Reading so much this morning. Just rereading. Well, I remember I talked about the times To use time one year at halftime half year three and a half years Well, it's also written in the book of Daniel not just Revelation and I was like, oh praise Lord, but we're gonna be over in Matthew. I just wanted to share that it's It's really good the things I I recommend that you guys do your own personal study on Revelation or Daniel and Matthew. It'll take you so many places to tell the Word of God and the prophecies that were laid out. And we're gonna talk about some of that today. And the one thing is, I did a mistake over here. It's a mistake. It was an omission. It's okay. Anyway, when you study the Word of God and just allow the Spirit to lead, things just start coming to mind and then you start looking at stuff and researching stuff, getting off on rare trails. And sometimes it's good to get off on rare trails. Not all times, because you want to stick to what you're studying. It's good, and let the Holy Spirit lead, but we're gonna be, we've been in Matthew 24 for a number of months. We're looking at five months now, since July. The Holy Spirit led me in this direction. I wasn't ready for it, but God was ready to use me in this, and I don't know how it's gonna end up. I just praise his name, and that he knows I'm not the, sharpest pencil on the box and he knows my mind is scattered sometimes, but he knows my heart. And that's the key. So I just said, God, whatever. I just have to rely on him. I have a bunch of study books, a bunch of bookcase upstairs. I have books that I don't use because I started just comparing the things that I was reading and things to commentaries. And I said, they're wrong. I just couldn't see it. And I don't know how these men, I'm not saying they're not godly men, but I just could not see where they were coming from because God was showing me things. And I said, that doesn't line up with the Bible when you take the whole Bible. And I just couldn't see it. A lot of the commentaries that you have out there, these people are Calvinist anyway. And when talking about the elect and all this, You have to be careful, but you know, during their time periods, what things that they knew. And so, you know, but what I, the whole, the same spirit that's working within me to teach and show me things, were they negating to have that? No, I don't know. But I, a lot of things that I might say will not line up with commentaries if you were to follow up on a commentary. they'll say, well, Matthew Henry or Matthew Poole or John Phillips says this. All I can do is go, bring that up with God. That's all I can do. Because I can just say, this is what the word of God says, and not what man says. starting chapter we read down to him we talked about the foundation of desolation the destruction of the temple and desolate and I even said it's even happening today because we were talking about churches where the Word of God is vacated from the church and the churches are shrinking and you know and so it's but we've seen it over in Revelation and then we you know you could talk about all the stuff we went through to verse 20, but it says, for then, in verse 21, for then, after all the stuff we just talked about, then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time. Well, that got me thinking, since the beginning of the world, there was tribulation. It says, since the beginning of the world. He says, no, nor ever shall be. And I got to thinking about this verse here, you know, looking at it. And then I went over to Luke chapter 21, if you want to turn there. We'll just kind of take this and see how the Lord leads us. 21 and verse 22, for these days be the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled. I got thinking about that verse and that it's going to be fulfilled. Everything here, climax, you have the abomination of desolation. I took you to Revelation. It talked about that time. A lot of these commentaries are leading you to think of Titus in the Roman army, which I'm not going to dispute them on that. I'm just lining this up with the Word of God, okay? Wicked things happen under Titus and Vespian, the general, and Nero killing Get through to Jerusalem how fortified it was with different walls and everything and one wall still standing they call it the wailing wall and You know so there's a lot and about the fleeing and in warnings and things like that But when we look at it just through the Bible there's a For then shall be great tribulation Such as was not since the beginning of the world through this time no nor ever shall be." So, when you take this last part of this verse, what do you get? What do you get? Nor ever shall be. Does this lead you up to Titus and the great army? No, it doesn't. It doesn't lead you that way. It leads you to Revelation. It leads you over there to the great tribulation that's going to be the end of it because there's nothing going to be beyond that. because then you step into his reign in the Millennial Kingdom, and we're gonna follow up on that. But this stuff was prophesied as you look, and we're gonna look at verse 22, and except those days should be shortened, there should be no flesh, should no flesh be saved, but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened. Now, let's take this, all this prophecy stuff over in Deuteronomy. And I was reading this, and I remember reading this a while back when I was looking at things when we were in the Divided Kingdom series, and this made a lot of sense, it came into play, how this was prophesied about this. In Deuteronomy chapter four, verse 30, it says, when thou art in tribulation, and all things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, What days is he talking about? The latter days, the end times. Yeah, so you see