You know, that's what's going to happen, I believe, in the tribulation period. Israel is, midway through the tribulation, going to be attacked and dispersed. They're going to go mostly down into Petra, into the wilderness. And the world is going to rejoice. And you don't think that the Muslims who have survived Gog and Magog won't be rejoicing over that? Or what about all the neo-Nazis and all the atheist Jew haters and all the Roman Catholic and pseudo-Christians who have their replacement theology, who say the Jews aren't Jews anymore. They're all going to be celebrating that. And then it's all going to fall down on their head, just as the proverb says. And what's sad is how that so many commentators replace Israel with the church in this very text when they teach it or make comments on it. I've just mentioned this as I've looked, I always like to look and see what other men of God have to say about a passage. And John Calvin is not one I agree with on a lot of things as you know, but he actually says a lot of good things in his commentaries. I don't recommend him because there's a lot in there that might trip people up. But here he says, quote, he's talking about our text, here the prophet assumes the character of the church. No, he's not. He's speaking as Israel, not the church. You see that? Well, here's John Gill, another well-known Calvinist from the 18th century. Quote, these are the words of the prophet in the name of the church. Now folks, how in the world do you get the church in that text? Well, you've got to interpret the Bible by listening to church fathers like Justin Martyr, and then you have a bunch of teachers down through the year like Chrysostom, and then you listen to the Protestant Reformers, sadly, like Calvin, and that's how you get there. But here's one that you'll hear me quote a lot. Matthew Henry, quote, note, the deliverance of the church. will be the confusion of our enemies. It's real simple, folks. Dispensations. That's it. When you don't recognize or refuse to recognize the dispensations You go in anywhere and everywhere, and you end up rejecting the literal interpretation of the prophecies about Jesus' second coming. You symbolize and mythologize, really, the millennium. And you know most churches today don't believe Jesus is ever going to rule and reign on the throne from Jerusalem the way we do for a thousand years. We believe the Bible says that that settles it, amen? Most churches don't believe that. They totally spiritualize it and turn it into all kinds of allegorical type stuff. But folks, once you do that, you go anywhere and everywhere, and I'm telling you, I'm not even recommending you do it, but Jenny, I know you have, I'm sure John has, maybe some of you others have. You ever read a book teaching the book of Revelation from the Amillennial point of view? It'll make you crazy. You're like, what in the world is this goofball talking about? But then you pick up another one, and it'll be different. Just as crazy. And then you pick up another one. And I'll tell you, though, what it reminded me of is I'd already read the Jehovah's Witness Watchtower commentary on the book of Revelation before that. And when I read the Amillennialist, it reminded me of the Watchtower. because they both have no basis for how they handle the Bible. Their so-called hermeneutic is more of a disease than a theological term. It drives you crazy. John? chapter 17 oh yeah yeah yeah that's right yeah yeah but another one I thought I may have misheard you because revelation 7 Because they'll, like the Jehovah's Witnesses, that doesn't refer to the 12 tribes and 12,000 from each tribe and 144,000 Jews, that's the Jehovah's Witnesses. They say that's, talk about them. But then in the Amillennial books, it gets just as crazy. Not the same crazy, a different crazy. So with few exceptions, non-dispensationalist teachers are nearly all blind to Israel's future in Bible prophecy. And so once you start to read anybody, if they mess up on Israel, just put it down. Just forget about it. Amen. So then verse 8 continues, when I fall, I shall arise. This is back in your text. When I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me. This is a permanent, perpetual promise from God to Israel, not the church. Jeremiah 31, this is one of my favorite. Jeremiah, it's back to your left, a few pages. Jeremiah 31, 35 through 37, this is an example of sarcasm. in the Bible from God. Look at what he says here. Thus saith the Lord, which giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night, which divideth the sea when the waves thereof roar. The Lord of hosts is his name. He says in verse 36, if those ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me forever. It's similar to someone asking a question and they answer and say, is the Pope Catholic? Does a bear poop in the woods? He's saying, all right, sure. There's coming a day when Israel will cease from being a nation before me. I'll totally forget them. That'll happen when the sun and the moon disappear, basically. Look at verse 37. Read that with me. Thus said the Lord, if heaven above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, saith the Lord. Hubble tried. Failed. Scientists will tell you they know they will never be able to measure the universe and it makes it hard, makes it more difficult because he stretcheth out the heavens. It keeps getting bigger. So that's not going to happen. So don't worry about it. Israel is in God's plan permanently. There will be judgment on Israel, but not annihilation. And, you know, we've talked about this before. Some people will put us down and say, You people are looking forward to Israel being wiped out, two-thirds of it. No, we believe it's going to happen because the prophets of Israel prophesied it. It doesn't have anything to do with what we want or desire. What the shame is, though, there are some Christians, I mean, we love Israel, we've got to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, I will bless