Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. In the 20th century, brave soldiers in America fought fascism and communism, but now we face another enemy. an enemy that I am convinced will play a large part in the last days scenario. on today's PowerPoint. Dr.
Graham brings a message about what will happen when God's wrath is finally poured out on earth.
Now here's Doctor Graham with his message. Terrorism and the Great Tribulation.
Now if you study prophecy and speak of the return of Christ, you must deal with judgment. For the Christian, the second coming of Christ is... The blessed hope. It means Hope. But for the unbeliever There is No hope.
And as we come to this message today from the sixth chapter of the book of Revelation. We're going to be talking about that time on earth. in which Hell is unleashed and judgment. takes place in those who live, those who are left behind. In chapter 6, all the way through 19, the bulk of this book called Revelation is filled with a series of judgments.
The Great Tribulation. In fact, verse 1 says, Now I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, I heard one of the four living creatures saying, with a voice like thunder. Come. And see. There is a storm rising.
It is the storm. known as the Great Tribulation.
Now the Bible speaks so often of judgment. The judgment that is to come. The prophet Joel, chapter 1, verse 15, describes this day of judgment as the day of the Lord, that it shall come as destruction. From the Almighty. The Prince of the Prophets, Isaiah, chapter 13, verse 13.
Spoke of that day when God says, I will shake the heavens. and the earth will move out of her place. In the wrath. of the Lord of hosts and in the day. of his fierce anger.
Jeremiah the weeping prophet. Writes in Jeremiah 30 verse 7, alas. For that day is great, so that none is like it. In other words, this day of judgment is unique. It is unique in the sense of its timing, unique in the sense of its purpose.
And it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it. You might hear these verses of judgment and say, oh, that's the Old Testament. Jesus in Matthew chapter 24. Verse 29, love incarnate, God incarnate, speaks of this day. For it says, immediately after the tribulation of those days, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven and the powers of the heaven will be shaken.
Jesus said there is a great shaking. coming upon the earth. We are living in a unique time of history. Because we must confront terrorism and fight for freedom for the sake of our children and our children's children. In the 20th century, Brave soldiers in America fought fascism and communism.
But now we face another enemy. An enemy that I am convinced will play a large part in the last days scenario. Terrorism. And these acts of terrorism are not random acts of violence, but rather a network. a clear ideology that is evil called militant jihad.
Radical extremist Islam, which is organized to kill Christians and Jews. It is a vast network of hate. To drive out the infidels from the lands that they consider their own. Ultimately, it involves the Middle East. And what involves the Middle East?
incorporates the entire world. And I believe these fanatics and terrorists will ultimately drive the world to this great tribulation. These paddlers of fear. These peddlers of hate. and of anti-Semitism.
The Bible tells us that God will judge the world. The one who presides over the Supreme Court of the universe. No one appointed him, no one recommended him. He is judge of all. He is wise and all-knowing.
And God will judge the earth. But in one sense, when God chooses to judge the earth, it is simply to remove his hand of restraints. upon what is happening on this planet. And when the great day of the tribulation comes, It will be life without God. Except for his hand of judgment.
and the world will get what it's always wanted. Life without restraint. No commandments to keep. Just evil everywhere. And left to itself there will be hell to pay.
The church will be God. What is the church? The church is called the salt of the earth. What does salt do? Salt is a preservative.
protecting. What it salts. When the salt is removed. then there's nothing left but death. and putrefaction Jesus said, you are the light of the world.
But when the light Is gone. When the light is turned out, there is nothing left. But darkness. In Revelation 6, verses 15 to 7, down near the end of this chapter, A day is described when people will run, but there will be no place to hide. For the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every slave and every free man.
hid themselves in the caves and the rocks of the mountains and said, To the mountains and rocks fall in us and hit us, hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath. of the lamb. Our God is a holy God. Our Savior is Redeemer, Master, and Friend. And he is long-suffering.
and his love and his mercy endures forever. But there is coming a day when the mercy of God and the long-suffering of God gives way to the judgment of God.