that Moses is now even prophesying about it. So Moses being a prophet, right? He's prophesying, you know. They always think that the minor prophets and different, but you know, like David, the prophet that you can go through and you see Moses prophet in the latter days. If thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shall be obedient unto his voice. For the Lord thy God is merciful God, is a merciful God. He will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers, which he swore unto them." And I got thinking about how he set them aside during the memory of the flame. And that just kind of went with that. And he says, for ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee since the day that God created man upon the earth and asked from the one side of heaven unto the other whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is or hath heard like it. Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as thou hast heard and lived? Or hath God a say to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by wars, and by mighty hand, and by the stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes." Now he's talking about, you remember, the plagues and coming out. People thought that was the hardest thing ever and will ever will be. I wouldn't like it. All the water turned to blood. You couldn't even lay down in your bed from the frogs and all these pestilence, these lice and things like that. And it says, unto thee it was showed that the mightiest know that the Lord, he is God, there is none else beside him. out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee, and upon earth he showed thee his great fire, and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire. And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out of the sight with the mighty power of Egypt." Let me see, I don't know how far I'm supposed to read down, but you see that Moses was even talking about the later, the latter days. and of tribulation. And then we're going to look over to Daniel chapter 12 and go back over there again. Because all this is leading to something. You just have to be patient and see how God's working here. And this is interesting. When you take out of Daniel, understand the book of Revelation is not chronological order. But I understand the angles on how to go over to hell either. And how things are unfolding and how things are laid out. You end up going from here back to here, then back, you know, you end up going back forth, but just rely on the spirit of God and just keep reading and look at verses and say, oh, that makes sense. And sometimes you can just read it and you're like, man, I can get confused. But if you just allow God to work in you that way, it says at the time, verse one, shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people, and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time. And at the time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found tongued." This kind of gives it away, doesn't it? For the latter days. These names are written in the Book of Life. We've heard that before haven't we Russell what book of the Bible is that that we usually refer that to So I'm not here to bash a commentary Right, that's not my goal men, but you've got to take the word of God and look at it When you go to Deuteronomy, they won't talk about the tribulation period the seven years, the last three and a half years, they refer even to Babylon, and things like that, and they'll refer that to, from Babylon to, you know, the great, what's his name, the guy who thought he was Zeus, I have it written down, he vacated the temple, they refer to that, but everything's leading to what? to something. And so I want us to turn over to Revelation chapter 12. Now, remember, and at the time, shall Michael stand up? Lead you back to Revelation chapter 12 and look at verse number seven. And there was a war in heaven. What's the next word? Michael and his great angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and prevailed not That's a that's a that's a great thing prevailed not neither was their place found anymore in heaven No more no more can bring from I take that When he says no more in heaven that means Satan's not gonna allow the approach of throwing out and accuse us right accuse anybody right So he's not that was just a thought that I had But this this has happened in the last three and a half years of the tribulation And and so you look at that But it led me all the way to Joel and you'll see where I where the Lord has led me in this Joel chapter 2 you know Daniel Sometimes you get those minor prophets and you go, is Obadiah here? Before Amos? After Amos? You know, Zephaniah, where's that? You know, just keep reading, keep studying, and it'll come to you. And the next thing you know, your Bible worked in and you just, it's easier to turn your pages and everything. But in verse number one, we're going to start there and say, Blow you the trumpet in Zion and sound an alarm in my holy mountain that all that you know I get just hit me the holy mountain remember where Elijah went Remember horror And he didn't know what God was doing and he was questioning things and God told this would I have a plan for it let him all the way to go to Dan and Damascus and And it just that just came to mind his holy mouth. So I'll let all the inhabitants of the land tremble We're talking about this morning fear of God There's no fear of God why because of pride Because we have to humble ourselves before God comes in, Mr. Battleston, you know, and we were talking about that this morning at prayer time. Let all the amulets of the land tremble. I'll tell you what, you will be that. Right. For the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand. That's good. We're going to get back into that a