The Midnight Cry

Does This Millennium Mean Anything

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

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Series Code: TMC

Program Code: TMC000015A


00:14 Let's welcome Myrna Matthews- Haynes and Adrian Westney.
05:26 Over the last few years I have had the opportunity
05:30 of becoming acquainted with a very special person.
05:34 This individual is one that as I have become acquainted with him
05:41 I really have become very much aware of his sincerity
05:46 of his love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
05:49 And an individual that's willing to lay it all down
05:55 for Jesus Christ.
05:57 An individual that's willing to put Christ
06:01 over and above everything else.
06:05 And as a result of that
06:08 I have really appreciated very much
06:11 his friendship, the opportunity to get acquainted with him.
06:15 This individual has written ten #1 hits.
06:21 When he gave his heart to the Lord
06:24 he decided that he would just concentrate on songs
06:27 that would uplift humanity and Jesus Christ.
06:31 Tonight he's going to sing a song that he's written himself.
06:35 It's entitled: Lord, Help Me Slow Down This Life Of Mine.
06:39 Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like for you to welcome
06:42 Mr. Roy Drusky of the Grand Ole Opry.
07:03 Lord, help me slow down
07:07 this life of mine.
07:11 Help me make better use
07:15 of precious time.
07:20 Let me taste the grapes
07:23 but make me tend the vine...
07:28 Lord, help me slow down
07:32 this life of mine.
07:37 Help me find my purpose
07:41 in this world today.
07:45 Help me help the stranger
07:49 who's lost along the way.
07:54 Someone really needs me...
07:58 make me take the time.
08:02 Lord, help me slow down
08:06 this life of mine.
08:11 Lord, help me slow down
08:15 this life of mine.
08:19 Help me make better use
08:23 of precious time.
08:27 Let me taste the grapes
08:32 but make me tend the vine...
08:36 Lord, help me slow down
08:40 this life of mine.
08:53 Lord, help me slow down
08:57 this life of mine.
09:02 Help me make better use
09:06 of precious time.
09:10 Let me taste the grapes
09:14 but make me tend the vine...
09:19 Lord, help me slow down
09:23 this life of mine...
09:27 Lord, help me slow down
09:31 this life of mine.
09:53 Our heavenly Father,
09:57 just want to take this opportunity to thank you
10:00 for Your Word that gives us insight...
10:05 helps us understand where we are.
10:09 Lord, may we not get so busy
10:16 and so wrapped up in the things of this world
10:20 that we don't have time to slow down our lives
10:23 and to spend time with You.
10:26 Give us understanding tonight
10:29 that we may see and clearly understand
10:33 the events that are before us.
10:36 For this we ask in Christ's name, Amen.
10:48 A lot of individuals
10:51 thought that something dramatic, something
10:56 unbelievable was going to take place,
11:00 was going to happen at the close of 2000.
11:06 As Pastor Melashenko mentioned
11:09 Y2K... they thought this was
11:12 sure to bring it in, bring catastrophe...
11:15 many things would happen.
11:17 That it would usher in a millennium.
11:21 Other people said: "Nah... really the millennium
11:24 doesn't really begin until 2001. "
11:29 And so there's a lot of people saying: "No, it really doesn't
11:32 start until 2001. " And so there's some people that still
11:35 think that come the end of this year
11:38 that there's going to be dramatic things that are
11:40 going to happen. There's other people that say:
11:43 "No... you can't really go by that...
11:46 you've gotta go by the Jewish calendar.
11:48 You can't go by our calendar;
11:50 you've gotta go by the Jewish calendar
11:51 and there's a number of years left on the Jewish calendar. "
11:54 So you find there's a lot of different ideas
11:57 about the millennium.
11:59 What you and I need to understand
12:01 is we need to understand what God's Word says.
12:05 That's what we need to understand.
12:06 We need to understand exactly where we are.
12:09 And by understanding what God's Word says
12:12 you and I without question can rest our faith.
12:19 Told you before, told you the other night:
12:21 you do not... you do not build
12:27 your faith on a church.
12:29 You build your faith on the Word of God.
12:33 It's by the Word of God that I know and understand.
