Time No More

Transcript

I'd like to begin this afternoon by giving you a parable.  Now this is a more of a modern parable that has a very specific lesson to it.  And, you'll probably figure it out pretty quickly.  You've probably heard one of these before.  I think it has a pretty specific point to make here this afternoon as I begin.

Says, what if you had a bank, for what Mr. McNeely said it probably won't happen at Big Sandy Bank, but what if you had a bank that credited to your account 86,400 dollars every day?  Every day that just magically appeared in your account.  But it did not carry a balance over from day to day.  You would not be allowed to keep cash in your account and every evening your account was zeroed out.  You would spend every bit of it every day if that happened. And, somebody said at midnight tonight one minute afterwards there would be 86,400 dollars in your account and at midnight or 11:59 the next night it'll go away.  And then at 12:01 they'll be another 86,400 dollars.

Well, you'd, but then you'd have to spend it all in that day.  You can't carry it over.  Well, I think you'd strive to spend every single penny you possibly could.  You wouldn't leave a single penny to be lost because at the end of the day, it'll zero out.  Each of us, if you think about it and this is the parable, has just such a bank and it's called, time.  

Each one of us has just such a bank and it's called time.  Every morning or at the beginning day it credits you with 86,400 seconds and every night it cancels or it you know you start over again.  Another day it all goes away.  And each day a new account begins with 86,400 seconds and as I said each night it burns the records of the day before.  

So, if you fail to use the day's deposits, the loss is really yours.  There's no going back.  There's no drawing against tomorrow, like to have some extra seconds as opposed to tomorrow.  We can only live in the present and we can only live on today's time.  We cannot gain time; the idea of gaining time is simply impossible.  You really can't gain time.  You really can't harbor time, save it up for something later on.  

And, I was told a number of years ago and I'll always remember this that and again it's just a simple principle: that anything that we feel is important we will find the time to do it.  For example:  if someone invites you to you know what you could name the occasion whatever it might be and you say, "Well, I'm sorry I really don't have the time."  Well, that really isn't true.  You have the time, but you have something else you have deemed and maybe appropriately, more important.  

Cause we all have the same amount of time.  But time is something that we can use wisely or we can use it, you know, we can as some would say flitter it away.  Well, most people live life today as though it'll never end, as though it'll never end.  

I was thinking coming over here, of course, the last time I believe I spoke here, you know, Mr. Neff was here, Mr. Wynebrenner was here.  And since that time, both of them have died.  After I came over for Mr. Neff's funeral and I flew the next day, I believe it was the next day, I lost track of time, up to Indiana.  Another friend of ours, someone we've known for many many years, Ray Wooten had died.  So, I was actually up for his funeral and then back again and then had another trip out of town at that point.  

But, we seem to live life as though it will never end.  But, we know, it isn't that we don't know this, that it will end.  Like to begin in Revelation, chapter 10 here this afternoon.  I want to actually speak about prophecy today.  About some specifics of prophecy that sometimes get gets lost in the whole gambit that's out there about prophecy or things that people say about Bible Prophecy.  

Revelation, chapter 10 is an interesting little section here, the title at the top, at least in the New King James says, "The Mighty Angel with The Little Book."  And it tells this you know if you can imagine a picture. And Revelation is so graphic; it is intended for you to get a mental picture of certain things.  And that mental picture then relates to events that are going to happen in in world affairs.

We know that, we believe that.  But notice verse 1:  I mean if you can just picture this in your mind.  Rev 10:1 "I saw still another mighty angel come down from heaven clothed with a cloud. And a rainbow was on his head, his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire. 2 (And) He had a little book open in his hand. And he set his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 

So you know I sort of get this picture and you've probably seen some of these old movies or old cartoons of you know you've got like "Hercules" or something of that nature standing with one foot or this great giant standing with one foot on the land and one foot in the sea.  

So, here's this mighty angel, this picture.  And, he says, verse 3 Rev 10:3 "and cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. When he cried out, seven thunders uttered their voices. 4 Now when the seven thunders uttered their voices, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, "Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and do not write them." 5 The angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised up his hand to heaven 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things that are in it, the earth and the things that are in it, and the sea and the things that are in it," and here's the phrase, now in the New King James, it says, "that there should be delay no longer,' and yet in the King James it says, "there should be time no longer,"  

There is coming a point in time in the history of the world where God is going to declare and here this angel is making this declaration, that it is over.  Time will, as again in this human experience, come to an end.  Time, there will be time no longer.  And then continuing in the King James: Rev 10: 7 "But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets."  Prophecy is often viewed as sort of this mishmash of you know here a little, there a little, these events, those events terrible things, the Kingdom of God, something yet to come.  But it's always something that's sort of out there.  And yet, this angel declares that there's coming a day when it will be declared it is now done.  All the prophecies have been fulfilled.  It is now time no more.  

It's an event or a series of events that lead to the conclusion or the fulfillment, we should say, of God's plan; the great mystery that God has worked out on this earth.  Beginning all the way back to the time of the garden of Eden and coming all the way forward to the time when Jesus Christ returns to this earth.  And the prophecies that talk about all of the various pieces of that puzzle you might say, that lead to, you know everything leads to a conclusion.  Everything leads to the point in time where God's plan, this great mystery is finished and it's all done.  

Now, that's a remarkable statement and a remarkable moment.  That phrase, "when there will be time no longer."  Consider the modern efforts and ideas about prophecy.  In a lot of ways September the 11th changed a lot of a lot of people's ideas.  Changed a lot of opinions about prophecy.  There are many writers today that try to weave September the 11th into their prophecies.  True or false or whatever, they want to weave that in; it's a major event that occurred.  Of course there have been many major evens that have occurred over the certainly the last 2,000 years since Jesus Christ walked this earth.

