Title: Roll On
Bible Book: Revelation 1 : 18
Author: John Bisagno
Subject: Rapture; Terrorism
Objective:
Introduction
Revelation 1:18
The bible teaches us that Jesus Christ is going to reign a thousand years on this earth. When He comes back to reign, He's going to reign in peace and with His saints. Before that time God is going to purge the earth of its rebellion. A seven-year period of time will pass which is called the Tribulation. The Tribulation doesn't just start over night. The bible says that there is going to be a terrible time that will come on earth. Men will chew their tongues in agony. They will try to die. The heavens will shake. The rivers will be turned to blood a third of the people will die.
The good news is that before that happens, the Church will be raptured out. The believers will be removed and spared. But things will not become bad all at one time during the Tribulation. Between the moment of the rapture of the church and the end of the seven-year period, world conditions will increase in devastation and hostility. Then God is going to look down and kindly say. "That's enough! Get my blood bought Church out of there," and the church will be ruptured and removed. Then, hell will break lose on the earth for a period of seven years.
The seven-year Tribulation period is divided into 42 months and 42 months. The first half is the tribulation and the second half is even worse and is called the great tribulation. As we lead up to that time before we are removed, we can expect to experience some of the agony and overflow of Gods coming judgment upon the world. I need to remind you that as of this moment two and one half million of our brothers and sisters in Christ have died for their faith in the Sudan alone in just the last few years. There will be more hostility. The good news is that when it gets so bad that the tribulation starts, we will be removed.
I. The Protection From The Tribulation
The Church will not go through the Tribulation. This is a controversial issue. There are devout scholars and good Christians on both sides of this issue. When I use the term "Church," that does not mean church members. But the real church that is bought by the blood, born again, united to Christ through repentance and faith and the finished work of Christ on the cross is the Church I speak of. The true believers in and out of every denomination that truly know Christ are going to be caught up and not go through the Tribulation. There are 3 reasons why that is true.
II. The Purpose Of The Tribulation
The purpose of the tribulation is not to pour out God's wrath on His own children. Jesus Christ died to take our blows. He died to take our punishment. It is to judge an evil world system. It is to judge and punish and bring to his knees and pour out God's retribution on this present world system. What is the present world system? How things are down here! Is there one entity that honors God? (Education, government, entertainment, politics)
III. The Plan Of The Tribulation
The church will not go through the tribulation because of the structure of the book of Revelation. There is one verse in Revelation that explains what Revelation is all about. The structure and division of the end times is laid out in this one verse. Look at Revelation 1, verse 19.
A. The Things Which You Have Seen
God says through the angel to John; "Write this down. Write the things, which you have seen." In verses 1-18 John has seen a revelation of the eternal Christ in all its glory. John gives us an image of the exalted eternal Christ.
B. The Things Which Are
"Write the things that are." This is found in Revelations 2 & 3 in the letters to the churches of Asia Minor. The seven letters to the seven churches.
C. The Things Which Shall Be
Write the things that will be in the future. Revelations 4:1 is about prophecy. What is going to happen in the future! In chapters 1,2 and 3 John is on earth. Chapter 4-18 John is removed and is above the world and is looking down at what is going on. Through the church's rapture, we are going to be with Christ those seven years in heaven. That is when we have the judgment seat of Christ, get our rewards and at the end of those seven years, which parallels the end of the tribulation on earth, we come from heaven with Him.
We will not go through the tribulation because of "the yoyo" theory. If we are down here on earth for seven years of tribulation when Jesus Christ comes at the end of tribulation to armenogaden then the millennium reign. (New heaven, new earth the first phase of eternity.) How do we come back with Him? I Thessalonians 3:13 says so that He may establish your hearts blameless and holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints. We are already in heaven with Him at the judgment seat of Christ and the marriage supper of the Lamb. The church will not go through the tribulation.