12:37 That's why the Scripture has this to say to us
12:40 here in II Peter first chapter verse 19:
12:58 So the Scripture says if there's anything that's sure,
13:02 anything that we can count on,
13:04 it's the Word of God.
13:06 We can count on it. So tonight
13:08 what we need to do is find out just exactly
13:11 what does God's Word say about this thousand years.
13:16 That's what we need to find out tonight.
13:18 Known as the millennium. No such word in Scripture
13:22 as the millennium... just a Latin word that means
13:26 thousand years. But there's certain things
13:29 that you and I need to establish as we look at it tonight.
13:33 One thing that we need to establish is:
13:38 When is the thousand years going to start?
13:40 Will the Scripture tell me exactly when that 1,000 years
13:44 starts? Will it tell me when that 1,000 years
13:48 is going to come to an end?
13:50 I was visiting with a lady, and
13:52 we were talking about this 1,000 years.
13:54 She told me, she said: "Oh, we already live
13:56 during that 1,000 years. "
13:58 And I said: "You mean the 1,000 years has already started? "
14:01 She said: "That's right. "
14:03 And I said: "Well my Bible tells me
14:05 that the devil is chained during that 1,000 years. "
14:08 And she said: "Oh, that's right! He's chained up. "
14:11 And I said: "If it is he's on a rubber chain
14:14 'cause he gets around to me quite often. "
14:15 You know? See? So what you and I need to know
14:18 is when does that 1,000 years start?
14:21 When does it end? We need to understand
14:23 what's happening during that 1,000 years.
14:26 Why does God say there's a thousand years?
14:28 What going to go on during that 1,000 years?
14:31 We need to establish tonight where are the righteous
14:34 going to be? Where are all the saints going to be
14:37 during this thousand years?
14:38 Where are the wicked going to be during the 1,000 years?
14:41 Those are things that we simply need to establish
14:45 in understanding what the Bible says about the 1,000 years.
14:49 So with that, let's take a look at Revelation the 20th chapter
14:53 that mentions the 1,000 years.
14:55 And we're going to read several verses,
14:57 see what God's Word has to say about it.
14:59 Revelation 20 verse 1:
16:00 So here it talks about 1,000 years.
16:03 Tells us that the devil's going to be bound during that
16:06 thousand years. That the saints are going to live and reign
16:09 for 1,000 years and that judgment was committed to them.
16:13 Now here in Revelation 20 verse 6
16:16 it tells us where this 1,000 years starts
16:19 so watch carefully:
16:37 So it tells us very clearly
16:39 that this 1,000 years is going to begin with a resurrection.
16:44 That is how the millennium or the thousand years
16:47 is going to start is with a resurrection.
16:50 "Blessed and holy is he that has part in the?
16:53 first resurrection. " So it tells us
16:56 that the 1,000 years begins with the first resurrection
16:59 and that it will end... this 1,000 years will come to an end
17:04 also with a resurrection.
17:07 Now let's take a look at the Scripture and watch
17:09 as it puts it together for us.
17:29 That's the first resurrection.
17:35 That's the first resurrection.
17:36 Then if we take a look at Revelation 20 verse 5
17:40 it says:
17:49 Now if I have all the righteous
17:52 being resurrected in the first resurrection
17:55 and it says: "But the rest of the dead did not live again
17:58 until the thousand years were finished"
18:00 then that has to be the second resurrection
18:02 or it is referred to in Scripture as the
18:05 resurrection of condemnation.
18:07 You with me? Follow me?
18:09 Let's look at another text that puts it all together for us.
18:29 That's the first resurrection.
18:30 "All those that have done good to the resurrection of life. "
18:35 Watch as it continues:
18:42 That is the second resurrection.
18:44 Those two resurrections are separated by 1,000 years.
18:50 OK? That's simply what the Scripture tells us
18:53 about these thousand years.
18:55 So what we need to do now
18:57 is we need to find out what happens at the beginning.
19:01 What are the events that all take place here
19:04 at the beginning?
19:06 Well, to begin with Jesus is going to come.
19:09 Right? Has to come
19:12 because that's what causes the resurrection of the righteous.
19:16 So Jesus has to come back
19:18 as it says here in I Thessalonians 4:16:
19:34 So all those people down through the ages
19:36 who have accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior
19:40 they have looked forward to the day when He's going to come back
19:42 they're going to be resurrected from the grave.
