Announcer: This presentation is brought to you by the friends of the Amazing Facts Ministry. announcer: Coming to you from New York City at the historic Manhattan Center with your host Doug Batchelor. Join this exciting journey of discovery as we learn the truth about Bible prophecy. Explore the timeless wisdom of God's Word and see how it relates to our lives today. Stay tuned. Your "Amazing Facts" adventure begins now.
Doug Batchelor: Welcome back, friends. In our last episode, we learned about the assurance, purpose, and the many signs of Christ's soon return. Today we'll continue our exciting study about Jesus' Second Coming, learning how to not be deceived by false Christs, and revealing exactly how the Lord returns and what really happens to our planet when He does. Remember, if you'd like to deepen your Bible knowledge, check out our Prophecy Odyssey Bible lessons and our free offer. I'll tell you more about how you can get those resources later in the program. Okay, it's time to get into today's presentation.
For years, I think National Geographic had a program called Doomsday Preppers, and they always made fun of kind of these, you know, folks out there in the country that were walking around with their tin foil hats and their guns and talking about the end of the world. But it's not those people now, friends. It's thinking people that realize that we're on the cusp of what could be catastrophic. And they're wondering: "How can we save ourselves?" Well, friends, this meeting is going to tell you how you can be saved. And that's not going to be a Doomsday Bunker. It is going to be a shelter, and the Lord is our shelter. He is the way that we are going to survive. He is a mighty rock in a weary land, amen? "A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come nigh unto you," that's Psalm 91, "Because you've made the most high your habitation. No plague will come nigh your dwelling." God can protect you through all of this.
Now, not only are they looking for bunkers and going down in the ground, but these billionaires are also looking at going up in the sky. Boeing, you know, a contractor, their space program is having problems right now, so they're turning to private companies. And you got people, like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, where there's space companies, and you ask them: "Why are you building space companies?" If you ask Elon Musk, he says: "The future of our world's looking pretty bleak." He said: "My goal is to die on Mars." And they're saying: "We're looking for colonization that is out of this world or on a space station," because they're afraid for what the future of the world might be. And you got SpaceX and Blue Origin and all the different companies. And, frankly, I'd love to take a trip up there. That would be rather interesting.
Here's some of the other reasons I think Jesus is coming soon that get me so excited: "Increase in knowledge." Do you know the Bible foretold that? You read in Daniel chapter 12, verse 4, the prophet there said: "But you, o Daniel," the angel's speaking to Daniel, "shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many will run to and fro, and knowledge will increase." You notice he didn't say, wisdom will increase, because people aren't much wiser. Knowledge, like technology, "knowledge has increased." If I took my smartphone and I showed it to the Apostle Peter. I said: "Peter, come here, I want to show you something. I know you're in Israel. Paul's in Rome right now. Would you like to talk to him?" That would have blown him away, just the telephone. Say: "You want to look at him while you talk to him? Do you want to upload a recipe to him? Maybe you'd like to do a Zoom call with the whole church. Would you like to look at Google Maps and see how to get there the quickest?" They would think you're a witch, right?
You know, my grandfather was born in New York City. Matter of fact, he was born in Harlem. It was a lot of Jewish people on my mother's side, all Jewish, and he was born by candlelight, my grandfather. They were riding horses--I guess, you still have some horses left, right? But they were riding horses around New York City. Look at how the world has changed in one lifetime. He said: "Many will run to and fro and knowledge will increase." People are running to and fro now more than they ever had. You just consider the increase in knowledge. I mean, just look at what's happened in the past century with everything from the automobile, the airplane, the radio, penicillin, a moon landing, space stations. Technology is exploding exponentially now. They say that all of the knowledge of man we've learned more in the last ten years then all of the knowledge--all of the history of man combined. And now with AI, and it's a double-edged sword like the internet, and like all communications, it can be used for good or evil, but it's pretty scary what it'll do: "Global evangelization," now this gets me really excited. Jesus said: "One of the signs before he comes back," Matthew 24, verse 14: "And this gospel of the kingdom will be PREACHED in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then, the end will come."