But I remember after September the 11th, it was so unusual and I you know you can tell where you were and I can tell where I was.  You know we were sitting in Florida, we'd flown down for a Labor Day the day before and we had a young lady that I'd known since she was born, virtually, and she wanted me to come and baptize her.  And, so we baptized her on Labor Day. We were there for the Sabbath and we were to fly back, actually had a ticket for the morning of September the 11th out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  

And, we sat and watch the TV and, of course, watched what happened as all of you did.  Needless to say, our flight was cancelled, there was no flights anywhere that day and for several days and we ended up renting a car to drive to back to Houston at that time since we weren't going to get a flight.  

But we you remember that.  It changed a lot of things. It changed a lot of things.  I actually had calls from people after September the 11th.  People that I hadn't seen or heard from in many years who'd been in the church and who said, well is this it?  Is this the beginning of the end?  Do you know what this means?  What does this mean in prophecy?  

And, I said, "Well, I don't I actually don't know what it means in prophecy.  Say, well it has to mean something that's such a huge event.  And I say, well, what do you know about prophecy, what do you think about prophecy?  What does prophecy mean to you?  Is prophecy for the purpose of declaring the day Christ will return so you can somehow be ready for that? 

Or does prophecy serve an entirely different purpose in scripture?  And do we sometimes get sort of pulled into all of these ideas and things that are thrown around and we get you know nervous or we get upset or we get worried or we maybe who knows what people may experience.  Is that what prophecy is about?  Or was this a horrific event that fits into prophecy in the bigger scheme of things?  But you know to try to find from Nostradamus or some remote scripture in Isaiah that says oh, there it is.  You know this idea of a sycamore tree, there was a sycamore tree there.  Now that's judgment upon God's people.  Well, where is that?  And, how does that fit into prophecy. What does that really mean?  

I also remember it wasn't long after 9-11 that I was watching a well-known politician.  And he was telling, which he was correct, he was giving a litany of all the trouble spots in the world and this goes back about ten years ago.  And, he made a statement that actually caught the press off guard and it was actually circulated very widely and I listened to him and I said, "Did he really say that?"  His comment was, "World War Three has already begun."  He made that announcement.  And again he based that on a litany of all the things that were going that were occurring in the world. That was ten years ago!  

And I was just shocked to hear him say that.  He put it in terms of the of Bible prophecy; a well-known politician and he announced that the World War Three had begun.  And it was going to lead to this great catastrophe and lead to Armageddon.  Now he didn't give a date but he was talking within a fairly short period of time this would lead to Armageddon.  Again, he used the Biblical term.  That was ten years ago.

Turn with me to Zachariah, chapter 12.  Consider the events in the Middle East.  We watch the Middle East, it's hard not to watch it actually.  You would have to be hiding somewhere not to hear about the Middle East.  Whether it's on your national newscast or some cable news, you're going to hear about the Middle East.  

You are going to hear what Netanyahu thinks of this.  You're going to see him speaking to you know the Knesset. You're going to see for a very small country in the middle of a very troubled part of the world, the world does pay special attention to what's said it happens in that part of the world.  It's simply a fact.  

Zachariah 12, verse 2.  We have a fairly clear prophecy in the book of Zachariah. Says, Zac 12:2-4 "Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. 3 And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it." (Verse 4) 4 "In that day," says the Lord, "I will strike every horse with confusion, and its rider with madness; I will open My eyes on the house of Judah, and will strike every horse of the peoples with blindness."  

So you have Jerusalem, old city, if you've every been there, it's you know the old city of Jerusalem very small, you can walk around it but this very small city you walk within a few a paces almost to the different sections.  Divided you know the Arab quarter, the Jewish quarter, the Armenian quarter and you know the Christian quarter I guess is what it is.  And you can walk and walk through there.  

We actually when we walked through there we were in the Arab quarter and along came some Jewish boys and they you know you recognize they were dressed as the orthodox Jews would be dressed and they were locking arms and they were rushing with their heads down through the Arab quarter. Because they didn't want to make eye contact with anyone, they didn't want to create a disturbance because they were just walking through the Arab quarter.  And, the tension is there.  And they live with it every single day. 

Now, I've not been in every city in the world but for a city that small to experience that, there is something there that is much greater than anyone has seen or does see anywhere.  There is no question that it is the center.  You know it's ground zero for the fulfillment of prophecy in the end time.  And, it's you know, of course, it's it is what it is today and obviously we see what will happen in the future.

But today, you know taking all that that I've just said, we live in a world of extreme skepticism.  There have been so many doom-sayers that have set dates that no one listens any more.  Well, you know it's just another lunatic.  And many of them are lunatics who come on the scene make a prediction, write themselves into a prophecy, pull an obscure verse out of you know whether it's Isaiah or Zachariah or wherever and all the other prophecies sort of get lost.  

And it's sort of the genre today of writing prophetic books of taking a verse and making a prophecy out of that verse and virtually ignoring everything else and fit all of the puzzle pieces of the world history into your little verse and explaining that verse in the eyes of fulfilled prophecy.  

Now, I'm not obviously discounting that every verse is significant and important and I don't have an issue with that but to write yourself into the prophecy. To begin to set certain dates the things are going to happen and predict them to occur. Is that what God wants us to do with prophecy?  

How should we as God's people react to all of this?  What should we be thinking?  What should we be doing? And, what is God's intent with prophecy?  What does He want us to gain from it?  Really the title of my sermon today is "Time No More.  Time No More."  If you want a subtitle, it is: "What Does Prophecy Mean to Us?"  What does it mean?  What is the purpose in prophecy?  