thee on our wall, you can listen to me teach anytime Israel comes up, you know, we love Israel. But we're not gonna change the Bible either. And there are some, like John Hagee, he started teaching this dual covenant thing, where the Jews can be saved without even coming to Christ, as long as they're good Jews who follow the Torah. So rip Galatians out of your Bible. I mean, loving Israel means you tell them the truth. And that includes, I've told the story, there was an Israeli military personnel, I won't get into any specifics, I gave him my word when I was talking to him, I wasn't going to tell anybody anything about him, I didn't want to get him in trouble or anything like that. But we were emailing and I really enjoyed it. Felt like I might be getting somewhere with him about Jesus being a Messiah too. But then he read something somewhere about what we believe and he said, basically, you know, I don't want anything to do with anybody who wants two thirds of Israel to die. And I said, if I told you smoking is going to kill you, does that mean I want you to die? No, it means, I love you enough to tell you the truth. I love you enough to say, don't smoke, it's gonna kill you. So with the Jews, what we're telling them is, turn to Jesus, because if you miss the rapture, you go into the tribulation, two thirds of you are gonna die. We don't like that. I don't think God likes that, really. Obviously, he's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But there is a consequence for sin and for rejecting the Messiah. He cut me off. I don't even know if you read my response, but he never did get back with me. But Micah gives judgment and hope in verse 9. He says, I will bear the indignation of the Lord Because, see, consequences. Because why? Before you were saved, you were going to hell. You know why? It wasn't your unbelief. You'll falsely be told that. Paul says Christ died for our sins. You have sinned. And the only way to be saved from your sin is to believe. Believe that gospel. And biblical belief includes repentance and faith. There's this totally false gospel that's producing the Laodicean church for the Antichrist that says, don't repent of anything. And now the fruits have been born and now we have gay Christians and all that kind of thing because no one's repenting anymore. But with that said, Micah's telling, speaking as Israel, I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him. Now, in Micah's day, the sin was they had gone into apostasy, they had perverted the ways of God, they had perverted the temple sacrifices, they had perverted temple worship, they were living in utter sin, and they were offering sacrifices. They were still going to temple, and they were still offering animals, but they weren't doing it of faith. It was just religion. It was just going to church and putting in, you know, for appearances and all that kind of thing. And then it showed in their personal life. They were fornicators and sodomites and prostitutes and witches and you name it. They were involved in everything, just like we see in America today. But Israel then rejected her Messiah and has earned God's wrath now. for 2,000 years having rejected their Messiah. But even then, the same spirit was in these apostates in Micah's day. They had rejected the picture of Messiah in those blood sacrifices because they weren't being offered by faith. So this is a prophecy with multiple fulfillment here. First of all, Assyria would come down in 707 BC. Look at Isaiah chapter 10 real quick. Isaiah 10, 5 and 6. We see it here, O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger, and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. And by the way, these are references that are related to the Antichrist. It doesn't mean it's an Assyrian ethnically, like people are trying to say it's going to be someone from where Assyria would be today, which is, I believe, in areas like Iraq, but the Syria and Assyria and Babylon all held the same territory. Abraham came out of Ur of Chaldees. Ur of Chaldees we know mostly as Babylon, but before Babylon it was part of Syria. And then after that it became a part of Assyria and then a part of Babylon. And so that's why the Bible will say, Assyrian was I, referring to the Jew. That's because that's Abraham came from that area originally. There were no Jews. Abraham was the first to be circumcised and then begin procreating and generating what became, well, then Isaac and then Jacob and then the 12 tribes. So that's all, I don't know if you're getting it, but that's very important information to log up here if you're gonna understand your Bible. And so as we're reading this, O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger and the staff in their hand is mine indignation. That happened in 707 BC, but it also pictures what the Antichrist will do. He will be a Jew, but he will be a Antichrist. So he will be the Assyrian. See how that worked? Look at verse six. I will sin him against a what? hypocritical nation and against the people of my wrath will I give him a charge to take the spoil and to take the prayer to tread them down like the mire of the streets I quoted this even though we could go to two or three other places that talk about a Syria coming down and destroying the northern kingdom because look at verse 5 what's the last word indignation the same word used by Micah There's another one. Babylon then. 586 BC. Look over at Ezekiel 22. 