Just think about what's happening right here in New York City. And, you know, we've got a modest crowd compared with what's happening around the world. There are tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people that are participating right now, or they will tomorrow because of the time change, and wherever we go in the world now--it's amazing. I go to the Middle East and people live in a tent, and there's a satellite dish coming up out of the tent. And goats are going in and out of the front door, but they got a satellite TV. It's the truth.
Karen and I were in New Guinea, and we're out in the jungle of New Guinea. We took our film crew. We said: "We want to get," like, you know, we get way out in the hills and get in the typical, you know, beautiful native hut with a garden. And we finally found this person. And through a translator, we said: "Will they mind if we come and do a little video tape?" And they talked to him in Pidgin English, and they said: "No, they're happy to have you come out." And so, Karen and I and our crew, we got out of the car, walked over, and the lady of the house, she looked at me and her mouth fell. She looked like she saw a ghost. She began to jabber really quick in Pidgin, and she looked terrified. And the translator came over and said: "She watches your programs every week. She never dreamed you'd be in her country. She never dreamed you'd be in her front yard." And we gave her a big hug. It was such a neat experience.
But it's, like, the Gospel's going all over the world in Amazing Facts, you know, we're one ministry. There's other Christians doing it. Jesus said: "The gospel will go, and then, the end will come." He didn't say, it might come. He didn't say, everyone would believe. He said: "It will go as a witness so they have an opportunity." All the stuff that's happening in New York City tonight, you folks decided to come and to hear what really matters in life, how to live forever, and what is the purpose of life. Thank you for coming. This Gospel we preach in all the world, it's happening now. "Today, almost with instant global internet, satellite communication, smartphones, rapid international travel, the fulfillment of this prophecy is within reach in this generation," friends.
Number four, "What solemn warning does Jesus give about His Second Coming?" "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am Christ,' and will," what? "DECEIVE." We want to avoid being deceived. He said--Jesus says Matthew 24:24: "False Christs and false PROPHETS will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the very elect," very convincing signs and wonders. He said: "I'm telling you in advance," Jesus said: "'I'm prophesying. I'm telling you.' Therefore if they say, 'Look, He's in the desert!'" that might be the Middle East, "'do not go out;' 'Look, He's in inner rooms. Do NOT BELIEVE it." Cause when Christ comes, it says it's like lightning. Everyone's going to know, right?
I don't know if you've ever met a false Christ. Probably if you live in the city, you've met several. When I was living in the mountains up in a cave, I was living like a hermit for about a year and a half. And one day into my cave yard, this hiker came. And the guy was about 6 feet tall, handsome man, shoulder-length auburn hair, beard, hazel eyes. There's no one up there, but me. He sat and he talked to me for a minute or two, and then he said: "I'm Jesus." Well, at first I thought: "I've got some Spanish friends named Jesus. Maybe he meant to say, 'I'm Jesus.'" And so I inquired a little more, and he said: "No, I am Jesus. And that kind of rattled me a little bit because I just started reading the Bible. And then I thought: "Oh, I'm up here in the mountains with either Jesus or someone crazy." And I thought: "What do I do? So if it is Jesus, I don't want to hurt his feelings." So I was a little bit cautious in my answer. I said: "Now, if you're Jesus, didn't you say that when you come, it's in the clouds, and everyone's going to see?" He said: "Well, yes, that's for most people, but I'm coming specially to prepare some other people."
He knew his Bible. He had an answer for everything. And--but I knew something wasn't right, especially after he stayed with me for three days and ate all my food and didn't do any work. I knew Jesus wouldn't do that. And then I kicked him out. I had to evict Jesus. And then a few days later, I saw him down in Palm Springs, and he had found an apostle. This tall hippie was following around going: "This is Jesus." A few days later, I saw him again in town, and he was missing his front tooth. And I felt so, you know, I felt bad for him, but I felt good for me 'cause I thought I know Jesus has all his teeth. I was sure then it wasn't Jesus at that point. But the false Christ in the last days are going to be very convincing. They're not going to be just deranged people.