In 1994 Christianity Today ran an article on Harold Camping now I actually believe he's deceased now.  But he made a couple of very startling predictions.  Had thousands of people actually respond to him. I mean here was this individual who made a very specific prediction. And thousands of people, he had a good enough money that he invested in billboards all over the country a predicting a specific date for Christ's return.

His first one was in 1994 then he later on came up with another one. 

 Says this is the article in Christianity Today   "September 1994 came and went. “Apparently it was incorrect," end-times forecaster Harold Camping told Christianity Today by September the 28th, referring to his prediction that the world would end on the previous day. Two years ago Camping predicted that Christ would return in judgment between September the15th" He predicted this in 1994 uh 92 between- which was again in the wake of 9-11, I'm sorry previous to 9-11 by a whole decade but even before that he predicted in 1992 that September the 15th and 27th were the dates that the end would come in 1994.  He also published his claims in a book titled: 1994.  

Reminds me of a, I don't know if any of you saw this book a number of years ago, 88 Reasons Why Christ Must Come In 1988.  The next year he wrote another book entitled, guess what?  89 Reasons Why Christ Must Come in 1989!  And you know what his 89th reason was?  Because He didn't come in 1988.  So, he got another book out of it.  And so again, it's you know this cycle that goes on and on.  

But, Camping produced more than 80,000 copies of his two books or sold 80,000 copies.  He had thousands of devoted radio listeners who heeded his warnings to some extent.  Others made similar predictions in the year 2000.  One of the most successful series ever produced in religious books was the series, Left Behind or Left Behind series by Lahaye.  And it escapes me, the name of the other author. But Lahaye was one of the authors, Tim Lahaye.  

It drew so much attention but after a short while it sort of became lost.  2000 came, 2000 didn't bring about the end of the world or all of the things that were being predicted.  Then, of course, September the 11th became the next focus.  

Here's a quote I want to read to you and see if you maybe haven't heard this quote before but maybe you have, says, "The earth is degenerating today. Bribery and corruption abound, children no longer obey their parents, every man wants to write a book and it is evident that the end of the world is fast approaching."  Supposedly that appeared in an Assyrian tablet in 2800 B.C. 

So, Again, it's this idea that the end is coming isn't new.  And of course, that's fair enough because it shouldn't be new because the Bible certainly has talked about this for, you know, a long long time.  But, you may prefer Charles Schultz, the creator of the Peanuts comic strip, his statement about the end of the world says, "Don’t worry about the world coming to and end today, it's already tomorrow in Australia."  So, you know that's a little different approach to the whole subject.

But, as I said, we've had a somewhat of an awakening, I think,  in the church and that's fair enough and, I think, that's a good thing in prophecy.  But where is it taking us?  What is it going to provide?  

Alvin Toffler, who is the author of a Future Shock speaks about the changes that have taken place in communications and transportation.  My point here is that we truly do live in a world that to deny that it's very different today than the world has ever been, when it comes to human civilization, is to deny reality.  I mean whatever field you want to look at there's nothing to compare to today.  

And Alvin Toffler says this, talking about communication and transportation, "If you were to take a picture of society right after the Civil War, just over 100 years ago, you would see a world which had changed little in communication and transportation in almost 6,000 years.  Horses, buggies are the mode of transportation", this is right after the Civil War, "and letters are the primary source of communication. But look where we are in just over 100 years.  How that has changed."  

So, you know, again.  All of that is as I said is to talk about prophecy.  What is the purpose in prophecy?  What do we know about prophecy?  I think we would all agree that at one time in the history of the church, we felt we understood a lot of things about prophecy that maybe today we would say well, maybe we don't understand as much as we thought.  But what should we think today about prophecy?  As I said, the title of this sermon is: "Time No Longer.  

This day is coming. But because it seems to have been given so many false ideas so many unreal predictions that that obviously never occurred, we kind of let it slip under the radar screen.  We sort of put prophecy aside; it's confusing you know I just need to live a good life, I don't need to worry about prophecy.  And, is that really true?  

Shouldn't we know or shouldn't we be familiar with prophecy and what the Bible says the future holds?  But what does it say?  Where does prophecy fit in your life?  And what impact does it have on you?  

Let's go to Daniel, chapter 7,  Daniel the 7th chapter. In Daniel chapter 7 again I I'm not going through this entire prophecy but I want to talk about a section that has relevance for us not that all of it doesn't have relevance for us but you know the story of the vision of the four beasts and the world-ruling empires and the predictions that are here and all of those things that have been unfolded and then, of course, we come to the last of the four beasts and the terrible beast and the you know you've got the ten horns and the little horn and so on.  But look at verse 21 of Daniel chapter 7

Says, Dan 7:21 "I was watching; and the same horn (that's this little horn) was making war against the saints I mean this is a shocking statement in some ways when you, let's take our paradigm today as Christians and how we see us and what God does for us and you know sometimes we sort of fall in that category, -well, I'm a Christian, I'm doing my best to obey God, everything should be good.  Everything should be great; you know doesn’t God bless those who obey Him?  I'm obeying Him, I'm keeping His Sabbath, and I keep the holy days.  Shouldn't my life virtually be perfect?  Sort of a little bubble that nothing ever goes wrong?  

Well, look at what it says here: this may surprise you- it says that this little Dan 7:21
" …horn (is) was making war against the saints and prevailing against them."  Read the story of God's people and tell me if there isn't a real being out there you know there isn't actually this little horn motivated and driven by Satan who wants to destroy the people of God.  And amazingly you know you sort of keep in mind the story of Job where God allows this being working through in this case this little horn to prevail against the people of God.  Prevail against the people of God.  

