The Great Tribulation | 29Oct2023

Pastor West: [00:00:00] Amen. Let's give him praise. Father, we just praise you this morning. You're so good. Father, we just magnify you. We thank you, Lord, for the Spirit of God in this house today. We lift up the name of Jesus. The name that's above every name. We thank you, Lord, for the precious blood of Jesus. We thank you that he has redeemed us. He has saved us. He has sealed us. And he. From a place as the high priest makes intercession for us according to the will of God, for each of us, individually and corporately. Father, we just put ourselves in your hands this morning. You, we know from the Word of God that you don't look on the outward, but you look on the inward. You see what's on the inside. You see the heart. From our heart this morning. Putting everything aside and everything that we could give attention to, we choose not to do that. We choose to focus on you. We thank you, Lord, for your goodness, your mercy, your love, your compassion. We thank you this morning for all that you have done for us, all that you are doing. We thank you, Father God, that our name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life. We thank you, Lord, that your mercy is being great upon us. We thank you, Lord, that even in times of trouble, the Word of God is true. You have truly overcame all the trouble, all the conflict in our life.

 

Pastor West: [00:01:31] We give you praise and honor and glory. Thank you for the name. Thank you for the glorious name of Jesus. Amen. Amen. You may be seated. Praise God. Thank you Christian. That was really good. God is good all the time. We're going to begin this morning. But we're going to begin with prayer, so we're ready to go whenever you're ready to go. So. Good morning and welcome. Glad you're here with us, Grace Life Church. Glad to have you here. And those of you joining our service, by the way, that you do, that we speak the blessing of God upon you and your family right now in Jesus name. If you have needs, just know, no matter whatever the need is, the answer is Jesus. Amen. Jesus is the best answer. He's the only answer that you need. So we call you blessed in Jesus name. Before we begin our service this morning, we want to. If you have your Bible, if you'll get it out to you and go to Psalms 122, we're going to pray for what the Bible instructs us to pray for, especially what's going on in the world right now. You know, you could be on an airplane and within a few hours, if they'd let you, you could you could go to Jerusalem, but you wouldn't want to be there, would you? As you know, if you've been following the news there and I guess you could call the next phase.

 

Pastor West: [00:02:48] So Israel has entered into the Gaza with tanks and the ground forces are coming in. I'm telling you, the Bible is coming to pass each and every day right before our eyes. But in Psalms 122 and verse one, he said, I was glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the Lord. I still think that Scripture is just as true and just as pertinent today. How many was glad? Amen. How about the rest of you? Amen. He said, our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is built as a city that is compacted together. Whether the tribes go up the tribes of the Lord unto the testimony of Israel, to give thanks unto the name of the Lord. For there are, for there are set thrones of judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Then the instructions in verse six, pray for the peace of Jerusalem. They shall prosper that loveth thee. And we say unto her, peace be upon thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions sake, I will now say, say that with me. I will now say, peace be. Can we say that together? I mean, I need to hear you, too. So not in your mind. Peace be upon thy walls and prosperity within thy places. For with my brethren and companions sake, I will now say.

 

Pastor West: [00:04:05] What peace be within thee, because of the house of the Lord our God. I will seek thy good father in Jesus name. This morning we just we pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Father, we thank you, Father God, that we understand that we are in the end of the end. We're not in the end times. We're in the end of the end. And we understand that things are coming to pass as they will have to come to pass. But father, this morning we just pray for your peace upon Jerusalem. We pray for your safety and protection upon its inhabitants. Father, we thank you, Father God, for the blood of Jesus. We thank you, Father God, for the love that you have for the Jewish people. We thank you, Father God. We know that Jerusalem is the place that you reign in the millennium reign. We thank you, Father God, that as these things come to pass, we thank you that the testimony of Jesus, the witness of Jesus, can still be shared. And I thank you, Father God, that there are still people in Israel, father, that will still hear the Word of God and be able to see that Jesus Christ is truly the Messiah. Now we just pray the protection upon the people, upon all people, young and old. Father, we pray the protection upon the military, a strength upon them. Father God, it safety and protection that the angels keep them safe and keep them protected.

 

Pastor West: [00:05:21] We thank you for the wisdom to give to the the military generals and the commanders who command the armies. We thank you, Lord. We speak safety and protection upon them. We thank you, Father God, that the plan of the enemy will be revealed, and the plots that they have for Jerusalem will be exposed to those who need to know what and where and when and how it will be miraculous. We thank you, Father God, that there shall be peace within her walls, safety within her walls, in Jesus glorious name. And everybody said, Amen, Amen. Well, we're in our third teaching. I hope that's okay with you. We're talking about end time events, and certainly there couldn't be a better time to talk about end time events than in the. In times that's real deep in it. And so I'm going to go a little bit slower today on purpose. And so I want you to, if you will turn to your Bible. Well just a minute. If you want to, if you want to go there, you can go to Daniel 724. Give you a little heads up. That's on page 1226. If you have a Bible just like this has to be read to, the Bible has to be read. So if not, do the best that you can. And so we're we're going to kind of continue from last week.

