinthians 5, 8 says very clearly, for a Christian to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord. If you're a believer, the moment you shut your eyes for the last time here on earth, immediately you awaken in the presence of Jesus Christ. There's no soul sleep. We go immediately to be with the Lord, but we leave behind our bodies.

Aren't you glad of that? We leave these old, worn out bodies behind. And it is our bodies that are said to be asleep. When it talks about a believer being asleep, it's his body that is asleep. Paul says, I don't want you to be uninformed about what happens to Christians who die before the return of Christ.

Verse 14, for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, God will bring with him those whose bodies have fallen asleep in Jesus. Well, how is that going to happen? Well, here is how it's going to happen. Verse 15, for this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, we will not precede. We will not go ahead of those who have fallen asleep. When the Lord returns at the rapture, we're not going to go ahead of those who have already died.

They're going to go ahead of us. And here's how it's going to happen. Verse 16, for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with a voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ. That mother, that father, that grandparent of yours, those who have fallen asleep in Christ will rise first.

That means all over this town, all over this world, the cemeteries are going to be opened. And the bodies of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, they are going to be raised from the dead. And then we who are alive and remain, if you're alive when this event occurs, the rapture of the church, we will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.

And thus we shall always be with the Lord. People say, is this the second coming? No, this is the rapture that happened seven years before the second coming of Christ.

It could happen at any moment. We could be in the middle of this service and the trumpet could sound. And the moment that trumpet sounds, summoning us home, the dead in Christ, the bodies of those who've already died are going to be raised. And then we, in an instant, are also going to be caught up.

Harpazzo, the word means rapture. We're going to be caught up, snatched away to meet the Lord in the air. This is not the second coming. The Lord doesn't come back to earth. He comes in the air to gather all those who believe him.

That's that midnight cry that we sing about so many times. And the Bible says as we are in the process of going up along with the bodies of our loved ones, 1 Corinthians 15 says we shall be changed in a moment in the twinkling of an eye. For this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality. And the Bible says at the rapture we're going to receive that new body. We are going to be reunited not only with Jesus but with our loved ones and we will be with them forever and ever. Hallelujah.

Amen. And the Bible says comfort one another with those words. That's the encouragement to Christians about the rapture. Now, there was no chapter break. Paul didn't write chapter 4 concluded. Chapter 5 verse 1. He was writing a letter. And so he continues in chapter 5 verse 1. Now as to the times and the epics, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to. That phrase now as peridei in Greek.

It means a change of subject always. He said now that I've talked about you Christians and what's going to happen to you, we're going to switch topics and talk about what comes after the rapture. For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. What is the day of the Lord? Is that the rapture?

No. The rapture's already happened. The day of the Lord, that is a phrase from the Old Testament. It always means the day of God's judgment. The day of the Lord is a time to be fearful of. It is a time of God's vengeance, the day of the Lord. He's talking here about the tribulation. Know full well after the rapture that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. While people on earth are saying peace and safety, then destruction will come upon them. Notice the word them, not you, them.

Suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child and they will not escape. But you, he said, you Christians, you're not of the darkness, but the day should overtake you like a thief, for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of the night or the darkness. Let's skip down for verse nine, for God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Could that not be more clear? The day of the Lord judgment belongs to them, those who are children of the darkness. But that's not us if we're a Christian.

We are children of the light. We don't have to fear the coming tribulation because God's going to rapture us into heaven to be with him forever and ever. That is why I am so sure that Christians will not experience the wrath of God. Now, we go into this time of the tribulation after the rapture.

What is the tribulation? It is a time certainly for God to pour out his wrath upon the earth. But most specifically, it is a time for God to complete his plan with Israel. Remember 4,000 years ago, God chose a man named Abraham. And he said, Abraham, I'm going to make you the father of a great nation. And this nation that you're going to be the father of is going to be the recipient of my love and my judgment.

You are going to display to the whole world the truth about me, Jehovah God. And of course, that's the nation of Israel. God selected Israel to be an object lesson to the entire world of God's love and God's holiness. And so Israel has been the recipient of God's blessing through the years.

But God has not finished his work with Israel yet. And I want you to see how the tribulation is actually the completion of God's plan for Israel before he brings an end to the world as we know it. Now, I want you to turn over to Daniel chapter 9, beginning with verse 24. And I want to show you what I believe is the single most amazing prophecy in all of the Bible. There are thousands of prophecies in the Bible, but this is the most amazing example of fulfilled prophecy anywhere in the Scripture. Now, for the next 10 minutes, we are going to wade into some deep theological waters.