Why would God allow that?  What's going on here?  And then it says, verse 22 which puts it in our time frame.  This is going to continue Dan 7:22 "until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High, and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom."  So from the whatever time you want to mark, go back to the very beginning of the church all the way up until Christ returns and brings the kingdom of God to this earth there are going to be times when this powerful being will prevail against the people of God.  He will have success against the people of God.  The people of God will suffer wrong and suffer wrongfully.  

They don't obviously, it's not that someone deserves it but those things are going to happen.  But, then going on in verse twenty, verse 23 Dan 7:23 “Thus he says: 'The fourth beast shall be A fourth kingdom on earth, Which shall be different from all other kingdoms, (And) shall devour the whole earth, Trample it (in Trample it )and break it in pieces. 24 The ten horns are ten kings Who shall arise from this kingdom. And another shall rise after them; (and) He shall be different from the first ones, And shall subdue three kings." 

So this one horn you know there are ten horns, one horn comes up, subdues three and these are the seven we would talk about the seven resurrections of the holy Roman Empire, this beast power we're going to see at the end time.  And this religious oversight that's going to occur, this union that occurs between this religious leader and, of course, these physical leaders as well, these kings that we're told.

And he says, Dan 7:25  "He shall speak pompous words against the Most High," claim to be something that obviously he isn't and again, says pompous words but notice the next part of that verse.  Now in the New King James it says"Shall persecute the saints of the Most High,” If you look in the margin in the New King James Bible and of course the King James says this, "Shall wear out the saints." Shall wear out the saints of the Most High.'   

Now that word alone implies a lot, wear out the people of God.  But if you study that particular word, it's actually one of the unusual words; it's the part of Daniel that was written in Aramaic.  And so it's an unusual word in Aramaic and it's actually this is the only place in scripture that it's used.  And when a word is only used once in scripture, it's hard to really know what does it mean?  You don't have a comparison but you find this word in Aramaic and it actually means a mental wearing out not physical but mental.  It's actually emotionally and mentally wearing people out or wearing people down.  I think we understand that. 
Even find the apostle Paul uses a similar word in Greek, it's not the same word but a similar reference in Timothy where he talks about the stress of the end time, the stress.  We understand stress.  We understand how that can be used to destroy us. Wear us out!  

So here you have in in the middle of a prophecy, an amazing statement that God's people are going to suffer.  Doesn't mean you've done anything wrong but things aren't always going to go right, you're not always going to get the job even though you may have prayed for it.  That things are and will go wrong at times in your life.  And you will, there will be you know, I've said it this way that none of us, do I believe, none of us are going to escape this world without some tragedy in our lives.  It's just going to happen.  It's part of this human experience and then you add Satan into the mix, things are not always going to go as you would like or as you feel best for you and your family.

And we should never discount the fact that there is this active being, Satan, and that there is fulfillment of prophecy and things are going to happen.  This is Satan's world, it's not God's world today but it's going to lead to; there is a prophecy about that coming world.  But we find prophetically that the people of God are going to experience these things.  

So, what do we take from that and then what is the prophecy do for us?  What does prophecy do for us?  Daniel, chapter 11 is one of the longest prophecies; in fact it is the longest prophecy in the Bible.  Our view of Daniel 11 is that it is a progressive story leading up to and verse 40 it talks about at the end of time.  The end of time or the end time; it says in verse 40 the time of the end in the New King James. 

But back up just a few verses and you find again the story of God's people over the years and I I'm bringing these out to say that we should not expect today, as we approach the very end of the age, that things will be necessarily any different than they've been in the past for the people of God.  But notice verse 33 Dan 11:33 "And those of the people who understand shall instruct many; yet for many days they shall fall by sword and flame, by captivity and plundering."  Now this goes back to probably shortly after the first century and some of the things that occurred at that time.  

But verse 34 "Now when they fall, they shall be aided with a little help; but many shall join with them by intrigue." Or flattery and verse 35 " And some of those of understanding shall fall," Now, so here we have a prediction that there will be people of God who were who from all appearances really got the message, really knew what it was and what it was all about and who will fall or fail.  Why?  "To refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time."  

The things that happen to us in this life even when some others may fall away, and again those I assume most in this room probably have roots back to the World Wide Church of God, and days when there were hundreds and thousands of people. That people there would be people who had understanding who will fall away but everything is for a particular purpose. Not again, that they were forced to fall away but that falling away actually should do what?  Should refine, it should purify, it should make us closer to God because we see beyond all of this and we see that there's an appointed time when as the angel said, there'll be time no more.  It will come about and a complete and total confidence in that.

So you begin to get a glimpse as to what prophecy really should do for us.  Prophecy, understanding prophecy, seeing things as they are fulfilled, grasping them isn't for you to save your life here and now.  God doesn't reveal prophecy or have prophecy in the Bible so that we can some how know exactly when something's going to happen and we can fill our cellars with enough food and who knows whatever else that we will save our physical lives.  

The point of prophecy is to save you spiritually.  Is to have you in the kingdom of God.  To have you as a child in God's kingdom, a son or a daughter who is brought to glory.  That's God's purpose.  That's where everything must go.  

You know there is a verse that says, if you seek to save your life, every time I see some one of these shows you know where everybody's got oh, well, you know well it's going to get really bad and there's going to be a shortage of food and so I've got all this stuff hidden away and I've got you know maybe bombs hidden away on my property to keep people away and we're all out away from everybody; we're going to do all these things. 