 

Pastor West: [00:06:38] We were last week our subject was mostly about the the tribulation, the Great Tribulation and the Antichrist. We're not trying to do an exhaustive study, verse by verse, but we're giving you a chronological order of things that will come to pass. It's important that we know these things. This is not history in one sense, because we're doing something. This is a subject when we get into a lot of times when we're talking ministering the word, we're talking about what Jesus has already done. But this is something. Remember the old, the old, the old movies go back to the future. We're going into the future today. For things that shall be that has not happened yet. And so we're looking at these things. Sometimes people say, well, why spend a whole lot of time studying about the tribulation if we're not going to be here? Well, I hope I answered that question a little bit last week because the Scripture says in several places. But first John two, we won't go back there, but it talks about the spirit of Antichrist is already here. You can see the spirit of Antichrist happening every day now unfolding in the news in not not just Israel, but other places of the world, but certainly Israel as the terrorist group Hamas has attacked Israel and its people, funded mostly by a terrorist group of all terrorist group, Iran. And that is that is Hamas, which is the spirit of terror, which is the spirit of violence, which is the spirit of Islam.

 

Pastor West: [00:08:12] And if I'm still on, I'll try to keep going. So anyway, sometimes they key words into you. So but but in Daniel 924. This is the the tribulation period and which will be the. This is the the fulfillment of Daniel's 70th week. These weeks aren't in consecutive. We haven't taken time just to teach about the the you know, all the Daniel's 70th week. We will get there. But this verse is talking about the 70th week of Daniel that's reserved, which is the Great tribulation. And so we'll just start right here. We'll just dive in. Daniel 924 and it says, 70 weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city to finish the transgression and to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the holy city. Notice there's there's six things here that Daniel is prophesying the prophet Daniel and he's he prophesies things, things, six things that will happen here. First, he said during the, the the 70th week, the seven year, you know, week being seven days. But actually he's talking about seven, you know, seven years. So number one, he'll finish the transgression. He'll make it. Number two, he'll make an error. He'll make an end to sins. Number three, he'll make atonement for iniquity.

 

Pastor West: [00:09:47] In other words, they'll accept Jesus as sacrifice eventually. Number four, he'll bring in an everlasting righteousness, which is the reign of King Jesus. Number five, they'll set up vision and prophecy, which is the fulfillment and the prophecy about Jesus in Israel. And then number six, the North, the Most Holy place. And and so that's this is the this is the 70th week of Daniel. Now we're going to go systematically upon this. Things don't want to speed through this. I want you to have an understanding of the times. Why do we need to understand one about the Great tribulation? Because we understand this place. The church has already been removed. She's gone. We're going to hit that in every, every no matter what chronological order. We're going to continue to preach that. And I want you to minister that everywhere that you can. There's still people that believe, you know, you got people trying to leave the planet all during the time. They're pre-trib mid-trib post-trib, no trib at all. Go, go through the whole thing. Well, I'm according to the word and I'm sure I know they're using scriptures also. But but the basic understanding is if you have to understand who is the Scripture is talking to, is he talking to the Jews or is he talking to the Gentiles? He's talking to the church. So when you lift a scripture out of its context and where Jesus is talking to the Jews and not to the Gentiles or something that's being spoken to the church, then you'll totally misinterpret exactly what Jesus is trying to speak.

 

Pastor West: [00:11:16] And we're going to get into that a little bit today because there is the the the Second coming is completely different than the rapture of the church, isn't it? And sometimes people just throw them in together, but it's two totally separate events. And so the the return of Jesus in the sense of not the second, but when he raptures the church, which is the word harpazo because they, you know, people say, well, you know, rapture is not even in the Bible. Well, I always kiddingly say, well, the word Bible is not in the Bible either. But you believe there is one, right? But it is, you know, in the Latin, Latin teaching in the scriptures that you'll see the harpazo, which means it just means to catch up or to seize. And so it's throughout the Scripture. And so we're going to systematically put some things in order so that we see because the, the coming back where Jesus, when he raptures the church is imminent. In other words, it's it's going it's going to happen. And it doesn't have any events. It has it has zero signs. So the rapture of the church could happen now, at any moment. Someone said, well, there has to be a great harvest. And that would be glorious that we have a great harvest.

 

Pastor West: [00:12:20] But really when you read the scriptures, you don't have nothing has to happen. No great harvest has to come in. If Jesus were to come today, I suppose billions would leave here, but billions would be left. And when you read the scriptures in revelation, you see basically half the planet will be saved and many will be will have to die as martyrs, many will be beheaded, many will just simply starve to death. Many will die in nuclear war instead of taking the mark of the beast. So we want as many people to go in the rapture. We don't want them to have to be saved in the tribulation. But there will be, there will be. So the greatest harvest that will ever take place is probably going to happen during the seven year tribulation. So we want to go through these, these things because we just need to understand that, that we are so close to it. We are so close to the end. I hope that's good news for you, because the Scripture tells us to get excited about that and I am. How about you? And so the tribulation is a period of time when God Almighty is going to pour wrath. It'll be his wrath and judgment upon the world. And. You can't find in Scripture one instance where God has ever in the old covenant. Of course, in the old covenant where he ever poured wrath upon the world, that the same time he poured wrath upon his own people.