Number five: "What will prevent the righteous from being deceived?" What is the answer, friends? The Word of God: "To the law and the testimony!" That means the law and the prophets, the Word of God, the New and the Old Testament: "To the law and the testimony! If they do not speak according to THIS WORD, it is because there is no light in them." We're going to be showing you from the Word of God how you can separate the wheat from the tares, the true from the false, amen? "Thy Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
So, we're talking now, not just about Jesus coming soon, now we're talking about how He's coming. Let me tell you why that's important. When Jesus came the first time as a baby, were His people, the nation of Israel, were they all ready and waiting with banners saying: "He's here." Did they have the Bible? They had their prophecies. Did they misunderstand the prophecies? And they were not ready for His first coming. Has the devil changed or is it possible he's going to do that again? And a lot of the church now is expecting Jesus to come in a way He didn't say He's coming, so they're not going to be ready. The devil's trying to deceive a whole generation of Bible-toting people just like he did before, so they're not ready for the Second Coming. So we need to know something about how He's coming. The Bible says: "The Lord Himself will descend," this is 1 Thessalonians 4:16, "He'll descend from heaven with a," what? "A SHOUT, with the voice of the archangel, and the TRUMPET of God."
Now there are, let me just make a little disclaimer, there are good, spirit-filled, heaven-bound Christians in many different churches, y'all hearing me? I've had the privilege of preaching in Methodist churches, Nazarene churches, Pentecostal churches, Baptist churches, Four Square churches, and I've met lovely people in many different denominations, and I'm not wanting to say anything to offend anybody. Clearly, they disagree on different points. We all know that. I think we can love each other and disagree on some points, amen? But I'm going to tell you what I believe the Bible teaches. The idea that the rapture, I believe the rapture that we're going to be caught up, but I don't believe it's a secret. The idea of the secret rapture is a relatively new teaching. For 1900 years, the church believed in a glorious, visible, loud, obvious coming of the Lord. And you might be thinking: "Well, doesn't the Bible say He's coming quietly like a thief?" It does, 2 Peter chapter 3, verse 10, let me quote it to you: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night."
Some people stop right there. They say: "Yeah, He's going to come. The saints are raptured before the Tribulation. Then there's seven years of Tribulation, and the church doesn't have to worry at all about the plagues or the Tribulation because we've been caught up because He came like a thief." They don't keep reading the verse: "The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Seeing then that all these things will be dissolved, how should we live in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking forward to the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?"
Yeah, He's coming as a thief, but when He comes as a thief, it's not going to be good down here. It says: "He'll come with a shout, with a trumpet." All Christians believe in the Tribulation, and all people believe we're going to be caught up, but the big disagreement is on when. So let me address that quickly. Does Jesus say: "He that endures to the end will be saved?" If the church is all caught up before the Tribulation, why do we need to endure? "We're the children of Israel." By the way, the Great Tribulation is also the same as the Seven Last Plagues in Revelation 15 and 16. That's the Great Tribulation. It says so in the Bible. The children of Israel, were they in Egypt when the ten plagues fell on Egypt? God protected them through the last seven plagues. First three plagues, they went through with the Egyptians. The last seven, they were protected. Will He protect us through the seven last plagues in Revelation? He will, but they were in Egypt, and He protected them. Now that's why He said: "No plague will come nigh your dwelling. Only with your eyes will you see to your right and your left the punishment of the wicked."
Did God save Noah from the flood or through the flood? Through the flood. Did God save Job from his trials or through his trials? Did God save Joseph from his troubles or did He save him through his troubles? Doesn't the Bible say: "Paul," Acts chapter 14: "It is through Tribulation we enter the kingdom of God." I'd love to believe we're all going get raptured out before the Tribulation, friends. That'd be much easier. If we get to heaven and I'm wrong, I'll apologize, but I don't find it in the Bible. I think God tells us: "Now we need to fortify our faith so that we can stand." Jesus says: "Pray that you be found worthy to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man when he comes."