I think well you have if you've ever read the scripture in Mark that says, you know he who seeks to save his life, will lose it. But he who loses his life for my sake  (Mark 8:35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it). These saints that are, that Satan prevails over will gain eternal life.  

If our goal isn't really eternal life, if that really isn't what we see, then there's something wrong with our vision, we've missed something.  The value of this human existence, this human life, is only significant if it translates into eternal life.  That's when it becomes significant.

But, the church has struggled over the years.  But it's not new, look at First Corinthians 11.  First Corinthians 11, verse 46.  The apostle Paul corrects, very fairly sternly the Corinthian church for a variety of things and notice what one of them is.  First Corinthians, chapter 11, oh, that's not the verse, First Corinthians 11, the verse says this:  I'll quote it to you. 

I actually wrote it down wrong, I'll quote to you the verse, the verse actually says that everyone has a prophecy, Everyone has you know his own hymn, everyone has his own you know you name it, he has that.  And Paul talked about that confusion that that caused when everyone has his own personal prophecy. His own personal idea of what's going to happen.   (1Cor 14:26 How is it then, brethren? Whenever you come together, each of you has a psalm, has a teaching, has a tongue, has a revelation, and has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.)    

There's a website that's going, if you ever get a chance to check it out sometime, it's a site, that's, it's called "Armegedeon Books."  And, in on under this particular website they have a thousand books on prophecy.  A thousand books on prophecy, that's all they do is sell books on prophecy.  They have over a hundred that have come out just since the first of this year.  And it's just a continual writing of books on prophecy.  

Here are a couple of the titles:  The Mark of Evil about the mark of the beast, Tim Lahaye.  The Coming Global Islamic Invasion, the story of Ezekiel 38 and 39, A Coming Of The End, A Quick Look At The Rapture, Beast Tech-The Mark Of The Beast And Technology, The Key To The Middle East, Anti-Christ Before The Day of The Lord, The Truth About The Harbinger.

 Harbinger was a book written a few years ago by an individual who had been a Jewish Rabbi, he's no longer a Rabbi now, he strictly an evangelical protestant.  He has a Sunday church and all of those things, but he wrote this book called The Harbinger. And he equates that with 9/11 is the Harbinger. There was a sycamore tree, which it was there really wasn't a sycamore tree, but supposedly there was and he uses this obscure verse in Isaiah to say well, that was judgment upon the people of God, the Nation of Israel, which he rightly claims, to be the United States.  And, in September of 2015 there will be a total collapse, that's 14 years after 9/11.  So, he's got all these prophecies laid out.  

Well, there're some things that are correct there.  It's absolutely correct that there will be punishment coming for our sins.   I mean that's absolutely correct.  And, our nation has slipped into sinful a behavior more and more as time goes on.  So, those things are all correct. But again, there are a lot of other aspects to it as well, but that's one of the books. 

And so now someone has written a book, says The Truth About The  Harbinger. So, here's The Harbinger and so now somebody else is writing a critique about it, and says well here’s the truth about it.  And we'll probably have somebody else write a book and say you want to know the truth about The Truth About The Harbinger.  And, you know it's a constant turning over of books about prophecy.  

Another one is entitled: Preparing America For The Wrath of God, Four Blood Moons by John Hagee.  John Hagee is a fella out of San Antonio.  He's been very, very successful with building his church.  The Four Blood Moons, you know claiming well, that there are only three times in the last however many years that this has happened and he kind of equates it with the redness of the moon.  And it's described as the moon becoming like blood in Revelation.  I mean it it's not true.  It's interesting, it may stimulate someone and maybe that's okay but where does it fit in prophecy?  What does it do for you?  What does God want these scriptures to do for you and for me?  

Another one's called Damascus Countdown.  Another one: Unveiling The End Times.  Another one: The Zenith 2016.  So, you're always going to find individuals who'll try to set certain dates.

But yet we ignore so many scripture about prophecy, I don't mean you and me but I mean the world, those that get so caught up in these prophetic books, ignore what scripture really says.  Let's go to Matthew 24.  

The one thing that everybody seems in writing prophecy books wants to be able to predict the date for the end. You know whatever they term that to be, the return of Christ, the battle of Armageddon, or whatever their terminology whatever their theology wants them to declare, they want to pin a date on it.

And so they try to do that but yet they completely ignore and I won't read all of theses scriptures, there are about a dozen scriptures that clearly point out that you cannot know the day nor the hour.  So, what does everybody want to know? The day and the hour.

You know why waste out time and again, I'm speaking sort of rhetorically why waste our time on something that the Bible says you cannot know.  It's kind of counter-productive.  So if prophecy isn't to tell us the day Christ returns, what's it for?  What should it do for you?  What does it, how does it affect your life?  

Matthew 24, again, three very quick verses here, verse 36.  Part of the answer and we're going to find right here in Matthew 24, verse, verse 36.  Mat24:36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only." that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only. And some will say well, you know that it just says that they didn't know at that time.  

So, maybe you know here we are almost 2,000 years later maybe it isn't speaking to us.  Do we think that Christ wasn't speaking to us when He gives this you know Olivet prophecy message? Well, again He is speaking to us.  But He says of that day and hour there's something, there's a problem.  There's a problem we fixate on a date and a time.  That becomes a problem.  Verse 42:  Mat 24:42 "Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." 

Well now wait a minute if this isn't for the end time, why should those people be watching?  I mean that can came and went, that period of time.  The only people that watching would be relevant for are those that are living when Jesus Christ returns.  Other wise you know yes, you should be watching all through time, but the relevancy of it is really at the very end.  You want to be watching.  But He says be careful, "watch therefore for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming." 