19:45 They're going to come up out of the grave.
19:47 Scripture describes it with these points, these words:
20:09 So all those people that have died in the hope
20:13 of Christ accepting Him as their Savior:
20:16 those people are going to come out of the grave immortal.
20:20 Changed in a moment... in the twinkling of an eye.
20:25 They will put on immortality.
20:38 Marvelous promise!
20:39 So when Jesus comes
20:41 He calls all those that have died in faith from the grave.
20:46 They come out of that grave immortal
20:49 never, never, never, friend, to die.
20:54 Just think...
20:57 The Scripture says that when they come forth from the grave
21:01 there won't be any more sorrow,
21:04 there won't be any more pain,
21:07 there won't be any more sickness,
21:10 there won't be any more death...
21:12 all those things will have passed away
21:16 never to be again.
21:19 Marvelous promise that God gives.
21:22 Also it tells us
21:24 that with Jesus' coming
21:27 and the resurrection of the righteous
21:31 it tells us that something's going to happen to the people
21:33 who are living on the earth.
21:36 Those that are living on the earth when Jesus comes
21:39 the Scripture says that they're going to be caught up
21:42 with those people who have been resurrected
21:45 to meet the Lord in the air.
21:47 So they're going to have the privilege of seeing Jesus
21:50 as He comes in the clouds of heaven.
21:53 And it says this is what will happen to them:
22:08 So all those people who are alive
22:11 waiting for Jesus to come
22:14 they're going to see Him come in the clouds of heaven
22:16 and in a moment... in a moment they're going to be changed.
22:20 Just like that their bodies are going to be changed.
22:23 They'll become immortal, and with those that have been
22:26 resurrected they will be caught up in the air
22:29 to meet the Lord. Amen!
22:31 Marvelous promise to each one of you.
22:35 Let me tell you: I don't care tonight...
22:39 I don't care where you've been,
22:42 I don't care what you've done,
22:45 the Lord Jesus Christ promises to you
22:48 that you can have that privilege
22:51 of being among those that will see Jesus come
22:54 or among those that will be resurrected from the grave.
22:57 You can have that privilege by accepting Him.
22:59 That's a promise
23:01 that He gives to every one of you here tonight.
23:04 What about those people that are living...
23:07 the wicked that are living when Jesus comes?
23:12 The wicked that are dead... what?
23:16 They're not disturbed
23:18 'cause it says: "the rest of the dead lived not again
23:21 until the thousand years were finished. "
23:22 So they're not bothered.
23:24 When Jesus comes and He shouts
23:27 and His words roll through this earth like peals of thunder
23:30 and all the dead in Jesus Christ that are in their grave
23:33 they hear that voice and they come out.
23:36 The wicked don't hear that.
23:38 They don't hear it... they're not disturbed.
23:41 But the Scripture tells us about the wicked that are living
23:44 here on the earth, what will happen to them.
24:17 So it says when He comes back He's going to come back
24:19 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those
24:23 that have not served Him, have not accepted Him,
24:26 have not followed Him.
24:28 In fact, the Bible goes on and describes it
24:32 with these words:
24:42 So it says they will be destroyed.
24:44 It tells us how they're going to react.
24:48 Here in Revelation the 6th chapter and verse 14
24:54 it describes it with these words:
25:29 Now I run onto some people that tell me that when Jesus
25:32 comes people aren't going to know it.
25:38 They say that the righteous are going to kind of be just
25:42 whisked out of here. And the wicked are going to look
25:45 around and say: "Where did everybody go? "
25:47 Dear friends, let me ask you something:
25:50 if mountains start moving
25:53 and islands start disappearing
25:56 and the heavens split and rolls back like a scroll,
25:59 do you think you'll know something's going on?
26:03 I think I would. I think I would know
26:05 that something was taking place.
26:07 'Cause it says that they will literally cry
26:10 for the rocks and the mountains to fall on them,
26:12 hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne
26:16 coming back. It says that all the wicked
26:20 will be destroyed... will be destroyed at the coming
26:25 of Jesus Christ. They will be slain.
26:27 They will fall... they'll be destroyed.
26:29 Now let me ask you something tonight:
26:32 if when Jesus comes
26:35 and all the righteous that are dead are resurrected
26:38 and all the righteous that are living are caught up with Him...