Got your waders on? We're going into some deep water, but if you will stay with me for these next 10 minutes, you're going to see things you've never seen before in Scripture. And most amazingly, you're going to be amazed at how accurate Scripture is and why you can trust the Bible that it really is God's Word. Daniel chapter 9. Now, remember the background for Daniel. Daniel was a young Jew who was taken captive by the Babylonians along with most of the Jews living in Israel.

The Babylonians took them captive in 586 B.C. And Daniel and all of the people were discouraged by this. And as years turned into decades and they were in Babylon, they naturally wanted to know, is this an end of God's plan for his people? Has God's plan been thwarted? It certainly isn't completed yet. The temple's been destroyed.

We're no longer in the land. Is God finished with Israel? So Daniel began to pray to God and asked God to give him a revelation about what the future would hold for him, but for all of Israel as well. And Daniel got more than he bargained for. God sent to Daniel the angel Gabriel, and Gabriel gave Daniel a panoramic vision of God's final plan for Israel.

And you find it here in verses 24 to 27. Look at this with me. Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people. Now, what does that mean? Well, that word weeks is an unfortunate translation of the Hebrew. But his put down as weeks actually means sevens. Sevens. There are seven days in a week. Sevens. Seventy sevens.

What is 70 times seven? 490. So what Gabriel is saying is 490 years have been decreed for your people and your holy city. And in these 490 years, here's what is going to happen to finish up God's plan for Israel. In these 490 years, first of all, to finish the transgression. That is, to put an end to Israel's rebellion. To make an end of sin. This is a reference to the eradication of the sacrificial system. No more sacrifices needed.

Why? Thirdly, to make an atonement for iniquity. Israel's sins will have been finally paid for sometime during this 490-year period. To bring in everlasting righteousness. That's a reference to the millennium, the rule of Christ on earth. To seal up vision and prophecy. That means no more prophecy needed any longer. And to anoint the most holy place.

That is, to rebuild the temple and have it be a permanent fixture on the earth. In other words, Gabriel said, Daniel, in 490 years, all of these things are going to happen. And all of these promises are going to be fulfilled. Daniel's 70 weeks provide a fascinating glimpse at God's plan for the future.

And there's much more I want to show you in this remarkable passage. Well, while the tribulation will certainly be a dark chapter in earth's history, the culmination of the end times is a bright new day, when we'll witness the return of our King, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the overarching theme of Revelation, the most triumphant book in the Bible. And for this reason, I'm pleased to offer you my complete commentary on the final book of the Bible.

It's called Final Conquest. My commentary on Revelation features a verse-by-verse exploration of the events that will culminate with the return of Jesus Christ. This book belongs in the personal collection of anyone who loves Bible prophecy.

And I'm pleased to send you a copy of Final Conquest when you give a generous gift to support the growing ministry of Pathway to Victory. Plus, as a bonus and when you respond today, I'll include my popular booklet on the end times. It's called Bible Prophecy Made Simple. This at-a-glance timeline is something you'll keep tucked in your Bible or on your desk for many years to come. We're living in extraordinary times that are fraught with wars and rumors of wars. Violence and moral chaos abound.

Evil runs rampant in our cities and schools. We're closer now to the end of history and the return of Christ than ever before. And for these reasons and more, we need to proclaim the Gospel and expand Christ's coming kingdom. Your support of Pathway to Victory makes this possible. And I'm deeply grateful that together God is using our collective efforts to pierce the darkness with the light of His Word.

David? Thanks, Dr. Jeffress. Contact Pathway to Victory today with a generous gift and request your copy of Final Conquest, the verse-by-verse commentary on the book of Revelation by Dr. Robert Jeffress. And as an added bonus, you'll also receive the booklet Bible Prophecy Made Simple. Here's the phone number to call, 866-999-2965 or visit online at ptv.org.

And when you give $75 or more, we'll also include the complete CD and DVD teaching sets for this month's series on the book of Revelation called Final Conquest. Again, call 866-999-2965 or go to ptv.org. You could write to us if you'd like. Here's the address. PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222.

Again, that's PO Box 223609, Dallas, Texas, 75222. I'm David J. Mullins. Join us again next time for Part 2 of the message called Early Warning Signs, coming up Wednesday on Pathway to Victory. Pathway to Victory with Dr. Robert Jeffress comes from the pulpit of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, Texas. 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.