And then verse 44 "Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." So you have these prophecies that clearly declare that Christ or the coming of Christ is something that we should not, well I would say if we can't know it, then therefore we should not fixate upon identifying the exact day.  Because if do, we're going to miss the really important thing about prophecy.  And that's also found here in Matthew 24.  

The apostle Paul told Timothy in 2nd Timothy 2 that we should be diligent. We should study God's word so that we prove ourselves to be a good servant, you know a good worker.  And, he says at the end of that verse in verse 15, rightly dividing the word of truth.  (2Tim 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.) 

Now if he says rightly dividing the word of truth, I think it isn't a huge leap to say that the tendency for a lot of people is going to be to improperly divide the word of truth.  To take scripture to try to fit in a puzzle or a model that really either isn't correct or leads us in a different direction.  

Now I would turn to another scripture, Deuteronomy, chapter 13 and I want to put this in before I go and then I want to give you several points or purposes for prophecy that sometimes get lost and I'm not at all discouraging you know even reading and looking at some of this material.  I think some of it's very interesting.  We'll see you know the different ideas about how things may happen. 

 I don't have an issue or a problem with that. But, if it distracts us from what's really important and what God is really telling us in prophecy, then I think it is a problem.  And, I believe we need to make sure that doesn't happen to us.

But Deuteronomy chapter 13, it says,  Duet 13:1-3 "If there arises among you a prophet or a dreamer of dreams, and he gives you a sign or a wonder, 2 and the sign or the wonder comes to pass, of which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods'--which you have not known--'and let us serve them,' 3 you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."  If this idea of prophecy or these prophets even if what they say comes true but if it distracts you takes you away from what's really important, then there's a problem.  In this case, it says if they don't teach you to keep God's law, then why should you pat attention to them?  He said, don't even listen to them.

I had an individual recently who said, wow what to do you think of the book the Harbinger? Isn't that is that a great book?  And all these little details and all these things that he points out that may or may not be true?  And maybe it'll happen.  I said, well, it's very interesting but you know at the end of the day, he teaches that we observe Sunday; he teaches that we he doesn't teach you know the keeping of the holy days. He doesn't teach you know he teaches everything else that evangelical Protestantism teaches.  Is that where we should be listening?  

Now again, I have no problem, I read some of the Tim Lahaye series and you know it's interesting, it brings out some interesting ideas and thoughts.  I don't have an issue with that.  But if it distracts us, if it takes us into a different direction, as far as what prophecy was intended, to do, then shame on us.  Because it only becomes clutter and takes us away from what's really important.  

In Isaiah chapter 46, in Isaiah, chapter 46 we find what I think is really one of the more significant things that we must remember when it comes to prophecy.  Isaiah, chapter 46, in verse 9 says, Is 46:9-10 "Remember the former things of old, For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, 10 Declaring the end from the beginning, (the end from the beginning) And from ancient times things that are not yet done, Saying, 'My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure,"   

At the end of the day prophecy will be fulfilled.  God will do what He said He would do whether it works out in detail as we think it might or as I think it might or you think it might, isn't even relevant in the end of days.  When the angel declares, "It is done, time is over", then it'll be very clear all these little details where they fit.  God has given us, I believe, a fairly good summary of prophetic events.  And, maybe that's all we need.

Maybe these little stories of intricate stories of how you know this happened and this is what it meant and you know September the 11th, really meant this.  Well, is that again, significant for who we are today?  And, does that really play a part?  Why did God give us prophecy?  

I'd like to give you four reasons for prophecy.  And none of them is so that we will know the day that Christ will return; four reasons for prophecy.  Number one:  Prophecy is for inspiration.  To be absolutely confident and inspired by the fact that God will take care of us in the end of days. That God will see to it that those who remain faithful will be a part of His kingdom.  That should inspire us.  Prophecy tells us, prophecy is a story of all the bad times that are coming but there is the good conclusion.  There's the good conclusion.  Prophecy's important and prophecy should inspire us.  

Secondarily: Prophecy should encourage us that God hasn't deserted us, that the story will be fulfilled.  

Thirdly: We should all understand that prophecy points us to Christ.  True understanding of prophecy points us to Christ.  Not off on some pathway that you know leads in a convoluted way and you got to get you know this conspiracy theory and that conspiracy theory and all of these things you weave them together and somehow that that creates this hole over here.  Well, where is Christ in all of that?  And why isn't He central to our lives?  Why isn't living like Him more important than having all these conspiracy theories and all these things figured out?  Is that what prophecy was for?    Well, no prophecy is to point us to Christ.  Christ is central to all of the prophecies.  

And, of course, number 4: Prophecy is to prepare us when used properly and used correctly.  Not to prepare us to save our lives but to prepare us so we stay faithful.  So that we don't become weary and begin become worn out.  Prophecy gives us hope for the future.  Prophecy tells us yes, there's a dark day coming but there's a beautiful day beyond that.  Prophecy tells us where we will be and where we'll end up.  And, prophecy therefore is extremely significant, extremely significant.  

Let's go to Matthew 24 and I want to end by going through the Olivet Prophecy and touch on some key points because I think this, if you understand Matthew 24 and 25 properly, and you get the real message that Christ is giving, He's not trying to tell you to you know work all these little details out so that you'll know exactly when Christ is coming, but He there's a very different message in Matthew 24 and Matthew 25.  I I've described it in the New Testament or the gospels that you have the ministry of Jesus Christ.  