26:41 caught up into the air and taken to heaven...
26:44 and all the wicked who are dead are not disturbed
26:49 and the wicked that are living are slain,
26:51 then let me ask you: "Who's left? "
26:55 Nobody! Listen to the Scripture:
26:57 Revelation 20 verse 10:
27:21 So it says that bound the devil for a thousand years.
27:27 Now said he had a great chain in his hand
27:30 and he bound the devil for a thousand years.
27:32 Do you think a chain would hold the devil?
27:35 Huh?
27:36 Why I can read to you where Christ and the disciples
27:39 went over the shore of the Gadarenes. And it talks about
27:41 these two men come running out of the tombs.
27:43 The Scripture says they had been bound with chains
27:46 and had broken them asunder.
27:48 Now if chains won't hold a man
27:50 they certainly wouldn't hold the devil, would they?
27:53 So what does it mean when it says he had a great chain
27:55 in his hand and he bound the devil for a thousand years?
27:59 Well, have you ever had somebody come over to your house
28:02 and said: "Go to town with me. "
28:05 And you would say: "Well, I really would like to
28:07 but I'm tied down. "
28:08 What did you mean?
28:10 Well you meant circumstances didn't permit you to go.
28:13 The circumstances have bound the devil...
28:16 that's what's bound him.
28:17 The righteous are in heaven;
28:19 the wicked are dead;
28:20 the devil is bound for 1,000 years.
28:24 That's what happens here.
28:25 So five events... five events take place
28:29 at the beginning of the thousand years.
28:31 These are the five events:
29:01 Now what's going to happen here on earth?
29:05 What's going to take place during this thousand years?
29:07 And why are the righteous
29:09 going to spend 1,000 years up in heaven?
29:12 Well let's look and see what the Scripture has to tell us.
29:19 God gives him... God gives him 1,000 years
29:24 to think over all the sin,
29:27 all the crime, all the degradation
29:30 and all the things that he has done as part of his punishment.
29:34 A thousand years to think over what he has done.
29:39 What's the earth like?
29:41 What's the condition of the earth during this 1,000 years?
29:58 Says the Lord is going to make this earth empty.
30:03 Righteous are in heaven; wicked are dead.
30:06 The earth is empty.
30:08 All right. Distorts it's surface.
30:20 So it says the whole land is going to be absolutely empty.
30:24 There won't be anybody here.
30:26 The devil is given that as part of his punishment.
30:30 In fact, this is what it says will happen to the wicked:
30:52 So it says that the coming of Jesus...
30:54 that He will come as a consuming fire.
30:58 It says the wicked will fall to the ground.
31:00 They won't be gathered; they won't be lamented;
31:03 they won't be buried.
31:05 Fall right there.
31:07 That's what's going to happen to them. The earth is going
31:09 to be desolate during this thousand years.
31:12 Now if the wicked are dead
31:15 and they don't know anything,
31:18 what are the righteous going to be doing?
31:21 And why would they spend 1,000 years up in heaven?
31:26 What's the purpose of this?
31:29 Well, Revelation 20 verse 6 gives you an idea. Watch:
31:40 So it says the righteous are going to go to heaven.
31:43 They're going to live and reign with Him there for 1,000 years.
31:47 What are they going to be doing during that 1,000 years?
31:50 Verse 4 of the 20th chapter says:
32:00 Hmm. The righteous during that thousand years
32:05 are going to be given what? Huh?
32:09 Judgment.
32:11 When are the righteous given judgment, folks?
32:14 Come on. During the thousand years.
32:17 I just wanted to get that clear because I run onto some saints
32:20 that think judgment's been given to them now.
32:22 No... not now... during the thousand years.
32:25 I even have some people say: "Well, I'm not judging...
32:28 I'm just a fruit inspector. "
32:29 No, you're not even a fruit inspector, you know.
32:31 That's God's responsibility.
32:34 Judgment is given to them during the thousand years.
32:36 Who are they going to judge?
32:39 Who will they judge during this thousand years?
32:49 OK?
32:55 OK, so it says they're going to judge the world.
32:59 That we'll even judge angels.
33:01 Why is judgment going to be given to the righteous?