 

Pastor West: [00:13:33] Can't find one place in the Bible that he did that. In fact, in Second Peter the Apostle writes about how God spared Noah, right? Remember that how God spared Noah and his family, and he gave them safety in the ark before the flood began. In other words, when the rain came down, the ark came up. The rains come down, the ark goes up. Then Peter cites how God delivered. Peter also talks about how God delivered righteous lot from Sodom and Gomorrah before the judgment came. He delivered them. So the same is true of you. Now, without going there this morning, because we looked at this scripture before, we're going to look at several times, but I'm going to quote part of first Thessalonians five nine. First Thessalonians five nine he says, God has not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation is not appointed you to wrath. The church is not appointed to wrath, but salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Second Peter two nine also says that the Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of the temptations and rescue the unjust for the day of judgment. God knows how to deliver us. You're not appointed to wrath. God always delivered his people. He took Noah out. He took his family out. He took righteous lot out before judgment.

 

Pastor West: [00:14:50] Come. If judgment come, you can't find one instance in the Scripture where God ever let judgment be poured out, that he poured out upon his own people, and he is not going to start in our covenant, which is a better covenant. So okay, so the church is raptured. Okay then what? When the church is raptured, the Antichrist will begin to emerge. And this is this is called the tribulation period. And sometimes people say, well, what do you mean the tribulation, the great tribulation? Well, they're both correct. In other words, you have a seven year period, but it's broken into 42 months or 160 days, or if you want to be exact, three and a half years. Each one has a three and a half year period, which is 1260 days. And the first three and a half years is called the tribulation, the last because the intensity of the tribulation is so much worse. It's called the Great Tribulation. And I want us to go in our Bibles this morning, and I'm going to turn with you to Matthew chapter 24. Matthew 24. I'm in the King James I think I am, but whatever you have there. And we're going to see what Jesus said, because he's given us scriptures here that talk about when they ask the questions about how will we know of the times. Now, these scriptures are scriptures that really apply to the Second Coming, not the rapture.

 

Pastor West: [00:16:05] At the rapture we go to meet him in the air. He never he never touches the ground, so to speak. We go to meet him. So assuming it really no one sees him, but we go to be with him. And the second come, second coming. When he descends, everyone will see him and we'll be with him. Everyone will see all of us. But in the rapture, no one sees him. Only the believers go up. And so in Matthew 24 and then verses four through eight and Jesus answered and said to them, take heed that no man deceive you for many we're going to read through verse eight, for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ. And there's going to be a lot of people. He says, that's going to come and say, I'm him. And shall deceive many. And you shall hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be troubled, not be troubled. For all these things shall come to pass. But the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes in divers places. And all these are the beginning of sorrows. Now, as he said, these are just the beginning of sorrows. And and you could say, well, all these things have happened before. Well, they have happened before, but the intensity will be much greater. In other words, he says, when these things begin to happen, he says, he says, do not be troubled.

 

Pastor West: [00:17:20] In other words, there has been wars, we've had great wars. And if you ever do the study of the wars, you'll you'll see. I was looking at several things this week. When you look at the different, the different wars that we've had even in this country, but other wars that claimed so many lives, almost every one built upon the other one. In other words, the intensity of has become greater and greater and greater. And so the climate is being supercharged here. And so he says, when you see these things, he says, know this. He said, these are just the beginning of sorrows. It's just the beginning of sorrow. And so we're we're not once again, I'm reiterating the last time. So he's talking about a time where the tribulation has begun. Here. You're not here. You have been totally removed. If you're a believer in Jesus Christ, if Jesus Christ has come to live in your heart, you are not here for anything, I'm telling you. Where are you? You are in heaven with the Lord. You are in heaven with King Jesus. You are in the Kingdom of God. You are at the marriage supper of the lamb, where the you know where the bride and the groom come together and you are at the reward seat, not a judgment seat. You are being rewarded for the things that you have done simultaneously at the same time on earth.

 

Pastor West: [00:18:36] The worst time ever in the history of the world is taking place while the church is rescued and raptured. Someone said, well, you just preached an escape. Yes you did. You want me to apologize for that? I mean, you say, well, well, I heard your house caught on fire. You just tried to run out so you didn't get burned. Yes you did. You're waiting for an explanation. Sometimes it's just harder to help some people. Do you ever noticed that? So. So what we're reading here in Matthew 24 is really a description of the Great Tribulation period. So it begins with Antichrist and it ends with Jesus Christ. It begins with the Antichrist. But but it ends in seven years with Jesus Christ. Now there's a parallel. We'll come back to Matthew after a while, but let's go to revelation chapter six, if you will. Revelation chapter six and revelation chapter six is the is the parallel Scripture to Matthew 24. When you're studying the Second Coming, this is the parallel scripture that goes back and forth in Matthew 24 through revelation chapter six. And we're going to read verses one through eight. When you get there, say I'm there. Okay. Verse one. And I saw, if you don't know revelations right before the last book of maps. Okay. Revelation six. And when I saw the lamb opened, one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, come and see.