IV. The Peace In The Face Of The Tribulation
You are indestructible until God is finished with you. God has a wonderful plan for you life and He not the devil, not Satan, not terrorist, He is going to write the last chapter of Israel. Acts 23:11Jesus tells Paul: "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome." Man is not going to determine when you are going to die. From the book of Job: Man's days are determined. The number of his months is with Thee and his limits Thou has set so that he can not pass. You are absolutely indestructible until God says; I'm finished with your work and it is time for you to come home. The psalmist writes; God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear though the earth should change. And though the mountains slip into the heart of the seas. Though it's waters roar and foam, though the mountains quake and it's swelling pride, still God is our refuge and strength. Psalm 18:2,3 The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer. My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. My strong hold. I call upon the Lord who is worthy to be praised and I am saved from my enemies. Man nor terrorism will not write the chapter of history.
God specializes in counter terrorism. He always one-ups the devil. No mater what Satan throws at us God uses it for good. Romans 8:28. For we know that all things work together for the good to them that love the Lord. Who are called together according to His purpose. God uses all things good and bad to turn out for His good. Even when Joseph was sold into slavery by his own brothers and thrown into the penitentiary for years for a crime that he did not commit. God raised him up to save his own people. And when they had realized what they had done and was afraid that he would kill them, he said, don't worry. What you did, you meant for evil. But God meant it for good. On the cross Satan threw everything he had at Jesus. There were lies and innuendos. There was a mock trial and a terrible arrest. And finally on the cross Satan said got you! But on Sunday morning, Jesus Christ came forth from the grave with the keys to death and hell swing at His belt and said: "I am the resurrection and the life. He that believes in me though he were dead yet shall he live! In Colossians Paul writes: He cancelled out the certificate of death consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us. He has taken it out of the way. Having nailed it to the cross. When he had disarmed the rulers and the authorities, demonic leaders apparently, He made a public display of them having triumph over them through Him. This I promise you, September 11th God did not take Romans 8:28 out of the bible. He's still God and specializes in counter terrorism.
V. Pray In The Light Of The Tribulation
A. Pray For Personal Revival
People often ask the question: Is this a forerunner to worldwide revival. Revelation teaches when tribulation comes upon the earth, it doesn't make it worst, it makes it better. Men's anger and hatred and rebellion against God, only gets deeper and they curse God and rebel even more. I do not see signs of worldwide revival at the end time of the scripture. But, this I know, if it is to happen it will not happen nationally it will happen individual as God's people draw a circle and get inside and say: "Dear God start revival right here in my heart!" That means repentance of sin. That means watching photography on the Internet. That means cheating on income tax. That means lying against our neighbor. That means being prodigious. It means lust, envy and God knows that when we turn to Him (listen to His promise); "If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways then I will hear from heaven and forgive their sins and heal their land." If revival is to start it will start because God's people, one by one, say; O Lord! We are facing a terrible time. We have not even begun to see what terrorism is going to do. But if the only hope we have is that each of us would be so right with Jesus Christ that God might some how spare our land.
B. Pray for Family Safety
Pray for the safety of your family. So are thinking that if it is true that judgment is coming upon the earth, there is going to be suffering and people are going to be hurt, then how can I pray that I want be hurt? If there may be biological germ warfare, how can I pray that my kids want be hurt or that I want be effective by it? Jesus in the model prayer that we call the "Lord's Prayer" said these words: "Give us this day our daily bread." What was he saying? Was he saying ask God for a loaf of whole wheat today and rye tomorrow? No! He was saying trust me; implore me for the most basic needs of life. It is right to pray that your family will have safe food, clean air, clean water, and health and protection. That is the basic daily needs of life. And yes, we aught to be praying for that.Let's Roll!
One thing has happened in America, it is America under attack has pulled together and is experiencing her finest hour in loyalty, patriotism, and unity. It has been said a thousand times, we have forgotten about the libertarians and independents, moderates and conservatives, democrats and republicans We are Americans and aimed at the heart of this soul is the question of our very existence. So may stories have come out of that terrible day. One of them is a story of Todd Beaver. The plane that Todd Beaver was on was headed for the White House, when some brave men rushed the terrorist. Knowing they are going to die anyway and gave their lives to see that the plane crashed elsewhere which finally went down in Pennsylvania something happened just before that.
Todd got into a rest room on that plane and for eleven minutes talked on his telephone to his wife, Lisa. They talked about what was going to happen. He told her what the other passengers and he were planning to do. He prayed with his wife the Lord's Prayer. Then the last words he ever spoke, shouting to the other passengers: "Let's Roll!"