It begins with this long treatise and again, I'm talking about what's recorded.  It begins with this long treatise that we refer to as the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, 6, and 7.  And there are those that say that section of scripture is really the model of the new covenant relationship with God.  It describes it.  It's no longer just whether you as it was pointed out in the sermonette where you just love you neighbor; it's now you have to do more than that.  So, Matthew 5, 6, and 7 describes the depth of that new covenant relationship so that's one bookend to Christ's ministry.  

The last bookend, it's as though He begins with this long treatise and He ends with a long treatise, which is the Olivet Prophecy, which consumes Matthew 24 and Matthew 25.  So, if Christ is telling us to get your life in order, this is the new covenant relationship, Matthew 5, 6, and 7.  

What is He telling us in Matthew 24 and 25?  What does He leave the disciples with?  What is the message that we find written here?  Matthew 24 and 25, two chapters contain 97 verses; 52 of these 97 verses deal with one central fact: that you cannot know exactly when Christ will return.  In one way or another 52 verses of these 97 deal with that.  So, how can we, as God's people today, read this prophecy and not come away with the fact, you know He's telling me, that I need to be ready all the time.  I need to be ready every single day for the return of Christ.  It is a fallacious idea that I can somehow know when that day will occur and I'll kind of you know get my courage up and I'll be ready when He comes.  

That is a terrible way to look at the Christian life.  The way we look at the Christian life is I get up this morning, I have so much time; am I going invest it in becoming a better person today than I was yesterday?  If you don’t get on your knees and then I speak to myself as well, every single day, and pray that God will help you be better person today than you were yesterday.  You're missing the real idea, the real central idea of Christianity.  

And that is we must be about using that time to improve who we are with the help of God every single day.  And you might say just this time; you get a fresh start every day and an opportunity to do that.  That's the clear message of Matthew 24 and 25 and Matthew 25; 52 verses deal with that.  

Let's begin in verse 1 of Matthew 24 and I'm going to lay out an outline for you, I'm not going to read through this; you can read through the prophecy yourself.  But compare what we read or look at what we read here.  Matthew 24, verses 1 through 3 is the introduction; this is the setting for the discussion that will follow.  This is a private discussion about the future.  How they came to Him privately; it's a private discussion. 

If you go back to Matthew 5, 6, and 7 you find same thing.  Matthew 5 begins with a private discussion between Christ and the disciples.  Now when He's finished, it says there are crowds around.  

If you've ever visited what they think is the Mount of Beatitudes, in Galilee in in Israel, you'll see that you know it makes a lot of sense that one could be on the side of that hill and the Sea of Galilee in the background. And it's kind of a concave area there today where they think it occurred where you could easily see crowds gathering in that area.  And as He speaks out to them with the water behind; how easy it would have been to project your voice and for people to hear you. And so, He's teaching His disciples and others come.  

I've always found it remarkable that in Matthew 5 it says He sat down.  It's kind of the opposite of the way we think today but at the time of Christ, when the Rabbi or the teacher sat down, that signified a formal teaching situation.  But when He stood up, and walked around, that was informal.  And we see that Christ did both.  There were times He sat down and they became you know they sat and listened.  There are times He walked around and He pointed things out and gave them a story.  

You know we almost do the opposite today.  We stand up for a formal teaching and we'll sit down for more informal.  That again, that's a part of the culture of that day.  And of course, Christ sat down and gave that and He seated on the Mount of Olives.  

Notice verse 3 of chapter 24, Mat 24:3 "Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives," so we have Matthew 5 He sits down and teaches, formal teaching and Matthew 24, these are the two bookends you might say of the ministry of Jesus Christ as recorded in the gospels.  

And so, here He sits down and He begins teaching and this is something significant, this isn't you know not that anything Christ said was insignificant, obviously that's not true but here He's sitting down and He wants them to get this point.  What is the point of this prophecy?  

So, verses 1-3 is the setting; the first thing He says is in verse 4 Mat 24:4 (And)"Jesus answered and said to them:" at the first thing after the question, He says, ''Take heed that no one deceives you' " so here's we begin to see the central message.  Be ready every day for the return of Christ and don't fall away.  Don't let anything turn you away from what's important.  The central theme of prophecy is don’t fall away.  Stay strong, stay true, develop Christianity or develop as a Christian.  

It isn't you know oh man, isn't that wonderful: I found out there was a sycamore tree, you know it 9/11 that was destroyed, and the towers, and there's a verse in Isaiah that talks about a sycamore tree and judgment on Israel, 9/11 was judgment on the nation of the United States.  And they begin to build this whole case and this whole story. I'm not saying it's all wrong.  I'm simply saying look what Christ said.  

What did he want from us?  What is what should prophecy do?  Number one: Take heed that no one deceives you.  Don't be deceived.  Stay on the path; don't deviate, don't be distracted. 

And then beginning in verse 5 through verse 22.  Matthew 24, verse 5-22 is a discussion of events that will intensify.  We see these as events that have always been around; wars and rumors of wars, but that will intensify as we get near the end.  

So, you read through this say, well, you know the end time we're going to have nations rising against nations.  We're going to see famines, and pestilence, and earthquakes. We're going to see disruptions in weather; we're going to see you know a lot more of that occurring, as we get closer to the end.  But there's no marker here. He doesn't say, well, when you see five tornadoes in one day, Christ will be there a week later.  

You know He didn't give us any makers to look at, He just said, look, pay attention.  You know you're going to live a life, maybe you live 50, 60 70, 80 years, 90 years, look at what you've seen.  Can you see that things are intensified?  Can you see that?  Watch for it; look for it.  