 

Pastor West: [00:20:04] And I saw, and behold, a white horse. And he sat on him, had a bow, and a crown was given unto him. And he went forth conquering, and to conquer. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, come and see. And there went out another horse that was red, and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace, to take the peace from the earth, that they should kill one another, that there was given unto him a great sword. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, come and see. And I beheld, and lo, a black horse. And he that sat upon him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the fourth beast, saying, A measure of wheat, and for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny. And see thou hurt not the oil, nor the wine. Verse seven. And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast, saying, come and see. We're going to finish the verse eight here. And I looked, and behold, there was a pale horse. It his name that sat on him was death, and hell followed with him, and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beast of the earth.

 

Pastor West: [00:21:11] And so this is the parallel scripture of what Jesus is teaching about the. In other words, in revelation six, you see the beginning of the tribulation. I know I've shared this with you before, but revelation one, the revelation for the church is mentioned 19 times after revelation, for the church is not mentioned again until revelation 19. Now why would that be? You're not mentioned because you're not here. So this is the tribulation time. The parallels with Matthew 24. It's an overview of things that we'll that that are come to pass. Now, these four horsemen are called the Four horsemen of the apocalypse. And the apocalypse, you know, just really means revelation or to reveal or to lift. In other words, to lift the lid off something. To open the seal. To lift the lid off something. And so revelation six is the four horsemen of the apocalypse. And it starts with a rider on a white horse. Now, this rider on the white horse sometimes is mistakenly to be Jesus himself. But it's not because Jesus does come on a white horse. But that's revelation 19. But this will give you a little insight of how the enemy works, because he has no original thought whatsoever, and all he does is take something that God has done and try to twist it around.

 

Pastor West: [00:22:23] So he would like to show up on a white horse to make you think he's Jesus, but he's not Jesus. So it gives you a little end look into, you know, into his twisted brain anyway. So he's he's he comes in on a white horse, but it's not Jesus. It's not Jesus Christ. It's Antichrist is who it is. And so you see what his agenda is. Just simply widen the right horse. Now remember we talked about this last week last week. Antichrist. Antichrist anti means against. He's. In other words, we see the spirit of Antichrist in the earth now. What are they? What is Hamas? They're Antichrist. Antichrist also means also means doesn't mean just against. It means instead of. We're anti we're against this. But we're not just against it. We're instead of this. So so we see we see the Antichrist coming in. He's Antichrist instead of in his mind. He wants to be instead of Christ. In other words, the Antichrist is sort of like a imitation Messiah as what he is. If I if I may, he's Satan's son. He's Satan's version of Jesus, who he is. Dwight Pentecost, a great Christian theologian, theologian, and an expert on the End Times, made this statement. He said, and I quote. Satan is seeking to give the word of a ruler in the place of Christ who will be in opposition to Christ, so he can rule the world instead of Christ.

 

Pastor West: [00:23:53] That's his agenda. That's his plan. That's what he'll work towards. It'll never happen. It will never happen. So when the Antichrist emerges and comes on the scene, there's going to be a lot of catastrophe, just like billions of people is going to be gone off this planet. Wow. If you can just I mean, just if you just think of the little things that's happening with people are intersecting all the time doing things. I mean, you could have a you could have a basketball game or you could have a football game, or you could have someone throwing and one's going to catch it. And and then all of a sudden, you know, the receiver is gone or, you know, just people interacting all the time working together. And then one's there, then the other one's not, and they're completely gone. So there's going to be such catastrophe all over the planet for quite a while. And then because every Christian is going to disappear at one time. Boom. Gone. And then there'll be wars in all different parts of the world. And so this man, the Antichrist, he'll come and he'll come as some brilliant politician. In one sense, he'll be, of course he'll be a politician. Like he'll have every kind of brilliant move that the Earth is going to need, because it's going to be a catastrophe. And the Scripture tells us he's a man of great charisma.

 

Pastor West: [00:25:03] In other words, he's not going to come across as some satanic, crazed wild man. You know, there's just he's not going to have on. He's not going to come with a pitchfork and a red tail. He's going to be suave and debonair, and he's I mean, he's going to fit the part. He's groomed for this day. Is he on the planet, I guarantee you. I can't prove it. I guarantee he's an adult. He's. He's in the earth right now. Today. The Antichrist is is sharing this planet with you. Now you're about to go home. Amen. Praise God. And so he'll have such powerful influence. And he'll be able to do and accomplish what no one, no world leader has ever had. They've tried Alexander the Great tried, and Napoleon's tried. You know, Adolf Hitler tried. And mostly they all tried, but they all failed. They were subjects, I'm sure, of Satan. But this is this is going to be his best. This is the one that he has groomed him for, for such a time as this. And so he can't come on the scene. He'd like to come on the scene sometimes, but he's held back. What is he held back by? He's held back by the Bible, says the great Restrainer. When? Who is the great Restrainer? The great Restrainer is the Holy Ghost, and the Holy Ghost lives where he lives on the inside of you, so he can do nothing until the Holy Ghost removes the restraint and then he can make his play.