Now we read Revelation 6, 1 when these creatures cry out, come and see, or literally go. The book of Revelation is filled with images of judgment.
So I'm going to call the first part of this message images of the tribulation. These images have to do with the breaking of seals and the sounding of trumpets and the outpouring of bowls of wrath. The most famous of these judgments is the first of these judgments. Which is the breaking of the seals and the riders in the sky. You may know This passage as the four horsemen of the apocalypse.
Well, here they are. the four horsemen of the apocalypse riding after the rapture. Verse 2 says, I looked and behold a white horse. And he who sat on it had a bow, and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, Come and see.
Another horse, fiery red, went out, and it was granted to the one who was on it to take peace from the earth, and that people should kill one another, and there was given to him a great sword. And when he opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, Come and see.
So I looked, and behold, a black horse, and he who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures saying, A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius. And do not harm the oil and the wine. And when he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth. Living creature saying, Come and see.
And so I looked, and behold, a pale horse, a deathly-looking horse. The name of him who sat on it was death, and Hades followed with him, and power was given. to him. to them over a fourth of the earth to kill with the sword with hunger with death and by the beast. of the earth.
What a scene. The first horse. a white horse and a rider. Who is this mysterious? and majestic rider of the white horse.
With a stephanos. A victor's crown on his head. With a bow in his hands. Who is this one?
Some would identify this. as Christ himself. beginning and executing judgment upon the earth. But that would be an interesting Understanding of this passage because it is Christ Himself who is opening the seals and sending forth. These judgments.
When Christ comes in Revelation chapter 19, he is wearing the diadem, the ruler's crown. The kingly crown, the royal crown. Rather than the Stephanos, the victor's crown. He carries with him a sword in his hand to execute judgment at the battle of Armageddon.
So I believe it would be a stretch to say that this rider, this one on the white horse, is Christ. Others would suggest this one is the Antichrist. A better interpretation, in fact. That this one is the one who comes as the final world dictator. We'll do a message.
on the beast out of the sea, the great Antichrist who is to come. And so when you look at the opening of these seals and the riding of these horses, you might presume that this is the Antichrist himself. Perhaps there's another. Way to look at this. Since the other writers And horses and horsemen are forces on the earth.
Like war. and famine and death Perhaps this also is a force in keeping with the context of this passage. This is a force of evil for sure. Jesus said in the last day there will be false Christs. and false ideologies that arise.
John the Apostle said, that in the last days That the Antichrist, the spirit of the Antichrist, is already in the world.
So in the last days, There will be a rising of ideologies, antichrist. Ideologies and false messiahs and false prophets. The world is looking for someone, something to bring peace in the midst of all of this war and terrorism. And so there will be one coming promising peace when there is no peace. These ideologies of hate, these ideologies.
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Now, let's get back to today's message. Terrorism and the Great Tribulation.
But then there comes the second rider, which is the red horse, and it's obvious the red horse is war and destruction. And it follows that when The one comes who cries, peace, peace, when there is no peace, that there will be a time of serious conflict and furious conflict upon the earth. Massive death, murderous war, and bloodshed on the earth. All diplomacy will fail. Every effort to unite nations will collapse.
And on the heels of war comes the third race. rider and horse which is The black horse. We don't have to wonder what or who the black horse is, it is the rider. of famine, which is the result of war. Without Jesus, without God upon the earth.
There will be nothing left but war and panic and pestilence. Perversion. and plagues. The final horse, a pale, deathly, ghastly-looking horse and rider, which speaks of. Death and Hades.
because this will be the bloodiest time in world history. The stench of death will defile the planet. When the pale horse, the horse of death, rides, we're told in verses 7 and 8 that one-fourth of the population of the earth will die. Imagine that. That's over one.
billion People. One billion people will die. Say, how is that possible?
Well, we know that's possible in our times. Nuclear weapons. Interestingly enough, in Revelation 6:14, we're told the sky recedes as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and every island was moved out of its place. Could this be speaking? Of nuclear war.