33:05 Have you ever thought about that?
33:08 Hmm? Have you ever given any thought to that?
33:12 Well, let's say...
33:17 let's say you get to heaven
33:20 and you look around and somebody you knew
33:23 who you thought was a Christian
33:25 is not there.
33:27 What are you going to do?
33:30 Are you going to go through eternity saying
33:33 "Wonder where John is. "
33:36 "Strange... I thought he would have been here. "
33:40 "I wonder why John didn't make it. "
33:44 "Oh, I'd better keep my mouth shut. "
33:47 "Better not say anything. "
33:49 "Strange that John didn't make it. "
33:51 Now let me tell you something:
33:53 God doesn't intend
33:56 for you to get 10,000 years into eternity
33:59 and all of a sudden yell: "Hey! Where's John? "
34:04 No... that's not going to happen.
34:06 So God is going to open up the books.
34:10 That's why the books are kept up in heaven, folks.
34:13 He's going to open up the books
34:14 and He's going to let you look at them
34:16 and He's going to let you be absolutely convinced
34:19 in your heart and in your soul
34:21 that God did everything that He could
34:23 to save every last soul.
34:26 Let me tell you something tonight:
34:29 if you don't make it into heaven it won't be God's fault.
34:33 God's not trying tonight to keep you out of heaven.
34:36 God's trying to get you INTO heaven.
34:40 So He's going to open up the books.
34:42 The righteous are going to go through it
34:44 and they're going to be absolutely convinced
34:46 in their heart and in their soul
34:47 that God did everything He could to save every person.
34:52 Now, we come down to the end of the thousand years.
34:56 Something begins to happen
34:58 'cause it tells us that up in heaven
35:01 there's a city called the New Jerusalem
35:04 that Jesus has made.
35:17 So all of a sudden at the end of this thousand years
35:19 down comes the New Jerusalem.
35:22 Now the righteous, folks...
35:24 the righteous were taken to heaven at the beginning
35:26 of the thousand years and they have spent 1,000 years
35:30 in the New Jerusalem.
35:32 But now it's coming back to this earth.
35:38 Beautiful city!
35:39 Beyond description!
35:42 And it tells us exactly where it's going to settle.
35:46 Did you know that?
36:29 So it says here that all the righteous that have been
36:32 up there in heaven with Him
36:33 they're going to come back. That New Jerusalem is going to
36:37 touch... His feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives.
36:42 It's going to split; going to become a huge plain
36:45 and that's where the New Jeru- salem is going to come to rest.
36:51 I was over in Israel.
36:55 Had gone over to the Dome of the Rock.
37:00 Top of Mount Moriah.
37:03 And there on the Dome of the Rock, there on the top
37:07 is the Dome of the Rock which is a Muslim shrine.
37:11 There's nothing in that shrine, folks, except a rock.
37:15 That rock is very very... how should I say?
37:20 sacred in a sense to Jews and to Muslims and to Christians.
37:27 You see, they believe
37:29 that it was upon that rock
37:32 that Abraham was going to offer Isaac.
37:36 The Muslim believes it was on that rock that
37:39 Abraham was going to offer Ishmael.
37:43 The Christians believe it was on that rock
37:46 where Abraham was going to offer Isaac.
37:49 They also believe that that rock was the threshing floor
37:53 of Nathan the Jebusite. And they believe it was on that
37:56 rock where the temple altar of sacrifice was.
38:01 So that rock is very very special to them.
38:04 And so I had gone there, and I was just inside
38:07 the shrine looking when this guide that I became very well
38:12 acquainted with - a Jew - came up to me and he said:
38:15 "Would you like to see something? "
38:16 And I said: "Sure. "
38:18 And so he took me around to the other side of it
38:21 and here he opened a door, here he turned on a light,
38:23 and here was a stairway going down under the rock.
38:26 He walked down the stairway and I followed him.
38:29 Got down there and I realized now
38:32 that this rock I had been looking at
38:33 now was the ceiling of this room.
38:36 And there was nobody in there but the guide and myself.
38:39 And he said to me, he said:
38:41 "What do you see? "
38:44 I looked around and I said: "Just a vacant room. "
38:47 I said: "That's all I see. "
38:48 He said: "You need to look a little closer. "
38:51 So I tried to look closer, but I couldn't figure out
38:54 what he was talking about.