 

Pastor West: [00:26:17] And so until that time, he is totally sealed off from you now. So. But now, Daniel chapter eight. You don't have to turn there. But if you want to make notes, you can if you want to. But I won't be there that long. Daniel 824 and 25 says, his power shall be great. But not by his own power. He shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy my demand in the people. People who are the saints. So we see there he has success. We see he comes with power. It's not his power. Where does he gets his power from? Well, he gets it from Satan himself. In other words, it's just. It's just the puppet. And the puppeteer is what it is. Then verse 25 says, and through his policy he shall craft to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself in his heart, and by peace he shall destroy many. How? How will he destroy? He's going to do it through peace. Can you see that? Can you see the deceiver? Has anything ever changed? What is Satan's number? One tool has always been its deception. So even during the times of the tribulation, here you have you know, you have the Antichrist and then you're going to have the false prophet.

 

Pastor West: [00:27:29] But here he is going to destroy many, but he's going to do it by peace. And then we know that he orchestrates a peace treaty with Israel and in verse, and they're going to look at this and say, this is the answer. This man with great charisma, great influence, answers to the chaos in the world. All of us are gone. And, you know, he's he's going to bring order to the whole thing. It looks like. And then first Peter, I'm sorry. First Thessalonians five three. This is from the passage translation. But it says, for while some are saying, finally, we have peace and security, our peace and safety, then sudden destruction, sudden destruction will arrive at the door like labor pains seized and a pregnant woman with no chance to escape. So it will come at a time when they're saying great peace and safety, no destruction. Everything's put in order. And so this is first Thessalonians five three and so but suddenly destruction will come. So the tribulation period doesn't begin violently. Actually the first, you know, the first part of the first three and a half years, kind of well, if it could be, if it could be peaceably, it's the most peaceable time. The first part of the first three and a half years comes peacefully because the church has been caught up once again. Did I mention that before? Yeah. The church has been caught up and we're with the Lord.

 

Pastor West: [00:28:54] Just want you to know that you're at the marriage supper. Lamb. This is a seven year nonstop buffet. But praise the Lord. Carbs doesn't matter. Would you like some pie? Yes. Which one? Yes yes yes yes yes yes and yes. Heavens, I'm going to like this place. Amen. So, so the Antichrist, like he say, he's he's. He'll be a great world leader for a while. A very suave individual. And he gets the Jews and the Arab nations to sign this peace treaty. And it seems to be their answer. And they're actually and they're they intend to abide by this peace treaty, which seems to answer the problems of the world and of that part of the world. And then the Antichrist, he he, you know, he stops the conflict around the globe. In other words, it just looks like, you know, the world's been in chaos. There's just trying to explain, you know, what happened to us. There'll be all kinds of theories out there. That's why Hollywood movies, all kind of movies, I believe about the great disappearance. And, you know, we're going to be on some planet, and the Antichrist will be glad to be rid of us, but they actually won't wish they hadn't been rid of us. Can you imagine without one ounce of Christians on the world for a while? No salt on the earth, no light on the earth? You think some you know, because I know it can be discouraging sometimes as a believer to live, you know, when, you know, I guess every generation has seen things change and seem to be, you know, you've, you know, things move back, you lose ground.

 

Pastor West: [00:30:22] In other words, how could the world have changed so much in your lifetime? That's with us here. Can you imagine when every one of us is gone and there's darkness? And then after that darkness and after that darkness, what it'll be like. Well, so you can see when he steps up the suave, debonair guy that comes across who's who's very. The Bible says he's very eloquent in speech, well versed in Scripture. He'll be a religious leader. He'll be a political leader. He'll understand world events. He'll understand the economy. He'll be a great leader of people he'll pause himself to be. And many people will believe he's the Messiah because he's a deceiver. And he'll stay on, he'll be on, he'll be on that platform. And so the Jews and the Arab nations will come together and they'll sign this peace treaty, he said. Finally, peace and safety has come. And he says, as soon as that happens, not long after that, suddenly destruction comes right behind it. He set them up for the biggest fall they're ever going to take, and they'll begin to hail him as the Messiah. But he's really a satanic superman at all. He is.

 

Pastor West: [00:31:30] He will succeed, but it'll all come through deception. And so this peace treaty, you know, he'll get the love. He'll get the support of the people for quite a while. But then after a while, he'll effectively begin to show his true colors. You know, the enemy will always. If you'll just hang on, he'll always show you his true colors. He'll tell you all kinds of things about you your life, your marriage, your this, your this and and then. But, but you know he if he uses scripture, all he can do is twist it and pervert it. He used a scripture. He used it on Jesus. Did God say he used it on Adam and Eve? Did God say? Well, Jesus told him exactly what it said, and all we have to do is tell him exactly what it says. So when he comes to you and he comes to tempt you, he comes to bring harm to you, to your life, to your family. All you have to do is get the Word of God, Word of God, the sword of the spirit, and begin to cut with the sword. And he's been cut before. He doesn't like it, I'm telling you that. And so but so during the end of the first half of the three and a half years, the tribulation, the Antichrist, he'll be there to help the people, it looks like. In other words, he's going to help them rebuild their Jewish temple, the third temple.