One of the frightening aspects of our own times is the escalation and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and nuclear weapons. And one of our greatest fears and concerns, of course, is that a rogue nation or dictator could get one of these weapons in his hands and use it. The heavens will explode. and there will be cosmic chaos. And then besides nuclear attack, we know that germ warfare and biological weaponry and Chemical Weaponry will be a part of the last day scenario.
And then The scripture says that the beast of the earth will bring death. What will that be? Will it be lions and tigers and... Mammoth beasts.
Well a beast doesn't have to be big to be deadly. As a matter of fact, Did you know the beast on the earth that has caused the most death and most destruction? is the rat. And so in this terrible time, of devastation. There will be disease and death.
No wonder the Bible says that there will be a great shaking on the earth. This tribulation will last seven years, seven years of terror, seven years of torture. as the Antichrist rises to power. And this is the countdown to the Armageddon, to the final battle. And already as these riders are in the distant horizon, we could perhaps hear the.
But I want you to think about some of the implications of this tribulation. Because of course the question that is in many minds this morning, maybe you're wondering about it, maybe you've been thinking about this, is who is going through the tribulation? Will Christians endure this terrible time of death and destruction on earth?
Some say yes, others say no, some say partly, others say maybe. But when I read my Bible and as I study it more seriously Regarding these things, I believe. That indeed Christians will escape this coming wrath and judgment. And there are several reasons that I believe that. One is the nature of the tribulation itself, because it is the time of Jacob's trouble.
And the focus in Revelation 6 to 19 is not on the church, but it is on Israel and the judgment that is coming upon the Gentiles as well. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 says that we are to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. Wrath in the Bible is always reserved for unbelievers. We are not to wait for the wrath. We are to wait.
for the one who is coming for us. We believe, as I said earlier, in the imminency of the return of Christ, that Christ could come at any moment. We're not looking for the tribulation. We're looking for the one who is coming for us to take us home. We're not looking for the Antichrist.
We're looking and waiting. For the Christ. The Savior. Revelation 3 and verse 10, in fact, I would invite you to turn a few pages back. You're in the book of Revelation.
But in Revelation 3 and verse 10, Jesus is speaking to the church at Philadelphia, a specific message to that church. But as in all the messages of Christ to the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. These messages apply to the church in every generation. And so in Revelation 3.10, Here is a key scripture regarding The believer in the tribulation, because you have kept my command to persevere. I also will keep you from.
The Greek word is ek. Which means out of or from. It doesn't mean through. But out of or from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world to test those who dwell on the earth. This promise is directly from Jesus.
That we will be kept from the hour.
So the very nature of the tribulation, the time of Jacob's trouble. The very nature of the believer, in the sense that we have been set apart unto God. Romans 8:1 says, There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. Romans 5:9 says, Much more then, having now been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through. Him.
Interestingly enough, when you read Revelation 1, 2, 3. The church is evident. The church is present. The seven churches of Asia Minor. are addressed and the church and all generations.
are addressed as well. And so in Revelation 2 and 3, you read again: the church, the church, the church, the church, the church, the church, the church. But something happens in Revelation 4 and verse 1. In fact, look at it. And after these things, after what things?
After the messages to the church or to the churches, I looked. And behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you the things which must take place after this. After these things. And as you read throughout the The rest of this book, specifically in Revelation 6 through 19, you do not hear the church, read of the church mentioned one single time. Again.
Early passages in the book, in the text, the church, the church, the church. It's all about the church. Then the redeemed company in heaven celebrating and worshiping our Lord. And then from 6 through 19, nothing but judgment, judgment, judgment. And the church is never, ever missing.
Why? I believe it's because the church is gone. G-O-N-E gone. gathered in the presence of Christ. In the presence of the Lord forever.
The nature of our salvation, we don't live under condemnation. The nature of the church itself, because we have not been appointed unto wrath or to judgment, but unto eternal life. The nature of the tribulation, the nature of judgment, this kind of judgment is always. unleashed against the unbelieving world and unbelievers. This is not to say that Christians will not have tribulation in their lifetime.