22. Beginning of verse 23. I'm not going to read all these verses, but this is where the passage is. And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation. There it is again. And then come down and he makes reference to their apostasy. They've hid their eyes from my Sabbaths and I am profaned among them. Verse 26, talking about the priests and all the apostasy going on. Look at verse 28. And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity and divining lies unto them. That's what most preachers are doing in churches today here in America. That's what they were doing and the priests were doing in this day. Saying, thus saith the Lord, when the Lord hath not spoken. There's this whole movement of charismatics and Pentecostals who week after week get up in churches and prophesy, and a lot of it's not even really prophecy, and it's not from God, because God, when he speaks, he prophesies. But then a lot of what they claim is prophecy, they get it wrong and they admit it. They actually have this thing now where they talk about how, hey, you know, as a prophet, if you bat 500 or so, you're doing good. I'm not kidding you. Remember that Kim Clement who's credited with prophesying about Donald Trump coming? You remember him? Some of you might remember him. And he got all kinds of terribly wrong prophecies, but he got that one where he mentioned where he said he believed Donald Trump was going to be president. Well, there were all kinds of non-Christians who were saying that. I mean, there were all kinds of people saying that, but he said it among all the other false prophecies, but he got that one right, so they tried to ordain him as some kind of great prophet. I'm not saying it was God, I don't know, but it was in a couple years he was dead. He dropped dead. Yeah, he was a prophet, P-R-O-F-I-T. Yeah, right? Have they not read where Jesus said, the long the prophets were until John? No, I don't think they have. Or where it says that if a prophet gets anything wrong, he's not a true prophet. Batting 500, what verse is that? The prophet of the Lord will bat 500. N-I-V. N-I-V. So then for sake of time, then jump down to verse 31 here in Ezekiel. 2231, read that with me. Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them. I have consumed them with the fire of my wrath. Their own way have I recompensed upon their heads, saith the Lord God. And he's talking about the Babylonian captivity. So shortly after the rapture then, did you know, I believe this is what this is referring to in Isaiah 13. Isaiah 13 beginning verse five. And it's in the here and now, Isaiah is talking about Babylon, but I believe prophetically it's mystery Babylon that John referred to a moment ago in Revelation 17, 18. They come from a far country from the end of the heaven, even the Lord and the weapons of his, what? To destroy the whole land. And what is it? What's he describing? Tell me what this sounds like to you. How ye for the day of the Lord is at hand. What do we say the day of the Lord includes? The tribulation. It shall come as a destruction from the... Therefore shall all hands be faint and every man's heart shall melt. And does this all sound familiar like the great tribulation? Read verse 8. And they shall be afraid. Pains and sorrows shall take hold of them. They shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth. They shall be amazed one at another. Their faces shall be as flames. I mean, they're just going to be... crazy with fear and everything, every emotion you can imagine. It always says, verse 9, Behold, the day of the Lord cometh cruel, both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate, and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. And this is all, we taught this in the book of Revelation. Verse 10, For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light. The sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And then verse 11, read that with me. 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. Right there, verse 11, it's not just about Israel and Babylon. He says, I will punish the world for their evil. and the wicked for their iniquity. So that's a triple header there with that prophecy. And as we repeatedly mentioned then, and I made reference to earlier, Zechariah 13.8, and it shall come to pass that in all the land, saith the Lord, two parts therein shall be cut off and die, that the third shall be left therein. Not happy about it. We're just sure about it. That's it. God said it, and that settles it, whether you believe it or not. And look, it says, until. That big word should stand out to you. Indignation is one of those words. But the until. Look in verse 9, the middle of the verse. Until he plead my cause and execute judgment for me. Think of that. Until he plead my cause. Does that bring anything to mind to anybody? Where else have we seen God say He would plead for Israel? And the reference come to mind? I'm just checking. I mean, this isn't a test. You're not going to fail it. Look over at Joel 3. We've read this in Sunday school a couple times at least. I can't remember if we've read Micah studies yet. Joel, chapter 3. Mark this in your Bibles if you haven't already. It's all about Armageddon. For behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, that's United Nations. Where? And will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, that's otherwise known as Armageddon. And will plead, look, wait a minute, what was that word there, Micah? Plead. Plead. with them there for my people." Who's that? Oh, it says right there, and for my heritage, Israel. Whom they have scattered among the nations and part of my land. That's history. And it's God's land. Doesn't belong to the Palestinian fake nation that never existed before and doesn't belong to the UN. The end result is then found in the final half of the verse there back in our text in Micah. Chapter 7 again, verse 9. Look at that. He will bring me forth to the what? And I shall behold His righteousness. That's about Israel. What's going to happen after God has poured out His wrath? They will suffer because they've sinned against Him, but when it comes down to the end, after two-thirds sadly have perished, a third remains, and what's going to happen? The light. Jesus Himself. And it says, I shall behold His righteousness. He is righteousness. And when he returns, that's what it's talking about, the second coming of Jesus right there. He will bring me forth to the light. They will look upon him whom they pierced. The Bible says when he returns, when the indignation is done at the end of the tribulation period, that's what Daniel, by the way, We've studied the 70 weeks in Daniel 9, 27. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week. That's seven years. And in the midst of the week, he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease. And that's Revelation 12. And for the overspreading of abominations, he shall make it desolate. Israel completely wiped out. All the Jews expelled out of the land. The survivors down in Petra. And down in that wilderness, even, there's that word again, until the consummation. And that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. That's just a, I believe, a summary statement about what's going to happen at the end of the tribulation when Jesus returns. Right there. Until. I want to look at one more place, Romans 25. I'm sorry, there are no Romans 25. Romans 11, 25. You're looking for a long time. Romans 11, 25 to 27, we've referred to this a number of times in Sunday School and other studies, but it's another one you ought to mark in your Bible if you haven't already. It's so important. People would say that Israel is a church and the church is now Israel. I'm like, well, the church isn't saved. If the church is Israel, the church isn't saved because this says that Israel is still yet to be saved. Makes no sense if you try to do that. Verse 25, for I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits, that blindness, what? in part has happened to Israel until, there it is again, until, that means it's not done yet. Don't tell me God's done with Israel, the church is now Israel, the Bible's clear, there's still until. until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in, read for 26 and 27 with me, and so all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, there shall come out of Zion the deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob, for this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins, if the church is unsaved and still in their sins. It makes no sense. Israel is unsaved. Israel's still rejecting Messiah. And at the end of the tribulation, Jesus is gonna return. And that's when he's gonna renew this covenant with Israel and take away their sins. Take that. And one more place is Luke. I said one last place, didn't I? That was evangelistically speaking. Luke 21. What am I looking at? I still have a few minutes left before I go over. Luke 21, 24, and they shall fall by the edge of the sword and shall be led away captive into all nations. That's happened the last 2,000 years. And Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles. Still happening today. What's the next word? Until. Until. The times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. Then verse 25 says, matching what we read just a moment ago in Joel and elsewhere, or in Isaiah, Isaiah 13, and there shall be signs in the sun and in the moon and in the stars. That's not talking about the eclipse the other day. These are things that don't normally happen. We knew the eclipse was coming. These are things, upon the earth, distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring, all going back to Isaiah 13. Here it is again, Isaiah 13, verse 26, Jesus said, men's hearts failing them for fear, And for looking after those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of heaven shall be shaken, and then, read 27 and 28 with me, and then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up and lift up your heads, for your redemption draweth nigh, amen? Israel is still under God's wrath. until, because he's not done with Israel. Now, if you don't put the little dot, dot, dot in there, that statement doesn't make a lot of sense, but after learning what you learned tonight, that statement makes sense. Israel is under God's wrath until, because he's not done with Israel. Amen. All right, John, you can get the last word in before we pray. So with all the Jews being kicked out of the promised land again, and then they left for Petra, so when Christ reveals Himself to them, He'll be revealing them in Petra. No, I believe, because the Bible talks about how He's going to basically bring them from Petra back to Israel, back to Jerusalem. They're going to see Him on the Mount of Olives. See? They're going to see Him coming. Every eye shall see Him. I believe Jesus is going to make at least one trip. I think He made maybe numerous trips around the globe. And they're going to see Him, and they're all going to head back to Jerusalem. Somehow, they're going to make flight, the Bible says. And maybe it's angels. Because the Bible talks about the angels gathering the elect when Jesus returns. So they gather, elect Israel, and take them to Jerusalem. Can you imagine that? The surviving Jews in Petra are gonna get a hitch. Their Lyft or their Uber is gonna be an angel. The Bible says, he rideth upon cherubs. And man, could you imagine what that's gonna be like? And we're on our white horses, so don't get jealous. We're on our white horses flying around. Angels are picking up the Jews in Petra and bringing them back to Jerusalem. And when they get back there, they see Jesus on the Mount of Olives and they look upon him whom they pierced. Is that not amazing? Amen. Amen. All right. Let's close in prayer. Father, we thank you, Lord, for this time in your word. Thank you for such an exciting book, because we know it's true. It's not fiction. It's not fairy tales. So many thousands of prophecies have already been fulfilled. So many amazing things have already happened. And the best is yet to come. Thank you, Lord, for telling us all about this, but more than anything, for saving us so that it matters so much. We are going to be a part of that. cloud of people in the sky with Jesus. When the whole world looks upon Him, the whole world says, we'll see every eye. We'll see Him as we return with Him. And all these things described in this book, we're going to see. We can't wait. Lord, come quickly in Jesus' name. Amen.