 

Pastor West: [00:32:35] He's going to help them rebuild the temple. And that puts them in his favor even more, because in their in their thinking, you know, we now that we have a temple again and the person Jewish mind you really can't worship God without the temple. And he's going to help them rebuild this temple, and he'll win their favor right then, but then into the at the end of the three and a half years, he's ready to change the whole flow of things. And he goes into the temple and he desecrates the temple at the halfway point of the tribulation period. And this is called the abomination of desolation, which is a whole subject within itself. But this is when this happens, when he goes into the temple at the three and a half year point, he desecrates this temple. And I'll read this to you from Daniel 927 says he will make a firm covenant with many for one week, which is seven years. But in the middle of the week, three and a half years, he will put a stop to sacrifice and offerings, and the abomination of desolation will be on the wing of the temple until the decree destruction is poured out on the desolator. In other words, there will be some type of image here on the wing. There'll be there'll be an image that he'll build many places. It'll be of himself.

 

Pastor West: [00:33:47] In other words, he'll say, this is who you're going to worship. He'll put an end to sacrifice and offering, and he'll say no more. In other words, he's going to come and say, I'm God. Now the Jews know that they bought something that they can't get their money back on. They now buyer's remorse is really set in. So he's destroyed their temple and he ends sacrifices and offerings. He has this image erected, probably of himself, and commands that you bow down and worship him. Now, the drama of the last three and a half years intensifies greatly. So we'll go on to this point. So at this point in time, this is what called the Great Tribulation. Now let's go back to Matthew 24 and pick up so we can see it better here. Matthew chapter 24. Are y'all doing okay or are we making any sense at all? Okay. Matthew 24, in the verse 21, and this is Jesus talking here. Jesus is doing speaking in verse 21, for then there shall be great tribulation, such as the world was not since the beginning of the world to this time no, nor ever shall be. Can you imagine the the weight of that of that statement? You think about what's happened there in the world as we know it. You remember when Herod had every male born child of two year old down died? He says, not on that scale.

 

Pastor West: [00:35:24] You think of the atrocities that's happened in the world? And Jesus says, verse 21, for then shall be great tribulation. See these scriptures aren't talking. Pre rapture. This is talking second coming. If you pull scriptures out of context and you put them in the wrong place, talking to the wrong people, you'll come up with the wrong answers. These are second coming scriptures. Once again, what are the signs that we know of the rapture? There is none. Nothing has to happen for Jesus to come today. His coming is imminent. Now for those who say, well. No, we're I believe we're going to go mid-trib or through the tribulation. Then don't you think they should? Don't you? Then why would you tell me that his coming is imminent? But but don't you think some of these signs you should have told us about it if it's coming is just imminent. But are you going to do with all these signs? In other words, if you're telling me that we're going to his coming is imminent. When he comes and receives us even after seven years, don't you think that they should have mentioned some of these signs that we're going to read before he comes? Because these are a lot of signs. For then shall be the great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time. Nor should ever be that way. The world has never been in this bad of shape, ever in the history of the world since the beginning of time.

 

Pastor West: [00:37:05] Nor should it ever be after this. Do you want to be here? No. And except those days would be shortened. No flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake. These days are short. Now the elect here he's talking about. He's talking to the Jews he's talking to. Now go with me. Back up to verse 13. But he that shall endure to the end shall be saved. Now? Is that is that how you got saved by enduring? No, no. That's works. See. You're not here. So when he says, but he that shall endure to the end shall be saved, he's not talking to you. He's talking to the people and the Jews that are here, and the world population who's here during the great tribulation. So you and I are living in the dispensation of the gospel of grace, right? He didn't tell you to endure. He told you to believe. But here in the tribulation time. Jesus. What's he doing? Jesus is encouraging people to hold on, to endure to the end. In other words, don't give up. I want you to know that when you're raptured, your Bible won't be. And they'll be searching for Bibles and any notes that you might have. I believe broadcast just like this one is going to be. I know it's going to be. A matter of fact, when I was studying for those things, that's exactly what I heard, he says.

 

Pastor West: [00:38:33] He says, take your time on this. He said, after you're here. He said, this broadcast will be here, and it'll give hope to people that you'll never know until you until you meet them there. And I tell you, the weight of that came on me is just like I couldn't do nothing for about 30 minutes. But here in tribulation time, he's encouraging people on the planet to endure, to hold on, to don't give up. Verse 14 and the gospel of this kingdom shall be preached into all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then the end shall come. See how that's been taken out of context. In other words, we we have to preach the gospel to every person on the earth. Everyone's got to hear the gospel. Everyone's had to have an opportunity or Jesus can't come wrong. And we'll prove this wrong as we keep on reading. Everyone will have the chance, but it won't necessarily be before we're raptured. So that means the tribulation times, the gospel, what Jesus is talking about the tribulation. The gospel is the good news. What's good news to them during the tribulation? This is going to end. This is going to end. In other words, what is he saying? The kingdom is coming and the king is coming. Amen. It is going to set up his kingdom.