38:56 Finally he said: "Let me show you. "
38:57 And he went over to the edge of it and he pointed up
38:59 to the ceiling. He said: "You see that crack? "
39:02 Followed it clear across the room.
39:06 He said: "We've only had one earthquake here. "
39:12 And he said: "That took place in 31 AD. "
39:18 And he picked up a Bible and turned over to Matthew
39:20 the 27th chapter and read verse 51
39:23 where it says that when Jesus died
39:25 the earth quaked and the rocks split.
39:29 And he said: "That earthquake split this rock. "
39:32 Well, there wasn't anybody down there but me and this guide
39:35 who was a Jew. And I thought: "This is a good
39:38 time to ask him a question. "
39:40 And so I said to him... I said:
39:42 "Are you going to re-build the temple? "
39:45 "Oh, " he said, "absolutely! "
39:47 And I said: "I don't understand. "
39:50 I said: "Next to Mecca this is probably the most sacred
39:53 spot to the Muslim. All you and I would have to do
39:57 is do one thing to this to deface it or destroy it
40:02 and we'd be in trouble. We'd be in the biggest war
40:04 you've ever seen. "
40:06 He said: "Oh, we aren't going to do that. "
40:09 Then he picked up his Bible
40:12 and turned over to Zechariah that I just read to you
40:15 to the 14th chapter.
40:17 And he read that text to me that we just read, see.
40:20 And he said: "Oh... " he said:
40:22 "the Messiah's coming back.
40:24 His feet are going to touch the Mount of Olives. "
40:26 He said: "You see that crack? "
40:28 He said: "That didn't just crack that rock. "
40:30 He said: "That's a fault line. "
40:32 He said: "It not only runs through here.
40:33 It crosses the Valley of Jehosephat
40:35 and it splits the Mount of Olives in two. "
40:37 And he said: "When the Messiah comes back
40:40 His feet will touch this. " And he said: "It'll split
40:43 this place wide open. " And he said: "Then we will
40:45 re-build the temple. "
40:49 And I said: "I have one problem with that. "
40:52 And he said: "What's your problem with that? "
40:54 And I said: "The problem I'm having with that is you
40:57 tell me that that rock there was split at the crucifixion
41:00 of Jesus Christ. "
41:04 And he looked at me and I said:
41:07 "And I believe He's the One coming back. "
41:10 And he turned and walked up the steps.
41:14 You see... But what I'm trying to get across to you tonight
41:18 as far as I can tell that rock split.
41:21 That mountain has a fault line
41:23 right through it waiting... waiting
41:26 for the feet of Jesus Christ.
41:28 When it comes it's going to split
41:31 and that New Jerusalem that Jesus made
41:33 is going to come and it's going to settle
41:35 right here on this old earth.
41:38 What about the dead?
41:41 What about all the wicked that have been dead?
41:45 The Scripture says this about them:
41:54 Hmm... didn't live again until the 1,000 years were finished.
41:58 Oh, friend, let me tell you something:
41:59 there's so much difference between those two resurrections!
42:03 The resurrection of the righteous...
42:06 Over here I read to you it says that when they come
42:08 forth they are changed in a moment, in the twinkling
42:11 of an eye. It says that this mortal must put on?
42:14 immortality. It means that if that person was blind
42:18 when he died he comes out seeing.
42:20 It means if he went into that grave with one arm missing
42:23 he comes out with both arms.
42:25 It means if he went into that grave crippled
42:27 he comes out whole!
42:29 Do you understand that?
42:31 That is not promised on this resurrection of the wicked.
42:36 If that person's blind and they don't know Jesus Christ
42:39 and they died blind they come out blind.
42:43 They come out just like they went in.
42:46 Nothing's promised here... no change.
42:49 No immortality.
42:51 Are you telling me tonight...
42:53 are you telling me tonight that you'll give that up
42:56 for this old world?
42:58 That you'll give it up? No way... no way.
43:05 They come forth from the grave thick as the sands of the sea.
43:11 Enoch, 7th from Adam, prophesied about it.
43:49 And so it says He's coming back to execute judgment.