We all will experience personal trials and struggles and sufferings and tribulations in our life. Jesus said, In this world, you will have tribulation, but this tribulation is something far different than the normal, natural. tribulations of life. This is the tribulation the great, the great tribulation, and it is a targeted judgment of the earth, of the planet, and of the people on that planet who have rejected Christ. Price.
I don't know about you, but when I read this passage of Scripture, I can't help. But feel the heartache and the heartbreak for those who are without Christ. This should bring us to the incentives of the tribulation because more than anything, we ought to be motivated. To share Christ with our friends. There are several things that we're told to do, and I don't have time to deal with all of these this morning.
But as you face the future, as we face the coming tribulation, we ought to establish our hearts. That's what 2 Thessalonians 3 says. Pray for us that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified. That we may be delivered from the unreasonable and wicked men, for not all have faith, but the Lord is faithful and will establish you and guard you from the evil one, and we will have confidence in the Lord concerning you, both that you do and will do the things that we command you. May the Lord direct you to live in the love of God and the patience of Christ.
We're to establish our hearts by living in His love and enduring whatever we're called upon to endure. There's no fear in the future for the Christian. We should strengthen our faith and establish our hearts and stand firmly in these days for Christ. We should stand with an expectation of his soon return to live every day in anticipation of that. We should live every day for what matters.
And what matters is investing in the kingdom of God, investing in the lives of people, investing in his church, investing in. People who need Christ, our witness for Christ. Judgment was poured out on Jesus at the cross. All of that which comes down on the earth in those days was poured out. the wrath of God upon our Savior that day when he took our place, when he took our sin, when he took our judgment.
at the cross and then on the third day arose conquering sin, death, and hell and the grave. And the good news is that you may know eternal life in Jesus Christ. You can experience the forgiveness of your sins, that Christ can come and live in you and you can live with a hope and a future. Your future is with him if you know Jesus the Lord the Savior. No wonder at the conclusion of this terrible description of judgment in the Bible, the book of Revelation.
This book ends with an invitation. The Spirit and the bride say, come. And whosoever will, let him come and take of the water of life. freely. The Spirit says, Come, because God.
In Christ has sent us the Spirit to convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment. And the Spirit says, come. Come to Christ. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: Terrorism and the Great Tribulation. In a time marked by confusion, anxiety, and spiritual compromise, Your support of PowerPoint helps point others to the source of unshakable hope.
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Maybe the thought of the end times frightens you, but if you're a follower of Christ, then you really have nothing to fear. And it seems that fear has taken the place of peace in the hearts of many people. And it's no wonder as we're seeing more and more violence and hatred spread throughout the world as terrorists continue to slaughter so many innocent people. But I believe this is just a small example. Of things to come.
After Christ comes again and the church has gone home to be with Him in heaven, in those days afterwards there will be complete darkness upon the earth, and judgment will begin to rain down on those left behind like the world has never seen. And as sad as it is, They will face awful tribulation and and end up spending an eternity apart from God in what the Bible calls hell. But there is hope. Right now. If you don't know Jesus, you can put your faith and trust in Him and escape this coming terrorism.
Today, you can have the assurance that you will be rescued from the destruction of what the Bible calls the Great Tribulation. You can escape this horrific judgment of God and be cleansed from your sins and prepared for eternity by finding your hope. with Christ and your eternity with Him in heaven. My friend Todd. Don't be left behind.
I invite you to come to Him right now. Just pray this prayer. Lord Jesus. I do turn from my sin and trust in you. I receive you as my Lord and my Saviour.
I know that you died on the cross for me. That you rose again, and right now. I do. Ask you. To be my God, my Savior, my Master.
and friend. If you will pray and sincerely mean it and invite Christ into your life, then you are now eternally and forever secure in Him. I want to be the first to welcome you into the family of God. And that is today's PowerPoint. Today if you prayed that prayer with Dr.
Graham and accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, we'd love to hear from you so we can help you begin your new life with Christ. Please text the word Jesus to 59789. That's Jesus to 59789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about how you can live ready for Christ's return.
That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