little bit. A day of darkness and of blueness, a day of clouds and In a thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains, a great people and a strong, there hath not been ever the light, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations. I got thinking about, you remember, all this, all this, and Joel leads back to the shortened days. and the darkness in the morning, the shortened days, but we're going to look into a little bit of that. But I wanted to get in, which is going to show us some things. They are the Lord. Anybody want to know anything about the day of the Lord? It's written throughout the Bible. I'll tell you what God showed me, unless somebody else wants to. We're going to be talking about this, so we'll get you input here in a little bit. I'll read back into Joel chapter 2 in verse 1, and then we're going to line up some more. Okay? We're going to be over in Zephaniah. If you go Malachi, Zechariah, Zephaniah, it's right before that. Well, Haggai, it's right before Haggai. A lot of people think today, Lord, some people really believe this and they think it's when the rapture happens. No, it's not. We're going to see some things and we're going to take us over even to the New Testament and we're going to see some things that people, and I have in the past, referred to this But we got to read down and it kind of comes together. But Zephaniah 114, it says here, the great day of the Lord is near. It is near in haste. When we think about near, we think it could be tomorrow, could be the next day. You know, when I say something is near, you know, close. But we understand about a week, what it even is. and what things we've been studying the scriptures from last week. But it says here, the great day of the Lord is near, it is near, and haste greatly, even the voice of the day of the Lord, the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. Now I want to take us over to chapter three in verse eight. Therefore, wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the pray for my death. Determination is to gather the nations and I may assemble the kingdoms to pour upon them my indignation even all my fierce anger For all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of jealousy Look at verse 9 for then will I turn to the people and Pure language that may be that may it all call upon the name of the Lord to serve him with one consent And I got thinking about that pure language Master I didn't really do a lot of study on I was doing thinking the only thing that came to mind And I very well could be wrong in this okay that I think of when you get to heaven There's a pure language because the only thing We talk about pure gold. The only thing pure that I know of is in heaven. You got a thought on that? Every word of God is pure. Yeah, and so it will be the Word of God. That is the language that will be spoken. Yeah, yeah. So amen, amen. That's a good thought. I didn't even think that, but but pure language. So I'm getting thinking about this day of the Lord. It's not the rapture and all sudden You have to understand remember the first three and a half years really are some things that are taking place in the Antichrist, but he has peace and he makes up a treaty with Israel and then halfway through and he breaks the treaty and then All this is gonna break loose now. There's troubles. There's things that are happening But you have to understand that you know soon as we're after it, there's not automatically gonna be all this stuff that we're, it's gonna build up and it's still building up to this day. So, you know, turn to Isaiah. When we're reading all this stuff, and I got thinking about this last night, it is true you can go to all everybody likes to lead to Ezekiel 38 and 39 okay but there's so much more than just Ezekiel third chapter 38 39 because they think revelation just automatically And it does, it's good to go to. And we've used, we've been in Ezekiel once or twice. But as you notice, we've been in a lot with opening up and expounding the word of God to you that show there's just more than these. And it says in Isaiah 13, we'll look at verse number nine. Behold, what? What's the next one? There the Lord cometh, cruel both with wrath, and fierce anger to lay the land desolate. Desolate. That's what we were reading for. To lay the land desolate and he shall destroy it as soon as they're out of it. All this doesn't happen at the rapture, so the day of the Lord is not the rapture. Right. For the stars of heaven and the consolation thereof shall not give their light. The sun shall be darkened, it is going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine, and I will punish the world for their evil and the wicked for their iniquity, and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. That's a pretty good study right there to lay low the haughtiness of terrible. Let's turn back to Matthew Now that just ties in verse number 10 Talking about Matthew 24 22 could somebody read that for me the stars should not give their light, and the sun shall be darkened going forth, and the moon shall not cause light of shame. And then what's the next one? And I will punish the world for their evil." That coincides with Matthew 24-22. Amos chapter five and look at verse number eighteen. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord. To what end is it for you? There's another thing. Woe unto you if you desire that day of the Lord. So, that can't be, I desire the rapture to happen. And so, I I want us to understand that. There's people out there who say the day of Lord is the rapture. I've read it, I've heard people talk about it, and that's not the day of the Lord. So I just really wanted to get that out there. Woe unto you that desire the day of the Lord. To what end is it for you? The day of the Lord is darkness and not light. Nathan just read it, Matthew 24, 22. That goes right back to it, talking about this. And then continue to read on. As if man did flee from a lion and a bear, met him or went to the house and leaned his hand on the wall and a serpent bit him. That's one rough day. You get out of a bear and a lion, you lean up the rest, and all of a sudden, a serpent bites you. There's no escape. There's no escape, the day of the Lord. There's no escape for the end times. There's nothing that's gonna happen. He says, shall not the day of the Lord be darkness and not light? Even very dark and no brightness in it. I hate, I despise your feast days. I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. I will not smell in your solemn assemblies. Though ye offer me burnt offerings and your meat offerings, I will not accept them. Neither will I regard the peace of offerings of your fat beast. Take thou away from me the noise of thy songs, for I will not hear the melody of thy vows. But let judgment run down as waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. Have you offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness 40 years, O house of Israel? But you have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch in Chion, your image is the star of your God, which he made to yourselves. Therefore, will I cause you to go into captivity Beyond Damascus said the Lord whose name is the God of hosts Tie that back in to Matthew 24 tie that into revelation you get in the Chapter 13 when you talk about the images of their God Have all this laid out and it's it's you know The thing of it is as I said, he's talking to the Jews and they have no mindset of this All they think of is this right here That's where their mindset is that they're gonna rule and reign with him so I understand where Jesus and how he's talking to them, but turn over to second Peter and Bring me in chapter three. Verse number 10. That first part. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night. A lot of people say that he's gonna come like a thief in the night for the rapture. I've even said that before in my past times, in past years, that he comes like a thief in the night, the rapture, be ready or you're saved. Peter's not dealing with that, the rapture at that time. That's right. Amen. It's good. Because what comes after? The day of the Lord, thief in the night, in which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise and the elements shall melt with fervent heat and the earth also the works that are therein shall be burned up." We read that in Revelation. We read that throughout the Bible about the works being burned up and getting a crown, striving for those crowns with your heart towards the things of God. And seeing that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons are you to be in all holy conversations of godliness? came to mind, pure language, but that probably has nothing to do with that right there. But, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and new earth, wherein dwelleth righteous here new okay wherefore beloved saying that you look for such things be diligent that you may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless and account that the longing of our Lord is salvation even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom of epistle speaking in them of these things in which are some things hard to be understood. That's true. I used to think so. But then you get to reading it and studying it. It's become so much easier to understand because everybody wants to think things in chronological order. Everybody wants to go back, when we go to Revelation, go back to the 70th week of Daniel. Everybody, and even I do, but there's so much more to it. Right. Play it all out from Deuteronomy chapter 4, even from the beginning of the creation of man and the fall of man. Yep. Let's see. Back to verse 13. Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. I used to say a thief in the night, that meant the rapture. Now, he could come, he's gonna come, no man knoweth the hour. There could be a thief in the night, but that's not who Peter's dealing with. What Peter's dealing with, he's dealing with the day of the Lord. So what's this? Let me ask you this, where does Christ set up his millennial kingdom? Not anybody speak at once, I'll call on you. Speak out what you think. On earth. He says on earth, do you believe it? Yeah. Some just don't know. Some are afraid to because. Remember, we're talking about over here, the little kingdom and the church age and skipping that and not even the, you know, dealing with the kingdom here and how they're going to rule and reign with him and dealing with the Jews there. And then you're talking about here in verse 13, nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens in a new earth. What's the new earth? Don't speak at once. It's the one that's gonna be made new. How is that when he sets up his millennial kingdom? No. No. A lot of people think so. But, also think about this one, the new heavens. Yep. Plural. What's that? Plural. Yeah. What do you think that is? Homeward, because we gotta get going. New earth, new heavens. I challenge you to research that. Can I add one more thing in there that'll really mix them up? Okay. I think it's in Job, it says that the foundations of the earth are out of course. And in the new heavens and the new earth, the earth will once again, and I say that very specifically, be the center of the universe. So it's just what the Bible says. Guys, write this down to know what your homework is. I won't ask for a show of hands who will actually do it. That's good. Because you can get, that's why I wrote this up here, Millennial Kingdom, but then you go back to verse 13 too. Barbara, would you close us in prayer?