43:53 Well... the devil has been given a thousand years
43:58 to think over all the trouble and all the crime
44:01 and everything. But all of a sudden
44:03 here at the end of the thousand years
44:05 all of the wicked are resurrected.
44:08 He now has people.
44:11 That's why it says when the thousand years...
44:19 You see, he's no longer bound because now he has people
44:22 to work with... he has people to tempt.
44:24 He has something to do.
44:26 And let me assure you that during that thousand years
44:30 he hasn't been sitting there twiddling his thumbs.
44:33 He has a plan. He knows exactly what he's going to do.
44:37 Watch very carefully because he has a plan.
44:53 So it says that he goes out to deceive
44:56 all the wicked and he gathers them.
44:58 They're as thick as the sands of the sea. And it says
45:01 here in Revelation 20 verse 9:
45:14 Now why? Why would that happen?
45:19 Why don't the wicked just go over on the other side
45:21 of the earth and say: "We'll stay over here
45:23 and let the righteous stay over there.
45:25 And we won't bother them and maybe they won't bother us. "
45:30 Why go up and surround the city and try to take it?
45:35 Why do that?
45:38 The devil has a master plan.
45:43 You see, when they came forth from the grave,
45:48 the wicked, they're not immortal.
45:51 They're mortal... they're subject to death.
45:55 Back when God created man in the Garden of Eden
45:59 He put something in the Garden of Eden called the Tree of Life.
46:03 Listen to what it says here: Genesis 3:22:
46:27 He said: "Lest man take... " He put an angel there.
46:31 Put an angel guarding the tree.
46:42 So God made it impossible
46:45 for man to eat of the Tree of Life.
46:50 You know where the Tree of Life is now?
46:53 Hmm?
46:56 It's in the New Jerusalem.
46:58 And at the end of the thousand years the New Jerusalem
47:00 comes back to this earth.
47:21 The devil convinces the wicked
47:24 that if they can just storm the city,
47:27 get inside and eat of the Tree of Life
47:30 they'll live... they'll not die.
47:33 So they go up - great great masses of humanity -
47:39 and they surround the New Jerusalem.
47:42 This is where the Scripture says that the great white throne
47:47 judgment takes place.
47:49 You think tonight all of a sudden
47:53 right there, this particular moment in history
47:56 or in time, right there inside the New Jerusalem
48:00 are all the righteous that have ever lived.
48:04 Outside the city are all the wicked that have ever lived.
48:08 So standing there before God now is all mankind.
48:14 And all of a sudden God is lifted up
48:17 and the great white throne judgment takes place.
48:32 Here they stand... all mankind.
48:50 So dear friend, tonight
48:52 if your name's in the Book of Life...
48:56 at this point, if your name's in the Book of Life
48:59 Jesus has already pleaded your case
49:04 up in heaven and you have been marked
49:07 as having eternal life.
49:11 They read through the books.
49:14 If you have given your heart to Jesus Christ
49:17 Christ has stood up and said: "Father, I plead My blood
49:20 on behalf of this person. Give them life eternal. "
49:24 And you have come forth from the grave immortal
49:27 as the Scripture says.
49:29 The wicked...
49:36 The wicked get up off their knees
49:41 and they try to take the city.
49:56 The wicked go up... they surround the city.
49:59 Fire is rained down out of heaven; devours them.
50:04 That New Jerusalem will ride those flames
50:08 just like the ark rode the flood.
50:11 Because it says that this old earth of ours
50:15 will be burned. It says:
50:26 You see, if you know Jesus Christ tonight as your
50:30 personal Savior, if you've given your heart to Him,
50:35 then you will only die once.
50:38 You may not die at all
50:39 if you live long enough to see Jesus come.
50:42 But if you don't, you will only die once.
50:47 But if you don't accept Jesus Christ,
50:50 you'll die twice
50:53 'cause you will be resurrected in the second resurrection
50:57 and you will be destroyed at the end.
51:01 You will die twice.
51:03 He offers to you tonight life in Jesus Christ.
51:08 This old earth that you and I have lived in
51:12 is referred to as being burnt like a lake of fire.
51:23 And the Bible describes this old earth and its condition
51:27 'cause it talks about it here in II Peter 3 verse 12:
51:53 So the old earth's going to be burned.
51:55 And then when it's through burning the Lord Jesus Christ
51:59 is going to make it brand new.