And He goes through all of these things and talks about the tribulation.  He said, it also mentions verse 14, the gospel of the kingdom is one of the signs, as we get closer to the end, being preached into all the world.  (Mat 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.)  That's one of the signs.  

So, the gospel of the kingdom isn't just going to happen.  God is going to use someone or some you know people to preach that gospel and it'll be in the end time.  You know we have a responsibility and an obligation to be doing the work of God.  And that work, however you want to phrase it, is going to involve you know there's only one gospel, there's only one message.  So, it it's the work of God isn't you know, as they say rocket science, it's getting that one message out to the world.  That's what it is; now you can make a choice here, a choice there, a choice there as far a how.  But the fact is, there's one message and that message is to go to the world.  That's a part of the sign.  That's what's going to be occurring. 

You continue on, as I said, through verse 22, now in verse 23, notice this, we come back to that same theme again.  Verse 23: Mat 24:23-24 (Then) "if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." So, He first said be aware of deception, He says here in the middle of all these prophecies be aware of deception, it's going to happen and you'll see that this is a part of the theme as you go through.  So, verse 23 begins a warning about deception.  

Verse 32.  You can't know the time that comes back to that theme.  So, don't think you can, you can't know the time. (Mat 24:32-33Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near--at the doors!)
 
And then, verse 42 you can't know the time, (Mat 24:42Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.) warnings about being ready at all times verses 42 through 51.  So, if you look at Matthew 24 on balance, the message is what?  

One of warning, that we not be deceived and that we always be ready.  If we gain that from prophecy, whatever prophecy, Pick Isaiah 49, you know pick Isaiah 66 pick whatever prophecy you want Ezekiel 38; from that prophecy if we learn these two lessons, don't be deceived and be ready every single day then prophecy has fulfilled a major responsibility for us or in our lives.  It's not again, it doesn't tell us when, but it sure helps us, don't be deceived; be ready every day.  

If we only took those two lessons with us, filtered everything through the word of God so that we're not deceived and we're ready every day, how can you go wrong?  Prophecy.  But, Christ didn't end after chapter 24.  

Chapter 25, He begins with the same pattern. Verses 1-13 of chapter 25 is the story of the ten virgins.  And what is that story about a parable you know if you study the word "parable".  A parable comes from the Greek word parable – it means side-by-side.  

There is a central lesson in a parable.  What often happens is sometimes we want to pick the parable apart and say, oh you know that well, this is this and this is that and this that and I again, I'm not insisting or saying that that cannot be true.  But a parable is for one purpose, you know one point, one lesson.  That's the purpose of a parable.  Now can you draw other lessons, of course you can. But, be awfully careful about building a doctrinal position from a parable because it's a lesson to be learned.  

What's the lesson of the virgins?  Well, isn't it the same lesson? These ten or five of the ten were not ready.  Come knocking on the door and He says well, you know I don't know who you are.  You know I'm you're not I'm not ready. Or He says, He says, you know the midnight cry goes verse 8 the foolish said to the wise "Give us some of your oil for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there shouldn't have enough and He says and while they went to buy the bridegroom came, verse 10, and those who were ready went in with Him. Afterwards and then verse 11, Lord, Lord open to us! He answered.  "Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you."  (Mat 25 8-12 And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.' 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. 11 Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!' 12 But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.')

What is that lesson about?  What is the central lesson of the ten virgins?  The lesson is you know you need to be ready every day for the return of Christ.  Matthew 24, that's the lesson there.  Matthew 25, the first parable, it's the same lesson.  

Then you come to actually Matthew 25 is has more than one parable.  You come to the next parable, verse 14 which is the parable of the talents.  What does that parable teach us?  Well, the lesson is once again and on working, not taking it easy, growing, you know the statement is made after a long time the Lord of these servants cometh and reckoneth with them.  The implication with the way things will be: people will grow weary of waiting on Christ.  They'll grow tired.  Daniel, chapter 7.  

And then Matthew 25 ends with another story or parable.  It's a story about service to others being highlighted.  You know verse 31 He talks about you know that all the nations being gathered, the sheep on one side, and the goats on the other side. (Mat 25:31-32 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.)

The King will say to them, verse 34 Come, you blessed and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink."  He says, "When did we do all these things to you?"  He said, "As you did it to the least of these, My servants, so have you done it to Me."  

Matthew 25: 34-40(Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.' 37 Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.')

So, the three parables of Matthew 25 reinforce the lessons from Matthew 24.  The prophetic lessons; don't be deceived, be ready every day, do good every day, serve your fellow man every day.  Become a better person every day and don’t be deceived.  

So this famous Olivet Prophecy in sort of a microcosm, this long teaching at the end of Jesus' ministry gives us a purpose and tells us what we should be gaining not just from prophecy but from all scripture.  And all scripture should be helping us so that we are not deceived, so that we are able to be ready every single day.  

These two chapters comprise the most important statements made by Christ on the subject of end-time prophecy.  And what was the conclusion?  Don't ignore the signs of Christ return but always be ready.  Okay, so now what must we do?  Let's bring this to a conclusion.

What am I saying about prophecy today?  As a church and as individuals, we should continue to study prophecy.  And we should continue to preach and teach about prophecy.  We should do more probably than we have done in recent years.  But it isn't for the purpose of identifying the day Christ will return, so that you can say, You know I heard this sermon, and I know that there are you know three years left or ten years left or five years left that Christ is going to return.  And so we somehow glean that that's a good thing. Well, what is that a good thing?   

Why is that a good, if that were a good thing for us to know, why would Christ be so adamant that you can't know?  Because you see it's never been a good thing.  When people have predicted these dates and they've set them aside, it's never been a good thing.  It's never