 

Pastor West: [00:39:50] So he's telling you. So endure to the end. If you endure to the end, you'll be saved. Now some say, well, who's going to do the preaching? Well, God has sealed 144,000 Jews, 12,000 Jews from the 12 tribes of Israel. He sealed them up with the protection that you can't harm him. You can't hurt them. You can do whatever you want to with them. It'll bounce off them like a rubber ball on a wall. You cannot you cannot kill these 144,000 and you got 144,000. While Jews preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. Imagine that the Jews preaching Jesus Christ, 144,000 of them are preaching around the world. Who else do you have? Well, then you got the two witnesses that come. We'll get into give more context to them a little later. You got the two witnesses. Many believe theologians believe this to be Moses and Elijah. Don't know that for sure, but they believe it'll be Moses. And Elijah will come back and they'll be preaching. Boy, that's going to be a wild thing to see with 144,000 Jews. Then you got the converse of the 144,000. And if that's not, then if that's not enough, there's angels that are preaching the gospel around the planet. Some. So I don't know about no angels preaching. Or you don't think I'd mention it without scripture, do you? You want you want the scripture? I don't really have one. Just kidding. No no no no.

 

Pastor West: [00:41:14] Revelation 14 six. Revelation 14 six and I saw another angel fly into the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach. Woe unto them that dwell on the earth to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Angels are crisscrossing this planet preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ with 144,000 Jewish evangelists. The two witnesses, if it's Moses and Elijah and all the converts, and they're saying, hold on to the end. The king's coming back. We don't have much longer. You understand? It's going to be atrocious. Absolutely atrocious. Many won't take the mark of the beast. They'll be beheaded or they'll be slaughtered. Or they'll just literally starve to death. But they that endure to the end. They that endured, then they'll kind of have their time frame when they find this. If you're hearing this broadcast, I wish you wasn't there hearing it, but I want to encourage you, I want. I never preached like this before. But if you're listening to this broadcast and it's the tribulation, I want to encourage you. And we've already prayed for you. I want I want to encourage you to hold out to the end, hold out to the end. You see, we didn't know the exact day or month or hour, but they're going to know this is 42 months at tops. The last three and a half years. They'll know when the Antichrist goes in, when you get word that the Antichrist goes into the temple and the abomination of desolation takes place, and he sets up an image, you know, you have no more than 42 months.

 

Pastor West: [00:42:47] Amen.

 

Pastor West: [00:42:49] So if you look in my cabinet there, there are some crackers. And some other stuff that I'm going to leave around. Praise God! I don't mean to be kidding, I'm just saying. But this is actually going to take place. This is going to take place. And so this is the message during tribulation to hang on, hang on, the king is coming, the kingdom is going to be set up and he's coming back. So and the angels are crisscrossing the nations now he says, so when you verse 15, we're back in Matthew verse 15. Wherefore when you therefore see the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet. Now this is Jesus talking, standing in the holy place. Whosoever readeth, let him understand. So Jesus is speaking to people after you're gone once again, because your Bible is not going to rapture and he's going to be speaking to people right here, and they'll read you who are here. Hang on. You are here. Don't give up. He's coming. He'll save you and he's going to come set up his kingdom. And he is will come back with him. So we know these two witnesses are eventually killed. Whoever they are, they're eventually killed. And they're lying in the street. Well, we're laying you know, we're we for a number of years now, you could turn on your TV. And just like this morning, I was watching, you know, Israel go across and tanks and and bomb Hamas, which has set up their headquarters underneath the hospital.

 

Pastor West: [00:44:21] Like all cowards do, with tunnels going into the hospital underneath and from the underneath into the hospital so that, you know, people who are who are Antichrist, Antichrist instead of Christ would do stuff like that. In other words, they're counting on you. Being merciful and humane and sane would never bomb the sick and the and the the dying or the children. So they set up their, you know, as a as a shield of protection, a hospital of all places. Well, I've been praying each and every day for those people, and I'm sure that you are too. And there's a way to rescue all of them. And there's a way that God will deliver the evil into our hands, into their hands there in Jerusalem now, so that we know that the two witnesses are eventually killed, and the Antichrist and the false prophet, and we'll get to him later. There's a lot of false people running around the Antichrist and the false prophet. They're having a party. They're like, we have killed the two witnesses. I mean, we we have done the big deal, man. We have. Really. We pulled it over. These two people who's been a thorn in our side. Look at them. They're dead and they're in the street. And then they hang them, even though they're dead. And they will not let you take their, their, their bodies off the off the street because they want you to see that they are absolutely dead.

 

Pastor West: [00:45:39] So they keep cameras on them around the world so the whole world can see these two witnesses are dead. There's going to be a little problem that because the cameras still rolling and three days later, they're kind of like a pattern. Jesus rose after how many wet days? Oh, that was three. They said, let's do that again. So three days later, they just rise up and say me back. Woohoo! Me back. And then they ascend like Jesus did into there and then and then excuse me for saying this, but then the Antichrist, you know, pulls one of those rebirth things and says, oh, crap. And so here they are, raised up in the air and game on, baby, game on. And so yeah, they were partying. But then the cameras revealed everything. So the future is so bright. I mean, God has made the future so bright and glorious that you can't hardly even make this stuff up, even during the Great Tribulation. He's made it really awesome. And so then verse 16 in your Bible, are you still there? Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains. Verse 17, let them which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of the house, neither let him which is in the field return back to get his clothes.