52:02 And so the Bible tells you and I
52:04 that there are things that are waiting for the righteous.
52:08 That you and I have a new world to look forward to.
52:13 Oh... how marvelous it will be!
52:17 Listen, this is what it tells us about it:
52:31 Brand new earth.
52:33 So you find that there are five events
52:36 that close the millennium or the thousand years.
52:39 Those five events are:
53:10 'Cause the Scripture says in Matthew 5:5:
53:13 "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "
53:18 So God gives us a marvelous promise.
53:32 Time is here.
53:34 As a boy as I have mentioned to you
53:38 I was born here. Lived here until I was 9 years of age.
53:44 My parents told me of an incident that happened here
53:48 in Chicago. There was a salesman
53:52 from out of town
53:55 that had come here to Chicago.
53:57 Evidently had had a busy day
54:02 and he checked into a hotel down on the Loop.
54:07 Went to bed tired.
54:10 But about 2 in the morning he was shaken out of sleep
54:15 by the sound of a siren.
54:17 He jumped up to realize that the hotel he was in
54:21 was on fire.
54:27 He could hear the sirens.
54:30 He could smell the smoke and all.
54:33 And he grabbed the telephone
54:35 and by some chance was able to get an outside line
54:39 and called his boss.
54:42 And he told his boss
54:44 that he was in this hotel and it was on fire.
54:48 And he was going to give him a moment-by-moment account
54:53 of what it was like to be in a hotel on fire.
54:57 He said: "This is a chance for me to give a story
54:59 like no one's ever heard. "
55:01 His boss said: "You get out of there and you get out of there
55:04 now. " And he said: "No. "
55:07 He said: "My escape's OK; I've got it all figured out.
55:10 I'm all right. " And he began to describe to him
55:13 about the horrors of a hotel on fire.
55:16 He talked about how the fire evidently had broken out
55:19 on the second floor
55:21 and how the smoke was making its way up the stairways
55:26 and up the elevator shafts and up the laundry chutes.
55:29 He talked about hearing people run down the hall
55:33 screaming and yelling.
55:35 He said that there were people piled up at the stairway
55:38 and at the elevator shaft where they had run over one another
55:41 trying to get out of the hotel.
55:44 He talked about how the smoke
55:46 was so bad as it went down the halls
55:49 that people were suffocating from the smoke.
55:52 He talked about how the fire, the heat
55:55 was sucking the oxygen out of the air
55:57 and how you had to bend over just to be able to breathe.
56:00 Described all the horrors of a hotel that was on fire.
56:05 Finally the telephone lines were gone
56:08 and he went over to the window
56:10 to make his way out on the fire escape
56:12 to take down to safety.
56:14 Opened the window only to find out that the fire escape
56:18 was red hot.
56:21 He shouted to the firemen below
56:23 to stretch out their nets... that he was going to jump.
56:27 And they stretched out their nets
56:29 and he jumped but missed the net.
56:35 Dear friend, let me tell you something:
56:36 I run onto a lot of people that think they're going to
56:39 hang on to this old world till the last moment
56:42 and then they're going to jump.
56:44 I have people say: "Oh... not right now. "
56:47 Let me tell you something: the Bible says
56:49 "Today is the day. "
56:52 There's going to be people going to say:
56:53 "Oh the summer is ended, the harvest is past
56:55 and we're not saved. "
56:57 Tonight Jesus is inviting you
57:01 to accept Him as your Savior,
57:03 give your heart to Him,
57:04 prepare for His coming
57:06 as Maddy sings.
57:10 Years have come and years have gone
57:14 since Jesus went away
57:19 leaving us this promise
57:23 that He'd come again
57:26 some day.
57:33 OK... let's bow our heads for a word of prayer.
57:35 Father, we thank you so much
57:38 for Jesus, for His love and for His care over our lives.
57:43 We pray that You'll bless each one here
57:46 that their hearts may be surrendered to You
57:49 and that they might be among those
57:53 that will look up into the heavens
57:56 and will say: "Lo, this is our God!
57:59 We've waited for Him and He'll save us. "
58:02 For all the things that You do for each one of us
58:04 we give to You honor and glory and praise.
58:08 In Christ's name, Amen.


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Revised 2019-05-09