Now, let's find out what the Bible says, fair enough? All right, keep going. Jeremiah 25: "The Lord will roar from on high, and utter His voice from His holy habitation; He will roar mightily against His fold. He will give a shout, as those that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. Our God shall come, and shall," what's it say? "Shall NOT keep SILENT; a fire shall devour before Him, and it will be very tempestuous all round about Him." And I know that there's a lot of dear people that have been taught through Tim LaHaye, good man, wrote that "Left Behind" series, colorful. Very first thing he says is: "This is a novel." He doesn't say: "It's scriptural." He said: "It's a novel." And pilots are flying along, and all of a sudden, co-pilot disappears. They're both pilots, and the plane goes down because they were raptured, and no one else was. A man goes to talk to his wife, and she's not there, just her clothes are there in the bed and her curlers because she's been raptured, and he was left behind. But he gets a second chance. See, the devil is telling people: "You'll get a second chance." No friends, you got to get ready now for when Jesus comes.
Number seven: "Who will see Jesus when He returns?" What does the Bible say: "Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in a heaven, and ALL the TRIBES of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." Revelation 1:7: "Behold, He's coming in the clouds, and," how many eyes? "EVERY EYE will see Him." People always say: "How can--Pastor Doug, how can every eye see Him on a round world?" Doesn't say the same moment. It means that day that He comes, He'll sweep around the earth. Everybody will see Him that day. Number eight: "Who will be with Jesus when He comes?" "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the HOLY ANGELS with Him."
Now, what was the glory of one angel like? You know, the Bible says: "It's like lightning shining from the east to the west," Matthew 24:27. When Jesus came, one or two angels rolled away the stone, I think one angel rolled away the stone, but the ladies looked inside, they saw two angels, and "the glory of that one angel the Roman guard fell down as though they were dead." The Bible says in 1 Kings that "an angel of the Lord struck 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night," one angel. "Angel of the Lord went through Egypt, destroyed the first born," one angel.
When the Lord comes with all the angels, are you going to have to call your friend in the morning and say: "Did you catch that yesterday?" "Yeah, all those angels, every angel in heaven." "What will happen to the righteous at Jesus' coming?" "For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, the voice of the archangel." We read this, but notice the second part: "And the dead in Christ will," there's a resurrection. The dead in Christ are rising when Christ comes. And if you read in 1 Corinthians 15, He's talking about, when does that happen: "At the coming of Christ at the last trump, for the trumpet will sound," and we will come forth: "In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible," we have glorified bodies, "and we will be CHANGED." 1 Thessalonians 4:17: "We are caught UP." The Bible says, what direction do we go when He comes? "We go up." That's the rapture. The rapture means to be caught up, means to be carried away with power.
Number ten: "What other physical evidence will accompany Jesus' return?" You can see here: "And there were noises and thunderings and lightnings; and there was a great," what? "EARTHQUAKE, such as a mighty and a great earthquake has not occurred," this is going to be 55 on the Richter scale. Says every island disappears. The mountains are not found. Everybody's going to know about this.
Number 11: "What will the brightness of Jesus coming do to the living who are wicked?" Now you've got the dead in Christ and the living in Christ are caught up. What about the wicked? What happens to them? By the way, nobody here needs to be in this category. You're here tonight because the Lord wants you to be in the first group. It says: "And to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in FLAMING FIRE taking vengeance on those who do not know God." The Bible says: "It's going to be like Lot. They fled from the city and fire rained down from heaven." I just read that to you from 2 Peter, chapter 3. Again, read what it says in 2 Thessalonians 2:8: "Then that lawless one," the AntiChrist power, "whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and," do what? "DESTROY with," what? "The brightness of His coming," destroys the wicked. But God's people, they're going to look for it with joy.
Number 12: "What will the angels do at Jesus' Second Coming?" Christ has promised: "He will send His angels with the sound of a trumpet," that same trumpet, "and they GATHERED TOGETHER His elect from the four corners of heaven." That means north, south, east, west. He sends His angels to gather them together. That's how every eye is going to see Him. And with the dead in Christ, we will be together. That will be the greatest reunion in history when the Lord comes. "Since we're living just before Jesus' Second Coming, how should we relate to this solemn event?" What should be our attitude, friends? "Therefore also BE READY." Did he say, get ready?