 

Pastor West: [00:46:50] Verse 19. And woe unto them that are with child. And to them that give soccer nurse in those days. Now let me stop. Did I mention y'all were in heaven? Okay, I just want to make sure I mentioned that before. Verse 20, but pray you that your flight not be in winter, neither on the Sabbath day. Now he's writing to the Jews about the Daniel's 70th week. Now, don't take this because you're here this morning, but you know, it's not writing to the Jews, because on the Sabbath day, there's no Jew leaving nowhere. You can't hold a gun to a Jew's head to make him not be in the temple. But you give a Christian three day holiday. You won't see him at church for weeks moving around. That's every pastor would be your life. Just head off when he reads that scripture like American. Oh, yeah. We got a Jew. You could put a knife to his throat. Ain't no way you're going to leave the temple. So we go on verse 21 for then moving right along just makes me feel better. Say that, for then there shall be great tribulation, such as the world, not since the beginning of the world for this time, nor shall it ever be. Verse 22. And except those days would be shortened. There should be no flesh be saved. But for the elect sake the Jews, those days shall be shortened.

 

Pastor West: [00:47:56] Then if any man shall say unto you, lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, I'm telling you, if you listen to this teaching, you'll hear this. There'll be many people who come in his name, and they'll say, lo, come here. Christ is here because there's going to be people doing signs and wonders. In other words, Lucifer through the Antichrist is going to be setting people up and it'll look like they're doing than they are. They are they're doing miraculous things by his power. But it's not Christ. So don't go there. Stay where you are. So he says, they'll say, come see. But believe it not, believe it not. Verse 24, for there shall arise false Christ and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch that if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Okay. Verse 25. Behold, I told you before, and then verse 26, wherefore if they shall say unto you, behold, he is in the desert, go not forth. Think about this. Why would Jesus be telling us all this? If he's answering the disciples questions and they're not there and we're not here. This is an instruction for whoever's reading the scripture and for the ones who are listening to the broadcast just like this. Don't go into the desert. Behold, he is in the secret chamber. Do not believe that. Verse 27. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shineth even unto the west.

 

Pastor West: [00:49:21] So shall also the coming of the Son of Man be. So he's telling them he's coming back to set up his kingdom. That's what he's doing. And in the rapture we leave here. We go to be with him. In the rapture. We got to be with him. And when we come back with him in the Second Coming, we come back with him. We go to be with him in the rapture. But in the Second Coming we come back with him on a white horse. Verse 28 for wheresoever the carcass is, there were the eagles be gathered. Now what's that about? Well, there's going to be maybe dead bodies all over the planet, and there will be a great slaughter of people, and the fowl of the air will be there to do the cleanup job. The Lord thought of everything. Verse 29, immediately after the tribulation, those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken. And this is believed to be the the evil powers of the heavenlies. In other words, the satanic realm of the power of the air that will be shaken out. Now, what about the church? Well, what's for the church? Well, the New Testament letters are for the church. When God speaks to you, he's speaking to you through the letters of the church.

 

Pastor West: [00:50:34] So we'll end this morning with these two things. Romans five nine tells you much more. Then maybe you ought to see this. Romans five nine much more then. Being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. God is speaking to you through the letters. You. You've been justified. By his blood. If you've been justified by his blood, you shall be saved from wrath. Through him. Well, you say, what are you trying to tell us? The church will not endure the wrath. The church will not endure the wrath. The revelation 617 says, and this is the sixth seal is opened. This is verse 17 617. This is after the sixth seal is opened. For the great day of his wrath has come. And who shall be able to stand? But this is not the church. This is for the Jewish people, and this is for the people on the planet that did not leave in the rapture. So they cannot they they it says, in other words, when this day of great wrath has come, who shall be able to stand? Well, that will be the message that will be preached by the 144,000. They'll preach Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the world. The two witnesses will preach. The converts, I believe, will preach. Of the 144,000 angels once again will crisscross the nation preaching Jesus Christ and tell him he's coming back soon.

 

Pastor West: [00:52:13] Endure to the end. When? The close this morning. Finishing where I started. First Thessalonians five nine says, For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. So we'll we're going to set a chronological order as we go forward, you know, in the Second Coming and the battle of Armageddon, the millennium. And on forums such as this, we need to have greater understanding so that we can minister to people, help them along the way, help them to understand in times of great tribulation, like the world is in right now, and continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, its safety, its protection. I'm telling you, this thing is unfolding so fast. It is going so fast. This is the time not to slow down. This is the time to pick up your pace. This is not a time to lay back. This is time to get up. This is not a. This is not a time to be timid. This is a time to preach like you never have before. Jesus Christ is coming back now. He is coming back soon. Can I get a lot better? Amen than that. Jesus Christ is coming back. Are you ready? Well, if you're ready, then you have. You know, he says, when you see these things happen, he says, don't be sorrowful. He says, look up. Your redemption draws real nigh. Amen. God bless you.