How many of you know you're going to be alive tomorrow? I'm not trying to frighten you, but, you know, not everybody gets a note from the doctor. And sometimes we're surprised. And someone asked the Jewish Rabbi: "What's the best time to repent?" And he said: "The last day of your life." And the man said: "Well, what if you don't know what the last day is?" The Rabbi said: "Exactly." Today Jesus said: "If you hear His voice, do not harden your heart. Be ready. Live in an attitude of I'm walking with the Lord now." And you can have that experience tonight, friends. You just come as you are to Jesus.
"How will people be rewarded at Jesus' Second Coming?" There's only two groups, friends. Life and death, good and bad, saved and lost. God wants you to have life. One group, Revelation 22:12: "Behold, I'm coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his WORK." Now, wait a second, Pastor Doug, I thought we're saved by grace, you are. And when you come to Jesus, just like you are, He forgives you all of your sins. You can pray tonight and say, Lord, forgive me, I want to come to you. I don't know how I'm going to live tomorrow, but I'm coming to you now. He'll accept you. He'll forgive you. And then He'll help you live a different life. And your works change when your heart changes. So the works indicate the life has changed. You're not saved by works. You're saved by grace. But that solid saving grace will change your actions.
Number 15: "What will the wicked say when Jesus comes?" Answer: "[The wicked]," Revelation 6:16, they say: "to the mountains and the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!'" You usually don't think about Jesus, the Lamb of God, and wrath. Some people say: "I like the God in the New Testament more than the God in the Old Testament." Friends, it's the same God. You got grace in the Old Testament. You got wrath in the New Testament. You got plagues in the Old Testament. You got plagues in the New Testament. You got salvation in the Old Testament. You got salvation in the New Testament. It's all the same God. And He wants you to be saved. He is desperate for you to be saved. They're going to say: "Who is able to stand?" Jesus said: "Pray always you're able to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man."
Number 16: "What will the righteous say when Jesus appears?" Then, they'll say: "in that day: 'Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and HE will SAVE us. This is the Lord; we've waited for Him; and we'll be glad and rejoice." Paul refers to the Second Coming as "the blessed hope." You should long for it. Now, I know we've got mixed feelings. You got friends maybe that aren't saved and loved ones, you think, I don't want them to come now because they would be lost, and I want them to be saved. But, friends, we ought to look forward to that. I don't know about you, but I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm looking forward to a world where there's no more pain or sorrow. There's two groups when Jesus comes. You know, there's one group, if you go out on a dark night in the woods, and you get a flashlight, and you turn over a log or a rock and you shine the light, you can see all these bugs crawl away from the light. You don't have to go to the woods. Just, if you have any cockroaches, try it. They run from the light. But if you're out in the woods and you turn on a light, the moths come to the light. There's two kinds of people when Jesus comes, cockroaches and moths. What do you want to be?
Doug: Friends, I hope you've been blessed by today's message. But really the reason we do this is so that people might know Christ. You know, information is not going to save us. It's a relationship with Jesus, the one who died on the cross for your sins. You must personally accept Him. And that's the most important thing and why we do these programs. If you've not asked Him into your heart before, then I'd encourage you to do it right now. His arms are open wide. Just come to Him as you are and ask Him.
Doug: Hi, friends. I trust you're being blessed by what you're watching. If you want to be doubly blessed, then you're going to want to get the Prophecy Odyssey Study Guides that go along with these presentations. There's 15 study guides, they're beautifully illustrated, and they will greatly enhance your Bible comprehension. So if you'd like to get them, simply follow the instructions that you see on the screen, and you will be glad you did.
Doug: Hi, friends. If you'd like to learn more about the signs of the end times, then you're going to want to get "The Day of the Lord," Amazing Facts 52-page, full-color magazine that'll give you an in-depth look at what the Bible really says about Christ's soon return. To get your copy, simply follow the instructions on your screen, and we're going to send it to you absolutely free of charge, no cost.
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